Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Val Jones, owner, and CEO of Elite Productions, LLC., located in Parker, CO, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

I help women who are in a midlife crisis find their desire in the fire. I help them uncover what they want out of life and a plan to get there. I do this through an online course, small group training, retreats, and a year-long mastermind.

Tell us about yourself

I am a professional figure skater who competed against Kristi Yamaguchi and Tonya Harding. While my Olympic dream never materialized due to an injury, I garnered much knowledge about achieving and maintaining peak performance. And much of what I learned about life I learned on the ice. I have taken that knowledge and have occupied the space of coach/trainer since college. Coaching people to arrive at their goals and the best versions of themselves is what I love to do. COVID brought many changes to my life and in the middle of that was this feeling of a midlife "crisis." And there is not a lot of help out there, which is why I do what I do. I want to help others who are struggling.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

My biggest accomplishment is that many of my clients turn out to be friends. Dare I say, family. I love the fact that long after I've stopped working with someone, I still get texts about their adventures and accomplishments. I have always believed that business isn't about business. It is about people and relationships. I consider it an honor that my former clients still place their trust in me and share their struggles and victories with me.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

One of the hardest things being a business owner is that at the end of the day, it is on you. Even if you have a staff, it is on you. Jocko Willink calls it "extreme ownership." And that is what it is. You own everything. And while you could choose to look at it as a curse, I look at it as a blessing.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Get a coach. If you don't know how to do something, get someone who does. Don't look at it as an expense. Look at it as an investment.
  2. Fail fast. Fail hard. Fail forward. You will fail. But if you can switch your mindset to it not being a failure, but being feedback, you will be better off for it. Failure is the process. And it is ok.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

There are only two things in life you can control. Your work ethic and your attitude. That is all. I love how Scotty Hamilton says it, "The only true disability in life is a bad attitude." No truer words have ever been spoken.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: http://www.valjonesspeaks.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tankgirlval/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tankgirlvaljones/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/tankgrlvaljones
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/val-jones-speaker-author-coach/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.