Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Nina Boski, Founder of LifeBites Global, located in Hermosa Beach, CA, USA.

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

I have a lifestyle company that focuses on life, business, and media. Life and business coaching and media content and consulting.

Tell us about yourself

At the age of 17, I started my career as a disc jockey. By age 21, I was a top 40-disc jockey in Los Angeles. From there, I went on to host and produce videos for cable television networks. Eventually, I expanded into promotions, marketing and advertising, creating content and sponsorships for cable networks. I was employed by The Box Music Cable Network (MTV2), a division of Viacom, Inc., and became responsible for the entire west coast sales and development of the entertainment business, from the creation of movie segments to advertising deals.

Throughout the years, I’ve always maintained a passion and commitment to my own personal growth and encourage others to do the same! By bridging lifestyle and entertainment (Life-Business-Media), I started my own company, LifeBites Global (LBG). The company has evolved to create content in media and consult on both life and business. LifeBites initially aired as a radio show and has evolved into the launch of lifebites.com, syndicated radio and video segments airing in movie theaters, bookstores, and coffee houses, as well as publications like ELLE magazine. I have also been featured on Fox and Friends, The Insider, WE, The Hallmark TV Channel, Lifetime, Fox, and CBS news. LifeBites became one of the first 5 digital TV shows on YouTube, and now I create content for several platforms, including More U, a new platform reaching over 10 million people.

My social media presence is about helping people transform their lives. I was one of the social media promotional partners on Oprah Winfrey’s groundbreaking miniseries, BELIEF, about seven billion people searching for connection, redemption, and meaning in life. In addition, I have two films in pre-production around the legendary actress Marilyn Monroe, a feature film, thriller-noir called Goodnight: Marilyn with a TV investigative docuseries, and a global, dramatic podcast, Marilyn: Behind the Icon, brings to light the correlation between mental illness and addiction to help millions of Americans dealing with this huge epidemic and uses the ICON’s legacy to inspire hope and motivation to create a better life.

Over the years, LBG has branched out into more life-business in speaking, coaching, consulting, and training. I am known as a transformational life-business and energy coach working with clients from all over the world. I have worked with companies ranging from small startups to Fortune 100, like Wells Fargo, ING, Marriott Hotels, and a variety of Meta and Google teams. Because the business side of the company has grown so much, in September 2015, I co-founded a company, Results Revolution, with Gigi Jones, dedicated solely to business success. The company helps facilitate change on all levels, from restructuring, culture creation/alignment, brand building, leadership, manager and sales development, and training, to white-label coaching, wellness, and customized corporate programs.

I reside in Los Angeles, where I continue to consult and teach clients how to bring positive energy into their lives. My approach is very practical. I use a combination of east meets west techniques. Although I’m a results-oriented coach, post-Covid, being able to connect and create better balance is one of my key coaching elements. I’m always motivating my clients to “slow down in order to speed up.” “There is a lot of power between the two cultures. One is not better than the other. It’s all about integrating and balancing your life. I find these two approaches really help my clients – By using practical methods in building your goals and dreams (west) with helping you release blocks, known as your energy centers or chakras (east); I don’t just get it, I live and breathe healing and transformation - whether it is in your life, business and/or media. I have been this way since I was young. At 18, when I was a disc jockey on the radio in Los Angeles, I was telling people to “believe in themselves” before I truly even knew what it meant in my own life yet. I think it is part of my DNA.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I think my biggest accomplishment as a business owner is tenacity and the ability to thrive and pivot. I started my company at the height of the internet, and then the internet crashed three months later. I reinvented myself, and as a business coach in helping entrepreneurs, I certainly know what not to do. I have learned many things along the way. My show, LifeBites LIVE!, was also one of the first video shows on YouTube. I have always been at the forefront of technology and innovation.

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

You have to do it all in the beginning, and it is hard to do sales and  grow a business, and yet be the marketer, technology, IT department, and creator of your product/service all at the same time. So, you have to be clear on your priorities. Many new business owners focus on the wrong things and go out of business because of that. It takes a lot of tenacity to start a business unless you fall into it over time.

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

I have many tips on starting your own business, but some of the top tips I always tell people when starting a business or project:

  1. Vision - Be specific about what you are creating. Don’t take on too much at first. Grow one thing and grow it well. So, for example, if you want to be a coach, what kind of coach do you want to be, health, life, business, etc.? If you want to go into real estate, do you want to be a residential or a commercial realtor? After a year, what is the result of the vision you are creating? This is so important. One of the first things you want to do before embarking on your entrepreneur adventure is to get clear about what it is you want to create. I meet with so many people who have not developed a meaningful vision for themselves. They’ll say, “I want to make a career change.” I’ll ask, “Do you know what kind of change you want to make?” or “What are you passionate about?” Their response was, “I don’t know.” The other thing you have to get clear about is whether this is a hobby or a business. I meet people with side hustles that do not have the motivation or the discipline to make this a bonified business for themselves. The key is you need to know. Start with a specific vision. Get crystal clear even if you do not know how you will get there yet.
  2. Create a Plan: “A Goal Without a Plan is a Wish.” After you have a well-thought-out vision that is focused on one area you would like to do, then start creating a plan. You will need to go deeper in order to expand who you are, what you want, and what you need to get there. Vision needs focus, clarity, and structure in order to fully come to life! So, what is the plan? Have you met with other successful people who are in the field that you want to pursue? Getting advice before you start your plan will give your plan the merit to be able to ensure better success. Also, don’t be afraid to ask for help and get free business resources or hire a business coach to help plan and define your business with you. In our business coaching practice, we always say it takes people, processes, and systems to make a business. If one of those things is out of balance, it can cause havoc in a business.
  3. Trust your gut: Even if you are not sure what the reason for the gut reaction is. So many times, we trust other people, whether we are creating a project, raising funds, or building a business. Always trust your gut. When I first started my business, my gut was saying one thing, and other people who I thought knew more were saying something else. They were wrong. I was right, and I had to pay the price for that mistake because they all went on to do something else, and I was left having to pick up the pieces because it was my business, my passion. When in doubt, don’t or find out what the hesitation is before proceeding. Also, always take calculated risks, but do not jump off the diving board into a “new business” without having any water in the pool. That is not just about trusting your gut; that is about common sense. You have to have a vision and structure to have a business succeed.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.lifebites.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LifeBitesTV
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifebitestv/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LifeBites
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ninaboski/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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