Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Mark Black, CEO of Resurgo Training Solutions Inc., located in Dieppe, NB, Canada.

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

I am a peak-performance coach, keynote speaker, and author. I work with organizations to help them build resilience and with individuals to help them thrive through adversity.

Tell us about yourself

I am the only man in history to have run a marathon with someone else’s heart and lungs. As a resilience expert, speaker, coach, and author, I help people “Break Through” their limitations and transform adversity into their competitive advantage. Born with a life-threatening heart defect, I survived two dangerous open-heart surgeries before the age of one. I battled my condition and its limitations until 2002 when I was fortunate to receive a heart and double-lung transplant. Three years later, I ran my first full marathon. Then I did it three more times. I also won more than a dozen medals, including multiple golds, at the Canadian Transplant Games.

I am a Certified Speaking Professional. I have inspired more than 200,000 people in more than 600 presentations and have worked with global brands, including Exxon Mobil and Mercedes Benz, as well as many national and regional associations. Outside my professional life, I volunteer on the executive of two non-profit boards and am the founder of the New Brunswick chapter of the Canadian Transplant Association – an organization raising awareness about the importance of organ and tissue donation.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Working with more than 150,000 people in more than 600 events.

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

The unpredictability. No matter how much strategizing and planning you do, sometimes you are affected by things outside your control. COVID has been a perfect example.

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

  1. Pull the Boat Close to the Dock - Keep your job and build your business on the side until it is big enough that you can leave your job. This provides stability and financial security while you build your business.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://markblack.ca/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarkBlackSpeaks
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MarkBlackSpeaks/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markblack/

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.

Turn your craft into recurring revenue with Subkit. Start your subscription offering in minutes and supercharge it with growth levers. Get early access here.