Unlock Your Leadership Potential

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Maura Lightfoot, founder of MCL Coaching & Consulting, located in Bethesda, MD, USA.

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

We are a leadership coaching and people strategy consulting firm founded on the belief that openness and curiosity in exploring one's impact are essential to leaders' success in both intra-cultural (organizational) and inter-cultural settings.

Tell us about yourself

With 15+ years of experience developing and working with global teams, overcoming cultural differences to gain influence, and driving results, Maura provides a unique perspective shaped by expertise in management consulting, international project management, and human resources. Where there is a challenge, there is opportunity. Maura thrives when challenged to move outside her comfort zone. Throughout her career, success has been dependent on the strength of Maura's interpersonal skills. She has a track record of quickly and credibly establishing stakeholder relationships, designing and delivering team and individual development solutions, and complex analytical problem-solving.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

What I am most proud of is having the confidence to pursue a life that is vastly different from what I've done before and the humility to acknowledge what I don't know, proactively reaching out for support where needed. I am passionate about empowering others through coaching, but I am new to the business side of running my own LLC. To date, I've been able to double my business in three months with the flexibility of managing my own time, and I am working with a business coach who offers experience and insights to help me build a sustainable business.

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

Transitioning from senior leadership positions in corporate and global organizations, the hardest thing at this stage has been the isolation. It's harder to share highs and lows without typical colleagues around. Similarly, all of the work now falls to me when previously finance and business development, for example, were handled by other teams. There is so much breadth, and depth demanded of entrepreneurs, which can be tiring as much as it is empowering. But it comes with ownership over how I spend my time and energy, which is incredibly rewarding.

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

It is essential to believe deeply in the possibility of your own success and to clearly define what success means for you. Having support systems, people to hold you accountable and hold you up when you need support, is also essential to developing a thriving organization. Finally, anticipate the slow days, the tough calls, and the difficult weeks, and think about how you will give yourself grace when things do not go as you might hope. Hard work and failure are both inevitable in entrepreneurship - how you face these challenges is up to you.

Where can people find you and your business?

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mauralightfoot/

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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