Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Pamela Bardhi, a Real Estate and Life Coach based in Boston, MA, USA.

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

I am a real estate developer by trade who has transitioned into a top Real Estate and Life Coach, helping clients create a balanced and abundant life in addition to developing profitable business strategies, diversifying revenue streams, and building a legacy.

My ideal client is an entrepreneur who is committed to becoming the best version of themselves and creating an abundant life. I believe in empowering clients through mentorship, partnerships, and education so that their dream lives become a reality.

Tell us about yourself

My family and I immigrated to the U.S. from Albania when I was just 5 years old. I started in a small business at my family's pizza shop in Boston when I was about 10 years old. By the age of 21, I started and operated two restaurants of my own. Shortly thereafter, I found myself working 16-18 hour days at my restaurants which was exhausting. As a way to find financial freedom, I decided to diversify my revenue streams and get into real estate development. I hired a coach, bought my first single-family home to flip, and I fell in love with real estate since then.

I've been featured in Time Magazine, Forbes, and among other major media outlets highlighting my 9-figure real estate career and achievements in real estate. I have sold, developed, or acquired over $100 Million in Real Estate Assets in the Boston, MA, market over the last decade. My educational background includes Stonehill College, Babson College & Harvard Business School.

Currently, I am focused on helping others elevate as a Real Estate Life Coach through coaching, speaking, and building educational programs to help empower the world. I host a world-renowned podcast called, Underdog, which is in the top 1.5% of podcasts in the world and is being streamed in 80+ countries. I am fully dedicated to empowering the world and igniting the fire in all of us. Many people wonder what motivates me so deeply.

My biggest source of inspiration and motivation is my parents - hands down. They came to the United States in 1996 with a couple of thousand dollars, not knowing how to speak English, had no family here, had no place to buy or rent, and on top of that, my brother was a newborn while I was 5 years old. They were the underdogs and succeeded against all odds. Their sacrifice has driven me to such a high level of motivation and grit. They are the definition of the American dream to me because they are constant reminders that absolutely anything is possible if you believe it.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

As a business owner, my biggest accomplishment is seeing the impact my work has created for others. Seeing other people put to work what I've taught them and what I've helped them achieve has definitely been the greatest honor and privilege. I pray to do much more of that in this lifetime.

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

The number one hardest thing as a business owner is scaling the business. The journey begins when you start a business, stabilize it and then, from there, scale it up for growth. As a business owner, you just want to focus on the business part of it, like generating more business and actually doing the business piece of it, like servicing clients. However, as you get bigger and grow, you need to slowly bring in a team that you can delegate to; that whole process is definitely hard for sure.

The second hardest thing for me as a business owner was financial forecasting and budgeting. I always had a hard time when it came to financials because all I wanted to do was just create more business. I absolutely could not stand the numbers side of things, but without solid financials, things could fall apart in your business. I learned my lesson heavily about knowing your numbers and your metrics!

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

These are the top four things that I can give anyone who's looking to start running and growing a business today:

  1. Start with a business incubator if you can. It will help give you a trial run to determine whether your business will work for you or not without you spending too much money and risk. For example, you can try to sublease a business or try to start it on the side, or just basically start it in the least risky way that you possibly can. There are universities or colleges that have incubator programs that can help launch your business, and some cities offer them as well. Basically, my point is to start a business in whatever atmosphere that you can with the least amount of risk possible. For example, for a food service or food business - try to sublease a location and start that and build from there. That's something that I would 100% recommend.
  2. Financial forecasting. Know your numbers and know them very, very well. That's one of the things that I struggled with the most in business.
  3. Believe in your team. Your team is going to take you so much further than anything you thought possible. The delegation, trusting in the right people, and hiring the right people to help build your business are definitely critical. It's scary, and every successful entrepreneur has been through it, but it's definitely key in helping grow your business.
  4. The most important one. Remember that regret is far worse than fear, so just go for it. There's never a right time to start anything.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://pamelabardhi.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pambardhi
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pamela_bardhi/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamelabardhi/

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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