Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in business development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Colton Seale, Founder & Principal Consultant of Pyxis Academy, located in Peterborough, NH, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Communication is at the heart of everything we do. We communicate to share thoughts and ideas, provide direction, and gather information. How we communicate creates the culture in which we live and work. There is nothing more important to your organization than how you communicate.
And yet, effectively communicating is the most difficult thing we do, and very often, we get it wrong. When we get it wrong, a different message than intended is sent, and we don't get what we'd hoped for in return. The Pyxis Academy Synched Communication Model provides a deep understanding of the art and science of effective communication. We work with companies and organizations to improve how they communicate within the organization and with customers to maximize critical information flow, enhance culture, and enhance sales.
Tell us about yourself
I spent 22 years as an FBI Special Agent, talking to people every day - suspects, witnesses, victims, and other people from CEOs to janitors. I got to talk to people all over the world, and I loved nearly every conversation.
But we had no research or real guidance on how to communicate effectively, and that was frustrating. Everything we were told was essentially folk wisdom, from how to develop rapport to how to detect deception. And much of that folk wisdom was wrong.
In the latter part of my career, I was fortunate enough to be brought in to create a research-based interpersonal communication program for the U.S. Intelligence Community. Our initial purpose was to figure out how to interview terrorists to gain accurate and actionable intelligence. Yet, in pulling together all the research, it soon became apparent the methodology we were developing applied to all aspects of life and could be a great benefit to the business. Thus, when I retired from the FBI, I created Pyxis Academy to continue refining the methodologies and to make them available to a broader audience.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My favorite moments come when I see and hear the communication style of an organization begin to change. Usually, it begins with a small, committed group I've been working with and radiates out from there. One day after working with a group, we went out for a beer, and one of the participants said, "you're not just teaching communication; you are changing lives." It is hard to imagine how good that felt.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
Knowing how to set your prices. If I were selling shoes or something, I'd have a pretty clear guide as to what the price of the shoes should be. But consulting and training are different, and figuring out the right price for a particular service for a particular client is hard. Everyone tells me I undercharge, and that is probably true. I'm still working on finding the right level where everyone is happy (although I'm pretty happy just having the chance to do what I love doing).
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Segment your market and focus purposefully on specific segments. In other words, know your best audience and don't try to work with everyone. I'm getting there.
- Have a plan for handling growth. I had the plan to meet increased capacity needs, but I didn't have all the systems quite in place. It may feel like putting the cart before the horse, but it's not.
- You know what you are doing and why, but don't assume that your customers have the same understanding. Put a lot of effort into figuring out how best to communicate what you care about.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.pyxisacademy.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colton-seale/
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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