Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal and business development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Robin Jay, owner of Las Vegas Convention Speakers Bureau, located in Henderson, NV, USA.

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

I own the Las Vegas Convention Speakers Bureau. I've also written and produced three award-winning inspirational films that feature some of today's top motivational speakers.

It can be challenging for speakers to succeed in the speaking industry, so I also created an online course to help them understand the industry and how to succeed so they can monetize their messages. I help them with their writing and publishing, as well.

The lockdown resulted in most meetings being canceled for as far out as two years and beyond. It was essential that I find a way to pivot, so after years of producing inspirational and motivational works, I just finished writing my first novel.

Tell us about yourself

I have always wanted to be a writer. After nearly twenty years in advertising sales, I wrote my first book, "The Art of the Business Lunch, Building Relationships Between 12 and 2" (Career Press, 2006.) The book is currently in twelve languages. I'd personally hosted more than 3,000 client lunches and saw my sales increase by more than 2,000%. I discovered that I needed to speak professionally in order to sell and promote my books. One thing led to another. And, since I live in Las Vegas, a convention hub, I decided to launch the Las Vegas Convention Speakers Bureau in 2006. By having the bureau, if I'm not the right for a particular meeting or convention, I'm in the position of being able to still service my clients by finding another speaker who will help make their meetings memorable.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I wrote and produced three award-winning, inspirational films that star some of today's topmost incredible thought leaders, including Jack Canfield, Brian Tracy, don Miguel Ruiz, John Assaraf, John Gray, and more. Being able to bring their messages to a global audience has been an incredible achievement.

Producing these successful films took everything I'd ever learned in my life, including my years in advertising, sales, and networking. The movies are timeless and inspirational. The feedback from viewers who have said the films changed their lives has been incredibly fulfilling, too.

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

One of the challenges of being a business owner is having to wear so many hats and working hard to do many things well. I can outsource whatever is not in my wheelhouse, but as a small business owner, my corporate structure is like a wagon wheel; it all comes down to me - my decisions, my judgment.

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

  1. The most important tip I can share with anyone starting a business is to find a mentor. We don't have to keep reinventing the wheel, so to speak. Find someone who has done what you want to do and ask for their help or hire them to help you avoid the big mistakes.
  2. I created my online course to contain everything that I wish I'd known when I naively started my business. I spent an outrageous amount of money and time learning about the industry when I started. I thought I had the right help along the way, but that didn't prove to be true.
  3. Today, because of the struggle I went through, I enjoy mentoring up-and-coming speakers and authors.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

I think most people are afraid to ask for help... or they don't want to pay for it. When I wrote my novel this past year, I hired an editor. It was the best money I could have spent. I actually became a better writer after having worked with my editor!

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://lvcsb.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robinjay/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robinjaylv/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thekeymovies
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robinjay/

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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