Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in business development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Julie Traxler, co-founder of SB PACE, located in Richmond, VA, USA.

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

The guiding principle of SB PACE has always been, “we don’t sell you sh*t you don’t need.” When Corey and I launched this company, we were committed to doing things differently. We had both come from consulting backgrounds where the goal was “sell, sell, sell” even if the client didn’t need the service. There was a push that felt dirty to us. When the pandemic hit and small businesses were impacted more than bigger companies, we knew it was the perfect opportunity to help a community of entrepreneurs succeed. Since launching SB PACE, we have helped over 100 entrepreneurs launch and grow their small businesses through our hybrid model of coaching and consulting. Our clients typically have ten employees or less, and they are either just getting started in business, or they have lost momentum and need a push.

Tell us about yourself

I am the co-founder of SB PACE with my business partner, best friend (and sometimes an only friend), Corey Harris. We started SB PACE as a labor of love, calling on friends and family who owned small businesses at the start of the pandemic. Our consulting contracts had ended, and we both had savings, so we decided to help those who seemed to need the most help but had the fewest resources available to them. Our friends and family recommended us to their friends and families, and before we knew it, we were booked weeks out. That’s when we realized this was a business. The business has evolved since we launched it. Things look completely different now than what we thought they would. But one thing that hasn’t changed is who we serve. Having both grown up in small business families, we are passionate about serving this community. That’s what keeps us moving forward each day. The community of people that we serve.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Since starting SB PACE, we’ve written a #1 best selling book on disaster preparedness, launched a top 20 podcast for entrepreneurs (BizQuik), and back in December, we signed a contract for a weekly live national radio show, but all of those pale in comparison to working with first-time entrepreneurs to launch 17 businesses since March of 2020. When we started SB PACE, we thought we’d be helping people sell or exit their businesses. It’s been an absolute privilege to help people get started with a business.

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

Being a business owner is a complete mind scramble. One day you feel like you have things under control, and the next, you’re not sure you’re cut out for it. Entrepreneurship requires grit, determination, and resiliency. It’s easy to see why 50% of all businesses fail within the first five years. You sacrifice a lot to have “freedom.” And for many, that freedom never actually comes. It’s hard work. It’s worth it, but it’s hard work.

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

  1. The first thing I would say is, “support never comes from where you think it will.” When we launched our company, I had this expectation that all of my friends and family would be supportive. That they would help us find clients and that they would ask how they could help. That isn’t even close to what happened. You will get support, but it won’t be from where you expected it. And that’s okay.
  2. Second, consistency is king when it comes to a successful business. As Tim Grover says in his book Winning, winning is boring. Winning is doing the same thing every single day. Winning is not exciting. And it’s not. We tend to think success comes with a big bottle of champagne and confetti. It doesn’t. Success comes with more work.
  3. And finally, I would say that it’s important to set boundaries early on and to honor those boundaries. And what I mean by that is in the entrepreneurial world, there are a lot of people talking about “separation season” and “real entrepreneurs work 18 hours a day, seven days a week,” and “there is always time for more work,” but you have to know when to rest. Rest is an important element of success. It’s easy to feel as if you’re doing something wrong if you take a day off, but success doesn’t come any faster when you’re exhausted and sick. In fact, it probably takes longer.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Thank you for giving me the space to talk about something I’m so passionate about. One additional tip if you’re considering becoming an entrepreneur: become an avid reader. There is so much information available. Read daily.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.sbpace.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/traxleris1
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sb.pace/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jtraxler/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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