Page to Stage - Speak Up Stories

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in business development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Erik Dominguez, Founder of Speak Up Stories, located in WAUKEE, IA, USA.

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

I am a communication, confidence, and storytelling speaker and trainer. I work primarily with established and emerging leaders of mid-sized to large corporations who are dedicated to amplifying their voice, increasing efficacy, and using their communication to get maximum results.

Tell us about yourself

I’m serious about making communicating with confidence fun.
The secret to being a powerful communicator – the kind that makes you rethink how you perceive something or inspires you to reach higher – is confidence.
But confidence is tricky, isn’t it? In order to BE confident in something, you have to first LACK confidence in it. I know all about first lacking in confidence.

As an immigrant growing up between two cultures, I felt firsthand the rejection and the ridicule that came with being different. I quickly got the message that not having the “right” words, the same knowledge as everyone else, or the ability to say what I wanted to, meant being an outcast.

A crippling fear of being judged changed me from a confident, communicative kid to someone comfortable with staying quiet. That was until high school, when an unexpected and fortunate series of events led me to join the high school speech and debate team. It was then that I learned the key to building my confidence was to transform my fears into fuel.

I learned that what scares us most is what grows us most. And that what builds us up is not running away from the uncomfortable, but running toward it. It’s now my life’s mission to inspire and equip others to build confidence and speak up! For over 25 years, I’ve used a team-oriented approach to inspire audiences, transform teams, and coach individuals to:

Speak with confidence
Motivate their teams
Inspire their mission
Share their stories
Present with power
Gain clarity in their message
Transform their personal and professional lives.
And do it all while having fun.
Do you know what else is fun?

The feeling when an audience member tells you how much you inspired them
Authentic connections and communications with our teams, transforming prospects into clients and exceeding your goals building lasting confidence and self-trust. You’re too inspiring to let your fears determine your success.

Join me in speaking up with confidence. And together, we’ll transform your fear into fuel.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

My biggest accomplishment as a business owner is finding my "home" on Youtube
this is where I post all of my content and give away my resources to serve them.

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

The hardest things that come from being a business owner are the talking heads and whispered voices telling you how you "should" run a business. Most of those voices come from great intentions, but the key is really to listen to YOUR voice and what you want to do.

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

Get really clear on your product - what is it that you are serving others with What problem are you solving.
Get REALLY good at your product - whatever it is, make it the best in the world.
Show up. Every day. Even when you don't want to.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://speakupstories.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erik.j.dominguez
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erik.j.dominguez/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/erikjdominguez1/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erikjdominguez/

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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