Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal and business development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Steve Semler, Founder of FocalPoint Business Coaching, located in Minneapolis, MN, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
You might call me a "Leadership Accelerator" and mental fitness trainer. I help companies grow the developing leaders at the core of their organization faster, with higher confidence and lower risk. I make this happen through a blend of training, coaching, and mental fitness work that is rare in the leadership development industry. My best customers are people in technology companies--folks who are great at the technical work and want to get even better by building more skills in leadership and mental fitness areas.
Tell us about yourself
My story really goes back to the early 90s when I was a U.S. Army officer up in Alaska. My colonel told me once in a mentoring conversation, "You know, Steve, there's no way I could get the work of this unit done myself as the leader. But I am responsible for creating the conditions for success for every one of my people. That's my job as commander. That's what leadership does." I took that to heart and have been training, coaching, and growing leaders for 30-plus years with that philosophy in mind.
In starting my business, I wanted to add more formally on the coaching aspect to the work I had been doing in training. I wanted to emphasize it and get the best blend of training, coaching, and consulting support for my clients. If I can help business leaders create productive, effective, and humane workplaces through effective leadership, then I am living my mission. I strive to be the "pebble on the pond," as we like to say at FocalPoint, the person who creates a ripple effect by working with leaders. What I do with a leader ripples out to their employees and their families, customers, and suppliers. And then to the communities. It's a way of having an impact with humility. I didn't do this, but I helped the leader to create positive change.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Truly, the biggest accomplishment for me as a business owner is the thing I have no way to count--the number of leaders I have helped to grow over the years and the impact they have had on their companies, employees, and families. I know that these numbers are in the hundreds or thousands by now. I sometimes smile and wish I could measure it, but looking at the client list of more than 60 companies will have to do.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
The hardest thing is wearing all the hats. Realistically speaking, I am not a salesperson. I am great when I come in on the second call with a client to start talking about solutions, audiences, scope, cost, and options. But getting to that call requires marketing, lead generation, and initial outreach. Another person running their own business might be absolutely great at that but terrible at administration. Or billing. Or negotiation. Or execution of service delivery. Everyone has strengths and weaker areas. The trick is to find strong partners or employees where the business owner is weak. That's teamwork.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
Start from the point of personal strength and an idea and inspiration that will be worth the long effort of making your business successful. Go with what and who you know as a starting point. You are the one with the drive and the passion, and the idea. No one else will or can live up to that place as the business owner, and you should not expect employees to have anywhere near your level of dedication.
To succeed, set goals, break them down into specific actions and activities by week and day, and then keep them in front of you. Look at those goals and activity metrics every single day. When it gets tough, pause to remember why you are doing this. Recognize and appreciate your progress toward your goals. Even when you miss the targets, if you are moving forward, then you are succeeding.
Also, make a realistic revenue and cash flow plan. Then, do your "What if?" exercise and assume that the revenue will take at least twice as long to develop as your most realistic, conservative plan. Account for that because it's a very common reality in starting a business. You can succeed! To do so, you will need perseverance and a willingness to make mistakes, change course, and ask for help.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://stevesemler.focalpointcoaching.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ssemler/
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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