Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Leah Stallone, Founder of The Career Edit LLC., located in Chicago, IL, USA.

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

The Career Edit is a full-service training and career strategy firm. I work with two types of clients...

  • Individual Career Coaching: An uptick in virtual work and increased competition means applicants need a professional brand and polished marketing materials. I offer career coaching and job search strategy to help clients identify their career targets. Services include tactical job search support. i.e., resume writing, job search planning, interview skill building, and career path exploration to identify opportunities that match your passion, values, skills, and interests. I partner with those ready to write or rewrite their career story.
  • Corporate Training: I partner with internal HR/OD departments to create new educational content, facilitate learning events, and coach employees through pivotal points in their careers (i.e., 360 assessment feedback: manager or individual contributor pathing, etc.)

Tell us about yourself

I have a confession...I am a life-long career junkie. I collect job data like some people collect coins and pride myself on remembering the professions of most everyone I meet. As a child, I turned games with neighborhood kids into miniature businesses with org charts. After school, I took jobs with a career curiosity prerequisite (recruiting and training, and HR, oh my!) while career coaching at night.

Eventually, I decided to practice what I preach, "do what you love and call it to work," and turned my 'side hustle into a full-time gig. I get to coach, train, write, and design every day. I demystify the job search and teach people how to brand and market themselves. The Career Edit is the culmination of my career addiction.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

It was scary to take a BIG professional leap without a guarantee that I would survive. (The truth is, most small businesses do not make it.) I made it through the first scary few years and am proud to say I did not use a penny of my savings 💰 to keep The Career Edit LLC running.

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

See above. Seriously, one of the things I miss the most about working at a bustling company is the people. Work is different when your dog is your only colleague. I have developed a strong network of business owners, coaches, and friends who play this role when I need counsel or just some water cooler talk.

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

Here is where I would start.

  1. Get insight from individuals who fit your client profile. Call upon folks in your network. Run your business plan and costs by them. ASK THEIR OPINION. This informal intel is crucial to position yourself.
  2. Identify where you fit into the competitive landscape. What is your unique selling point? If you don't have this, you will find it difficult to sell yourself.
  3. Start now. There will never be a perfect time to test your business idea. You will fail, learn, and tweak over and over again.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.thecareereditllc.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leah-stallone/

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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