Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Demetria Sloan, Founder and President of Vantage Point Coaching, LLC., located in Orlando, FL, USA.

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

Vantage Point Coaching (VPC) is an executive leadership coaching firm established in 2015. I am Demetria Hill Sloan, Founder and President of VPC, as well as a certified executive leadership coach, trainer, and speaker. I have worked with large and small corporate clients, business owners, and individual leaders seeking to evolve across a broad range of skill sets. My specialty is helping leaders be more effective at leading diverse teams, leveling up, managing at the speed of change, and delivering impact to the bottom line. After almost twenty years in sales, training, and management, I founded Vantage Point Coaching, LLC, to close the gap for leaders like myself in corporations and government agencies. I leverage my passion for personal growth and professional development to help others achieve higher performance and personal fulfillment. At Vantage Point Coaching, I am privileged to utilize my dynamic style and presentation acumen to facilitate holistic leadership development programs and customize experiential learning experiences.

Tell us about yourself

I am a results-oriented coach, influential mentor, and motivator. Inspiring action and igniting change is my brand. I help people do more than they think. I show them that BIG is possible. I am a light: I help light the path for people to find themselves and their way. That's what I do. And that's who I am.

I am committed to coaching individuals to achieve higher performance and personal fulfillment. I believe everyone has the best answers for themselves within. I work with clients to uncover answers, tap into their strengths, and make choices to create a greater sense of fulfillment, satisfaction, and productivity. Focusing on getting more of what matters done. All of these things motivate me daily. I get to bear witness to clients flourish just by me asking the right question.

After a significant career transition, where I found myself unexpectedly unemployed, I became a coach. I decided to live out and pursue my passion for helping others achieve their absolute best, which was always my ultimate goal while climbing the corporate ranks. Like many of my clients, I embarked on a path of small business owners in the thick of being a wife and mother.

I am also a published author of Pearls for the Journey: A Guide to a More Fulfilling Life. This book provides practical wisdom and tangible tools to find growth and tremendous success in your life, no matter the age or stage of life.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I have had the incredible fortune of being recognized for the work that I've done as a business owner. For instance, in 2018, I received the African American Chamber of Commerce of Central Florida's Emerging Business Award. Last year, I received the Established Business Award from the Orlando Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO). Recently, I was notified that I will be honored by the African American Women's History Month Project as a Community Star in 2023. Such honors and accolades are lovely, but my most significant accomplishment is watching my clients WIN! Whether small business owners or working in a corporate setting, I feel most accomplished when I see my clients start their long-awaited businesses, get promoted, or find new job opportunities. To see a client who was no longer satisfied where she was, find that new or unique opportunity that gives her more satisfaction is a real accomplishment.

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

The greatest challenge with being a business owner is trying to do it ALL right. Especially when you're starting, you're the CEO, CFO, and COO, and trying to put processes and systems in place. You're also trying to market your business and do the work. You're trying to do everything, but if you're going to grow and scale, you need a good team. Whether you hire people as employees or work with contractors with particular, specific expertise, find a good team with whom you can work effectively and efficiently.

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

  1. Plan your work and work your plan. There are times we feel directionless or that we're all over the place. In my experience, that's when we are flying by the seat of our pants and not executing the plan we established. Don't get me wrong; plans are meant to be adjusted or modified as you gather new data. However, it would be best if you were not taking large-scale deviations from your path unless you're being called to something new. Then, you will start with a new plan for that venture. Let your plan be your daily roadmap, and don't stop until you reach your final destination.
  2. You can have it all, but you can't do it all. You must have a great team and support. Find the right people with the talents, skills, and abilities to help keep operations running smoothly and allow you to operate in your strengths fully. To lead a legitimate business, it is paramount that you set up sound systems and standard operating procedures to stay honest, organized, and on track. Establish dates, times, and deadlines to get jobs completed. Keep your paperwork and documents in order. Your business's backbone is your incorporation, tax, and certification documents.
  3. Don't give up. The proverb "the race is not to the swift, but the one that endures to the end" is true in life and business. You can't give up on yourself, your dreams, or your business. You may have to pivot, retool, or relaunch. You may have to allow one vision to die to get on the path to your true purpose. In the end, the one who endures to the end always wins. So, don't give up. Keep persisting. There's this saying about working on your business versus working in your business. You must continue to develop yourself by staying on the cutting edge of new technology, new information, re-certifying some things, or getting new certifications in other areas. Always stay on the cutting edge of your industry because things move so quickly, and what you're doing today can soon become obsolete. And, if your business is no longer fulfilling a need, it's no longer solving a problem. Then, guess what? You are no longer in business.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

We all have goals we want to reach, challenges we're striving to overcome, and times when we feel stuck. Partnering with a coach can change your life, leading you to greater personal and professional fulfillment. I've always been committed to helping others achieve their absolute best. It may be a book, word of encouragement, resources, or sharing ideas. I believe in our collective brilliance and genius. I'm lucky to have found a career path that allows me to live this commitment daily.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.vantagepointcoach.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VantagePointCoach
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vantagepointcoach/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/vantageptcoach
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/demetriahillsloan/

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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