Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Bill Schley, Founder of Brand Titans Master Course, located in Tiverton, RI, USA.

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

I am the creator of the Brand Titans Master Course: The Lost Brand Secrets of the real Mad Men and Women, who gave us the greatest Brands of all times. These are the ultimate keys to stand out from every competitor in any market, the essence of every successful Brand. In just 15 short and easy-to-watch sessions, you'll discover how to find the big Difference you can attach to your name, the Big Idea that makes all marketing (including digital) an irresistible competitive advantage when you have it--but unfocused and wasteful when you don't. There is no strategy more powerful than a differentiated Brand. The rules, principles, and secrets of the Brand Titans are the single best way ever found to get it.

Tell us about yourself

I'm an award-winning Branding Specialist and author of four award-winning books, including a New York Times Bestseller: The UnStoppables: Tapping your entrepreneurial power. I originally worked as a copywriter for the legendary Ted Bates Advertising New York--the greatest agency of its day. The Brand Titans who worked there taught us their secrets by example but never spelled it out in words. I decided to turn what they taught me into a formula--mostly so I could become consistent at it. After Bates, I spent 30 years on my own, perfecting the formula at companies from Fortune 500's to Start-Ups. I watched a number of my clients increase their value by tens of millions--one, even a billion--using my principles. The problem was that working with companies 1:1. I could only impart the knowledge to a dozen or so companies per year who could afford my time. But all businesses need it. Too many were getting burned by the false promises of "new age" practitioners. So I spent three years creating the course, and now I can give it to thousands of businesses and entrepreneurs at a price that anyone can afford. My mission is to keep the great principles alive. Because I believe that technology changes everyday. But the Truth never does.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Re-Branding Rackspace, a global NYSE company, and watching the stock price nearly triple based on our new positioning. Even better, watching the employees become energized with a new vision that told them: this is how we're going to win!

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

Not having a computer printout or a bi-weekly paycheck, whether you show up for work or not. And knowing that there's never a day off from setting an example.

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

  1. The secret to success is 3 words, 5 letters: OWN IT. So know you're doing the right thing.
  2. It's not a cliche that we all must "fail our way to success." In other words, no one ever became a great sailor in smooth waters. The stumbles and mistakes really do teach you if you're willing to learn from them.
  3. Your brilliant original idea will ALWAYS change. So it's not the most important thing. Your founding team--its character, competence, and commitment IS by far the most important. The right team will find a way to succeed.
  4. BONUS TIP: The business you're in is to find a way to succeed with Customers.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.brandtitans.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/billschley/

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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