Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in business development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Brittany Williams Leverett, Founder and CEO of Legacy Consulting Group LLC., located in Charlotte, NC, USA.

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

Legacy Consulting Group's goal is to discover and secure airport business opportunities. As an ACDBE, we not only have our own airport concessions but also collaborate with and consult others interested in joint ventures or operating their own location in airports. We provide exceptional consulting services to companies who are looking to improve their external and internal partnerships, revamp their current processes, and create/implement new projects and processes. We love working with small to medium size businesses to help them achieve their wildest dreams!

Tell us about yourself

I'm a lifetime learner. If I could stay in school forever and not incur debt, I would! I have my Bachelor's (Miami 2010), MBA (Tulane 2012), and Doctorate (Colorado Technical University 2018) and a couple of certifications too. I have always wanted to own my own business...I just had no idea what kind of business. There's something about calling the shots and leading a team that excites me. It's challenging and fun.

My family has several entrepreneurs in it, including my late Aunt Claudia, who is the reason why I have my first successful airport concession. We had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to open our own duty-free concession in Melbourne, FL. Through hard work and long days (and nights), we were able to successfully open our store in February 2019. After a successful 2019 season, the pandemic swept the airline and airport retail businesses, causing us to temporarily close our doors in March 2020. We learned that a terminal expansion was on the horizon for the store in 2022, so we buckled down and continued to go back and forth with ideas while weathering the pandemic.

Suddenly, our lives were changed forever. My aunt Claudia was hospitalized in late September 2020, and although dispatched, she later passed away suddenly in her home on October 9, 2020, in the arms of her best friend, Deborah. Though some may have seen her as just my aunt, my aunt Claudia was so much more to me. She was a friend, a second mom, a confidant, and a business partner.

I knew she would have wanted me to continue her legacy by pushing forward with the Melbourne contract and opening the store that the two of them dreamed about when they started working together in 2017. On March 29, 2022, we reopened the store under a new company name, and with the economy rebounding, our sales exploded! This is just the beginning as I hope to move into more airports, grow our company, and help other small businesses grow as well.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Opening up our store in the Melbourne Orlando International Airport has been the biggest accomplishment so far. What we made in the first three months is what someone told me I'd be lucky to make in a year. The opportunity has been incredible, and I definitely feel so grateful that my aunt believed in this opportunity.

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

You have to make a lot of hard decisions. Whether that's letting someone go, taking out a loan, or saying no to opportunities that excite you, you're going to have to do it. It's not always fun, but trust your gut and reach out to others for their advice.

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

  1. Learn from others & be resourceful. Why do you want to reinvent the wheel? Others have likely done what you're doing (or something similar) beforehand. Learn from them, connect with them on LinkedIn, and ask questions. You'd be surprised how helpful people are. You won't have all the answers, but if you're resourceful and tap into others' knowledge, you can achieve anything!
  2. Don't do this alone. Surround yourself with a great team. You definitely want to work with people who think differently than you and challenge you to look at challenges from another perspective. When you have a great team in place, it makes life so much easier and makes it so that your operation can run even if you take some time off...which you should!
  3. Learn how to turn it off. It is so important to go on vacation, spend time with loved ones, and just REST. You don't need to be going 24/7 to be successful. In fact, that's unsustainable. Netflix binges, late mornings, brunches with friends, and trips are all necessary. Don't fight it!

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: http://lcgroupnc.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bannwilliams/

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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