Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in professional training and coaching but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Jack Griffin, Founder of Light Up Ventures, located in Pine Grove, CA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Certified coaching and training to develop leaders and their communications. Fortune 50s (Meta, Google, Microsoft), startups, and nonprofits are our clients.
Tell us about yourself
In 2012, Marissa Mayer hired me to help transform productivity and communications at Yahoo, where I led coaching and training programs across the organization. A few years later, in 2016, I joined an unexpected mission trip to Haiti, where I rekindled my faith in Jesus and ignited a new passion for helping others grow.
When I returned from the Haiti trip, I continued to grow my coaching expertise with Marissa as well as my philanthropic impact when I joined the Yahoo Employee Foundation as a board member to help steward a $10M budget for community development. I rounded out my corporate experience by supporting the executives of Verizon Media when they acquired Yahoo in 2017 and then left to pursue more personal development on a solo backpacking adventure around the world (16 countries across Asia, South America, and the Middle East) where I eventually completed marathons on 5 of 7 continents, an Iron Man and 100-mile ultra marathon.
During my travels, I accumulated unique experiences, including a moment of divine inspiration on a remote beach in Indonesia, where I received the idea for Light Up Ventures. The concept was dramatically confirmed when an unexpected tropical storm sent booming lightning strikes through the dark sky as I prayed about the mission of Light Up Ventures: illuminate people through story development.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Donating 14% of our revenue to mission-driven nonprofits, hiring and empowering the world-class team, and serving diverse clients around the globe to light them up.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Trust in Jesus to grow and sustain the business.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- "Riches are in the niches," be hyper-focused on a purpose-driven vision.
- Systems, processes, and automation are essential to sustainable scaling.
- Ask yourself everyone morning: what do I want people to say about my business when they write my eulogy?
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://lightupventures.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-griffin-pcc-b9321036/
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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