Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in training and development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Connie Kwan, Founder of Product Maestro, located in Palo Alto, CA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Product Maestro teaches 6-week online Storytelling classes for Rising Leaders. Our proprietary 6-Storyteller system helps leaders understand their strengths and their audience. Startup Founders, Senior Product Managers, and Engineering Managers take our class to raise funding and get executive buy-in.
Tell us about yourself
As a Product Leader in tech for the last 17 years, I’ve had to learn storytelling the hard way. My engineering education did not prepare me for the workplace where my job was to convince everyone from engineering, design, marketing, and sales to executives to move in the same direction. So after I figured it out, I worked with an actor to create the 6-Storyteller system to turn the art of storytelling into an understandable science. Now rising leaders can learn the system and shortcut their way to influence by mastering soft skills and becoming a storyteller faster. You can start your own journey to influence by finding your Storyteller type with this free quiz: https://www.productmaestro.com/storyteller.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Having students reach their goals. One student made a case for a promotion and got it. Another raised $750k. A third used to spend an hour on a sales pitch and not close a sale, and after the class, sold a customer in the elevator. These success stories keep me going.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
Being always on. When something breaks, I’m there to fix it. I’m the one person who knows all aspects of the business the best, at least for now.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
It takes both less and more to build a business compared to before. It takes fewer resources; it’s becoming easier to be a solopreneur or small business with all the supporting products and systems. And there are so many free tools out there to get you started. But it’s also harder because there are more people, the barrier to entry is lowered, and it’s more competitive.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.productmaestro.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/conniemkwan
Twitter: https://twitter.com/productmaestro_
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/productmaestro/
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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