Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal and business development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Robert Heath, Founder, and CEO of The Legacy Leadership Consulting Group, located in Allendale, MI, USA.

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

We are a leadership and talent development company that focuses on helping leaders to get the best out of themselves and others. We believe that everyone has greatness inside that is waiting to be shared with the world. We also believe that leadership is the process of facilitating the manifestation of greatness in others. Therefore, we help people to see their greatness, but more importantly, to overcome the obstacles to them achieving their greatness. We also help leaders to do the same for those that they lead. We firmly believe that if you give a person a fish, you feed them for a day, and if you teach them to fish, you feed them for a lifetime. However, we take it a step further because we realize that if you can teach a person to fish (aka teach leaders how to facilitate the manifestation of greatness in others), you can feed the whole world...forever!

Our customers are business professionals, executives, and business owners who are trying to make their dreams become a reality. Many of them are burning the candle at both ends, trying to be all things to all people. They are just looking for a way to live the life of their dreams without having to compromise. They see that it exists, and they refuse to believe that you have to sacrifice your professional success, your personal relationships, or your self-care in order to be "successful." They are looking for the path to realizing the dreams in their heart while also taking care of those that they love and living a life of fulfillment as well as material satisfaction.

Lastly, they realize that their dreams require the help of others, and they want to be able to lead those teams in a way that makes everyone's lives better. They don't like the politics and the ultimatums. They want to be able to have a team that works hard and plays hard and gets the job done. They want to win together.

Tell us about yourself

I have been studying leadership since I was in high school. I have always been drawn to helping people and making the world a better place. I began my career in education because I loved the spark of joy that happened when someone learned how to do something they couldn't do before. I then continued my leadership journey in the United States Marine Corps as a Judge Advocate and a Company Commander. There I truly learned how to lead people in a way where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The Marine Corps truly understands how to do more with less. Now, I take the knowledge that I gained over 20 years of leading, teaching, and coaching, and I help companies create environments where their most valuable asset, their people, can flourish.

I am so blessed because I get to wake up every day and help people overcome the obstacles to them being their best selves and living their best lives. And what's more, every success my clients have actually made the world a better place for us all. It is truly amazing; I really get to do what I love every day and see that spark of hope and joy light in people's eyes every time they realize that they can get things done and have time to take care of themselves and their family.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

My biggest personal accomplishment as a business owner has been growing my consulting practice from nothing but a dream to a flourishing business. I remember when I first started, and I was scrambling to make ends meet. Now we give over $13,000 to charity every year as part of our good stewardship program.

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

I think no one can prepare you for how lonely it can be. For most of my clients (and I have coached over 100 small business owners at the writing of this article), they are the only one in their family who has had the courage to step out on their own. This can be truly scary. And it goes against all the conventional wisdom that most of your friends and family will impart to you. We are taught to go to school and get a steady paycheck. That is the opposite of how business works, where even if you are good, you must still deal with the vicissitudes of the business cycle in your industry.

That can leave you really alone when you are trying to make it through the tough times. That loneliness is why many people let their businesses go. But if you can stick through it and remember that dream that you had when it began, it is worth it. The key is to surround yourself with like-minded people who are either trying to do what you are doing or, even better, have already done what you are trying to do.

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

  1. Give yourself some financial runway. Save up 3-6 months of expenses before you think about going into your full business time. This will allow you to focus on building your business without having to worry about paying your bills.
  2. Research your industry and test things out. There are a couple of books (Lean Start-Up by Eric Reis and Great by Choice by Jim Collins, to name a few) that go into depth with this, but the main thing is that you want to make sure that you test things out and get good data before you begin putting a lot of energy into any strategy. This helps in the short term, but it also helps when you start doubting your strategy. When you have the data, then you can go through the no's that you need to go through to get to the yes's.
  3. Make time for yourself and your family. Don't believe the grind hype. There is enough time to do it all, but you have to master your time and not let it master you. If you schedule your priorities, they will get done...if you try to fit them in, there won't be enough time. Remember what's important to you and put that on your calendar.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

We are all given the same 24 hours each day. Some people have figured out how to maximize that time in a way that gives them more time and energy each day. If anyone feels like they are struggling on a hamster wheel and not getting anywhere, they are not alone. There are so many people that are in the survival loop where they wake up, survive, go to bed, and repeat, but there is another way. You can have professional success, time for your loved ones, and time for your own self-care. Don't believe in the either/or that you have to sacrifice. It is possible. If you would like to know how then feel free to reach out.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://bit.ly/3NgqUPZ
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertheathsr007/

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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