Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in training and development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Sarah Otto, Co-Founder of LINKED Permanent Jewelry Training, located in Hankamer, TX, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
LINKED Permanent Jewelry Training is the industry-leading training company for permanent jewelry, with over 500 students to date. We are paving the way for the new trend that has taken the internet by storm in the past half year. LINKED provides students with lifetime support and access to professionally recorded online training material, advanced marketing education, done-for-you marketing photos, reels and captions, a kit including a machine and all tools needed to launch right away equipped with enough jewelry to yield $4,200 in sales. Our current customer demographic ranges anywhere from established beauty business owners, boutique owners, and single moms all the way to college students.
Tell us about yourself
I am a momma of a little girl, Juliet, and a bonus momma to a little boy, Jack. I am from Small Town in Texas, raised in a farm and cattle community. I have always been an entrepreneur at heart, and I have known that from a very young age. I opened my first brick-and-mortar, The Adair, in 2015 before founding LINKED this August 2022. After many successful years of offering beauty services and teaching at The Adair, I found myself itching to apply my business expertise toward something bigger. I saw a demand not just for permanent jewelry but for education and training around the subject. With my teaching history and Jake's marketing expertise (our Co-Founder) within the beauty industry, I knew LINKED would certainly blaze its own unremarkable trail. Since launch, we have had dozens of success stories rolling in each day from students around the world. Seeing all walks of life implement the skills we are giving them to create financial freedom or scale existing businesses is genuinely all of the motivation I need to keep pushing LINKED Permanent Jewelry Training to be a world-renowned education company.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I think my biggest success as a business owner was launching LINKED without investing in the business to start. Everything was pre-sold, and 60 days later, it was a 7 figure business. Aside from the quick success of LINKED, my biggest business accomplishment would probably be surviving COVID. I closed The Adair during the initial phase of the voluntary shutdown to do my part. Little did I know that it would be months before I could open the doors again. I was pregnant at the time, and while I had enough saved to feel safe, oftentimes, I feared business would not revert to normal once allowed to reopen. Thankfully the day finally came, and I wasted no time playing catch up. In fact, I worked until the day I gave birth. I not only survived a global pandemic, but I also thrived. To me, that was a huge testament to my entrepreneurial abilities.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
For me, the hardest part of owning a business is knowing when it is time to start delegating. I have always had a hard time letting go of control in that sense. No one is going to love your baby like you, right? WRONG. This is the beautiful learning process that LINKED has provided me with. We have grown so quickly that I have had no choice but to delegate. In doing so, we have formed one of the most fabulous teams a company could ask for. As owners, we cannot feasibly wear all of the hats, and if we do, we tank or we stunt our growth. I wish this was something I had learned a little earlier in my career.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
The top 3 tips I can give anyone looking to start a business are to start now, not tomorrow, not after a four-year degree, and not after your tax return comes through...NOW. It is a leap of faith, but if you believe and put in the effort, it will come, and nothing is more rewarding than sitting back and seeing what your blood, sweat, and tears have created. Honorable mentions would be healthy eating habits and sleep. I know, boring...and probably the last thing you want to hear, but it makes a world of difference. Business is a 24/7 affair. If your body and mind are not up to par, what cup are you going to pour from?
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://linkedpermanentjewelrytraining.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/permanentjewelrytraining
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/permanent.jewelry.training/
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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