Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in publication but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Jeffrey Kendall, CEO of The Circle, LLC., located in New Braunfels, TX, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Our mission-driven business empowers, inspires, and supports women of diverse backgrounds, lifestyles, and experiences by connecting them to other women through relationships and our "The Circle Find Yourself Here" magazine. Our team? Four women with a purpose -- Beth Bizer, Lori Kendall, Danette Blair, and Amanda Busby. We produce a "magazine that thinks it's a book" as a high-quality, biannual, 120-page, submissions-based publication of women's stories, art, poetry, and photography. The stories are real and authentic, drawing from personal experiences in life. The Circle reconnects communities based on collaboration and support by relying on a network to identify and develop relationships with trusted businesses and organizations. Hosting community-focused events and outreach to bridge the cultural gaps in understanding, better unite our "Circles," and support women-owned businesses across the nation. We also believe in giving back, so a portion of every magazine sale is donated to a featured, woman-owned, non-profit charity.
Tell us about yourself
Struggling through the pandemic and national divisiveness was an unforgettable experience. Families suffered loss and hardship, with our own communities experiencing incredible division. We witnessed best friends no longer speaking to each other, families at odds, and relationships damaged seemingly beyond repair. Bitter disagreements separated women of all backgrounds and beliefs. We were not okay with that. To us, the answer was clear. We needed to reconnect with empathy and compassion through a women-led initiative. So how would we do that? We gathered as a group of loving, understanding, and passionate women with a mission to reunite, heal, and repair broken relationships. We, four women, set out on an audacious journey to tackle these social shortfalls. Despite little to no experience in magazine publishing, layout design, marketing, or running a company, we took the necessary bold steps of getting comfortable with being uncomfortable. We needed to share personal stories of families, personal tragedies, heartbreak, celebrations, and victories. Successes and challenges. Entering the arena. At that moment, The Circle was born. Every day we're motivated to grow a supportive network for women to share their stories and learn from one another, to bring them together through new relationships and a supportive community. Women of all backgrounds and experiences are able to "find yourself here," perhaps by connecting to a story or someone's art. A mission to gather women--from every walk of life--to share in what unites us and what makes us unique.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
We are most proud of our business' mission-driven approach to connecting women through supportive relationships and the demonstrated positive impact we are already having on the lives of so many women around the country. Our company intends to help strengthen our communities through the empowerment of and connections between women. We have seen great success in this direction, both in participation and along business lines. Reader feedback and testimonials from our readers provide incredibly humbling insight into how they are connecting with the submitted raw stories and artistic expressions that set "The Circle" apart from all other potential competitors. The proof is in the business model, as The Circle has never been "in the red" since its start almost two years ago--during a global pandemic.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
One of the hardest things that come with being a business owner is staying the course. Constantly leaning in. It's a little scary to think about all the risks and the potential for failure. There are so many twists and turns, unexpected bumps in the road, and major challenges to getting a business off the ground. Progress over perfection. But if you believe in your mission and your incredible team, you can overcome the major obstacles and sidestep the others.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
Three tips come to mind that I would offer anyone thinking about starting a business today. First, find a good team. One you can work with is willing to share the load, has complementary skills and expertise, and knows how to put in the work while enjoying the fun. Stay teachable and give each other grace. Second, be ready to feel like you never have enough funding. So use every resource you can find -- bootstrapping, grants, crowdsourcing, angel investors, low-interest business loans, whatever. Because it's going to be a challenge to gain steam and grow in a manageable way if you can't get your hands on funds. Finally, we think that you have to believe in what it is you are trying to achieve. If you don't have a clear and relatable "why" behind your business, then you are likely to wander off or get sidetracked by the never-ending challenges. Stay focused, but don't forget to enjoy the journey!
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.thecirclemagazine.net/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecirclefindyourselfhere
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.circle.magazine/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-circle-find-yourself-here/
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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