Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Michael Whitehouse, Owner of The Guy Who Knows a Guy, located in Groton, CT, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
My main business offering is the Networking Concierge program. My clients are 6-8 figure entrepreneurs in the coaching/course creation space who are seeking promotional partners that they can team up with to promote each other to each other's audiences. Generally, my clients are successful and well-connected, but they don't have the time or inclination to spend the time it takes to make connections. Since I love meeting people, I'm out there networking all the time, delivering the connections I find to my clients.
Tell us about yourself
I have been a networker and connector for years. I'm a hyper-extrovert with an entrepreneurial instinct. When I first moved to Groton, Connecticut, in 2014, the first thing I did was start attending networking events. As soon as I started meeting people, I started connecting them to other people I was meeting.
When the pandemic came, I made the decision to finally follow my own course. No more working for other people in disappointing jobs; I would follow the road of entrepreneurship wherever it took me. For the first year, where it took me was driving Uber to pay my bills while I explored opportunities.
Eventually, I realized that people might pay for introductions. I was already making loads of introductions for free, so I started working on figuring out what a business model might be. I kicked off the Networking Concierge program in January 2022 and hit six figures by May.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I have many accomplishments, but the one that I am most proud of is that I was able to help multiple friends of mine go from working crappy jobs to fulfilling their potential either as entrepreneurs or in more meaningful employment. A network can do a lot of things for a lot of people, and the most exciting is when I can use it to really change someone's life.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
The hardest part is not having a boss to tell you what to do, but the hardest part of a job is having a boss tell you what to do. I couldn't imagine working a regular job. I never really have, and the few times I've tried it, it has not gone well.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- DO IT! The labor market is a train wreck and just getting worse. Yes, we need people to build buildings and flip burgers and push paper, but the situation for the typical worker is just getting more and more precarious.
- Figure out what you are put on this Earth to do. Figure out who has money and is willing to pay you for doing that thing. Don't try to sell to broke people. They're broke. Find a way to sell to people with money.
- Have a big-picture grand goal. Money is not a goal. A fancy car is not a goal. Know what kind of life you want, and always keep focused on that.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.guywhoknowsaguy.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theguywhoknowsaguy
Twitter: https://twitter.com/michaelthehouse
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mwhitehouse/
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.
Turn your craft into recurring revenue with Subkit. Start your subscription offering in minutes and supercharge it with growth levers. Get early access here.