How One Woman Built A $ 5 Million Business From Bankruptcy
How One Woman Built A $ 5 Million Business From Bankruptcy
Think you have it tough in business ? Lisa Williams have it together . As Founder and CEO of World EPI , Williams walked through the valley of business death . Bankruptcy . Loneliness . Depression .
But now she sits with a $ 5M company poised to launch to the next level . But how do you start , grow and scale a great company ?
Williams was sitting pretty . Crowned the first female professor to receive a multi-million-dollar endowed chair and the first African-American female professor to earn tenure at Penn State University — she was easily banking six figures in salary . So why leave such a cushy situation and risk it all on a startup ? Fear . Williams explained : “ My family and friends thought I lost my mind . But what drives me is the fear of living small . If I allow my current comfort level of success to hold me there , then I ’ m living small . Your goal is not just to achieve a certain rung on the sphere of influence , but to constantly impact humanity on the largest scale possible .” Turns out this trait is a key factor for entrepreneurial success . Think about it — those who dare to think big and take bold steps are more likely to build wildly successful companies . You can ’ t do it sitting on the couch feeling all comfy with your current situation . Think big . Act bold . Let ’ s face it — if nobody knows you — you ’ re toast . You read about the movers and shakers in business on Forbes and CNN . You watch them on CNBC . Their faces and stories etched in your mind . Bottom line ? Smart entrepreneurs work on their public profiles . According to Williams ; “ It ’ s incredibly important for not only product and brand awareness , but as a way to inspire others to achieve . If I can come through people walking out on me , being called crazy and walking through bankruptcy , anybody can do it . Our journey through entrepreneurship is part of our profile .” Imagine it this way : when you focus on building your public profile , momentum takes over . You become known . More people reach out . Your connections and influence grow . Your message gets heard and your brand becomes aligned with you the entrepreneur . Then suddenly , it ’ s your face and story people have etched in their minds . Get Your Nose Out Of The Bark Can ’ t see the forest through the trees ? Most entrepreneurs struggle with this . Matters not the size of your company — if you fail to work on your business instead of in it — prepare for disaster . Michael Gerber defined this in his book ‘ The E-Myth Revisited ’ and Williams agrees this was a huge mistake she made Williams explained she takes every Wednesday off as a primary way to meditate , think bigger and build a bolder strategy . Yes — she gets her nose out of the bark to work onher business . “ I never understood before . I always thought I have to do this . I have to work sun up to sun down . I have to work every weekend . But then I realized I was just working in my business as opposed to stepping back , extending the vision and growing it from a higher level . I get it now .”