1116. She Learned It the Hard Way and Now Is Making It Easier for Others

“One of the key things I did at a critical point in my business growth was to bring in an advisory board. They ended up staying with me for seven years. These were not paid positions. These were friends or mentors that I had met through life, although some were also strangers. For example, if I met somebody at a conference and hit it off with them, and they were intelligent and had succeeded, and I felt that they could bring value to the company, I asked them onto my advisory board. I didn’t give them money or stock or anything. They just helped me! They help me become sophisticated in my business approach. You know, the hand-to-hand combat that I had done up to this point needed to be processed, educated and sophisticated. The Advisory Board is a big reason that I was able to sell the company profitably when I was ready and for what I am able to do now.”

Raised by a Marine Corps pilot on a cattle operation in the mountains, Jess learned the keys to running an entrepreneurial company from the ground up. Grit, hard work and getting things done the right way were infused in her. She started a software-based company from her kitchen table and through tough times she learned how to assemble a company and leadership team that operated on world-class systems. Fifteen years, two national locations, and one international division later, Jess sold that company at an exceptional price point. Today, Jess is devoted to sharing what she’s learned. She brings world-class tools and long-term resources to help leadership teams run better businesses and live better lives.