John Leahy: Having Your Own Business
Is it your dream to have your own business? Are you doing something to accomplish your goals? John Leahy knew that he wanted to be his own boss… but to get to that place, he needed to get out of his comfort zone and build his dream business.
John Leahy, Business Owner
John has always had the entrepreneurial spirit in him; his first business being a Kool-Aid stand, he hasn’t stopped having amazing ideas and running successful businesses since. From being brave enough to leave a corporate job to having financial problems because his business was suffering, everything has been a learning experience for John.
See three key elements you can learn from this episode:
1) Do What You Really Want
Get out of your comfort zone! Staying in one company for the rest of your life can be extremely easy, but is that really how you want to live your life? Close your eyes and imagine your dream life. Ask yourself: what is really stopping you from getting there?
John worked in an ice-cream business and everyone loved him. He knew he wanted to create something of his own, but the company didn’t want him to leave so they offered more benefits to try and keep him for longer. However, John understood that to pursue his dream, he needed to get out of that job— and that’s exactly what he did. It wasn’t easy but it was what his heart desired.
2) Understand Your Customer’s Needs
Owning a business is difficult, and one important thing you need to understand is what your customers need. See what they are looking for, what’s missing, and what you can provide, and by doing that, you can create loyal customers and a successful business.
John’s business started as a database company. In the 90s, people started to get PCs and they asked John to help them understand how things worked. When he noticed this, his business went from being focused on databases to computer training. He noticed what his customers wanted and focused on that. As you learn the need of the market, your priorities as an entrepreneur may change, so don’t be scared to adapt and implement this new knowledge.
3) The Importance of Persistence
Everyone goes through difficult times, what matters is what you learn from those circumstances. Learning from your mistakes helps you mature and continue growing, that way next time something similar occurs, you know exactly what to do and how to act.
There was a moment when John’s business wasn’t doing so great and the accountant set a meeting with some bankruptcy guys. John wasn’t ready to give up. He knew it was going to be difficult and decided to fight. He started to do everything he could to save the business and it took almost five years to clean up the mess… but he didn’t give up!
“Be Kind.”
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