Faith, Family, and Funnels: Eric Laylon on Balancing Life and Business
Today, we're diving deep into the world of entrepreneurship with the ever-insightful Eric Laylon. He’s got over 15 years of experience in digital marketing, and trust me, he’s not just throwing buzzwords around; he’s been in the trenches helping brands and local businesses connect with their audiences in a way that’s as tailored as your favorite pair of sneakers. We chat about that pivotal moment when he decided to step out of the corporate grind and launch EJL Marketing, sparked by a nudge from former clients who were eager to keep him in their corner. Eric’s journey is a blend of faith, hustle, and a sprinkle of divine intervention, reminding us that sometimes, you just gotta roll with it and help others along the way. So, grab a drink, kick back, and let’s explore what it really means to build something from the ground up while keeping it real and relatable!
The conversation delves into the journey of Eric Laylon, a seasoned digital marketing consultant who transitioned from a stable corporate life to launching his own venture, EJL Marketing. Eric shares that this pivotal decision was influenced by the encouragement of former clients who reached out for his expertise after he left his previous agency. The episode offers a candid look at the struggles and triumphs of entrepreneurship, emphasizing the importance of a supportive network. Eric recounts how his father’s successful career in sales shaped his perception of business, instilling in him the belief that sales is a noble profession rather than a dirty word. His journey is not just about business; it’s deeply intertwined with his faith, which he cites as a guiding force in his career decisions. He talks about the initial challenges of establishing his business while also maintaining a corporate job, illustrating the balance many entrepreneurs strive for between security and ambition.
Throughout the episode, Eric reflects on the early days of EJL Marketing, particularly highlighting the story of his first client—a dog breeder facing website issues. He recounts how he was able to diagnose and resolve the problems, which not only helped her business thrive but also solidified his confidence in his new role as an entrepreneur. This moment encapsulates the core message of the episode: entrepreneurship is not just about making money; it’s about using one’s skills to positively impact others’ lives. Eric's narrative underscores that the connections we build and the help we offer can lead to fulfilling partnerships and fruitful ventures. Ultimately, the episode is a testament to the power of faith, community, and the relentless pursuit of one’s calling in the face of uncertainty.
Takeaways:
- In entrepreneurship, the journey often starts with a nudge from past clients seeking help, showcasing the value of existing relationships.
- Building a business requires leveraging local networks, which can provide resources and support that are invaluable during the start-up phase.
- Navigating the dual responsibilities of a corporate job and a side business can be tricky, but effective time management is key to success.
- Embracing failure as a learning experience is essential; every setback is just a stepping stone towards your ultimate goals in business.
- The importance of faith and personal values can significantly shape one’s entrepreneurial journey, guiding decisions and actions towards helping others.
- Entrepreneurs often find that the biggest misconceptions about starting a business involve the belief that they must do everything alone, when in reality, collaboration is crucial.
Companies mentioned in this episode:
- EJL Marketing
- Simplify
- Pivot Point
Transcript
Foreign.
Speaker B:Hi, everybody.
Speaker B:Parnell Woodard from the Pivot Point.
Speaker B:Welcome to today's episode.
Speaker B:Excited to bring to you today, Eric Leyland.
Speaker B:Eric is a seasoned digital marketing consultant with over 15 years of assistance.
Speaker B:15 years of experience, easy for you to say, assisting brands, agencies, and local businesses, enhancing their online presence.
Speaker B:He connects with clients to help them target the audiences through tailored marketing plans that combine display, search engine and social media engagement.
Speaker B:So welcome, Eric, to the Pivot Point.
Speaker B:Thanks for taking a little time this morning to chat with us.
Speaker A:Yeah, excited to be on.
Speaker A:Thanks for having me.
Speaker B:Cool.
Speaker B:I'll jump right in in terms of, you know, the kind of the corporate world versus starting your own business and, you know, was there a moment or kind of a series of events that made you think about entrepreneurship really being the path for you going forward?
Speaker A:Yeah, so my career path has been such that, you know, I've worked in marketing and sales and business development for a very long time.
Speaker A:My dad actually was in sales for, like, 35 years.
Speaker A:So he worked for the same company back when that was a thing for 35 years.
Speaker A:Pretty cool.
Speaker A:But that was my lens into the sales environment, was the effectiveness that my dad had at it.
Speaker A:And he was the number one salesperson in his company for literally decades almost.
Speaker A:So that was the lens that I had for sales.
Speaker A:And so for me, getting into marketing and business development and sales, sales was not a dirty word.
Speaker A:So for me, it was a profession.
Speaker A:One of the first books that I ever got was called the Accidental Salesperson.
Speaker A: ted now, but I got it back in: Speaker A:And it's a profession, right?
Speaker A:It's something that you need to have and workshop skills at.
Speaker A:So.
Speaker A:And I saw my dad do it.
Speaker A:My dad used to listen to podcasts or listen to cassette tapes and audiobooks in the car.
Speaker A:He would have loved podcasts back in the day because it would have been something that he would have been really engaged on.
Speaker A:But that was, again, something that, you know, he gave me not only the, you know, the mentorship from, you know, how he did it, but then he provided me with skill sets and books and things that I could take into this career that I was going into.
Speaker A:And along that path, when I was working at the agency and working in the seat of business development, a lot of people left to start their own companies and do their own things.
Speaker A:So it was always around that.
Speaker A:And I spent a very long time in the agency that I was at, I was there for 15, 16 years, you know, working in that environment and seeing people go and do their own things.
Speaker A:But I was really successful at what I was doing within the agency, working with clients.
Speaker A:I then left that agency to go into ad tech.
Speaker A:And when I did, you know, I left those clients behind because they did not operate in the world that I was working at when I left the agency to go into ad tech.
Speaker A:And so, you know, about it, I would say about a year later, you know, I had some people reaching out to me, but really it was something that I felt God pushing me into.
Speaker A:So I'm a faith based person.
Speaker A:So, you know, one of the things that I lean on is my, you know, my guidance comes from God.
Speaker A:And so as I was, you know, in this environment of ad tech, I really felt that, you know, it was something that God was pushing me to pursue.
Speaker A:You know, he gave me gifts and talents and abilities to help people.
Speaker A:And, you know, from the, from the, you know, start of my career, that's what I've tried to do is put those services to work, to help others.
Speaker A: il time frame, I think it was: Speaker A:And so I did.
Speaker A:And it was really born out of the local networking that I was doing.
Speaker A:But the clients that I know had coming to me and saying, hey, listen, you helped us at this other company and we still want you to help us as we move forward.
Speaker A:So that's, that's kind of, you know, the nudge that I got, the background that I got really came from, you know, the influence my dad had, but really just again, you know, putting those gifts and talents to work that God had given me.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:So it's interesting, you know, it sounds like that the thing that kind of got you over the hump, right?
Speaker B:And that pivot point, if you will, was the client, your former clients reaching back out to you, saying, you know, Eric, can you help us?
Speaker B:And that's, that's kind of an interesting story.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker B:Everybody enters entrepreneurship in different ways.
Speaker B:Some people kind of fall into it.
Speaker B:Some people make a conscious decision to get into it.
Speaker B:You had some clients out, you know, reaching out for you, and that might have been the nudge that kind of got you over the hump.
Speaker B:Was there a particular problem that, you know, in terms of starting EJL marketing, was there a problem that you were trying to solve for the clients or a passion you really wanted to pursue?
Speaker A:Yeah, so there was a Specific one that my client that's now been with me, and they were my first client.
Speaker A:They actually are a dog breeder.
Speaker A:They specifically do doodles.
Speaker A:So they breed all types of doodles.
Speaker A:And so they're in my local networking.
Speaker A:And I'd actually never worked with them before.
Speaker A:So while a lot of my clients are ones that I had previously engaged with, the very first client for EJL Marketing was not somebody I'd ever worked before with, but they were actually somebody that was in my local networking.
Speaker A:And so they had actually learned about me through my clients and other people that I had been around.
Speaker A:And they had an issue with their website.
Speaker A:And so that issue that they had had started conversations with me, and I was able to diagnose and solve that issue, that pain point.
Speaker A:But when that happened, I didn't have the shell of a company to put that under.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:Because at that time, I was only working in ad tech in the corporate environment, and they didn't work with local businesses, so my ability to help them would not have been in the capacity of my own business.
Speaker A:So that was, again, and it was cool going through that whole scenario because that whole time period, I really did feel God, like, pushing me into this direction.
Speaker A:And it was weird because it was in, you know, I was doing devotions and doing my Bible reading.
Speaker A:Like, it just.
Speaker A:And that's how the Holy Spirit works.
Speaker A:Like, you know, there's.
Speaker A:There's these promptings that happen, and like, so, like, these.
Speaker A:These markers were showing up and showing up and showing up.
Speaker A:So, like, when she came to me and said, this is a problem, this is an issue, and, like, how do we solve it?
Speaker A:It was a pretty easy one to, you know, diagnose and then, you know, move forward.
Speaker A:But I had to.
Speaker A:I had to have the shell of the business to put everything on.
Speaker A:And that's where obviously, I spun it forward and was, you know, I made EJL Marketing a legal entity and started doing that.
Speaker B:So once that happened and you had that first client, did you spend any more time thinking about the business entity and getting those services up and running?
Speaker B:What were some of the first steps you took there?
Speaker A:Yeah, and for me, I had.
Speaker A:And I think most entrepreneurs, right when they get into this, they're not going into a field that they don't know at all.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:You know, they're us spinning this forward in.
Speaker A:In a capacity that they're already familiar with.
Speaker A:So, like, for me, you know, I've had, you know, umpteen amount of years working in a digital agency, so, like, I knew the ins and outs, but, like, when I was in that seat at the agency, you know, I had, you know, people that I set up to do the work.
Speaker A:So, like, whereas I know how to, you know, talk about, you know, Google Ads, I knew how to, you know, help with SEO.
Speaker A:I wasn't doing the actual physical labor.
Speaker A:Now, I had done those things, like, I had run Google campaigns, I had built my own website, I did my own SEO, I've run email marketing camp.
Speaker A:So I'd functionally done all these areas, but it was always easily for myself or to test it.
Speaker A:And so this was the first opportunity to be able to dive in and help a client with their pain point.
Speaker A:And without that history of the years that I spent in the environment, I would never have been able to solve the issue that she had and turned the thing around.
Speaker A:So, and I'll dive into it just because it's a fascinating story for marketers.
Speaker A:If there's marketers that are listening to this, you'll get a kick out of it.
Speaker A: g breeding, exploded over the: Speaker A:So, yeah, when Covid happened, everybody was getting a dog.
Speaker A:And so I think she had like 150 leads that one month.
Speaker A:So it was just massive, massive business model for her.
Speaker A:And it exploded.
Speaker A:And then she got a new website.
Speaker A:Then she noticed that things were dwindling into 20, 21 and 22.
Speaker A:Things were tapering quickly after she had launched the new website and she was trying to understand, was it economics, was it an issue with her marketing?
Speaker A:She wasn't really understanding what was going on.
Speaker A:So that's what brought her to me.
Speaker A:And that connection was made here as I was again sourcing out the pain point.
Speaker A:The new website had launched and they left the developer tags within the website to not follow the site itself.
Speaker A:So when you are working on a website, you don't want it to be found by the search engines, but when you release it to the world, you want the search engines to find it.
Speaker A:So those developer tags of no follow tags were in there.
Speaker A:So I was able to obviously find that, roll those out, get rid of them, and allow the search engines to find it.
Speaker A:So again, without having that history and that background within the digital marketing environment and helping with SEO, these were things that obviously I would have even been able to comprehend.
Speaker A:So that history and that background gave it to.
Speaker A:Gave me that experience to be able to support her and her efforts.
Speaker A:And then it started to spin forward to be able to then help others that were coming to Me.
Speaker A:And so I just leaned on that expertise that I had, but functionally, like, I needed to do it.
Speaker A:And the more you do things, the more you learn things, you fail forward, Right?
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:And, you know, the core skill set you have, right, That's.
Speaker B:That's easy.
Speaker B:That's a comfort zone.
Speaker B:But outside of that, the whole concept of running a business, right, you've got bookkeeping, you've got legal issues, you've got any number of different things that you have to start to think about.
Speaker B:And that's an uncomfortable area for a lot of people as they step into entrepreneurialism.
Speaker B:What did you do there in terms of people or resources that you could tap into to help you with that?
Speaker A:Yeah, that's a great question, Parnell, because that's where my local network was.
Speaker A:Fantastic.
Speaker A:So there's a couple of networks that I'm into that are local, and the one that I go to religiously, and that's actually a Christian business network, so it also aligns with my faith.
Speaker A:But Believers in Business is a fantastic networking group that I belong to, and in that network, there's a lot of great people.
Speaker A:So my CPA comes from there.
Speaker A:There's legal advice that I've gotten from the people that are in that group.
Speaker A:There's actually a growth mentor that's in that group that gave me a lot of great advice as I was getting things kicked off.
Speaker A:So fantastic.
Speaker A:Fantastic resource to be able to support the efforts that, you know, spun this thing forward.
Speaker A:And, you know, again, conversely, that's where I've gotten business from, to help others.
Speaker A:And it's, you know, a fantastic group.
Speaker A:Networking has been something that, you know, I've, you know, really built my entire business off of.
Speaker B:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker B:You know, you have ejl, but you also still have a corporate job.
Speaker B:Talk to me a little bit about the security of the corporate job and the security of your own firm and how they feel differently to you.
Speaker A:Yeah, no, that's another great question, because it's tough.
Speaker A:Like, there's a lot on my plate all the time.
Speaker A:I also have a lot of kids.
Speaker A:I have five kids, and I'm into coaching, and, you know, I give my time to different charities, so it's a very busy life.
Speaker A:But I love it.
Speaker A:Like, again, you know, throughout my life, like, there's, you know, always been a lot going on.
Speaker A:My mom always said that, like, I had a lot of balls in the air that I was juggling, and I think that just, you know, set me up for this life that I have.
Speaker A:But, you know, Working in a corporate setting and having EGL marketing is one that, when I came to Simplify, I was very upfront and transparent about the fact that I had this thing on the side because I didn't want to, you know, I didn't want to hide it.
Speaker A:And, you know, a lot of corporate entities do not want to, you know, have people split their time and.
Speaker A:Yeah, but Simplify is different.
Speaker A:Actually, one of the tenants internally at Simplify is entrepreneurship.
Speaker A:I don't think they want everybody out there doing it, but like, they want, they want people thinking in this capacity of how to think outside the box.
Speaker A:And really that's what entrepreneurship makes you do.
Speaker A:So when you look at, again, these two things, they're very symbiotic.
Speaker A:They flow and cross paths all the time.
Speaker A:Because I have clients that are on both sides of the spectrum working in these two different areas.
Speaker A:So when I again, sit in my corporate day job, like, I'm dealing in ad tech, so I'm helping with, you know, connected TV and, you know, digital display and all these things within the ad tech environment.
Speaker A:But on the side, when I'm working with local clients, you know, the issues and pain points that they have with their, you know, local marketing, there's intersections with my day job at Simplify.
Speaker A:So like, you know, they're, they're having to, you know, build their brand and do their marketing just like the clients that I have on my day job.
Speaker A:So again, there's a lot of synergies between the two and it makes me really good at both.
Speaker A:And, you know, it does, again, get taxing when it comes to time management.
Speaker A:But I'm also 46 years old.
Speaker A:Like, I, you know, not that I know at all, but like, I, I would not have been able to do this, you know, when I was, you know, 25, 28, 35.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:So, like, you know, again, I think, you know, God sets these markers up, he sets this path up, and it enables you to, you know, again, use those experiences to be successful.
Speaker A:So, you know, staying on task and getting things done are skill sets.
Speaker A:It's, you know, going back to, you know, the sales profession is, you know, learning and developing these skill sets so you can navigate it and navigate it well.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:You know, is there a point where you, with ejl, where you would reach critical mass, where you would feel comfortable stepping off the corporate, you know, escalator, if you will, to be able to stay more focused on that?
Speaker B:A lot of, A lot of folks that I work with, you know, they like the idea of a Side hustle.
Speaker B:A lot of them have side hustles right, to get started.
Speaker B:But a lot of people struggle with where's that point where they step off, off that corporate escalator?
Speaker B:Where is there a point for you where you would feel comfortable doing that?
Speaker A:I don't know at this stage, no.
Speaker A:Because they both feed into each other so well.
Speaker A:And I keep EJL small.
Speaker A:I am truly dedicated to what I do at Symplify.
Speaker A:Obviously, I love what I do there.
Speaker A:The people are great, the platform's great.
Speaker A:The things that I can do in that environment are really beneficial to both sides, the people that I work with in both entities.
Speaker A:For me, like, and this goes back to a conversation that I had with my growth mentor when I was starting, you know, EGL marketing.
Speaker A:He had said he was like his, I don't want to say his mistake, but like his, his path forward into entrepreneurship is he jumped right into it two feet left the corporate world and went right into his, his, his business.
Speaker A:And he said he wish he would have done the opposite where he was, you know, aligned in this, this company thing, in the corporate job, and also have his, you know, his side project as he got it, you know, ramped up.
Speaker A:So for me, to answer your question, I don't know, like, I don't know what God has in store for me.
Speaker A:I mean, maybe tomorrow it all changes.
Speaker A:But right now I'm able to help so many people in these different seats and it pops up every time, like every day.
Speaker A:Like yesterday I had, you know, somebody in a local area found me through Google business and it was, you know, a phone call that generated into a meeting that generated into me helping them.
Speaker A:So.
Speaker B:Nice.
Speaker B:Well, that's good.
Speaker B:You know, in talking about being a business owner, are there any misconceptions that you had about entrepreneurship before you got into it, before you started?
Speaker A:Yeah, I think the main misconception that I had was, is that it was going to be super hard, you know, and I don't want to paint this picture like it's easy, but like, there's so many people that are out there that are willing to help.
Speaker A:And I think one of the misconceptions was that you have to do it all yourself.
Speaker A:And that is obviously not the case.
Speaker A:And getting into my local networking group helped me exponentially be able to lean on others that had gone through that process.
Speaker A:So that's where you look at the resources that are out there.
Speaker A:There are many and you just have to be able to be comfortable in your own skin to ask for Help.
Speaker B:Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker B:You know, along those lines, are there certain things in terms of aspects of running a business that are easier than you anticipated or conversely, things that might have been harder than you anticipated?
Speaker A:Yeah, I think the easy thing is just leaning on the, you know, experiences that I've had, the relationships that I've built, the network that I build out.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:I was talking yesterday with my manager, actually, at Simplify, and I was just saying about how, you know, I've never been more busy than I am right now, in a good sense, in a good way.
Speaker A:It's, you know, it's.
Speaker A:It's productive busyness.
Speaker A:And, you know, when I, When I think about, like, you know, what I'm doing with EJL marketing, there's.
Speaker A:There's always a lot on my plate and there's a lot to take.
Speaker A:But, you know, those clients that I've nurtured over the years, they.
Speaker A:And just like yesterday being, you know, being found through Google business and, you know, all the, the groundwork that I've done over the years to build up my personal brand that I don't want to say that was easy, but it's methodical for me.
Speaker A:I've done these things week in and week out and month in and month out and quarter in, quarter out, year in and year out.
Speaker A:And there's that expectation that the work that you're doing is going to be fruitful.
Speaker A:And so for me, the thing that's been, I don't want.
Speaker A:Again, it's not easy because there's a lot of hard work that goes into it.
Speaker A:But, you know, once you build it up and once you put in the time and the effort, then it becomes easier because you're just, you know, you're.
Speaker A:It's the snowball effect.
Speaker A:You're just allowing it to run downhill.
Speaker B:Yeah, I talk to folks a lot about that.
Speaker B:And I use the analogy of planting a garden when you think about building a business, because, you know, you go out, you plant the garden, you water it, and it doesn't produce right away.
Speaker B:You know, there's no lettuce, no tomatoes, no cucumbers, carrots.
Speaker B:Whatever you're growing, it takes some time to get there.
Speaker A:So we talk about the exact same thing in marketing.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:So from a.
Speaker A:From a marketing perspective, what is marketing?
Speaker A:It's the future potential.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:You're putting the message out there to an intended audience that may never heard of your services before, may not even know, you know, that's this thing.
Speaker A:And so you have to plant that seed.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:Not every Seed grows into a tree that bears fruit.
Speaker A:But if you don't plant the seed, you're definitely not going to get anything.
Speaker B:Definitely not getting it.
Speaker A:At the core of it, like, marketing is such that you're building that future potential in all these areas.
Speaker A:And that's again the same thing with running a business.
Speaker A:You have to plant these things to make sure that again, it does have fruit at some point in time.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Do you think that in terms of ejl, do you think there's an optimal balance of time you work on the business and time you work in the business?
Speaker A:Yeah, it's a great question because again, time is a very valuable resource and there's only a limited amount of it.
Speaker A:So, like when I look at my EJOW marketing business, I try to do it early in the morning.
Speaker A:I try to get those things knocked out working in the business.
Speaker A:And then when we look at the working on the business, I don't spend enough time probably in that seat looking at moving things forward and the future potential of EJL marketing.
Speaker A:And really that's born out of the fact that right now, you know, I'm in that autopilot kind of phase where we're, you know, it's, it's.
Speaker A:I'm not trying to grow it because again, going back to the, you know, the day job, like that piece of it is really growing.
Speaker A:Like there's, you know, a lot that's happening, which is wonderful and it's a huge blessing.
Speaker A:But I really don't push EGL marketing a lot because I can't have both explode at the same time.
Speaker A:Like, then I really have to start thinking about like, you know, outsourcing some of this stuff.
Speaker A:And I really don't want to get to that point because, you know, then that's gonna stretch my time free thin by, you know, having to have those people that are out there.
Speaker A:So I think, you know, one of the hard things is understanding what to let go of.
Speaker B:So yeah, you know, and that was my kind of.
Speaker B:My next category is work life balance.
Speaker B:So how do you manage the demands of running that business while maintaining time for yourself and your family and your faith?
Speaker A:Yeah, again, that's, you know, that time quotient is challenging, especially when do you.
Speaker B:Have tools or processes or, you know, things that you kind of hold yourself to, to be able to keep that.
Speaker A:B.
Speaker A:Yeah, I really, you know, again, when that, when you know, when it hits 5:00, that's, that's when it becomes family time.
Speaker A:And then later at night, like, you Know, if I need to come back to stuff, I can and you know, I'm not, you know, as concrete with that.
Speaker A:But you know, there are things in my life that are, you know, are demanding from my time.
Speaker A:And I, you know, like I last night was coaching flag football for my 12 year old.
Speaker A:So like, you know, at 6:00 we had to eat dinner and by 6:30 we had to be out the door and you know, I was, I was there.
Speaker A:And then Tuesday night I was coaching my son's travel soccer team.
Speaker A:So like, you know, these are things that I have to be at and I'm not online obviously during that.
Speaker A:But in that, in that example, the, on Tuesday night at soccer, like one of my west coast clients was calling me up and had a question and like, you know, I could dialogue with him on the ride home and you know, very transparent with all my clients about, you know, who I am and the demands that I have at home, like, you know, time with my wife and time with my kids and time in the community.
Speaker A:Like these are all things that are super important for me.
Speaker A:And I'm also, I'm also, you know, I'm not a heart surgeon, I'm not a brain surgeon.
Speaker A:I'm not, you know, these are not, you know, critical mass things that we're dealing with.
Speaker A:So, you know, I try to make sure that people understand that like what I'm doing is, you know, important but on the scale of importance, like we're not saving babies here.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:So like, you know, there are things that can wait.
Speaker B:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker B:Are there any tools that you use?
Speaker B:Digital tools, software, anything like that that help you manage that time?
Speaker A:Oh my gosh.
Speaker A:I mean, that's where AI, you know, it's, it is the, is the buzzword yesterday, like, you know, when I was working through some stuff, like it does make your job so much more, you know, I won't say easy, but like it makes it faster.
Speaker A:Like you have to know how to use these tools and there's so many of them that are out there.
Speaker A:But you know, I use ChatGPT to help, you know, workshop things and make sure that somebody brought it up the other day in a TED Talk environment.
Speaker A:But they were just talking about how, like if I already know the answer, I'll still ask ChatGPT because I may get a different viewpoint on it just because it's going to give me something I may not have ever thought of or it may confirm what I, what I know.
Speaker A:But there's, yeah, using AI appropriately to be able to Help expedites the work that's on my plate is something that, again, five years ago was not a thing.
Speaker A: it's going back to the early: Speaker A:I try to stay ahead of the game and use stuff to see if it's good for my clients.
Speaker B:Sure.
Speaker A:You know, I can't.
Speaker A:I can't speak about it if I don't do it.
Speaker A:So, like, you know, I've again built my own website.
Speaker A:I've done my own Google Ads.
Speaker A:I've run ads in all these different areas, you know, for myself so that I can go to my clients and be like, hey, listen, I did this.
Speaker A:It didn't work for me.
Speaker A:Or it did work for me.
Speaker A:Like, you know, you have to speak from experience, and you can only get experience if you're actually doing it.
Speaker B:Sure, sure.
Speaker B:Is there a moment or a milestone during the course of EJL where it stopped and really made you think, this is why I do what I do.
Speaker B:This is why I created this company.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker B:Is there a kind of a highlight there?
Speaker A:Yeah, I think, again, it goes right back to the very first client.
Speaker A:I knew right there, you know, that it was the right path for me.
Speaker A:Again, God really put that on my heart.
Speaker A:And we know that the Bible speaks to us and can guide us.
Speaker A:The Holy Spirit is here for a reason, for us to be able to understand that God has a plan and purpose.
Speaker A:And when we fulfill that, we all have that.
Speaker A:Why we all have that drive.
Speaker A:We all have, you know, we want to do something great.
Speaker A:And so when we're able to do it and it's, you know, you know, divine, you know, that.
Speaker A:That elevates everything.
Speaker A:So from the very first client, being able to have her come into my life, have her, you know, have a pain point me, be able to solve it, and then be able to see the fruits of that, you know, that, that labor go into, you know, actual, you know, benefit for her business.
Speaker A:And to watch it take off from the very first client, I mean, I gotta imagine that's, you know, it's a pretty unique situation where, you know, your first client, you're able to solve a pretty big pain point and set her on the.
Speaker A:On the right path.
Speaker A:And so for me, like, that was a huge blessing.
Speaker B:So it was the ability to help her and help her business, that was really what struck a chord.
Speaker B:That was kind of the emotional component of what you do.
Speaker B:And it's fascinating too, Erica, you know, and talking with so many different people in so many different spaces around entrepreneurialism.
Speaker B:I was on a session with a, with a colleague who has a five location franchise, and I asked him that same question, and he's in a massage franchise.
Speaker B:And it was all about connecting with people.
Speaker B:And everybody I talked to, regardless of industry that they're in, regardless of how they started, how they got into entrepreneurialism, the things that touch people the most is when they're able to help other people, other human beings.
Speaker B:And I hear that time and time and time again.
Speaker B:It's a really interesting thing.
Speaker A:And I'll tell you, and I'll spin this word as to why.
Speaker A:Right?
Speaker A:So we are spiritual beings, God.
Speaker A:And again, this is my faith, but it's true to me.
Speaker A:And so.
Speaker A:And it is true, but God designed us as spiritual beings for a reason.
Speaker A:And that reason is to again, connect with our divine source, but then also to connect with each other.
Speaker A:If we are spiritual beings and we see each other as that and we want to help each other, then that's huge reason as to why we see that is that we are innately designed to seek that out.
Speaker A:And our spirit is driven towards that.
Speaker A:We're driven to God.
Speaker A:And when we are driven to God, and we know that God's plan and purposes is to love us and then spread that love to others, like the Great Commission that Jesus lends to us is to go out and speak truth and love to others so that they may know that God loves them and that we can then have a right relationship with him.
Speaker A:And that's what that speaks to, is that, you know that that franchise owner wants to help people because we are that, that, you know, embodiment of the spirit to others.
Speaker B:So you mentioned earlier, I think you said you're 45, 46.
Speaker B:If you could go back and tell younger Eric something, what's one thing you would do differently or one thing you would tell your past self?
Speaker A:Yeah, and this is, this is a question that gets brought up.
Speaker A:I would say nothing.
Speaker A:I would.
Speaker A:Nothing.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:Because the path that I was put on was put.
Speaker A:I was put on that path for a reason.
Speaker A:The failures, the mistakes, the good things, the bad things all had a plan and purpose to lead me to where I'm at today.
Speaker A:So if I change something, it's like the butterfly effect, right?
Speaker A:Go back and change one little thing, it's gonna send you off on a whole different.
Speaker B:It might not be where you're at.
Speaker A:And I would not be where I'm at.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:Now with you partner, if I did something back then, you and I would not be speaking right now.
Speaker B:Probably so.
Speaker A:And that would be sad.
Speaker B:So, speaking of entrepreneurship and paths forward, if you're.
Speaker B:If you were going to talk to somebody about getting into business for themselves, what are some practical steps you'd recommend for somebody who was exploring it?
Speaker A:Yeah, I mean, really going back to that local networking thing and just having people in your life, like, you know, seek people out.
Speaker A:I was talking to you earlier, but like, the.
Speaker A:This morning, I was talking to somebody in a.
Speaker A:From my agency that I used to work at, and she and I were talking about the path that I've gone forward with EJL Marketing.
Speaker A:And she's like, I really need to start doing this.
Speaker A:And we talked about it, and I was like, yes, just do it.
Speaker A:You need people in your life that can help workshop these things.
Speaker A:And the support network.
Speaker A:And the fascinating thing is when I look at my local network, they want to do it for free almost.
Speaker A:They want people to be successful again.
Speaker A:Going back to that drive, we have a drive to help each other.
Speaker A:And so, like, these people that are in my life, you know, they've poured into my company, and a lot of them haven't charged me anything for it, you know, so my CPA does.
Speaker A:But I love her, so she's very valuable, and I'm more than willing to pay her for her services.
Speaker A:But, like, you know, I can't tell you how many people have, you know, given me advice and sat down with me and never charged me a dime for the, you know, the words of wisdom that they've given me.
Speaker B:Is there anything you would say to them to prepare them emotionally or financially for the challenges that lie ahead in terms of starting your own business?
Speaker A:I think that, you know, you go back to my duality of, you know, working in both, both, you know, areas.
Speaker A:It does give you a freedom from the, you know, the burden of having to make it all happen on.
Speaker A:On one thing and going back.
Speaker A:Like, I got laid off from my first job when they were going through a downsizing.
Speaker A:And so there was a point of, you know, two months where the only income that I had was EGL marketing.
Speaker A:And I poured into that and God provided a path forward.
Speaker A:And it was obviously with simplify.
Speaker A:But, you know, it was one of those things that, like, at that time, you know, I really, you know, went into full drive within EGL marketing to make it happen.
Speaker A:And it did.
Speaker A:God provided a way forward, and it was fantastic.
Speaker A:But to answer the question, it's like, you know, there's, there's, you know, there's a lot of stress.
Speaker A:There's a lot of things.
Speaker A:So for me, just, you know, my experience with, with having the corporate job and the side gig has been beneficial because it does give you a safety net.
Speaker A:But as with any, there's, you know, there's, there's that payoff of, or the balance of time.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:You have to be very, very good at managing time so that you're not, you know, dropping the ball in one area or the other.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Just as we, as we start to wrap up, let's have a little fun.
Speaker B:I got some rapid fire questions I want to shoot at you real quick.
Speaker B:If you could have dinner with any entrepreneur, past or present, who would it be?
Speaker A:Elon Musk.
Speaker A:I mean, he's obviously in the news a lot and he's a fascinating dude, so I would pick Elon Musk right now.
Speaker B:Gotcha.
Speaker B:Cool.
Speaker B:One business tool or app you can't live without.
Speaker A:ChatGPT.
Speaker B:Okay.
Speaker B:Most unconventional piece of business advice you've ever received that actually worked.
Speaker A:I think it goes back to don't be afraid to fail.
Speaker A:I think that's a pretty common one within the entrepreneurial world.
Speaker A:But until you get out and go through it, don't be afraid to fail is one you have to get comfortable with.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:I've always said there's no such thing as failure.
Speaker B:You just achieved undesired results.
Speaker A:Exactly.
Speaker B:And it's true.
Speaker B:If you think about it, you accomplished something.
Speaker B:It just wasn't what you wanted.
Speaker B:So it just gets you closer to what you want.
Speaker B:If you had to describe your business in a movie title, what would it be?
Speaker A:My business in a movie title.
Speaker A:The first one that comes to mind is Titanic.
Speaker A:That's just because it's funny.
Speaker B:Let's hope not.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:I'll go with Interstellar.
Speaker A:How about Interstellar?
Speaker A:That was a good movie.
Speaker A:And it.
Speaker A:And it talks about forward thinking.
Speaker B:There you go.
Speaker B:I like it.
Speaker B:One guilty pleasure that helps you unwind after a long day of running your business.
Speaker A:Actually running.
Speaker A:Running is my.
Speaker A:I don't want to say guilty pleasure, but I love running.
Speaker A:So I do it in a running group.
Speaker A:I do it by myself.
Speaker A:I do it in all sorts of weather.
Speaker A:One of my favorite runs ever was running in a hurricane.
Speaker A:That was.
Speaker B:Oh, wow.
Speaker A:Yeah, it was a summer, like late summer, early fall, and it was like really warm out.
Speaker A:So like, it was like running in a shower.
Speaker A:It was awesome.
Speaker B:Oh, wow.
Speaker B:Cool.
Speaker B:Eric.
Speaker B:Thanks very much for spending some time with us today, folks.
Speaker B:Eric Leland from EJL Marketing really enjoyed having you on and I hope and I'm sure everybody got a lot out of our session today.
Speaker B:So Parnell, Woodard from the Pivot Point and look forward to seeing you all at some point in the future.
Speaker B:Thanks again.
