Nancy, originally from Canada and now residing in the UK, shares her journey and insights into successful business strategies and the importance of innovation.
With a wealth of knowledge, Nancy discusses her upcoming book, ‘The Art of Analogies: How to Start a Business in Layman's Terms,' which aims to simplify business concepts for entrepreneurs.
Listen in to learn about her unique approach to business, the value of resilience, and how mindfulness practices can enhance productivity.
Website: www.thebusinessmission.com
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Transcription:
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Nancy Steidl Teaser 00:00
After experiencing my own firsthand challenges of businesses not being structured well, this really inspired me to create a solution that would help those other businesses and business owners with business plans and other business strategies.
Intro 00:15
Are you ready to hear business stories and learn effective ways to build relationships, generate sales, and level up your business from awesome CEOs, entrepreneurs, and founders without listening to a long, long, long interview?
If so, you've come to the right place. Gresh values your time and is ready to share with you the valuable info you're in search of. This is the I AM CEO podcast.
Gresham Harkless 00:43
Hello, hello, hello. This is Gresh from the I AM CEO podcast. And I have a very special guest on the show today. I have Nancy Steidl. Nancy, excited to have you on the show.
Nancy Steidl 00:51
Thank you very much for having me, Gresh. I'm really excited to have this podcast interview with you today.
And I'm really looking forward to some information and sharing knowledge with other people as well.
Gresham Harkless 01:02
Absolutely. I'm super excited as well. Nancy is a wealth of knowledge and information. I just learned some things wise. We were talking before we hopped into this interview. So I'm super excited to learn more and more and more about Nancy.
And of course, before we jump in, I want to read a little bit more about Nancy. So you can hear about some of the awesome things that she's been working on.
And Nancy, a Canadian native now residing in the UK for over 25 years, is a distinguished international business consultant and intellectual property law specialist specializing in AI and big data within her company, the business mission.
Her unique approach seamlessly blends legal acumen with strategic business insights, offering clients innovative solutions that integrate legal Intricacies with strategic considerations with a passion for intellectual property law. Nancy has pursued continuous education, earning an MBA from the International Business Management Institute in Berlin and completing a master's degree in international business law from the University of London.
Currently working on her third master's degree in intellectual, international intellectual property law at the University of London. Nancy's forthcoming book, The Art of Analogies, How to Start a Business in Layman's Terms is set to launch in December, 2024 pre orders are available on our website and it reflects on her commitment to sharing expertise in the field of.
Business. And it was super cool to actually hear a little bit more prepping for this about Nancy and all the awesome things that she's doing. I, I think that she didn't have the proverbial lemonade saying as a kid, she had an actual lemonade say at the age of seven, which I thought is absolutely awesome that she was able to do that.
And Nancy is an entrepreneur herself. She advocates a holistic approach to business. And I think that's something that's huge. I think she even covers it in her book. And as an English major, I love analogies and metaphors. So hearing about her book, all the awesome things that she do. She's doing makes me super excited to hear more about it.
And of course, be able to dive in. So Nancy, excited to have you on the show. Are you ready to speak to the I AM CEO community?
Nancy Steidl 02:54
I am ready. Thank you so much. I'm blessing with all the things you've said about me. Thank you very much. And yes, the lemonade stand was actually my first entrepreneurial sort of direction.
But since then I've had about five or six businesses. So I've learned a little bit more than just, Pouring lemonade.
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Gresham Harkless 03:12
Hey, but that's a phenomenal start. I would definitely say so. I guess since we're touching a little bit upon those coming of age and all the awesome things that you're doing, let's rewind the clock here a little bit more on how you got started with a car, your CEO story.
Nancy Steidl 03:23
Absolutely. So My recent entrepreneurial journey with the startup of my business mission, which was in 2018. So that's the most recent business that I've set up. I began that after achieving success with my other businesses, and I really realized that there was a need for a simplistic business strategies.
And that led me to the creation of the business machine company. I'm really passionate about empowering entrepreneurs to navigate them with the complexities of business. business ownership with a lot of confidence. And after experiencing my own firsthand challenges of businesses not being structured well, this really inspired me to create a solution that would help those other businesses and business owners with business plans and other business strategies.
So, as you mentioned, I am an international business consultant and intellectual property law specialist. So I specialize in helping entrepreneurs structure their startup businesses. But also help existing business structures, integrate AI strategies and secure investments and protect their intellectual property rights.
So, with determination and a vision to make a meaningful impact, this is why I embarked on this project. On this entrepreneurial path, and it's driven by the belief that the innovation and the dedication any business owner can succeed in their own right.
Gresham Harkless 04:48
Nice. I absolutely love that innovation and dedication.
And I imagine this is probably a little bit of what you cover in your book as well too. It can feel very isolating, lonely, and very unsure of what to do, how to do it, when to do it. And all those questions we have as we're going through that journey.
So I imagine for one, being able to have that, I imagine you're covering in your book, but also be able to lean on the expertise, the knowledge, the history, all those things helps to increase the likelihood that these organizations and businesses can be successful.
Nancy Steidl 05:16
Absolutely. You've really nailed it on the head, Gresh, because it is a lonely journey.
Not everyone's going to understand what you're doing and why you're doing it. And you really have to have a lot of resilience and self-awareness. Motivation and consistency. I like to use the word consistency a lot. When you are, when you are starting a business and in a business-like not everybody understands why you're doing what you're doing, your passion and purpose should push you.
Gresham Harkless 05:43
Yeah, absolutely. That, that why we were, we were talking about it before that, that, that fuel that you need when things are not always sunshine and rainbows and gumdrops and all the things you need, that why often to get there. through that journey. So I know you touched on a little bit on how you work with and serve your clients.
I wanted to see if there's anything more that you wanted to mention there on what that looks like, what that process looks like, but also to would love to hear more about your book and what you're talking about there so we can make sure to pick it up once it comes out.
Nancy Steidl 06:12
Absolutely. On our business side, what really sets us apart at the business mission is really the relentless pursuit of innovation and our focus on a unique blend of expertise.
Like we give a personal approach. We're committed to helping our clients. We prioritize building strong relationships with clients and we offered taylor solution. Our USP really lies In the ability to help on the business strategies to make them accessible to all entrepreneurs of all backgrounds and really our dedication is to be good, have transparency, be authentic and to have honest business ethics is truly what divine defines us.
And that's what drives us and drives our success as a business.
Gresham Harkless 06:59
Nice. I love that. And I, and imagine like you, you mentioned the relentlessness, the resilience, just those things that you need to be successful in business. I imagine when you have that, for lack of a better term, partnership and connection, with an entity and organization like yourself and yours that you've been able to build, you probably want to have that same thing within that organization.
Nancy Steidl 07:18
Absolutely. It's a bit like I always say to my clients to be like going hiking out Mount Everest, like I will be beside you on this Mount Everest. Of course, you have to get up and walk that Mount Everest. But when you say that, Sit and rest. I'll be there, but I will help you get to the top with our business.
Gresham Harkless 07:38
Yeah. And that ends up being so huge. So you, I think you touched on, that, that superpower, the secret sauce, the thing that you feel sets you apart and makes you unique. I almost wonder, is there as much of an understanding for people that are going through business on what that looks like of like how important it is to have that secret sauce and what that looks like within their organizations?
Nancy Steidl 07:58
Absolutely. You do have to have a special superpower to be an entrepreneur. Unfortunately, not everyone has that. And I get it. I always say it's a bit like deciding to have a child. Okay. Some people are born out to be parents and some people rather be not. Okay. So, having a child takes a lot of effort, takes a lot of time, dedication.
You've got to get up every two hours. And feed the baby, especially at the beginning. When you're a nanny, you go and look after the child, but at five o'clock when the parents go home come home, you just go home, and you get your salary. So there is a special kind of people or special kind of category.
For entrepreneurs who decide to set up their own companies.
Gresham Harkless 08:45
Yeah. And I love that you have that awareness. So I wanted to hear more about your book. Is that some of what you cover in your book that we can find more about?
Nancy Steidl 08:52
Yes. The book itself is called the art of analogies in business, how to start a business using layman's terms.
There's about 30. 32 chapters and each chapter does have analogy. So I like to use analogies because I think they're very easy for people to understand and they're very relatable.
One of the things I use with my clients a lot, when they start working with me, I say to them, okay, I want you to go down to home base or the nursery and get yourself a pot and seed and soil.
And every day you write in your business plan, I want you to water the plant. And you will see the alignment of how this plant is growing at the same pace as your business. You can't expect your business to make money in month one unless it's a massive prodigy. When a baby comes out of the womb, it cannot walk, it cannot talk.
So you can't expect your business To make your money right away. And especially if you miss the structure part, then this baby will have problems down the line to generate the revenue. And, I get that a lot with clients who come to me at year three. I don't know why I'm not making any money, why things have dried up.
Did you do a business plan? Did you spend time in the structured time? No, I didn't. Okay. That's probably where you are with it. Then.
Gresham Harkless 10:12
Yeah, that makes so much sense. So I wanted to switch gears a little bit, and you might have already touched on this, but I want to ask you for what I call a CEO hack.
So this could be like an app, a book or even a habit that you have. But what's something that makes you more effective and efficient?
Nancy Steidl 10:24
One of my favorite hacks as a CEO is practicing daily mindfulness and meditation. So just taking a couple minutes in each day to center myself, to clear my mind and focus on the present moment.
And focusing on that present moment has been really So important to enhance my productivity, my creativity and my overall well behaving. So I really prioritize my self-care, my mental clarity and with that I'm better equipped to tackle the challenges of entrepreneurship with a clear and focused mindset.
I know we were briefly talking before we went on to podcast about. What I ate and your body is your temple. And those days of working really hard as an entrepreneur are out the door. It's about working smart. You have to sleep, you've got to exercise and you don't have to do a volume of work.
You can do quality work. Over quantity. As long as you are doing a lot in that quality.
Gresham Harkless 11:29
Absolutely. So I wanted to ask you now for what I call a CEO nugget.
You might have touched on this. It could be something from your book. It could be something that you might tell your favorite client. Or if you happen to a time machine, you might even tell your younger business office.
Nancy Steidl 11:42
Oh I wouldn't want to go back. I'm really happy where I am because I've gained all that knowledge, but one golden nugget I would offer to entrepreneurs is to embrace failure as a stepping stone to success.
I like to say that the word failure is more of a redirection to where you need to go. So I don't really believe in failure. It's a sign that you need to change course to get where you need to go to succeed. So challenges as opportunities for growth and stay resilient in the face of adversity. And always, always remain true to your values and your vision.
And remember success is never defined by the absence of obstacles, but by your ability to overcome them with determination. And if you adopt a resilient mindset and you remain adaptable in the Face of these challenges, you will unlock your full potential and propel your business forward. So it's really important to see everything in a more responsive rather than reactive way, which is.
Be more calm so you can see it. If you are panicking, be like a duck. So scramble with your little feet, but just be very calm on the surface. And then when you're calm, you're more you have more awareness of what to do with it. If there is a challenge, you can then turn that into an opportunity.
Gresham Harkless 13:06
I love that analogy. And want to ask you now, my absolute favorite question, which is the definition of what it means to be a CEO and our goal is to have different quote unquote CEOs on the show. So Nancy, what does being a CEO mean to you?
Nancy Steidl 13:19
Gresh to me, CEO is about leading by example. It's about fostering innovation and it's about driving positive change within my organization and in the wider business community.
I think it's more than just holding the title, the CEO title. It's a profound responsibility and it's also a privilege. It means inspiring others to greatness. And creating a culture of innovation and ecstasy. So as a CEO, I am really committed to driving the vision of our company forward and empowering our team members to reach their full potential and really making a positive impact on the industry, on my clients and in the community.
Gresham Harkless 14:02
Nice. I love that definition. So Nancy truly appreciate that definition. And of course I appreciate your time even more. So what I want to do now is pass you the mic, so to speak, just to see if there's anything additional that you can let our readers and listeners know.
And of course, how best people can get out of you, get a copy of your book, find about all the awesome things that you're.
Nancy Steidl 14:21
Thank you so much. I've really enjoyed being on your podcast and I do hope that whatever we discuss today will help other people. I would really like to express my gratitude to our clients and our partners and team members and individuals like you that we collaborate with as well.
for their support and dedication. Together, we've achieved remarkable milestones, and I'm very excited about the journey ahead as we continue to innovate and grow and make a difference in our world with our business. But furthermore, I'm very excited to connect with fellow entrepreneurs like yourself and exchange insight and explore opportunities for collaboration.
Remember success. is a journey. It's never a destination and it's a collective efforts of individuals working together, which bring about meaningful change and progress. My book is available at the end of December. It is available for pre-orders right now. It's the art of analogy in business, how to start a business in layman's terms.
I'm sure in the video below, you will put all the links. You can get me on the business missions website, www.businessmission.com info at the business mission. We do have a Facebook business page, which is the Business Mission. I have an author page, which is under my name, Nancy's title. We're also very active on LinkedIn.
So we've got the LinkedIn, my personal profile, and then also the business missions Profile. We've got a subscriber list on a newsletter, so you can subscribe to our newsletter via our website as well.
Gresham Harkless 15:54
Awesome. Awesome. Thank you so much again, Nancy. And of course, to make it even easier, just like Nancy mentioned, we're going to have the links and information in the show notes as well, too, so that everybody can get a copy of the book, find out about all the awesome things. And I hope you have a phenomenal rest of the day.
Nancy Steidl 16:05
Thank you very much. Yeah. Knowledge is king.
Outro 16:07
Thank you for listening to the I AM CEO podcast. Powered by CB Nation and Blue 16 Media. Tune in next time and visit us at iamceo.co. I AM CEO is not just a phrase, it's a community.
Want to level up your business even more? Read blogs, listen to podcasts, and watch videos at cbnation.co. Also, check out our I AM CEO Facebook group. This has been the I AM CEO podcast with Gresham Harless, Jr. Thank you for listening.
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