Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal and business development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Jeffrey Sesol, founder and CEO of Pull the Chute, located in Gallatin, TN, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

We are a business, executive, and leadership coaching firm. Our ultimate goal is to grow your people so that you can grow your company. Our customers are SMBs with revenue between $1m and $50m who are looking for ways to build a strong foundation for their company to grow.

Tell us about yourself

I have over 30 years of experience in entrepreneurship and business consulting. My passion is to help companies grow and be the best they can be. Which doesn't mean I have to coach them. We provide a plethora of content from Blog, Podcasts, and Video series called The Journey and the Pull the Chute Challenge, where we offered a 12-week free class that asked companies to pledge a minimum of 30 mins a week to work on their company instead of always working in their company. Providing companies with the tools and inspiration they need to be successful is what motivates me each and every day. The future comes from those that are willing to be entrepreneurs and change the world.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

My biggest accomplishment is associated with my company FreeDrive. We started it back in 1998 and sold the majority share in 2001. FreeDrive was the very first web-based storage site. It took us 18 months to get our first million users, then 13 weeks to get the next million, then 11 weeks, and so on. By September 2001, we had 18 million users worldwide using the service. And by 2003, we were up to 28 million. I was the CTO and Technology Evangelist.

What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?

Continuing to push through the tough times. All too often, business owners give up too early. They lose faith in their idea or business model. If they were to push just a little more, they would have more than likely been successful. Over the years, I have had several businesses that hit this point. The first couple of times, I gave up. Then I finally realized that all I needed to do was have faith, believe in myself and my business model, and keep pushing. It is important to network and talk to as many people as possible because you never know where the next opportunity will come from. I have a friend who believed that if he was having a meeting, it had to have meaning and a result. I believe that you never know where the next opportunity will come from, so I have as many meetings as possible, and the results are always positive in the end.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

The path is never as you plan it, so when things get tough, remember it's one day at a time and continue to push through to success. As the owner, be willing not to be involved in every aspect of the business. You will become the bottleneck. Allow your people to do their jobs, then ask them what they need to do their job better. Grow your people. It will build a strong foundation that will allow you to grow your company.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.pullthechute.net/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeff.sesol
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jsesol/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffsesol/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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