Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in marketing but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Neal Schaffer, Founder and CEO of PDCA Social, located in Irvine, CA, USA.

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

I am a Fractional CMO, meaning that I work as a marketing leader on a retainer for several organizations. In addition, I am also a digital/content/influencer/social media marketing author, speaker, trainer, and educator.

Tell us about yourself

It was the great recession of 2008 that brought me out of corporate, and it was my wife wanting me to stay home to help take care of our two infants that reminded me what I was working for: not for a career, but ultimately for my family. A blog that I began in 2008 turned into a published book in 2009 and the launch of my company in 2010, and I have never looked back. I work to help my clients be successful in order to maintain the lifestyle that I cherish.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I am a self-taught marketer, so to be able to publish marketing books with publishers such as Wiley and HarperCollins Leadership, as well as teach marketing at the university level at Rutgers Business School and UCLA Extension, are accomplishments I am especially proud of.

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

You have to do everything, whether you are an expert at it or not.

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

  1. Stay focused on your customer and their needs.
  2. Create a clear funnel with a well-defined path to purchase.
  3. Make your customer the hero of your company story.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://nealschaffer.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NealSchafferPage
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nealschaffer/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/nealschaffer
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nealschaffer/

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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