What I Missed

Bill Quinn's Story: I was a licensed Real Estate agent at 19, by 25 I was an awarded top listing agent in the state of Michigan for a national real estate franchise and that same year orchestrated the purchase of our family's first business. I spent 11 years in professional independent sales, 13 years in small business, acquiring and setting up businesses and retooling operations, providing B2B, B2C and B2G sales relations, being the key driver in creating 6 different operations. Filled with mishaps, breakthroughs, frustrations, talent gaps, while working with our team of employees and family members. Afterwards, I spent 12 years in design sales of specialty home improvement projects in a corporate environment before realizing that I belonged in an independent business environment. For the last 10 years I've spent working with small business owners offering consulting services to help them grow their operations. When I wrote What I MIssed: 12 Lessons on Business and Life, I realized I had been raised by a family of resilient entrepreneurs and that I had never experienced a household that depended on working for someone else for our livelihood until I was 14 years old. I had grown up watching my grandparents acquire seeds plant them, cultivate them, harvest them, sell that harvest to the local co-op and pickle manufacturer and use the excess to supply food for our family, neighbors and farm animals for the upcoming winter seasons. What I didn't realize is they had taught me the basics of managing a small business. Its natural for me to see the weaknesses, strengths, opportunities and threats of most small businesses after being raised in an entrepreneurial household. My gift is helping owner/managers get a clear direction for their businesses to grow.