How I learned to value my business

How I learned to value my business

Believe in yourself. You know how every time you try to accomplish something that seems impossible most of the advice you will get is believe in yourself. This advice does usually mean I am sorry I can’t help you or it does mean I do not believe that you will have a chance.

If there is one word I would use to describe Lee Greene, the owner of Faithful Foods it would be self-confidence. 

LEE GREENE Owner, Faithful to Foods, Inc. and Scrumptious Pantry.  Lee is the founder of Scrumptious Pantry, a brand for packaged heirloom foods from the Midwest and beyond. The unique branding concept, which highlights the farmers on the front label, creates a new level of transparency in grocery retailing. Before launching Scrumptious Pantry, Lee was the Managing Director of a biodynamic vineyard in Tuscany. As a consultant for integrated marketing strategies at one of the leading German communication agencies she has worked for international cooperation such as Henkel and Wal-Mart. Lee holds a Master’s Degree in Economics and Political Science from the University of Cologne/Germany, and an MBA from SDA Bocconi School of Management, Milan/Italy.

When I met her on the panel I had a lot of question and most of them concerned supply chain and how to find suppliers that would work with me.

 

It is also connecting to which characteristics a good leader should have. I guess, a good leader must have the following skills: Rewarding, Interested in Feedback, Consistent and Organized. Rewarding is very important. A good leader will observe all the efforts of his employees and will be rewarding it. He must also be very interested in feedback, because feedback is always a gift. Employees are more productive and more satisfied while getting feedback. Consistent is also important. If there is a lack of this consistence customers are forced to buy competitors’ products and services.[1] At the end a leader must be organized. Leaders can save a lot of time and costs while being well organized. 

My assumption has always been that I would have to go out there on my knees in order to get a supplier to support me in the beginning because my purchasing numbers will be low. She told me something I won't forget: " If they do not want to work with you and do not believe in you or your idea than don't work with them" and " If they come crawling back looking for your business once you grow, smack them down because if they didn't want your business before they do not get it now that you made it" 

I believe someone who is developing a business idea and from there on the company will need a portion of this self-understanding. Knowing that what you do is the right thing to do and trust in your self is what inspires other people. As a leader within your company it is therefore imminent that one has the same trust in ones person in order to inspire your employees.