Kevin Karschnik delivers high-energy, high-impact keynote speeches and training workshops that help business professionals with the leadership and communication skills they need to succeed in today’s complex business climate. He is a successful entrepreneur whose professional career spans 30 years and includes starting and selling two million-dollar training companies. 

Kevin is also the co-author of a popular business book, Corporate Ovations. In this book, he talks all about how to give more effective presentations. 

Last week on Creating Your Encore Career, I got to talk with Kevin. He is truly an expert at what he does and brought a lot of amazing insight to our show.  

Kevin’s Business-Building Journey

Kevin has built three businesses now after leaving his first two. He sold his first business because of the intensity of it. 

For seven or eight years, he had no vacations and no work-life balance. He and his partners were burnt out from putting out fires day after day. All of the issues that come with being the manager of a business wore on him over time and he needed a break. 

While he was working in his second business, he came to realize that he wasn’t operating in his sweet spot anymore. Your sweet spot is the combination of three areas: something you love to do, something you're good at doing, and something that people are willing to pay you for. 

Kevin realized that he wasn't loving what he was doing and did some soul-searching to figure out what he did love to do. From there, he decided to leave his second company. 

Top Three Business-Building Lessons

Throughout this journey, Kevin learned many valuable lessons about building multiple businesses. Here are his top three:

1. Don’t be the company that’s a little bit of everything but not great at anything. Find the one thing you’re great at and do that.

2. Growing slowly and strategically is best. 

You need 18 months to build a successful business. This means that, before you quit your corporate job, you must set aside enough money to get you and your family by for the next year and a half. 

Business-building starts super slow. You’ll see little ups and downs during that first 18 months but you can’t rush it. Make a plan and stick with it. 

If another opportunity comes up before the 18 months is up, don’t give in just because it’s more money. Commit to 18 months and longer if the business is continuing to work. However, if it’s no longer working after 18 months, don’t be afraid to go back to working for a company. That is not a failure. 

3. Learn how to say no. Be focused on your one thing and say no to opportunities that don’t match up with it.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is an amazing tool when you’re building a business. Here are some ways to get the best use out of it:

1. Find like-minded people and build relationships with them. Go to the “places” where you know the people you want to work with will be. A great example of these kinds of places is associations. 

2. Give back. This may look like holding a one-hour webinar where you share some of your knowledge. This gets your name out there and gives people a sense of what you do. Reach out to your connections, let them know you’re holding the webinar, and offer them an invite.