Lisa Edmondson - Great Companies Women Entrepreneur Award Winner 2023

Name: Lisa Edmondson

Business Name: Leadership Reno, LLC

Location: Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Establishment (Year): 2022

Category/Industry: Learning & Development

Profession/ Specialty: Consulting

Website: www.leadershipreno.com

Social Media: LinkedIn

Company Detail:

I started my company as a result of being bullied in my corporate job and being fired after 11 years of successful service. This prompted me to find "the answer" to being bullied in the workplace, create leadership development training and anti-bullying content and make it available for free, so that others wouldn't have to go through what I did.

Unique Selling Proposition or Competitive Advantage:

My almost 30-year career in the Learning & Development space and my successful tenure as a people leader for over 10 years, along with zero turnover during that time, equipped me the with skills, expertise, and knowledge to create content on leadership. Being bullied inspired me to find an answer individuals can employ to defend themselves so that they aren't reliant on HR to "make it right." I offer my services for free.

Challenges Faced During the Journey:

I never intended to be an entrepreneur... and I'm not very good at it if you use "sales" as your measurement because I have not "sold" any of my courses. I have been lucky enough to land some consulting contracts that have paid for my expenses and enable me to continue to offer my courseware for free. I'm not a marketing guru and have not even marketed my courseware or services. However, the relationships and connections that I've made and built via social media have gotten my courses viewed by hundreds and hundreds of learners in the year since I released my first course.

Advice for Women Entrepreneurs:

Being a "one-man show" is hard work, especially when you have no experience running your own business. However, if you're passionate about your mission, you'll figure out everything else! And don't be afraid to ask for help from friends and connections on social media, especially LinkedIn. The folks there are genuine and happy to help coach others because they/we want to see them succeed.