A sound leadership demands specific skills set and those skills, when learned at right time, can certainly create a difference. An entrepreneurial journey of an avid leader, Stephanie LaTorre, aptly exemplifies this. Her journey to become leader started as a child. She had parents who were leaders. They showed her the way. They taught her to read before she entered grade school. They gave her books much more advanced then she was supposed to be reading. They used technology that others were only just starting to think about using. They also taught her how to inspire others and get a project complete. Stephanie use to spend hours and hours watching them work at their offices. In short, it was infused into her brain before the age of 6.
This continued as she started working. When Stephanie was 8, she was the best local babysitter one could find on their block. She would come over and play with the babies so their moms could do normal things like shower and fold laundry in peace. It wasn’t until she was older that she realised that how valuable this service she was providing truly was. Once she was of legal age to work, she went and got a job in a law firm. Opportunities came to her at such young ages and she kept on grabbing them. Once she left school, this all continued. She would interview for an entry level position and be hired as an assistant manager. She never shied away from the opportunities. She took the challenge head on and with confidence.
It was this confidence that showed her how strong her leadership abilities had become. She has spent years and will continue to spend years learning to become always a better leader and inspiration for others. Currently, Stephanie is the Owner and Founder of EG Management Consultant. She helps people create websites that work for them. Initially, it took her years to get to know her target audience. At first, she tried to assume things about them. She assumed their fears and likes and dislikes. This did not get her very far. It wasn’t until she really started going out and talk to her audience and see them face to face that she really got to know them. This was probably the most important research she ever could have done to help mould her offerings to help her audience. At first, she tested and tried different models until she found the one that gave them the best results.
There have been several big developments in her business recently including wonderful new partnerships that will allow her business to help many more people in an even bigger way. While many of these developments are still in their beginning stages, their potential for greatness is on a bigger scale then she could have ever dreamed. She can’t wait to begin to announce them in the future. She through her company will be continuing to help entrepreneurs for years and years to come. Since childhood, Stephanie was surrounded by technology.
Since she was a child, she has had a computer. She was one of the first to get a cell phone and later a smart phone. She believes, technology is our future and anyone who refuses to keep up with the technology will be left behind. Every 3 to 4 years, she gets a new cell phone and computer. She considers it as an investment that allows her to live a life that others don’t.
Stephanie prides herself on making the technology simple. Being a WordPress Expert and Digital Marketing Mentor, she believes that WordPress is a big monster that when learned properly can be the best tool for businesses. As marketing has changed rapidly in the last 10 years, there is so much to know and understand. At the end of the day, all she does all day long is click buttons on a computer. The only difference she considers between herself and the people she works with is she know where all the buttons are. Her biggest contribution then is helping people know the right buttons to push.
Describing today’s business scenario, Stephanie mentions that some of the biggest roadblocks she sees in business today is people giving up too soon. This happens when someone does not have the confidence in their idea, or they are driven by a fear of failure. Thus, in order to inspire other leaders, she says, “If you have truly created something wonderful, there is nothing in the world that can stop you from making it a huge success. You find a way. You don’t give up. You might change things along the way, but you never ever give up.”
When asked about crucial traits every leader must possess, Stephanie emphasized on the quality of inspiring. According to her, in order to be a leader, one must be able to inspire. In order to inspire, one must have confidence. In order to have confidence, a leader must know how to be themselves. This requires spending time with yourself. It requires really understanding who you are without the influence of others around you. Stephanie spent six months alone in Rome to get to know herself. Most of her life, she allowed her decisions and preferences to be swayed by others including family and friends. By removing those influences, she was given an opportunity to really understand who she was and what she liked. Knowing this much gives one a confidence that others can see and feel inspired to be led by.