In this ongoing series, we share advice, tips and insights from real entrepreneurs who are out there fighting business battles every day. (Responses have been edited and condensed for clarity.)
Tell us about yourself and your business.
My name is Livia Anne Guarnieri, founder of TROIKA360. I am an SME (subject matter expert) and proprietary strategic consultant in the OEM (original equipment manufacturing) industry. I work with vehicle manufacturers at the corporate level. If an OEM wants to know what kind of service providers are available and whether they offer viable solutions, I will help them find one that best suits their needs.
Alternatively, I could create a boutique solution for them so they aren’t tied to something they don’t need long term. I also help service providers of all types understand how an OEM works internally so they can create better products and services. It’s very niche, but the need is very real.
What inspired you to launch your business?
Becoming an entrepreneur wasn’t what inspired me to create my business. My business was created out of necessity when I felt I had no other options. I worked for a well-known company in a forgotten department that had been in the red for a long time. By building relationships with clients, I could take that departmental deficit and turn it into a multimillion-dollar asset. Looking back, I believe they hired me as an employee to build credibility in the department, raise the rating, and then sell it. And this is exactly what happened. The only problem with the company’s plan is that these customers were not They clients; they were my clients. I have had long-standing relationships with all of them and these customers have asked me to find them an alternative solution.
Some people experience an “Aha!” moment that leads to starting your own business. For me it was less of an “Aha!” moment and more than one “Oh shit!” moment. I was completely taken aback, but I knew I had to make it happen because it felt like it was now or never, and I wasn’t about to let my customers down.
Related: Sign up to watch Guarnieri and other great women entrepreneurs discuss business building in an inspiring interactive webinar
What has been the most challenging part of growing your business?
One of the most challenging moments was when I had to resubmit my RFP to the same people I had submitted it to just a few weeks earlier against the same candidates. It felt like the longest day of my career. But what I demonstrated that day, above all, were my unique systems, my unique methods, and my lifelong experience. None of these things were in any way connected to any of the other solutions available; they were clearly my solutions. So, I was able to build a completely boutique system without the backing of a larger company. However, this also meant that I had to find the right partnerships for this boutique system. My only requirement was that it had to provide value to the OEM first, not to the service providers I would involve.
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What’s something you think many aspiring entrepreneurs think they need but actually don’t?
I think a lot of aspiring entrepreneurs feel the pressure to do everything right right now. While you should always strike while the iron is hot, doing it just for the sake of it doesn’t help. You don’t need an immediate office, a fully integrated website, or a brand new computer. What you need is passion and persistence. Building your own business should feel like something you were born to do. You have to wake up every day, look in the mirror, believe with all your heart, and tell yourself out loud, “This is going to work because this is what I was meant to do.”
I truly believe that your belief in yourself is what makes others believe in you too. With my business, I had to put it together very quickly, but if I hadn’t been truly passionate about doing it for the greater good of the industry rather than for the greater good of myself, I don’t think I could have achieved my success. I also never allowed myself to speak negatively to the universe because the universe is always listening.
Related: All true entrepreneurs share this personality trait, says Spicewell founder
Was there a moment when you knew this business would be a success?
Eventually, when my industry saw that I was working to raise the tide instead of just my own boat, clients started seeking me out instead of me seeking them out. My business developed because I remained humble. Even when I achieved results far beyond my expectations, I remained humble and grateful. I did the work instead of basking in the glory. I believe this is what it means to be an entrepreneur. Find your niche, make sure your work is distinctly yours, and be true to yourself and not your ego.
Any advice for entrepreneurs looking to carve out their own niche business behind the scenes?
The best advice I can give to budding entrepreneurs who want to do this work is that strategic consulting happens in silence, behind the scenes, in the shadows and away from the spotlight. When you move silently, your competition has no idea you’re in the game, and you can use this underestimation to your advantage.