The Bianca Broos Company wrote this feature on Ed Troxell and Yes to Entrepreneurship
Friends, if you don’t know Ed Troxell Creative already, then it is my pleasure to introduce you to him.
Ed is an incredible asset to the world of business. He shows up and prioritizes daily – the art of showing up and doing the work.
What’s even better than that is his invitation to his audience to do the same.
I had the pleasure of connecting with Ed on a few questions in my “In Conversation With Business” series.
Take a look at the article here (see below) and if you haven’t had a chance to listen to the Yes to Entrepreneurship podcast episode we did together – give it a listen here:
Presented by Bianca Broos of Bianca Broos Company
With over 13 years of experience under her belt, Bianca Broos brings a fresh, collaborative approach to the world of business. She activates executives, entrepreneurs, and leaders to flourish in their professional endeavors. The Bianca Broos Company focuses on creating nimble business strategies that inform the subsequent branding & design. This process creates a value-driven expression of the client’s brand while remaining true to the vision and creating impactful digital and personal relationships between the clients and their target consumer.
Featuring Ed Troxell from Yes to Entrepreneurship & Ed Troxell Creative
Ed Troxell Creative is dedicated to helping small businesses grow their presence online with as few tech headaches as possible – they know how challenging tech can be so they break it all down for you. They believe that every entrepreneur, no matter how techie or non-techie you may be, should be able to easily show up online, deliver their message, and engage with their audience. How? By embracing video – Live Video – which is the best way to build up your audience and grow your brand awareness online!
Q1: What did you want to be when you were a child?
An entrepreneur! I wanted to run my own business and be in charge or at the very least have the flexibility to do what I wanted when I wanted
Q2: What was the best piece of business advice you were given when you were starting out?
Try it and see what happens.
“We need more people to show up with a positive mindset, attitude, & willingness to communicate.”
Q3: What is your favorite thing about your workspace?
That I can look outside from my desk and that I can even pick up and move to the backyard to work outside.
Q4: What is the biggest sacrifice you’ve made in starting or running your business?
Leaving a full-time job with benefits and a 401k which everyone told me I needed to have even though deep down I knew a full- time 9 to 5 was never something I really, truly wanted.
Q5: Which of your traits are you most proud of?
Staying positive while being able to pivot quickly.
Q6: What tool, object, or ritual could you not live without in your workday?
My iPhone because it gives me access to everything I need from tools, resources, and connecting with family, friends, and of course, clients.
Q7: Name a woman (or women), past or present, whom you admire/look up to:
I have to say, my mom. All her life she has worked so hard to provide both for me as well as our family in general. Her life growing up was not easy – being an immigrant from Italy at such a young age, taking care of her parents, caring for me, working a 9 to 5 while living paycheck to paycheck was challenging yet she always put on a smile, encouraged me to do what makes me happy, and always, to this day, supported me.
Q8: What does the world need more of?
Positive communication. We need more people to show up with a positive mindset, attitude, and willingness to communicate. Communication – with our words – so that we can better understand what is going on and support one another.
“It taught me so much that if I ever called it a mistake it would be disregard all the amazing opportunities that came from it both during and after.“
I can’t tell you how frustrating it is to reach out to someone and not hear anything back from them. We live in a world that is so connected that honestly unless you are in jail or on your death bed (heaven forbid either of those) you can contact the other person back.
So many assumptions are made when you don’t use your words to communicate with others. A good friend of mine pointed out that those who don’t respond are communicating it is just not with their words which is why we need to use our words to communicate so that we are all on the same page.
Q9: What does the world need less of?
Negativity. There is so much of this out there especially with the news, media and of course social media all of which are powerful tools that can and should be used for good – to empower us, not to bring us down.
Q10: Has learning from a mistake ever led you to success?
Always! There are no “mistakes” as these are what we call opportunities. When I created my first business, MIX IT UP Magazine, I had no idea what I was doing. I just knew I loved the magazine, wanted to for one and picked up a book on how to start your own since
I couldn’t move to New York at the time. One thing lead to another and I ran my very own print and online magazine for 2-years while finishing college and working several part-time jobs.
Did it make me any money? No. Did it cost me a lot of money given it was print and people told me not to do print, yes! But I did it anyways because I love print and I wanted to have the full experience and it taught me so much that if I ever called it a mistake it would be disregard all the amazing opportunities that came from it both during and after.
It has lead me to where I am today, running my own media business where I get to still be creative and help business owners step in front of the camera so they too can not only be creative but connect with their audience in a way they never have before.
Creating MIX IT UP Magazine was the best thing I ever did!
Q11: If you were given $100 million, would you run your business any differently? How so?
For sure! I would hire an amazing team that I could collaborate with and really take everything to a whole new level. Amazing things will happen and more lives will be impacted!
Q12: Name the biggest overall lesson you’ve learned in running a business:
Every idea is a good idea, it just might not be the right idea for you to run with right now.
We are all creative and have these amazing ideas – sure some might not be as great as others – and we can certainly jump on any one of them but, it is important to know which ONE you should focus on.
Sometimes we don’t know which ONE is the right one until we test right? Which is fine but we also need to have a timeline – what’s your marker for knowing if this is the ONE idea you should run with?
Q13: In moments of self doubt or adversity, how do you build yourself back up?
Honestly, I pause and reflect on the work that I’ve done. I look at all of the things that I have created, how they have made an impact in others lives, and I even look at testimonials – not just reviews but comments too! I actually have a folder of screenshots that I can quickly look at if needed to bounce back from these moments. It’s important not to stay in these moments for too long especially as an entrepreneur because it is lonely out here and it can take us down a dark hole that is really hard to come out of.
Q14: In your opinion, what are the top three things someone should consider before starting a business?
How are you going to make money?
What’s your schedule look like (you must set a schedule for yourself )?
Who can you lean into (what community can you join that has people who get it and can relate because you need a solid support system)?
Q15: What is your no-fail go-to when you need inspiration or to get out of a creative rut?
Exercise! Whether just a walk around the block or my favorite, working out at the gym. Exercise makes everything better and paints a clear picture for me.
Q16: How do you try to #BeBetter in your daily personal & professional life?
I practice my 3 core values: Show up. Deliver. Engage. I know that if I do that everything else will fall into place!
Connect with Ed
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EdTroxellCreative/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edtroxellcreative/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ed_troxell
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edtroxellcreative/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/ UCYBriSizkZ6RKmzf8CQcZug?view_as=