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Proven business success tips from Travis Wright, CEO of Tigerlilly
I’m so excited to be bringing you the incredible Travis Wright, CEO of Tigerlilly, Founder of Travel by Travis and ex General Manager of Esther Clothing Co.Travis is an undeniably impressive business builder and a kind and authentic soul. She has a rich history of achieving tremendous results, and in this conversation, Travis is so generous in sharing the insights she’s garnered along the way.We begin with Travis sharing her business and entrepreneurial journey, and what a journey it has been so far. We dive into some of the learning opportunities she’s had along the way, the top 5 things businesses need to focus on to achieve success, and Travis shares some invaluable insights into working as a General Manager and a CEO.Travis talks about her experience with burnout, what she learned from this and how reflecting on your ‘why’ helps you to realign with your brand and reignite your passion.We also talk about the inspirational efforts Travis has made in her businesses to give back to the world in a meaningful way. I’m sure you’ll find Travis’ energy refreshingly real, universally practical, and applicable to your business, no matter what stage you’re in.
Topics We Covered:
[1:45]: Travis has recently been appointed the role of CEO of Tigerlilly
[2:30]: Travis moved to Australia from the USA, not knowing anyone and with only $1,000. She found a position in Esther Clothing Co and soon after became the marketing coordinator.
[4:00]: In this position, Travis was working non stop, learning as much as she could. This was one of the turning points for her career and pitched herself to be the marketing manager and ecom manager.
[6:45]: Travis was always willing to take on new opportunities so she took on the role of General Manager when it was pitched to her in the same week that her permanent residency came through.
[7:50]: The first year as GM was very challenging and a huge learning curve. She looked at reducing operating expenses and then aligning with the right partners to scale the business. She grew the business over 5 times in a new.
[9:00]: The highlight of her career was to scale a brand this quickly and to be very profitable. This is how she landed her role of CEO of Tigerlilly.
[10:00]: Tigerlilly has had a tumultuous journey but they are going back to their roots, connecting with their customers, and are very sure of who the brand is.
[11:00]: Travis is an “intrepreneur” because of the way she has invested in her learning and actively pursued the next step
[12:00]: Managers get busy and they don’t always know what employees want in terms of their ambitions. Travis shares advice to put a pitch together and prove what the business will gain out of it. Show what you’ve already accomplished and what you think you can accomplish next.
[13:20]: Travis also launched a jewelry brand 2 years ago which has been an ongoing journey. She’s always thinking about what’s next.
[14:20]: The first thing you try isn’t always going to work. You have to keep trying and trying again and be resilient.
[15:20]: Travis talks about her dad who was an entrepreneur and her mother who has sold Avon since Travis was a little girl.
[18:27]: Top 5 things that econ businesses need to focus on - #1 Manage your organisational costs and reflect if those costs are actually necessary.
[19:08]: #2 Think of paid advertising as an investment instead of a cost.
[20:22]: #3 If you’re the founder of the econ business, you need to be involved in everything and consider upskilling with a course in each area. You’re responsible for the business.
[21:22]: #4 Leverage your networks.
[22:27]: #5 If you’re managing a team of people, make sure they’re the right people from the start.
[25:26]: Travis shares how she manages juggling running her business and all of the different roles she has taken on in the beginning of her journey. She burnt out with the immense workload.
[27:26]: When you launch, you have the most momentum and you want to go as fast as you can but Travis couldn’t. You have to take breaks when you need them so she took a three month rest.
[28:29]: Travis became the General Manager and it propelled her forward. She dabbled in paid advertising and made some organic posts.
[29:43]: Nowadays, Travis outsources aspects of her business. You have to be very passionate about your brand so that you persevere with it.
[32:45]: Without an inner sense of purpose, it is so challenging to keep going. Always come back to the ‘why?’ you started your business.
[33:41]: Travis talks about her mission and value statements in Tigerlilly and Esther Clothing Co.
[36:36]: Esther has donated over $250,000 to date for various causes but primarily to Be Her Freedom which addresses human trafficking.
[37:02]: You need to build that archetype into your business so your customers know exactly what you stand for when you partner with an organisation. 20% of Travis’ profit goes to charity.
[38:25]: I chose the Cathy Freeman Foundation to partner with because I really value education.
[39:00]: Top 3 lessons in business - #1 Have patience with your business and yourself and continue learning.
[40:38]: #2 Finetune your negotiation skills. Someone’s first price will never be their last price.
[41:31]: #3 Spend just a little bit to test a lot. There are ways you can test your new ideas by spending just a little bit of money. Don’t overextend.
[43:59]: Where to find Travis.
Links and Resources
Resources mentioned:
Be Her Freedom: Be Hers | Change Lives. End Slavery.
Cathy Freeman Foundation: https://www.cathyfreemanfoundation.org.au/
Connect with Travis:
Travis Website: https://www.travelbytravis.com.au/
Travis Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/travelbytravis/
Download your copy of the Plan with Purpose Workbook
Connect with me:
https://www.instagram.com/kristyrobinson_consulting
Mixed and edited by:
About your host, Kristy
Hi, I'm Kristy, thank you for tuning in to the Run Your Business Like a Boss Podcast. My purpose for the podcast is to help Business Owner’s in the growth stage of business (messy middle) have a sustainable business, they love.
I’m an online business coach, based in Brisbane, Australia. I provide 1:1 business coaching, to Service Based Online Business Owner's and a group coaching program commencing in 2022. I believe whole heartedly that having a Business Coach is what gives you the competitive edge. As your coach I support you to overcome challenges quickly, uncover blindspots and make business decisions with confidence and clarity. All of which keeps you moving forward and maintaining momentum.
As your Business Coach, my role is to help you organise and formulate your ideas, turn them into a goal and then into an actionable plan! All while meeting you where you're at and providing you relevant tools and support along the way.
Thank you for tuning in to the Run Your Business Like A Boss podcast!