When she was starting out in her career Kilgore realised she needed to be “someone that people look forward to being around”.
It’s important to be polite, punctual and nice as those qualities help you build loyalty, she says.
“I made sure I was the sunniest, hardest working and most diligent person to do that service.”
“If you do a really great job, people will recommend you,” she says and she soon opened a tiny beauty salon that became booked up months in advance.
She also explains you also need to be “willing to make some big sacrifices” to make your business successful.
“You’re not going to have a lot of free time,” she says as running a business requires you to be aware of changing customer behaviour, new competitors and wider market trends.
That often means reading, researching and connecting ideas outside of working hours.
Kilgore says the workload can feel easier if you have a curiosity around you as “that’s what drives you”.
She does have some non-negotiables and has made an effort not to miss important events while raising her children, including school plays and family holidays.
5. Do the deathbed test
A test that Kilgore has used throughout her career is the deathbed test where she asks whether a project will still feel worthwhile at the end of her life.
“Imagine you’re on your deathbed, think about what you would have done differently and do that,” she says.
“If it doesn’t mean something, or you haven’t done something good for people, are you going to feel that your life was really well spent?”
She adds that success for her isn’t just about building another company but deciding which ideas are worth the time it will take to build them.
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Image source, Marcia Kilgore
