Enterprenuer
Danielle Levy is the CEO and founder of The Boardroom League and a highly sought-after executive that has helped businesses with six or seven figures expand through clarity and effectiveness.
Danielle founded The Boardroom League to give entrepreneurs an easy access book of industry experts to assist them in implementing and growing their businesses.
The Boardroom League comprises experts in many disciplines, such as measurement design, copywriting, strategic pricing funnels, social media, and more.
Where did the concept of The Boardroom League came from?
I had a hugely profitable corporate career in marketing and advertising, working with well-known brands and some of the most popular digital agencies.
It was great for a while, but I eventually became burned out. After I stumbled into the internet world, my prior successes were meaningless.
Now I was accountable for things I had no idea much about or the best way to tackle specific issues that were particular to the clients I worked with.
Counting on a dedicated group within my network to collaborate with has taught me a lot about the field and enabled me to be an experienced and reliable partner to my clients.
The results were much superior to anything I could have accomplished by myself. I wanted to pass on this experience to the entrepreneurs beginning their journey who had established revenue models but were unsure how to increase their profits or manage specific areas of their business.
What would your typical day take? How can you maximize your productivity?
I’m a mother of two teenagers, so my day is highly structured around school timetables and extracurricular activities after school (cliche, however actual).
The kids are no longer little. However, I don’t have complete control of my schedule either.
I’ve also learned how to pay attention to my body’s signals about what time of day to get up and work.
As a person, I have a hard to shut off my brain, and I genuinely enjoy my work. Some people enjoy reading, solving puzzles, or playing a sport, but I love working!
But, I soon realized that working late can lead to bad mornings, lousy eating habits, and eventually, a vicious cycle that takes my energy away.
Thus, I strive to pay attention to real deadlines rather than self-imposed deadlines and the amount of time I’m doing things.
To accomplish this, I keep a small notebook to record something that must be performed on a given day. It is used the complete essential tasks.
I’m a person-pleaser by nature, so having a strict list of things to do helps to set the boundaries.
I’ve also discovered that I excel at specific types of work according to my timetable.
For example, I generally deal with admin and emails during conference calls and other items I have to think about later in the day or on weekends.
I need my brain to be focused and quiet to be able to focus my attention, and it also assists me in finishing the “rocks” because I could spend all day striving to keep up but not getting the work accomplished. It’s a compromise, that is for sure.
How can you bring ideas to the world?
I always begin with a plan for my project. It’s a template I created years ago and doesn’t have any fancy features.
While it’s purely for personal use, it assists me in identifying my goals and designing a sensible timetable.
It allows me to set limits for myself and ease the pressure that isn’t needed. It also lets me consider the other people’s support I require to ensure they can plan their schedules too.
It is beneficial to remove the concept from my head and trust that it will be brought to reality rationally and healthily.
It also helps keep me on track with prioritizing my work and ensuring that I am adhering to the client’s needs in mind and goals.
What is one trend that excites you?
I believe that The Great Resignation has forced corporations to rethink their beliefs and practices and to make them operational as someone who has been working for a long time (really excessively, if I’m honest) throughout her life getting companies to come to be in alignment with what they claim to be awe-inspiring for me.
The bottom line is that I believe it benefits the employees, the company, and the customer in the best way.
As a manager who hires, I feel the sting of the resignation. However, for me, it’s an incredible thrill to me.
What’s one thing you do to help you become more productive as a business owner?
I am recognizing my zone of genius and knowing when to outsource.
I frequently collaborate with entrepreneurs who fear to outsource, and I cannot understand the fear of losing control or that people can’t accomplish things the same way they do.
I believe outsourcing is the only option to take! If I hire the right people, they deliver results that are superior to anything I can, and I’m free to focus on things I am the only one who can or genuinely love doing.
It also gives me the energy to look at what other people could accomplish with the information I provide them with.
Which advice do you impart to yourself to your future self?
It’s OK to set limits with my clients and team. The benefits of setting boundaries are better by accomplishing more, not letting yourself down (even when expectations are way out of the norm), and not exhausting yourself to the point of burning out.
I was convinced that it would matter to my clients if I did my best enough over a long period.
Still, the truth is that it was unfavorable to me and created the stage for many unhygienic relationships.
Share something with us that is real that nearly no one agrees with you about.
A great customer experience is crucial but not at the expense of the people behind it, the other customers, and the success of business procedures.
Additionally, it is true that not all customers are the right fit for the company and should be kept. Sometimes, the customer may not be right all the time.
It’s acceptable to have a professional disagreement with a client and defend the company.
Being an entrepreneur, what’s the thing you’ll repeatedly do and suggest everyone else do?
Being someone shy could be very difficult. Every day I perform one thing that I find uncomfortable.
It doesn’t matter if it’s physical or emotional; I try to test the boundaries and stay within my secure zone.
It’s a personal challenge for me, and there are things that people may not be able to handle, but for some reason, I’m blocked.
I’ve realized that many things aren’t as tricky when I construct them as if they were in my head, and when I fail, it’s not as hard as I thought it would be.
What strategy has helped you expand your company?
I’m not saying “yes” to every customer. In the last few years, I’ve been focusing on only working with clients who are in alignment with my personal and professional values and objectives.
Knowing the conditions under that I can show up with my best self has given me the confidence to expand my business, present as a trustworthy partner, and pursue things I truly desire.
When I’ve left the ideals, I’ve felt frustrated and burned out, and my personal life and work performance have always suffered.
What was one of your mistakes as an entrepreneur? If so, how did you overcome it?
In my beginnings as a service provider and occasionally a generalist, I’ve attempted to provide the solution to all sorts of issues and was more of an employee perspective than an entrepreneur.
I’ve since narrowed my offerings, moved forward in my discussions on how to improve things to prioritize them, or have begun to point out inconsistencies and make suggestions on how businesses operate so that these are addressed.
In the past, slowing down and taking control of the discussion, while it can be intimidating, has helped me more than I imagined, as I have learned much more than I think I do.
What’s your best business idea you’d be willing to share with our readers?
You should be able to impart new knowledge about something you are enthusiastic about each month.
People are seeking information about what you believe to be routine.
For example, I talked with someone regarding how they teach their cats and another about video editing.
The two people both said that the process was “easy.” This may apply to them. However, it was invaluable information for me.
Everyone has a gift, and sharing the information we love is infectious.
Teaching doesn’t have to be elaborate either (regarding course setups or other aspects). We have a myriad of tools available to us. Choose what feels at ease.
What was the most memorable $100 you’ve ever spent? Why?
It costs me 14.99 to get Chrome’s Pro Boomerang extension for my inbox. I love it! I can quickly go through my inbox and then have them come to me when I need them.
This takes the hassle of keeping track of and making lists away. I like that it is in my face until I address whatever email. It is also a way to not think about issues until I need to.
What is the one program or web service that will help you become more productive?
Ha! Check out the post above. I honestly cannot be more optimistic about Boomerang.
I am also a massive fan of Asana as an organizational and project management tool.
What is the most important book you would recommend to the community? And the reason why?
” Never lose a customer again” by Joey Coleman. The book applies to all sizes of companies and offers a solid rationale and examples for delivering an outstanding customer experience.
The book explores the actual emotions and effects of the relationships between customers and business owners.
It also focuses on the beginning 100 days of the customer experience. We’ve all had customers, and this book shows business owners how to provide an incredible experience for their customers.
What is your top quote?
“Great oaks from little acorns grow.” This is a reminder to keep taking little steps since all great things start with humble beginnings.
Since I’m small in stature, It’s a beautiful visual reminder of the reasons I continue to work and the difference I’d like to have.
This also makes me realize that it takes a long time before things are in the right direction.
What Key Learnings “Does Danielle Levy” could offer to Enterprenuer readers?
A professional’s journey is a continual process of growing and learning to bring every person closer to something meaningful.
It is a process that requires time, effort, and reflection to think beyond what we believe we should be doing and begin doing what motivates us the most.
Every professional’s achievement is a distinct mix of how they decide when to work, the tools they employ, and the method of trial and error that allows them to perform their best job.
Being able to act by the employee mindset vs. the mindset of a vendor as a service provider is extremely difficult yet crucial.
In the end, when properly implemented, more transparency and clarity could result in developing a more effective and productive working relationship.
