Embrace Networking for Business Success with Shiloh Johnson, ComplYant

Using networking for business is challenging, and it requires deliberate focus and effort. As Shiloh Johnson shares in this episode, if you are willing to put in the time to build a strong network of people around you, it will stand you in good stead for all your future endeavors. Shiloh also talks about the role of a leader, the value of hiring a coach, the importance of doing customer discovery properly, and more!  About Shiloh Johnson Shiloh Johnson is the CEO and founder of ComplYant, a technology platform offering small business owners and entrepreneurs a simple way to manage their business taxes. Rooted in the understanding that taxes can cause small business owners a lot of stress and anxiety and create barriers for small or underrepresented entrepreneurs, ComplYant’s mission is to ensure that small businesses of all colors, shapes, and backgrounds have access to effective tax support. Shiloh has raised $12.8M in venture capital funding for her digital tax assistant tool, making her one of only a few Black women to raise $10m+ in funding. 

Episode Highlights:Company culture is something you need to intentionally focus on as a business owner. When things are moving quickly (as they usually are when you are building a business), it’s easy for it to fall by the wayside. As a leader, it’s your job to help your team members build thriving careers while maintaining a work/life balance, otherwise, you will lose them! (07:34)Leverage your network by asking for referrals from people you trust. This is far more effective than a “spray and pray” approach. (10:51)Be discerning about the investors you work with. Taking money from someone means you are entering into a contractual agreement with them, so you want to be sure that you really understand who they are so that you know whether or not you can trust them. (14:17)Before you build out your product or service, put a lot of effort into figuring out who will want to buy it and what makes them tick. If you do your customer discovery properly in the early days, you’ll save yourself a lot of time and money because you will have to do less iterating down the line! (17:44)If you’ve learned anything on your entrepreneurial journey, share it! There are so many people out there who will benefit from hearing your stories and advice. (29:57)

Shiloh’s best advice for entrepreneurs:“Building a product isn’t going to happen because of you, it’s gonna happen because of all the people that are around you that you have been able to galvanize to put in motion.” (16:51)

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