Finding Opportunities in Underrepresented Markets with Billie Simmons, Daylight

Because of her open mind and willingness to say yes to most things, finding opportunities in the business world has never been too challenging for today’s guest, Billie Simmons! Billie is currently using her personal experiences in combination with community input to develop tools and programs that help LGBTQ+ people live their best lives. 

In this episode, Billie talks about the potential that lies in underrepresented markets, the value in finding a balance between conviction and flexibility, and why it’s not actually a negative thing that we don’t have very much control over what happens in our lives!  About Billie Simmons: Billie Simmons is the co-founder and COO of Daylight, a company on a mission to help LGBTQ+ people live their best lives. Previously, she founded a startup to help trans and non-binary people access safe services. Her background is in marketing and software engineering (she taught herself to code when she was 10!) at fintech-focused companies such as Techstars and Anthemis Group. 

Episode highlights:When life presents you with opportunities, say yes! You don’t always need to follow a set plan. Billie’s approach has always been to follow her passions and do what she finds interesting, and it has taken her to incredible places. (01:59)Lived experiences are the best blueprints for product development. It’s highly likely that whatever your pain points are, others have them too. So, to create something truly valuable, develop a product or service that meets your needs and improve it by listening to community feedback. (10:53)“Any control you think you have over your life, you don’t.” This can be a scary thought, but if you shift your mindset, it can also be a liberating one. If you stop trying to exert control and instead embrace the fact that anything can happen, you’ll be able to find joy and success in so many unexpected places. (18:50)Find a balance between conviction and flexibility. Whatever you are doing right now, commit to that 100%, but always be open to pivoting as you learn more about the needs of your target market. (22:05)If your business doesn’t turn out the way you wanted it to, don’t see that as a failure. Regardless of the outcome, the lessons that you have learned along the journey will always be worthwhile. (26:35)Sometimes the things you think you want aren’t actually the things that are going to make your life better. Don’t get caught up in external validation; what you think about yourself is far more important than what other people think of you. (33:35)

Billie’s best advice for entrepreneurs:“Progress doesn’t seem linear, but it does stack. So even if you seem like you’re taking steps backwards, you still have all of the history that you’ve accumulated over time and the learnings and skills.” (28:16)

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