How Laura went from being a multi-level marketing whiz to creating a supportive community for patients with Alzheimer’s and dementia.

LAURA LESTER SHARES SECRETS OF SUCCESSFUL ENTREPRENEURS

SUCCESSFUL ENTREPRENEURS TAKE SMALL STEPS

Successful entrepreneurs can be great at a lot of things. Most of the time, they can sell you anything. And Laura is no different. When she was in high school, she sold girl scout cookies like most of the kids her age. But it wasn’t enough that she sold her share. She also made sure that she did her best, so much so that she was the top salesperson in her area.

Successful entrepreneurs also recognize opportunity. When she was 19, she applied for a real estate license because she noticed an opportunity in the real estate market. Laura happened to be a natural at selling houses. She partnered with a broker and turned flipping houses into a full-time job.

Over the next few months, Laura sold millions in property. Without her noticing, the months quickly turned into years. While she was earning more than she ever imagined, she soon realized that she was paying for the success with her time. She was young, single, and talented, but she was at work all the time. The word “vacation” wasn’t even in her vocabulary.

SUCCESS AT THE CROSSROADS

In the middle of a very successful real estate career, Laura decided to pivot and follow in her mother’s footsteps. Throughout her childhood, Laura watched her mom rise up the ranks in multi-level marketing. Her mom sold everything from cosmetics to water and air purifiers and sold them exceptionally well. Laura ended up applying to the very same cosmetics company her mom used to work for.

Like other successful entrepreneurs, she was young, eager, and competitive. And as expected, she excelled at the work. She sold inventories worth over $3,000 without breaking a sweat over the phone. Over the next few years, she single-handedly pulled her team through every sales requirement, selling more and more units than the previous month. She was also tired beyond compare. For the second time in her life, she realized that this was not what she wanted.

SUCCESS IS THE REWARD OF PERSEVERANCE

Laura was going about her day as usual when she noticed a healthcare gap in her community. She decided to take the leap and opened Encore Daycare Center, a senior daycare center that catered to patients with Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia. It has been 10 years since she took the leap from sales to entrepreneurship. In that time, Encore has expanded to two branches and created a strong and thriving community of patients, caregivers, and their families.

Like other businesses, the COVID-19 pandemic presented a unique challenge for Encore, but Laura made it work. At the peak of the closures, she leveraged credit to keep her customers. She also invested in training her staff to make sure that they were better equipped when Encore’s doors opened again. Her patience and perseverance paid off. As the world started to reopen, Laura found that her old clients were more than happy to come back.

Things may not be the same as in 2010, but Laura is confident that the future is bright. Work is fulfilling. She spends her vacations with her family, as she should. And Encore is slowly growing to become an integral part of the Texas community.

Encore Daycare Center is always open for those who need it. Inquiries can be sent through lester@encoredaycare.com.

Laura And David Lester – Cheers to Successful Entrepreneurs!

ABOUT DON WILLIAMS AND THE PROVEN ENTREPRENEUR

Dons’ mission is to help people, help people.

Don was the #1 sales rep in the Country at age 19. And the #1 sales manager at age 20.

At one time or another over 30+ years Don has worked with 1/2 of The Fortune 500 on marketing/sales, customer experience or leadership.

3-time #1 Best Selling Author Don Williams books are The D.I.Y. Outbound Contact Center Toolbox, Romancing Your Customer & Build Your Big Legacy. Gratitude: Stories from our Hearts is due for release in December 2021. All titles are available from Amazon or directly from DWG.

Don has founded a dozen companies and is currently a Principal in five firms.

Like most great entrepreneurs Don knows that continual learning and leadership improvement are foundational to business success. The Proven Entrepreneur Show features real people sharing real stories so that others can learn.

For information on how to work with Don visit Work With Don Williams

To ask Don a question please go to Ask Don Williams

It’s good business to do good – please join Don and his businesses in support of St. Jude’s Children Research Hospital in its Mission to cure Childhood Cancer. You can donate to St. Jude at stjude.org/donate