217 | Todd Palmer | Entrepreneurial Grit and How to Successfully Pivot and Re-invent Yourself

2021-03-09

On today’s show, we interview executive coach, keynote speaker, and renowned author, Todd Palmer who shares with us his distilled wisdom on grit, entrepreneurship, and mentorship. Back in 1988, while Todd was still enrolled as an undergraduate the Eastern Michigan University, he took up a permanent teaching job at a community college. But just as things were looking up for Todd, he lost his job. And to make things worse, his personal life hit a rough patch as his marriage ended in a divorce. A single father with no income, Todd decided to take the bull by i...

On today’s show, we interview executive coach, keynote speaker, and renowned author, Todd Palmer who shares with us his distilled wisdom on grit, entrepreneurship, and mentorship.

Back in 1988, while Todd was still enrolled as an undergraduate the Eastern Michigan University, he took up a permanent teaching job at a community college. But just as things were looking up for Todd, he lost his job. And to make things worse, his personal life hit a rough patch as his marriage ended in a divorce.

A single father with no income, Todd decided to take the bull by its horns and start his own business in 2007. This, however, was easier said than done because he found that no banks were willing to back him up.

Fortunately for Todd, his mentor lent him $20K using which Todd bootstrapped his business – Diversified Industrial Staffing in 1997.

After two years of hyper-growth, Todd found himself saddled with $600,000 in debt. So, he had his elder brother step in as a mentor, and they mutually decided that some drastic measures were in order.

So, in 2006, he decided to completely restructure his business. And he started this process by firing his entire staff.

These efforts paid off big time as Todd’s business was featured in Inc. 5,000 Fastest-Growing list SIX (!) times in a row.

Despite his entrepreneurial success, Todd felt unfulfilled. At this juncture, he decided to pivot once again and don the hat of an executive coach. A sought-after thought leader in his field, Todd shares the importance of staying vulnerable and authentic.

Enjoy!

What You Will Learn In This Show

How I made it to the Inc. 5,000 Fastest-Growing List after being saddled with $600,000 in debt
Dealing with your imposter syndrome
My ATV principle of coaching
Opportunity in every tragedy – what my coach, Danny Friedland taught me about coping with death
And so much more…

Resources

Extraordinary Advisors

Todd’s Twitter

Student Works

Chris Thomson LinkedIn

Chris’s Email

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