We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Dr. Leslie Griffin a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Dr. Griffin, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s talk about innovation. What’s the most innovative thing you’ve done in your career?
The most innovative thing I’ve done in my career, to date, has been creating a PaaS (platform as a service) product for couples.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
“Necessity is the mother of invention.” Back in 2012 my husband and I were dissatisfied in our marriage, so much so that my husband wanted a divorce. We were at a turning point in our relationship and we both knew that something needed to change, but what? That same year, my husband was a part of a fantasy football league. One Sunday as he sat on the couch with his laptop open, the remote in one hand and his cell phone in the other, passionately screaming at Tom Brady and talking trash to his friends on speaker phone, it dawned on me that we needed to change our perspective. We needed to see ourselves as teammates and not rivals. We needed to see our challenges as opponents to be defeated. We needed a better understanding of one another and a greater appreciation for our individual and collective strengths. We needed to work together to get back to a place of mutual satisfaction and enjoyment. We needed to develop our communication and problem-solving skills. We needed a plan and a strategy to help us get there. We needed guidance and support to make sure we could maintain our progress. What we needed was Marriage Champs!
Marriage Champs offers skills-based, relationship coaching for couples. We help our clients build skills and develop a plan for long-term success! Much like performance coaching for athletes, we target 5 core areas and build skills through drills and practice. The difference is that our focus is on spiritual growth, passion, intimacy, teamwork and commitment as opposed to speed, agility, strength, coordination and flexibility.
We want potential clients to know that relationships naturally change over time and if they don’t have a plan for continuous growth, they’re unlikely to experience the long-term satisfaction they desire. Be proactive and join our community!
Can you open up about how you funded your business?
My funding story is probably similar to a lot of other minority-owned small businesses. I used the money I was making from my full-time job to cover the startup costs for Marriage Champs (i.e. filing fees, website development, office space, etc.). While I had big dreams, I had to start small and be resourceful. When it came time to fund our first major project, the R.E.P.S. platform, I used funds from an inheritance my mom left me.
What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?
Word of mouth has been the best source of new clients for us. It is absolutely true that when you serve your existing clients well (i.e. add value, solve their problem, get them results, etc.), they will direct business your way! Not only do they become loyal customers, they act as ambassadors for your brand. They will rave about their experience so much so that their friends and family will be eager to try it for themselves.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.marriagechamps.com
- Instagram: @marriage_champs
- Facebook: @marriagechamps
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/marriage-champs
- Twitter: @marriage_champs
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeg11pBoOstclwIqoEp9R9Q