Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Diane Helbig. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Diane, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What sort of legacy are you hoping to build. What do you think people will say about you after you are gone, what do you hope to be remembered for?

When it comes down to it, I hope my legacy will be having raised intelligent, hard working, compassionate, loving, humans. When it comes to my business, I hope my legacy will be having positively impacted thousands of businesses. My mission has always been to improve the world one small business at a time. I’ve expanded that to one business at a time as I see so many opportunities for businesses to provide valuable experiences for their employees and their clients.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

After the sudden death of my father I decided I wanted to do something that had more of an impact on the world. After conversations with family and friends I realized my future would be in helping small businesses. My entire career had been working in small businesses in leadership and sales. I had learned a lot about what works, and doesn’t work. I watched a lot of business owners struggle in ways I thought were unnecessary. So, in early 2006 I launched my business coaching practice, offering one-on-one coaching, workshops, and group programs. Over the years I’ve fine-tuned my practice to focus on advising small business owners and training professionals in all sizes of organizations. I provide strategic planning facilitation for businesses and non-profits, advisory services to small business owners and their leadership teams, and training around leadership, sales, customer service, and trusted advisor.

I help my clients embrace techniques and strategies to overcome the obstacles they are experiencing. I like to say my superpower is being a pragmatic possibilities thinker. There’s always a solution – AND we have to live in reality. It’s that combination that provides clarity and solutions for my clients.

My clients know that I have their best interest in mind. That can manifest in telling them what they need to know, instead of what they want to hear. I challenge my clients to move out of their comfort zone in order to do what is best for their business. I have a unique way of problem solving that empowers my clients to embrace a mindset that serves them over time – whether I’m there or not.

I am most proud of my ability to engage with people in all industries, positions, and geographies. I’ve been fortunate to have an award-winning book, opportunities to engage with a variety of organizations throughout the world, and impact thousands of businesses.

When I work with a client I dig in, get to know them, and help them develop strategies and practices that are unique to them. Whether it’s training, strategic planning, or advising, I am skilled at helping people grow beyond their circumstance and achieve great things.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Heading into 2020 I had multiple training contracts signed and ready to go. When the pandemic hit every one of them vanished. Training had become over 60% of my revenue so when that happened my business basically tanked. One of the programs that cancelled was a sales symposium that I was instrumental in conducting. When everything crashed I reached out to my network of sales trainers who I would have been working with for the symposium. I suggested we create a program for organizations and associations that dealt with businesses. This was a program they could offer to their members around how to succeed through COVID. We offered it at a very low fee and even provided it to an organization that couldn’t afford it.

The results were amazing. We provided the program to 5 organizations throughout the United States. This gave them a chance to offer something of value to their members during a time of uncertainty and fear. And it helped each of us maintain a positive outlook and motivation to keep moving.

From there I became certified in virtual education and was able to shift my training to online programming. All of this kept my business afloat and I was able to survive the pandemic years. It also provided me with an opportunity to expand my business to a virtual audience making my business more resilient and sustainable.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I’ve been fortunate throughout my career and business. I’ve maintained a policy of honesty and integrity that I believe has served me well. While in sales for a local company I maintained a principle of putting the customer’s needs ahead of my own. There were times when I turned down business because that was best for the client. These values helped me build a reputation for being an honest, giving business person. In my networking efforts I always made sure I built trusting relationships so I had resources I could share. People have always known me to be genuine, authentic, and someone with integrity and values.

So, when I started my business I already had a foundation to build from. I’ve consistently given away my knowledge and expertise to organizations that support small business and entrepreneurship. I follow up, follow through, and put others first. I believe I’ve developed a great reputation nationally and internationally.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.helbigenterprises.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seizethisgrowth
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seizethisgrowth
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dhelbig
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@seizethisgrowth
• Other: https://evergreenpodcasts.com/accelerate-your-business-growth