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

Hi Eric, thanks for joining us today. Getting that first client is always an exciting milestone. Can you talk to us about how you got your first customer who wasn’t a friend, family, or acquaintance?

Once I published my book “Vision Blockers” and began promoting it, I started to get asked for coaching services. One of the smartest things my publisher told me to do was to put my contact information in the book. My first client was actually a chiropractor that was asking questions about me and how I work and if I would meet with him to discuss his business. He purchased and read the book and then engaged me in coaching about 2 months later.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Once I graduated high school, I didn’t have money for college, so I joined the Army and served for 3 years. The military paid for my undergraduate education. Since I was young, I wanted to be an attorney and in college started down the path of political science. But once I was discharged from the military I needed to continue paying for college so I started working for a credit union. This changed everything. I fell in love with finance and business and really understood the concepts, principals and the whole idea of entrepreneurialism.

I rapidly switched my major and began focusing on learning as much as I can about business. I spent the next 30 years as a business lender for several banks and built a career helping businesses grow and scale. It was a natural progression to working on businesses for myself and for coaching clients.

I provide coaching and consulting services that help my clients scale and become the businesses that allow them the freedom to take care of their families or impact the world.

I think one of the most profound things that has happened in my business, is with my first client. He ended up with a very severe medical situation right after engaging in coaching so we switched our focus to life coaching. He made such a rapid improvement in his life and disposition that his business began to grow and he was able to retire. That man is now on my coaching team helping other people do the same.

Potential clients that work with The Scroggins Group should understand that we are not just coaches, assistants, bookkeepers, marketing and media people, we are teammates that help you get to the dream you have always had but has so far eluded you. My approach is to walk alongside the business owner each step of the way forward.

Our group also provides marriage coaching and we have seen some AMAZING results. This service is provided by myself and my wife and another couple on our team. To date we have had 100% recovery in the marriages we work with, no divorces. Couples are living happy healthy lives and re-engaging in powerful ways.

Can you talk to us about your experience with selling businesses?

We are actually in the process (at the tail end) of purchasing a business right now. The business is in New York and is the premier provider of awning cleaning, repair and replacement services. One of the greatest challenges in this process was trying to understand the financials and what value might be there for the seller. If you are trying to sell a business, spend the money to hire a knowledgeable bookkeeper to make sure your books are completely accurate and complete.

A buyer of a business is not buying you – they are buying assets, cash flow, a client base and the operational processes you have set up. If you don’t have accurate financials, it is challenging to determine what a business might be worth.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Reputation is one of the most important things in my life. Its a tricky thing because people are always going to form opinions about you and your business. The trick is to not let the negative people affect you.

But building a reputation is so important, I want people to think of me as resourceful, helpful, dependable, someone that always knows the answer or knows someone that knows the answer. By becoming the knowledge that others are looking for, you separate yourself in the marketplace. So often people are focused on just one thing can can’t see across multiple platforms, in my life and business, I am constantly making connections and learning so that I can be seen as the resources for many.

Contact Info:

• Website: scroggins.group
• Instagram: Scroggins Group
• Facebook: Scroggins Group
• Linkedin: Eric Scroggins, Ph D