We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Leigh Moss. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Leigh below.

Leigh, appreciate you joining us today. Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?

To be successful in any industry, I believe it takes a combination of the following:

1) Discipline to show up every day regardless if you feel like it or not
2) Willingness to work until the job is done not just until you feel like stopping
4) A consistent reputation of being a person that is of high moral character
5) Perseverance to work through disappointments and setbacks
6) A clear connection to your “why” for being in business
7) A solid morning routine that prioritizes your spiritual health and physical health
8) You need to talk about your business any chance you get because you never know who is listening and if that could be your next big opportunity

I come from a family of two very successful multi-generational small businesses. 46 years and 76 years in business respectively and counting. I have seen first hand all of these points above lived out and why they’re crucial to longterm success. When you have a front row seat to someone else’s success, you take notes and get to work!

Owning a business is very hard but also very rewarding. On the rewarding days, you’re on top of the world and the high of making the deal fuels you but that’s not every day or even most days. My “why” is because I want to leave a company for my kids and grandkids that is legacy in our local community like my family has done for me. Given that I come from 2 very successful small businesses, I know the tremendous pride I have when I get to say my family owns The Bug Man and Manda’s Fine Meats. I work hard every single day building our own companies now (and there are several) because I am determined to build a legacy for my children that they too will have the pride of saying one day that their parents and grandparents own Highland Road Realty, Influential Business Women’s Network and Fête in Natchez, MS.

Leigh, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am a wife of (almost) 11 years, a mom of three and a proud serial entrepreneur. I have heard that happens once you get a taste for owning your own business and I am no exception.

When I was a teenager, I would go around during the summer with my aunt, who was a realtor, to help her show houses. There was one house in particular that she brought me to that planted a seed in my heart for real estate and unbeknownst to me at that time also a seed for historic homes. It was a 100+ year old English Tutor style home on a huge lot. It had gorgeous mahogany paneling throughout the home, terra-cotta floors in the kitchen and sunken keeping room and the most magical old world beams in the living areas. On the 2nd floor, it had a hidden bedroom that you could only access by pushing on an inconspicuous piece of the wall that was covered in giant banana leaf wallpaper. So cool! The backyard had a gorgeous glass green house full of plants, a chic soaking pool and secret pockets of manicured gardens throughout the property. I was hooked!

All throughout college and in my 20s I wanted to get into real estate but there is never really a good time to get into an industry that is strictly commission based. The dream never died though and finally at the age of 31, right after having our first child, it seemed like the right time. I started as a solo agent at a national firm to then growing a team to ultimately opening my own real estate brokerage, Highland Road Realty.

Upon opening my own company, I realized that it’s very lonely being a business owner; especially a female business owner. I had employees and agents at the brokerage but it’s not appropriate to discuss business matters with them. In June of 2021, I opened my second company, Influential Baton Rouge Business Women’s Network. This is a paid membership based business for female business owners across all industries. It was an immediate success. As it turns out, I wasn’t the only female business owner struggling to find a support system. We meet twice a month to discuss business topics ranging from human resources, sales, employee development, strategic growth, marketing etc. We also host 2 annual ticketed business conferences open to the public. In addition to our meetings and business conferences, we also have several socials each year and an annual bus tour to go and visit local businesses in our network. Over the past 3 years, this company has grown so much that we’re currently expanding into new markets and I have rebranded it to now being named Influential Business Women’s Network.

In 2023, my love for historic homes was brought very close to heart as my husband and I had the opportunity to buy a historic building built circa 1870s in Downtown Natchez, Mississippi. We renovated that building (which included having to run water to the building, wild!) and turned it into a petite venue for weddings, parties and corporate events called Fête which is French for celebration. In May 2024, we were presented with an opportunity to purchase another historic property in Natchez, Mississippi but this time it was a house. We have been renovating this summer and it will be opened as an AirBNB in August. I cannot wait for guests to be able to come to stay in our slice of historic home heaven and experience all of the Hallmark worthy charm that is Natchez, MS.

As if wife, mom and business owner weren’t enough titles, I am also a podcaster. I co-host a faith based podcast called The Punch Bowl Diaries with April Hill. We have the opportunity to minister to our listeners along their own faith journey through weekly episodes interviewing incredible guests and while also sharing our own testimonies. Most recently, our episode that dropped this week was an interview with Chick-fil-A founder Truett Cathy’s daughter, Trudy Cathy White. She shared a peek behind the curtain and the magic of running the Chick-fil-A corporation and how she has used those principles as the foundation of her new book, A Legacy That Lasts. Interviewing the heir to the Chick-fil-A corporation was truly a God thing. My husband met a man at a party in Natchez, Mississippi that happened to be friends with her and he helped to set up an interview for us. All of the dominos had to perfectly fall in line to make that conversation happen and I am so glad that it did!

Overall, life as a wife, mom, multiple times over business owner, AirBNB host and podcaster is busy at all times but it’s a very blessed life!

Do you have any stories of times when you almost missed payroll or any other near death experiences for your business?

While I have never missed payroll, I have definitely had lean months when I made the decision to pay my staff and not pay myself. It’s such a balancing act as a business owner of prioritizing your own family but also feeling responsible for the families of your employees too.

The real estate industry has been in a hard season for 2+ years now. I am proud to say that my company is still standing but that didn’t come without having to make a lot of hard decisions about budget and laying off some employees. It’s never easy to make decisions like that but ultimately keeping the business afloat is most important.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

My most effective strategy for growing my business clientele has been showing up on social media in very authentic way and very consistent way. I treat posting in stories daily like showing up for non-negotiable office hours. It gives people a glimpse into my personality and work ethic from afar to build that know-like-trust factor before scheduling a meeting to discuss hiring me.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @leigh_moss_ @influential_bwn @fete.natchez @dreamers.cottage.natchez @punchbowldiaries_podcast

Image Credits

Hoppe Images