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

Matt, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What were some of the most unexpected problems you’ve faced in your business and how did you resolve those issues?

When I first started my speaking business, I thought it would be easy because I had many years of experience talking in front of audiences during my military service. I found out quickly that the two were totally different. My first speech did not go very well because I was overconfident and unprepared. There is nothing worse than standing in front of a bunch of people who came specifically to see and hear you and not being able to deliver.

As a Keynote Speaker there are hours of research and preparation required to deliver an inspiring and effective presentation. I have spent as much as 80 hours researching and preparing a 20-minute speech. That first speech was a lesson that changed the trajectory of my speaking career. I have also applied the same preparation and research work ethic to other aspects of my daily life. I have found that being over prepared for life’s events makes daily life much less stressful.

As entrepreneurs, we are solely responsible for establishing our business culture. Often, we are not supplied with the tools we need to be successful when we start our entrepreneurial journey. This is why it is very important to read, learn, research, and prepare as much as possible. There is a quote by Benjamin Franklin that sums it up perfectly “By failing to prepare you are preparing to fail.”

Matt, 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 retired US Army veteran who started my business Drayton Communications LLC to help leaders, future leaders and entrepreneurs be successful. I have effectively led teams in the military, nonprofit, and corporate sectors in addition to running my own business.

I have written two leadership books “Leading While Black” and “Succeeding While Black”. I have also presented in front of a variety of business, academic, government and media organizations. I founded my company to help people because I am passionate about seeing people succeed and seeing organizations run smoothly.

My methods come from years of traveling and seeing and experiencing different leadership styles and perspectives. I write, speak, and consult on leadership because I truly feel it is the foundation for success in business and in life.

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

The best advice I can give for effectively managing a team is to establish a positive culture and workplace for your team members from the outset and lead them by example. I have seen the best and worst of the aforementioned throughout my career. Leaders have a huge responsibility to foster a work environment that is safe and productive. Transparency, training and providing opportunities for self-improvement are vital to maintaining high morale.

How’d you think through whether to sell directly on your own site or through a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc.

I sell my books through my publisher, my website and through Amazon. I have found that having multiple platforms to sell from provides clients and readers a variety of ways to purchase your services. I also can be booked for speaking engagements via my website. Amazon is very author friendly in my opinion.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://mattdrayton.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/draytoncommunications/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-drayton-58a2634b/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/dComm60

Image Credits
Mariana Morales Photography