We were lucky to catch up with Shawn Simons recently and have shared our conversation below.
Shawn, appreciate you joining us today. Looking back, do you think you started your business at the right time? Do you wish you had started sooner or later
If I could go back in time and start my business sooner, I would most definitely have done so. I don’t think my vision was realized until I was put into a position where I had to make the choice of getting another job or starting my own company. I worked in the newspaper industry for 7 or 8 years and when the internet media outlets started to eliminate the number of people who bought and read newspapers, I was faced with an option to take a buyout. I took the buyout and contemplated getting another job but in the past, I had done some motivational speaking and I really enjoyed it and the impact I made on my audience.
Starting sooner, I would have an even more expansive clientele and audience than what I have now which is pretty big but starting a few years earlier could have really helped in getting more bookings per year.
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.
My name is Shawn Simons and I am a Fire Safety and Motivational Speaker. My topic revolves around an incident that happened when I was in college where a drunken fraternity prank went wrong and I was unfortunately a victim of their carelessness where I almost lost my life. Now I have a platform to speak to young adults whether in college or high school about the importance of their safety, the consequences of their actions and how to overcome adversity at a young age. I get the opportunity to use what was a negative situation into a positive one to help people stay safe and educated on things that many take for granted.
What I am able to provide to my clients, which are mainly colleges, high schools and fire departments, is a unique firsthand perspective of surviving my ordeal in a place where it rarely happens to show the importance of why certain safety precautions are practiced and need to be taking serious at all times.
What I am most proud about is the lasting impact my story and business have on so many people. My adversity happened years before my current audience was born but still affects them because they can put themselves in my shoes and see the importance of the topics I discuss.
How did you build your audience on social media?
Social media presence has been huge for my business in respect to having a way to communicate with my audience and have them feel seen. Providing an option at the end of my presentation to scan a QR code and to follow my social media page has been huge in getting my numbers up in reference to followers. It’s also a place where I can share additional information, ask questions, and solicit more business.
What’s been the best source of new clients for you?
My best source for new clients is attending as many conferences and networking as much as I can. No matter the size of a meeting or conference, just getting your name out and making the right connections has been a huge benefit to the success of my business. Not being afraid to ask questions and to see if something that I have to offer is being used in their communities has proven to open up conversations which may lead to new clients.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.alandshawn.com
- Instagram: alvaroandshawn
- Linkedin: Shawn Simons
