We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Courtney Ligi a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Courtney with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
My work ethic is a direct result from my parents. My dad always had two jobs as I grew up, and my mom always found a way to work while caring for my brothers and me. On top of my Dad’s job commitments, he would find ways to sell things and make money; such as his plowing business or the newspaper route with my brothers. My mom would work but make sure she was always home to get me on the bus and to take me to my extracurricular activities.
We were also all active children in clubs, sports, boy/girl scouts, and they always stepped into leadership roles such as President of Little League or Scout leader. At 16, we all had jobs and had to find ways to pay for our own cars. None of this surprised us as these were things they instilled in us at a very young age.
When my Dad turned 49, he retired after 30 years; my mom and he purchased an established restaurant and now, 23 years later, run a very successful business. My brother joined in with them on day one as the cook and has been able to support his family as well.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
School was never my thing, but I knew I would attend college and work in business. I did that very lackadaisical the whole way through. When I graduated, I had no ambitions or career goals, but I also knew I needed to get a job. I was excited to start as an Administrative Assistant at my local chamber of commerce.
My persistence and dedication to my job opened many doors and built a vast network that has continued to help me. In 2019, I started reselling clothes online as a side hustle, and I loved it. I had always wanted to own a clothing boutique but never wanted to work seven days a week, and this was a way to make my dream come true.
As the years went on, I started to make the same monthly income as my full-time job selling clothes. I knew this was the next chapter of my life. I took a risk and decided to leave my full-time job and become an entrepreneur. I would join the family restaurant business, sell clothes online, and launch a social media company. I paid off thousands of dollars of debt, saved enough for a year’s worth of expenses in case I failed, left my job, and never looked back.
I launched The Social Circle, a digital marketing business to help small business get their name out there via social media. I continued to grow my online selling business and started doing live shows to sell, all while helping with the family business. To my surprise, I doubled my income within the first six months. I am now 2.5 years in, a member of my local chamber of commerce with two part-time employees helping me, and I am still killing it.
It has been the most freeing, rewarding, thrilling, most significant thing I have ever done. On top of becoming an entrepreneur, I have more time for friends and family, travel across the globe, and more time for myself. I have nothing holding me back, and I set and determine my workload.
In the next two months, I will be moving my business out of my home so I can gain more freedom mentally as well as adding an intern to my employee roster.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
I am an inquisitive person, and I never stop asking questions. Most people would find that annoying, but I am also very persistent and never let anything get in my way of learning. Also could be found very annoying. Those two things alone presented many opportunities for me. I stayed at my first job for 15 years which allowed me to build up lots of credibility with many people in the business community. Co-workers and colleagues knew they could rely on me and that I would not only get the job done but I would do it with care and perfection.
One of my favorite parts of my job when I was at the Chamber of Commerce was working with the interns. I was excited to get them excited about working and gaining a passion for what they did and how to treat others so that they would respect and see their value.
Today, I would encourage any person starting their journey to remember anything is possible. When staff and I were under tight deadlines I would always quote Nelson Mandela “It always seems impossible, until it’s done.” Every single time we got it done and we got it done well.
As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?
You are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living An Awesome Life by Jen Sincero. I think the title says it all. This book took me a year to get through due to my crazy schedule, but it helped me see through my challenges. It provided tactics for me to write down my subconscious thoughts and to get them out of my way so that I could continue to grow and establish myself. She ended every chapter with “Love Yourself”, and those two words alone on repeat can do a whole lot for someone. Every chapter was relatable to something I had been through and made me feel accomplished on where I am now. I am now reading You’re a Badass at Making Money.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://thesocialcirclellc.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesocialcirclellc/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/courtneyligi/
