Lisa currently writes about entrepreneurship and business. Her work has been seen in Forbes, Inc. Magazine, Fast Company and other business publications. She hosts a business driven cable television show called Live With Lisa through Cox Communications.
Lisa’s latest endeavor is the tech company, BrandBridge Org. It is the only app company that allocates 100% of profits to foster entrepreneurs. She also sits on the executive board of Gleaux Inc., formally BioGlow Tech, which has created the world’s first light emitting plant.
In addition to her professional careers, Lisa is actively involved in her community as a former Miss Las Vegas (2013) and Miss Nevada (2014) and serves on the executive board of the Asian Community Development Council. Lisa was recently named a Top 100 Woman of Influence by MyVegas Magazine and was a nominee in the 2016 Las Vegas Women in Tech Awards. Find more information about Lisa at www.lisasongsutton.com.
Deb Bailey: It's great to have you here at the Secrets of Success blog, Lisa! You're doing so many interesting things! How did you get started as an entrepreneur?
Lisa Sutton: Thank you for having me, Deb! While working as a model during college and grad school, I met some outstanding business people and knew I eventually wanted to become an entrepreneur. After graduation and while working at a law firm, I started my first company in 2012 and have been blessed with this amazing journey ever since.
Deb: Are there any “lessons learned” that you’d like to share?
Lisa: Absolutely. Keep communication in the forefront of any relationship, but especially in business and with your business partners. My co-founder with Sin City Cupcakes is also a good friend of mine and while most warn not to go in to business with a friend or family member, I recommend that you do, because you already know how that person is. You know how they act when they're stressed, when they're upset, you know all of that and it's immensely helpful. But you do have to be sure to communicate.
Deb: I totally agree about communication. That has to be extremely important when you have multiple business interests - and you're a TV show host!
Lisa: Yes! I am so grateful to Cox Communications. I met their corporate executives when I was Miss Nevada United States 2014. They approached me in December 2015 initially to just host a television talk show. After some consideration, I pitched back if we could tweak it a bit to make it a business-driven television talk show.
I also write for Forbes about women in business and women in entrepreneurship, so I felt that this could be a great avenue to take actionable tips and advice and put it in a television format. Cox agreed and we started filming in January. Season 1 debuted in March, airing 3x per week, and as of June 1, Live With Lisa is on 7x per week! It's on Cox channel 96/1096HD locally in Las Vegas and we also archive on our YouTube site. I'm so thankful for the opportunity to reach a wider audience and help others.
Deb: That sounds exciting. So, what are some of your successes and challenges?
Lisa: In a broad sense, the success of being able to have flexibility and autonomy as a business owner is an achievement I'm proud of. I'm lucky to have amazing business partners in each of the endeavors and certainly don't do it all alone. A challenge...I would say a challenge I have faced and continue to work is my impatient nature (laughs). I think most of us as type-A, very driven and I sometimes leap before I look. It's great to have business and mentors who help advise me to take a step back and slow down for a moment when it comes to certain decisions.
Deb: What’s your vision for where you're going in your business?
Lisa: With the exception of the real estate, for all the companies, at this point in time, it's definitely to build and sell. Whether it's cupcakes, swimwear or real estate, I'm selling a product at the end of the day. I want to continue to scale, grow and make the companies attractive to a prospective buyer.
Deb: That sounds terrific and I wish you much success! Please share your website and social media URLs.
Lisa: Of course! You can find more about me at www.LisaSongSutton.com and my social media handles are @LisaSongSutton on Twitter and Instagram. Thank you so much for having me!
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