Leaders Perception Magazine is currently running an interview series called – Leadership in Times of Crisis
Today, we had the opportunity to interview Austin Jones who is a founderat Business Goals Group .
Meet Austin Jones, the Founder of Business Goals Group, whose remarkable journey from adversity to success is truly inspiring. Despite facing significant challenges in his early life, Austin’s resilience and determination have propelled him to become a thriving entrepreneur and a loving father of two.
Interviewee Name: Austin Jones
Company: Business Goals Group
Austin Jones’s favourite quote: You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.
The Interview
Thank you so much for joining us today! Tell us a little bit about yourself. What is your backstory?
Austin Jones : I come from humble beginnings. You could say I was destined for failure. My father was murdered by my mothers drug dealer when I was 5 years old. My mother overdosed. I bounced around different homes and dropped out of high school. Today I’m a happy 29 year old successful entrepreneur and father of two. My lows, the failures and crises taught me more than high mountain tops ever did.
Could you please share a specific crisis situation you’ve faced as a leader and walk us through the strategies you employed to navigate through it successfully? What were the key decisions and actions you took, and what were the outcomes or lessons learned from that experience?
Austin Jones : I started a catering company out of a tent in 2017, my first business. By 2020 I was booked out most weekends of the year but when covid it, all the caterings & event contracts got shut down. I felt so lost, angry, depressed and didn’t know what to do. Instead of giving up, I spent time looking for solutions then transitioned into food trucking. There was a loophole, the state of Florida was allowing food trucks to operate while restaurants could too but without indoor seating. I took advantage of this loophole and it allowed the business to not only continue but prosper into more as well.
From your observations, what common mistakes or pitfalls have you seen leaders fall into during a crisis?
Austin Jones : During times of crisis, leaders focus too much on the crisis itself versus exploring the possible solutions. Don’t bash what you hate – promote what you love. Directing morale is incredibly important and if you’re down in the dumps not thinking forward that energy will cascade to everyone under you.
Leaders Perception would like to thank Austin Jones and Business Goals Group for the time dedicated to completing this interview and sharing their valuable insights with our readers!
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