Come up with your plan, do your research on the industry, execute the plan, and continue to be consistent. Do not give up because success is possible for you.
Meet Laine Bradley – Wife, Mom of 4, and Entrepreneur. She is the CEO of Vraiment Financial & The Financial Laine. As a tax advisor, grant writer, and speaker, she has assisted CEOs and nonprofit organizations live a tax-free lifestyle with tax code strategies and funding assistance. She has assessed the financial health of over 300 companies since 2018. In 2020, they have assisted over 100 companies and organizations in receiving up to $1.2M in grant funding and save a total of $15.9M in taxes.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
Laine Bradley: Thank you for having me. I was brought into this specific career path by accident. I was originally an assistant manager at Sprint that I thought would be my career. After I lost an amazing opportunity due to my finances, I decided I had to make a change. I put my energy into learning more about finances by changing my career into banking. Once I did that, I dominated the space and decided to open my own company. The experience I had from working at the bank gave me the foundation and confidence to open my own financial firm.Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?
Laine Bradley: The particular person I am so grateful for that helped me get to where I am now is my husband. When I started my company, he was just my boyfriend at the time but he supported me in ways I never imagined. I will never forget when I had to leave my job because starting a financial firm became a conflict of interest. I was so scared to take that leap because honestly, I wasn’t ready. My husband told me I had to get ready and it was time to take the step. Whatever struggles we had, we would go through them together, and we did. I am happy I was not alone on that journey. It is still my biggest supporter and I am blessed.Often leaders are asked to share the best advice they received. But let’s reverse the question. What’s the worst advice you received?
Laine Bradley: The worst advice I received is trying to do everything myself and grinding it out. I am a firm believer in outsourcing things you are not an expert in because your time is everything and you do not want to waste it. Honestly, as an entrepreneur, lack of sleep is very dangerous. You definitely need your rest so do not kill yourself. It will not benefit anyone including you.Has the pandemic and transitioning into mostly online shopping affected your company positively or negatively?
Laine Bradley: The pandemic has affected my company in a positive way. The reason why is that our firm has always been remote or virtual so it was not difficult for us. We did have to pivot and make new changes but it has been rewarding. We added two new services, created a sister company and we now are serving corporations, the state, and the federal government. Sometimes change is good.In your opinion, what makes your company stand out from the competition?
Laine Bradley: What’s funny is we do not look at other companies as competition. Our competition is what we did yesterday, last month or last quarter. How can we be better than we were before? We focus on enhancing our system, investing in mentors, and providing unlimited education to our clients and audience. it is not just about the money, the knowledge you receive you will have forever.You are a successful business leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success?
Laine Bradley: Thank you. The three character traits I think were most instrumental to my success were patience, knowledge, and discipline. I needed the patience to understand that things move at a pace and success is not overnight. I need to continue enhancing my knowledge and that means always being a student. Finally, discipline is what covers me because motivation runs out. Inspiration runs out but discipline will always be there even when you do not feel like doing it. What Makes a Good Team Leader? A Guide to Effective Team LeadershipHow important do you think it is for a leader to be mindful of his own brand?
Laine Bradley: I think it is very important for a leader to be mindful of his or her own brand because your brand is connected to you and your company. People want to know about you, the person behind the idea, product, service, and company. People hide behind it because they believe they do not have a story or that no one would be interested in it. We all have a story and at least one person needs to hear it. I am very transparent about my journey and it has helped my success because others who come from the same background as me or look like me, can now see it is possible.What’s your favorite leadership style and why?
Laine Bradley: My favorite leadership style is authoritative because the leaders themselves are confident in their style and coaching. It allows you to set expectations and for others to follow you because they believe in you and in accomplishing the common goal.What advice would you give to our younger readers that want to become entrepreneurs?
Laine Bradley: The advice I would give the younger readers that want to become entrepreneurs is to do it scared. Many of us want to start things but we are too scared to even take the leap. It is time to bet on yourself and make things happen. Come up with your plan, do your research on the industry, execute the plan, and continue to be consistent. Do not give up because success is possible for you.What’s your favorite “life lesson” quote and how has it affected your life?
Laine Bradley: My favorite “life lesson” quote is “Stay ready so you don’t have to get ready”. This is my own personal quote that I tell myself, my clients, and my audience. The way it has affected my life is due to all the opportunities I missed out on because I was not ready. I was not prepared. I learned hard lessons because I did not prepare. Preparation is key. Will there be more opportunities? Absolutely. But you will not miss out on hardly any of them cause you were ready from the beginning. This interview was originally published ValiantCEO.
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