#80: How to Successfully Run Multiple Businesses with Lisa Song Sutton, Entrepreneur & Forbes Writer
Have you ever been in law school, won Miss Nevada and Miss Las Vegas, and then started four companies?
Well, my guest today, Lisa Song Sutton, has!
Lisa wears many hats now as an entrepreneur and writer at Forbes and shares how her modeling career has helped her in business.
Lisa shared:
The lessons she took from the runway to boardroom
Why she thinks hard work is more important than talent
What qualities she needs in a business partner
If you want to learn more about Lisa or her company that makes alcohol infused cupcakes (yum!), be sure to tune into this episode.
Learn more about Lisa here: https://www.lisasongsutton.com or check her out on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/lisasongsutton/.
Check out my new free training on www.yournextmillion.me, where several of my seven figure clients and colleagues share what they're doing in the next year to scale their businesses to the multi-million dollar mark and beyond.
Listen to the Show:
Laura (00:02):
So many entrepreneurs, dream of living a life of massive impact by creating a mega successful company, but only a tiny percentage of businesses actually scale to that point. And when they do it is so often lacking the very joy and freedom that got them into entrepreneurship in the first place. So on this podcast, we speak authentically on what it actually takes to scale your business in a way that creates freedom and joy that works for you, your team, and the incredible impact that you are meant to make in the world as a visionary entrepreneur. My name is Laura Meyer and I'm your host. I'm a serial entrepreneur wife, mom, to three. And I love talking all things business, especially digging into what it actually takes to scale joyfully to the multi-million dollar mark and beyond let's get started.
(01:00):
Hey everybody. I am back with Lisa Song Sutton. Welcome Lisa.
Lisa (01:06):
Hi, thank you so much for having me.
Laura (01:08):
Yeah, it's great to meet you. She's an entrepreneur and a Forbes writer and a model. If you're watching the YouTube, you can see these gorgeous photos of her behind the recording. She has been working that balance between modeling and entrepreneurship and writing and thought leadership. And we're going to talk about all the things, so thank you for coming here, Lisa. It's really nice to meet you.
Lisa (01:31):
Yeah. So nice to meet you. Thank you. Yeah.
Laura (01:34):
So you were a professional model for 10 years. And how does that parallel to the path of entrepreneurship?
Lisa (01:43):
Yeah, so I modeled all during college and law school and then I got into pageantry subsequently after, but you know, it's really interesting cause with modeling, you know, really it's like you are the brand ambassador, right? For whichever brand or organization or company that you're doing a photo shoot for doing a video shoot for. And so there's so many parallels in business. And then definitely one of the business lessons I learned from the modeling world was that kind of cross promotion and cross collaboration is really helpful. So if you can think about who the clientele is for your business and maybe what other products or services do they use, and there's a chance hopefully to maybe team up with, you know, some other product or service that also caters to your same clientele and that's a chance to expand your reach and hopefully gain some new clients.
Laura (02:28):
Yeah. That's so cool. I love that. You're looking at it from that perspective because a lot of professional models obviously represent brands.
Lisa (02:34):
Oh, that's your job. Right. Even if it's for a four-hour photo shoot, like your job is to represent that brand.
Laura (02:40):
Yeah. So I think sometimes, probably the stereotype is that you just walk around looking pretty, but you're actually like helping other businesses. Yeah, exactly. I mean, even going in with like a Facebook live, you know, a lot of men don't like what goes into that but for you actually not only presenting yourself to represent the brand you know, with your physical presence, but being able to communicate the characteristics of the brands that you're representing was very much part of your journey. It sounds like.
Lisa (03:14):
Yeah, absolutely. You know, when you do a lot of like spokes modeling work, for example, especially here in a place like Las Vegas and there's a lot of convention work to be had you know, certainly in a non-COVID environment. Right. But certainly prior to 2020, you know, tons of conventions herein Vegas every single day, you know, every single day of the week. And so I have a lot of girlfriends who exclusively just do spokes modeling work, and again, that's representing a brand. Maybe they have a new product they're launching, maybe it's a new vehicle type that's coming up and you've got to know, you know, what's new for the company.
Laura (03:45):
How did winning miss Las Vegas and Miss Nevada, what did that teach you about business?
Lisa (03:50):
Yes. Oh my gosh. Pageantry was such an incredible experience. I mean kind of same lessons as far as, you know, with pageantry, you represent an organization, right? So my role as Miss Las Vegas and then subsequently as Miss Nevada was to represent the organization and also work with all of our nonprofits that are here in the state. And so I did nearly 500 community appearances volunteering in school. Yeah. I was so aggressive volunteering in schools, reading in hospitals, working with countless nonprofits and really at the end of the day, you were a community organizer. You were a brand ambassador for the organization and ultimately for each of these nonprofits that you were doing work with.
Laura (04:28):
That's so amazing. I love hearing about that. And so I want to ask you a question actually about being a Forbes writer, if that's okay. So how did you move from modeling and the modeling career to writing about- are you writing about business in Forbes?
Lisa (04:42):
Yeah, so, so I finished law school in 2010 and then, you know, kind of started working my big girl job at the law firm. I started a company. And so by the time all that had happened, then it that's when I competed for Miss Las Vegas and Nevada. And so this is like 2014 business insider had reached out to me and they were like, wait. So like you are a former model now you're Miss Nevada, but like you have a law degree and you're in business. They're like, that's interesting perspective. And so they did an article on me and then that's when I had the chance to connect with some people from Forbes and Forbes Women. And they were like, we love that perspective. It's, you know, a different point of view. And so we'd love for you to, you know, maybe start providing some actionable tips and business advice from that point of view. And so that's what I did that.
Laura (05:35):
So fascinating. So in your opinion, what is more important work ethic or talent and why?
Lisa (05:41):
There's a great quote that I definitely adhere to. My parents told me this when I was young and it's hard work, beats talent when talent doesn't work hard. And I found that to be true, you know, in every aspect of my life, across the different experiences and different. So I would say that both are very, very important, but if I had to choose one, I would say it's hard work because there's a chance that you can be the most gifted and the most talented, but if you don't have the work ethic to back it up that that talent and that gift could be wasted.
Laura (06:14):
So you went from modeling to law school, through all of the hard work and being more than just a pretty face, right on the modeling career and then moving into business. What type of business are you running currently?
Lisa (06:28):
Since then, I've started four companies that I have here in Nevada. First one was Sin City cupcakes. We make alcohol infused cupcakes. It's perfect for Vegas, right? And then I'm also involved in real estate. Christie's International Real estate. I'm one of the owners here in Nevada for the Christie's auction house, with their real estate arm where they're exclusive brokerage for Southern Nevada. Liquid and Lace is an online e-commerce brand. It sells women's swimwear and women's accessories. And then Ship Las Vegas is a chain of mailbox for packing and shipping stores. And that's my newest business and not is about three years old now.
Laura (07:01):
Wow. So how are you multitasking with all those different businesses?
Lisa (07:06):
Yeah. So, you know, the key is I don't do it alone, so I have operational partners and everything that I do, across all the ventures. And we have of course, a great staff, great teams and great processes, and that we're continually tweaking and improving on but I think, you know, there's no way I could of course do everything alone so I think it's really important for entrepreneurs to really strongly consider teaming up with people.
Laura (07:30):
Yeah. What are some of the things that you like, how do you organize your week? So is it like Monday you're working on cupcakes, Wednesday, you're thinking about packaging and shipping. Like how does that actually happen from like a leadership standpoint?
Lisa (07:43):
Yeah, so it just depends on the day. So, I mean, for example, you know, at the top of the week, this week, Monday mornings at 8:00 AM are our pipeline calls for our residential side for the real estate brokerage. So like I'm on that call. I'm just kind of getting an overview of the week and find out what, what our team is working on. And then, you know, depending on what's going on, I might have to hop over to the bakery, you know, and help make sure products are dialed in. And then I might run over to one of the shipping stores. Like, it just depends on the day kind of what's going on, but I like to structure it where I'm getting a chance to pop in on everything through the course of the day. So that way, you know, my staff knows that I'm available too.
Laura (08:21):
Yeah. Do you ever feel like you're pulled in too many different directions or do you feel like you have it pretty like dialed in?
Lisa (08:27):
Not right now, I'm really enjoying you know, getting a chance to, to multitask and really just be dialed in to what's going on. I mean, part of what helps is the fact that the companies have aged right. My oldest company is nine years old this year and the youngest is Ship Las Vegas, which is three years old. So because of that, you know, I'm not running around, it's not startup mode. Right. I'm not having to like run around and do all the things right now. so it's nice because I can scale and scale out a little bit and then just be available for like the high level stuff.
Laura (08:59):
Yeah. Which business was the hardest to start?
Lisa (09:02):
Each have their own challenges, of course, I guess maybe, you know, with Ship Las Vegas, because like I said, these are independent mailbox, rental packing and shipping stores think of like a UPS store, but it's independent. So we service UPS, FedEx and the postal service, I guess, with that, that was my first real experience of doing like a build out from scratch, you know, going in doing the, build-out doing the tenant improvements, making sure that, you know, we have everything that we need for the store to function well. That's always a continual journey and a continual process, very different than like a bakery where the bakery, like, you know, there's certain equipment that you need, right. To be able to function, to be able to bake properly. And that's kind of it, you know, and, and it's, it's very, very different when you're looking at a full-blown, you know, retail store and it's every part of it, you know, can be seen by the customers. So, you know, what does that look like? How does, how do the colors match what's the aesthetic? So that was really fun to kind of delve down that path.
Laura (09:55):
That's interesting. And then before you decide that you're going to go into a business, like, do you have certain characteristics that are important for you to evaluate?
Lisa (10:04):
Yeah. I just, you know, I really like to keep an ear open for opportunity. So even with Sin City Cupcakes, I mean, the way it got started was my co-founder Danielle with that business. She and I met actually in the modeling industry years ago, fast forward into 2011. I was working in law firm and she and I were just catching up on the phone, like, Hey, what have you been up to you? You know, when she told me she'd been making these alcohol cupcakes and I'm like, that's a great idea. That is a great idea for Vegas, right? This is a place where people come to overspend, overindulged buying things They're not going buy into at home. I think it would do really well here. You've got to come move here right. And start the company. And so we started since city cookies, not because I'm some like passionate home Baker.
(10:47):
I actually had to learn how to bake, you know, through the process of starting the company. But we started the company because I had an ear tuned for opportunity. And the fact that, you know, Danielle, who was just, you know, one of my girlfriends at the time, right. And she's telling me this and I'm like, that's a great idea. Like, it's an excellent idea. You know, I'll, I'll find a way to help you start the company. We should start the company. And so that's how it, it kind of got started. So I would just recommend, you know, keep an ear open for opportunity and realize you don't have to execute on your own. Right. If you come across something that you strongly believe is a good idea, and you like the business model find a way to team up with someone.
Laura (11:25):
That's awesome. What are your other partnerships like with your other businesses?
Lisa (11:29):
So kind of same thing where I'm actually a huge proponent of teaming up with people that, you know, I think you've heard the adage, you know, don't team up with a family or friends. Right. And I mean, I have seen, you know, some deals go sideways, but I do have a great track record of teaming up actually with friends, with people that I knew before, you know, whether it was a social setting or just from the, for going into business together. And I think it can be a strength because you know, them, you know, them really well. You know what they're like when they've had a bad day, you know what they're like when they're stressed out, you know what they're like when they just been yelled at, by someone like you've seen them in different areas of their life. And so you're familiar with how they react and, and how they handle stress. All of that's extremely important in business. And so I think it's a strength to know that prior to going in.
Laura (12:22):
Yeah, that's cool. So I have a business partner and one of my businesses, which is a membership site and my business partner is Kelly Roach, who is one of the fastest growing companies, coaching companies in the country. And I'm, I agree, it's such a, I'm such a proponent of partnerships. And are there certain characteristics that you look for in a partner and then I'll share mine.
Lisa (12:39):
Yeah. You know, I'm less concerned with like their experience in that particular business as I am with, you know, how resourceful are they, you know, how hungry are they, are they excited about, are they more excited about this than I am. Right? And I'm pretty excited, right? Like, are they even more excited than I am? I want to partner with someone who is going to be aligned with how we want to run the company. Right. And the type of culture that we want to have. And, you know, are we aligned in whether it's going to be a legacy company or something that we build in sell? Like, you know, I have a lot of those questions and discussions in the beginning before we do go into business together to make sure that we're aligned.
Laura (13:17):
Yeah. That's so cool. My philosophy with business, I've had business partners that haven't worked, I don't know. Have you had a business partner that hasn't worked out yet? And it's not that I'm, still friends with the person, but it just, we weren't a good fit for business membership. And I think it was ultimately, we just had very different goals for the business. Like I wanted to grow it. I wanted to scale it. I wanted to be big. I wanted to have this incredible impact in the world. She wanted to just, not, not necessarily like, she just didn't share that vision, you know? And so I was always feeling like I was dragging us along and then she would be because she didn't want to be dragged along. And that was a really helpful experience. But the most important thing for me is that, you know, we're still friends and we still have a great relationship.
(14:01):
And that was the, that was really critical in terms of like unwinding things for me, from my perspective. And then with Kelly, what's really great is the, both of us have a big vision. We both have big goals and big ideas and what we want to accomplish, but we really couldn't hire one another's skillset. Like I could not hire Kelly to fill in the role that she fills, which is very much strategic advisor, leadership doesn't even offer one-on-one coaching. So like I couldn't go out and hire a Kelly. She also brings a big audience to our relationship. And she couldn't hire me to be the managing partner and the person that, you know, that basically implements the strategy and, you know, ?helps to scale the organization, like not hirable. So that is, that's like, it's really interesting to kind of see how that dynamic has shifted with this other partnership compared to the first one. So what do you think from your perspective makes a great partnership?
Lisa (15:00):
Just to your point, you know, complementary skillsets, right? It complimentary skill sets and also just alignment. You've got to be aligned in, um, you know, how you want to run the company. What's the vision for the company? What's the culture you want to have there? What are the future plans for the company? Sharing that alignment is incredibly important.
Laura (15:20):
Anything about the, if you had a business partner that just like it wasn't a fit, was there anything from your perspective that, like, what was your learning from that?
Lisa (15:28):
Yeah. I did actually, I had a great business partner and we worked here for many years, um, in the Realty business. And then it just, you know, got to a point where we had to end our business relationship. And I mean, that was, it was impactful because it was my first time going through something like that. And crazily, it felt a bit of like, like a divorce I've, I've never been married or divorced on a personal side, but I would liken it to that. Right. Because this is someone that you've built something with and you shared so much. And, you know, there was a time where you were so aligned but ultimately, you know, it was, it was the best thing for both of us as well as for the company too. But, you know, there were so many teachable moments through that.
(16:07):
And I think one of the main ones was just making sure that myself and my business partner are in fact aligned when it comes to the type of company we want to build and the culture that we want to build. And so with my current real estate partner, her name is Kathy Quo and she's amazing. And she and I are very, very much aligned in relation to the culture that we have at our brokerage, the types of agents that we onboard, you know, personality types and, and making sure that everyone's just, you know, honestly very collaborative and, and actually wants to help each other. Like it's a very much team environment. And that's something I really enjoy.
Laura (16:44):
Yeah. That's amazing. People definitely want that. I feel like when you are striving towards that positive team culture, individuals who are part of the bigger picture, feel really good about where the business is headed and the business wins. So I love that. So are you still modeling?
Lisa (16:59):
No, not currently. Probably luckily for everyone. It's been some time now, but I, I'm still very much involved, you know, with the modeling and pageant world. I actually just emceed the Miss United States of America pageant in February in San Antonio, their finals. So that was really fun. It was actually during, do you remember the polar vortex thing that happened down in Texas? Yeah, it was during that time. So it was a little crazy, but it was just so much fun.
Laura (17:28):
That's so, so fun. So what do you think the secret is to like balancing all the different businesses that you have going on? And then like, occasionally MCing, you know, a national modeling event, like just, you know, throw that in. Like what do you think is the secret is to like accomplishing all of those different goals simultaneously?
Lisa (17:50):
I think it's just, you know, pursuing what's important to you, right? I mean as they always say, like, you make time for what's important, right? Like you, you make the time. And so of course I have a very busy schedule on my calendar. You know, if you peek at my calendar, it's jam packed, right. Everything that's slotted in, there are items that are important to me. And so I do try to reserve Sundays for myself. I try to make Sundays a day that I don't have any like standing appointments or I try to keep it as non-work-related as possible. So Sundays my data, you know, grab brunch with girlfriends or to, you know, they stay at home and do laundry and do nothing, right? Like it's, I try to keep one day a week where, I just do have some time totally to myself where I can just do whatever I want.
Laura (18:31):
So fun. And if people want to connect with you, they want to learn more or just, you know, let you know what they thought about this conversation. What's the best way for them to get in touch?
Lisa (18:41):
Yeah. So you could head over to my website, which is lisasongsutton.com. You could connect with me on social at Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter at Lisasongsutton.
Laura (18:51):
Awesome. Thank you so, so much for being here. I really enjoyed our conversation.
Lisa (18:55):
Thank you so much for having me.
Laura (18:57):
Hey there: before you head out, I want to let you know about a free new training I have right on a brand new website called yournextmillion.me. It's yournextmillion.me, where several of my seven figure clients and colleagues share what they're doing in the next year to scale their businesses, to the multi-million dollar mark and beyond. And I have to tell you, it is not what you think. So check it out at yournextmillion.me. And if you loved this show, will you subscribe to it and share it with a friend or just say something nice about it to someone, you know? I'd really appreciate it so much. Thanks so much for being here and I'll see you next time.
The Scale with Joy podcast dives into the mindset and strategies of scaling your company to the million dollar mark and beyond. Each week, we follow the journeys of innovators, disruptors, experts and leaders - sharing behind the scenes stories of their most challenging moments and greatest lessons learned-all while building their multi-million dollar empires.