Lindsay Guion is the Founding Chairman and CEO of Guion Partners, Lindsay is a thought leader, influencer, visionary, and successful entrepreneur. Lindsay provides the leadership and energy that has inspired the creation of Guion Partners.
Lindsay Guion joins other leading Bestselling Authors, International Speakers & Entrepreneur, CEOs and Founders taking part in our Leader Roundtable Interview Series. The DotCom Magazine editorial team is delighted to have Lindsay join us for our Leader Roundtable Interview.
Lindsay Guion is the Founding Chairman and CEO of Guion Partners. The company works with many prominent clients in the fields of sports, entertainment, media, and technology. With a background in music and technology, Guion understands how to apply the newest innovations to these fields, always staying current with his knowledge.
Guion attended Georgetown and Harvard University. He credits his educational background with giving him the depth of knowledge needed to succeed in business. He believes that a college education should be accessible to all people who want it.
His firm, Guion Partners, is an industry leader in talent representation. The firm helps to develop clients’ talents and how they are presented to the public. He has been involved with entertainment and social media marketing, digital marketing, and other activities supporting entertainment and sports figures and venues.
Lindsay Guion also has a background in the film industry. He helped to produce the film Posse project in 1993, featuring artists like Tone Loc and the Neville Brothers. In 2015, he was involved with the HBO film Bessie. Currently, he is working on the award-winning film Therapy.
Lindsay Guion has established the Bessie Smith Scholarship, supporting students with interests in music, entertainment, and sports. This scholarship provides an important way for students to realize their dreams of higher education.
Guion will continue to be a leader in the entertainment community, providing an excellent example for young entrepreneurs who want to be involved in the entertainment and sports promotion industries.
Let’s start by telling us about your business.
My business, Guion Partners, helps to promote and support artists and businesses who are involved in the sports and entertainment industries. Our company uses the newest technologies, including social media expertise, to make our clients household names and to bring them the best possible representation.
Q: Please tell us how you make sure your customers will become raving fans of your company?
We are all about results at Guion Partners. We believe that we get nowhere without the success of our clients. If you are not getting the sales or representation targets you want, we will work with you to make sure that you are promoted in the right way. We have many proven clients that you can talk with to explore our services and how they can help you.
Q: Please tell us the one thing that separates your business from the competition?
Our dedication to the newest technology sets us apart. We are especially conversant with social media and digital marketing and how they can increase a company’s or individual’s representation. Too many companies do not take advantage of social media and digital marketing, and they are really missing out on the potential of these promotional methods.
Q: And to finish this section, please tell us what is the one major key to your company’s success?
The major key to our success is the way in which we approach problems. We are open to hearing about our clients’ complaints and whether they are satisfied with our services. We can always work with our clients to achieve a high standard of excellence.
Q: For our readers just starting to build a company, what advice can you give entrepreneurs just starting out with a new venture?
Starting a new company is one of the most difficult tasks you can imagine. You have to eat, sleep, and breathe your business if you want to succeed. Your family relationships may suffer, and you may have to give up other activities that you enjoyed at least in the short term. You really have to put your all into your business.
Starting a business is risky. You will need to have a reliable funding source to get started. Many banks will not lend to startup businesses, making it even more challenging to get your business off the ground. Be tireless and persistent and you will eventually succeed.
Sadly, you should know that over four-fifths of all new businesses fail within the first five years. This is a scary statistic, but you need to go into your business with hope and optimism if you want to succeed.
Q: For entrepreneurs seeking to build a business as successful as yours, what one big piece of advice can you give them when times get a little challenging?
You need to make sure that you have hired the right people to help you. No one can perform all of the necessary tasks associated with starting a business by themselves. You will need to have foresight when it comes to choosing your partners. You need to have an excellent core team as well as people who can handle the day-to-day operations of your business.
Be especially careful about the legal and financial representation that you choose. You will have to rely on these people, especially if you are in the entertainment industry.
Q: In today’s fast-changing business environment, how do you stay abreast of things?
I take about an hour each day to check the news and my social media feeds. I feel that it’s important to stay on top of current events, especially in the sports and entertainment industries. Having a good understanding of what is happening in the world gives me opportunities to step in and offer my services to companies or people who may need them.
Q: What is your “Why”? In one sentence, why do you get up in the morning?
I truly enjoy working in my business. Every day is a new adventure for me, and I wake up raring to go. The spirit of inspiration is the number one reason I get up in the morning. Even when times are difficult, I get a lot of personal satisfaction out of succeeding in my business.
Q: In one sentence, what is the most important thing one has to do to be a great leader?
To be a great leader, you always have to be willing to accept feedback. Many leaders believe that their word is law and that no one is allowed to complain. I think that it’s much better to allow room for your employees to give you good and bad feedback on your activities. If your employees feel like they have to tiptoe around you, they won’t perform at their best.
Q: In one sentence, describe how important your customers are to your business?
We wouldn’t have a business without clients. We are focused on helping our clients achieve their dreams when it comes to public recognition and success. We try to make sure that our clients are happy with our services and that they have a good working relationship not only with us, but also with our industry partners.
Q: In one sentence, describe a positive way that technology can make the world a better place?
Technology makes the world a better place because it creates a way for people to connect. Without technology, we would be on our own little islands with no way of sharing ideas. Many people complain about the far-reaching effects of technology and the media, but people have been complaining about it since they invented the printing press. The spirit of progress is what makes technology successful.
Technology positively impacts my business because it lets my clients achieve a global reach. This brings them more public recognition and more financial rewards. Many artists and sports figures don’t know how to promote themselves, and this is where our company comes in.
Q: In one sentence, tell us how something positive motivates our readers?
One of my favorite inspirational quotes is “Someone’s sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.” It helps me to remember that no matter what we do in the present, we are building a future for our businesses. Our present activities may seem small, but they are laying the foundation for future developments.
Q: In one sentence, tell us how you start your day to get ready?
I spend about an hour getting caught up on the news, including social media. I like to do yoga in the mornings as well, it changes my attitude toward my day as well as making me strong and flexible. I like to think that yoga makes you mentally flexible as well as physically flexible.
I take time out of every day to meet with as many of my employees as I can, sharing their experiences and mentoring them. I think that starting out with a full understanding of your business’s daily activities is a great way to begin the day.
Q: In one sentence, describe how you handle rejection and setback?
My business is generally successful, but no matter how hard you work, not every day can be a great day. You have to be able to dust yourself off and figure out what went wrong so you won’t do it again. Self-reflection is a great way to deal with setbacks in your business, but you can’t blame yourself too much or you’ll never move forward. You have to forgive yourself for your shortcomings while working on ways to shore up your business’s credibility.
Q: In one sentence, describe what your hiring philosophy is?
My hiring philosophy is that I like to be open-minded. I believe that we may not always be able to tell which employees are going to be the best choice. You should take the long view when it comes to hiring and know that you can train someone to work in your industry. If you find someone with a robust work ethic and creative skills, you should snap this person up as soon as you can. That creative spark is rare, and your business needs as many inventive people as possible.
Q: In one sentence, describe how you keep your sanity in a competitive business environment?
I have to admit that this is a hard question for me. I throw myself into my work to the extent that I let other things slide. Sooner or later, this catches up with me and I have to regroup. Keeping your sanity in a competitive business environment involves making sure that you have the right staff around you. You need to know that you can rely on them if you find yourself unable to cope with a problem.
As previously mentioned, I have recently started practicing yoga. Yoga helps to ground my mental processes as well as making me healthier. You really need to watch out for your mental and physical health when you are in charge of a business. A lot of people crack under the pressure because they just can’t handle it.
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Lindsay Guion, thank you so much for participating in the DotCom Magazine Leader Roundtable Interview Series. We appreciate you participating in this important roundtable interview series, and helping our readers learn more about what it takes to build a great company and become a great leader. We wish you, your family, and of course Guion Partners, nothing but the best.
