76 Organization, Risk tolerance, and Service Orientation In Building A Successful Business with Gerri Knilans

Thinking That Matters with Elizabeth Mahusay

How did Gerri’s company adapt to the digital age?

Today, I had the pleasure of speaking with Gerri Knilans, a seasoned entrepreneur and the founder of Trade Press Services.

In this episode, Gerri shared her fascinating journey from owning a preschool and kindergarten to becoming a marketing consultant and eventually founding Trade Press Services in 1995.

She emphasized the importance of having a high risk tolerance and the willingness to pivot when necessary. She also shared how her company had to adapt when print magazines transitioned to digital formats. Instead of focusing on the negative aspects, Gerri and her team looked at what was possible and expanded their services to include writing white papers, blogs, newsletters, and more.

And one of the most profound insights from our conversation was Gerri’s commitment to a service-oriented mindset. She believes in the importance of building meaningful relationships by demonstrating genuine interest in others. Whether it's clients, editors, or team members, showing that you care about their personal and professional lives can significantly help building a successful business.

Moreover, she emphasized that cultivating thinking that matters starts with having a clear vision. This vision serves as the foundation for designing your mission, strategies, and tactics. Without it, it's challenging to achieve your goals and stay focused. She also touched on the importance of managing expectations and trusting the process. By staying connected and valuing relationships, you can find purpose and meaning in both your personal and professional life.

Key takeaways from our conversation:

• Gerri’s entrepreneurial journey from owning a preschool to running a successful marketing communications firm

• Learn about the importance of planning, risk tolerance, and service orientation in building a successful business

• Tips on cultivating a connected and motivated team in a virtual and local environment

• The pros and cons of AI

More about Gerri:

Gerri Knilans is the founder and president of Trade Press Services, a marketing communications and media relations firm. With more than 40 years’ experience as a sales and marketing professional, entrepreneur, consultant, author and educator, her mission is to help companies and individuals accelerate business growth by increasing visibility in the marketplace, developing a competitive edge, communicating more effectively with customers and prospects, and gaining recognition as experts in their fields. She has worked with more than 500 clients, from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies.

Since 1995, Gerri has set the vision for Trade Press Services and uses her wealth of experience to develop innovative and impactful marketing solutions for clients. She is a frequent blogger and has had more than 80 articles published in magazines and other outlets such as The CEO Magazine, Publishing Executive, Richtopia and Leadership Excellence. Gerri has been recognized as a top marketing communications professional by ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX.

Prior to starting Trade Press Services, Gerri was a principal in a marketing consulting firm, delivering proactive and practical marketing plans that increased sales and profits for clients.

She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and performed post-graduate work at Loyola University.

Connect with Gerri:

• Website- https://www.tradepressservices.com/

• LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/in/gerriknilans

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Know more about Elizabeth Mahusay:

Elizabeth grew up a self-starter who as a young woman prided herself on her independence and self-sufficiency. She found herself challenged to develop deep and meaningful relationships because of her prideful “know-it-all” approach to life and work. She projected that she was perfect yet struggled to deal with failure, thoughts of insecurity, and the feeling of inadequacy. Through her study of the Bible, time as an entrepreneur, and the accountability of some great mentors Elizabeth, is a transformed woman. Today, she passionately invests her time helping others transform their thinking.

Elizabeth is author of the recently published Transform My Thinking, God study on the book of Philippians. She has published over 170 YouTube videos and hundreds of Facebook Live videos ranging from topics of business building, daily encouragement/motivation, inspiration, marriage, and Bible exposition.

Connect with Elizabeth:

Facebook: @elizabethbmahusay/

Instagram: @ebmahusay/

Youtube: @ElizabethMahusay

Website: https://elizabethmahusay.com/