Can you share more about your educational and professional background, and how have these experiences contributed to your success in the real estate development sector?

I grew up in an architectural and design-oriented family in Stuttgart, Germany. I began working at the age of 13 in a German architecture office for residential housing and new developments. In 2011, I was recruited as a 400m and 400m Hurdle Track athlete to a D1 school in the Nashville area. I studied finance and international management in college and have won financial awards. I quickly began to focus on real estate investments upon graduation. I have prior work experience in the European M&A group at Deloitte and in Equity Research of a $1.3bn fund at an Asset Management firm in Franklin, TN. Coming out of college and taking a real estate development and investment firm from essentially scratch to multi-millions has been a big personal accomplishment. I live for improving the lives of others and increasing safety in our neighborhoods.

How does Sapphire Development Group’s vertically integrated business model operate, and what strategies have propelled your rapid growth within the real estate industry?

I built Sapphire Development Group to be a vertically integrated real estate development and investment firm because I believe that the investor and client experience is much better when the same trusted team can assist all around with their real estate investment needs. My team delivers a one-stop-shop experience, from offering off-market deals and developing ground-up residential to helping others build and sell real estate portfolios. This means we provide our investors with a hands-on deal experience that includes access to off-market deals that can yield better returns, and also protect development investments as our Realtor Team, Your Sapphire Team, handles the sales aspect. Sapphire & Co. handles much of the real estate cycle in-house, which has helped the company grow quickly.

Based on your experiences, what key lessons would you share with aspiring entrepreneurs, especially in navigating challenges and building character?

Don’t ever quit. No matter how difficult something may seem, it’s worth the undertaking. Character is built during persevering tough times, and character is what will make all the difference in the world. I believe the saying, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going,” is what makes for successful entrepreneurship.

In what ways do you believe your vision for architecture and design, combined with an understanding of urban planning and human trends, has made Sapphire Development Group successful?

I believe it’s my vision for architecture and design that meets a deep understanding of urban planning and understanding human trends that have been inspired by having lived abroad in various cultures from Germany to China, as well as in metropolitan areas such as NYC.

What have you learned about the importance of communication and authenticity in business, and how has this understanding shaped your entrepreneurial journey?

I’ve learned that communication in business is everything. It’s vital as an entrepreneur to be able to communicate during great as well as during difficult times, whether that’s with investors, clients, or employees. I also have come to the realization that most people don’t know what they’re doing and that we all are just trying to figure things out as we go. We’re all in this human experience together looking for opportunities to grow, unfold, and be. The more authentic we are, and the more we feel connected within our community, the more successful our journey will feel as an entrepreneur.

What personal skills and attributes do you consider critical for your success, and how have they helped you adapt and thrive in various circumstances?

As a person, I’m very adaptable, open-minded, and durable. I’ve had to pivot and restart several times which has built character and perseverance. I love learning and get bored easily so I try to stay super active in whatever I do. I’m just a generally curious person; curious to learn about others and curious to figure out how to unfold my full potential in building businesses.

Why do you believe mastering online marketing and diversifying business models is crucial for entrepreneurs today and in the future?

I believe that attention is the new currency and that we, as entrepreneurs whether digital or more traditional entrepreneurs, need to learn how to market online well in order to stay relevant over the next 10+ years. I also love the diversification of business models within a business umbrella.

Can you tell us more about the Sapphire Developer Academy and how it aims to empower real estate professionals with the knowledge to succeed in development?

I recently launched “Sapphire Developer Academy” in which I coach Realtors, Wholesalers, and Investors on how to break into real estate development. In this program, I share the exact strategies that I’ve used to build a multi-million dollar company and how they can too.

To discover more about Joséphine Saffert’s journey and Sapphire Development Group’s projects, explore these links:

Company Website: https://sapphiredevelop.com

LinkedIn & Instagram Handles:

– LinkedIn: @josephinesaffert https://www.linkedin.com/in/josephinesaffert

– Instagram: @josephinesaffert https://www.instagram.com/josephinesaffert/

 & @sapphirdevelop https://www.instagram.com/sapphirdevelop/

More on Sapphire Developer Academy: 

Sapphire Developer Academy

https://academy.sapphiredevelop.com/developer-academy

Podcasts Joséphine has been featured on:

-Spotify Episode

https://open.spotify.com/episode/5vU2QrsBYqVsTlXmo0nhGW?si=BDwXOiSbQMSh6GE0YduZTA

– Spotify Show

https://open.spotify.com/show/3p1JTW0mx9auFQxns4vL7Z?si=lKEeBfBqQO6BbqPkvn1jew

The post Sapphire Development Group: Joséphine Saffert’s Blueprint for Success appeared first on CEO Medium.

Can you tell us about your background? Education played an important role in your life. Can you tell us more?

I live in northeast Italy in a lovely, picturesque old town called Asolo. My love for personal development began in high school, where I was trained as a kindergarten teacher. Over the years, I became obsessed with human sciences and decided to study how to help not only kids but also adults. Five years later, I graduated from the University of Padua with a degree in educational sciences and adult learning.

After that, I didn’t really know what I wanted to do in life. I was insecure about my abilities and not excited about what I’d been experiencing in the job world. After abruptly quitting a full-time job because of my boss’ “bad manners”, I read an article in a local newspaper. I discovered CIMBA, an American business school and Consortium of 36 American Universities located in Italy. It changed my life.

I began working there in 2001. At that time, I didn’t know English very well. I was first employed in junior roles. After 3 years, I became the executive education director of the school, managing training programs for companies and executives. At CIMBA I also had the opportunity to enroll in a Master of Business Administration (MBA) program, accredited by the University of Kansas. I completed the Program in the USA in 2005.

In 2007, CIMBA offered me the possibility of becoming a coach. I happily accepted and I was trained by Results Coaching System, now Neuroleadership Institute, in London, UK. In 2007 I became a leadership trainer and executive coach.

I gained my ICF accreditation in 2009 as an Associate Certified Coach and then in 2017 as a Professional Certified Coach.

What do you do today? And where has your path led?

I work with people and companies globally. I have about 2.000 hours of coaching practice — working mainly with executives and entrepreneurs. I’ve delivered 300+ training and facilitation programs for executives, in the USA, Europe, and the Middle East.

In March of 2019, after 18 years, I quit my full-time job in CIMBA and started my new venture. My big goal was not to be a freelancer, but rather a digital entrepreneur. I wanted to stop selling my time and performance. Instead, I wanted to develop online training and coaching programs to help business people develop their leadership traits and soft skills.

In the past year, I still collaborated with CIMBA Italy as a leadership trainer, MBA coach, and lead coach trainer in an ICF coach training program. My passion for coaching led me to also become an ICF mentor coach, helping coaches get their ICF accreditation.

Recently I developed two online courses in English for Udemy and one in Italian for Life Learning. I also created my online school on Teachable. I’m currently working on my Signature Program. It’s to help people develop the ability to face uncertainty while building effective relationships with others. You do this by using theatrical improvisational basic rules.

Years ago I took a few improvisation courses at The Second City School in Chicago. I was shocked by how many commonalities there are between coaching, leadership development, and improvisation. I’m now developing a training approach that combines these 3 dimensions.

How did you come about building your business?

I loved my job at CIMBA as a leadership trainer, coach, and executive education director. In fact, I remained in that position for almost 18 years, constantly learning new things and having the amazing opportunity to work with brilliant executives, entrepreneurs, companies, along with MBA participants from all around the world.

I loved the fact that the leadership program at CIMBA is based on neuroscience and solid academic research. This gave me the possibility to get to know international experts and scientists personally when they came to CIMBA to teach. On the other hand, at a certain point, I realized it was time for me to give space to my need to become an entrepreneur. I needed to go out of my comfort zone.

Years ago my MBA made me realize my calling wasn’t about becoming an executive in the corporate world. Rather, my calling was to be an entrepreneur. It was definitely time to answer that call.

I didn’t know anything about building an online business, or the e-marketing world. I didn’t even know how to make a basic video using my Mac. I had to learn — and I’m still learning — step by step. It requires a lot of time, energy, and persistence, but I love it!

How did you go about building your business?

I create online self-paced courses. I sell these courses on marketplaces like Udemy and Skillshare. I also have my online school hosted by Teachable, where my training programs are integrated with individual coaching support. This helps my students implement what they learn in their everyday life.

The topics are all related to developing emotional intelligence and people skills, with the main focus on job situations.

At the moment, by choice, I’m not offering in-company training or group teaching. My intent is to focus on and build my online venture.

As I said, building an online venture based on online courses from zero requires a lot of effort in terms of learning and testing new things. A high level of resilience is required. You don’t see immediate results.

Still, you need to trust and keep going. You have to take those actions every day to build results. I consider myself and my business “a work in progress”. I’m very happy to have 28,000+ students on my two courses on Udemy. Also, seeing my online school on Teachable finally live and my signature program taking shape is really satisfying. Step by step, my dream had become a reality. In August 2020, I published my first book on Amazon, “Improvise and Succeed “ and it was a great satisfaction for me”.

The Web is an amazing tool to reach the entire world with a single click. Still, connecting genuinely with people is key, and it takes time to build the relationship. I realized that what has been working for me until now as a leadership trainer and coach is not necessarily taking me to the next level.

To build an online community and grow my business, I needed to get super clear about the problem. I needed to see the required personal transformation/solution my audience was looking for, then clearly show them how I can help. Saying “take this course to develop your soft skills” is not specific enough!

Also, even more important, as Simon Sinek said, people buy “your why”. It’s essential to connect and feel my life purpose is honored through my business. In other words, what are my strengths? How do they make me unique? How can I help others using my superpower? So the key question is “How am I unique, and how can I help?”

I’m a good mediator and conflict manager, thanks also to my life challenges and my extensive training in coaching, leadership, and personal development. That’s how I can help others. Also, when I was a child I was a stutterer. Speaking in public was certainly not what I envisioned as a job for my future.

Thanks to my determination and all the support I searched for and found along the way, I’ve been able to overcome my challenges. At this point, public speaking, surprisingly, has become an important component of what I do. I want to use all the things I learned to help others achieve their dreams and fulfill their potential.

What skills and attributes make you as successful as you are?

I’m a good active listener and get along well with people. Also, my coaching skills, persistence, and self-motivation have been extremely helpful. Lastly, resilience, determination, and “whatever it takes” attitude have been an important force in my growth.

How do you feel about marketing in business? What is it about to you?

To reach people globally, you need to market your business. There’s no way around that. But, the time invested means gaining freedom, no 9–6 schedule, and making a difference on a global level.

Follow katiuscia Baggio on:

www.facebook.com/katibaggio

www.katiusciabaggio.com

www.instagram.com/katiusciabaggio

www.linkedin.com/in/katiusciabaggio

Author of Improvise and Succeed: 8 Steps to Learn How to Manage Uncertainty, Build Positive Relationships, and Live Well

Courses:

https://www.udemy.com/course/effective-feedback-to-shine-at-work-and-in-life/?referralCode=EB0458782FCCD03641A3

https://www.udemy.com/course/develop-your-listening-skills-to-shine-at-work-and-in-life/?referralCode=9695BACCEAB4C45CCBB8

www.katiusciabaggio.teachable.com

https://lifelearning.it/corso-online/corso-online-comunicare-con-persone-difficili-come-creare-relazioni-funzionali/?ref=8871

The post Katiuscia Baggio Has Combined Her Interest In Human Sciences With Education To Build A Business She Loves appeared first on CEO Medium.

My name is Lisa Collum. I am 36 years old and a mom of 4 kids (three busy boys ages 13, 11, 7 and my precious baby girl age 2), a loving wife of 14 years, and a proud owner of two educational companies. After several years of teaching in the classroom, serving as a writing coach and specialist, I started developing my own writing curriculum to assist students, especially struggling writers. In 2011, I founded Top Score Writing, Inc., and worked with a handful of schools locally providing daily lessons that teachers could use to make writing simple and fun for students. Since then, I have expanded my business and have worked with over 1,000 schools nationwide providing professional development for superintendents, administrators, and teachers on successful writing strategies and effective curriculum implementation. In the midst of my writing curriculum journey, I purchased Coastal Middle and High School. This school is not your ordinary traditional school. It offers lots of flexibility, various curriculum choices, community service projects, frequent breaks, and lots of small groups and one-on-one teaching. Between running two businesses and raising four kids, life is busy!

So was getting involved with ‘Top Score Writing’ a natural step for you and what was the sole idea behind it?

As a first-year 4th grade teacher at one of the lowest-performing schools in the district, I was assigned as the lead teacher in charge of teaching writing. I quickly found out that there were no resources available that focused solely on writing. This led me to the path of having to create my own writing curriculum. I worked tirelessly with the students using the lessons that I pieced together from my ideas, and I was able to dramatically increase the percentage of students passing the state writing test from 38% to 95%. I continued to revise my lessons and troubleshoot what worked and what didn’t work with my students, and for the next two years, I was able to achieve a pass rate of 100% on the state writing test. The following summer I spent almost every single day creating writing lesson plans based on the experiences I had in the classroom. The next school year I accepted a position as an instructional specialist working with various schools in my district. I was able to share my writing lessons and creative ideas with 75+ teachers in the most struggling schools. All of the schools I worked with had significant increases in their writing scores. After the birth of my third child, I left the district and took an online teaching position. This is when everyone started calling me and asking about my lessons and how they could go about buying them. So I googled how to start a business in Florida and that’s how I started Top Score Writing, Inc. eight years ago! I now work with thousands of schools across the nation and am able to share my way of teaching writing with teachers in every state!

A few years after starting Top Score Writing, I found out about a small private school in my area that serviced students in middle and high school that struggled in school, have dropped out, or just needed something different. I knew I wanted to own this school to be able to provide students with an alternative educational setting that best suits them. I purchased the school in 2015 and opened the doors in 2016. It is a very small private school with 10–15 students. I do not agree with the “one size fits all” approach to learning and I feel that some kids are different and need an alternate way of learning…exactly what I provide at my school.

Go in detail and tell us about how your brand works.

Top Score Writing provides teachers with the tools and resources they need to successfully teach writing in the classroom. With the curriculum, teachers have day-to-day lessons they can follow and creative activities that engage the students in the writing process. With our simple, comprehensive, and effective approach to writing, teachers are provided with everything they need to help their students become better writers. The Top Score Writing program includes curriculum for grades 2nd-12th, professional development for teachers and administrators, scoring of papers with descriptive feedback, tutoring, and ongoing teacher support and updates through email and social media.

What is your giveaway idea through this interview?

A free writing starter kit (downloadable PDF) that includes lessons and activities for a 2nd-12th grade. Please visit TSWstarterkit.com to download your free writing starter kit.

Explain the challenges you went through while you were working on brand creation. What are the challenges you go through on an everyday basis?

One of the biggest challenges for me was that I knew nothing about running a business. No one in my family has ever run a business and I went to school to become a teacher, so I am literally learning something new about business every single day. I had to figure out everything about a business from taxes to payroll and had to make some difficult decisions on things I didn’t know much about. On top of that, because I am really not a business person, I had to spend the last 8 years proving myself to everyone that I can run not one, but two businesses. I did everything by myself at first. I made my own copies of my lessons, put together binders in my living room, and shipped everything out to schools by myself. I don’t think people thought I was serious in the beginning or thought I could ever achieve this monumental task of being a successful business owner. My daily challenge is balancing it all. I have four kids and run two businesses and there does not seem to be enough time in the day to get everything done. It is crazy all day, every day. If one business is pulling me in one direction, the other business seems to always be pushing me in a different direction… which is on top of taking care of my four very active children. Because of this craziness, I am constantly making lists, figuring out my priorities, and trying to get everything done each day.

I went through a lot in my journey with everything from people turning against me, stealing my curriculum, copying materials, and putting their name on it to people questioning my expertise and the way I teach writing to students. But in the last 3–4 years, things have definitely started to turn around. I feel like I have finally proven myself. The first four years of starting Top Score Writing I was always second-guessing myself. Constantly! I was nervous about meeting with schools and trying to sell my products. I never even wanted to charge a lot because I was still unsure and not confident. But after a few years, the proof was there. The schools and teachers were giving great feedback and the scores from state tests were showing tremendous improvement.
Even with my school, I doubted myself. Here I am this 30 something year old who has never even been an assistant principal. How was I supposed to run a school? And a school with a tough group of kids on top of that? I started with two kids and now we are almost at capacity. Education and teaching are in my blood. I’ve known since I was five that I wanted to be a teacher and that is exactly what I get to do in both of my businesses.
This past year has been the year I can say I am 100% confident. I’ve been able to prove myself to everyone, I have years of success under my belt and I finally feel like I am able to take things to the next level and do more!

WHAT CLIENTS SAY about Lisa :

As principal of a Title I school, I can say this is the best program we have in our building. It is so simple and easy for teachers to follow. They have everything they need for daily lessons and all of the resources are included in the teacher kits. My teachers have the tools they need to feel confident in their teaching. Our ELA scores continue to soar because of this program. Highly effective!

Annemarie Dilbert
Principal — Crosspointe Elementary

I loved using the Top Score last year! I think my students grew by leaps and bounds. Your beginning of the year training was excellent as well!
My favorite part has been your email communication. You are very helpful throughout the entire school year, and provide great updates to teachers.

Jessica Lynn Harden — Teacher

I am a 4th-grade teacher at A.D. Henderson, and I have been using Top Score Writing for the past 2 years. This is an awesome program. It guides the students through each step in the writing process. It takes the stress out of the test because the students are successful throughout the process. Thank you, Lisa!!!!
Cheryl Rayman Akers — Teacher

How do you manage your finances through the services you offer. Any fundings etc received?

Both businesses were self-funded and did not receive any outside funding. I recently hired accountants to manage my finances for Top Score Writing and Coastal Middle and High School. They keep track of my monthly bookkeeping and yearly taxes. As of January 2019, my school received its 501(c)(3) status from the IRS and we are now in the process of working with grant writers to secure outside funding and donations.

Tell us your future vision about the brand. How far do you want to take it? What is your dream about taking it to the next level?

In 2019, you can expect to see Top Score Writing in numerous states across the nation. I am working on marketing strategies right now to help spread the word about the company and the curriculum. Our digital program is expanding from 3rd-5th grade to 2nd-12th grade. I am also working on new products for teachers to help make teaching easier for them. I am working on a few more “secret” projects that will be released later this year (follow my social media for the revealing). As for the school, my plan for 2019 is to help as many kids as possible earn their high school diploma.
I am also currently working on building my personal brand. I want to share with other women, especially moms, that we can do it all. My goal is to write a book to share my entire story, give tips, and show everyone how I was able to do it all. Plan on seeing me speaking around the country and sharing my story with women everywhere.

What message would you like to give to anybody who has a plan of creating something of their own and making a living through it?

My first piece of advice is to have a plan. I never just quit a job and went out on a limb and started a business. When I knew I wanted to start selling my writing curriculum, I would teach during the day and then I would go to the local copy store, make copies and come home to create binders of the lessons at night. Then I would ship them off the next day. I did not officially quit my teaching job until 3 years into the business when I knew I had enough money in the business to pay myself a salary. If you have an idea, start small and work on it on the side until it builds up. It’s going to be double work and very time consuming, but it will be worth it.
For those people that already have a business and want to reach their goals, the first step is to decide on those goals. Be realistic. Start with small goals, and again…have a plan. Don’t get discouraged if things don’t work out perfectly at first. That’s part of the learning experience and journey. Be patient, stay determined, and pray about everything. My faith is the only thing that kept me going and guided me along the way.

For more information visit:

www.lisacollum.com
 www.topscorewriting.com

The post A Legacy of Success: Lisa Collum appeared first on CEO Medium.