Dr. DL Wallace is a Soft Skills Training and Development Expert with more than 20 years of experience in employee development, entrepreneurial development, organizational efficiency, and business strategy.
He is currently the CEO and founder of Success Training Institute (STI), the worldwide leader in superior soft skills training. Founded in 2012, Success Training Institute is an award-winning, education technology company based just north of Dallas, Texas. It currently serves colleges and universities, workforce commissions, school districts, and corporations from various industries. The customized learning platforms developed by STI include pre and post-assessments, individualized learning plans, access to data and analytics, and more. Their services are geared towards corporations and individuals looking to improve personnel through training in compliance, leadership, problem-solving, team building, customer service, and more.
Success Training Institute offers plans for entrepreneurs, college students, sales and HR professionals, and more. Priced to fit almost any budget, certifications can be earned in weeks, and most see improvements within days. Success Training Institute offers online programs designed to empower the workforce. The power-packed, 8-minute video segments can be taken on demand and have been proven to make immediate impacts on productivity, positivity, and efficiency on behalf of employees at all levels who complete the training.
Success Training Institute also offers college students the opportunity to increase their marketability after graduation through its Virtual Internship Programs. Students who are selected earn soft skills certifications to boost their resumes, earn extra money for college, and can work remotely.
Success Training Institute is recognized as a Top Innovator in Education Technology and cutting edge online training. With original content, unique and proven instructional method, and an evergreen library, STI is changing the professional landscape for students and companies worldwide.
MoneyCentral Magazine recently caught up with Dr. DL Wallace to discuss the hi journey to entrepreneurship and here’s what went down:
Could you please tell our readers a brief background about yourself and how you started your business?
I was inspired to launch the Success Training Institute in 2012 when I was the Executive Director of a Charter School I founded. During this time, I noticed the challenges new teachers were having interacting with students, parents, and each other. It became readily apparent that college didn’t equip them with the soft skills needed to succeed in the real world. Therefore, I developed and tested a soft skills curriculum on these educators and it worked even better than I expected. It literally revolutionized the culture, morale, and productivity of two campuses in the inner cities of Dallas/Fort Worth. It worked so well, we tested on our students and their parents. We got the same great results. I embraced the opportunity and the rest is history.
What are you currently doing to maintain/grow your business?
As a Black-Owned Minority Business Enterprise, we always feel as if we’ve got to be far better than the competition. Therefore, we’ve developed partnerships with numerous state agencies. We customize programs for colleges and universities, public and charter schools, local workforce boards, and more. By tapping into the vast government market, it has opened many doors for our company and given us added credibility. Also, we’re the only Ed-Tech company in the space that offers home-based business owners and other professionals the opportunity to earn money with us by referring retail and corporate business. Our Affiliate Program has helped us expand to other countries and keeps our pipeline filled with leads.
What social media platforms do you usually use to increase your brand’s awareness?
Our company is active on Facebook and Instagram. However, we’d like to do even more on social media because we realize the power of those platforms. Some people rely on social media for their news and information. We have plans on becoming much more active as our nation and the rest of the world to heal from the recent civil unrest and the global pandemic.
What is your experience with paid advertising, like PPC or sponsored content campaigns? Does it work?
We’ve had so much success with our Affiliate Programs and word of mouth that social pay per click campaigns have not been on our radar. Recently, we hired an organization to focus more on ads and we expect it will do well because of the growing need for online soft skills training.
What is your main tactic when it comes to making more people aware of your brand and engaging your customers? How did your business stand out?
Our company has seen great success with our philanthropic initiative that provides a soft skills training scholarship to the less fortunate when our paying clients earn certifications. The Global Success Initiative allows all our customers to participate in the betterment of our world. We are the only company in the world that offers a one to one match with education! Imagine unlocking the door for at-risk teens, families in poverty disabled veterans, and others to grow just by earning certifications that improve your own life and career. This initiative has really enhanced our brand, our credibility, and fulfills our mission.
What form of marketing has worked well for your business throughout the years?
For us, marketing begins and ends with relationship building. We take the time to get to know our potential clients. We spend time with them and cultivate a long term relationship that ultimately leads to a long term contract. Also, the success of our Affiliate Program has been a major boost; mainly because of the earnings potential of members can earn just by referring those in their circles. Our commissions on corporate deals range from 10% – 30% and those checks are impressive.
What is the toughest decision you had to make in the last few months?
Expanding our business overseas was a tough decision. The countries that need our product most have the greatest problems with internet connectivity. Additionally, laws and regulations in other countries are much tougher than those in the US. However, we could not deprive people of the chance to enhance their lives and grow their incomes by acquiring the soft skills they need to succeed.
What money mistakes have you made along the way that others can learn from (or something you’d do differently)?
Most of the time when business leaders think of money mistakes, we tend to focus monies that were spent unwisely. However, we actually learn just as much from what we don’t spend. One of the things I would change is not spending more money by adopting cryptocurrency policies. We’re finally turning the corner in this area. However, if we would have spent the money on the technology required to accept cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin two or three years ago, we’d be experiencing historic returns on our investment. We know now.
What new business would you love to start?
Training is one of my deepest passions and I’ve always wanted to teach others how to train. Therefore, we launched a new division of our company that allows professionals to become certified soft skills trainers. It’s 100% online and we even help them with leads on training in live settings. We’ve made it affordable and offer all the support to help our certified trainers succeed. It’s a great way for life coaches, public speakers, educators, and others to earn money with this valuable new skill. I’m excited to live out another chapter of my dreams.
If you could go back in a time machine to the time when you were just getting started, what would you do differently?
It may sound like a cliché but I have no regrets about any aspect of the journey with Simply Success. The lessons I’ve learned along the way were priceless and helped our company improve. In business, you either win or you learn and every learning experience is a necessary one if you want to grow. Thomas Edison learned valuable lessons from each failed attempt at the lightbulb. Like Edison, every lesson got me closer to the groundbreaking company we have today.
What is the best advice you have ever been given?
One of my mentors told me: “Whatever you do best, do most.” This advice helped me focus on leveraging my training and professional development skills. Doing this consistently led to the birth of the Success Training Institute.
What advice would you give to a newbie Entrepreneur setting up their first business?
Three Things. First, take the time to organize. Write your plans and goals, do your homework, and identify your resources. Organization is time-consuming but well worth the effort. Next, don’t be afraid. Fear limits your ability to focus, take risks, and make aggressive decisions. Move with confidence and never with caution. Last and certainly not least, don’t quit. Business success is very similar to running a marathon. Most people have the physical strength to run 26 miles with the proper training. However, many lack the mental toughness to keep running. Business success is based on our ability to keep running.