Travis Richey is one of North America’s premier Corporate Presenter and Peak Performance Experts. Travis is a veteran of hundreds of successful shows and presentations, a published author, and a mentor to professionals of all walks of life. Travis’ unique ability to uncover an individual’s “why” drives his motivation to impact the lives of others.
Travis’ own journey of purpose has been fueled with an unrelenting passion for empowering people to achieve greatness through adversity. From a childhood riddled with trauma, Travis’ gift and passion for seeing great potential and acting on it have allowed him to grow his career and perform to audiences worldwide.
Today, he works with leading brands to guide their teams through the high-stress, constant change, and fast-paced environment that is now commonplace. Travis shows each audience how to reconnect with what matters most so they can achieve any result, all while enjoying the ride of their life.
Please tell us a little bit about your company – what is AccomplishED Ventures all about?
AccomplishED Ventures provides job training, life skills, and reentry programs to the incarcerated and returned citizens.
Tell us a little bit about your background and how you started your company?
AccomplishED was founded out of need. Travis & Andrew are both justice impacted individuals who have not allowed a minor setback to be anything but a bump on the road to success. Armed with a passion to bring hope and awareness to the prison community and a Phd from the school of hard knocks, they set out to bring the incarcerated communities the curriculum it needs to help individuals receive a fair second chance.
What would you say are the top 3 skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur, and why?
- Grit – the road will become dark and your breath will become labored; you need to have grit to persevere.
- Hustle – I can teach you everything except how to hustle! Your desire to succeed must be like your desire to breathe daily!
- Sales – without revenue, nothing grows. Focus on the sales, service, and product selections.
What are your plans for the future, how do you plan to grow this company?
We plan to grow by working with Departments of Corrections around the Country to implement meaningful curriculum in their States to reduce recidivism and allow folks to implement life skills and job training while incarcerated.
How do you separate yourself from your competitors?
We go inside the prisons and sit face to face with the inmates and ask the difficult questions around current circumstances. We sit with them and discover their purpose and passions and help them craft a plan for their road to reentry. We believe reentry begins the day an individual is sentenced, not the day they are released.
What were the top three mistakes you made starting your business, and what did you learn from them?
- Don’t listen to the noise: no matter how wonderful your product or service might be, there will always be someone less than satisfied; this is life.
- Follow your gut: many people want what is best for you and that is usually the “safe” route; being an entrepreneur is anything but safe so stay focused on your path.
- Invest in yourself: every dollar you can invest in giving yourself more time is a huge ROI so you can focus on growing the business.
How do you go about marketing your business, and what has been the most successful form of marketing for you?
We market our business through word of mouth. The prison system is a small tight-knit group of Departments and individuals who know a great product when it brings tangible results. Our programs impact thousands of people nationwide each day and help them plan for their future.
What must happen for you to consider your business a success? and when do you predict it will happen?
I will only deem this business a success when we have changed the narrative around second chances. Everyone makes mistakes and those mistakes need to be amended; but we do not have to forget about the progress of the individual while they atone. These people will be released to society one day and we need to equip them with skills to be successful in the real world.
What is the one thing you wish you knew before starting your business?
I wish I would have been told that failure is as important to the process of building a business as the successes. Failure can be as much of a teacher as the wins can be if you humble yourself, learn from them, and pivot
What is your favorite quote?
“Our scars tell us where we’ve been in life. They don’t have to define where we’re going”
Who should we interview next and why?
Sister Mary Hodges – she has been visiting prison for 40 years with the Catholic diocese and she is a pillar of hope and redemption.
How can we get in touch with you?
You can visit my company website AccomplishED Ventures. You can also email Travis@accomplishedventures.org
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