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Key Takeaways Turning adversity into leadership means embracing authenticity and building loyalty through empathy, not just authority.
Creating a company culture with soul and integrity is crucial to sustainable scaling and impact, not just workloads.
Entrepreneurship is deeply personal; leveraging your unique past and ensuring emotional well-being are keys to success.
Growing up in South Los Angeles, I didn’t dream of being a CEO. I dreamed of survival. When you’re surrounded by poverty, violence and limited options, “entrepreneurship” sounds like a foreign word. But later, I learned that the same grit it takes to survive can build an empire — if you learn how to turn pain into purpose.
Today, I run a multi-state human-services company and host a social-impact podcast called The Giovanne Show. But the lessons that got me here weren’t found in textbooks. They were learned on cracked sidewalks, in shelters and in the middle of grief.
Here are three things I’ve learned that every entrepreneur — especially those building purpose-driven businesses — should know.
1. Leadership starts where you broke
When I first became a leader, I tried to lead from perfection. I wanted my staff to see a strong, unshakable boss. What I didn’t understand was that authenticity builds more loyalty than authority ever will.
Early in my company’s journey, I lost my mother during the pandemic. It broke me. But being honest about that pain changed everything. My transparency made room for my team to show up as humans, not just employees. Productivity went up, and turnover went down.
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