“If you set your mind to something, you can do it, you can go anywhere.”

 

JB Owen, also known as the pink billionaire, is a bold female leader, highly successful entrepreneur, bestselling author, and mentor.
Forbes called her “the most heart-centered publisher on the planet.”
The Business Innovators Magazine called her “the world top female transformational leader.”
The following is the fourth interview of our Entrepreneurship 101 Series, featuring JB.

1. It’s an honor to speak with you today, JB. I would love to know more about your story. Give us some details about your journey as an entrepreneur.

When I was seven, I started my first business. I created Kool-Aid™ outside of my house and sold it to the kids in the neighborhood.

The next business that I started when I was nine was selling little handmade necklaces; this was when the entrepreneur within me was truly born. I remember making things creatively with my own hands — wonderful designs that would make ladies’ eyes light up.

I would witness their husbands or boyfriends buying it for them, and they would be so grateful. And I would end up with $2 in my pocket for every necklace I sold.

So I realized I could make things that people would absolutely love and enjoy with my imagination and creativity. I learned that people were happy to exchange money for a valuable experience.

This inspired me to be an entrepreneur, and I’ve had multiple businesses ever since. Everything from jewelry to a nail shop, designing clothing, building homes, teaching, coaching, and helping others get a job on a cruise ship!

I was very successful with a children’s clothing company that became very popular worldwide and with a women’s eco-friendly feminine products range; my current business is publishing books on a global scale. I love serving people, and I love finding solutions to problems, that is the joy in being an entrepreneur.

2. What do you specialize in and why should someone choose you over your competitors in your field?

Forbes magazine recently called me the most heart-centered publisher on the planet, it was such an honor because I take being a conscious business owner very seriously.

At Ignite Publishing™, we are unique because we specialize in helping people tell their transformational stories. We give them a platform to go through the process of healing, learning, understanding, and awakening from the gifts and lessons that come from those incredible Ignite Moments™ in our life.

Those moments are the special times and situations in your life where something happens that teaches you the kind of lesson that propels you forward into the greater version of who you are.

People choose Ignite Publishing because we care about the story’s authenticity and the author’s voice. We want your story to speak to the reader’s heart, and we want the reader to, in turn, be transformed. Many book publishing companies put words on a page, pages in a book, and books on a shelf.

We differ because we support authors in creating a transformational experience that will be life-changing in a profound way, help them grow their brand, and impact the planet simultaneously.

3. What are your three biggest accomplishments?

As an entrepreneur, I’ve been very successful with many of my businesses. I’m very proud of the children’s clothing company that I grew from zero to over a million dollars in less than four years, and it all began in my basement.

The company sold in 11 countries worldwide with multiple distributors. We gained a reputation as ‘the Lululemon of kids’ clothes’ because we focused on function, affordability, and practicality for kids with wick away, stain resistance, and UV protection. Making things that kids and parents want and need was very fulfilling and became more than a business to me; it was a commitment to my customers.

I’m very proud of my current business, Ignite Publishing. We have published over 700 authors in 47 countries, becoming international bestsellers in 13 countries and 197 categories on Amazon.

What makes me so proud of this business is that every story has touched the lives of the writer, the reader, and hundreds of thousands of people who are experiencing those stories and being transformed within themselves.

That’s a huge accomplishment to know that these stories are touching people’s hearts around the globe and inspiring them to do something different in their lives. When we Ignite our lives, we have the ability to Ignite others, and in turn Ignite Humanity™ and Ignite Possibilities™. I’m very proud of the ripple effect that Ignite Publishing achieves in making a positive impact on the planet.
I am also proud of my personal accomplishment of cycling with my husband, 5000 kilometers across Canada in 2020 and 6500 kilometers to the top of the world highway in Yukon in 2021. This has inspired me to accomplish our next goal of cycling 10,000 kilometers from Vancouver to Newfoundland this summer.Every time my husband and I cycle on our tandem bike, we raise money for charity to help those in need. But at the same time, we Ignite Possibilities and show people that it doesn’t matter how old you are, how athletic, affluent, or with any unforeseen obstacles in your path; anything and everything is possible. If you set your mind to something, you can do it.

You can go anywhere, overcome any obstacle, and make whatever you dream of possible.

This year we will be filing and documentary and docu series showcasing people who are igniting humanity with their initiatives and making a difference in people’s lives. I am super proud to be a part of creating a film and TV show that will inspire others to ignite their own lives.

4. What’s your piece of advice for readers who want to achieve wealth and success in life?

Wealth and success is a mindset. It’s a desire you have within yourself to reach your goals and dreams and a knowing that no one can stop you.

If you want wealth, you have to give first and receive second. If you wish to succeed, you have to make it transformational, not transactional. You’re both wealthy and successful when you put giving and transformation together.

If you want true wealth that is continuous, residual, and consistently abundant, you must understand that success comes from everyone being successful in every business transaction.

Too many business owners only care about the bottom line and the amount of profit they accumulate. Wealth is about making everyone wealthy in all kinds of different ways.

As a female business owner, I like to focus on the many currencies of success for my team and my customers. Personal, emotional, physical, and social wealth make for real wealth, not just in you but also in everyone you do business with. That is real success.

5. What is the key to a truly successful business?

The key is something I call the triple win. When everybody is winning in a business transaction, and everyone is benefiting, success and wealth are consistent, constant, and never-ending.

The business wins, the client wins, the customer wins, when the client

wins, and the client and the client’s customers win then we are truly a part of transformational and generational success.

6. What are the main challenges of an entrepreneur?

I think one of the main challenges for entrepreneurs is that they want it to be easy. They want it to be all mapped out for them.

They never want to make a mistake or take a risk. Too many entrepreneurs want someone to do it for them.

They want to hire people and farm things out without learning what needs to be done themselves. You can’t hire the right people if you don’t know what the processes are. You don’t know what the processes are if you haven’t done them yourself.

I believe there are a lot of entrepreneurs that think it should happen instantaneously, but the road to becoming an entrepreneur is filled with all kinds of twists and turns.

The most important part of being a successful entrepreneur is the journey of self. How do you deal with others? How do you resolve conflict? Where do you invest your money and your time?Who do you want to work with? What do you value? What’s important to you?
What impact does your company want to make?

These are all personal decisions that the entrepreneur has to infuse into their company and stand behind, and that takes time. It’s a process every entrepreneur has to do and many entrepreneurs don’t want to face these challenges.

They just want someone to do it for them or they want it to be easy. And they want it all to come from inside of a book instead of inside themselves.

You have to want to embrace the roles and conquer the challenges. You have to roll up your sleeves and dive in to get the results you are amazing for. No one is going to make your business more successful than you.

The challenge then is, how committed are you and how much effort do you want to make, in every area of your business to succeed. If you can overcome this challenge, you will make it as an entrepreneur.

7. How did you overcome — or are overcoming — these challenges?

Every single business I’ve ever had, I’ve always asked: How did I perform? How did I show up? What did I need to learn? What didn’t I know?

I always take the time for self-analysis on where I could have been better in the business, how I could have grown the business, what decisions I could have made quicker, or even taking my time to analyze more.

Entrepreneurs are often focused on profit or concentrate on market domination.

They’re often jumping on a fad or doing something because it made somebody else rich. The challenge is that you have to focus on how you are going to perform in your business.
What is going to make you continue?
Why would you do it even if you’re not getting paid?
Sometimes it takes a while before a business makes a profit.

You have to decide what’s most important to you. How are you going to stay committed? What is it about the business you have built that you’re always going to keep working on regardless of how hard it gets?

I’ve overcome these challenges by surrounding myself with great people who look at all the things I’ve done in the past for my businesses and analyze where it could have grown and improved.

I know that each and every person, including the team, has to benefit in the business. The team has to be growing.

The team has to be achieving their goals while working for me. And so, every single day, I look at how my business can be better, how my clients can be happier, and how I can improve as a business owner.

8. What’s your piece of advice for people who want to quit their 9–5 job and start a business?

If you want to quit your 9–5 job and start a business, you have to be willing to manage your time.

Many 9–5 workers want to show up at a specific time, want to take lunch at a particular time, and want to go home at the end of the day. Entrepreneurs don’t have that luxury.

So if you want to quit your 9–5 job, there is no such thing as 9–5 anymore. You work when your work needs to be done.

And you show up when things need to be completed.

You wake up early, and you go to bed late. If you’re willing to do those things and put your heart and soul into your business, you’ll be successful.

9. How can people find you?

People can find Ignite Publishing at https://igniteyou.life/ where we look for amazing individuals to tell their powerful, transformational stories.

I also coach and mentor business owners who are building their legacy brands with Ignite.

At a certain point in life, entrepreneurs decide that they no longer want to do their business simply for profit margins, but instead, they want to make an impact.

Now more than ever, entrepreneurs are looking to make that impact on a global scale. That is what Ignite and I aim to help them achieve.

You can find me at https://jbowen.website/ and on Facebook @thepinkbillionaire and Instagram @jb_owen_

I help entrepreneurs build their businesses, grow their brands, and create a message and meaning behind their community and movement.

Being an entrepreneur isn’t an easy process, but it’s an incredibly enjoyable one. When you have a mentor who can walk you through some of the highs and lows of entrepreneurship, you’re going to get there that much more quickly and be that much more successful.

10. Do you have any app, digital course, or book you would like our readers to know about?

Ignite Publishing has published 17 internationally bestselling books, which can be found here: https://igniteyou.life/shop/.

I currently have a virtual text mentorship program called the Ignite What’s Possible mentorship, where you can get daily motivation texts from me. You can learn more here: https://mentorwithjb.com/.

I also teach up and coming professional speakers how to craft their signature talk through an incredible speaker training program I run called Ignite Your Signature Talk.

Thank you for your time, JB, it was a pleasure to interview you.