Business owners share tips at LGBT Network

Growing a business comes with many hurdles and challenges that require unique and specialized insight in order to properly tackle them.

That’s why the nonprofit LGBT Network hosted a Growing A Business panel made up of four business owners from various different industries to highlight both universal business strategies to consider and individualized methods for success.

LGBT Network CEO Robert Vitelli, who helps host events like this at their Bay Shore and Hauppauge locations, shared some of the biggest revelations and takeaways that the panel uncovered for any business owners to take note of.

Native plant nursery owner Anthony Marinello gave insights on the nursery and plant business while he was on the panel. Board-certified nurse practitioner and sports nutrition coach Kenya Crafton owns a medical-care business for athletes, highlighting not only her experience being in the medical industry, but also a smaller, one-on-one-focused business. Award-winning realtor Jennifer Nyx with eXp Realty drew attention to the unique workings of the real estate industry and finding your own place in it. Finally, CEO of Maggio Environmental, Stanley Lomangino, gave his expertise on overseeing waste management across Long Island and Southwest Florida.

A major element to consider when managing a business is your perspective and understanding of it.

“Knowing when you need to work in the business versus when you need to work on the business,” Vitelli shared. “If you’re involved in the business every single day with your hands in it, it’s much more difficult to step back to be able to kind of work on it. And when we say ‘work on it,’ it’s really about, what is the next move here?”

Through stepping back, you can provide yourself with a wider lens to really understand the bigger picture in terms of strategy. Whether that next move is ultimately concerning locations or a different line of business, Vitelli emphasized how this move will ultimately inform later decisions like growing your staffing.

Being able to identify your own role in your business and whether the level of effort you put into it needs to shift can also be a core element to success.

“For people to also know when they have to sacrifice themselves and put in the extra work to get it done,” Vitelli said. “Nothing good comes easy. There are moments when people really need to work hard and put their time in, and then there are other times where you also need to take time for yourself, and it’s really about knowing the difference between those two moments for your business.”

One of the simplest concepts could hold the biggest key to success with one’s business, according to the panel. This concept is having a passion for what you are doing with your work. Lomangino explained how his dreams were never about owning a waste-management company. His driving passion is running a first-class operation through dedicating time to prioritizing workplace culture and employee treatment.

Being queer as a business owner is another element that comes into play when leading a business. But the biggest thing you can do, according to Vitelli and the panelists, is to own your queerness.

“Not backing down or hiding who they are when asked,” Vitelli shared.