Member Spotlight on Robert LeBlanc
Member Spotlight on ROBERT LEBLANC
Managing Partner, Lifestyle Revolution Group
Interview conducted by Winnie Hart, Communications Director
Please tell us briefly about your company.
Lifestyle
Revolution Group is an entertainment development company. We began with
just one music venue in New Orleans' Warehouse District, Republic New
Orleans, and it has since evolved into a company that develops,
markets, and manages entertainment spaces such as restaurants and bars.
We have recently expanded into doing branded event management for
corporate sponsors and advertisers.
Why did you join EO and how long have you been a member?
I
joined because EO's Accelerator program had a profound impact on
allowing us to get a handle on Lifestyle Revolution Group (we were
going "mach 3 with our hair on fire" but we had no idea where we were
going or what we were doing), leading directly to its growth and
development. I can only imagine what might lie ahead with becoming a
full-on member of EO.
How did you come up with an original idea for your business?
I
really come up with original ideas very normally through ordinary life
circumstances. Situations that present themselves in the ordinary
course of a day will create a spark or an idea, which I then
personalize to see if I, as a guest or customer, would be interested in
participating in that idea. If so, at that point, it becomes reality.
What do you like best about your business?
I
enjoy the fact that we can create really innovative ideas and concepts
and see our guests reactions to them in real-time. If it is a great
party or event, or a beautifully designed space, people's reactions let
you know that you have done something well. Most enjoyable, though, is
being able to foster a team of young talent and the process of teaching
them to execute their own ideas to give them that same satisfaction.
How much money did you have to invest to start your business?
$30,000
What is your proudest accomplishment to date in your business?
Being
a factor in the rebuilding of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina by
engaging and captivating young people who either moved here or returned
here after the storm to establish a sense of community among them so
that they might stay in New Orleans.
When did you first realize you were going to be an entrepreneur?
When I had a course during my pre-Med curriculum at Loyola entitled "The Cell"
that required a 1200 page text book. I learned as much about the human
cell as I wanted to during one week in high school Biology class.
What do you feel is the greatest accomplishment in your entire life?
I'm
very proud of my situation in both my professional and personal lives
(married to a very patient and wonderful wife named Danielle), but I
think it might be a bit premature for me to declare a "greatest
accomplishment." Can I table this question for 15 or 20 years?
What are your greatest personal strengths?
I'd
probably say that optimism is my greatest strength. Optimism in people
allows you to see their potential and allows you to get the most out of
them. Optimism also allows you to see opportunity where cynics or
pragmatists wouldn't dare. That makes all the difference, I think.
Why do you think you have been successful?
Support from friends, family, teachers and mentors; luck; humility; work ethic.
What is something you hope will be written about you in your obituary?
"A true man for others..."
What are the most influential books that you have read?
The Count of Monte Cristo because it inspires you to believe that anything is possible and that your life is what you make of it.
If you could spend an entire day with one person who would it be?
George Washington
What advice would you give to young entrepreneurs?
Take the chance. You won't regret it even if you fail.
