As a business professional, Jesse Willms has a “wide range of expertise across a number of industries and areas of interest.” He is also a “well-known business owner, entrepreneur,” and “internet marketer.”
Likewise, Jesse Willms is also a known as a “car history aficionado.” His reputation stretches in Las Vegas, Nevada, and across the rest of the United States and Canada.
Among the many brands Jesse Willms has founded is the company Dazzle White. While the venture didn’t last long, it generated a “staggering” amount of revenue.
Jesse Willms turned Dazzle White into “one of the most famous teeth-whitening pen products available on the market, with more than $50 million in sales.”
In 2010, Jesse Willms “focused on the distribution of information,” instead of “selling commodities on the internet.”
So, Jesse Willms founded the companies Penguin Leads and Car History Group. The latter company started in 2012.
With Car History Group, Jesse Willms hopes to “make it easier for interested buyers and car owners to learn the history of their vehicles either before or after purchases.”
Jesse Willms and Car History Group see over 3 million monthly visitors, who also check out its affiliate sites like vehiclehistory.com. These users “research the history of their vehicles.”
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Business challenges come out of nowhere and can’t always be predicted, so you have to be ready in case something goes wrong. Jesse Willms, VehicleHistory.com
Jerome Knyszewski: What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?
Jesse Willms: VehicleHistory.com stands out because we started with the consumer in mind.
Our first goal wasn’t to create profit but, rather, to build a company that saved car buyers money when researching their vehicles.
Jerome Knyszewski: Often leaders are asked to share the best advice they received. But let’s reverse the question. Can you share a story about advice you’ve received that you now wish you never followed?
Jesse Willms: The biggest thing I’ve learned is not to over diversify. Every time someone came to me with a good business idea, I pursued it.
Eventually, this led to me taking on too many projects and no longer taking care of my existing customers.
Jerome Knyszewski: You are a successful business leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
Jesse Willms: Persistence is the most important trait I have because I’ve lost everything due to lawsuits and poor business decisions twice in my career.
By staying focused and never giving up, I overcame those tough times.
Another important trait is being financially responsible and always putting away money and creating a nest egg for a rainy day.
Business challenges come out of nowhere and can’t always be predicted, so you have to be ready in case something goes wrong.
A big mistake I see is not being open to constructive feedback and ignoring all of the reasons that their ideas could be flawed.
Jerome Knyszewski: Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?
Jesse Willms: My recommendation to people is that there is more to life than success in your business.
Make sure that you’re always making time for family and taking care of your health.
I’ve seen many business owners focus too much on their businesses and forget to exercise and eat healthy foods.
Achieving balance in life is so important; a life where we get too focused on making money isn’t worth it.
Jerome Knyszewski: What are the most common mistakes you have seen CEOs & founders make when they start a business? What can be done to avoid those errors?
Jesse Willms: A big mistake I see is not being open to constructive feedback and ignoring all of the reasons that their ideas could be flawed.
By openly sharing our thoughts and ideas with others, we can get so much valuable feedback. This is a good thing and will help us evolve our businesses much faster.
Jerome Knyszewski: In your experience, which aspect of running a company tends to be most underestimated? Can you explain or give an example?
Jesse Willms: For me, the most underestimated area is hiring.
As managers, we often hire the first person that meets our criteria without working to find the best person for the job.
Early on in my career, I hired my friends, which was typically a mistake. As business owners, we should spend a lot of our time searching for the best and most qualified people to help our businesses.
Make sure that you’re always making time for family and taking care of your health. Jesse Willms
Jerome Knyszewski: You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
Jesse Willms: An important concern for me living in the United States is how unhealthy our typical diet is.
I think it’s so important to realize that our health is directly related to the foods that we put in our bodies.
Later in my career, I hope to spend my time building health websites to educate people on the dangers of processed foods and the immense health benefits of fruits and vegetables in our diets.
Jerome Knyszewski: How can our readers further follow you online?
Jesse Willms: You can follow me on Instagram @mrjessewillms and Twitter @jessewillms.
Jerome Knyszewski: This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for the time you spent with this!
