Meet The Entrepreneur Behind The Cover Of The September 2022 Issue Of Global Millionaire: Elton A. Hollis, III

A veteran entrepreneur, Elton A. Hollis, III helps businesses succeed by utilizing his 25 years of experience in the Oil and Gas Construction field – he provides consulting, training, executive coaching, and all facets of safety management and compliance services to clients in the industrial, commercial and small business industries. In fact, he’s the co-founder of Small Business Friday! video podcast with his partner Joe Tant. It’s a podcast that helps small businesses to get their names out there at no cost. They currently stream on Spotify, Apple Podcast, TikTok, and YouTube.

Elton is the owner of Hol-Tech Resources, LLC – a full-service consulting service that provides guidance and training in the Safety, Quality, and Compliance realms. He also happens to be the General Manager of RT Technical Solutions LLC, where he helps lead their team to the forefront of the Industrial Electrical and Instrumentation fields. Besides his executive work, Elton is a Golden Triangle Industrial Group co-founder and Vice Chairperson for the Contractors Business Development Group.

A multifaceted business leader, Elton has held a wide range of titles, from Field Laborer to Executive Ownership, during the course of his career. His diligent work attitude combined with creative critical enables him to problem solve for his clients. He is well-regarded in the Safety and Training field for his Small Business training grant work in collaboration with Lamar Institute of Technology. Hence we’re not surprised he has been featured in several magazine articles such as VT Post (named in the Top 100 Entrepreneurs in Texas), Elitepedia, The Los Angelers, Refine Post, and The Global Celebrity. He is also a proud recipient of the 2022 BBB Torch Awards for Ethics Award for Microbusiness.

Elton is a highly sought-after mentor who coaches entrepreneurs across the country – he teaches and encourages entrepreneurship by conducting marketing meetings, events, and numerous mentor speaking engagements. He is also an author – in late 2021, he published his first book, “Creative Problem Solving,” and he has now published his second book, “Buy Into Yourself First,” which outlines successful business development tactics.

Global Millionaire recently caught up with Elton to discuss his journey to entrepreneurship, and here’s what went down:

When did your entrepreneurial flair first reveal itself?

I had the opportunity to be involved in starting a company early in my career, at age 26. I can’t lie; I was scared to death. I almost turned the opportunity down and talked myself out of it. Instead, I took a chance, and from that first day and all the brainstorming we did, I was hooked!

How did your life look like before being an entrepreneur?

The complete opposite of an entrepreneur, or so I thought. I was concentrating on just learning crafts in the field, making money, and raising my kids. I had no clue these basic things would be immensely important in forming a solid foundation for starting several companies.

As an entrepreneur, what is it that motivates and drives you?

I enjoy the new challenges every day. It’s never melancholy or boring; always a new problem to solve. Also, there is just something exhilarating and sometimes stressful about building a work family and watching it grow at your company.

What do you put your success down to?

Without a doubt, it’s been because I was taught to help people – even people I didn’t like or agree with. I learned from working with my dad that there is an art and satisfaction to making the person above you look like a superstar, even if they are not. People recognize that , maybe not a first, but always eventually.

What would you say are the key elements for starting and running a successful business?

Hard work, forgiveness, and thick skin. Hard work is the foundation for anything you do in life. Forgiveness, because you will be done wrong somewhere along the way and because you will also mess up, and both parties deserve forgiveness. Thick skin, because being offended or constantly feeling you are attacked keeps you on the defensive. Defensive units are built to stop things; Offensive units are built to advance. Entrepreneurship is all about advancing.

As you grew the business, what have been some of the most important leadership lessons you have learned?

The top two business lessons I have learned are:

1. It doesn’t take a big person to carry a grudge. It really doesn’t pay to be offended in life, especially in business. I’ve learned the best thing to do is to really try and understand the situation and see if it may apply to you, no matter how it feels at the time.

2. Tough or difficult advice is sometimes just what you need. I call this “Brahma Bull Advice” because, just like a Brahma bull, it is usually:

a. Not always pretty.
b. Usually right up in your face.
c. Hardy and can withstand anything.

What do you hope to see happen in the near future for small businesses all over the world?

I hope this trend of blossoming small businesses will continue to succeed. Seeing these owners take full advantage of state and federal resources is awesome. Also, I’m highly optimistic to see these owners reaching for any type of higher education they can find. Hard work and common sense have always been needed in small businesses, and I love seeing them become popular again these days.

Creatie Your Legacy