Workspace by Rockefeller Group Success Story: Meet Lee Pomeroy
Interview with Lee Pomeroy
Are you wondering of if Workspace by Rockefeller Group is right for you? Are you not sure if you will actually be surrounded by likeminded business professionals? Meet one of our longtime members, Lee from Executive References LLC, a company that provides due diligence referencing for recruiting executives. Read Lee’s success story to learn valuable success tips like how his company’s core value for “quality first service” has made his business successful over the last decade without spending money on marketing and advertising.
Profile:
- Full Name: T. Lee Pomeroy II
- Company Name: Executive References LLC
- Position in the company: CEO
- Years at the company: 15 years
- Location at Workspace by Rockefeller Group: 45 Rockefeller Plaza
Q1. Please tell us how you got started with Executive References.
I’ve been in the industry over 28 years, but when I got laid off from a company that I used to work for, my friend told me to start the business using my expertise. It is ironic because I never really imagined myself becoming a business owner since I was not really an entrepreneurial type to start with. But fifteen years ago, I decided to go for it. For the first couple of years, there were some times when I was not sure how the business was going to continue, but by focusing on delivering high quality service, it eventually took off and has grown through word of mouth.
Q2. Lee, you seem pretty laid back, yet your business has been successful for over a decade. How do you attract clients without a big sales force?
I was always helping people out when I worked in a corporate environment. The team would always come to me for some help and I would always help them out, and I was known to be the go-to person in my office. I think that sort of helped building my own business because our company also values helping clients and providing the value added services. Today, even with my own business, I am still serving as a go-to person in a similar sense, as our clients contact us or refer us as a go-to place. Perhaps the best sales person may well be the best “helper” in some sense.
Q3. Would you share some success tips to grow a successful business without marketing or advertising?
One thing that perhaps goes for any business in any industry is to focus on quality, and good results will follow. For us, the focus has always been helping clients and doing things right. What I mean by doing things right is that we’ve always taken the extra and additional steps to deliver value to our clients. Our unique referencing projects sometimes require connecting to the right people on a very tight timeline, but we have always committed to delivering the results to our clients. We also put our emphasis on guiding and navigating clients through the process, so that clients will feel comfortable working with us.
Q4. Any success tips for people considering pursuing a similar path?
Definitely work hard, go the extra mile, and don’t be afraid to work more! Find your expertise first regardless of the industry. Find your core expertise, skills, and competencies, where you can provide value, then trust it, expand, build, and develop more of it. Know that if you do something extremely well, you will find a market for it, so don’t shy away from working more to build your core strength. Also, focus on quality while you build your core strength. When people see the quality and value in your expertise or the skills you offer, the rest will follow.
Q5. Why did you decide to locate your business at 45 Rockefeller Plaza?
Lee Pomeroy tells us that they found Workspace by Rockefeller Group coincidentally, but it is in a very convenient location and we are really happy and pleased how everything is available in a block or two. It is the central site for tourists in the US, and attracts almost everyone that comes to the US on business! We never get the question, “where is that?” from our clients, and besides the physical legitimacy and presence, the Workspace by Rockefeller Group also offered us great and flexible arrangements for us throughout the years. So since we’ve been here since 2000, we haven’t thought about moving because of its convenience, location, and flexibility.
Thank you very much for all your great tips and advice, Lee!
