When people find out that Mark Minard, the successful CEO of Dreamshine, has been to jail, it naturally comes as a surprise. Most would never think that the driven, self-motivated entrepreneur and author of a best-selling book, 16 Reasons Why Your Business Sucks, would have ever been in such a position. Unfortunately, Mark experienced multiple challenges throughout his life but refused to be held back by his past experiences. Instead, he persevered, making the best out of each situation while starting a business that would eventually become a massive success.
At the early age of 26, Mark came up with the idea to start Dreamshine with his sister, Amy. The duo has always been passionate about helping others and wanted to do something positive for developmentally disabled adults. Despite the ongoing recession happening behind the scenes, Mark and his sister decided to open the doors of their organization, and it has been onward and upward ever since.
“Amy and I knew that it was risky to start a business during a recession, but we didn’t let the doubters get to us. Instead, we focused on building a business centered around our clients. We wanted to provide them with new opportunities to learn different things, including life skills and social skills, which would help improve their quality of life,” says Minard. “When people found out about the business, they naturally took a liking to it and the many programs we offer. We provided something different from other businesses that existed, which helped us stand out and gain that edge. In addition, while most organizations focus on children with developmental delays, we wanted to focus more on the adults who could still use extra support and guidance through various programs.”
While the business has flourished over the past 15 years, Mark credits most of the success to the incredible team members who remain motivated and ready to help clients, along with his leadership skills. Knowing the importance of being a good leader, he’s made it a priority to be there when his team needs him while going above and beyond to provide the best experience possible for clients and their families.
“For people who’d like to run a successful business that grows over the years, I’d say it’s important to be a good leader. Many businesses suck because of the serious lack of leadership that leads to massive dysfunction and problems with retaining employees. Not everyone knows what they’re doing wrong, which is the reason I decided to write a book about the mistakes that people are making in business,” shares Minard. “The book touches on a lot of important topics to help entrepreneurs recognize their errors and bounce back from them. We all make mistakes, but if you want to make it far, you need to get yourself back up and focus on making improvements to elevate your situation.”
Because of his incredible journey, Mark Minard has also started hosting the Elevating Beyond podcast, where he offers helpful suggestions and advice on overcoming adversity to achieve goals in life.
