Tammy Levent – Elite Travel Group

Tammy Levent, owner of Elite Travel Group

South Tampasphere: What was your first job?

Tammy Levent: I started working very early in life. At the age of 12, I worked for my parents when they owned the Dunedin Grill in Dunedin, Fla. I made money bussing and serving. Coffee was 10 cents with unlimited refills and two eggs, toast and grits were something like $1.29. Still, I would run across the street everyday and deposit my tips. I was very proud.

ST: Did you start any businesses before you found success with Elite Travel Group?

TL: I was 18 years old when I started my first company. Marathon International was an export company that would sell 220/50 volt appliances overseas primarily to Greece and ship their personal effects, as well. It was my first taste of owning a business, and the rest is history.

ST: What are some of your favorite local nightlife spots?  Drink of choice?

TL: My favorite local nightlife is a tough choice. I like hopping around from one club to another and making my presence known around town. I have several events a night to attend. I usually double and triple book myself! Actually, my favorite place to be is wherever my friends are. It is not the place that is important, but who you are with that is the key. As for my favorite drink, I would have to say straight Belvedere on the rocks with 3 limes. My new favorite mixed drink is my Tammytini, made especially for me! I’m going to trademark it!

ST: What do you do in your free time?

TL: I am a very busy woman, but when I have free time, I absolutely love to travel. If I’m not in some exotic locale, then I like to stay home and relax with my family.

ST: If you could plop down a business right in the middle of S. Howard ave, what would it be?

TL: South Howard Avenue has many wonderful clubs and restaurants, but what it doesn’t have is a social bar where you can bring pets! I have noticed many residents walking around with their pets. There should be a place where you can socialize and that has a bar area for pets, too. I have seen it done somewhere else in the country. Why not here?

ST: How did you market your business when you started?

TL: Starting my business was difficult. I started in the minus, so for me, the most important way to promote and run my business was to network and partner with others. Bring in a close group of people that you can trust and learn to succeed together. Also, I believe in asking for referrals. Word of mouth is very powerful.

ST: What are some top skills needed to succeed as an entrepreneur or business owner?

TL: To succeed as an entrepreneur or business owner, you need to stay focused, organized, and honest and always be passionate about your business and your clients. Keep your word! Be good to your employees. The economy is in a very low place right now. Instead of giving less, you need to give more, and ask for more from your employees. When you need them the most, they need you. If you treat them well, they will be there for you and give you 200 percent.

ST: What have been some, if any, of your failures? And have you learned anything from them?

TL: My past failure has been to trust the wrong people. Check credentials and be smart about the risks you take. I have taken too many chances by giving someone the benefit of the doubt. It takes double the effort to gain back what you lost from a risky decision.

ST: if you had the chance to start your career over again, what would you do differently?

TL: Although I have been very successful, I would have liked to have gone to college. I went right from high school into the work force and then started my first company. I used common sense and read a lot about the business world, but I would love to have a degree behind me.

ST: What would you say are the top three skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur?

TL: The top four skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur would be patience, passion, negotiating and taking risks. You need to have these qualities, despite the challenges.

ST: How far are you willing to go to succeed?

TL: I push myself and everyone around me above and beyond the limit. I do not take no for an answe

ST: What is your greatest fear, and how do you manage fear?

TL: I have learned that there is no place for fear in business. I used to be so afraid of failure. When I first started my company, I was worried about what everyone thought of me and my business. After 9/11, I realized that if I could survive the catastrophe in the travel industry, I could do anything. There is no time to worry about things out of your control. Be humble, don’t live beyond your needs and don’t be greedy.

ST: What has been your most satisfying moment in business?

TL: My most satisfying moments in my business are when I hear from people all over the world. I get emails from people who have heard great things about me and my business and would love for me to plan their trip or destination wedding. It feels great to know my reputation is spanning the globe.

ST: What do you feel is the major difference between entrepreneurs and those who work for someone else?

TL: Entrepreneurs are risk takers! We are not afraid of change and are the ones who make a difference. It is not easy to be an entrepreneur.

ST: How do you go about marketing your business? What has been your most successful form of marketing?

TL: Marketing is such an important aspect of running a successful business. Currently, I blog and participate in social networking. I write articles for various magazines, showing my expertise in my field. I am selective about advertising online and in magazines, picking the ones that will reach my audience the best. I use Search Engine Optimization of my websites. Also, events to promote my business and strategic partnerships are essential.

Tammy can be reached at Tammy@EliteTravelGroup.net or you can view EliteTravelGroup.net for more information on her company.

Brandon Scivolette – Elite Moving Labor

Brandon Scivolette, Owner of Elite Moving Labor

Eighty-five hour work weeks.  Two companies to run.  High-intensity workouts five days a week.  Welcome to the life of south Tampa resident and serial entrepreneur, Brandon Scivolette.  He sat down with SouthTampasphere.com recently to discuss his busy schedule, his love for south Tampa and his promise to throw the staff here at ST a party at Hooters.

South Tampasphere: Where in south Tampa do you live?

Brandon Scivolette: The Harbour House at Bayshore and Howard

ST: What do you do for work? About how many hours a week do you work?

BS: I own Elite Moving Labor and CraigslistDelivery.Com. I work 80-85 hours per week.

ST: Did you start any other businesses before you found success with your company, Elite Moving Labor?

BS: Yes, my first company was “Interesting Proposals,” which was designed to be an event coordinator for wedding proposals. In short, the concept was to create, plan and carry out unique wedding proposals. For example, if your girlfriend was a die hard fan of Aerosmith and you wanted to propose not just at the concert, but on stage followed by Aerosmith playing her favorite song. Although the concept had a great following, the capital required was excessive and the target market was very limited.

ST: How was the start-up phase of Elite?  Did you immediately find success or was there a time period when you didn’t think it would work?

BS: Elite was never designed to be what it is today.  It was originally designed to be a full service express mover from the east to the west coast, which at the time was seeing exponential growth.  Because of the overhead, start up costs and licensing required to become a full service moving company, we put it on hold and found success with the labor niche.

Our first summer was extremely busy and prosperous, but we found out in our first winter that there is a “busy season” and without a great residential demand, web presence or commercial contracts we wouldn’t survive. I knew we’d make it to our second year, but from November until April money was extremely tight.

ST: Recently your company moved Hulk Hogan’s ex-wife, Linda Bollea, in the Clearwater area.  How did you land that job?  Do you have any more upcoming celebrity moves?

BS: Elite landing the Hogan move was a combination of two things: The success of our web presence and that we are the most widely recognized moving labor firm in the United States. We have spent tens of thousands of dollars and thousands of man hours developing our web presence, we currently have 36 domains and are constantly adding features to increase our search engine rankings.  We have a Mel Gibson move in the pipeline and our contract calls for up to 25 celebrity moves per year.   At this time, however, I am not sure of who they will be.

ST: What are some of the pros and cons of owning a business?

BS: The pros are obvious: Freedom, being the boss and ultimately having control over your own success or failure. There are many cons too, most notably the time commitment. Many people are so used to being “on the clock,” they don’t understand that they may need to work thousands of hours without being paid a cent.. it’s part of being an owner. The stress and financial strain in the early years can be a major hindrance both physically and mentally.

ST: Are there any entrepreneurs you look up to?

BS: Two – Steven Jobs, the founder of Apple and Pixar Studios (now owned by Disney), and David Neeleman, founder of JetBlue. Both have an amazing ability to create a cult like following and they know how to have fun doing it.

ST: Running two businesses must be stressful at times.  What kind of exercise program do you follow to stay in shape and keep the stress at bay?  Which gym do you exercise at?

BS: I work out at Choice Fitness (formerly Xtreme) in South Tampa. I have found that heading to the gym as soon as my day ends really helps to keep the stress at bay. I currently do a mixture of strength training and cardio, mostly high intensity cardio like boxing.

ST: Where are your favorite places to enjoy the nightlife in Tampa?  Favorite restaurant(s) as well? And drink of choice?

BS: I’m of course partial to anything on Howard, although on occasion I do like Hyde Park Cafe and The Rack. MacDintons and Cheap are my two favorites and I drink Michelob Ultra, tequilla shots or Red Bull/vodka.

ST: What is south Tampa missing?  What is great about south Tampa?

BS: South Tampa is missing nightlife entertainment that does not require you to eat or drink. If you stroll Howard Avenue or Platt, your only entertainment is restaurants or bars.

ST: If you could plop any business, restaurant or other establishment down right in the center of south Howard Ave, what would it be?

BS: I’ve contemplated this idea before and explored the concept of a miniature golf course on Howard Avenue.  Unfortunately, despite the recession, Howard Avenue real estate remains pricey. Because of the large capital commitment to the land (both leasing and buying), a restaurant or bar are the only two options poised for success. I personally would create an open, relaxed enviornment similar to MacDintons with a beach theme.

ST: Do you have plans to start any more businesses in the future?

BS: Quite a few.  I’m always looking for ways to offer additional services to our customers. Two projects we are working on include a web based broker program which is basically a spin off of our current nationwide program, and a College Hunks Hauling Junk franchise in Pinellas/Pasco. The credit crunch has limited our ability to borrow as much as we require for the College Hunks start up, but it’s still in the pipeline for future development.  In addition to those, my dream business that I plan to start in the next three years is a hotel in Aruba. I’d like to build a resort hotel with the first Margaritaville in Aruba.

ST: In a year, it will be SouthTampasphere.com’s first anniversary.  What generous gift will you buy for our staff?

BS: I’ll throw you and your entire staff a wonderful bash at the local Hooters.

Brandon can be reached at brandon@elitemovinglabor.com, and you can book his moving labor services via Elite’s website, http://www.elitemovinglabor.com.