Business maverick turning ideas into reality
It would certainly be difficult, if not altogether impossible, to find someone better suited to be a Global Business Consultant than the versatile and vivacious Seth Tillotson. With a multi-dimensional experience as a pilot, entrepreneur, construction professional, and real estate expert spanning more than a decade, Seth is now turning people’s ideas into reality as a successful business consultant.
In September 2023, Seth established the firm – Your Business Consultation, member of the International Association of Professional Business Consultants (IAPO), in Bemidji, Minnesota, USA. He is now on a lifelong mission to help 50,000 people become owners and turn their ideas into reality. “No feeling is greater than knowing you played a vital role in increasing the overall joy in a person’s life,” he says.
Seth fought through many challenges and found growth and opportunity in overcoming each one. He has commercial aviation experience in helicopters flying cross country doing aerial photography. He flew down the entire Mississippi river and up the entire East Coast of the USA. He further obtained management experience from team lead to top-level including training as GM at Dominoes, maintenance dept manager, production line supervisor, managing member of 9 LLCs, and CEO/President of multiple self-owned businesses. Years of experience in trading stocks, forex, commodities, and cryptocurrency eventually made him a millionaire in 2020. He turned $2700 to $50k+ in 8 weeks, then $1.3M less than a year later. Not long after, his account got hacked and he lost all of it!
“From being homeless to financial security, I learned sacrifice and delayed gratification; getting married and divorced taught me patience and that everything, even suffering, is a gift; becoming a millionaire in 8 months to losing it all in 30 seconds in a cyber hack taught me that everything is temporary; and even though you can do everything perfectly right, life will still rain on your parade, so don’t get too comfortable. Whatever adversity I faced became something to work on overcoming. Every obstacle is an opportunity for growth.”
Today, Seth believes that ‘Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity’ (Seneca). He thus likes to be prepared for anything – good or bad. He’s currently working on transitioning from property management to business consultant focused on young and new entrepreneurs who have a business idea and drive but don’t know where to start. His inspiration for this change came from experiencing the happiness of those whom he helped transition from employees to business owners.
“My mission in life is to help 50,000 people start their own successful businesses. The joy of being your own boss, learning and growing, and having the freedom of choice that comes with owning your own business is unmatched for people who wish to carve out their own destiny. I’m focused on teaching the nuances of new businesses that are learned through personal experience, trial and error, and over a decade of study in Investment, Business Management, Leadership, Psychology, Fundamentals of Instruction, and much more. I aim to eliminate serious liabilities and prevent the failure of startup companies within the first years, often caused by the same mistakes I once made.”
This goes to explain why the mission behind ‘Your Business Consultation’ is to empower entrepreneurs to reach their full potential by providing expert guidance and innovative solutions. YBC is committed to helping clients succeed and thrive in today’s competitive marketplace.
A successful serial entrepreneur, Seth is also well regarded for his expertise in Property Management at Back Country Construction & Development (BCCD) since 2021, where he’s been responsible for more than 70 rental units. Since 2022, he has been a Salon Owner at Kut-N-Style, a booth rental salon for licensed cosmetologists, and Founder of House Commodities LLC, an online furniture store. In January this year, he created the Tillotson Construction Company, a family owned business specializing in residential remodeling and restoration services. In addition, he manages several other local organizations including Greenhead Flight Services, Puddleduck Properties, Specklebelly Properties, Ridgeline Properties, 4th Street Lodge, and Bemidji M&M Properties.
What inspires Seth to take on the risk of such a diverse portfolio, we ask him. He answers, “I want to leave a legacy of good relationships that can never disappear. I want my actions to positively impact people long after I’m gone, even if one person’s life is impacted in a positive way. I hope to encourage people to take a leap into the unknown. Learn to live outside your comfort zone, love the struggles, and realize all of life including the bad parts are gifts. Behind our worst fears are life’s greatest gifts. My biggest fear has always been public exposure, but I’ve gone from making social media profiles public to global publication in just a few months. It’s been the most enlightening experience of my life.”
Among Seth’s many achievements, the most recent ones comprise:
- Bemidji Area Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors welcomed Jacqueline and Seth Tillotson as the new owners of Kut-N-Style in Bemidji, June 2022.
- Featured in the The Bemidji Pioneer newspaper in July 2022.
- Inducted in the Marquis Who’s Who – Biographical Registry in September 2023.
- Marquis Who’s Who – Top Professional in Top Executives Series Honoree, October 2023.
- Close Up Radio Spotlights Entrepreneur Seth Tillotson – Close Up Radio featured Seth in an interview with Jim Masters in October 2023.
Yet, rather than content with being successful in the public eye, Seth lives with an inward focus to better himself every day. He holds that everyone has their own definition of success, but for him, the real competition we face lives within ourselves. To conquer another is to have strength, but to conquer oneself is to have power. The strong survive while the powerful thrive.
Recognising that success is never a solo journey, Seth credits the many men and women who played an integral part in his ascent. “I would like to thank everyone who continued to support me throughout my life, celebrating my achievements, helping me through the lowest points, and offering the opportunity to achieve higher goals and greater success. To the readers I say, never give up on your wildest dreams. Do one thing every day to work on bettering yourself, and one thing that brings you closer to your vision. Ask yourself two questions: ‘What am I not currently doing that, if I can start doing today, would benefit my life?’ and ‘What is one thing that I am currently doing that, if I stop doing today, would benefit my life?’ Be patient and in time you will make your dreams come true.”