After dedicating himself to a career as an inner-city teacher and collegiate basketball coach, Eric Allen embarked on a journey that led him to become a successful entrepreneur and philanthropist over the past two decades.
Eric Allen has founded numerous traditional companies across various sectors, touching the lives of millions of customers and generating billions in revenue. Alongside his wife, Casey, and their four children, Eric emphasizes the importance of the Golden Rule, community service, and making a social impact.
He has traveled to over 30 countries, speaking to audiences about personal and professional development, and enjoys coaching his children’s sports and attending their performances. Eric’s current focus is on raising standards in relationship marketing with the Nélo Life movement, aiming to create a global force for good through trust, transparency, and transformation. This interview explores Eric Allen’s insights on entrepreneurship, challenges, and his vision for the future.
Allen Family
What does your typical day look like and how do you make it productive?
Each and every day, we are listening to our Affiliates and Members, as we celebrate a co-creation mentality with our community. This reinforces that, as a movement, we are best aligning with our members’ hopes, dreams, and continuous, ever-growing value. Obviously, being in the start-up phase, with such lofty goals and a desire for positive global impact, there are a lot of balls being juggled simultaneously at every minute of every day. By staying well-organized and constantly prioritizing initiatives, we are able to continually meet both internal and external timelines and deliverables. Having tremendous passion and a ‘dream team’ corporate make-up, as well as tremendous servant leaders from all walks of life in our field development, each day feels more like play than work, albeit it’s a lot of fun commitment and tasks that must be adhered to.
How do you stay informed about industry trends and emerging technologies?
Many of the corporate leaders come from a direct selling, entrepreneurial background. We are also closely connected with top trends, technologies, organizations, and committees to stay abreast of best practices. We have a motto, that the ‘trends are our friends’ on this journey. Like many industries, the relationship marketing environment is currently going through a radical paradigm shift. Entrepreneurs and members looking for real value in their purchasing decisions are now well-equipped with instant information and past experiences to pull from. We must be willing to not only embrace changes and emerging trends but also not be afraid to step out on faith and constant feedback in being true pioneers and trendsetters. Not only being a part of the next waves of entrepreneurship, but also creating new waves and ripple effects of innovative thinking will set us apart as a true ‘category creator’ in the months and years ahead!
Can you recall a significant challenge or failure you faced and how you overcame it?
While some consider missed goals and pursuits as ‘failure,’ I consider them powerful learning lessons. Truly, by worldly standards, I have ‘failed’ more than I’ve succeeded! However, the massive successes that have transformed my life were all the culmination of learning through trial and error, highs and lows personally and professionally.
Winners in life just have a habit of getting back up more often than most when life decisions knock them down. Failing forward quickly has brought all of us to Nelo Life, pivoting quickly with superior technology infrastructure will allow us to maximize our truly unlimited potential to uplift lives and communities around the world together!
What is your approach to starting a new project?
The first question I must consider at this season in my life is whether this project will leave a lasting, uplifting legacy. Secondly, is there a viable market to sustain such ambitious goals and dreams? If the answer to both is ‘yes,’ then the key is to surround yourself with a talented, proactive team who share this collective vision. Remember, if you want to go slow, or not at all, go alone; if you want to go far and fast, align with talented winners who are empowered to spread their wings and help the movement soar.
What is the toughest decision you’ve had to make in the last few months? What was the outcome? Would you do anything differently today?
By far, the toughest decision is learning quickly which people are true partners and advocates, and which are ‘dimmers’ and timewasters. While we are all God’s children, not everyone at specific points in time when action and execution are needed is the right fit. With a finite number of minutes in a day, finding the right partnerships and leadership who inspire through action, competency, and heart-driven decisions is paramount in taking an initial thought and quickly manifesting it into real, inspiring substance in which dreams are made of!
What was the worst job you ever had, and what did you learn from it?
This is a tricky one! Really, any job I’ve had where I was at the mercy of others’ decisions and limited in income potential by the number of hours in a workday have taught me a lot. More importantly, it taught me that if we really desire global positive impact, we have to find platforms and vehicles that allow us to serve more.
Nelo Life is an idea whose time has come—a platform where people from all over the world and from all walks of life can participate in any manner they desire. At the very least, members of our community can enjoy the everyday value provided to their entire household.
Tell us about a skill you taught yourself. How did you go about learning?
I’ve never really taken a formalized course in interpersonal communication; however, I have made an effort to always immerse myself in social circles, big or small, to be around people who think differently, especially in entrepreneurship and charitable work. This expands our own horizons and creates a ‘new language’ in which to look from a different lens.
These situations are not always comfortable, nor do I always align with the thoughts and ideas, but it does ‘force’ me to interact and communicate with a diverse group of people. I also believe that people listen to WHO you are much louder than anything we say. Staying true to our values and convictions goes a long way in delivering information to others in a meaningful way.
What people in your life or career have had the greatest impact on you? How?
My mom has had a profound impact on me. As a single mother and full-time teacher, my brother and I never felt like we had less than others. She always used her creativity to teach us valuable life lessons and to treasure memories and experiences over things. She always taught me to do what is right, not what is popular, even if it means walking alone at times. She also taught me to think for myself and that while I am not better than anyone else, no one else is better than me! My mom is always the first person to support me in all my entrepreneurial endeavors. I feel very blessed to have a parent who instilled strong values and compassion in my life and I’m incredibly grateful!
What do you think it is that makes you successful?
I just don’t give up … ever! The more people tell me something can’t be done, within reason, the more I try to prove it can. Successful people tend to stay excited and committed longer than most after making their initial decision. They understand it can be lonely at times and recognize that great success is often achieved in obscurity. It’s the things we do day in and day out when no one is watching — all the ‘little,’ mundane things — that ultimately determine our outcomes. Many crave instant gratification and success, a common sentiment in today’s fast-paced society. However, the most successful people I know and emulate remain committed, dedicated, and have a burning desire to achieve their dreams.
What is the one book that you recommend everyone should read and why?
The Bible…no doubt the greatest ‘personal development book’ of all time.
This in-depth discussion with Eric Allen, Nelo Life founder, offers a comprehensive look into his mindset and approach to life and business. His focus on learning from challenges, maintaining a strong work ethic, and surrounding himself with like-minded individuals has been key to his success. Eric Allen’s journey from teaching to building Nelo Life showcases a commitment to creating a positive impact on a global scale. We extend our heartfelt thanks to Eric Allen for sharing his insights and experiences, providing valuable lessons for aspiring entrepreneurs and leaders.
