Welcome to Part One of my interview with Lelani Craig. Lelani is the President of CommGap International Language Services. With more than 25 years of experience in the language industry, she is an accomplished conference interpreter as well as a certified court interpreter. As a result, she is not just an authority on the language of business but knows a thing or two about the business of language.
CommGap is a translation and interpretation company which Lelani started in 2000. CommGap works with more than 200 languages. Additionally, Lelani owns Global 1 Voice, LLC which offers medical interpreter training, language assessment, language classes, and compliance consulting.
Lelani currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Association of Language Companies. She is also one of the organizers of the Silicon Slopes Localization group, a member of the Utah Women Tech Council, and recently organized the Utah Chapter of Women in Localization. In addition, she serves on Advisory Boards for The Global Chamber and Lango, a technology company. As a mentor and speaker for University entrepreneurial programs, Lelani frequently speaks for leadership and mentoring groups.
She received awards from “Count Me In” and American Express in 2004. In 2013, Lelani was selected by Goldman Sachs to participate in their 10,000 Small Businesses Program. In addition, she was chosen by Utah Business Magazine as one of Utah’s 30 Business Women to Watch in 2014. Furthermore, adding to her impressive list of accomplishments, she was awarded Hispanic Business Woman of the Year by the Utah Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in 2017.
Key Takeaways From Part One
- Don’t grow up – or at least don’t get complacent and lose the desire to know and ask questions
- Hang onto your inquisitive “I wonder what it would be like…” mindset
- If you don’t try it at least once, you won’t know if you like it or not
- Don’t be afraid to take the opportunities that present themselves
- It takes a while to learn custom and culture – give yourself time
- What makes you different can prove to be your advantage, so don’t shy away from the thing that makes you stand out
- Learn everything you can regardless of your role because it may add value to your entrepreneurial endeavor
- Resources, contacts, and network connections grow with time and experience. Eventually, as your business matures, the connections with software and systems speed the results
Resources Mentioned In This Episode:
CommGap International Language Services
Connect with Lelani on LinkedIn
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Lelani is amazing in so many ways. I’ve known her for a long time and she is consistently awesome. She does not back down from a challenge. Shortly after going independent with translation she was widowed at a young age; she was left with 3 young children and that’s where she began to flourish. It’s as if the challenge presented to her by life awoke in her a desire to go for it.
Thanks, Rob – I agree! Lelani is awesome. Perseverance in the face of hardship is the most difficult. No one would ever ask for that kind of challenge. I know our response is extremely important during difficult times, and I admire those who have done it so well. Appreciate you taking a moment to share your thoughts!
Sincerely,
Mark