Launching a business & building a brand with Kamaka Martin
[ music playing]. Um, thank you so much for, um, joining today and I just want to welcome you to, uh, the webinar, uh, building, uh, launching a business and building a brand. Um, so first, uh, we'll start with some introductions. Uh, I am, uh, Kabaka Martin.
I am the founder of, uh, better insight. Um, it's a consulting company, um, and I'm joined by Jocelyn Thompson who is also, um, going to be, uh, the panelists on this, uh, webinar today. So just a little bit, um, about each of us, um, before we get started. Um, so as I mentioned, I am the founder of better insight, um, which is a consulting company that's focused on providing leadership, training and coaching, uh, to new seasoned and aspirational female managers. Um, I focused on building authentic relationships with women to help them understand and navigate the professional challenges they face. Um, so I provide one-on-one coaching and also, um, I lead a quarterly virtual workshop series called lead the way positively, um, where attendees learned how to become skilled in professional self-advocacy.
Um, we also have Jocelyn, um, she is a human resources professional, um, who founded work vision consulting in 2020, um, in the middle of a pandemic. Um, you know, we know how that grows, um, if you joined us for our last session, um, but, uh, work vision consulting is a boutique HR consulting company that focuses on diversity, equity and inclusion. Um, it is a values based company, um, striving to create a new way of work that allows people to be their authentic selves and achieve peak performance. Um, so today we're going to focus on how to launch a business and build a brand in the HR consulting space, um, and how to move from a business idea to developing a business plan, launching the business and what it's like to build a brand, um, that sets you apart from other companies with similar offerings. Um,
I'll be asking Jocelyn a few questions, um, but definitely feel free to add questions to be a Q and a, um, and we'll be sure to weave those questions in during the discussions. So definitely use that Q and a feature to ask your questions. Um, so without further ado, we'll go ahead and get started, um, as some of, you know, really excited about today's discussion. Uh, I think we were chatting earlier. We were both, uh,
so like looking forward to it, we were both woke up yesterday like today, but here we are. Um, and just really excited to, to have the opportunity to chat with you. Um, both as entrepreneurs, both as women, both, um, you know, who are really trying to lead with authenticity. Um,
so how about you tell us about your professional background prior to starting your business? Yeah, absolutely. So I have, uh, 14 years of experience after college where I was a people manager and then also, um, human resources experience. And so I actually started, I went from being a people manager to working in human resources and I started my HR career seven years ago.
I have a lot of different areas where I have experience in HR, different industries. Um, a lot of my experiences in hospitality, I've also worked in manufacturing and education, all kinds of different experiences. And so, you know, with that, so I've been a consultant, I've been a, um, you know, somebody who is a generalist and I've also been a specialist in some of my roles. So, um, yeah, that's, that's kind of, you know, what I've done within my career and, um, I really never thought it was going to launch a business, but, but here we are, and I I'm really excited to talk about it. Awesome. So, um, can you provide an overview of, uh, work, vision consulting and the services you provide? Absolutely. So we're a human resources consulting company.
And with that, we really focus on diversity, equity and inclusion. So there's a lot of different services that I provide for my clients. And every service that I provide is really tailored to the client that I'm working with. Um, so there there's so many different things, but in particular with the diversity equity and inclusion work, that falls into three different buckets. Um,
the first one being a D and I audit that's where I go into a client accompany and I look at all their current systems and practices and procedures and determine how you know, where they're at with their D and I work, we also do climate surveys to see, you know, how the employees are feeling about all of it. The second piece is D and I training and I have a specific training called the E and I want to one that really sets the foundation for diversity equity and inclusion work. And that one is a trainings can be tailored either to management at a company, or it can be, you know, a lot of companies are wanting all of their employees to be trained on D and I, so that, um, again is one that's tailored to the company depending on the size and, and all those things. And then the last piece of D and I work is, um, compensation, equity audits.
So that's going in and looking at pay scales and, you know, market data and determining if the company's paying how they're paying compared to the market, but also how they're paying within the company and seeing if that pays equitable based on, you know, of course, looking at things like gender and race and are those impacting pay decisions, things like that. Um, and you know, like I said, there's other things that I do as well. So for example, I have a client that is having me work on their performance review system right now, and setting up strategies around performance management and looking at that from a D and I lens. And how do we make that process the most equitable, it can be, um, using core competencies and things like that. So really if, you know, if you're somebody who might be interested in my services, definitely reach out because it's something that I'm talking to clients and adapting my business, as I find out what the biggest needs are out there.
Yeah, definitely. Um, you know, I think we've talked about this, you know, my company recently started a tee and NAI taskforce and that whole process of identifying, um, a consultant and figuring out what is the best next step to take. I mean, a lot of times, you know, we're just kind of going it alone. It's something that, you know, we want to do in many of us are wearing multiple hats, um, you know, doing our day jobs, but at the same time, really trying to be effective and affect change, um, by being a part of the task force. But it's great that there are, um,
very structured processes that can be applied, um, because I do think that it does require that level of focus. Um, and so it's great to hear, um, the different offerings that you provide because every organization is in a different phase. Um, so, you know, from that perspective, it's great that, you know, you're working with both the mature as well as those who are, you know, kind of getting things off the ground and helping them build a framework to be successful at implementing, you know, DEI throughout the fabric of the organization.
And I think that that's sort of the part that at least for me, that I'm always very passionate about. Um, so moving into, you know, what was the impetus for you to start work vision consulting? Yeah, that's a great question. I, you know, I've worked in consulting in HR consulting before for a company that provided those services. And when I had that experience, I didn't think that I really wanted to ever do my own business as an HR consultant. And so, you know, at the time I would say kind of early last summer, I started thinking I was in my full-time role.
And I started thinking I was ready for something else. And thinking that I would just start job searching, you know, just do the traditional job search and with, you know, wanting to find my next thing. I started talking to people. I will, some friends who've started their own businesses. And then some friends who connected to me with other people that started HR consulting companies and in talking to people, I just, I started to get inspired. Then that might be something that I want to do. And so, you know, it, it was just, I don't know exactly what clicked, but, um, I did have somebody that was like, I do HR consulting, but I don't do the D and I piece.
And I'd really love to be able to refer my clients to you. And so that was, you know, something that pushed me to think about, okay, this is, this is something I'm really passionate about. It's really picking up steam right now, you know, with [inaudible] fluid and the protests that followed seemed like that was really a turning point for the country. I feel like partially because of COVID and that companies are having to take notice of people's personal lives, everybody working at home.
And there's just been an interesting shift with all of these things that have happened. So, um, yeah, I think with everything shifting, it just got me thinking of, okay, maybe I don't want to, I want to think about this again and try it again. And I started working on it and started getting excited about the ideas that I had and how I wanted to run a business and what my work vision is for how work should be. Uh, I mean, you know, one of the things that's always interesting is to sort of like, you know, you're that focus of someone being able to say, Hey, I think that you would be a great candidate for running your own, um, you know, HR consultancy focusing on DEI, you know, was there something that you were already doing that, um, kind of let that person know? Okay, well, Hey, this is something that I'm interested in doing, and I I'm, I'm already great at it. Like what about, what was your past experience in DEI like that made this person say, Hey, you know, pay Jocelyn, this is something I really think you should lean into. Yeah. I think, you know, a lot of the people that I have had support from,
as I've been going into this are people that I've worked with in the past. So at companies that I've been at, and even before I started focusing my HR work on D and I, my focus has always been employee centered versus company centered. And I feel like that is different than how a lot of people approach HR and a lot of companies approaching HR. And so for me, it's about really taking care of the employee. And I think that's what pushed me into the den part because I realized that our systems, as we have them set up now in the majority of companies, aren't taking care of everybody the same way, or in a way that supports everyone. And so, you know, I think because of that philosophy that I've had for a really long time, that's what got people to say.
I think you should do this on your own because you know, when you are inside a company, I mean, there are really amazing companies out there that completely support the employees and are very employee centered, but I don't think that's the majority of them. And so I think as an HR person, if you do have that outlook, you're often pushing back and you're, you're kind of up against leadership. Who's saying, no, we've got to do this for the company. This is better. And I think just having that philosophy is really what, what had some so much PR support behind what I've wanted to do. And people saying things like, you know, keep breaking them all and keep trying to do things differently. And that's, that's been my philosophy.
Awesome. Um, I definitely, you know, I, I think that that's, that's great and it always is very interesting that companies are seemingly more open to like having that, that very pointed feedback from a consultant versus sort of internal. So I feel like, you know, you are doing exactly what you're setting out to do to affect changes, knowing that that's one way to do that. Um, that's really, um,
um, really admirable. Um, so can you tell us about what the process was like for you, um, moving from the idea, um, and vision for work, vision consulting to actually launching the business? Yeah, so it, it was all kind of hand in hand, to be honest. I mean, when I started formulating the idea, it didn't take long for me to start putting stuff down on paper. I'm one of those people that I love making lists and I love having a plan. And so when I started thinking this might be something I want to do, even before I'd made the decision to really go for it.
I started writing things down and started brainstorming, and that led me to working on my business plan. And so, you know, the business plan was such an important part of my launch and that's even something that I plan to build out even more and more as the company grows. Um, but you know, with that and putting all those things down on paper, I would say it took me about three, three and a half months to, to develop everything before I launched live. And I launched live in mid September of last year.
And once I launched, I still continue even to this day to be developing things. And I think that's something that every entrepreneur or business owner is continually developing their business and, you know, improving things. And so I think I'll be doing that for quite some time as I'm, you know, moving forward and growing. Yeah. I mean, I think that, you know, as a, as a business owner, as an entrepreneur having to go through that process, um, as well, um, you know, I think the other side for me, I probably, you know, although in my day-to-day life, like I'm very organized, it was very different, different for me, from the perspective of taking what was in my mind and actually, um, trying to convert that to something. Um, so, you know, I liked the fact that,
you know, you were able to sort of put pen to paper, but, you know, there are, uh, there are other means of going about that as well. Um, you know, my, in my scenario, I did hire a consultant to sort of assist me with just kind of taking what was in my brain and kind of formulating it, putting on paper. Um, but I think that that sense of, um, you know, taking that initiative. So did you have help, um, outside of, you know, how you went through the sort of creative process of putting pen to paper, were there other people who, um, helped or inspired how you develop the business plan? Yes. I had so much help.
I don't think anyone can launch a business completely by themselves. I, you know, just had so much support from my community. And like I mentioned, there were people in my network who referred me to other people who had started their own consulting companies. And that was really helpful just to see what they had done and maybe, you know, some tips that things that didn't work or what really worked well. And the other piece was in building out my company, which is a very values-based company. I wanted to be able to communicate those values out to potential customers and really just out to the world and doing a blog was a big part of how I've done that.
And so the number of people who have helped me edit that blog, giving me ideas for that blog, um, brainstormed with me, uh, there's just so many people that have helped with that, which has been invaluable. Um, I also a big part for me was the visual brand. And I knew that right from the beginning, I wanted to hire a graphic designer to do the logo and some other branding pieces. And so, um, Eric Lamb was my graphic designer. And if you're interested in him, he's in on my website and under the gratitude section. Um,
but he just did such an awesome job working with me and really understanding how the value should impact the visuals of the company and how those kind of tied together. And so with developing that, not only did he help me, you know, just with a simple logo, but also things like letterhead and presentation templates and putting all those things together. So the brand is consistent across the board, you know, across social media when I'm talking to clients, when I, you know, I'm putting together decks, all that stuff, um, was really super helpful. And then, um, my too really amazing, a good friend Marcus, he's also on my website. So if you're interested in anyone that I've used for visual stuff, I usually will list them there. But so yeah, so many people that I, I wouldn't want to name anyone because I'm sure I would leave someone out.
Just the number of people that have, that have also done interviews for the blog, things like that. That's awesome. Um, I love the idea of the gratitude page, you know, just like that, where you're able to just kind of show like who is helping you sort of, um, behind the scenes. Um, I think that that's great because I'm sure many of them will also small business owners and, you know, looking to grow up their business. So it's like, um, a great way to, you know, to give back and, um, you know, give them, um, an opportunity to help others as well. So definitely enjoying,
I really liked that idea and it also threads nicely with putting the person first, right. I mean, like at the end of the day, there are people behind all of these businesses and really giving them an opportunity to, um, you know, to show what they're capable of doing and how they helped you. So that's awesome. Um, so what were some of the biggest challenges, um, that you came across during the whole process? The thing that surprised me most, the challenge that I really wasn't expecting was actually coming up with a name for the company, which just sounds like such a simple thing, but I was really surprised with how, how many names were taken for one, um, and wanting to have something sort of unique and original, but also wanting something that really represented my brand and what the company stood for. So for me, when I, when I found work vision, I felt like that talked about how the company is about having a different way of working and really helping to change systems so that we work the way that's the best for everyone. Um, having equitable systems, things like that,
that was, that was really hard to come up with. Um, and the funny thing even about that name is although it is a fairly unique name, as far as businesses within the U S there was previously a business called work vision consulting that I found later on after I had, um, come up with that name. And it was actually a woman who did kind of similar work, where she was working to elevate women's careers. And I mean,
this was years ago, she's since retired and no longer uses the name, but, um, I thought that was really cool. It almost made me feel like I was continuing this legacy that she had started by, you know, doing diversity equity inclusion, work with the name of work visioning consulting. So. That is awesome. [inaudible]. Yeah, I would love to talk to her.
I think it's really neat that she was doing that work. I, you know, I think about 30 years ago when she started, so. I'd like to raise my, to moderate that conversation, please.
Um, so that was one thing that I was surprised about. And I spent countless hours on the phone with friends, just talking about different names and seeing people's responses and things like that. Um, another piece that was also challenging was figuring out how much to charge for my services. And that was another thing I hadn't thought about that, you know, I mean, I think it, it briefly, of course, it's going to cross your mind, but I hadn't realized how difficult it would be to quote out projects.
And that's just something that, you know, in the consulting work I had done before, it was a very different model than what I'm doing now. And so the way that things were built at that company really didn't translate to the way that I'm billing and, you know, I, I was able to figure it out and there were some great tools online where you can put in, you know, how much you're hoping to make and you know, all these different factors. Um, and as you know, someone who's, uh, operating your own business, you have to pay taxes, you have to pay for all the overhead. There's a lot of things to think about, and it's much more difficult than just thinking, what was I making before? Um, so that was something, you know, that I, I wasn't fully prepared to, to figure out and, you know, I eventually did, but I think that the third thing I would say that has been a challenge is that every week I'm learning something new and a lot of times it's having to teach myself a new skill or a new program.
And I, I knew that there would be a lot of learning in starting a new business, but I didn't realize how much and I, I mean, I think it's great. I think it's really challenging me and pushing me every week. And, uh, the biggest resource for that has definitely been YouTube. You know, you can kinda, the it's great, the age of the internet.
We can just look anything up on a YouTube video and, and learn something new, but, uh, there's just been a lot of learning. So that, that was something that popped up that I, I wasn't a hundred percent prepared for, I think. Yeah. So I, 100% agree with you on that. I actually had a conversation recently at the beginning of this year, you know, kind of setting goals for my business and trying to figure out like how I'm going to continue to grow and that conversation, um, about, you know, having, you know, a vision for how much you want to make, how much you're going to price. It almost feels a little uncomfortable,
but it's like to your point, it's like you have taxes, you have overheads, like there are things that you actually need to be thinking about. And it's like, you know, I'm not, I am not like, uh, an accountant. So like, I don't, I don't really know what that, what that translates to, but I think that it's, that's a part of the excited, the excitement of it. Right. Um, and learning all of the different tools. And, uh, I, I definitely, um, I'm always up in the middle of the night, like, okay, well, how do I fix this? I need to do this one thing on my website, but I don't know how to do the one thing. So definitely the internet is your friend, uh, where that's concerned. Um,
so how has your business evolved, um, since you, since you initially launched? Yeah. It's, it's definitely evolved. I mean, every month it's a little bit different. So I think the services that I'm offering that's I knew that I wanted to focus on D and I, and I knew that I wanted to do some kind of audit, but I've, I've changed the way that, that looks based on what the needs of my customer has been.
And I think a really important thing about starting your own business is always listening to the customer. Um, and it, you know, th that has been a challenge because then it's been like, well, how do I price this versus this other thing, because it is slightly different and all of my offerings are different and it makes it hard because I can't just say here's one price sheet, because this is what I do for everyone. Um, but I do think that's something that's valuable and maybe sets me apart a little bit from other businesses that I really do tailor everything. I'm not just giving you a cookie cutter approach. Um, but you know, with that, I think, yeah, some of the other things that have evolved, I mean, definitely my marketing and communication, some of the things that I set out to do, I realized maybe weren't a hundred percent, uh, that I couldn't do them all myself. And so I've had to kind of pick pieces. I still, I feel really good about my marketing, but it's just evolved as I've gone. And I've had to build on,
on what I've been able to do. Um, the, the great thing about the marketing though, is that every week that I'm doing it, it gets easier. So that's been really nice. Um, I have a newsletter that I do weekly, and when I first was putting that together, it just, it would take me a whole day to get content and figure out what I was going to do and edit it in the template. And now I have,
I have it all set up and I can just plug and play. And I plan out, you know, for months what the newsletter content is sort of going to look like, and I plug things in. Um, so yeah, that, that's something that's changed too. Just the ability to do things a little more quickly, but having to pull back on all the expectations I had for myself. Yeah. No, I think that that's, um, that's really, that's really key, right. Being able to be nimble and adjusting as, you know, you start to engage with your clients and figuring out what works, um, you know, based on the market that you're attracting. Um, so definitely, um, so,
you know, talking branding and marketing, um, when you think about your brand and how you market to new clients, um, what is something that sets you apart from other companies with similar offerings? Yeah, I think when I've, you know, I've definitely done some research on what are the other D and I consultants in my area doing a lot of them are bigger. They have a team which is a goal of mine. It's, you know, I want to grow this business and have a team of consultants, but for right now it's just me. Um, but with those companies, there is a lot of, uh, just pre subscribed content. And I think that there can be some value in that, but in general, when we look at D and I, we can't just stick a training, check a box and be done. And so for me, I really,
I spend a lot of time with my clients and even getting to know the employees. So my goal is not just to come in and do one training and leave. It really is to do the audit, do the training, recommend a strategic roadmap, um, possibly even help implement that stuff, do the pay equity audit, you know, do all that stuff for the clients and get to know those individual employees and have those employees get to know me and trust me. Cause I think one of the things with D and I work is that it, it can be hard for people it's difficult subjects to talk about.
And if we're asking employees, you know, if they're taking a survey or if I'm doing an interview with them, I want them to feel like I'm going to listen to them. I care about what they have to say. Um, you know, it's not just somebody coming in and trying to get the information and get out. It's really somebody who is invested in this being successful. I don't want to go in and just have a program that, that doesn't stick. I mean, we've seen so many companies try to do D and I,
right. And then you hear about a lawsuit you hear about, you know, microaggressions happening in their organization. And so, you know, maybe some of what they're doing is working, but it's clearly not a hundred percent working. And that's what we want to really fix the systems and make systemic change in these areas. So I think that's what sets me apart from a lot of the people doing this work and, and a lot of people are doing the work right to, I don't want to say that I'm the only one that, that has the answer, or that's not the case at all.
There's so many amazing DNI professionals out there, but, uh, that's what I do differently from some of the big consultant groups. Yeah, no, I definitely, um, I think that that's a great approach. I mean, I think the culture of an organization and understanding, you know, what their legacy challenges have been and, you know, how you can incorporate things that will actually speak to that organization, um, is really going to be key, like the demographics that you're working with. Um, I always say if you're dealing with a company that's, you know, primarily regionally in one location, their issues are going to be different from multi-regional, um, organizations, um, and depending on the size. So, um, all of those things are really key and I love, love, love, you know, this is my, my phrase, the interested versus the invested, um, really being invested in that actually shines through in the way that you communicate. Um, especially, you know,
having gone through the process where I've interviewed multiple DEI consultants and understanding, you know, the difference between those things and how that resonates when someone is just sort of interested in just providing you a cookie cutter solution versus investing and being invested in the company, being successful at implementing a longterm plan. Um, so we talked a little bit about, you know, your, your, your marketing and branding. So, um, what are some of the tools, um, you talked about your newsletter blogging, um, that you've used when marketing your business.
Yeah. So for me, the number one thing that I knew was important was paying a graphic designer from the beginning and making sure that that branding was all set before I launched the business. Um, once I had all of that in place, there a lot of tools that I use. And, uh, just to note, I don't get paid by any of these companies. I just like using them. Um, so one of the big ones that I really recommend to people as Canva, I use CAMBA for, I mean, all kinds of things, social media, um, things that I put in my newsletter. And that's just a tool where you can put in graphics and photos and texts and create ads or social media postings. Um, I used it for everything that we did for this webinar.
It's such a great tool. Um, another big one that I use is, um, Unsplash, that's, you know, canvas has some free photography that you can use, but, um, Unsplash is a great one that has a lot. Um, and then, uh, more recently I've been really focused on trying to make sure that everything on my website, as well as with videos is, um, you know, accessible to everyone.
So looking at things like closed captions and doing transcripts for, um, the videos that I am posting. And so with that, it I've been using temi.com and, um, there's a lot of different ones out there, but that's, that's one that, um, seems to be working pretty well for me to get transcripts from when I do interviews, as well as creating close captions for those videos. Um,
so those are just, you know, a few of the things that I use, obviously my blog is on my website. I built my website myself. So I had a photographer that I paid and a graphic designer that I paid, but I was able to do my website with very little technical technological skills. I mean, no programming or anything. Um, I used Squarespace and it was really just a plug and play, uh, websites. So I highly recommend that. Um, and then also, um, my newsletter right now, I'm using MailChimp. There's a lot of services out there for newsletters, but the great thing about using a service provider, instead of just sending a newsletter through email is that, you know, you're able to, um, send to that same audience over and over and do targeted things based on what people click on and what people's interests are.
So you can actually take segments of your audience and send specific things to that audience. Whether, for me, I will say, you know, is this person a small business owner? Are they a human resources professional? You know, what, what category do they fit in and what types of email information would they like? Um, yeah, so those, those are just some of the things, I mean, there's, there's so many resources. And one of the things about starting the business is just learning about all these different tools. And I've been lucky to have lots of people to ask for help, but if anyone is on this call and has questions about different tools or is trying to compare things, I'm definitely more than willing to, uh, chime in with my opinion on what I like and what hasn't worked for me. Those are definitely great tools. Um, I can say that I,
I was using canvas this morning, so, um, it's definitely great applications. Um, and like you said earlier, it's just like finding the time and having to learn all of those things. You know, when you're an entrepreneur, there are so many, you have to wear so many hats. Um, but I definitely agree with you that, you know, you do end up with a, sort of a, an amalgamation of, uh, different applications, um, that, um, you know, you can, can utilize. Um, we do have a question. Um, so what is the best accounting software, um, that you would recommend? Yeah, so I ended up deciding on QuickBooks and there were a lot of accounting softwares that I looked at.
And my two top ones that I was deciding between were Zoho and QuickBooks, I personally ended up using QuickBooks because it has been around longer and it's a bigger company. And my only concern was Zoho was, um, you know, wanting to make sure that it wasn't a company that got bought out and then everything changed. And I didn't think that would happen with QuickBooks. Um, and I also knew just who a lot of people are familiar with QuickBooks. So when I talked to my tax accountant, um, that system, I mean, both Soho and QuickBooks will give you access for your account, which is really nice. They give you like a little user that you don't have to pay extra for. Um, but with that, I knew that my accountant was familiar with QuickBooks and that was why I made that choice. It was a little pricier than Zoho. So, um, you know,
if you're comparing different ones, those are the top two that I would recommend. Awesome. Thanks for that. Um, so now thinking about, uh, you know, it's been, you know, several months, um, and you know, you've been in the space for a while, but if you could go back to the beginning, um, and give yourself one piece of advice, what would you say. It's, it's interesting. Cause I don't think I would change much for how I did things. And I think that's just because, you know, I think the learning experience and the making mistakes is really important.
I didn't have any, you know, business breaking mistakes that sent me really far back or cost me a lot of money. So, um, with that all being said, I, you know, I think what I would have told myself at the very beginning is just go for it. I had a lot of trepidation around starting the business and, you know, I was so used to job searching when I was looking for a new career that my instinct was just to continue doing that. So at first, while I was starting the business, I was also job searching and I had a few jobs that I was interviewing for. And, um, none of those ended up working out, which I think was a good thing because I ended up launching the business.
But eventually I had a career coach that I was working with last year. And she asked me that question, what advice would you give? She said, if you knew your business would be successful next year, what advice would you come back and give yourself now? And I said to stop job searching. And it was really just me not having the confidence to go all in. And it was, I think, taking away from the focus of going all in with starting the business. So at that point I took my future self, some advice and I stopped job searching and I went all in and I'm really glad that I did that because I think that, you know, it really was the right move as much as I had hesitation around starting the business. And I'm glad I did it.
Well in the same vein. I mean, you know, we've got, you know, a few, uh, folks on the line who I know are entrepreneurs. Um, and if there's someone who's listening right now who is interested in starting their own business, um, what advice would you give them? Um, and how, how do you, how would you recommend. They go about making it definitely? Well, there's a few things. So, so one thing,
if you're currently at a job that, you know, you're working at full time and you think you might want to leave that job to start a business, my advice would be to make sure that you have an emergency fund really stocked up. I mean, that's advice I would give people at any time. It's always good to have an emergency fund for emergencies. Like the time we're in now, COVID, um, has set a lot of people back, but you never know what could happen. Um, but with that building it,
that emergency funds so that you can for at least six months feel comfortable, that if you don't bring in enough money to cover your expenses, that you still have money set aside. I think, you know, I don't, I think a misconception about starting a business is that you're just going to get up and running right away and have a bunch of customers. I mean, I feel really fortunate. I've had quite a few clients since I started,
but it's definitely not to the level where I'm making the same as I was in my previous job. I know I'll get there, but it's not going to happen right away. So having that safety net is really important. Um, I think, you know, if you want to start your business and you don't have that option, there's definitely other options out there, you know, to get funding. But I think especially for a consulting business, it's not very expensive. The overhead isn't too much to run it. So I was able to break even pretty quickly. Um,
but it is something to think about where you're maybe not going to get up to the point you were when you were working for another company. And insurance is another thing to think about, you know, as when you're working for yourself, you don't have a company that's providing your health insurance. So if you, you know, don't have a spouse, that's gonna, you know, a spouse or parents that can provide that for you, then you have to think about those extra costs. And so for me, I think for anyone wanting to start a business, it's really about the planning. And, um, planning ahead is super important. I think thinking about where you want to be in a year and even several years ahead is, is an important thing to think about. And you know,
how long are you willing if, if you are struggling at first, how long are you willing to struggle before you decide, okay, I don't want to do this anymore. Um, it's, it's not going to come all at once. So that's, you know, I think, and especially if you're someone like me, I want to be just up and running, you know, it's hard to have that patience. I know it's going to come and I have the confidence, but it's definitely really where you start to say, ah, I can't, I can't, I just have all the customers right now immediately, you know, but it doesn't, and that's, that's just not how business works. You know,
you need to build up what you're doing and get people to trust you and get referrals, things like that. So, yeah. I mean, it, like, it is, it's about building your brand, right. And like you said, authenticity will attract the right customer, but it will take some time. Um, we do have another question from the audience, uh, from Ryan, uh, when considering being a business owner. No. What skill sets, um, did you wish you took advantage of that could have sped up your execution and experience as a business owner? So is the question like maybe things I didn't do when I was working for other companies that I wish I would have learned before starting. Yeah. So more so the skillsets, um,
that you already have that you didn't necessarily lean into initially, um, that maybe if you did, um, would have sort of sped up your execution, um, an experience, um, as a business owner, if there was there any one skill now that you think back on it had, I needed to that a bit earlier, that would have been helpful. I think the thing that I was hesitant to do, and I think this is really common is things like this. So getting on video more often, and it's not, not just webinars also going on Facebook live, um, you know, videos on Instagram, all of those things.
I do that some and part of it is it's a little bit time consuming to, you know, plan that all out. Do the video, have a script? I like to have a script. I like to be prepared. And I think if I would've done that a little bit more, my plan was really to do that more during my launch. And I didn't do it as much as I wanted to. And, you know, part of starting, this is also trying to be not too hard on myself.
So when I knew I wasn't doing it as much as I thought I should be, then I tried to say well, but I'm also doing all these other things. And so trying not to give myself too hard of a time because I like many people can be my worst critics. So I, as much as I think, like I should have done that a little bit more early on. Um, I also,
like I said, I don't think I would go back and change anything. I think everything kind of fell into place the way it did for a reason. And, you know, I will continue to use video in the future and it's just a matter of getting more comfortable hopping on alive or, you know, even putting together like editing videos with something I had to teach myself. Um, and so that every time I go in and try to do it, it takes a little bit of time to refresh myself. Um, but yeah, video is probably the biggest that I feel like I should do more of. Yeah. I, 100% agree with you. That is definitely a goal for myself this year.
I, I, 100% think that that's something that we're seeing a lot more of, you know, in the space. And it seems to be, um, just another medium to kind of interact with people at a different level, right. The static just texts based messages, um, you know, are, you know, slowly, um, being outperformed by, you know, the video messages. So, um, definitely being more comfortable and competent for how the camera is, uh, is definitely good have the, um, you know, key. And I think that that's, uh, at least for me at the goal for 2021 and, you know, I will be, um, taking some tips and tricks from you along the way as well.
Um, so, you know, as we're coming up on the, uh, the end of the hour, um, you know, just really wanting to, um, you know, ask, you know, what are some of the programs, um, and offerings or events that you've got going on, um, that we can really expect from, uh, work vision consulting in the coming weeks and months. Yeah. So I'm building out several things. Um, I'm working on a diversity equity and inclusion lifecycle audit, which is going to be a free tool that I'll share in the next month or so where companies can use that to ask specific questions and see where they are at each stage of the employee life cycle in relationship to D and I, so that'll be coming also next week. I have a webinar on Thursday that is going to be at 10:00 AM Pacific standard time, and that one's called, uh, she works hard for the money. That's going to be about pay equity audits. So I'm going to talk about the history of pay equity, what we're seeing now, uh, I'll round the legislation. And then I'm also going to walk through what are the steps that companies can take to do a pay equity audit. So I'm really excited about that,
and I hope you all, if you're interested at all in pay equity, um, please join me for that next week. And if you can't make it at that time, please register, and I'll send you the recording. Um, another, uh, webinar that will be coming up. I haven't launched this yet or announced it,
but I will be doing a panel with several people who have experience in HR and recruiting. And we'll be talking about dismantling the hiring process. So looking at what companies are doing now and what they're not doing right, and how we can fix it. So really looking at what is the best way to have an equitable hiring process. And that'll be, I'm really excited to just talk to a bunch of experts about that who, um, have a lot of experience in that area.
So those are kind of the main things I'm also, you know, taking on new clients. So I'm, you know, looking at, uh, talking to a lot of potential clients about work for them, but if you or your company might be interested in working with me, please feel free to reach out, um, info at work, vision consulting.com. Awesome. Well, those are all very exciting, um, things that you've got coming down the pipeline. So, uh, we'll definitely be looking out and I'm excited to, you know, help with marketing for your next, um, event, uh, posting on the social media.
Page. Um, but, uh, definitely, uh, really interesting stuff. And, um, thank you so much for taking the time today to, to meet with us. I think we've answered all of the questions, um, from the audience, but if you do have additional questions, definitely don't hesitate to reach out.
Um, but definitely appreciate everyone taking the time today to, um, to join, um, and hear about, uh, work, vision consulting and how you can launch a business and how to build a brand. Um, and that to Jocelyn's point, it's a continuous process. It's not a one and done. It's something that you really do have to invest your time in and be able to figure out what works for your business, what works for your market. Um, so again, thanks so much. I'm really hope you appreciated the content. Yeah. Thank you. And definitely, you know, follow on Instagram.
Um, I'll, I'll let you also, you know, say where your company is, but for me, um, work vision consulting on LinkedIn, uh, work vision underscore consulting on Instagram and then, um, also workers and consulting on Facebook. So look us up and check out all the content. Yeah. Um, and you can buy me a better insight consulting.com. Um, and just as a final plug, I am actually launching one of my, um, my series. Um, my leadership series I'll lead the way positively.
I'm starting on Saturday, uh, March 6th. Um, so this'll be the, my quarterly installments. So I really am excited about, um, the, the next series that's going to be kicking off. So I'll be sharing some content about that, um, as well. So,
and like you, uh, definitely participating in a few, um, other activities, um, I'm on, uh, a few panels coming up, um, with, uh, stellar women, uh, building, um, a community of women, um, in the legal technology space. Um, so, um, so that's something that I'm really, I'm excited about that we'll really be focusing on the work that I've been doing with better insight and how to weave that into the tech space. Um, as well as a panel for, uh, my undergrad, where there's a women leadership conference. Um, and so I'll be talking about, uh, you know, better insight and some of the leadership principles, um, that can be applied, especially, um, at the, uh, the undergrad level.
So I'm really excited for all the things that, uh, we're both doing. Definitely, um, looking forward to continuing the conversation in both of our organizations continuing to grow. So thanks everyone for the time for, uh, joining the webinar today. We really appreciate it.
You will receive an email with a link. Um, so for those who may have joined late or had to hop off early, um, or want to share the content with others, um, definitely, uh, utilize that link that I will be sharing with you later. [Inaudible].
2021-02-22 13:42
