Developing, Advancing & Retaining - Brij The Gap Consulting

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal and business development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Devika Brij, Founder & CEO of Brij The Gap Consulting, located in Atlanta, GA, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Brij the Gap is a leadership and employee development company that helps organizations like Visa, Pinterest, Meta, Reddit, Morgan Stanley, STARZ, etc., to develop, advance, and increase the retention of underrepresented employees. We address challenges that are specific to underrepresented individuals and provide career development strategies, personalized support, and community to help employees thrive in the workplace. Brij the Gap also drives systemic change within the workplace by educating employees outside of underrepresented groups to become better peers, leaders, mentors, and sponsors to underrepresented groups like BIPOC and female individuals.

Tell us about yourself

Prior to launching Brij the Gap, I was a Sales Leader in tech and worked across recognized companies like Google and LinkedIn, amongst others. In these highly competitive environments, I noticed that I had many challenges around self-advocacy, getting recognition and opportunities from leaders, and experiences of bias. Quickly, I realized these challenges were common themes among my peers, who were also people of color and women. I began to move differently, creating frameworks for myself based on what worked and what didn't. I immediately saw the impact it made on my career and began coaching my peers to receive similar results in meeting their career goals. My passion for helping underrepresented individuals became bigger and bigger as I saw each individual I was helping win in their professional lives. So, in 2018, I decided to leave my comfortable and safe job in corporate to create more impact at scale, and Brij the Gap was born. Today, I'm partnering with the world's most recognized brands to create workplaces that are safe and productive for their employees by providing leadership and career development resources.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

My biggest accomplishment is running Brij the Gap as a one-woman show for many years and helping enterprise companies become more successful on my own. That experience allowed me to wear many hats and challenged me in ways that being in corporate didn't. Now, I'm expanding my team, but I'm proud of what I was able to accomplish as a self-run business for several years.

What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?

Saying no. I talk with prospective clients every day, and often, I have to decline to work with them because our values do not align. When you work for yourself, of course, your income matters for many different reasons. However, I've found that forcing partnerships with companies where there is minimal alignment in values and the "why" behind the work they are doing has never been worth the time and effort.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

1. Be obsessed with what you do. Being a business owner comes with plenty of challenges, fatigue, and pressure. Your love for what you do will ignite the fire you need to keep going.
2. Have a 6 months-1 year emergency account. In uncertain economic times like these, knowing you have some cushion will prevent challenges outside of your control from impacting your business.
3. Cut out the noise. Even people who want the very best for you may discourage you from pursuing your dream of being a business owner. Keeping people around who are speaking life into your dreams is critical in the start, run and grow phases of your business.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://brijthegapconsulting.com/
Instagram (company): https://www.instagram.com/brijthegap/
Instagram (personal): https://www.instagram.com/devikabrij/
LinkedIn (company): https://www.linkedin.com/company/brijthegapconsulting/
LinkedIn (personal): https://www.linkedin.com/in/devikabrij/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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