Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Diana File, Founder, and CEO of DF Analytics & Consulting, Inc., located in Teaneck, NJ, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
DF Analytics & Consulting is a data analytics and strategy firm (and a Women-Owned Small Business) with a tech-driven, neuroscience-based approach to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). We measure DEI impact through assessments, dashboards, scorecards, and benchmarks. From there, we drive behavior change through group training, executive coaching, strategy development, process improvement, and program management.
We work with CDOs (Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officers), CHROs (Chief Human Resources Officers), and fellow DEI consultants to develop best practice metrics, solve human capital issues, and drive competitive advantage. Our clients include Fortune 500s, multi-national corporations, government agencies, non-profits, small businesses, and start-ups around the world.
Tell us about yourself
My family came to the US as Jewish immigrants to escape religious persecution in the former Soviet Union. Having experienced intolerance early in life, I made it a life goal to do my part in building a more inclusive world where everyone is treated with dignity and respect regardless of their background. After college, I spent ten years in Israel, traveling all over the Middle East and North Africa to conduct research on trauma recovery and conflict resolution. I decided to pursue my passion for numbers and human behavior through a master's in psychology research. I then joined the Israeli army as a consultant in their behavioral science unit, helping combat officers build less biased decision-making processes, which had life-or-death consequences. This birthed the idea for my company, DF Analytics.
2020 was a pivotal year -- momentum for rigor around DEI data and analytics reached a record high. We responded to the market by expanding the business. Since then, we've run the data workstreams for some 40 DEI transformations in just two years. It has been a wild ride, and I'm grateful to do this work every day. I'm also committed to getting the tools we've developed into the hands of as many practitioners as possible, so I give frequent keynotes and regularly teach at DEI programs in universities such as Cornell, Columbia, and Yale.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
We've invented over 70+ proprietary metrics to uncover hidden biases and drive inclusive behavior in ways that change the landscape of how companies hire, retain, promote, and develop talent.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
The buck stops with you! This is both empowering and intimidating, meaning you are only as strong as the team of people around you.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Believe in yourself and your vision -- with enough drive and action behind that vision, there will always be room for your ideas to thrive.
- Build a strong team -- you can't do it all yourself, so don't bother trying. Make it a point to hire the best of the best because they'll make your business stronger.
- Stay the course -- there'll be times you want to give up, times you want to send nasty emails, and times you just want to stay in bed. I promise if you power through those times, there's an abundance of growth and success waiting for you on the other side.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.dfanalytics.co/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dfeygin
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/diana-file/
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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