Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in business development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Donna Karnal, Managing Partner at Ultimate Solutions Search, located in New Canaan, CT, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Ultimate Solutions Search is an executive recruiting firm where I place recruiters, talent acquisitions, and heads of talent. I place them at search firms, within corporate America, and at startups. My clients range from Fortune 50 companies to search firms and startups that are experiencing growth.
Tell us about yourself
I started my career on the trading floor on Wall Street before moving into private and domestic private banking, where I managed money for high net-worth individual people. I did this for ten years, and then I decided to take a sabbatical. I traveled all over Europe, and when I came back, I met with a search firm to place me in a new job. After talking to them for an hour, they asked me if I would consider working in an executive search!
I worked with them and learned the business. I was lucky to have a really good mentor and coach that really taught me the nuances. I took time off to do my graduate degree in Florida, came back to New York, and worked on different projects before working for a big firm as part of their internal recruiting team. Then 9/11 hit, and the world changed. It was then that I went out on my own and have been on my own since.
What motivates me every day is twofold: On a serious note, it is working with people and helping them move to the next part of their careers. They could be at an inflection point, they might not be fully satisfied with where they are, and there could be an opportunity out there for them. On a less serious note, I have to pay for my son’s college tuition!
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Riding the waves of being in business. Being able to survive in the best of times, which is easy, but also really figuring out how to get through the more difficult times with the search business, our economy, and looking for talent. It always ebbs and flows. It knows how to pivot when a situation is difficult but also knows when to stay in that place and look at other opportunities and options.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
Sometimes I think being a business owner, especially being on your own, can be sort of lonely. There are moments when you want to reach out to other people and say, “Hey, how have you tackled this, or what are your thoughts?” I have learned to build a great network that I can do that with.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- The first thing I would say is to be ready for a roller coaster ride! But hang in there, and don’t give up. There will be great times and difficult times, but you can keep going.
- It is to make sure you have people around you whom you can network with and with whom you can bounce ideas.
- Create the culture you want for your business.
- Bonus: it’s important to accept that you are going to make mistakes along the way, but hopefully, you learn from them.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://ultimatesolutionssearch.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100068786293172
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donnakarnal/
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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