Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Chris Hanna, Founder of Hire4Me, Inc., located in Windsor, ON, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I firmly believe in never putting all your eggs in one basket. So I don't believe in having just one business, advocating for multiple income streams. First, I am the Founder and CEO of Hire4Me Inc., helping solopreneurs find the next critical hire to help them grow their business. Hiring them is one thing, so I also offer training and onboarding support to ensure that their new and future employees stay and thrive once hired.
I'm also a Virtual Leadership Coach, helping leaders who struggle with feeling authentic stop faking it till they make it. Whether through my 30-day virtual course or during my 1:1 mentorship and coaching sessions, I provide the support leaders need to become more confident and gain time back. I also consult with companies, helping companies and leaders rethink and evolve their approach when managing their operations and culture.
Whether auditing their environment or connecting with their employees to help them address specific issues or projects, my consulting is designed to give them both quick wins and a roadmap for longer-term improvements. Finally, I'm also the host of my podcast, The Chris Hanna Show, where I focus on helping listeners achieve more while sharing stories, advice, and inspiration about leadership, building multiple income streams, betting on yourself, and going all-in to life on your terms.
Tell us about yourself
From a very young age, I was always a hustler. I would find ways to make money in the small town where I grew up - doing various jobs. I will run it from open to close if we put on a garage sale. I would flip hockey cards and pogs at recess, buying low and selling high, among many other ventures. As I aged, I took the traditional route of attending university and getting a job. With my strong work ethic, I had success wherever I worked but often felt like I was missing something more. I lacked fulfillment. It eventually hit me one day that the corporate world wasn't for me and that it would be foolish to rely solely on one employer for income.
So I started building my side hustles again - speaking, freelance work, virtual coaching, etc. The stuff I began doing on the side brought me much more fulfillment than my full-time role, so luckily, I was fortunate to lose my job to honestly go all-in on what I wanted. Unfortunately, I was mismatched with what I truly wanted and what the company needed, so getting fired was like having life happen FOR me. I've spoken to many entrepreneurs over the years who cite being fired as the catalyst to put them on the path to doing what they love.
Unfortunately, it was more complicated than I anticipated being solely on my own, especially within the first year of the pandemic. Nevertheless, I came across an opportunity with a Canadian real estate education firm looking for executive-level support. I was fortunate to eventually become CEO of that company for a couple of years. There, I re-ignited my passions, working alongside members of our community, many of whom were small business owners and solopreneurs. As much as I was helping them, that environment gave me much more knowledge and inspiration to begin Hire4Me Inc. and reinvent my leadership coaching and consulting efforts that I had previously paused.
For years, I would have solopreneurs and entrepreneurs complain about not having enough time in their business, knowing they need to hire at a certain point but failing to do so. They would each say the same thing, "I wish someone would just hire for me." That's how it came about with Hire4Me Inc., as I saw a need that I could fulfill, having hired and led over 500 people directly throughout my career and previously having been a career advisor while in university.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
As a business owner, it can sometimes feel like you are fighting fires, scrambling to make a difference some days. But then there are days when it just works out, and things start to click, and you know that you are impacting your team or customers.
When I initially came up with the idea of offering done-for-you recruiting exclusively for the niche of solopreneurs who want to expand their business, I heard naysayers telling me not to do it. But, despite the optics, I knew I could help those small business owners who were one person away from completely blowing the roof off their businesses.
I've been there before and have also been that next critical hire to help a business stabilize and go after what's next. The first role I filled was challenging, and I had many doubts about whether I would hire the right person or not. However, I consider this to be one of my most significant accomplishments as a business owner because not only is this person meeting expectations for this business, but they are blowing it out of the water. I maintain that finding and nurturing hard-to-find talent is my business, and seeing and hearing that it worked is one of my proudest accomplishments.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
Business owners can often succumb to "shiny object syndrome." We sometimes hear about a new idea that pulls us away from something else we are doing. Unfortunately, that often leads to pivots in direction, pulling not only ourselves but any employees into things that might not be fully baked. My personality type is one where I like to do a lot, and as someone who believes in the importance of having multiple income streams, it can be challenging for others in my world to keep up. The pace and level of change can be intense.
So it's essential to ensure that for people like myself, I need to determine when and, more importantly, why a potential pivot should happen. Some shiny objects are nice and make sense to pursue, but others should probably be left alone for a more suitable time.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
When coaching or consulting with people starting or running a business, I always believe in sharing the following three tips to help them succeed:
- Remember that simplicity, scale and complexity fail.
The simpler your offering, the more likely a customer will appreciate it and potentially buy from you. Unfortunately, far too many companies will create competing products or services, making it difficult for themselves as customers are left with confusing options.
2. Build a presence online and be yourself.
I'm reinventing some of my online presence to incorporate more aspects of my personal life into my content. For years, I feel like I have become an information resource. People didn't know the true Chris Hanna, who cared deeply about being authentic, bold, and confident and talked about going all-in. I'm an avid poker player, as it's one of my most profitable side hustles. The more I have been open with the public and customers, the more business and potential future ideas have come my way. People learning that I played poker, got married in Vegas, etc., resonate with some risk-taking entrepreneurs who want to work closely with me because there's more of a bond there. Anyone starting a business must build their online presence to show who they are because people buy from people truly.
3. Talk to your customers.
Far too many business owners, myself included, have made the mistake of assuming they know what customers want. It is doing yourself a disservice if you don't connect directly with your customers, asking them for candid feedback. I find that it helps forge a stronger connection and loyalty with your customers when you ask them for their opinion because they appreciate it. We all want to feel like we give value. It's about relationships in business vs. being transactional that matters in the long run.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://hire4me.ca/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrishannashow/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrishannashow/
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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