Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal and business development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Maddy Day, Owner of Maddy Day LLC & Associates, located in Kalamazoo, MI, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Maddy Day LLC & Associates (MDA) are specialists in co-designing tools, resources, and the space needed to bring diverse communities together to develop creative solutions for systemic problems in child welfare, education, and intersecting systems. We work with foundations, nonprofit leaders, state agencies, higher education institutions, and organizations that are focused on systems change.
Tell us about yourself
As the Owner and Senior Consultant with MDA, I am passionate about the opportunities I see to change the lives of young people with lived experience in foster care, homelessness, juvenile justice, and those who come from low-income and underrepresented backgrounds. I got my start working in child welfare, and from there, I found my calling to work at the intersection of foster care and education. Much of my career has focused on developing networks, programs, and policies that remove barriers and create equitable pathways for students who desire to pursue higher education but often are without the necessary resources to access and persist in it. Starting MDA has allowed me to leverage this experience and work alongside those with lived experience and other professionals in the field to engage deeply with our clients to create solutions and expand resources to further our systems change efforts in the fields of child welfare and education.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My biggest accomplishment is developing a diverse group of consultants who serve our clients. Bringing in people from a variety of personal and professional backgrounds enhances our work and ultimately provides the client with a stronger product.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
Unsurprisingly, one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner is holding space for my own creative process. I am always happy to give others an hour of my time to support their work and dreams, but it can be a challenge to give that time to myself, even when I know that is where my best work comes from!
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Find a great accountant! You are an expert in what you do; you don't need to be an expert in accounting too!
- Nurture an abundance mindset. In my experience, there is more than enough work to go around, but there will be times when you have to remind yourself of that. A friend shared a great mantra with me, "what is for me, is for me; what is not, is not." So when I don't get a contract, I let it go and trust that an opportunity that is a better fit will come my way.
- Ask for and receive feedback from your colleagues. We all have blind spots, and looking to our colleagues for their insight about your business and how you practice is critical to becoming your best business-self.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.maddyday.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maddyday
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maddyday18/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maddyday/
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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