Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Rick McLean, owner of McLean Consulting Group, located in Port Colborne, ON, Canada.

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

As an Indigenous-owned and led company, McLean Consulting Group is committed to supporting the healing, wellness, and growth of our communities as well as facilitating understanding, respect, and connectivity between non-Indigenous organizations and our people. We are blessed to have many elders and knowledge keepers in our circle who support our efforts to do good work for future generations.

Our clients include Indigenous First Nations and organizations that want assistance building internal capacity via strategic planning, governance, grant applications, staff training, IT competencies, program development, and technology solutions. Our non-Indigenous clients include addiction treatment centres, colleges, universities, government departments, and businesses that desire a workforce that has Indigenous cultural competencies. This allows them to be part of the Truth and Reconciliation efforts in Canada and to be a safe place for Indigenous staff, clients, and customers.

Tell us about yourself

I have had a part-time consulting business for over 25 years due to ongoing requests for support outside my full-time job. After ten years of working for the government (trying to make a change from the inside), I realized it is easier to change your job than change your values. With the support of my best friend and business partner, Mitch Baird, we launched the McLean Consulting Group full-time and never looked back. Every day, I have the honour of serving our Indigenous communities, which is in line with my Vision Quest. This is my purpose, and it is just fortunate that it is also my business.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

There are so many highlights that come to mind; however, if I were forced to pick one, it would be developing a curriculum for Indigenous Early Years RECEs that helps them teach Indigenous children our traditional values known as the Seven Grandfather Teachings. Our work is supposed to have a positive impact on the next seven generations, and it is so rewarding knowing that your work will ensure another generation of Indigenous people will have the ingredients (our culture) that have made us resilient and fulfilled despite the ongoing challenges.

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

Work/Life balance! Especially during start-up. We become ineffective if we are not taking care of ourselves, yet the demands of starting up a business require a year or two of dedication. Once I realized that I had been successfully paying myself for two years, I was able to relax and invest in myself personally once again.

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

  1. Customer Service. Be responsive to calls and emails. Give more than is expected. Understand the needs of your client and be invested in their success.
  2. Be authentic. Many others will be in the same line of business as you, so what makes you different? Clients appreciate getting to know you personally and developing a relationship with you that gives them confidence that you will work as part of their team while under contract and beyond.
  3. Say "no" to jobs that do not align with your values or are outside your expertise. There is an old joke that illustrates this. What's the difference between a consultant and a pig? There are some things even a pig won't do." This is essential in maintaining your reputation.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Partner with people and be willing to mentor others. This creates goodwill, synergies, and new contacts. Recently, we partnered with Junxure consulting to meet customers' demands who want BIPOC training, not just Indigenous Cultural Competencies. Junxure had never done this type of work before, but we mentored and shared opportunities. Now, Junxure is leading the way in this work and bringing us in on their consulting opportunities. If there is enough "meat on the bone," then share to grow your circle.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: http://mcleanconsultinggroup.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Mcleanconsulting/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-mclean-5a378515b/

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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