Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in business development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Alexandra Bowden, Founder of PEOPLEfirst, located in Cincinnati, OH, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
We believe in helping organizations harness the power of human potential to change the world, one workplace at a time. We bring together a team of experts spanning the vast areas of HR (Recruiting, DEI, Culture, Coaching & Performance Management, Employee Relations, Leadership Development, etc.) to collaborate with businesses to provide top-notch impact- for less than a full-time HR Director.
We partner with their internal team, whether they have HR or not, to bridge gaps in communication and effectiveness, build out processes to support growth, and do it all through the lens of cultivating a culture where people will love what they do and give their best.
Our proprietary THRIVE model and Cards for Culture tools gamify culture and create a roadmap for an intentional people plan. These innovative tools and our process-focused methodology will create a sustainable culture from the ground up. We're going to work every day is not a chore but a pleasure, and we're making this environment that has a tangible impact on the bottom line. Almost every organizational problem can be boiled down to a people problem.
Our customers are typically SMBs that lack the time, resources, or know-how to elevate their culture and people equation to reach their growth and organizational goals.
Tell us about yourself
I started my career as a professional dancer. At age 25, I realized that my career and lifestyle weren't sustainable and needed a change. I fell into HR backward and realized that this seemingly opposite corporate career fulfilled some similar strengths (creativity, performance, and public speaking, leadership, teaching & motivating others, etc.) and a host of other forces within me- resulting in me truly loving my work, which I didn't think was possible after giving up my dream of dancing and performing.
After about 5yrs in corporate culture, I had my first child, and I realized that most of my time was dictated by others. I had a vision for the organization and culture I wanted to help create, but everything depended on other people. Others dictated my daily focus. And the more I went on, the further I got from the aspects of people and business I was passionate about.
I realized that by taking a step away and starting my own business, I could make my hours and flexibility to truly enjoy my son and spend time on the things I valued most, and additionally, it freed me up to build my vision for the future of work and corporate culture, and help others do the same. Based on my drastic career change, I additionally worked with a Doctor from NKU to build a college program for career readiness.
This program started with senior marketing students in their final semester and has since been expanded to Freshmen and Sophomores to help them identify their strengths and passions early, enhance their college preparation, and select better career options for themselves coming out of school.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Building the culture, I imagined within my own company, alongside my partners, where we genuinely strive to live what we preach and lead by example.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
We always say to operate in your areas of genius - aka, use your innate strengths. As a business owner, so much more is demanded of you. You have to do the work, do the sales and marketing, do the financial planning, do the strategy, do the customer service, do the administrative tasks to keep things running...
Ultimately, you have to juggle them all well for the business to survive and grow. That's why so many businesses fail so early, in my opinion. Not because there aren't geniuses behind them, or brilliant ideas, or a genuine desire to do good in the world. It is because of the constant demand on one person or a small group of people to do so many things well to align towards success.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Know yourself. Do the work to look internally first. What about starting a business intrigues you? Are you more of a solopreneur or an entrepreneur? Are you more individualistic or collaborative? Are you capable of running everything yourself, or do you need help in the form of partners or funding? Does it align with your passions? Can you sustain it long-term? Is it something you're willing to put in 80 hours per week for? * (Note: this is NOT a consistent requirement of running your own business, but there are moments you'll have to put in the sweat equity, and it better be something you're willing to spend the hours on.)
- Make a plan. It doesn't need to be formal, but it needs to be there. Who is your customer? Why do they want what you're selling? Why do they want it from YOU? How will you build trust in your product or service? How will you structure your day or company based on your answers to the previous question? What is your fallback plan if things go sideways?
- Know your WHY. When things get complicated, and you feel the pieces crumbling around you—and they will—many times, your why keeps you moving forward instead of quitting and going the easier route. It could be a passion for what you're doing, or it could be the opportunities that what you're doing will create. That WHY is going to be your lifeline, motivation, and compass.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: http://www.pftrc.com/
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/peoplefirst-talent-retentionconsulting/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandrabowden/
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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