Be Bold. Be Courageous. Be True.

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Lucy Barkas, Founder of whatwhenwhyhow, located in Worcester, Worcestershire, United Kingdom.

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

3WH is a leadership and team development company that works with leaders and their teams to create sustainable, engaged, and high-performing teams. Our leaders are typically new in their role and are committed to succeeding with their people, and they want to set the right culture and ensure the leadership team is aligned and cohesive. We offer bespoke solutions, following the 5 MYs methodology, and create experiential, action-focused programs so that the whole team designs how they want to lead and what they need to do together to bring their vision into reality. This might be through coaching, team development over 12 months, retreats, or using our self-managed online platform. Usually, a blend of all products is used to maximize results.

Tell us about yourself

I was lucky enough to find myself in a management role at 22 and in a company that invested in its people. During my 20s, I felt supported enough to gain promotions, get involved in huge projects, and gain huge experience in leading large departments across multiple sites. I know I could not have done all of that without others investing in me and believing in me a little more than I believed in myself. This helped me to understand the power of servant leadership and how a great leader can change the lives of the people who choose to follow them. In my early 30's, I gained the confidence to become a developer of leaders. I took my real experience, invested in my professional coach training, and began my work. Every client is different, and yet, humans are not so different. My motivation is to help individuals and their teams to unlock their capability, create strong relationships, and learn to trust one another. Seeing a group of people with low trust and poor results form into a unique, trusted, and powerfully aligned team gives me joy. Those teams are rare because they are willing to take a leap, invest in themselves, and grow. It is very special indeed.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I have so many. Being in business for ten years was a major milestone for me, and knowing that I had done it with sustainable growth made me proud. In 2020 I released my book, LeaderX, and that was a huge accomplishment. I had to banish so much negative self-talk to even write the book, then handing the book to the editor made my inner imposter grow, and releasing it into the world took huge courage from within. When I saw the reviews coming in and the positive messages, I felt so comforted and hugely proud. This led to so many opportunities and still does.

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

In a nutshell, saying now. In the early days, saying no was hard. I would take any work at any rate of pay just to get myself going and gain case studies and experience. It took quite some time to own my worth and experience and create a lifestyle business that actually worked for me. Now, the hardest thing is choosing which clients to work with, as we are oversubscribed. It is a wonderful position to be in, but I want to help everyone, but I can't do that and still maintain high standards and amazing results.

Oh, and a final hard thing, hiring people. I have had some amazing people work for me and made some really poor hiring choices. I invest so much time, energy, and coaching into my team when it doesn't work out; I really feel it.

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

Niche early. Find out who you really want to work with and geek out on their top problems and solve them. Don't be vanilla.
Invest in yourself. There is so much to learn, so make sure you keep learning and give yourself time to work on yourself.
Hang out with other entrepreneurs and business owners. You won't feel so lonely, and also they will be a great resource to bounce ideas from and give you accountability - or get a coach.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.3wh.uk.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LucyJBarkas
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/3wh.uk.com_/
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/3wh__
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucybarkas/

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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