Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal and business development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Andora Hinton, Founder, and CEO of Willow North Growth Partners, located in Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I have a boutique consulting firm. We work with corporations - and individuals to help make work-life better. We focus on staff development to help people become more productive, efficient, and satisfied in their roles. Our clients our in all different industries and are usually in the Human Resources, Sales, or Operations space.
Tell us about yourself
When I was about 12 years old, I used to speak at church conventions, and as I got older, I started speaking for organizations and women's groups. I always found speaking to others to be inspiring for the people I was talking to and for me; however, it never occurred to me to have something like that as a career. I started my career in sales and sales leadership. After four years of being a team leader, I decided to transition to training, and it was the most fulfilling and fun job I have ever had...other than the one I have today. It brought me so much joy and gave me a lot of energy. I never felt like I was working. It was in that role I found my love for supporting people in their development.
I am what I call an accidental entrepreneur. I never wanted to have a business; however, in 2015, my job was eliminated, and I had to immediately think about what kind of life I now wanted to live. With the support of a mentor, the decision I made was entrepreneurship, and I have never looked back. It was the best decision I could have made at that time. The timing could not have been more perfect. I started my business out of encouragement from others, but I stayed the course and put great effort into growing it because the impact I was able to see on what I was doing was immediate. I made it my mission to help others see where they could be "greater than" if they wanted to! They would be able to see themselves differently, which would help them grow in ways they could not imagine. This is what motivates me daily. Ultimately, I just want to do all things in the spirit of excellence, and I want the impact of what we do to move through people's lives for years to come...not just in their work-life but their personal life too.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
There are too many to count. One of my biggest accomplishments as a business owner was, with the help of my team, creating a customer service program for a large, 50,000-plus employee organization. We created the program, trained the employees, and developed new processes to support them in their customer service efforts from a development standpoint.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
One of the hardest things that come with being a business owner for me is working too much in the business. I have gotten so much better over the years, but I still struggle with doing some of the things I know someone else could do. I mostly do it because I love it, but I also know I could be doing so much more if I would let more things go.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- If you're going to start a business, make sure you're doing it because you love it so much that you really would do it for free.
- Be completely open to change so you can adjust accordingly.
- Surround yourself with a lot of people who are smarter than you!
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://willownorth.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/willownorthgrowthpartners/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andoragandy/
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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