Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in career development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Chi-Chi Egbo, Founder of Workthrough, located in Toronto, ON, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Workthrough is a career engagement consultancy at the intersection of employee experience and professional development. We build, coach, and strategize alongside Learning and Development, HR, and People Experience teams to activate internal career mobility and skills growth across the organization. We also provide strategic advisory services to fully-funded career accelerators and employment programs focused on enabling unemployed, underemployed, and marginalized individuals with inclusive career support.
Tell us about yourself
I'm a career development coach and consultant with experience in recruitment, training & development, and career services. Before starting Workthrough, I was the Director of Career Outcomes at a private tech college. My intrapreneurial mindset and drive to build something impactful from scratch contributed significantly to my professional success, so I always knew I wanted to be an entrepreneur. After several months off to recover from burnout and prioritize my mental health, I knew it was time to take a risk and give my dreams the chance they deserve. My mission to help everyone feel good about their careers motivates me each day. Many barriers exist to accessing equitable and inclusive career support in workplaces and employment centres. I want to make it easier for people to have meaningful career growth.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My biggest accomplishment as a business owner is launching Workthrough. It's a new company and is still in the early stages. Though I have worked on some incredible projects with dream clients, I am proud of myself for starting my company and trying. Right now, I want to acknowledge and celebrate that for as long as possible.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
I am used to wearing many hats in a job because my previous roles required me to do it. But as an entrepreneur, you must be in several key positions at once. Sometimes my love for being in creativity and strategy mode overshadows the need to be in sales management or accounting mode. Regulating myself and setting those boundaries can be tricky sometimes, but I'm getting better at it.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Use each day as an opportunity to learn something new. This doesn't necessarily mean taking a course (though necessary). Still, it means making sure you end your workday by being able to identify something new you learned about your customers, market, strategies, business, and even yourself.
- Surround yourself with people that you can learn from, and they can learn from you too. As a solopreneur, I don't have a team, so I frequently have chats and co-working sessions with other entrepreneurs and industry peers to share our knowledge and brainstorm new ideas.
- The best way to build confidence and believe in your capabilities is by focusing on progress rather than perfection. Operating your business with the mindset that everything must be perfect is the fastest path to self-doubt and derailed goals.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://workthrough.ca/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chichi.b.e/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/chi_egbo
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chichiegbo/
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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