We were lucky to catch up with Lacie Doolittle recently and have shared our conversation below.

Lacie, appreciate you joining us today. Your ability to build a team is often a key determinant of your success as a business owner and so we’d love to get a conversation going with successful entrepreneurs like yourself around what your recruiting process was like -especially early on. How did you build your team?

I have always been a part of the Double Dutch jump rope world since a child. I was coached and mentored by Joy Holman a World Championship Coach and she was my PE Teacher at school. Going through life of ups and downs and navigating my way through minor setbacks I got into Theological Studies and decided I would incorporate a youth ministry and build a team. Recruiting my first 4 kids were handpicked. I had a relationship with their parents and they became friends with my daughter and August of 2022 Epoch Girls Squad was created.

Lacie, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am most proud of making the decision to start this group and sticking with it despite any obstacles. I’m learning from this team just as much as they are learning from me. It’s not easy dealing with youth especially now that we are a group of 19 with more wanting to join. What sets us apart from the average team is that we are a youth ministry. We incorporate the studies of God through the ropes. We have teachable moments in practice where we can use situations in the Bible to overcome different challenges that we face in program. Each child is held to a standard to learn the Lord’s Prayer and Psalms 23 when first joining the team.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

We are a nonprofit organization. Funding our business relies on donations and community fundraisers. We attempt to remain a zero fee program and our parents, assistant coaches, and season chaperones really go over and beyond to make sure we can take these 19 children from a rural area of Aiken County in South Carolina around the country.

Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?

I met my cofounder because she was one of my coaches as a child. Now she is one of my lead advisors. I trust that she always have the children best interest in the forefront and to help me stay on task as this is still a new adventure for me as a coach.

Contact Info:

• Website: Girls_squad_dd
• Facebook: Epoch Girls Squad