Overwhelmingly, media coverage of team building, hiring, training, etc. is often geared towards the issues faced by HR at Fortune 500 sized companies. Even when it’s positioned as advice for small business owners it is often coming from an executive or consultant working primarily with giant corporations. We think it’s far more relevant to hear from small and medium business owners who have successfully grown their businesses – and so we asked some very talented folks to tell us the stories of their initial hires and the struggles and lessons they can share.

Gina Palmeri

From the beginning it was just me running every aspect of my business. When you’re starting out and don’t have a lot of capitol, you have to be every department and run everything. That can be especially difficult when you have to figure out how to do things you never learned, or don’t really like doing. For me, being a creative it has always been really hard to figure out the business set up side of things like becoming an LLC or doing my taxes. You also have to learn marketing, customer service, advertising, etc. Read more>>

Mari Albertine .

I began my career as a Realtor 5 years ago after leaving a highly autonomous career in medical device sales. Anyone in outside sales will tell you that your car is your office, and your main interactions with people day to day are with clients, not co-workers. I loved the freedom of working by myself, so when I joined a real estate brokerage I essentially hung my license the day that I passed the exam, skipped their two day training and put my prospecting skills to work to grow my solo career. Fast forward 4.5 years and organic growth from zero clients to thousands, Read more>>

Kyle Duford

We have built our team from 5 FTEs and 1 PTE merely three years ago to just over 30 people and winning five Best Places to Work awards in the last two years. We build men and women of character, and we believe the rest will follow. On hiring, we look for the 3Cs: chemistry, character, and competency. Read more>>

Lucrecia Johnson

I’m ecstatic running my own firm! I know exactly what it is like to have a regular job, and returning to that is not on my to-do list any time soon. That doesn’t mean I don’t have challenges as a firm owner, I do. The last time I had a challenge and thought about a job was almost two years ago. One of the hardest things about owning a business is finding and selecting the right staff. I always had this idea in my mind of the kind of boss I wanted to be. I want to be hands-off, trusting, fair, and overall treat staff the way I wanted to be treated as an employee. Read more>>

Joey Solis

In the beginning it was only myself, which made it difficult as I began to get very busy and overbooked. My clients like my style and my ‘eye’ which is difficult to teach and pass on. Building a photography team is no easy task. Especially when you have a certain ‘eye’ for things. One of my mentors once said, “it’s easier to train someone with zero photography experience than it is with someone already experienced.” I didn’t understand what he meant by this because it just seemed the complete opposite of what I would have thought. However, I finally understood what he meant when I tried to train a well experienced portrait photographer into an architectural photographer. Read more>>

Jacqui Duran

Starting my business was more of a discovery process than a plan. When I initially started really focusing in on a business mindset I started reaching an audience that could relate to me. I had been working full time with kids and still maintaining the house and everything else we have to get done in a regular week. I knew that my business would allow me the flexibility I so needed and at the same time, Read more>>

Grace Theriot

Owning and running a business is incredibly difficult and I often consider this very question. Overall, I am happy as a business owner because I love what I do and what I get to do for others. However, so many factors are incorporated within business ownership that it is less satisfying in providing a service for someone. Taxes, liability insurance, equipment insurance, photo releases, and contracts are just a fraction of what I need to keep up on behind the scenes. Read more>>

Katelyn Hall.

So I built Golden Haus in May of 2021 on just myself and an assistant! A big Salon Family is always the goal, we just have to take everything one step at a time! I actually hired my first full time stylist in January of 2022. This was a friend/coworker from a previous salon. Having Roxy by my side is just truly telling of how making those relationships strong from the beginning could always benefit you in the future! After I got back from Maternity leave in March I then hired my next assistant. Read more>>

Beaches Rotaract

Our club was founded in 2005 with a small group of like-minded young professionals focused on making an impact within the community. Over the years the club has grown exponentially, averaging around 65 members annually. Despite our high membership, recruitment and retainment is a top priority each year. Since our club consists of young professionals our members often move for new job opportunities or continuing their education. Read more>>

Anna Harrington.

For 6 months I worked on my own from my home. Food processing laws go state-by-state and in NY you are allowed to home process certain items – and baked goods are among them. However! you are only allowed to sell within the state, which is obviously limiting. I moved into a commercial kitchen in the fall of 2018 and hired my first employee. I took a while to find the right fit and the baking industry really changes seasonally so there is always some fluidity with employees – even now. Read more>>

DaRonda McDuffie

Almost 3 (three) years in and I was still flying solo. In year one and two a few friends offered to pitch in for The Princess Within, then girls conference. They donated funds, they signed up as volunteers. They showed up — a stellar move on their end. They helped on site, they shared ideas and helped me move forward, as we were all delighted to connect with young girls who were excited to be in the space where bonding and sisterhood was promoted. In year 3, during the event, a parent, astonished at the positive experience her 2 girls had enjoyed, came up to me to express her approval and placed a $100 bill in my hand and said ‘I understand now, here you go’! Read more>>

Heather Leavitt

When I first started the business, I had a lot of interest from friends and acquaintances to help out and learn to decorate cakes. A great group of the volunteers transitioned to employees as the business grew. That team was close knit and amazing, but ended up being very difficult to replace when the time came. Each position had been molded around the specific strengths of each individual instead of the needs of the business. Read more>>