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.

Tina Fitch

The central part of my business is shooting horse shows. When I first started, I worked for a few outfits, and I wanted to feel like I was a part of something—a collaboration of artists who respected one another. As a rider, I also wanted to produce the best images for each competitor. Read more>>

Frankie Garcés

During the inception of Good Omen Pictures, our primary focus was the establishment of a robust team, whether as a solitary endeavor or with a collective right from the outset. The journey was marked by significant milestones, a lot like assembling the pieces of a puzzle when selecting those initial team members. Read more>>

Mel Bean

I started my business with just myself, hoping to do as much of the work as possible on my own. After quickly realizing I did not have the energy and ability to become an expert in everything (largely high-end editing and SEO), I began to look for people to fill those positions for my business. Read more>>

Christopher Trevena

So I purchased my salon in 2018 and it came with a staff of incredible women who were entering the end of their careers. They were patiently waiting until retirement and one by one they did.They taught me so much about the energy a salon should have. Read more>>

Carla Pierson

When Mary and I set out to start our business, it was just us – no employees, just a shared vision. As our mobile injection venture began to take shape and evolve, we chose a different path from the traditional business model. We didn’t hire employees. Read more>>

Ashley Carlson

In the early days of Elevate, it was essentially a one-woman operation where I wore multiple hats – from supporting clients and conducting meetings to establishing and documenting processes. While the vision was focused on Elevate’s growth, both in client support and team size, the reality hit me swiftly that going solo wasn’t a sustainable option. Read more>>