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.

Brad Namdar

This is a great question, and through my various experiences over the years as a small business owner, GM for a professional soccer team, business consultant, and even a professional indoor football player, I can say with full confidence that every experience I have has different approaches, with unique challenges and dynamics involved. Read more>>

Brittany Gilford

When I started my business, I did not hire employees, I had no experience and did everything myself. I shopped for my ingredients, prepared the product, delivered the product, built my own website, designed my logo, made business cards, managed the bookkeeping, registered as an LLC, applied for all my state required permits, filed 2 trademarks, designed flyers, took product photos with my iPhone and managed all my social media marketing. I was and am pretty much still a one man band and let me tell you it’s exhausting! My mom helped me for several months as I worked to get my business off the ground. Read more>>

Gabrielle Allen

At the outset, Geaux Gabby Go was a one-person operation—just me, diving headfirst into the entrepreneurial waters. The journey from that initial solo phase to building a team was both exhilarating and challenging. When I started, it was a mix of excitement and anxiety. Every task, from marketing to customer service, was on my plate. This solo stint was crucial; it gave me a deep understanding of every aspect of the business, which later proved invaluable in leading a team. Read more>>

Juliana Russell

Hiring was a pivotal moment in my journey. From initially doing everything on my own to now leading a team of nine incredible individuals, the transformation has been remarkable. In the beginning, it was just me, teaching Spanish, French, and Italian, languages that I could teach myself. However, with the addition of Adelle, our creative genius virtual assistant, and Kenny, our talented in-house illustrator, the team has blossomed. Together, we’ve expanded our offerings to include English, Spanish, French, Italian, German, Mandarin Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. Read more>>

Miguel Angel Gutierrez

UNMATCHED Performance started as supplemental goalkeeper training provider based out of a local community park in San Ysidro back in 2016. At this point in time it I was trying to my best to bring to life the vision I had in my head, which was to provide goalkeepers in my area an opportunity to develop and maximize their potential on and off the field. Read more>>

Mikala Everson

I love talking/ bragging about my team. I have had the best experience with recruiting who I have now. My first (non- family) employee was Cade. He helped me decorate cakes before we opened our doors. We did wholesale before we went to brick and mortar. I was growing so fast, but I was still working part time as a bar manager. We had a private party where I met his parents. We got to talking and they realized I was looking for help, so they sent me Cade’s info. We met and everything else is history. He still makes cakes and cookies for the shop today. Read more>>