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.

Ander Sevilla

Blacklight Group started in a college dorm room. As a senior in college, I needed to find a way to pay for law school. I realized that starting a company with my friends was the most appealing opportunity I could think of. Once I drafted a viable business plan, I began to recruit a team of motivated, well spoken, ambitious friends. Read more>>

Sonal Soveni

My business did not have employees when I started, and I knew this venture would require an army. But before I positioned myself to hire, I wanted to ensure I understood each task and responsibility clearly and efficiently. I tried to better understand each area’s pros and cons before handing over the task to someone else. Understanding each task meant understanding the individual’s role to ensure that the project would be successful. To recruit the right team members, not only did they have to be in alignment with my mission and vision, but they also had to be open to learning. Read more>>

Cherry Lea

Building an inclusive, supportive, and joyful staff team for the Dancing Moon is central to our core values. As a beacon of light for the community, it is of utmost importance for our staff members to carry on the mission statement for community service. From the ground up, we view our positions as service to the community instead of retail and sales. We enjoy greeting all who enter with open minds and hearts so that we can meet them at any point along their path. It has been a learning process with a few ups and downs along the way but we have reached a wonderful point with all staff truly valuing their role here as beacons of light for the community. Our hiring and training process is unique to us, and each person who is hired on as we all have our own paths and ways to learn and grow. Read more>>

Dr. Alexandria Phillips, Pt, Dpt, Mdnc

Building a team is often regarded as one of the most challenging aspects of running a business, and I couldn’t agree more. When I launched my clinic, the demand for my services grew faster than I anticipated, making it clear that I needed help sooner rather than later. The lessons I’ve learned along the way have been hard-earned, but I wouldn’t trade those experiences for anything. Read more>>