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.

Alyssa Probert

When I first started Point North Therapeutic Services in 2021, it was just me. I wore all the hats—therapist, administrator, marketer, you name it. It was an exciting but challenging time, as I had to balance serving clients with building the foundation of the business. The work was deeply rewarding, but I always envisioned expanding to create a team that could help serve even more people. Read more>>

Alina Zhecheva

When GlowVita Med Spa first began, we knew that building a team of A-players would be the foundation for our long-term success. From day one, we were laser-focused on creating a culture centered on exceptional customer service, growth, and long-term client care. While starting a business is always an exciting journey, assembling the right team to reflect our vision was a deliberate and thoughtful process. Read more>>

Meagan Licari

We did not have employees at all. We were 100% volunteer run. Once we started to grow I knew I needed reliable help. I was fortunate that we had so many volunteers. When you are dedicated volunteer, you have experience and have already proven dedication. So it was really easy to select who would make an amazing staff member. Some of it happened naturally during covid when many people lost employment. Some just wanted a change. What was so smooth about the process was that they were basically already trained so on boarding was super easy! Read more>>

Nancy Nozik

Building a team, the right team, takes a while and has a lot of ups and downs. Our firm is made up of several teams. I lead the team in the Cleveland office (10 people), so that’s what I’ll focus on. I joined Brandstetter Carroll, Inc. in 2012 having already worked with several of the people in the firm in the past. In 2015 I became the lead principal in the Cleveland office and was suddenly in charge of bringing people on and letting people go. And the very first day in that role I had to let someone go! It was really hard, but I thought it was kind of a test, and I knew that I had to do it. Since then, I have strived to nurture a group of people who bring different skills to the table, support each other, and have fun together. Read more>>