Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Angela Garmon. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Angela thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you recount a story of an unexpected problem you’ve faced along the way?

My business celebrates six years in June. When I started ARG Coaching & Consulting Group, I had no idea what I was doing. In 2016, my life was like the 1989 movie Field of Dreams with Kevin Costner and James Earl Jones. Do you remember that movie? Exciting, confusing, nerve wrecking, but I was eager to see what would happen next.

I had this vision that I would build something great. I knew it was something that I had to do, but I didn’t know if it was going to be successful. That was the most frightening part. My family was probably looking at me through the proverbial window of my life, thinking, “What in the heck is she doing? Has she lost her mind?”

I am a first-generation entrepreneur. My sisters and I were taught to work a nine to five, stay in a job and we’ll be successful. But when I was let go after 13 years of employment due to an acquisition, I realized that my stability and success didn’t lie in a corporation. It lied within me.

Throughout the movie, this mysterious voice would reassure the main character, “If you build it, he will come.” That first year, I kept waiting for “them” (clients) to come. I had built it, but they never showed up. I felt like the voice had lied to me. (Smile).
The notion that all you have to do is create a space for dreams to come true and everything else would fall in line is partially true. Truth was, I had a great plan. What I lacked were resources and the network to execute the plan. I signed up for networking group after networking group. Shared my 30 second elevator pitch, day after day. People would always take my card or would come up to me and say “WOW, that was a great pitch.” But it takes more than compliments and a great pitch. I needed clients.

Over that time, I realized I wasn’t in the right rooms. I was in the rooms that were comfortable but not moving me forward. My business, though it supports the solopreneurs, they are not my “ideal” client. So, I spent the latter part of 2017 trying to figure out the best rooms for me to be in. I became strategic about where I spent my money, time, and energy, joining organizations like National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) and Women’s Business Enterprise Council (WBEC-West). Both organizations are national. This was an important factor, because I wanted to expand my business reach nationwide. They provided me with resources and programs that taught me how to position my business in front of corporate and government clients. As a result, I learned how to scale and grow my business.

Getting certified as a WBE through WBEC-West was one of the best business decisions I made. Understanding the importance of the certification distinction also led to other certifications that were instrumental in my growth, like the DBE, SBE, and ACDBE. Additionally, I was able to grow my influence and build my leadership skills by getting involved with both organizations. Over the first year, I learned that building your dreams takes perseverance, dedication, a network, resources, and oh yeah, that friendly reminder, if you build it, they will come.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

ARG Coaching & Consulting Group is a strategic change management consulting firm. I started ARG after I realized that I didn’t like accounting. Accounting is what I did. It wasn’t something that I enjoyed. In 2015, I started an accounting business. Quickly learning that I hated every aspect of it. The ironic part of it all is that I got clients right away. I had spent 15 years in accounting, so it came naturally, and it seemed like a logical choice. But during a time where I was looking to reinvent myself, I chose passion and people over logic.

After getting my Six Sigma Green Belt in 2007, I helped other leaders and teams navigate the effects of change, in the form of companywide best practice rollouts, system implementations, staff reductions, hotel acquisitions, and supporting new build teams. I noticed that when people faced adversity of any kind, some would, naturally, do what was in their best interest, neglecting their team. While others resisted or waited for leadership and guidance.

This showed me that many leaders are not always equipped with the tools necessary to manage change, so they either run, resist, or wait (fight, flight, or freeze). These experiences brought me to understand the importance and impact of great leadership and having a people centric culture during change. This revelation led me to start ARG. Change management was something that I was great at, and I thrive in workplace dynamics.

As you see, change affects everyone so differently and how you manage change today has a direct impact on the results you produce tomorrow. Where some leaders manage change well, others may have a more difficult time leading through change. That is okay. It is a skill that has to be cultivated. ARG is your advocate for positive change management, helping you and your team embrace the season while also maximizing the benefits.

Recognizing that leaders may have different comfort levels with leading change, ARG takes the time to educate our clients, ensuring they are equipped with the right tools to be successful through this season and beyond. We don’t do the work for you. We guide you through it so you understand how to apply it forward. We then work together to put the right strategy in place to produce sustainable results.

ARG works with some of the best clients in Arizona and beyond, helping them to solve problems and develop their organizations and their teams. Using the ARG Approach to change management, we work together with our clients, collaborating to gain a complete understanding of their vision and needs. We offer services such as coaching, team building workshops, leadership/professional development, strategic planning and development.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Two years after starting my company, I was diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma, May of 2018. Instead of putting my life or the business on hold, as I went through almost a year of chemotherapy, surgeries, and radiation, I put my own change management plan in place to move everything forward, defining my situation instead of it defining me. I served my clients with excellence, repositioned the ARG brand, certified the company as a WBE, and scaled the company in the midst of it all.
In 2018, I also accepted the president-elect role for NAWBO Phoenix. I took the initiative to ensure that the chapter received its 5-Star status. The chapter was awarded it for the first time that year. During my term as president 2019-2020, I worked diligently to create more exposure for the chapter and to influence change that would propel women businesses forward. The chapter launched the Women with Vision Conference, which brought together different state leaders and women in business to discuss the unique challenges that women business owners face in the valley. The chapter received Chapter of The Year and later that year the Silver Stevie Award for our response through COVID. This is the type of passion and focus I bring to every project.

Change is inevitable. How you choose to manage it is optional. Choose to conquer it! Resilience is about leaning in during difficult times, not resisting. Everyone has to go through the tough situations. Try to find the newness that change can bring. I focus on the “whats” not the “whys.” What is this season revealing to me? What opportunities exist? What am I gaining in this season? Determine what you need to be successful and allow that to be your driving force.

Have you ever had to pivot?

A year after finishing chemo, and picking up momentum, COVID hit. The whole world stopped. I never heard the word pivot used so much, other than when my sister was playing basketball in high school in the 90’s. We were all pushed into the separate corners of our homes and while some people chose to stop and others were forced to stop. I chose to conquer and cultivate.

The pandemic exposed the biases that exist in the business ecosystem and the impact that these biases have on people of color and women-owned businesses. According to an article in National Geographic, 41% of black-owned firms closed within 4 months of the pandemic. I was determined not to be in that statistic. I looked at industry demands and I repositioned ARG accordingly. After all, this is when my company should shine, right?

Before ending my presidency for NAWBO and prior to the pandemic, I started building out a plan to launch a project to create awareness on the disparity gap that exist for black-women owned businesses. According to the American Express, State of Women Owned Business Report for 2019, had parity been reached for black women owned businesses an additional $522B (billion) dollars would have been generated. So, I launched The We Are Project (www.theweareprojectglobal.com) to create awareness and to give back. I also started a nonprofit in 2021 to support the efforts of the project.

The nonprofit was awarded a grant for close to a half million dollars to support 20 black owned businesses statewide, giving each $16,500 to grow their business. The program is the SEE ME Program. The nonprofit team and I developed and launched an 18-month business development program to support the economic vitality and increase the visibility of the businesses, with the ultimate goal towards lendability. To date, an additional $1.2M in loans or grants have been secured by the businesses in the program. And there are still seven months left in the program.

ARG grew exponentially also. Gross revenues were up over 600% and net profit up over 1,250% year over year ending 2021. We brought on corporate clients and a government client. This year, I have expanded my team to five part-time employees and we are excited to continue to serve ARG’s clients with excellence. Although I call it repositioning, the 2020 pivot set the business up for success and that success led to helping 20 other businesses succeed.

Most people tend to focus on the change itself. Instead, focus on what is within your control. Look at industry shifts, demands, and put a plan in place to move yourself and others forward. By focusing on the tasks you can do, you are conquering change and cultivating results. That is a recipe for success. Also, don’t stay inwardly focused. Look for ways to support others. This will create a space for innovation and a space for you and others to thrive in the midst of what might seem chaotic.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.angelargarmon.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/angelargarmon/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/argccgroup
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelagarmon/

Image Credits
Yellow and Blue jacket pictures – Photo Credit: Elaine Kessler – Kessler Photography Picture of me and the videographers (sitting in the chair) – Photo Credit: Scott Farence Productions Remaining 3 pictures – Photo Credit: Taylor Wellman – Financial Potion