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

Elizabeth, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

Years ago, I was a burned-out HR executive climbing the corporate ladder, juggling the demands of two young kids and my husband’s equally demanding career. Disillusioned by the corporate environment—rife with politics, bureaucratic BS, and a culture of silence for fear of jeopardizing one’s job—I envisioned starting a practice to support founders and CEOs. I aimed to help them lead and grow their companies from the earliest stages in a more human, authentic way, enabling them to focus on innovation and problem-solving rather than getting bogged down in workplace drama. With my combined expertise in business and psychotherapy, I work with the most powerful piece of what makes the engine go.

My mission is to assist founders and CEOs in creating companies that are the best possible expression of themselves, reflecting their unique passions and quirks. In a world overflowing with how-to books, I empower them to write their own scripts for building their companies.

As a result, these leaders not only love running their companies, but their employees also love being part of them.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

When founders start their business, it’s exciting. The long hours with their small team, creating a product from their unique vision. Alignment comes easily. Then an exciting thing happens: their product starts gaining traction. And what was once a cool idea has now become a COMPANY. Gone are the feelings of the early days. Here to stay is the pressure and responsibility of running a company. And it feels like constant chaos. It is stressful. It is overwhelming. They are burned out.

I help founders and CEOs take control of the journey and get on the path to sustainable growth.

Organizational chaos is caused by a lack of two things: Clarity and Communication. Without clarity about where they’re going, successfully reaching a destination is impossible. Without effective communication with the team, people won’t be pointed in the same direction or be excited for the journey. Founders and CEOs need a clear path forward with room to adjust as their company scales. Here’s how we do it:

First, we uncover the root cause of the chaos.
How is the team operating today? What strengths are helping them succeed, and what’s holding the company back? By starting with a comprehensive culture study, we know the components we need to create the right path for their specific needs.

Now we can map their road forward. We create a strategy that improves the team’s focus and alignment, enables the founder to concentrate on their highest and best use, and helps their team keep pace with the company’s growth.

With their path defined, founders will have a guide on the journey. We work together to keep them on their path even as their pace accelerates. Overcoming obstacles and challenges becomes far easier with a partner to help navigate along the way.

When founders regain control, they’ll love running their company again. Their team will perform better, results will come faster, and they’ll be prepared for what’s to come.

See how this comes to life in this case study: https://elizabethoneill.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/case-study_ElizabethONeill_SierraInteractive.pdf

We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.

In the midst of my burnout, I desperately searched for a new path, eager to leave my 18-year corporate career behind but unsure how to proceed. Around this time, my younger brother was experiencing growing pains with his second startup. As he began seeking my advice on managing his team’s drama and chaos, I envisioned a practice that could help founders like him—those with vision but lacking practical experience in running a company.

However, our family depended on both our incomes, so I couldn’t just quit without a solid plan. Over the next 18 months, I dedicated nights and weekends to thoroughly test my business concept, aiming to ensure it could match—or ideally exceed—the income I planned to leave behind. My brother became my first client. Together, we developed processes, frameworks, and workshops. Once I confirmed that I could scale this engagement to serve others, I left my corporate job.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

As challenging as it’s been to learn to run a business, the hardest part of this journey has been rewiring the parts of me that made me successful as a corporate executive but can be a death sentence as an entrepreneur. Once I became an entrepreneur, I realized how much I had been conditioned to seek approval, ask for permission, and strive for perfection. An entrepreneur’s rubric for success is just the opposite, which is why navigating these challenges and coming out the other side stronger has also been the most rewarding aspect of this journey. In retrospect, it’s what made me itch to leave corporate in the first place. I wanted to jump into the deep end, create and execute my own vision and voice, and sink or swim on my own.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.elizabethoneill.com
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-oneill-consulting/

Image Credits

Melissa Brightman