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

Mané, appreciate you joining us today. One of our favorite things to brainstorm about with friends who’ve built something entrepreneurial is what they would do differently if they were to start over today. Surely, there are things you’ve learned that would allow you to do it over faster, more efficiently. We’d love to hear how you would go about setting things up if you were starting over today, knowing everything that you already know.

I love this question. Because, in a way, I am starting over.

To say 2022 has been a challenging year (both personally and professionally) is to say nothing. Those challenges pushed me to reevaluate the direction we were going. So I did what I always tell my clients to do when in crisis. I went back to the business plan.
I went back to the beginning and asked myself the fundamental questions: Why did I start this business? Why are we doing this? I know it sounds cheeky, but it is what it is.

I have worked in consulting since 2011, and before starting this business, 98% of the companies I helped were men-founded, men-led, and men-operated. I started my business with a sole mission to balance the scales. A single, working mom raised me – she sacrificed everything to give us a great life, so the best way I knew how to pay tribute to her was to pave a road for others! Women, for a long while, have had limited access to funding, support, and education, so when I had my vision clear, the offers, pricing, strategy, and all came together.

In starting over, I did several things differently:

– I quit trying to keep up with my peers, unfollowed people who made me feel behind (even if unintentional), muted notifications, and got laser-focused on MY purpose. Do whatever it takes to protect your own vision. Comparing your path to others will never help you grow your own business.

– I took a hard look at my schedule and reprioritized how I use my time. As CEO of multiple companies, a wife, and a mom, I need to know my limitations, prioritize and outsource, so I can focus on growing and leading a team. No matter what stage of business you’re in, it’s a good practice to analyze how you spend your time and compare those tasks to your goals to see if the two match up.

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And most importantly, prepare yourself for failure. Entrepreneurship truly is a journey, and there is always something you “could” do differently, but the best part is that it’s never too late! I’ve been sharing this process with my community to help them see that there are new challenges at every level, and there is always an opportunity for improvement.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Hats aren’t really my thing, but I like to say I wear many shoes! I’m a CEO, Entrepreneur, Immigrant, Mom, Wife, Advocate, Daughter, and Strategist. The thread that runs through ALL of these things is a balance of personality, professionalism, and passion. I grew up knowing what a strong work ethic can accomplish. I even played pretend “CEO” with my brother as a kid – it was never a question of what I would be when she grew up!

Today I am the founder and CEO of four boutique companies, and I have the honor of leading a team of hard-working and business-minded creatives. We combine our experience and knowledge to support ambitious businesses and brands ranging from solopreneur service providers to major mining companies with 1300 employees. We help them map out step-by-step paths that make their visions reality, covering operations, human resources, marketing, sales, business development, and client experience (without the cookie-cutter tactics and copy/paste strategies).

My newest business venture, Station Rove, is dedicated to my mom and the next generation of badass women breaking social norms and glass ceilings everywhere. The tagline wraps up my feelings about entrepreneurship: We Don’t Do Business Alone.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Well, let me go back and say again that this year has been nothing short of a challenge. In spring, my grandma had a stroke, so I jumped into an 18-hour flight to Armenia (that’s where I am from) with my 2-year-old. I ended up running my businesses (and solo parenting) for three months… all while trying to be there for my grandma. It was easily the most challenging season of my life!

During this time, I was planning a rebrand/ relaunch that seemed to be delayed at every single step. The launch of a new service only hit half its sales goal. I lost team members to other creative pursuits, and every one of our teams continued to grow. We lost essential clients and revenue. I struggled through time zone shifts with a toddler who decided to quit sleeping. Not to mention, I worked in 2 time zones with only a few hours of sleep.

I was utterly exhausted.

My friend says, “we all juggle multiple plates at all times, some made from paper, some made from glass; all we need to do is know which we can drop.” I had to ask some clients to shift our work process, focus on hiring to bring more support, and take my daughter to daycare.

At the same time, we had so many beautiful developments through that hard season. Our clients hit important sales goals and even signed book deals! My health allowed me to continue working and parenting. I was surrounded by friends and family who were always ready to step up (my husband flew in as soon as he could).

This experience reminded me again that entrepreneurship 
(or life in general) is not a linear system. We have to be ready for the ups and downs… Because the show never really stops. Every business had failed launches, team members left companies, and every CEO hit burnout at some point. It’s a part of the journey.

Have you ever had to pivot?

This one will be a short one. I pivoted not once, not twice, but many and many times. I was exploring my way.

I went from hotel experience to HR management, from business consulting to performing on stage, traveling with a live band, and getting to the semi-finals of The Voice to managing a live music club. And then I left everything behind to start from scratch when I fell in love and moved to the US.

Seems longer than I thought.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.stationrove.com
• Instagram: @station.rove
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manebailey/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/ManeBailey

Image Credits
Lon Photo