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

Alright, Otisa thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?

Starting my business in 2019 was a huge risk at the time.

I was laid off from my job at the time due to the slow season in the hospitality world.
This was a common occurrence during the winter months and I just remember in 2018 telling myself that I want to have a back up plan. I didn’t like the idea of wondering if or when I was going to be laid off.

I had met a mentor of mine in 2018 that shared their experience from leaving their corporate job and starting their business. I began to apply what I learned from my mentor and starting networking to find other folks who have their own businesses that I could study.

Yes, I studied them and learned more about how they got to where they are now. I realized quickly that they all took risks. No matter how big or small the risk was, the return was worth it for them.

I was in a unique position, I didn’t have much to “lose” at the time. Therefore, it was easier for me to begin to find clients and experiment with entrepreneurship.

I ended up landing my first client late 2018 and by the summer of 2019 I had 4 clients. I was able to work at my job on a part-time basis as I started to build my business.

Now, I have a variety of clients I work with and I have a small team of contractors who support me with the projects and internally. Taking risks sometimes are necessary to reach the growth, results, and outcomes that you truly desire.

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

I am a HR & Systems Strategist Consultant. I support my client in creating systems that optimize their business for growth and expansion. In addition, Otisa loves creating strategies with start-ups, Non-profits, or business owners who want to expand their choices with new aligned and effective solutions to the problems in their business. In her HR expertise, she specializes in creating strategies, on-boarding systems, and leadership development coaching & training. Otisa is passionate about organizational culture and DEIJ when she is working with clients and speaking at events.

I am a HR & Systems Strategist Consultant. What is that, you ask? Well, I do a little bit of everything. My main focus is supporting my clients to navigate HR/People Operations related projects, problems, or trainings. Depending on the stage of the business or Nonprofit, will vary on the best place to start in creating structures, systems, or explore culture/employee engagement gaps within the organization. Often times, folks will have me host and facilitate trainings for their team to dive further in topics that will support their organization in DEI, Inclusive Culture, and Conflict Management. I love working with HR professionals, Leadership teams, and small business owners one on one if they are wanting further coaching. I enjoy creating a strategy for to make goal setting/visioning fun and easier to take actions steps forward.

My core values are Transformation, Authenticity, Staff Advocacy, and Contribution.

I am most proud of the relationships I have cultivated over the years. I believe that relationships are essential in business and especially in the line of work that I am in. I am grateful for all of the amazing connections I have had from clients, colleagues, and through networking. You never know who you will meet and what magic will come out of that meeting.

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

A lesson I had to unlearn was… seeking validation from others. This one was very hard for me to unlearn coming out of college and developing my career. I love learning and I tend want to learn from others. I wanted to hear what others had to share with me so that I may be able to learn from their mistakes or get their suggestions as go on my own path. However, that slowly turned into seeking confirmation/validation from others before I took a step forward or any action at all. Slowly, I began to see how this allowed self-doubt to creep in and I struggled to trust myself in the direction I wanted to go. Honestly, this came from a place of fear.

Fear of the unknown, fear of doing it wrong, and fear of failure. Fear can be crippling at time and can blind side you at times. I have started to learn how to embrace fear. All fear is a notification or a warning for you to look at, but you do not need to let fear consume you. I even create a “worry” or “fear” list in the back of my journal to write down the fear that is coming up and to just let it go. Or if I am finding it difficult to let it go, I spend time asking myself reflection questions to get to the root of this fear.

Now, I do not let fear drive my decisions or keep me from taking action. I trust myself to make the right decisions and have an amazing group of colleagues and friends I can turn to if I need a sounding board when fear creeps in. It is important for me to have a supportive network of people I can lean on and be honest with me when I am making a mountain out of a mole hill.

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

Oooh, I love this question.

It is important to become as self aware as you possibly can when you are managing a team. What is your communication and conflict management style? What does workflow look like for you? What does productivity mean to you? If you have trouble answering these questions for yourself, then it will be challenging to manage a team where you have to learn about them and help them navigate conflict, productivity, communication breakdowns, or challenges that come up.

By taking the time to understand yourself and your team, you will be able to set them up for success for the long-term. You are able to understand your boundaries and help your team practice the same. You will be able to show up for your team in the way they need you to show up when you are able to get to their needs, workflow, communication styles, and so on.

Here are my suggestions for maintaining high morale:
I would also make sure that you practice fostering an inclusive culture when managing your team.
Observe how you are checkin-in with your team as a whole and what your one on one meetings look like. Are they task and project focuses or do you allow space for them to tell you what they are needed at this time?
Learn more about emotional intelligence (EQ) as a manager and where do you need to practice EQ most with your staff.
Lastly, make time for team building/bonding and for fun. Celebrate the wins! Go out for lunch or meet up for karaoke sometime. Or check out a cool exhibit together (be sure to check with HR if there is an employee engagement budget to cover all or partial of the costs.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://otisaeads.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/otisaeadsllc/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/otisaeadsbiz/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/otisaeads/

Image Credits
Andrea Gerstenberger Cam Margera Bianca Roman