We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Venessa Vermeulen a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Venessa, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?
Many people have the wrong perception about HR, because of a direct or indirect bad experience. And too often HR is labelled biased on favour of that experience.
There are few people and business owners who truly understand the necessary and important balance HR can provide within a company. If you think about it, HR provides an administration service, while operating as a strategic partner plus aligning the company goals and keeping the employees motivated. It is exhausting! Burnout is a real thing. It is a physical and/or emotional and mental exhaustion. Being in a HR role you sometimes have to wear different hats, during the life cycle of an employee. I worked long hours, early mornings, and late nights all while studying and getting my honours in BA: Psychology. I knew that I could not continue like this. I was on the verge of burnout. I had to decide to either stay in my comfort zone or I step out into the world and become extraordinary.
This is where my new journey really started. I was scared. I was uncomfortable. I had 50 things going through my mind. Did I make the right choice? How am I going to do this on my own? Will I be successful? I am going to be honest, starting your own consultancy, does come with its own challenges but it also is satisfying to know, you are your own success. Your attitude and mindset, becomes the core of your creativity.
I am not your typical standard HR individual, and I don’t intend to be. I like thinking out of the box. I like challenging concept, bringing new hope, and utilising cultural concepts. I truly despise the stereotyping concept of being in Human Resource. I moved away from the concept of human resource, and what a human resource should be like. The new me was born under perseverance. My superhero name is the human engineer.
My vision is to leave a legacy of inspiration and leadership skills with every individual or company I get into contact with. My mission is by doing everything with a sense of pride, warmth, friendliness, and company spirit. People become my personal mission.
I wanted to inspire but also aspire to my ambition around people. The company started in 2018, with the thought of making a difference around the concept and notion of what an HR individual actually does. The company does not strive to be associated with any norm around what HR should and should not stand for. Inspirante purpose is to give hope, change strategies and notion to concept, thinking out of the box ideas and being creative.
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?
WHO AM I *Icing sugar answer*: I love life, giving names to my plants, making jokes and having fun.
I am known as the human engineer. I align business process and compliancy within businesses. I have studied BA SocSci: Industrial sociology and labour studies, BA Psy: Psychology Counselling and BA Psy honours: Psychology Counselling. I am also a Certified life coach and Certified Neurolinguistics programmer. I am my own mad scientist when applying my own kind of methods to business process creating the correct formula for the kind of environment that promotes and optimist potential growth.
HOW DID I START?
*Icing sugar answer*: I wanted to change the world like Pinkie and The brain
I started the company in 2018 called Inspirante. I choice the latin word Inspirante because Latin is wildly used in business terms. Inspirante means to inspire. I wanted to shift the focus around new ways of thinking, upskilling clients, through positive thinking. Inspirante is a outsourcing company that covers a wide range of business compliancy and process services. Offering affordable advice, through identifying business challenges quickly and designing strategies to address them.
WHAT ARE OUR VALUES?
*Icing sugar answer*: My favourite is to leave a legendary presence.
A positive Integrity attitude, Customer satisfaction, An listenary advisor, Innovative culture
Legendary Presence, Accountable Discipline
WHY ARE WE THE EXPERTS?
*Icing sugar answer*: I am not just passionate about what I do, I truly enjoy what I do.
I like to b future driven, creative, provide dynamic solution and be a orientated business partners.
WHAT DO WE LIKE FOCUSING ON?
We focus on your business needs, goals and values to ensure that you create a better working environment through creative structure and implementation of legislation.
HOW DO I CREATE A MASTERPIECE?
*Icing sugar answer*: I study the business and understand their need
I then provide customized plans, which cater for specific need with a sense of pride, warmth, friendliness, and company spirit.
WHAT BUSINESS ATTRACTS ME?
• The one-man band – solopreneur, Man or Women entrepreneur, Young or old entrepreneur
• Primary Sector: This sector deals with the extraction and harvesting of natural resources such as agriculture and mining.
• Secondary Sector: This sector comprises construction, manufacturing, and processing. Basically, this sector comprises industries that relate to the production of finished goods from raw materials.
• Tertiary Sector: Retailers, entertainment, and financial companies make up this sector. These companies provide services to consumers.
• Quaternary Sector: The final sector deals with knowledge or intellectual pursuits including research and development (R&D), business, consulting services, and education.
WHAT IS MY UNIQUE SELLING POINT?
*Icing sugar answer*: Our wacky, weird, fun, out of the box thinking.
What makes us a little different is the cultural approach we have to our design. We form part of a new evolutionary view of the next generation. Our focus is on the future of the next labour force, starting to implement policies that will take all this inconsideration. We don’t want to call ourselves advocates for the LGBTQ community, but we want to advocate all rights of diversity in the workplace in a fair manner.
WHERE YOU’VE SEEN ME:
Speaking Engagements, Webinars & Event Hosting
Business Networking
YouTube
Social Media
Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?
I always say that it is not the survival of the fittest but the most adaptable. When I started the company I didn’t know much of anything. I had to upskill myself in the business world. I was introduced to John Maxwell, Jim Kwik, Simon Sinek and a couple of other famous and successful individuals.
A friend introduced me to John Maxwell’s books. Every week myself and this friend will sit, read a chapter and discuss how I would implement the chapter into my business. It made me aware the importance of my attitude and mindset as my own boss. How leadership become an important development for your business.
Simon Sinek gave me inspiration on what is my why. Why am I doing this, who is my focus audience and what message would I like to put out there. It gave me a sense of reality.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
Having a good reputation is not enough, it is also important to maintain an protect your legacy. Every morning I take time for myself to set up the success of my day. I know it is easier said than done, as sometimes you get stumbling blocks along the way. But it sets me up on how I would respond to it. Challenges are inevitable.
At night I check in with myself, and reflect on my day, to ensure that I consistently act in a way that promotes my reputation and my career. It takes own bad comment on social media, to reunion the legacy you have built.
It is also important to say what you do, and to do what you say. Building rapport and trust is a valuable asset in my business. I value people and for what you see, is what you get. I Foster a culture of openness and honesty. I take effort to listen and respond. I am not afraid to speak my mind and be a advocate for change.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.inspirantelc.co.za
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inspirantelabourconsultancy/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Inspirantelc
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/venessa-vermeulen-a4256a180/
- Youtube: Inspirante Human Resource Consultancy @inspirantehumanresourcecon1881
- Other: Google my business- Inspirante labour consultancy