We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Willow Li a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Willow, thanks for joining us today. What was the most important lesson/experience you had in a job that has helped you as a business owner?

I was the deploy lead for a young, well-funded contract recruiting platform with ambitious growth plans. We hired aggressively, building out large teams across all departments. We had a good group of talented people, and it seemed like the smart move at the time, with the funding flowing and the market booming. However, things changed quickly. The competition intensified, and our growth projections didn’t materialize. Suddenly, we were facing a harsh reality: we were overstaffed and burning through cash.

It was a difficult and humbling experience. We had to make tough decisions, like letting go of talented people and scaling back operations. It taught me a crucial lesson: growth is good, but it needs to be sustainable. Always consider the long term sustainability and long-term consequences.

Now, as a business owner myself, I prioritize resourcefulness and strategic hiring. I focus on building lean teams with versatile employees who can wear multiple hats. I invest in training and development to ensure my team is adaptable and equipped to handle changing situations independently. My previous experience is a reminder that growth is a journey, not a sprint.

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

Imagine finding the perfect caregiver who not only understands your child’s needs but also shares your cultural values and speaks your language fluently. AyiConnect makes that dream a reality.

We’re a platform that connects families with culturally aligned helpers specializing in child care and senior care.

Whether you’re looking for someone who speaks Mandarin and understands the importance of filial piety, or someone who can connect with your abuelos over a shared love of flamenco, AyiConnect is your bridge to exceptional care. We go beyond matching skills to prioritize cultural understanding and language proficiency, ensuring a seamless and fulfilling experience for both families and caregivers. Join our supportive community and discover a world where care is not just a service, but a celebration of shared values and cultural connection. Visit ayiconnection.com or download our app today and let AyiConnect help you and support you with the perfect care match.

What else should we know about how you took your side hustle and scaled it up into what it is today?

My immigrant journey juggling two kids and looking for caregiver for my dad in a foreign land made me realize the struggle of finding culturally-matched caregivers who also know my home language. After a year of frustration, I knew there had to be a better way. So, I started a side hustle agency, saw the demand for diverse caregivers, and built AyiConnect! Our platform connects families with child care providers and senior companion caregivers in the language they need. These amazing caregivers, mostly immigrants themselves, get valuable job opportunities and share their cultures with American families.

Today, we’re proud to be more than just a connection platform; we’re a bridge and support system between families and these underserved caregivers, creating opportunities and fulfilling dreams. Seeing them hired by good families is our biggest reward, especially after losing a dear team member to Covid. It’s tough, but our mission keeps us going – building a world where care is about shared languages, cultures, and love. That’s AyiConnect.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

Before AyiConnect was even a dream, we started a small humble helper agency on the side. We thought if we were struggling to find someone who spoke dad’s Mandarin, maybe other families were too. So, we started connecting people with just the right caregivers, ones who understood their culture and spoke their language. It wasn’t fancy, but it worked! Within months, we helped many families and even earned $5,000! It also proved there were people out there who craved the same cultural connection we did. That was the initial funding for our real dream – building AyiConnect!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ayiconnection.com
• Instagram: instragram.com/ayiconnect
• Facebook: facebook.com/ayiconnect
• Linkedin: linkedin/company/ayiconnect
• Twitter: x.com/ayiconnect

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