Do you remember your first hire? There is so much that goes into building a company, but few things matter as much the quality of the team you assemble. Given the immense importance of team building, we wanted to create a series where we ask entrepreneurs who have been there and done that, to share their stories and lessons with the community.

Doug MacDonald

Our brand of music is a specialty . Combing traditional jazz with classical influences.. Read more>>

KaShala Smith

When I began my business journey I was a one woman show, and remained that way for the first two years. As an artist I thrive in bringing herbal ideas into fruition, but I was unable to handle all of the administrative tasks on my own such as developing social media presence, branding, and taxes! On my first attempt at branding, I was gipped by another artist who said they were going to create a logo for my company and instead copyrighted my logo under their own personal business. Read more>>

Tim Realbuto

This is such an interesting question for an actor. All of us start alone with nothing more than a dream. Building your team when you’re an actor starts, first and foremost, with you. You are your business. You are the CEO as well as the product. It’s very weird to put yourself out there as a “product”, but that’s simply something you have to do in this particular business. Read more>>

Sunshine Ellis

Building a new team or building an existing team can be fun but also a challenge. Our company starts with an online hiring portal called Hirebridge. The great thing about this service, is there are personal assessments that are sent to the applicant to complete before they are approved for the interview process. You are rated, Okay, Good, or Best! Ideally, we like to interview ones who have rated Best first. Read more>>

Olivia Williams

Olive started with just my mom and I. We created a charcuterie board for a family event and the next thing you know we are receiving orders to create for others. It happened so fast, and looking back on it we had no clue what we were doing. But, for the past 2 years, we’ve submersed ourselves in the art of food and are loving every single minute of it. Read more>> 

Sia Moiwa

From the inception of my business, it was a solitary endeavor—a leap into uncharted waters. As I embarked on a journey to Sierra Leone, my parents’ homeland in West Africa, I was not only reconnecting with my roots but also stepping onto a path that would lead to transformation. The initial stages were marked by uncertainty and excitement, as I ventured into a territory I had never explored before. Read more>>

Justine Bell

We purchased our book of business from our prior agency, so we did have employees from day one. And as soon as I was able to make my own financial decisions and realized that our budget was going to work, we went looking for a third employees because we were super stretched. Hiring was more difficult than I expected, mostly because people want to put their best foot forward, so it can be difficult to wade through to see the person beneath the promises. Read more>>