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.

Margaret Cruz

When I began my journey in real estate, I started with a clear vision of building a reputable team name that would not only cater to clients’ needs but also foster a supportive and skilled team environment. Initially, managing all aspects of the business alone was both challenging and rewarding. I knew I needed to align myself with a reputable brokerage with a supportive mindset. Read more>>

Alex Basaldua

The beginning of this venture for myself was very unique. I came into this company while the person who had started it and was running it brought me on to complete his team and I was set to work on their apparel and swag and he also hired a new brand ambassador which was set to start after he left. So now we have a company with no one leading and with little experience on how daily operations was handled and no one knew who was going to be leading the way in taking charge of any of the many duties this person had on their plate. Read more>>

Mallory Beardsley (Godin)

Restore & Renew Counseling started from the ground up. The first therapist that was hired ended up being from my alma mater. It was neat to have had that initial connection. Immediately I took that as a good sign and from there, we were looking for therapists with specific specialities and backgrounds to begin building the practice. Read more>>

Vedas Burkeen

No, I started my business in 2010. Originally, it was just me taking on projects for organizations. It was a lot of work and difficult to manage while working full-time. Read more>>

Morgaine Trine

When I originally started the business it was just me, however, I quickly hired support on client delivery doing a small number of hours each week. I did this because I knew I was good at the client delivery but great on the business development side and wanted to build out a team so I could focus on the things only I could do. Read more>>

Gengis Don

As a freelance musician and producer, i’ve had to operate as my own business since the beginning. When i first started my professional career, there was no team. It was a lot of trial and error in finding the write people to add to my team. Finding the right management was like finding a pair of jeans that fits you correctly. The hardest part is knowing that no one is going to go as hard for you as you are, but also looking for that person that believes in what you’re doing almost as much as you do. Read more>>