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.

Julia Wu

When I started my acupuncture business in 2011, it was just me in a rented room within a podiatrist’s office. At the time, I had no formal business training, which was a challenge because, while schools equip you with clinical skills, they often fall short in teaching how to build and manage a business. I focused on building my client base slowly, hoping to gain traction and stability. Read more>>

Kelly Cahen

When 1213 Hair Studio opened it was just myself and one other part time stylist. My original goal was to have a small boutique hair salon with only 4 chairs. Recruiting was a real challenge because I was a new business and a new leader. I had not yet built my reputation. Finding team members really happened through word of mouth. In the earlier days, I did a lot of desperation hiring. Hiring anyone who was willing to work and potentially bring in money. I had not done the work to define my brand, my policies, my non negotiables or my leadership style. It was pretty disasterous. Read more>>

Maranda Taylor

When I first started my business, it was just me. I didn’t have any employees from day one; it was a one-woman show. I was juggling everything—client meetings, marketing, finances, and every other task that came my way. It was overwhelming at times, but also incredibly empowering. There was a sense of pride in knowing that I was building something from the ground up with my own two hands. Read more>>

Ingrid Centurion

Recruiting is a challenging task Read more>>

Meghan Zeller

When JoAnn Ridge and I started Ridge Zeller Therapy (RZT) in 2008, we started with two employees. Today we have 94 employees on staff. At the beginning much of our growth was organic. Word of mouth alone grew our staff quickly, as we peronally had made many connections in the community. Currently, we do pay for ads on employment sites, but our biggest referral source is our own employees. It is critical to hire employees that you feel will be a good fit with your company culture. Read more>>