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The Transparent Podcast
The Transparent Podcast
Christina Lazare - From Social Work to Entrepreneurship
Join us for an engaging episode filled with inspiration and practical insights as we chat with Christina Lazare, the dynamic CEO of Build and Change LLC. Christina takes us through her compelling journey from a 20-year career in social work to becoming a successful entrepreneur dedicated to empowering small businesses and non-profits. With a mission to connect entrepreneurs to vital resources, she offers invaluable advice on navigating the challenges of starting and growing a business.
Throughout the episode, we discuss the importance of transparency in entrepreneurship, the power of collaboration, and the necessity of setting realistic goals while embracing the possibility of failure. Christina highlights the impact of community and meaningful relationships in fostering a supportive environment for business growth. She shares her experiences and lessons learned in balancing responsibilities, managing time effectively, and why it’s crucial to ask for help when needed.
Whether you're secretly dreaming of starting your own venture or currently encountering hurdles as a business owner, Christina's story is sure to resonate and motivate you to take action. By tuning in, you'll discover how to cultivate your unique vision into a successful enterprise and the important role that community plays in your entrepreneurial journey. Be inspired to lean into your fears, embrace collaboration, and take that first step towards your goals today! Don't forget to subscribe, share, and leave a review!
My name is Nick Ford and I'm the host of the Transparent Podcast, where we believe in bringing transparency to the world of small business. This week, I am joined by a guest and her name is Christina. Christina, welcome, and I'll let you introduce yourself.
Speaker 2:Thank you, nick. Thank you so much for having me. Yes, my name is Christina Lazar. I'm the CEO and founder of Build and Change LLC. Build and Change LLC is my baby.
Speaker 2:It was a brainchild that came from me trying to figure out how I can be able to bring all the skill sets of me being in social work for 20 years. I've worked initially with folks who had intellectual disability from children to adults. I would provide case management from the time that they've entered into program until they went and they became independent in their lives. And then, even when I moved into Atlanta, I wanted to see how I can be able to still be able to provide it without feeling that I'm hitting a plateau.
Speaker 2:I always felt that I was not living in my full capacity and being able to diversify my gifts of being able to bring people together and connecting them to resources and connecting them to funding and hence Build and Change was built and connecting them to funding, and hence Build and Change was built. And through our company, we provide case management per diem to startup small businesses, especially if they're nonprofit, and I also help small businesses get connected to funding through grant solutions, whether it is reviewing their requests for proposals, starting from scratch, to apply for them to be able to get funding, and then, in the interim, providing support, coaching and helping to strategize, plan and figure out how to build this idea into an actual business that can be impactful into the community. That's something that's important to me.
Speaker 1:Well, I'm glad you're getting to live out your why and be your own boss while you do it.
Speaker 2:That's so fun.
Speaker 1:I joke with you know I started transparent staffing about four years ago and I joke with people all the time Like, yeah, I got the best boss I've ever had.
Speaker 2:Exactly. I love her. She finally understands me and the things that I need.
Speaker 1:She leads me the way I need to be led.
Speaker 2:Exactly.
Speaker 1:Yeah Well, yeah, so you know I love entrepreneurship. The idea behind the podcast is similar to the idea behind transparent staffing, you know, bringing transparency to the world of small business, to entrepreneurship. I just I love small business. I think if more people were willing to take the risk and even if they start as a side hustle or they just leap all in that I think, you know it's not easy, it's definitely not for everybody, but to me it's been easier than working for somebody else, but to me it's been easier than working for somebody else and I love it and I get to work the way that I want to and treat clients and people I work with the way I want to. And so you know, transparent staffing, you know similar, bringing transparency to the staffing industry, and I just love that word. Just transparency to me means being honest, being upfront, being direct with people to me means being honest, being upfront, being direct with people. Um, I just felt. I just felt like that would lead to good business relationships, good personal, um connections with people, and I always want to have long-term relationships, uh with anyone really, but make sure I have a positive impact in in whatever uh relationships that I'm in, business or otherwise. So that was kind of idea behind transparent staffing and the podcast.
Speaker 1:So thank you so much for taking time to chat with me today. But so tell me a little bit more about kind of your background. And then you know I know you mentioned doing some work with people kids with intellectual disabilities. That's personal for me because most of my background is in clinical recruiting. So I worked a lot with psychiatrists, child and adolescent psychiatrists, but also my cousin who has autism, my wife grew up with a brother who has autism. So you know, and at the time 30, you know, 35 years ago, there wasn't really as nearly the access, there was no telehealth, so like you had whoever's in your town, especially if you didn't have the money to travel. So tell me a little bit about like getting into that field and kind of where that's led you now.
Speaker 2:Yeah it's crazy. I kind of where that's led you now. Yeah, it's crazy, I kind of fell into it. I originally was going to school for communications and marketing. I just literally got into the school of marketing. I went to Rutgers.
Speaker 1:Okay, okay, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:Are you? And I went to go study abroad in South Africa and I was there on scholarship. I was doing an or it really is an externship. I was doing an internship with a radio show over there and I had so much free time because the the pace of outside of the U? S is very different, especially coming from New York, when everything is like very fast paced you don't have time to do anything because all your time is taken up. So moving to a country for a year at least almost almost a year and having it be intentional to have time to yourself, was something new to me, so I actually ended up volunteering to yourself was something new to me, so I actually ended up volunteering.
Speaker 2:I volunteered for this clinic called HIVEN, which is an acronym for HIV AIDS Network. That was the name and I met this amazing person named Tandile. That brought me in to volunteer and just get myself a little bit more grounded in my minor at the time, which was sociology, and also just to understand and meet people and seeing them for who they are versus what I assume for them to be. And I, working in that clinic, just opened my eyes and of how connected I am to community service. I've always been that person. I always either volunteered at a church or was volunteering in school, and the way I felt working in that clinic and meeting people who are trying to just get healthier and they were still in school it made me realize that I needed to pivot my thought process of what I wanted to do with my life and wanted to do something that was purposeful.
Speaker 2:So when I came back to the States, I changed my major from marketing to sociology, so I had to take extra classes and I needed to find a job while I was going to school for a little bit longer and my best friend was working at a group home and little did she know that like, getting me, that job at that group home changed my life completely, as well as the trip. So the two are connected. So me coming back, I decided to go volunteer at a company called New Jersey Women in AIDS Network and I also got this job at this company that provided group homes and day programs to folks who had intellectual disability. And working within that field I realized one. It came natural to me.
Speaker 2:I've always been a person who always took the time to learn who that person was and learn their story and learn how I can be able to better communicate with them. A lot of the folks that I still have community with today were nonverbal and I was pioneering a lot of ways for us to be able to teach certain skill sets and creative ways that was not documented in the book. And with that skill set and me graduating with my degree, when I came back home to New York they hired me full time and promoted me into a position to design these treatment plans and oversee these group homes.
Speaker 1:That's cool.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it was awesome. It was not something that I thought like and that's how it shows like when God has something planned out for you, you can have whatever you think in your mind that you want to do, but when God has something aligned for you and and then like in reflecting back on it now and talking, I realize how all things are interconnected, um when I was working I.
Speaker 2:I realized how great I was with the strategic planning piece and also doing event coordination and also figuring out ways to get funding that you know, it wasn't my job title, it'd be we all. Since it was a small organization, we all wore many hats.
Speaker 1:So we were organizing an event.
Speaker 2:It was like let me speak to the coordinator, which is me.
Speaker 1:Now you wear all the hats.
Speaker 2:Wearing all and that was. I think that was like my boot camp.
Speaker 2:Shout out to monique for how to be a entrepreneur because in my little department I was the person because I was overseeing, like the teen conference. So creating that, um, yeah, the conferences for age, uh, for folks who were diagnosed with hiv and aids, it was like, yeah, wow, skill set till this day has resonated in how I plan and how I put certain things together, how I train and how I provide information, and combining those two definitely made me formidable in the work that I was doing in Brooklyn for HeartShare Human Services and then fast forwarding to my present time doing the work over here. It all was like seeds that were planted to figure out how do I blend my passion with helping the community and being in community with folks and also advocating getting people connected and working in different places. That helped to mold what build and change is today.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, that's great and I love how you talked about you know God kind of having a hand in some of that and it's like I think about the phrase that, like you know, god laughs at the best laid plans. Yeah.
Speaker 1:He's been cracking up at my plans literally like passing out, laughing like oh yeah, it's definitely happened many times in my life and some I know like I tell myself like there's a better plan that I can't see right now. You just kind of wish that he would, like you know, give a little peek, because it's like what, what are you doing?
Speaker 1:but um but speaking of like planning you, you know now it's a little bit different, but I got advice from you know, in the church world you have people on staff, but then there's a lot of in the nonprofits or other organizations. This can be the case, but there's a lot of people involved in the church world that are not on staff, they're volunteers. You know, like our church has probably 600 people that go there and maybe six staff people, but there's a few hundred people who regularly volunteer and you know, are doing things. And so one of the pieces of advice that he gave that applies to the professional world too is he said that a B-plus idea that you come up with as a team and implement with buy-in from the team is better than an A plus idea that you come up with and try to implement alone. What do you think about that idea?
Speaker 2:So, if I'm understanding correctly, it's like it's better to come up with an idea in a collaborative measure versus trying to do something by yourself and being open to receiving, like help or guidance.
Speaker 1:Yeah, even if the idea is worse, it's better to go with the idea that came up with as a team.
Speaker 2:I actually like that idea because, even though the idea is worse, I feel that because, even though, like and I'll reflect it to currently, right now I'm a team of one, but I'm also part of a networking group, so we can be able to brainstorm ideas because, even though I think my idea, when you see all you can see, is just the tip of your nose, so, even though you might think it's the best idea ever when you are in community with folks and you are sharing ideas, even though it might be a bad idea, the road to where you're supposed to be is closer than you think, because you are now taking other people's experiences, other people's lessons, other people's perceptions to help get to that destination, and that is, I think, that's a lot more imperative or important than trying to do something by yourself and it being right, because it's, in the end of the day, what's right and what's wrong is really about just trying to get to a goal.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, I think you know. I just I've been in situations where leadership came into a room and told us that we were going to do something and didn't ever really talk to anyone about it. That was actually doing the job. So, like leadership could often be disconnected from the front line of, like you know, the people in the in the job. And you know I mentioned my grandfather owned owned a company for many years and he asked him the same question we, we recorded a podcast and he was like a hundred percent B plus idea that you buy in from and he talked about, like you know, he had a bunch of like 300 employees, so he had a lot of different like directors and vps and stuff yeah and he's.
Speaker 1:And he said you know, every monday morning we get in a room and all of our all of our vps and all of our directors knew they had a voice like they could. They had we would actually listen to what they thought. And he was like, probably 85 of the time, the, the things that they suggested we should do, were better than the ideas that me and the other ceo they were the ceo and a ceo that owned the company 50 50 that he was like not 85 of the time. Our leaders knew had a better idea than what we'd come up with and if we hadn't listened to them, we would have implemented something without knowing what was really going on in their department.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:So it's a thing that happens in companies all the time.
Speaker 2:You see that happen because leadership they're looking at a bird's eye view Exactly their vantage point. They're too far away in trying to just achieve that bottom line versus when you're close enough. You can see those details to help.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, I think it's good. I think it's good to get buy-in too, because then the people you know, even if you have a pretty good idea of how you're going to do things, if you at least let people be a part of the conversation, they're going to be so much more bought into implementing that process or system or whatever it is. I agree.
Speaker 2:I always had that policy when I was overseeing departments.
Speaker 2:Like all the roles that I've had has always been overseeing a specific department or directing a certain project, and I have to learn that to be in full transparency. When being the youngest person in the room, it was something that I would be very self-conscious about, so I always wanted to make sure I was the smartest in the room and that was my biggest, biggest mistake, and once I realized, I went to that different a lot of trainings and conversed with a lot of people who were a lot smarter than me. It helped me to understand the importance of being inclusive. The person who is working the closest to that particular project will definitely have a better idea, because they their vantage point is like the closest to it and that when you have buy-in, you have that conviction to wanting to have that whatever goal succeed versus yes, oh, this is just whatever Christina wants me to do, and doesn't one feel that their voice is heard or valued, or feel like whatever is being worked on is valued as well too. So that is. I agree with that a thousand percent.
Speaker 2:Very much as you can see, yeah yeah, yeah, because I've also been in the other end too.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, and as we grow our companies, I'm not alone anymore. I have a vice president who is going to be he's he's an equity partner, and so you know, I'd still, you know, I still have the ability to just say, hey, Matt, we're, this is what we're doing. You need to go do this and not talk to him about it. And he would I mean, he would push back if he didn't agree with it, but he would have to. Ultimately, I would have the final say but is that going to go? Well? If he doesn't believe in that, or he doesn't think that that's the best way to do something? No, at best he's going to be half-hearted in his implementation of it. So so, speaking of you know, trying to, you know we're trying to figure out if we're going to hire anyone else this year, kind of how to scale our client base, how to replicate what we're doing now. And I had a guy on the podcast last week who he is a AI kind of instructor. He goes into companies and does seminars on how to implement AI tools.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 1:And so his model is like he is flying to offices. They fly him into corporate offices and he teaches them how to use ChatGVT and other AI tools backed by AI. And so my question to him was well, how do you scale that? Because you can't be in two rooms at once. So if your company is 100% relying on you doing a seminar, how do you scale that? So how do you? You know, I know you're in the early stages, but for me, like, time management is a huge issue, because I don't know where the best place to spend my time is now.
Speaker 2:Especially now that I have an employee. Have you seen that meme that's going around with Like let me talk to my entire team? Or it was like Tom Cruise taking off his clothes as he's changing into, and then it's like me going from CEO to customer service. That's how I feel. Yeah, time is huge because it's like a blessing and a curse. Right, my company is growing, which I'm very grateful for. I'm getting more clientele and I'm getting more opportunity to be able to work with these small businesses and companies that are in need of guidance to figure out their next steps and also get funding. So I'm grateful to figure out their next steps and also get funding. So I'm grateful. Also, I'm one person, so that I am definitely in the process of thinking what is a ball or a rock? I like to call it through the scoreboard. I don't know if you're familiar. Have you ever heard of the scoreboard before?
Speaker 1:I don't think so.
Speaker 2:Maybe I so maybe it's a time management tool that you can utilize to manage your task and then talk about big rocks, more rocks. I digress, we'll talk about that later.
Speaker 1:I'll take a lesson on that later.
Speaker 2:Yeah, sounds good um, I uh, one of the. I'm just trying to decide which of the rocks that I could be able to pass on to someone so I could be a lot more efficient, because efficiency is important as well as giving people exactly what they're paying for. I want to give them the best service possible, and if I'm stretched too thin, then I won't be able to do that. So I'm trying to decide in through looking through my schedule and my responsibilities currently, right now, where can I be able to bring someone in to help support? Is it through the social media piece? Do I bring someone in to troubleshoot certain things? Do I bring another social worker in to help me with the larger grants? Those are the questions that I'm yeah it's tough, it's tough, it's tough.
Speaker 1:I mean, and I have a, you know, I have a full-time employee. He's, you know, on a salary and everything, and so it's, what do I outsource to him Like? What do I do? I have him, like, do a lot more client management and recruiting, or do I have him do more you know, do more you know business development? Or should he oversee processes and systems? And we're so small that he kind of has to do all of that on certain levels. And then I have to also pick up things you know. But and it's also hard for me to delegate like, especially because, like, I care so much about like my brand and how I work and work, and you know, I've heard, uh, you, I read a lot of like leadership books and podcasts and things like that, and one of the I can't remember who said it, but basically their, their advice was, if you can find someone who can do something at 70 capacity of what you could do it at, pay them to do it yeah pay them to do it like that's actually the rule of thumb.
Speaker 1:They're not going to do 100% and they're not going to do it the way you would do it. And, like Matt, he's going to do things better than the way I would do it in some areas, especially systems and process. He's so much more organized than I am and systemized, and he has a tech background, so he's able to use technology in a different way than I can. So you know that that's helpful, but also sometimes frustrating, because I'm like why are you focused on that? Like we need to do business development, or we need to do like we need to recruit on this job or whatever, yeah and uh. And he's like what are you talking about? Like what I just did was so, it was so valuable.
Speaker 2:um, were y'all friends before, or was this person that you hired out like cold?
Speaker 1:we. We started on the same day in recruiting together at the same company 10 years ago.
Speaker 2:It sounds like that I'm like, it sounds like I'll know each other. We go back.
Speaker 1:we're like best friends. He's like one of my best friends, so he uh, and he's just he compliments my skill set very well. Like I said, the organization. I use this analogy a lot. I'm the let's go jump off the cliff and figure out if there's water underneath later. And he's the guy that's like no, let's check if there's water, let's check the wind speed, let's see what the climate's going to be. He's like what's to organize everything and make sure everything's perfect.
Speaker 2:But that's your visionary.
Speaker 1:That's what entrepreneurs are like we jump off the cliff and go like, please let there be water, yeah, but, and then he and he's super smart. But sometimes smart people don't get around to doing anything because they overanalyze everything. So you know we, but it's a good, it's a good balance between the two of us. It's going. It's only been three, four months and it's going really well. So so yeah, but you know I follow a lot of I don't know if you follow like motivational speakers and and stuff, so I've got a few to send you after this.
Speaker 1:But if you're into that, but uh from everything you've seen through, you know your life and then also like listening to that kind of thing. What do you think, what do you think makes some people succeed? You know like I don't remember what the status, but most startup businesses like us end up failing in the first five years way more than half of them. So what do you think kind of separates the people that make it and that don't?
Speaker 2:The biggest consistent advice that I've been hearing is not having a fear to fail. You know, pushing through the obstacle that's happening there's like the podcast I was listening to, actually, this morning. It was just talking about the power of the pivot, of leaning into that, of just not being so stuck in what you wanted it to be and letting it evolve it's supposed to be, and, um, so, like that, like it was something that, like it really touched me because of being in the space of okay, I got to figure out what I'm going to do, and not being afraid, like leaning into that skid so you can be able to find that answer, versus like no, I'm supposed to be doing this, this was my plan, this is my business plan, this is how it was modeled, and another piece that we're talking about and making sure you revisit that plan often. It should be a living document. That is something that is also really encouraged. Um, and my mentor was just talking about also making sure that you are getting paid what you deserve.
Speaker 2:That was like enough peace as well, not being for sure to take those big swings so you can be able to get your worth, because they were sharing that. A lot of folks, especially when they start off businesses, they're very shell-shocked and want to make sure they're not ruffling too many feathers. And you know, trying to build a network, and so that is good. But you also want to make sure people take you seriously as well, and if you you're cutting yourself basically at the knees, if you are volunteering your services fully or shortcutting yourself just so you can make a name, you're just going to be a nice person but not seen as a business owner that's great advice.
Speaker 1:Well, yeah, that is a very good advice. You know, when I got started I did, you know, discount things from where I would be now to get going, and you know that. But I took that first client as a learning opportunity. You know, you kind of attest the market, test myself, like, is this going to work, can I do this? And then you know that next client. Then I had a success story to share and had the confidence to know, like, okay, I've done this before, now I can charge what the market rates are.
Speaker 1:I know what other companies are charging for this and you know it's pretty standard terms in my industry as far as what companies are used to paying for recruiting services. So that's helpful. I mean, some companies don't want to pay it at all, they just don't have a budget for it or whatever. But you know, yeah, I think for me, the thing that I think the biggest thing for me that I have stayed consistent with as far as success versus failure is, I think that you have to know where you're going, you have to have goals. If you're not, if you're not working towards something, you're not working toward anything, you're just wandering. So, I think, consistently having goals consistently, uh, tracking, you know, smaller steps toward those goals.
Speaker 1:Like, you know, if you have a revenue target for the for 2025, like, are you on target? Like are you, are your, are your um processes and systems and the things you're doing every day working toward that goal and systems, and the things you're doing every day working toward that goal, yeah, um, so I think I think having goals and then working at it, I mean work ethic you gotta, you gotta be like um, you gotta let the, the misses and the failures pass, get passed by you. I mean you can't, you can't get too caught up on it. Yeah, um, I was listening to, I love, I'm a big tennis fan and, uh, roger Federer. He gave a commencement speech and he's, you know, one of the greatest tennis players of all time. He, he gave a number, he gave a number that he quoted. That was crazy to me, but he, you know, is the greatest player of all time. He won 20 grand slams, like, widely regarded as one of the greatest tennis players ever.
Speaker 1:But, he only won 54% of the points he played in. So he only won every other point pretty much, but he won 80% of the matches he played in.
Speaker 2:And so the perception.
Speaker 1:And so he was like you know, if you get caught up on every point that you lose, he's like take that point is or that, that thing that you're in in your business or whatever it is, take it very seriously while it's happening, but when it's over, move on you can't get too caught up on it.
Speaker 2:Yeah and I. I.
Speaker 1:I made that comparison with baseball. It's, like you know, familiar, if you're familiar, like baseball statistics uh, the best major league baseball hitters fail seven out of 10 times If they're batting 300. So like, yeah, like, a 300 batting average is phenomenal, which means that they only got on base or he got a hit three out of 10 times. So they're failing seven out of 10 times and that's success for them.
Speaker 2:So oh, that's success for them.
Speaker 1:So, oh, that's deep. So you know, and it's the same thing with like sales, like I've been in sales my whole life and it's like you know, if I make 50 phone calls in a day and only one of those turns into a lead, that's 49 out of 50. Failure rate is great. I got a client that day, that's a good day, I'm winning oh yeah, that's how I feel.
Speaker 2:I'm like I got a client this week.
Speaker 1:It's amazing oh yeah, heck yeah I'm winning, but if all I.
Speaker 2:But if every time I someone, if every time I called someone and they said no and I was like, oh man, I don't want to call anyone else, I know that's and that is like the first, I think, step towards your business not thriving the way it's supposed to, and that was a lot of the one of the biggest reasons why it took so long to start, because it was just that fear of failure and like getting that rejection makes you go.
Speaker 2:Oh okay, I'm good, let me go back to what I know that's comfortable, what's secure, what's stable and what's that's not how you really like in that, in this type of world, you have to.
Speaker 1:You got to just chew that failure up and just keep it moving, or not so much failure, but like that glitch, because I don't even like calling it a failure, because it's just a step towards me getting closer to my goal of winning in this yeah that's what it is yeah, and to me, if you're not failing, you're not trying like you, you, if you, if you're not failing, I mean if you're not going to succeed at everything every day, I mean you're gonna have things that you're gonna get rejected, you're gonna get no's and you can't let it get get you down. So I think, having goals, continuing to persevere and and move forward, even when there's setbacks and obstacles in the way, I think that's the biggest things for me. So, and then for me now, it's like as far as success versus failure is, like it's more important than ever for me to use my time wisely. And you know, matt is, you know he's, he's my vice president of sales and recruiting. He's very opinionated. He's very opinionated about how I should spend my time.
Speaker 1:And there was stuff like when I first started or when he first started, there was things that I was doing and he was like that's a waste of time, why are you doing that? And like you need to focus on X, y, z. And I always took him very seriously. But I also was like well, here's why I think it is a good use of my time. Let's talk more about it. And so how is that? You know, you're early on and you're kind of your first six months or so with your company but you don't have anyone to pass anything delegate to yet.
Speaker 2:So how do you?
Speaker 1:how do you? Where's your time most valuably spent, like where? Where do you focus on?
Speaker 2:It varies, honestly, on the day, I've been currently right now, trying to schedule days to do certain things. So, um, three days out of the week I am knee deep in research. I'm researching different grants that are available, not necessarily specifically for the client I'm working with, but just to have someone some in my back burner just in case someone does come up needing it. I'm also scheduling time to coach and speak to. I have two clients that I'm independently coaching and then one through like a specific cohort, and then I'm doing a lot of marketing.
Speaker 2:I'm trying to promote what Build and Change is doing, whether it's on LinkedIn, on Instagram or TikTok, and then I'm at networking events. If I'm not at a networking event, I'm probably going to learn more about resources. And then I also have been doing like continuing education. So I just finished a certification for grant writing. I just wanted to make sure that I was up to date with the current process, and then now I'm working on my recertification to provide trauma certified trauma support specialist services to different agencies that might need to do that with their case management training or with their team and staff, as well as making sure that the coaching that I'm providing is trauma informed, because we are all affected by trauma.
Speaker 1:So yeah, for sure.
Speaker 2:Yes, that is seven days.
Speaker 1:Believe it or not, I'm trying to sleep and you can't request pto from yourself very easily and there's no one to cover for you say that again I said, you can't request pto from yourself very easily no, I tried.
Speaker 2:I tried, I was like can I just get, like you know, half of the day off?
Speaker 1:and she was like no, not, not the this, your boss, sounds like you're really strict she is.
Speaker 2:I thought she was going to be cool, but she's worse.
Speaker 1:She just has high expectations, that's all. She does I try to inspire people to get into small business, but I call it. People who are on the fence. Maybe they had an idea for a side business or had an idea for a full-time business and want to get into entrepreneurship, I call it I think I got this from Shark Tank but entrepreneurs, Entrepreneurs.
Speaker 2:Tell me about that, yeah.
Speaker 1:So people who want to get into entrepreneurship but they haven't taken that first step yet. So you know, for me I would tell them take the first step. It'd be a lot easier than just sitting on it and wishing or regretting that you haven't done it yet. But what would you tell people that are thinking about it, that haven't taken the first step or are on the fence about it?
Speaker 2:Honestly the same Taking that first step and not stopping that would be the only thing that I would add on, because I've had a lot of false starts and, yeah, I've been intimidated by, uh, a result uh, not so much unrealistic, but like an unwanted result and it would scare me or make me nervous into not believing in myself.
Speaker 2:So that would be like the big, the taking that step and doing things intentionally to pour into yourself on the day, so you can be able to recall it on the days that things are not adding up or working towards what you want. Because being your own boss and entrepreneurship is extremely difficult but it's also extremely rewarding, because you find the blessings and excitement in the smaller things. Versus when you are working for someone, the goals are not as personal. You may have personal goals to be able to get certain accolades from your supervisor or your boss, or to reach milestones to get bonuses, but after a while that stuff gets at least for me, it got old. You know how many times can I get patted on my back for doing a great job? Versus when you are working on something that's personally connected to you, it is a different type of celebration within yourself.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah.
Speaker 2:When it's like a small little, like you said oh, I got a client, one client out of like 30 days. But like you've got a client and this person, you think about it. That person is taking a risk not so much a risk and they're investing in their services and your skill set and they're also saying I believe in you yeah, 100 yeah so it's yeah, and I think small wins
Speaker 1:I think, like to people who also are like looking into working with, like a, you know, a build and change or transparent staffing versus maybe a bigger company, that could be an option too. Those, our clients, are putting bread on the table for our family, like they are. We're going to give them so much of a higher level of service and touch and and time that, uh, that they're not going to get from other places because they may be one of a hundred to someone else, but to us they're.
Speaker 1:You know, there's they're so important there's, oh yeah, I mean they are everything to us and we, you know, you know there's there's so important. There's, oh yeah, I mean they, they are everything to us and we, you know, take so much time to, to value them and and uh, make sure that they're taken care of. But what else, um, you know well, first of all, thanks, thank you for being on the podcast and uh, taking the time. But what else would you want to share with the audience? Who's listening? About building change, about yourself?
Speaker 2:uh, before we, before we close it out, oh well, um, I'm excited that building change is collaborating with different organizations to build more community safe spaces. So, um, we're going to be collaborating with this organization called building bloom network to do a a panel discussion in in April about things that are affecting the community and how we can be able to support each other. The other piece that Build and Change is starting to do is to connect to different schools. So we're going to be doing a special project at the first Afrocentric charter school in, I want to say, in Georgia, and they're located in decatur academy. I'm going to be a a special guest professor, or really teacher, to work with special needs kids who are twice exceptional and providing them skill sets, skill sets to cope with what is going to occur when they're taking standardized tests. So, like you know, when you're getting prepared for standardized tests, there's a lot of stress, not only just on the kid but also on the teachers and the parents, because these tests determine their next steps.
Speaker 2:So yes able to develop a curriculum to help that's trauma-informed, to help them to build coping skills to manage these challenges and super excited about that. So that's trauma informed, to help them to build coping skills to manage these challenges and super excited about that. So that's a new branch that I'm taking on as a company.
Speaker 1:Awesome. Well, it's super exciting. Um, I'll definitely share a link to your website, uh, in the podcast notes and, uh, if anyone wants to connect with you, I'm sure they can find you on LinkedIn or your website and wants to connect with you, I'm sure they can find you on LinkedIn or your website and I'll share that and you know. Thank you so much again for being on the podcast. I appreciate it.
Speaker 2:Thank you, Nick, for having me. This is a great conversation and I look forward to speaking more with you and connecting with other avenues.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm sure we have a lot that we could we could share with each other and get connected, and I would love to follow along your entrepreneurial journey and see how you're able to impact people.
Speaker 2:so thank you so much. Have a great thank you you too, all right.