Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Angela Howard, Founder of Angela R Howard Consulting, Inc, located in Downer's Grove, IL, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
We are a culture change consulting firm. We help companies hack the intersection of business impact and employee personal interest. We believe that when you take care of your people as humans first and employees next, they take care of your customers, stakeholders, and outcomes. Through impactful micro progressions and a data-backed, psychologically informed approach, our company helps diagnose symptoms of harmful culture, be objective in the face of hard truths, and facilitate meaningful change in organizations through operationalizing culture-building.
Tell us about yourself
Before I had the idea to start my own consulting business, I was doing career coaching and small projects on the side. I worked with an organization to provide career coaching for women, and I noticed that many of the women who were reaching out to me were women of color. I'd spend time working through their career challenges, but many of the discussions turned into frustration around the system of work and how it was constantly creating barriers. These barriers were not just around a shitty boss or about how the benefits sucked – they were real systemic and systematic issues that caused my coachees harm – physically, mentally, financially, and spiritually. Around this time, I was also getting my Masters in Industrial/Organizational Psychology – where we're trained to understand organizations on a systematic level. This was my aha moment. This was when I realized that I was spending time on the reactionary side of toxic cultures (coaching women who were already steeped in unhealthy workplaces) and that I had the opportunity to change the system and make a difference.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I started my podcast - Social Responsibility at Work, right in the middle of the pandemic, and it's been wonderful to watch it grow and build over time.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Unlearning habits I had as a 9-5 corporate employee.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Don't aim for perfection; focus on iteration.
- Scale intentionally and sustainably.
- Delegate and invest in experts who can bring the expertise that you lack.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.angelarhoward.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/angelarhowardconsulting/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelarhowardconsulting/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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