Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in business development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Margaret Glover-Campbell, COO of Virtual Gurus, located in Calgary, AB, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Virtual Gurus is a marketplace that connects businesses with fractional, remote administrative support. Our customers are businesses of any size that need to fill resource gaps (either skill or time-based). They align with our mission to uplift and provide equitable earning opportunities to traditionally underrepresented communities in Canada and the US.
Tell us about yourself
I joined the company in January 2020 after it had been operating for four years. I fell in love with the purpose and how authentic it was/is - everything has been modeled on our founder's personal journey. I'm personally invested in supporting women in tech and am an ally to the 2SLGBTQIA+ and Indigenous communities, so the alignment was apparent from the first time Bobbie and I met.
Three years later, the passion our team has for growth and innovation motivates me to show up as my best self. The fact that we've continued to center our culture around our social mission, even as we've grown from six people sharing an office in a co-working space to over 40 team members with our own floor, fills me with joy and pride.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
We've accomplished so much in the past three years that it's difficult to narrow in on one, but I'll go back to culture. We encourage our team to show up as their authentic selves every single day. That means we hold space for everyone to go through (and share if they like) whatever is happening with them at work or at home. We celebrate together. We grieve together. We encourage one another to move beyond challenges and embrace opportunities. We've truly built a family atmosphere among the team.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
Sometimes I have to make decisions in the interest of the business that isn't popular. As often as possible, I bring transparency into communicating those decisions and have an open-door policy for stakeholders to ask questions and even challenge my decision.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Be your authentic self. Don't be afraid to show people who you are and what you stand for. If you're true to yourself, the supporters you gather will be there for the long haul. I try to be true to this above all else and am thankful for the network of people I can reach when I need help, and hopefully, they feel the same about me.
- Know what you stand for. Before attending a mobile tech event many years ago–where there were a handful of women to a couple of hundred men–I wasn't aware of the huge gender gap in tech, and it became something that I weave into every aspect of my professional and personal life. Dig to understand what matters to you and find a way to incorporate that into your business.
- Don't be afraid to fail. "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger" are words to live by as long as you take the time to reflect and learn from your past. I approach every setback with an eye to what I can learn from it and have yet to walk away from one without at least one nugget I carry forward.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://thevirtualgurus.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/m_g_c
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/margaretglovercampbell/
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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