Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in business development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Jeffrey Pietrzak, founder, and CEO of Work Exceptional, LLC, located in Buffalo, NY, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Work Exceptional, LLC is on a mission to provide tailored business, and human capital consulting focused on results without breaking the bank. We enable our clients to get the support they need to grow, retain, and build a high-performance environment. We exist to help businesses perform so well that the resulting growth feels as if it is without limit. The way we see it, it's every organization's right to access third-party support, and we make it realistic for companies of all sizes. Our firm works with companies of all sizes and stages, focused on growing from a people perspective, including organizational structure and design, human resources, retention and turnover, learning and development, organizational development, systems implementation, hiring, and change management.

Our objective is to provide an overall solution matching a company's size, goals, and budget. We understand the strain put on organizations regarding investments in people, whether internally through full-time human resource professionals or outsourced support. We don't want an organization to limit its success because of an inability to invest in third-party partner help. We scale our pricing based on project needs and budget constraints to ensure that we are always priced within the market rather than above a reasonably affordable rate.

Tell us about yourself

I didn't have much of a plan when I founded Work Exceptional, LLC. I stepped away from a Chief People Officer role to care for the health of a loved one. I needed a source of income to make ends meet. As the sole earner of a family with three children, the stakes were high. I made it through our first six months solely through my network of goodwill, finding work through folks willing to take a chance on me. Throughout my career, I have built and led people-focused initiatives for organizations ranging from small startups to global Fortune 500 firms, hyper-focused on achieving results. I have helped grow headcount and financial results through executive coaching, organizational development, learning and development, and various human capital practices. I have nearly 20 years of working in various industries, including healthcare, technology, insurance, retail, manufacturing, restaurants, hospitality, recruiting, and distribution. I think I have a knack for identifying the strengths of others, helping them realize those strengths, and maximizing their abilities to create high-performing work environments. I enjoy working at all levels of organizations to learn about needs, bringing my perspective and experience to the table in practical and actionable ways.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

My biggest accomplishment when founding Work Exceptional, LLC was finding the courage to self-advocate and effectively articulate the value I can bring to organizations as a third-party partner. For years, I was the decision-maker in working with outside consultants, and that experience helped me understand how to deliver value to the prospecting conversation. Surviving, and yes, it was survival. The first six months, while still being able to vacation, feed my family, keep our home, and enjoy the holidays, felt incredible.

What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?

The thing I struggle with most as the founder of Work Exceptional, LLC, is the unpredictable nature of what is mainly project-based work. Yes, there are retainers and some predictability, but shaking off the conditioning associated with 20 years of a steady paycheck is tough. Once I became somewhat comfortable with the ebb and flow of income, I became less anxious about ideologies around things like weekly paychecks.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Do not dwell on the past nor fear the future. Both will rob you of the joy of the present.
  2. Avoid loans and investors if possible. If you have to choose, work with investors open to a reasonable payback interest rate or equity.
  3. Business development never stops. Carve out time every day for BD, no matter how you make that happen with your schedule.
  4. You DO NOT have to work 100 hours a week to make it work, but you better understand that your norms and worldview around 9:00 - 5:00 work will likely be heavily tested.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.workexceptional.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypietrzakphd/

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.

Turn your craft into recurring revenue with Subkit. Start your subscription offering in minutes and supercharge it with growth levers. Get early access here.