Your Name: Patricia WeberName of Business: Professional Strategies Inc
Type of business: Business Coach and Corporate Trainer
What does your business do? As a coach, I work one to one and in small groups with clients. These are independent professionals, salespeople and small business owners. I can quickly parse things down to the real issue. Then we collaborate to design a plan of action unique to them.
As a trainer I work with my clients to design training and workshops that are practical, participative and so fun that people become inspired to act on the ideas.
Why did you start the biz and when did your business open? In 1990 I left the corporate world to make my sales manager position a full time training position on my own. Being a manager of 30 some people for me wasn't all it was cracked up to be. The freedom to work with many organizations and have a positive effect on more people was more inspiring. In 2004 the ability to influence people one to one became my focus because I REALLY know as I work closely over a period of time that I've been a positive change catalyst with one human being, or a small group. As a corporate trainer I do not always know that I have made a difference.
How many people are in your company? I am the company! I have two administrative assistants.
What's your office location like? I use a guest bedroom as an office. It's in a separate wing of the house away from the hustle and bustle areas. It's painted a Bermuda blue with white trim, desk, credenza, bookcase and file cabinets. My desk has no drawers except for the pen and pencil drawer. The four windows in my room are topped with a window treatment of different hot air balloons. My 20" iMac is my main computer but I have a Windows laptop I travel with. My vision board is in my line of vision from behind my desk. Our house is a dream home, difficult for me to leave and a perfect cocoon to work in the way it is designed. When I take a work break I usually walk with our miniature poodle to the backyard and sit by the pondless waterfall to recharge myself. Or if she is really feisty, she brings one of her tennis balls over to me to go play toss.
What's the toughest part of running your biz? Staying focused on my top priority activities. Not because I get distracted with house or yard work; we have people who do that work. Sometimes I just want to stay at or by the waterfall or work out a little longer or just read. I love to read.
What's the most fun part? What makes it most worthwhile is the flexibility I have to fly to the west coast to visit my son and his family. We have one granddaughter who is two and a half years old and I drop anything to help with her. Or I enjoy heading north to visit my mom and rest of the New York family. Or I'm quite content to be a backup for any emergency that comes up around the home for me and my husband. My life feels more balanced to me this way.
Anything you would have done differently? I would start my business with a couple or few paying clients before leaving my paying management level position. It took twice as long to start earning than I thought. Also I would start with assistants way sooner.
Explain what's next on the horizon for you and your business? My coach has helped me to see I am sitting on a gold mine about ready to be claimed. By some minor tweaking to what I am already doing, 2008 will be my best year yet. And with this may come a change in name. My company's name is more reflective of my work early in the 1990s and it's changed so much since that start.
What advice do you have for others? Get a coach. I have a coach at least 6 months of the year and find that THOSE are the times my creativity soars and I take the most well thought out steps forward. I have one for different needs.
How do you use OnlineBizU.com to help with your biz or sanity? When I get the weekly update, I scan the Article summaries and then pick one to read. After that I scan the left hand column for one more topic that might be on my mind. I LOVE how you have the Departments! I just look for one more thing in those Departments, that could help me in an area I might have already been contemplating. I read that and then get back to whatever task was at hand.
Personal Info:
School: MS Business from Troy State University
Prior jobs or business? Teacher; computer sales; computer sales management
Favorite food? a three way tie between sushi, Thai and Italian
What are your pets' names? Chanel has got to be THE smartest poodle with at least a 50 word vocabulary that she understands. We showed her for a year and she won every award.
Do any of these pets help with your biz? You bet! Chanel lets me know in no uncertain way when I need to take a break.
What person or event in your life led you to go into business for yourself? My husband is a quite successful entrepreneur. He is quite inspiring to me.
Website URL:
http://www.introvertscansucceedatsales.com
http://www.prostrategies.com
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