Creating & Breaking Rules, Focus, & Scaling with Alisha Harris, Founder of Original Account Strategies

00:01.55

kitedart

Hello everyone and welcome to this week's session of the Now & Center podcast. I am here today with Alisha Harris. She is the founder of Original Account Strategies, and this is super fun because we've actually become recent acquaintances but we've had the opportunity to have a few conversations so I'm just really excited for for what Alisha is doing with her business and and also like the other pieces that really drive her in terms of just like her values and the difference she wants to make in the world. So. Alisha Thank you so much for being here and welcome to Now & Center. Yeah, so will you just start us off please and share a little bit about your business. Um, tell us you know what you do with Original Account Strategies, the difference that you want to make in the world, and again, I know there's sort of this layer of the business and the work that you do, but you've got these other passions so feel free to bring those in however you'd like.

00:36.60

Alisha

Absolutely thank you so much for having me.

00:57.56

Alisha

Yeah, so Original Account Strategies is a website and graphic design agency and my huge goal in the world is to have some way that I contribute to equitable and sustainable housing which I know at first glance at first listen doesn't sound very connected. Um, but one thing that we love to do is work with people who are working with those with their hands. So the builders of some of these different housing projects or you know anything in the construction industry. But really anybody that is passionate about creating good work and putting good work out in the world. We want to help share your story. I absolutely love that it is probably one of my favorite things to do is tell other people's stories, help them shine in their full glory and let other people see their value and their worth.

01:49.67

kitedart

And I love that and I love even just as you're sharing that just seeing the huge smile on your face and that like you just lit up. So I Love that so Much. Um I And and I I think it's cool. How. And and and I'd love for you to maybe share more about your story in terms of how you got to this place with your business but I do just really love how you called out that like you care about this thing about affordable housing and then it's like you do websites and graphic design and tell people stories. And like how do those 2 things equate but but what I really love is that they do equate they can equate because of not just the people that you work with but it's a matter of like how are you using your particular talents and skills to impact something right? and that it doesn't always have to be that. Straight line that people think that it should be or something but you know what I mean that it's like it's just about like what's real and what you care about and that there are a lot of ways to affect that. So I Think that's Great. Um.

02:51.30

Alisha

Yeah I mean I would agree I also, I find that a lot of times you know you get kind of caught up in how am I going to bring these things together, especially these 2 disparate things and and sometimes you can actually be that thread that is weaving through things.

03:08.41

kitedart

Absolutely I think that's so true I think it's great. Um, and maybe that's part of what makes you such a great storyteller too. That's part of the skill required um will you share with us about you know, a little bit more about your journey and I know one thing that you had said to me before was that you don't feel like the path. You know the entrepreneurial entrepreneurial journey is linear So Can you share more with us about how you got here.

03:31.85

Alisha

So yeah, if you had asked me but five years ago I probably would have never guessed that this was what I would be doing today which is why I think it is so cool and one of the my favorite things about entrepreneurship is that you're learning as you're going and you're kind of a mess. All of these skills and building them together. But I have a background in a lot of different things. Um, one of the things that I actually went to school for was costume design and spanish. Love language and I love the stories that you can tell with language and I love how you can communicate through different languages with different people and and so that's really what kind of drove me and then after I left school I worked in professional costume design. Down at wal dissney world for a little bit I have taught english in Spain and I worked as part of a back countryuntry trailrough and built and repaired trails in Yosemite national park for these seasons I was a professional cook. I have worked in travel sales because I love connecting to different cultures and then I have also been a carpenter's apprentice. So again I love working with my hands and just kind of uncovering different stories and different different modes of expressing yourself.

04:56.45

Alisha

And then I've also worked in and restaurant service. So I started my business really two years ago during the pandemic I was laid off from my restaurant job and you know I'm sitting there with all of this time on my hand and I'm kind of thinking. Well what am I going to do. How am I going to support myself and at the time you know I didn't really realize what a huge venture kind of starting business would be but I figured other people have done this I must be able to figure it out. Um, and that is where we started so we started actually doing a lot of administrative work and things that I am pretty good at in terms of organizing and scheduling and you know really just cleaning up databases or creating an email campaign and then. Slowly evolves into more like hey Alisha. Do you think you can figure out how to send a marketing email. Can you figure out how to update our website and then it also came from me stepping out and saying you know in addition I'm not only going to wait for these projects. But. Here's how I could really help you and I can use my skills to take you to the next level and I think that this is what you need so it took a little bit of that me giving more and stepping into that zone and before really you know we're like oh website and graphic design.

06:28.20

Alisha

That is what something that is something that people need that is something that I love to do and that is something that is a place where I can really help people ah help people shine and help people grow and I and I love it I get to do the one part I think which is. Connecting to other people and hearing those stories because everybody has such different passions and interests in the the wise behind why they get into the business and I love sharing that.

06:56.60

kitedart

That's great I I Really appreciate Well I I just hear this so much right? I talked to so many business owners and I hear this so much that a lot of times. It's it is just like what can I sell to make money. And that there were these things that you're like oh I can help people with this people were asking hey can you help me with this but I love that you owned that like there were other things that you could do and that you could even be a bigger contribution to people through those things and that you were willing to put yourself out. There. Think a lot of times people do feel like they have to just kind of stay in the realm of what other people ask them to do or what they think other people would be willing to pay them for and it can be hard to like lean into this is what I can really help you with and kind of. Drawing some of those boundaries not that you said you drew those boundaries necessarily but like maybe just inferring a little bit of like yeah I can do these things but I can do this and that's even I'm even better at this and more passionate about this I think is.

07:54.31

Alisha

Yeah, and figuring out how to kind of structure that conversation in a way where and like you said I didn't necessarily start out with hard boundaries of this is exactly what we're offering what we're doing. You know when I started. It's like how can I help and I will help you in any way possible and it. Quickly I mean it got to the point where I was like I am probably spreading myself a little bit thin So How can I focus on what I invest that doing what I love doing and where can I really like hone in on on how I can help and then just kind of offering those as gentle suggestions like. You know, not necessarily. This is what you have to do. But I recommend that you do this and this is my experience and if you're willing I would be willing to work with you and we'll kind of see how how how we can go from there.

08:49.00

kitedart

I Love it. Yeah absolutely I think that's I think that's great and and good for you that you were able to get to a point where even that you know it's like the bandwidth that you had or the capacity that you had um. Got to a point where it was like you had to be more you had to kind of narrow it down and focus it down instead of getting stuck doing things that maybe weren't your biggest contribution or your top passion for a really long time because sometimes people end up doing that for a long time and. Your point I think you're right that like I Always like to think of business business as science experiments right? and that you have to do some things to figure it out and so sometimes you don't know like oh I don't really want to do that I Really like this better I'm really better at this. So Um I I I Love that.

09:41.65

kitedart

It's like the iterative aspect of of your entrepreneurial journey and I think that that is true for most people.

09:47.65

Alisha

Yeah I would agree I I think that there are some people especially when when you look at you know whether it's a career or you think of in business. There are certain types of people that. Are very good at saying hey this is exactly what I want to do and I'm going to stick with that. You know we all have that friend that has known that they want to be a doctor and they grow up being a doctor. They love being a doctor and that you know that's what they do. But I think those stories are a little bit more rare. Um that you know that you.

10:17.40

kitedart

Yeah.

10:20.74

Alisha

Pick that one thing that you're going to do that. You know you're gonna do and you're gonna stick with it for me. It's more been about you know who do I want to work with what are my guiding principles. How do I want to work that has kind of served me and led me in this direction and you know, kind of taken me on on this journey.

10:36.37

kitedart

Yes, oh that's fantastic, fantastic and I think that's true and and you're right like there are some people who it goes that way but I feel like when we're young, we're told that we should like. Know and be able to figure it out when we're 16, 17, 18, maybe even 20 right? But like this whole idea of like I'm going to go to school and I'm going to study something and then I'm going to go do this thing for the rest of my life I don't use my I mean I use my degree from the standpoint of like I learned a lot of stuff in college but it doesn't relate to the work I do. And just like you I five years ago I wouldn't have guessed that this was what I would be doing right now either and so I think I think that's a really important message for people to hear right? that that we don't like we don't have to have it figured out as young people and even we don't have to have it figured out along the way that we can just. Keep but doing things and trying things and following the passion and the and the values and you know like I love what you said like who you're working with and you know what you're working on and and all of those things are really important so that's great.

11:41.62

Alisha

Yeah, it's definitely evolutionary and I feel I feel that you know even when you step outside of of career and you look at personal development and personal growth. You know there's also that evolution where I'm not necessary I'm not the same person that I was ten years ago

I have a lot of the same kind of ideas behind it. But you know things shift and they changed and I'm glad but I would have never predicted that you know this is what I'm doing this is who I'm surrounding myself with I have some kind of inherent principles that you know you want to stick to. But. Think it is important to also have that space in that room to breathe it kind of also frees you up a little bit. You know when everything's not so tight. Um.

12:27.25

kitedart

Um, so True. Yes I'm a big fan of space to breathe by all means um so will you share with us a little bit about um, right? So So so so much of what I hear right? is that you've been able to like follow your passion and your interests and. Try things and you've given yourself that space and that opportunity to um to meander your way to hear right? And also I'm sure it hasn't been super easy every step along the Way. So What are some of the challenges that you've had around starting this business.

13:01.00

Alisha

Um, I think that one of the biggest challenges that I that I have been with businesses has been trying to figure out how I can find focus in myself and my activities I historically love to.

13:20.12

Alisha

I love learning about absolutely everything and I love opening myself up wide to a lot of different possibilities and avenues and really kind of honing in on what a focus has been hard for me. Um, it is it is something that I'm still actively working towards. So 1 thing that I really try to do is so like how can I separate myself from you know from these different activities and how can I hold space for myself while I'm exploring you know and keep that space for myself to explore but be a little bit more focused in the activities that I'm doing um that is probably. 1 of the biggest things is narrowing down and figuring out that focus but you know it's what it's it's it's the designer's paradox where you want in theory you want this blank screen and you want this blank canvas because you can do whatever you want, but that is always often. So hard when when everything in the world is a possibility. Um, and so 1 thing that you know I really kind of leaned on and leaned into was the idea of how do I create a design brief but a design brief almost for like my life or for my business where I have rules. And I have some kind of structure because then I know like what what rules can I break? Um, what rules do I want to follow and it gives me a little bit more freedom and it gives me a little bit more play when I'm understanding. You know this is what I will do. This is what I won't do. How can I kind of go within that.

14:59.59

kitedart

And I think that's really great and you're just definitely like a person after my own heart in terms of like setting the rules and then being like okay now I'm going to break them but only intentionally in where I want to but I think it's great. Um, my people who know me really well kind of think I'm a funny paradox of being this like very rule following Rule Breaker. So I love that um I'm curious to know so and maybe this answered the question already. But as you were sharing that I was thinking about like ok what has helped you find focus. And I feel like part of what you've shared is that just doing things right and seeing here's what I like maybe here's what I don't like here are places I feel like I could help people more I'm going to bring them up and get you know see if there's that opportunity to do them then you've talked about the the rules and how you want to navigate. Around those um is there anything else that you've that you've already done or that that's already helped you learn how to focus.

16:04.40

Alisha

Um, I would say so a lot of it has I've also leaned heavily on other people, um to kind of help me in that direction and when I say lean on other people I mean I don't think that there is anything that any of us can do that is really and truly you know by ourselves I think it takes ah it takes a community and takes some help So when I look at you know, especially people in my in my family that have been Noticing. You know hey you seem really stressed out hey this doesn't seem like maybe you know you're kind of worried about. This thing or this doesn't seem like you're enjoying it. I've also kind of taken some of that external feedback. Um, with you know, maybe I'm trying to do everything all day and I'm just not sleeping this day and I'm trying to do 10 different things. But that external feedback has been really helpful for people saying hey I'm noticing that you don't look like you're loving this? Um, what are some ways that we can maybe work to alleviate that and then I Also I write lists a lot I write almost everything down and so one thing that has really helped me. When I'm finding focus because I write down. Absolutely everything that I need to do or I think that I have to do I should say maybe I don't need to do but something that I think that I have to do that day and I end up with this page long list, and, you know, I have to realistically look at it and say where am I going to spend my time is this something that I like spending my time on you know I do have to pay bills I don't love it. But maybe I could reduce the time that I'm paying bills and kind of shift that focus. So that has also been really helpful and then you know writing those lists down. Do it kind of like every morning in the morning before I kind of dive into anything because what happens is that when I pick something and I arbitrarily wanting to focus on it I dive in and kind of lose track of. Absolutely everything else that you need to do so I try to make this list this page long list every morning. What is everything on my mind. What are all of the things that I think that I need to get to today and then kind of look and see are there things that can be grouped together. Things that are just kind of a waste of time. Um, are there things that are personal for me, you know what are the things that I like doing and just kind of categorizing it in different ways and so I make this first list and then I make a second list that has categories this is for me this is for someone else. Someone is. Waiting on me for this. This is urgent. This is not urgent and things can show up in different places but it really just helps to me get a different visual understanding of where my time is being spent and kind of look at that over a week where is that that week going. What have you been doing.

19:06.49

Alisha

Has this been productive and then you know even further out after you've done this for a month this entire month I wanted to you know, go to the gym 5 times and looking at this I didn't build in anytime for the gym. So how am I going to. How am I going to change that if that's something that's important to me.

19:26.33

kitedart

And that's fantastic. So I'm going to just call out folks who are listening I love this. This is great like asking for help I again I mean I think so many people who have a hard time asking for help right? We're we're told we have to you know, be. Rugged individualists. We have to do it all ourselves work harder right? So I think that's really amazing that you one have learned to ask for help and listen right when people say hey Alisha I'm noticing right? that that you can be open to that and listen to that. Um I think that's great and then.

20:01.67

kitedart

The second part of that with the list is like this just choosing intentionally and it sounds like even when maybe with making the list you've like chosen something intentionally, but it hasn't happened right? like with the exercise that's something you intentionally chose but you didn't build that time in. So It didn't happen and and that you're noticing those trends over time like I think those are all super great strategies and could be really helpful for other folks who are new and as ah as a business owner.. Thanks.

20:30.24

Alisha

Yeah, yeah, it's difficult to look at at things you know, right in the moment and and notice a pattern so having just kind of different different ways to to look back on information. Um.

20:46.86

Alisha

Is has been super helpful for me.

20:49.69

kitedart

So yeah, that's great. That's really great. Um, can I ask then I think those are some great nuggets and and I'd love to ask if you could also bring in um, any particular identities that you may hold. That have also impacted your experience as a business owner and and what that was like.

21:09.56

Alisha

Um, yeah, um, so I I identify as a black woman and as as a business owner that has been both It's been both good and bad. You know it's good in that especially over the the past few years it has become almost like trendy to support businesses that are from marginalized individuals. So. It's been good on that front in that you know sometimes it has maybe helped me gain a client or help making that edge. Um, but the the bad that I see in that is that it sometimes almost. Reduces us to that status and almost kind of eras the fact that regardless of the status that I hold I'm a talented individual and I have different passions and things that drive me and you know I'm I'm more than just the status and. For me personally I've also kind of felt that that pressure as as a black woman that you know I want to make sure that I'm showcasing the great things that our community can do and you feel that kind of weight of ah that burden almost. Ah, of being the representation of your community. But I also think you know on the other hand you have that community and you have that support with you. You know? So you're not doing it alone but you know that you can tap into these communities and that's where I've really found a lot of value is yes I'm carrying that weight.

22:45.97

Alisha

But I'm also kind of plugged into that network of and those communities of people that that are feeling that same weight and we're kind of sharing it together. So I think opening myself up to that has been. Invaluable and then that is something that I've really tried to lean into especially over the past few months just to understand that it's not just me and it's not just my burden um something that we all share and we all experience the same thing. So how can we kind of. Work together to support each other.

23:18.88

kitedart

And thank you so much for sharing that I think that's really rich and I mean and it's part. It's such a big part of why I do this podcast right? is that you know we aren't alone like in and whatever identities people hold. Um since I don't. And don't interview the rich white men in this space. You know, but whatever those identities are that that we aren't alone and it can feel really isolating and and I really appreciate the like the duality or the you know the both and of how you're saying. Identity has affected your experience as a business owner I think most things in life are like that right like that there can be It can be this um advantage and benefit. But then there can also be drawbacks at the same time. Um I think all that's great I I the the whole. The whole trendy thing has been really interesting to navigate I think in terms of Twenty twenty igniting a certain amount of maybe awareness and. Desire for action. But then there's been a lot of performative ness and um, yeah, it's that that one's Tricky. It's like again I think there's just very much of both and in the space with that.

24:36.87

Alisha

Um, yeah.

24:43.22

Alisha

I agree and I think that that is something that you know I has as as marginalized or you know not necessarily marginalized because Li you know we're we're here and there's a thriving community around that and I. I Think that you know we're We're kind of stepping up and saying you know we've been here and we're going to continue to be here and we we are not.. We're not a pad and it's not.. It's not something that you can just kind of have this passing interest.

25:05.99

kitedart

Yeah.

25:19.47

Alisha

And say all the right things you know we are the people that are actually walking our walk and that's those are the kinds of people that I love to be connected to and aligned with you know we're not just talking we are We are living this.

25:35.60

kitedart

And absolutely absolutely I Love that? Um,. It's so True. It's kind of funny even as you were saying that like this podcast right is Now & Center: Entrepreneurial Voices from the Margin. But I don't love that idea really of the margin or marginalized you know, but it. But it is also true that um that that voices and representation and those kinds of things have been sorely lacking as well. So It's like um, yeah, it's.

26:05.39

Alisha

You. Yeah, like whose margins like if but I always I always get that into that conversation with my sister because you know with my sister who is also like black woman. The first thing that I know about her is not necessarily that she's black. I know her as this, like fully incredible human being so and I think of like whose margins because they've not certainly got my margins.

26:33.13

kitedart

Yeah, totally yeah, totally so maybe system like historic I I kind of like to think of historically excluded right? like that that it's more about that historical context of of.

26:44.38

Alisha

And who.

26:52.50

kitedart

Being excluded of being marginalized and like you're saying like yeah no whose margins and and yeah, anyway, that's it's funny I I don't think I'm going to change the name in the podcast but it it is a thing that I have reflected upon and I'm like huh I don't know what to do with that. So anyway.

26:56.92

Alisha

Ah.

27:11.45

kitedart

Um, if listeners or you have suggestions I'm open. Um, So thank you for sharing all of that though I I think that all of that is really great to hear and again I think that um I appreciate. The way that you've naturally you know been navigating your journey in such a way to ask for help and look for the support that you need and lean in to the things that are going to really help you learn and grow. Um. Along the way and and I that that space that you were talking about that openness that you know, um, sounds like it's really served you well in your journey with go ahead.

27:55.96

Alisha

Yeah I Yeah absolutely I know I think that that space is something that I'm still learning to work towards and learning to to find and create.

28:10.77

kitedart

Yeah, and we do have to create it. Yeah, that's you know when you're talking about rules. That's funny when I started um I did a coach training program in 2016 and 1 of the things that we did um was we wrote down like the rules that we were like living by. Um. Intentional or not intentional and you know one of those what that I had at that time was just like there's never enough time and then really taking a look at that and going that's not true. Um. I can say there's never enough time and I can set myself up so that there's never enough time and just like with your lists I can also intentionally choose how I spend my time and in my journey like I'm this person who just is like sees opportunity everywhere and I'm always like oh my god like Squirrel I could do this I could do that. Oh my gosh you know and that was my experience my first several years in business and then the past couple it has been so much about space and how do I create the space that I want for myself for my personal life for and also. Within the business for the things that I truly care about and really really am passionate about and and making sure that I it doesn't mean that every single day or week I have space but that I always have to have some space built in um, in some form.

29:41.92

kitedart

To make sure that one I'm getting what I need personally. But also that I I have that I feel like I feel like space like provides opportunity for like creativity and innovation and maybe things that sometimes that go go go go go doesn't.

30:00.44

Alisha

Um, yeah.

30:01.60

kitedart

Give us? Yeah, so I'd love to switch to a coaching conversation and look at like you've already had tons of great nuggets to share with folks um in their journey. As you look forward. Will you share with us something you're grappling with right now and we'll dig in and see if we can come up with some juicy stuff.

30:18.76

Alisha

Oh.

30:25.55

Alisha

Yeah, ah so 1 thing that I'm really kind of focused on right now, especially as we are moving towards you know the end of the quarter and looking to the future is how can i.

30:41.60

Alisha

You know, take what I am good at my skills and my capabilities now and continue to offer those but how can I also create room and the space to grow. You know I want to I want to grow my company and I would love to. Employ people and bring them into that fold and I want to teach them. You know, help them understand some of these principles and give them that space to figure it out So I am just kind of working through how can I take where I am right now but also Meaningfully and realistically. Plan for the future with where I want to be and kind of what does that look like.

31:20.19

kitedart

Yeah, such a good question I Love it scaling. It's fun I love it. Um, so I knew what you were going to bring up so when you were talking about how you.

31:38.40

kitedart

The journey that you've already been through and you were talking about how in the beginning focus was hard and trying to navigate that and figure out like how to focus down I'm wondering if you have some nuggets for yourself when you think about I get that this isn't maybe. So much a question of focus. It's a question of growth and scaling but can you take things that you learned um in your journey so far and apply them to your question now.

32:10.78

Alisha

Yeah, um, when I think and I think back to you know, kind of setting rules almost and breaking them because that seems to be something that that I like you I Love my life. Ah once I know the rule of that I can break it. Oh golded by wondering if I can maybe kind of set some rules around. You know this is these are these are the specific kind of maybe roles within my company and the different positions that I fill and these are these are the exact skill sets. That you know we offer in the services that we offer now. Um these are the skill sets that we want to offer in the future and maybe some of the services and that part is pretty tricky because you know I bought that space to explore those services and I don't quite know what those are going to be but maybe it is looking like. You know, just picking a couple even if they seem random picking a couple that I maybe want to go towards in the future and kind of working Backwards. So What do I need to to be able to offer this service. You know to be able to offer something that is a little bit different. What types of people do I Need what. Sort of kind of Structure. Do I need in terms of like systems there any like knowledge that I need are there people that have this knowledge that I don't necessarily have to get so I think it also kind of looks back on creating space and separation and.

33:45.67

Alisha

Taking time to almost separate my my business for myself. You know my values are gonna be kind of driving the business but I also care very much about you know the people that I that I hope to employ in the future I care very much about making sure that. They feel culturally fit in with with the business as well and that those values are transparent and that where we kind of have a separate entity that that we all believe in but that might be also kind of separate from from me as a human. So How can I build in that time. For me to maybe explore something that is unrelated to business.

34:31.43

kitedart

So I'm going to call out right now that ah we have not worked together and I'm like yes to all of that like I love so much of what you're saying like I want to pull out a few things one is that I'm hearing um.

34:49.40

kitedart

That your intent for growing and scaling doesn't necessarily include you needing to learn new things and become great at new things that it's more about who here are the things I'm great at who has these other things these other talents and gifts. Um. That I can that I can bring in to join me rather than needing to learn it all because I feel like that's a I feel like that's a thing that that comes up a lot for entrepreneurs is.

35:21.90

kitedart

So I I think it's really great that that the way you're looking at this is not that you need to go out and you need to be the one who learns anything right? If there's anything new that you want to offer You don't have to be the one that goes goes out and learns how to do it that you can bring other people In. Leverage their talent and their gifts inside of your business and I think that's important because I think sometimes within business and maybe it's more when people are brand new but it's like they feel like they have to go learn how to do all of the things and that's really super inefficient and I Think. Been conditioned that way through school and through employment but in a business that doesn't serve us very well. So I think that that's really fantastic I Also hear that you also want to make sure that you do have the space for leaning in and learning or doing the things that you want to do whether it's personally or in the business. And I think that as you scale like it's a great opportunity right? Like once you once you have enough business so that life is workable. It gives you this um space I think it doesn't mean people necessarily take it but it can give space for playing around with those new things. So I think you know that both of those are great.

36:19.85

Alisha

Are.

36:37.45

kitedart

Um I also was hearing that the the issue of values right? and that the values are what drive are driving the business and I think that that's really important. Um, business can be historically has been.

36:50.38

Alisha

I. Um.

36:57.42

kitedart

Incredibly transactional and and I think that when we're running purposed driven impact Drivenn businesses values are front and center and so that alignment to them is really important so that anybody you're bringing in both from a like what's the mission of the company but also from.

37:11.58

Alisha

Are.

37:15.90

kitedart

Creating that culture that that values alignment is there and it doesn't necessarily have to overlap with every single value that you have but that the business itself has has values and everybody who comes is going to be on board with that. Um.

37:34.13

kitedart

Think all of that's really great and I I think the other thing I I think it was in there and I'd love to pull out just to make sure is that just like your whole professional journey and your journey with this business.

37:45.00

Alisha

Um.

37:51.84

kitedart

It was iterative and you tried some things and then that helped you go yes to this? No to that that you don't have to have it figured out exactly what it's going to look like and I feel like I heard this I feel like again, there's that tension of the duality of the both and of like. I'd like I've got some ideas I'd like to have some ideas of where this is going and what we're going to be offering but also that there's space for trying things out and you don't have to.

38:26.30

kitedart

Yeah, crazy it. But you know that that that you can have these ideas of where you want it to go. You know what you may want to offer but that you don't have to have it figured out and you can take that space to try things out and see what works and see what doesn't work. Um, and and even for the folks that you bring in I think that when you have folks who are really aligned to the values and the mission that you can co-create it with them as well. Which again is not what is always has always sort of happened historically. Um, but that that you have so much more freedom and flexibility to write the rules and break the rules as an entrepreneur that you can bring someone in and be like how do these things fit together and just try things out and and I and I'll also call out too that and I hear that you want to have employees.

39:21.40

Alisha

Um, yeah, this is man this is crazy.

39:24.52

kitedart

And um, build the business into a team which I think is great and you can also do things in a way where you have maybe more flexibility to try things out like if you think about subcontracting or.

39:29.41

Alisha

No.

39:41.11

kitedart

You know hire. Maybe you hire employees for some things but you subcontract in other places to give yourself that opportunity to try things out and make sure it works if that makes sense.

40:47.49

Alisha

Yeah, yeah, absolutely and when you when you were talking. It was also thinking of you know, even if like you know you kind of set that goal even setting the goals with something that you're working towards gives you you know the space to maybe kind of turn off.

40:47.80

kitedart

I Yeah absolutely I do and that's why I wanted to kind of pull some of those things out earlier because I knew what you were going to talk about and I was like you've already learned these lessons and you've already got great strategies for how you've approached the quote unquote problem right? How you've approached the.

41:03.93

Alisha

You know from from a point so you know maybe I want to you know, add a different service and I start kind of on the path. You know, kind of worked backwards just like maybe these are some of the people that we need to to bring in or these are some of the things that we need to look for that. We we want to learn or what we need to and adopt as a company.

41:06.60

kitedart

Opportunity Shall we say and that you can continue to use those theme strategies. Um as you move forward? Um, so with that and I don't know if you want to get any more specific but I'm curious that like when you think about approaching it in that way.

41:22.76

Alisha

Um, but you know maybe we get at one point where we've kind of adopted this one thing or we've brought in this person that kind of opens up our path to something else and maybe we don't even end up going to that service but you know we're doing something that is very different just kind of based on that skill set. So I think that having some of that.

41:25.34

kitedart

Like does that help you see and maybe it doesn't in such a short amount of time but does that help you see then what a couple of those next steps might be for you.

41:42.20

Alisha

But space to play is is very key.

42:32.16

Alisha

Yeah, what I what I think it almost looks like at least for me and I think that this would you know that this is going to help not only just you know for the future but like right now my business is maybe sitting down and saying if I were to hire you know in the next year what are those roles that I am looking to maybe offload something you know some things that I do. What are those roles that I may be looking to hire and maybe I'm even creating like a job description. Um, just so that I can kind of start to think about what kind of qualities am I looking for for an employee. Why would I want to bring them in and does it make sense to bring them in. Um so that will help for the future but it will also just help me kind of focus a little bit more in my my day to day you know what is like if I am taking on this role of Cfo Or Financial Financial advisor like what are the kind of actual actual job descriptions that I need to be doing and if I am taking on this role for one day out of the week or you know an hour a da hour what is it What I need to be doing and then for the future. What can I be expecting realistically like an employee to do. So kind of looking at it for both now and and the present or in the future is what are the what are those rules. What are some of the learning opportunities for those roles. What are the skills that you know I would like you to have or what are the skills that I would like you to acquire.

43:56.52

kitedart

And yeah I think that's great. You know one thing I'll offer um that you know I've got some some tools and exercises or activities that I do with folks to help them? Um, uncover those kinds of answers and I think you know I'll call out that the.

44:06.83

Alisha

And then I can kind of realistically see is that something that I'm willing to do and those are skills that I'm willing to acquire or can I ask for help I mean asking for help is asking for help is hard but it is It is so much more fun when you when you have people that are with you that are.

44:13.23

kitedart

The one that applies to what you're talking about here in it and it also kind of goes with your list right? is looking at what are all the things that need to happen in the business. Um, and and what are all the things that are happening now need to happen have happened could happen someday and then really going through and ranking for yourself.

44:23.76

Alisha

Are aligned and are willing to kind of walk the goal on that journey as well. So I think that's kind of something tangible that I would really sit down and and say you know in the next year these are the 5 positions that I want to hire for what do those roles look like and.

44:33.28

kitedart

What is your confidence level with each of them right? Like how good do you think you really are with that not from um, not from ah, an objective lens right? like school has this like quote unquote Objective scale. Um, that is like abcdf and people have to fit into those.

44:42.31

Alisha

Even if I'm not hiring for them. You know and I mean I'm not at that point this is what it needs to look like on the day to day right now and that's how we can kind of move forward and start to grow this role.

44:51.56

kitedart

Boxes in the way the school defines but like ranking them specifically for yourself in relationship to yourself instead of some external ideal. Um, then also looking at your passion. How much do you? really love to do that thing and then also looking at your experience. Which experience kind of can can coincide with confidence to some extent but you know I have folks look at all 3 of those criteria as they're choosing what actions to take and and particularly when we're looking to offload things right? So for my clients who are scaling and they're looking to hire. Um. Offloading those things where those scores are low and you either don't feel confident. You don't have experience or you just don't like to do it and that that's a great place to look at bringing someone in and when you bring someone in making sure that they also feel confident with the things. Um, that they have experience with it and that they like to do those things that you're asking them to do. Um I feel like if anyone of those things is missing. It doesn't really optimize or leverage the person for the contribution that they can be to the business. Um, the 1 thing I will call out on that though is that experience I think can be different. Um I want people to have that experience when they're early on in business so that they because it it also gives more confidence and it makes things easier to sell so as folks are trying to.

46:23.99

kitedart

Stabiliz Their initial revenue stream I Want them to be spending most of their time doing things that they're confident doing and they have experience with and they like once you stabilized your revenue stream and you're getting more to that place where you've got space and you can bring in play if there are new things you want to do and you don't have experience doing them. Cool dig in and do it right? like but I think it's sort of like you you get to that place where a certain amount of success or workability in the business provides that space for the play. Um, so I'd offer those things as ways to think about it as you are. Evaluating for yourself.

47:51.56

kitedart

And yeah, absolutely and is it about going and learning it or is it about is that that opportunity to bring in someone else. Um I I want people spending as much of their time doing things where they rank high in all of the confidence experience and.

47:58.69

Alisha

Yeah I I appreciate that I Also think that that could be kind of a useful lens of view, especially as we want to look at you know, maybe offering different services or ways to like combine current services into a different package and we kind of look at that.

48:09.67

kitedart

Passion right? again. The experience I think can be different because it might be that you're like I'm ready for I'm the kind of person who is like I love to come in and I love to learn and I love to do something new while leveraging what I'm already great at and then I like a new challenge and that's just.

48:17.76

Alisha

But to really kind of look at what are what is our? what is our confidence in delivering the service. What is our experience in delivering that and yeah, are there things that we need to to learn. You know is this something that we can offer right now.

48:28.93

kitedart

Way I am and so there has to be room for that. But it's like um, how do you also really leverage your strengths and gifts and passions. Um, so I always like to have people kind of think about like the eighty twenty rule

48:35.27

Alisha

Is this something that we we want to offer in the future and what are the steps that we maybe need to take to offer this this package in the in the future you know would be a comprehensive marketing package. What are the things that kind of make that make that up.

48:46.67

kitedart

As like how can you spend 80% of your time doing those things that you love and you're great at um and you have experience with I also think on experience too that it's important to keep in mind too that there are there may be certain um skills or talents that you have that.

48:52.72

Alisha

Is who.

49:05.12

kitedart

You can leverage for something totally new and different like for example so much of my background is an education. There's so many things that I did in the education realm that I can bring into business and leverage. But it looks different over here. But I'm still leveraging that skill or talent. So that.

49:23.90

Alisha

As an so.

49:24.65

kitedart

I'm still using my guess.

50:05.81

kitedart

Yeah, so true. Um, one other thing I want to bring up to as you're considering this and you're thinking about those things that you want to do I do hear it sounds like you do have a passion for wanting to lead other people.

50:17.28

Alisha

Moving.

50:19.91

kitedart

Right? And that's 1 thing I always want people to think about when they're thinking about scaling because I've had clients who have created teams and then then like I don't I don't want to lead a team I don't want to be the boss the Ceo the whatever you know you call it. But um so thinking about but it sounds to me as you were talking like.

50:25.45

Alisha

Yeah I agree I think that like a ah lot of skills and talents that that many people have are are kind of cross-p purpose and you you learn you learn the skill and you learn you learn the skill in 1

50:38.83

kitedart

You do have an interest in being that leader in helping other people grow and step into their passions and their talents and and giving them the space to play and meander and figure those things out and and and also influencing culture.

50:42.22

Alisha

Particular scenario in 1 way that you've done it? Um, but kind of on that one eighty when you look around and you kind of look at it from a different perspective where you apply it to a different situation and you start to realize and understand how maybe this skill.

50:57.70

kitedart

So as you consider they'll like include those because those then become part of this your job description. Um, if you start building a team.

50:58.65

Alisha

Can be can be just a different lens with how you approach a problem in a different arena.

51:15.80

kitedart

Um, yeah.

51:59.77

kitedart

Yeah, totally totally I kind of consider it that like being the Ceo of your business right? and instead of working in the business you're working on the business and um, it's it's kind of like in the corporate world right? like people can be good at the job.

52:05.50

Alisha

Yeah I don't think that I've ever actually written a job description for myself when when you say that like you know I just I just I do the things. Um, but but I think that even just taking that little piece of it writing a job description for what I do now. But.

52:14.66

kitedart

They can have this job and they're good at the job and they get to move up and then they get to become a manager but they may not have any skill or talent or desire to be to manage other people like that's a completely different job description and so I think that that would be a great strategy and then looking at those things and saying like.

52:23.19

Alisha

Ah, job description for for the future. You know what is my role going to look like and yes, it's kind of ah a moving target in that it's shifting and it's changing. But you know what are what is what is that like what? what would that look like in in a couple of years

52:34.44

kitedart

How much do I want to do this thing and how good how confident am am I added and what skills do I have that I can leverage um in this new Ceo role or whatever you would call it. You know? um I think that's I think that'd be great.

52:40.40

Alisha

You know, imagine myself in my day to day and imagine those role in what I'm actually doing and from there kind of work backwards into create that job description so that I can also start to understand where I might need to maybe shift some of my time or shift some of my priorities for the future.

53:24.21

Alisha

Movement.

53:42.98

kitedart

Yeah, yeah, so great. All right? Um I would love to ask a kind of rapid fire question. We always talk about entrepreneurial activism.

53:48.89

Alisha

Yeah, that that is that is fantastic. Um, yeah again I Just the thinking of ah ah of a job description I think is really is kind of ah a really good place to start and I think that it can be useful to I mean I definitely know to be useful in my business. Um.

53:55.21

kitedart

Over here at Kitit and dart. So can you share with us What does that mean to you.

54:06.28

Alisha

But even just kind of you know, thinking of different departments or roles and just maybe like writing down a description of what those roles look like on the day-to-day. What those roles might potentially look like in the future can help me get organized and focus now. But it also might help. You know other business owners especially to to understand where their time needs to be spent or where their time is being spent for the future and then when I look at Alpha floating Roles. What are the specific kind of things that I that I want help with.

54:48.82

Alisha

I.

54:57.67

Alisha

Yeah, um, after entrepreneurial activism to me it really it means that that I have the power to to make the change that I want to see with my business and that my business can be a driving force for. For a lot more than you know, just just money generating but it can actually be be a change driver so it can be something where I'm I'm giving opportunity to to someone that maybe historically has not gotten that opportunity to to play or to experiment. Um I'm. Using my business to support other businesses because I believe in their mission and their vision and their values and I believe that they're making the world a better place and so with my business I am supporting that and I'm saying yes that I'm doing this and notice something else. So It gives you. It gives you a little.

55:38.53

kitedart

And yes I Love that beautiful. Beautiful. Thank you for sharing. Um last but not least will you please share with folks who are just listening. Um this will be in the show notes but share how folks can learn more about you your business um or connect with you.

55:51.85

Alisha

Gives you like some some skin in the game. You're it's exciting to really not only think and dream about making a change but to actually to actually do it and and even those like tiny decisions right? Those small decisions that you think. You know are not. You know they're not impactful when you look at it like 1 by 1 by 1 but they are they they add up. They mean a lot and you have a lot of of choice and a lot of power for how you want to spend your time and where you want to spend your time and who you want to be associated with. And and that's what a lot of it means to me is that I get to choose and it puts the power of choice back in my hand.

56:50.23

Alisha

Yeah, absolutely and so my website is original accountsrateies.com and that is really the hub of my business but you can also feel free to reach out with to me on Linkedin I'm at Alisha Harris. It might be Alisha R Harris actually on Linkedin. Um, but anyone that would love to to connect with me I have a scheduling link that is in my email signature if you can get to it on my website where you can just buck a call with me and we can. See if we might be a good fit to work together. You can where you can ask me any sort of questions that you may have be having and so hopefully I'll have an answer if you if you want to like a 30 minute cup of coffee I love coffee and tea and I would love to to just chat with people and understand kind of what what's your problem. What are your. But your stories and how can I help you? How can I help you in any way that I can whether that is you know work that I'm doing or a way that I can connect you to someone.

56:54.57

kitedart

So fantastic. Great Alisha! Thank you so much for being here and sharing all of the wisdom from your entrepreneurial journey. It's been a pleasure.

58:01.65

Alisha

Thank you so much.