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JanetScarborough
Bridgeway Career Development | js@bridgewaycareer.com | Career Coach | 06/26/2003 | Sole Proprietor
Janet Scarborough##comma## Ph.D.##comma## is a career coach and owner of Bridgeway Career Development##comma## a Seattle area coaching and consulting firm.
What kind of training or education did you acquire before your venture?
13+ years of professional experience assisting individuals and organizations with decision-making##comma## goal-setting##comma## and implementation of strategies to attain increased effectiveness and career / life satisfaction.
What services or products does your organization offer?
1-1 coaching with individuals##comma## group facilitation##comma## and organizational development##comma## primarily in the Seattle metro area with some engagements in other parts of the U.S.
What type of business or organization do you operate?
Sole proprietorship – the simplest business structure because there didn##aps##t seem to be any major advantages to other choices.
How many employees do you currently have?
1
How did you originally discover the idea for your organization?
By utilizing resources provided by the SBA and by StartupJournal.com
How did you originally fund your organization?
Personal funds.
Are you the founder of your organization?
Yes.
Do you believe there is any distinct culture within your organization? If so, please describe it.
N/A
What obstacles or challenges have you faced in your organization?
There is always a tension between work/life balance and the desire to do more. I##aps##ve adopted a policy of ##quote##sequencing##comma####quote## meaning I will say no to some projects in any given year with the hope that equally interesting possibilities will appear the next year.
Did you accept any advice along the way? Do you believe new organizations should be open to such advice?
Very important. I##aps##ve hired some top-notch advisors and they have been worth every dollar invested.
Did you receive any help along the way from other businesses or organizations? If so, how and from whom?
To sort out my business goals and to obtain postgraduate training after I finished my Ph.D. (in Counseling Psychology)##comma## I pursued coaching certification through the College of Executive Coaching. That was helpful to me in gaining clarity about my business goals and in providing mentor coaching to achieve them.
What have been the keys to success in your business? What do you believe are the keys to success?
The first two years I was in busines##comma## I worked as much in marketing as I did in service delivery. I##aps##ve been reaping the rewards of that effort ever since then.
What kind of relationship do you establish with your customers or clients?
A wise mentor told me to avoid thinking too much about the competition and just to focus on achieving excellence and to keep the lines of communication open with clients. This means I will refer to or collaborate with a competitor if it is in the best interest of my client to do so##comma## and the payoff is that I##aps##ve never had a shortage of clients.
What types of marketing do you employ?
Without a doubt##comma## Google.com has been my most effective marketing vehicle.
Do you employ any web or online marketing?
To the extent that I use it as a tool and many of my clients are from the high tech industry##comma## yes.
What role does trust play in business or in your organization?
I##aps##ve been lucky – I##aps##ve had such wonderful advisors and mentors##comma## they##aps##ve saved me from any major missteps.
Did you struggle with starting your own organization or venture? Why did you decide to begin on your own?
It was by chance – I always thought I would work as part of a large organization but I started this type of work while finishing my Ph.D. and once I tasted the autonomy of running my own show##comma## I was hooked.
What books or resources would you recommend for individuals starting off now?
##quote##Emotional Intelligence##comma####quote## ##quote##The Power of Focus##comma####quote## ##quote##Authentic Happiness.##quote##
Do you notice any trends in the marketplace? If so, what are they?
The economic climate is tough and a lot of executives and entrepreneurs are rather stressed out – it seems imperative that people find ways to manage the stress or suffer emotional or physical consequences.
Do you believe networking and contacts are important? If so, how?
Important but not to the extent that nothing else matters. Networking is just one component in a smart business strategy.
What do you think about contracts and other legal obligations? Are they important in your business?
That finding one##aps##s place to make a contribution and have fun is very gratifying.
If there is one thing that would sum up your advice to new entrepreneurs, what would it be?
I value both formal and on-the-job education. Certainly there are people with just one or the other who are successful##comma## but overall##comma## I believe each type of learning is helpful. My doctoral education taught me a reflective empirically-based approach to facilitating behavioral and emotional change##comma## and my on-the-job training deepened and enriched the foundation of what I do.
What, if any, final advice do you have for new entrepreneurs?
Learn as much as you can from others but honor your intuition##comma## too.
