Posted Under: Entrepreneurship, Our Heroes

Today under the “Our Heroes” series we are speaking with the very inspiring Randi Busse. Randi worked as a customer service manager/trainer at Verizon for fifteen years until she realized she wanted to set out on her own to make a difference. She broke free of the Corporate Jail and established Workforce Development Group, Inc. Amazingly within the first week Randi got her first client. Let’s talk to her and find  out more…

DD: Who are you and what kind of corporate job were you at?

RB: My name is Randi Busse. I am currently the President of Workforce Development Group, Inc., a training and coaching organization located in New York that partners with businesses to improve customer service, increase customer retention and maximize revenue through cross-selling, up-selling and referrals.  Prior to starting my business, I was a Customer Service Manager and Trainer at Verizon for fifteen years.

DD: What made you leave the job? When did you realize that you want to be an entrepreneur & why?

RB:  My Ah Ha moment came when I realized that my hands were tied to make a difference in my position.  I was working with union employees, many of whom had an entitlement mentality about their position.  I worked to get them to take ownership of their positions and the customers they served, however, it became increasingly more difficult to do so.  I was caught in the middle of the union employees and upper management.  I tried to do the right thing by holding my employees accountable for doing the right thing.  Often it resulted in disciplinary action against the employees.  The employee would then file a union grievance.  It would be denied at my level and escalated to my manager.  Oftentimes, my manager would overturn the grievance, making me feel that it was a waste of time to hold the employee accountable and I had less and less credibility.  It became impossible to stay.  I knew that I had so much to offer and decided to leave corporate America and go out on my own and bring my experience and expertise to small companies where I could partner with the business owner and make a difference.

DD: What did you do to break the corporate jail? How did you prepare yourself for the employee to entrepreneur transition?

RB: When I made the decision to leave, I hired a coach.  She helped me figure out what I wanted to be and helped me create a business that would provide me with personal satisfaction knowing I was helping people and making a difference.  I also visited a local Small Business Development Center and got counseling from them as well.  They helped with structuring the legal entity of the business as well as marketing.  I was fortunate enough to get my first client after being in business for a week.  It was both a blessing and curse at the same time.  A blessing because, “oh, that was easy” and a curse because, “it’s not always easy like that!”.    For quite some time I questioned whether I should continue with the business or get a J-O-B.  It almost felt like a four-letter word to me.  Eventually sticking with the business won out.

DD: What are your top five tips for employees who want to be entrepreneurs but are hung up on something?

RB: 1. Surround yourself with people who believe in you even when you don’t believe in yourself.

2. Be a sponge!  Absorb everything around you and never stop learning.

3. Become a giver.  When you help other people, it feels good.  It often comes back to you in one way or another.

4. Learn how to network and build relationships with others.  Before you know it, you’ll become a trusted advisor to your clients and you’ll be able to refer them to others you know, like and trust.

5. Ask for help!  People are all too often happy to help.  However, if you don’t ask for help, they may not think you need it or want it.

DD: How are you now? Are you still in same business, and how do you feel?

RB: I am doing great!  I’m becoming a known subject matter expert and am being sought out by people in need of my services.  I’m working a lot of hours, however, it doesn’t seem like work!

DD: So there you have it, Randi Busse, long-time customer service manager & trainer turned flourishing entrepreneur. It is really encouraging to hear that Randi is making a name for herself and being sought out for her services! A great tip from Randi: “Be a sponge! Absorb everything around you and never stop learning.” Many of us don’t want the constraints of a corporate job but we also don’t know quite enough to take on the entrepreneurial challenge yet. The best action to take is to keep our eyes wide open and our ears pricked… always remain open-minded and you’ll know when you’ve just walked straight into a fantastic opportunity!

Success to all!!