Defining Success: The Questions, Roadmap & Focus of a Latina CEO
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Yanet Herrero, the founder and CEO of a commercial cleaning company, is full of advice that might help you. I profiled her in Part One. Now, in Part Two, I'll get into more of the specific actions she took to build her multi-million dollar business to reach her goal: success.
LIVING LIFE OUT LOUD
βThe best way, I think, to live life out loud is [by asking], how can I help someone? And seeing where the needs arise. And you get others to dream with you.β
Wanting others to dream with you is one thing. But actually finding ways to make it happen is another. Yanet Herrero thinks the journey that led her to become an entrepreneur started when she was a kid.
βI was always a curious child. Very, very curious.β
The curious child (baby in pic) grows up and becomes a CEO
Later, as she got older, she would go around asking people she admired, people she worked with and people who mentored her, a central question.
DEFINING SUCCESS
βWhat does success mean?β
She would ask it in different ways.
βHow do you know that youβre successful?β
βHow do you know as an entrepreneur that youβve made it?
βWhat does that look likeβ¦ Feel like?β
Herrero would hear different answers.
And that helped her arrive at the answer for herself as the CEO and founder of Kings Service Solutions.
What she learned was that success, to her, was more than just about herself.
βThe βitβ factor was always there. And knowing it was never just for me, but for the people."
That led her to concentrate her efforts on her employees. She would ask herself, βHow do I create more and more opportunities?β
CREATING A ROADMAP FOR SUCCESS
So Herrero focused on creating a roadmap for employees.
They fill out a questionnaire in the beginning asking them what their dream is.
βAnd so, they would answer, βI want to buy a car. I want to buy my first house. I want to own my own business.ββ
With that information, βI would have the information to help that person grow.β
She would then send them to training and certification. Leadership training was next, with people from different backgrounds and careers coming in as guest speakers to provide inspiration.
Employees get leadership training
"We read a book every quarter and we share around the table. And we have thought conversations."
Herrero also takes a different approach when connecting her janitorial employees with her clients.
βSo you close your office and theyβre cleaning at night. Well, I wanted to change the conversation. So in that process of thinking how to change the conversationβ¦ I also added the human relationship, which is, βHey, you get a little bio about whoβs in your building when you come on board with us. You also get to meet this person. We celebrate their first day.ββ
CORONAVIRUS: GOING INTO CRISIS MODE
The company pivots during COVID-19
Then, the pandemic hit.
It brought on an immense challenge, professionally and personally.
βMy husband was sick.β
What made it harder was that her husband is also her business partner, so she had to steer the ship without his help.
As the coronavirus was raging, the training room at the office quickly became the command center.
She focused efforts there on figuring out how many jobs she could save.
The hospitality industry, which she served, experienced massive contraction.
Fortunately, sheβd already been researching how to grow her business in servicing health care facilities.
βAs our government buildings were shutting down, as our private buildings were shutting down in the commercial space, we started shifting and training people.β
In the command center, βwe created this master spreadsheet. And as buildings were closing on one side of the state, we started relocating to the other.β
Her husband recovered. And, when the worst of it was over, she realized she ended up not only saving many jobs, but she says she was able to create 250 jobs.
YEAR OF THE PIVOT
Herrero calls 2020 βthe year of the pivot.β
In reality, she says she was just zeroing in on what drove her to start her business β finding opportunities for people looking for a job.
βAnd, so, thatβs my high. Thatβs my high.β
But let's get back to Herrero's definition of success.
THE STUFF DREAMS ARE MADE OF
She shared with me another measure of success I hadn't immediately considered.
Herrero says that she recently hired a new president for her company - someone she looked up to in business circles.
And that spells success for her because it means he saw the value of what she'd built in her company.
"I couldn't believe it. I'm like, look at me, with a mop bucket and a mop. You know, this is stuff that dreams are made of... When others recognize the talent of your team and the potential of what has been created, I think that's success."
Yanet Herrero, Founder and CEO of Kings Service Solutions
THE TIP JAR (tips passed out courtesy of Yanet Herrero)
STARTING OUT: In Part One, Herrero recommended getting a mentor.
Now she suggests you take it further by explaining to your mentor what youβd like to learn from them.
βIβd like to understand what gets you up every morning and what continues to keep you in that field.β
The way she sees it, βGetting to know someone, I think, is the easiest way to connect with someone, right? And learning about their ups and downs. So, itβs about relationship building. And I would say, start there. Start at the heart of the matter. You know, youβre not going to get all the answers right away, but build that relationship and share that space.β
STEEPED IN SKILLS (mid career): Yanet Herrero suggests you focus on key questions:
She believes, apart from the financials, these are the most important ones:
βWho are you?β
βWho do you say you are?β
βWhatβs your identity in the space?β
Herrero believes youβre in a great position because ββ¦ you have a chance to create, especially if youβve been working in that field. Now you know exactlyβ¦ what are the weak points and strengths, and you can do it differently.β
STARTING OVER:
Herrero says you need to identify what space youβre in, and donβt feel bad if youβre outnumbered compared to other competitors in that space.
PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Herrero identified being in the supplier diversity space.
βI would walk into a room. And it didnβt matter at the time whether my company [had] 10 employees or the competitor [had] 5,000 employeesβ¦ I was still engaged.β
βI would give that experience, you know, as an entrepreneur. I would say, no, this is about the experience of the customers.β
And then Herrero explained why she was at a distinct advantage. Sheβd say, βIβm able to pivot quickly.β
Yanet leading her employees in the middle of the coronavirus
NO NEED TO GO IT ALONE
HELP ON THE OUTSIDE...because we can all use a helping hand:
Pick the Right Platform
You know how important e-commerce is. The question is, do you know what to look for when selecting a platform for it? This FREE webinar will teach you how to comparison shop, what questions you need to answer and how to approach e-commerce technology.
SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives)
Comparing E-Commerce Platforms - The Criteria that Matters to Your Online Store
Thursday, March 10, 2022
1:00 p.m. EST - 2:00 p.m. EST
Virtual Webinar
FREE
https://centralflorida.score.org/comparing-e-commerce-platforms-criteria-matters-your-online-store
WORKING ON THE INSIDE...because we know our culture has a hard time asking for help:
Don't Forget the "Why"
Since Herrero stresses the power of asking and answering questions, this virtual webinar reminds you that, regardless of where you are in your entrepreneurial journey, it's critical to keep your "why" front and center.
Four women entrepreneurs share how their "why" fueled them when they just started as business owners and how they keep it in focus. Here's more info:
SBA (Small Business Administration)
Committing to the "Why": The Power of Purpose in Business
Monday, February 28, 2022
Virtual Webinar
FREE
https://www.sba.gov/events/1706809
INSPIRATION FOR THIS ISSUE
Whenever I see a book and it has a workbook for exercises or journaling in there, I usually don't buy it. I don't like working on those exercises.
Are you like that, too? Or is it just me?
Why is it that introspection is so hard?
Yet, the more I read, the more I realize those kinds of books or guides that force me to stop and reflect on those central questions are the ones that I actually need to be paying attention to, especially for future decision-making.
Forcing yourself to ask and answer hard questions really helps you figure out your core mission and the values that characterize you and your company.
Yanet Herrero figured out, early on, that the time you spend at the outset answering those kinds of questions can lead to growth and a core set of principles to help you make decisions later.
Time invested on these key questions serves you for the long-haul. It's not to say that the answers you come up with can't be tweaked as your business evolves. You likely should update them as your business grows and changes. But, in the beginning, it's your roadmap.
And in the same way we're driven by core beliefs, applying that same kind of "inner work" can help you achieve results.
That's especially useful when you don't know how to answer the more challenging questions that you will face as an entrepreneur.
They'll serve as your blueprint for figuring out your ground game. So, game on!
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Yanet with her husband, Arnaldo, and their company's goodwill ambassador πΎ