q&a with jess bogli, education consultant
Jess Bogli, Causeit, Inc. Client
Jess Bogli is the perfect example of a Causeit, Inc. client. A skilled facilitator and former public school health teacher, Bogli saw an opportunity to better support her fellow educators through direct, focused consulting. She called Causeit when she realized that just knowing her subject inside and out wasn't enough to make the business grow. Here's more about what she found in her own words.
Why did you first hire Causeit?
"My background is education. I found myself running a business without any business experience. When I met [Causeit, Inc. Principal] MJ, it made me think it would be really helpful to work with someone that knows business and who could coach me through some of the decisions I was making about building a business.
I needed orientation around the business world, which was so foreign to me. I wanted someone to bounce ideas off of, and too talk to about difficult situations in my business and personal life. I needed someone to keep me in check around life-work balance.
What did you get from your [first round] of work with Causeit?
“I got an orientation to the business world and structure and why small businesses are successful. I had opportunites to process and reflect on what I was doing—almost like a counseling session where [MJ] really encouraged me to dig deeper as to why I was doing what I was doing.
We did some concrete work, too: writing a position contract for an administrative assistant, worked on the legal status of the company, and I got coached on how to orient contractors, because at that time I was bringing four or five contractors on for a specific project. We created the agenda in order to orient those contractors to not just the work needed, but the bigger vision of Bogli Consulting.
We also talked about the brand of the business as the firm became a ‘we’—there was space for a team to show up.
We worked on a variety of business and life balance games to help me develop that balance and intention around work.
So, what was the second round of work for?
“I contacted MJ because I do a lot of work with schools and districts and states around strategic planning and it was important to me to make sure my business was going through a similar process as we grow. I knew that capacity would soon be an issue and I wanted to grow, but grow intentionally. We hired Causeit to help with that process. The second round was different in that I had a full-time staffperson and it was a year and a half later; I felt more grounded in my work, I felt successful, and I was almost ready to make a career commitment to it [which I have since made].
In the retreat, we
- Created and articulated a vision
- Created 1/3/10 year goals
- Worked on product development
- Systems analysis and creation
- Engaged relationship-building work with the team
- Got clear about team members’ roles and individual interests in the business (why they work here)
- Identified product areas for passive income and replicable work with additional contractors
- Addressed life balance goals for the team
[The retreat] ignited growth. We increased the size of our team and needed to make sure the necessary infrastructure was in place for their success. It allowed me to commit to the business for the long haul. It allowed us to look at the effect we’ll have from the local to global level on kids and communities. It organized us. It allowed us to put in place systems which are more efficient and effective so we can deliver better products and services to the field. It was reinvigorating and energizing.
The retreat allowed us to really dedicate time in 2010 to work on the business, not just in it.
Within our team, little things emerged. I learned what my team needs from me and what they like to have. It allowed us to talk about how they like to be managed and allowed a safe environment what they like to do and what they don’t like to do. A concrete, funny example: I usually work for a couple hours before one of my staff shows up. When she comes in, I’m full of energy. In this process, she was able to express that she needs to set up her day for about an hour first. It something that she felt safe to say in the process—so now I can be more conscious of doing that for her. It builds a safer environment, a more comfortable environment for everyone. It’s a simple example, but it would not have come up without the process.
It also came out that one of my team members really appreciates deadlines. Knowing that about how she works allows me to give her what she needs to be successful.
When called out, this information makes me that much more aware of how I can help her and thus our clients.
What was the vision process like?
"The vision process was fun! The team got to brainstorm a variety of words that describe the work we do. We wordsmithed. What was exciting is that the three of us come from different backgrounds, but we all agreed on a vision that incorporates the work we do and where we want to go. It wasn’t painful at all.
With Causeit meeting with the team before, the team began to build a relationship with the facilitator before we all came together. They were able to be effective at the retreat with that preparation.
Followup
"A lot of times, people put a lot of money, time and resources into some sort of retreat or meeting but ignore the essential piece: the followup. It helps with accountability, obstacles, and without that follow-up in place might not be as effective. When we did the retreat with Causeit, we left with a tangible, measurable list of tasks to take on and an idea of how to prioritize them.
Since this interview, Bogli Consulting and Causeit, Inc. have worked together to further define the company's products and offerings, explore the realm of webcast instruction, install and configure customer-relationship-management software (a CRM), automate invoicing and time tracking, create project management systems and software to manage them, select new outsourced staff, and more. Bogli Consulting is currently on-track for the goals which came out of their retreat and continue to expand the number of kids and educators they keep healthy.