Q 1. Kindly give our readers an introduction to your business. Please include what your business is all about, in which city you are located and if you have offices in multiple locations/ cities.
Ans: DataShield is an information security business focused on secure information disposal. We provide nationally certified destruction to companies in Colorado, Nebraska and Iowa. Our physical offices are in Berthoud, Colorado and North Platte and Omaha, Nebraska.
Q 2. Kindly give us a brief description about yourself (it should include your brief educational or entrepreneurial background and list some of your major achievements).
Ans: I received my undergraduate degree from Iowa State University and my master’s from the University of Nebraska. After a long nonprofit career, I joined my husband Brian in DataShield which he started in 2010. I currently serve as President of the business. We have grown the revenue earning one client at a time by focusing on security and customer service.
Q 3. What inspired you to (start a new business venture) or (to make significant changes in an existing business)? How did the idea for your business come about?
Ans: There was a realization early on that large and small companies alike were handing information over to uncertified service providers without much thought to how or even if it was being properly destroyed. We decided early on that we would obtain the highest accreditation in the industry and prioritize security over profit.
Q 4. What three pieces of advice would you give to budding entrepreneurs?
Ans: Don’t quit.
If it were easy everyone would do it.
Culture is important.
Q 5. What would you say are the top three skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur?
Ans: To find success I think it takes putting your money where your mouth is. You have to be willing to do the work and lead by example. There is nothing more important than your people and getting the right people in the right seats is essential to any business. Inspire and inspect. People want to meet your expectations, so clearly outline them and create opportunities to have dialogue about progress. Admit when you are wrong and fail as fast as possible. It is a lot of trial and error.
Q 6. How many hours do you work a day on average?
Ans: 7
Q 7. To what do you most attribute your success?
Ans: I genuinely love people and I love to win. These two things motivate me to work hard every day.
Q 8. How do you go about marketing your business? What has been your most successful form of marketing?
Ans: DataShield has grown by being exceptional at what we do. We have also developed patented technology that has contributed to our online presence and allowed us to disrupt the industry.
Q 9. Where did your organizations funding/capital come from and how did you go about getting it? How did you obtain investors for your venture?
Ans: Hmmm. What to put here?
Q 10. What is the best way to achieve long-term success?
Ans: Exceptional customer service. Use data to inform your decisions and direction. Don’t think too small.
Q 11. Where you see yourself and your business in 5 – 10 years?
Ans: DataShield will continue to grow and gain market share. Our disruptive technology will be widely accepted across the country.
Q 12. Excluding yours, what company or business do you admire the most?
Ans: I am impressed by purpose driven businesses like Tom’s with a give back component built into every sale. This is an aspiration for DataShield where we intend to provide tissue and toweling from the paper we have shredded to underprivileged organizations or individuals in the markets we do business in.
Q 13. How important have good employees been to your success?
Ans: It has been the secret to our success. This combined with an innovative visionary as CEO.
Q 14. How long do you stick with an idea before giving up?
Ans: My instinct is to keep after something if I believe in it. But with age comes wisdom and I’m at a stage in life where I want to fail fast and try to separate myself from my ego. The truth is, I am wrong a lot and there are people around me who are extremely smart and often know better than me.
Q 15. What motivates you?
Ans: I really like to win. I want to move the needle and affect change every day. Creating culture and building rapport and relationships is also extremely important. I also find the concept of financial freedom very motivating.
Q 16. What are your ideals?
Ans: My ideals/core values are:
Do the Right Thing
Get Better Every Day
Have Each Other’s Backs
Do It Now
Q 17. How do you generate new ideas?
Ans: I meet with leaders inside and outside the business to generate and vet new ideas. I also participate in a monthly EO Forum where I gather forum mates’ experience in their own setting which provides value. I conduct weekly leadership and one on one meetings to brainstorm and discuss what else we can and should be doing.
Q 18.What is your favorite aspect of being an entrepreneur?
Ans: Leading the team, not having a lot of red tape, flexibility.
Company Detail:
Company : GreenX Lawn and Tree Care
Address : 5281 Auburn Rd Suite B
City : Shelby Twp
State : MI
Zip : 48317
Country : USA
Phone : 586-323-9300
Email : info@greenxlawncare.com