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Meet a Jane: Kim Beasley and DJ Heckes
Posted on November 11, 2009 - Filed Under Jane Dough, Jane Thoughts, Meet a Jane
Kim Beasley is owner of Your Passionate Business, a system she developed to help start-ups, and Pro Membership Services, a web design and web programming service. A speaker, author and educator, Kim knows first-hand the trials and tribulations of starting a business. After earning degrees in Organizational Development and eBusiness with emphasis in technology and project management, Kim took her personal experiences in the business world and launched her own company in 2005 called Agape 3 Business services. Initially, Kim put her programming skills to use for small business owners to help them develop and maintain their web presence through her business Agape3 Business Services LLC. After developing many successful relationships, she expanded her business model to include social media, general support services, and strategic planning to further support their needs. It has now become Kim’s passion to help others venture into the rewarding life of being a business owner.
“At an early age,” said Kim, “I demonstrated an entrepreneurial spirit which was confirmed after I took an aptitude test in Jr. High. It was a career aptitude test and I was told that the results showed that I wouldn’t fit into a 9 to 5 job. That it would be best if I were my own boss. Thus as an adult, I followed my early desire to be an entrepreneur by starting my own business. The first business that I started centered in on developing websites for business owners using WordPress or Drupal, and integrating social media. The latest business that I started centers in on helping start-up business owners create their business and develop their online presence.”
Her greatest rewards of owning her own business are determining her own earning potential, having a business to call her own, and managing her own time.
After taking the Which Jane Are You? free assessment at www.JaneOutoftheBox.com , Kim discovered that she is a Jane Dough. “I wake up every morning looking forward to starting my day as I run my business,” said Kim. “Even if I face a very busy day or face issues, there’s nothing like running my own business. I am constantly finding ways to market or sell my products, online and offline. One of the things I like to do is to do joint ventures with other business owners who have the same targeted customers as I do. I am currently finding ways to grow my team virtually by expanding it with additional team members who fit my outsourcing needs. I am also streamlining processes to include the outsourcing factor so that outsourcing process can flow smoothly.”
Listen up other Jane Doughs! Kim has some words of wisdom for you!
- Have a vision board in your office in order to keep priorities in focus. Then develop a quarterly vision board with goals that are accomplished in a timely manner.
- Add additional services to meet the growing needs of clients.
- Stay focused on the important matters.
- Don’t let issues stop you from reaching your goals.
- Constantly improve processes.
- Build a virtual team that is strong, understands your business, and meets your needs.
- Outsource those tasks that you can delegate for someone to do.
- Smell the flowers! “Go Jane Go was the type that I experienced in the past because I have always been a go getter,” said Kim. “Yet I didn’t take time to stop and smell the flowers.”
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Meet a Jane: DJ Heckes
DJ Heckes is Founder/CEO of EXHIB-IT! Tradeshow Marketing Experts, a GSA & Woman-owned Certified small business headquartered in Albuquerque, NM. DJ established her business for the express purpose of providing quality products and exhibit marketing and design services to federal agencies and commercial enterprises. DJ’s role as CEO has been synonymous with that of a small business leader. At a time when her business was growing more than 100%, DJ was active in ten chambers in New Mexico and Texas. “We live and breathe the success of every customer at EXHIB-IT! Our core business involves relating to the person and their total tradeshow needs,” said DJ. The author of the soon-to-be-published book, “Full-Brain Marketing,” DJ has become very knowledgeable about social networking, uses it extensively in her business (and found a publisher for her book that way), and is committed to actively educating the business community about these new communications tools.
DJ’s pursuit of customer service prompted her to start her own business. “I worked for a company that had limitations of what they offered to the customers and did not provide the same level of ethics and service that I believe in,” said DJ. “I was told that any time I wanted to talk to the owner about buying the NM Territory, come to her. I waited three years and when I was ready, I made a purchase proposal and strategically opened my own company with providing the level of ethics and services that the customers asked for that were implemented and delivered.”
“Mentoring and Building a High Performance Team that has a servant heart mindset for the customer is my greatest reward,” said DJ. “This comes from believing in oneself and following a famous quote from George S. Patton, ‘Don’t tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results.’ Great leaders don’t just lead; they bring out the best in everybody else too. The reason I love this quote is due to the fact that we all need to help others go from good to great and to do this requires a mentor mentality. Lead by example and great things will come.”
As a Jane Dough, DJ had a specific vision for what she wanted to accomplish with her business. “My dreams have become a reality in building a successful company from starting out of my home to the size it is today based on passion, drive and determination,” said DJ. “Both myself and the company have received many awards and recognitions over the years, but the one accomplishment I am most proud of is having a strong loyal staff that has taken on the persona of our company and believes in what we do for our customers.”
After taking the Which Jane Are You? free assessment at www.JaneOutoftheBox.com, DJ discovered that she is a Jane Dough. “Challenges come and go and as a Jane Dough,” said DJ. “I have learned to constantly adapt to change due to overcoming obstacles and challenges in the business world. There are always challenges when running a growing company that is innovative and fast-paced, but weathering each turbulent story came about great infrastructure changes for us to push onward. When the outside influences seem tough with economic changes or competitive influences, let that be a signal to look for better ways to do things. Always look at the business from the inside out with ‘baby’ eyes. Have a mastermind group of ladies whom you trust to share insights and strategies. Celebrate the successes and talk about the challenges openly and honestly.”
DJ knows that her Jane type can – and has – changed over time due to her circumstances. “I have been fluctuating between Tenacity Jane and Jane Dough for the past two years due to outside economical influences,” said DJ, “but every time I have the Tenacity Jane mentality, I realize it is a good thing. It keeps me focused on evaluating, restructuring and implementing new and better ways to do business. I then use my passion to build the company back into the Jane Dough mode.”
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