Business: Reliable Coaching and Strategy
Address: Naperville
Phone/website: 630-640-4981, www.reliablecoachingandstrategy.com
More Top Picks Best Lighted Magnifying Glasses For Hobbies
Owner: Adam Russo, 47, of Naperville
Years in business: Started in April
What do you do? “I help business owners or leaders with their people process strategy in their business so they can achieve success,” Russo said.
What is people process strategy? “Every business has people. There’s a process. There’s a strategy. If you don’t get them humming along, you have a problem. They have to be in alignment. For example, a lot of businesses can have a great process, but if they’re not working with their people correctly, then the process isn’t getting maximized. Then you may have a bad employee or customer experience which is going to impact the quality of service. … There’s a ripple effect.”
What’s your background? “I’m a clinical social worker by training. I founded a business, Edgewood Clinical Services. Built it. Sold it. … I founded it in 2004. Had it 15, 16 years.”
What happens when a company hires you? “Some businesses say, ‘Gosh, we are so maxed out. We’re trying to figure out how to grow. We don’t know how to do it.’ So, we’ll go through your process, the bottlenecks. Do you have a goal? What do you want to achieve? What are the barriers? Is there pressure to achieve it? All these different pieces.
“The personal and professional crisscross a lot. A business owner may need to grow and have the customers to grow, but they may not know how.”
What else figures in? “Owners tend to do what they do because they love what they do, and they’re good at what they do. They don’t know how to run a business. When you’re small, you can get away with it. … You have to have a plan in place and be able to adjust it. …Everyone wants to make money but that’s just a result. Do you have a team that believes in why you exist? And are you going to do it better than everybody else? All of those pieces.”
Do you interview all the employees? “The bigger the company, ideally I talk with the head leadership because everything flows through them. … Sometimes, I’ll have separate meetings with the director or supervisor level. That’s up to the organization.”
How long is the process? “One of my first clients I started working with in April. She owns an insurance agency. There were initial struggles, but when we met last month, she was No. 2 in her district. You can make huge jumps in short periods of time. Some people it takes a little bit longer depending on their goals.”
Are you busy? “Very busy. Part of it is because of my background. … When I meet people, I say, ‘Look, I was a (business) founder, I scaled, I sold, I did acquisitions and now I’m coaching.’ It’s ‘Oh, I want to work with you.'”
Why did you start this business? “First of all, in my clinical practice I was always invested in leadership development, even with young people. … The importance of failure was a big topic for me.”
We do learn from failure? “Yes, but our education system doesn’t teach that. It is OK to fail but we don’t value it.
“You have to trust the process. … That’s another thing, social media has warped everyone’s perspective. People think how easy it is. It’s not. You can’t be successful overnight.”
Why do you enjoy your job? “I’ve always been passionate about small business. I love watching people be successful. It’s fun blending the two. … Now, I can create my own hours.”
What’s your fee? “If a business wants to do team building, we figure out how many people, what the goals are. … I do some assessments. … The charges vary. From a pricing perspective, it typically is $300 an hour. … There’s a lot of variation.”
What’s the difference between coaching and consulting? “A consultant tells people what to do. Coaching is about wanting to help you be the best you can be for your business. … You know your business and people much better than I ever will. So, I want to ask the right questions to get you thinking, to get you to better conclusions than you had before. … You ask enough questions, things start to click.”
Is Naperville a good location for business? “Absolutely. Historically, it’s been business friendly.”
Is there competition? “There are tons of coaches. … I know what my background is. I don’t worry about them.”
What’s your advice for someone starting a business? “People get too afraid of risk. … Nothing good ever happened by playing things conservatively.”
If you know of a business you’d like to see to profiled in Down to Business, contact Steve Metsch at [email protected]
More Top Picks Signs Of An Eye Tracking Problem In Kids
.Steve Metsch is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.