After 25 years in telecommunications and a company reorganization that modified her trajectory, Nia Fields remodeled her in depth advertising and gross sales experience right into a mission-driven function. Now serving as Western Area SBC Supervisor for Oakland Thrive, she combines her company expertise along with her entrepreneurial household background to empower small companies throughout Oakland County and create inclusive financial alternatives.
What impressed your transition from telecom and leisure to nonprofit work?
I’ve been with telecom over 25 years, having fun with the hustle and bustle and the communication with the shoppers. What occurred was there was a reorg. I had dodged reorgs for years, and generally you make it, generally you don’t. Effectively, at this specific time I didn’t make it, and I used to be too younger to not work.
I had a lot data within the trade. I had a lot data simply having the ability to community with my shoppers that I used to be pressured to pivot. I used to be pressured to say, What do I wish to do? And so I went again to my roots. I name myself [being from a third] technology entrepreneur household. So I believed I might do one thing that might assist serve others, that I may assist have an effect.
First, I went into substitute educating, which was a thrill, after which, whereas I used to be there, the chance took place the place, as soon as once more, being from an entrepreneur background, I used to be in a position to say, the mission of this group goes to additional develop me, I’m taking it private. In order that’s how I ended up working with Oakland Thrive.
How is your area particularly serving to ladies, minorities, veterans, and LGBTQ owned companies break by way of obstacles?
So first I wish to say, Oakland Thrive, we help all small companies. We now have an emphasis on the minorities, the ladies, the veterans, the LGBTQ, however we help all. We’re all concerning the neighborhood, however what we do is we simply assist.
We deliver sources to companies that they could not have ever been in a position to learn about. We now have sources, beginning with enterprise technique, IT, authorized, HR, accounting, advertising, we host workshops and totally different instructional occasions.
We current that as a result of lots of enterprise homeowners might know their craft, however they don’t know the background. They’re working within the enterprise and never on the enterprise. We current these sources, and a few of them are free sources, and a few of them are some that we afford them to attend.
What’s one easy however highly effective technique you advocate small companies implement instantly for advertising and visibility?
Very first thing we do after we meet with them, when you will have a dialogue, and you may see their ardour, you allow them to inform their story. That’s when individuals get to know what the enterprise is about.
They get to know the background, they get to know that you’re right here as a pillar locally. In order that’s the very first thing, we assist them develop what their story is, and other people will purchase into that.
Are you able to share a hit story out of your work that actually captures Oakland Thrive’s mission?
Out of privateness sake, I gained’t point out the enterprise, however the factor is, it’s not only one enterprise. It’s all the companies, once they share, you possibly can see their ardour. I’ve had small enterprise homeowners inform me, earlier than I realized of you I used to be able to shut down the store.
I used to be able to throw within the books. I used to be prepared to return to company. I used to be prepared to only begin throughout, as a result of they didn’t know that the sources have been there. So yeah, that’s one of many largest. I’ve had a number of companies inform me that. However then, simply with the dialog with one of many small enterprise consultants, they have been in a position to see the sunshine, they have been in a position to see that there are sources put in place.
However as soon as once more, if you happen to don’t have that data, or if you happen to don’t know, you don’t know. In order that’s been lots of the success tales. The truth that individuals stated, I’ll give it one other shot, and we are able to introduce them to the pillars that we provide.
How do individuals discover out about Oakland Thrive?
We exit, we’re at occasions, we attempt to steer everyone to our web site as a result of our occasions and our workshops are free. We work with the Chamber of Commerce, we work with Authorized Support Society, Michigan Works! We’re getting on the market. We’re solely a 2 yr previous group.
We have been first linked to Oakland County, then we branched off to be a nonprofit, so we simply made 2 years previous this previous March. We’re on the market, ft on the road. We go knocking on the services we’re letting everyone know. They are saying, run, go inform the excellent news, the gospel! That’s what the mission is with Oakland Thrive.
What are the highest 3 challenges going through small companies in Oakland County proper now?
I might say figuring out that we’re there, as a result of we deliver loads to the desk, we wish to be an ear for these small companies. So it’s simply them getting the data, them being open to creating modifications. Loads of instances in conversations we’ve to inform them, you must be sincere with us.
If we’re asking sure info, you must be sincere, and you must be keen to pivot. It’s a must to be keen to inform your story, inform it with feeling, and be open to any modifications that any of the consultants offer you, or any of our B2B suppliers.
Now, what our B2B suppliers are, we’ve about 75 small companies who function mentors. They function the consultants they usually actually work with the shoppers to handle no matter need or want that they want.
What recommendation do you will have for different ladies in management navigating fast-paced mission pushed roles?
Very first thing I might say could be to be daring. Simply be curious, be intentional, lead with function and keenness, observe your coronary heart and be inclusive, however on the finish of the day all the time bear in mind to achieve again and provides again.
I say that with such ardour, as a result of I had a mentor choose me up, they usually instilled in me the significance of remembering once you get to the place you wish to be or if you happen to see any individual that’s attempting to get there, feed into them.
How is Oakland Thrive serving to enterprise homeowners adapt to new know-how and keep aggressive?
As soon as once more we provide free sources. So when we’ve a dialog with the shopper, it’s nearly like we would like them to be a part of the answer, subsequently, let’s have a dialog. Inform me about what you are promoting. When you inform me about what you are promoting[,] [n]ow, the place do you wish to go, or the place have you ever been that you simply don’t wish to go? What are your challenges?
As soon as we assess the state of affairs, we are saying, if we are able to service them, superb, if not, we are able to service them together with the sources that we’ve, in addition to what we name our B2B suppliers. Our enterprise to enterprise suppliers, and you must be keen to do the work.
In order that’s just about the underside line to this as a result of nothing comes simple. So when you’ve got a ardour on your enterprise, when you’ve got a drive for what you are promoting, you’re going to wish to put within the work. In order that’s just about how we preserve everyone on high. As a result of each enterprise is totally different.
What does thriving imply to you, each professionally and personally?
For Oakland Thrive, it stands for collectively serving to understand inclusive and vibrant economies. So once I consider Oakland Thrive and thriving, I consider us making this native financial ecosystem. We now have empowered these [75], our B2B suppliers, to work with the shoppers, any shopper that involves us, we don’t discriminate.
We wish to assist all of the shoppers to achieve success locally. So now we’ve created this native ecosystem and never solely does it work for the financial foundation, but it surely’s additionally revitalizing the neighborhood. All the things is simply rising, it’s simply thriving. In order that’s what thriving means to me, simply seeing all the pieces work collectively hand in hand, and principally making a press release.
For extra details about Oakland Thrive’s free workshops, cohorts, and enterprise sources, go to oaklandthrive.org. The group continues to hunt sponsors and donors for upcoming occasions, together with their annual golf outing and highlight occasions celebrating native companies.