Pivoting Colégas Towards Consulting for School Districts
Photo by Christina Morillo on Pixels.
As I also mentioned in my article The Best Kept Secret for Entrepreneurs: The SBDC, the Colégas Group is going through a shift… a transformation, or as they say in business, a pivot. These sorts of changes happen as part of the natural growth arc of a business, and mine is no exception.
When I started my firm, I set out to provide a whole host of services. I wanted to cast a wide net so that I could appeal to many customers, which can be a good strategy when first starting out. So, these are all the services that I have been offering:
Individual advising
Academic coaching
Dissertation coaching
Corporate training
Educational consulting
It felt overwhelming but I wanted to make sure I tried as much as possible before I settled on one thing. For me, it was a matter of time. I felt like I didn’t have a whole lot of it, so I wanted to take advantage of the time I had to get the most out of my experiences.
If you are also an entrepreneur, you know that one of the best approaches to growth is to try one thing at a time. Then conventional wisdom says you give it six months of your undivided time, attention, and resources, and assess how to proceed. I didn’t do that and as a result, I spread myself too thin. I was offering all the services above while also holding down a full-time job. To say it was rough is an understatement. It was nearly impossible.
As the end of the year approaches, I want to be very deliberate and clear-eyed about what I want the next version of my venture to be. To do this, I have re-engaged with the Small Business Development Center.
I’ve sought their assistance before, but this time I got matched with a coach who herself is working on rebranding her own business, an accounting service. By the way, she also owns a shop, so she understands multitasking between jobs. Through her guidance, I am reevaluating what my purpose is, who my ideal client should be, and what I can offer them.
One thing I plan to do is redesign my website to shift the focus of what I do. I am a consultant, and I want the site to reflect that. Specifically, I specialize in helping school districts implement their Ethnic Studies curriculum. The state of California has in place a mandate for all secondary schools (high schools) to develop and have on their roster an Introduction to Ethnic Studies course, by Fall 2025.
Ethnic Studies is on schedule to become a graduation requirement for all students who graduate in 2029, so there is quite a bit of urgency in each district developing its own curriculum. As it turns out, the California State University system already has this college graduation requirement. It was a legislative mandate that went into effect in Fall 2021, so they are already offering classes, one of which I teach.
As part of the services that I offered through Colégas, I’ve already helped a district work on their implementation plans, so this is something I know I can do well. More to the point, I enjoy it and I want to continue this work. So, this is what I would like to become the focus for Colégas.
Being an entrepreneur requires knowing your worth and understanding that we all must grow into the next version of our best selves.
In light of recent political events, my area of expertise may need to adapt to changing requirements. I understand that. That said, the skills necessary to thrive in the 21st century – encompassing global thinking, multilingualism, cultural competence, self-reflection, leadership, empathy, and compassion – all come from engaging in the big ideas that are discussed in Ethnic Studies. Whatever the political changes, they should not diminish the importance of my work. Frankly, I believe they will actually emphasize the importance of it.
As the new year comes, we should all think about ways we can change with the times. Survival of the fittest has more to do with adaptation than strength. To succeed, we need to adapt, shift, change, and evolve with the world around us. Being an entrepreneur requires knowing your worth and understanding that we all must grow into the next version of our best selves.