Anya Fasolyak: Employee To Entrepreneur
In episode #8 of My 2.0, guest Anya Fasolyak, Founder and President of Studio Fasol, shares her transition from being a graphic designer to running her own design studio.
Anya talks about knowing the need for change given her desire to have the freedom to choose the work she wanted to do, with when she wanted to do it. She decided to share this with her boss, and they mutually agreed to a long transition so they could find the right replacement and for Anaya to hone her skills.
Anya talks about being very clear when it was time to move out. And it’s because she couldn’t stay. It was more an impulsive and emotional decision given she didn’t have a client list for her new business but that did not stop her from moving on.
She talks about how different the mind of a business owner is, from that of an employee. How the work may be the same, but the positioning, the need to know sales and marketing is paramount for a new business owner. She also credits this transition to her identity shift, and thinks it will be hard for her to go back to being an employer.
In the rituals and habits she developed, rising early, having some still self time every morning before the craziness of the work day starts was very important. She tries to meditate, do yoga as well. Not always successful but always tries!
In her recommendation for a transition toolkit are books and advisors. She understands it is hard to get the right type and number of advisors when you’re a young business owner, but she recommends being open, teachable and try hard to reach out to people.
Her advice to her pre-transition self is to know sales, to have a plan of how to build the list of potential clients.
She is passionate about encouraging girls and women to entrepreneurship. And thinks having women in business as influencers will help. Along with Shark Tank like business programs in high schools.
Her advice to her millennial peers is to not stay in unhappy jobs. But to act on the situation, to develop skill sets and opportunities that allow them to explore new career paths.
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