Serve Your Employees

People often like to complain about millennials and I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't one of them. However, I think it's important to know that there are young and immature, yet hardworking and coach-able individuals out there.

If there's one thing that I have learned by building my business off of unpaid interns and hiring people right out of college, it's that you need to make sure you're willing to invest in them. The more I serve my team, and let them know I truly care (because I would be lost without them), the more that they deliver.

People want to feel like they are a part of something; but, you must give them something to be a part of. Communication will always be the number one tool to this success. Have weekly meetings where you review strengths, areas of opportunities, and areas for growth. Ask your team members about their goals and dreams, and then support those. Even if it means that they eventually leave you, which sometimes is the best thing for both sides, remember that little incentives go a long way. Whether it's coffee and donuts, taking them to a client meeting, or going on a trip. If your people are important to you and the success of your business, then treat them as such. I learned this the hard way a long time ago, and never made that mistake again.

Today I wanted to take the time to share a piece of advice I posted on my personal LinkedIn page. This advice is something I implemented into my habits as the President of LW, and I truly think it is something that should be a core value in any business, at any level. Monetary success is one thing, but when you truly invest in your employees, and they invest back into you, the sky isn't even the limit. 

​-Lauren Walsh