Board Silly
Bernadette Williams started a computer consulting firm while attending UCLA and began working with the Internet before most people knew what it was. Williams, 29, who said she takes a “bulldozer” approach to life, was named 1996 Young Entrepreneur of the Year by the Small Business Administration. But last year she realized that both her business and her personal life were suffering because of the myriad commitments she had made to too many good causes. This year, by reaching a balance, she has found herself--and her business--much healthier.
I got my first clients by word-of-mouth. Then, other entrepreneurs told me I should be networking since I had no marketing budget.
So I started networking--and networking and networking--across L.A., Ventura and Orange counties. If there was a meeting, I was there.
Pretty soon, I was asked to do free speaking to business people, community groups and disadvantaged youths. All this got me pumped up and it was great PR. Soon I got opportunities to be on the boards of women’s business groups, black entrepreneur groups, community service agencies and nonprofits.
It was not at all unusual for me to attend 10 networking meetings a week. Most boards held three-hour meetings monthly. Then there was committee work--telephone calls, fund-raising, setting up awards dinners. I also wrote articles, started work on a book and appeared on local cable TV.
I am single and have no kids, and I thought this was the time to go all out. I am also a high-energy person and very organized.
But by last year I was really, really tired. I was getting great free publicity and contacts, but I realized that it came at great expense--not of money but of my social life, my extended family and my sanity.
My business was suffering too. Businesses are run by human beings, and if they are not fully functioning mentally, physically and emotionally, neither is the business. Because I was so caught up in the short-term, I had lost my long-term vision for what my business could be. I had forgotten all about my goals.
When I started asking other entrepreneurs how they managed to do so much, I found that they had companies much larger than mine and additional resources that they drew on. They delegated most of the work to their assistants and secretaries.
Last year, I knew I had to set boundaries. I learned to say no to new opportunities. I limited my time for outside commitments to two hours a week. As my leadership terms expired, I did not sign up for new ones.
At first it was very hard to do, but I was honest with people. I told them that I didn’t have a full plate, I had an overloaded tray and I couldn’t carry it anymore.
This month, I am celebrating the fact that I am board-free. I’ve been able to spend time with my friends again, work out every day and sometimes just hang out. I stopped speaking for free, except for very special occasions, and now I get honorariums and I’ve started traveling more. When I go out of town, I extend my trip to stay an extra day just to relax.
Entrepreneurs are always told to pay themselves first. That’s true not only for money but for giving yourself time and attention, staying healthy and building in some time just to read the paper, watch a football game or go for a walk.
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ON TRACK INTERNET STRATEGIES INC.
* Owner: Bernadette Williams
* Nature of business: Educates employees and develops strategic plans for companies’ Web sites.
* Location: Culver City
* Year founded: 1991
* Number of employees: 3
* Annual revenue: $250,000
