A Singular Vision
Married couple Yolanda and Phillip Nunn founded a nonprofit management consulting firm in 1987. When Phillip decided to pursue a new career last year, Yolanda had to turn a partnership into a solo venture. Making strategic changes, asserting her vision and seeking outside help were fundamental, she said. Yolanda Nunn was interviewed by freelance writer Karen E. Klein.
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In early 1997, Phillip left the company to become an executive coach. His decision surprised me because I thought this was going to be a lifelong business commitment for both of us, but I could appreciate his need to do something different.
I thought I was prepared to assume full responsibility for the company, but I soon found I really was not.
Initially I believed that having a man in charge of a consulting firm gave us more credibility. In hindsight, that was naive. But it was hard for me to step up and demonstrate that I was now in charge and had an individual vision for the company that could be successfully implemented.
The employees expected to work with Phillip and some of them had difficulty seeing me as the supervisor. Because I really had no role models, I sought out relationships with women who were running companies. Networking was a very important way for me to see that there were fabulous, exciting female role models running their own companies everyday.
I went through a management training program, where a consultant interviewed my staff and clients and provided me with some great feedback on how my company was being perceived.
When Phillip first left, there was a flurry of activity, including letting our clients and vendors know about the shift and changing the legal status of the firm from a partnership to a corporation.
Up to that point, I really had not decided where I wanted the company to go. Eventually I got a business coach who helped me discover that this work is truly my passion. I realized that I wanted the mission of this organization to get back to building communities by making the nonprofit agencies that serve them stronger.
I had discussions with my staff about who we are and what we want to do. I didn’t want this to just be the Yolanda show, I wanted it to be a group effort, so we took a retreat and talked about what they saw as their roles in the company and what contributions they could make beyond their job responsibilities. That process helped raise the commitment level of the employees and served as the basis for some strategic decisions I had to make.
In addition to coping with the leadership transition, I made some major financial decisions for the company. Learning to trust my instincts allowed me to be willing to step beyond our day-to-day financial situation and look at the larger picture.
Now, I’m at the point where I am holding the ball and I make the final decisions. It’s very scary, but I love this work.
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Karen E. Klein will be featured at The Times’ Small Business Strategies Conference Oct. 17-18 at the L.A. Convention Center. If your business can provide a lesson to other entrepreneurs, contact Klein at the Los Angeles Times, 1333 S. Mayflower Ave., Suite 100, Monrovia 91016 or send e-mail to Kklein6349@aol.com. Include your name, address and telephone number.
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At A Glance
* Company: Nunn Consulting Inc.
* Owners: Yolanda Nunn
* Nature of Business: Management consulting for nonprofit organizations
* Location: 6101 W. Centinela Ave., Suite 170, Culver City 90230
* Year founded: 1987
* Employees: 10
* Annual sales: $449,000
