Most Important Skills For A Founder And Visionary At To Be Honest Beverage Company
Michelle, Founder & Visionary at To Be Honest Beverage Company, identifies "people skills, communication, self-promotion, and critical thinking" as essential for her role, emphasizing the importance of "cultivating and nurturing talent" and "connecting compassionately" in communication for networking and business growth. The ability to "think futuristically" and strategically plan, backed by self-belief and the capacity for self-promotion to secure funding and investment, are also highlighted as crucial skills developed and honed throughout their career.
Leadership, Communication, Strategic Thinking, Self-Promotion, Networking
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Michelle Houston
Founder & Visionary
To Be Honest Beverage Company
California Polytechnic State University
None
Philosophy
Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG)
Business Strategy
Pell Grant Recipient, Worked 20+ Hours in School, Transfer Student
Video Highlights
1. People skills are essential for leadership, team development, talent identification, and cultivation.
2. Effective communication is crucial for interacting with various stakeholders, including team members, investors, and partners.
3. Strategic thinking and self-promotion are vital for long-term planning, resource allocation, and showcasing one's value to potential investors and collaborators.
Transcript
What skills are most important for a job like yours?
For me, as a business owner and founder, the top skills I need are communication, self-promotion, and critical thinking. People skills are also essential, which includes leadership, team development, identifying talent, and nurturing it over time.
Communication is vital because I'm constantly interacting with advisory board members, consultants, agencies, and my team. It also extends to reaching out to potential businesses and collaborators, and even being interviewed for podcasts and articles.
Being kind, compassionate, and thoughtful in communication is incredibly powerful. It greatly assists with networking, word-of-mouth, and referrals, which are crucial for business growth. You never know what opportunities can arise from simple connections.
Self-promotion is another key skill. If you're starting, running, and scaling a company, you need to promote your work, products, and services. This skill is also important when seeking employment, as it helps you communicate your value as an employee, team member, or business owner.
When asking for funding, you must articulate why an investment is important. You need to believe in your work and your ability to deliver on your promises. This ties into strategic thinking, which I find invaluable.
I love using Gallup's StrengthsFinder. Four of my top five strengths are related to strategic thinking. This involves thinking futuristically on a large scale and planning beyond just projections.
It's about seeing the larger vision and then strategizing how to get there. This includes identifying steps, prioritizing actions, and determining what needs to be in place for success. Asking critical questions and strategizing are key skills that I've had to cultivate.
These skills don't always come naturally, and we need to continuously encourage and empower them within ourselves. However, I believe they are absolutely important and critical for a role like mine.