Whenever I meet new people, they inevitably ask, “So what’s your story?” Although I’m much more interested in learning about others, I figured it’s important to have my background on this website. So here you go.

I started my career in straight commission sales. Didn’t make any money until I sold something. That got me out of bed every morning, along with my passion for helping my clients reach success, for ten very productive years. By then I had a burning desire to start my own company. I wanted to be 100% in control of my own destiny. If you’re a small business owner, you’ll know firsthand that starting a company is not easy. Suddenly, I had to be President, HR Manager, Recruiting Manager, Sales Manager, Import Manager, and CFO all in one.

Although I made many mistakes along the way, my experience running a company included so much that I’m proud of: funding the business entirely on my own; being voted “Best Places to Work” in our industry; having 45 employees with offices located in Seattle, LA, Dallas, Minneapolis, and New York; reaching over $25 million in sales; and obtaining amazing clients like Nike, Southwest Airlines, Nintendo, Microsoft, Google, T-Mobile, Warner Bros., and many more. My proudest achievement, though, was the culture we created. Our employees were an engaged, hard-working, loyal, and motivated group. I’m convinced that our culture led to our success.

After 20 years, I sold my business to gain greater financial support and acquire new capabilities to better service our customers. Although ultimately it was the right decision, like all transitions in life there was a learning curve. Many growth opportunities followed: adapting to a new culture, learning how to not be in control while re-learning how to work with a boss, as well as acclimating to a larger company that doesn’t move quickly and has different priorities than my own. I worked for our parent company for five years, achieved some great success, and met wonderful new colleagues. The company was, and continues to be, successful and I was fortunate to work for them.

But my desire to operate my own company and help others is integral to who I am. Over the years I’ve enjoyed opportunities to help small businesses work through challenges. I decided to start Havens Consulting so that I can leverage my own experience to help small business owners navigate the many issues, challenges, and opportunities that come with owning your own business.

If you’re interested in talking, send me a text or email. I’d enjoy learning about your business and how best to keep you on the road to success.

TomHavens@HavensConsultingSeattle.com
206.669.4131