The Startup Journal Feminine Founder Interview: Creator and Enterprise Chief Martha Razo

As a part of The Startup Journal’s Feminine Founder Interview sequence, we interviewed Martha Razo, creator of the ebook, Business Diva: Stories of Women Leading in Business. Ms. Razo, CEO of Guero Pallets, Inc. and proprietor of Solix Enterprise Providers, each Chicago companies, created this ebook to share the tales of girls taking their futures and lives into their very own arms.

As an skilled enterprise analyst and CEO, Martha can also be very enthusiastic about numbers and what they will inform a enterprise proprietor – particularly if she or he is attempting to develop or maintain the doorways open. She does this via her consulting agency referred to as Solix.

We interviewed Martha to get extra perception into her different enterprise and consulting experience, her newest ebook, and extra depth into her her personal thrilling entrepreneurial journey…

TSM: Are you able to inform us, in 10 phrases or much less, what’s the central message of your ebook, Enterprise Diva: Tales of Ladies Main in Enterprise?

Martha: To encourage all ladies to reside their objective and obtain their desires.

TSM: With a bit extra element, what are the primary takeaways from the ebook?

Martha: The primary takeaways are, before everything, to share private tales to encourage ladies to attain success. Secondly, I need different entrepreneurs and ladies to be taught from the authors’ successes and failures of their enterprise journeys. Additionally, to offer suggestions and recommendation to budding ladies in enterprise. Lastly, to encourage ladies to reside their objective.

TSM: Are you able to cite a selected success story that exemplifies the Enterprise Diva objective and success, one which conjures up you?

Martha: I want to share this quote from “Enterprise Diva” creator Laura Alcantar Leon, CEO of S & L Pallets, LLC:

“Don’t really feel discouraged if you happen to do not need a level. Life occurs, and generally, even if you happen to needed it, it doesn’t occur. That doesn’t imply you’re a loser or that you’re destined to fail. It solely means you’ll have to work twice as onerous to make it occur. I began my enterprise with no diploma, expertise, or data of the trade, with out loans from banks, household, or associates. The one factor I did have was an abundance of dedication and onerous work. Being my personal boss is a variety of stress and onerous work, but in addition it’s the greatest resolution I might have made.”

TSM: As a numbers individual, what do you suppose is the significance of using enterprise numbers when main a corporation?

Martha: Enterprise homeowners measure their progress by their numbers; revenues, earnings, variety of staff, the variety of areas they personal, and so forth. Enterprise homeowners have a objective for his or her firm. Attaining the objective requires understanding enterprise numbers, and it’s important for them to know these necessary figures. Numbers and information permit enterprise homeowners to grasp the place their firm is at present, the place it could actually proceed, and to develop a strategic plan to attain enterprise targets.

Moreover, information and numbers give enterprise homeowners perception into fixing issues and posting the precise inquiries to develop methods to be aggressive, broaden, and forecasts to stop even losses and doable errors. Each enterprise proprietor, even when they’ve somebody assigned, ought to assessment their revenue and loss and steadiness sheet on a month-to-month foundation. The metrics in these stories ought to be monitored periodically. I’ve even used them to stop theft.

TSM:  Going again to your early profession choices, inform us what elements influenced your resolution to be an entrepreneur your self?

Martha: Once I was a sophomore in highschool, I began a scholarship referred to as College students for College students Scholarship for undocumented college students. Since I used to be 14, I had a imaginative and prescient, and I took that imaginative and prescient and took step one and simply began to work on making it occur. It occurred that I shared my imaginative and prescient with others who then joined and believed in it. Then, the magic occurred once I was in a position to construct a group.

The identical system appeared to naturally happen once I collaborated with 22 ladies entrepreneurs in creating my ebook referred to as “Enterprise Diva.” For instance, within the male-dominated pallet trade, I’m seen as an trade chief. A lot of my pallet colleagues ask me for recommendation. I’m at all times completely satisfied to assist others develop with any small tip I might need. The important thing actually is that if they observe the recommendation I give them.

Entrepreneurship has been a difficult path. In my expertise, any good thing doesn’t come straightforward. Being an entrepreneur has allowed me to personal and management my very own schedule. If I select to earn a living from home, I can work there at my leisure and luxury. I also can meet shoppers anytime and be extra versatile than the 9a.m.-5 p.m. schedule. As a mother, I can spend extra time with my son and journey. I’ve at all times been disciplined and self-motivated, so I by no means had a problem with not having a particular construction. When I’ve a piece undertaking with a deadline, it will get completed in an expert method.

TSM: Utilizing your individual profession journey from mathematician to enterprise chief, why are we seeing extra profession strikes from technical positions to Administration positions?

Martha: Within the subsequent 5 years and even much less, the success charge of a enterprise will likely be decided by how effectively homeowners use their enterprise information for resolution making.

I’m pursuing my Ph.D. in Industrial engineering. I selected to focus my analysis and research in course of and information mining. I’ve discovered to develop my very own algorithms, program, analyze huge information and processes.

I need to have the ability to take all types of information, and rapidly analyze the information and be capable of make conclusions to find out the following transfer I’ll make in my enterprise technique. For example, what number of staff ought to I rent this 12 months? What number of salespeople do I want? What costs will I promote my wooden pallets within the subsequent six months. Can I get a one-year contract? Ought to I purchase an additional lot of property, or ought to I construct on my present pallet plant? All these choices, I take advantage of the information to information my solutions.

TSM: And what traits do you might have that significantly contributed to your capacity to excel out of your humble beginnings to seek out success as chief of a number of companies and now an creator?

Martha: I’ve three foremost traits. The primary one is my persistence. If it wasn’t for persistence, then I’d not haven’t completed my grasp’s in utilized arithmetic. I set a objective, and I can’t cease till I attain that objective, regardless of how troublesome. For example, my new mission is ending my doctorate in industrial engineering.

Second, is my continuation in studying about arithmetic and information analytics. The training I’ve obtained has not come straightforward, however it’s in excessive demand and priceless. I’ve been in a position to make fast choices backed by information throughout troublesome occasions, such because the pandemic. Decisions comparable to protecting or promoting stock could be the turning web page for a enterprise. I’ve the blessing to make these choices quick because of the energy of my analytics abilities in huge information.

Lastly, my group at Guero’s Pallets is the most effective. We’re a household that consider in the identical mission; you’re employed onerous and don’t take any alternative without any consideration. Regardless of how huge or small, our shoppers love working with us, they usually all get the identical prime quality service. My household and I contemplate each day a blessing that we get up and are in a position to work. Additionally, we’re all specialists in our respective areas. Each member of the family is in the precise seat of the corporate. Figuring out this example means the corporate is driving in the precise course, even throughout a storm.

TSM: As you’re employed on rising and scaling up your companies, what are your main challenges? Hiring others? High quality management? Capital?

Martha: As we proceed to develop, the first problem is discovering the precise leaders we are able to belief. It has been troublesome discovering folks with the identical work ethic and ideas. We’ll discover the precise folks, however the search will take time.

TSM: What are an important stuff you inform ladies to assist them on their journey as leaders and profitable entrepreneurs?

Martha: My phrase in “Enterprise Diva” is limitless. I need ladies to know that we’re limitless in what we are able to do in life, and there’s a galaxy of prospects. When you have an thought, a dream or enterprise you wish to begin, take step one NOW! Rise up and do it. The whole lot else will observe.

TSM: What’s one attention-grabbing reality about you that folks could not know?

Martha: I like performing and dancing. I wrote my very own one-hour play referred to as “My Dream Act.” I’m seeking to publish it in 2023.

TSM: That’s thrilling Martha. Thanks a lot in your time, and good luck in your future successes.