I was sitting in the back of the plane, waiting for my instructor to give me more directions. The noise was almost unbearable; the loudest roar of an engine I’d ever heard. This was my first time ever skydiving, so there was no way I was exiting this aircraft without getting some more guidance. But out of nowhere, I suddenly see my instructor open the door of the plane, and over the roar of the engine, she yells, “JUMP!” My heart rate immediately skyrocketed. I was terrified!
My name is Becky Brunner, and I’m the CEO of Choose Happy Assisting. 3 years ago today, I took a leap of faith and jumped out of my plane! … Okay, not literally. I’ve actually never sky-dived before (and never plan to!), but if I had to guess, launching your own business has to be the same kind of adrenaline rush! 😉
I’m a small-town Wisconsin girl whose happy place is anywhere outdoors or with family. I love hiking, boating, and soaking up sunshine whenever I can. I’ve been married for 17 years to my high school sweetheart, and together we have 2 incredible children whom I love watching grow into the people they’re supposed to become.
For over 15 years, I was a part of the corporate America setting. I’ve worked as a marketing and sales coordinator, as well as a communications project manager, but it wasn’t until I jumped out of my plane (figuratively, remember? 😉) that I found my true passion: Team Culture.
I’ve always been a natural-born leader, empath, and problem solver. My mom and my grandma are 2 of the most hospitable women I know, and really were my first true “teachers” of what it means to listen and be of service to others. While I was in my marketing and project management roles during my time in corporate, I was also in charge of planning company meetings & retreats, holiday parties, appreciation luncheons, and making sure people were always recognized when they needed to be. I absolutely loved doing this, and quickly found out I was pretty darn good at it!
After deciding to leave the corporate space in 2019 and pursue my dream of helping female business owners build positive culture and productive teams, Choose Happy Assisting was born. But looking back now over the course of all my years in business, I have 3 very simple, but very important lessons I want to share with you as you continue your own business:
#1 – Go out of your way to make people feel good.
No matter if you have 1 team member or 30 team members, showing appreciation is the ultimate key to building a successful business. If members don’t feel valued, they won’t value your business. You don’t have to hand out lofty Christmas bonuses or elaborate anniversary gifts to make people feel valued. It’s all about recognizing efforts and praising in public for it.
#2 – The little stuff really is worth your time.
The personal check-ins, the “Get to Know You” questionnaires, the funny memes you share in Slack – they really do matter. It’s these types of small gestures that are the building blocks of a positive and healthy team culture. It’s also these types of things that are the simplest ways to connect with your team. You’ll come to find I’m all about working smarter, not harder! 😉
And #3 – It’s never too late (or too soon) to make a change for the better.
If you’re in the back of your plane right now about ready to jump like I was 3 years ago, now is a perfect time to start envisioning the kind of team culture you want for your business. Or if you jumped 5, 10, or even 15+ years ago, it’s never too late to get control of your team culture and take your business to the next level.
So no matter what point you’re at in your business, if you’re sitting in the back of the plane or if you’ve already pulled the cord, I encourage you to jump and to never stop jumping! Life is full of opportunities, and I’m so thankful I jumped at mine.
Cheers to 3 years of Choose Happy Assisting, and cheers to you, my friend!
