How This Founder Scaled Globally and Found Sustained Success For entrepreneur Cindy Pasky, growing her company boiled down to one simple word: perspective.
By Amanda Lewan Edited by Dan Bova
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Strategic Staffing Solutions in Detroit just celebrated its 25th anniversary this past year. When Founder Cindy Pasky first became a computer programmer in the 1970's she quickly realized that technology would be the future for the workforce. She started her own staffing company in Detroit, which now grosses more than $300 million annually in revenue and has seen more than 20 years of consistent growth and profitability while expanding globally.
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So how does this entrepreneur maintain success while scaling? The one piece of advice Pasky stresses over and over again for entrepreneurs is to start with your perspective. Perspective is Cindy's mantra; it's where she starts and ends her day. It's what she engrains in her employees and company culture. It's what they ask each year at their annual company gathering: What perspective are you starting with?
"Every single day we're here to provide a service and to grow a successful business. Our business can be challenging, and it can be rewarding," she said. "But the most important thing is to ground your perspective."
Related: 5 Easy Ways to Gain Perspective
For Pasky, this means starting from a place of gratitude and empathy toward one another. She reminds her employees that though the challenges you face from business can at times be serious, they should never overshadow what's really important.
"It's easy to get caught up in drama, but you woke up here in the U.S. We can vote. We can drive. We can choose where to work. We usually have a home, and we're not all hungry," she said. "What is it you're facing today and how tough is it really?"
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This perspective doesn't just define how she treats and encourages employees, it also sets the tone for the way Strategic Staffing Solutions engages with communities. When she first started the company she knew that corporations could better engage in the communities they extract wealth from. The company gives tremendously to efforts in Detroit, one that's shifting to grow a more tech savvy and entrepreneurial culture.
"Engagement is one of our differentiators," she said. "While we're all about being financially strong, we know this creates capacity for the communities you do business in and engaging with them is part of our corporate mission."
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What's your perspective when you walk into the room, nervous and excited to pitch? When you are struggling to make payroll or having a founder's disagreement? Perhaps we could all benefit from adopting Pasky's strong and empathetic perspective. It starts with how you enter that room for your next big meeting.
"My grandfather taught me when you walk into a room you should see souls first," she said. "The conversation shifts. Then, it's a completely different tone."
