We were lucky to catch up with Krystal Yates recently and have shared our conversation below.
Krystal, so many exciting things to discuss, we can’t wait. Thanks for joining us and we appreciate you sharing your wisdom with our readers. So, maybe we can start by discussing optimism and where your optimism comes from?
Optimism is a choice. Most of my clients are going through a rough patch in their business or career. When you hit an obstacle, you have a choice, you can give up or push through it. When you watch people overcome their challenges repeatedly, a pattern becomes clear. Optimistic people get farther, faster.
One of my favorite quotes is by Henry Ford. “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t – you’re right,” I find this to be 100% accurate. Based on this, what choice do I have? Some days optimism comes more naturally than others, but life has shown me that attitude is everything. I choose to remain positive.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
At EBR, we help place the right people in the right positions and organizations and help those organizations optimize their employee experience. We believe that happy employees create profitable organizations.
I started EBR to help small businesses make sense of employment and compliance regulations while also creating a solid Human Resources foundation on which they could grow and become more successful. Small businesses need HR the most and have the least access to it. I wanted to change that.
This quickly led to also working with job seekers. Along with our love for HR, we wanted to help employees navigate the increasingly difficult waters of finding the right job. The rules of the job search become more complicated every day. We help to decode these rules and help our job seekers find their dream job and dream career. We provide services at all price points to help clients at all stages of life.
I’ve seen firsthand how bringing your personal passion into the workplace can create a great life and a great career. I consider myself blessed to be able to support my family by doing what I love.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
My background working in small business gave me an edge when starting my own. I could see the right and wrong ways to do things firsthand. Without that knowledge, I don’t know that I would have been successful in those first couple of years.
My empathy creates a solid balance when helping my clients. I always say that there are three sides to every story – yours, mine, and the truth. I help people find that middle ground and understand where the other side is coming from, creating a win/win situation in many cases.
Finally, my network has been invaluable to me. I will never have all the answers, but I’ve almost always got somebody to call who does. Being an entrepreneur can get lonely if you don’t surround yourself with others. They provide insight that I’m too close to see sometimes, advice on topics I’m not an expert at and referrals! What I do is trust-based. Having people you know and trust, who know and trust you, send you business is my favorite way to grow.
Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?
Overwhelm is a big part of owning a business. There is always something else that needs to be done. Keeping a to-do list is my favorite strategy to overcome this. I write down everything – even the little things – so I can mark them off my list when I’m done. Progress helps to minimize overwhelm. I organize my list daily with the top three things that must be done that day, anything else I’d like to do, and my long-term projects. Reviewing even the long-term projects daily helps to keep me on track.
I also use calendar blocking. I know when I’m most productive (in the mornings) and don’t take appointments; instead, I use the time to work through my to-do list. And when something must be done by a deadline, it goes on my calendar just like an appointment. I can get things done by treating everything on my calendar as necessary. And again, the more stuff I mark off my list, the less overwhelmed I feel.
Finally, I maintain personal boundaries. I schedule personal appointments and take them just as seriously as client appointments. I make time for myself and my family – they are why I do this.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ebrhrexperts.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ebrHRexperts/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ebrhrexperts
- Youtube: @EBRHR
Image Credits
Eric Guel Photography
