Meet Carrin Harris

We were lucky to catch up with Carrin Harris recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Carrin , so great to have you on the platform. There’s so much we want to ask you, but let’s start with the topic of self-care. Do you do anything for self-care and if so, do you think it’s had a meaningful impact on your effectiveness?

My self care regimen has evolved over the years and includes many components that help me remain balanced and manage stress. The first thing I always prioritize are strong boundaries, which means saying no. In the past I took on too much and it took me to the brink of burnout. I love helping but I learned that I must help myself first. That means balancing my schedule to allow for enough sleep, eating a healthy diet and practicing yoga and meditation.
For me, self care includes everything from my skin care routine all the way through practicing positive self talk and taking time to acknowledge my own accomplishments, no matter how small. As I have integrated these practices into my daily routine, I have found it easier to remain calm in stressful situations. It helps me provide unbiased feedback and support to my team which makes us all more effective.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

As the CEO of Blitz Proto, I take care of all of the admin duties for our company. Everything from quoting customers to managing our finances, I am on the front line of communication with current and potential customers. I assist with new account set up with our customers and execute project management for our team. I also attend to our marketing through website management, lead acquisition and social media.
I find it exciting to meet new customers and see their unique ideas come to fruition through our services. As a company of three, we’re pleased to offer customized services ranging from engineering through small level production. In some cases our customers take advantage of the whole range of services, taking their new ideas all the way to production with our 3D printing and CNC services.
One of our current projects has involved designing and building a medical device called the Vibetech 3, This technology assists customers with building muscle and bone density regardless of their mobility restrictions. This device made the 2024 Coolest Thing Made in Michigan top 10!

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Having experience across industries in many small businesses, I have found that communication is the foundation of success. It may sound simple, but mastering internal communication with written procedures and regular meetings is essential. Likewise, coordinating with customers can have hiccups if communication is not clear. Practice is always the best way to improve communication in my experience. It can be daunting to be on the front line of communication at first, but the more you engage the easier it gets!
I also find that having a deep connection to your product or service makes you the most powerful brand ambassador. Every small business owner should have marketing skills. You are your own most powerful marketing tool! There are tons of free tools available to help you market online. Google’s Keyword planner can help you narrow down the best keywords for your website and SEO. Google and Hubspot both provide free online courses for marketing and those are just a few ways to get started with DIY marketing for your business.
Overall, continually pursuing knowledge through training and courses has helped me maintain well rounded skills which are helpful in any business. This has put me in a key position to offer internal training, lead departments and now run a business as CEO.

Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?

When I feel overwhelmed, I always try to break down tasks into their smallest pieces. I find lists to be very helpful when it feels like there is to much to do! I also like to use a project manager to help allocate tasks to other team members. Taking a 5 minute break to walk around is also highly recommended in many mental health resources like the webinars offered by Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity. I make mental health a central point for check-ins with my team so we can support each other in moments of overwhelm and keep a variety of tools on hand to work through them.
We also have an office cat named Little Phatty Lumpkins that is a rescue. He has spent his entire life here with us (his first birthday was Marti Gras this year) he is a wonderful distraction when things get stressful. We all enjoy playing with him and spoiling him. I have always found working at a business that is pet friendly helps everyone with stress management in times of overwhelm,

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