Meet Maggie Gravier

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Maggie Gravier. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Maggie, thank you so much for joining us today and appreciate you talking about a sensitive topic. It’s unfortunately relevant to so many in the community as layoffs have been on the rise recently, and so we’d appreciate hearing your story and how you overcame being let go?

I was laid off from a job I loved on September 27, 2023. I was an operations manager at a CRM in the senior living industry, and every day I showed up feeling like the work I did was making an impact. It changed my whole world.

I was laid off just before the holiday season, so instead of stressing about applying and interviewing during the holidays when companies weren’t serious about hiring, I decided to take some time to just BE. To unpack all that I had been through, and spend the time digging in and really figuring out what I wanted to do and who I wanted to be moving forward.

I spent the first few months of 2024 applying for hundreds of jobs, interviewing for a handful, and receiving countless automated rejection emails. To say it was all a blow to the self-confidence is an understatement. I felt like I had no value, and no one would want me to work for them. Hundreds (if not thousands) of people all applying for the same jobs at a time when the job market is at its worst did not bring excitement to the application process.

In April of 2024 I decided to change things up. I couldn’t continue on as I had been for my mental sanity and for my bank account. I needed to do something.

So I took a really hard look at my skillset and what I have to offer. What am I good at? What am I passionate about? If I could do anything, what would it be?

I took my life and career path into my own hands and started my own business. Being laid off turns out to have been the thing I needed to finally take control over my life! It was devastating at the time, and I wasn’t always sure I would get through it in one piece, but changing how I thought about things, and going from searching for a job to building a job just how I wanted it was just the thing that needed to happen.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

Over the years of working in customer service positions of different kinds, I’ve learned that I have a passion for helping people, and especially helping people who are also passionate about helping people!

I could list off the services I offer to my clients, but ultimately what I offer is their time back. And its that simple. I take things off their plate so they can have that time to focus on what’s important to them whether that be time with their family, focusing on their current customers, building new relationships, etc. An entrepreneur and small business owner could always use more time, and I have the skillset to operate in the background for them. So I get to help them by freeing up their time so they can in turn help others. Its win-win!

I’m building my business around taking up as little time as possible. I’m also at a point in my life and business where I’m ready for some serious growth! I’m working on a few new service offerings to introduce over the next few months, and am always here to chat with anyone about how I could be of service to them.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

The most important quality I believe anyone can have for anything in life is empathy. Meeting people where they are, understanding what they’re going through, and just sitting with them in that. Not everything is a sales pitch, has a deadline, or needs a bandaid for what’s really going on. Taking that time from the beginning to lay the groundwork for the relationship (in whatever capacity) is how those strong bonds are built, and empathy is at the heart of all of it.

Being flexible! Every entrepreneur needs to just accept that things happen and being flexible is the only way to move forward. I’ve learned to just go with the flow and to be open to other solutions and ways of helping my clients.

Not being afraid to ask questions! Curiosity and asking questions is not something to feel nervous about, and while it can be a sign of vulnerability to some, its also a great way to start conversations, learn a new skill, or even end up in a whole new job or with a new client industry! The possibilities are endless!

What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?

I have gone through some BIG life changes recently, and I’m just taking the time to unpack all that I’ve been through to find the lessons I can carry with me, and to re-focus on my business and how I can grow it into the amazing thing I know it can be. I’m slowing down to speed up, and while seeing results now would be fantastic, I also know that taking the time to do things the right way now will go a longer way than rushing for quick results now.

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Image Credits

I took all of my photos

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