We recently connected with Larissa Davila and have shared our conversation below.
Larissa, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
To be honest, I believe that my purpose found me. I used to volunteer at Habitat for Humanity as a means to create community, and because I figured I could learn carpentry while being a volunteer and chatting with another volunteer, she learned that I was an operations manager for a large corporation. She invited me for coffee so that I could help her with a business plan and I accepted to help.
Chatting to someone about the event, she asked me if I could help her, and the voice started to spread that I was a business coach. It took me about 6 months to figure out I could charge a moderate amount for business coaching while not pricing out the community of people of color and women that were reaching out to me, and it took me almost 3 years to accept the “Business Coach” label. Today, I work full time for a business incubator that provides business coaching to aspiring and existing business owners who face barriers to succeed. It has been about 9 years since that first woman asked me to help with her business plan, I can’t remember her name, I wish I did.
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?
Larissa Davila is an expert in business development, and a business strategist with a focus in multicultural community engagement. She has a passion for helping small business owners use their talents for the benefit of the community while developing their own profitable and sustainable businesses.
In 2014, Davila launched BCO Consulting Group, offering services to micro, small and mid-sized business owners, government agencies and nonprofit organizations around strategic planning, budgeting, pricing strategy, process improvements, market research, marketing services, and bilingual community outreach. Larissa started her company after over a decade of corporate experience with companies such as Bentoli, FedEx and Sony Corporation. Her experience includes community, project, and process management, international logistics, customer support, and business in general. Simultaneously, Davila has served as the Executive Director of Latino Arts, Culture & Education Organization (LACE) and Amhiga Hispana in Austin, Texas.
A graduate from Texas A&M International University with a bachelor’s degree in business administration with concentration in Management and currently working in her master’s degree of Business Administration at McCombs School of Business in the University of Austin, Larissa seeks continuous development in the field, and is always committed to serve her community. You can learn all about Economic Growth Business Incubator at egbi.org
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?
Three important qualities, skills and/or areas of knowledge that have been impactful in my journey are, a high sense of community because I know I have a village that always has my back, an understanding that I don’t need to know everything, but I need to know who to ask, and who to hire to help me, and a muscle that successful entrepreneurs develop which allows us to set goals and plow through obstacles until we succeed. I am not at my prime yet, but I have been working tremendously hard to grow in all three areas for many, many years.
What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?
I used to complain vigorously with my mom because I didn’t have a perfect family, and she would constantly challenge me saying, “this is all I could get, what you see is as far as I will go, but I dare you to do better when you grow up.” I understood the challenge and I have carefully designed the life that I have both personally and professionally. God has been good to me allowing me to find the elements I prayed for, and I will forever be thankful to my mom for making me so aware of the responsibility I had in the life that I built. Again, I am not there yet, but I am sure proud of what I have developed so far, the best is yet to come.
Contact Info:
- Website: egbi.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/estrategianegociosydinero/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/larissa.y.davila/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/larissaydavila/
Image Credits
Kitty Bird Photography (https://www.kittybirdphoto.com/)
