Hali A. Chambers, MA, PhD

Business is personal to me.

    I was raised by small business owners and can remember my Mom and Dad always telling me and my two younger siblings their business would be ours one day. Even though my younger brother and I would joke about turning the business into a parking lot when it became ours, I took my parents’ words seriously and didn’t want to let them down (hello, Oldest Child Syndrome!). I grew up watching my parents manage a business that allowed them to put my siblings and I through private school, take us on several summer vacations to Disney World, and even travel to Italy one summer. Not only that, the business allowed them to create jobs for young professionals and student interns in our community. I can also remember being at the office one day after school and overhearing my Dad consult with a client who was venting about not being able to get her employees to show up to work on time. Clients actually trust my parents enough for them to feel comfortable venting about their real issues and concerns regarding their employees.

My experience as a quiet observer of my parents running a business and taking care of their clients, all while raising our family, gave me a sense of pride in knowing I come from parents who are their own bosses and are trusted business partners in our community. As a child, it was a bit overwhelming to know my siblings and I would one day inherit their business. I had no clue how they expected us (especially me) to run the business one day, but I took this as a challenge (I’ve always loved a good challenge!) and decided it would be in my best interest to learn as much as I could about running a business and making sure employees show up for work on time:) As it turned out, my parents aren’t the only small business owners who want to leave a legacy for their children and community. According to research, most of them intend to but need help making their dream a reality. That’s why I’ve made it my business to not only help my parents, but also other like-minded small business owners, develop and execute research-driven talent management strategies, so they don’t have to leave the future of their business to chance and the community won’t have to suffer the consequences.