INSPR Media

Enid Doggett, owner of INSPR Media, joined the Business Advising program here at Pacific Community Ventures in 2019. Enid learned about PCV through our partnership with Inner City Capital Connections (ICCC) and signed up to receive guidance on how to prepare her business so she could eventually take a step back and enjoy more free time with an eye toward retirement. Enid knew she wanted to spend the next several years growing her business, implementing processes and procedures to help automate daily tasks, and become more selective in the work she chose to take on.

Enid has a strong interest in bettering her community, both locally and on a larger scale, and has spent a lot of her career working with social enterprises as a public relations expert. She loves being a part of social change, and feels this is especially important considering she lives and primarily works in the Washington, D.C. area. Given her inclination to always help others, Enid knew that she would benefit from guidance on how to narrow her focus and not spread herself too thin trying to save the world.

In early 2020, we matched Enid with advisor Lester Remhof. Lester is semi-retired and volunteers his time to help small business owners with their challenges. His background is varied, with a lot of experience in multiple areas that we thought would be beneficial to Enid, including scaling, general operations, finance, and strategy.

Within a few meetings, Lester had encouraged Enid to change some of her operational habits to maximize the use of her time. He also encouraged her to create a plan for growth that would identify her goals for the business between now and her future exit. After their second meeting, Enid told us,

“In just two one-hour meetings with Lester I am already taking positive steps to help my business grow! An example, I now spend one-half hour daily on my finances thanks to Lester.” Shortly after this message was received, Lester sent us a similar message saying, “We have a lot of common interests and background. We are the same age and birthday one week apart. Enid was excited about a suggestion on how to keep up on her bookkeeping on a daily basis.”

Now, four months into their partnership, Enid and Lester continue to meet frequently and work together to plan out the future of INSPR Media. Most recently, Enid shared that Lester had helped her to begin a formal ten-year business plan, hire two contractors, and that Lester continues to be an inspiration. She said, “Lester is an extremely effective coach and mentor.” Both Lester and Enid continually rate their partnership a 10 out of 10, with Lester commenting that “in volunteering you get back more than you give”.

Could your small business benefit from free advice or a fair and affordable loan? PCV can help. Learn more about our advising program or our loan program.