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How did you come up with the idea for your business?
I started GotSpot as a way to try and address two big challenges I observed in two communities I care about. I spent nearly a decade in Houston working as an attorney on bankruptcy matters. Over and over again, I’d see great local businesses go under because they had a couple of tough sales months in a row, and that’d be a blow to neighboring businesses and the local community. Local businesses needed ways to generate revenue outside their own foot-traffic because it’s so variable.
Meanwhile, I’m a military spouse, and about ⅓ of my colleagues are some kind of entrepreneur. But they can’t have their own space (military moves), and often they’d outgrow the opportunities that their home (or Starbucks) could accommodate. They needed an easy way to find space they could pay for on a one-off basis.
I started GotSpot as a way to connect these two kinds of businesses, so that they can help each other and grow together.
What does the average day look like for you now as an entrepreneur (especially compared to past jobs/days)?
I’m not sure that I believe an entrepreneur has an average day–it seems like there’s always something new to tackle. The lack of uniformity is actually a huge change from what I was doing before (legal practice).
I start my day around the breakfast table with my family. With kid schedules dinners are too hard, but morning seems to be a time when we can be together and level-set on our week. Over coffee, I go over the schedule for the day before I check email. There may be something in my inbox that makes things go sideways, but I want to focus on what I planned for the day before I worry about pivots. From there, it’s off to the races: meetings, events, check-ins with my team. I try to squeeze as much in before close of business as I can. Partly that’s for me, but it’s also for my team, and my customers. I like for GotSpot’s cadence to be such that people feel their time is respected; if we’re interacting outside of regular hours, it’s for a reason.
What are some of the top things you have learned so far?
I think every step in the entrepreneurship journey has taught me something, but a few things stick out.
First, never double-down on a wrong turn. Every entrepreneur makes mistakes, and the ones who identify failure fast and course-correct even faster are the ones who succeed in the end.
Second, simple has to come before complex. If I can’t map out a process on a sheet of paper, I shouldn’t be trying to automate it or outsource it. At least not yet. Relatedly, it’s important to be patient with the process.
Third, ask for help early and often. I have a tendency not to ask for help because I don’t want to feel like an inconvenience. Everyone I know is busy! But I’ve learned that people want to help, and it’s important to ask, because that’s what makes people more willing to ask me for help, too.
Finally, it’s important to remember that my only real competitor is me. Doing my best, being my best–that’s the goal. Making my journey about me helps me avoid the comparison trap, and frees me up to be really thrilled when other people succeed in theirs.
Who or what inspired you to become an entrepreneur?
I became an entrepreneur to solve problems for communities I care about. The funny thing is, that’s the answer I hear from many of the women I know who started businesses. I think as a group we tend to want to knock down hurdles for the people around us. I know that’s certainly true for me. I’m inspired by businesses built to help other businesses succeed.
What have been 1-2 of your proudest moments in creating your business?
There have been a lot of great moments for GotSpot, but here’s one of the first: when my company was really new, I was invited to pitch at/participate in one of the largest startup conferences in the world! But I had no team, and know idea how I was going to be able to do it. Two military spouses I know booked flights and flew in to support me and be my team, and we killed it that weekend! I think the next proud moment was when I finally had the funding to hire some people, and was able to offer jobs to two military spouses.
What’s the best advice you have received along your journey?
The best advice I’ve ever received is to have strong opinions loosely held. It’s really important to have a clear sense of purpose, know yourself, and have direction in your choices. But it’s just as important to be open to changing your mind when that’s the right call for yourself and your business.
About The Author:
Reda Hicks '03
Founder of Got Spot, Inc.
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