August 2004

THE PROFESSIONAL AND BUSINESS WOMAN'S JOURNAL                         

Page II

Leverage Passion, Expertise for Next Fit   

           By Erika Alvarez
 
starting a business together. They agreed on flexibility and commitment to communication with one another, and they developed and signed a partnership agreement.
     To find their company focus, they inventoried their interests, their project management skills and their life experiences, and then brainstormed ideas. An executive coaching and careertransitioning business, while a seemingly logical next step, felt too safe. 		       Swift is bringing forward her public servant’s passion for education to the venture capital platform at Arcadia Partners, which invests in companies with unique learning solutions to satisfy the demand for education and training resources. Today, she manages a pool of capital that she uses to identify and invest in education businesses. She is one of three partners who manage the selected businesses through growth to create liquidity for investors. Depending on the situation, Swift might offer strategic guidance, help
GoodDeeds was a fresh approach to applying their expertise and so they were energized by the prospect of a new direction.
     Harris put her skills, evident during her career and in the family events she’s always planning, to use as the partner in charge of the company’s delivery, administration and finance. Miller, a former successful rainmaker, runs GoodDeed’s sales and marketing and also leverages the years she enjoyed as an informal

improve management practices, assist in recruiting, or leverage relationships with other Arcadia portfolio companies. She says she especially enjoys the opportunity to work with companies that are at various stages of development. GoodDeeds partners Harris and Miller – specializing in home project management, organizing, personal shopping, event planning, research and resourcing, travel planning, and dedicated personal assistant work – also sell their services to
personal shopper for friends

Sarah Harris and Beth Miller
companies as an employee
 by overseeing the personal
shopping end of the business.
     Cavanagh looks at transition as the opportunity to expand upon developing interests. “I now think, forget about transferable skills,” she says. Instead she suggests, “Ask, what juices you in the morning? If it’s ‘I don’t know,’ that’s what you have to work on. What I’m passionateabout now is working on women’s issues, staying involved with women and money and helping them become successful.”
     To navigate a transition, Cavanagh recommends setting up a brain trust of people in your life whom you consider to be your champions. It should be a small group of up to six people who help you think through the ideas you have about your opportunities for growth. “Bring other people into the process,” she says. “Tell them, ‘This is what I’m thinking,’ then identify the next steps and hold yourself accountable.”
     Swift already belonged to a group of highly successful working mothers before her latest transition. Groups such as this can provide practical advice as well as emotional support, she points out. Harris and Miller refer to the allies they have created over the years who have become their board of advisors. “People really want to help,” Harris says. “If you go to them with confidence and passion but also respect people’s time by having a well thought out business plan, they will help you.”
     Pinpointing your passion is the ultimate ingredient in a successful next-step search, all agree.
     		                                      “giving them back their time.”
                                    and corporate benefit. Since they’ve spent their careers in human resources, they’re leveraging their contacts with great success and tremendous satisfaction.  
     “We’re really giving back to people,” Harris says,     “We’ve doubled our revenue every month,” Miller adds. “How motivating is that?”
     With TLC, Cavanagh is helping corporations and nonprofit organizations market to women by creating strategy, providing knowledge about this target group, and leveraging her established international network of policy makers, influencers, decision makers and women business leaders to help clients reach their goals.
     TLC’s first client is the Center for Women’s Business Research, a nonprofit think tank focusing on women entrepreneurs. Cavanagh is helping the organization bring together corporate sponsors such as Office Depot, AT&T and IBM to fund research.
     “Taking a risk is critical to any growth and to any success,” Cavanagh says. “You have to get to the point where you say, ‘Let’s just go play Take a Chance.’ Each time I made a change I didn’t know what it would be like, and each time was more exciting and educational than the time before. I’m excited to see where this will go.”
Erika Alvarez is a Southborough-based management consultant and meeting facilitator who helps senior teams at Fortune 500 companies with brainstorming and creative problem solving sessions.
   

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