233. How To Start Your Business With The Right Foundation To Succeed – Interview With Alicia Butler Pierre

Susan Sly 00:02
Well, hey, what's up everyone? Welcome to another episode of Raw and Real Entrepreneurship. I am Susan Sly. And I want to acknowledge you, if you're new to the show, you're here for one of three reasons. One, you are thinking of starting a business and you landed here because you just want to know the ins and outs and, and potentially the pitfalls of making those decisions. Or you have a business and maybe you flatlined a bit, you're looking for some fresh inspiration. Or number three, you have a business that's on fire, and you want to just keep stoking those flames and growing that business. Whatever has brought you here, we promise to keep it raw and real. My guest today is amazing. She is the founder and CEO of Equilibria, Inc., a 16 year old operations management firm. And I know what some of you are saying, operations. I know how interesting that as well. It's gonna get interesting here in a minute. I'll tell you that much. She specializes in increasing bandwidth for fast growing organizations to be a business infrastructure. She has a BS in chemical engineering. This girl is a genius from Louisiana State University and an MBA from Tulane, which is like my secret university I wish I'd gone to, and a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt. I mean, I yeah. Yeah. So you know, it's gonna get raw and real here. In addition to hosting a weekly business infrastructure podcast, she's also a best selling author. She was just selected by HubSpot to become a part of their new podcast network. And she's on fire. Her mantra is to leave it better than you found it, which is what I tell my children about our kitchen. All right, so Alicia Butler Pierre, welcome to Raw and Real Entrepreneurship. I am so excited to have you here.

Alicia Butler Pierre 01:43
Susan, thank you so much. What an amazing introduction. I'm so happy to be here. Thank you.

Susan Sly 01:51
Well, thank

Susan Sly 01:52
you. So all right. Tell me about your first business. When did you become an entrepreneur?

Alicia Butler Pierre 01:57
Oh, gosh, my very first entrepreneurial venture was when I was seven years old. And I, so it was at a daycare, daycare after care that I went to after, after school let out. And I somehow convinced the owners, Mr. and Mrs. Bochamp, this was back in Louisiana. I somehow convinced them to pay me $7 if I would sweep their carport, and just as really basic chores that a seven year old could, could do legally at that time. And here's what's funny, Susan, my dad opened a checking account for me when I was seven, so I could save up money. And all I did was spending, spend it on things like candy, right? Well, I mean, what else do you want when you're that young, especially back then this was like in the early 80s. But I still have that checking account to this very day. Wow! Isn't that cool? Oh, my goodness. Same checking account.

Susan Sly 03:03
And the bank's like, wow, this is an oldie. Well, let me, let me ask you this, because, um, you know, many of our listeners know, my dad was my first entrepreneurial inspiration. And that's how I started my first business. So what was, what was the big lesson your dad taught you about money or about business?

Alicia Butler Pierre 03:24
First of all, be frugal with your money, spend it wisely, save, very, very important to save. Don't live above your means. I learned that from both of my parents. And they had a way of making a dollar out of 15 cents. You know, just, just being frugal and saving your money. And that way, when that rainy day does come, you're prepared financially, if nothing else. And other things that I learned from him in terms of just business is being ethical, always doing your best. You mentioned my mantra at the beginning, leaving it better than you found it. Always do the best that you can. So you know later on in life, when I was, became a teenager, I was flipping burgers. You know, it's almost like a rite of passage, right? As a teenager, you work at McDonald's or Wendy's or some fast food chain. So I definitely did that as well. So I tell people all the time, whether you are a janitor, or the CEO of a Fortune 500 company, always show up ready to do your absolute best. And that way you can go to bed with a clear conscience at night and you can truly say, Okay, I may not have done everything I wanted to do, but I at least left it better than the way I found it.

Susan Sly 04:46
That's huge. And I mean seriously, that common sense wisdom from our parents' generation. It's, it's like it's lacking today. And the biggest study of millionaires in the United States, to my knowledge is the biggest one it was done by Dave Ramsey's team, over 10,000 millionaires. They found that the average millionaire lived on 60% of their means. And I know some of you are saying, Well, that's because they had so much money, but the average millionaire didn't inherit the money, lives on the 60%, and the number one profession to become a millionaire was actually a teacher, a self made millionaire. Really, teacher? Teacher and then engineer at number two and. And it's to your point, it's this, this common sense, like, be a good person, live on less, you know, and if people took that into business, the failure rate of businesses wouldn't be 50% by year five. Let me ask you this. So you've been in business a long time. Yeah. What, if you could go back in your current self, your current badass self, and tell your younger self something, what advice would you give to your younger self that something you know now? Especially for people listening, who, we have people who listen who are 12, we have people who listen who are in their 80s. My dad listens every week, he, I know there are people in their 80s just because of my dad. He likes when he gets the shout out. Hi, dad. So anyway, we have at least one listener. No, just kidding. But what advice would you give your younger self?

06:30
Turn off the hate, block the haters. And it's something that I heard you say in a previous episode, when you interviewed Tiffanee Cook, I believe. You said, you talked about the drunken monkey, and how that monkey, that proverbial monkey is on your shoulder telling you, who do you think you are? You can't do this. And the naysayers. So it's enough trying to fight that internal conflict that you have going on within yourself. The thing you have to learn how to block and shield and protect yourself from the naysayers. You have to be so careful with who you share your ideas with. People will tell you, you're crazy. What are you doing, that's never been done before. Or that's not the way to do something. You have to learn how to tune it out. Respectfully listen, maybe, but learn how to tune that out. Because if you've been given an idea, you've been given that idea for a reason, and it just won't go away. Keep going, keep going, even if you have to just chip at it just a little bit at a time. That's what I wish, or that's what I would tell my younger self. Because when I look at where I am now, you know, I'm 45. And when I first started my young career as an engineer, I was just so timid. I knew that there were, there was so much more for me to do, Susan, but I was constantly listening to co workers and colleagues tell me, well, the grass isn't greener on the other side

Alicia Butler Pierre 08:02
this is it.

08:04
This is it, baby girl. And I finally worked up the courage to break away from that.

Susan Sly 08:12
That's beautiful. You know it's like, if you listen to average people, you will become average. And years and years ago, Jim Rohn, who I mentioned often, great business philosopher. He was Tony Robbins' mentor, I shared the stage with him three times, I still have my original notes I took in all of his seminars. And, you know, he used to say, right, we are the sum of the five people we listen to the most, we hang out with the most. And the average person out there, I was just pulling some research for a newsletter I write, and Alicia get this, one in four Americans will retire with $0. It came out this past week, there isn't going to be enough Social Security by I think it's 2033 or something. And it's earlier than they thought it would. So the people like us, I'm turning 49, we have to shoulder this burden of taxes and yes, let's care for people. But I, you know, we're going to have to be responsible for other people's irresponsibility. And yeah, to your point, it's like, all these average people that are out there, don't have retirement savings. They're not successful, and there are a lot of people like, let's keep it real and real, are in victim mode. Yeah. And let me ask you this because you have had a substantial career. We're both Gen X women. So we were kind of the first generation exposed to technology at home like Atari video games. Oh, yes. Pac Man. Yes, ma'am. There's Pac Man, Donkey Kong.

Susan Sly 09:58
Yeah, we're going a little old.

Susan Sly 10:02
We'll come back to that. But you know what, if you could give us a shout out on social, we would love that, and just let us know your favorite 80s video game. But anyway, going back for a minute, we were that first generation and there are, you know, sadly, you would think that by this point there would be more girls in STEM and they're, they're just not. Why do you think that girls are still shying away from science, from technology? Why do you think that is?

10:34
Oh, I'll quote my my friend, Stephanie Espy, because she has devoted her life now to girls and STEM. And she always says, You can't be what you don't see. Even for me growing up, I didn't know any engineers. I didn't see them. I didn't know them. I didn't know, I did not know personally, no one single engineer. Had it not been for my high school chemistry teacher encouraging me to pursue a degree in chemical engineering, I wouldn't have done it, Susan, because I just didn't know. I didn't have exposure to it. And I'll never forget, when she first mentioned that to me, I thought, Well, what do they do? How is that different from a chemist? And oh, there's a big difference as I, as I came to find out, but that's a huge part of it not having the exposure. People like us aren't given the platforms unfortunately, that other people, the, the influences, and I know we'll get to that, yeah, we just don't, we're just not out there. We're not prominent enough. And you don't see us in the magazines. You don't see us in the newspapers that often. And so they just don't know. I remembered reading a statistic. I think it said something along the lines of the fact that most, most young ladies when they, when they are in sixth or seventh grade is when they usually, that's usually the turning point. They may have a very strong interest in science, math, engineering, technology. But then around that 12 to 13 year old range, something happens, there's a shift. And I don't know if it's because of what's going on in the school system. I'm not sure. But I know exposure, or the lack thereof is a huge part of why we don't have more young girls pursuing or expressing an interest in STEM.

Susan Sly 12:27
I love that. You can't be what you don't see. Like that, that's huge. And you think about the, you know, to that point, you know, thank God, there are so many more reference points for, you know, for young girls with STEM, even for people in their late 40s, 50s, having an encore career. I was just featured in MIT, because of a total career pivot. And I'm studying at MIT, which means I got to, you know, after we're done with this show, I've got to enroll in my next class. Oh, wow. But um, yeah, so I'm doing a four year program at MIT. And it, you know, often it's like the ratio of men to women, it's a few women or I'll go into meeting, so many meetings for Radius. And I'm the only woman in the room. Right? Yeah. And it's, it's, it is changing. But it's not changing fast enough, because we bring a different perspective. But I remember, I'm sure you do too. Remember the early like, physics textbooks. It's like Johnny's running down the field and he throws the football, you know, blah, blah, blah, velocity, and, you know, how long will it take the football to reach you know, Bill who's in the end zone? And those were the kinds of word problems we got. Yes, yes. A lot of them were football, I actually became a big football fan. What's

Susan Sly 13:55
something now, here you are, you know, 45, what's something now that is easy for you that used to be hard for you in business? Because there are a lot of people who find things that are difficult. Whether it's making sales calls or following up or looking at P&Ls or whatever, and it's so hard for them that they you know, they often want to give up. But what's something you do that's easy now, that was hard then?

14:21
Saying no. And also know it, so three things. Saying no, knowing when to walk away, and just, you know, kiss my grits. You know, I remember that since we're going back. Remember, shout out to Mel's diner. Seriously, Susan, I think there's something, something happens when you turn 40. Right? It's like you, you've paid your dues. I know I'm good at what I do. Now, I did not have that confidence when I was in my 30s. I would say, even in my very early 40s, it was still, okay. I know I really should be paid this, but I'll accept that. Now it's like, no, ah-ah, I know my value, I know what this service and these products are worth. If you can't, you know, if you don't want to, to come to the table, you know, and accept and acknowledge that, then no deal, and walk away. It's, it's so, it feels so good too. It's such an empowering feeling. But it took years to get to this point. So that's, that's something huge that I do now that I did not have the courage to do. I would say even just a couple of years ago.

Susan Sly 15:45
And do you think that a lot of that has to do with imposter syndrome?

15:50
Yes, absolutely. Again, going back to your drunken munkey, you know that constant inner chatter that's telling you what you can and cannot do, and you're listening to the world around you. And sometimes, for your listeners who are or even the people who are watching this, there's no shortage of people who will tell you what you cannot do. And sometimes it can come from your closest friends and family. And it's, they're coming from a place of fear. And I had to, I had to understand that also, Susan, it's not that they're trying to be mean, and hateful, but they're afraid for you. Because it's not something that they would do themselves. Yeah. And so people, we, as human beings, we have a way of projecting ourselves and our thought patterns and our beliefs and the way we're wired, we have a way of projecting that onto other people, sometimes those who are closest to us, without even realizing it sometimes. So that's why I mentioned earlier, we have to be so careful with who we share certain things with, because not everybody, first of all, not everyone can handle it. And some people just aren't worthy. I mean, that might sound really mean, but they aren't. You have to be so careful. Going back to what you said about having those, you are the sum of the five people that you spend the most time with. Are these people, when you get together, are these people who are gossiping or are these people who are talking about expansion, building, growing, scaling, exchanging ideas? Or are they getting together and talking about how to keep up with the Kardashians?

Susan Sly 17:32
Because I can promise you, if you're watching the Kardashians, you're never going to become a billionaire. The Kardashian girls are all becoming billionaires, because of all the people watching them. And one of the things, one thing I've always said to my kids is, the people who are on social media don't make as much as the people creating the content for social media, who don't make as much as the people who programmed the platform of social media. Because I can promise you there's not one influencer out there who's making as much money or has the net worth of Mark Zuckerberg or Sheryl Sandberg. They just don't. Right? And you and I were talking about you know, influencers versus true entrepreneurs. Because just before we started the show, I was, you know, were talking about Luke and Shaddai, the 12 year old. I love interviewing young entrepreneurs, they just get it. And you and I were talking about that difference. You know, what is the difference between someone who's an influencer and says, Well, I have a business versus someone who truly has a business. And I'd love your thoughts on that.

Alicia Butler Pierre 18:40
Well, first of all, I'm so glad you brought this up. Because when I think about influence, and it's a very dangerous game that we can play when it comes to social media, because there are these things called vanity metrics. And it's like, no, it doesn't matter. But it does matter. Because if you can say to someone, well, I have 1 million Instagram followers, ooh, that raises eyebrows. That may get you that speaking gig that you want. That may get you into the door of having a conversation with a particular company. But is there substance behind it? And oftentimes, there isn't. So it's just not, I don't want to just paint it with a brush stroke. But is it really sustainable? Because to your point, Susan, when you, when you mentioned Mark Zuckerberg and some of these other technologists or other people who are building businesses that serve millions, that's very different from saying, Oh, I have a million followers, a million plus followers. And anytime I post something, I have influence, and you're constantly, you're constantly playing catch up, I find, if you start to go down that path. Why not focus on having a really good product, or an excellent service that you can then promote? And if you reach quote unquote, influencer status from that point, that's just even better. But I think just putting yourself out there because you do some goofy tricks, or you know, you play, you do these stunts or whatever, you know, you're a TikToker, I hear a lot about things that go on on TikTok, is that sustainable? And that's the number one question that I have to ask so many people. I don't know, what do you think about that? I don't think it's sustainable.

Susan Sly 20:31
I, Well, I think that the platforms will change. One of my dear friends, Jason Feffer, co founded Myspace. Now, I don't know if you ever had in Myspace. I had one for like a hot second. Okay. So he co founded Myspace then they sold that company, I think for about 300 million back in the day. Then he went to another company and, and he sits on the advisory board for a company I co founded. We have a lot of conversations. So the question is, you know, Facebook's evolving, they're very focused on their VR technology, the metaverse, they want to have their own cryptocurrency, because even Facebook knows there is a tail on social media, we just don't know how long that tail is, then we have to your point, cancel culture, right? And it doesn't matter what political beliefs someone has, they cancel both sides. Right, right. Whatever, right? And so, you know, how long are the platforms gonna be there? Instagram, just more so, you know, now it's like, No, we don't want your photos. We just want your videos. It started as like a sharing, a photo sharing, you know, platform. And then TikTok, to your point, here's the thing I know, not one, tech CEO, and I'm a tech CEO, that I know of, is doing goofy skateboard tricks on TikTok. They don't. You know why? 'cause they don't have time. And in the tech world, like, of all of the, all of the co founders in Radius, I'm the only one that is active on four platforms. Like everyone else, like the three of them, the super techie ones, they're like, they'd already had all our engineers, they're not even touching it because of data privacy, and what they know and stuff like that. So, you know, it just goes back to, if you want to be a multimillionaire, if you want to be a billionaire, you're the one designing the tech, you're not just the user of the tech, which is-- absolutely, absolutely. Let me ask you this, you know, your zone of genius in business, from everything I've read about you is really around infrastructure. And it's this, you know, building your house on the rock, not on the sand. Correct. So just, when I ask you this, just whatever comes to your mind, what are the biggest mistakes people make when they're starting out in business, in terms of their structure?

Alicia Butler Pierre 22:55
Well, they don't invest in it. They have no structure. When most companies, it's true right? Now, I always say that the exception to that is where you know, where your specialty is, are these tech startups. Because usually, the tech startups have investors, they're heavily funded, they're expected to scale quickly. So they can't mess around. They have to have that business infrastructure in place. But for the most part, for the majority of startups, it's all about the marketing. It's all about motion and branding, and the Instagram and the TikTok stuff. That's where the focus is. And it makes sense, it makes sense because people have to know about your product or your service. And operations, unfortunately, takes a backseat. So when we talk about things like processes, and standard operating procedures, and systems, it's not the quote unquote, sexy stuff, right? It's very detail oriented, you're getting into the trenches and rolling up your sleeves. And if most of us who are CEOs we're big picture thinkers, we're the visionaries. We don't want to get bogged down in the details. So I often tell people, if you know that's how you are and you just don't have the stomach for the detail, get someone on your team who does. Because as you start to grow, here's what happens, Susan, you mentioned that failure rate. That 50% failure rate by year five. Yes, there are definitely businesses that fail because they don't have enough customers, period. They just don't. But what about those businesses that fail because they have too many customers? So because they spent, they, TikTok is blown up, or their Facebook has blown up or whatever, and they're doing, but now they have a different type of problem. Now they have more business than they can handle. And because they did not invest in the people, the processes and the right tools and technologies, they can't, they can't deliver those products on time. Their ability to deliver or provide a service is compromised, it's inconsistent. So everything that you've worked so hard to build, can still implode and blow up in your face. All because you don't have that operational or business infrastructure in place. So I would just say for those who might be listening, who have companies that are still in that startup phase, at least, it doesn't have to be anything formal, even if it's just you picking up your smartphone, and pressing record just to have an audio recording of, Okay, this is how I do X. This is how so and so does Z. Get it documented in whatever way that you can so that when the time comes for you to expand and build and add more people to your team, you can then start to put a little bit more formality to the structure of what your processes look like, but just get in the habit now of documenting what you do and how you do it.

Susan Sly 25:57
That's huge. I love that. And, you know, it's the, I'm always startled when you know, a lot of entrepreneurs they have a great idea, but they don't have a clue. And I'll say do you have DNO insurance. They're like, what's that? Or you know, do you, have you set up your safe agreements? Or do you know what the QSBS is? Do you know that you could save $10 million on your exit, and they don't have a clue. And so when I, when I started on YouTube, once a week, just putting out you know, a five to ten minute video on these basics and people don't know, and I have a friend, and she's doing a killer startup in the metaverse, and we were having a cocktail in LA and I'm like, are you structured in a Delaware C? And she's like, Yeah. And I said, has your accountant told you about the QSBS? And she's like, what is that? And I'm like, Girl, are you, like, it was like Milli Vanilli. Girl, you know it's true. Yeah, like seriously, I'm like, what? You don't even know what that is. If someone's listening, what it is is the qualified small businesses founders exemption. So when you exit, if you have a Delaware C Corp your first 10 million is tax free, so why would you, you know, want to pay more taxes than you need to? So it's this stuff and going back to the the foundation on the rock, not the sand, Alicia like, that's-- the number one reason businesses fail is cashflow issues. And the number one reason cashflow issues happen is exactly what you said. They didn't document the process. They weren't forward thinking, they weren't setting up structure because they had no structure. And they were more focused on TikTok, than they were-- exactly. The P&L.

Alicia Butler Pierre 27:46
Yes, it's very, it's that short term thinking. That's exactly right. And that's why it's so, your YouTube channel is so important, just, and everything that you're doing. All the work that you're doing with your businesses, your professional speaking, everything that you're doing, Susan is helping to get the word out to people. Because oftentimes, they don't know what they don't know. And it's frightening because when you think about all of these resources that are out there for small businesses, in particular, whether we're talking about through the SBA or Score, I mean, there's so many that are out there, but they don't, they're not talking about the things that you just mentioned. Everything is still very plain, bland. Okay, yes, yes, I have to write my business plan, I have to do, it's very check list ish, if that makes any sense. But to your point that raw, real, rugged entrepreneurship, getting in the trenches, like okay, yeah, you just read that in a book, but let me tell you the real deal. What you really need to know, right? You don't need the 60 page business plan. Nobody's going to read it. Um, you know, this instead. So those are the things that, unfortunately, again, you just, it's not as amplified as some of these other resources, but it's definitely, absolutely needed. Yeah. Well,

Susan Sly 29:13
thank you for that. Last question for you, because everyone loves to know what people's days look like. So walk us through your day. Oh, Susan, girl.

Alicia Butler Pierre 29:27
Okay, so my day starts somewhere between 3 and 4 am. I'm crazy. I'm crazy, right? But let me tell you why. So when I wake up at three o'clock in the morning, I know the phone isn't going to ring. There won't be any text messages. There won't be slack notifications. Nothing's going to chirp, beep, tweet, ding, chime. I can just focus. I have time to actually think. And it's amazing how much I get done. I'm a morning person. I should, I should preface it by saying that. And I, and I know some people, some people work better late at night. I know a lot of people in tech, you know, you techies really prefer to work at night. For me, I know that I work and function best early in the morning. And so around eight to nine o'clock is when my meetings usually start. And so I have these meetings. Sometimes if I'm working with a client directly, a lot of times it involves getting their processes in place. Again, I have to be able to focus. So what I've learned Susan, and I got this term from Dr. Solomon, he's a psychologist, and he said, you know, we have to learn how to manage our energy, and not necessarily our time. So I know that my energy levels are best before 12 o'clock noon. If you get me on a meeting, or a call between 1 and 3 pm, good luck. I may slur my words, I mean, anything could happen. I am just not at my best at that time of day. But then my energy level tends to pick up again, really late afternoon. So at around four to 6pm, I'm on a roll again, that's when I'm usually checking and going through emails, and responding to things and making sure that I take care of some things that absolutely have to be completed by close of business that particular day. So that's a typical weekday. And believe it or not, I still wake up really early on the weekends too, because that's when I have an opportunity to actually read, which is something that I recommend for everyone who's listening. I know we're all super, super busy. Trust me, I get it. But there's nothing like picking up a book and actually reading a book. It does so much for you. And it's something I recommend to people all the time. Pick up a book and read. Yes, blog articles, you can read different things here and there. You're getting bits and pieces of information, pick up a book, pick up one of Susan's books, read. Read and watch your mind expand. And I don't care what type of book you're reading, you could be reading the Wizard of Oz, you could be reading a fictional book, but there's something, it could be one sentence that you read in that book that triggers a thought that you can apply to your business.

Susan Sly 32:27
I love that. And I am an early riser too. Not three to four, but four to five. Okay. And I'm like, so there was this, there was a study done at University of Florida many years ago on decision fatigue. And it was, it was done in conjunction with several universities around the world. So decision fatigue is a real phenomenon. And it tends to happen after lunch, when your ability to make clear decisions is not as strong as first thing in the morning. So I, you know, yes to your point, some of our tech team is going to bed when I'm waking up. But that's when I'm up. And I need to have that time to meditate, to pray, to journal, get my workout in, get my head on straight. But like you, Yes, between, you know, after two or three in the afternoon, I'm not doing anything that requires quantum physics or, it is not happening. And, but and you have to know, to your point, and Dr. Solomon's point, how to manage your energy, because your energy is your most valuable commodity, right? And the more energized we are, the easier it becomes to tackle tasks like getting your infrastructure in place. So Alicia, oh my gosh, like, seriously, I'm so just excited. Where did the time go? I know! How can, what's the best way for people to connect with you?

Alicia Butler Pierre 33:54
The best way is to go to my personal website, which is AliciaButlerPierre.com. And when you get there, you can find out all the ways we can connect on social. You'll also see a link to my consulting firm, Equilibria, as well as a link to my book and my podcast.

Susan Sly 34:12
Awesome. Well, Alicia, thank you so much for being here. And for everyone, Alicia and I would love a five star review. Yes, please. We'll take that. And if you want to give us a shout out on social, don't forget to let us know your favorite 80s video game. It doesn't matter how old you are. Just let us know which one, we're taking a survey. Anyway with that, Alicia, thank you so much. And to all of you all over the world, I don't know 130 countries now. Wow. God bless, go rock your day. Stay the course. You've got this! And I will see you on a future episode of Raw and Real Entrepreneurship. Thanks, everyone.