She believed she could, so she did: Interview with Owner and Founder of Approach HR

Since the beginning, the greatest resource of a company (any size company) is its people. Treating employees fairly and building a culture to be proud of is an unrivaled advantage that helps people and businesses achieve their goals and grow.

Ailee Nelson, Owner and HR Consultation of Approach HR & Virtual Services, is no stranger to putting people first and pursuing her passions. While the world of entrepreneurship wasn’t exactly what she had in mind, her ability to identify the unique needs and right approach for business owners like her made it a natural evolution of her focus and skills.

In this interview, Ailee talks about her journey over the last 5 years of moving from corporate HR into consultancy and business ownership, and her advice for women who may be interested in getting their own start as an entrepreneur.

Do you remember what was on your mind 5 years ago when you decided to start your business?

I remember telling my business coach, Lani Basa, that I felt so strongly about how she and The BWC (Business Women’s Circle) had impacted me in such an amazing way that I wanted to come and work for her. She smiled, looked at me, and told me how much she believed in me. I won’t ever forget our conversation and how I felt when she said  “you don’t need me…” 

With the continued support of Lani and my BWC peers, the idea of going off on my own as an HR Consultant was born. It was still scary, but felt so much more achievable with everyone behind me, believing in my ability to do this.

What drew you to HR?

I’ve always been interested in human resources. After business college I remember having an informational interview with a recruiter while working at Fairview Health System which is where my interest sat for many years. But everywhere I went I felt very drawn to optimizing organizations, helping others in business and finding the right fit for the people around me.

Ironically, years later, I found myself at a manufacturing company in a project management role. The woman president asked if I was interested in taking on building an HR department. That single, incredible opportunity was the time where I experienced tremendous personal and professional growth. I was introduced to Lani Basa who became my coach and mentor. I became a member of the BWC and a member of Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), where I began my HR training.

Why did you choose HR and Virtual Assistance as your business?

As a single mom, I thought I would have to stock shelves or waitress on the side as I started getting the word out about my business. I needed both the support and flexibility of something simple while I developed my business and raised my son. 

Then I had an idea that I could be at home with my son, working full-time (this was long before the pandemic made remote work a much more normal thing). So, I started with what I knew how to do super well and that was to help others stay organized and on track. This began the virtual assistance half of my business, it really wasn’t on purpose – but it took off! Now Approach has a growing team of 10+ virtual assistants, personal assistants, marketing and design contractors and more that support our clients in a variety of services. Really any need that a business owner comes to me with that takes day-to-day tasks off their plate, freeing up their time to focus more on strategy and business growth is something Approach can do now.

With that half on solid ground, I still felt very drawn to HR and organizational development. I was developing relationships with businesses who needed virtual assistance, but also needed HR support. The HR part has always had my heart. I love working with my clients and helping them solve sticky employment issues, assure they are compliant with Human Resource policies and assist with employment issues, questions, and general guidance.

What are some highlights you’ve experienced as a business owner over the last 5 years?

Working with Lani Basa and the wonderful group at BWC. The tremendous support and seeing how having the same commonality of being a woman business owner can bring so many sisters together! It’s the community you never realized you needed.

Before business ownership I wasn’t a goal-oriented person, but that has changed significantly, and it’s been amazing to look back five years ago and see an idea I had turned into the business I run today.

Any challenges you’ve had to overcome?

Big sigh, COVID. As so many say, I was gearing to have my biggest month, biggest year in my career and then COVID hit. All of a sudden my phone was ringing off the hook, my emails were flying in – all with my clients and people that know of my HR knowledge reaching out to find out how they lay off their team members, furlough, navigating COVID Preparedness Plans that were changing by the second.

It was, and remains to be, a daunting task to keep up with all of the changing guidance. Navigating those early days with my clients was stressful, but I was fortunate to have that strong relationship with so many who knew they could turn to me for help. It was a busy time for a lot of difficult reasons and has really challenged me to think both long-term and short-term for my business and my clients’ businesses.

Any lessons learned the hard way?

Of course! The biggest one being that I should be the first one to take my own advice. It’s so important to bring in people and dedicated resources to do the things you don’t like to do, aren’t good at and/or take time away from your position as a leader. Trust me, spend your time on what you love and what you’re good at to see your business continue to succeed and grow. 

Even though that’s a huge part of my business offers, I’m still learning and need to remind myself to evaluate where I’m spending my time and how it’s most valuable to me and my clients.

What advice do you have for anyone (but especially women) thinking about taking the leap into business ownership?

There is no way you can do it alone. Find your tribe and surround yourself with people that will build you up and be supportive. It’s also important to have a plan, even if it’s just a couple of small goals to get you in the right direction and one big goal to keep reminding you why you did this in the first place. 

Have a plan, have resources, know it’s going to be incredibly hard, give yourself lots of grace.

What do the next 5 years hold for Approach?

I’m really hoping for many more opportunities to learn and grow. My passion for helping businesses be better organizations has started me on this journey, leads me today and will be what guides every decision I make.

When I think back to 5 years ago - it feels like just yesterday and so long ago - I couldn’t have imagined how welcomed I would feel into my clients’ businesses. I truly feel like Approach, whether it be myself in an HR role or my team supporting the various virtual assistant needs, I truly feel like Approach is an extension of each client we work with. I hope for more of that.

I went from building a team of virtual assistants to building entire HR departments for small businesses. I introduced Appreciation Services recently after recognizing it as a consistent need for our clients. Gratitude and appreciation are a huge part of connecting businesses and their people, but it takes a lot of time to do right and it felt so great to be a resource for our clients to lean into.

I’m just so grateful for our clients, for my team and for my peers for supporting me. Approach wouldn’t be what it is today without the people who were there to lift it up. I don’t know exactly what it will look like, but I know that as we continue working with our clients every day, we’ll be there to see those needs and be ready with the right approach.