For our next feature in our In the Spotlight series, Remote COO took the opportunity to sit down with our President, Sasha Crabtrey. Sasha shared some insight into the start of her entrepreneurship journey. We also discussed what the future holds for Remote COO and got a little glimpse into how she spends her downtime.
The Leap to Entrepreneurship
Thirteen years ago, in 2006, Sasha began Remote COO simply with an idea and a computer. She leveraged her existing contacts and did not even have business cards or a website when she made the jump! “The best advice I’ve ever received was at the beginning of my journey as an entrepreneur. My mentor at the time told me to ‘go get your first paying client and everything else will fall into place.’ I was my biggest roadblock as I was getting wrapped up in all of the things that needed to happen.” Sasha recounts she had a really big checklist she thought she had to complete before she could truly get started. However, she made the decision to trust advice from those who preceded her on this entrepreneurship journey.
Sasha shared more about that first step to launching her own business and her very first client “My first client and mentor was tough! He tested my abilities (and my patience), pushed me out of my comfort zone, and kept me on my toes at all times. I learned so much during the time I worked with him. Through that work, he helped me established the business model that we are still using. My family and his are very good friends to this day.”
My advice to the up-and-coming entrepreneur is get a paying client. Then work hard, and the rest of the set-up will fall into place as you learn who you are, what you do, and who you do it for. Click To TweetToday’s Challenges and Looking to the Future
Today Remote COO has served over 110 clients and has grown exponentially in revenue. The future presents several exciting growth opportunities as Remote COO has taken on its first start-up technology company, and Remote COO has also been accepted into the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program. While working with a start-up company is
fast-paced and can be exhilarating, this new market presents unique operational challenges for the Remote COO team as its client managers need to produce focused actions, where often times these start-up teams are still trying to figure things out as they go. The client managers need to be flexible and exceptionally resourceful.
With all of the opportunities for growth for her team and business, Sasha has new challenges to overcome. “My challenges are getting out of the way of my limiting thoughts. I’m great at helping others see and focus on their growth potential. We are always our own roadblocks. I surround myself with an amazing team and network to help me see all of the opportunities that are available for growth. We are always looking to improve our efficiencies, align individual strengths to areas of need, and improve knowledge in our key service areas.”
Stepping Away from the Office
When Sasha is not working, she likes to get dirty at the barn with the family cows. Sasha’s 16 year-old daughter, Zeah, is an active member of her high school’s Future Farmers of America organization (FFA). “Spending evenings feeding the cows truly brings our family closer together,” says Sasha.
“Zeah wanted to be active in FFA as soon as she heard about it. She is learning about agricultural business and veterinary medicine, both of which she wants to pursue. She wants to own her own veterinary clinic and cattle business.” It appears that the entrepreneurial pursuits may pass on to another generation in the Crabtrey household.
Sasha’s fur family consists of 3 dogs, 1 cat, 5 heifers, and 1 steer to round out her wild and very active life.
Thank you, Sasha, for letting us get to know you a bit more. Stay tuned for our next In the Spotlight.