Three Things I Wish I Had Known in My 20’s: Amy Friedman

To celebrate her 20th year in business, Amy Friedman is telling us the 3 things she wishes she knew in her 20s!!

In 1994, she and two other female business partners launched Human Resources International. They knew they were off to a good start because they made a profit in Year One and have continued to do so.  With Wall Street representing 75% of their first client base, Friedman pioneered a new business model that incorporated diversity, ethics, innovation, and cutting-edge techniques that positioned her firm as a trendsetter in the industry.

Success can be measured in a variety of ways, but as a business owner, it is often defined by the number of years that the business has not only operated – but has continued to flourish.  In Friedman’s case, not only has this important criteria been met, but she also has the unique distinction of being a pioneer in the Human Resources and Talent Development industry by becoming the first woman-owned and woman-led firm to reach critical mass twenty years ago and defy all statistical probabilities by remaining an industry leader.

Check out what she has learned along the way:

1.  If I could go back to my 20’s, I would work hard to overcome a lack of confidence in my own business judgment.  While I was busy building my business, I was secure enough within myself to seek the advice of advisors and mentors.  But, I wasn’t secure enough to have faith in my own instincts and present a consistently confident leadership presence.  This had an impact on how my leadership skills were perceived.  The fifty-something I am now would advise the twenty-something I was then to solicit input from all of my team members.  Then call them together and say, “Thank you all for your input.  I have carefully considered everything you said, plus some thoughts from trusted advisors, and this is what I have decided to do.”

2.  If I could go back to my 20’s,  I would have made more time to “give back” to the causes in the community and world at large that are most important to me.   I can’t get that time back but I am trying to ramp it up now which feels terrific.  The fifty-something I am now would advise the twenty-something I was then to solicit input from my team members and use corporate community responsibility as an engine for creativity and innovation.  I would have called them all together and engaged them in a conversation about what they felt were the most important causes in our industrial and geographical community.  Together, we would have decided who to make a corporate donation to and why.  It would have formed a strong bond among us and galvanized us around worthy work.

3.  If I could go back to my 20’s, I would have stepped back to celebrate the successes we achieved as a team more often rather then quickly moving on to the next thing.  Put simply, I would have partied more (for business purposes of course).  The fifty-something I am now would teach the twenty-something I was then that celebration serves several good purposes: #1, it reminds us we have completed a task (build a sense of accomplishment).  #2, we would rejoice in our success (build our confidence).  And #3, we our celebration would set the stage for our next accomplishment (we would be poised and eager to pursue our next celebration).