Do you wonder what former students of the Director of Operations (DOO) certification program are up to? What are some of the creative ways that they have made the certification work for them?
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Today I am inviting you to listen and catch up with 5 of our “OGs”… our original gals who came through our certification in rounds 1-3. We wanted to catch up with them and learn what their businesses and careers look like since completing our certification.
I wanted to point out that all of these women came into my orbit three years ago, and as time has passed, things have changed for them. I wanted to understand where they are and all that has transformed in their lives.
These ladies are sharing their insights, and you will hear how it is totally normal for things to change.
“The vision [you] have for today is going to be met and satisfied, and what happens then? You set a new vision.” – Natalie Gingrich
There will be pivots, setbacks, and new opportunities that arise, and these women are great examples of that. Learn how they dug deep into their journey, their experience with the certification, and what pivots led them to where they are today.
Cadri Cunningham
- Came through Round 2 of the DOO certification
- Started her business in 2017 after having her 2nd child
- Prior to this, she was working as an office manager for an insurance company
- She did Pinterest, sales funnels, ad strategy and eventually came across the operations side of the business
- Once she joined the certification program, she was able to go deeper into certain areas to help her existing clients, and it filled in the gaps
- Landed a client halfway through the program, and she has seen a ROI every month since
- Works one-on-one with businesses looking to improve their organizational capacity through an alignment on strategy, structure, people, metrics, and processes
- Her most enjoyable project has been helping a team gain clarity around team structures, aligning roles and expectations, and helped the business forecast their future organizational chart for new hires
- The DOO certification has been an up-level in skills that allows you to guide your clients long term in their journey, and it will help you expand and develop your own expertise
“Asking the right questions can lead to better solutions and when you have the organization and operations structure it becomes the business tools for giving clarity, good decision making and the how-to on accomplishing the big mission and vision.” -Cadri Cunningham
Kimone Napier
- She is a Recruitment Expert and Talent Strategist
- Came through round 3 of the DOO certification
- Prior to the certification, she was working in HR in operational roles for start up companies, Fortune 500 companies, and government agencies in New York
- After the DOO certification it helped her establish her thought leader expertise in the online space and have the confidence to start her own business and niche down in HR
- Within four months of certification, she had recouped her investment
- She founded her own company that helps businesses owners put the right people in the right seats, focusing on recruitment and team building
“It’s ok for you not to be the “do-er” of all things… it’s ok for you to niche down and focus on one key area. The most important thing is for you to decide what you want to do and what you want your future to look like.”
Diana Neff
- Wife and mom living in upstate New York
- Before DOO program she worked in corporate HR for 10+ years
- Started out doing executive VA work, but knew there were more opportunities out there in a leadership capacity
- Found The Ops Authority and joined for Round 3
- She got a job opportunity that came through the group towards the end of the certification process
- She is now working alongside Natalie as the Lead Hiring Manager for The Hiring Authority
- Advice: don’t discount full time, employee work
“Truly keep an open mind during this journey, you never know where it is going to take you”
Kari Poppleton
- Joined the DOO certification program during Round 3
- Was making the transition from marketing and operational services to focusing on the strategic side of operations for digital businesses
- Was amazed at how helpful the DOO community has been
- Came out of the program with massively increased level of confidence
- She has experienced many opportunities: served as a fractional DOO in multiple businesses, worked as a coach in multiple programs, and have completed many short and long term projects
- She has seen the impact she has on businesses by helping them to know their numbers and empower them to make data driven decisions
“The more I’ve built my business around the operational areas and capacities that I love to serve in, the more fulfilling my business has become.”
Kelly Reynolds
- Before the DOO certification she was using her wall street background to manage online businesses, focusing on finances and operations
- Joined the DOO certification for Round 3
- The program was a huge help for her confidence and Natalie reminded her of her innate skills and how she could use those to grow her business
- She loved the Strategic Mapping Method™ and how it was set up to uplevel right away; she sold her first mapping before she even graduated
- She is now an agency owner and an agency coach for others who want to grow their agencies
- She may have never considered coaching had Natalie not asked her to be her agency coach, and later her Strategic Mapping™ coach
“Be brave. Growing and reaching new levels is super scary. Be brave and be uncomfortable… it’s really the only way to make those dreams you have, come true.”
I hope you enjoyed hearing from these five amazing women!
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