Allow me to introduce you to Johanna Shin
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Johanna Shin: For People, LLC I am Johanna Shin and I am the founder of For People, LLC, the company I started in May 2020. My background is in product management and I’ve worked in the civic tech industry for more than 10 years, helping the intelligence community and law enforcement. Now, I focus on Medicaid and CHIP. One of the factors that motivated me to establish For People is that back when the COVID-19 hit, there were a few things that really startled me. I realized that healthcare is so important, but the problem is there’s too much work that needs to be done and not enough people. That compelled me to start a company that would help people like my mom (who’s a cancer survivor), my family, and the most vulnerable population in the US. One of the challenges I faced in building my own company was when I thought it would be better if I just joined another company with a similar mission, then I could just plug myself right in and do the things I want. I looked far and wide for that kind of company and though I found a lot of good companies out there, I haven’t found any company that is human-centered, data-driven, and cared about improving government services. To me, there was a huge gap in the market, so that’s when I finally decided to start my own company. I have a lot of female friends who also started their own companies and they’re telling me everything I need to know. What I love about them is that they give the best advice, like teaching me how to speak up for myself. As a CEO of a brand new company, it is really daunting and very tiring to negotiate but at the same time, I’m setting a higher standard for For People because that will also be the standard that I set for myself moving forward. I know I’m not a business development person or a good salesperson. I cringe every time I hear myself do a sales talk. So my pipeline strategy is to deliver the best and most accurate output for a current project because I believe that through word-of-mouth, more clients will contact me or reach out to me. One of the misconceptions I heard about being an independent is that people think because of work, I don’t have time for my family anymore. For me, that’s not true because I’m always there for my family and I also get some rest―not a lot, but just what I need. Also, there’s often a misconception that female entrepreneurs are a bit more bossy or aggressive. Although that is also not true, there are indeed times when I have to be firm in my decisions, which means I speak out for the things I believe in but in a more gracious way. My advice to fellow independents is to surround yourself with people who will root you on, help you, and keep you accountable. Also, don’t compare yourself to other people because you all go through the same thing at different phases. You can always learn things as you go about the processes. Learn more about Johanna Shin and For People, LLC here. What’s the point of taking on the challenge and being part of the independent working nation if you don’t make your investments work for you? Register here for The I Institute's upcoming program: Building your Financial Future - Simple and Powerful Investing Strategies for Individuals and Families on March 18th. Hope you’ve found this week’s insights interesting and helpful. Stay tuned for next Monday’s MicroBusiness Marvels! |
