Time With The Boss - Mayda Barsumyan BUSINESS ESCALATION INC.

Mayda Barsumyan
BUSINESS ESCALATION INC.
Website: www.BusinessEscalation.com
Industry: finance and business management: software implementation
Education: Montclair State University BS in accounting and international business, MA in legal management information and technology

Family: I have two children. Both are 13 years old.

What is your mission?
My personal mission is to make a difference in both the lives of my clients and my family by utilizing my unique talents. In business and in my personal life, I attack challenges with approaches that are both strategic and outside of the box. Giving every challenge my topmost effort and working as hard and efficiently as I’m able ensure that my clients’ needs are addressed on time and on budget and gives my children a role model they can learn from and follow. Company mission: The goal of Business Escalation is to improve the value of financial services models to positively impact our clients’ bottom line. At its core, Business Escalation is positivity, integrity and delivering credible results. Outside of that, we strive to form a relationship with our clients that results in our being a trusted adviser for years to come.

What was your first job?
I started out as a nanny for four children. I’m sure this is where my attention to detail and the ability to anticipate needs came from.

What led you to your industry?  
A mistake, actually. I interviewed at Booz Allen Hamilton (a provider of management and technology consulting services to the U.S. government) for what I thought was an accounting position. They were actually interviewing me to lead and support a system implementation, integration and support project in Europe. This was life-changing for me and made me who I am professionally today.

What was the smartest thing your company did in the past year?  
A business consultant was brought on to help with strategic planning.

What’s the hottest trend in your industry, and are you going to jump on board?
Business intelligence on the cloud is the hottest trend, and I am fortunate to be one of the first Oracle Platinum Partners promoting this technology. That said, I do not believe in just jumping into something. I believe in developing technology that is right for my clients, which is what I’m now doing on the cloud.

What’s the hardest part of your job?
I put a lot of faith and effort in my employees. When I find that someone I’ve hired is not passionate about making a difference, that he or she is only with me for the paycheck, that’s very difficult.

What’s the best part?
When a client has a successful implementation and they are happy!

What best advice would you share with new entrepreneurs?
Follow your gut. If your gut tells you that you have been taken for granted, trust it.

What’s your favorite place in St. Louis?
The Missouri Botanical Garden. It is an amazing place to relax and learn about nature.

What has made you successful in your industry and in St. Louis?
Thinking outside of the box. I consider myself as someone who does not have a box, so coming up with creative solutions for my clients is both fun and relatively simple.

What do you like to do in your free time?
Spending time with my kids is the best part of my day. I learn so much from them. My daughter even helped me with my leadership skills. Her advice was: “Mom, do not let boys bully you. You need to learn how to beat them up.”