"The real challenge comes from being able to adapt to your growth and withstanding your obstacles."
Sierra Alston is the CEO and Principle of The Arreis Group, serving in dynamic roles entailing Chief construction officer and director of contracting concerns and management.
Her responsibilities include overseeing all leadership roles, financial management, strategic planning, and administrative management of the firm, as well as developing and evolving the firm’s quality assurance policies.
She ensures that Arreis continually meets best practices and the rigorous demands of working with classified information. Sierra’s real-world practitioner approach to addressing client priorities has been a driving force in the firm’s growth.
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Table of Contents
In the past year, what is the greatest business achievement you’d like to celebrate with your team? Please share the details of that success.
Sierra Alston: Our firm worked very hard to land a multi-million dollar project with one of the largest civil construction organizations in the world.
We pushed ourselves and challenged our abilities and expertise to make the project a success. Our firm has grown astronomically and has placed us on a different pedigree.
Quiet quitting, The Great Resignation, are an ongoing trend causing many businesses to struggle keeping talent engaged and motivated. Most are leaving because of their boss or their company culture. 82% of people feel unheard, undervalued and misunderstood in the workplace. In your experience, what keeps employees happy? And how are adapting to the current shift we see?
Sierra Alston: At our firm, we work not only as a team but as a family. I have been fortunate enough to be able to employ people that are not only “salary driven” but are emotionally attached to the vision and goals our firm has set.
Hiring the right people with the right attitude is extremally important to growth and creating an environment people want to come to and work. I strive to be a fair boss but, most of all, a boss that listens and remains open-minded.
I do not believe I know everything, and that is why I hire people that are experts in their field. It has been said, “those that know HOW, employ those that know WHY” I know why and my employees know HOW, so we make the best team.
Online business keeps on surging higher than ever, B2B, B2C, online shopping, virtual meetings, remote work, Zoom medical consultations, what are your expectations for the year to come and how are you capitalizing on the tidal wave?
Sierra Alston: We are not an online business however, we maintain an online presence which is imperative to clients and those that wish to work with us that never heard of Arreis.
We have zoom calls every day, throughout the day. We expect to use zoom and virtual meetings even more in the upcoming year due to growth and expanding operations in other cities and states.
Business is all about overcoming obstacles and creating opportunities for growth. What do you see as THE real challenge right now?
Sierra Alston: The real challenge comes from being able to adapt to your growth and withstanding your obstacles.
In your experience, what tends to be the most underestimated part of running a company? Can you share an example?
Sierra Alston: Understanding operations and all that goes into being a business owner. I have worked every part of my business, from HR to being in the field.
I understand what it takes to get it done. So when I hire for positions within our firm, I know what that employee has to encounter or what systems have to be put in place to be successful in that role.
Jed Morley, VIP Contributor to ValiantCEO and the host of this interview would like to thank Sierra Alston for taking the time to do this interview and share her knowledge and experience with our readers.
If you would like to get in touch with Sierra Alston or her company, you can do it through his – Linkedin Page
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