"It's important to make sure you do the things you want to do and be someone you want to be, even if others might judge you for being different."
Lynda Fairly is the CEO at Numlooker, a company that fosters the online grey pages directory for a sophisticated and accurate crisscross search for individual or company information using cellphone and landline numbers.
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Table of Contents
We are thrilled to have you join us today, welcome to Valiant CEO Magazine’s exclusive interview! Let’s start with a little introduction. Tell our readers a bit about yourself and your company.
Lynda Fairly: My name is Lynda, CEO at Numlooker, a company that fosters the online grey pages directory for a sophisticated and accurate crisscross search for individual or company information using cellphone and landline numbers, was co-founded by me.
Who has been the most influential person(s) in your life and how did they impact you? How did that lead to where you are today?
Lynda Fairly: For me, it would be my mom and dad. They raised me and taught me how to take care of myself, set goals for myself, and always stay true to myself. Growing up, I never had much money, but we were never allowed to use that as an excuse not to do what we wanted or be who we wanted. In today’s world, it is easy to get caught up in appearances, but my parents would stress how important it was to make sure you did the things you want to do and be someone you wanted to be… even if others might judge you for being different. I think this mindset helped me create a life for myself that I love and I think it’s something most people can strive to do.
2020 was a challenging year for all of us, particularly for businesses. How did the pandemic impact your business? Please list some of the problems that you faced, and how you handled them.
Lynda Fairly: The biggest challenge we faced was unemployment. A lot of people lost their jobs, and we had to take a hit on our employee’s salaries. Since we had to let a lot of employees go, it was decided that we would try out a few interns in the office.
The first week of the internship was terrible. We were all paired up, and everyone seemed to be miserable. While I had a great team, it seemed like everyone in my division was miserable. We were supposed to be great or happy all the time – but it didn’t seem like that at all. I figured it must be because of our new intern class. So I decided to separate the interns from everyone else, and just put them in a corner.
It didn’t take long for me to figure out that my interns weren’t miserable because of them – they were miserable because of me. When I explained myself, they all started to smile. So I kept trying new ways of figuring out how to improve my team’s morale. I learned that you can’t always do what you want. Sometimes you need to work with your team – even if it isn’t the way you want it.
The pandemic led to a myriad of cultural side effects, including one that was quite unexpected that is informally known as “The Great Resignation”. Did this widespread trend affect you in any way?
Lynda Fairly: Sure it did. I think a lot of people let their bosses know that they just couldn’t come to work anymore. Sometimes it was because of family reasons, and sometimes it was because they just didn’t want to come in. Since we were a small startup, a lot of the employees knew each other well – and felt even closer after the Great Resignation.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 4 million Americans quit their jobs in July 2021. How do you feel about this trend? Explain.
Lynda Fairly: The Great Resignation is terrible for all of us. I see it as a sign that we are doing something wrong as a society. People losing their jobs says that we don’t need to work to live, and that is wrong. There shouldn’t be people out there who need help just because life threw them an unexpected curveball. It’s nothing to shake your fist at – it’s nothing you can do about.
According to a study by Harvard Business Review, Employees between 30 and 45 years old have had the greatest increase in resignation rates, with an average increase of more than 20% between 2020 and 2021. That can be quite an alarming rate. What advice would you share to increase employee retention?
Lynda Fairly: I think the number one thing is to listen. Listen to your employees, and ask them about their lives. If you can help make their lives better, without losing your own – do it. Even if you don’t have the money to do it.
According to a Nature Human behavior study, In 2020, 80% of US workers reported feeling that they have too many things to do and not enough time to do them – a phenomenon known as “time poverty”. What is your take on the work-life balance? Explain.
Lynda Fairly: The work-life balance is something that everyone needs to learn, and everyone needs to learn it on their own. You can’t do it for someone else – you need to figure it out for yourself. Some people will never feel comfortable with their work-life balance. For me, it takes a lot of discipline. I always have to remind myself that I have employees who look up to me – and that it’s not just about me.
A more recent survey by Joblist asked about 3,000 respondents if they’re actively thinking about leaving their job. That survey found that 73% of 2,099 respondents who answered this question on their employment plans are considering quitting. How are you preparing for the future to counter this potentially persistent problem?
Lynda Fairly: I think it’s important to prepare for the future. The Great Resignation was not a one-time thing, and the reason it happened is that people are unhappy. You need to accept that if you want your employees to be happy – you need to hear them out. You need to listen when they’re talking about their problems. If they want to change, you need to give them what they want.
Before we finish things off, we do have one last question. If you had 10 Million Dollars to spend in one day, what would you spend it on?
Lynda Fairly: I think I would use it to purchase homes for people. I’ve been talking to a lot of homeless people lately, and it always seemed like they just needed a home. I don’t need more than one house, so why not use the money to help out everyone else who needs one?
Jed Morley, VIP Contributor to ValiantCEO and the host of this interview would like to thank Lynda Fairly 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 Lynda Fairly or her company, you can do it through her – Linkedin Page
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