"Times have changed and we need to adapt and change with them."
Rachel Pereyra is the queer founder of Mastermind Business Services, an operations agency built to help other female and queer-founded businesses to generate a greater impact on the world. She has over a decade of operations + leadership experience between corporate and the online spaces that she leverages to lead her team and to help her clients achieve their goals. Outside of her work life, Rachel is also a wife, a mother of two humans, and a pizza addict who lives just outside of Austin, Texas.
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Table of Contents
We are thrilled to have you join us today, welcome to ValiantCEO Magazine’s exclusive interview! Let’s start off with a little introduction. Tell our readers a bit about yourself and your company.
Rachel Pereyra: I founded MBS in 2020 a few months into the pandemic. I had already spent almost a decade working in operations within the finance industry and after a few months of freelancing, I saw a lot of space to develop into the online business world. I have always wanted to be the boss and really enjoyed people leadership roles over the years, I earned my first entry-level management role when I was 17 at my high school job and have been hooked ever since! I have varied experience working in food service, retail, consumer lending, and private wealth management. I have worked and led teams in Fortune 500 companies, start-ups, online, and for mom and pop shops. I feel this background has given me a unique twist on my management style and quite a bit of lived experience!
2020 and 2021 threw a lot of curve balls into business on a global scale. Based on the experience gleaned in the past couple years, how can businesses thrive in 2022? What lessons have you learned?
Rachel Pereyra: You have to be agile – always have a plan and always be ready to pivot. A pivot isn’t a loss and the mindset around this needs to change within company leadership. The world of online business has really exploded since the pandemic and with no return to pre-pandemic conditions, a lot of industries need to focus on becoming more agile in our current business climate.
Something else the pandemic really dragged out from under the desk is workplace culture and toxic leadership. If you are planning on having a team it is important to remember that your culture is paramount and something that will make you more competitive in today’s job market as an employer. Whether they’re contractors, consultants, or employees – establish how you want to interact with them, how you want them to feel as part of your company, and create regular checks with them to keep your finger on the pulse of the team.
The pandemic seems to keep on disrupting the economy, what should businesses focus on in 2022? What advice would you share?
Rachel Pereyra: Look at your processes, team, and core software. I often see a lot of businesses spending wastefully in these categories in time and money. When you are reviewing, look for ways you can improve your team culture, training programs, onboarding, and leadership development for your managers. When going through your processes make sure they are up to date and available in various formats for people to absorb who may not be neurotypical, think screen share videos, checklists, and written steps.
How has the pandemic changed your industry and how have you adapted?
Rachel Pereyra: The pandemic has moved so much business and work online. Since my business was founded during the pandemic and functions primarily in the online business world, I think the changes are more subtle than for brick and mortar businesses and large corporations. There are more people than ever consuming online content, connecting online, and working online. The pandemic has permanently altered the landscape of work and I am excited to see what the future holds.
What advice do you wish you received when the pandemic started and what do you intend on improving in 2022?
Rachel Pereyra: I wish someone had told me that it is okay to pivot, learn, and change your views/opinions. 2020+ taught me a lot about who I am as a person and what I want my legacy to be. Going into 2022 I plan to live as myself fully and out loud on my mission to change the world through operations!
Online business surged higher than ever, B2B, B2C, online shopping, virtual meetings, remote work, Zoom medical consultations, what are your expectations for 2022?
Rachel Pereyra: I see the trend continuing, people’s behaviors and expectations have shifted. There will be in-person things popping up more and more but I don’t foresee an end to the new normal anytime.
How many hours a day do you spend in front of a screen?
Rachel Pereyra: 10-ish
The majority of executives use stories to persuade and communicate in the workplace. Can you share with our readers examples of how you implement that in your business to communicate effectively with your team?
Rachel Pereyra: I am clear on the WHY behind a decision and a goal as well as the HOW. Your business is the story of why your brand exists and what you hope to accomplish. Getting team buy-in on this really sets the tone for everyone to feel connected to the mission!
Business is all about overcoming obstacles and creating opportunities for growth. What do you see as the real challenge right now?
Rachel Pereyra: I think the shift in the old guard and old ways of doing things is the current challenge. This bleeds into every area of business and is a larger issue for America and worldwide. Times have changed and we need to adapt and change with them.
In 2022, what are you most interested in learning about? Crypto, NFTs, online marketing, or any other skill sets? Please share your motivations.
Rachel Pereyra: I am always looking to expand my knowledge as personal development is a core value of mine. This year I want to focus on expanding my knowledge on DEIA and leadership development. I know these are 2 areas that are incredibly important to being part of the change and helping companies understand ways to move forward in the future in a better way for their teams.
A record 4.4 million Americans left their jobs in September in 2021, accelerating a trend that has become known as the Great Resignation. 47% of people plan to leave their job during 2022. Most are leaving because of their boss or their company culture. 82% of people feel unheard, undervalued and misunderstood in the workplace. Do you think leaders see the data and think “that’s not me – I’m not that boss they don’t want to work for? What changes do you think need to happen?
Rachel Pereyra: Leaders I have spoken with, listened to, or read insights from fall into a few different categories. They either are afraid but don’t know what to do, don’t think it applies to them, feel like the numbers are inflated, or they took this in stride to pivot and take an honest look at their team’s experiences.
Leaders need to take a long, hard, and honest look at themselves and the businesses they are building or scaling. Actually listen to the feedback you get, thoroughly review your middle management and HR folks to ensure a values alignment. This is a pivotal moment in our society that one day our grandkids will read about in school like we did the industrial revolution and child labor laws. It is time to dramatically reevaluate workplace culture.
On a lighter note, if you had the ability to pick any business superpower, what would it be and how would you put it into practice?
Rachel Pereyra: Writing, converting informative, and funny copy! I love to write but copywriting is an area that doesn’t come naturally to me.
What does “success” in 2022 mean to you? It could be on a personal or business level, please share your vision.
Rachel Pereyra: In 2022 success will look like expanding my team to offer stable income to more incredible women and queer folks, growing our client list as we are able to support more and more online service providers, and doing more consulting work with small to medium businesses on their operations and people leadership.
Jed Morley, VIP Contributor to ValiantCEO and the host of this interview would like to thank Rachel Pereyra 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 Rachel Pereyra or her company, you can do it through her – Linkedin Page
Disclaimer: The ValiantCEO Community welcomes voices from many spheres on our open platform. We publish pieces as written by outside contributors with a wide range of opinions, which don’t necessarily reflect our own. Community stories are not commissioned by our editorial team and must meet our guidelines prior to being published.
