"It is so fulfilling to realize that after all those hardships, I became who I am today."
Susannah Harmon is the founder and managing editor of Car Title Loans 123. Before getting to this point, she has held multiple different jobs in the title lending industry for over 10 years and this experience resulted in a lot of learnings. She has also managed the underwriting and customer service teams at large title loan companies in the past. She can say that being in this industry does not just make her realize the importance of her service but also the process of how things are going within society. It allowed her to have a different view of this sector and appreciate every role that it has.
Check out more interviews with entrepreneurs here.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO GET FEATURED?
All interviews are 100% FREE OF CHARGE
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.
Susannah Harmon: I am Susannah, the founder and managing editor of Car Title Loans 123. Before getting to this point, I have held multiple different jobs in the title lending industry for over 10 years and this experience resulted in a lot of learnings. I have also managed the underwriting and customer service teams at large title loan companies in the past. I can say that being in this industry does not just make me realize the importance of my service but also the process of how things are going within society. It allowed me to have a different view of this sector and appreciate every role that it has. For so long, our organization is providing a title loan solution for many people that needs assistance when it comes to funding. We, at Car Title Loans 123, have expertise in our line and are willing and capable of providing help to people that need us.
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?
Susannah Harmon: A lot of people had inspired me throughout this journey. But I can say that my old self is what influenced me the most. It is so fulfilling to realize that after all those hardships, I became who I am today. If not because of my past decisions, I think that I will not be able to gain all these lessons I have in me at this time.
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.
Susannah Harmon: Because of the pandemic, a lot of areas in the business flipped. A lot of adjustments were made just to cope up with the changes in the industry. One cite-worthy is the intensification of the use of technology and integration of it in the business. It seems to be a requirement to keep on track thus, there is no other way but to acquire and adapt it in the organization.
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?
Susannah Harmon: The issue of Great Resignation does not skip my business. As an employer, I needed to take action just to keep my employees with me throughout this journey. It somehow urges me to be more appreciative and to invest in their welfare to make them more engaged and committed to the company.
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.
Susannah Harmon: This number of people quitting their job is enough to set a warning to business owners. I think that it became an eye-opener for many to finally be aware of the power that the labor group or sector has against the capitalists.
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?
Susannah Harmon: To retain employees, employers must think of ways on how they can improve the employee experience. They should reassess their management style as well as their workplace culture and environment. They can conduct a survey and gather the concerns from the employees to have ideas about what area should they focus on improving.
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.
Susannah Harmon: Providing a flexible working schedule is a good way to promote work-life balance for employees. I find it as more of a necessity at this time rather than a choice because of employees being vulnerable to exhaustion, burnout, and stress.
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?
Susannah Harmon: There is no worthy preparation for this other than to make your company more attractive and admirable for applicants. You can make it possible by fostering good relationships within the workplace and giving growth opportunities to them. This way, your current employees will more probably stay in your organization and potential employees will be more attracted to apply.
Thank you for all that, our readers are grateful for your insightful comments! Now, if the Great Resignation isn’t your greatest concern, what is the #1 most pressing challenge you’re trying to solve in your business right now?
Susannah Harmon: Finding the right system seems to be an unheard challenge today but has a huge impact on the future of an entity. Amidst the rise of countless technological development, it is crucial to seek the one that will best suit your operation. This may look like a simple problem but if we look at it closely, many businesses are having a great leap because of the right technology. So a mistake in this can cause a lot for an organization.
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?
Susannah Harmon: 10 million dollars is an enormous amount to spend in a day. Aside from pampering myself and helping other people, I think that it will be best to find the most worthy companies to invest in. The fruits of these investments will be a greater help in future ventures and plans.
Jed Morley, VIP Contributor to ValiantCEO and the host of this interview would like to thank Susannah Harmon for taking the time to do this interview and share her knowledge and experience with our readers.
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.
