I recently went one on one with Shanaz Hemmati, co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of ZenBusiness.

Adam: Thanks again for taking the time to share your advice. First things first, though, I am sure readers would love to learn more about you. How did you get here? What experiences, failures, setbacks or challenges have been most instrumental to your growth?

Shanaz: I got to where I am today by setting goals, working hard, and - of course - a little luck. Mainly, however, I am where I am today because I took the time to think about what I really wanted. My senior year in college, I decided that I preferred software engineering over the hardware that I had been studying and made the decision to go back to school after graduation to begin a career in software development. Fortunately, early on in my career, I had the opportunity to work more specifically with data and databases and became passionate about data architecture work. These experiences and learning opportunities became instrumental in my career growth, allowing me to take on roles and responsibilities outside of my comfort zone. 

Adam: What were the best lessons you learned from your decade at HomeAway?

Shanaz: My time at HomeAway taught me that your team members are your biggest assets. Taking care of them, listening to them when they need it, and rewarding them when they least expect it are three of the most important ways to cultivate a strong team. I also learned that having more work than you and your team are capable of handling is a good thing - you just need to learn how to prioritize it. HomeAway provided invaluable experience about the different functions of a company, their various technology needs, and how to manage multiple work streams at any given time. And, maybe most importantly, I learned how incredible it feels to build a successful company and have been chasing that feeling ever since. 

Adam: In your experience, what are the key steps to growing and scaling your business?

Shanaz: When working to grow and scale a business it’s important to find the balance between having a plan in place to guide you, but being able to change and adapt as needed. Make sure rigidity and forward thinking don’t get in the way of being able to pivot as needed. And don’t let your own ideas or emotions get in the way. Put standard processes in place and make your decisions based on facts and data. 

It’s also important to protect your culture - know how you want things to go and don’t sacrifice it. In the beginning, keep things simple for as long as possible. Growing a business is complicated enough already, there’s no need to make it harder on yourself. 

And lastly, delight your customers and get their feedback regularly. They’re the backbone of everything and their opinions matter. 

Adam: What is your best advice on building, leading and managing teams?

Shanaz: My best advice to anyone in this position is to know that it’s okay to not have all the answers - leading a team is a constant learning experience. If you’re starting from scratch, understand that building a team takes time. Not everyone is going to be the right fit for the role. Make sure you’re hiring people who love what they do and aren’t afraid of a challenge. Find out what your people are good at and help them cultivate it. And then, most importantly, foster an environment where your team feels comfortable sharing feedback and ideas without judgement. This will help with retention, and cultivate a positive work environment for everyone on your team.   

Adam: What do you believe are the defining qualities of an effective leader?

Shanaz: Effective leaders are fair and respectful, and not afraid to admit that they don’t know it all. Find and hire those with diverse backgrounds and experiences, as well as those who are smart and motivated, to pick up the pieces that you’re struggling with and run with them. Give space for your team to participate in the conversation, and be open to trying new ideas - you never know which ones will work better than you expected. And most importantly, be honest and clear in your communication. Remember that you’re there to enable and be of service to your team so that they can be their best. 

Adam: How can leaders and aspiring leaders take their leadership skills to the next level?

Shanaz: The best leaders are constantly learning, and focusing equally on both what to do and what not to do. The best leaders that I’ve seen are the ones who step aside when needed and allow their teams to step up and do the work. They pass on and share their knowledge with those who are just starting out, giving others a chance at similar experiences to learn and grow. 

Adam: What are your three best tips applicable to entrepreneurs, executives and civic leaders?

Shanaz: My three best tips applicable to everyone: 

• You can do anything you put your mind to - don’t let it get in the way.

• Don’t categorize anything as a failure. Everything is a learning experience that will help you in the future.

• Count on the people around you. Build a diverse team and make sure they’re happy. Ask for their opinions and listen to what they have to say. If your team is happy, and you give them the chance to grow, they’ll feel empowered to do their best. 

Adam: What are your best tips on the topic of raising capital?

Shanaz: Knowledge is power when raising capital. Know your market and know your data. Confidence in your information is important. But so is your vision. Communicate your goals and how you’ll get there. By bringing people along your journey, they’ll feel equally invested in your passion. 

Adam: What is the single best piece of advice you have ever received?

Shanaz: The single most important piece of advice I ever received was that there is always room for improvement, regardless of how good you are at what you do. Challenge yourself to think of a different or better approach and you might surprise yourself at what you find. 

Adam: Is there anything else you would like to share?

Shanaz: If I was going to give anyone one piece of advice it would be to be fearless, ethical, and passionate in everything you do. 

Additionally, I’d like to share a bit about ZenBusiness’s role as a PBC. ZenBusiness is a public benefit corporation, a for-profit company that balances maximizing value to shareholders with a legally binding commitment to a social or environmental mission. In all of our business decisions, we not only consider the value it brings to our shareholders, but look at how it impacts other stakeholders such as employees, customers, various communities and the environment. Our PBC mission and goals include: 

• Assisting our customers on the road to success by providing the products and services they need to start, grow, and run their business at a fair price.

• Providing exemplary customer service through timely responses to questions and fulfillment of requests. 

• Fair and equitable pay for our employees, as well as providing them with ownership in the company. 

• Placing an emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion in everything that we do - including a committee that keeps us honest at every decision. 

• Providing a flexible schedule and allowing employees to work from anywhere benefits, giving them freedom while also minimizing the impact of commuting on the environment. 

• Ensuring our budget always includes enough for donations to organizations close to our heart. 

• Support for women and minority owned small businesses.

Adam Mendler is the CEO of The Veloz Group, where he co-founded and oversees ventures across a wide variety of industries. Adam is also the creator and host of the business and leadership podcast Thirty Minute Mentors, where he goes one on one with America's most successful people - Fortune 500 CEOs, founders of household name companies, Hall of Fame and Olympic gold medal winning athletes, political and military leaders - for intimate half-hour conversations each week. Adam has written extensively on leadership, management, entrepreneurship, marketing and sales, having authored over 70 articles published in major media outlets including Forbes, Inc. and HuffPost, and has conducted more than 500 one on one interviews with America’s top leaders through his collective media projects. A top leadership speaker, Adam draws upon his insights building and leading businesses and interviewing hundreds of America's top leaders as a top keynote speaker to businesses, universities and non-profit organizations.

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