Today we’d like to introduce you to Larissa Davila.
Hi Larissa, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I am originally from Laredo, Texas but I grew up in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas [Mexico] with my parents. Like many teenagers in my hometown, I completed high school in Laredo, Texas and went to college in Texas A&M International University. I started college undecided, I wanted to do Psychology, Sociology, Social Work, Literature or Law School. Little did I know that there was a degree that included all of the topics and was the perfect fit for me, and that was Business Administration. I graduated top of my class, and I have been working in business since graduation. I began my career in corporate America in companies such as FedEx, Sony Corporation, and IBM, but there was a void in my career, and I didn’t feel passionate about it, it was too repetitive for me. I relocated to Austin in 2009, and in 2014, after being in corporate America for about 15 years, I started doing volunteer service with local non-profits, I realized that I was passionate about helping small business owners develop their companies and I ditched big corporations to start consulting for small business owners, I turned into a Generalist Business Consultant, and I have been doing it since then. Small businesses are magical, you get to be a part of projects where skills and passion fusion into a service or a product that brings light to a client and money to a family business, it is a fascinating phenomenon. You get paid to do what you are good at, and you set the limits of income, and for me, that is the definition of success. In my line of work, you get to know really skilled entrepreneurs, it is exhilarating, and I love every bit of it. My niche is mainly Spanish speaking business owners, who provided services to both English and Spanish speakers, it is pretty international.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
This is a funny question, I wonder if anybody has ever said that they have had a smooth road, these must be lucky individuals. In my case the struggle is real, increasing my pricing was definitively one of the most difficult parts of doing business. I have a soft heart and tend to give a lot of freebies, but I am getting better with time, and I balance my profit-making services with my pro-bono on a monthly budget, that way I get money to fuel my passion to help people. Another struggle has been to balance time, I tend to bend into working more hours than I should, so I enlisted my husband to keep track of my time, and if I am abusing my body with too many hours of work, he will call me out and we do something fun. It seems easy, but it is really hard to balance life and work when you are a small business owner who is passionate about what you do and want to help as many people as possible with little resources. It is an ongoing battle, these are the biggest challenges for me, time and money, I bet I am not alone in this one. Other struggles of lesser relevance for my career have been improving the art of sales and keeping up with my physical health, it is distracting but I understand that if I want to be a better player, I need to be healthier, I don’t know if this resonates with you.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about BCO Consulting Group?
BCO Consulting Group is a business development firm. We do business consulting, website design, interpretations and translations and in special occasions, graphic design for small business owners. We are specialized in Micro, Small and Mid-sized businesses with more than three years in the market. We provide structure to business owners and a business strategy for short and long-term growth. What sets my company apart from other companies is that my consulting style is very one on one. I am proud of my customers, I have amazing customers who are very good at what they do and with a little guidance, they turn into money-making machines.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
Along my journey, I have learned that everything has a balance, you have to work hard, but you need to rest. You need to give discounts, but you can’t give away your work. You have to do networking, but it shouldn’t be a distraction, you have to be on social media, but you need to be making money, so you have to understand balance and you have to have a strategy. Assertively is a big one for me, I have learned to be assertive, it is the shortest route to successful interpersonal relationships. I am also a big reader, and I use my reading to supplement what I am lacking of or what is resonating for me at the time I finish a book. Say, I have talked to three customers about sales weaknesses, so I will read six books about effective sales, business is a learning journey and everything has been researched already so we do not have to invent things, we just have to research, implement and adjust to our needs.
Contact Info:
- Email: larissa@bcoconsultinggroup.com
- Website: www.bcoconsultinggroup.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bcoconsultinggroup/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BCOCGTX/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/bco-consulting-group-austin-2?osq=bco+consulting+group
Image Credits:
Lucero Archuleta Valle
