Today we’d like to introduce you to Denise Eisenhauer.
Hi Denise, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
It was 2006 when I stepped into my first leadership role. I was promoted to Manager of Speech-Language Pathology at a Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and was eager to jump into the position and start leading. Well, it didn’t take more than a week or two for me to realize that I, like many individuals who are thrust into management positions, was not prepared.
At that point in my life, I had both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in communication sciences, 10 years of professional experience, worked for a top-tier hospital in Chicago, and had a great boss. Yet, even with my experience, I had little to no exposure to the art and science of leading and managing people. It was during that moment of realization that my leadership journey began. I knew I wanted to be a good leader and to support the clinicians, physicians, and patients I served. I also knew needed help to do so. I decided to go back to school in 2009 for my MBA with a focus on leadership.
After completing my MBA in 2012, I felt my true passion come alive. Gaining the knowledge and skills in business school and having experience in the day-to-day operations of running healthcare organizations I realized, it really is all about leadership. I’ve spent the better part of my career working as a servant leader, yet beginning in 2014, have also started giving back by developing our next generation of leaders. I began teaching leadership, business, and organizational behavior courses at Northwestern University to clinical masters and doctoral students.
Then, it happened.
It was mid-pandemic in 2020, I was sitting at my desk reading my student reviews from the past term when I noticed a trend in the feedback they provided. “Loved this class, why didn’t I know about the science of leadership sooner, like in high school”. “They should teach these skills in 5th grade,” “Awesome course, if only I knew more about leadership and organizational behavior when I was younger!”
I thought to myself that evening. “What if I could do just what my graduate students were asking for in the course reviews? What if I could leverage my experience working with youth and my teaching experience to create my own educational business with a focus on leadership development?”
It was at that moment, the Growth Factor was born.
The Growth Factor is an educational boutique offering leadership, business, and personal development opportunities for the next generation. Launched in the Fall of 2021, I am now working alongside children and young adults to teach the basics of business and entrepreneurship, leadership, and skills necessary to support meet living life with purpose, passion, and fulfillment both personally and professionally. The best news yet, the idea is backed by research. Research has shown that development in leadership skills (also known as “life skills” and “soft skills”) can have a positive impact on a person’s ability to not only achieve success but also live life with greater purpose, passion, and fulfillment. (Goleman, Harvard Business Review).
The opportunity to build my own company gave me the chance to blend the three phases of my life: my clinical experience with pediatrics in communication, my passion for developing strong leaders, and my experience teaching leadership, business, and organizational behavior courses.
I am now running a “Let’s Talk Business” series and “Ready, Set, Lead” series this year at Haven Academy, a private school in Franklin TN. I have also partnered with independent business owners to offer business planning and leadership development opportunities. I look forward to serving the community as we grow and partnering with more schools, home-school groups, and individual clients.
Right now, it is just me, but my vision is to bring on more instructors and coaches, and also provide leadership internship opportunities for high school and college-age students.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Growth does not come without struggle and thank goodness that my background in leadership and organizational change was there to remind me of that and prevent me from throwing in the proverbial towel. Starting my own business has been exceptionally fulfilling, especially when I see the look on clients’ faces when they learn something new. However, it has not been without struggle. I can identify two primary struggles over the past year that have defined both me as a business owner and my business itself:
1.) In-person vs. virtual
My initial idea of an educational boutique was mid-pandemic, so virtual offerings were on my mind. However, after completing a market survey, virtual was not what clients wanted. Parents of children and young adults were ready for in-person activities to start. While this created quite a shift in my initial business model, I couldn’t help but agree with the idea. When teaching the fundamentals of leadership, teamwork, emotional intelligence, and business in-person experiences I feel are more ideal.
So, what went from an initial business model that would be further-reaching in an online manner (and probably more lucrative) I felt I needed to listen to my customer base and start in person. It could not have been a better choice. The impact I feel I am making on the clients in workshops I serve in person is stronger than I would have expected
While The Growth Factor still offers remote coaching experiences one-on-one and business plan development in a virtual format, the workshops offered are geared towards youth are all happening in person at this point in time.
2.) Kids are Busy!
I attempted to launch 2 pilot workshops this past summer for youth and young adults focusing on leadership and one on entrepreneurship, but they did not launch. My roadblocks became very clear; soccer camp, cheer practice, family vacations, baseball tryouts, and chess clubs, and MORE. Kids are busy! I had interested kids, but there were so many conflicts that the groups did not launch. I felt discouraged initially, yet then realized that my model may need to shift.
Perhaps my target audience is not just the kids and parents, but school programs and youth organizations. My first client ended up being a private school, Haven Academy, seeking extracurricular options for their students on Fridays. It worked perfectly to run my sessions at Haven Academy because the kids were already there; it was a seamless launch!
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
The Growth Factor, LLC is an educational boutique offering leadership, business, and personal development opportunities for the next generation. The Growth Factor partners with schools, educators, clubs, athletic teams, parents, and young adults to offer unique educational experiences as well as consulting to support development in both leadership and business.
It is tough for me to toot my own horn, but I would say that my background, experience, and passion are what set my services apart from others. I have my MBA from Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management, am a certified speech-language pathologist, understand the science of communication from my years as a practicing clinician, have teaching experience, and I also have more energy than the sun! My formal education in the science of leadership, business, and organizational behavior and my knowledge of how to work with youth and young adults create a unique x-factor for an educator and coach.
However, I strongly believe that, at the end of the day, the number of degrees one holds or the fancy credentials after one’s name adds up to nothing more than a piece of paper and letters. What makes The Growth Factor and my approach unique and impactful isn’t on my resume. What sets me apart is my positivity, passion, and belief that all young learners should have a chance to develop their inner leader, realize they can do hard things, understand that they can make a positive impact on the world and that they can live life with great purpose and passion.
Offerings:
1.) For public or private schools looking for unique extracurricular options for your students:
https://thegrowthfactorgroup.com/for-educators
2.) For home-school pods looking for extracurricular options for your students?
https://thegrowthfactorgroup.com/homeschool-enrichment
3.) For a parent of a child who excels academically but is having trouble with “soft skills” or “life skills” including communication, presentation skills, organization, executive functioning, emotional intelligence, and teamwork. one-on-one coaching $100/session https://thegrowthfactorgroup.com/for-parents
4.) A parent looking to expand their child’s inner entrepreneur and leader by engaging in some unique experiences over the summer. The Growth Factor Summer Camps- coming soon Summer 2021. https://thegrowthfactorgroup.com/for-parents
5.) A new entrepreneur looking for support in launching a business? One-on-one coaching and strategic planning for new business owners. https://thegrowthfactorgroup.com/for-new-entrepreneurs\. Cost: Determined by the scope of the project
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
100% my positivity. I can see the good or opportunity in about every situation. Even if there is a perceived failure, I have learned something. I have a knack for making people feel comfortable and empowered.
My positivity is also complemented by the fact I am a skilled clinician, educator, and coach, it is my purpose, my passion, and what makes me feel fulfilled every day! There is research to support, at the end of the day, people learn best when they feel supported and have teachers who they believe have confidence in them and their learning process.
For me, when it comes to learning, it’s not about a fancy curriculum or a well-marketed coaching program, is all in my relationship with the students. I feel that trust and a relationship with learners, youth to adult, is the key to having an impact. Individuals learn when they feel the teacher believes in them, knows them, sees them, and supports them in their learning journey, no matter the bumps they may encounter along the way.
Contact Info:
- Email: denise@thegrowthfactorgroup.com
- Website: www.thegrowthfactorgroup.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thegrowthfactorgroup/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thegrowthfactorgroup/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-growth-factor-group
Image Credits
Sally Konarzewski and Haven Academy
