Managing Director & International Speaker, Terry Hawkins Enterprizes; and
Owner, People In Progress
Twenty-two years ago, Terry Hawkins lost her job when her employer went into liquidation. With her self-esteem at an all-time low, Terry refused to play the victim. She picked herself up and found a new job. Then not long after, she started her own training company, People In Progress, despite having only $167 to her name.
Today, People In Progress is a multi-million dollar business, servicing the who’s-who of businesses in both Australia and overseas. Having personally delivered training sessions to hundreds of thousands of people around the globe, Terry is considered an expert in her field and is now able to command $15,000+ for keynotes.
In 2010, Terry was honored by the National Speaker’s Association of Australia (NSAA) with the 2010 Educator Award for Excellence. The following year, she moved with her two sons to Los Angeles, United States, to further expand her thriving business and speaking career.
Expat Women's Interview with Terry
Expat Women:Terry, your success is testimony to the adage “never give up”. What gave you the initial confidence to start your business?
Terry: (Big grin) Actually, I think confident would be the last way I would describe myself when I started my business in 1989. I had just lost my job as the National Training Manager for a fashion retail chain. I had found an interim job recruiting staff for the fashion trade and it was here that a few clients heard of my training reputation and asked me to train their staff. So, in July that year with $167 in the bank and no credit cards, I went part time. I set up my home office (which consisted of a card table, a $500 loaned computer from a friend, a phone and a phone directory). I picked up that phone and started calling. Rejection after rejection cut to my core. I would cry and curl up in a ball on my bed. I was wracked with fear, but I kept calling. Oddly enough when you have such a strong passion to help people and are skilled at what you do, people notice.
My first client, Tom Tsipris who owned two retail chains in Sydney: Surf Dive ‘n’ Ski; and General Pants, came from the recommendation of a young university student, David (a friend of a friend), who washed Tom’s cars. My first training session for Tom was September 19th 1989 – and People In Progress was born. I continued doing my sales calls and sending out my sales letters and it was not long before I had a strong stable of clients. From there, and for the next 22 years, all of our business has come through word of mouth. We are only just now starting to market to support or expansion plans.
It was not easy and I doubted myself every day for a long time. I was scared every time I had to write a new program and deliver it. I was anxious about giving my clients what they wanted. I did not have a business coach or a mentor. It was really challenging. The reason that I say this is because these feelings are normal – so do not give up just because you feel like fainting every five minutes. It goes with the territory – just learn to manage your heartbeat!
Expat Women:Why do you think your training business has thrived, when others have barely survived? Terry: Firstly, we deliver results, consistently. We also spend a great deal of energy immersing ourselves in our clients’ businesses, so that we understand their values and culture and are able to blend with their community.
Secondly, we also do not chop and change every five seconds. Our programs are classics. They have stood the test of time and 22 years on, we have continued to create the same impact as we did all those years ago.
Thirdly, I think the other really important aspect is the People In Progress team. We all really do care about helping others and making a measurable impact on the bottom line – and this philosophy is deeply embedded throughout all of our programs.
Expat Women:Terry, can you share with us some of the challenges that you encountered along the way, and how you overcame them? Terry: I have learnt early on that cash flow is king! It is so important to keep that money coming in, keep the costs at a minimum and budget for tax bills and unforeseen expenses.
Another challenge for me was to not hire people just because they begged me for a job. The “trainer” in me would come out and I would think, “Oh, I can just train them!” But of course, that is the long way to achieve your goals and I realized that I had to hire people that could enhance the business, rather than just be there because we were a “feel good” company.
The biggest challenge though, was to create a series of programs that were not reliant on Terry Hawkins. I needed programs that could stand on their own, regardless of which People In Progress trainer presented the training. I achieved this after many years and this “freedom” gave me the chance to step into the speaking arena.
Expat Women:What did you learn when you expanded your business and speaking career into the United States?
Terry: The biggest thing I did not expect was the amount of cash that I would need. When you move overseas you cannot take your credit history with you, so I had to pay cash for everything and basically set up our life and the business again from scratch. I also did not appreciate just what a strong platform my business had created in Australia. Starting at the ground floor in the United States has been challenging and it really is like starting over again.
With my speaking career, I also did not expect it to be as difficult as it has been here. I had such a successful speaking career in Australia and I foolishly thought that that would follow me. Well, when you are in a country that has over 300 million people, it is easy to get lost. There were times when I thought, what have I done? But, I kept calling bureaus, I kept making contacts and accepting every speaking job I was offered. Slowly but surely, the work has started to roll in and I am gaining some traction. The best thing I learnt? Nothing beats just doing the work!
Expat Women:From a personal perspective, how did your teenage sons transition into life abroad and what have you learnt so far from the expat experience, as a mother?
Terry: I am so grateful for my years as a trainer. It gave me the experience to foresee what the possible hurdles might be and then anticipate what my boys may need. They both had to go up a grade in school and on top of that they also had to do two hours of sport every afternoon. This was incredibly grueling for them and there were many tears in those first few months.
However, we made a pact before we left that we would give it twelve months, regardless of how hard it got. I am so glad we made that commitment to each other because each of us at different times hit the wall and it would have been so easy to give up and come “home”. Thank goodness we all hit the wall at different times! When the boys had their “moments”, I stopped parenting them and started coaching them through the transition. We talked about their emotions and the gut wrenching pain of being home sick, let alone having to form new friendships and adjust to a new culture.
I actually became bedridden for the majority of ten months when we first got here with an autoimmune condition. My boys gave me the inspiration and courage I needed to keep moving forward, one day at a time. Now that I am well again and we have come through our first year, we are staying. The three of us just love it here and the boys are excelling in every possible way. I just adore them.
Expat Women:Finally Terry, what are your top tips for women aspiring to build businesses – either at home or abroad?
Terry:
1.
Do it because you love it! Then when it gets really tough, you will walk through the pain and keep going. If you do not love it, it will be too easy to walk away. Sometimes your biggest breakthrough comes just before you about to have your biggest breakdown!
2.
Be clear about what it is that you are creating. Is there a market for it? Have you done your homework and have you done a business plan? Be frugal and make sure you have a solid amount of cash on hand if you are starting up overseas. If you are “at home”, do not waste money on things that you do not really need. I did not have a car for the first two years. I caught buses everywhere or walked. Do not rent an office until it is absolutely necessary. I had my meetings at my clients’ offices or in coffee shops.
3.
If you are moving with children, prepare them upfront with the truth. Let them know it will be tough but they will come through the other side to have an experience they will treasure for the rest of their lives. If they are not happy with the move, you will never be able to fully integrate.
4.
Be humble. Ask for help. People love helping and if you show your vulnerability, people will do almost anything to help you succeed.
5.
Give your clients far more than they expect. Always do whatever you can to help them be their most successful – it will always come back tenfold – and do not be afraid to ask for referrals.
6.
Stop for the ones you love. I have always made time for my babies (16 years and 6 feet tall, and 13 years and almost as tall). I have never had much of a social life because my time went into my work and my boys. That is a choice I am so happy with now, especially when I look at them and how they have grown into such polite and intelligent young men.
Expat Women:Terry, we are truly in awe of your achievements and we wish you and your sons every success in the United States!
Terry: That means the world to me, Andrea, because this year has been the most challenging year of my life. I am grateful to my amazing team in Australia (led by my Australasian Manager, Amber Shannon). This solid foundation of incredible women gave me the space to get well and still be able to stay in the USA. So 2012, here we come as People In Progress LLC makes it mark on the American business culture and Terry Hawkins hits the speaking circuit with a vengeance!
