Founder of La Pausa Consulting, Adair Vilella, on Building a Business Tailored to Your Unique Needs

Hi Adair! Please share a brief introduction about yourself and your business:

I am a business sales consultant that helps women owned businesses double their revenue through sales and data visualization! I will work with you to dive into the foundation of your business and develop customized consulting solutions tailored to your unique needs, enabling lasting growth. With my expertise, La Pausa Consulting can unlock your small business’s full potential and achieve the results you’ve been striving for.

So Adair, what excites you about being an Entreprenista League member?

I love networking, making new friends, and empowering other women to succeed!

How did you decide it was time to start your own business?

My soul knew that I could not work a 9 to 5 job one moment longer. I was destined to be off on my own, find multiple streams of income, create a more flexible and freeing reality for myself. In addition, empower others at the same time.

Did you have a background in business consulting prior to starting your own business?

I spent the last 12 years out in California, and I worked for the corporate side of Equinox for almost 8 years. I helped lead a team to drive revenue, worked on Strategy, Operations, and Salesforce reporting. Then I helped a startup in the health and wellness medical spa space in LA double their revenue in 11 months while implementing Salesforce, using data, business intelligence, and aligning Sales and Marketing.

Did you always know you wanted to be an entrepreneur?

No! I never thought I would take that risk. I liked the security of the corporate world. I did know that I always wanted more; however, I was never sure what that was. I knew everything was never enough. I would join a company or get a new position, then I would crush the goals in the first 6 months to a year; and then found myself left wondering; Now What?! I just couldn’t see myself off on my own until last year; the signs kept aligning and pushing me to launch my own firm!

Take us back to when you first launched your business, what was your marketing strategy to get the word out and did it go as planned?

My background is in Sales. I didn’t invest any money in marketing! HAHA if you look at my Instagram, I have a small amount of followers on my business Instagram. However, I have always been full with clients with guarantee monthly retainer revenue from month 1. I invested in some flyers I created, but literally cost me $100. I relied on sales, networking, outreach, and business development, referrals. Word of mouth is so powerful and friends making intros. I of course believe in Marketing. My 15 year career I always had to align with marketing, but I work with my clients on realizing that there is a time and place to invest in it. If that is a stretch in the beginning, get the basics in place to make your company look legit and put more time and energy into building the foundation of your business. As the old saying goes; if you build it they will come. Why not get secure with your processes before overloading yourself and or your team?

As an entreprenista, it is important to remember challenges are lessons we all learn from. What is the biggest challenge you have encountered along the way?

Selling myself was a lot harder than selling another companies business / services. I found myself very insecure for the first 3 to 6 months. However, once I got very clear on my new business practices; things shifted and turned around. We as entrepreneurs are our own worst enemies. My advice is get out of your own way, stay confident; while staying humble. The world is constantly changing; so it’s ok not to know EVERYTHING. We all should always be learning and growing. I just stayed very open and clear to my clients about my skill sets, my knowledge, and what would be better past off to another individual. We can be all things; without having to do all things 🙂

What is the accomplishment you are the most proud of to date?

Getting my business to full time within 3 months.

Do you believe in work/life balance? What are some of your best tips?

100% I block my calendar for certain days where I won’t under any circumstances take meetings. That way I can always plan ahead appointments, workouts, and personal matters. I am all about health and wellness. I have been in the health and wellness industry for 15+ years. I energetically put myself first, so I can show up for my clients and my family. Does it always work out as planned; no, but I would say 75% of the time I am in my flow.

It is so valuable for Entrprenistas to learn from each other! What’s a piece of advice you can share that you wish you’d known when you first started your Entreprenista journey?

12 years ago I did launch another smaller business, but I didn’t have the skill sets to get off the ground as I was hoping. At that time, I did make the mistake of thinking that I needed money to grow. Therefore, I spent money in the wrong places. I paid for an expensive website, which was not necessary. There are so many amazing resources that are complimentary nowadays to help you launch a business without breaking the bank. Use your money wisely! Trust me! So many young entrepreneurs think they have to play the game or create a façade to look more established than they are. My advice is to truly be yourself, be open, honest, and your will attract the right tribe. Oh and invest in a lawyer! That was my biggest expense that was worth every penny.

Adair, you have lots to celebrate! What have you achieved recently that you’d like to celebrate with our community?

I am growing and adding to my team and I am excited to add some contractors to help with my work flow!

What’s next for your business? What can we expect to see over the next few years?

Once I got into my client businesses, I realized data was a privilege for large corporations. Many of my clients struggle with too many technology platforms where nothing connects. They have too many excels to read; and they don’t know how to make a quick smart business decision. Therefore, I am expanding my Data visualization services. It helps my clients make smarter business intelligence decision.

Learn more about the Entreprenista League and join today!