Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Jaramillo.
Amy, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Developing people while providing structure to their lives has always been a passion of mine. I started my first career quite young at the age of 19 working in the mental health industry as a counselor for at-risk youth that were on probation for substance abuse. Although this type of work was very challenging, I absolutely loved the relationships I built with the youth and there was no greater reward than to see them overcome their obstacles and succeed. As I aged with my career, I realized that I was not the same person I once was when I started and that my career aspirations shifted. I knew that I wanted to still work with people, but in a larger capacity, so I researched careers where my skill set would be transferable, and I decided upon human resources.
While working in the mental health field, I learned that to be an effective counselor takes more than just the ability to assess a situation or problem and come up with a solution. To be effective, one must also be able to express empathy and authenticity, approach a problem in a non-judgmental way, use analytical thinking to get to the root of the issue and have the ability to influence changes in a person’s behavior. These exact traits also make for effective leaders. I think people in leadership positions who are reading this can probably agree that there are times when they take on more of that counselor role. Particularly when it comes to coaching an employee or relationship building.
As my new career in human resources progressed, I realized that I still was not satiated and that something was still missing. I began an analysis of my previous positions and companies that I worked for and realized that the positions I enjoyed the most were entrepreneurial in nature and that I could be far more effective in achieving my goals without restrictions tied to a position or company. I have always been a high achiever; I set goals, complete them, and move on to the next and working for myself would allow me to do just that while still developing people and supporting small businesses.
What differentiates San Diego apart from other cities is our entrepreneurial and startup community, and that is at the heart of what makes San Diego such a great city to start or own a business in. I saw that there is a niche market for small employers that might not need an in-house HR person just yet, but still need HR services. That is when I decided to start AJ Consulting Group.
It has been incredibly rewarding getting to know the small business community of San Diego. I’ve connected with so many inspirational people and innovative companies across every industry. There is no shortage of talent in this city!
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
I think anyone who has decided to start their own company would agree that there are plenty of obstacles to overcome in the beginning. I realized quickly that I have to be much more than just a solid HR person. I learned that I needed to also be my own marketing and salesperson, bookkeeper, accountant, admin, IT and even mentor. Luckily, I have an awesome support network of local entrepreneurs and lawyers with successful businesses who gave me advice and the confidence to build my own company.
In addition to the multiple hats worn, there are also a lot of firsts in the beginning. Everything is new and unpredictable. If you are a person who likes stability and familiarity, then entrepreneurship may not be for you. You have to learn to love the hustle, have a solid business model and self-efficacy is key. But the value to being your own boss is priceless.
As you know, we’re big fans of AJ Consulting Group. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
AJ Consulting Group was founded in 2019. AJ Consulting Group’s business model is to provide outsourced human resources services to small businesses that do not have in-house HR or have a desire to outsource specific HR tasks. AJ Consulting Group provides a wide range of strategic and administrative processes and initiatives that align with business needs.
Outsourcing can be ideal for those who:
- Are smaller, with less than 100 employees, for whom it can be challenging and expensive to access senior-level HR talent in-house
- Distribute HR tasks to multiple different people who may lack the knowledge to handle them, which can increase your risk
- Want to focus on more strategic activities to grow the business
- Need to fill an HR position in the interim
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
It depends on who you ask! My teachers always said that I was a pleasure to have in class but has the tendency to be talkative (can’t help that, I’m a total extravert), my family would say that I was independent, smart, strong and adventurous, and I would say that I was curious, confident, social, and imaginative. Since I was a small child I innately had a strong sense of self. I’ve never really been the personality type to be put in a box and I attribute that to my upbringing. Although I am an only child, I was raised in a large family of diverse personalities which influenced my character development. I learned early on that it was best to be diplomatic in my style of communication, and that is a technique I still use today in my professional life.
Contact Info:
- Email: admin@ajconsultinggroup.com
- Website: https://ajconsultinggroup.com/
Image Credits:
YourFaceIsRad
