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In writing this weekly column, it is the goal of the Green Bay SCORE Chapter (score.org/greenbay) to familiarize current and prospective business owners with the free mentoring services offered. For those not aware, SCORE is part of the Small Business Administration and is the nation’s largest network of volunteer, expert business mentors.
As noted on the national website, it is dedicated to helping small businesses plan, launch, manage and grow through mentoring and educational workshops.
That said, the column doesn’t often feature the experience of the mentors who have volunteered their time to assist. Although SCORE originally was formed as a network of retired business executives, that has changed over time and now includes a roster of professionals at various stages in their careers.
One of those volunteers, and now co-chair of the Green Bay chapter, is Laurel Haak, owner of Mighty Red Barn (mightyredbarn.com), a global consultancy company. A review of Haak’s website will attest to her successful career. She holds a neuroscience doctor of philosophy degree from Stanford University School of Medicine and is an entrepreneur, strategist, researcher, and author.
After spending decades living in areas around the country with a stint in Germany, Haak decided to apply her vast experience to going out on her own as a consultant.
“I was the CEO of a nonprofit startup,” Haak said. “During my tenure, I built it from being a 40-person organization to one, after a number of mergers, with 1,000 members in 41 countries. It took just eight years. When it got to that point, I wondered, ‘What do I do next?’ And I decided it was time to start my own business.”
Setting it up was not difficult because of everything she had learned in working with other startups. She knew how to set up an accounting system, develop a marketing plan, determine pricing, and build a website.
“Having built infotech startups from the ground up, in commercial and nonprofit environments, I understood the importance and interaction of mission focus, product strategy, business model, team motivation, and stakeholder alignment in ensuring company success,” Haak said.
Also, as a frequent speaker and writer on research policy, she had a network that she could call on for projects and ideas. However, it was 2020 when she launched and she found herself in the middle of a pandemic.
“Mighty Red Barn was founded amidst a global pandemic, economic recession, and time of desperate societal challenges,” she said.
The name was selected because, she noted, barns symbolize community, cooperation, craft, and pragmatism. It also fit her location. She had originally planned to spend half of the year in Maryland and half on a piece of lakefront land she owned in Townsend, but when COVID-19 hit, she decided to stay in the smaller, rural community and build a home.
From that location, she communicates with clients around the globe. Because consulting tends to be extremely competitive, Haak decided to specialize in consulting with nonprofits, her forte. A benefit of having been in the nonprofit world was that she had been an early adopter of virtual meetings and was prepared for the Zoom meetings that became a staple during the pandemic.
But more challenges were ahead. Shortly after launching, her father became ill and her parents needed help. She had to step away from the new business for several months to help care for her dad. After his death, she said that dwindling resources meant she had to get busy with marketing.
“I thought that it was time to start generating some income; so, I sent a note to friends and asked if they had any projects I could do,” Haak said. “I got a number of cool projects out of that, and those projects led to other projects. I like being my own boss and just want to be able to pay my own way.”
To accomplish that, she leans on something learned from her dad who started a business when he was 50 years old. After getting let go from a long career in the steel industry, he turned to something he knew and decided to start a specialty welding business.
“He went to his network for help and did all of the marketing and sales to start it,” she said. “It was wonderful to see. I learned about business cycles and how you can’t depend on consistent sales. Dad sold spare parts when it was slow and I picked up on the need to develop other revenue streams when it is slow.”
Her “spare parts business” is using her skill to build websites for nonprofits, do research, and write research papers. But the variety of projects she works on is her greatest joy.
“I’m really, really curious and like to solve problems. If I see a problem, I’m all in,” Haak said. “The special thing I add to a project is me — my experience, my connections, my knowledge in infrastructure, how the research process works, and experience as a CEO.”
The mission of Mighty Red Barn is to help organizations craft a business plan, devise a governance model, develop a team, and create a collaborative operational infrastructure. She says that it is imperative for businesses to understand that it takes more than passion to succeed. That is something she shares with SCORE clients.
Haak said, “One of the biggest issues startups have is that they come up with an idea, but don’t do research to see if there is a market for it. They need to ask themselves why they want to start the business and what skills they’re bringing to the table. They also need to reach out to a group like SCORE.”
When they do reach out, they will have the benefit of talking to incredibly knowledgeable mentors like Haak. Clients are matched both online and in person with those who can provide the greatest assistance in that category. Haak, who has been an avid volunteer for a variety of organizations throughout her life, says SCORE was a good fit.
“With my experience, I have a lot to offer the business community,” she said. “But there was another more personal reason. I am living in a community of less than 1,000 people. It’s a fabulous place for live but there isn’t a lot going on here. This has always been the get away place for me, but I needed a way to plug in and reground myself. SCORE gives me the opportunity to know the local business community.”
Tina Dettman-Bielefeldt is co-owner of DB Commercial Real Estate in Green Bay and past district director for SCORE, Wisconsin.
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