Empowering People
& Revitalizing the Community

A Moment with our WBA Graduate- Kenise Hunter

Posted on 8/28/2020 by EDTP Coordinator in LAEDA News
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Kenise Hunter is the owner of Grayter Talent Solutions, which is a talent acquisition firm. She is also a graduate of LAEDA’s Women's Business Academy. We had a chance to sit down with Kenise Hunter to ask about her experience with entrepreneurship and LAEDA WBC's training program.

(1) LAEDA: Entrepreneurship is a very challenging path to take with many different possible directions. What made you decide to become an entrepreneur?

I always grew up thinking that if you work for someone else you help build them up. However, when you work for yourself, you build yourself up and create a legacy that can be passed on to future generations. I have always had an entrepreneurial spirit and motivation to push forward and determine my own destiny.

(2) LAEDA: Why did you choose your industry?

When it came to the point in my career in which I got involved in talent acquisition and career development, I realized that I enjoyed working with people and in assisting them with their career goals. In Graduate School, I took a course in Career Counseling. The course is designed to assist individuals in choosing their career paths and what field of work they should pursue. This course really inspired me to gain even more knowledge and an even greater desire to help people with their passions and get their foot in the door of their industry of choice or make a strategic career change based on their new skill set.

(3) LAEDA: Tell me about your experience while attending EDTP. What have the major takeaways been from the program? Have you had any “Ah-ha!” moments? How did the program help you?

My experiences while attending LAEDA’s EDTP were very valuable for many reasons, such as the ongoing support and help you constantly get with the help of LAEDA’s staff and also was able to collaborate with other individuals in the program. All of these points were a definite plus and I learned a lot from the trainers and staying in touch with other entrepreneurs and/or business owners from the class really guided me more towards success. In addition, my “Ah-ha” moment was being able to build a sufficient business plan, which allowed me to put my whole business on paper and actually implement the strategies developed to get my business up and running is a definite highlight of this course/program.

(4) LAEDA: Tell me about your journey on the road to business start-up. What have been some of the challenges, successes, failures, etc.?

A recent challenge was being in the middle of a pandemic and realizing I had to be in control of my own success. Some challenges I faced were getting certain insurances and paperwork completed when everything went virtual. This is the new way of doing business which made it harder to connect initially. However, eventually it worked out to be successful because most companies have gone virtual. This brought upon even more motivation in me to have the desire of returning to my office in Mount Laurel, NJ. My greatest success amidst all this is that no matter what happened I kept up with business trends, conducted key research and continued to train and develop my staff and grow the company. Creating a business system and staying focused is always in the life of an entrepreneur and/or business owner. No matter what is going on around you, giving up means not only giving up on yourself and your passion, but your future business success as well.

(5) LAEDA: Could you tell me a little about where your business is today?

I started off with independent recruiting for a few companies and from there I was able to get contracts with a lab, engineering firm, pharmaceutical company and food and beverage corporation. From this point on, I have continued to establish relationships and recruit for nonprofit organizations and professional services corporations. My recruiting team assists me with sourcing, on-boarding, corporate training and business development. I am very excited for where the company is headed and my team and I are welcoming the future partnerships and success that will continue to grow over the next several years.

(6) LAEDA: Do you have any advice for future (or existing) entrepreneurs?

My advice for future (or existing) entrepreneurs is that you do not get paid to think! You get paid for what you cause to get done, so start now and certainly do not procrastinate. We all have a skill set that we can utilize to push our own level of success but we just have to go out there and go for it. Success is waiting for us to grab it, take hold tightly and run with it. You can do it!

Congratulations to Kenise Hunter for completing WBA and recommitting to her journey on the path of entrepreneurship. Grayter Talent Solutions is a Talent Acquisition and Workforce Development Firm located in Mt. Laurel, NJ. GTS specializes in workforce solutions for Professional Services, Engineering, Non Profit Organizations and Skilled Industrial positions. Their staff is dedicated to provide a variety of highly sought talent to fill open Direct Hire and Contract positions. To get in touch with Kenise Hunter, you can email her at Khunter@graytertalent.com and or visit her website at www.graytertalent.com.

The Women's Business Academy is a free, nine-week business skills training course offered in Camden, NJ in the Winter each year. Qualified entrepreneurs receive 72+ hours of training from industry professionals, business planning, and one year of technical assistance. Apply online at www.laedawbc.com.

 

  


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