Sprk'd Founders Spotlight: Michelle Penczak, CEO of Squared Away

Veterans Day is a holiday we have come to embrace and celebrate on a large scale - as we should! However, Military Family Appreciation Month is also recognized during the month of November but isn't as largely recognized unless you're actively involved in the military/veteran community. Military families are often forgotten but make everyday sacrifices, as their lives are often impacted by their service members' commitment to serve.

The majority of military families move every 3-4 years, depending on the service member's MOS (military occupational specialty code; A.K.A. their job). These frequent moves make it extremely difficult for military spouses to find jobs in their desired career field and often require raising families off of one income - not an easy feat in today's world! Even when service members transition out or retire from the military, their spouses often feel too behind, or they have had to settle for lower-income jobs out of desperation, with no clear career path.

Luckily, there are businesses and resources out there trying to change the course for military spouses to find meaningful employment with clear career paths. Squared Away is one of them. Squared Away is a team of military spouses and veterans working remotely to support busy professionals and their businesses. The company celebrated its third anniversary on Veterans Day and is founded and led by Michelle Penczak.

I stumbled upon Squared Away from another colleague and in honor of Military Family Appreciation month and our daily mission of supporting women business owners, I want to share this Founder Spotlight featuring Michelle and her team. They are on a mission to employ as many military spouses as possible so they can find meaningful employment while also navigating life connected to the military.

Keep reading to hear more in this Founder Spotlight on why Michelle started her business, what sets it apart from other virtual assistant firms, and how she navigates life as a CEO, military spouse, and mama to two sweet boys.

Michelle Penczak, CEO of Squared Away, and her beautiful family!

What called you to start Squared Away?

I had worked independently as a remote assistant for 4.5 years and through multiple hurdles; an overnight layoff, a new baby, and a military permanent change of station (PCS) from North Carolina to Hawaii.

During this period, I often had friends and spouses ask me how I was able to have a career myself with the chaos of our lifestyle. I talked about how I got started often but there was no real how-to guide to share.

In 2017, one of my clients called me and told me that I needed to scale because there was only one of me. I told him I was absolutely up to the challenge but only if the focus was on military spouses.

What is the biggest challenge you have run into with your business and how have you overcome it?

I would say the biggest challenge has been sharing the difference between Squared Away and other virtual assistant businesses. Most people have heard of, or had experience with, other virtual assistant firms. Setting Squared Away apart was a big challenge.

Every decision we make is centered around our mission of employing as many military spouses as possible. We make sure that we talk about our mission with every single client and how the core of a military spouse is very much in line with the support our clients need.

What do you think has been the biggest contributor to your success?

I honestly wish I could pin it down to just one thing but I think it’s a combination. Our mission has probably been the biggest contributor to how far we have come in the past three years. Sharing the stories of our assistants and the impact of having a career of their own, when they didn’t think it possible with our lifestyle, has been huge. Our clients love and support that mission wholeheartedly and they are able to accomplish so much working with our immensely talented team.

What is your best piece of advice for business owners who would like to scale their business?

Don’t give up! It’s hard scaling a business and I would be lying if I said there weren’t incredibly hard days that made me want to throw in the towel and only commit to Pinterest projects. Have faith in yourself and push through those hard days because the end result is incredibly worth it.

What is your approach to marketing and how do you bring in new clients?

Marketing for us is sharing tips and tricks from our team, celebrating our clients, and talking about the best people in the world, our assistants. Clients mostly come from referrals of current clients.

What is the one thing about military life you wish the civilian world understood/empathized with?

We have extremely limited control over our lifestyle to include our schedules. Planning ahead for us is a week in advance. As a Marine Corps spouse, I often hear the phrase ‘semper gumby’ which means ‘be flexible.’ We are often the last ones to know the plans of the military so I promise, we don’t change things last minute for fun.

Want to learn more about Squared Away and explore finding a Chief Executive Assistant to support you, or your business? Visit gosquaredaway.com and tell 'em Sprk'd sent ya! You won't regret it!