Here is the next installment of my Behind the Small Business segment of the blog, where we feature and get to know the people behind our local small businesses.

Vickie Kozhushchenko brings her years of experience in the area of human resources to her consulting company, VLK Consulting. She is committed to helping businesses of all sizes by providing career coaching and HR advisory services.

My previous experience in the corporate world was with a very large company (125,000+ employees & 1,100 at the campus I worked on) that had a very established HR organization that I often took for granted. However, after meeting Vickie, I started thinking bout how much effort it must take to organize and service an entire company’s workforce. Then I thought about the other side of the coin being in the small business world. If my business expanded from a company of 1 to many (a girl can dream, right?), I would certainly need guidance and advice in the HR area. I’d bet many other small businesses might find that aspect daunting so I can definitely appreciate Vickie’s vision for her company.

Another aspect that I really love about VLK Consulting Group is the career coaching offered to everyone from early career to leadership level. I mean, who hasn’t at some point wondered if they were going down the right path? For me, I always had a mentor in my company or other professional counselors to brainstorm with, bounce ideas off of, get sanity checks, and to hold me accountable. These people were key to my successes, and I feel everyone should have someone on their side. For those who don’t, I think Vickie would be an awesome coach  based on our personal interactions. She’s very easy to talk to, professional, knowledgeable, and sincere in her efforts to help others.

Learn a little bit more about Vickie and her company in the short interview below.

Business Info: 

VLK Consulting Group
Established: 2015

Who should people contact for more information?
Vickie Kozhushchenko
vickiek@vlkconsultinggroup.com

Website URL
www.vlkconsultinggroup.com

What products or services do you sell?

We help organizations and people find their purpose and maintain it. We provide leadership and career coaching, HR advisory and consulting services, and HR department assessments and development plans. We specialize in working with small and mid-size businesses as well as non-profits.

How did your business get started? (Why did you start it? How did you come up with the idea? Or what attracted you to your industry?)

About 5 years ago, I started working on my master’s degree in Organizational Dynamics at Penn. I realized through some of my coursework that my capabilities in coaching and interest in organizational structures, team dynamics and leadership development combined with my experiences in service-focused organizations gave me a unique opportunity – I could help others as they grew their businesses and themselves in meaningful and purposeful ways. I knew it might take me 10-15 years before I was ready to really start my own business but I took a leap of faith in mid-2015 when the company I was working with had some budgetary issues and I offered to eliminate my own position to save money; in doing so, I created my first consulting opportunity and launched my business!

What is your background? Education, Work Experience

I have a bachelor’s degree in hospitality management, a certificate in performance consulting, a masters-in-process in organizational dynamics and 20 years of experience as an HR practitioner and leader. As I grew my career in the business world, I was fortunate enough to gain experiences in every aspect of HR and lead teams small and large. I’ve worked for such organizations as Turner Broadcasting, Comcast, Aramark and Coordinated Health.

What is your proudest achievement since opening your business?

I have two – the first (and most important) is the day I was able to go to my daughter’s Halloween parade and party without feeling guilty that I wasn’t at work, missing any important meetings or deadlines. The flexibility that comes with owning my own business and consulting for others allows me to focus on my three priorities in the order I think most important: family, health and work.

The second achievement I’m most proud of is recent – I was asked to join the faculty at Drexel University teaching career management to seniors in the Lebow School of Business. I’m so excited to be able to help early career professionals figure out how to navigate the challenging waters of career planning, job searches and company culture and environment!

If you could give your customers one piece of advice, what would it be?

Your employees can make or break your business. When you engage them in meaningful ways, through positive frequent communication, active specific feedback, great benefits and perks (even a very small business can find ways to provide good benefits on a shoestring budget) and by showing that you care about them personally and professionally, they will give back to you with great service/products to your customers and clients.

Why did you seek out professional photography services?

Since I launched my own business, I’ve needed to present my credentials and profile with the utmost professionalism and strong image. I needed some great head shots for my bio, LinkedIn profile and website and when I met Audrey, it was clear that she had the experience and understanding (especially given her background in the corporate world) to deliver!

How was your experience with Audrey Ditzler Photography?

Fantastic! Audrey put me at ease, especially when I told her how self-conscious I feel when I’m photographed. She picked an ideal shooting location, got some great shots, and turned around my proofs within 48 hours.

 

The non-business side! 🙂 

Coffee or Tea?
Tea! (I’m English by birth…it’s in my DNA!)

What did you want to be when you were growing up?
It was a toss-up between a pediatrician and a kindergarten teacher. Then I almost failed high school biology and I decided perhaps medicine was NOT my calling! I was still contemplating teaching as a second career until I had my own kids and then realized that I’m much better at molding my own kids than anyone else’s!

What inspires you?

My two daughters – they are 3 1/2 and 2 years old, and when I watch them, I realize how great their potential is, as long as they have the tools, guidance, love and creative outlets to help them decide what matters to them.

What do you work towards in your free time?

A really large, very productive organic vegetable garden! We just started some seeds and are hoping for a bumper crop of tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, watermelons, peas and zucchini this summer!

What are three things in your bag that you can’t live without?

1. Baby wipes (they’re usually for my kids, but I confess that I need them for myself far too often!)
2. Burt’s Bees Lip Shimmer in Plum – part lip balm, part lipstick, makes me look and feel good in 5 seconds flat!
3. My business cards (from Moo.com) – I used to be really bad about keeping them with me but now they’re crucial to my business success!

What are your hobbies? Any professional or community organizations that you participate in?

I love to read, garden and bake which gives me something to do no matter what the weather or season! My love of reading is something I developed early in life, and I volunteer as a literacy tutor for adults and teens to help others discover the power that literacy brings. 

Thanks so much, Vickie, for choosing me for your professional headshot photos!

Are you looking for a headshot for your professional needs? Do you want to share your small business story? Let’s discuss!  Contact me at 215-703-8340 or info@audreyditzler.com