When Tonia Olson thought about her long-term career goals, becoming a solopreneur was never part of the picture.
She spent her career at Granger in Lansing, first working in public relations and marketing and then slowly adding more responsibilities and accolades. Several times throughout her career, she considered opening up her own business. But as a self-proclaimed risk-averse person, she shied away from the idea.
Until last November, when something finally clicked.
The opportunity seemed ripe and Olson decided to open up her own consulting business, bringing her unique combination of relationship building and organizational skills to a new set of clients. She launched Olson Solutions, a company that helps clients link ideas, people, and resources for organizational growth and development.
“Now that I’m doing it, I realize that it’s fun, not scary,” Tonia said, “It’s rewarding and empowering.”
After a long career in a single industry, she enjoys the opportunity to collaborate on new types of projects with businesses of all sizes.
“I feel like I’m learning again,” she said. “I feel like when you are an external person providing business support, you have a different perspective. You can really contribute. That’s a good feeling.”
Though the pandemic sent shockwaves through the business community, Tonia’s unique and diverse skillset remained crucial for her clients. While partnering with internal resources, she was able to advise one of her clients how to restructure their business to reopen offices safely.
Moving forward, Tonia is looking forward to building relationships in the community. When she reflects back on what led her to this point, she credits her long career at Granger in addition to her experiences serving on several Delhi Township boards and committees.
“I know that a lot of people don’t consider the opportunity to volunteer and serve on public boards, but it was so valuable to me,” she said. “I can’t say enough about that. Particularly in Delhi, they made sure I had the training. I think I would encourage others when they have the opportunity of time, they should consider volunteering to help support the community. The dividends will be there.”
Find out more about Olson Solutions at www.olson-solutions.com or by calling 517.896.9729.