Elaine Queathem is CEO and Founder of Savvy Coders in St. Louis, an entrepreneur, and a mentor. She has a passion to meet individuals where they are and encourage them to take the next step, wherever it might lead. Elaine has over 40 years of workplace experience with significant time in operations, finance, business development, and sales.
Elaine received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Missouri-St. Louis and her MBA from Webster University. She is on the board of the St. Louis City Workforce Development and serves on the advisory board of Missouri State University Design Thinking.
Her many years of experience have landed her right where she is meant to be – leading an organization to greatness.
What is Savvy Coders all about?
At Savvy Coders, our mission is to change the face of IT by reaching out to and including people typically underrepresented in IT. We open the world of Information Technology to them and, if it’s a good fit, we teach them to become software developers.
Tell us a little bit about your background and how you started your company?
I am a St. Louis native. I come from a family of entrepreneurs. My role model for business, and for many things, is my grandfather, Hank. Early on he taught me the value of a business relationship and that a handshake far outweighs any legal agreement. In his 70s, while running his third start-up, he took on a woman business partner and I paid attention. I grew up knowing that women do have a place at the table. I have over 40 years of experience in operations, finance, business development, sales, and management.
In all, I have been involved with technology my entire life. When working for a small software technology company in 2009, I became acutely aware of the shortage of qualified programming resources which were essential for a small company to grow and thrive. Now, several years later, I am in a position to help people begin to develop those important and sought-after skills. That’s why I founded Savvy Coders.
What were the top mistakes you made starting your business and what did you learn from it?
I took longer than I should have to find competent help. I let many people with good intentions waste my time. I was asked over and over again about my target market and, honestly, it was a difficult question to answer because we had appealed to many people.
The whole experience threw me for a loop and was distracting. I learned to stick with what you absolutely know and tune out the ‘noise’, if at all possible.
What are three books or courses you recommend for new entrepreneurs?
The Art of The Business Model by Guy Kawasaki, Start With Why by Simon Sinek, and The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey.
What is the one thing you wish you knew before starting your business?
I wish I knew that I would not be able to draw any sort of a paycheck for 18 months, and, that after 18 months, the business would take off and become successful. In essence, I wish I’d had a crystal ball.
What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?
Using all social media platforms, including Google AdWords. We also collect and create collateral from every nook and cranny, then effectively using it to market our product. Referrals are essential.
If you only had 1000 dollars to start a new startup, knowing everything you know now, how would you spend it?
First, $1000 will not get an entrepreneur very far and most small businesses fail because they don’t have enough capital to launch successfully. Initially, they will have to figure out whether or not they have a minimally viable product. They should spend their first $1,000 on a focus group and obtain feedback from people they do not know. If you have any money left you should invest it in whatever would help you obtain customers such as Facebook ads and Google AdWords. You might also let others know you are investing $1000 of your own money and then find people to match it.
What’s your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?
Figure out what you are the best at, and then find excellent resources to provide the skills that you lack. Entrepreneurs cannot do it all. The sooner one figures that out, the less time and money they will waste. Do not fear what you do not know.
What is your favorite quote?
When sleeping women wake, mountains move.
– Chinese proverb
Besides the obvious social media tools available, what are the top 3 most useful tools or resources you’re currently using to grow your company?
These would include partnering with organizations that support our mission, finding organizations that need training programs, and finding grants that support our mission. These resources take time and energy to cultivate but are worth the effort.
How is running a tech company different than what you thought it would be?
It’s not really different than I thought. Every organization uses technology. We teach a form of technology. Being a CEO in technology, or any company, requires a large variety of skills that are transferrable to nearly any industry. It’s the experience that you gain by leading a company for more than five years that matters. Looking in the rearview mirror this is very apparent, but in year one I would not have valued experience (which was yet to come) enough.
How can readers get in touch with you?
You can reach out to me on LinkedIn Elaine Queathem, or via email Elaine@savvycoders.com.
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