We had the good fortune of connecting with Lisa Rehurek and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lisa, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
It was slightly accidental. I was in a business partnership as a minority partner, and it was not going well. A very toxic environment. I was offered a sub-contracting consulting gig and the timing was just right, so I jumped at that chance, But I also knew I wanted to build something along side of that. I’d say the universe kind of pushed me into it. I had no prior exposure to business ownership but I had been bitten by the bug, and I knew I didn’t want to go back to a “job”. That was 13 years ago.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I truly am most proud of the team that we have assembled. I remember when I was taking the leap to hire my first employee, how scared I was. Here we are almost five years later, with a team of 15, and I couldn’t be happier.

We love to be a fun place to work, where we all work hard and play hard. We have developed a core set of guiding principles called our ‘Ride or Die’ which really sets the stage for what kind of a culture we have. Employees and clients seek us out because of that Ride or Die.

I’m also so excited about the new small business offerings we are rolling out this year. I have a huge heart for the small diverse business community, but they can’t always afford to pay us our fees to help them with an RFP response. In response to that market, we have developed new offerings that will provide support to these smaller businesses and help them win some very lucrative government contracts.

As far as the ease of getting to where we are today, it definitely was NOT easy. Quite a few bumps in the road, which will always be there. Business ownership isn’t for the faint at heart. Some days are amazing, some days are exciting, some days are steady, but some days are hard.

I’ve learned that if you have the right people on the bus and have good intentions for the business, things will work out. Trust the universe, trust in yourself, and be a good human. And you’ll be fine.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’d start by showing them some of the great sites around the Phoenix area. Phoenix has become such a foodie town, and I’m a huge foodie, so I’d want to share some of my favorite haunts like Casa Reynosa, Sotisse, The House Brasserie, or Shimagamo.

I might take them up north to the Mogillon Rim which is an area that I spend a lot of time in. It’s just so beautiful and people are always surprised by how different it is than Phoenix, just a couple of hours to the northeast.

I’m a Southern Arizona girl, born and raised, so I’d also like to sneak in some time to go to Bisbee, which is a very artsy and unique place, close to where I grew up. We’d also trek to some wineries in Sonoita, and a drive up to Mt Lemmon in Tucson.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My team is a huge part of my success. My directors – Cheri and LJ; my managers, Ted and Julie; and my entire staff including our subcontractors and partners. The business is where it is today because they are a phenomenal team who put their heart and soul into their work and into this company’s success.

There are so many people who have been part of my journey – not always positive role models, but I learned something from all of them. Way too many to name.

Website: www.therfpsuccesscompany.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/state_govt_contracting_tips/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisarehurek/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RFPsuccess

Image Credits
Karianne Mundstedt

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