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| Immigrant entrepreneur: | Irina Alexander |
| Company: | Business Coach |
| Place of birth: | Russia |
| Employees: | 0 |
| Age started business: | 29 |
Show notes
Irina met her husband in China while working abroad on a summer tour program. She never initally wanted to move to America, but because she married an American (while in China) she moved to Texas in her early 20s.
She didn’t have any family or friends in Texas, and on top of that, her husband had to go to work – overseas. She was left all alone. There were many struggles in her immigrant journey from handling basic phone conversations, to driving to the grocery stores and getting around.
Irina and her husband decided to launch an HVAC company, but little did she know she was about to run the show all by herself. Not only that, she had 2 kids under the age of 2.
Her immigrant entrepreneur journey is one of a kind, because she was running her business in a male dominated field.
This episode is filled with invaluable entrepreneurship advice and she shares her entire story and the struggles along the way.
Quotes by Irina
I was terrified to speak on the phone.
I was running the company with 2 kids under the age of 2.
I had to definitely step out of my comfort zone and do what it takes.
I mostly built most of my business through networking.
I used to be a person who hated to network.
I became popular by being different.
The actual definition of business is a profitable enterprise that can work without you.
I was somebody in Russia but when I came to America, I was pretty much nobody and I had to build it all over again to prove myself.
Confidence is a choice, but competence comes with experience.
I had to look confident so I can project the right energy to attract people and prove them that I do know what I’m doing.
Failures happen for us, not to us.
If you truly want something, you can have all you want.
People are afraid of things that are not even real.
Don’t put any limits to your dreams.
Be flexible with your behaviour and mentality.
Everything is possible.
Where to find Irina
Links mentioned
[read more] Alina Warrick (0s):
Welcome to the Immigrant Entrepreneurs Podcast, episode 35.
Irina Alexander (6s):
I built mostly my business through networking. I would love to say that Austin is a capital of networking because it’s really what you do is build connections with people. And that’s how I build my business.
Alina Warrick (20s):
My name is Alina Warrick and I’m super excited to chat with Irina Alexander on the show. Irina came to Texas to join her husband in her early twenties. And after her husband had to leave for work overseas, she was forced to handle her new life all by herself. With limited English, she launched an HVAC company initially with her husband at 29 years old, but ended up running the company all by herself with a nursing baby and another child under two years old, she was able to build her HVAC company to $2 million in revenue in just 2 short years in a male dominated field and learning everything as she went along.
Alina Warrick (1m 11s):
She now specializes in coaching business owners how to run and to grow their businesses. So let’s dive right in and hear all about this young entrepreneurs journey to success. Okay Irina thank you so much for coming on to the Immigrant Entrepreneurs podcast. I am truly excited and honored to share your story. So welcome to the show.
Irina Alexander (1m 36s):
Thank you so much for having me today.
Alina Warrick (1m 38s):
So let’s talk about your immigrant journey. Tell us where you’re from and when did you come to the United States?
Irina Alexander (1m 45s):
I am originally from Russia, actually on my birth certificate it says USSR, a country that doesn’t exist anymore. But from a part of USSR that is Russia. And I moved to United States just over 11 years ago. And it was not just a planned journey of moving. Actually the story behind it, I never planned or thought about moving to America.
Alina Warrick (2m 15s):
Okay.
Irina Alexander (2m 15s):
But I actually moved to America from China, where I was working.
Alina Warrick (2m 21s):
Oh, wow. And where are you teaching English in China or what were you doing in China?
Irina Alexander (2m 28s):
I was a tour guide. It was my summer job. I was taking tourists from Russia and taking them and showing them China and bringing them back. In 2008, during the Olympic games in China, I met my husband. So he is American. So Russian and American, met at the bar in China.
Alina Warrick (2m 50s):
Wow. What a story? Oh my goodness. Okay. So then what happened?
Irina Alexander (2m 56s):
We dated for a few months and then when he was relocating to Brazil to work and to have his next work project and I was actually graduating at a University and going into a PhD program that’s when he proposed and nine months later, no, I didn’t have a baby. Nine months later I moved to Texas. That’s where he is originally from, so that’s why Texas.
Alina Warrick (3m 26s):
Okay. So how old were you when you left Russia to go to China?
Irina Alexander (3m 30s):
Well, it was an on and off trip. So there’s not a specific age since I was going back and forth all the time.
Alina Warrick (3m 38s):
Oh, okay.
Irina Alexander (3m 39s):
So I wasn’t living there permanently. It was just a job travel.
Alina Warrick (3m 44s):
Got it. Okay. So the last time when you met your husband, did you go back to Russia and then you relocated to Texas?
Irina Alexander (3m 53s):
Yes, because I had to do paperwork so all the bureaucracy things. That’s why, having back in Russia, graduated school, got into PhD programs in grad school. And when the embassy called for in-person interview, I went to Moscow for in-person interview then from Moscow I moved to Texas.
Alina Warrick (4m 18s):
So how old were you when you moved to Texas?
Irina Alexander (4m 22s):
I was in my early twenties. I was 21 or 22.
Alina Warrick (4m 27s):
Okay. So what was it like telling your parents at 21 or 22? I am moving to America.
Irina Alexander (4m 35s):
Wow. I really broke my mom’s heart. I’m the only child and I was raised by a single mom. So it wasn’t easy to say those words. And I knew that I’m not going to live in my hometown, but it was always, everybody thought that I’m going to be, maybe in China, maybe Moscow, somewhere else, but definitely not America. It was, like I said, it was never on my radar.
Alina Warrick (5m 2s):
Yeah.
Irina Alexander (5m 2s):
And it’s much closer for traveling, especially where I’m from, far East Russia. So leaving my home town and moving there far away where it not so easy, you know, to come see me, it was definitely heartbreaking for all of us.
Alina Warrick (5m 21s):
Did your mom eventually join you in Texas?
Irina Alexander (5m 25s):
No, she still works. She still lives in Russia. She comes and visits every year and we go and visit her. So we travel, we love traveling.
Alina Warrick (5m 39s):
So, what did you study in your PhD program? And was the PhD program in Russia?
Irina Alexander (5m 43s):
Yes so our original thought was to get my PhD in both languages, Russian and Chinese. So I was thinking to get into PhD programs in China and Right one dissertation on both languages, it, an international migration, this subject, but life happened that I got into PhD programs and after one year I quit because then moved to America and it was just, I would say, no one needs for that is there is no strong by why am I doing that? Right.
Alina Warrick (6m 16s):
And so tell me, what was it like growing up in Russia?
Irina Alexander (6m 19s):
I had only positive memories. So honestly, even though I was born USSR and I was about four or five when the big wall came down. But honestly I was raised in an unconditional love and my family did that every scene to pretty much give everything they can. So we always had food in a table. I went to daycare, I went to school, play on the street. So I only have positive memories.
Alina Warrick (6m 55s):
So I know when or where I’m from in Russia. It’s a very, very small town. Now actually the population is about like a 150,000 in the last couple of years. It, it has actually decreased by several thousands of population. So it was not prominent back in the day that my cousin’s or anyone going to a college. So was that your similar experience, was your city pretty big or a pretty small and it was a prominent for the people in your town to seek a higher education?
Irina Alexander (7m 31s):
My town is about 200 and 250,000. So for a Russian standards is pretty small town is a C you know, for America.
Alina Warrick (7m 40s):
It was a pretty big town.
Irina Alexander (7m 42s):
So I would consider that always left to say, like, we didn’t even have a McDonalds bags in, so that’s how a small town, but my hometown, we have about five or six universities in my hometown. So it’s a definitely a college town. And so higher education was pretty much a must. That’s my experience is that everybody I know in my sphere of influence all of my friends and they all have a higher education.
Alina Warrick (8m 13s):
Awesome. Okay. Well, that’s good to hear it. So I Irina. And tell me about what their struggles that you had to go through when you first immigrated. And this is when you were 21 or 22.
Irina Alexander (8m 25s):
Well, I moved pretty much from China. I would want to say that and moving to Texas and kind of almost like middle of nowhere from a highly populated cities, which is Texas no public transportation. They were very kind of share like, so culture shock was definitely there. And even though I drove a car, but we still walk everywhere. Even in Russia, in China, if you want to groceries, you can just take a walk five, 10 minutes a year at the store and getting something you want. You’d like to eat, get some groceries and get back home. Well here you have to drive everywhere.
Irina Alexander (9m 4s):
So that was first of all, it’s so country
Alina Warrick (9m 8s):
Of course, is cows. When you are
Irina Alexander (9m 12s):
On the highways and you have to really drive everywhere, not a lot of people live downtown. So a lot of suburbs where people actually live and then they drive downtown, for example, for work or at least that’s how it is here in Texas, at Austin Metro area. So those are two my biggest things. And M, even though I drove a car, but as soon as they move, we didn’t buy me a car right away. So I have to drive my husband’s Ford truck for the F two 50.
Alina Warrick (9m 46s):
Oh wow.
Irina Alexander (9m 47s):
I’m having a, you know, regular car to drive in a truck that was also an experience. And I didn’t have a choice. What happened is my husband. He works overseas and he has gone every other than a month. So I didn’t have a choice. I moved to Texas and three weeks later he went back to work. So here I am in a middle of nowhere, my English was okay, but not great. I was terrified to speak on a phone. I was terrified to vocalize, you know what? I want it because I was afraid people are going to make fun of me. And I’m going to understand what I’m saying. And in order to get groceries, I had to get an, a truck I’m going to go to the closest store.
Irina Alexander (10m 32s):
So that was a first impression.
Alina Warrick (10m 34s):
Yeah. Wow. What an experience to just be left alone or in the middle of, of Texas driving a, a gigantic truck around. And so did you learn English back in China or Russia?
Irina Alexander (10m 48s):
I learned English back in Russia when, well, first of all, it’s like Spanish here. You learn English at school. That’s a mandatory in high school and University, but it’s only a year or two. And I give you the basics. I had a little bit advanced English because when I was, I believe the 10 or 11, my mom took me to the school of foreign languages, four languages, which were English or German, French and Chinese have a few years later, I decided to focus on just two languages, English and Chinese. And when I went to work in China and pretty much said, well, I don’t need English.
Irina Alexander (11m 30s):
And my focus and Chinese. So when I met my husband was actually a very funny, because one is the first phrase is that I told him, I was like, I’m sorry, I don’t speak English. And he was like, ahh. So what are you, what are you speaking
Alina Warrick (11m 41s):
To me right now?
Irina Alexander (11m 45s):
And I’m like, well, my English is bad. He was like, well, it’s a bad as in my Russian because I know it’s there. All right.
Alina Warrick (11m 53s):
And so that’s how it started. So I
Irina Alexander (11m 55s):
Had a base knowledge, but it, it, it goes Okay, I mean, it was a good enough for us to understand each other and obviously is the more you practice, the more you put yourself out there, the faster you improve it.
Alina Warrick (12m 8s):
Yeah. Yeah. So did you take up my college courses to learn English or hire a tutor or you kinda just through experience and learned and picked up
Irina Alexander (12m 18s):
English yeah. The only sort of experience I didn’t take any courses. I just put myself, well, I guess I moved in, moved to Texas and he left. So I had to figure out on my own, you know, when it comes to insurance is going to the grocery store or calling the doctor. So I just pretty much just dive in and learn as I go.
Alina Warrick (12m 40s):
And that’s the best way to let her know.
Irina Alexander (12m 43s):
Yeah, definitely. And the fastest way I think as well.
Alina Warrick (12m 46s):
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Awesome. It is. So I don’t even have to be for you to tell our listeners about your company. Tell me about the path you took or did you try to go into any other fields before starting?
Irina Alexander (13m 1s):
Oh wow. Wow. Is there is always a story behind the story. And for me, I be in a serial entrepreneur for many years. I had my first business when I was 20 think and it goes back to Russia. Wow. So I have been in the different fields and so I didn’t get to my current business right away. Took me eight years of figuring out how I can do what I love and make money from it. Monetized my message. Would you like me to go get into details? Yes, please.
Irina Alexander (13m 42s):
Absolutely. Originally before even got into college and university, I wanted to be a teacher and my mom told me it was like, well, teachers don’t make money, which is, we all know true. That’s why I went to a PhD program and wanted to teach him in college, but it’s still, you are not make money. And so I got the master’s in business administration and started my business. I love it entrepreneurship, but what the problem is colleges and universities. So you do not teach you how to run a business, right? That’s a big gap. So when I moved to America and got my real estate license, and later on me and my husband, we decided to open the heating and air conditioning business.
Irina Alexander (14m 28s):
That was a first big business here. And a lot of people ask like, well, how did you get into HVAC? He didn’t know condition business. And I said, it was pure business decision because it’s something that people need. And as a matter of what happens, especially in Texas is a matter of what happens to the economy because of cost to me, goes down what people stop going out to eat because they stopped. So it canceling all those are the two memberships where it gets you start working out at home. They stop entertaining. Is there stop spending money on entertainment? So was a heating and air conditioning, the same way as any service industry. Like how much plumbers and electricians, it’s some scenes that is needed all the time that he might have in Texas, especially in tech.
Irina Alexander (15m 16s):
I mean, at first of all, it was so hot and I months out of the year and plus we are growing like crazy here, not in Austin for so many years in a row with that. It’s just the amount of people are moving here every day, you know, is the big tech companies that coming and bringing in more job opportunities. So that the reason behind why is he going to air conditioning company? And the, what I thought was going to be a joint adventure. Me and my husband ran a company together while he went back to work at a country out of country while back then, well, a little bit back-track. So what happened is, so in 2016 oil field went down and he lost his job.
Irina Alexander (16m 1s):
What went down oil field oil field caught it. So in 2016, he lost his job. I was five months pregnant. She was my second daughter and we decided to open heating air conditioning company. Well, when you open any business, business doesn’t start to create profit right away. It creates revenue, but not for profit. So he went back to work to make money. And I was running a company full time, his two kids under the age of two breastfeeding, one of them.
Alina Warrick (16m 38s):
Wow. Oh my goodness. Wait. Okay. So I got to ask something. Did you guys hire employees and then it started taking on, you know, customers or how did they say that?
Irina Alexander (16m 50s):
Yes, absolutely. Because I had zero knowledge. I am an expert in working on a business, not in a business, so,
Alina Warrick (16m 59s):
And climbing the addicts, modeling these daisies,
Irina Alexander (17m 4s):
And you can see me wearing the technician outfit is probably for a Halloween. That’s the only time. So absolutely. We hire the operations manager. We hired her first technician later on because the receptionist’s dispatcher and so on. So yes, we originally started with hiring people because we were not doing work ourselves. Absolutely. Okay. So yeah, he was working, I was running a company in a way that’s in two years, I reached 1.6% of all women on businesses in the United States. So that was a huge accomplishment for me as a woman that working in an amended industry.
Irina Alexander (17m 51s):
Oh,
Alina Warrick (17m 51s):
Wow. So is this where you were able to build a $1 million in just two years?
Irina Alexander (17m 58s):
Yes ma’am. Oh my goodness.
Alina Warrick (17m 59s):
Okay. Tell me more,
Irina Alexander (18m 2s):
Right. I mean, just hard work. I had to definitely step out of my comfort zone and do what it takes. I learned a lot of skills and I mean, it wasn’t easy and pass and butterflies and every scene, it was just following the way it is supposed to down at my feet. I built mostly my business through networking. I would love to say that Austin is a capital of networking because it’s really what to do is build connections with people. And that’s how I build my business. I used to be a person who hated to network. I mean, I felt so uncomfortable going into a room full of strangers and you want to build relationship and connections.
Irina Alexander (18m 47s):
So in stepping out of my comfort zone and going to introduce yourself and make sure it’s more about the times and about U but at the same time. So I know what you do. So I pretty much put myself out there. I joined OLS and networking organizations that are exists for you much in Austin. And which one,
Alina Warrick (19m 6s):
Where are they like Entrepreneur organizations and like meetups like that.
Irina Alexander (19m 11s):
It’s a lot of paid ones. So like BNI business network, international chamber of commerce is I became ambassador of his round rock chamber of commerce, the bar as a team national business exchange. There are a lot of smaller organizations, for example, like meetups also like NERI the national association of remodelers. I’m not sure what exactly those words stands for, but so places like that, I was, I mean, in Austin, honestly, back to pre COVID age. Yes, you can network and, and you can go with the different places probably to three times a day.
Irina Alexander (19m 53s):
So I wasn’t doing that much, but I was definitely out there several days a week, sometimes every evening and just networking, meeting people. And what happened is actually me being an immigrant played a pretty interesting role in it because I became memorable. When people look at me and say, don’t think about heating and air conditioning. Yeah. That was a kind of, but what happens is I became memorable. It was like, they just like that crazy Russian girl. And so that’s a track. I don’t know how it happened, but people started calling me my favorite Russian. So in there now in the business circles, I know me as a favorite rush and a lot of them, I might have a lot of builders, so I would come around and it’s like, Hey, is my favorite fresh?
Irina Alexander (20m 43s):
And so I just kind of became, I would say certain a way of popular by being different. So what I was afraid of it before, because I look different, I sound different. I eventually use it to my benefits to stand apart. And people was like, Hey, you know, lets keep her when something happen with the air conditionings and it would call me and say, Hey, you know, we’d like to use you just be on top of the people’s mind when something happens. So that’s what happened when I was networking so much. And that’s what I want it. I mean, they might not have immediate need for replacing or repairing.
Irina Alexander (21m 24s):
Right. Is there a unit, but when something does happen, I am on top of that in mind and that’s what happened and that’s how I was able to grow my business so fast.
Alina Warrick (21m 35s):
Okay. So did you guys to have to raise any capital to start this HVAC company?
Irina Alexander (21m 39s):
And we didn’t raise any capital? We use our savings originally to start the business.
Alina Warrick (21m 45s):
Okay. And then, so you never raised capital at all for this HVAC company now and you were able to get up to a million dollars in two years. Oh my goodness. I’m still so shocked. Crazy, crazy. A woman, you know, from Russia and dominating it, the HVAC industry. It was just astonishing to me. So good job. All right.
Irina Alexander (22m 8s):
Oh, thank you. Thank you so much. So it was literally a hard work. It was 24 seven, especially with heating air conditioning because every same breakdown as we know, like yeah, these are after hours or so are they? We can, so it was definitely what happened is it was taken a life away on us. Like even though I reached, had accomplished so much, but it also hurt my family in my relationship and friends ’cause a lot of times parents would call me and was like, Hey, I came in and you know, people like, I know where I was like, I am working. So I was not a business owner. I pretty much created myself, but in a job, I was self-employed even though I had people working for me.
Irina Alexander (22m 52s):
And that’s what I would like to say that the actual definition of business is a profitable enterprise that can work without you. If you cannot leave your business, you can come back in. It’s a thriving, that’s not really a business. It’s just, you know, your cell phone important. Right. And that’s a, what happened to me? I realized that and I, in the few years I got a burnout. I was exhausted. It was bad. So it was, I was driving on the highway and I remember it like today I was driving it on the highway and I called my mom and I said, mom, I’m coming home. And she was like, what do you mean?
Irina Alexander (23m 31s):
And back then, I haven’t been home in nine years. And ah, I was like, what do you mean? That was like, Whoa, I need to escape. Yeah. I need to change to the scenery because he didn’t air conditioning. It here in Texas is the most money making time with some of our time. So when everybody taken a vacation, he had taken care of everybody else. So I got a burn out, I got my daughter’s passports and visas and we went through Russia for a month, for one month, for one month, for the whole month. Oh, okay. And was that when I kind of like took my time to figure out what to do I want to do, do I still want to do that?
Irina Alexander (24m 15s):
So I came back and I, by that time I was already a leading several network and organizations. And when it just started networking, I was, you know, meet with people and I would look up to them. I was like, well, how did you do that? How you built your business? Well, in a couple of years I became that person and people would come to me and say, would ask me, how did I do that? And I was like, okay, you have people value. And they wanted to know how I did things. How can I monetize my message that goes back to teaching? That’s what I wanted to do my whole life. I just didn’t know how to. Yeah. So we, I mean it, so did your husband eventually join you in leading this HVAC company or you were running this all by yourself?
Irina Alexander (25m 1s):
All by myself. He is still working on the field. Wow. Okay. Now he actually just left for work on Saturday. So he is still working in the oil field. I got it. Got it. Okay. So you were in Russia and you’re just thinking of, and I’m thinking about it. And I came back to talk to a good friend of mine who was a business coach and he was like, I need to do something different. I figured out that I did not want to go back. Can I go back? Yes. Do I want to go back now? And what was me is I love to build businesses.
Irina Alexander (25m 43s):
I love to put puzzles together to create systems. So business would run, but once it’s running, I kind of in a certain way, lose interest. So crazy to me. And that’s when I was like, okay, let me see what, what else is out there. So I started looking into speaking, coaching, mentoring, consulting, figuring out what’s the difference between coach and consultant. I already know what’s the difference before. And for some of you who might be curious, the main differences consultants usually do work for you and coaches.
Irina Alexander (26m 24s):
They coach you how to do the work and keep you accountable versus doing it for you. And that’s when I was like, yeah, I don’t want to do work for somebody else already. Right. It was a coach and teach and mentor and keep people accountable. Yeah. And that’s also, when, what I realized is before I was doing a lot of personal development and in a couple years of business that I was so successful, I stopped investing in myself because it was about it all came down to money, money, money, bottom line. So, I mean, I lost myself in a certain way. So when I took that break, I was like, okay, time to invest in my cell because I love it.
Irina Alexander (27m 8s):
I’m a constant student. I love to study, to develop myself, to invest in myself. So what I realized is when you go to certain events, you get old, fire it up motivated. And then when you come back home and a week later, the motivation’s gone. Yeah. You’re the same life happens and the same view. And that’s what it was like, what can I do to keep that momentum going? Not only for myself, but for other people. So, and it was almost a year journey here, a long journey. So that I started over a year ago now where I started taking certain classes and certifications.
Irina Alexander (27m 55s):
And last year I became a certified business coach, as well as an NLP practitioner and trainer or so. And that’s what I do now is I actually coach people how to run successful profitable business without getting burned out. Okay.
Alina Warrick (28m 15s):
So how old were you when you first launched the HVAC company with your hands?
Irina Alexander (28m 20s):
It was 2016. It was 29 or 30? Yeah, I was 29.
Alina Warrick (28m 28s):
29th. Okay. And so you ran the HVAC for a couple years
Irina Alexander (28m 32s):
While I just sold it in a February of 2020 or so.
Alina Warrick (28m 37s):
Oh, okay. Okay. So this is burnout was within the last year.
Irina Alexander (28m 41s):
There are so well burnout happened in 2019. Got it, got it. So when I came back, I was just figuring out how to sell company and what is the next step to take? So it was a My accident strategy for almost a year. Okay.
Alina Warrick (28m 59s):
Okay. Got it. And then within that time you realized that you want to become a coach and no longer run this gigantic company.
Irina Alexander (29m 7s):
Yes. Like I said, I always wanted to teach. I just didn’t know. I mean, to be honest, I love money. I love a comfortable life, but I also want to make impact in making a difference in a one day. I love to see people succeed because when I was running a business, I was a very selfish and it was like, well, if I figured it out, you can do it as well. And then something shifted in my brain. And my, and I realized that I actually do want to help people. So I mean, not that great of an open person. I’m just, I a very selfish, it headed high ego at a certain point of time.
Alina Warrick (29m 48s):
So I Irina tell me who are your main clients or these people that are starting their startups are these people I’m right at a college who are your main clients and who do you serve? I have it
Irina Alexander (30m 3s):
Programs for every level of entrepreneurs said that are out there. And I have a program for just the beginners. I would say somebody who makes less than 250,000 in revenue a year ideal client, I would say at least half a million in revenue and the three to five employees while the usual, like three to five plus employees. Okay. And more than half a million in revenues, that would be ideal client bills. So to a CEO or COO executive, a coaching as well and implementing this year, actually business retreats.
Irina Alexander (30m 44s):
That’s when I went through a burnout and I don’t want anybody to go through that. So what are we are creating right now is a three day retreat where people can come in and recharge and it’s not going to be about business is going to be about personal growth. So clean up, all’s the stuff that it is happening in your life. So because your business cannot outgrow you. So you need to grow, invest in yourself, you know, work hard on yourself and to work on your own business. And that’s what a three day retreat we’ll do is work in our new self, setting your mind, straight up, clearing your head and see in a straight path.
Irina Alexander (31m 25s):
So it was, and you can go and rock your next quarter. So that’s the idea behind it because we are living under so much stress right now, and that I am known in the world, what is going to happen next to that puts a lot of pressure on business owners. And that’s what my goal is to remove all that stress and anxiety. So people build a successful and then bring that back to their place of business. Because if owner is a stress, then it definitely passes alone tools. Are they employees in the business to business suffers as well?
Alina Warrick (32m 5s):
It’s awesome. And it’s also a very, very beneficial and that’s what a lot of people don’t think about his to de-stress to pause to refresh in selves is so I Rina did you have to reinvent yourself after leaving? HVAC I’m sure you were so filled with all of these codes and free on and all of a, you know, language in the HVAC industry. When did you have to get certified or did you have to do, how was the re-invention of yourself happened,
Irina Alexander (32m 38s):
Your invention as of going into coaching? Yes or yes. Yes. I definitely took a certification into me to become a certified business coach and LP trainers. So all of that definitely lasted in myself and I believe by it. I teach what I preach and I’m the biggest example of it because I’ve been through it. And I always tell people, when you hire a coach, Haskins them, how many businesses they run, how many successful I’m successful businesses, because it is, they only know it on the books and trust me, books, don’t just to find the real life.
Irina Alexander (33m 21s):
So that’s what I live by it. I live through it and I still investing thousands of dollars in myself every year to become a better version of myself.
Alina Warrick (33m 33s):
Oh, okay. Got it. So going back too, and getting like more courses and understanding more about consulting, right.
Irina Alexander (33m 42s):
Yeah consulting, coaching. Yes okay.
Alina Warrick (33m 43s):
Got it. Got it. Okay. So how long did it take the coaching business to start seeing some real traction and the beginning stages? Did you have to do any advertising or how long did it take you to see some real traction?
Irina Alexander (33m 58s):
My coaching business is fairly new. I became certified business coach in a September, 2020. So it’s been only what, six months, five months. I do have a, my 10 clients now. So it’s a pretty good number. Once again, old fashioned way of networking and telling people what you do. I had to work through my limited believe of sales, because I used to say that I am bad at sales. I hate sales. Sales is a bad word and my tummy over a used car salesman and all of that.
Irina Alexander (34m 40s):
And when I went through an RFP, now you’re at linguistic programming. I realized it’s just a limited believe is that I was telling myself. And when I cleared that up, you know, the fear of picking up the phone and calling somebody and thinking, well, maybe I’m just bothering them. I don’t want to bother them. I don’t want to be in convenience and realize that I have such a gift that I can give them and just bringing my, telling people what I do. And it came to me when I was talking to a good friend of mine in, when I edit it in my heating and air conditioning business, I had several people coming to me and asking me to work for them.
Irina Alexander (35m 20s):
It was so interesting. And they wanted me to do a business development. It was just bread and wine sales, but just in a relationship. And I was like, I’m horrible at sales and a friend of mine, he looked at me and he was like, you going to be great. That was like, like what I say and why are you saying that? And he was like, well, think about it now, when you walk into the room and the business owners, you know, at least half of them. And I was like, yeah, that’s right. And he was like, that’s all it is. It’s just building relationship in telling people what to do and just ask for a business as well. Because I remember I had certain period of time when people ask me and it was like, I started it.
Irina Alexander (36m 1s):
It will never ask me if I want to join your organization. Like you were so focused on selling me, but you never asked the magic question for me. You know, where is your mind? It was, how would you like to pay cash or credit card? That’s a word of mouth, putting myself out there, telling people what I do in the us, providing value, its all about showing me what I can do to have a client who are in the month of October, in November, being in business for six years, had the best two months in a row and her whole career. And that is there a business owner or his business was evaluated at 850,000 last year.
Irina Alexander (36m 46s):
And after a year of coaching, it was appraised four, 3.2 million, no way. It’s just 12 months of coaching. So when you see your results like that, I mean, I got butterflies in my belly.
Alina Warrick (37m 2s):
Yeah. You were over there celebrating for them.
Irina Alexander (37m 6s):
Exactly. And that’s what a lot of business owners don’t do is they are so focused on going, go in and go in and say, don’t take time to say I am awesome. They did that. That’s fantastic.
Alina Warrick (37m 19s):
How did you have to raise any capital for your coaching practice?
Irina Alexander (37m 23s):
No coaching business is fairly unexpensive to start as other than investing in myself or getting certified. And because NLP certification, I was almost $20,000. So which is pretty big investment. But other than that, there is honestly, if some of our listeners thinking about to go into coaching, there is not much needed really other than a dedication and consistency. Awesome.
Alina Warrick (37m 54s):
Yeah. So I Irina, did you have any mentors that helped you out to start your business? And I want to touch on both the HVAC and the coaching practice.
Irina Alexander (38m 2s):
This is, well, unfortunately it, during the HVAC I didn’t have any mentors and I realized it later on how it’s important to have mentors. And I did hire a coach almost at the end of the business and to have somebody who are looking from outside, the independent search person, opinion is very valuable because when you are deep down into that mess, you don’t realize or don’t see. So it’s so only later on I realized because originally, and I don’t know if it’s just my mentality or maybe be able to where I’m from that I didn’t want any help.
Irina Alexander (38m 48s):
I saw that I could do it all myself and yes I can, but it would go much.
3 (38m 53s):
And was there any faster
Irina Alexander (38m 57s):
Just to let people help me? So that’s another thing I’d known when I was trying to an HVAC company is that people are actually a lot to help and they’re willing to help. So let some help or ask for help. I love talking to other businesses like in the trades and Construction because we have so many similar
3 (39m 22s):
Issues. Yeah.
Irina Alexander (39m 23s):
It was eye opening for me when I was like, I’m not alone. People who have been through it and so lead to them in stop closing yourself and just welcomed them and open up and have a genuine conversation. So I hired a business coach, like I said, at the end of my business. And he later on became my very good friends and the person who actually inspired me to start a business coaching and who are working on right now together with him, where he helps you out with your coaching, coaching practice as well. Yes so what happened is for almost a year, he was dripping on me like, Hey, are you going to be a great business coach?
Irina Alexander (40m 9s):
He’s like, why don’t you, you know, come work for me or with me or together. And I was just pretty much saying No and January, 2020, we had a lunch or dinner. And he was like, Hey, why don’t we collaborate and do like a workshop together. So we started playing in that for March that was scheduled it and he said, March happen. And we had to close out. Our first workshop was actually a little resumed because we
3 (40m 38s):
Have to figure out what
Irina Alexander (40m 41s):
To do instead of him in person. And that’s when I kind of like a said Okay because I was sharing with him, all my ideas. He is literally in my mentor now sharing all my ideas because that I do not want people to get demotivated at once and constantly, you know, to keep in them on track. And he is like, that’s exactly what we do. Like why do we need to reinvent the wheel when you can just, you know, come on, let’s work side by sides as it’s an other challenge for me, because I’m so used to do every scene by myself. It was an, I was like, and I do like to put myself out of my comfort zone and I said, okay, I never work with somebody.
Irina Alexander (41m 24s):
And so we had a very good conversation where it was like, just if something does happen, just promise is not going to effect our friendship. So we have discussed that. We good, very good boundaries and being honest with each other. And so far, so far, it’s been a very good adventure together. And like I said, I am bringing in that NLP piece that hasn’t been opened before. And its so much value grow business owners because it’s not only working on a business, but working on yourself and clearing up your own stuff. So, you know, you don’t sabotage your business. So that’s what I had to learn as well as that you need to work harder on your own.
Alina Warrick (42m 5s):
Okay. Thank you so much for sharing that. And I do want to touch back on what you said about how you in the beginning stages, when you were running the HVAC where you were saying that I can do this all by myself and it may be the European mentality because I’ve had several different European people on my show in the us. And they said that we don’t ask for help. Like what do you think asking for help is so shame for, and that, you know, we looked so bad and reaching out to someone because we think that we can do everything or we should be doing everything by herself. So is a good reminder to us and to any of the immigrants listening that, Hey, we can not do this all by ourselves and asking for help.
Alina Warrick (42m 48s):
Like you said, people love to help. People will actually sit down over a cup of coffee or the zoom call to help out and to answer question. So thank you so much for bringing that up. It’s so powerful to understand that. So I Irina looking back at your Immigrant Entrepreneur your career or what are some of those struggles that you have to go through in the beginning stages? And I really want to hear about the HVAC because you had absolutely no experience in HVAC what were some of the struggles that you have to go through?
Irina Alexander (43m 21s):
Okay. So there’s so many, like now I would say look like not a big deal, but a bag ban personally, my own struggle, how people see myself because I was 29. So fairly young, it was two kids, no prior experience. And I had to hire employees, bringing on vendors, you know, built relationship with them and make sure that they respect me. I don’t know if that’s a big word, but I wanted to, for them to see me and take me serious, if that makes sense.
Irina Alexander (44m 2s):
Cause it originally I got that a lot because like I said, I don’t look like a person who owns a heating air conditioning company and when I would go network and meet people. And so it was like, what do I do? And I would say heating air conditioning. And they would say, so what do you do there? And that was like a, it was like just pick it up on the phone. And you know, people would literally say that and some people would assume that, for example, my husband is a technician and I’m just doing a marketing, so people will start storytelling them themselves. So I know I literally had that conversation that I was at the grocery store and the gentleman came to me was like, Hey, so that’s a round rock chamber event.
Irina Alexander (44m 43s):
How you doing blah, blah, blah. And he is like, so what exactly do we do there? And it has that I’m actually own the company. Oh, well I really am sorry. So that kind of just self-esteem how many late on, you know, people who already knew that, that it wasn’t a problem by the first six months, it was definitely hurting my ego. I would say people don’t take me serious in the, for me being a valedictorian straight a student, and that almost got a doctor’s degree. That was definitely so I was somebody in Russia. And so then when I moved to America, I was pretty much nobody and I have to build it all over again to prove myself.
Irina Alexander (45m 29s):
So for me, that was one of the biggest struggles. And then of course, just the vocabulary of heating and air conditioning industry. So, you know, the difference between air handler in a furnace or, you know, it was a free on And types of Freon and so long, it’s honestly a foreign language itself. So that was definitely, I had a great operations manager who was that I hired that was actually a lot to teach. So obviously over the years I’d run the show and I can freely speak to that now, but it was honestly just such a different language that I had to learn and get into a books.
Irina Alexander (46m 15s):
And I put my hands on and see for myself and just knows the basics. I mean, I still cannot face It conditions, but I know that that, you know, certain parameters or symptoms can lead to a certain sayings and I’ve been on job sites and I walked around and I know way more so than I ever thought I would know about Haiti in this city. But those were my main struggles is the language and the self-esteem how people see me and just proving that I actually know what I know what I’m doing and what I’d learned along the way is that confidence is a choice, but competence comes from his experience.
Irina Alexander (47m 0s):
So I had to look competent. So I can project that is the right energy to attract people and prove them that I do not know what I’m doing in over time. I gain competence, have doing it over and over again. And a lot of people thinks that they need time to be confident. Now confidence is a choice and that’s what you have to work with your head to put yourself in the right state mind to be confident when you talk to people.
Alina Warrick (47m 35s):
Yeah. ’cause you were tracking end the unknown grounds and you were dominating the mail industry. So I’m sure the conference was like, okay, where, where is my place in this? And you were able to build yourself up through that. And that’s so amazing. So I’m really interested to know how do you look at failures and how do you overcome them
Irina Alexander (48m 1s):
Failures? As I looked at them and to step in stone, it, it happens for us not to us. And when you have that mindset and when you get your learning lessons of really digging deep down, or why did it happen? What can I learn from it? And when do you get your learning side of it and remove all the negative emotions from a situation which is sometimes hard, sometimes very hard, but when you do that, you know, life gets so much easier. So for me, it’s a failures or learning opportunities. And once you fail and you learn from it, you become an expert.
Irina Alexander (48m 44s):
It helps you definitely get to move forward. And for me, it’s bringing that knowledge and experience in helping others.
Alina Warrick (48m 54s):
So, so powerful. Thank you so much for sharing that. So let’s switch gears and talk about successes because it’s also important to talk about successes. Are there any successes that you would like to outline from your Immigrant Entrepreneur journey? And I know you’ve mentioned so, so many already, but if there are, or anything else that you’d like to
Irina Alexander (49m 14s):
Yeah. That’s the thing about the Entrepreneurs or me in particular is that I’m such a go getter, that messing is ever good enough. Like I reached one high and I, so there is always more so in what way is climbing up the Hill in reaching for more in Warren and more so my husband likes to say it like nothing was ever good enough and it’s not that it’s true, but I’m definitely always striving for more and, you know, building a company in two years to a million revenue, it doesn’t really, I mean maybe 10 years ago it was a solid great. Now it sounds like not a big deal. So, you know, learning to appreciate what I achieved and just telling myself like, Hey, you’re a bad ass, but overall there have been so many great moments.
Irina Alexander (50m 2s):
And so building company up, honestly, the most success is that people I surround myself and who I became along the way, that’s the biggest accomplishment. I think just looking back on a completely different person, I definitely become more over a servant than us being selfish. And that’s definitely not the same. Irina moved to America in the us. I don’t even recognize myself, but that’s definitely an overall, I mean, I got my real estate license and I went to a real estate school just to prove that I can do that.
Irina Alexander (50m 43s):
And I was one of the best in class and they had a friend I’m still friends on Facebook. And I still remember we were in the class and he was like, how come you’re barely study? And I started out all night long and you have me, who is this core? Like, how is it possible to the same as a NLP? I just took it. I became an NLP, a trainer, so I can certify as, or an LP practitioners. So I can now coach and teach in NLP. I was still the only person in the class. So almost 20 people who became a trainer without a master practitioner education.
Irina Alexander (51m 25s):
So it was kind of like a escaping the high-school and going straight to college. Wow. How’d you do that? I don’t focus on like, we can do every scene if you put our mind into it. So if you can say like, is there a, you can or can’t you’re right. So there is a word, Kansas is not, it’s just in my vocabulary and it might take sometimes longer. It, my be some failures along the way, but overall, it’s just, if you truly want something, you can have a home you want, or it’s truly a gain of your mind.
Irina Alexander (52m 7s):
What do you put in your mind? What you believe in?
Alina Warrick (52m 11s):
So, so true. There’s so many elements that we can create for ourselves, right? That normally don’t exist, but we just start creating them out of nowhere. Right?
Irina Alexander (52m 22s):
Three years, it’s false expectations, appearing. Real people are afraid of so many scenes that are not even, and they just story tells themselves and regards themselves ’cause they create all of those stories around the things that are not even real. Right. So just stop, just stop right now and think positive. And so what does the American
Alina Warrick (52m 46s):
Dream mean to you?
Irina Alexander (52m 47s):
The American dream? I don’t know a lot of sleep. That’s a great question. Or even though I am not an American citizen, we all have our own dreams. And, and I know when somebody’s says American dream where I see the house is the white fans, grass, or, you know, that’s a typical Hollywood movie, but I think that for each and every one of us, we all have our own dreams in what I’ve also noticed that people don’t dream anymore. People don’t know how to drink and that something we need to learn from a little kids because they treat him all the time.
Irina Alexander (53m 28s):
My kids say, you want the magic wand. I mean, that’s what they have been asking for Christmas. And so that’s a dream. I have a big, big dreams. And so it’s different for everybody. And honestly, I would just say, just being able to dream and don’t put any limits to your dreams, that’s everything as possible, but is it a necessary American dream? I don’t know. It’s just my dream.
Alina Warrick (53m 57s):
Okay. So, you know, is giving back either volunteering time or giving back to the community, something that is a part of your business values?
Irina Alexander (54m 6s):
Absolutely. Totally. A hundred percent is the way I give back. And once again, I didn’t do it before I had to grow personally to realize how important it is to give back and how great it feels to give back. So I do serve on the executive board for access health care system, which is a free clinic, free health care clinic for people in need because we’re in the role of mine from Russia, we have a health scare available to anybody it’s free. It’s government provided and here in America, you can get that.
Irina Alexander (54m 49s):
And so I became a part of the board of directors for a health system, access house care system, where they provide health care for free. That’s something I am passionate about. And as a way I give back, because I also am a mentor with his score and score is government affiliated institutes from SBA small business. Oh gosh. What a sense for us as a small business association, if you maybe were pretty much say finance a business’s. So what score does is provides the mentoring. So when you’re a business owner and you need help in any way, like from Texas to business planning or to any consultants, so you can go and submit a request and they will match who is a mentor who gives time for free.
Irina Alexander (55m 41s):
So I also mentor as a business coach for free anybody who is a needle or a business advice. It’s a lot of start ups. Some of them exist in businesses. So that’s my way. And also if somebody comes to me and it was certain a request, I always help, I don’t usually advertise that. I don’t believe in helping people with money because people don’t value that. But by the story I love to share is that there was a girls that was working for me. And I found out that she is pretty much sleeping on a poor as she exited the very abusive relationship.
Irina Alexander (56m 24s):
And she moved out and she didn’t have any furniture show, socialist, little asleep on the floor. I went to a friend of mine and I said, Hey, in America people like to have a lot of stuff and a lot of stuff. So he did it in garages. So he got a You hall and we went around the friends and got a lot of furniture and we furnished her apartment. So that’s how I give back is just by doing good. And sometimes when people don’t even ask, but it just, whatever it feels, right. So that’s my way of giving us monetarily. Unfortunately, I’ve had some bad experiences when people asked for money.
Irina Alexander (57m 7s):
So that’s why I rather do it with what I can do best. And for me, it’s I built so many relationships over the years or if somebody needed some scenes, it called me because I am very well connected now in the Austin Metro area. So I volunteer is my brain
Alina Warrick (57m 25s):
In a way that makes sense. Yeah. But it’s so much more powerful to be doing it. Hands-on and, and with your expertise and just, you know, giving away money to different charities and all those, some people do have a passion for that too, but yeah, I totally get that. Yeah.
Irina Alexander (57m 44s):
And if it works for somebody else, that’s fine. I like to see direct results from my actions. So, and that’s why I’m doing what I’m doing and volunteer is the way I want them to do it because I see it right away. Yeah.
Alina Warrick (57m 57s):
That’s so awesome. So what are some things that you would advise the next aspiring Immigrant that wants to start their own business, listening to you right now?
Irina Alexander (58m 8s):
A fantastic question. I would say be flexible versus your behavior in mentality. ’cause we all have past and backgrounds that is very different from a country where you move into and having that behavioral flexibility, that person is the most behavioral flexibility controls the system. I just think about it, the more flexible you are in your behavior. So I learn English by a pretty much for listening to others and copying it in a certain way, you know, and, and matching the way people talk. So just be flexible and be open to receive and just observe.
Irina Alexander (58m 55s):
So that would be my advice and dream big. Everything is possible. So just never give up dream big and be flexible,
Alina Warrick (59m 7s):
So powerful. So I want to wrap up with some super, super fast questions if that’s okay with you. Okay. The first one is, what time do you normally start your day?
Irina Alexander (59m 17s):
Anywhere between five and six in the morning.
Alina Warrick (59m 19s):
Okay. Is that because of your kids or because of your work? It’s because
Irina Alexander (59m 24s):
I want to be asked before my test, our up, so I did have some personal time, so it’s not messy. I don’t have to, I choose to
Alina Warrick (59m 33s):
Got it. Got it. Okay. And then how many employees do you have
Irina Alexander (59m 38s):
Right now? I don’t have any employees, but in my opinion and conditioning company, we had a 10.
Alina Warrick (59m 44s):
Okay, awesome. And then how often do you watch TV in a week?
Irina Alexander (59m 49s):
I do not have cable, so I do not watch TV. I love it.
Alina Warrick (59m 54s):
Okay. Now the last one is how many hours of work do you normally put in to say on average in a week?
Irina Alexander (1h 0m 2s):
Wow. That’s a tricky question. I honestly don’t know it. Is there a week, so I can coach for a meeting anywhere from while right now I don’t work as much because they don’t have to do so I would say a 30 hours a week, but when I had my heating and air conditioning company, I think 80 hours probably.
Alina Warrick (1h 0m 24s):
Oh my goodness. So yeah, working
Irina Alexander (1h 0m 29s):
Smart. Not hard.
Alina Warrick (1h 0m 30s):
Yeah. I love the 30 hour work week. That’s awesome. And I’m sure through experience, you were able to build that So
Irina Alexander (1h 0m 39s):
Yes, absolutely. It doesn’t come more of a night. Like I said, I have to work for us 80 hours to figured out how to work certain hours.
Alina Warrick (1h 0m 48s):
Hey, well, I Irina. Thank you. Is so, so much for coming on the Immigrant Entrepreneurs podcast and your journey is just one of a kinds. So thank you for sharing your journey and, and wish you all of the best of successes. And thank you so much.
Irina Alexander (1h 1m 2s):
Well, thank you. It’s was my pleasure sharing my story and I really appreciate the invite, an introduction to be here today.
Alina Warrick (1h 1m 10s):
All righty, guys. Thank you so much for tuning in. If there are any links that were mentioned in this episode, make sure to check them out on my website under this episode, to find all the links conveniently located in the show notes. I just wanted to ask for a quick favor. If you could please leave a review wherever you’re at listening to this podcast. All. So if you’re in a Immigrant Entrepreneur and would love to be on my podcast, please email me and we’ll get connected all. I’ll see you guys all next time for other exciting and impactful episode, take care.
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