Change. We’ve established that it’s hard all around - for people, leaders, and entire organizations. It requires commitment, willingness to do things differently, and being open to other thought processes and approaches. Successfully executing change is a big deal! However, since companies are ever-moving, growing, shifting, and improving, it’s a never-ending endeavor. By creating a culture of change, organizations can circumvent much of the uncertainty and resistance that accompanies isolated changes. Creating an environment that is change-conducive, flexible, and adaptive supports your team as they shift and adjust - a much better alternative than tossing them into the shark tank! Forbes published an article a couple of years ago that spotlights 14 Ways To Build a Company Culture That Embraces Change. We’ve discussed much of what they cover in the first 3 installments of this series: Why Change is Hard, The Change Maze, and How to Manage Change. The authors point out a few more essentials that, when effectively implemented, [...]

Over the last couple of weeks, ELIAS blogs have explored Why Change is Hard and navigating the Change Maze. The third installment in our Change is Hard But Worth the Effort series focuses on the people piece - how to manage change. Stagnancy stifles. In a world that seems to spin faster and faster, it’s more important than ever for businesses to keep moving and stay ahead of economic and technological changes and advances. Words like innovation and creativity are no longer associated with cutting-edge companies (the Innovators we discussed in Part 2); they are mainstream, essential for growth and success. Whether you love it or hate it, change is necessary. Perhaps the leadership team is on board, ready to do things differently. Top-down management may have its benefits in some instances, but when it comes to change, it’s essential to have the support of your team. After all, they’re the ones who will [...]

Last week’s blog took a deep dive into why Change is Hard But Worth the Effort. Change “requires a passion for doing things differently (which often means there’s a better way of doing things / a better solution / an innovation that improves results or efficiencies, etc.), the creation of new processes and muscle memory for your team, and a decision to not only implement the change but commit to its success (or failure) by tracking results.” The first step is deciding to change. That’s often at least half of the battle. Decisions, however, do not come to fruition without action. Change is a process. A few years ago, I read Spencer Johnson’s #1 bestseller, Who Moved My Cheese? It’s a parable that reveals truths about how we deal with change. In the book, two little people and two mice are in a maze, searching for cheese (success). They learned how to navigate the [...]

Change. When you hear that word, what is your reaction? For some, it’s excitement and exhilaration. Others break into a cold sweat and suffer heart palpitations. Many of us fall somewhere in the middle. Whether we like it or not, we live in a world that constantly shifts and innovates (i.e. changes). This launches a 4-part series on change - why it’s hard, how to do it, how to manage it, and why it’s worth the effort to endure. Whether you love it or hate it, change is hard, especially when it involves teams and systems and processes that have long been established and are comfortable from start to finish. At ELIAS Animal Health, we understand how difficult it can be to implement change. Our process to treat canine cancer varies dramatically from the treatment that has held steady for the past 20 years. Our ground-breaking immunotherapy requires veterinarians and [...]

In this fourth and final installment of From Inspiration to Thriving - 4 Steps to Build a Successful Company, ELIAS Animal Health’s founder, Tammie Wahaus, discusses how Step 4: The Pivot, is essential to growth. Our series started at the beginning with The Idea - the light bulb moment that births a company. We discovered that ideas are only ideas until The Team is in place to turn the idea into a tangible reality. Startup mode is tough, and even great teams have gaps. Your Board of Directors or Advisory Board should be comprised of seasoned professionals who will guide the company through the steps needed to achieve goals and growth. Pivot or Shift? Once those 3 key Steps have been accomplished, great companies position themselves to pivot and shift when circumstances arise that require a different approach. Over the past couple of years, pivoting has become synonymous with the word shift, but they’re actually very different. Both are change [...]

In this third installment of From Inspiration to Thriving - 4 Steps to Build a Successful Company, ELIAS Animal Health’s founder, Tammie Wahaus, shares Step 3 - Recruiting Your Board of Directors. The foundation (Step 1: The Idea) has been laid, the right people (Step 2: The Team) are in place, and now it’s time to fill critical gaps by assembling a highly qualified Board of Directors or Advisory Board. Whether you’re building a company, a customer base, or a team, diversity is essential. We sometimes think of diversity in narrow terms, as one color in a painting. Diversity, however, is the palette - it encompasses characteristics like gender, age, race, ethnicity, beliefs, experiences, lifestyle, and everything in between. Diversity is All-Encompassing All companies have diverse customer bases, and they are best able to serve them and meet their needs when organizations reflect that diversity from top to bottom. Innovation [...]

This is the second part in ELIAS Animal Health’s blog series that shares our story. If you missed part 1, Step 1: The Idea, be sure to check it out, as it serves as the foundation for this installment. Our founder, Tammie Wahaus, defines the process of turning an idea into a funded startup. In Step 2, Tammie discusses what happens after raising capital... Step 2 : The Team Once a startup has secured funding, there are expectations to be met. Investors are not only backing an idea; they are backing the business plan that leads to profitability and scaling, and that plan must be executed by a team that possesses the expertise and skills necessary to build a thriving company. Leaders often want to hire individuals who are highly skilled in one or two particular areas. My experience taught me that, in addition to expertise, cross-functionality is critical when identifying a [...]

ELIAS Animal Health is launching a blog series that shares our story. More than that, it will hopefully serve as a guide for entrepreneurs who want to turn a great idea into a thriving company. Our founder, Tammie Wahaus, shares her thoughts, insights and advice in this series. Our Goals While working as the CFO of a human health company, I was pursuing an idea that led to the founding of ELIAS: apply the immunotherapy technology we were developing for humans as a cutting-edge cancer treatment for dogs. My goals were to advance human health by bringing safe, effective products to the veterinary market that improved the quality of life for veterinary cancer patients at a price that was competitive in the animal health marketplace. Three Proof Points While ideas are often the catalyst for launching a company, they don’t grow a company. In life sciences, you must prove three [...]