AMA: Beatrice Kabutakapua, founder of The Business Storytelling Centre

And as the founder of it, I realised a few years ago, how that was affecting the success of entrepreneurs and the diversity, innovation and growth of corporate organisations. 

The work you're doing will make a huge difference. What were the initial challenges you faced when launching your company, and how did you overcome them?

I won’t say that launching the company was easy. However, because we have been doing the same type of work for the past six years, many traditional challenges do not belong to us.

We were always clear about our audience, we have increased our rates and successfully worked with hundreds of leaders. Right now, the two goals are impact and growth.

Finding the right people to join us is a big thing for us at the moment. And to make sure we find team members who are value-aligned, professional and reliable, we are looking in unexpected places all over the world. 

Could you tell me a bit more about your team, and how you've grown the business?

Right now we are an executive team of two, myself Beatrice N. Kabutakapua and Maria Victoria La Terza. And we have other two amazing people who support us behind the scenes.

Our team work remotely and we can count on our fractional CFO, Ellen Elmore and several different consultants who join us on a specific basis. What we are looking for next is someone to help us with strategy and systematisations. 

If you could only choose one metric to help guide your business success, what would it be and why?

Impact. As well as revenue, we are focused on how much we improve individuals and how much we support organisations.

One of our earliest clients who didn’t feel comfortable sharing their stories went on to be featured in a Netflix documentary that won a BAFTA; another client created the strongest team of their organisation;  another one gained confidence in speaking in public.

That’s what we want to see. 

What tech are you totally reliant on?

We use so much tech and we love it! Because of our distributed team, we rely on tech for communication, CRM, operations and sales. But we could use some help in finding a way to synchronise everything. 

Can you share a unique tradition, celebration, or inside joke that's become a part of your company culture? 

You’ll have to join the company to know. But I can tell you, it’s a very expensive tradition and it gives us joy. 

Intriguing! Do you have a share scheme in place? 

We don’t yet, but it’s among the things we have to consider moving forward. 

Could you share a challenging moment or setback in your journey, how you navigated through it, and the lessons you learned?

It’s an entrepreneurial journey, every step we take can be seen as a challenge. However, we like to see it as a chance to get creative, self-reflect, and strengthen our connection. 

What’s your dream dinner party line-up?

My personal dinner party line-up would be made up of Trevor Noah, Oprah Winfrey, my grandparents, my kids and a plethora of writers and creatives. What a dream! 

If you could only listen to one album for the rest of your life it would be….

(Crush) Bon Jovi!

Good choice. Thanks so much for your time and insights, Beatrice!