August, 1998

Human resource executives who leave the corporate nest to start up their own businesses find it requires money, determination, courage and abilities they didn't know they had.

By Kathryn F. Clark

It Takes Courage

One thing these executives-turned-entrepreneurs have learned is that leaping from the corporate nest to a small business that is up close and personal is not for the fainthearted.

In addition to courage and nerves of steel, it also requires vision, determination, money and competencies ranging from an up-to date working knowledge of constantly emerging technologies to such old-fashioned abilities as picking up a broom and sweeping the floor.

Neal Lenarsky left his post as executive vice president of human resources with Guess? Inc. to start his own firm, Strategic Transitions Inc..

Like Ferris, Lenarsky, who worked in HR at Kentucky Fried Chicken Corp, PepsiCo, the Walt Disney Co. and Broadway Stores, built his business on a dream. "It's that deep-seated dream of wanting your own business that counts," he says, coupled with "the tremendous amount of vision you have to have to carry the business through the rough spots." He believes when people develop their own businesses, they need to make a three-year commitment to allow an opportunity for success.

"A lot of people get fed up with corporate life. But, instead of running away from something, you have to be sure you're running to something," he says.

What Lenarsky ran to is what he calls" a new concept in executive career management"

He describes his firm, based in Woodland Hills, Calif., as serving as an agent to executives. He believes it's unique. " There are agents in entertainment, sports and music, but we never had them in business. Why not? Top executives are in the same salary range, and they're too busy to be managing their own careers. We are essentially the candidate's advocate in the marketplace."

Busy executives who want to switch jobs can turn to Lenarsky's firm for confidential aid. For those interested in external moves, the company performs job searches and suggests ways executives can improve their chances of getting the jobs they want.

"Sometimes," says Lenarsky, "they just want to move up internally, and we help them do that." The company, founded in August 1996, essentially "markets executives as products." Basically Lenarsky's team of consultants develops a strategic marketing plan for the executive by analyzing the candidate's marketability, developing a target list of companies and determining what the candidate needs to do to get his chosen job.

"We do not slam-dunk candidates into positions." We help our clients look at all the factors that are required to support a successful career," Lenarsky says, noting one client said Strategic Transitions found him more than $100,000 worth of perks, bonuses and options he never would have thought of requesting.