Halley Moore

Keep learning, keep asking questions, and keep an open mind.

 

As an entrepreneur, Dr. Halley M. Moore, Ph.D., created SLO County Business Solutions and its subsidiary, Hrandassociates.org, to suit her passion for business management and consulting. She is a licensed Clinical Psychologist who blazed her own path to serve businesses as a consultant with a wide range of services to strengthen and restructure each organization whether it be in the public sector or in private sector, such as family owned businesses. Dr. Moore and her team specialize in ag, oil, ranching, farming, vineyard/wine industry businesses. She has assisted CEO’s, to owner’s, to upper management at making their businesses a success.

Dr. Halley Moore provides many ways to assist businesses. A list of services includes conflict resolution, talent acquisition, human resource review and planning, organizational assessments, quality management, team building, process improvement, strategic planning, performance coaching, and diversity management.

A graduate of California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, Dr. Halley Moore completed her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology. She continued her education at Walden University in Minneapolis where she earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. In addition, she is a Licensed Real Estate Broker for the state of California and is a Senior Certified Human Resources Specialist through Society for Human Resource Management, a nationally recognized and highly respected human resources senior program.

Where did the idea for your company come from?

I began my career as a clinical psychologist. Large families who were having difficulty getting along, were referred to me in order to help them work out the problems in their relationships which were, in turn, affecting their businesses and livelihood. Often times, the integration of family and business dynamics creates many complications. After I began working with these families, I found that I really enjoyed it. I understood the dynamics very well and was quite successful at helping these families in these complicated matters. I was very successful in my own business, and in conjunction with my experience in the legal field, and with having acquired my real estate brokers license due to a life-long interest in real estate and land issues, the fit was excellent with the needs of the families I was being referred. Combining my business experience with my love for psychology built a specialized niche for me. It was a natural evolution to become a Business Psychologist and Consultant.

The names for our organizations are SLO County Business Solutions, which addresses family business solutions, and Hrandassociates.com is a subsidiary of SLO County Business Solutions. Between both companies, Dr. Moore addresses human resources and conventional business management with best practice solutions.

What does your typical day look like and how do you make it productive?

I begin my day at the office by preparing for sessions. I spend much of my day out in the field at the client’s location. We choose a location that is easiest for the entire family to participate. We discuss each situation, and at times, I am taken on site tours. We try to find resolutions and set some attainable goals. We will typically meet once a week until all issues are resolved. After meeting with clients, I return to the office to summarize our meeting and file the results. Progress is made daily.

How do you bring ideas to life?

My preference for new ideas is to simply make certain that implementation occurs. I like to apply the things that come to mind through discussion. Although listening and processing are good qualities to have for thinking, once an idea happens, we take action to bring the idea to life.

What’s one trend that excites you?

One of the things that excites me is when we get away from litigation that may cause a family to partition their land or their family enterprise because their family cannot figure out how to work together. When things become financially driven it causes issues. When I know that I can help resolve those issues, that is what excites me. SLO County Business Solutions and HR & Associates is able to help families to avoid the pain of family lawsuits in most cases.

What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive as an entrepreneur?

I believe one habit that I have is to always follow up on what I say I am going to do. If I come up with a solution, I see it through and make it happen. My solutions come from doing a lot of research on my clients’ behalf. I incorporate experience and education to come up with a productive means of follow through. Then, I take action to accomplish goals. That is what makes me feel productive.

What advice would you give your younger self?

I would tell my younger self that every step and every decade is a part of a journey. Remember that you don’t have to have all the pieces yet. I would tell myself to keep learning, keep asking questions, and keep an open mind.

Tell us something that’s true that almost nobody agrees with you on.

I believe that most of us are very similar in nature. We find a way to connect. There is not a lot of controversy in my life. If there is a disagreement with someone, I reflect on the thought or idea. I question if it may be possible that I am swimming upstream with the thought process.

As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?

As a doctor, self-care is essential. There is nothing more powerful than the understanding that we cannot give to others what we refuse to give ourselves. I strive to take care of myself. What this means is eating well, exercising, connecting with nature as well as your higher power in whatever form that takes. It is also reading and gathering knowledge and taking time to nurture yourself. Having compassion for one’s self is also important. I do this over and over again. We limit ourselves if we do not care for ourselves, and we limit what we can do for others.

What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business?

The most critical strategy that I have had to grow my business is the knowledge that I cannot do it alone. If you have a goal as an entrepreneur to help others, then trying to take on every aspect on your own may be detrimental. Even as a sole entrepreneur, you will find that you may not be good at everything required to run your business. We all have our special gifts and special talents, but we may need others that specialize in areas that we do not in order to run a dynamic business successfully. Therefore, I have learned to delegate some aspects of my business to talented professionals well- suited for those roles. I have created a team of highly successful, open-minded and positive individuals. We have a well-balanced healthy culture within our environment and that is what I support for my business clients to also develop.

What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?

We all have failures. We all will have to recognize that failure is actually just an excellent learning opportunity. I have had start-up businesses in the past that just did not coincide well with my goals and my long-term vision, and I felt I wasted a lot of time learning. To overcome that perceived “failure” I regrouped and refocused on the alignment with my ultimate goals.

What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?

A good business idea would be to create a learning tool or program based upon the success of your own professional expertise. I think teaching people how to replicate what you are doing is immensely valuable to others and they are quite often willing to take the time to follow it, learn from you, and even give their resources in order to do what you found to be successful.

What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?

The best $100 I recently spent was on my daughter. I love watching her eyes light up when she gets to pick a new toy, small or large, it’s the same special reaction, and it is priceless.

What is one piece of software or a web service that helps you be productive?

I use QuickBooks with my business. It is the main software suite that keeps my business running well. There are many complicated programs, but I find the “old faithful’s” to be powerful tools.

What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?

The Effective Executive by Peter Drucker. The book pinpoints everything an executive needs to know to run a business. The way he presents the material is powerful and easy to understand. You’ll immediately understand areas you can improve as an executive.

What is your favorite quote?

“To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Essayist and Poet (1803-1888)

Key Learnings:

● Keep learning, keep asking questions, and keep an open mind
● Recognize that failure is a learning opportunity for most entrepreneurs
● Learn to delegate some aspects of business to talented professionals more suited for roles
● We limit ourselves if we do not care for ourselves.

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