Schia Hart

 This week’s interview is with Schia Hart, founder of Handlender.

 Handlender is a digital platform designed to give people a sense of fulfillment within their own networks and communities through helping one another anonymously, conveniently, and without relying on money.  

 Handlender connects people who want to lend a hand to others in their network who need help. It’s like match.com, but for do-gooders.

 While the concept for Handlender came about in 2012, Schia officially launched the platform in 2019. She has always enjoyed helping others but found it intimidating when asking for help.

 Schia attended and graduated from Kettering University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering. Her motivation for choosing engineering was based on an agreement she and her brother made prior to attending college, which included both entering an electrical field.

 As she navigated engineering, she found it enjoyable, but wanted to explore other ways to reach her personal goals of becoming an entrepreneur. While navigating various positions, she began building the Handlender platform.

 Being a founder has taught her confidence, how to be reliable, and how to transform her own experiences with a lack of community into meaningful connections for others.  She meets & connects people every day, and it’s never a dull moment.

 Schia is learning new ways to grow her network and business, overcoming imposter syndrome along the way. She attributes her endurance and dedication to her faith in God, and her belief that He will use every mistake for her growth and her good.

 Every morning, Schia wakes up tells herself, “I will be where I’m supposed to be when I’m supposed to be there.” To that end, she offers a few pieces of advice to others looking to start their own company: 1) Count the cost. Do your research and find out what the cost are—mentally, physically, and even literally-- and come up with a plan. 2) If you are sure of what you to do, go for it. If something comes up that you don't know, don't beat yourself up over it. Take it as a learning experience 3) Face rejection head on. You will come out of the situation with thicker skin and more knowledge. And 4) Act "as if". Meaning, get up every day to dress and act the role. You will gain confidence and others will respect you more.

 Schia attributes her success primarily to God’s grace, but also her desire to want to achieve better and leave a strong legacy for her daughters. She strives to think positive regardless of the circumstance and has a mindset to always keep moving forward.  While she admits she’s still improving upon the work-life balancing act, she prefers to be (and is happiest) in positions that are flexible, as time with her family is of the utmost importance. Her daughters are her priority, so she plans to perfect the art of setting boundaries to protect family time.