Jana Morrin is CEO and Co-founder of Speakfully a platform to help employees and companies grow through the recording and sharing of uncomfortable experiences within the workplace. Speakfully is behind a movement to create psychologically safe environments through its documentation, reporting, and support resources.

After experiencing workplace harassment herself, Morrin channeled her passion for changing workplace culture by leveraging design and technology to create a platform that decodes the gray area, supporting individuals, human resource departments, and leadership to address and improve workplace issues, creating a safer work environment for us all.

Can you tell our readers about your background?

I started out my career in healthcare administration and after doing that for a few years, pivoted to tech. For the last 10+ years, I’ve been in software tech or IT in some capacity.  Regardless of where I’ve been, I’ve always been on the operational leadership side of it. I’ve been in startups previously where I’ve learned to wear many hats and am enjoying the opportunity to get to do it again now!

What inspired you to start your business? 

I had a personal experience of mistreatment in the workplace of my own and chose to leave my position. After I left, I reflected quite a bit on what I wish I would have had in those moments and also what I wish the organization would have had for me in those moments to help me come forward sooner. Those different elements are what contributed to the inspiration of the business and product, Speakfully. 

Where is your business based?

It is technically based in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, which is where I live. However, since the beginning, our entire team has been remote. We don’t have a headquarters building. Everyone is all over the United States with people in all 4 different time zones, all in their own home offices! 

How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took? 

First was just research – figuring out the need and what we specifically were looking to create and build. Then came deciding what the name was going to be.  Finding a name took longer and was harder than I anticipated. Not only do you want the domain name to be available to purchase (and at a reasonable cost), but you want the name to fit and really represent what you are trying to do as a business. After naming the company, we worked on the logo and style guide. 

What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business?

It’s hard to say or know specifically what the most effective way is at the point we are at right now. We are trying to provide as many different kinds of content possible as you never know what or when it will strike someone's attention to what it is you’re trying to do. We’re always trying new things to see what will grab the most attention and bring awareness to what we’re doing. 

What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them? 

One of our biggest challenges is what I’m sure a lot of other startups (and not even just startups) but any organization), is the pandemic.  When you’re anticipating going into the year being in front of people at conferences, etc. and then having that all go away, it’s a bit of a scramble. Luckily, we’ve all always been a remote group so we didn’t have any challenges with that. But we needed a new game plan on how we were going to approach the rest of the year. In order to do that we had to pivot the way that we presented and sold our product in a world where people were hesitant to purchase anything because of the unknown. Everything is digital now and we were able to adapt to that and find the new normal.  

How do you stay focused? 

It depends on what I’m trying to do. But typically, each morning, I look at my calendar and list of to-dos to determine how my day will pan out and what to prioritize. Some days, I have no choice but to stay focused on just meetings. However, when I have chunks of time throughout the day to get through some action items, I determine what those will be in the morning and try to stick to it. I try to stay as organized as possible which contributes to my staying focused.

How do you differentiate your business from the competition? 

Speakfully is an easy-to-use tool that HR teams roll out to employees, allowing team members to easily track potentially negative behaviors and trends in the workplace, while giving the HR team truly unique insights into the state of the corporate culture. 

What makes us different from others in our space are the following:

·       We offer real-time, proactive data and analytics that reveal what an organization is experiencing so leadership may make educated and proactive decisions on what types of a conversation they need to be having internally.

·       Our tool is an organic approach for an employee to track and record multiple incidents of uncomfortable work experiences.

·       We allow for the information to flow directly from the employee to HR minus any mid-intervention.

·       A Speakfully co-founder's personal experience served to inspire the creation of the platform.

·       There is a free version available outside of the organizational version. 

What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business? 

We’re still figuring that out!  We’re a startup still so we’re constantly trying new ideas and approaches to what brings in the most leads. It is similar to what I mentioned above, with trying and testing out as many different kinds of content as we can to see what is most effective and in the end, leads to conversion. The way organizations market is constantly changing and it’s what you have to do to stay relevant. That said, one thing I’m excited about is the PR work we’ve been doing. I have several podcast appearances coming up, as well as a number of interviews I’ve done in the past. This is essential to getting the word out and exploring the tough conversations that make our product so necessary.  

What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?

 One of my favorite quotes is by Richard Branson, “If someone offers you an amazing opportunity and you’re not sure you can do it, say yes - then learn how to do it later.”  You’re not going to know how to do everything. And that isn’t a bad thing. You will figure it out as you go. Another piece to remember is to take time to celebrate your successes throughout the process, no matter how big or small. You get so caught up in what you’re doing and trying to get to the next milestone, that it is easy to forget to applaud the small and large triumphs along the way. 

What's your favorite app, blog, and book? Why?

This question is hard as I don’t have a “favorite” inreally any of these categories. My favorite app at the moment I would say is “To-Do” by Microsoft because it allows me to create my lists digitally so I can get it anywhere anytime. Kind of boring, I know. A book that I’m currently reading that I’m finding fascinating and shocking is She Said, by Jodi Kantor & Megan Twohey. I don’t regularly read any specific blogs. I have started my own blog series, going into detail about the experience I had in the workplace, which has taught me how hard but rewarding it is to go though!   

What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why?

I have to say it's Zoom. Our team has been remote since the very beginning and I feel like if we didn’t have that to see each other every day, every meeting, our dynamic would be very different. As we’re remote, I feel like it’s extremely important to see each other. It changes the entire conversation and feel for a meeting when you can see people and how they are reacting to what you’re saying, to see their body language. It makes a huge difference. This includes meetings with not just internal employees but with external partners, prospects, customers, etc. 

Who is your business role model? Why?

Not necessarily in business, but Michelle Obama. Specifically, I appreciate how she uses her platform to be a role model for young women. To help them figure out their place in life and that they should stand up for what they believe in and not back down.  She also is very passionate about health and has created campaigns around it - which is a topic that I’m very passionate about as well. 

How do you balance work and life?

I try to set boundaries with myself. I know that if I work too late in the evening, right up until I go to bed, that I won’t sleep. My brain won’t shut off and in turn, will make me less productive the next day and it’s a domino effect from there. Obviously, unexpected or even expected things come up, that doesn’t always allow for that, but I try to be mindful of it as much as possible. 

What’s your favorite way to decompress?

I have a few ways that I like to decompress in no particular order:

1.     Working out. I workout 4-5 days a week. If I don’t, my brain is mush. I likely wouldn't be as much fun to be around if I didn’t either. I think it’s so important to get some form of exercise just for mental health. It’s so incredible how much it helps. 

2.     Being outside, particularly in the sun on the water. But just the sun works too, which typically involves my dog, Sadie. 

3.     A glass of wine. Not much to say about this one. It’s just what I like. 

What do you have planned for the next six months?

In the next six months we’re going to be working on some key new features for our product that we’re really excited about. Additionally, we’re going to keep working on elevating the brand awareness of what we are doing and the impact we’re having on organizations and how they operate internally. Not only do we want to show employees that they are safe, have a voice, and are being heard, but also we give leadership helpful tools to decipher what kind of conversations to have with employees in order to be more proactive and resolve potential issues before they become big problems.  

How can our readers connect with you? 

People can check us out on our website at www.speakfully.com. If they are looking to get a hold of me personally, they can feel free to message me via LinkedIn anytime!

 And thanks for what you’re doing through this series and FemFounder.  You’re making a difference!