Horizon Point Consulting

Tag: nourish entrepreneurship

  • Meet the Team: Mary Ila Ward

    Meet the Team: Mary Ila Ward

    At Horizon Point, our work begins and ends with people. That’s why our Meet the Team series is all about sharing the stories behind the faces who bring our mission to life. This week, we’re proud to spotlight our founder and CEO, Mary Ila Ward. [Full video at the end of this blog and on our YouTube Channel.]

    If you caught her keynote last week at the Southern Automotive Conference, you already know that Mary Ila’s energy is contagious. Her message about driving the workforce forward challenged leaders to think differently about how we grow people, organizations, and communities. It was a perfect preview of what drives her every day at Horizon Point: helping others discover purpose, align passion with productivity, and build workplaces where innovation thrives.

    Nourishing Entrepreneurship and Innovation

    Our 2025 theme, Nourish, is about more than professional development. It’s about tending to the roots that make growth possible. Mary Ila has been doing just that since she founded Horizon Point more than a decade ago. What started as a vision to reshape how companies think about people strategy has grown into a thriving consulting firm that blends HR, leadership, and workforce development with a deep commitment to community impact.

    Mary Ila believes that nourishing entrepreneurship starts with curiosity and courage and the willingness to try new ideas, take smart risks, and trust that growth often comes from discomfort. Her own journey embodies that mindset: moving from corporate HR roles to launching a business built on her belief that work should be both productive and purposeful.

    Leading with Heart and Purpose

    In her Meet the Team interview, Mary Ila shares how she balances bold innovation with grounded leadership. She talks about the importance of creating space for creativity while maintaining a clear sense of mission. Whether she’s designing leadership programs, coaching executives, or mentoring emerging professionals, her approach always centers on one thing: helping people flourish.

    She also reminds us that nourishing others starts with nourishing ourselves, investing in reflection, learning, and rest so we can show up ready to serve. It’s a principle that guides her leadership and the culture she’s built within Horizon Point.

    Looking Ahead

    As we continue our Meet the Team series, we invite you to get to know the people who make our work possible, each bringing their own story of growth, grit, and generosity. Mary Ila’s story reminds us that innovation doesn’t happen by accident. It’s cultivated, cared for, and shared, one idea, one conversation, one relationship at a time.

  • When Your Side Gig Deserves Center Stage

    When Your Side Gig Deserves Center Stage

    We’ve been talking about side gigs lately. One of the toughest parts is deciding if or when to make the side gig the main gig. It’s often not as simple as we’d like it to be.

    A few weeks ago, I spent some time in Virginia with my parents and brought along a small project, an old desk I’d found at a thrift store for $20. It had good bones but had definitely seen better days.

    My dad and I spent the week together in his woodworking shop, sanding, repairing, and refinishing it until it was restored to its former glory. Somewhere between the smell of sawdust and the hum of the sander, I learned that the desk was more than a hundred years old and made of solid walnut, a piece that had clearly stood the test of time.

    Watching my dad work reminded me how he’s done the same thing with his own career. What started years ago as a hobby, tinkering in his workshop on weekends, has now become part of his full-time work. After decades in construction, he’s blended his craftsmanship with his trade, flipping houses that feature his custom woodworking, accent walls, built-in bookcases, and hand-crafted cabinets that give each home its own story.

    That desk became more than a project. It was a reminder that sometimes what we start on the side, simply because we love it, can evolve into something much bigger. According to a recent study by Side Hustle Nation, 39% of working Americans have a side hustle, and about one in five hope to eventually turn it into a full-time job. It’s not always easy to know when it’s time to take that leap, but there are signs it might be time to let your side gig take center stage.

    Just like restoring that old desk revealed the strength of the wood beneath the surface, your side gig can show signs of its own potential if you take the time to notice them.

    When…your side gig is financially sustainable.

    Your side gig is showing steady, reliable growth. You have repeat customers, new ones finding you regularly, and your income has moved from covering basic costs to turning a profit. You’re not just staying afloat, you’re seeing enough green to pay essential expenses and keep the business running. Better yet, it’s bringing in enough money to replace or nearly replace your current salary.

    When…you’re running out of time and energy.

    With steady growth comes the need for more time, and there are only so many hours in the day. You find yourself waking up early or staying up late to keep up with demand, juggling both your full-time job and your side gig. Eventually, something has to give. When you can’t devote the time your side gig needs, growth stalls and sales may even start to dip. That’s often a sign your business has outgrown the “part-time” label.

    When…your passion has shifted.

    What started as a creative outlet or a way to earn a little extra each month has become the work that brings you the most joy. You find yourself energized by your side gig and counting down the hours until you can get back to it. Meanwhile, your full-time job starts to feel more like an obligation than an opportunity. When your passion shifts that strongly, it’s worth paying attention. It may be pointing you toward what you’re truly meant to do.

    Like that old walnut desk, sometimes the things we start just for the love of it reveal a strength and potential we didn’t see at first. When your side gig shows financial promise, demands more of your time and energy, and becomes the work that truly lights you up, it might be more than just a hobby. It might be your next chapter waiting to unfold.

    Taking the leap isn’t about abandoning stability. It’s about building on something that’s already proven its worth. As you consider what you need to start, stop, and stay, both personally and professionally, ask yourself what your side gig could become if you gave it your full attention.

  • Should I Let My Employees Have Side Gigs?

    Should I Let My Employees Have Side Gigs?

    Three people work with me full-time. All three have side gigs. Two are adjunct instructors at local universities. One writes résumés. Another picked up a gig I once had but didn’t want to do anymore. She was skilled in the area and enjoyed the extra income.

    The side gigs they have are in adjacent spaces to our business. They are able to share their expertise, make connections, and help themselves and others grow while they earn extra income.

    Why I Support Side Gigs

    Some people think I’m crazy for “allowing” this. I don’t just allow it. I support it and encourage it. Their side work has never interfered with delivering on our clients’ needs. Never, not once.

    In fact, the way we work makes supporting side gigs easier. It does not matter when or where the work gets done as long as client needs are met. That is harder to pull off in environments that require standard hours and physical presence. But I would argue that banning side gigs actually hurts morale. If people really want or need to do outside work, they will. They will just keep it hidden, which only diminishes trust and weakens culture.

    What Leaders Should Do

    So what should you do as a leader when you have full-time employees with pursuits outside of what you pay them to do?

    • Talk openly about their interests and pursuits outside of work. This includes side gigs, hobbies, and family-related commitments. Ask about what matters to them and encourage holistic development. No one can get everything they need out of their “day” job.

    • Talk openly about compensation and salary needs. You may not always be able to pay more, but being supportive when someone wants to drive a few Uber routes, Airbnb their home, sell art or jewelry, or teach a class helps foster open communication and trust. Life is expensive, and for many people multiple streams of income are a necessity.

    • Handle it directly if it becomes a problem. If tasks are not getting completed, deadlines are missed, or presence is required and not met, sit down one-on-one and discuss performance. Reiterate or set clear expectations and allow the person the autonomy to meet them. Avoid ultimatums about quitting side work. This approach holds true not only with side gigs but also with personal issues that may impact performance.

    • Be clear about your organization’s standards. Define what counts as competitive work. Communicate that taking competitive work or soliciting it for personal benefit is off limits. Side gigs in adjacent spaces can be acceptable, but if the organization offers the service, the organization—not the individual—owns that work.

    Keep the Conversation Going

    Sometimes the lines are not clear. For example, there is a difference between:

    • An electrician employed by an electrical company doing side jobs without routing them through the employer, and

    • A firefighter who is also a certified electrician and takes residential electrical work on days off.

    If the lines are blurry, talk about it. If you are already open about side gigs, it is much easier to have honest conversations when gray areas arise.

    At the end of the day, supporting outside pursuits builds trust, morale, and culture. People bring their whole selves to work. When we acknowledge that, we all grow.

  • Fearless & Forty: Nourishing the Female Entrepreneur in Midlife

    Fearless & Forty: Nourishing the Female Entrepreneur in Midlife

    Horizon Point is all about nourishment this year, especially nourishing innovation and entrepreneurship. This week, we’re featuring Katie Caldwell and Susan Norgren – better known as Fearless & Forty – who are sharing their experience with nourishing the female entrepreneur. Let’s do it! 

    —

    When we started Fearless & Forty, we didn’t have a business plan, a studio, or even microphones. What we had was something more powerful: weekly phone calls filled with real, honest conversations about careers, motherhood, marriage, and identity. Those calls—raw, supportive, and often hilarious—became a lifeline. And one day, we said what many women have probably joked about: “We should start a podcast.”

    Only we didn’t let the idea go.

    We’re Katie Caldwell and Susan Norgren—friends, moms, working women, and now co-hosts of Fearless & Forty. What started as a friendship sparked at our children’s school has grown into a podcast born from laughter, vulnerability, and a shared desire to nourish women like us navigating midlife and entrepreneurship.

    But let’s be real: it hasn’t been easy. Like most women in their 40s, our plates were already full. We had zero experience in podcasting. Between researching equipment, testing platforms, and trying to find the time in our already jam-packed schedules, progress was slow. And yet, we knew this dream mattered. We shelved it for a season, then came back with new energy and deeper purpose.

    And now, here we are—launching in 2025, just as we step into our 40s. The timing couldn’t be more perfect.

    Because Fearless & Forty isn’t just about podcasting. It’s about reclaiming the narrative of what it means to be a woman—and an entrepreneur—in midlife.

    Midlife Is Not a Deadline. It’s a Launchpad.

    Too often, women in their 40s start to feel invisible. Like their best years are behind them. Like their dreams are too big or their time has passed. We call BS on that.

    Fearless & Forty is a space where women are reminded that they are still full of power, potential, and purpose. It’s about nourishment—not just physically, but emotionally, spiritually, and creatively. We talk about the messy middle of life: the pivot points, the burnout, the reinventions, and the wins. We’re not chasing perfection; we’re celebrating progress.

    We don’t have all the answers. But we do have each other. And now, we have you.

    Entrepreneurship, on Our Terms

    We’re not founders of tech startups. We don’t have angel investors or Shark Tank pitches. But we areentrepreneurs—because we had a vision, we took action, and we created something from nothing. This podcast became our way to build something ours. A platform, a passion project, and a movement.

    Entrepreneurship doesn’t have to look like hustle culture. It can look like two friends showing up for each other. Like carving time out of chaotic days to share stories that matter. Like believing your voice still has something important to say—even if it’s your first time saying it out loud.

    Nourishment Is More Than Self-Care

    To us, nourishing the female entrepreneur means creating space for connection. It means being honest about the highs and the lows. It’s cheering each other on in big wins and small steps. It’s allowing joy to coexist with struggle—and not waiting until everything is “figured out” to begin.

    That’s what Fearless & Forty is about.

    So if you’re a woman in your 40s (or getting close), if you’ve ever felt like you were too late to dream again, or if you’re simply looking for a community that gets it—welcome. You’re in the right place.

    We see you. We believe in you. And we’re walking this fearless path with you.

    Go be fearless, friends.

    With love,
    Katie & Susan