Joan Nguyen has spent about half her life running businesses, and through that experience, she’s learned a lot about building the right team for success.
At 39, Nguyen is the co-founder and CEO of Bumo, an app launched in 2019 with her co-founder Chriselle Lim that connects parents with on-demand childcare.
Bumo currently has 12 full-time employees and recently raised $10 million in seed funding. They plan to use this investment to expand into new cities and hire more staff. With such a small team, each new hire carries a lot of weight. Nguyen told CNBC Make It that one big red flag she watches for in candidates is if they speak poorly about a previous boss or employer.
“We always try to do things with dignity and grace,” she explains. “If someone is speaking negatively about a past employer during an interview—unless we specifically ask for that kind of feedback, which we usually don’t—that’s a red flag for me.”
To Nguyen, bad-mouthing former employers shows a lack of professionalism and respect.
Looking back, Nguyen admits she hasn’t always known the best way to build strong working relationships.
When she was just 19, she started her first business, MeriEducation, a global test prep and educational consulting company, with only $3,000.
Reflecting on that time, she says one of her biggest mistakes early on was not knowing how to ask for help.
“The right person will help you in the right way,” Nguyen says. “The wrong person will make you feel dumb about it, so they’re not worth your time.”
As a young female founder, Nguyen was hesitant to seek guidance because she worried people wouldn’t take her seriously. She even dressed in business attire to appear older, wearing Ann Taylor clothes and carrying a large handbag to look the part.
She admits that insecurity held her back from getting advice that could have helped her grow her company faster.
Eventually, she scaled MeriEducation to open four physical locations and expanded online to serve thousands of students worldwide—from the U.S. to Chile to Japan.
“The right people will offer help in a way that respects you,” she says. “And that kind of support is what truly helps you grow.”