Meet Angela
I'm Angela Garmon, an Advocate, Educator, and Strategist through seasons of change. I serve as an advocate for positive change management, ensuring that you maximize the time to your advantage. I become an educator, ensuring that you have all of the tools and resources to create sustainable growth now and for the future. I serve as a strategist, ensuring that you have the right plan in place to move forward as you Align, Redefine, and Grow through change.
How It Started...
Have you ever experienced a year that was a professional typhoon, yet after it had passed it turned out to have a silver lining?
That year for me was 2013. It left me perplexed and a bit disheveled. Earlier in the year, I could tell that change was coming but I have to admit that I was not ready for what was ahead.
​
At the time, I was working in hospitality. For the majority of my career, I had worked in finance and process improvement at some of the top 5-Star resorts on the West Coast. Not that I particularly enjoyed accounting, but, as a single mother, it gave me the hours and flexibility needed to raise my daughter. It was a skill that came natural and it was convenient for me. I was also comfortable and I had a successful career progression.
At one point, I even saved the company millions by implementing a Six Sigma project that became nationally recognized as a ​​best practice project. However, I realized that I wanted to do something more than numbers. It was bigger than me. I wanted to assist others in their journey. So, I jumped through hoops, trying to prove that I could be more than an accountant. Nothing materialized.
But then... the hotel went through an acquisition and announced that I would lose my job. The entire executive team jumped ship. I became the most senior member of the team responsible for this major transition.
​
​
This Revealed Something
During change people will do what is best for them, while others look for leadership and guidance.
This reminded me that many leaders are not equipped with the tools they need to manage change, so they will either run (fight or flight) or wait for others to guide them through the process. This experience has brought me to understand the importance and impact of great leadership, creating a people centric culture, and effective change management.​
​
This revelation led me to start my business.
HerStory
This is a picture of a conquerer.
Two years after starting my company, I was diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma, May of 2018. Instead of putting my life or the business on hold, as I went through almost a year of chemotherapy, surgeries, and radiation, I put my own change management plan in place to move everything forward, defining my situation instead of it defining me. I served my clients with excellence, repositioned the ARG brand, certified the company as a WBE, and scaled the company in the midst of it all.
In 2018, I also accepted the president-elect role for NAWBO Phoenix. I took on the initiative to ensure that the chapter received its 5-Star status. The chapter was awarded it for the first time that year. During my term as president 2019-2020, I worked diligently to create more exposure for the chapter and to influence change that would propel women businesses forward. The chapter launched the Women with Vision Conference, which brought together different state leaders and women in business to discuss the unique challenges that women business owners face in the valley. The chapter received Chapter of The Year and a Silver Stevie Award. This is the type of passion and focus I bring to every project.
Speaking of Passion
I have a true passion to see others succeed.
My time spent in management and leading teams as they rolled out Six Sigma projects made me realize that people fear change. Reluctantly, many leaders will admit they do not handle change well and do not have the proper training to lead change management efforts. Couple this with my board work and the presidency of NAWBO Phoenix drives my passion to see other women and minority businesses succeed. I understand that poorly managed change negatively impacts the bottom line. My mission is to close the disparity gaps that exist for women and minorities, stabilizing firms, and generating wealth in diverse communities that are often underrepresented or underutilized in the business ecosystem.
Credentials
-
Bachelor of Science in Management
-
Master of Arts in Human Dynamics
-
Six Sigma Green Belt Certification
-
Certified Personal and Executive Coach
-
ASU Small Business Leadership Academy
-
UCLA MDE Program Graduate 2021
Awards & Recognitions
-
WBE of the Year (Class 1) 2024 - WBEC-West
-
2024 Trail Blazer Award Recipient - NCBW100 Phoenix
-
WBE of the Year (Class 1) 2022 - WBEC-West
-
NAWBO National Member of the Year 2022
-
19 Top Leaders Who are Making a Real Difference - InBusiness Magazine 2022
-
Microsoft Rookie of the Year Finalist
-
Top 100 Women to KNOW in America (2021) KNOW
-
Arizona 2021 MLK Living the Dream Awardee
-
Woman of Vision Award 2020
-
President's Choice Award (NAWBO Phoenix 2018)
-
Member of the Year (NAWBO Phoenix 2018)