Dr. Ricky Gallaway is an International business strategist and leadership coach who currently works with business owners, both domestic and international, to transform organizations by empowering their personnel to meet their mission by maximizing their knowledge of the five critical success factors of business development.
Dr. Gallaway has been instrumental in transforming work environments within the private, public, government, and non-profits sectors.
How did your journey as an entrepreneur begin?
During my PhD journey, my dissertation topic was “Perceptions of information technology specialists regarding securing re-employment after offshoring displacement.“ I was displaced from my corporate job because our division was offshored. I realized in that moment I was gifted to do greater through entrepreneurship. Working in the corporate world for most of my career allowed me to realize the impact I could make on companies by coaching and strategizing them to their highest potential. Post my displacement, my son and I went on an already planned vacation, while others who were displaced with me were left scratching their heads and couldn’t believe I would take a vacation without a job to return to. I always had a plan. So, when I returned from vacation, I began to put stakes in the ground for the establishment of Transcontinental Consulting. and I have only looked back to gaze at my yesterday to continue shaping my tomorrows.
Tell us a little bit about your company’s dedication to cutting-edge technology and innovation – how you started and where the organization is now.
Transcontinental Consulting opened its doors in January 2015 in Stafford, Virginia. We have become known for using agile principles and methods to surgically address adoption barriers that allow our clients to implement new technology into their company’s culture. Our approaches are not just for software development, but for adaptive organizational change focused on competencies needed to realize the business value of our client’s information technology and human capital investments. By doing so, our market has expanded internationally, to where we are now permanently registered for business in the United Arab Emirates, Dubai.
What are some of the key goals you set for yourself?
We take pride in identifying, communicating, and executing solutions to enhance transformation and improving capacity by streamlining and providing organizational and technical support that is tailored to our client’s unique needs. We do not ascribe to a “one-size-fits-all” motto because that mindset is the surest way to provide a flawed sail that sinks their ship.
Describe your business in one word.
Innovative.
What are the most important takeaways in your views in today’s business world?
This is a great question because we are so transformational as a company. Therefore, my answer evolves with business growth and mindsets shifts. Here are my top three (for today): 1) Commit to long-term transformation because value takes time to build; 2) Learn the value of the human assets of your company inside and out; and 3) Strategic creativity and innovation is always good for business.
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic and the closures that came with it, your business is doing incredibly well and has adapted to the Covid transition. How are you planning to build on this momentum?
Last year (2021), I wrote an article for Arabian Business digital magazine. In it, I wrote that a lack of preparation and strategic planning closed businesses during Covid, not the pandemic itself. For my business to continue to thrive, I must take my own advice. It is vital for business owners, including myself, to move beyond conversations and address the possibilities of production. This is accomplished when business owners remain laser-focused on strategic, operational, and tactical outcomes. Therefore, I will continue to plan and adjust my strategic plan based on forecasts, not for the present.
What’s your favourite thing about your job and the industry you work within?
I am passionate about coaching, consulting, and leading others into their greatness. Sometimes when you are closest to your vision, you have a more challenging time bringing it to fruition. That is where Transcontinental Consulting comes in because we take the idea(s) of the business and helps our clients realize the vision of their company, that then becomes their legacy. My success has not been gained with me sitting on an island. It has been the result of great partnerships, through the advice of great leaders like John Maxwell, Les Brown, Dale Carnegie, and Dr. Stan Boddie, and most of all, my parents, who taught me to never be satisfied with the present but to always look ahead for the next greatest opportunity.
What are your strengths, and how do you see yourself nurturing them to fit into an irreplaceable role in the company?
Since I am the majority owner of Transcontinental Consulting, it is imperative that I know how to perform every position within the company. It is not necessary for me to be an expert, but it is necessary for me to understand the roles. Knowing I don’t have to be everything for my company but must bring in a team of people who can add value and fill in gaps where I cannot, is a considerable strength. The right human resources are integral to the success of any company. In the book “Good to Great” by Jim Collins, he referenced having the right people on your bus. I am a strong proponent for communication and collaborations and having the right people around you.
What are your company’s strategies, and how do they stand unique from your competitors?
No one is an expert at everything. At Transcontinental Consulting, our main goal is to continue to leverage our expertise to identify and execute next-generation business solutions using our extensive knowledge, skills, and abilities. We aim to address the challenges our clients currently face and prepare them for future opportunities with the confidence needed for effective business decision-making.
What are you bringing in your new Digital Real Estate Platform?
Targeted online marketing strategies can help to improve turnovers, to build transparency and credibility, and to increase sales volume. Growing your digital real estate can be challenging if an entrepreneur succumbs to slow global growth and fierce market competition. Transcontinental Consulting can help position companies by providing data-driven real estate digital marketing services and help eliminate the problems blocking their journey to entrepreneurial success. To build a powerful reputation and close more leads, in our global economy businesses must strengthen their digital marketing tactics to be more culturally sensitive and inclusive.
Where is your leadership going? What benefits will your clients get from the Digital Real Estate Platform?
My company offers the following Digital Real Estate Platform services:
• Web design and development—where we build SEO-optimized, device-responsive websites for real estate brokerages;
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO) services—where we can help real estate companies to generate a steady flow of leads and convert them into buyers with SEO;
• Pay-per-click—services may include keyword research, geo-targeting, competitive analyses, ad copywriting, landing page creation and on-going campaign management;
• Email marketing—where we can assist real estate companies receive positive engagement from prospects and active buyers by providing a well-rounded approach to email marketing i.e., controlling bouncing emails, segmenting subscription lists, and analyzing your email metrics; and
• Direct Response Marketing (DRM)—designed to elicit an instant response by encouraging prospects to take a specific action through direct response advertisements that trigger immediate action from prospects, since the goal is to generate leads quickly.
What is the number 1 aspect you look for as a trait in all your employees when bringing them onto the team?
Employees who bring trustworthy innovative ideas and suggestions forward that will positively impact the company are the greatest asset to Transcontinental Consulting. Innovation and transformation are the cornerstones of my organization, so the team members we recruit must exhibit those same traits.
What trends do you think will affect the real estate industry in the coming future?
New technology is forcing many industries to be progressive in their growth, including healthcare, where telehealth using software, robotics, and mobile kiosks are providing access to healthcare outside of physicians’ offices and into remote locations. Real estate is no different. There are several applications on the horizon that include apps that not only help him/her in getting access to their flat but also carries broad functions like mobile key cards, ordering food, and visitor registration. We have seen a growth of such applications over the past few years, but the trend is accelerating at a greater speed now. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning will also move data collection into action. This combination helps in making smarter decisions using pattern recognition. Along with this, AI in real estate algorithms combined with a robust device framework will likely facilitate high-quality property management, including better control of power, lighting, and security systems.
As an entrepreneur, what advice can you give to people planning to start a venture?
In Chapter 8 of my book, Navigating the Entrepreneurial Journey, two of the most important things I discuss that an entrepreneur must possess are perseverance and resilience. Where resilience meets perseverance, an entrepreneur’s continued efforts to achieve a goal despite obstacles, failures, or opposition assures the achievement of success.
