137 - Bridging the Gap: How Suitable Solutions is Revolutionizing Technology Consulting with Suitable Solutions' Shanika Palm

Welcome to Listening with Leaders. I'm Doug Noll, lawyer turned peacemaker. I teach executive leaders how to listen to emotions rather than words so that they can become the leaders everyone wants to follow. And I teach those same leaders how to be authentically present, available, and connected to their families despite being insanely busy. I have learned that we are 98% emotional and only 2% rational. Learning how to listen to emotions is, in my experience, the foundational skill of life. Stick around to the end of the show and I'll reveal how you can be on our next guest in 15 to 20 minutes. So let's get started.

Janika Palm, welcome to Listening with Leaders. You are the CEO and founder of Suitable Solutions, found at suitablesolutions.net. Welcome to the show.

Thanks for having me, Doug. I'm excited to be here.

Oh, great. So let's start off as I do with all my guests. Tell us a little bit about who you are and your backstory.

Well, um, Doug, I am Shanika Palm, as you said. I am the founder, CEO, owner of Suitable Solutions, LLC. We are based out of Birmingham, Alabama, and we are a technology consulting firm. Um, a little bit about me. I have over 2 decades working in corporate America. One of my largest stints was 15 years with the largest healthcare administrator in the state of Alabama. Um, we'll get into a little bit of how that spawned my passion and drive and vision for Suitable Solutions. But in 2017, I founded Suitable Solutions, ventured away from traditional employment and landed my first client, which was a government contractor in the DMV, a successful small business gov-con firm, and assisted them with creating a great technology footprint, aligning it with their business goals, and also helping them align business and tech and create some operational efficacy for their organization. So that is the core of what we do at Suitable Solutions. Um, you know, we have a great deal of specialty across all industry, but government contracting is a little bit of a niche, uh, that, you know, I've learned over my career. I've worked in that space, uh, very successfully. And, um, so that's the, that's the short of it. I'm sure we'll dive in in this discussion.

Absolutely. Uh, so, so when you're talking about government contracting, your, your, your clients are people who Contract with government agencies to provide service, goods and services?

Yes, and specifically small business, small business executives and their teams that provide services for government agents.

And so you provide the IT foundation and backbone so that those businesses can successfully compete and perform government contracts. Are you, are you at any particular level like federal, state, municipal, or all levels?

All levels. So federal, state, municipal, it really depends on the client. But a lot of our work has been in the federal space.

And what kind of, what kind of specific services do you provide your clients?

Specifically is helping them align their technology footprint. So we're not necessarily in the business of creating new tech. What we are in the business of is helping you understand your operational needs. Where are the gaps, right? Where are the things that are not working well? And how can tech assist you? So we use our understanding and background with developing and more integrating innovative and emerging technology solutions that fit with the client's budget but help them to meet their operational goals. So we kind of exist in that space. We're the liaison to help align the tech with the business.

And are, are most of your clients located in the South, or are you all over the place?

So we do have, um, clients in the South, but a lot of our clients are in the DMV.

I'm sorry, in the where?

In the DMV. So the Baltimore, DC, Maryland area.

Yeah, people— okay, up in the DC area. What's that called? The DMV?

The DMV. DC, Maryland, Virginia.

Virginia. Got it. That's a long ways from Alabama.

Yeah.

So, um, again, our first client lived in that space, and I am a real big believer believer in the power of networks and partnerships. So, um, we spent a lot of time out there honing, um, you know, partnerships in that area and kind of creating a little bit of a niche for ourselves in that space with small businesses.

And so, so, so you— and you've been able to grow that business in that, in that region of the country?

I have, I have.

So you were in corporate for a long time and now you're an entrepreneur. You own the company, you founded the company. What do you see as the big differences between being a cog in a corporate machine versus being the entrepreneur, owner, CEO of your own company?

Oh wow, that's a, that's a loaded question, Doug, but I'll do my best. I'll do my best. So, um, I'll tell you a little bit about my journey in corporate. So I really started out, I like to call it the lights on, doors open level of the organization. So very entry-level position, understanding the jobs to be done at an entry-level space. So what we do to keep the lights on, the doors open. So over those 15 years, I grew into roles in technology and as well as operations and specifically operational management and managing, you know, LODO teams, those lights on, doors open people from which I grew from. And I immediately noticed that there's a disconnect, right? There's a disconnect between the tech and the business, the way they communicate. Oftentimes they're not even in the same book, let alone on the same page, and they're speaking different languages. Tech is primarily worried about the how, how do we get the jobs to be done, done. And then business operations is talking about the what, here's what needs to be done, the checklist of things to help us meet our goals according to the metrics we've defined for ourselves. So I created a niche in employment at being able to be the liaison, right? Help those teams communicate more effectively, right? Promoting that active listening. And a lot of times people are listening, they're not necessarily hearing, right? And being a liaison. So that spawned the idea for Suitable Solutions. So it was really, you know, I wouldn't say it was a this nor that, but it was understanding that a company that had secured 98% of the business available to them. No, I'm sorry, let me get the, the data right. 92% of the market, they had captured it and they were having this problem, right? So I understood, you know, and knew that small businesses have to be struggling with the same problem. So being able to align and connect the tech with the business goals and business operations was what I desired to do with Suitable Solutions. So in the name It is everyone can't afford, nor do they need a big box technology solution to help them meet their goals. It's a suitable solution, something customized for them to help them achieve at scale the same things that larger organizations with a lot more dollars and a lot more resources are struggling with and looking to achieve. I understood that I could create this value for small businesses, and so That's what led me away from corporate America as an employee, but more into assisting, you know, the small business owners and executives with, you know, achieving the same successes as larger companies are able to achieve.

Give me an example of a typical client and the problem the client faces and what Suitable Solutions helps them with.

Good question. So we'll talk about the government contracting space. The reality is a lot of small businesses desire to win their first government contract, right? And so there's a lot of focus put on that what and that goal. We want to get into the game. We want to win this government contract to make our company sustainable. For me, what I realize and the value that I provide to clients is understanding how to get ready to even throw your name in the hat, right? And that is all around your operational efficacy. You know, do you have good capability statements? Do you really understand your value statement? Are you able to communicate that? You know, what are the jobs to be done at your organization? How are you going to build proposals? Do you have a good proposal writing team? And so those are some of the things that I work with my clients to achieve is just being fit, being sound operationally, having the right tech in place to create the automation you need with little resources to achieve that ultimate goal. Now, while we don't promise you that after working with us, you're absolutely going to win that next billion-dollar contract, we do utilize our network of resources and just our expertise in this industry to get you extremely fit and sound to enter into the market. We've had some great success. Successes there. Wow.

And so what is it that gets you excited in the morning? You get up out of bed and say, oh boy, time to go to work.

Yeah, so I absolutely love technology. I'm a continuous learner. So the tech, um, and just that ever-changing environment of tech and the, the plethora of things that are yet to be learned about tech gets me up in the morning. But we have a philosophy at Suitable Solutions that the success of your business is our business. So what really motivates me and my team is helping each client, each new project that we undertake, meet their goals. If we have successful outcomes, then we can consider ourselves successful. And being able to do that, being able to do that and to kind of create that client over client is what keeps us going.

So do you see many brushfires in your work?

Brush fires. Give me a little bit of context.

Like things that kind of blow up and explode and go off the tracks and you conflicts and disagreements and stuff like that.

Wow. Is that a trick question? So absolutely. Absolutely. Um, and so unique perspective on that is that a lot of times, um, the visionaries for companies Right? A lot of times the conflict and the big brush fire, the big blowup is with them learning to or helping them to understand and align with what they say they want versus what they actually need. So a lot of time is spent. I love the premise of this podcast, Listening with Leaders. A lot of time is spent really listening to them. Hearing them, understanding, you know, past what they're saying they want and really honing in on what are the gaps here and what do they need. And, you know, that's something that allows us to also understand what's the value we can provide, because sometimes what they need is not necessarily what we provide. Most of the time it is what we provide, but helping them understand exactly exactly what it is they need versus what they say they want. That's continuous firefighting, but we've been successful at putting out those fires, mitigating and saving the forest, for lack of a better term.

How do you, when you're, this is intriguing to me, when you're, when you're listening to a client or a potential client and they're telling you, this is what we want, and you're, how do you, how do you begin to see what they really need? Even though the client doesn't know what they need. How do you see that?

So I think, um, you know, I like to practice echoing, right? Because a lot of times what you say versus what you hear back, right? Repeat it back. So a lot of times really listening intently and quantifying and stating back to the client, here's what we heard, kind of helps them hone in on I meant exactly that, and that's absolutely right, right? You know, and so you're on the right page with where I'm going or what I'm trying to achieve. But a lot of the times it helps them hear it back, echo back to them, and helps them hone in on not exactly, really what I'm trying to get at is this other thing. And it just allows for a more productive and meaningful conversation as well as discovery about our clients' true goals and needs.

Yeah, it sounds like you engage in the process that I teach called reflective listening.

Hmm, I like it. Sounds like it.

Not active listening, reflective listening, where you're working at— the way I teach it is that you can work at the words level. What are the words that are speaking, people speaking? What are they intending to mean? Because oftentimes they don't know what they intend to mean. They're searching for meaning. And then the deepest level and the most important level is emotions. What are they feeling right now?

Now.

And so when you can listen at all three levels, that's when, that's when people feel deeply heard and validated, and that's when you have full understanding of who they are and what they're saying and what they're, what they're experiencing.

Absolutely. I agree 100%.

How many people do you run across that aren't very good listeners?

Um, probably 98% of people are not very good listeners. Um, I think everybody is seeking to hear. They're, they're, um, but, you know, working with visionaries, owners, and executives, they are used to being the person that's talking, right? They're used to being the person that's speaking and that is being heard. And so since that's our primary client base the majority of them are not as good with listening. And so I think understanding that, right, seeing that as a strength, because this is my audience, I have to learn how to work with that. So understanding that, and again, that echoing, or as you called it, that reflective listening, being able to repeat back to them so they can hear themselves, right? This is what you said. And this is what I heard. When they're able to hear themselves, they're able to better articulate what their vision and what their goals are. Um, so it's a two-way street, right?

It's an iterative process. I think you make a really good point, and that is that, uh, people are not necessarily good listeners because they have a deep desire to be heard. And until they feel deeply listened to, they don't have the bandwidth or the motivation to listen to other people.

I would agree. Absolutely.

So, so one of the things that we have to do if we want to be effective as leaders is learn how to what I call listen other people into existence. Listen them into— listen them to a level where they feel so deeply heard and validated that they're— they can actually take a deep breath. You got it. Exactly. You understand.

Yes. And I think that vital to my business and what we do. And I'm sorry, go ahead, Doug.

I was just gonna say, and that is the point where they can start hearing what another person has to say because they have now been validated. That's the secret, I think.

I, I agree with you. I think we all seek that validation.

So you've had, um, uh, Suitable Solutions in place since 2017. You weathered the pandemic. How was that?

We did. So it actually created an opportunity for us, right? You know, as an entrepreneur, we're always seeking an opportunity. There's always chaos. There's always going to be ebbs and flows, but it created an opportunity for us to really help small businesses locally. So a lot of my government contracting clients clients are in the DMV, as we earlier talked— spoke about. But, um, locally in the Birmingham area, there were small businesses that had not yet gotten to that place. They may have sought to do, uh, business in the government space, but, you know, they had just started a new business, um, it was client-facing, and all of a sudden there's this pandemic and everyone is worried about being put out of business before they even got their footing. And so my background as a developer was in web development, web design and web development. So helping those clients, those small businesses locally create those digital strategies, create web presence, create content, figure out how to work with their clients in this digital space, you know, with Zoom and the technologies that allowed them to do that. And so we actually were able to, you know, create a new, a new market and product offering for ourselves and survive the pandemic alongside our peers and help them do the same. So again, the success of their business is our business.

Yeah, that was amazing. In March of 2020, we were all forced into the virtual world, weren't we?

Yes. Whether we liked it or not, whether we liked it or not.

And I mean, it has transformed the way that people work and interact with each other. Part of what I do is I'm a professional mediator, and it used to be that I would— my geographical limit was California, where I live. Now I can meet— I mediate around the world, right?

Right.

If I'm willing to stay up late at night.

Right, right. Yeah, yeah, that, that time difference. But, um, I think, you know, it created, um, You know, it was a, it was a must to survive and thrive in that time. It really created a deep respect for small business owners around technology and having a technology footprint that could weather those type of storms, the unexpected. And so, you know, again, aligning that tech with business goals and operations, I think, you know, it created a space for people to listen, to understand, because the survival of their business their vision, their baby, so to speak, depended on them being able to adapt.

Absolutely. And I, I presume that today you're still helping people thrive in the virtual space.

I am. That is still a very big part of our business, whether it's our federal consulting clients or small business owners that are not operating in government contracting spaces, thriving digitally, you know, Creating excellent content and messaging, authentic messaging, because one of the things— another thing that came out of the pandemic was just an influx of information, and people were home and they had more time to do their research, to really align, you know, their businesses and where they chose to do business and spend their money. They became more aware, more informed about who those businesses were authentically, and they started making decisions buying decisions based on that. And so helping my clients, you know, present that authentic messaging again created another niche for Suit-A-Bull. We brought in people that were very skilled at marketing, PR, content curation to help them get that message out and, you know, listen to their audience. How are people responding to what you're saying, to what your business is promoting, um, and how to make those shifts to, you know, ensure that sustainability. So That was absolutely key and critical.

What a journey.

So tell me, Shanika, what do you think is unique about you? What do you bring to the table that's unique that makes you and your company so successful?

I think not selling the dream, so to speak. You know, everyone wants to hear they're going to be a millionaire overnight and that you can come and bring about the thing that's going to get them to this ultimate success. But I think really aligning with people in the reality, right, with data, with information, that you can get to anywhere you want to be, but it's iterative. You know, as you stated earlier, there is a process, right? To doing that and helping people, you know, listen for us to listen, to listen to each client, understand exactly what's going to get them to the place they're trying to go, not limit them, and create those solutions where they're able to see through the data their growth, how they're sustaining, how they're scaling up, and that they're ultimately making the iterative steps and processes to get to the place that they want to be. I think it not only helps our clients to value our our services, but it creates those repeat customers, right? Because we, we deliver on what we say, but we also help them to see what's realistic. Not to limit, because anything is possible, and we believe that, we know that, we promote that, but there is a process.

So it sounds to me like one of the unique factors that, that makes you successful is you bring pragmatism to the table.

I like it. Yes, absolutely.

And, and so clients may have, maybe have visions that are lovely but not particularly practical or pragmatic, right? And you're able to say, okay, hold that vision, but let's take our first step right here, and this is how we're going to do it, right? Right.

And able to help them visualize the progress that they've made along the way, right? Because we're never trying to cloud anybody's vision or shatter your dream. The dream is real and it can be realized. But I think being able to show you that you're actually getting there, right? You're actually getting there in an iterative process has been key to our clients' success and to our success at retaining our clients.

So where do you see the company and you going in the next 10 years? Oh, wow.

The next 10 years. So I think over the next 10 years, we'd like to partner with more Black and brown businesses, underprivileged businesses, women-owned small businesses to help them tap into the untapped market of government contracting. So to help people see the value in the govcon space and to help create that, I guess, the platform, the process for entry. I think, you know, a lot of people see the barriers for entry, and we've been very successful in that space and building a network. So we want to partner up with other small women-owned small businesses, Black and brown owners, to help them achieve those goals and successes in that space.

That's a pretty good goal. And there's certainly a large number and growing number of people that, that are in that space that need the help.

Yes, yes, it can be challenging, but it is absolutely doable. And we want to be a part of that, you know, that mechanism to get more people involved.

Excellent. So one last question. What is one thing about you, Shanika, that we would never know about unless you revealed it to us?

You would never know. Maybe that I am an ATV enthusiast. ATV, off-roading vehicle.

ATV.

Yes, yes. So, um, a few years back, uh, maybe right after travel opened up, so I'll say 2021, I took a trip to Aruba. You know, we were finally able to travel. Aruba was on my bucket list. I took a trip and I rented an ATV off-road vehicle fell in love with it, came home, I purchased one. And so when, when, when I want to dream big for myself, there is nothing like, um, off-roading, you know, overcoming the challenges of the terrain, enjoying the fresh air, believing you can get to the top of something you probably shouldn't even attempt, and then getting up there and enjoying the fresh air and really seeing, you know what you accomplish. I think it just aligns with who I am as an entrepreneur, and it allows me to think big and do something physically that really resonates with how I think. And, you know, believing the impossible and achieving the hard feat, staying the course and enjoying the benefits of it. So yes, I am an ATV enthusiast.

Good for you. You have much opportunity for that in Alabama?

I do. So Alabama is actually very mountainous. We sit at the the, the foot of the Tennessee mountain, um, terrain. And so we have a lot of mountainous and off-roading areas. And so, yeah, so I really enjoy it.

Good for you. Well, this has been a lovely conversation, Shanika. You're doing great work, and I'm really honored that you've taken the time out of your busy day to be with me today. So thank you so much.

Thanks for having me again, Doug.

Doug Noll here. Thank you so much for listening to Listening with Leaders. If you are a successful executive leader who would like to be on this program, please visit podcast.dougnull.com/podcast. If you got something out of this interview, would you please share this episode on social media? Just do a quick screen screenshot with your phone and text it to a friend or post it on the socials. If you know someone that would be a great guest, tag them on the social media to let them know about the show and include the hashtag #ListeningWithLeaders. I love seeing your posts and guest suggestions. We are regularly putting out new episodes and content. To make sure you don't miss any episodes, go ahead and subscribe. Your thumbs up, ratings, and reviews go a long way to help promote the show and mean a means a lot to me and my team. Want to know more? Go to my website, DougNoll.com, or follow me on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. That's @DouglasEnoll. Thanks for listening, and we'll see you on the next show.