Newtown Small Business Spotlight: The Involvement Practice

Every local business has a story worth sharing with the community. And that’s the belief behind this exciting series we’ve kicked off at Patch — to shine the spotlight on all our favorite local businesses, and to learn a little about the ones we may not know that well.

Business: The Involvement Practice
Owner: Tim McCleary
Website: http://www.theinvolvementpractice.com
Address: 75 Glen Road, Suite 107, Sandy Hook, CT 06470

How did you come up with the name?
My firm specializes in change activation, focusing on the employee as the change agent. We design and facilitate employee involvement to help them understand, own and activate the change from within. I wanted a name that reflected what we do. So, “involvement” was an obvious choice. We see our work as part art and part science, so “practice” seemed like the right fit. Our clients seem to agree!

Why choose that location? Why start a business in this town?
I choose the old fabric firehose building as the home for The Involvement Practice for its beautiful locale on the Pootatuck River, adjacent to a waterfall. The building itself has retained its charm with hand-hewn exposed beams, exposed red brick and 11-foot ceilings. It’s the perfect space to inspire creative thinking which is what we do everyday for our clients.

Briefly, what business are you in?
Change activation, specifically around culture and brands.

What’s the most difficult moment or challenge you’ve faced as a business owner?
The Great Recession was both fuel and a hindrance for the business. We launched in late 2007, on the doorstep of the recession. It taught me how to use resources wisely and to deliver an exceptional experience for our clients.

Were there any challenges that made you second guess your decision to be an entrepreneur?
When I started to talk about becoming an entrepreneur, many people were quick to tell me that it was too risky. It’s true; it can risky. But sensible risks are quickly outweighed by the rewards. The days can be very long and challenging, but there’s nothing like the feeling of building a business from scratch and helping it grow.

What’s been your favorite moment or proudest achievement since opening?
We landed an important piece of culture activation work with a new client in Chicago last year. Weeks after beginning the work, we discovered that we beat out two global firms that have been in business for decades. That moment was exhilarating and confirmed my belief that we deliver something unique in the market.

What’s the most innovative idea your employees or customers have had that you put into practice?
We walk the talk of “involvement,” not just for our clients, but the way in which I run the practice. That means that every one of our team members in encouraged to offer ideas and solutions to better serve our clients and run the business effectively. Great ideas come from surprising places. Maintaining an open culture helps foster them.

How do you deal with difficult customers?
At the end of the day, we’re all human. There’s always a reason someone is acting the way they are. We try to step back and understand the “trigger” so that we can help them overcome the issue. We look at our clients as more than customers - they are partners in the involvement process.

How does your business give back or get involved in the community?
The Involvement Practice supports the Career Center at Newtown High School, we’ve spoken in classrooms and participated in the Newtown Middle School Career Day. We’ve each had tremendous mentors over our business careers and it feels good to be able to help young students explore a path they can be passionate about.

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