Start Before You’re Ready: The Advice Deya Booker Wishes She Took Sooner

After years of watching leaders struggle to balance compliance with culture, Deya Booker launched Bloom & Beacon HR to help small business owners and nonprofit leaders create workplaces where people and purpose thrive. Her turning point came when a client said, “You helped me see my people differently”—a moment that revealed she was doing more than HR, she was transforming leadership. As part of our Wantrepreneur to Entrepreneur Spotlight series, Deya shares how empathy, authenticity, and clarity became her compass in building a people-first business rooted in meaningful impact and intentional growth.

Hi, Deya! Thanks for joining us today. Tell us about your business. Who do you serve, how do you serve them, and what's the impact that your business and work makes?

At Bloom & Beacon HR, I help small business owners and nonprofit leaders create workplaces where people and purpose thrive together. We provide strategic HR consulting and people first support that helps organizations stay compliant, build strong teams, and cultivate positive, inclusive cultures. Our impact goes beyond policies and systems, it’s about transforming workplaces into environments where individuals feel valued, supported, and empowered to grow.

Tell us about the moment you finally felt like you went from wantrepreneur to entrepreneur.

That moment came when a client told me, “You helped me see my people differently.” I realized I wasn’t just offering HR services. I was changing the way leaders understood and supported their teams. That’s when I truly felt like an entrepreneur, someone building something that mattered, from the ground up.

Describe the moment or period in your life/career that motivated you to make the entrepreneurial leap.

Throughout my career, I kept meeting leaders who cared deeply about their people but struggled to navigate the complexities of compliance and culture. Several of my close friends who owned small businesses were sharing similar challenges.  They wanted to do right by their teams but didn’t have the resources or guidance to do it confidently. I wanted to create something more personal and impactful, a way to bring clarity and confidence to organizations doing meaningful work. That motivation became the spark that started Bloom & Beacon HR.

Describe a tool, service, or software that has been a game-changer for your business. How does it contribute to your success?

A tool that has been a game changer for my business is ClickUp. It helps me stay organized, manage multiple client projects, and track deadlines in one place. HR consulting involves a lot of moving pieces: from onboarding plans and policy drafts to leadership coaching sessions. ClickUp allows me to keep everything streamlined. It’s improved my productivity, reduced stress, and ensured that I never miss a detail for my clients.

We know that success is very often a non-linear path. Tell us about a failure, pivot point, or lesson that changed your course or direction and helped to get you where you are today.

Throughout my career, one of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned is the importance of staying true to myself, even when the easier path is saying yes. Early on, I often said yes to every project, opportunity, or request, thinking that was the key to success. But over time, I realized that constantly stretching myself thin didn’t serve anyone well. It led to burnout and pulled me away from the work that truly aligned with my purpose.
Learning to pause, reflect, and make intentional choices changed everything. Saying yes now means something different.  It means choosing opportunities that align with my values, my strengths, and the kind of impact I want to have. Staying true to myself has not only made me a better leader and partner but also helped me build a career rooted in authenticity and purpose.

What unconventional strategy did you employ that significantly impacted your business?

I made empathy part of my business strategy. By taking time to truly listen and understand each client’s unique challenges, I’ve built long-term relationships based on trust and authenticity. That human connection has been the key to my success and my clients’ satisfaction.

What’s something you wish you knew sooner that you’d give as advice for aspiring or newer entrepreneurs?

Start before you feel ready. Clarity doesn’t come from waiting, it comes from taking action. Surround yourself with people who believe in your vision and remind you why you started. Entrepreneurship is a journey, not a destination, and every small step forward matters.

Want to dive deeper into Deya's work? Check out the links below!

• Visit Bloom & Beacon HR's website: bloombeaconhr.com
• Connect with Deya Booker on LinkedIn: Deya Booker
• Follow Bloom & Beacon HR on Instagram: @bloombeaconhr
• Follow Bloom & Beacon HR on LinkedIn: Bloom & Beacon HR