Meet Derek Hairston Jr. | Agency Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Derek Hairston Jr. and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Derek, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?

Work life balance is very important to me. In fact, it’s so important that it’s included on my annual goals list for the business every year. It’s listed as “sustain a stress-free business model.” Granted, I have not always held such a high esteem for work life balance. During my first year in business, I recall working as late (or early…if we’re being literal) as 2 AM and 3 AM. It was uncommon for me to stop working before 12 AM. Now, while this may have ‘felt’ productive (especially in a culture that idolizes the “hustle hard, no sleep” mentality as the token of success), I was losing sleep making my waking hours less and less productive.

Thankfully, it wasn’t long before the tide began to shift. I realized that being an entrepreneur (at least for me) is not about trying to outwork everyone, but instead about creating the most ideal lifestyle for myself. For me, that included a business model and workday that allowed me to stop working early enough to do the things I actually enjoy, some of which include: working out, hiking, and time with family. But first, I had to set myself free mentally, breaking away from the 8-5 mentality.

Work life balance, as I see it, is a skill subjected to continuous improvement. On a daily basis, I make a conscious effort to continuously improve my work life balance, not only through learning, but also implementation. I’ve learned invaluable skills from books like “The 4-Hour Workweek,” “Atomic Habits,” and “7 Habits of Highly Effective People.” Thanks to this education and implementation, my mentality has shifted from “work-life balance” to “life-work balance”…see what I did there? Still trying to comprehend? Let me present it another way…“I work to live, not the other way around.”

What should our readers know about your business?

Olam Sites is a website design company that specializes in a simple, 2-3 week process that delivers the best website for small businesses. We take pride in delivering a service that is simple, fast and affordable.

The team at Olam Sites has over 20 years of combined website design experience, and is committed to building a website that delivers the best results for our clients.

Most importantly, we are here to serve our clients! We listen to their goals and vision for their website, then bring that to life.

Ready to get started? I am excited to begin working with you!

As for how Olam Sites was started…

While I always had dreams of owning my own business, I did not plan to own a business this early in life. Yet, I was left with no other choice. The year was 2018, I was 24 and I was exhausted, annoyed and defeated. One job application after another, each followed by one of those disingenuous rejection letters (you know the ones I’m talking about). Side note…the job market was obviously the opposite of the current one. Well, I was fed up and made a vow to myself, “I will commit twice the effort I’ve been putting towards trying to join another person’s company into starting my own company,” and that’s just what I did.

So I started off as a freelancer, and as my client-base grew, I grew more passionate about providing online marketing strategy to small businesses. So after much prayer and guidance from God, I founded Olam, LLC in March of 2018. Since then, I have managed hundreds of website projects and thousands of dollars in ad spend for clients. I’ve enjoyed every accomplishment, challenge and idle time in between. But more than anything, I’ve enjoyed the joy that we bring to clients when we help them achieve their dreams and aspirations.

It’s a blessing to be a blessing!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I love the outdoors, so our activities would include: – Stone Mountain hiking
– Kennesaw mountain
– The Beltline
– Ponce City Market
– Atlantic Station
– Piedmont Park

Places to eat
– Rusan’s in Buckhead
– Farm Burger
– Willie’s

Hanging out
– New Realm Brewing Co.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d like to dedicate my shoutout to my mother Serena Hooker (for instilling in me excellence and the drive to go above and beyond) and father Derek Hairston Sr. (for showing me the value of entrepreneurship)

Website: https://www.olamsites.com/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derekhairston/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/olamsites

Image Credits
Lilly Austin