Diane Evans, CEO of Guarded Edge, leveraged the unique resources and mentorship provided by Bounce’s programming to establish a strong foothold in the healthcare cybersecurity industry and propel her business to rapid growth.
After working in HIPAA compliance and data security for several years, Diane and co-founder Michelle Bermea saw a more significant opportunity in the healthcare industry for increased cybersecurity measures to ensure patient privacy is maintained safely and efficiently in healthcare organizations.
“We had a lot of experience in HIPAA data security management, but we needed to go to the next level. That’s where Bounce has been invaluable in guiding us on scaling our business,” said Diane.
Diane applied for Bounce’s programming, which specializes in working directly with entrepreneurs to find opportunities to grow their companies. Diane was set up with two of Bounce’s Entrepreneurs in Residence (EIRs), James Hilton and Elijah Stambaugh. James and Elijah are both entrepreneurial veterans with a wealth of experience in marketing, fundraising, and goal-setting for those looking to start or grow their businesses.
“They came to us and had several pieces already; they had some of the work done, some validation, and an idea of where they wanted to go,” said Elijah. “James and I were able to help those pieces fall into place and set them up with the advice and resources that led them to their first offering.”
With the help of the EIRs and other entrepreneurial resources through Bounce, Guarded Edge built up the Guarded Edge brand with a new logo, a modern and streamlined website, and a cohesive marketing plan to make the marketing and outreach process in the early stages more effective. Guarded Edge’s EIRs were also able to help narrow their focus to a particular sector within the healthcare field to define and market to their audience correctly. Within four weeks of the website going live with training offers, Guarded Edge exceeded $2,000 in sales.
Diane credits the fast pace of Guarded Edge’s growth to the regular meetings and plans between James, Elijah, and herself. In these meetings, Diane allowed herself to be receptive to all feedback from her EIRs on what was working and what needed adjustments.
“We have accomplished so much in 6 months because it’s been a two-way street. We listen to the advice we get, and we act on it,” said Diane. “Bounce is there to guide and give you direction, but you, as the entrepreneur, need to run with that.”
Direct client success within the first year of a company’s founding is far from guaranteed. Still, Diane’s trust in Bounce and her willingness to adapt and learn from the challenges of entrepreneurship set Guarded Edge up for success in record time.
“We needed the explanations we got from Bounce’s entrepreneurs in residence to point a path for us on how to reach the market.”