Maria O’Connell, owner of the Express Employment Professionals franchise in Malvern, spoke with VISTA Today about the fond memories she has of growing up in Lower Pottsgrove, working her first job as a 13-year-old, her educational journey, and the people whose support has been critical to her professional success.

O’Connell also discussed her path toward opening her franchise, learning about herself and entrepreneurship in the process, what differentiates Express from other staffing agencies, and the opportunities that lie ahead for her business.

Where were you born, and where did you grow up?

I was born the oldest of two children in Pottstown and grew up in Lower Pottsgrove.

What did your parents do?

My dad worked at Firestone, making tires until the plant he worked at closed. When the plant closed, he decided to pursue an Economics degree at Ursinus College. He works in the restaurant business now. His passion is golfing and he gets the chance to play mostly every day.

My mom was a hairdresser by trade, so she did that for many years. She made a career change and became a home healthcare provider (CNA) and has cared for many long term clients across the area.

What memories do you have of growing up in Lower Pottsgrove?

I remember a lot of family time. Mostly all of my extended family lived in the Pottstown area. My grandmother was one of five sisters who immigrated from Italy. We did a lot together during year and especially at the holidays. It wasn’t uncommon to run into someone I was related to when we were out-and-about.

Did you have any part-time jobs when you were growing up?

My first job was running the snack bar at the North End Swim Club when I was 13-years-old.

Why were you working at such a young age? 

I was spending much of my summer at the pool and thought this would be a great way to start to earn some money. My parents were hard workers, so I learned that from them. Plus, I’ve always had the desire to be self-reliant. I always wanted to be able to earn my own living and take care of things.

What lessons did you take from that first job that you use today?

The lessons I learned were about integrity. It’s a big part of who I am. I had many opportunities not to charge people or do the right thing. There were many times I was there alone with the cash drawer and was honored to be given that responsibility. Even today, integrity and honesty are part of our guiding principals at Express Pros .

What kind of music were you listening to back then?

Definitely 70s and 80s music. I graduated from high school in 1981. Peter Frampton and Bruce Springsteen were high on my list as were Carley Simon and Carole King.

Did you play any sports in high school?

I didn’t play any sports, but I was the Captain of the Twirling Corps in the Pottsgrove HS Marching Band. I twirled for all four years in high school. We were the only corps who twirled fire batons! It only lasted until my last season and the band director decided not to include fire in the halftime show moving forward. Too much responsibility with all of the Aqua Net hairspray.

Where did you go to college?

My journey through my college career path evolved. I started off at St. Francis DeSales in Allentown, intending to become a nurse anesthetist. When the Firestone plant where my father worked closed, my family’s financial standing changed. I wasn’t able to stay at that school. I left DeSales, enrolled at Montgomery County Community College, and two years later received an Associate’s Degree in Accounting. From there, I decided to go to Kutztown University to finish my Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting.

Why Kutztown?

I chose Kutztown because one, it was affordable; two, all my MCCC credits transferred, and three, it was close to home. During that time, my husband and I got married, and our son was born. I was able to schedule classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so I could be home Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

I completed a BSBA with a focus in Accounting. Before I graduated, I was hired at Shared Medical Systems in Malvern PA. This turned out to be a great start of a wonderful 26 year career in Healthcare IT.

So were Montgomery County CC and Kutztown good choices for you?

Yes! I did very well at both. Montgomery County Community College was pivotal to my entire career. I had professors that understood where I was as a person and as a learner.

The education I received at Kutztown was great too. I always loved business, but I chose accounting because I knew I could get a job. We were a very young family, and I knew I needed to be able to help pay the bills.

Who were the people who helped you get to where you are today?

My number one fan is definitely my husband, Brian. He is always there to support me and my ideas. Brian did his training in the Coast Guard, so when we work together, we both come at it from very different angles. We’ve been married for thirty-four years, so we’ve spent a lifetime together. We continue to sail our boat Liberty in the Chesapeake and look forward to many more years of adventure.

Early on, my confidence levels were elevated when I took elocution lessons from Evelyn Shelly in Pottstown. We did a lot of recitals and public speaking events in those classes. I went for thirteen years and learned a great deal about grace and humility from her. I think of her often because she set me up to be successful as well as kind.

My children also have made a big difference in my life. I was not a stay-at-home mom, but I never missed anything with them. We had fun growing up together and everyone contributed. My son and daughter are both very kind, smart people with a great work ethic. I’m proud of who they are and how they make a difference in this world.

What led you to start Express Employment Professionals?

I knew I wanted to be a business owner. The timing was actually five years sooner than I thought, which turned out to be a blessing, because of the amount of energy it actually takes to get a startup off the ground.

It started in 2015 when Cerner acquired Siemens Health. Knowing I wanted to be a business owner, I saved all of my bonuses at Siemens, which gave me some seed money. Coupled with my early retirement money, I went franchise shopping. I had done so much in my twenty-six years in health care that I knew I didn’t want to start from scratch, so a franchise was important.

I love working in and learning about businesses, so I knew that B2B is where I wanted to stay. My goal was to be a force for good in my community, a catalyst to help others be their own best and create a legacy of financial success. I wanted a business opportunity to grow from zero to profitability in a short period of time. I also appreciated working in billion-dollar companies all my career and joining Express Employment Professionals kept me in that circle.

I met the representative from Express Professionals Employment at a franchise show. After speaking with him about the opportunity, learning about the Express organization and culture, I decided to travel to headquarters in Oklahoma City and learn more. It was an awesome experience and we mutually agreed it was a great fit.

In hindsight, was opening an Express Employment Professionals franchise the right move?

It was the right choice and I have learned a lot about myself and entrepreneurship. Starting at zero is definitely humbling and comes with a significant amount of vulnerability. While it’s challenging to develop a startup it is also an amazing opportunity to meet other community leaders, business owners and learn something new every day.  I appreciate the opportunity to have the responsibility for the good, the bad and the ugly. My Express team has taught me so much in this venture, I’m could not be more appreciative.

What’s been the biggest surprise?

Hard to land on one, so I’ll give you my top two. As a new business owner, the cash burn in the first twenty-four months was higher than ever expected. You get a run for your money figuratively and literally. Second, the amount of time, grace, and effort to cultivate new business relationships.  What I can tell you though is when you put brainpower and hearts together in Chester County, magic happens. The experience has changed my life and my perspective, especially in terms of being an economic driver. What we do here at Express Employment reflects Chester County’s magic.

Heading into 2020, what are the challenges and opportunities ahead of you?

2020 will be our fifth year in business. I opened our door on November 9th, 2015. When we opened the business, we committed to being a “Circle of Excellence” office, which is means we have to earn a certain amount of gross margin in a year. Based on our plan, this year is the year for us to meet that goal. I look forward to celebrating big with everyone who has helped us achieve this milestone. Every person who works on my team is making a difference in a way that I couldn’t be prouder of.

The more we grow our Express Pros business the more good we are doing by putting a lot of people to work, building a community where our associates and clients can see tangible results, and differentiating ourselves from other staffing companies. It also means that my team on the inside has what they need to be successful. I want to be a good leader, and by doing so, I want my team to have fun and work hard at the same time.

What differentiates Express Employment Professionals from other staffing companies?

For our Associates, we really try to meet people where they are. We come at it that there is a job for everyone. We are usually pretty good at helping people identify their skills, see possibilities and help set them up for success. Sometimes it’s hard for people to see their next step themselves. My team and I like to get to know an Associate so we can help coach them and plug them into the right job and cultural fit for them.

We support our clients by becoming one of their best marketing tools to build and grow a team with employees that are excited to work in their organization. We also help them manage risk. We do this by utilizing our ISO certified and award-winning staffing processes to identify, screen, select and onboard Associates. We also can use our evaluation hire plan which means an Associate will go to work at the client’s site under Express for a certain amount of hours before transitioning to employee status of that client’s organization. This gives everyone a chance to make sure things are good before they say yes.

What do you and your husband do in your free time?

Brian and I have a 30-foot sailboat named Liberty, which we have owned for almost ten years. Our dream is to take Liberty for some long cruises up and down the East Coast.

We also own a 1750 era farmhouse in Charlestown Township, which requires a lot of love and work. Brian and I are starting a blueberry farm on our property and do a lot of organic farming.

We love living in Chester County. It’s so close to New York, Philadelphia, the Chesapeake, and so many of the other places we love to visit.

Finally, Maria, what is the best piece of advice you ever received? 

Never quit on a bad day! Year 3 will look so much better – just get there.

In the first twenty-four months of starting my business, I struggled. I was coming into this business at the top of my game after working for twenty-six years in Corporate America. I had a lot of expertise, relationships built, and successes. When I decided to take this business on, those things were still there but hard for me to see.  I knew I had to change my perspective and commit 100% for this to work. I made the decision, no turning back until the office was achieving the success I know we are capable of achieving.  I’m glad that year 3 came and it was much better! Thank you to so many people in this community and at Express Employment Professionals HQ.

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Publisher’s Note: Laura Wagoner contributed to this profile.