“Buzzworthy Businesses” is a unique and cool talk show that showcases individuals and companies in the community that are making a buzz and giving back. Our goal is to interview guests that are doing great things in their business and in their community. Today our hosts, Steve Strum spoke with Beth Tate.
Beth Tate
Owner at The Kesley Group, LLC
Website Address: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethtate/
Short company description:
The Kesley Group is an advisory and operating company. The firm provides executive advisory services, nonprofit consulting, and strategic facilitation for businesses, nonprofit organizations, and community initiatives. Through The Kesley Group, Beth also owns and operates two award-winning Deka Lash franchise locations in Northeast Florida, bringing real-world business ownership experience to her advisory work.
Describe a Failure in your Career.
One of the biggest lessons in my career came from franchise ownership. I was in the process of building my first Deka Lash studio when I had the opportunity to purchase an existing second location. On paper, it looked like a smart way to accelerate growth. In reality, I underestimated how difficult it would be to launch one studio while simultaneously turning around another. It taught me that timing matters, capacity matters, and growth has to be matched with the operational infrastructure to support it.
What about your company makes you the most proud?
I’m most proud that I’ve stayed true to my mission of ‘Connecting People, Solving Problems.’ Every part of The Kesley Group reflects that philosophy—from executive advisory services and nonprofit consulting to owning and operating two Deka Lash studios. They may seem like very different businesses, but they’re all about helping people succeed, building strong organizations, and creating lasting value in the communities we serve.
How do you motivate people to give their best?
Over the years, I’ve learned that every person is motivated differently. Some are driven by recognition, others by growth, purpose, financial success, or simply knowing their work matters. I take the time to understand what motivates each individual, then set clear expectations, provide honest feedback, remove obstacles, and recognize their contributions. I’ve found that people are far more likely to give their best when they feel valued, challenged, and connected to a meaningful goal.
What strategies do you use to improve your performance?
Every day I evaluate how I spent my time yesterday and what i need to do to move the ball forward a little bit more today. Every day doesn’t require a big leap, as long as you are moving forward. I keep my goals in front of me and use them as a filter for how to plan my day, my week, my month. I’ve learned over time that i perform best when i have adequate sleep and the right mindset. So I prioritize self-care and advise my clients to do the same!
Can You Discuss a Time When You Had to Work with a Team to Achieve a Goal?
So many times in my financial services career and most recently with my franchisor! I often was involved in large multi-site projects that required us to work together across locations and tech disciplines to get a project completed. Overcoming geographical and business challenges as a team was important to get to the desired goal. Most recently i was involved in a system migration where I was NOT the lead but became one of the default leaders as I identified ways to help the team work better together to achieve our end result.
