Stir Episode 11

With Deanna King

When doors close, some people wait for another to open. DeAnna King built her own. In this episode of Stir, Aginto’s Chris Williams sits down with DeAnna, founder of King HR Services, to explore how being passed over for roles fueled her determination. Five years later, DeAnna has leveraged her HR and operations expertise to empower small–medium businesses with compliance, payroll, and people management—proving that sometimes the best job opportunity is the one you create yourself.

From Specialist to Entrepreneur

DeAnna’s journey began behind the scenes as a payroll and tax specialist, then as an allocation expert at Manatee County Schools—roles that exposed her to every department from finance to grants and strengthened her HR acumen. When the district funded her SHRM certification, she applied for new positions but faced rejection. “I can really do this on my own,” she realized. With a master’s in business management and deep operational insight, she launched King HR Services, initially drafting employee handbooks and contractor agreements for her hairdresser.

That first client sparked momentum. DeAnna immersed herself in local business classes and professional HR groups, forging connections that turned into referrals. Juggling a full-time job, entrepreneurship, and motherhood, she spent lunch breaks and late nights writing goals—“By Q2, I’ll have a website; by next year, an e-book.” This relentless fire set the tone for her five-year success.

Overcoming Hurdles: Mastering Capital

An early challenge was mastering business credit. Personal versus business credit, bank products, and capital utilization were foreign concepts. DeAnna credits a mentor for her foundational understanding and remembers hunting down bankers at events. “If I knew about business credit sooner,” she reflects, “I wouldn’t have had to make so many sacrifices.” Now, she advises every aspiring entrepreneur to research and build business credit early—because proper funding fuels growth without draining personal resources.

Impact and Expansion

Success for DeAnna isn’t measured in personal profit alone but by the ripple effect on her clients and community. She’s proud when a startup client expands from one entity to four under her HR and payroll guidance. Recently partnering with CareerSource Sarasota, she’s preparing paid summer internships for 14–18-year-olds to expose them to the realities of business operations—far beyond the glamorous social-media highlight reels.

Time as the Ultimate Currency

Transitioning from employee to business owner rewired DeAnna’s approach to time. Where a nine-to-five gave structure, entrepreneurship demanded self-discipline. She treats her calendar like a boss, mapping weekly tasks on an office board and setting phone reminders for each commitment. “Time is the most valuable asset,” she insists. Her simple system—big-board planning, mobile calendars, and purse-notepad goal lists—became indispensable to managing multiple roles.

The Road Ahead

Five years in, DeAnna’s ambition continues to scale. Her next goal: a brick-and-mortar space hosting regular workshops on business formation, grants, certifications, and capital strategies. By inviting bankers, attorneys, and fellow entrepreneurs, she plans quarterly or monthly classes to demystify the essentials for startup success—giving newcomers the head start she once needed.

When doors close, some people wait for another to open. DeAnna King built her own. In this episode of Stir, Aginto’s Chris Williams sits down with DeAnna, founder of King HR Services, to explore how being passed over for roles fueled her determination. Five years later, DeAnna has leveraged her HR and operations expertise to empower small–medium businesses with compliance, payroll, and people management—proving that sometimes the best job opportunity is the one you create yourself.

From Specialist to Entrepreneur

DeAnna’s journey began behind the scenes as a payroll and tax specialist, then as an allocation expert at Manatee County Schools—roles that exposed her to every department from finance to grants and strengthened her HR acumen. When the district funded her SHRM certification, she applied for new positions but faced rejection. “I can really do this on my own,” she realized. With a master’s in business management and deep operational insight, she launched King HR Services, initially drafting employee handbooks and contractor agreements for her hairdresser.

That first client sparked momentum. DeAnna immersed herself in local business classes and professional HR groups, forging connections that turned into referrals. Juggling a full-time job, entrepreneurship, and motherhood, she spent lunch breaks and late nights writing goals—“By Q2, I’ll have a website; by next year, an e-book.” This relentless fire set the tone for her five-year success.

Overcoming Hurdles: Mastering Capital

An early challenge was mastering business credit. Personal versus business credit, bank products, and capital utilization were foreign concepts. DeAnna credits a mentor for her foundational understanding and remembers hunting down bankers at events. “If I knew about business credit sooner,” she reflects, “I wouldn’t have had to make so many sacrifices.” Now, she advises every aspiring entrepreneur to research and build business credit early—because proper funding fuels growth without draining personal resources.

Impact and Expansion

Success for DeAnna isn’t measured in personal profit alone but by the ripple effect on her clients and community. She’s proud when a startup client expands from one entity to four under her HR and payroll guidance. Recently partnering with CareerSource Sarasota, she’s preparing paid summer internships for 14–18-year-olds to expose them to the realities of business operations—far beyond the glamorous social-media highlight reels.

Time as the Ultimate Currency

Transitioning from employee to business owner rewired DeAnna’s approach to time. Where a nine-to-five gave structure, entrepreneurship demanded self-discipline. She treats her calendar like a boss, mapping weekly tasks on an office board and setting phone reminders for each commitment. “Time is the most valuable asset,” she insists. Her simple system—big-board planning, mobile calendars, and purse-notepad goal lists—became indispensable to managing multiple roles.

The Road Ahead

Five years in, DeAnna’s ambition continues to scale. Her next goal: a brick-and-mortar space hosting regular workshops on business formation, grants, certifications, and capital strategies. By inviting bankers, attorneys, and fellow entrepreneurs, she plans quarterly or monthly classes to demystify the essentials for startup success—giving newcomers the head start she once needed.

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