
Today we’d like to introduce you to Ty Givens.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My name is Tyche (call me Ty). I’m from South (Central) LA and I’m proud of it! I come from a time when kids played outside and your neighbors were your family. On my block, we all looked out for one another, and in many ways we still do today. Though many people have moved on, my granddad is still there and he’s a neighborhood treasure. Everyone considers him their father/grandfather.
I grew up in a house full of family where my cousins felt more like siblings. In the mornings, we’d listen to 1580 KDAY and I was the last kid dropped off at school. Every day at 3 PM, the “blue car” was outside to pick me up, take me to get a snack and get me home to do homework. So long as I “got my lesson” I could watch Double Dare or go outside and ride bikes with my friends.
I was fortunate enough to be able to attend private school (First Church of God Christian School) until my high school years, where I went to Palisades Charter High (go Dolphins!). Both were my mom’s vision for me as she saw that I was a bit nerdy and wanted me to have the best chance of success. I think Palisades was the first time I started to envision a life beyond what I already knew and I’m grateful for that.
For college, I went to CSU Dominguez Hills and studied business. Then finally, at the urging of my granddad, I got an MBA in Organizational Leadership from National University.
I can’t say that it was formal education that was responsible for me getting where I am today, though I think it played a part. For me, college taught me critical thinking and how to complete something, whether I wanted to complete it or not.
But, experience and the ability to learn lessons from mistakes is the reason I have achieved any amount of success in my opinion. While in college, I worked full time and went to school full time, leaving little time for me to be “normal” and that prepared me for the tenacity it takes to go out on my own.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The road has definitely not been smooth, but I think there’s been a blessing in every lesson.
For example, I think entrepreneurship is glamorized on social media. But, it hasn’t been glamorous for me. It’s been a lot of hard work, hard times, difficult decisions, and I’m mostly exhausted.
For me, having my own business didn’t translate directly to more money. But it did translate to more responsibility and better control over your time (hopefully).
I also learned I’m too poor to buy cheap stuff. I used to hire who I could afford, thinking more hours was best, but in reality, if you go with an expert, they’ll do it right the first time. Sure the upfront cost is more, but the quality is better and it reduces my level of effort and saves money in the long run.
The last thing I’ll share is that I learned that if I give beyond my capacity, I’ll be rewarded with more work. I’ve decided to put on my oxygen mask and set clear boundaries. What I need matters too.
We’ve been impressed with CX Collective, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
In 2016, I launched a company called The Workforce Pro Inc that was focused on fixing customer service problems. In October 2022, we rebranded to CX Collective and the team now includes six people. We’re a team of CX experts who actively build and scale Customer Experience (CX) teams for companies at all stages.
We’d be best known for transforming the customer experience by making our clients more efficient and helping them to improve their customer satisfaction… which ultimately leads to retention. We’ve had some amazing clients like The Honey Pot Co, JOOPITER (Pharrell William’s new company), Baby Gold, Thrive Causemetics, The Detox Market, Ilia Beauty and more.
We’re different from other consulting agencies in that we actually do the work. Most businesses will tell you what to do and disappear, but with us, we lend ourselves as resources to help you implement our recommendations.
Newer companies come to us when they’re in stealth mode, and know they’re going to be a big deal and established companies come to us when they’re ready to transform.
What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
I’ve learned to only take advice from people who have already achieved what I’m trying to accomplish. Sure, I know that coaches don’t play. But theory and practice are two totally different things. I’m also cautious of people who have too much time to tell me how to do something because then I realize I’m the product.
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Image Credits
@rayneduronsletphotography
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