How Capital One helps cultivate resilience in business

"There's real power in building a network of support and trust."

That's one of the insights that Jenn Flynn, head of Small Business Bank at Capital One, shared with the nation's top entrepreneurs at the Inc. 5000 Conference in Phoenix, Arizona, this past month.

Capital One Business has been the official partner of Inc. 5000 since 2019. Flynn says, "This partnership is based on a shared belief that businesses have the power to change the world for the better. I was honored to participate in person again this year and come together with business leaders to share inspiring conversation and celebrate moments of connection."

Flynn's "Lightning Lesson" for the Inc. 5000 Class of 2022 was prompted by recent research from Capital One Business that discovered nearly half of business leaders have experienced burnout in the past month. Flynn offered several actionable tips for managing financial stress, reducing business owner burnout and achieving better work-life balance that she's gleaned from recent conversations with small business owners around the country. 

Here are a few more highlights from her talk:

"You might be familiar with the Capital One Spark Cash Plus card commercials featuring Antonelli's Cheese Shop in Austin, Texas. The company's founders, John and Kendall Antonelli, regularly discuss how important balancing work and life is to them. And when they find that things are off-balance, they do three things—prioritize communication, remind themselves that family comes first and hit the reset button," Flynn explained.

"I recently caught up with Camille Padilla, co-founder and CEO of VODIUM, which built and launched the world's first virtual teleprompter app at the beginning of the pandemic," Flynn said. "We talked about the importance of putting intentional boundaries in place. VODIUM has specific days when they don't schedule meetings. Their team is also mindful about getting tasks on someone's radar without swarming them with messages."

"We all know the saying, 'It takes a village...' For The Baconer, a family-owned business specializing in all things bacon, it's the village that helps them overcome difficult times," Flynn shared. "Dana Young, their director of communications and partnerships, shared with me that the entire team seeks out opportunities to gather together as often as possible—to vent, to laugh and to celebrate their shared triumphs."

Flynn closed her remarks with a personal reflection: "For me, my village continues to help me focus on my well-being."

Other featured speakers at this year's Inc. 5000 Conference included "Shark Tank" star Daymond John, actor and producer Wayne Brady, AOL co-founder Steve Case and tokidoki co-founder Pooneh Mohajer. Another mainstage session of note was a live episode of "Your Next Move," a webinar series co-curated by Inc. and Capital One Business and hosted by The Honey Pot CEO and co-founder Beatrice Dixon.

Flynn joined Capital One in 2015 and served as the CFO for its Healthcare and International/Small Business divisions before assuming her current role leading Small Business Bank. A highly experienced corporate finance executive, Flynn's true passion is building high-performing cultures of inclusion; she has been recognized nationally for this commitment with awards from the Diversity and Flexibility Alliance and Working Mother magazine. She serves on the Executive Steering Committee for the Capital One Business Resource Group empowHER and on the board of directors for the new majority investment accelerator 1863 Ventures. 

Recognized as the most prestigious event in entrepreneurship and the place where future household names first make their mark, the Inc. 5000 Conference and Gala honors the people behind the magazine’s annual list of fastest-growing private companies in America.¹ This year's honorees represent 52 U.S. states and territories, 34 industries, 230% in median growth, $317.6 billion in total revenue and over 1 million jobs added.

With Capital One, you'll discover the benefits of working with a dedicated banking partner for financial advice, resources and products that can help streamline the work that goes into growing your enterprise. You'll find:

• Business-grade checking and savings accounts with robust digital tools
• Cash management and merchant services designed for your industry
• Flexible lending solutions for real estate, operations and more 

Learn how Capital One Business can support your resilience in business and empower you to pursue your next big goal.