She Began a Enterprise When the Market Was Struggling. The Hardest Half Stunned Her
The secret to entrepreneurship? Knowing when to hustle and when to wait.
EXPERT OPINION BY ROBIN CAMAROTE, LEADERSHIP & CAREER COACH @ROBINCAMAROTE
Breanne Dunn. Photo: Courtesy Subject
Breanne Dunn heard some version of “you’re crazy” a lot last year. She had spent more than a decade in government contracting, including three and a half years as president of TG Federal. After the company’s second acquisition, the direction changed, and she decided it was time to build her own.
She considered joining another small business, but in January she launched Hyland Company, a woman-owned technology services firm focused on cybersecurity, AI, and product and platform delivery. She did it while federal contractors were dealing with disrupted contracts and shrinking opportunities, which is roughly the business equivalent of opening a restaurant during a power outage.
Ten months in, I asked what had been harder than she expected. I figured she’d say the market. But her answer surprised me: “I think the biggest challenge has been the waiting.”
Building confidence before taking the leap
Dunn’s decision was less a leap of faith
Dunn’s decision was less a leap of faith than an inventory. She knew how to run a company, hire and keep good people, build partnerships, and pursue federal contracts. She had a strong network, some financial flexibility, and a husband who backed the idea.
Refreshed leadership advice from CEO Stephanie Mehta
As she saw it, the bigger risk was never trying. “Most people don’t even try,” she told me.
That lines up with what entrepreneurship researcher Saras Sarasvathy calls effectuation. Instead of waiting for a reliable forecast, founders start with who they are, what they know, whom they know, and what they can afford to lose.
Dunn didn’t bet that the market would cooperate. She bet that she could do the work, and she had years of evidence for that. A 2025 study conducted by Anne Rienke van Ewijk makes a related point: what matters isn’t only how much confidence an entrepreneur has, but how well it matches reality.
Source: www.inc.com
