Spring is the founder of Sisarina, a Bethesda-based marketing and branding firm that specializes in small businesses and nonprofits. She holds informal advice and inspiration sessions — with free coffee and tea — for both the employed and the unemployed in the office conference room every Wednesday at 8:30 a.m. So, what does Sisarina mean?
Sisarina was my imaginary friend when I was 3 and 4. I was talking to my mom about names that I could come up with — names that weren’t already taken — and she reminded me that I had this imaginary friend when I was younger.
What do you talk about at these Wednesday sessions?
Anything people really want to talk about. A lot of times people ask me if they can buy me coffee or lunch, and I realized if I did that all the time I would be going to coffee and lunch 15 times a week. So I just started Cup of Inspiration to take any questions they wanted.
What’s one thing you find most beginning entrepreneurs seem to be lacking?
The knowledge of what they don’t know. A lot of times people will want to start a company and they’ll have a really great idea and that’s not necessarily how the whole thing works. They think “I can do the accounting and I can do the web design and I can do the sales and production.” They don’t realize what they don’t know, which is making sure they can delegate the things they don’t know how to do.
Your site says you’re dog-friendly. Does that mean you allow dogs in the office?
Yes. We have two dogs every day. They’re my dogs, Griffin and Bailey. They’re a Maltese and a Bichon-Poo.
— Courtney Zott
