Female Founders: Ingrid Christensen Of INGCO International On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed as a Woman Founder

An Interview With Doug Noll

Say yes and figure it out. You’ll never have all the answers and oftentimes you’ll have to do things you’ve never done before. As Marie Forleo coined, everything is figureoutable. Unless someone is asking you to do something that is way out of your comfort zone or skill set, say yes, and figure it out OR refer them to someone else.

As a part of our series about “Why We Need More Women Founders”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Ingrid Christensen.

Ingrid Christensen is an entrepreneur, business leader, and advocate passionate about providing equal access to information to everyone, no matter what language they speak. The President and Founder of INGCO International, Ingrid launched the company in 2006 after witnessing firsthand how translation and interpreting services bridge divides and connect people from different cultures. Today, INGCO provides translation and interpreting services in over 200 languages to companies across the globe in various sectors. Ingrid is also the author of The Language of Trust: Communicate to Build Meaningful Relationships in Business and Life.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?

I’ll never forget the day I was sitting in a coffee shop, reading my local newspaper. I was days away from graduating from the University of Minnesota, and yet, I didn’t know what I wanted to be when I grew up. A “help wanted” ad caught my eye — they were looking for someone to help with administrative work for a language services company in the Twin Cities. It sounded like a good fit for me, so I applied and was offered the job.

A few weeks into my new gig, my employer learned I was fluent in Spanish and encouraged me to become a Spanish interpreter. I quickly fell in love with the profession — it was challenging and allowed me to pursue my passion for helping people get the information they needed in some of life’s most critical moments.

In the beginning, I primarily focused on interpreting for worker’s compensation cases. I worked with claimants, medical providers, financial professionals, and other social service entities to review and reconcile claims for workplace injuries. I saw firsthand how these catastrophic injuries could have lasting effects on people’s physical, mental, social, financial, and professional wellbeing.

In some cases, I worked closely with inmates who needed assistance. I’ll never forget sitting alone in a jail cell with a man who had been convicted of murder — something I certainly didn’t foresee doing when I first started down this path! That person needed interpreting as much as anyone, which lit a fire in me to ensure everyone, regardless of their actions or circumstances, has access to the information they need.

After interpreting for other agencies, I decided it was time to make it on my own, so I launched INGCO International in February of 2006. One of my first clients said they chose me for a large translation project because there was “just something” about me that would help them be successful. I believe that “something” was my work ethic and tenacity. As a single mom, I was trying to do it all — building relationships, managing the (many) responsibilities of starting a business, and acclimating to life with a newborn — but I still managed to deliver consistently. All that juggling paid off: that first client continues to be an INGCO International client today!

Growing the Business

In the early days of INGCO International, my son, Oscar, was just a few months old, and he came with me everywhere. I carted him with me to client meetings and graduate classes for my master’s degree. I had so little margin in my life that I spent hours working in my car while I was hooked up to my breast pump and Oscar napped in the back seat. I’m certain Oscar attended more meetings in the first year of his life than any other kid I know. The chaos of those days came with a lot of criticism from friends and family for “always working,” and I felt my fair share of mom guilt. But I know that, even then, he was learning about grit, purpose and following your dreams. I’ve been proud to see him finding his own purpose in the world.

Back then, it was just me working from my car. I had so much to learn about owning a business and the language services industry. Like many entrepreneurs, I learned as I went and kept at it until I gained traction with my clients. Sometimes it felt like every time I solved a problem, I uncovered 25 more!

Thankfully, I have built a network of business owners that I can lean on and talk to about running my business. I have learned a lot from my fellow entrepreneurs and I’m grateful for the advice they have given me along the way.

Despite those early challenges, my journey with INGCO International has been incredibly rewarding. I didn’t set out to build a big business. I just focused on doing the next right thing for my clients and the people they serve. And 17 years later, I’m proud of the impacts we’ve had on people’s lives in the moments that matter most.

Memorable Moments

In this work, I often meet people in incredibly vulnerable circumstances — yearning for a new life as an American citizen, anticipating the birth of a child, navigating health challenges, pursuing legal action, and more. These people and their stories have had a profound impact on me, shaping my experience as an entrepreneur, linguist, and human being.

I met one couple when they were in the early days of their infertility journey. They so badly wanted to add a child to their family, and the arduous process to become parents was taking its toll. I sat by their side through every medical appointment (of which there were many!) and helped them understand their options. I delivered the devastating news about multiple pregnancy losses, and then a wonderful moment came: I got to call them and share that they had a healthy and viable pregnancy — with twins! Their experience was hard, as is the case for many battling infertility, but it would have been nearly impossible without the translation services provided by their fertility clinic.

I’ve also been fortunate to provide translation and interpreting services for some influential people, such as Bill and Hilary Clinton and George W. Bush, as well as celebrity chef Jose Andreas. I’ve been at countless immigration hearings to provide interpreting for those gaining U.S. citizenship and I’ve interpreted at many wedding ceremonies. These are special moments in people’s lives, and I’ve felt privileged to play a small part in their big days.

Along with the happy occasions, I’ve been there for some of the darkest days of people’s lives, delivering compassionate support through it all. I explained to weary parents that their brand-new baby had hydrocephalus, a hole in the spine, and would never work. And I sat by a grieving mother and wife, as we told her children their father had passed away from AIDS. These moments are never easy, but the work matters. We’re helping people understand their world in crucial moments.

My Why

After all this time, I’m still deeply passionate about language services. I have always cared about giving people access to information they need to live better, healthier, more productive and more purposeful lives. In particular, I’m passionate about equity in education, health care, legal proceedings, and employment, key aspects of the human experience that must be delivered in a person’s preferred language to drive understanding and engagement. The nature of my work has allowed me to provide thoughtful, compassionate support for those dealing with challenging circumstances.

I also want to see my clients succeed, and I’m invested in their ability to reach new markets and target audiences. I particularly love that I get to help them connect with their customers — both new and existing — and help them deliver quality products and services in a way that will resonate with people personally.

INGCO International’s story is not only about me. Our team is made up of highly skilled linguists and support staff who bring our mission to life every day. Like me, they have experienced life-changing moments, and they continue to make a difference in the moments that matter.

From the time I hired my first employee, I wanted to create a workplace where people felt empowered to do their jobs well, care for others, and do what is right. I maintain that mindset today, and I’m proud of the inclusive, flexible work environment that allows our team members to be themselves, while giving a voice to those who need it most.

As I look to the future, I’m excited about the opportunities ahead to continue boosting inclusion and cultural understanding through expanded use of language services.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company?

There isn’t one particular story that comes to mind but every day, we have interesting conversations with clients about what we do that lead us to examine the deeper “why” to translation. The examples and possibilities are endless, and it keeps the day to day not only interesting, but also rewarding.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

I didn’t know that I had to pay taxes. Seriously. Until I received a not-so-nice letter from the IRS, I was clueless to the whole tax liability part of owning a business. Oops. I learned my lesson and now pay Mr. Sam on time, all the time.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

One person that has propelled me along this journey since day one is my son Oscar. I started INGCO when he was a few months old, and he’s grown up alongside the company. He will always be my why — this company is dedicated to him.

Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. According to this EY report, only about 20 percent of funded companies have women founders. This reflects great historical progress, but it also shows that more work still has to be done to empower women to create companies. In your opinion and experience what is currently holding back women from founding companies?

I think it’s hard to imagine something you’ve never seen, never been exposed to, never thought possible. I was raised to “get a job.” I don’t think I even realized that being a business owner was an option. The idea slowly started to grow on me when I was a freelancer, which essentially is a business owner with a different name. I cannot know if I would have taken a different path if I had been exposed to the idea. However, what I now see is that unless women see other women founders, they cannot imagine that they too could be a founder. I also know, and have seen firsthand, that many women are frozen with fear because they don’t trust themselves.

Can you help articulate a few things that can be done as individuals, as a society, or by the government, to help overcome those obstacles?

We can start by exposing young women to the concept of starting a business.

I have had the fortuitous opportunity to be a DECA judge several times and experienced firsthand what a difference it made in the lives of young women. Young women need mentors, they need to meet female founders and leaders. If you have the opportunity to volunteer with an organization that serves young women — do it!

This might be intuitive to you as a woman founder but I think it will be helpful to spell this out. Can you share a few reasons why more women should become founders?

We need women founders just as much as we need women in every seat, in every corner, in every role.

What are the “myths” that you would like to dispel about being a founder? Can you explain what you mean?

Myth 1: Get rich quick! Being a founder does not make you an automatic millionaire. In fact, way too many founders don’t pay themselves enough and their lifelong earning potential is decreased.

Myth 2: You’ll be an overnight success! There’s no such thing as overnight success, unless maybe you play the lottery. Success takes a long time, often years, and the real work happens when no one is looking.

Myth 3: “Just write it off.” My friends think that because I’m a business owner, I can just “write off” just about everything. “Write off dinner!” “Write off the taxi!” “Write off the hotel!” Unfortunately owning a business doesn’t mean I get to just “write off” random purchases that I still have to pay for.

Is everyone cut out to be a founder? In your opinion, which specific traits increase the likelihood that a person will be a successful founder and what type of person should perhaps seek a “regular job” as an employee? Can you explain what you mean?

Absolutely not, and that’s absolutely ok! We are all meant to take our own path that is right for us, not anyone else. I am beyond grateful for my employees — without them, INGCO wouldn’t exist. That said, I think there are some traits that founders tend to have in common.

1. Quick start — this is a willingness to take risks, not overthink the details. A “just dive in and get started” mentality will help when overwhelmed with decisions.
2. Passion — most ideas start with a dream, a passion to make something better. You need to identify your passion, your why, in order to get started.
3. Discipline — when passion wanes, and it will, discipline will have to take over.

Ok super. Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why? (Please share a story or example for each.)

1. Say yes and figure it out. You’ll never have all the answers and oftentimes you’ll have to do things you’ve never done before. As Marie Forleo coined, everything is figureoutable. Unless someone is asking you to do something that is way out of your comfort zone or skill set, say yes, and figure it out OR refer them to someone else.

2. Pay yourself. You wouldn’t work for free for anyone else! I know firsthand how many sacrifices a founder makes along the way but do yourself a favor — pay yourself. I spent many years playing “catch up” because I underpaid myself for nearly 10 years. Just like they tell you on the airplane — put your own mask on first because you’re no good to anyone if you’re not good to yourself.

3. As soon as you can, pay someone else. Delegate to elevate, always and forever. You cannot nor should not do everything. Do the things that you’re best at. Ask yourself “is this the biggest and highest use of my (time, talent, money, x)? If not, get it off your plate asap.

4. Ask yourself: “What’s the worst that could happen?” I bet the worst-case scenario isn’t really that bad. Being a founder means taking risks and that can be scary for a lot of people. Get used to being scared. Be sure that the “little scaries” are kept at bay and you have time and energy to focus on the “big scaries” when they show up.

5. Trust yourself. You are more capable that you realize. You are smarter than you know. You are the only you in the universe and for that reason, you are a perfect founder. But here’s the kicker: if you don’t believe in yourself, no one else will. Life is better on the trusting side so jump in and enjoy the ride!

How have you used your success to make the world a better place?

My greatest joy as a business owner are paychecks. I love that I have created a company where people can come to work and get paid for it! Nothing brings a smile to my face like an employee buying a house, having a baby or going on a dream vacation.

You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good for the greatest number of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.

If I could inspire a movement, it would be to let single women know that they are perfectly whole just the way they are. Contrary to what we are told, women don’t need a husband or partner. Society continues to bombard us with messages of needing to “get her hitched” as if we couldn’t possibly be fine on our own. Love, commitment, relationships and marriage are lovely and special, but they won’t make you a whole person — you need to do that on your own.

We are very blessed that some very prominent names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.

There are a million brilliant people in the universe but when I saw that Sara Blakely of Spanx takes her besties on a surprise trip every year “just because,” I immediately put this on my bucket list. I haven’t made it happen, yet, but I will.

Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.