VCWoman Achieve 2025 Mentee Spotlight – Glenda Caton

Name: Glenda Caton | Business/Profession: CEO & Consultant, Caton Consulting, LLC
Please share a little about your background, personally and/or professionally.
I was raised in a small town with roughly 600 people. The desire to move to a larger city with more opportunities was always a looming presence. My enthusiasm for life and success was evident long before I fully understood what it entailed. For nearly two decades, I worked in the service industry before deciding to return to school and pursue a career in HR. As a single mom, I juggled full-time work, full-time studies, coaching sports teams, leading church groups, and developing a passion for running. Initially, I believed that my years spent waiting tables and bartending were wasted, until I recognized that this service training was precisely what equipped me with a service-oriented heart for the HR field.
My inaugural HR position was a supervisory role managing a team of three. Despite being inexperienced in HR, I had a clear understanding of how to serve an organization and its employees, who are the backbone of the company’s success. Supported by local HR professionals, I seized every learning opportunity that came my way. Since then, I have established two corporate HR departments and led numerous HR teams and employees. Owning my own company was never a dream I harbored, nor did I realize it was a viable option to support myself, countless small businesses, and the families of my internal team. Yet, here we are, six years later.
Please share about your business, where it’s located, and what led you to starting it.
I lead a team of four employees, alongside a group of dedicated consultants. We cater to businesses based in Arkansas, although many of our clients have employees across various states. Our clientele spans all sectors and ranges in size from 5 to 1700 employees. In essence, we function as an outsourced HR department for company leaders and their staff. Our distinction lies in our direct support for both leadership and employees. Our clients’ employees are familiar with us; they reach out to us and meet us in person when necessary. Unlike payroll systems with an “HR” module, we offer personal accessibility via phone, email, and face-to-face interactions. We provide on-site visits and invite clients to our office, operating as a sort of “mobile HR service” that deploys as needed.
Our office is located at 14 Office Park Drive, Suite 101, Little Rock.
The inception of my business was driven by the unmet need for small business services. Despite the abundance of resources, there was a lack of guidance on safeguarding businesses within the employment compliance arena. Beginning with the creation of handbooks six years ago, we have evolved into a comprehensive HR consulting firm.
What goals do you hope to achieve for your business during your time in VCWoman Achieve?
1. Gain knowledge on how to work “on” the business as opposed to working “in” the business.
2. Stop working on the day-to-day transactional tasks and be able to spend more time on the transitional tasks.
3. Become a resource for others in the program.
4. Become more financially literate in the area of running a business.
What drew you to being part of a mentorship group specifically curated for non-men? How has being a woman or non-binary individual impacted your journey as an entrepreneur?
What are three things you enjoy doing outside of work?
Live Theatre, Travel, and Wine.
What is your favorite part about being an entrepreneur?