Avy Schondorf’s inventive journey is one of adaptability, insight, and purpose. From social services and nonprofit fundraising in Israel to founding a U.S.-based virtual assistant agency, Avy’s story illustrates how resilience and systems thinking can turn disruption into innovation. After relocating from Israel to the U.S. just before COVID-19, Avy transformed uncertainty into opportunity by identifying a powerful niche: supporting neurodivergent entrepreneurs through Alisto, her specialized virtual assistant agency. In this conversation, Avy unpacks lessons on leadership, adaptability, self-awareness, and how to build a business that serves a community’s unique needs.

Discover why structure is essential for creativity, how systems free people to focus on impact, and why charging for your value is non-negotiable. Whether you’re a startup founder, service provider, or lifelong learner, this episode will change how you think about growth, neurodiversity, and business design.

Annie Davis’ career began far from boardrooms and tech startups — it started at IKEA and McDonald’s. In this episode of The Inventive Journey, host Devon Miller sits down with Annie to explore how her bold move from Reno to Utah on a whim evolved into a thriving entrepreneurial career.

Annie shares how she learned to lead teams across borders, embrace remote collaboration long before it was mainstream, and grow from project manager to CEO in a digital development firm. Her story is one of fearless adaptability, pragmatic leadership, and turning challenges into streamlined systems — including her “one-touch” policy for productivity that helped her scale a web business efficiently.

Listeners will gain insights into:

• Building business structure before burnout.
• Managing global teams remotely with empathy and precision.
• The art of balancing process and passion in startup life.
• Buying back your own company — and why doing so can be your smartest move.

If you’re a startup founder or small business owner ready to refine your operations and culture, Annie’s practical journey will resonate.

Be motivated to truly understand what you’re getting into, because in the beginning, all the focus will be on you. If it’s something you’re passionate about—something you genuinely care for and love doing—make sure you have a clear understanding of what that journey involves.

My single, non-negotiable rule is simple: listen more than you speak. Equally important for anyone entering business is to understand that government is typically not an ally. Speaking from years of experience buying and selling a wide range of businesses — car washes, gas stations, convenience stores, development and operating companies, trucking firms, woodworking shops, and more — I’ve found government involvement often creates friction for entrepreneurs. Its focus tends to be on compliance and oversight, not on fostering individual business success.

I’ve learned that businesses rise and fall with people, not spreadsheets. When I started with a couple of partners, those relationships proved invaluable—mentorships, the right connections, the right centers of influence. You can’t figure it all out on your own. There’s a saying: nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care. That applies to both your internal team and external partners. If you want to build something lasting, you need to show genuine care—not just impress people with numbers or how smart you are.

Many startup CEOs and entrepreneurs often get stuck on their first idea, treating it like their baby. They hold onto it for too long, draining resources and relationships instead of adapting. The key is to listen to the market and your customers—they’ll guide you in the right direction. Pivoting or iterating isn’t failure, even if it feels that way at first. It’s simply a shift in mindset toward growth.

Forget about having a traditional work-life balance. I’ve heard this echoed by many other startups and small business owners, and even a few well-known entrepreneurs. Personally, I set boundaries on only a handful of things—like my birthday and Christmas—but beyond that, most of my “social life” happens at conferences or networking events. I often work weekends, and it’s not unusual for me to be up working until 3 a.m. The night-owl side of me, probably the astrophysicist in me, makes that routine feel almost natural.

A key rule of thumb is to test as much as possible before officially launching. Market research can be tricky—asking people “Would you come if I opened an Italian restaurant here?” doesn’t always give reliable answers. But for certain types of businesses, especially low-cost ones like cleaning services, you can start small and validate demand right away. Go out, find a few clients, and talk directly to potential customers. Many businesses allow you to do this kind of groundwork, reducing risk before you fully commit to launching.