By Lee Hurley
Leigh Hulsey has been a small-business owner in Alabaster for the past nine years. She owns and operates CrossFit Alabaster. She is currently serving her fourth term on the Helena City Council. Leigh has been married to her husband Dennis for 24 years, and they have three children, Bradon, Cade, and RK.
Why did you start the Alabaster Business Alliance?
Leigh Hulsey: “The small-business community A Q & A with Leigh Hulsey, founder of the Alabaster Business Alliance. in Alabaster has been asking for something like this, and I agreed wholeheartedly. As I shared the vision with more people, it just seemed natural to get it started now. I’m a business owner, and I love being an active part of communities, but I’ve often found it hard to connect with other business owners because we all have busy schedules. By focusing on networking and resourcing, I realized we could add value to our businesses, which in turn adds value for our residents. I reached out to Mayor Brakefield as well as Brian Binzer to share this idea, and they felt that this is important. Both were extremely supportive and helpful.”
What are your hopes for the Alliance in the future?
“Our purpose is threefold: to network and resource the business community, to be an advocate for businesses working in partnership with the city, and to give back through a scholarship program for students. My hope is that we will successfully meet our goals by meeting monthly, by bringing in relevant speakers to address areas of need, and actively engage with our city leadership about ways that we can support them and ways that they can support us. Ultimately, I hope that all of our businesses grow and thrive as they are a key economic driver for our city. When we succeed, the city succeeds.”
Why a scholarship program?
“Investing in our kids is critical to their success and to our success as well. If we can keep them in Alabaster, our hope is they will become active, educated, and innovative participants in our workforce. We are also very excited and hopeful that our scholarship program becomes a resource that helps kids pursue nontraditional and traditional educational routes after graduating. Our plan is to fund the program through various fundraisers.”
How can people join the ABA?
“The ABA is a partnership-driven organization, and all business owners in Alabaster are invited to join, which they can do by attending our meetings, emailing us at [email protected], or calling us at (205) 451-2955. The cost to be a partner is $100 each calendar year, which funds the organizations operational expenses.”
You’ve had two meetings. How did that go?
“Outstanding. We meet at the Siluria Brewing Company the third Thursday of each month, and it’s a great way to network, and it’s been fun. We are very encouraged by the response. Several businesses joined on the spot. We surveyed potential members to learn more about how to best serve the business community and guide us in our efforts.”
