Startup Coach Christa McGeary: “Growth potential in Huntingdon is substantial”
Huntingdon native changes the landscape of her community as a business coach
Christa McGeary has been an entrepreneur since she was a young child. Today, her skills help her to be an expert guide for local business owners.
The Alleghenies region is turning into an entrepreneurial ecosystem for emerging business owners, and Startup Alleghenies’ coaches are leading the charge. Whether it’s help with a business plan, capital, marketing, a physical space or other resources, our coaches will be at your side every step of the way. Huntingdon and Fulton Counties Coach Christa McGeary is using years of business experience to shape her community and pour enthusiasm into local entrepreneurs. We interviewed her to ask how she got her business start and why she’s so passionate about her community.
What motivates you to be a coach for entrepreneurs in Huntingdon and Fulton Counties?
It’s my hometown and my roots are deep here. There is nothing more rewarding than helping with the growth and successes of the very place you call home. For this reason, I pour my heart and soul into my entrepreneurs to help them find their own little piece of success here.
What is your business background?
I began my journey as a little kid. I spent my summers with my dad in Nashville, Tennessee, and we spent a lot of that time at the Nashville Gun Club where he worked as a clay target shooting instructor. While he worked, I would sell rocks and decorated clay targets to all the members of the club. After high school I attended Penn State, and graduated in 2013 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management/Marketing and a minor in Entrepreneurship, and was in the inaugural class of the Sheetz Fellows.
A few months before graduation we purchased a pizza shop in downtown Huntingdon. I was in the entrepreneurial restaurant world for over seven years when I was presented with the opportunity to become the Entrepreneur Coach for Huntingdon and Fulton Counties. Now, not only do I get to help entrepreneurs in the restaurant industry but I get to help them in all industries! My specialty industry will always be the restaurant industry because of my background. However, the longer I’m in the position, the more comfortable and educated I’ve become in many industries.
What are some of the business ideas/startups that you are working on right now?
Currently, I am working with an array of ideas and startups. I am working with a boutique, a few food trucks, a construction company, a couple of cleaning companies, an event venue, a restaurant/sauce manufacturer and a cabin rental company.
What’s one thing that not many people know about you?
As a youngster, I competed across the country in Skeet Shooting and hold titles at the state and world levels.
Why your county? What makes it an ideal place for business and livability?
I would say, “Why not Huntingdon County?” You can have it all in our little town. Huntingdon is an ideal place for business — not only are the locals so supportive, but we are blessed to welcome nearly 2 million visitors every year that come to visit Lake Raystown. Route 22 also runs right through the heart of the county. The livability of the county is what dreams are made of. It’s a quiet town with friendly, supportive people and it’s a safe place to raise families and within a few hours of whatever you would want; city, beaches, etc. The growth potential here is substantial as well.
To access personal, one-on-one support from a coach in your county, including guidance, resources, tools and networking opportunities, sign up at startupalleghenies.com.
