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Meet Nina Norris Hines

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nina Norris Hines.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Nina. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
My co-founder, Char Davis, and I met while working together for the same meeting management company in 2001. We quickly developed a rapport with one another realizing we both were extremely hard workers that took our responsibilities very seriously within the company. In 2008 I branched off with a family owned event management business and in 2013 Char moved on to work for another company.

In 2014, to gain financial consistency, I sought employment within a company servicing hundreds of non-profits here in Atlanta. Within a month of working for this company, I was proposed with developing a new department focusing on Association Management. Although this was the first time I ever heard of this type of management, I was more than eager to accept the task and learn what was necessary to run such a department. It quickly became apparent this department required a lot of time and effort as I was drowning with work. To make matters even worse the company continued acquiring more and more clients using my credentials. After a few months, I convinced the CEO to allow me to hire someone specifically for my department and immediately thought Char was the perfect person.

As this company continued to contract with clients based solely on how Char and I performed, we soon realized this was a business the two of us could and should create, manage, and run on our own. That became even more apparent after I decided to severe ties with the company and during my transition out, I was tasked with training my replacement. This process took a total of six months with a continuous turnover of five new hires. The level of skills and expertise needed to be proficient at managing all of the duties I had been charged with was a very difficult task that seemed almost impossible for others to process. This gave Char and I the confidence to know that what we had was special and unmatched.

I did independent contracting until I was near the end of my non-compete, then we did the basic things to get our company started – website, business cards, etc. Once word spread that we were starting our own company, clients contacted us for proposals, which ultimately led to signed contracts. No marketing or sales pitches whatsoever. The timing was right, and we were able to seize the opportunities handed to us.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The road has definitely not been smooth. Since we grew in a short period of time, there were many things that we were not prepared for. We struggled with managing finances, understanding taxes, and managing the workload of the many monthly events… Certain times of the year we can have up to 12 events in one month.

Please tell us about the company.
SPECS Management is an association management/event management company. We manage nonprofit trade associations and act as partners with the board of directors. We handle every aspect of email marketing and communications, event planning and execution, administrative support, graphics, financial reporting, website management, social media, sponsorship management, etc. We act as a hub for organizations by answering phone calls, emails, and snail mail.

We are also event/conference planners with over 20 years’ experience each, who plan and execute an array of events from government conferences, networking events, award shows, galas, workshops, and seminars, to smaller business meetings.

Unlike most companies in our field, we do not give a sales pitch, sign a contract, and then hire an admin to manage our clients. We manage the day-to-day operations of our clients. Clients receive hands on customer service.

We are most proud of the relationships we’ve built with our clients and the feedback we receive. It’s more of a partnership and our clients trust us. Also, we’ve made a difference in organizations that were completely exhausted with the service they were receiving with their previous management company. We’ve established a reputation to rebuild and reorganize an association to become more aligned with their overall goals and objectives, performing at their highest efficiency.

If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
This may sound very cliche, but all those self-help books and motivational speakers are right! Believe in yourself. Trust your instincts. Invest in yourself… Take a class to improve skills, keep learning and growing in your field of choice. Connect with people…. You cannot do it all alone. Stay focused. Stay positive. Never give up on yourself. Keep going, keep planning, keep pushing. Make time for a balanced life.

Contact Info:

Image Credit:
Christopher E. Jones

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