How Being a Lifelong Learner Propelled Me for Entrepreneurship.

Before my days as a diversity coach, life architect, and career development strategist, I was a dreamer - daydreaming about entrepreneurship while hustling on the side for free. For years, I was only focusing on climbing the ranks of my 9-to-5 while squeezing in time to help people after-hours free of charge.

During this time, I felt great about purposefully perfecting my skills until the timing was just right to start my business. I also wanted to make sure I was doing everything right because stepping into the uncharted waters of entrepreneurship is daunting and overwhelming.

While that uncertainty weighed on my shoulders, I kept dreaming. But there was only so much dreaming I could do…

Go-getter Shonda Rhimes says it best:

“Dreams are lovely. But they are just dreams. Fleeting, ephemeral. Pretty. But dreams do not come true just because you dream them.”

So, for dreams to become reality, action has to follow.

Making a Move...

In 2019, while soaking up island vibes on vacation in Bora Bora for my 30th birthday, I made a big commitment: To start my business journey, beginning with mapping out my business plan.

I was determined to return home with a plan of action to execute. My first business plan was quite premature. It was far from where it is today. After starting my LLC in the state of California, I transitioned into tech, and BOOM, things got busy for me! I underestimated the amount of demanding energy it would take to transition from HigherEd to Tech. While I was knee-deep into the transition, my coaching and consulting business came to a halt.

I didn’t do anything with my business for two years…

During that time, I was helping people reach their dreams for free. I was still reviewing tons of resumes, coaching people, consulting with companies, showing up for speaking engagements, and helping people with interview prep. Intense hours of extra labor filled my days with no pay to match my stalled business venture.

An alarming Harvard Business Review study sheds light on this problem that many other Black women face, for various reasons. The study shares that a whopping 17% of Black women are the CEOs of new businesses, compared to 15% of white men and 10% of white women. Unfortunately, according to Harvard’s study, 3% of Black women actually continue building their business.

One of the reasons? Access to capital.

Now, while there’s still plenty of work to be done in our society to help more Black women build sustainable businesses, I know that I have to do my part as well. Because let’s face it, just because you build something, doesn’t mean people will automatically show up to invest. Right? There’s work to be done! Finally, enough is enough!

2021 was the year I wholeheartedly said YES to my dreams. Shonda Rhimes would actually be proud because this was my turning point that reminds me of her book “Year of Yes.” Despite being in the throes of a global pandemic, I knew I couldn’t continue wasting days, hours, or even years. I was actually given confirmation from someone who said “This is great! I would pay to talk to you for this.” And that was the fire I needed to start!  

Remembering my “why” during a rough start…

Recommitting back to my dreams wasn’t easy. But my “why” had such a magnetic force that made it almost impossible to ignore my passion. As a lover of empowering other people and organizations to maximize their potential, impact, and results, my passion outweighed my fear. 20-30 hours of my time was spent on the phone with the California Franchise Tax Board trying to reinstate my business. I also made several time-consuming visits to their Sacramento-based office. From refiling paperwork to paying tons of money in tax fees, let’s just say this:

It’s harder to reinstate your business as opposed to starting a new business. Lesson learned. Thankfully, my persistence paid off! And now, I’m fearlessly empowering people and organizations to maximize their potential, impact, and results through customized solutions. These solutions are focused on building internal capability and enabling the development and sustainability of an inclusive environment where everyone can thrive.

At the end of the day, my work translates diversity, equity, and inclusion best practices into readily consumable resources and programs aligned to bus. I’m excitedly helping people who are eagerly trying to make career transitions[1]  or who need 1-on-1 life coaching support[2]  that goes beyond their career goals. I’m also a go-to guide for small tech companies[3]  who don’t have a diversity equity and inclusion team, but they’re looking for people like myself to help them create a solid strategy and lead workshops, trainings, and special activities for their team.

Their leadership and executive staff also turn to me to understand their own learning journey in terms of cultural competency and diversity, equity, and inclusion. Serving in this capacity is a gratifying experience. You can feel the same if you’re aspiring to become an entrepreneur. No one can block a path that’s meant for you to travel.

Always bet on yourself. 

If you’re experiencing doubt or have a case of imposter syndrome, take a moment to reflect on your “why” then bet on yourself. In several instances, America’s first Black Woman millionaire, Madam CJ Walker reminds us of the value of taking risks. She once said, “I got my start by giving myself a start.” Madam CJ Walker also reminds us that “There is no royal flower-strewn path to success.”

So, are you thinking of starting your business? Or do you have an exciting product that you want to sell? Take the next step and invest in yourself.

Moving Forward...

While there’s a wealth of information out there, don’t get overwhelmed. Take one step at a time to ensure everything is done correctly. Because there’s more to starting a brand than naming your business and dreaming up brand colors, logos, and fonts. All of these are great, but your business will only be a hobby if you don’t invest in building a solid infrastructure or have a good understanding of the legalities of business.

Despite what some business gurus tell you, 6-7-figure years or months, 4-day work weeks, and a luxurious laptop lifestyle don’t happen overnight. True abundance as an entrepreneur requires being a life-long learner of your passion[4] [5] . Entrepreneurship is a journey of everyday commitment, even after you finally decide to start.

Tell me, what’s one thing you’re committing to do for your business or future business? Pop in the comments below to share! You may inspire another ambitious entrepreneur.