The Dream Catcher Series- Featuring Brandi Davis

By LaTasha West

            

 

The Dream Catcher series seeks to provide information and real world advice. Over the next few weeks I will share interviews that I have done with ladies who are successfully chasing, following and living their dreams.  These women are wives, mothers and business owners who are willing to share a small piece of their journey with you.

I hope this series encourages, motivates and inspires you to believe.

This week I chat with Brandi Davis, CEO Livery of Love LTD

Here is what Brandi has to say:

LaTasha: Tell me about the pressures and stresses that you have endured as an entrepreneur.


Brandi: As an entrepreneur there is constant pressure for time management. Stay abreast of the latest social media trends. Looking good, and being in several different places at one time.

Right now I’m dealing with hiring decent employees and working to branch into other money making projects.

LaTasha: How did you learn to deal with the stresses, what strategies do you use?


Brandi: I am still learning everyday. I pray often and make a lot of lists. I set daily goals and stay focused on the list for the day and work hard not to stray from those goals to stay on task.

LaTasha: How long have you been in business?

Brandi: 3 years.

LaTasha: What changes have you made since you started this particular business and why did you make that change?


Brandi: Changes as far as??? Personally, I take less crap from people. I am more compassionate for company’s big box and small business.

Professionally, I listen more to everyone and anyone whether they have a business or are respected or not. I can learn from anyone and everyone. Chew the meat and spit out the bone. Some people are great examples of what not to do as well as what to do.


LaTasha: What would you say was the toughest call that you have been asked to make on your entrepreneurship journey?

Brandi: Staying an entrepreneur. The longer you’re in the bigger the difficulties. More people to manage, more clients to handle, more liabilities. Somedays you just want to do a specific job and go home like normal people. Then you remember that you’re not normal. I wasn’t called to be average I was called to be awesome. I pray and keep pushing.



For more information on Brandi or Livery of Love visit http://www.liveryoflove.com



Brandi is just one of the many amazing women who are living and catching their dreams! The Dream Catcher blog series is just one component of our mission to inspire YOU to chase and live YOUR dream.

We invite you to join us on this life changing journey! For more information on the Live the Dream Symposium Tour or Radio Show visit www.livethedreamtour.com

The Dream Catcher Series- Featuring Summer Alexander

By LaTasha West

                The Dream Catcher series seeks to provide information and real world advice. Over the next few weeks I will share interviews that I have done with ladies who are successfully chasing, following and living their dreams.  These women are wives, mothers, business owners and DREAM CATCHERS who are willing to share a small piece of their journey with you.

I hope this series encourages, motivates and inspires you to believe.

This week I chat with Summer Alexander, CEO of Summer Alexander Research, Inc.

Here is what Summer has to say:

LaTasha: Summer, how long have you been in business now?

Summer: 3 years!!

LaTasha: What, if anything would you change about your journey in business?

Summer:  Honestly there isn’t anything I would change – even the months with no clients, the days I felt like giving up and the many, many tears I shed. I’ve come to understand that every little thing I’ve experienced has been a necessary step on the path to get me to exactly where I am today.

LaTasha: What was the biggest misconception that you had about working for yourself?

Summer: That I would have more time! While I do have flexibility with my time, I am always in CEO mode. When I worked a job, at the end of the work day once I walked out the door I didn’t think about it again. With my business there always seems to be more to do, another idea to implement, one more email to send, etc…

LaTasha: Were you born an entrepreneur or did you become one? Explain.

Summer: I was definitely born to be an entrepreneur but didn’t always know it. I had a “good job” working with people I loved and making “good money” but I found myself unhappy – restless even. I didn’t know why. After 7 years I was downsized and found myself unemployed for the first time since I started working at 16 years old. Initially I loved the freedom of not punching a clock but there was always this inner nudge pushing me to do more. Turns out that nudge was trying to tell me I had so much more work to do in the world but not for someone else.

LaTasha: If you taught a class on entrepreneurship what would you name the class and why?

Summer: I’ve learned that no matter what business you are in, you are in the business of marketing which is why I teach entrepreneurs how to market their businesses effectively in my Effortless Marketing Bootcamp. What I love about this training is that I have a chance to not only work with the group as a whole but to talk monthly with each entrepreneur individually over the course of 6 months. So often we sign up for programs and trainings but never take the action necessary to actually achieve the results. I named my program the Effortless Marketing Bootcamp because I’ve taken the effort of taking action away by holding you personally accountable.

Summer’s Business

Summer Alexander is an award winning Market Research professional with a passion for making data and analytics understandable for business owners. 

After working 7 years as a Network Engineer for AT&T, Summer took the knowledge and skills she learned in the corporate workspace and paired them with a formal education in marketing to partner with small business owners and help them grow strategically.

Summer learned first-hand what it takes to grow a company while working for the owner of a multi-million dollar small business. She helped fund the production, marketing and distribution of products by researching and presenting key market information to private investors which helped to raise over $300,000 in capital for the company. As the marketing manager Summer was also responsible for plan development and execution of all marketing and advertising activities for the company. 

Now the driving force behind her own company Summer has been featured in Black Enterprise and has had the pleasure of working with clients such as Pace Suburban Bus Company, IL Department of Veterans Affairs, and was hired as the Marketing Director for the 20th anniversary of the Black Women's Expo and directly contributed to attracting more than 30,000 attendees over the 3 day weekend. 

In addition to developing strategic marketing plans for companies throughout the US, Summer is also a professional speaker and an Amazon #1 Best Selling Author of The Little Book of BIG Marketing Ideas and the September 2014 release Effortless Success: How to grow your business without hard work, struggle and sacrifice. As professional speaker and trainer, she has helped hundreds of entrepreneurs through her practical yet motivational marketing bootcamps and workshops.

With a personal motto of “Doing what I say I will do, when I say I will do it,” Summer is recognized by clients as providing prompt, accurate and reliable market insights to help increase client attraction and profits for small businesses. 

Learn more about Summer when you download her free recording Break the 7 Mindset Blocks Keeping Your From Earning More In Your Business:

Website www.MarketingMoneyMindset.com

https://www.facebook.com/SummerAlexanderResearch

Twitter handle https:// twitter.com/SummersResearch

Summer is just one of the many amazing women who are catching and living their dreams! 

The Dream Catcher blog series is just one component of our mission to inspire you to chase and live YOUR dream.  We invite you to join us on this life changing journey! For more information on the Live the Dream Symposium Tour, Radio show or The Next 100 project visit www.idefinemysuccess.com

Are you the boss of your business or is your business the boss of you?

Are you self-employed or are you a business owner?

By LaTasha West

Do you know the difference in being a business owner and being self-employed?

When you started your company, what was your vision? Are you achieving that vision?

Most entrepreneurs start out as being self-employed and eventually move into business ownership. However there are some, myself included who get stuck in the “self-employed” stage. If that is not where you want to be, then you will become drained, frustrated and feel discouraged and stagnate.

So how do you know if you are stuck being self-employed when you want to run a business? Here are a few signs to let you know that you are self-employed.

·        

             If your business can’t run without you

·         If you are actually the person making the product or providing the service

·         If you don’t work, then you don’t get paid

If this is you, you are most likely self-employed; you created a job for yourself!

Now if that was not your plan and you would like to have more time, more flexibility and greater earning power it’s time to discover how to go from being self-employed to being a business owner.

Here are a few steps to get you started

1. Determine what processes in your business can be automated

2. Hire some help, even if it’s only contract or part time

3. Create a passive income stream

Can you see the difference between being self-employed and owning a business? Those who are self-employed work “in” their business, those who are business owners work “on” their businesses.

If you are not where you want to be, don’t fret, start making changes!

The Fab 5

Image courtesy of: imagerymajestic

Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. I’m sure this is a statement that you have heard many many times. It’s so simple yet so powerful. Visualize yourself back in the 1950s (I know you may not have been born yet, but go with me) you are a young girl and your parents have sent you to the market to get the families weekly supply of eggs. You gather up the biggest, brightest eggs and put them in your new basket, and begin your journey home.  Just as you are strolling along enjoying a nice sunny spring day humming your favorite song, here comes Bobby. We all know Bobby, the boy who plays entirely too much! He pushes you and your basket goes flying in the air. Gasp! All off the eggs fly in the air and then crash to the ground. There goes your family’s full weeks’ worth of eggs.

If only you had more than one basket you could have possibly had a few eggs to spare.  Look at your business in this same way. You do not want all of your revenue to come from one source. What happens if that source dries up? Your income is dead, flat line and you have to start over. As business women we have to be proactive, forward thinkers. Any smart business woman should have multiple income sources in her business. Studies suggest that one woman should have 3-5 income sources.  Do you?

I encourage my clients not only to have 3-5 income sources; I also strongly suggest that your main business should be able to generate revenue in 5 different ways. Can you think of 5 ways that your business can make you money?

Let’s look at an example

You own a daycare, here are 5 possible revenue streams for your daycare

1. Main source- 9 a-5 p care for children

2. Extended before and after care- 6 a-9 a and 5 p-7 p

3. Tutoring services

4. Spring Break, Winter Break and summer camp for older siblings of the children you normally care for

5. Transportation service- offer to get the children to and from school or after school activities

Pow- You have just figured out 5 revenue streams for one business.

So what is your 5?

Need help figuring out your 5, click here to schedule a complimentary consultation to learn how we can help you make more money!

Written by: LaTasha West, CEO of Her Business Consulting, and a certified small business development coach.

www.herbusinessmag.com