By Ariyana GriffinAFRO Employees Author agriffin@afro.com
August is Nationwide Black Enterprise Month, a time to rejoice and acknowledge Black owned companies world wide.
In response to The Annual Enterprise Survey (ABS), in 2021, there have been a recorded 161,031 Black-owned companies in the US. This week AFRO spoke to the CEO of Pink Leaf Consulting, DeAnne Brookshire, about her entrepreneurship journey.
AFRO: What does your organization do?
DB: My enterprise is a consulting agency, I cater to artistic introverts. I do one-on-one consulting, I’ve digital merchandise. I additionally do intimate workshops and occasions. My enterprise targets artistic introverts who wish to step out of their consolation zone and learn to confidently present as much as, promote merchandise and market their companies in a approach that aligns with their introverted character and actual life.
AFRO:How did you discover your area of interest?
DB: Properly, the humorous factor about that’s my enterprise began by chance. In my earlier place, I used to be the vp of gross sales advertising and marketing. And since I’m an introvert and I knew I needed to be social, I might host month-to-month networking occasions that allowed me to regulate the menu, the size of time and the invite checklist. Month after month, I might have conversations with native companies. I might hear conversations that individuals have been having about companies– however they weren’t having them with them.
If somebody didn’t present up and didn’t current properly, individuals would speak trash behind their again and never rent them for the job. I might simply hear the conversations that have been taking place behind closed doorways. And in my thoughts, I assumed if somebody would simply have these conversations with the precise enterprise proprietor, they may then enhance and be making more cash of their enterprise.
At these networking occasions, I started to probe, ask questions and provides them suggestions simply primarily based on my expertise being a director and vp of gross sales and advertising and marketing. And that truly blossomed into Pink Leaf Consulting. I did that for a couple of 12 months, after which somebody requested, ‘Can I pay you for a one-on-one session?’ and my firm was born.
AFRO: Did you have got any struggles with beginning your small business?
DB: I didn’t have a whole lot of struggles with beginning my enterprise, however that’s due to the background that I had. What I’ll say, as an introvert myself, is that the most important wrestle is balancing my need for my solitude with the necessity to get out to create extra consciousness and visibility for my model and enterprise. It doesn’t matter how nice you might be, should you’re one of the best saved secret, what good are you doing?
AFRO:What’s your favourite half about being a enterprise proprietor?
DB: The impression within the Black neighborhood. I serve predominantly girls and one of the best factor that I can do for a Black lady is train her the talents and learn how to generate income. I do know that when Black girls get abilities and entry to cash, we’re going to multiply it. We’re going to pour into our communities. We’re going to share that data with another person.
AFRO:How has proudly owning a enterprise modified your life?
DB: Proudly owning a enterprise has pushed me to my limits and it has pushed me thus far out of my consolation zone. It has taught me a self-discipline that I’ve by no means skilled earlier than. On the identical time, this freedom of time and freedom of location is one thing that I’ve desired for a really very long time. It has had a constructive impression on my general properly being. I’m in a position to do the work that I like with out restriction.
AFRO: What’s your greatest piece of recommendation for somebody who would possibly wish to begin their very own enterprise or depart the workforce to develop into an entrepreneur?
DB: I might say craft an exit plan. I see so many individuals stop their jobs prematurely after which find yourself in a scenario the place the burnout and the stress actually units in. If you’re somebody that actually needs to stop your job, have an exit plan. One of many issues that I did was put a 12 months and a half plan in place. I made positive my funds have been so as. I made positive I had a 12 months value of cash stacked up. I made positive that my job funded the corporate. That was my first investor.
This text has been edited for brevity and readability.
