As the founder of Love CEO Institute, McCrea has built a thriving coaching practice that helps women create the lives they want. With a focus on empowering women to achieve their goals and live fulfilling lives, McCrea has created a unique coaching approach that has gained her a reputation as a leader in the coaching industry.

McCrea’s innovative thinking and strategic decision-making have enabled her to grow her coaching practice into a highly successful business. In addition to her success as a businesswoman, McCrea is also a sought-after speaker, sharing her knowledge and insights on personal development.

Natasha believes that everyone should have the opportunity to succeed and she works compassionately to make that a reality.

As we look ahead to the future, we are confident that Natasha McCrea will continue to inspire and empower women to achieve their dreams. We congratulate her on this well-deserved recognition as a female CEO to watch in 2023.

For media inquiries or interview requests, please contact Olivia Long via olivia@olivialongPR.com

The post Natasha McCrea, a Female CEO to Watch in 2023 appeared first on CEO Medium.

Victoria struggled with and overcame an eating disorder in her teens. Overcoming an eating disorder at a young age lead her to fall in love with health and fitness at a young age as well. It was her mission to honor, love, and nourish her body with proper nutrition and exercise. She became a certified personal trainer in 2010 and worked with women to achieve not only their fitness goals but overall improved health with nutrition and self-care. 

In 2016 Victoria was struck with tragedy when she lost her brother due to his struggles with mental health. This lead to Victoria’s long road of struggles with mental health. As she began to recover from the grief of losing her brother, she decided to work in the mental health field and work with individuals with various diagnoses such as PTSD, Major Depression,  Substance Abuse, and Bi-Polar. She wanted to help others improve the quality of their lives and continue to learn more about managing a mental illness. She hoped to help individuals and families so others wouldn’t have to go through what she and her family went through. While working in the mental health field she continued to discover all the connections exercise,  nutrition, and self-care had with mental health and managing symptoms as well as recovering. 

Finding out how everything in wellness was interconnected gave her a new way to help her clients. She gained her life coaching certificate and began to help women with their bodies and their minds. Working alongside clinicians and therapists gave her a deeper understanding of how the mind works, and learning how the subconscious mind works. Learning techniques such as neuro-linguistic programming equipped her with a whole new way to work with her clients that encompass all aspects of wellness. Her methods help women transform mentally and physically. Giving them the tools they need to get the results they want and sustain them.  

Victoria knows the dangers and falsehoods of diet culture. She teaches her clients how to eat intuitively, stopping them from overeating and using food as a coping mechanism (aka stress eating/emotional eating). Her methods equip her clients with the tools, skills, and behaviors that make eating healthily sustainable so they no longer have to yo-yo diet.  

Victoria is passionate about natural ways to take care of yourself without using harsh chemicals or Performance Enhancer Drugs, which, unfortunately, so many fitness industry leaders and coaches do. She believes in representing a natural way to attain fitness by utilizing nutrition and mastering a mindset. 

Fit Fierce Fun is all about learning how to change your behaviors and habits. It’s not just a  workout and “diet” plan. She uses clinical methods used by mental health professionals to heal from emotional eating and reprogram her clients to adopt more healthy habits, behaviors, and coping mechanisms. It’s more than just attaining a goal. “It’s changing your life so you can be  better and healthier mentally and physically.”  

She teaches her clients stress management as well as the reasons why stress management is so important. She explains all the harmful stress hormones do to the body and how to manage stress, as well as cope with automatic thoughts that cause stress. She puts a big emphasis on self-care and how self-care also plays a huge part in transforming lives while sustaining results.  

She and her family’s love for self-care lead her to also create Spa N Party. Spa N Party sells all-natural self-care products such as soaps, body butter, sugar scrubs, and bath salts. Spa N Party uses high-quality essential oils in all of its products. These all serve a different purpose from relieving stress and anxiety, improving respiratory and immune function, and reducing muscle soreness. Spa N Party believes essential oils are one of the keys to wellness and hand-make all of their products with love and care. Spa N Party products also help improve acne, acne scarring, hyperpigmentation, eczema, and dry skin caused by harsh chemicals in commercial products.  

Fit Fierce Fun and Spa N Party are on a mission to improve the quality of life for women while spreading love and knowledge on how to thrive the way GOD intended us to. 

Get in touch

YouTube: FFF Fitness 

Instagram: fit_fierce_fun_coach 

Website: fitfiercefun.com

Instagram: spanparty 

website: spanparty.com

The post Transforming Mentally, Physically & Spiritually With Fit Fierce Fun While Indulging In Self Care With Spa N Party appeared first on CEO Medium.

Tell us who is Coach Ham and what do you do?  

As a Person of Color, the only Black woman in a 40-person office whose mission and ethos is to protect the American people.  Coach Ham found herself in familiar territory, falling prey to the critical survival tactic known all too well by many people of color in corporate America  – code-switching.  In the last 13 years, Coach Ham has seen many people of color pass over for promotional advancement. She has seen under-qualified men get rewarded for tasks that are not worthy of the reward. Having gone through this experience herself, she decided to birth Parham & Associates. This executive coaching firm focuses on the soft skills people need every day to make an impact. Parham’s firm remains one of the most sought out practices in the eastern seaboard, focusing on law enforcement personnel, military, and CEO-minded clients. Parham had to learn how to funnel her feelings and experiences into a positive by turning her passion into a great coaching practice. 

What inspired you to start your business?   

Parham explained that her company’s inspiration was on a movie she watched with her then one-year-old son. She describes watching the famous film Despicable Me and watching the villain (GRU) try numerous attempts to be the very best villain and always failed. Yet, he was persistent and determined; Parham said, “that was the moment that Coach Ham wanted to create not just one GRU, but GRUs. She coined the term GRU as an acronym for Great Leaders Rising. Parham explains that her main focus is to create a platform in which people can launch. Her establishment gives room for individuals to grow in their business, careers and other aspects of life. Currently, Brody Parham hosts a webinar, “Emotional Hijacking” Avoid Becoming a hostage, where she shares four primary emotional responses that many individuals become a victim. Emotional Hijacking captivated her focus. She shared how to avoid them, as both a highly educated Mother of one and an effective leader, yet an underserved professional in her field.  She provides strategies to her audience on preventing, managing, and practicing these responses from affecting those around them. This webinar is for all interested individuals who are building up emotional intelligence, strategies, and application in various fields.

What can our audience expect from you? 

Our mantra is simple; we want those leaders who were deemed unfit to lead by their companies standards to call, email, schedule time with us. We have all been there and felt the feeling of rejection. The significant difference between us and those others, we didn’t sit and wallow in our anger, frustration, and jealousy. We knew we deserved to be at the table where the decisions were made and access a seat; we had to work on ourselves. 

Why should our audience invest in your firm?  

We know that emotional intelligence is a hot topic in recent years; however, many people today are being hired based on how high or low their EQ dictates. Coach Ham created a 1:1 program for those who are ready to chase their dreams with aggression. She provides access to the best resources, which is rarely accessible to those in corporate America. Parham explains to date; she has given away hundreds of copies of her GRU Mastermind handbook: The Key to take over the table. Parham understands what is needed to make sure you are the very best self.   

Explain the challenges you went through while starting your business? 

Coach Ham explains some of her early frustrations came with the creativity behind the name, and she knew the name of the firm had to be something original. Parham says, “What made it hard for me was the selection of the name and what that would mean in the future.” She explains that she wanted to leave a legacy for her son to own and lead from wherever he stood. Daily, Parham’s number one frustration is coming up with fun and creative ideas that lead to a content-driven post. As she explains, her days are long, and most often than not, she is trying to find something that is “Catchy,” and usually, she gets writer’s block. 

How do you create financial opportunities for investors to buy into your vision? 

Parham manages her finances through clients and customers purchasing Parham & Associates services, webinars, books, and merchandise. Parham started small, she asked family and friends to become an advocate for her and support her business any way they could. She continues to apply for grants and opportunities where she can assist. Coach Ham also offers pro-bono services to the underrepresented communities to give back to her community. 

What is next for Parham & Associates?

Coach Ham’s vision for the future is wide and vast. She explains that her dreams of coaching from the globe are a must, so many people have similar stories like hers, and what made her different was her ability to turn her perceived failure into a thriving coaching practice. She wants to travel the world and coach those who need an “extra kick” to gain the next level. 

What advice would you give future entrepreneurs? 

Parham’s message was clear. She explains while her failure was the driving force for her success, she wanted to make sure she would never hear the word “No” from corporate America again. She has learned over the years the type of leader she wants to become and found a way to create a platform for those with the same mindset to do the same. 

Parham is a newly published author, The ABC’s of Emotional Intelligence X Leaders. She describes the book as interactive and intrinsic for the aspiring leader. Parham explains, “I want my clients to be able to do the work, with or without me; that is the mark of a great leader. This book is for the leader who is ready to grab a seat at the table.” Parham anticipates a newly released children’s book coming out soon for parents to help their young children positively express themselves. 

Company name: Parham & Associates

Email Address : Hello@parhamintelligence.com

Website : www.parhamintelligence.com

Instagram : www.instagram.com/Hamlecoach

The post Coach Ham Turns Minions into GRU, Great Leaders Rising Up appeared first on CEO Medium.

After the tragic loss of her brother, Charda’ Tabb found comfort and renewal in her faith. Though the trauma stays with her, she channeled the energy and forged forward with her inspiring a line of apparel and accessories. The Queen behind the Crown is a faith-fueled creative. She’s responsible for the fashion brand phenomenon known as Finer CreationZ. Her focus on positivity has helped her prosper and build a company that continues to thrive and grow. 

Finer CreationZ Brand provides a variety of services such as styling and photography, but is best known for its unique sophista-chic fashion line “The Finer League”.   

Their purpose is to help women express their true identities regardless of where they’re at on their journeys.

Can you tell us about yourself? What fuels you? 

My name is Charda’ Tabb, 35, and I’m a native of Camden, NJ. I hold a Bachelor Degree in Communications and Master’s degree in Administration. I am a woman fueled by faith, a mother, a serial entrepreneur, an executive, and a true queens’ queen.

I think about the birthing of my brand, and there was nothing finer about my beginning. It was created during a journey to renew my faith while coping with the tragic loss of my brother.  Though the healing process has been trying, I continue to channel positive energy and create purposeful fashion with a focus on positivity. With this, it helped me prosper and build a company that continues to grow and thrive. The best part is it helps women identify the queen within. 

I reign through life with a crown full of positivity and hold firmly to the mantra  that “I am fearfully and wonderfully made, so everything  I touch will prosper”-Charda’ Tabb 

Was there something specific that inspired you to create your brand?  

The idea of Finer CreationZ was born in December 2016, during a time where I was seeking peace and purpose. I had had a series of losses and disappointments that led me to a breaking point. 

One of the most painful losses was the murder of my older brother when he was just 32 years old. His murder is a trauma I have never fully recovered from, but a very important piece of the legacy that is Finer CreationZ.  

In times of uncertainty I drew closer to God, and in 2016 was baptized. During my baptism, the Bishop preached on being renewed and having to be put in the furnace flames over and over by the potter to be refined. Those words penetrated deep. 

I very much wanted to be refined. While growing spiritually was enlightening it also was very uncomfortable. I went on a spiritual fast that would consist of 100 days of peace, positivity, and prayer. 

During this time I began making jewelry, learned how to sew, and took an interest in photography.  At the close of my fast, I had dozens of earrings, custom shirts, and even more requests for one of my special creations. This catapulted my journey of peace to purpose and manifested Finer CreationZ.

Since that time Finer CreationZ has exploded into much more than a few accessories and ideas. Finer CreationZ now has its exclusive fashion line. The Finer League offers styling services, photography, and much more!

Tell us more specifics about your brand, and what it’s all about.

Finer CreationZ specializes in creating unique experiences through our styling and fashion options. Finer CreationZ is committed to providing dynamic fashion & style that allows women to be the truest version of themselves no matter where they are in their journey. 

We thrive off of the belief that all women are extraordinary and ever-evolving, as is their style. We curate our services to fit the individuality, boldness, and fierceness of our customers.

Do you have a thought or idea that you’d like to share with our readers? 

“Each day we are all presented with opportunities. What you choose to do with them becomes your legacy. I would encourage every entrepreneur to go into each project or service with two things, God and purpose.

What challenges did you face while building your business? Are there any day-to-day challenges that you find yourself facing? 

The most difficult part of entrepreneurship for me has been running my business alone and being unaware of resources available to take my business to higher platforms. 

In recent years my products have become more detailed and require more time to complete. It’s difficult bedazzling 100 mirrors that take 3 hours to compose. 

Determining what manufacturers will maintain the authenticity of the product and level out cost-wise has been hard.  I’ve learned that I have to charge for time, and not be apologetic about it.

How have you funded your business? 

The Finer CreationZ brand has solely been funded by my own money. I haven’t received grants or assistance.

What’s next for your business? How far do you hope to go? 

My goal for the future is to get The Finer League fashion mainstream at Walmart, Target, and other local department stores.

Do you have a message for those who want to create a business of their own, while making a living with their creations?  

If I had to advise a fellow creative, my advice would be to always do your very best! In moments where you don’t feel like you won, remember “YOU DID YOUR BEST.” Do not become obsessed with having instant success, building a legacy takes time.

Get in touch with Finer CreationZ on 

Email Address: finercreationz@gmail.com 

Website: www.shopfiner.com 

Instagram: finer_creationz

The post Charda’ Tabb and Finer CreationZ appeared first on CEO Medium.

Finer Bling LLC is about “being unique from others and looking finer while doing it.”

Tell us about who you are and what you do.

 My name is Taja, but I go by Tee Jaay. I was born at The Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Florida, and raised in Detroit, MI. I am an only child. I graduated high school in 2006 from Cooley High, I hold a B.S. in Psychology from Grand Valley State University and a Masters in Social Work from Western Michigan University. I have been an active member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, INC. for 8 years.  I’m currently a mental health social worker and the owner of Finer Bling LLC. I run this business alone, but very blessed to have help from my family and I could not do this without them. Finer Bling LLC is a shop that specializes in all things custom, including but limited to apparel, bling items, pins, subscription boxes, etc….

Tell us how you created this brand and what was the sole idea behind it. 

Being a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, INC. I wanted a bling Zeta phone case. After doing some research “I was like wow “these things are expensive” lol. I made the decision to try one out myself. 

In my opinion, the first case came out horrible. But I posted it on social media, I received an enormous amount of positive feedback. Things like I want one, do you sell those, that’s fire, where can I get one. With the outpour of good vibes and love shown, I felt like I could do this. After doing more research I wanted to make a phone case of good quality, but also unique to the customer. Once I did that, the rest is history. In 2015 I started Finer Bling, LLC. with $50. It started out as me being cheap but now it is my heart and passion. It was never my plan to start a business, but God said I didn’t give you those gifts not to use. He has continually blessed me and opened my mind to other business ventures. I have gone from making phone cases to other bling items, custom apparel, pins, and subscription boxes for my beloved sorority. 

Go in detail and tell us about how your brand works. You may keep this from the audience’s perspective. 

My brand is the groundwork to develop customer loyalty and to keep my customers. I believe my brand is how my audience perceives me and it’s the face of my business. Personal connection is key.

What is your giveaway idea through this interview? Highlight something that may interest the readers on a one-to-one basis. 

I would say commitment, stay the course, and be prepared to put in the work. More importantly, don’t get discouraged. For every no, there is a greater yes!

Explain the challenges you went through while you were working on brand creation. What are the challenges you go through on an everyday basis? 

When I first started this business, I was losing more money than I had to come in. I was making things before receiving payment and that would sometimes fall through, I was undercharging, spending more on materials than I should have. I was just doing everything wrong. I had no idea at the time how to run a business. It took me years to get to the position I am in now. Learning my price point but most importantly learning how to simply run a business by myself. I still at times say to my self “Taja, what are you doing, get it together now.” There are days when I am exhausted and I just want to do nothing, but I have a business to run, and people depending on me to provide a product, It definitely is not all gumdrops and unicorns. It takes a lot of sacrifices to run this business, especially alone. But the upside is I learn something new every day

How do you manage your finances through the services you offer. Any fundings etc received? 

I do not receive any funding and never have. The money I earn is poured right back into my business.  It takes money to make money. 

What motivates you? 

Being successful, connecting with my customers, the joy in learning, making my parents proud, and the journey. But most importantly I want to continually make my grandmother proud, as she watches over me. She was so proud of and loved Finer Bling, LLC. I lost my grandmother in 2020 to Colon Cancer, she was and still is my world. For this reason, I decided to add a set of angel wings on the back of all my apparel, because I know she always has my back.

How do you generate new ideas?

The wheels are always turning about the next item. I can be out and see something and be like “yep that’s my next thing.” I try to think of ideas that will be appealing to my customer base, something unique and different. 

Tell us your future vision about the brand. How far do you want to take it? What is your dream about taking it to the next level? 

I have no limit on where this business goes. God is my CEO and Finer Bling, LLC is going to go as far as he sees fit and I’m more than good with that. I’m just a passenger on this journey and wherever I stop I just hope it’s great and blessed. 

What message would you like to give to anybody who has a plan of creating something of their own and making a living through it? 

Don’t be scared to start that business you’ve always dreamed of. There will be days where you will want to give up and that is the time that you push harder, that’s the time you give everything you got. Don’t let you get in the way of you doing what you were meant to do. Hustle forward not backward! 

Get in touch with Finer Bling LLC on: 

Website: www.itsfinerbling.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/finer_bling

The post Behind All The GlitZ, Meet Finer Bling appeared first on CEO Medium.

Her great passion for performing music, writing, and training music and languages motivated her to establish a quality-based resource center to enrich further students attending her one-on-one and group lessons in high demand.

Since Oksana is an admirable example of “The American Dream,” she works as her brand ambassador to bestow her diligence, drive, global outreach, groundbreaking spirit, and talent upon it. Oksana started her classical piano lessons at an early age and continued after her family relocated to Kazakhstan, Russia, from Siberia. Since Oksana had the inspiration and determination to develop her talent, she started winning music competitions and continued her training as a pianist. With educated parents who pursued opportunities for their children, Oksana moved to the U.S with her family after the dissolution of the Soviet Union and started a new life in St. Petersburg, Florida.

As a student in the current St. Petersburg College, Oksana won a piano competition held during the Florida State Young Artists Symposium, which enabled her to secure a scholarship at the prestigious Florida State University School of Music, where she graduated with honors in 2001. She realized her entrepreneurial and marketing, and branding skills after she started booking piano performances to demonstrate her talent throughout Florida. Her fan base started to grow tremendously, and she began to get gigs that included charitable and business concerts, private events, and recurring bookings on the Home Shopping Network.

In 1999, Oksana fell in love with Italian-born Alex after meeting him at his birthday party. They married one year later.  The new relationship with Alex, who had a Marketing and PR background, launched a productive and creative chapter. With Alex as her manager, the two developed splendid national and international relationships by working together as a power couple.

In 2003, Oksana broke records by becoming the first female Russian pianist to go abroad and perform for the U.S military. Although Oksana traveled in September 2003 but stopped in Italy, Spain, and Greece, to entertain the U.S Troops, she traveled twice with the Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR), a U.S. Navy division. In February 2004, she performed in Guam, Korea, Japan, Okinawa, and Singapore, always with MWR Navy. She also received invitations to showcase her talent to United Nations officials in Europe and the US

After becoming a U.S citizen in 2006, Oksana went to Italy and performed in front of thousands on the opening night of the Salento International Film Festival. Together with Alex, she relocated to Beverly Hills, California, where she secured the in-house pianist role at The Polo Lounge, the legendary 5-star venue inside The Beverly Hills Hotel. From 2006 to 2013, Oksana performed in this venue daily to entertain just about every A-list celebrity. During that time, her demand for entertaining people at special occasions and fundraising events, and offer piano lessons to stars and children in Los Angeles increased. Besides, her fan base started to grow online. While at the Polo Lounge, Oksana performed throughout her pregnancy period until she gave birth to her son, Alessandro, in 2009.

She pursued to meet schools’ and parents’ needs and cultivated her brand by utilizing business expertise and connections she had established in Los Angeles and internationally. Under her Oksana® Management Group, formed in 2010, she established Oksana School of Music, which received the Best of Beverly Hills Award in 2014. Her popular public image made her music school the primary choice for superstars who wanted to learn music together with their loved ones. Her incorporation of lessons through Skype to overcome logistical problems enabled her to teach students in different areas, even before the pandemic. Oksana began partnerships by seeking cross-promotions, collaborations, and endorsements, which helped her study successful companies’ business practices.

In 2016, the couple moved to cozy Santa Clarita, CA from bustling Beverly Hills. The relocation enabled Oksana to work with local organizations to oversee socializing, develop her music programs, language, and teaching, and develop her extracurricular development programs in the area. Consequently, her schedule of instructions increased, and her relationships with school districts and municipalities increased, allowing her to offer artistic and out-of-school lessons effectively.

By 2019, her business entities, under the Oksana Management Group, Inc., comprise many instructors (whom she selects), students, and works with many institutions in southern California and beyond. Her Oksana Enrichment Programs can accommodate other subjects, although they focus on personalized programs in music, international languages, and academic coaching in all subjects.

In October 2019, Oksana, with a franchise consultant’s expert help, established her Oksana® Franchising International, Inc. to expand her programs to national and international levels. In 2020, she founded Oksana Foundation, a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization that offers extracurricular education to financially challenged youth. Moreover, she creates social and networking fundraising events to help others. In early 2020, she attended the pre-Grammy Awards party in Los Angeles, where she received the Excellence in Education Award and performed some of her compositions.

Oksana has recorded eight CDs consisting of unique, traditional, and standard music and instructional video for piano students. In 2010, her “Free Floating” album became the best album that year after she secured the Best Classical Album award, posted on SoloPiano.com. 

Although she has been working on her music together with other international artists, international artists choose her original compositions to record on their CDs. She derived her “Best of Two Worlds” CD from collaboration with notable fine artist Jim Warren. Her YouTube channel, Oksanabella, which features her many performances, has over 3 million views to date. 

Oksana Kolesnikova is currently a member of the Forbes Business Council, the leading development and socialization organization for distinguished global entrepreneurs and officials. 

Get in touch with Oksana on:

• Facebook: omgoksana
• Instagram: omgoksana
• LinkedIn: Linkedin.com/in/omgoksana
• YouTube: youtube.com/oksanabella

Website: www.oksanaenrichment.com

The post From Musician to CEO: Get to Know Oksana Kolesnikova appeared first on CEO Medium.

Carina balances a corporate 9-5, a husband that works full-time, and being a mum to six-year-old twin girls, all while living in a different country to her family. She has 15 years of experience working in finance and higher education management, holds an MBA From the University of Liverpool, and a Diploma in Executive Leadership.

Tell us about who you are and what you do.

 I’m Carina Lawson business efficiency consultant and personal productivity expert, and the founder of Ponderlily Paper & Planners, an ethically sourced stationery brand centered around intentional, inspired, and sustainable living.     

Tell us how you created this brand and what was the sole idea behind it.

I created the Ponderlily brand based on my desire to move through their days with ease and grace, from work to weekend. The idea behind it was to help women make more empowered decisions with their time to accommodate their personal and professional endeavors. 

Go in detail and tell us about how your brand works. You may keep this from the audience’s perspective.

While the brand primarily focused on productivity tools to fulfill clients’ personal productivity needs when we first started, it seemed natural to provide a more holistic approach to include solutions to support their lifestyle through business and personal time management mentorship.

What is your giveaway idea through this interview? Highlight something that may interest the readers on a one to one basis.

Everyone has a unique planning personality that influences your approach to goal-setting and their ability to get things done. I’d love to offer a 1:1 business and personal time management session to offer an understanding of how to become more effective while remaining focused on key business goals.

Explain the challenges you went through while you were working on brand creation. What are the challenges you go through on an everyday basis?

While working on the brand I sought the help of a branding agency and while they produced beautiful work they didn’t seem to understand our clients’ needs. The colors, for example, were too strong and we wanted to evoke the feeling of calm and balance. For that reason, we had several iterations of the color palette. Going back to the agency to make the changes was unfortunately not possible as they had already scheduled to take on other projects so for a while we had a brand we were not happy with and didn’t necessarily resonate with our audience so we decided to restart the process to get it right, which was the best thing we could have done.

How do you manage your finances through the services you offer. Any fundings etc received?

The startup capital for the company was entirely self-funded. We have a dated product and our sales are seasonal so we partner with our accountant’s firm to ensure that projected cash flows and budgets are set to serve seasonal periods, accordingly.

Tell us your future vision about the brand. How far do you want to take it? What is your dream about taking it to the next level?

We’re very excited about the future of the brand which now encompasses a personal brand as part of the Ponderlily Ltd. family. My dream to take the brand to the next level is to work with a designer again to ensure both arms of the company are cohesive, elevated, and recognizable. 

What message would you like to give to anybody who has a plan of creating something of their own and making a living through it?

Make sure that you work with an expert and ensure that part of who you are is reflected in the brand you’re building so that you’re a living and breathing representation of your brand. Don’t stop until you’re happy you’ll have to wear your brand colors every day.  

Carina Lawson is a Time Management Coach and the Founder of Ponderlily Paper & Planners. See more at www.carinalawson.com

The post How to find your unique planning personality and get things done appeared first on CEO Medium.

Kathy is the President & CEO of IT TechPros, and over the years, IT TechPros has garnered many awards, like the SBA Minority Business of the Year in 2013 awarded by the San Diego SBA and the Supplier of the Year in 2013 by the Women Business Enterprise Council-West, and her company has been recognized by other prestigious organizations.

Her second company is Alpas Athletix (www.alpasathletix.com), which was founded in January 2017. Kathy, a fitness enthusiast, and who loves being outdoors, was looking for a product she wanted for herself, but after a few Google searches found out quickly that what she was looking for did not exist in the marketplace. So out of her own need, she created the product to use for herself, and she was surprised that her idea worked.

Kathy is the inventor of the “Alpas Bra,” a patented, world’s first-ever strapless sports-performance bra. Kathy’s strapless sports-performance bra is an alternative solution for women. The bra will stay on and provide full support while performing physical activities, thanks to her patented creation and design. Her product will soon be released to consumers online sometime this year.

What is your entrepreneur’s story? How did you come about building your business?

I started in the corporate world and had a successful career as a banker for a fortune 500 financial institution for nine and a half years. In the last six years of my banking career, I had a significant focus on business banking and enjoyed working with my business customers, consulting them about business financial solutions and services. I had opportunities to meet with them at their place of business, see their operations, and I admired every single one of my business customers. I knew one day that I would start and have my own company, and finally, around Winter 2005, I put my resignation to leave.

It was a leap of faith for me. I left my job and took a month’s break to figure things out. At that time, I still didn’t know what I was going to start, but my husband, who at that time was an I.T. manager for a biotech company, asked what I thought about starting an I.T. firm. I thought it was a brilliant idea!

My corporate job was my training ground, and I learned everything from customer service to dealing and managing people. I learned systems and operations, H.R., sales, leadership, KPIs, and everything about running a successful business. I also got exposed to several technologies and network refreshes throughout my tenure at the bank, so I understood and was comfortable with technology. I was also highly competent in consulting with businesses. I loved solving problems and helping my businesses succeed. I was confident that I was able to transfer everything I learned from my previous career to a technology service start-up. I was excited!

After we launched in 2006, I was able to land our first contract within a month, and in less than a year, my husband was able to quit his full-time job as an I.T. manager and join our business full-time. Today, we are a seven-figure a year business and have grown as a boutique I.T. firm in San Diego County. We focus on small businesses that have 20 and up to 150 employees in manufacturing, engineering, construction, and other B2B companies. We have clients all over the nation and support their employees around the globe. We have a high-touch approach with our customers and focus on nurturing and building relationships with every customer that we work with. I couldn’t be prouder of where we are at today.

As far as my new venture, Alpas Athletix, I am still in pre-revenue, and I am still gearing up for my launch. I am excited that I’m now at a point in my life where I can start another company. This is what I love to do — creating and starting something new! My goal is to also build Alpas with the same love and organic approach that I have applied to my tech company. I want Alpas Athletix to be a leading brand in the fitness garment space. I know I can do it!

What is your business model — how were you able to grow so fast?

My I.T. company’s model is managed services. We are a contract-only based I.T. firm. This is the model I started back in 2006 before I knew the term managed services. I learned from working for the bank that recurring revenue is key to sustaining and growing a business, so I followed that same model. I have had the company for thirteen and a half years, and although we grew exponentially during the first three years, from zero to over $300K in annual revenues, I have learned that we prefer the steady, proven, and profitable way of growing the business.

The year 2013 was one of the worst years we experienced in the business. We grew so fast within a short period, and during this process, we realized our entire team was not prepared for the pace we were going. We were also at max capacity and couldn’t service all of our clients at the level we wanted to, and what our customers expected. It was a disaster! We did get many new customers but also lost a ton of business because of it.

We were way in over our heads. It felt like I was in a tornado. I was tossed around, beat up, and chopped up emotionally and mentally for the mistake I made to pursue growth aggressively. I seriously thought we were going to go out of business too. I felt that our ship was sinking fast to join the likes of the Titanic in the deep blue ocean, but somehow, I was able to get the boat back on the right course and prevented it from hitting a big iceberg that was going to take us down. That was an experience that I do not and, if I can control it, never want to repeat!

So, I understand why it is so sexy to hear stories about companies growing to become gazillion-dollar businesses in less than ten years, but what most people fail to realize is that it takes longer than that for the average person. It takes time to nurture and grow a business. There are companies like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Rent the Runway, and others that have a valuation of over billions of dollars, but those companies are “unicorn” type companies. It represents less than 1% of the businesses out there in the world. Most small businesses take a while to get to become seven, eight, or nine figures in annual revenues or higher. You’ve got to have serious skin in the game, and it is for the long haul.

As far as my product business, Alpas Athletix, I think I will be able to grow it quicker than IT TechPros. I know I can do it in half the time. That is what experience can do, and it can accelerate success. I do have more experience and wisdom under my belt when it comes to starting, running, and growing a business. I am in it for the long haul, and I am willing to invest the time to make sure that these two companies, and other companies I am still yet to build, will continue and will be successful.

Can you give me an overview of who you are, what is your educational or overall background? What are some of your achievements?

I started my full-time banking career at the age of 19 years old and stopped attending college because my job became a priority during my earlier years. My employer became my real-world training ground and university. I was fortunate that my previous employer also puts me through sales, operations, management, and leadership training workshops. I am lucky.

When I left the bank, I went back to school to get my technical certifications needed to be in the I.T. field. I went through several business and entrepreneurial programs at different colleges and Universities in Southern CA. In 2007, I was awarded a scholarship to attend the UCLA Anderson School of Management, where I graduated in 2008 from the Management Development for the Entrepreneurship program. This was a unique MBA/University level course work and Alumni program for established entrepreneurs.

I also received another scholarship to attend the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business program at Long Beach City College, and I graduated in 2013. In that year, I graduated from another business program called Founders First Business Bootcamp, a program by Founders First Capital Partners. The program is focused on teaching companies to scale a business beyond $5M of revenues per year.

My background has been super focused around business and entrepreneurship. I attend an executive-level program every few years to make sure that I am always up-to-date and learning about new and better ways of innovating in business. It is my passion; I love business!

Some of my achievements? Since 2006, I have received awards and have been recognized for Entrepreneur of the Year, Business Owner of the Year, Women CEO of the Year, and have graced the cover of two different magazines.

I operate with a positive mindset and love to be of service to others. These recognitions are a blessing to me, and I am grateful for the people who have nominated me and have given their time and effort to recognize the work that I do in the business community.

Outside of all the professional achievements and accolades, I am most proud of my two daughters and happy to be celebrating my 18th wedding anniversary with my husband this year. A quick fun fact: my husband is my high school sweetheart, and we are also celebrating our 27th year of being together. My family is important to me, and the business is a family-owned and operated firm.

What have you learned through your experiences as an entrepreneur that can be used by aspiring business individuals?

It takes time to build something meaningful. The world of entrepreneurship is a sport. You need a lot of experience, conditioning, and training to build your endurance. What has been helpful to me is continuing to go to school and take short-term business courses to get the knowledge, as well as the support from other like-minded individuals. Always be growing, have a positive mindset, and surround yourself with successful people.

Another important element as an entrepreneur is you must first learn about yourself. Get to know you! If you have never taken personality and competency assessments, I recommend that you start there. I have found all of the assessments I have done super helpful. I have learned to focus on what I am good at and managed through my weaknesses, but I have always focused on my natural talents. I have had a positive, professional career experience because I know where I should put my energy and focus on getting the highest input for my efforts. Getting a life or business coach is also something I recommend, but only if you are ready for it. Getting into mastermind groups is also very helpful to get feedback and support from like-minded people.

What makes your business so unique and successful?

What sets us apart and the value we bring to our customers is our relationships with them. Our customers tell us all the time how much they love working with us because we listen, we care, and we are attentive. IT TechPros is a high-touch, people-oriented, service-based I.T. business. Our values speak loudly about how we operate. Our values are connection, trust, expertise, family, and fun.

Our goal is to have a long-term relationship with all of the customers that we elect to do business with, and the connection & establishing trust happens at the very first engagement process. We are continually learning to enhance our expertise to ensure that our customers are getting the best from every single one of our team members. We are a family-owned company, our team members have families, and most of our customers are family-owned too; this value is very important to us, and we treat everyone like family. Finally, what is most important is that we do love to have fun, and we do different and unique stuff for our customers regularly throughout the year. We run the business with a lot of heart, and we do love all of our customers.

What have you learned through your journey as an entrepreneur?

Entrepreneurship, to me, has been a personal, spiritual, and self-discovery journey. I have learned more about myself; I have learned what I stand for as an individual and as a business owner, and I have learned so much as a human being over the last 13 years. I have been through some of the toughest situations a person can get themselves into, and I have persevered over and over again. I learned that I could accomplish anything I want as long as I am committed to it. It is essential to be committed.

What skills and attributes make you as successful as you are?

I am loyal to my cause. I am also resilient, dedicated, and confident. I am my biggest fan, and I think despite what is going on externally, I am my biggest cheerleader. I do have people that also cheer me on and support me. I am so thankful for everyone who has poured into my business and life, but at the end of the day, I have to believe in myself 100% and make sure that I keep myself accountable for the things that I said I am going to do. There are other skills and attributes that I can share, but I am choosing this one because this is a big part of my success. I believe in my abilities!

Why is online business, marketing, etc. important?

If you are in business, a small business, or an entrepreneur, marketing your company is essential. Marketing is the way you are going to share with the world what you do, how you can help your customers and a way for them to learn about you. The final result of your marketing effort is for you to get prospect interest, take them through your sales engagement, and finally, for your prospects to become your customer.

I used to go deep-sea fishing with my husband years ago, and the best way for me to explain marketing to the average person is like how a tuna fishing boat chums the water to get the fishes to bite. If you have never gone deep sea fishing, I recommend you to tune into Netflix, and watch the show titled Battle Fish. It is a good show, and there are a lot of business and leadership lessons that I have learned from this show. The show documents a handful of commercial tuna fishers who go out to sea during the tuna season to try to catch as much Albacore Tunas they can catch.

The captain of each boat studies the ocean and makes a decision based on data to go to the location to see if they can spot or land a school of Albacore tuna. Once they have narrowed in on the spot, they chum or throw bait in the ocean to get the school of fish closer to the boat. Once the school is under the boat, and eating frenzy starts, and the fishermen start hooking the fishes one after the other either using their fishing poles, or manually gaffing the fish if they are close enough to hook onto, and they try their best to hook on as many fishes as possible.

In business, this is making sure that you know your market, you know who your customers are, where you can find them, target the platforms where your customers are, then lure them in with an enticing offer, and then onboard them as your customer. Marketing is the process in which you create a method to market what it is you are trying to sell in the marketplace. It is, in essence, like fishing for Albacore Tuna. 

 Business owners need to learn and find out the best marketing channel or campaign they will use to get new customers. If not, the business is doomed to fail.

Social Media :

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_kathy_david_/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathydavid/

Personal Website: https://www.kathydavid.com/

Business Website: https://www.it-techpros.com

 https://www.alpasathletix.com

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