What inspires you to show to work every day?
I enjoy what I do, truly. The opportunity to work with amazing clients at great brands and to be able to put together innovative campaigns that help them achieve their goals — it’s pretty cool to me. I also like to see how people react to ideas that have actually taken shape and are in the digital sphere.
How did you determine your career path?
I think I’ve always known at some point I would have an enterprise of my own, but I don’t think I thought it would have been in this package. After graduating from school, I took a job with a major online company, where I learned the ins and outs of online marketing. Through other corporate opportunities, I continued to cultivate those skills. Then I realized that in order for me to really create the life I wanted to live, I would have to take control and make some changes. There is a quote by Milton Berle that reads, “If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.” So here I am.
Describe the future skill sets that are essential to future business leader and innovators?
Being innovative and staying ahead of the curve. In this day and age, things change very quickly and you have to be aware of those changes and then be willing to adjust if need be. [And] the ability to develop a team; teamwork makes the dream work.
Describe goal setting methods you use and how you evaluate your success?
I have a solid five-year-plan and the skeleton of a 10-year-plan, which includes personal and professional endeavors. I break the five-year-plan out annually, then break that down by quarterly and monthly goals. I write down my plans and the vision for my life. I look at it often, my monthly goals are reviewed probably four times a week. It thrills me when I am able to mark things off and move to the next step.
Name three books that changed how you saw life and you recommend to others?
- You Are a Brand!: How Smart People Brand Themselves for Business Success by Catherine Kaputa
- The Game of Life And How To Play It by Florence Scovel Shinn
- Think and Grow Rich: A Black Choice by Dennis Kimbro and Napoleon Hill
Explain why lifelong learning is important to you.
If you are not learning you are not growing. It could be from an experience, a webinar or a class — find ways to gain more information and insight. Knowledge is key and it’s powerful.
What are the three most important factors of being a successful woman?
- Having the confidence to believe you can do it.
- Being willing to connect with others — those that look like you and those that do not.
- Understanding both your strengths and weaknesses and how they play into your end game.
Technology plays what role in your daily life?
I own a digital marketing agency; technology is at the forefront of my life. Technology has allowed me to create the business I have and to do so with flexibility. I mean, I can literally work from anywhere as long as I have an internet connection, phone and laptop. It’s fabulous.
What social media or digital tool has made the biggest difference in your life and why?
The digital tools that have made the biggest difference in my life are 1. Basecamp and 2. Evernote. Basecamp helps me organize the various clients and projects I am responsible for. Evernote is my electronic notebook — I keep articles, inspirations and ideas there. Love it!
If you could change one thing about the world what would it be?
We need to be more compassionate. We need to give each other breaks from time to time. We are all human. We can’t get too busy, too preoccupied with our personal and professional lives that we forget to care for the next person.
If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be?
I believe I can over think things from time to time; sometimes, it just is, and I need to be OK with that.
Who or what motivates you and why?
The idea of creating a legacy. My grandfather was an entrepreneur; he and his brothers had a successful real estate development business back in Kentucky. What he was able to do for his family, the legacy he was able to leave, it’s beautiful. I want to do that.
What are the do’s and don’ts for young women in business?
- Don’t be afraid to shake things up a little bit — do something shocking, something that could benefit you not just today, but in the long run.
- Do believe in yourself. Believe in your power — you are more powerful than you think.
- Surround yourself with great people.
- Trust your instincts.
- Say No. No. (period)
How do you successfully grow from business failure?
Remember that failure is an opportunity to try it again — just with a better understanding than what you had the first go round. Nothing in life is going to come to you without a misstep or some failure along the way. When it happens, remove the emotion and think about it from a strategic perspective, dust yourself off and move forward.
Name your three most successful female role models and share why.
Locally: Robin Beaman – owner of Beaman Inc. This lady is amazing. She is the type of leader who is truly able to connect with the individuals she works with and is able to motivate them to do better, be better. She likes to have a good time, but works to get the job done.
Globally: Diane Von Furstenberg – back to my fashion roots. To me, Diane’s story of developing her signature product in her 20s but then stepping away from her business to return to it many years later, is impressive. I think most people would have just been happy with the earlier success and just moved on to something else. It takes tenacity to reposition yourself and create an even larger success.
Shonda Rhimes – that woman has shut down television. It’s truly as if everything that she and her team create becomes golden. She’s a visionary, she is creative, but she is also a very smart business woman and she’s making a mark. Who doesn’t watch “Scandal?”
