Business coach Gena Jones is passionate about Black people creating financial legacies. As the daughter of the legendary singer and songwriter Eugene Record of the Chi-Lites, she saw her father battle with the IRS. Having witnessed that struggle as a child, she made the decision to change the economic trajectory of her life and the lives of others. She has used her experience as an attorney and CPA to inform her work as a business coach and financial advocate. Rolling out spoke with Jones about the importance of leaving afinancial legacy and why having a business coach is important.
What separates what you do from others who offer the same service?
I think the duality of being an attorney and a CPA gives me a unique perspective. My career has been built upon saving celebrities and entrepreneurs from the IRS. The IRS along with death are the two things that people fear most. My understanding of the law and unapologetic approach to client success allows me to offer more robust strategies for clients.
Why is a leaving financial legacy so important?
Legacy is critical because it is our opportunity to ensure that our children and their children don’t have to start at zero. I see legacy as the easiest way to change the game for Black and Brown people to position ourselves to be the lender and not the borrower.
What is the advantage of having a business coach?
A business coach is vital to your success as a leader and to the success of your business. Entrepreneurs are smart and creative, but working inside of your business affects your perspective. You have blind spots that are revealed through coaching. Your business coach is an independent, objective expert who provides tools and strategies that will help grow your business. Every entrepreneur and executive should have a business coach.
What do you know now that you wish you would have known sooner when growing your business?
I wish that someone would have told me that growing your business is not about having a larger staff or a larger budget. It is about implementing the right strategy to do more and go further with what you already have. Maximize your capacity before you increase your capacity. What I want to tell other entrepreneurs growing their businesses is that it’s about growing the bottom line, not necessarily growing the top line.
What advice would you give to those aspiring to a position similar to yours?
My best advice would be to control your time. If you don’t control your time, everyone else will.
Learn more about Gena Jones at https://www.genajones.com/
