Every Boss Lady Knows That Having a Business is Much More Than Making Money
By: Tashieka Brewer
October is National Women’s Small Business Month. As an entrepreneur, I am very familiar with having lofty goals. But, I have found that having the right goals to be a crucial part to not only creating the drive/motivation that I need to turn my Public Relations business (Melange PR) and my Pink Girls Run The World network into a reality; but to maintain the balance necessary to prevent burnout.
While being a “BOSS” is not easy, I welcome the lessons that come with the journey. My mornings usually begin the night before with reviewing my calendar/to-do list for the next day. I am a morning person, so I usually start my day at 6am by tackling the items on my list that I want to do the least before looking at social media or email. Those tasks are usually the most mundane items or the things that I am just simply not that good at. Part of being a “Boss” is recognizing that no one is good at EVERYTHING (including YOU) and being okay with that. Identifying your strengths and weaknesses, enables you to put a plan into action to either work on the things that you are not good at or outsource them if your budget permits. Working on your weaknesses could play out several different ways, including taking a class to help you to develop the skills needed or researching & implementing a process to improve those skills. Just saying that “I need to work on my time management skills” is not enough to change a behavior. In helping to grow the creative capabilities, product innovation and customer acquisition of beauty and lifestyle brands around the globe; I have noticed that understanding their team’s strengths and weaknesses can be a major obstacle when scaling their businesses.
I kicked off Women’s Small Business Month at a dinner with a few of my favorite female bosses. The topic of chasing money versus chasing your passion came up several times throughout dinner. When building a brand you must have a mission…one that isn’t just selling as many of your products as possible, because that doesn’t inspire anyone. Bill Gates once had the vision to have a computer in every home as a way to offer convenience for families (not just sell a bunch of computers). Successful entrepreneurs know that people do not buy products and services, it is relationships, stories and magic that they are seeking with each dollar spent. Looking to launch your own brand? Check out my top 4 tips below.
1. Consider the past, present & future when developing your mission statement.
2. Develop networks & build trust – your network is the lifeline to your net worth.
3. Locate professional events within your area and store them on your calendar.
4. Set measurable objectives with defined completion dates under reputation management goals, relationship management goals and task management goals.
Publicist, Content Creator & Travel Expert -- Tashieka Brewer is a powerhouse that is obsessed with beauty and travel. She has spent over 8 years heading public relations at a management level. At Melange PR, Tashieka is responsible for developing public relations and digital marketing strategies to increase the ROI of lifestyle brands around the globe. Developing and evaluating platforms/tools for planning, she strategizes with brands on how to implement and measure to build profitable relationships that lead to loyal consumers evolving into brand advocates & brand gatekeepers. In addition to being featured on the Ellen DeGeneres Show, Good Day Philadelphia, The Real and Telemundo; her clients have been featured in Marie Claire, Forbes, Essence, Black Enterprise, People and Elle Magazines.