Today we are highlighting seven articles written by experts who are women of color. We pulled both well-known women with highly successful careers and women whom we consider friends and colleagues in hopes we share something that resonates with every level of experience.
Shonda Rhimes
Producer, Creative Director, Screenwriter, Author, Entrepreneur
She captured our hearts with Grey’s Anatomy — and we all love her for that — but did you know in addition to creating completely binge-worthy, gets-you-every-time TV, she was also named one of TIME Magazine’s 100 People Who Help Shape the World in 2007? She’s been part of several productions on prime time TV and recently announced a multi-year development deal with Netflix.
What it Really Means to be a Leader
In this article Shonda talks with Valerie Jarrett, Mieko Kusano, and Chloe Arnold to discuss triumphs, mistakes, and the most important decisions of their careers. This article teaches what qualities are really needed to be a leader within your space, especially if you are a women and/or of color.
Read the article
Franzine Mackley
Branding Graphic Designer, Entrepreneur
Franzine has a background in marketing for small businesses and entrepreneurs. As a strong advocate of marketing, she developed her strategy by focusing on the target audience to design a brand with aesthetic and function. The name of her company — Breezy Camper — comes from her love of open spaces, outdoors, and road trips with family.
How To Set Up Systems To Make Your Business Thrive
Do you ever feel like you’re stuck doing menial tasks that take up most of the day? Or maybe you let them build up and procrastinate on them. You feel like your time is being consumed with small tasks that take up all your energy when you’d rather be focusing on growing your client base. So, how do you climb out of the crazy trap of losing your valuable time? Or, how do you avoid this roadblock entirely? This is where workflows and systems come into place.
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Dondrea Owens
CPA, Entrepreneur
Dondrea has been counting money since she was four years old. What started out as a passion has turned into a thriving business which helps women entrepreneurs get clear on their finances and grow their profit beyond 6-figures.
Sole proprietorship vs. LLC
You’re ready to start your business! You’ve mapped out your office suite, set the proper systems in place, and now it’s time to make things legal. It can be overwhelming and scary when you’re trying to categorize your business entity, but it’s necessary to get your business up and running. Dondrea at The Creative’s CFO is breaking down the difference between a Sole Proprietorship and an LLC and how to choose the right one for your business.
Tonya Rapley
Entrepreneur, Co-Founder, Domestic Violence Survivor
After hard times financially, Tonya knew it was time to stop acting like she had it all together and actually start getting it together. After turning her life around, she created My Fab Finance. Her company was named the “New Face of Wealth Building” by Black Enterprise magazine and selected as a modern History Maker by TV One.
3 Common Myths About Investing Plus How to Buy Your First Stock Today
A solid financial foundation consists of knowledge, savings, a minimal debt load, a decent credit score, and investments. As a financial educator, Tonya often sees people fixate on the first four components while avoiding investing all together for a variety of reasons.
Cheryl Sutherland
Founder, Business Strategist, Transformational Speaker, Entrepreneur
After spending over 1400 hours in learning and facilitating personal development, coaching, and reigniting her inner creativity, Cheryl created a company that inspires women to step into their own power by building confidence, clarity, and creativity. PleaseNotes is a for-purpose company of affirmation-filled products that allows people to see the greater possibilities with an open mindset.
How do I improve my public speaking?
You’ve got a story and a message to share, but how do you make sure it doesn’t fall flat? First, you need to find out what kind of speaker you would like to be, and then structure your speech so that you can create value for your listeners and people can take actionable steps based on your words.
Tianna Tye
I/O Psychologist, Leadership Coach, Podcast Host, Entrepreneur
Tianna has had a seat at the table with Fortune 500 executives managing companies valued at $1B and she noticed that their leadership challenges look a lot like yours do. Their teams’ struggle with accountability, their communication could use some work, and they still aren’t comfortable stepping away for a vacation. But you know what is different about them? Large corporate companies cover the support they need to figure this leadership thing out… Tianna is here to support businesses in finding healthy and productive team dynamics that work for everyone.
Scaling Your Business? Here’s How to Set a Solid Foundation Before You Outsource.
Discover the one powerful exercise that you should do before you begin to outsource and build your dream team. Today’s expectations of scaling online businesses have led to one major phenomenon. Outsourcing. Outsource fast and outsource early – even before you think you need to. The truth? That’s pretty good advice. The solopreneur phase, while new and exhilarating, limits your ability to handle increased visibility and new clients! Simply put: as you become more successful, your ability to remain the doer-of-all-things decreases. That is a good thing. But, here’s a big ole dose of reality… outsourcing to one-off freelancers will only get you so far! That is not a sufficient strategy for scaling long-term. If you’re serious about your business, it’s time to take things to the next level. It’s time to hire your dream team.
Victoria Jenn Rodriguez
Founder, President, Entrepreneur
After spending more than 15 years in the corporate sector, Victoria became a full-time entrepreneur and has not looked back since. She is the Founder of two businesses. First, a Talent Management Agency — VJR Enterprises, LLC — that focuses on disrupting the traditional way organizations attract, develop and retain talent. They create cultures that promote entrepreneurial authenticity which in turn produces results. In addition to her agency, she also founded The Female Collaborative Inc., a not-for-profit organization that provides access, education and opportunity, revolutionizing how women work and do business together.
This Latina Entrepreneur Wanted A New Kind Of Conference – A Look At How She Started Her Own
Read Victoria’s advice on how she builds out her conferences, so you, too, can create a successful event that will impress and inspire.
Did you enjoy this article? Drop a comment below if you’d like to see more guest expert advice columns like this one!