How Do We Do It? Why Do We Do It?

Jumping off the Corporate Cliff back in 2012, wondering what my entrepreneurial journey would entail. I had heat at my back. Being the major wage earner and carrying the insurance and 401k match, all that going away was the flame that drove me forward, a real fear of failing.

Climbing the corporate ladder, I had made many owners and stockholders Millions of Dollars in revenue with my sweat equity- no regard for work-life balance. I had reached my boiling point that one faithful day, on the eve of a long east-west coast travel, organizing, setting up, and working a tradeshow booth, arriving a few minutes late to the CEO dinner and being interrogated. It was the push I needed to make my move. I could no longer work under others who didn't share my passionate strategic and entrepreneurial attitude. To feel whole, I needed to find myself and see how great I could become based solely on the brains and ingenuity God blessed me with making my own decisions, designing my plot, planning my strategy, finding my tribe, and making my vision come to life.

With little savings, I was so happy I didn't know what I didn't know. Growing up in NJ, my parents were making it happen—my mother was the saver, an accountant, very smart and conservative. My father was an entrepreneur; he had the largest minority-owned Flooring business in the NY/NJ/PA area and was a people person; he was going to make things happen however necessary. I got a little of both of them, all traits that would serve me well to this day. Launching IBEX with little more than a tiny contract and a freemium version of a Zoho CRM system. Shanah Kitzerow , marketing genius who worked with me to get the company launched and our Training practice profitable once mentioned "I had no idea you could start and run a company with no money." That is when it hit me. That is exactly what we were doing. We used as many free resources, training, software, partnerships, lines of credit, etc., to make the vision come to life. Then, we made the best decisions possible, creating value for customers and adding products and business lines for long-term sustainability and growth: training and government contracting.

How and Why Do We Do It? Because some of us have an inner drive that tells us that our ideas are valid and no matter who or what happens, this pursuit is more important. Are you in my club? If I stopped to think about all that I truly didn't have, I would have been too discouraged and, indeed, not succeeded. Growing up and making do with one good pair of school shoes for the year teaches you many things, including how to shop to ensure everything matches your penny loafers. Same strategy in business. Learning how to use the tools in front of you to maximize your earnings before adding more resources is a prudent business rule for all entrepreneurs. Always protect your profit margin.

I continue to pursue excellence in the face of adversity but realize that taking others on the journey with me is as important as my journey. Most excited about our CertifiablyDiverse platform and its impact on future generations of Small and Diverse Businesses. It gives me a major voice in ESG, small business, and innovation discussions I look to explore in the years ahead.

Graphic Credit: Trevor Loy , 安永 Disruptive Tech Program 2023