Follow the Leader

Covid-19 has changed the game for a lot of industries, and what do you do if your business is to supply larger businesses that aren't back to full strength? It's not enough to be unique or check a box - solutions are needed now more than ever. How do you find the right person to talk to? What are they looking for? How will business be different even when things return to something that looks like...

"You can't be afraid of change. What you look like at $750,000 is not what you're going to look like at $2 million.” Being an entrepreneur isn't easy, so having a partner can be an essential component to success. Brittany Stovall and Paulina Sandoval founded Assured Quality Systems with one goal in mind: give manufacturers a faster, better, more cost-effective process for ensuring manufacturing qu...

"They break down walls, they don't follow rules..." While the whole country faced lockdown because of COVID-19, Merrilee Kick found herself in a unique position: she could supply people with something that was desperately needed. And not just the usual need for her delicious BuzzBallz cocktails, but for something that could help keep essential workers healthy and safe. So she put her head together...

“Fear is what holds all small businesses back.” There's a lot of fear in the world today, and small business owners are likely feeling their fair share of it. How are they going to survive an extended lockdown? Will business come back when it's over? Are things ever going to be the same? Andrea Tsakanikas, founder and president of CrewFacilities.com, took the opportunity to adapt her business mode...

"The business has...allowed me and taught me to take care of myself." There's no better time than now to think about what makes your business recession-proof...or what doesn't. Renee Gilmore, president of Firemans Paving Contractors says it was a long road to get from trying to please everyone to doing a few things really well. There are benefits to being in a niche service. Beyond that, Renee say...

"People do business with people they know." It's the 25th anniversary of the Women's Business Council Southwest! To talk about the importance of the organization as well as why women really need to network, Chanel is joined by Debbie Hurst, president and CEO of WBCS, and Sharon Evans, owner and CEO of CFJ Manufacturing. What does the Women's Business Council Southwest do? Why is diversity so impor...

(Running a Foundation)…”It sounds good on paper, but it is a lot of work!” Some might look at Kimberly Alexander and judge her life by what she’s lost. In 2010 Kimberly’s husband, NFL linebacker Elijah Alexander, passed away due to complications from multiple myeloma (cancer of the bone marrow). As a stay-at-home mother of two, Kimberly decided that was the time to reinvent herself. A better way t...

"Stuff like the names and colors...it does have a factor, but it shouldn't be something that you have to have." Human interaction can be one of the biggest strengths of your business, but also a huge weakness when it comes to security. Tiffany Ricks knows that, and through her company Hacware, Inc. she's hoping to prevent threats rather than react to them. Along the way, she's learned a lot of les...

"Am I making this an either/or choice when it could be a both/and choice?" Elayne Fluker's credits in the media world are almost too long to list - from starting at Essence more than 20 years ago to launching Chic Rebellion TV and the podcast "Support is Sexy." As a speaker, media coach, consultant, and content producer, Elayne is committed to creating opportunities for women to share their storie...

"You've got to get some ouch on you." You might not think of pest control as the place to find exceptional customer service, but Genma Stringer Holmes did. From when she was little, selling Girl Scout cookies, Genma found that getting to know the customer was the key to success. And now, after having built up a successful radio show and consulting business in addition, she says one of the secrets...

"Marketing isn't brain surgery - it's consistency." From attorney to marketing genius, Laurel Mintz made a huge career shift when starting her firm Elevate My Brand. Running a fully digital firm, Mintz was ready to capitalize on the shifting trends in the 21st century, but the only thing constant in marketing and PR is change. How are people pushing back against the online world? How can an event...

"If you get a seat at the table, use your seat at the table." Dr. Karmetria Burton has dedicated her professional life to ensuring diversity in the business world, including her current position as the General Manager Supply Chain Management- Supplier Diversity at Delta. What are the particular challenges she has found for women in leadership roles? Why is it so important to have a playbook when y...

"You're a professional, and people are going to listen to what you say based on how you say it." Kicking off a new season of Follow the Leader is the host herself, Chanel Cristoff Davis! The tables are turned in this episode that was recorded as a pilot of sorts for this podcast. Hear about her early days as a young entrepreneur, working with a spouse, and some of her more hidden talents. Learn mo...

"The award is not the reward." There might not be a better guest for "Follow the Leader" than Janice Bryant Howroyd. For decades she's been synonymous with entrepreneurship and women leadership. She credits her business success to another woman in her life: her mother. She's also not afraid of the younger "millennials" in the workforce, calling herself the most mature millennial there is. Janice t...

"We weren't ready for the money." Obviously one of the biggest things you need to scale your business is money. Psyche Terry of UI Global Brands LLC looked high and low for investors, and ultimately found a couple very close to home. But with that money came many lessons. Psyche explains why the best investors can also be your closest advisors, why the last thing that lenders care about is your ra...

"In our society, we don't encourage people to make choices." Dealing with family can be tough. Being a third-generation business owner is a whole other challenge. Jessica Johnson-Cope took over her family business in 2008, Johnson Security Bureau. She says challenges don't even come close to outweighing the benefits of learning business tips around the dinner table. She'll also talk about the impo...

"What are you doing that you can pay somebody else to do?" Entrepreneurs and small business owners can feel like the weight of the world rests on their shoulders. Dr. Alicia Makaye of GXA was one of those. She says it's crucial for owners to get out of the office, form networks, and tell their story. Beyond that, Dr. Makaye says it's not enough to simply work for the people you employ; you have to...

"It's not just about price..." When it comes to great public relations, Merrimac Dillon of The Pillow Bar has it all under control. Which is to say you CAN'T control it! There's no better source to learn the value of good PR, how to influence it, and why being a leader is more than simply running a business. It requires healthy amounts of love and faith, and the will to do to anything you'd ask yo...

"Women don't build roads." What are the benefits to working alongside family? How can mentors change your life? How much does a bridge move once it's finished?? Working in construction has its own challenges, but can be even more complicated when you're a woman. Sherrill Lester, president and CEO of QMF Steel in Campbell, TX, has carved out a space in a heavily male-dominated industry. Learn more...