CEO Highlight Archives - Page 3 of 4

Entrepreneur Uses Digital Tools to Grow Business Academy

By: Rebecca Alwine

“Facebook is the one piece of technology I use every day,” Kayla Roof said.

Roof, a business advisor and creator of The Work from Anywhere Business Academy™, praises technology and social media and has used both to launch several successful ventures. As a military spouse and entrepreneur, she knows just how important it is to be able to communicate with clients—and market to customers—no matter where she is.

Leveraging social media

Since 2005, Roof, who earned an MBA from San Diego State and a BBA in marketing from the University of Georgia, has been helping companies develop by using social media. By 2012, she started her own firm. Then, two years later she launched TheNavyMom.com and turned her blog into a television show. Today, as the creator of The Work from Anywhere Business Academy, Roof helps other business owners thrive by offering classes, programs, and online trainings.

“I have a [Facebook] group with all of my customers where I provide extra help and guidance. I provide education through Facebook Live, and I utilize Facebook ads to reach a larger audience,” Roof said.

Social media is what really helped her get started. “Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest have all been essential in creating relationships with potential customers and driving traffic to my website. I teach classes to people all around the world, and I’m able to do so by utilizing Zoom meetings and webinars,” she added.

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Jessica Bertsch2018-01-17T21:14:24-05:00January 17th, 2018|CEO Highlight, PowerTips e-newsletter|

Founder Uses Technology to Streamline Functions of Business

By: Rebecca Alwine

Technology is making operations easier for business owners, though Shannon Siriano Greenwood admits digital cannot replace human capital.

“My iPhone is the only way I can do what I do,” Greenwood said. “As a business coach, I have the flexibility to be where I need to be.”

Greenwood is a serial entrepreneur. Technology has really helped her balance all her passions, including several businesses that she founded across several industries. And technology was instrumental in the success of her fitness studio, Boho Cycle Studio in Richmond, Virginia.

Technology that serves clients

When Greenwood launched her first business, she was balancing a full-time schedule with the opening of her new indoor cycling studio called Boho Cycle Studio. After just six months, the company was making a profit, and it received recognition as “Best Start Up” by Richmond Magazine. Soon, Greenwood found ways to streamline antiquated processes.

“Technology played a major role in the success of my fitness studio,” Greenwood said. To appeal to the desires of her customer base, she used MindBody—online management software that allows clients to reserve a space for class, which created an expedited experience and eliminated the inconvenience of arriving half an hour early to wait in line.

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Jessica Bertsch2017-10-30T14:47:09-04:00October 30th, 2017|CEO Highlight, PowerTips e-newsletter|

Business Owner Delivers Spa Experience at Home

By: Bianca M. Strzalkowski

The hustle of life keeps people on the go from one commitment to the next, leaving little time for self-care. Donna Ferguson is hoping her products will offer some relief, albeit brief, from all those responsibilities.

The Maryland native first started making and selling spa-like products out of her home nine years ago. Ferguson, owner of SALT—Soak Away Life Troubles—sought to give busy customers a way to take a time out from their day. She sells handmade items online and at a brick and mortar location in Jacksonville, NC, where she moved when her husband, a United States Marine, was stationed there in 2007. By 2014, she expanded her virtual business to include a physical location and she has been a one-woman show ever since.

“I was sitting at the dinner table when I thought, I’m doing this. I always had the bug in me, so I literally jumped in,” Ferguson said. “I didn’t know what I was doing. It didn’t dawn on me until after I was in here and all the adrenaline had subsided, I was like, ‘Oh, my gosh.’ I got to keep books… and I didn’t know how to keep a budget as far as projections, so I spent my budget for three years in probably less than six months.”

With no formal business training, Ferguson relied on her own research and resources from the local community college. As many owners can relate to, she does everything from the accounting and marketing to the inventory and budgeting. The learning curve has been challenging at times, but she looks forward to walking through those doors she built every single day.

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Jessica Bertsch2017-07-17T19:44:29-04:00July 17th, 2017|CEO Highlight, PowerTips e-newsletter|

The Ebb and Flow of Owning Your Own Business

By: Jennifer M. Morrison

Working for yourself seems like a dream job—and it can be, but it can also be fraught with situations and issues that trip you up. Entrepreneur Mylene Hollick, a military wife and mother, knows about those potholes firsthand.

A graduate of North Texas University, Hollick put her career on hold after her two children were born. As a military spouse, she says it was important to be home for their family, while her husband’s service required him to travel often. As her kids have grown, she felt the urge to refresh her identity by founding Jetset Destinations, an independent travel agency, in late 2015.

Hollick saw current and future flexibility as a top priority when it came to re-entering the workforce, something that employment at an established travel agency couldn’t necessarily guarantee her.

“I started my own company because it gave me the flexibility to set my own hours. I still have kids at home, so I want to be able to be there for them whenever they need me. Also, starting my own travel agency means that I can move as my husband moves. All I really need is my laptop and really good Wi-Fi,” she said.

Starting this business wasn’t clear skies and smooth sailing, though. Quieting her inner critic has been important in finding success.
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Jessica Bertsch2017-04-30T02:43:30-04:00April 29th, 2017|CEO Highlight, PowerTips e-newsletter|

SMALL BUSINESS REBRANDS FOR GROWTH POTENTIAL

By: Bianca Strzalkowski

Branding evokes a feeling in customers that can create a loyal—and lucrative—following.

Entrepreneur Tom Geist understands the value of proper branding. The owner of SoCal Hot Sauce, formerly TG’s Hot Sauce, recently rebranded his entire company in anticipation of increased growth in the new year. His branding strategy focused on representing his product line in a way that resonated with potential customers.

“We would often get the question, ‘TG’s Hot Sauce? What kind of sauce is that?’ We needed a new name and logo that was more professional and let the customer know what kind of sauce they were looking at. SoCal Hot Sauce™ was the answer,” he said.

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Jessica Bertsch2017-01-23T16:26:29-05:00January 18th, 2017|CEO Highlight, PowerTips e-newsletter|

Navy Wife Grows Business Through Brand Awareness Strategy

By: Bianca Strzalkowski

Spread it! Mix it! Shake it! Stir it!

Lakesha Brown-Renfro delivers a party with every order. Whether it is one of her products or services, the Navy wife of 18 years gives customers an experience that has helped her grow and build a diverse business empire. She and two partners launched their first company—Simply Panache, an event planning firm—in 2011.

She said she had the entrepreneurial spirit since she was a young child, first starting with a lemonade stand, followed by a hair bow business, and then she created a teen membership club. Brown-Renfro and her friends eventually coordinated parties that caught the attention of friends, family, and even strangers.

“At this point, I started thinking that I could do this as a business, and the event planning company was born,” she said.

Front and center of Simply Panache was a product that would ultimately become the signature item and foundation of the brand. Mango Mango is a gourmet mango preserve with over 100 uses. It earned the reputation of a “party in the jar” with Brown-Renfro’s robust marketing plan. She started by selling the product online, at farmers’ markets, and in local and national stores. As the business grew, so did the opportunities.

Three years ago, her team appeared on ABC’s hit show Shark Tank. Valuable learning lessons came from the experience.

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Jessica Bertsch2016-10-25T01:57:12-04:00October 24th, 2016|CEO Highlight, PowerTips e-newsletter|

Behind the Brand

Photo credit to HMM Portraits LLC

By: Bianca Strzalkowski

Krystel Spell’s 100,000+ followers would be surprised to learn that the brand empire, known as Army Wife 101, actually began as a personal video project. The branding expert says she initially started vlogging (video blogging) on YouTube to share cooking videos and document aspects of military life. She never imagined that it would turn into a lucrative business with earnings in excess of $5,000 per month.

“I had no idea that blogging would ever be a business,” Spell said. “I remember the first time another blogger, and military wife, called me for a campaign with Sears and told me I would get a dryer in exchange for blogging. I literally screamed. I felt like I was getting gold, so you can only imagine the feeling of receiving my first paycheck.”

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Jessica Bertsch2016-07-18T15:50:20-04:00July 18th, 2016|CEO Highlight, PowerTips e-newsletter|

Lawyer to Entrepreneur: When the Military Gives You Orders … Make Wine

By: Rebecca Alwine

Military wife switches paths after career challenges lead her to a new business venture.

When Army wife Kristine Wolfe, a former attorney, found out she would be moving (again) on behalf of the military, she had every intention of continuing her law career. But the relocation to southern Arizona proved to include other plans for her. Like so many military spouse attorneys, the push to grant reciprocity is a slow-moving process, making it challenging to transition as a lawyer from duty station to duty station. So Kristine had another idea.

Sierra Vista, Arizona was severely lacking in a wine bar. With thousands of people rotating in and out of Fort Huachuca every four to six months, the area was void of a comfortable, chic, and fun place to hang out with friends while sampling spirits. Kristine, along with her husband Eric, solved that problem with some difficulties included in the journey of small business ownership.
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Jessica Bertsch2016-05-18T17:48:09-04:00May 18th, 2016|CEO Highlight, PowerTips e-newsletter|

Retired Soldier Launches Coffee Business Using Skills Learned in Military

By: Bianca M. Strzalkowski

No compromise.

Army veteran Carl Churchill had an entrepreneurial spirit since he was a kid. He took on odd jobs, even throughout his time in the military, allowing him to flex his leadership skills. After retirement, he transitioned into a career that suffered as a result of the financial crisis hitting the country. Churchill and his wife Lori made the decision to start their own business – all in the name of a love of coffee and a desire to continue helping his brothers in arms.

Lock N Load Java – an online retailer of premium coffee selling directly to consumers, was launched on September 11, 2010 with a philosophy of “no compromise.” Churchill explains the phrase means the company won’t give up “quality to make a quick buck.”

“It means not compromising customer service – we offer 100 percent customer satisfaction, period,” he said. “It means not compromising our mission to support the troops and the military community. And it means not compromising our integrity – we ALWAYS do the right thing.” (more…)

Jessica Bertsch2016-02-01T21:34:12-05:00February 1st, 2016|CEO Highlight, PowerTips e-newsletter|

Meet Rachel Brenke, CEO of The Brenke Group

She’s a business coach, lawyer, and author… all of us can learn something from this dynamic entrepreneur!

Rachel Brenke has created multiple successful businesses from the ground, up. As a lawyer and MBA, she is currently helping entrepreneurs all over the world initiate, strategize, and implement business and marketing plans through various mediums of consulting resources and legal direction. While specializing in photographers at TheLawTog and bloggers at BlogLegally, she has successfully helped business owners across various industries.

Q: What made you decide to start your own company?

A: Carrying a typical job was difficult while my husband was in the military, so I decided to go another way. I took my strong desire to help others, along with my drive, business, and legal training and put it all together to form my business. (more…)

Jessica Bertsch2015-11-18T03:48:56-05:00November 16th, 2015|CEO Highlight, PowerTips e-newsletter|