Tina Wells, Small Business University Instructor

TINA WELLS
Marketing Expert, Founder, Buzz Marketing Group
Black Enterprise Small Business University Instructor

The Process: Tina Wells, founder and CEO of Buzz Marketing  Group, wakes up around 6:30 a.m. and makes herself an espresso the old fashioned way: on her stovetop.  Since Buzz Marketing Group is international, no matter how early she wakes up, several e-mails and text messages await her.

The Vision: The seeds of Buzz Marketing Group were planted when Wells was 16 years old and doing product reviews for New Girl Times Magazine. The demand for teen input on products was so great that Wells decided to start her own company right out of her bedroom.  Buzz Marketing Group has gone from a one-person staff run by Wells to an international network of thousands of teens and tweens. (Actual grown-ups run the business these days.)

The It Factor: Many companies today provide market research, but Wells believes her company stands out because of Buzz Marketing Group’s reach and the depth of their knowledge.  “Our tagline is ‘Where insight meets activation’ and that really sums it up,” Wells says. “Everything we do is informed by rigorous research. We’re not giving clients feedback based on what we think is a good idea. We give results based on surveys, focus groups, interviews and other information gathering tools.”

The Defining Moment: By the time Wells began attending Hood College, her business was already two years old.  When Wells told a professor, Anita Jose, about her teen market research business, Jose immediately recognized the potential and instructed Wells to use the next semester for independent study so they could work on a plan.  “She was instrumental in helping me construct my business plan, and I still use it today,” said Wells. “I’m probably one of the few people who really took full advantage of my undergraduate years. As I was working on my business plan and I had questions about statistics or psychology for example, I would just go and get advice from my statistics and psychology professors.”

The Life: Wells is the oldest of six children and considers family time to be of the utmost importance. “I decided a long time ago that I would not work on weekends. I might check e-mail and things like that, but no full-on work,” says the entrepreneur and author of Chasing Youth Culture and Getting It Right: How Your Business Can Profit by Tapping Today’s Most Powerful Trendsetters and Tastemakers. Wells also just hired a new senior vice president of marketing, which allows her to truly take on a more executive role. “I can trust that my team will take care of the day-to-day business so that I can focus on strategic, big-picture initiatives.”

Register now at blackenterprise.com/sbu to see weekly video courses from Armstrong and other industry experts on how to build, grow and nurture your business. On top of that, you’ll have a chance to win more than $50,000 in prizes, including one-on-one consultations with successful entrepreneurs like Emerson, a small business makeover for your biz courtesy of Dell, and much more!

Visit blackenterprise.com/sbu for more details now!

Melinda F. Emerson, aka the Small Biz Lady, founder of Succeed As Your Own Boss (Image: Emerson Corey Cottrell)

• Blog: Succeed As Your Own Boss
• Niche: Small Business/Entrepreneurs
• Founder: Melinda F. Emerson
• Twitter: @SmallBizLady

As the economy struggles to rebuild itself, many individuals are discovering that entrepreneurship may be the best way to build sustaining wealth. One of the top resources for those seeking to make this transition is Succeed As Your Own Boss. Founded by small business expert, Melinda F. Emerson a.k.a. Small Biz Lady, the site has become an award-winning guide for entrepreneurs all over the world. The 39-year-old’s honors include the 2012 Most Influential Female Online by Hawke Management, the 2012 Social Media Star Award from her base of operations city’s, Philadelphia Business Journal and recently signed on to the New York Times‘ “You’re the Boss” team. Currently, the site boasts monthly traffic of over 35,000 and Emerson’s brand reaches 1.5 million per week through social medial platforms and syndication partner, the Huffington Post.

Concurrently, Emerson is also the CEO of Quintessence Multimedia, a full service strategic communications firm that has handled campaigns for Verizon, Johnson & Johnson and Radio-One. In addition, she is the bestselling author of Become Your Own Boss in 12 Months: A Month-by-Month Guide to a Business That Works. When she is not occupied with the aforementioned endeavors, Emerson can be found sharing her expertise via outlets such as MSNBC and the New York Times. Today, she offers her insights into success in the digital space as part of BlackEnterprise.com’s second annual Black Blogger Month.

I started blogging …

To build a platform be known as a small business expert. As a small business expert, my mission is to end small business failure. I blog to help people start and grow profitable and sustainable small businesses.

Succeed As Your Own Boss stands out because…

The content on my blog is focused on “how to” information. I give actionable advice that is relatable to today’s small business owners. Not only do I highlight my own expertise, my weekly content always includes a Q&A interview with another subject matter expert in some aspect of small business.

The main ingredients of a great small business owner are…

Someone who knows their customer, constantly innovates, and under promises and over delivers on customer service.

The biggest hurdle any small business owner will face is…

Staying focused. Most business owners have adult ADHD and there are lots of people out here to try to take advantage of people with dreams of being in business. Everyone needs a singular goal to be laser focused on. Mine is being America’s No. 1 small business expert.

The biggest influencers in my life are…

My parents. My mother was a serial entrepreneur, and my late father was a career salesperson. The most important thing I learned from my father was that I could do anything. The most important thing I learned from my mother was that if you are not charging people enough you have an expensive hobby. In terms of bloggers, I greatly admire Anita Campbell from SmallBizTrends.com. She believes in blogging as a business and her content is excellent.

Click here to continue reading…

The biggest mistake I ever made in business was…

When I ran my first company Quintessence Multimedia, I didn’t get niche focused until about four years into my business. I wasted a lot of time and money chasing clients that I never should have been pursuing. Once I got focused on a specific niche customer, my business really took off.

What I learned from that was…

People hire specialists. They want a company that specializes in solving their problem everyday.  If everybody can use your product or service, no one will.

The impact social media has had on my business is…

I am a walking, talking social media brand. Being @SmallBizLady on Twitter was the best branding accident that ever happened to me. Social media has meant everything to my business. I have been able to leverage it very strategically.

The biggest lesson I learned about branding in the digital space is…

You must pick a niche up front and own your niche. Having an intentional brand is also very important. My Small Biz Lady brand speaks for me in a very powerful way. It tells people exactly who I am and what I stand for. I also think that convening my small business community live each week through my twitter talk show #Smallbizchat is another important branding position I utilized in the digital space. I’ve been doing it three years, and it’s been a great way to interact with my followers, attract corporate customers and grow my brand.

The best piece of business advice I ever got was…

“You can learn something from anyone.” My dad, John Emerson, taught me that.

In business you should never be afraid to…

Give and ask for honest feedback.

My advice for anyone who wants to follow in my footsteps is…

Know your niche target customer and develop content every day for that customer.  Stay focused, pick one social media network to dominate first, get a professional copy editor, and use an editorial calendar.

Be sure to check out the rest of the digital thought leaders as they’re revealed each day by logging on to BlackEnterprise.com/BlackBloggerMonth.

The Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Conference is an event you don’t want to miss. And even if you can’t make it to Chicago this year, it’s an event you don’t have to miss! Log on to BlackEnterprise.com/events to see the live stream of the Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Conference.  We’ll bring you select sessions from the conference and interviews with panelist, attendees and your fellow entrepreneurs, including Daymond John, Beverly Johnson, and Marcus Samuelsson.

CLICK HERE to watch now.

‘Carol’s Daughter’ Grows Up: Beauty Brand Founder Lisa Price Shares Her Success Story on Black Enterprise Business Report

Beauty brand Carol’s Daughter started out small, very small. In fact, founder Lisa Price began her business by making mixtures in her own kitchen sink.  This week on an all-new Black Enterprise Business Report, host Caroline V. Clarke goes one-on-one with this Powerplayer to learn how, with business savvy, street smarts, and a bit of luck, she built a multimillion dollar brand.

“You may not enter Alvin & Friends as one of the pals of the owner, but by the time you leave, you’re likely to feel that you’ve become one,” raves the New York Times about the feel good atmosphere at the New Rochelle, New York eatery. Yet, even a restaurant’s rave reviews won’t guarantee success in a sluggish economy—just ask our Entrepreneur of the Week, Alvin Clayton.  Together with his business partner and wife, Gwen, these Black business owners are bucking the odds and making their start-up stand out.

Have a great idea but no way to get it off the ground? This week in Wealth for Life, BLACK ENTERPRISE SVP/Editor-in-Chief Derek T. Dingle offers budding entrepreneurs the tips they need to find start-up funds. Plus, Executive Style host Sonia Alleyne show female executives the secrets to picking the perfect handbag.

Black Enterprise Business Report airs every Sunday at 10:30 a.m. on TV ONE and in syndicated cities across the country.  Visit www.blackenterprise.com/bebr for local station and times.

Are you ready to swim with "sharks" like FUBU Founder Daymond John?

How do you ensure that what you say is a turn on and not a turn off when meeting a potential angel investor and ensure that you get a second “date” or opportunity to close the deal with a written check in hand? Today, at the Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Conference + Expo in Chicago, Daymond John, founder and CEO of the urban clothing line FUBU, co-star of ABC’s Shark Tank and CEO of Shark Branding, will help shed some light on the “courtship” between entrepreneur and investor when he helps kick-off the opening event, “Equity Date With An Angel.” John will be joined by Timothy Reese, co-founder of the Minority Angel Investor Network and managing partner of Forge Intellectual Capital.

Timothy Reese, co-founder of the Minority Angel Investor Network

The successful “shark”—who guided FUBU to $350 million in revenues in 1998, placing it at the same table with such designer sportswear labels as Donna Karan New York and Tommy Hilfiger—will be on hand to hear business ideas, critique speed-date like pitches, and give tips on how best to jump-start a business venture.

John is also embarking on a new business mission—to head to Silicon Valley. “Tech companies excite me,” he says. “I want to bring all of my celebrity friends along with all of my marketing, lifestyle and branding knowledge and dig deep into technology,” adds the ambassador for Shopify.com, where any entrepreneur can easily and readily set up a professional e-store. So, “I have been aligning myself with a lot of tech companies that make life easier for entrepreneurs.”

Select participants of today’s ”Equity Date With An Angel” session will have the opportunity to meet one-on-one with a private investor during our business coaching sessions held throughout the conference.

John and Reese are among the accomplished entrepreneurs who will share their success secrets at the 2012 Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Conference + Expo hosted by Nationwide, May 23-26, at the Hilton Chicago Hotel in Chicago, IL. Search and follow the hashtag #BEEC2012 on Twitter for the latest updates on conference speakers and sessions. And go to www.blackenterprise.com/ec/ to see live stream of select EC events.

Maya Penn, CEO of Maya's Ideas (Image: Courtesy of Subject)

This week on The Urban Business Roundtable, UBR Contributor Renita D. Young speaks with pre-teen entrepreneur Maya Penn, the CEO and owner of Maya Ideas, an Canton, Georgia-based online boutique that sells eco-friendly garments and accessories designed by Penn and sold to customers around the globe.

An artist, animator, designer, illustrator and writer, Penn originally set up her business at the age of eight, when she linked up with the online craft store Etsy in 2007. Now age 12, she has demonstrated precocious business savvy, to say the least. Penn has been recognized on Forbes list of notable grade school entrepreneurs, and she donates 10 percent of the profits of her business to charities including Hosea Feed the Hungry, the Atlanta Food Bank, The Captain Planet Foundation and LiveThrive.org. She joins the Roundtable to share what inspired her to pursue her entrepreneurial dreams at such an early age.

Also, UBR Contributor Samantha Pass talks with Dr. Antoine Moss, the founder and CEO of Style Consulting L.L.C. and the nonprofit organization C.H.A.N.G.E. Volunteers Inc., and a nationally recognized career development expert. Moss is employed by NASA’s Glenn Research Center, where he helped design an innovative leadership development program for NASA employees. The author of How to Intern CEO Style: 71 Leadership Principles That Got Me and Now You Money, a Free Graduate Degree, and Respect! (Wasteland Press), which offers tips on being an over-achieving intern, Moss joins the Roundtable to share what entrepreneurs can do to keep their employees motivated and on task.

Antoine Moss, Ph.D. (Image: Courtesy of Subject)

In my “Alfred’s Notepad” segment, talk about the latest classes are in session this week at Small Business University (SBU), a free online video course at BlackEnterprise.com offering expert advice to entrepreneurs looking to start and grow profitable small businesses. This week’s new sessions include “Social Media and What It Means to Your Business,” “Connecting With Your Customers Organically” and “How to Boost The Visibility of Your Business,” with Buzz Marketing Group CEO Tina Wells as the featured instructor. Entrepreneurs can register at Small Biz U at no cost at any time during the 8 weeks that classes are in session. Small Biz U also includes custom gamification features that allow registrants to compete for more than $50,000 in cash and prizes, including a profile in Black Enterprise magazine. The more courses you take, the more points you earn to get a chance at winning. Go to http://www.BlackEnterprise.com/sbu to register and learn more.

And finally, every week on UBR, you’ll get motivation and inspiration from author and entrepreneurial icon Farrah Gray, a weekly wrap-up of business news from USA Today business correspondent Charisse Jones, our Patient Investor Report from Ariel Investments and key economic intelligence for small business owners from our UBR economists Derrick Collins and Rasheed Carter.

If you have a question you want answered or a topic you want addressed on The Urban Business Roundtable, connect with me at BE Insider, the social media network for people who are serious about Black Enterprise. You can also find me on Twitter and Facebook.

Alfred Edmond Jr. is the senior VP/editor-at-large of Black Enterprise and the host of the Urban Business Roundtable, a weekly radio show, sponsored by Ariel Investments, airing CST Wednesdays at 8:30 a.m., Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 9:30 a.m. on WVON-AM 1690, the Talk of Chicago. You can also listen live online at WVON.com. Check back each week for UBR Spotlight, which features additional resources, advice and information from and about the topics, entrepreneurs and experts featured on the show.

Small business is BIG BUSINESS at the 2012 Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Conference + Expo hosted by Nationwide, May 23-26, at the Hilton Chicago Hotel in Chicago, IL. Expect innovative sessions, high-powered speakers, and an early peek at the products, trends, and services you’ll need to stay ahead of the curve. To register and find out more, and also to catch the official Entrepreneurs Conference Live Stream, visit www.blackenterprise.com/ec/

Minority Report was a 2002 blockbuster movie directed by Steven Spielberg that was a futuristic look at the world circa 2054. In that world, a special police department, called PreCrime, was established to apprehend criminals based on foreknowledge. Before I continue, let me clarify that I’m not equating Obama with being a criminal.

I have written several columns about Obama’s political decision to ignore the Black community because he knows they have nowhere else to go. I have also criticized him for his lack of understanding about business, especially minority business. So, it came as no surprise to me when Bloomberg News recently came out with its “minority report” that further indicated Obama’s lack of concern for the small and minority business community. This report is an ominous indicator of the state of small and minority business under the Obama administration.

According to Bloomberg News, “U.S. government contracts to Black-and Hispanic-owned small businesses fell last year for the first time in a decade, declining at a sharper rate than awards to all companies.

The BGOV Barometer shows contracts to the Black-owned firms dropped eight percent to $7.12 billion in the fiscal year that ended September 30 compared to fiscal 2010. Awards to Hispanic-owned businesses decreased seven percent to $7.89 billion, according to federal procurement data compiled by Bloomberg.

Contracts to the two minority groups fell at a faster pace than all contracts, which dipped one percent as the U.S. government slowed spending to help reduce the federal deficit. The gap may reflect stiffer competition over a shrinking pool of revenue and the recent recession’s greater impact on Black and Hispanic firms.

The only thing sadder than the Bloomberg report is the reaction by those “supposed” leaders in the minority community. “This is an alarming report and hopefully the people of good will are going to recommit themselves to erasing the vestiges of exclusion, which obviously impact small businesses,” said Congressional Black Caucus Chairman Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO).

What did he just say? “Hopefully the people of good will?” Are you kidding me? Remember, this is the same person who said on national TV in response to the question about Obama’s lack of action on the high unemployment rate within the Black community that, “if Obama was White we [Blacks] would be marching on the White House.”

According to a Politics 360 article by Lauren Burke, “The information reported by Bloomberg arrives three months after the Obama Administration closed all five minority business development offices.” On February 16th, officials from the Commerce Department told minority members of Congress at an evening Capitol Hill meeting of the Obama Administration’s plans to close the regional Offices of the Minority Business Development Agency.

Click here to continue reading…

Present at the meeting with Commerce officials were Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chair Charlie Gonzalez (D-TX), Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Chair Judy Chu (D-CA) and Reps. Grace Napolitano (D-CA), Yvette Clarke (D-NY), Bobby Scott (D-VA), G.K. Butterfield (D-NC) and Bobby Rush (D-IL) among others.”

The regional offices that will be closed are in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.  The Obama administration says the closings will save $30 million annually.  The agency was created in 1969 by former president Richard Nixon through an executive order.  Its purpose was to promote competitiveness and provide access to capital and contracts to minority businesses.

So, who is coming to the rescue? Yep, you guessed it, the supposed “racist Republicans.”  Florida Congressman, Allen West has submitted a bill called the Contractor Opportunity Protection Act. The bill would prevent contract bundling, which has devastated small businesses since its inception in 1996 (contract bundling is the practice of packaging many small contracts into one larger contract, thus making it almost impossible for smalls firms to fairly compete). West’s bill was introduced on February 17, 2012, a day after the meeting where members learned of Obama’s plan to close those regional offices.

Since we’re talking about bundling, I guarantee that most of you have no idea about the history of bundling, which was created by the “first Black” President, Bill Clinton. In his attempt to streamline government procurement, Clinton tasked his Vice President, Al Gore to lead the administration’s “Reinventing Government” program. This led to the single most devastating policy affecting small and minority businesses—contract bundling.

So, let’s summarize: Bill Clinton, the first “Black president,” devastated the small and minority business community with his insidious “Reinventing Government” policy of 1996, which led to contract bundling. Then, the first “real” Black president closed all the regional offices of the Minority Business Development Agency (which was created with an executive order by former President Nixon). Then, a Black Republican, Allen West, introduces legislation to try to undo the devastation caused by two Democratic presidents. Get the picture?

Many Blacks refuse to accept the fact that small and minority firms always do better under a Republican president. I predicted that Obama would hurt the small and minority business community, but Blacks refused to see what they didn’t believe (in psychology, this is called cognitive dissonance). Just like in the movie, Minority Report, Blacks knew (or should have known) in advance that their businesses would be hurt by Democratic presidents; but unlike the movie Blacks refused to change their own future.  If they don’t change their approach to politics, their extinction will be a footnote in someone else’s minority report.

The views expressed are those of Raynard Jackson, president & CEO of Raynard Jackson & Associates, LLC., a D.C.-public relations/government affairs firm. He is also a contributing editor for ExcellStyle Magazine, Freedom’s Journal Magazine and U.S. Africa Magazine.

Log on to BlackEnterprise.com/events to see the live stream of the Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Conference.  We’ll bring you select sessions from the conference and interviews with panelist, attendees and your fellow entrepreneurs.

See our schedule below and be sure to tune in!

Thursday, May 24, 2012

8:15 am – 8:30 am: Opening Remarks with Black Enterprise President and CEO Earl “Butch” Graves Jr.

8:30 am – 9:15 am: One on One Conversation with Tavis Smiley

9:30 am – 10:45 am: Social Media X Factor: Take Your Business Marketing Strategy to the Next Level

With strategies and best practices you need to optimize your business development, this session will ensure that your social media strategy is about to get an upgrade!

12:30 pm – 2:00 pm: Small Business Awards Luncheon featuring a one-on–one conversation with world renowned chef, Marcus Samuelsson

7:30 pm – 9:00 pm: Going Up! The Elevator Pitch Competition is Back (Hosted by PepsiCo)

Entrepreneurs bring their best 60-second business pitch and go head-to-head with fellow attendees to compete for a $10,000 grand prize, plus an 8-week mentoring workshop with The CASHFLOW!

Friday, May 25, 2012

9:15 am – 10:30 am: Sourcing Capital  for Your Tech Startup

Amazon and Facebook are online institutions, but they began as startups. This session, led by tech experts and entrepreneurs, will tell how to raise money from venture capitalists, angel investors, and other funders to get your company where it needs to be.

1:45 p.m. – 3:00 p.m: BE Small Business Success™ Boot Camp—Mastering the Search Engine for $$$ (Facilitated by Google)

When customers Google the service or product you offer, will they see the name of your business pop up? If not, you’re losing potential sales by the thousands.

3:15 pm – 4:15 pm: BE Small Business Success™ Boot Camp E – Mobile Marketing

It’s time to make mobile work for your business!

8:00 pm – 10:00 pm: BE 100s Anniversary Celebration & Awards Dinner (Hosted by Dell)

So Smith, 27, began developing his prototype—a polyurethane rubber mold that will stabilize a computer user’s wrist for much greater ergonomic benefit and reduction of repetitive-stress pain. “I noticed that the current products marketed as wrist supports were comfortable only if used incorrectly, and the ones that did work were too bulky and expensive to be practical,” he says. “During the research phase, my main focus was making something that not only worked, but that was universal enough that it could benefit anyone from ages 7 to 70.”

The graduate of Florida State University runs his business “on a Ramen Noodle budget with a steak goal” out of Tallahassee. According to Smith, the city offers one of the richest entrepreneurial scenes in the South thanks in part to its status as Florida’s capital and the presence of several major universities. It was after a December 2010 business-pitch competition on the campus of Florida A&M University, in fact, that he was brought into the funding-and-mentoring program of 100 Urban Entrepreneurs, the nonprofit foundation that offers $10,000 startup grants and business mentoring to ambitious young businesspeople nationwide.

Smith’s time-consuming R&D is finally starting to pay off. Wrist’Ezy officially launched in April, and he’s in consultation with local Wal-Mart stores to stock the device. The effort Smith has put in to his brand is characteristic of his approach to business. “I’ve always been the type to say, ‘I can make that better,’” he says. “So after countless models, I was finally able to create the Wrist’Ezy.” If everything goes his way, millions of achy computer users—which is to say pretty much all of us—will surely be grateful.

Read more about Brandon Smith and Wrist’Ezy at 100UrbanEntrepreneurs.org

Kim Coles is looking forward to celebrating the entrepreneurial spirit as a judge for the finals of the Black Enterprise Elevator Pitch Competition.

Comedian and TV personality Kim Coles is no stranger to the Hollywood scene. She is best remembered for her numerous roles in hit television shows like her five-season turn as the unforgettable “Synclaire” on FOX’s ground-breaking comedy series Living Single and her breakout performance on the FOX sketch comedy series In Living Color. She also authored the book, I’m Free But It Will Cost You: The Single Life According to Kim Coles (Hyperion).

Coles is co-host of  the Oprah Winfrey Network’s (OWN) newest game show, Are You Normal America?, which will include man-on-the-street polling of diverse individuals and will premier later this summer. But before settling into this gig, Coles will join The CASHFLOW Founder Magnus Greaves, radio personality and author Michael Baisden and Black Enterprise CEO Earl “Butch” Graves Jr. as a judge for the ever popular Black Enterprise Elevator Pitch Competition, taking place at the 2012 Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Conference + Expo (BEEC2012) in Chicago (May 23-26).

A group of select entrepreneurs will bring their best 60-second business pitch and go head-to-head in the high-stakes competition. The grand prize winner will be awarded $10,000, plus gain the opportunity to take advantage of an eight-week mentoring workshop with The CASHFLOW, a program to help urban entrepreneurs start and grow
businesses and gain access to capital and other resources.

Coles is eager to hear this year’s business pitches. “I’m excited about participating on this panel because I love the visionary spirit of entrepreneurship,” she says. “I applaud and admire anyone who steps out of the box and I cannot wait to cheer everyone on to the business of their dreams!”

The comedic actress has set out on her own entrepreneurial path and seeks to empower others. She is combining comedy and inspiration with Open the G.I.F.T.S., a transformational program designed to inspire her fans to identify and express their true gifts, to live life out loud, to experience greater joy, and to be more fulfilled. The G.I.F.T.S. program has been adapted for corporations, non-profit organizations, and educational institutions, and is attended for a broad audience base—women, men, teenagers, and young children.

“The G.I.F.T.S. Program is a lifestyle journey, where we encourage each other to make new choices in our lives,” says Coles, who also is operating a namesake nonprofit foundation and is producing a one-woman show this summer. “I have been on a personal journey in the last couple of years to find more purpose and passion. Of course, I have been blessed to have a very interesting, varied and fulfilling show biz career. And yes, there have been ups and downs, but I have managed to stay afloat and remain grateful even when work was scarce.”

For those top 10 finalists gearing up for the BE Elevator Pitch in Chicago, Coles offers some words of wisdom:

Be passionate about your ideas. The audience will feel it and so will the judges.

Be authentic. We can feel that too!

Make a difference. I know you want to make money. But do you want to make a difference?

Dream BIG, have fun and remember to breath!”

The Black Enterprise Elevator Pitch Competition is one of the major attractions of the 2012 Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Conference + Expo hosted by Nationwide, May 23-26, at the Hilton Chicago Hotel in Chicago, IL. Search and follow the hashtag #BEEC2012 on Twitter for the latest updates on conference speakers and sessions. Expect innovative sessions, high-powered speakers, and an early peek at the products, trends, and services you’ll need to stay ahead of the curve. To register and find out more, visit www.blackenterprise.com/ec/