Noah Stephens captures the beauty of Detroit as a photographer and essayist. (Image: Stephens)

We have good news for you. You can have a cool career and make a good living. No need to choose between loving your job and paying your mortgage. The following profile, part of the BlackEnterprise.com Cool Jobs series, offers a peek into the nuts and bolts, perks and salaries behind enjoyable careers.

WHO: Noah Stephens

WHAT: Photographer, Founder, Essayist for ThePeopleofDetroit.com

ANNUAL SALARY: $45,000-$65,000 (Bureau of Labor Statistics)

THE GIG: Stephens, who calls himself a “one-man media content provider,” spends a lot of his days finding and shooting subjects for The People of Detroit photo project. Typically, his subjects are people he runs into throughout his day in the city. Each photo is accompanied by a biographic essay. “When I select a subject for the project, I make sure that person tells you something about Detroit you would not otherwise know. How do they fit into Detroit and the lager social context of urban living?” Stephens says. “Media coverage I saw of Detroit didn’t reflect at all the city that I know. The whole purpose of TPOD is to provide an alternative narrative. Contrary to what you see in the media, there are actual people here and occupied buildings. People live here.” Stephens also does corporate and retail photography.

THE PERKS: Like a lot of entrepreneurs, what Stephens appreciates most about his career path is freedom. “I like being the author of my own destiny. I can communicate my ideas to the world without editing, completely unrestrained,” Stephens says. His subjects sometimes provide opportunities as well.  A couple months after he photographed David DiChiera, director of the Detroit Opera House and founder of the Michigan Opera Theatre, Stephens ended up with box seats to the opera, a first for him.

THE WORKDAY: Stephens usually works at least eight hours, during a day that could include anything from shooting, editing, or mingling with guests at an exhibition of his work. Last year, a creative director in China stumbled across Stephens’ work online and hired him to shoot a McDonald’s commercial in Shanghai. TPOD was recently awarded with a grant from the Knight Foundation so, Stephens expects to use the funds to further expand the reach of his creation.

THE ADVICE: Follow your dreams. “Do something you are actually passionate about and do it with authenticity,” Stephens says.

Barbara Kydd Graves (Image: Courtesy of The Graves Family)

Family matriarch and a guiding force of Black Enterprise, Barbara Kydd Graves succumbed early this morning at Howard University Hospital after a more than three-year battle with gall bladder cancer. She was 75.

The wife of Earl G. Graves Sr., the founder, chairman and publisher of Black Enterprise, she played a vital role in the growth and development of the publication and media company, and its mission of economic empowerment and wealth building for African Americans.

Since the launch of Black Enterprise Magazine in 1970, Barbara Graves, an alumna of Brooklyn College and a former elementary school teacher, held every major position, including editorial director, circulation director and chief financial officer, during the 40-plus-year history of this company. Along the way, she is credited with grooming and developing several generations of executive leadership, including sons Earl Jr., Johnny and Michael, all of whom have worked as executives at Black Enterprise. Graves also co-founded and guided the Black Enterprise Women of Power Summit, the premier networking event and conference for women executives of color.

“My mother was a steadfast and loving partner and counselor to my father; his quiet source of strength and inspiration,” says Earl Graves Jr., president and CEO of Black Enterprise. “She served as mentor and guide to several generations of employees, managers and professionals. Above all, she genuinely cared for every member of the Black Enterprise family, and held a special passion for children and young people in particular.”

Funeral arrangements have yet to be announced.

Click here for a high-resolution image of Barbara Graves.

Realizing that he had only been exploring one facet of his career, Thomas involved himself with VH1’s Save the Music Foundation and his childhood church. But just when he expected music to remain the focus of his career, the Chicago native discovered the ice cream business.

This summer Thomas is set to release Sexscene Ice Cream, a frozen dessert brand for adult and mature audiences only. Breaking down the transition from making music to ice cream, the “so emotional” singer opens up to BlackEnterprise.com about the hardships of the entertainment business, his latest album, Conquer and path to life’s creamy pleasure.

You were introduced to the entertainment world in 2000 with your debut album, Emotional. How have you managed to stay relevant to your fans for more than a decade?

People have seen so little of me, it’s hard to get sick of me. I haven’t really worn the audience out. [And], I don’t take it so serious. Music is something that is very serious to me, but the act of doing it has to entail a lot of fun for me. I always promised myself that when I stop having fun that’s it. As long as I’m enjoying myself while I’m giving myself to people musically, then I’ll always feel I have a future in this—there [will always be] another level for me to take my musical passion to.

Not including your most recent album, Conquer, there was a four-year gap from your last album until now. What kept you away and what’s brought you back now?

Some things happen for no rhyme and no reason. There’re a lot of things that go into why someone isn’t here anymore. There are a lot of details and a lot of circumstance, and although I’ve been the victim of many circumstances, none of those circumstances were strong enough to keep me away from the fans. I think that once you decide amongst yourself as an artist that who you’re here for and why you’re here… you can pretty much fight through anything.

There was a point when I was literally recording a song a day, and then it got to a point [where] I was recording one song a week, and then it got to a point where I was recording one song a month. Now, I’m back to the pace of recording a new song every two days. It just kind of organically happened that way so I can sort of feel the music taking precedence.

Despite having dealt with “situations,” you seem to still have maintained a level head. What’s kept you grounded?

You have to see light at the end of the tunnel if you’re really built for this [industry] and you really want to keep doing it. And might I add, you definitely could stand having the grace of God on your side because at the end of the day it’s nothing more than God’s grace that continues to allow me to relate to people. Grace represents such a thin line between where you are and where you could have been. And a lot of people, not just artists, don’t recognize that.

Here’s one of the smartest concepts that was ever taught to me: E + R = O. Now the “E” stands for the event factor, life’s events that come at us on a daily basis; on an hourly basis; on a minute-to-minute basis. Life’s events that we cannot control are the “E” factor. The “R” factor stands for the response factor. That is the part of the equation that you can control. And the “R” factor determines the “O” factor. The “O” factor stands for the outcome factor. One thing that exceptional people have in common is the “R” factor… how they respond in control to what they cannot control; how resourceful they are when something has been taken away. It follows on any level of life.

Click here to continue reading…

While music is still a part of your repertoire, you’ve broken out into a new and unexpected field as an ice cream maker. How did you make that transition?

It’s called Sexscene Ice Cream—something that is definitely marketed towards adults and mature audiences. It’s just a multibillion-dollar industry that I wanted to tap into. Music has been able to create a lot of wonderful opportunities for me that I’ve been able to take advantage of, and it’s just a testament that if you stay faithful to what you love then it will draw your other dreams. One dream attracts the others.

How long has Sexscene Ice Cream been in the works?

About a year in actuality, but there’s a lot more business involved in the distribution of something like that. It was just as much about a learning experience as it was the passion, so I’m really thankful that I’ve had the opportunity to learn as much as I have during the development stages of this project. So right now I’m about to lean myself on public opinion.

Where are you looking to distribute the brand since it’s an adult product?

We have our own distributor and we’re going to start small, at 7-Elevens, and things of that nature. We’re going [to] put out small orders [then] get into some of the larger chains.

So from a business perspective, what else are you looking to get into over the next few years?

When you’re younger you just focus on one facet, and that’s really the only thing that you have your sites set on. When you become comfortable with that, you’re gift starts to make room for other things. I have been involved in everything from VH1’s Save the Music Foundation to getting heavily involved in the home church that I grew up in all the way to Sexscene Ice Cream. My focus now is really starting to gear towards music.

For fans of your music, what can they expect from your Conquer album?

It’s in stores right now and is one of the most interesting projects that I’ve ever been a part of because I think it’s the furthest that I’ve ever reached back into any of my influences, ever. I reach back to being a kid, watching MTV with the moon man. There are a lot of influences in this album that I’ve never tapped into before but I’ve always loved and have been very much a part of. The album is on Verve Universal Records, and the title Conquer is somewhat of a culmination of many things I’ve been through and been blessed enough to see the other side. Like you were just talking before about artists that don’t really manage to obtain longevity, a lot of them go through problems and go through obstacles and they really can’t see music on the other side.

Looking back on your career, do you feel you are where you imagined yourself being at this stage?

That’s a hard question for me to answer because I was so wild when I was younger that I didn’t really have a concept of where I wanted to be or would be. And I know that sounds funny, but my life up until the point where I turned 30 years old was, Let’s see if tomorrow comes… I’m going to close my eyes right now. Let’s see if they open in the morning.

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!

Abiola Abrams, the founder of AbiolaTV.com/Abiola's Passionista Playbook

• Blog: AbiolaTV.com
• Niche: Relationships/Sex/Lifestyle
• Founder: Abiola Abrams
• Twitter: @AbiolaTV

Putting one title on Abiola Abrams is simply impossible. The proud Caribbean and Harlem-based owner of AbiolaTV.com does it all. What started off as an online hub for interview and opinion videos developed into a multi-platform mini-empire that includes books, TV appearances and product lines. What drives her? Passion. That mission statement is embodied in her site tagline: “Life is not a passive experience. It’s a passionate one.”

Abrams’ motivation is to encourage women to live their best lives everyday. Her “passion” has also lead her to publish two books (one of which, The Official Bombshell Handbook, hits stores soon), be a lifestyle expert on the CW’s Bill Cunningham talk show, pen regular advice columns for Yahoo Shine and contribute to the teen site Gurl.com. Despite having monthly traffic of 30,000, over one million YouTube hits and 14,000+ Twitter followers, Abrams is still humbled about her success. Now, as part of BlackEnterprise.com’s Black Blogger Month, she discusses the business of running a passion-focused site, the importance branding and what drives her passion everyday.

The difference between blogging and vlogging is…

Like magazines to TV. It depends on the approach that a blogger/vlogger takes. I do a mix of videos from those that are highly produced—shot with two cameras and edited—to those that are just me and a Web cam. A few years back I had a great conversation with Melvin Van Peebles. I asked his advice about knowing what needs to be said and in which medium. He said to let the work dictate the medium, so some things may be a book others a blog, Web series or film.

The secret to making good TV and keeping segments from getting stale is…

Realizing that, yes, blogging and vlogging are a business but I am at service to my readers and viewers. My blog is about passionate living. So it all comes back to that. My objective is to build passionate living as a brand the same way that Martha Stewart built home keeping as a brand. She took cooking, gardening and home design and combined them under the home keeping banner. I am doing the same with “passionate living,” combining love, sex, dating and relationship advice with food, parties, empowerment, self-love affirmations and inspiration.

People trust my brand because…

A few years ago folks were calling me the “Black Carrie Bradshaw,” which I rejected as being sort of ridiculous. I am a Caribbean chick living and loving in Harlem, sharing my successes and failures. If I can have a fabulous life and help my sisters at the same time, then all is well. I say all the time that my whole reason for being is to help others know that they can live a big, fat, fun, juicy life. Carrie doesn’t eat curry chicken and struggle with her weight and student loans and the media telling her that Black women are doomed every time she turns around!

My best branding method is…

A combination of transparency and living out loud. It was very scary at first because I talk about self-empowerment but I also talk about love and sexuality. Those things are scary to talk about when working in Black media. But I realize and learn every day that the more comfortable I get, the more doors open.

Click here to continue reading…

The biggest mistake I’ve ever made in business…

Was building my platform on other platforms first and then my own second. I think it should be the other way around. In 2008/09 I was blogging and posting videos for Black Planet at Interactive One and they were incredibly supportive. I built a base there of several hundred thousand “friends.” But when that platform fell out of favor, we lost our people. So I learned that it’s critical to build on a home base that you own even if you contribute to other places.

Also, viewers and readers need a call to action if you are looking to build a platform or monetize. That was another mistake that I made, not giving a call to action. It can be as simple as telling readers to subscribe or sharing a product that you think will benefit them—where you can receive a commission for providing that service. If your blog is a business you need to have a constant “call to action.”

I think the most important thing to consider before launching a blog is…

To focus [more] on finding your voice and revealing your brand than spending money. There are bloggers right now who have been tapped as brand spokespeople for fashion brands after building a blog on the free BlogSpot platform. My blog has been tremendous for me in many ways. It’s gotten me booked to give speeches and appear on TV. One might not view that as direct income from the blog, but you have to. I was a Teen Dating Coach on the MTV series MADE and that opportunity came as a direct result of my articles and video episodes at The Passionista Playbook. When you build a strong platform, then the people you are looking to build with often find you.

In 20 years I see myself…

Sitting on a multi platform empire. As a lifestyle brand, I see myself sharing and having ownership via all of the channels I currently work in and being able to sell my audience products that I endorse and create to improve their lives.

I’ve always wanted to do this because…

I went to an all-girls prep school in NYC where I was one of the few Black kids. To make matters worse, I grew up in an “outer borough.” One of my old classmates reminded me that when we were teens I told her that I wanted to write books like Maya Angelou, host TV like Oprah and make movies like Spike Lee. Although my voice is markedly different from those great people, and I would never put myself even close to their category, I feel like that’s what I’m doing in my own way. Different voice, different mediums, but the same objective that I started with.

I measure success by…

The ability to impact lives. It means so much to me that some of the most hard boiled folks get in touch via Twitter, Facebook and YouTube to say, “Abiola, I may not have been listening that day but your words impacted me. You influenced my life in a positive way.” The other way that I measure success is as a businesswoman and entrepreneur. In the beginning I saw myself only as an artist: author, filmmaker, broadcaster. Now I see myself as a businessperson. My blog will be the base of the empire I plan to build going forward.

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

Watch below as Abrams reveals the Who, What, Where, When, Why and How of AbiolaTV’s success.

Video shot and edited by Brain Food Film. Shot on location at the 40/40 Club New York.

Catch reality star Lala Anthony on this weekend's edition of Our World with Black Enterprise

She’s one of reality TV’s most well-known faces, been called “the Queen of New York,” and is married to NBA superstar Carmelo Anthony, but that doesn’t begin to fully cover the life of La La Vazquez Anthony. This weekend on an all-new Our World with Black Enterprise, host Marc Lamont Hill gets down to business with the Brooklyn-born, Howard educated star of VH1’s La La’s Full Court Life to talk life, love and what’s coming up this season on the show. (See preview below.)

Love it or loathe it, reality TV is America’s guiltiest pleasure. This week Our World goes On The Record with roundtable guests Bevy Smith, journalist Clay Caine and Associated Press editor Alicia Quarles to answer the burning question: How real is reality TV? Plus, meet international soccer star Qiana Martin, who is inspiring inner-city youth with the world’s most popular sport.

Our World with Black Enterprise airs this Sunday at 10:00 a.m. on TV One and on local stations across the country. Check your local listings and visit www.blackenterprise.com/ourworld for additional time and station information.

Liquid Soul Media CEO Tirrell Whittley and CMO Nick Nelson

Before some of Hollywood’s hits make it to No. 1 at the box office they have to first go through boutique lifestyle marketing agency, Liquid Soul Media (LSM). Founded by CEO Tirrell Whittley and CMO Nick Nelson, the award-winning agency has mastered integrated multicultural marketing campaigns, resulting in approximately 13 No. 1 box office films and over 80 film and television properties, collectively generating over $1 billion in revenue.

The road to such success for LSM is one of transformation as the company began as an online radio destination, before morphing into providing new media services for clients and in 2005 changing course to focus on marketing films. With credits including Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1 and Part 2) and upcoming projects such as Dark Knight, the Jackie Robinson biopic, 42 and NBC’s fall line-up, LSM remains one of the most relevant gatekeepers to the multicultural audience. Whittley and Nelson spoke with BlackEnterprise.com about their marketing strategy, fighting to represent the value in markets of color, and why international marketing of African-American films may not be as relevant as you think.

LSM has a very strategic approach to marketing. Please walk us through those steps from A-Z.

Whittley: Internally, we do research to understand the psychographics and sociographics of consumers. It’s about understanding our audience through audience analysis, profiles and strategies. Then, we go into lifestyle segmentation and identify what is it about them to make them care about the product. From there we dig into the associations that audience may have and how they may accept the product and messaging. Finally is the affinity factor: why are they going to like this project? What is the unique selling point? Then it’s about making the conversion and action we want them to take, whether it’s a ticket sale or ratings.

You have the marketing strategy down to a science. However science is not always 100% accurate. So what surprises have you experienced as a result of your strategy that perhaps opened up an audience you may have never thought existed?

Whittley: Sometimes what we bring to the table are audiences that our clients don’t see. With Disney’s The Princess and the Frog, we talked about the father/daughter relationship. The studio recognized it but they think fathers and boys but we convinced them that if you overlook the father you’re not looking at the total family. So we developed a program, which led to a box office hit. We partnered with Ed Gordon’s foundation; Daddy’s Promise and involved 100 Black Men of America to create father/daughter film viewing experiences. That demonstrated that fathers mattered too and here is how you compel them to take part even on a princess film.

Do you feel a responsibility to prove that films with people of color as the leads can hit a general market and not just its niche target?

Nelson: Yes, it is very important. Think Like a Man was mostly Black and it hit wider. So you have to make a film feel bigger and wider. With the Black audience, the biggest piece is investing into that audience. We over index in television watching and going to the movies; we are hungry for content and people that look like us.

Isn’t there an assumption amongst studios that you don’t have to cater to the African American market and that we will automatically come running once we see a person of color in a trailer?

Whittley: It works both ways. We work on a host of general market films and tell the studios because there are no Black or Brown faces doesn’t mean that cross cultural message won’t resonate with diverse audience. With Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows we did their first Africa -American outreach because even in its final installment there was still a fan base they hadn’t spoken to.

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LSM CEO Tirrell Whittley and CMO Nick Nelson

It sounds like it’s still a struggle to convince studios that markets of color are valuable.

Whittley: It’s a daily struggle because there are not a lot of network or film executives that look like us and are advocates. So we engage with the executives to provide inside information, studies and research that confirm the audience is hungry for this information. Even with the successful evidence of films like Think Like a Man, Red Tails, or The Help, they are still hesitant. They are used to the same formula of film and television and many of them are now challenged to step outside the norm. It makes them scared. So we have to provide a level of confidence that this audience wants this content and if you give a proper message you will get returns.

Speaking of The Help, some accused the film of playing into racial stereotypes. What is your strategy when dealing with such sensitive projects?

Nelson: Studios want to know what groups may take offense so that we can be proactive and not be so reactive. We also identify advocates. With The Help, we got advocates early on in the campaign that understood the film and knew that the story was part of history and it was not derogatory. Lastly, we identified people with a passion for the film who helped spread the word and influence others to get them excited. So that momentum overshadows the more controversial aspects of what you’re dealing with.

In a previous BlackEnterprise.com interview with Datari Turner, he noted that African American films don’t do well overseas because there are no systems in place to market them internationally. Do you agree with this view?

Whittley: I think there is a good point there but we focus on the domestic market and can’t state the validity of it. Many domestic films have proven they can generate revenue. When you’re doing films with a $100 million plus budget you absolutely need the international market to deliver a return on investment. Many urban films are below $50 or $20 million and you don’t need an international audience to still see revenue. I do think the next phase of urban films is to figure out the international landscape and how to move films throughout Europe, Africa and Asia because Black culture is very influential from Brazil to Japan.

The Avengers has had major success. Although your company didn’t work on the project what do you think they did right?

Whittley: They built the right scenario by getting out stories independently and pulling all the characters together. It allowed people to connect in multiple ways. By watching Samuel L. Jackson throughout all the films it gives a common thread to know something big was coming. They put together a fantastic roadmap.

Nelson: One thing that was noticeable was the amount of exposure it had in the general market and in targeted spaces in with African Americans and Latino. They were able to get into specific sectors.

What are some of the best ways that you suggest studios utilize social media?

Nelson: The biggest piece is social media. Whether it is Instagram, Facebook or Twitter it is their ability to put together intriguing digital promotions and game assets. In summer months we are not in front of the television, we are on mobile devices. So it is about integrating and coming up with creative ways and different promotions like text to win or trending topics. It is not 1 to 1 it is 1 to 10,000.

By Dominique Zonyéé Scott for The Grio

Nearly three months have gone by since unarmed Florida teen Trayvon Martin, 17, was shot and killed by George Zimmerman, 28, while he was on his way home from 7-Eleven carrying Skittles and an iced tea. Martin’s case was low-profile until it got its buzz on social media and began making national headlines, which sparked a national conversation about race, “Stand Your Ground,” and gun laws in America.

While many Americans empathized with Martin’s family, others apparently found humor in Trayvon’s death.

A new photo meme called “Trayvoning” have been gaining steam on the Internet. The photos illustrate men wearing hoodies, with iced tea cans in one hand and Skittles in the other, laying down on their backs or stomachs as if they were dead. This “Trayvoning” trend has prompted Tumblr and Facebook pages.

The Facebook page called Trayvoning currently has just 5 likes. The anonymous authors of the page describe it:

Trayvoning is when you
1. get hoodie
2. get skittles
3. get arizona
4. wear hoodie
5. go to florida
6. get shot 
Trayvon Martin was a 17-year-old African American male who was unarmed and got shot by a raciest [sic] mexican american.

The images have disturbed bloggers Sandra Rose and Brande Victorian of Clutch magazine. And others have condemned the practice on Facebook and other social media outlets.

View pictures of this troubling trend at The Grio

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.