Young Bosses: 5 Steps to Success in Business at an Early Age

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For every success story in business there’s a humble beginning. Whether it’s that first client, first big project, or the first $10,000 made, one can’t take for granted that in order to achieve and succeed, one must first put one foot in front of the other and start the journey. As part of our weeklong Young Bosses series, we highlight two young bosses on the come-up: 26-year-old Thallen Brassel, CEO of Cum Laude Counseling, a New York-based academic and career counseling firm, and Anky Cyriaque, 32, co-founder and CEO of Hidden Films Studios.

Brassel took her college admissions success–having been accepted at more than 10 universities, including Yale University and the University of Pennsylvania–and her experience as a Wall Street lawyer to start her New York-based academic and career counseling firm. Similarly, Cyriaque’s love for film and experience in music video production led him and his partner, Tristan G. Cyriaque, to start their multimedia company in 2008.

BlackEnterprise.com spoke with Brassel and Cyriaque about their challenges, their triumphs and tips for how you can get started on the path to bossdom.Â

Brassel: My legal career has taught me to be diligent, thorough, and to show great attention to detail. These skills are especially important when trying to build business and attract new clients. Turning Cum Laude Counseling from a hobby into a business, while maintaining my law practice at a corporate law firm, has also made great use of my organizational skills and ability to delegate tasks to others. Practicing law and operating a small business are both very demanding, but list-making and planning ahead are qualities that help me to be successful at both.

Cyriaque: My grandparents in Haiti owned their own business, so I have a very entrepreneurial spirit that was instilled in me from a very young age. My paternal grandmother owned her own convenience store and my maternal grandmother used to raise and sell livestock. Then, when I had my son it lit a fire inside of me. Having kids changes your perspective on things. I want to be able to pass something on to him and be an example to him of what hard work brings. I think it’s really important for minorities to have ownership and be able to leave something for

their kids to inherit. I don’t want my son to have to struggle the way I did to get to where I’m at. I want him to understand the value of hard work, but I also want him to be taken care of.

Brassel: I am diligent about giving a polished, professional presentation to everyone I meet [so that there’s not much opportunity for one not to take me seriously]. As a follow-up to initial meetings, I always send a handwritten thank you note to demonstrate professional etiquette and attention to detail. Most importantly, I am conscious to not waste people’s time and to always deliver a prompt and impeccable work product.

Cyriaque: I recently got a 12-year distribution deal with Lightyear/E1 Entertainment, and their distribution platform is iTunes. Landing that deal was really a watershed moment for my company. It’ll allow me to pump out short and feature-length films and gives me a global platform with respect to promotion and distribution. In short, I now have the opportunity to bring my product to the masses. More product equals more visibility which equals more revenue. I’m actually raising the money for a feature release through Kickstarter

, which gives me the unique opportunity to connect with my fans and other film enthusiasts who would like to support the Hidden Films movement.

Brassel: I began to volunteer with several educational organizations in New York, including the ERDA School Speaker Series in Queens and the PEARL Mentoring Program in Brooklyn. At both programs, I spoke to school-aged students on the importance of education, career planning, and etiquette. In preparing for these engagements, I created a curriculum that has now grown into Cum Laude Counseling. I recognized a need for smart, driven students to have a more polished presentation on applications, in interviews, and while working in professional settings.

Monetize your passion. Nothing brings greater joy than getting paid to do what you love.
Plan ahead for financial obstacles. Stressing about making ends meet takes the joy out of doing what you love. Make sure you have enough financing to support your dreams until your business is afloat.
Create multiple streams of income. Think of more than one strategy for your business to make money. This approach will protect your business from changes in the marketplace. For example, CLC offers teleconferences, private counseling, as well as group training sessions.

If you’re going to go into business, do it properly. Little investments make a big difference. Incorporate your company, set up a company e-mail, and know your craft inside in out.
Be visible and active on the Web. This the age of social media, so you should have a Website and be leveraging social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr. The ability to increase your visibility online through those avenues is astounding.
Know where you are so you’ll know where you’re going. Finally, just research the business you’re entering, gauge what the industry standards are, and then find a competitive advantage and try to exceed those standards.