Have you ever believed that you weren’t meant for success? If hearing no or receiving a rejection is familiar to you, then giving up on your dreams has probably sounded tempting. If your mind is now ruminating on all the times you tried and failed, you are not alone. Like you, Ronnessa “Ronne” Brown was often told she wouldn’t succeed. She once went into a bank to apply for a loan and was told she could never run a business because she didn’t have a college degree.
Additionally, she has battled with negative self-talk and shame. Yet she has risen above every obstacle to become a seven-figure business owner of Girl CEO Inc. and a mentor, author, wife, and mother to three beautiful children.
We’ve all hit roadblocks and challenges in our life. However, when we find the strength to push forward and not give up, that’s when success happens. To keep you focused on your business journey, it’s essential to learn from the stories of others to keep your engine of inspiration running. Brown’s story will help you see that nothing is impossible if you focus on what you want. Read on to learn how she went from being broke and down on her luck to utilizing social media to create her empire.
Starting with impossible odds
When Brown turned 16, she went from a typical teenage girl to a stereotype. Instead of worrying about who would ask her to prom and what dress she would wear, Brown was concerned with raising a child as a single mom. Her pregnancy led her to battle shame daily while also struggling to make ends meet. Despite the judgment from people in her life, she focused on changing her circumstances for the better, one way or another.
She worked tirelessly at various jobs to pay her bills. She hopped around from different positions, such as a janitor, a paralegal, and a travel agent. Yet, despite her hard work, none of these positions lasted. To the outside world, it seems Brown was spiraling down a hole of failure. However, she always kept her eyes on her goals and built her own business using the experience and knowledge from her other jobs. “I want to stress that there’s nothing wrong with failing,” she told Forbes in an article. “Failure is the best source of wisdom you can ever experience.”
Outside of the 9-to-5 lifestyle, she started making natural hair care products from items commonly found in her kitchen and selling them on the Facebook marketplace. As she began to gain momentum selling online, she learned how to leverage social media to her advantage and built three successful brands online. Through her personal experience and coaching others, she wrote the book From Mopping Floors to Making Millions on Instagram: 5 Steps to Building an Online Brand to help others achieve their business goals by leveraging social media.
As she started working for herself, she noticed a pattern. Many people would encourage her, but she often got no response when she reached out to other businesswomen with specific questions. She also noticed that women of color needed more support in the business world. From this lack and her desire to support other women in building their dream businesses, she created Girl CEO.
Becoming the chief executive officer of your life
Girl CEO is a membership platform designed to empower women entrepreneurs. It is a space for women looking to start, run, and manage their businesses. Within the platform, women receive mentorship and guidance from the community and learn what it takes to succeed.
If you’re tired of simply dreaming of success and want a successful business and life, here’s some advice from the CEO.
Be shame resilient: Having a child underage can turn anyone into a shame target. Yet, for Brown, she decided to accept her circumstances. Instead of being ashamed of her son, she was proud. After all, he motivated her to start her own business and get her life on track.
Decide to go after your dreams relentlessly: There were no buts or maybes in Brown’s story. Once she decided to make a change, she was committed to transformation. By proving everyone wrong, she made her dreams a reality.
Build your audience: Position yourself on social media so people can trust you. Be consistent by showing up and having conversations with your audience. As Brown said on an Afrotech podcast, “People buy from people they trust.”
Rethink how you view failure: We all know failure doesn’t feel good. Yet failing can be beneficial. “I don’t even say the word ‘fail’ anymore, Brown told Forbes in an interview, ” I don’t fail at anything; I learn from a lot of things.”
Know the difference between working on and working in your business: Working on the business means you are hands-on, doing everything. This happens for many entrepreneurs in the beginning, but eventually, you want to work in your business, which means delegating and working with people you trust.
Put your money where your values are: Brown says she sees many entrepreneurs making the mistake of spending their money on things they don’t need or value. Instead of spending money on short-term satisfaction, invest in things that offer value in return. For example, buying land, getting professional advice or education, mentorship, or anything that will help you personally or financially grow.
One crucial component of Brown’s success and the success of other women is perseverance. If Brown had given up and not believed she could make a change, she would have never reached the success she has today. Additionally, she may not have helped the thousands of women in her community. So, before giving up, consider who you might be letting down if you do.
