My name is Ryan Michelle Cannon-Scott, and I come by my entrepreneurial spirit quite honestly. My grandfather and uncles ran a successful neighborhood store on the South Side of Peoria, IL, long before I was born. As a teen I worked for the family business, my stepfather’s pediatric and adult medical center. The list goes on. I’ve always had great role models. Today I’m involved in several business endeavors. One of my businesses, MAD Marketing, is a one-stop small business consulting boutique.
It is my passion to help more people, specifically women, begin a path of entrepreneurship. I have put together workshops to educate and empower women of color to turn their passions and talents into sustainable business models. I believe that, with a little help and encouragement, more women and people in poverty can find their way to financial security and stable lives for their families by working for themselves. But most people are afraid. And in all honesty, it is not an easy path, often littered with traps and mines for the small business owner. But it is possible and so very worth it.
My partner Daphne Scott-Henderson also has been bitten by the family bug. Her family founded the oldest continuously published black newspaper, The Atlanta Daily World. Her mother has run her own ethnic accessory business for years. Today, in addition to being a rehab nurse, Daphne runs her own personal training business, Body By Daphne. Together, we have started a new publication, Trail Living. Our publication, which goes to print this summer, serves the Trails at Abbey Fields, Trails at Brittany, Trails at Chestnut Grove, and Trails Edge subdivisions, and provides homeowners and communities with a superior publication that is informative and useful, while providing businesses with an exceptional way of promoting their products and services.
Often the thing that many people struggle with is where to start. You have an idea or you identify a need in the market, but where do you go from there? Thankfully, most resources you need are just a click away. From business plan writing, to marketing strategies, to how to raise start-up funds, the answers to most questions can be found on reputable internet sites. I would encourage anyone who feels they have something to share with the world to cultivate as many relationships and seek out as many resources as possible. Associate yourself with people who believe in you and who will champion you throughout your journey. And of course, companies like my own, MAD Marketing, are there to help.
Whatever you do, I would encourage you to step outside your comfort zone, take a leap of faith, and dare to dream BIG. Success is not necessarily about profits or bottom lines. Your biggest successes as a small business owner are the great insights you can garner and a chance to prove to yourself that you can do it.
Ryan Michelle Cannon-Scott
Find MAD Marketing and Trail Living @ http://mymadmarketing.com/index.html
Daphne Scott-Henderson
Find Body By Daphne @ https://www.facebook.com/BodyByDaphne