Girl, you don't need an assistant.

You just need to get your business organized and an assistant’s job is not to help you do that. The only person that can level up your business is you babes, face it.

Fun fact about me, I have a reputation back home for building brands and turning businesses around to make profit. It’s something I used to think was just common sense but the older I get the more I see the skill set I possess.

My highest ticket client to date paid $1.5k per month for me to operate as the project manager overseeing the opening of his salon. I didn’t charge nearly as much as I was worth for that project, I just wanted to make sure my rent was covered. It wasn’t just a salon, he also had a product that was for professionals and retail - not to mention he needed an employee to run the salon because the stylist had to do hair. He had a brilliant idea but the slightest clue of how to execute his plan into reality, then he remembered me.

I did the full operation in three months, and from the looks of it the salon is thriving. Although that relationship went south when the stylist, his wife, burnt my hair off at the shampoo bowl - the experience is what I value the most. That opportunity allowed me to prove to myself that I am capable of being successful on my terms. I streamlined his sales system in less than a month by inputting all of his inventory SKUs into Square. Recruited, interviewed, hired, and trained his staff to operate the sales system in the salon. Trained staff on NC license laws and setup an operational system for them to verify licensed stylist for professional purchases. Y’all I even went to barber school so I could manage the salon and teach the continued education classes for color, perms, natural styles, etc. One thing about me I’m going to learn the hell out of a skills trade.

Shanté

said to me once, “Jacquie of all trades, but a master of self”, and I can’t unsee it as my life slogan.

See, I don’t aspire to obtain the American Dream success, but I’ve been honest with myself lately that I do desire material success. A brick-n-mortar community center to open daily for my people to vibe and create their new reality. I don’t wish to be booked, busy, and broke - I do envision my days filled with inspiring, meaningful conversations with my people with a bank account to match the fulfillment.

And one thing I learned is that an assistant is not going to help you get there.

And a team cannot bring your vision to life if you don’t have a plan.

Every business has a flow, an operation. Most of the time we come from work environments that have the flow in place, and all we have to do is follow the system. However, the entrepreneur must not only discover what those operations are for their business specifically - they must also make the system efficient. There is nothing worse than paying for work that was not done efficiently. At least, when you know the ins and outs of every step in the system those mistakes don’t feel like personal attacks when it’s you making them rather than paying people to make them.

I know you are reading this thinking, “Wait, don’t you have an assistant?”

Yes, and I’ve learned a lot by working with

Satnam

. Our relationship has taught me how to communicate efficiently. There was an unspoken expectation I attached to the role that required a matched work effort. I realized I was frustrated with myself because the efficiency of the process is the reward that fulfills me, therefore I could not delegate some of my most delicate operational tasks. I didn’t need help with those tasks I discovered I needed to organize my process to better utilize my time.

We’re exploring a new role that would be more suitable for both of us. I don’t need an assistant, but the print publication staff still needs a cover design artist. As a team, we decided to work together to bring revenue into the business to maintain payroll. Trust me, babygirl got the plan and it’s coming together with ease more and more each day.

Having an assistant sounds like you are on your shit, but when those sponsors are only writing checks when your business is in order. My natural ability to structure and organize business operations has been a skill set I’ve relied on my adulthood in moments I was out of a job and rent still had to be paid. I learned how to package and hustle my gift back in 2016, why you think I have this custom “Trap” ring on my finger?

People ask me how I was able to become a full time writer, and let me be very clear. Writing is not what pays my bills. My wife works full time, she is keeping the bills paid and Blackstack operating when the cash flow slows down. The business is still growing and I’m blessed to have a partner that believes in me this much. She has watched me cold pitch my skill set then come home with the rent money in less than an hour. My Daddy said I had the mindset of a millionaire the way I understand how to scale a business, he told me if I could figure out how to make money off my mind I’d be rich forever. I’m starting to understand what he meant.

I feel a shift coming. It’s closer than I can imagine, and I know it’s going to be the moment that changes our life forever. The more I boldly set into my power and put myself out there the more the fears that used to hold me back are debunked. I show up authentically and I get more love than hate. When I act on my creative ideas by consistently showing up community is formed, and they debunk the myths we believe about support.

This year I visualize myself spending my days printing and binding not only the magazine, but also Black books published through Blackstack. Each week for ninety minutes I host a virtual co-working sessions with Black authors that are in a membership working on publishing their book. The Blackstack staff has manuscripts to edit in rotation and book cover mockups to design. A couple days out the month I dedicate my time to clients that are building businesses out of their gift and need help creating an efficient operation structure. Those clients pay an invoice each month that not only covers our household expenses but allows my wife to rest. The monthly revenue for the author membership would allow me to pay the staff a salary that would cover their household expense and live comfortably. While the magazine fundraiser expands into a brick-n-mortar community center to really setup shop.

To me, this is why we become entrepreneurs especially as Black women. We understand that we will have to work hard in life, and by creating a business not only for ourselves, but our community too, makes the dedication worth it in the end.

Providing Black women their dream jobs is one thing, but for that dream job to come with a impactful mission and the pay keeps you from stressing about bills is my goal.

Providing Black writers with an opportunity to make more than a couple of dollars per book from royalties by teaching them how to build a brand around their story.

Providing Black creatives the ideas and resources to draft their own blueprint to package and hustle next.

I don’t want to win without my people winning with me. No nigga left behind when it comes to us building a new world for ourselves. That’s why I’m telling you, girl, don’t get that assistant just yet. Organize your business to see what your daily operations are and how you can streamline those tasks into a four to six hour work day. What’s your goal dollar amount to be making regularly before you feel comfortable closing the laptop for a week to rest?

Even if you don’t want to be an entrepreneur, this is a mindset that I adopted in 2023 and it’s allowed me to live some of the most beautiful experiences.

“I get paid to exist”

That’s what I affirm myself everyday. Remember, my life is provided by my wife while the operations of the business maintain the flow when I’m organized. March was me getting back organized, my life wasn’t the only thing in shambles. I didn’t want to admit to myself that I was trying to run the business through the lens of everyone but myself, the person who started it to begin with. Sometimes we get in positions where we think we don’t know what’s next, or what’s right - but you do!

Trust yourself more than you trust outside voices.

As I rest in this knowing it’s rewarding. On my walks I’m met with the most unbelievable experiences that confirm I am in alignment. When things just happen perfectly, and you can’t explain it - you just know. I’m resting more in those moments, and I challenge you to do this with me. What would your life look like if you decided to focus on yourself for ninety days?

The last time I did this was for six months and that resulted in me married living the life I am now. So it’s time again, I know exactly what I want to be doing my only problem is comfortably charging my worth. I think it’s called a money avoidance trait. A throat chakra blockage to some degree, either way this year I am reframing my mindset around my worthiness to fully live my dreams.

And I want you to try it out too so we can share our case study results. We deserve to live a life of peace, and the success on our terms, especially Black women.

Wouldn’t you agree?

xoxo,
Jacquie