By Ariyana Griffin
AFRO Staff Writer
agriffin@afro.com
August is National Black Business Month, a time to celebrate and acknowledge Black owned businesses around the world.
PHOTO: Photo courtesy of DeAnne Brookshire
According to The Annual Business Survey (ABS), in 2021, there were a recorded 161,031 Black-owned businesses in the United States. This week AFRO spoke to the CEO of Pink Leaf Consulting, DeAnne Brookshire, about her entrepreneurship journey.
AFRO: What does your company do?
DB: My business is a consulting firm, I cater to creative introverts. I do one-on-one consulting, I have digital products. I also do intimate workshops and events. My business targets creative introverts who want to step out of their comfort zone and learn how to confidently show up to, sell products and market their businesses in a way that aligns with their introverted personality and real life.
AFRO:How did you find your niche?
DB: Well, the funny thing about that is my business started by accident. In my previous position, I was the vice president of sales marketing. And because I’m an introvert and I knew I had to be social, I would host monthly networking events that allowed me to control the menu, the length of time and the invite list. Month after month, I would have conversations with local businesses. I would hear conversations that people were having about businesses– but they weren’t having them with them.
If someone did not show up and did not present well, people would talk trash behind their back and not hire them for the job. I would just hear the conversations that were happening behind closed doors. And in my mind, I thought if someone would just have these conversations with the actual business owner, they could then improve and be making more money in their business.
At those networking events, I began to probe, ask questions and give them feedback just based on my experience being a director and vice president of sales and marketing. And that actually blossomed into Pink Leaf Consulting. I did that for about a year, and then someone asked, ‘Can I pay you for a one-on-one session?’ and my company was born.
AFRO: Did you have any struggles with starting your business?
DB: I did not have a lot of struggles with starting my business, but that is because of the background that I had. What I will say, as an introvert myself, is that the biggest struggle is balancing my desire for my solitude with the need to get out to create additional awareness and visibility for my brand and business. It doesn’t matter how great you are, if you’re the best kept secret, what good are you doing?
AFRO:What is your favorite part about being a business owner?
DB: The impact in the Black community. I serve predominantly women and the best thing that I can do for a Black woman is teach her the skills and how to make money. I know that when Black women get skills and access to money, we are going to multiply it. We are going to pour into our communities. We are going to share that information with someone else.
AFRO:How has owning a business changed your life?
DB: Owning a business has pushed me to my limits and it has pushed me so far out of my comfort zone. It has taught me a discipline that I’ve never experienced before. At the same time, this freedom of time and freedom of location is something that I’ve desired for a very long time. It has had a positive impact on my overall well being. I’m able to do the work that I love without restriction.
AFRO: What is your best piece of advice for someone who might want to start their own business or leave the workforce to become an entrepreneur?
DB: I would say craft an exit plan. I see so many people quit their jobs prematurely and then end up in a situation where the burnout and the stress really sets in. If you are someone that truly desires to quit your job, have an exit plan. One of the things that I did was put a year and a half plan in place. I made sure my finances were in order. I made sure I had a year worth of money stacked up. I made sure that my job funded the company. That was my first investor.
This article has been edited for brevity and clarity.
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