Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Aleasa Word, CEO of A. Word & Company, located in Duluth, GA, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

A. Word & Company is a full-service boutique coaching and consulting firm. We serve individual contributors, leaders, and organizations who want to grow performance, enrich cultural dexterity and improve emotional intelligence skillsets for improved quality of life, career satisfaction, life balance, and better relationships.

Tell us about yourself

After years of training for childcare facilities on food allergy safety, I realized we could train people all day, but without cultural understanding and improved emotional intelligence skills, people would remain the same as they were before my workshops. I soon realized these same people who needed additional support were in our communities, corporate workspace, religious spaces, and schools. I set out on a mission from that point on to help people via DEI & Belonging work as well as using my skills as a certified emotional intelligence assessor practitioner to help them get to the next level of personal and professional success.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

My biggest accomplishment as a business owner has been staying in business even with a change in platform and name for ten years.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

One of the hardest things that come with being a business owner is taking time away to balance your own life because you want to help so many people do the same for themselves. When you do what you love, it is not a job; it basically becomes a ministry of sorts.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Be honest about what you don't know and get help learning it from qualified sources.
  2. Always spend less than your earn and keep a reserve for ebbs and flows in the economy and industry.
  3. Always be a student. Learn from your wins and your challenges, as well as keep your ears more open than your mouth so you can learn more.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

For anyone still working and starting a business, know that you can do both if that is what suits your personality and personal needs. Dance to the beat of your own drum, all while pouring into your business whether profits are up or down. Eventually, things turn around, and what you pour in will come flowing back to you like a river. Just be wise.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://awordandcompany.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iammzword
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iammzword/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/iammzword
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aleasaword/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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