Empowering People Towards Greater Inclusion -Allison Mahaley

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Allison Mahaley, Co-Founder of Red Fern, LLC., located in Hillsborough, NC, USA.

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

I am a learning designer, speaker, and consultant with a focus and specialty in inclusion and belonging.

Tell us about yourself

I worked in public schools for 16 years and had the privilege of learning the stories and witnessing the endurance of marginalized children and parents who - despite the system being designed to harm them, find a way to succeed. This experience motivated me to become an ally to these families and work to remove the barriers they faced. In 2014, I left public schools and became an advocate, which led me to start designing and delivering training. People can't do better until they know how to do better. I love working with people to help them open their eyes to how sneaky and pervasive racial inequalities are and how rewarding a more open and generous attitude can be.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I have formed successful partnerships with two black-owned businesses that regularly bring me work and trust me to create excellent designs and deliver training for their customers. Through one of these partnerships, I was sought out by the Dr. Phil Show to give the perspective of a White Ally.

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

You have to do it all - bookkeeping, marketing, sales, and your own personal development to keep up with the latest trends and do all this while you do your work to meet the needs of clients.

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

Be clear and sure about what you are doing and be able to sell it. You have to be good at self-promotion. You have to be willing to sell yourself, so when doubt creeps in, you are the one you have to turn to. Be confident.
Make sure you have the stamina to stay on. Are you okay with never taking time off? - you will always have to be checking your email and answering that phone until you grow big enough to hire someone else to do that for you.
Be careful who you hire - you can hire someone in a minute, but it takes a while to fire someone. If things go south, people can take you down with them. I have watched my partners struggle with making bad hiring choices, so I have decided to keep it small and only contract folks for small, specific jobs when things really heat up.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://allisonmahaley.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amahaley
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amahaley/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AllisonMahaley
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allison-mahaley/

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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