>>
>> MANY
>> MANY BLACK-OWNED BUSINESSES WERE HIT HARD BY THE PANDEMIC.
THE NATION'S LARGEST NETWORK OF
FREE VOLUNTEER BUSINESS MENTORS
LOOKING TO INCREASE ITS
ACTIVITIES BY RECRUITING
AFRICAN-AMERICAN MENTORS TO JOIN
THEIR EFFORTS.
THEIR EFFORTS. ELLEN SPOKE WITH ONE LOCAL
BUSINESS OWNER WHO SAID IT IS
CHANGING.
CHANGING.
CHANGING. >> THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
WE WANT TO START WITH SCORE AND
WHAT IS IT AS A PROGRAM IN
GENERAL AND HOW HAS IT HELPED
YOU NAVIGATE THROUGH COVID?
>> ELLEN, SCORE HAS BEEN SUCH AN
AMAZING PART OF MY LIFE
>> ELLEN, SCORE HAS BEEN SUCH AN AMAZING PART OF MY LIFE.
MY BUSINESS, THE PSYCHOLOGY
COACHING AND DIVERSITY
INSTITUTE, WHEN WE GOT STARTED,
WE GOT STARTED DURING COVID,
DURING THE PANDEMIC, AND IT WAS
JUST, FOR ME, I DIDN'T KNOW HOW
TO MANAGE A LARGER STAFF.
I WAS ALWAYS A ONE PERSON SHOW,
SO MY COUNSELOR, KAREN WILLIAMS,
SHE WAS PHENOMENAL IN HELPING ME
LEARN TO MANAGE MORE THAN JUST
MYSELF AT MY BUSINESS.
>> THESE TIPS TOO.
I'M GLAD YOU BROUGHT UP KAREN.
WHAT WAS THAT RELATIONSHIP LIKE,
TO HAVE THAT MENTOR AND LEARN
FROM HER HOW TO EXPAND THE
BUSINESS?
BUSINESS?
BUSINESS? >> IT WAS INVALUABLE.
HAVING THAT MENTOR AND HAVING A
MENTOR I DIDN'T HAVE TO PAY
ANYTHING FOR IT, THEIR
MENTORSHIP IS FREE, WAS
INVALUABLE TO ME BECAUSE I KNEW
SHE WAS THERE FOR ME AND IT
DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH
MONEY.
MONEY.
MONEY. SHE WANTED TO HELP ME SUCCEED
BECAUSE SHE HAD SUCCEEDED IN HER
CAREER BEFORE.
CAREER BEFORE. SO IT WAS SO INVALUABLE FOR ME
TO HAVE SOMEBODY WHO I COULD
PICK UP THE PHONE AND CALL WHEN
I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT A LAWYER,
ACCOUNTING, ANYTHING --
ACCOUNTING, ABOUT ALL THOSE
THINGS TO GET MY BUSINESS
GROWING.
GROWING.
GROWING. >> QUESTIONS ABOUT ALL OF THOSE.
ANYTHING SHE TAUGHT YOU
SPECIFICALLY THAT YOU SAID THIS
REALLY HELPED ME?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> ABSOLUTELY. ONE THING SHE TAUGHT ME
SPECIFICALLY WAS BUSINESS
DEVELOPMENT.
DEVELOPMENT. THERE IS THE WASHINGTON BUSINESS
JOURNAL.
JOURNAL.
JOURNAL. I WAS ABLE TO GET THOSE BOOKS
AND GO THROUGH THOSE BOOKS, LOOK
AT THE COMPANIES WHO ARE IN THE
METRO AREA AND AROUND AND START
DOING BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT,
CALLING PEOPLE.
CALLING PEOPLE. SHE WAS ALWAYS SAYING TO ME THAT
YOU ARE YOUR BIGGEST ASSET, YOU
ARE YOUR BIGGEST CHAMPION.
NOBODY CAN SELL YOUR BUSINESS
LIKE YOU CAN, SO YOU NEED TO GET
ON THE PHONE AND CALL THESE
PEOPLE, SO SHE TAUGHT ME HOW TO
DO THAT BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW
ANYTHING ABOUT THAT RESOURCE
BEFORE, SO I WOULD EMAIL PEOPLE,
CALL PEOPLE, GET PEOPLE REALLY
INTO MY BUSINESS AND PATRONIZING
MY COMPANY.
MY COMPANY. >> IT IS CRAZY BECAUSE SOMEONE
OUT THERE HAS BEEN DOWN THIS
PATH BEFORE.
PATH BEFORE. THEY CAN JUST TELL YOU ONE
LITTLE THING.
LITTLE THING. IT ALL COLLECTS MORE.
I WANT TO MENTION SOMETHING YOU
TALK ABOUT.
TALK ABOUT. YOU DIDN'T PAY ANYTHING FOR
THIS.
THIS.
THIS. SCORE, ABOUT $60 MILLION OF WHAT
THEY GIVEN SERVICES FOR FREE.
DO YOU SEE THAT VALUE BEYOND
THAT -- DO YOU SEE THE VALUE OF
THAT?
THAT?
THAT? >>
THAT? >> FAR BEYOND THAT.
I HAVE SPENT MONEY IN THE PAST
ON MENTOR SHIPS AND DIFFERENT
PROGRAMS AND STUFF.
THAT DIDN'T AMOUNT TO ANYTHING
NEAR WHAT SCORE HAS GIVEN ME IN
TERMS OF RESOURCES AND THE
GUIDANCE I'VE GOTTEN.
AND ALSO JUST OPPORTUNITIES.
I HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO SPEAK IN
FRONT OF LARGE AUDIENCES BECAUSE
OF SCORE, BECAUSE THAT'S ANOTHER
PART OF MY BUSINESS IS THAT I DO
KEYNOTES, TRAINING, I DO A LOT
OF DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND
INCLUSION WORK, SO BECAUSE OF
THEM, I HAVE BEEN VERY VISIBLE
AND HAVE GOTTEN A LOT OF
OPPORTUNITIES, SO I DON'T THINK
YOU COULD PUT A NUMBER ON WHAT I
HAVE GOTTEN IN TERMS OF
VALUE FROM SCORE.
>> THANK YOU FOR TELLING US
ABOUT IT TODAY.
>> THANK YOU, ELLEN.
I AM TELLING EVERYONE TO FIND A
SCORE COUNSELOR.
SCORE COUNSELOR. IT WILL BE WORTH ITS WEIGHT IN
GOLD.
GOLD.
GOLD. >>
GOLD. >> IF YOU WANT TO GET MEN
TOURING SERVICES OR