Celebrating National Black Business Month

Looking back, I decided to start a business to have more independence. Of course, I also had to put food on the table and care for my children, but I knew I was looking for more than just a job. I wanted to put my management skills to work and make a greater contribution to the economy and other Black-owned businesses. So, I created the job I wanted.

DESA Inc. is a business consultancy and professional services firm that can tackle anything from strategic communications projects to engineering services. Over the years, I've helped foster strategic growth and development for minority-owned businesses and municipal, state, and federal government entities. I’ve had the good fortune of working on projects that have positively impacted communities across the region, like bringing a farmer’s market to a food desert here in Columbia, South Carolina.

No doubt, if you enter the business arena, you have to prepare for hardship, but if you do what you love, then you should prepare for the joy that comes with it. Owning a business has its ups and downs, but overall, this has been a fun ride for me.

As a black business owner, every day is Black Business Month. I see firsthand how critical Black-owned businesses are to communities. They’re championing our minority workforce and getting those individuals to participate in the economy. When those companies thrive, you create an environment where more people across the board can succeed.

Looking to the future, I hope we're preparing the next generation of Black entrepreneurs for how much the economy, and our world, are changing. The world is the classroom now, and our children need to experience it. My hope for Black-owned businesses is that someday everyone recognizes that we want to participate and contribute just as much to our communities as anyone else.