Editor’s note: For our Women in Business issue, we invited women in our local business communities to share insights they’ve gained through their work in Western North Carolina.
Aisha Adams is the owner of Aisha Adams Media.
Xpress: What is the best advice you were given about launching your business?
Adams: I have amazing mentors who have helped me not only become a better businesswoman but also become a better person. I learned so many things. Here are two:
- My mentor Christopher Murray at Mountain BizWorks would say get your numbers in order, meaning give your cash flow, budget, projections, and profit and loss the energy it deserves.
- My mentor Dr. Joseph Fox from Fox Management taught me the importance of my reputation and unique value proposition by encouraging me to build a solid brand and be picky about who I partner with. You really can’t be all things to all people.
What is the best advice you’d share with someone just starting out today?
Figure out what problem you can solve for others. Get passionate about your customers and learn how to serve them uniquely better than anyone else.
As a woman, what unique challenges have you experienced within your industry, and how have you overcome these obstacles?
As a Black woman, I continue to brave the same challenges many people of color face. I have been underfunded, underestimated and underutilized. I think good business acumen, mental toughness, a strong brand, collaboration, a reliable product and my methodology have kept me in business.
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