We caught up with the brilliant and insightful April Smith a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, April thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to go back in time and hear the story of how you came up with the name of your brand?

I named my business One Day because of a phrase I’ve heard countless times: “One day, I’m going to…” or “Someday, I will…” And honestly, that mindset makes me cringe. It creates this idea that dreams are meant to stay out of reach—something you think about but never actually pursue.

One Day Co challenges that thinking. I want people to realize that their “one day, someday” goals don’t have to remain dreams—they can become a reality by taking it one day at a time.

I truly believe anything is possible when you have a plan, a goal, and a vision to act toward it. One Day Co curates the framework and tools to help turn dreams into reality. It’s designed specifically to help people achieve those big audacious goals they once thought were impossible.

I also want to shift how people think about “one day.” Instead of seeing it as some far-off point in the future, I want them to think of today as day one. It’s all about starting now and taking intentional steps toward making those dreams happen.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

When I was in business school at Emory University, I found myself juggling the demands of a 9-to-5 job while navigating a rigorous MBA program. I was overwhelmed, constantly feeling like I was playing catch-up, with sticky notes and notebooks scattered everywhere. My organization system—or lack thereof—was failing me, and I began questioning if I had taken on too much.

Everything changed when a classmate introduced me to the concept of a planner. I had never used one before, but it quickly became the structure I desperately needed. Over four semesters, I tried different planners and developed a disciplined approach to managing my time and responsibilities. That discipline was a game-changer—it allowed me to graduate from Emory with honors and gave me the clarity I had been searching for.

After business school, I carried those same productivity principles into my consulting career. With intentionality and focus, my productivity skyrocketed. Within a year, I earned a promotion, and the momentum spilled over into my personal life. What followed was nothing short of transformational: in one year, I accomplished more than I ever thought possible. Every 90 days, I was hitting a new goal.

In the first quarter, I flipped a single-family home. By the second quarter, I became an angel investor in a restaurant. In the third quarter, I purchased and house-hacked a four-unit property. And in the fourth quarter, I created and launched One Day Co.

Through One Day Co, I help people achieve their “one day, someday” goals using the same principles and framework I used to accomplish my own big audacious goals. The cornerstone of this framework is the One Day – Daily Execution Planner—a 90-day planner designed to transform dreams into actionable steps with ease. It’s about creating focus, building discipline, and proving that no goal is too big when you take it one day at a time.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I decided to launch the planner during the fourth quarter, a time when the challenges of entrepreneurship collide with the chaos of holiday logistics. One particular instance that stands out was coordinating the shipment of my first batch of planners from China to Chicago. As luck would have it, a massive winter storm hit right in the middle of it all. The package was delayed, and I had to figure out how to juggle being home in time for Christmas in Baltimore while ensuring I could receive the shipment back in Chicago.

I found myself in this whirlwind decision-making process: Do I stay in Chicago to wait for the package, or do I prioritize going home for the holidays? It was a tough call, but I ultimately decided to put family first and trust that I’d figure out the logistics of the shipment later. I flew to Baltimore for Christmas, and when I returned to Chicago, the package finally arrived. While it wasn’t perfect timing, it reminded me that as an entrepreneur, resilience is about problem-solving in the face of uncertainty and trusting your ability to pivot when needed.

That experience taught me so much about the balancing act of entrepreneurship. I was working a full-time job, navigating the logistics of launching a product, and managing personal priorities all at the same time. It was one of the first real tests of how far I could stretch myself while still holding on to my “why.”

Through it all, I leaned on the very principles the planner is built around—breaking big goals into smaller steps, staying focused, and moving forward one day at a time. Launching One Day Co during such a chaotic season made me realize that resilience isn’t about doing everything perfectly. It’s about staying committed to your vision, making tough calls, and knowing that progress is progress, no matter how small.

This is what I want entrepreneurs to know: your journey will come with challenges, but with focus, discipline, and a little grace, you can navigate those obstacles and keep building the dream. For me, that first product launch was proof that no matter the storm—literal or figurative—you can weather it, one day at a time.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

I’ve been deeply inspired by two incredible books I discovered this past year: Oversubscribed by Daniel Priestley and 12 Months to a Million by Ryan Daniel Moran. Both have been instrumental in shaping my understanding of building a profitable and customer-focused business.

Oversubscribed gave me invaluable insights into the psychology of marketing—helping me understand what drives people to take action and how to create demand for a product or service. It changed how I think about connecting with customers in meaningful ways.

12 Months to a Million provided a logical, step-by-step framework for building a successful business from the ground up. The book is filled with practical examples that make the concepts easy to apply, and the accompanying YouTube series dives even deeper into the strategies shared in each chapter.

These resources have helped me refine my approach to entrepreneurship by balancing the emotional side of customer behavior with the practical steps needed to build a sustainable and profitable business. They’ve been a game-changer for how I think about growth and impact.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.theoneday.co
• Instagram: @iam_aprilsmith
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/april.smith.16503323?mibextid=LQQJ4d
• Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/@AprilSmithOfficial

Image Credits

Ty Pleas
@ty_pleas

Michelle Dokes
@michelledokesphotography