Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to La Chelle Dickenson. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

La Chelle, appreciate you joining us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

My business is a product of my personal journey. As a professional dancer for many years and the owner of an online boutique for the past five years, I’ve experienced the challenges of balancing creative passion with sustainable business practices. For a long time, my boutique was just a hobby with no scalability. While pursuing dance and running my boutique, I also worked for a nonprofit, where I saw firsthand how an organization’s passion didn’t always translate into effective support or numbers. These experiences planted the seed for CBL Consulting.

As creatives, we often get caught up in the love for our craft without fully considering cash flow or operational sustainability. For nonprofits, the issue may stem from not focusing on profit margins. The reality is, if we hope to be successful and impactful, we must handle business with excellence. That’s where CBL Consulting comes in. Our mission is to bridge the gap between purpose and profit by providing essential resources and training. We empower artists and nonprofits to keep their missions front and center while we address operational challenges, helping them grow into sustainable enterprises.

I also recognize the flip side: many of these businesses and organizations lack the capital and resources to build a professional infrastructure. To address this, our business model is twofold. First, we connect emerging businesses and nonprofits with the resources they need to formalize their operations. Second, we provide students from local colleges and universities with hands-on internship opportunities. Our interns gain valuable experience in areas such as grant writing, project management, and AI integration. This not only enhances efficiency for the organizations we serve but also equips students with practical skills in business, arts administration, and marketing.

CBL Consulting responds to the needs of businesses and organizations in a way that is both specific and budget-friendly, ensuring that purpose-driven enterprises can thrive without compromising their mission.

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

I’m thrilled to be officially launching CBL Consulting in February 2025! Our mission is to empower creatives, entrepreneurs, and nonprofits by providing tailored resources and strategies to help them succeed.

At CBL Consulting, we offer one-on-one consulting designed to help you refine your ideas, uncover the scalability of your business, and identify opportunities for funding. As part of our services, clients receive a comprehensive brand kit and assistance in creating essential documents to help them take their next steps with confidence. For clients on retainer, we provide ongoing access to: A talented team of interns, Online workshops, & Digital resources like budget templates, grant lists, opportunity newsletters, and more. We’re here to bridge the gap between purpose and profit, equipping our clients with the tools and knowledge they need to thrive.

Currently, we’re proud to be working with The Project Foundation, an incredible organization dedicated to eradicating sex trafficking, educating communities on prevention, and empowering survivors as they take the next steps in their lives. It’s an honor to support them as they grow their impact and take their mission to the next level.

What sets CBL Consulting apart is our commitment to creating tailored solutions that not only align with your goals but also make your vision sustainable. Whether it’s through strategic planning, resource building, or connecting you with the right opportunities, we’re passionate about helping our clients turn their purpose into lasting success.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

This lesson has been a long time coming: I’ve had to unlearn the idea that hard work alone is enough. I grew up believing that as long as I worked hard, everything would eventually fall into place. As a result, I poured my energy into doing things the “right” way, often taking the longest route possible. By my senior year of college, I was completely exhausted. I was taking 20-24 credits a semester, pursuing two minors, and actively involved in multiple campus organizations. I believed that the harder I worked, the more it would pay off in the future. What I didn’t realize was that I had no real plan—hard work was the plan. I was busy, but I wasn’t necessarily productive or purposeful.

As an entrepreneur, I’ve learned the value of market research and evaluation. In the past, I would jump into projects with a goal in mind, not fully assessing the best way to approach them. I was so tied to the idea of “working hard” that if I wasn’t actively doing something, I felt like I was failing. Now, I’m unlearning perfectionism, the need to always be “doing” something, and the belief that my value lies solely in my work. Don’t get me wrong—doing your best is important. But I’ve learned that coupling hard work with efficiency, strategic planning, and intentionality leads to far better outcomes.

In this season of my life, I’ve embraced rest, reflection, and the willingness to pivot when necessary. I’ve learned that excellence isn’t about how much you do but about how purposefully you do it. This shift has allowed me to work smarter, not harder, and to value the process as much as the results.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

As a professional dancer, my life has always revolved around my art. However, this past season, I faced my first injury—a challenge that came during what felt like the height of my artistic inspiration. It also happened at a time when I needed to secure another job, leaving me unsure of my next steps. For the first time, I had to take three months off from dance. While it was an incredibly difficult transition, it gave me the opportunity to reflect and reassess. During that time, I began laying the groundwork for my new business. I took stock of the skills I had developed over the years and identified a problem I knew needed fixing. With those two elements in mind, I started building something new.

Not being able to dance gave me the time and space to set a solid foundation for my business. I was able to acquire clients, refine my offerings, and grow in ways I hadn’t imagined before. While I fully intend to return to dance, this unexpected break allowed me to shift gears, put on a new “hat,” and create a sustainable stream of income.

This experience taught me the power of flexibility and the importance of embracing change. Sometimes, the unexpected detours in life lead us to incredible opportunities we might never have explored otherwise.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.lachellemdickenson.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/theycallmela_ceo
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/la-chelle-dickenson
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@theycallmela

Image Credits

Dance Photos: Daniel Joel
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedanieljoel/