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

Alysha, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Being a business owner can be really hard sometimes. It’s rewarding, but most business owners we’ve spoken sometimes think about what it would have been like to have had a regular job instead. Have you ever wondered that yourself? Maybe you can talk to us about a time when you felt this way?

I am absolutely happier as a business owner! That’s not to say that there aren’t moments when I think, “Man, it would be so much easier if I just took a job.” But then I remember how often, when I did have a job, I would feel caged, restrained, and restricted to the point that I was really miserable. The lowest points I’ve experienced as an entrepreneur actually don’t compare to what I dealt with in the corporate world—which is how I know for sure that this is the right path for me.

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

I’m a publicist, which means I get to tell stories through the companies, startups, founders, and executives I work with. As a PR agency owner, I’m one of few Black women that work across a number of industries: tech, entertainment, marketing/advertising, AR/VR, retail, cannabis, travel — you name it. I have a general love for storytelling and business so I am pretty agnostic about the industries I will work with whereas my colleagues often choose an industry or ‘lane’ and stay there. Nothing wrong with that but I enjoy the diversity.

In terms of what I do for clients, it’s a mix of a few things but it generally boils down to creating visibility for them and their business, helping them pivot when they might need to change perceptions, and helping them navigate times of crisis.

I’m very proud of being able to say that I’ve had my agency, Flight PR, for 9 years now. Approaching a 10-year milestone is an incredible feat for any small business owner and it’s not something I ever imagined I would be able to do. The longest tenure I’ve ever held with any job has been working for myself, haha.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

One of the biggest lessons I had to unlearn was that I do not have to always be nice. Nice for what?? When I worked in the corporate world, my colleagues would joke that I was diplomatic to a fault. Personally, I never understood why it was so funny to people. I’m from Chicago, so I grew up with a “Work hard and be nice to people” mindset. But, I’ve seen time and time again where people take kindness for weakness and you need to correct that thinking real quick — because that can translate to things like people not paying their invoices on time, not respecting your time, being reckless with their words, etc.

You can be kind, you can be respectful, you can be empathetic. But throw “nice” out the window and start setting some boundaries.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

The fact that I was even able to launch my company while experiencing the lowest point in my personal life (an excruciating divorce) and still be here today almost a decade later is a true testament to my resilience. Over the years, there have been many twists and turns but I have been really fortunate to work with some wonderful clients and colleagues along the way. I also credit my close friends a great deal for their guidance when things have gotten really hard. The path to entrepreneurship can be a lonely one; I highly encourage anyone embarking on this journey to build up a solid network of comrades, confidants, and mentors if they don’t already have them in place.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.flightpr.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alyshalight/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alyshalight
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/alyshalight_

Image Credits
Ashlee Huff