Today we’d like to introduce you to Clarene Mitchell.

Hi Clarene, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My introduction to the world of entrepreneurship was unforeseen. Throughout my college journey and my career, I never had aspirations of becoming an entrepreneur. It was never a deferred dream that I finally began pursuing when the time was right. Instead, I say that entrepreneurship picked me instead of me picking it.

My road to entrepreneurship began in the fall of 2016 after I had a dramatic job loss. Despite my education, skills, career experiences and connections, I couldn’t get job interviews or offers for almost a year. Out of sheer desperation, I created my own career opportunity by starting my business in July 2017. I was introduced to entrepreneurship unwillingly and late in life, but now I can’t imagine being content without my continued focus on my business.

I was inspired to start my business when I was introduced to this A.G. Gaston quote:

“Find a need and fill it. Successful businesses are founded on the needs of people.”

There was a gap in people’s understanding of how to effectively use LinkedIn. At the time, people from job seeker networking groups and others sought my guidance based on my strong LinkedIn presence. Instead of just having casual coffee shop sessions and providing them with LinkedIn support, I developed a business based on the need. Now, there are over 1 billion LinkedIn members, but a large percentage are only scratching the surface of all that the platform offers. Many wrongly believe they just need to load their career information and use it when they are in job seeker mode. Yet, there is value in using LinkedIn on an ongoing basis. Additionally, entrepreneurs and executives can benefit greatly from LinkedIn. It is the top social media site for professional and business purposes.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
From the start and throughout my seven years of full-time entrepreneurship, the process has been the opposite of smooth. I started at a deficit. I had not planned on becoming an entrepreneur. I had no business experience. I had no business coach. I had no saved money or access to funding. All I had was needed expertise and determination. Because I was doing something that was not a traditional business area, I faced criticism and a lack of support from people in my circle who didn’t believe in my vision.

Some specific challenges that I navigated while keeping my business going were the COVID pandemic, my divorce and a cross-country move. These experiences were very stressful and required a lot of my time and attention. It was very challenging to stay attentive to all the details of my business and keep the momentum going. As a result, I lost some clients and business opportunities.

My biggest challenge recently has been the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI). I’m very committed to a human-centric approach with my LinkedIn services. LinkedIn is a social selling platform, that involves people connecting with people versus robot-generated networking. Unfortunately, the masses are favoring low-cost AI options for profile optimization and content creation instead of utilizing an expert like myself. This blocks their long-term presence and growth on the platform because they lack knowledge of LinkedIn’s best practices and an authentic approach.

We’ve been impressed with TCM Communications, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
TCM Communications changes the trajectory of lives and businesses, one LinkedIn profile at a time. This is achieved through results-driven LinkedIn coaching, corporate training, event speaking and ghostwriting services. My corporate training is from a brand ambassadorship perspective. The ghostwriting services include optimizing profiles for clients and/or creating their content. TCM Comms mainly works with entrepreneurs and executives.

I stand out from others in my industry in part because I exclusively focus on LinkedIn versus diluting my services with other platforms. This allows me to have a high level of expertise regarding LinkedIn that continues to grow on a daily basis. Additionally, my expertise as a LinkedIn coaching/trainer is rooted in my career background as a print journalist and public/community relations professional. I empower my clients to zone into their brands so they can Shine Online!

Additionally, in 2022 I was selected out of thousands of applicants to be in the Technology & Innovation cohort of LinkedIn’s Creator Accelerator Program. This afforded me direct access to LinkedIn training and resources. I also was selected to attend an invite-only Creator’s Day at LinkedIn’s Chicago office for training. Previous to these two major accomplishments, I was a beta tester for several of LinkedIn’s products and my Shine Online newsletter was recognized as a Top Pick by LinkedIn in 2021.

Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
I believe taking risks is a necessary part of being an entrepreneur. As the saying goes, nothing ventured, nothing gained. The process of starting my business was risky. Every day I continue to focus on my business instead of getting a traditional job, which is risky. The due dates for bills don’t go away when the client flow is slow. This is especially true as a solopreneur with a service-based business, I’m constantly working to attract and acquire new clients. The allure of a bi-weekly paycheck is always tempting.

Being 50+ with a business that is dominated by younger demographics is risky as well. I often miss out on business opportunities due to the stereotype of young people being more skilled with social media.

One of the biggest risks I’ve taken on was becoming a self-published author in 2019. Just with every aspect of my business, I bootstrapped the process. It was risky because I didn’t know if the response would be good or not. It was an expensive process to have the initial order of books printed. It all would have been wasted money if the book sales were slow. Instead, the book sales went well enough for me to get a second printing in a short period of time. I accomplished my goal of becoming a published author because I believed in myself and took the risk. This allowed me to gain more credibility in my industry early in my business tenure.

Pricing:

• LinkedIn Power Package (30-day coaching process) , $1,500
• Corporate LinkedIn Training, starting at $5,000
• LinkedIn Done-for-You Profile Optimization, starting at $2,000
• LinkedIn Content Ghostwriting, starting at $250 week

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tcm-communications-trusted-creative-marketing-and-communications/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clarenemitchell/

Image Credits
Josh New
Pat A. Robinson
William Edwards