We recently connected with Dr. Angella Banks and have shared our conversation below.
Dr. Angella, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about your team building process? How did you recruit and train your team and knowing what you know now would you have done anything differently?
I literally built my organization from a dream. I woke up and knew that it was purposed to be nationwide; however, I was clueless about how that would happen. During the time that I received the dream, I resided in Jackson TN. A smaller suburb sandwiched between Nashville and Memphis, Tennessee. How would I build an organization and attract leaders nationwide with such limited reach and resources? I immediately called one of my best friends, Audra to share the dream, and she became my first leader, I named her my Co-Founder. I was managing a Fortune 500 company in the banking industry and recruited one of my clients, Toney, to join my leadership team. For me, it was about quality and not quantity. Today, fourteen years later, both still serve as part of my leadership executive board. I have leaders and members throughout the United States and internationally. I built my team based on relationships, synergy, and proven success. That success looks different as our niche market is focused on “Servant Leadership!” Therefore a measurement of success would be determining if the individual is a servant leader. If I had to do anything different today, I would hone in more on the skills of an individual and their ability to lead effectively.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I am known as the “Midwife to Dreamspreneur!” I received this title because I help individuals birth their dreams and visions and move them into purpose. In 2016, I received my Doctorate in Business with a Marketing Specialization; then in 2019, I received an honorary Doctorate in Theology. The combination of these degrees along with my sixteen years in Corporate America leadership settings gave me an advantage in how to build effectively. I took those professional experiences and brought them into the entrepreneurial world. As a single mother who resigned from a successful career as a banking manager with no savings and little money in the bank; empathy, and strategy became my unique market differentiation, allowing me to stand out from other competitors in the coaching and consulting industry. My areas of specialization for dreamers, entrepreneurs, and leaders are development, empowerment, and promotion. Through my non-profit organization, Xcellence, Inc., a series of platforms exist to assist individuals to learn at their own pace, and at an affordable rate to grow their businesses, companies, and organizations.
How did you build your audience on social media?
I resigned from my job in 2008. Shortly thereafter, I believe around 2009, Facebook launched. This was the perfect opportunity for me to build an online digital platform and connect with individuals throughout the world. I had such success that I completed my doctoral dissertation on Facebook and Small Businesses and Enterprises. Today, there are several social media platforms to assist small businesses and entrepreneurs. The most trending social media platform is “TikTok.” One of the cons of social media is competition and saturation. Over the years, I have been successful in reaching leaders nationwide and globally, because of brand consistency. My audience has watched me in creative ways to grow my company. There is a high level of emotional intelligence connected to my work. The more I grow and the more successful I am in building my company, the more vested they become.
How do you keep your team’s morale high?
In managing a team, it is important to celebrate strengths, skills, and successes. In addition, including team engagement aids in highlighting growth.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.drangellabanks.org
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/drangellabanks
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/drangellabanks
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/drangellabanks
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/dra_dreamcoach.com
- Youtube: drangellabanks
Image Credits
Berry Sharp Photographer – Pink Antoinne Duane Jones – Black Dress