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

Hi Dr. Marquisha, thanks for joining us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

Growing up, I watched my mother prioritize family, community, and her children. She was always giving, donating, showing up, and pouring into other people. As I got older, I recognized the impact this not only had on those that she served, but likewise on her, as a single mother of three young children. I likewise recognized how much I had in common with her as a young mother who was always giving, donating, showing up, and pouring into other people. I wanted to continue to be a servant, but in a healthier and more meaningful and intentional way. Thus, in an effort to create healthier, more efficient, and well-resourced spaces for other women that didn’t require me to sacrifice self, I founded Queens Do Things, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization with the mission to significantly empower and positively impact minority women by creating opportunities that encourage inclusion, empowerment, growth, and wellness in an effort to build stronger communities and spaces where the voices, needs, and experiences of the minority, become the priority.

This work is not only dedicated to my mother, but to the countless young women I mentored prior to my leaving my hometown to purse my doctorate degree. I wanted to give them pieces of me and stay connected to them to be a resource, a light, an example. The public has those young women to thank as they encouraged me to make Queens Do Things public due to their contacts: family, friends, associates who wanted to access the material they were reading, learning, discussing and so, I did. Since then, the community has grown to include an academic and entrepreneurial scholarship, as well as targeted, intentional conversations about topics that are relative to the experiences of young women and girls, and further, a launching pad of FREE and reduced resources to assist people in navigating hardship. This organization is a collective of folks working toward the greater good. I am proud to have it be a part of my legacy.

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

I think I am often mistaken for someone who has it all together. But the truth is, both of the businesses I’ve built, Queens Do Things and Marquisha&Co., were founded from me falling apart.

I was born to a teenage mother and grew up in a single-parent household. I then became a teenage mother myself and recognized very early on that if I wanted a different life and a different set of outcomes for my son, I had to work hard to become the best version of myself. So, I’ve spent a lot of time doing that. I graduated high school, pregnant and entered college to pursue a BA in Multidisciplinary Studies. I graduated and went on to pursue a MS in Counseling and when I finished that program, went on to receive a PhD in Higher Education Administration. I knew that navigating higher education to pursue a terminal degree would set me a part from others, increase my chances of exponential salary increases over the course of my career, and expose me to people much different than myself. This allowed me to keep learning, building, growing, and connecting with other people. In doing so, I was learning, building, growing, and connecting concepts and ideas to build businesses that would help other women do the same.

Queens Do Things is a non-profit agency that focuses on empowering and supporting women. I wanted to create pathways toward resources and build a community of women, mothers, sisters, and friends who want to learn more, talk more, do more to increase life satisfaction for other women. While QDT started as a blog, it’s grown into an organization that provides funding for academic and entrepreneurial scholarships and an online community that serves as a breeding ground for organizing, publishing, and connecting issues to solutions for women and girls.

QDT also served as the launch pad for my most recent business, Marquisha&Co., which is a wellness and life-coaching platform dedicated to self-improvement. Through the Girl-Chat Series hosted by Queens Do Things, I recognized that women needed a place/space to unpack their experiences, traumas, hurts, and work toward healing. There was so much shared over the course of the pandemic in which we brought women from across the world together to discuss matters that were on their heart: self love, relationships, financial basics, mothering, dealing with loss, etc. So I knew that I wanted to do something that prioritized communities of women working collectively toward these goals. For so long, it was only a thought and then I became pregnant with my daughter and I wanted to create something intentional that would allow me to serve others, but also become a better version of myself in honor of her. Then came Marquisha&Co.

Via Marquisha&Co., I counsel and coach clients toward their better selves. I also have a line of self-improvement products: a journal, workbook, and planner, to help people become better versions of themselves. This work, in many ways, is an extension of Queens Do Things, but the focus isn’t financial resources or empowerment, it’s community and improvement. One of the most incredible pieces of Marquisha&Co. is The Sanctuary Collective. The Sanctuary Collective is a community of women working collaboratively to push, pray, and prepare for the life they are manifesting. These women working toward achieving peace, elevation, and accomplishing goals while prioritizing hope, healing, and holistic wellness–TOGETHER. They have access to exclusive Co. content, frequent check-ins, monthly group gatherings, accountability partners, and annual retreats. The Sanctuary Collective is a paid, members-ONLY club and exclusive extension of Marquisha&Co.

I think what sets me a part from other empowerment specialists, life coaches, academics, and women in general is that so much of the work I do, no matter where I am doing it at, is in service to others and in alignment with my purpose. I believe I was put on this earth to connect, inspire, and help other people build capacity to heal, grow, and thrive. I think about my journey through teen parenthood, higher education, and building community for myself to thrive and none of it was accidental or coincidental. I feel fortunate for this journey and in doing this work, I find ways to push other people forward and pursue their own purpose and journeys as healthier versions of themselves. I feel like a magician on many days. It’s truly magical watching someone blossom into who they were created to be. It’s an honor and what I want people to know about me is that none of it came easy, but all of it is meant for me. I am here purposefully and intentionally doing this work. I am also just as committed to the success of my clients as I am to my own success and the joy in this journey for me is that this work is for everybody. No one is exempt from improvement. No one is exempt from becoming better and better. I feel a limitless opportunity to serving others.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

The most effective strategy for growing my clientele has been telling my own story. This is something I’ve tried to avoid over the years, because I am a naturally private person. However, more than anything, people want to know about me, my journey, my experience, my tips, routines, and how I operate to be who I am do the work that I do. The simple answer is God. Everything that I am and everything that I do is through faith. The more I share, the more my business grows. The academic in me saw the direct correlation between the two very early on in my career.

How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?

There are a number of things I do personally, that help me professionally. Building relationships is one of those things. I mail birthday cards, Christmas cards, and remember the things that are important to the people that are important to me. This includes my clients. I am also extremely consistent and genuine. I recognize that I have a gift in the service that I offer, but I am also extremely humble. I think people enjoy talking to me and working with me so I try to honor that by honoring them.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.marquishaandco.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/__thedocisin/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drmarquishafrost
• Linkedin: marquisha frost
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/__thedocisin
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQpBWWCmkaxQ0w2Xvve5rTA
• Other: queensdothings.com

Image Credits
Brody Schmaderer Harkera Hardy