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

Ebone, appreciate you joining us today. Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?

Successful can be defined by most as someone who consistently works toward achieving a specific goal. Success is something that most value – and those that do are normally very successful. But everyone’s definition of success can be different in terms of what they value.

Some people want kids and marriage, others want a 6-figure career, or sometimes even both. Some people are motivated and grateful for their progress alone, which is absolutely beautiful. You may not always get the intended result but the changes along the way can be substantial – changing the trajectory of your life.

I like to think of success as a veil of peace over your mind. The feeling it brings to accomplish or nearly accomplish any personal or professional goal is pure bliss.
I personally believe you should be open to failure as being success to some extent as well. Without failing and learning from trial and error we would not grow or innovate new solutions.

Success for me mainly requires planning, goal setting, visualizing, networking, and remaining positive. My success stemmed from remaining motivated and focused, engaging with meaningful content, and strategizing. My most important source of success is my support system. Sometimes whether or not it is family is not important – you just need positive people in your corner.

I set my plans in succession of how I wanted to accomplish my business goals. I knew that attaining a degree from an accredited university would be helpful and would also make great networking connections. In addition to the other education I attained I made sure to focus on networking and building connections. For me, this is critical in business not only for clients, but also for vendor and other b2b purposes.

My view of business and success developed due to my past experiences, research, reading, podcasts, and meeting some phenomenal entrepreneurs. I learned to take advice from others and use it in my own way. I’ve had times where clients would reschedule without proper communication. Most would move on to the next client but I would dig deeper and make sure they were actually doing well. I understand that life happens and that helped me to build my community. Learning how to handle client cancellations and other issues, build rapport and a brand identity gave me more insight into business. I had a very different viewpoint 5 years ago – now I’m so open minded I surprise myself at times. I’ve always been understanding when it came to my clients. Catering to different levels of communication can definitely mold your empathy. Consistency, time, and effort are key.

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

My name is Ebonè Watson. I am a small business owner of 2 entities currently – in the semi-permanent beauty and recruitment management industries – Cali Slayed LLC and Blake & Co. LLC respectively. I’ve always been a self-starter and had a passion for entrepreneurship. In my journey I completed a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration and several related certifications and licenses. I’ve always had passions for beauty, design, and Human Resource management – but had no direction with what to do with my knowledge in the beginning.

Flash forward 5 years I am a successful travel luxury lash extension artist, content creator and recruitment agency owner. Cali Slayed LLC is debuting an e-book this year on absolutely everything lashes – tips, tricks, how tos, detailed examples, vendor freebies, guided business advice and more! My team and I wanted to take a more direct approach to education. There will also be scheduled webinar group courses that will target different areas of the business for those seeking additional assistance. Everything about this industry is rewarding to me, however giving people the opportunity to advance beyond their dreams is another level of joy.

Blake & Co. LLC offers staffing solutions, onboarding, employment industry education, and complimentary resume revision. My agency specializes in precise and exceptional talent placement in industries that are critical to economic expansion and environmental sustainability. Blake & Co. LLC differs from others in that we offer free mentorship for those seeking guidance. We also consistently place candidates that are successful in growing small businesses. We provide enlightening solutions that have directly impacted companies in a positive way and I could not be more grateful.

The work ethic, customer service, effort, and support behind these businesses are unmatched. For me, it’s about more than a dollar amount. The end goal is to provide people with solutions they are happy with and can learn from or grow with. Community and loyalty are top values in both companies. Essentially, we are here to support you in anyway we can with integrity and care.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

There are quite a few books that have inspired me tremendously over the past few years. I feel as though without them I would not be as influential. A few of these media are called The Secret, The 12 Week Year, Shoe Dog, The Mind Explained, The Social Dilemma, and The Playbook. My favorite is The Secret. It’s an engaging mindset book about attracting your true desires. You are what you think. I recommend them all. Reading and listening to motivational podcasts truly inspires me daily. I love reading about adventure but I realized that I needed to alter my mindset early on – and these media helped me to do so.

My philosophy is go where you are celebrated and live in the moment. The moment you are currently creating will manifest your future. Don’t go against the grain and absolutely everything happens for a reason. Control your reactions, learn from experiences, and move forward with grace. Always be grateful no matter what happens. Things might not always make sense presently and that’s okay. Life is to be enjoyed and experienced not always scrutinized and judged.

For entrepreneurs hold your head high. Whenever you walk in a room have confidence – you never know who is in the room. Be personable, make connections, have cultural awareness, and most importantly be yourself. It can get you very far.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

Managing teams is one of the most rewarding business accolades. Seeing people come together, problem solve, connect, and grow are some qualities that make managing worth while. As always – be open minded. Life is still happening outside of work, always be gracious to coworkers. You never know what someone is going through.

With this being said I believe that mental health should be prioritized. Shorter work weeks, mental health days, team bonding, and vacation time should be considered. If the business model will allot time off – incorporate it in to the schedule. Happy employees don’t change careers often.
Morale can fluctuate however these are criteria that will allow it to move in a positive direction over time.    

Contact Info:

• Website: Theblakeagency.co
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theblakeagency
• Other: Calendly.com/theblakeagency