We were lucky to catch up with Erin Smith recently and have shared our conversation below.

Erin, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

Imagine being burnout from the ups and downs of being an entrepreneur and seeking the current workforce system for support, just to find no support at all? Does that sound common? The first risk I took recently was to trust a workforce system that wasn’t designed to prevent burnout, but maximize an individuals time and energy through hard labor. This risk led me to the risk of moving to a remote town in the middle of nowhere in Alaska. Food and lodging was provided and paycheck was given, so in my head, the risk was worth the reward of financial security. Two months in Alaska, I made amazing friends, life long friends, one in particular named Jose. Jose was just shy of 21 and proposed to his girlfriend July 31st, 2023. On August 8th, 2023, Jose was murdered by an employee who was apart of the reentry program. Now, was this risk worth the reward? Only if I let the reward be materialistic. Because Jose’s life was cut short, I was quickly reminded of the current system of workforce development and how it hasn’t been revised or restructured since being implemented. Upon my return from Alaska, I Found a new joy in the risk of fighting the system of oppression. Oppression in education, funding, resources, cost of living, business, wellness, community and overall the progression of the human race.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Erin Je’Nae Smith, born in Stone Mountain, Georgia, grew up in a Jehovah’s Witness household, motivated by her father’s battle with Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP). Despite the possibility of facing the same fate, Erin devoted herself to preventing others from experiencing the darkness alone. After leaving home at 18, she scaled over 15 businesses in six years, lobbied on 10+ policies in cannabis, sex worker safety, and mental health, and hosted 350+ events across five states. Erin’s journey led her to spiritual healing, including graduating from the Southwest Institute of Healing Arts.

Returning to Georgia in 2022, Erin focuses on community leadership rather than a traditional political platform. Her initiatives for Dekalb and Gwinnett counties encompass economic development, policies, education, and prioritizing mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual health. Erin’s upcoming community involvement includes the Atlanta Wealth Builder Initiative, Truist Foundation Watson Institute network, Young Democrats of America, Sustaining Way, and Economic Development roles in Dekalb, Gwinnett, Fulton, and Jonesboro, GA.

Erin’s transformative journey, from facing legal challenges to becoming a community leader, reflects her commitment to healing and empowering others.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Imagine going against your religious organizations wishes for secular education, and getting accepted in to your dream college. You attend an incentive programs for scholars through the summer and return excited to excel in the fall semester. Not even four months go by, and you’re faced with a felony drug charge because you decided to participate in recreational marijuana. This charge and experience changed my life forever. I lost all my scholarships for college, got suspended from the institution and no one would hire a felon with a drug charge. What would you do? I decided to seek assistance and found Dwight L Thomas who took my case on pro bono in exchange that I help individuals in similar situations. This was in 2013 and to date, The Smith Enterprise has successfully lobbied for Hemp Farm Bill and the Safe Banking Act for the cannabis industry. The Smith Enterprise has also assisted on the social equity license and bill in Arizona, prop 207, by helping black owned businesses navigate their way successfully and safely through the cannabis industry. Partners include MCBA, Budding Solutions, MJBiz Con, MMJ, and many more.

Any advice for managing a team?

Get to know your team beyond the office. find out what your team really needs by finding out who each individual is. At The Smith Enterprise, we have wellness advisors who offer free human design readings, mental health services, yoga, reiki services all for free! We want our team to ALWAYS know that we care about them and their overall wellbeing! not just at the office! If you are looking to cultivate a thriving environment for your team, be clear, specific and dedicated to your company’s culture, vision and goals. Lead with your actions not your words and your team will follow suit.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.smithenterprise.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesmithenterprise/?hl=en
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erinsmithforyou/
• Twitter: N/A
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCD2RR2FOUgPhQqeScWF6d_Q

Image Credits

Dock Productions
Tiffany Caines