We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jamella Stokes. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jamella below.

Hi Jamella, thanks for joining us today. Coming up with the idea is so exciting, but then comes the hard part – executing. Too often the media ignores the execution part and goes from idea to success, skipping over the nitty, gritty details of executing in the early days. We think that’s a disservice both to the entrepreneurs who built something amazing as well as the public who isn’t getting a realistic picture of what it takes to succeed. So, we’d really appreciate if you could open up about your execution story – how did you go from idea to execution?

My road to entrepreneurship may be a little unconventional but stick with me while I give you some backstory. As long as I can remember I have always loved makeup. Some of my earliest and fondest memories were sneaking in the bathroom sampling my grandmother’s mauve colored lipstick. As I grew older so did my passion for lipstick. I was affectionally known as the lipstick queen in my circles. I guess you could say I was lipstick famous. However, I as grew older I noticed that I didn’t see myself being reflected in the beauty ads and campaigns that I saw on television and in the store.

Fast forward to today, my passion for lipstick was something I couldn’t shake so I was inspired to move from the role of consumer to producer by launching my own cosmetics line Lipstick Famous Beauty Brand. As I sailed out on this new journey I began leveraging my business acumen to create a more inclusive line of cosmetics. I also had a goal of working with other black entrepreneurs to truly make this an experience like no other. But what I quickly noticed on this journey was that a lot of the black vendors had passion but lacked the know-how and systems to operate a business efficiently. Not only was it costly because mistakes were made but it was time-consuming and frustrating. Right after launching my very own Chicago-based lipstick brand in May 2022 I had the idea to create The Small Business Incubator – a boutique small business consulting agency created specifically to assist startups with putting the right systems in place so that that their businesses operate with efficiency. I truly believe you can only be successful when you start working “on” your business and not “in” it all the time.

I already had a background in implementation, process improvement and project management so I decided to get certified as a small business consultant, create my business plan and setup shop.

Jamella, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’m Jamella, a woman of God, wife, boy mom, certified Small Business Consultant and Strategist. Growing up on the South Side of Chicago it didn’t take me long to realize that I had goals and aspirations bigger than what I saw outside my window. I’ve always been a dreamer and what some would consider a go-getter. So even though I took the untraditional route of earning my degrees and climbing the corporate ladder I have no regrets. Throughout the years I’ve earned praise, promotions and awards on my career journey. But even with all the applause I felt like something was missing. I didn’t have the creative control, freedom or autonomy that brought the fulfillment I was seeking.

Because I believe that everything you need to succeed can be found within you and in a book I started out on a journey to leverage my passions and intellectual property. I’m a creative at heart so how can I take what I know and creatively package it into a product or service and still help other entrepreneurs I thought?

I don’t believe you have to be big to be excellent or achieve your goal of entrepreneurship, but I’m not naïve either. I am fully aware as a black woman entrepreneur myself that most black entrepreneurs lack the know-how and resources to efficiently operate a business. So when I started mapping out my own experiences with small businesses I uncovered quite a few gaps and wondered how I could be a solution. The consulting industry is over 100 years old so I’m not reinventing the wheel but I wanted to bring a new methodology to a group who lack the exposure and resources to properly see their dreams come to fruition. I always say that “you don’t know what you don’t know,” so, we bring the years of business experience, insight, strategy, and technical skills right to you through our programs. Our goal is to take the stress of running a business away and show you that you can have the freedom that comes with being a boss.

Yes, this is the age of the business coach but there are three things that sets The Small Business Incubator apart from the rest and that is firstly, our focus is on supporting the black woman entrepreneur specifically startups or those that have been in business 2 years or less. Secondly, we curate customized strategies using project and operations methodologies, so while others are heavily focused on ways to grow your social media accounts – scoping to uncover strengths and weaknesses, process documenting for repeatable tasks and onboarding best practices that give your client a first-class experience are a few of our focus areas. Lastly, we understand that most small businesses lack resources and are self-funded so our supportive services are reasonably price. We want to give you a fighting chance and partner in making your dream come true so that you make the strongest impact, and position yourself as an authority in the marketplace.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

My most effective strategy for growing my clientele is standing firm on my 5 values which are health, authenticity, purpose, family and relationships no matter the current trends.

I believe that health is wealth. I value health mentally, physically and spiritually. I value and believe in getting help and having the right conservations when you need to.

Secondly, I believe in authenticity. I believe that showing up as your true and authentic self is the only way to go. I don’t believe in stretching the truth when it comes to capabilities. I’ve learned over the years that clients will accept a “I don’t know but let me get back to you” over a lie any day.

Thirdly, I believe in purpose. I believe in chasing purpose and calling over hustling, grinding and consistently burning the midnight oil which only leads to burnout. I definitely work hard but I do it with intention so if that means taking a class or workshop to increase my skills I’ll do that over anything.

The fourth think I value is family. I believe family is the reason why I do what we do and I will never put chasing money before them.

Lastly, I believe in the value of relationships. I respect both my personal and professional relationships. I operate with integrity and I strive to consistently do the right thing and make things right when I can.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

The best source of new clients has been existing clients. I also provide DFY (Done For You) Services for business coaches. So when my clients share my work it always leads to new business. So if you need a worksheet, workbook, onboarding manual or strategic freebie I’m your go-to girl. Creating beautiful business documents for my clients has opened the door for new business. Who doesn’t like shiny objects.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.thesmallbusinessincubator.com
• Instagram: @thesmallbizincubator
• Facebook: The Small Business Incubator