We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jamilee Bates a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Jamilee, appreciate you joining us today. 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 grew up in a small town, Lake Providence, LA, that was once deemed the poorest city in America. To me, this was and still is home, there was no adversity present. When I attended college, I minored in community health, and I became a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES). I always tell people that my business found me. Volunteering, assisting the elderly, and finding ways to give back were things that I enjoyed doing. 

My company provides the following services: community health events organizing, consultative services, health equity initiatives, innovative solutions, and results-oriented approaches. We have built a strong vendor network with top hospitals and companies in the DFW such as Parkland, United Healthcare, UTSW, Volunteers of America, Metrocare, Tigerlily Foundation, and Speech Therapy just to name a few.

I am most proud of the community health fairs that I have organized. On July 22, we conducted our 2nd annual health fair. We partnered with a local church along with barbers, vendors, nurses, and local groups. Together, we gave away over 400 backpacks, 50 haircuts, 30 health screenings, and 50 screenings for cholesterol just to highlight a few things. Furthermore, we conducted a women’s clothing drive, collected can goods, and received monetary donations.

We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

I knew that I always wanted a business of my own, but I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do or call it. This had been a dream of mine since I became pregnant with my daughter in 2005. A few names came to mind, Through Zion’s Eyes but it wouldn’t work. In 2020, during a conversation with a relative I decided that I was going to start my LLC. Honestly, I was tired of putting it off. I wanted to create something that would serve the family (if they ever wanted to do anything or explore their talents). A legacy that I could leave behind for my daughter. I thought of my mom (the street she lives on) and instantly decided on the name: 213 Sparrow St Solutions. 

This was going to be a business that could give back to the community by exploring different aspects of community health. I am skilled at many things, but I knew I needed to hone it down to one concept. I decided to do Community Health and focus on giving back through health fairs, sharing resources, and bridging the gap between healthcare and the community. In my research, I found that most people do not go to the doctor due to lack of healthcare, knowledge, or familial traits. In the African American communities, the doctor’s office was the final straw instead of being used as a preventative measure. With this information, I decided to start organizing health fairs that weren’t intimidating but enlightening and free to attend.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

The best source for new clients is social media. For this year’s health fair, I did things completely different. I created ads and marketing on social media sites such as Eventbrite, Instagram, and Facebook. I found by doing this, it allowed those who were truly interested to seek me. I think of it as I’m supplying the product and they are supplying the need and desire. I was brought to tears seeing my flyer on multiple sites that I had no idea about. All it took was a simple Google search.

The main thing that I want potential clients and followers to know is that we are a serious company that gets the work done. Although we are small and upcoming, our passion and desire to aid the community is enormous. We give 100% effort all the time and we look forward to building more partnerships and business relationships.

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

When it comes to managing a team and maintaining high morale, it is important to show that you are knowledgeable and willing to listen. There is importance in being in the authoritative role but there is also humility in trusting your team. For example, I am comfortable being in the background. Having this company has forced me to be in the front allowed me to demonstrate management and leadership skills. Lastly, it is important to take suggestions, be open to new concepts, and to trust your team.

As for maintaining a high morale. It was easy because we were completing an act of service that was bigger than us. We knew the importance of the event and all the individuals it would help. To motivate my vendors, I sent emails with encouraging words and to be proud of their businesses so promote it as such. Let the world know who you are!!! Most importantly, I gave my team and vendors the options to contact me whenever and for whatever they needed. My message was simple: I am ALWAYS there to support them.

Contact Info:

• Website: 213solutions.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/213sparrowstsolutions
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/213solutions
• Other: jamilee@213solutions.org