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

Jasmen, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Alright, so you had your idea and then what happened? Can you walk us through the story of how you went from just an idea to executing on the idea

After working at a place where I felt underappreciated and not paid enough for the value I brought to the organization, working for myself felt like a “this could be cool” type of goal.

It felt like an amazing opportunity to set my own schedule, define how much my time was worth, and create a space to uplift and center other Black women. But because owning a business is so risky, it also felt like something for later in life. I kept telling myself, “when I get more stable, I’ll do that one day…”

Enter Maven Leadership Collective. In August 2018, Maven was accepting applications for their next leadership cohort. I eventually applied (after a lot of pushing) and had no idea that I signed up for life-changing relationships and lessons on leading with intention. Over a six-month cohort, Maven helped me take my big, bold vision for supporting Black women’s leadership in politics and shaped it into a model that was “SMART” – specific, measurable, attainable, realistic/relevant, and time-bound.

But I still wasn’t ready to go all in.

I stayed at my job, taking a few small contracts on the side, hoping for better. A year after I submitted my Maven application and eventually graduated the cohort, I found myself again overwhelmed and unfulfilled with my job. So, I left. Still not trusting my abilities, I took another (better) job, and then another (better) campaign job and thought I had found my stride in politics. Consulting and the big vision could stay on the side a little longer.

When that job ended sooner than I thought it would, right at the beginning of the COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020, I was stuck.

Thankfully, I could dig back into my notes and find the foundation to spring into action and secure my first long-term contract. What I learned in Maven prepared me to begin and scale my business in a way that made sense for exactly where I was.

It definitely wasn’t easy or sunshine the entire time, because starting and maintaining a business is a beautiful hustle not for the faint of heart. There were a lot of whoopsies and mistakes, and I have found it absolutely necessary to surround myself with people who understand big ideas and also the business of it all. I’ve needed mentors and accountants (taxes, taxes, taxes), visionaries, and leaders who’ve kept me on track. But I’m proud that for the past two years, I have been working for myself, enjoying flexibility and autonomy in a way I have never imagined.

Folding Chair Consulting is dedicated to giving Black women a space to be authentic and uncompromising in their pursuit of political power. Through campaign strategy, mobilizations, and training, we’re creating the paths to win.

Every day I’m learning more and more about why I fight for a seat at the table. Every day has been a new opportunity to scale up to meet my goals. And every day, I’m more and more grateful for a community of people who continue to help me execute on my wildest dreams.

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 am Jasmen Rogers (she/her/hers), Founder and Principal Visionary at Folding Chair Consulting. I’m a Florida native and I’ve worked for several years at the intersection of racial and gender justice.

This work started for me post-college after the very public murder of Trayvon Martin and other Black people at the hands of police. I wanted to understand HOW these things could happen with no accountability. Many, many conversations pointed me to the importance of policy in determining who gets the privilege of innocence.

Since then, I dived deep into Florida politics to understand who makes the laws, who gives them the power to do so, and how we can find the inroads to fight back. In the past seven years, I’ve worked to advance legislation that centers Black women, co-create curriculum that makes the political process accessible, organize tens of thousands of Floridians towards social change, and build a base of women of color committed to Reproductive Justice.

In 2020, I ran for the Florida House of Representatives. And while unsuccessful, I gained even more insight into the electoral process and the will of voters. I have appealed to the United Nations on behalf of families impacted by police violence, worked with formerly incarcerated women to pass legislation, worked to build Black/African-American outreach on a presidential campaign, and equipped organizations with the tools to dismantle anti-Blackness.

In my “spare time,” I am an alumnus of Maven Leadership Collective and serve as Chair of the Broward County Commission for the Status of Women and a member of the City of Wilton Manors Community Affairs Advisory Board.

Folding Chair Consulting is dedicated to power building through: Uncompromising political strategy coaching and support, Facilitation on a variety of topics, including: anti-Blackness, race equity, and feminisms, Culturally competent prep for Black women seeking political office or leadership roles on campaigns, and Connecting Black women with the resources to win/raise their political profiles.

We are here to sharpen your tools, prepare you to compete, think in new ways… and win.

We are set apart because at our core, above all else, we are dedicated to the uplift of Black women in politics.

I am most proud of the coalitions we’ve built, the collaboration we’ve created, and the big, bold work we’ve done in community with other brilliant Black women.

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

Word of Mouth. Period. Websites, social media, e-blasts are all essential tools to grow, but the power of relationships is too often understated.

Every new client I’ve worked with has been referred to me through a relationship I’ve maintained. Relationships, whether friendships or paid memberships to organizations, are powerful ways to promote your business and accelerate your growth.

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

See above.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.foldindchairconsulting.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jasmenrogers/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasmenrogers/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/JasmenRogers

Image Credits
Pointing with Papers in Hand: Passion Ward Photography At Podium: Carrie Feit Photography Black and White Portraits: Vanessa Charlot