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

Londen, appreciate you joining us today. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your business sooner or later

If I could go back in time, I wish I would have started my business later. When I first started my business in 2012, it was a fashion styling business for men. I fell into the field but did not know anything about running a business but was in a situation where I was no longer employed and needed a backup plan. Entrepreneurship was not a part of family conversation, so to have my own business was foreign. Although I was good at styling customers, I was not passionate about it. So I rebranded, changing the company to a coaching business after obtaining my Master’s Degree. I found my passion but not knowing anything about the business aspect but just my desire to help others. Earning revenue was not at the top of my list and, in reality, something I did not know how to do. If I had started my business later, I would have taken the time to network, seek mentorship, and build a marketing plan. Instead, I ultimately did everything myself as a novice entrepreneur, which brought about frustration, a lack of motivation to keep going, and inconsistency. However, now being okay with taking a step back and reevaluating my services and building a network of supports, I am confident that Emerald Rising will continue to take off and never slow down.

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 started as a wardrobe stylist and fashion blogger in St. Louis, MO. While working with clients, I found that most of them did not have inner confidence, making it harder to style them. It was easy putting an outfit together, but if the client was not comfortable with themselves, insecurities showed more than the glamour of the outfit. I found myself coaching clients to see the beauty within themselves, informing them about their body type and the styles that most flattered them, and teaching them how to shop independently. After receiving my Master’s Degree in Human Services/Life Coaching, Emerald Rising was created.

Emerald Rising is an organization that provides services and techniques to improve individuals’ overall quality of life through personal style, goal setting, and self-esteem. Our vision is to enrich our clients’ overall value of life by enhancing their self-awareness and confidence in life management and style. Our services include Life Coaching, Image Coaching, and Workshops/Seminars such as The Rose Workshop, and books.

The Rose Workshop which is designed for women going through a transitional phase, whether that be domestic violence, homelessness, mental illness, and/or addiction. The workshop is designed to help shape self-esteem, self-assurance, and self-worth through intense eye-opening self-reflecting discussions and activities. Participants go through various exercises to acknowledge triggers, moments of weakness, strengths, and goals while learning to forgive past experiences to achieve a healed and prosperous present and future.

Let’s Talk About…Boys, a self-guide for Moms and their teen daughters to navigate those hard adolescent conversations, was released in 2021.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I had to pivot five years ago, moving to Houston from St. Louis, MO. Moving to a city with no family and one friend was a huge adjustment. No one takes account of the emotional coaster you go through, uprooting the life you once knew and completely starting over. With the new beginning in a new place, Emerald Rising had to take a back seat until I was adjusted mentally and financially. It was a decision I learned so much from and made me stronger. Running my business in Houston means so much more because I know I worked harder to secure clients, being that I was a newbie to the city.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

The lesson I had to unlearn is that you have to work for someone to make good money and be successful. As I stated prior, entrepreneurship was not a taught or a practiced concept in my family. I was taught to go to college and get a good job that pays well enough to take care of a family. Because of that upbringing, when things did not go as well, I had in my mind to j give up and focus on a career. Positioning myself around other entrepreneurs has changed my mindset and shows me that success is sure to come through entrepreneurship.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.emeraldrisingllc.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/emeraldrisingllc
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/emeraldrisingllc