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

Marlena , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you recount a story of an unexpected problem you’ve faced along the way?

I’ve faced a number of unexpected problems throughout my professional career. Especially as an entrepreneur. I have encountered the most unexpected problems in community development. From dealing with biased government officials, sellers backing out, losing funding, being threatened, civil suits, etc. I have encountered it all. There were several times when I was ready to give up, felt like a failure and thought that I was going to lose everything. Then help came my way in the form of mentorship & guidance. Community Development is extremely risky and it takes a lot of willpower. I was able to resolve most of the unexpected problems and issues by remaining committed to the overall plan and seeking alternative resources. When I initially set out to develop a small community in North Georgia, I had no idea how I was going to accomplish the mission. However through perseverance, faith & some very knowledgeable people that I have met along the way the process became easier. .

Marlena , 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 am an entrepreneur, visionary and aspiring community developer. In 2020, I was inspired to develop a sustainable community in North Georgia. My vision originally started off as a 100 acre project. Since then the project has grown to over 400 acres and 40 families.

Let’s talk M&A – we’d love to hear your about your experience with buying businesses.

We are currently completing the acquisition and purchase of another business that will consist of a 98 acres. we are extremely excited about completing this acquisition b/c it will allow us to avoid some of the pitfalls we encountered during our previous acquisition.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

Although I am a published author, the book that has significantly impacts my thinking and philosophy is Project 369: Keys to the Universe by David Kasneci. This book keeps me inspired and motivated each day. It also helps me reflect back over the goals that I am trying to achieve.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.lakesofsummervillega.com
• Instagram: @Lakesofsummervillega
• Facebook: @lakesofsummervillega
• Twitter: @Los_Communityga