Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Michelle L. Haynes, MPA, PMP. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Michelle L. , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s something crazy on unexpected that’s happened to you or your business
My craziest business story taught me a very valuable lesson, although costly. So my entertainment company, DCLA Productions, LLC started out doing parties and social events, like happy hours, college fairs, etc. I remember the point where we felt we were ready for the big leagues and decided to do our first concert. We booked an R&B artist to headline at the Fillmore in Silver Spring MD. Promotions were going great and ticket sales were going well. Then out of nowhere, this same artist was announced to be on tour with Chris Brown and they would be coming to a venue nearby. I recall the venue calling us hysterically saying “they can’t do this, it’s illegal because you have a non-compete clause in your contract right?!” We were like non-compete clause?? We literally had no clue what they even was! Lol Needless to say, tickets sales dwindled badly from that point because customers could now see BOTH artists instead of just the one. We lost so much money on that show, literally our life savings at the time. But the press behind it was so amazing from local bloggers to the Washington Post, that we knew we had to keep going. But how?! We were broke and the business was too new to have real credit enough for a business loan. So we (my husband & I) took a personal loan out and did another concert, this time with Chrisette Michele. This one was phenomenal and sold out completely. We were suddenly back in position. The moral of the story is keep going! If we would’ve quit at the first sign of defeat, our business would’ve ended before it had a chance to really start.
Michelle L. , 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?
My favorite way to describe myself is to say that I stand in the gap for the underdog. As a first generation college graduate, who also happens to be the daughter of a drug addict and an alcoholic, I’m no stranger to defying odds. Odds that statistically don’t allow for people like me, to become people like me. I pray you caught that!
That background birthed T.U.F.F Chicks, LLC which has been the catalyst to the Still Standing Conference, LLC. Both organizations empower women to use pain to fuel purpose. What I’ve found to be true on this journey is that the healing is in the work. The self work. The root work. The community work. Understanding that my story is bigger than me has allowed me to accept my truths, but also to relinquish to God. At this point, it’s just have your way, and I’ll do what you want me to do. My life is clearly not my own, and resistance to His will has only delayed what was destined to happen anyway.
The Still Standing Conference is an annual Mother’s Day brunch in the DMV where women from all walks of life share their still standing stories. I called it that because it was my mom’s favorite song before she died. Hosting it during Mother’s Day weekend gave me something to take my mind off of the grief. Having lost both of my parents before the age of 30 has been a heavy load to carry. However, walking in my purpose has lightened that load.
There is power in the collective and I’ll be the first to tell you, it gets deep! We laugh, cry, love, shop, network, eat, drink, dance, and overall just celebrate each other. It’s a really beautiful experience between resilient women. I invite you to join us this year. Our theme is Mask-Off and we are going way beneath the surface.
My production company DCLA Productions, LLC is producing a small comedy tour this summer, Kay’s House Party, that we are really excited about. Our DC stop will be at the DC Improv on June 16th. Bring your husband, dad, son or friend for a Father’s Day treat that he will certainly enjoy.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
For our very first Still Standing Conference, my partner lost her son’s father. That meant that she wouldn’t be able to attend the event at all, as his funeral fell on the same date as the event. I cannot clearly articulate how afraid I was. I had built my entire business on being in the background. As a certified Project Manager, I thoroughly enjoyed the background, running operations, creating and managing budgets, creating project timelines and milestones, doing projections and costs analysis….like it’s my thing! So my first time speaking in front of a large crowd, I was comforted in knowing that my sister friend of 30 years would be standing with me, hand in hand. Had it not been for the fact that we had already spent thousands to produce the event, I promise you I would’ve cancelled it!
Baby listen, sometimes God will force you to do it alone! He made it so I had nobody to hide behind. I had been feeling the nudge for some years prior to step out. And this was the time that I was called to do it. I am grateful for that experienced. It strengthened me as a speaker. It increased my confidence. It reminded me of who I am, and why I’m doing this to begin with. Spirit reminded me that I was prepared for such a time as this. It’s bigger than me!
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
I had to unlearn the need for fake perfectionism. I’ve found that often times it is merely a distraction or fear tactic. We like to tell ourselves “oh I can’t put this out yet, because I’m a perfectionist.” It’s not that. It’s really that you’re lazy and you know you haven’t put in the real work that’s actually required. So we call it “perfectionism.” Or we’re afraid, so we continue to delay our launches because of course we have to wait for the “perfect timing.” In reality, we all know that there is no such thing.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://stillstandingconference.my.canva.site/women-empowerment
- Instagram: Stillstandingconference
- Facebook: Still Standing
Image Credits
LoveLi Captures