We were lucky to catch up with Monica Montgomery recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Monica thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s talk legacy – what sort of legacy do you hope to build?

I see myself as a servant leader; someone who finds joy in supporting others through volunteerism, monetary donations or community activism. There are so many needs, locally and internationally, that should be addressed in order to make communities better. I love working towards a greater goal that is bigger than me, better than what I could accomplish on my own. Therefore, I actively look for ways to contribute my time, talents and donations to a goal or cause that will benefit the community as a whole. Giving of my time is a joy to me so it never seems like an inconvenience or a dreadful task. Helping others is beneficial because you will see people, organizations and communities become greater just by giving of your time, talents, ideas and encouragement. Making an impactful difference in the lives of others is more rewarding than any income, award or gift that could be given because you know it’s for something bigger than you. Owning a business is not just requesting clients and sales all the time; it’s about connecting with people and being a resource in your community. I like to give value and encouragement to each person I come in contact with and let them know they’re not in the battle alone. People care about how you make them feel and that will leave a lasting impact. It’s all around my core values of integrity, communication and relationship.

So overall, I want my legacy to be that I gave of my time to help others be successful.

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’m Monica C Montgomery, CEO of MCM Editing Services LLC. Because I’m a technical writer, I have a passion for research, communication and innovative information. Half of my talents are a result of my educational background from Stillman College and University of Alabama- Huntsville (UAH). The other half is based on my passion and business experience. After using market research and challenging experiences in trying to grow my business with proper documentation, organization and pricing, I saw the need to help other business owners avoid a rocky start like I did. There are a lot of resources that tell you what you need to own a business, but not how to manage it to be successful past the first couple of years. Business owners have a passion for their product/service, but really do not know how a business operates. So instead of keeping the sauce to myself I help businesses become self-sufficient and see profitability as a reality. For the past six years, my business has supported others in becoming successful and moving forward by providing realistic, strategic planning and consulting.

Establishing a connection with my clients is key to understanding their needs and concerns. Having a relationship builds a level of trust, integrity and communication that makes coaching and consulting go smoothly. Finding the right coach/consultant takes prayer, listening skills and experience. That’s why I focus on understanding the person first before tackling the business. Understanding my clients has led them to feel valued and has created multiple referrals to my business. I don’t treat clients as a number, but I treat them as valuable leaders. So my core values of my business will always be trust, integrity and communication because no matter how much business trends change those aspects will keep my business stable and reputational. Having definitive core values is important in building your business.

Besides being a business owner, I like to have fun! Traveling, eating exotic foods, taking risks and trying new adventures keeps me active and daring. I call my hobbies “self care basics” to maintain the laughs, joy and mental peace that comes with life. I live in the moment!

What else should we know about how you took your side hustle and scaled it up into what it is today?

Back in 2016 I was working full time in the financial industry and doing technical writing jobs on the side, like creating resumes, brochures, handbooks, etc. I was encouraged to start my own business using my talents so I figured why not?! I’d rather say I did it instead of regretting not investing more in myself. So I worked from 9-5, came home to cook, clean and raise my son then worked another five hours for my business. The more I managed my business the more excited I became about my talent and growth which resulted in more clients. Working full time and managing my small business was “doable” until I received more clients that led me to working 7 days a week. It was overwhelming, tiring and frustrating but I liked getting paid bi-weekly and keeping my business income as extra money. Until the pandemic happened – I went from having a new client twice a month to a new client every two days! It was getting out of hand so I prayed for God to show me if I should leave my day job. Everytime I said that prayer I would get more new clients, but I was afraid to leave my 9-5 since I was bound to that steady bi-weekly income. I knew I needed a steady income to take care of my son and pay all the household bills (mortgage, utilities, groceries, insurance, etc.) because all of that depended on ME. But after much prayer, faith, encouragement from friends and disappointment at my job, I resigned in March 2022. My biggest deciding factor is that I know I can do more with my business than I would ever achieve working my corporate job. I no longer wanted to be limited in my growth at work and wanted a bigger challenge. By increasing my prices based on what I’m worth, networking in various business groups, collaborating with partners and giving more of my time in the community, I have done more with business in the last six months of leaving my job than I have in the last six years. I have increased my income, launched an event, received nomination for the Better Business Bureau Torch Award for Ethics, received Queenpreneur of the Year Award at the 2022 Dare to Dream Awards, became a grant writer for one of the longest running black owned businesses in North Alabama (Speaking Out News/New Media Arts Center), spend more time with my son and traveled more. My resignation was worth the growth of my business. I see it as a healthy risk that I needed to take.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Networking and being present in my community has helped to build my reputation. Networking has connected me with partners, community leaders and non-profit organizations that has not only led me to expand my services, but also be an impactful aspect in my community. I am able to connect more with my target audience to reach quarterly goals and partner with other businesses that need my services. Business owners usually do not Google my services and are not on social media looking for me so networking has grown my business by 12% compared to if I was just on social media. Now that I run my business full time, I have been able to reintroduce myself as a technical writer and the skills I have to assist with business develop. Also, treating people right, supporting others and having positive energy has definitely helped to build my reputation. Giving clients a meaningful experience with professional customer service has led to continuous referrals to my business.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.mcmediting.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/mcmediting
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/mcmediting
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monica-montgomery-b0865142
• Other: https://linktr.ee/mcmediting

Image Credits
Shuneil Gadson of Shuneil Gadson Photography, Neville Simpson of HeadshotHSV, Phillip Drake of Phrozen Optics