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

Alright, Nakeisa thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?

After living with HIV for over 8 years I decided it was time to take what I learned and share it with others. I didn’t see other people doing what I was doing and realized there was a need. I decided to start an organization but first I wanted to share my story. I began to look for a book coach and a business coach. I eventually got a game plan to get started. The first step I took was to determine the problem that I solve and explored the ways to solve it. I decided a book was the best way to start and also share my story on YouTube. This was strategic, so people would know who I was before the book was completed.

After sharing my story, I begin to build my audience and brand myself. In the background, I was writing my book and planning a book launch. Some things I had to learn included editing, formatting, and book cover design. I didn’t do it myself but I found someone to help me complete these tasks. I also had to learn how to actually publish the book. At the time I learned these by doing a lot of research and joining Facebook groups.

Once the book was almost done, I planned my launch event. This was focused on the book, but it was also the launch of me as an author, writer, and speaker. I found an event planner and got busy planning. It was alot of work, I learned alot about venue booking, vendor booking, contracts and budgeting. I launched my book and I was officially an author and a business owner.

The next year, I spent time getting seen on social media and taking speaking opportunities to leverage my book. Eventually, I started a support group and launched my non-profit for women living with HIV. Starting a business is hard work, but it can be done. Some key steps to launching include.

1. Research: Make sure you know the law and see what’s out there to actually launch your business.
2. Problem Solve: Identify the problems that you solve.
3. Get Help: You do not have to know everything or do everything. Find a coach, a resource like (Score or SBA) and Google is a friend.
4. Take Action: You have to do the work in order to see progress. Planning is great, but without action its only a dream.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am Nakeisa J. Author, Speaker, HIV Advocate and life coach. I run an amazing non-profit in Atlanta, Ga. called Aniyah’s Space. Our mission is to provide holistic care services to women living with HIV. We provide support groups, community events, retreats, and self-care boxes. We also do a lot of online educational content.

We are set apart because we are run by people living with HIV, while also providing the service. I am most proud of our self-care boxes. We did this first initiative right in the midst of the pandemic and it was needed during the time.

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

A lesson I had to unlearn is that if you build it people will come. I use to believe as long as it’s created, people will just know it. This is not true. After I had my book signing, I had to be strategic to get more book sales. I wasted a lot of time, posting my book sparingly. I just assumed the book would sell although I was inconsistent. I soon found out it was just not true. You have to tell people what to do, and how to do it. If you want people to buy anything you have to tell them every day so they can go do it.

I learned that your business can’t run without consistency. You have to be consistent as a business owner. Think about how often you see and hear commercials. Although it may be like I keep seeing it, for the people that they are targeting they need to know it’s available. That’s how we have to be about our business.

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

The best source of new clients has been word of mouth. Every time you interact with clients and potential clients it’s your review for them and everyone that they know. If they have a good experience, naturally they will tell other people about it. They will share your business. A lot of the women we serve, send other women to us. Also, some people who aren’t living with HIV will send their family members and friends to us for support because we have made ourselves available and have social proof that we do a good job.

We live by the motto that every client is VIP as a culture and that keeps a constant referral list going for us.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.aniyahspace.org
• Instagram: aniyahspaceinc
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aniyahspace/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/AniyahsS
• Youtube: https://youtu.be/XSVmFkEV0h4