Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to REISCHEL SAWYER-COBB. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi REISCHEL, thanks for joining us today. Have you ever had an amazing boss? What did you learn from them? Maybe you can share a story that illustrates the kind of boss they were or maybe you can share your thoughts on what you think made them an awesome person to work for?

I began my career in accounting in 1997. A very interesting story about how it began was my interview for the position. On the day of my interview, I ended up at the wrong address (no navigation system at that time), so I called the interviewer to help me get to the correct location. She understood and allowed me to reschedule for the following day. My immediate thought was that she’s not going to hire me because missing an interview was “not a good look”. Well, the next day I interviewed with her, and she called me later that afternoon to offer me the position. I accepted! I always felt like she saw in me what I saw in me, that I can conquer anything presented to me. This amazing, empowered woman is Chris Bremer. She was my boss for 25 years until she retired in 2021. Throughout those years, she mentored, encouraged, supported and empowered me. She poured so much of herself into me. All the knowledge she has in accounting and beyond, she willingly fed to me. She embraced me as I am. When I decided to go back to college to earn my degree in accounting, she was one of my biggest supporters. She is responsible for facilitating the advancements in my accounting career throughout those 25 years. God used her as a vessel to elevate me. She inspired me. I always share how I had empowered women in my life who are the reason I am an empowered woman today and she is one of those key women in my life. She was a great leader and did it with so much class. I feel like I was part of her purpose. She planted the seed, watered it and passed the torch to me. This inspired me to do the same for the next.

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?

My name is Reischel Sawyer-Cobb, founder and CEO of ICANDO. I am a “Passion-preneur” with a heart to encourage, inspire and empower women and girls to live in their true purpose. I have always been very passionate about this and soon realized that this passion burning inside of me is my purpose. My vision back in 2017, was initially to start a small mentoring program for young women because I saw a need for that generation. As I began to gather my thoughts to put things into place, I took a deeper look at my own journey and each season of my life. I realized that there is a greater need to inspire ALL women and girls in every aspect of their lives utilizing various tools/methods. My favorite Bible scripture is Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”. With this scripture as my driving force, my vision became clearer which led me to create the brand, ICANDO. I earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration Accounting at Cal State University, Dominguez Hills all while maintaining roles as a wife, mother and working full time. As with most women, juggling these roles at the same time presented many challenges but it was Philippians 4:13 that kept me empowered and inspired that I CAN DO it. It was also the family village of empowered women of the generation before me who encouraged, inspired, and empowered me to do ALL that I am purposed to do. The ICANDO Organization & Brand was created to do the same for all women and girls. I believe it is the duty and mission of empowered women to empower other women and girls.

ICANDO was launched on August 1, 2020. ICANDO is a Women Empowerment Organization & Brand with a product line of apparel, accessories and cosmetics. The driving force behind the brand is Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”. The ICANDO motto is: I Can Do all things purposed for me. I Can Do ME! ICANDO has a passionate mission to inspire women to walk and live in their true purpose. Empowering and fostering confidence, boldness and truth, our brand exudes the power and ability to overcome every great obstacle with strength and resilience. ICANDO products and overall service delicately addresses the desire to grow the inner woman, while also uniquely enhancing the outer appearance. ICANDO core values are: Truth, honesty, positivity, community and passion. The hope is that many are touched, empowered, inspired, and motivated by ICANDO’s presence, daily inspirational posts, events, groups, and all-inspirational products.

ICANDO will continue with the development, launch and advancement of its mentoring program in 2023. ICANDO is currently a small organization & brand, but the vision is HUGE! ICANDO Women Empowerment Brand has so much more to come!

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

The best source of new customers/clients for me has been word of mouth and social media. Consistency is the key to succeeding at anything. Consistently posting content on social media geared towards my target audience has really worked with bringing awareness to my brand and its mission. “Word of mouth” comes into play when followers share my social media posts whether it’s posts of empowerment and inspiration or posts advertising my products. Once it’s shared by others, their social media followers in turn follow my social media pages as well as visit my website to subscribe. I’ve also gained new customers/clients from paid social media advertising.

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

Two books that have had a great impact on me in these past few years of entrepreneurship are both authored by Deborah Smith Pegues: “The One-Minute Money Mentor for Women” and “Lead Like a Woman”. Another book is “Woman by Design: Focused and Ready” by Redelia Fowler. These three books have been instrumental in my personal development as well as my professional and Entrepreneurial journey. In order to succeed, one must be willing to grow and evolve. I use the tools that are available to me to assist in my overall growth. Elevation requires a growth mindset so that’s what I strive to encompass.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.icando.biz
• Instagram: @icando.biz
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/ICANDOorg
• Other: email: hello@icando.biz