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

Samone, appreciate you joining us today. Being a business owner can be really hard sometimes. It’s rewarding, but most business owners we’ve spoken sometimes think about what it would have been like to have had a regular job instead. Have you ever wondered that yourself? Maybe you can talk to us about a time when you felt this way?

I have had the privilege to experience a lot of different job opportunities which includes being an assistant teacher, working at AMC movies, Six Flags, after school Site director, forever 21 etc. My most recent job and what most would call a career I was working full time for the City of LA. Hired in 2018 as a Recreation Coordinator I quickly moved up becoming Recreation Director in 2022. The city gave back to the community and really supported youth and fitness. Some of the hardest working and innovative people work in the Recreation Department. Financially I was doing pretty good, city benefits were amazing and even with all that I resigned from my position in January of 2023. As much as I tried to push through, I felt like my creativity was not supported. I also felt like I had no control of my life. Each morning was a chore to go to work. I found myself putting my business to the side and was not able to give it the time it needed to grow because I was working 40+ hours a week and 2 hours a day in 405 traffic traveling to/from work. Being a business owner is hard, but never have I had the thought to quit. I am constantly motivated and inspired. Being my own boss, I can create a work environment that has all the things that really made me feel heard and valued at my previous jobs. One thing the pandemic did was put perspective in my life that I didn’t want to be a number in a large company. I wanted to own one.

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 Samone I am a Pisces! I own a competitive cheerleading program called Gem of Jewels located in Northridge, CA. My ultimate goal is to create a recreation center that emphasizes training competitive cheerleaders. By creating my own brand and culture, I take full control over the mission, vision, event planning, designing and creating gear and running social media pages. It is easy finding yourself wearing at least 7 hats being an entrepreneur especially if you do not have the budget to hire anyone else to execute your vision. Our core values are GRIT, Integrity and Passion and as a coach I work on emphasizing to my athletes what that means on and off the mat. In addition to the competitive aspect, I have also had the privilege for my program to give my adult athletes some background work as a cheerleader for tv shows and coaching job opportunities. Last year we performed at the Femme Faire fundraiser event for the Malala Fund, and this year in March we will be performing again but for The Pad Project. Participating in H.O.P.E’s House Winter Extravaganza the past two years is another way I get my athletes involved with the community. I try to celebrate each other and create fun memories that contribute to my athletes and families life in the most positive and growing experience. As far as branding, I want to continue to create a look that gives off authentic and real. I want people who are not cheerleaders to wear my clothing, I want cheerleaders to be respected and build something that translates to the world how important this sport is.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Anyone that knows me can tell you that it is never a dull moment in my world. I believe me being the oldest child and my childhood experiences have shaped me into having this strong resilience. Despite the odds sometimes one thing you could never forget is where you come from. I know what it feels like to not have much, and I know what it feels like to see people you love struggle. Witnessing and practicing discipline and resilience changed my life. If I can count on anyone, I will always count on myself. I know I work hard and not one person can take that from me. Realizing how strong you truly are is extremely powerful. Knowing what I can and cannot control also helps me navigate my thoughts. An example of this resilience was when I had to get ACL and MCL surgery. My leg afterwards was on fire! It was probably one of the hardest times in my life. But I knew what kind of person I wanted to be and I wanted to set an example. I needed to take care of my body and even though I was scared, in pain and completely dependent on people, every day during recovery my resilience was tested. I pushed myself. Looking back, this happened 2 years ago and watching me now, I am so proud.

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

In the competitive field the whole goal is to win, and so building winning athletes can be challenging especially when they are older with jobs and external life experiences that affect them. Finding time to have fun whether that is an intense game of tag as our warmup instead of the usual burpees or creating a routine with poms to perform, because who doesn’t love pom poms. To not forget what it feels like to be a kid who’s carefree with all the energy in the world. I believe in emphasizing and celebrating small victories of growth. Sometimes just an acknowledgment can help fill up someone’s tank. In order to manage any team you must know your team and in order to know your team you have to listen, and you have to observe. There are moments in practices where I am staring and in deep thought. Athletes that I have coached before know what Coach Samone’s thinking stance and face looks like.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.gemofjewels.com
• Instagram: gemofjewels_
• Facebook: Gem Of Jewels Cheer and Dance
• Twitter: Gem of Jewels
• Youtube: Gem of Jewels