We recently connected with Selena Haynes and have shared our conversation below.

Selena, appreciate you joining us today. Who is your hero and why? What lessons have you learned from them and how have they influenced your journey?

My hero is my father. He passed in 2012 and there’s not a day that goes by that I’m not thinking of him. Now that he’s gone, I realize quite often how much I’m like him. He worked many jobs in his lifetime, mainly factory work, but he was always an entrepreneur at heart. I grew up seeing him do side businesses from arts and crafts to having a greenhouse. He instilled the entrepreneurial spirit in me.

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

My wife, Lauren, and I began S&L Companies in June 2020 after being involved in various community projects over the years. We saw a need for several types of companies that would benefit consumers, small businesses and the LGBTQ+ community. Currently, we have three brands under the S&L Companies umbrella – S&L Solutions, Connect Media Group, and Waggin’ Tails.

S&L Solutions provides support to small businesses with varying needs such as social media management, website design, graphic design and pretty much anything that a small business would need but wouldn’t necessarily have the internal resources to accomplish.

Connect Media Group is a 100% community-driven LGBTQ+ brand. Our current portfolio consists of a bi-monthly publication, website, and social media. Future plans include video/audio podcasts. We also host quarterly events. The first one was the inaugural Connect Community Health Fair held in April 2022. This event featured healthcare providers, health and wellness services and community services from the Middle Tennessee area that welcome, respect, serve and support the LGBTQ+ community. Our second health fair is scheduled for March 2023.

Waggin’ Tails is our newest venture. As the name suggests, it’s all about animals. We launched phase one in September 2022, which included the website and social media. Phase two is scheduled for January 2023 and will be a bi-monthly digital magazine. With this brand, we will also host animal related events such as our first one scheduled for April 29, 2023, Bark in the Boro. This event will have area rescues with adoptable animals, vendors, food, kid zone and other entertainment.

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

Our reputation is built on authenticity. My wife and I are the faces of our companies. In essence, we are the brand. I’m authentically me and so is she. It’s really that simple. People know that I am trustworthy and a woman of my word. Everyone has a story and I want to know what that story is and not just because I’m a publisher of a magazine. Your story matters – people matter – and in a world that’s fast-paced and unkind sometimes, taking time, being kind and just listening to someone can change a person’s day, mood, maybe even their life. It’s this kind of thinking that has always guided me and people notice.

I’d also say that people see that I mean business. I succeed when others succeed so I’m all about getting to know your business needs and goals. For example, I won’t sell you an advertisement just to make a dollar. People notice that too and that’s when your reputation starts to build.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

We’re not pushy sales people though. As a matter-of-fact, I’m the primary contact for any type of marketing that someone wants to do with our brands. It may be a gradual process, but it’s a quality process. In our two short years of being in business, we will have published 14 issues of Connect with over one-hundred advertisers and some of those are repeat customers. Some may say that doesn’t seem like a lot; however, we only publish six issues per year. For a small business like ours, those are good numbers giving us an average of ten advertisers per issue and they all came from sponsoring and hosting events where we’re in the public eye, meeting people face-to-face.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://weconnect.lgbt/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/weconnect.lgbt/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/weconnect.lgbt
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/weconnectlgbt
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/WeConnect_LGBT

Image Credits
Connect Media Group