We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Shade Adu a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Shade thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Covid has brought about so many changes – has your business model changed?

Covid-19 was a gift and a curse. I was planning on hosting my first international retreat in Jamaica for women entrepreneurs. I was so excited about putting in the deposit and then months later, the world was shutting down and my retreat became a distant memory. I didn’t let it get me down, I just needed to pivot and come up with a new plan.

I focused on teaching experts how to create their online courses. They had time on their hands and I was excited about supporting leaders. As a result, I was able to grow my business while also helping hundreds of entrepreneurs create profitable online courses.

It was a game-changer for me.

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

I am Dr. Shade Adu and I help experts turn their degrees, skills, talents, and free advice into profitable online courses. I believe that you should teach what you know and get paid well for it. I am an international speaker, award-winning international educator, author, and coach to hundreds of women entrepreneurs. My goal is to help 100,000 women make 100,000 or more online. We deserve to be wealthy. Our brilliance account should match our bank account.

Women must learn how to leverage technology and social media to create their own income and revenue streams. We are powerful and capable of living the lives that we desire.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

In 2014, a started my business a month before I resigned from my international speaking job in Kazakhstan. Living in Kazakhstan was a story of resilience within itself. Two months after leaving my job, I started my doctoral program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Both were equally draining feats. Both most people fail at. I had the bright idea to do both at the same time. I was overwhelmed, exhausted, and I wanted to give up several times. I can’t tell you how many times I just wanted to quit both.

I didn’t stop because I knew that my family and supporters depended on me. I didn’t stop because I wanted future generations to know that it was possible. I didn’t stop because I wanted to see what I was truly capable of.

On December 19, 2021, I graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a PhD in Curriculum and Instruction. Over a year later I am ready to take my business to the next level. I know that millions are in my future.

I am in the process of finishing a book about my schooling journey. I want to inspire more students to keep going.

How did you build your audience on social media?

One of the best ways to grow an audience today is through live video. I created a six-figure business within my first 3 years of business via a lifestreaming platform called Periscope. Periscope was an app owned by Twitter and it changed my life and my business. It was the first time that I felt that a platform was built with me and my personality in mind. I made friends and business connections from going live. Livestreaming is something that I still do today.

If you are just getting started incorporate live video into your business-building strategy. Your people are watching video.

Contact Info:

• Website: shadeyadu.com
• Instagram: @HeyDr.Shade
• Facebook: @HeyDr.Shade
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shadeyadu/
• Twitter: @HeyDr.Shade
• Other: Clubhouse @HeyDrShade

Image Credits
The Head Shoot was Kimazing Photos (Kimberly Taylor) The gold dress was Kimazing Photos The graduation photo was J. Will or John Williams The colorful Rocks- Giesle Bonds. The photo with the laptop was Jojo Stylez