We were lucky to catch up with Steven Daniel recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Steven thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. So, what do you think about family businesses? Would you want your children or other family members to one day join your business?
Growing up in a middle-class family I was always taught about hustle and entrepreneurship. I grew up watching my uncle work in the factory to make ends meet. But he also was an entrepreneur that would cut grass, sell cans/products and so much more. And then I grew up watching my mother; a successful accountant and CFO run several businesses. I was easily influenced to start my first business at the age of 14 years old. My ultimate goal was to create generational wealth for me and my family. My dream was to make the path easier for my next generation of nieces and nephews. Fast forward to today at 26, I have been able to hire my nieces and nephews in our Airbnb business and teach them how to run a successful Airbnb business. I truly believe giving them the tools necessary to create the life of their dreams is key.
As the owner of a family-owned business, I am grateful for the opportunity to work with my family and build together. I believe that when we can come together in unity and our visions align you can achieve anything. See, your family knows you better than anyone else. They grew up with you and maybe even hustled with you during tough times, like my family. So who else is better to hire in your business, other than your family? While the journey may not be an easy road, when you have God and family you have everything you need. Let’s be honest the business relationship will not be perfect, but it will be worthwhile.
Recently with the pandemic and recession, I believe we have seen a rise in family-owned businesses, especially black-owned ones. More and more people are realizing that wealth is achievable for anyone. Therefore, families are coming together and using their gifts and talents to make their dreams come to reality. If the pandemic didn’t teach you anything else, it should’ve taught you that you can not rely on one stream of income in today’s world.
Steven, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
My name is Steven Daniel, I am a 26-year-old serial entrepreneur. I started my first company Men Love PR at the age of 14 years old. Men Love PR is a public relations firm that focuses on bridging the gap between men and women in the PR industry. When I first got into the PR industry, I immediately realized how the industry was dominated by women. While it wasn’t a problem for me, I did desire to see more men like myself. I quickly asked myself what was the issue. And one common issue was that many people didn’t understand public relations and the power of PR. I believe public relations is a true gift for me because it came naturally. Before I even truly understood PR I was naturally good at making connections for others and bringing their dreams to reality. On a daily basis, I work with business owners, creatives and lifestyle entrepreneurs.
I am also the founder of SLJS Properties, which is a family-owned short-term rental housing solutions company. I never saw myself getting into real estate. But it has truly been a blessing for my family and I. I started in 2021 when I became a flight attendant and decided to host my home on Airbnb. Within a year of being a host on Airbnb, my family and I have learned so much. We invested our own money and took a risk. And although we quickly saw an ROI within the first month of business, I learned that you must make your money work for you. Continue to reinvest your money. In order to succeed and scale in the Airbnb business, you must have a plan and strategy. Many Airbnb hosts are making income but are not seeing a profit. My goal is to add more properties to our portfolio this year and help others along the way.
Today, I have been able to help individuals get started in the Airbnb industry by providing one on one coaching and webinars. My mother Lorra Brown, The Tax CEO, and I have partnered together and made it a mission of ours to pour into the lives of others. We both have a passion for teaching and our skillset together go hand and hand. We have been able to help other students start and scale their Airbnb businesses. Our ultimate goal is to help others create generational wealth with Airbnb. And that’s why we created Dr. Airbnb University.
Dr. Airbnb University is an online community of individuals in the Airbnb industry that desire to create generational wealth. With online courses/videos, a step-by-step planner, and coaching we provide all the tools necessary to succeed within the Airbnb industry. Students will also receive a copy of our upcoming planner “Creating Generational Wealth: How to Master the Airbnb Game.” This planner is your blueprint for success with Airbnb.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
I believe pivoting in your life, career or business is all necessary in order to grow. Some people see change as a bad thing. But if we were to never change, grow or evolve in life, then we would literally be stuck. Stuck in unhappy situations, relationships or careers. I’m so glad to have faith to Pivot. That faith comes from my relationship with God. Someone I know often says to me that they wish they had the type of faith I have to chase their dreams in life. I can remember in High School preparing for graduation I honestly didn’t have a plan. But one thing for sure I knew that God told me I would attend Morehouse College. I didn’t know how; since I didn’t have the GPA, couldn’t afford it and lived out of state. I allowed everyone else to place their fears upon me. I took the leap of faith, applied and was accepted. I then remember attending Morehouse College at 18. Almost every day I would walk to Wells Fargo and be inspired. I remember saying to myself “one day I will work at a bank.” Fast forward nearly two years later I began working at a local bank as a traveling teller. I enjoyed that career for 5 years and then found myself unhappy. After not being able to grow as I desired I learned that my season was up. In the meantime of my unhappiness, I would often dream of flying across the world as a flight attendant. I spoke it into the atmosphere and it too came to pass. But then the pandemic caused a delay in me starting training. Long story short, no matter what obstacles you are faced with in life. You must learn to pivot. I remember my grandmother always saying “never put your eggs in one basket.” Do not limit your ability to pivot and trust God for direction.
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
My journey on social media has been fun and interesting. I say that because of my relationship with social media is a love, hate relationship. When I first began using social media in the days of MySpace and Facebook, I was quite nervous and shy. My siblings and I used it as a way to stay connected with friends and family. However for me, my expeireicnce of bullying and cyberbullying quickly shyed me away from using any social media. Fast forward to the age of 14, when I became an entrepreneur, I began falling in love with social media management for my clients. I quickly learned techniques to connect my clients with their audience by simply telling their story. Some techniques I learned were consistency, video marketing and branding.
You must first stay consistent to any goals you desire to achieve in life. I often found myself setting unrealistic goals and big dreams but not putting in the work. And I couldn’t blame anyone else but myself. Instead I’ve learned to set SMART goals and realistic expectations for myself that I can actually achieve. And not stretch myself too far.
Next, video marketing. It is vital and necessary in order to connect with your audience on social media you must show up. Not just post, but show your face. People connect with someone they can see, relate to and visualize. Without video marketing and social media you are cutting out a majority of potential clients choosing another competitor.
Laslty, your branding must align with your story and speak to your audience all with a purpose and strategy. You can’t get by with just posting what you want or with no true purpose. You must implement a plan and strategy in building your social media presence. Branding is more than just what your audience will see but what they feel. I believe it dives into the psychology of each individual.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.drairbnbuniversity.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/stevenldaniel
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/drairbnb1
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCb7xcNXWGn3h2WgazIpjUzA
- Other: www.menlovepr.com