Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to T. Renee’ Smith. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
T. Renee’, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What were some of the most unexpected problems you’ve faced in your business and how did you resolve those issues?
The most challenging problem I faced in my business was not marketing and sales (although it has taken a while to master those), but it was learning how to grow a successful business, be a wife and mom, and remain sane and true to myself all at the same time.
So many experts tell us that we can “have it all.” The supportive partner, beautiful kids, perfectly kept home… an active social life with an uplifting circle of friends… AND a thriving business that’s only going up and up and UP!
But is work-life balance a myth? Or is it a realistic goal that we, as busy women, wives, moms, and business owners, should work hard to achieve?
Throughout over twenty-five years of business ownership, sixteen years of marriage, and fifteen years of parenting, this has been an ongoing struggle for me. On the one hand, I want to be a dedicated wife and mom, who caters to the needs of my husband and children, and on the other hand, I want to be a boss, running a successful company and fulfilling my purpose.
I want it all.
I want them both, but often, these two worlds collide. I know you see the pictures on social media where every hair is in place, the kids are dressed in their Sunday best, and the savvy businesswoman’s office has everything neatly organized and in place. However, my day-to-day world looks totally different and could provide some juicy video bites for an episode of The Real Housewives franchise.
My CEO journey of pursuing success in both worlds has been filled with the highest of highs and lowest of lows.
Many years ago, the same day I was featured in Entrepreneur magazine, the sheriff served me notice of a lawsuit. While I was filing business bankruptcy, I was evicted from my plush 10,000-square-foot office space. My business bank account was overdrawn, and my dreams were crumbling right in front of my eyes. What was happening to my American dream of small business ownership?
Fast forward, I’ve been at the point of breakdown, near divorce, at my wits’ end with my kids, and considering closing my business and walking away from everything just to find a little bit of peace. My breakthrough came when I decided to do something different and then actually did it.
I realized that if I wanted to go from hardworking entrepreneur to highly paid CEO who was rocking it in every area of her life I had to up-level my life and business in three areas:
• Up-level my mindset by removing limiting beliefs, developing better habits, and becoming more disciplined.
• Up-level my systems by automating business processes and creating standard operating procedures.
• Up-level my team by operating in my zone of genius, delegating effectively, and expanding my team to include expertise required to grow and scale my business.
These three shifts help me to reclaim my time and life.
Through it all, I learned that you can create the life and business that you want, but it requires effort, transparency, surrender, and a whole lot of prayer.
Now, instead of balance or perfection, I strive for work-life integration and harmony. I focus on cultivating joy and peace in all areas of my life regardless of what season of life I am in. I have embraced the ebbs and flow of life.
Life is an emotional journey, and I have learned to give myself compassion when I fail, when I’m afraid, and when I question myself.
Learning how to be authentically me has been a journey of self-discovery.
I’ve found a safe place inside of myself that offers all the acceptance and love I need.
I have learned to speak in terms of “and” instead of “or.”
And I now realize I have the power to redefine my success and set boundaries so I can be successful as a dedicated wife, an engaged mother, and a rock-star business owner—without having to choose one over the others.
T. Renee’, 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?
T. Reneé Smith is a recovering workaholic, control freak, and perfectionist.
More than two decades ago, she began her first business at age nineteen, on credit, with no experience, or even a business plan. As a result she was forced to file bankruptcy, served 1,095 days in federal prison, and had to rebuild both her life and company from scratch.
Using these experiences as guideposts, T. Reneé translates the tough lessons of her own business failures and successes in her best-selling book, The CEO Life: Go from Hardworking Entrepreneur to Highly Paid CEO.
T. Reneé is the CEO of iSuccess Consulitng, Inc. and founder of The CEO Life®. She helps ambitious entrepreneurs leave hustle culture in the rearview mirror so they can step into being the 6 or 7- figure CEO they were destined to be.
She’s spent over 25 years building multi-million dollar businesses and developing small businesses for several Fortune 500 companies you know, love, and spend your hard-earned dollars with– like Delta Air Lines.
In her current mission as a small business mentor and trusted advisor, her focus is to help CEOs view their business and life in a holistic way.
She wants them to succeed at both business and life. Contrary to what many believe, the two are NOT mutually exclusive. Unshakeable mindset shifts paired with tried and true strategy is the key to business and personal success.
T. Reneé empowers CEO’s across the globe to go from confused and cashless to clarity and cha-ching through her monthly CEO Life® Membership Club (www.ceolifemembership.com), group coaching intensives, live events, and mastermind programs.
T. Reneé has helped raise more than $30 million in capital for small businesses and is the secret weapon behind many successful corporate minority business development programs.
She is a wife and mom to two very active boys, a bonus daughter and two feisty grand- daughters. She has been featured in national publications including Cosmopolitan, Entrepreneur, Black Enterprise and Parents magazine.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
I had to unlearn following the crowd in business and learn how to blaze my own trail. I had to learn how to be authentically me and build a personal and business brand that was true to who I was. For way too long I stalked my competitors’ brands online, suffered from copycat syndrome, and was trying to keep up with what everybody else was doing. I wasn’t confident in the value of what I offered and I was attempting to mimic what others were doing. This didn’t work out well for me.
This led me down the path of creating a brand, marketing materials, and social media platforms that weren’t authentic to who I was. By nature, I’m not a surface level or fluffy person. I like to go deep when I teach and coach. However, a lot of the trends were showing people dancing on Instagram, taking selfies, and living the life. I attempted to do that, but it wasn’t me. I experienced a little bit of success but I wasn’t connecting and resonating with my audience the way I wanted and needed to.
My team and I had to take a step back and reconnect with the true essence of who I really was. It required us to dig deep and rediscover my brand voice. This was an intense process that required me to be vulnerable and trust the process. I had to stop worrying about if something would convert and start thinking about am I speaking my truth and providing valuable information that will change a person’s life or business. If that answer was yes, then regardless if I get 1 like or 1,000 likes I’m standing in my truth and authenticity.
I realized that many CEOs face the same problem and that’s why they aren’t attracting their ideal clients. I took all of the lessons that I learned and share them in my free Win the Game of Branding Masterclass (www.ceolifemasterclass.com).
Any advice for managing a team?
The #1 key to going from a hardworking entrepreneur to a highly paid CEO is learning how to lead in 3 key areas:
• Leading yourself
• Leading in your business
• Leading your team
Most times CEOs focus outwardly first, before they focus on themselves. However, the team that you lead will only be as strong as you are in terms of your mindset, habits and discipline. The most effective leaders possess a strong sense of self-awareness and cultivate a personal leadership mindset first. It’s difficult to give others what you don’t have.
As a leader, you have to establish a vision for your business so you can rally your troops and give marching orders. This means having clarity on your business’s core values, vision, and mission. If you aren’t clear about your goals and they’re like a moving target, you’re never going to hit them. You must be a steady leader in your business by developing a robust operations infrastructure with repeatable processes, systems, and procedures.
Leadership is often misunderstood. As a CEO your goal as a leader should be to become a transformational leader. Transformational leaders encourage, inspire and motivate team members to tap into their own greatness and execute based on a shared vision. Yes, it may be your business, but in order to achieve the level of growth that you want it requires a team.
In order to build a sustainable and profitable business it is essential that you invest in, support, and empathize with your team. It’s just as important if not more as marketing and sales. By transforming yourself first, then your team, you will develop a culture of high morale and increased productivity.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.theceo.life
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coachtrenee
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/coachtrenee
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/treneesmith
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/coachtrenee
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TReneeSmith
- Other: Free Win The Game of Branding Masterclass www.ceolifemasterclass.com Free CEO Life® Personality Quiz www.ceolifequiz.com Free 5-Day CEO Confidence Challenge www.ceolifechallenge.com CEO Life® Membership Club https://ceolifemembership.com
Image Credits
Kimberly Taylor Kimazing Photography