We recently connected with Trina Franklin and have shared our conversation below.

Trina, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to go back in time and hear the story of how you came up with the name of your brand?

Trying to find the right name for your company is not always easy and I have often wondered how businesses found their names. The creation of our name was very interesting. Actually God gave me the name of the business in a dream before I decided on the business structure type, mission and vision. It was clear as day, God told me to use my gift of helps and compassion for others to form a business to help others. God said name it Victory Resource and Referral Agency. As a human service professional for the past 23 years serving as both a social worker and certified alcohol and drug counselor I am very resourceful and skilled at making appropriate referrals to services. Through my training I am able to conduct screenings and comprehensive assessments to hone in on the need and referral to the appropriate services. The victory portion of our name is what we set our goal towards, assisting individuals and their families with a favorable/victorious outcome in their situation. God is so amazing that he showed me the logo as well!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

23 years ago I was transitioning out of the medical field where I began to realize I enjoyed helping people but was in it more for the money. The medical field was sure to always have people in need of care hence I would always have a job and that field pays well. I soon began to realize that is not the only reason to pursue a career, I needed something more meaningful beyond the pay. Something I would not mind getting up and doing everyday. I soon found myself changing my major to human services and fell in love. I have always been a positive, encouraging person so learning how to help people obtain goals, improve their life and become a better version of themselves became a calling more than a career.

Somehow I found myself in the area of substance abuse/mental health. I still don’t know how that happened because initially I had a bias for the substance abuse population but with education and training through jobs I began to understand it is a disease. Once I understood the disease model I was able to find my niche. In doing so, I became good at helping people discover how their life became unmanageable and through counseling, assessments and referrals to resources I was able to help them become a stronger more confident person and create a better more healthier life for themselves. I found that to be the most rewarding part of my job.

In any field you see things done correctly and incorrectly. I noticed that I am very passionate about how services are delivered to people especially people who lack literacy, education and understanding. We should never frown upon people who just don’t understand or know. We should never think everyone’s level of comprehension is just like ours. We should never tell people to sign documents without knowing if they can read, see clearly or understand what they are signing. We should never be dismissive because someone may require more of our time and if we don’t know how to do something we should know who can.

I always say if you can’t help a person please don’t hurt them! In the words of Maya Angelou, people may not always remember your name or what you did for them but they will always remember how you made them feel. I believe what sets us apart is that we really care and it’s felt. We value people so much that we are careful to return calls, follow up and do what we said we would do or get assistance from someone who can. Most agencies tell you where to go and where to call but at Victory Resource and Referral Agency we want to know if you can get there, if you have a phone to call and do you know what to say/ask when you call? At Victory Resource and Referral Agency we offer a tailored-made approach keeping the actual person in mind. Our goal is to eliminate excuses so you will be successful.

I am very proud to offer a service that I can ensure is being done right with respect, dignity and compassion!

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

Word of mouth and consistency is the strategy that has been most effective for growing my clientele. As mentioned previously I have been a clinician for 23 years many people know my work and I’m good with follow up. It has always been my approach that if I don’t know the answer I’m sure I can find someone who does. There was a time I ran a pilot project for the City of Baltimore named the Lexington Market Initiative. This project was never done before where an addictions specialist and Baltimore City Police officer canvassed the World Famous Lexington Market on the inside and outskirts to offer treatment and services to individuals buying and selling scheduled drugs. Through this opportunity most specifically it allowed me to sit on many boards and meet many people in the industry. The networking enabled me to learn about those companies services and what they offered. I began referring individuals to them when they were identified as the appropriate resource for the need. Literally word of mouth ignited like wildfire and I became the “go to person”. Even on days off people would call me or refer someone to me for help some of those referrals came from family, friends and church family. Returning calls, follow up and showing up where I was supposed to be at the agreed upon time increased people’s trust in working with me and it continues to carry on till this day. At Victory Resource and Referral Agency we also make sure we are prompt with our follow up when contacted through our social media pages.

Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?

With any business non-profit or other capital is often needed even if it’s for advertisement. Initially I put aside my own money into my business account to purchase business cards, logo development, documents, phone, mail service, advertisement products and goods for outreach and holiday events. We were fortunate to receive donations from the public and our board members which has definitely helped! Going forward we are positioning ourselves to qualify for funding that will further our reach and add additional needed services to the public.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: victory resource and referral agency
• Facebook: victory resource and referral agency
• Linkedin: victory resource and referral agency
• Other: p: 667-786-0640 email: [email protected]