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

Tunishia, appreciate you joining us today. Do you manage your own social media?

I currently manage all the social media updates for all of my Organizations. I can’t afford to hire a team yet. And not really ready to.

Tunishia, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Tunishia Dickerson and I am currently the CEO/Owner of 4 businesses that promote small changes that make big differences. My 1st organization is the parent company, Butterfly Changes, LLC and it focuses on life coaching and business improvement consultation. It is the parent company to * MJ’s Bag, LLC – a High-Gyiene Kit Subscription Service
* High Maintenance Organization Services, LLC – A Home and Office Organization & Cleaning Service that elevates your home and your life simultaneously
* You GROW Girl, LLC – a Nonprofit Organization that focuses on the mentorship and professional and professional development in girls between the ages of 13-18 via monthly lunch and learn seminars.

I started my companies when I decided to take a leap of faith and quit my corporate job of 17 years to put the same time and energy that I put in to build other people’s companies & corporations to build my own.

It has not been an easy journey and many days are filled with defeat, crying and tears, but knowing that each new day brings a new opportunity to win and succeed is what has gotten me through.

I am very proud of all my organizations and the value add that provide to the lives of people that want to invest in the betterment of themselves and live High Maintenance Lifestyles, not just financially, but mentally and spiritually to increase their elevation, personally & professionally.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Building a Social Media Following is Hard Work!!! Probably one of the hardest parts of building a business is persuading people to spend their money with you and even harder if being on camera/social media is not your thing. I had to learn to like it and accept it as a way of marketing life and just do it because I can’t afford to pay anyone to do it for me & my businesses yet and I honestly feel like no one is going to sell my business like me. Some tips and rules that I have follow and continue to do so as I continue to build my following are as follows:

1. Be Consistent & Diligent – Try to post at least once a day to all social media platforms that you’re on and Do it early in the morning, so its already out there & one of the first things people see when they get on social media at the beginning of their day. Studies show that 90% of people check their phones 1st thing in the morning, with 40% of them going to a social media site 1st, so why not be one of the 1st things they see? If you have time or a team, post to sites multiple times of day to stay on viewers mind.

2. Use Music – Sometimes music can be correlated to what is seen. For example, a song you used in your marketing strategy, can be heard by a viewer some time later and make them remember your company or a least your marketing post.

3. Be Genuine – Real to You & Others – Think about what you post before you post it, Try not to be offensive, however, be prepared for any possible backlash you receive from a post, but don’t worry about what people think or opinions. If You’re Ok with it, Post It.

4. Create a posting schedule that will plan out what you post days or even weeks in advance. So when the day arrives to post, you can post without really thinking about it (because you already have as you created your plan) or you can post something else if you no longer feel/like the posts scheduled for that day or its no longer valid, At least you’re up working on it and it will be done before you know it.

5. Link your social media pages, if possible, so you can post one time to multiple sites. Allow your face and brand to be seen everywhere.

6. Once you find your niche, Stick to It! But don’t be afraid to branch out, diversify, and try new things to possibly attract new clients/customers.

7. Take a Break!! Posting and being on social media a lot can be tiring and affect your mental in some ways and some times in a not so great way, so its great to take a break from social media to be in the real world and appreciate without showing the world. Plus once you’ve built your brand and your following, they will be there when you return all rested and rejuvenated.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

The pull to quit my job was too strong for me to ignore; I mean I couldn’t do it if I tried. I felt I had gained all there was to learn from corporate and that I was being pulled to something greater; I just knew it. What I didn’t know was when you’re being pulled for greatness is when the attacks on your life begin to come. And while, thankfully, a lot of the attacks have been minor/major inconveniences that put a damper on my life as I was trying to build companies and my new way of life since I believed that entrepreneurship was never in the cards for me. All I knew was working for someone else, so to work for myself was totally new and foreign to me and HARD. Since starting on this journey both of my cars have broken down at the same time, I haven’t had enough money to pay my rent or car note and was on the verge of losing both my car and my home. I have to repair almost every appliance in my home and couldn’t even get hired at my neighborhood grocery store, with all the “experience” I had…..my life was going down hill fast….all while I was being told “No” over and over again, and no sales were generating from none of my businesses as fast as I expected they would when I first quit my job.
But every time I felt like quitting or giving up or couldn’t stand to hear the word No one more time, my God would always come through with the support and help I needed to keep me going. Which led and leads me to believe, He has called me to run and operate this business to add value into people lives and He is going to be there to make sure His work is done….so He is not going to forsake me……nor you.
In life, you have to believe in an Higher Power over your life and there’s a purpose in what you have been called to do. So in tough times and good ones too, Trust God & His Plan and Just Do It. And don’t listen to the naysayers or the people that call you crazy. They can’t hear your message.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Www.Instagram.com/mjsbag4twenty
• Facebook: Www.facebook.com/Tunishia Dickerson

Image Credits
MJ’s Bag & Butterfly Shirt Photo – Photographer Jamila Crawford