{"id":762,"date":"2011-11-08T15:16:51","date_gmt":"2011-11-08T15:16:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/jsuflash\/?p=762"},"modified":"2011-11-08T15:16:51","modified_gmt":"2011-11-08T15:16:51","slug":"womens-conference-motivates-business-success","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/theflash\/index.php\/2011\/11\/08\/womens-conference-motivates-business-success\/","title":{"rendered":"Women\u2019s conference motivates business success"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
JSU entrepreneur student Lauren Summers and keynote speaker Gwendolyn Keys Fleming.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

DeAnne Applewhite and Dominique McCraney\/Staff Writers<\/strong><\/p>\n

The daughter of a Tuskegee airman and the first African American to hold the position as Regional Administrator for Region 4 of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency told entrepreneurs, soon-to-be entrepreneurs and small business owners at the Women of Color 2011 Entrepreneurs Conference to \u201cbe courageous and just do it\u201d when it comes to having a successful business.<\/p>\n

Gwendolyn Keys Fleming, one of the keynote speakers, outlined strategies to help female entrepreneurs be successful business owners by drawing on her own successful campaign experiences.<\/p>\n

\u201cHave a plan,\u201d she said. \u201cYou need to be flexible and nimble enough to respond to market demands. Make sure you can deliver.\u201d
\nUsing a quote from Marianne Williamson to emphasize her advice to turn dreams and ideas into successful ventures and to avoid negativity, Fleming stated:<\/p>\n

\u201cOur deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. We ask ourselves, \u2018Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?\u2019 Actually, who are you not to be?\u201d<\/p>\n

Using what she referred to as a \u201ccommunal pyramid\u201d and a quote from Dr. Benjamin E. Mays about the unique purpose that each person has in life, Fleming encouraged women to open their own business or start up a non-profit, and to consider providing goods and services that positively impact the environment.\u00a0 Consider green jobs that can be created in natural resource conservation, environmental training and public awareness, energy from renewable source, pollution reduction and removal and green energies, she added.<\/p>\n

In her position at EPA, Fleming is responsible for eight southeastern states, as well as six federally recognized tribes. Over the last 12 months, she has focused on advancing the Obama Administration\u2019s priorities of protecting public health and the environment, including: taking action on climate change, improving air quality, assuring safety of chemicals, protecting America\u2019s waters and expanding the conversation on environmentalism.<\/p>\n

Deirdre Floyd, associate manager of Minority and Small Business Development with the Mississippi Development Authority, praised Fleming\u2019s advice.<\/p>\n

\u201cGwendolyn was awesome, dynamite, straight to the point speaker. She gave great information to help entrepreneurs to be successful for themselves as well what to do for the environment.\u00a0 She is an asset to the human race, especially women,\u201d stated Floyd.<\/p>\n

The Nov. 1-2 conference was held at the Mississippi e-Center, and was sponsored by the Jackson State University College of Business, Department of Entrepreneurship and Professional Development. A number of sessions gave detailed insight on how to become small business owners and allowed successful female entrepreneurs to share their stories. Information also was shared on the importance of branding, the use of social media in business marketing, contracting and governmental sources for funding and creating economic opportunities.<\/p>\n

Some panelists appealed especially to students and other soon-to-be business owners with their practical advice.<\/p>\n

Panelist Shameka Reed, owner of Savvy Lifestyle Magazine and a JSU graduate, said the best way to build a business and a brand is through client relationships. She stressed how important it is for students as well as aspiring entrepreneurs to get involved and stay connected through social media sites and clients. \u201cLook at every thing as an opportunity for success\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Donna Williams, conference attendee from Grambling State University, stated three important tools needed for a successful entrepreneurship: \u201cwork hard and be willing to plan, make decisions and work increasingly to keep the business growing; \u201cknow your market\u201d by researching your business so that you will know what customers want and need; keep God in your life because \u2018nothing in life is done on by man\u2019.\u201d
\nMany students, faculty, staff and others described the conference as \u201cmotivating\u201d, \u201cinspiring\u201d and definitely \u201cencouraging\u201d.
\n\u201cIt was great! I wish that more students would have attended the conference. It was a great learning tool that students don\u2019t always take advantage of,\u201d said Nneka Ayozie, a junior mass communications major from Jackson, Miss.<\/p>\n

Ayozie said she learned that the leaders in the world of entrepreneurship \u201ctake risk\u201d and sacrifices to make things happen and the conference gave her useful insight that she can use in her future business ventures.<\/p>\n

Shaunell Applewhite, a graduating senior entrepreneurship major from Long Beach, Miss., stated that as an entrepreneurship major and an aspiring entrepreneur \u201cthe conference was essential to my success in the future. I gained plenty of valuable information. My favorite part of the conference was listening to all of the important and influential speakers.\u201d\u00a0 She added that all the speakers, special guest and visitors encouraged her to stay true to her business goals.<\/p>\n

Sheena Daniels, a computer science graduate student, said: \u201cI think it was a great opportunity for young women who are aspiring to have their own business. It was a networking opportunity to meet business owners who can help steer you in the right way to gain capital for your business.\u201d
\nOther speakers included Retired Brigadier General Velma (Von) Richardson, vice president, IS&GS DoD It Programs and Special Projects with Lockheed Martin, Dr. Jeanette Brown, director of the Office of Small Business Programs, U.S. EPA, Washington, D.C., and Winston and alma Pittman, of Winston Pittman Enterprises, Lousiville, KY.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

DeAnne Applewhite and Dominique McCraney\/Staff Writers The daughter of a Tuskegee airman and the first African American to hold the position as Regional Administrator for Region 4 of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency told entrepreneurs, soon-to-be entrepreneurs and small business owners at the Women of Color 2011 Entrepreneurs Conference to \u201cbe courageous and just do […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-762","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-campus-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/theflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/762","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/theflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/theflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/theflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/theflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=762"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/theflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/762\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/theflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=762"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/theflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=762"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/theflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=762"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}