Today we’d like to introduce you to Derey Alston.
Derey, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I would say that my story started at Hampton University in Hampton, Virginia. After graduating with a degree in Business Administration, I spent the next eight years of life in the financial services industry. While that provided decent compensation, I was not fulfilled. In fact, it got to the point where I really started to dislike my job and did not look forward to waking up each morning. I finally came to the point where I said to myself, “something has to change.”
After reading several self-help books, attending seminars, praying and growing spiritually, I decided that it was time for me to change my mindset. I would label it as an entrepreneur/wealth/happiness mindset. Things in my life have not been the same since. To be quite honest, I have failed miserably at starting my business. Yet, I’m still here to continue to work and improve until I get it right. In facing a ton of adversity and never giving up, I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. During those hard times, I wrote my first fiction novel. In May of 2019, I self-published my work. The title of my book is The Dunn Wright Group: An American Entrepreneur Story. I’m only getting started!
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
A smooth road!? Entrepreneurship is no fairy tale. In starting my business, I faced one struggle after another. From burning through thousands of dollars, poor email marketing strategies, losing a major bid that could have moved my business to the next level, failing to reach profitability and not to mention living at home with my mother the entire time! In a short period, I have faced every single emotion there is to experience in starting a business. Frankly, I wouldn’t change any of it. Well, maybe the living at home with my mom part, lol.
Please tell us about The Alston Collaborative.
My business is The Alston Collaborative Group. All of my working backgrounds has been in the financial services industry. In working in that field, I realized that many people were lacking in financial education, myself included. The main objective of the business is to teach financial literacy, encourage personal growth and develop and to spark the curiosity of entrepreneurship.
In addition, like the good people at Voyage, we look to collaborate with other positive, like-minded individuals. I am a writer at heart, and my passion is speaking. Those things combined make up The Alston Collaborative. I believe what separates me apart from others, is the same thing that separated Kobe Bryant from his peers. The willingness to win at all costs, to be a master of your craft, and the absolute best at what you do. The Mamba Mentality.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
That is a really good question. I’m sure that the one thing I would have done differently is that I would have NOT quit my day job prematurely. Although I couldn’t stand my job, I would have held on a little longer, until I knew my business was going in the right direction. Or if anything, I would have found another job that was more bearable while I continued to work on my business.
Contact Info:
- Email: thealstoncollab@gmail.com
- Website: http://www.thealstoncollab.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thealstoncollab/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheAlstonCollab/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheAlstonCollab
- Other: https://www.amazon.com/Dunn-Wright-Group-American-Entrepreneur/dp/0578467631
Image Credit:
Kory Sebastian
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