Today we’d like to introduce you to Collette Portis.
When your grandparents are entrepreneurs and your parents are entrepreneurs, is it really a surprise when you become a serial entrepreneur? That’s what happened to Collette Portis who has business in her DNA.
After earning six degrees, she realized that it wasn’t getting her to her desired destination and she still had a void that she just couldn’t seem to fill. After completing her Masters degree, Portis knew she couldn’t continue on the path she was on. So she left her corporate job and moved to Texas. Although she’s highly educated with years of experience and success on past jobs, she looked for work for over a year and couldn’t find it. After exhausting her savings she knew the only choice she had was to do what she knew God told her to do 15 years prior to that date, start her own business.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
A year into launching Destined Designed, Collette’s graphic design and branding firm, she realized many businesses around her were struggling to keep their doors opened. Realizing that many were lacking proper business knowledge Collette recognized that her prior coaching experience and education provided her with the tools needed to help businesses survive and grow. So, she became the answer. Soon after making that decision, Collette suddenly found herself homeless and without a car in a new city. Nevertheless, she never stopped improving her clients businesses and was determined to keep her business thriving.
Please tell us about RED Development Group.
The coaching side of her business began to grow rapidly. As a result, Portis realized that she needed to separate the branding company from the coaching company. After conversations with two dynamic business women who were facing similar issues Collette faced, they decided to bring their coaching programs under one brand in an effort to resolve their own frustrations. They quickly realized that other extraordinary business women where facing the same issues. Their desire to help women collaborate rather than compete in order to access and maximize their greatness is why RED Development Group, Inc. was born.
After her partners moved on to launch other companies, Collette became the sole owner of RED. Now, RED Development Group, Inc. is Collette’s solution to helping businesses increase their revenue, grow their teams, and build legacies that last more than a lifetime. Collette and the REDTeam is disrupting the idea of “business as usual.” She built her A Team, hiring Greg Washington as REDs VP of Global Relationships, Brittney McKinney as Executive Assistant, Jacob Gerling as Branding Intern, and Jackalyn Beck as Communications Intern because she believes that nothing great happens with just one person. The REDTeam is on purpose about building sustainable businesses to help clients leave an imprint and a legacy that is proof that they were here. However, in normal “Collette fashion,” it’s not enough to just impact her clients when she can also work to help the business community at large.
Through its proven and exclusive curriculum, RED is changing the coaching and business industry. RED launched their certification program to help business coaches increase their reach, revenue, and results. With a solid understanding of the importance of the business coaching community, but it’s deficit in tangible results, Collette and The REDTeam partner with coaches globally to give them what they call the Four CS; coaching, curriculum, clients, and community. REDs exclusive M.B.A. for CEOs curriculum is focused on quantitative data proving its impact on a clients business. The REDTeam has helped their clients more than double their revenues, create community impact, and impact their local enormous through job creation. Because of its success RED Development Group has worked with cities and community organizations to help businesses bounce back from the effects of the pandemic. Their work is happening all over the country.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
At four years old, Collette found her independence. Her family lived across the street from the neighborhood store. One day, after deciding that she wanted some candy, Collette ventured to the store with two Coke bottle tops that she mistook for coins. She carefully crossed the street, by herself, and went into the store. Once inside, the owner curiously watched her make a B-line for the penny candy bin. He called her parents as she meticulously counted out her candy and put her “coins” on the countertop. She felt accomplished having gone on the venture alone and purchased her candy with what she thought was money.
Her father promptly showed up and Collette couldn’t understand why. She was doing just fine and was about to head home. She noticed her father giving the store owner money so she shot her dad a puzzled look because she knew she had already paid for the candy. But it didn’t really matter so she placed her focus back on the bag of candy she planned to enjoy while watching cartoons. So she headed out the store with her dad in tow.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.reddevelopmentgroup.com/about.html
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reddevelopmentgroup/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/reddevelopmentgroup/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/reddevgroup
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/company/reddevelopmentgroup/
Image Credit:
Photo with 3 ladies is M.B.A. for CEOs 3-Day Business Strategy Bootcamp
Collette speaking on the topic of crowdfunding
Greg Washington – VP of Global Relationships
Thomas Brown Jr. – Director of Innovation
REDforce 2020 with Jackalyn Beck (editorial intern), Jacob Gerling (branding intern), and Sara Hussenet (marketing intern)
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