Connect
To Top

Meet Darlisa Diltz of North Texas Entrepreneur Education and Training Center in Hurst

Avatar photo

Today we’d like to introduce you to Darlisa Diltz.

Darlisa, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
My journey seems to have started as a child. I have always had a passion for helping others, no matter what it may cost me. I remember as a kid getting in trouble for being so nice or for giving people things that were meant for me to have. Some used to say it was because I was “soft” or a “push-over”, maybe that I was even scary… but that really wasn’t the case. I honestly did (and still do) like making people happy!!

As I grew older and started on my professional journey, I, like others followed the instructions of our education system and went to college to try and take on the corporate ladder. Through many challenges (lack of financial support, commute, working full time, and ultimately getting pregnant), I had to leave the on-campus college life and step into full-blown adulthood. With the birth of my daughter, and a religious upbringing, the next step in my mind for “life success” was to step up and start my family. I married young and was fully engaged into being the best wife and mother I could be.  My assumption at this time was that I had failed at my life’s plan especially since I would not be graduating college.

After several years, I began to feel empty and knew that couldn’t be the end of the story for me….after the birth of my second child, I decided to go back to school and complete my undergraduate degree. With a somewhat new marriage, a toddler and a newborn, and a full-time job…..I was still determined to make things happen. I completed my undergrad in Marketing Management and went straight into my Master’s program to complete my MBA.

With my new knowledge and education, I took on a quest to climb the corporate ladder.  I worked full time at a local health organization for many years, where I eventually learned that my corporate ladder was more like a step stool. During my time there, I seemed to be the “go-to” person for company related innovation strategies, employee engagement, and even organizational development initiatives. I was loved greatly by senior leadership but hated greatly by middle management. And trust me…I felt the sting of it on a daily basis.

My reputation for helping businesses and people in general on strategies and business development became a known thing even outside of the office. Because of this, I was given the opportunity to work with a signature Non-profit company out of Chicago to assist with their board development and strategic plan.  This opportunity is what started me on my journey to entrepreneurship. Not knowing ANYTHING about entrepreneurship and never imagining myself as one…I began to research and study the components of being an Entrepreneur. I started my very first company as djd. InDepth Marketing and Consulting Services in 2010.  Under this business, I provided free information sessions on what it means to become an Entrepreneur and help individuals with creating content for their business presentation.  Even though I was not generating a significant amount of revenue at the time, I knew this was something I wanted to do long term.  This lead to more and more opportunities to consult aspiring Entrepreneurs.

I went BACK to school and completed my third degree, a Master’s of Science in Information Technology, with a focus in systems and project management. I did this in addition to working my full-time job…being a wife, mother, and still learning and growing as a professional. After several years of the corporate experience, and building my independent brand, I was able to walk away from my job and go into full-time business consulting. I was blessed with the opportunity to work with several prominent business service organizations in the capacity of consulting, training and personal business development.

Since then, I have worked with over 600 aspiring and seasoned business owners….helping them to perfect their passion as an Entrepreneur or to determine if Entrepreneurship was not right for them.

In 2013, I started a youth program called the Youth Entrepreneurs Platform, which was the only independent curriculum-based youth entrepreneurship program in the St. Louis market outside of Junior Achievement.

In 2016, with a family move to the DFW area, I hit the ground running getting entrenched in the DFW Entrepreneur ecosystem. I have been blazing trails ever since.

Some of the accomplishments:
– Featured in the Dallas Business Journal
– Helped to secure over 13M in capital investment funding
– Named Chair of the Dallas Entrepreneur Centers Ambassador Program
– Worked with the Collin SBDC to develop a Millennial-focused program to increase resource sharing opportunities
– Recruited to work with a New Orleans based company to develop a Millennial-focused business conference in partnership with America’s SBDC

And recently nominated as the “Startup Evangelist of the Year” through the Dallas Entrepreneur Network and the State of Entrepreneurship.

In November of 2018, I opened the 1st African American owned Business Resource Center in the DFW community. As a privately funded organization, I wanted to ensure a focus on educating and training Entrepreneurs from any stage in their business, especially in the under-served and micro-enterprise capacity. We have partnered with over 50 local business owners and organizations to be able to provide tangible and practical resources for For-profit and Non-profit companies. We also strive to grow the Entrepreneur ecosystem in Northeast Tarrant County.

I have learned that my life’s purpose is to service others, and that is what I enjoy doing most.

Has it been a smooth road?
I don’t think Entrepreneurship for anyone is smooth. Lol If it is, I need to find out their secret. Some of the struggles I have faced are:
– Being overlooked for contracts due to politics or being “to young” as a business or business owner
– Being an American American female in the Entrepreneur space as a whole
– Having limited access to resources
– Lack of anticipated support
– Consistently generating revenue
– Accessing new markets easily

I mean, the list could go on forever. However, all of those struggles help me with where I am today.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
The North Texas Entrepreneur Education and Training Center is a business resource center that provides resources to Entrepreneurs at any stage of their business. We specialize in educational training that allow our clients to experience entrepreneurship first hand, rather than being told how to do it. We have partnered with over fifty local businesses so far to provide training, workshops and specialty priced services to business owners in the community. Our team is comprised of myself and an outstanding fleet of advisers and business service partners committed to impacting the lives of those in business.

Our signature program is the Entrepreneur Certification Program that takes participants from learning about Entrepreneurship to business implementation and revenue generation. Our program is the only curriculum program in the DFW market that provides both the educational and the practical learning models of Entrepreneurship. Through our program, participants receive:
– A registered business entity
– A completed business plan
– Mentors in each service industry
– A direct connection to the Tarrant County Entrepreneur ecosystem
– And so much more

We also provide additional services such as registering agent service, physical address and reception, low-cost meeting space, and daily workspace with access to printing, copying scanning, and WiFi.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
I feel like my city is a GREAT city to start a business. With the new focus on establishing an inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem, now is the perfect time to get engaged. I would encourage those just starting out to seek out the organizations that specialize in helping startups (Us a one of them of course…. )and go from there.

Pricing:

  • Physical address options starting st $30
  • Room rental starting at $20/hr
  • Registered agent service $125
  • Daily work space starting at $15/day
  • Entrepreneur Certification Program $649

Contact Info:

Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.

Related Items

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

More in