Today we’d like to introduce you to Stevie Dawn Blakely.
Stevie Dawn, 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 into entrepreneurship started at the ripe old age of 17. I was full of, well…something, and thought I knew everything there was to know. So I bought a dance studio in the outback of Australia, convinced I could make it successful.
Long story short…I wasn’t ready. While the studio persisted after I left (actually, I was deported, but that is a story best told over a glass of wine), I was not prepared for the responsibility. I didn’t know how to ask for help. How to make a profit. Marketing, Accounting. Basically, I had no basic business principles.
After I licked my wounds for a while, I decided that the dance studio idea was still brilliant. Maybe I just needed to do it here in the states. I went back to school and received a bachelor’s degree in Small Business Administration. Of course, after studying business for years, I shied away from actually pursuing business ownership again.
Instead I went on a colorful journey of dancing, becoming a paralegal, joining the U.S. Marine Corps, and becoming a para-professional in a 5th grade classroom.
I did say, colorful, right?
Anyhow, I was finally ready to try again and opened another dance studio. I knew more this time. I did better. It might have even been successful, but a career-changing injury forced me to give up the dream and come up with a new plan.
Back to school I went to get a master’s degree in Sociology and later a doctorate in Leadership. I found a love in working with college students and spend over a decade in higher education. However, that entrepreneurship spirit hadn’t left my soul.
Newly married, with doctorate degree in hand, my husband and I decided that I should take all of that leadership training into the world. I quit my corporate job and launched into business ownership for a 3rd time. But now, I was a little older, a little wiser, and ready to do what it takes to make it successful.
My goal now was to create a life where my husband could quit his corporate job and join me in the business. We are those crazy kids who actually enjoy spending every waking moment together. Even now, years later (I know you are vomiting right now, right?!).
Entrepreneurship is definitely a journey. It hasn’t been the easiest path, but I am proud to say that we are living our dream life. We have created a successful corporate training company, Orange Compass. My husband was able to quit his job and works with me now…24/7. We have employees, office space, bills, government contracts…the whole 9 yards. And it is working! We LOVE it!
That’s when I decided it was time to share everything I knew with other struggling entrepreneurs. I often felt like I was on an island. That nobody understood what I was going through. I am determined not to let that happen to anyone else. We need each other to make it through this crazy dream called LIFE. We need the coaches, the mentors, the training, and the support.
That’s why I started this new venture working with fellow entrepreneurs. I am living proof that it can happen. That you can build a life of your dreams. That you can Be The Shark (another long story).
Has it been a smooth road?
I think the biggest struggle is showing up every day. Being a business owner, an entrepreneur, is all about Freedom. However, I have found the freedom is a double-edged sword. Yes, I have the freedom to work when I want, where I want, and with who I want. However, I also have the freedom to slack off and do nothing. I can totally watch Netflix all day and nobody can complain about it. I find motivating myself to see it as a business. To keep a set schedule and to focus on growth has been one of the biggest obstacles.
That and sales….because, honestly, I HATE having to sell my service. I would rather give it away to cool people, but you gotta pay the bills, right?!
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Orange Compass, LLC is a corporate training company specializing in the non-profit sector. We provide leadership and communications training to non-profit board members, leaders, staff, and volunteers. Training sessions range from 45-minutes to all-day programs and are filled with engagement, humor, and practical strategies. Our goal is to create strategic partnerships with our clients to help them be their best to serve others.
Stevie Dawn Inspires, LLC is a platform for inspiring others to live their best life! As part of that brand, we have started an “Empire Building” community, helping female entrepreneurs learn how to launch their business, build a profit, and scale it into an empire. I believe that when people can build businesses that suit their lives, they can truly have the freedom they desire. I offer a group coaching program, a 4-day business retreat, and one-on-one coaching sessions across the globe.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
I LOVE being in the DFW area. I honestly do not think our business would have survived or thrived anywhere else. There is such a strong community of coaches, mentors, and support groups within the entrepreneurship eco-system in DFW. I always had a friend to turn to. Plenty of networking events to attend. Lots of free help and resources. Love being HERE!
Contact Info:
- Address: 1200 Delaware Drive, Mansfield, TX 76063
- Website: www.drsteviedawn.com / www.orangecompass.com
- Phone: 817-913-3337
- Email: stevie@steviedawninspires.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drsteviedawn/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stevie.blakely.phd
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/sdinspires
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.
