In February, we proudly celebrated the contributions that Black people have given to the world with Black History Month. I am honored to be a member of the Black community.
In March we celebrate Women’s History Month. This is another group to which I proudly claim membership.
We set apart these months to build up communities and honor those who have made great contributions, especially those who have not been given the recognition they deserved. This country has failed to acknowledge areas of disparate treatment. We must not wait for anyone else to celebrate our accomplishments. Communities and movements must take the time to share their impact to compensate for the lack of appreciation publicly given.
I appreciate the quote, “Ginger Rogers did everything that Fred Astaire did, but backward and in heels!” The revelation is that in most cases women are denied access and the opportunity to achieve goals and success. Over the course of history, women were measured with standards that were not equally established. The facts show that there is a gender and racial income gap. We know that women were not allowed to open bank accounts without the permission or co-signing of a man for many years. Yet, women continue to impact the world by building businesses, often while simultaneously building families.
I am honored to be a member of The BOW Collective, a group of Black women entrepreneurs who are committed to working together to break barriers. I celebrate the founder, Nicole Cober Johnson, Esq. She had the vision to displace the narrative that Black women-owned businesses only have revenue of $24,000 to create a collective where BOW level members have revenue exceeding $1 million for a total membership of more than a 300 women nationally with an annual revenue of $1.7 billion.
Through The BOW Collective, I am privileged to meet amazing women who have a vast array of entrepreneurial experiences that include medical and dental practices, construction, hospitality, and even up to astronauts and arms dealing! We know that it is through the creation of jobs and businesses that we build communities. We know that small business is the economic engine of this country, and we are not on the sidelines watching things happen, but making things happen.
I celebrate the intersection of Black History Month and Women’s History Month with The BOW Collective as we create herstory. We look for the opportunity to do business with excellence. We are not naive when we seek to work together to change the world. We build deliberate partnerships that focus on working with people we know, like and trust. We build strategic alliances that work collectively and collaboratively with excellence. We build networks that offer resources to open doors and blaze trails that provide opportunity for those who follow as we build the legacy.
As Black women entrepreneurs, we know that there has never been equal access to opportunities and capital for the growth of business. It has been a continuous, upward climb, as we have been denied access and opportunity. Yet, as my father has always said, “Difficulty is no excuse for surrender.” We continue to do what is necessary to build and break barriers. We know that it is our commitment to ourselves, our families and our communities.
I am excited to work with individuals and families to build estate plans that include succession plans for business to preserve and protect the legacy that we work so hard to create.
