Back in July, I did a series called Boss Lady July. One of the people I interviewed was a songwriter and CEO of her own company. She and I had so much fun talking that I decided we needed one more post so that she could share some on advice on how to become a successful boss!
You need to dedicate time and effort into your career… If not you will not fulfill the purpose that God has for your life! – TMarie
Taylor, what would you say makes a black woman successful or any person successful in general?
As a Black woman in a boardroom surrounded by all men, men are going to expect you to be emotional, loud, or have an attitude. That’s just the way it is. If you want to be a boss, you have to learn how to talk like one.
1. Set an objective in your meetings. Make sure that everyone is on the same page. Always refer back to the central objective between you and partners throughout the entire meeting.
2. Always clarify and repeat what people are saying to you so that you make sure that you are having complete and clear communication at all times.
3. Always speak with data and facts. People at the top want to see evidence, no one cares about how you feel if you don’t have the evidence to prove it!
4. You have to give in this world to get. You have to always think about what the person on the other side of that table wants and needs, not just what you want and need. When you’re proposing something new, always focus on how it will benefit the other party and you. Don’t just come into that office as an idealist, come into that office as a boss! A boss offers up DEALS…not IDEALS!!!
5. No means NOOOO!!! And never be afraid to say it. If someone does not conduct in a fair or professional, or manner to you, never be afraid to demand respect. Never be afraid to ask someone to do the job again or to give you your money back or to explore other options if they cannot treat you fairly and provide quality work for you and your business! Because trust me they WILL test you and TRY to play you but you will know in your heart when something isn’t right!!
Truly you know what you’re talking about. What advice would you give for those who are starting a business or has a business or has a trade?
Be consistent and Pay attention to the fine print!!! When you pay close attention to every single detail and piece of your product and strive to make it great, you will be great! DONT LET ANYTHING GOOO!! If you have a big event coming up, DO NOT wait until the last minute to start planning for it. Consistency is key…..practice every day, market every day, network every day!
You need to dedicate DAILY time and effort into your grind as well! If not you will be embarrassed, you will waste a whole lot of money, and you will not fulfill the purpose that God has for your life! I know this because I failed tremendously and I worked extremely hard but I didn’t put in enough time for each fine detail to be perfect. Make sure everything is high quality and that doesn’t always mean expensive! Search for the best deal! Don’t just pick the first one in front of you!! Strive for perfection, but embrace failure because failures lead you to perfection.
If you are a musician and you are looking for a new engineer. DO NOT do a whole project with an engineer until you know that they can do one song. Attempt one 1 minute test song, like an interlude or something with them and have them mix that before you do a full song. If the mix is right, then move on to the master. And then and only THEN if that master is right, then you can move on and do other songs or projects with them.
Same with designs, make sure you get a test shirt before ordering hundreds of shirts from one company. Make sure you do your research and find out the best distributors for your product. Don’t just shell out thousands of dollars with no plan! You need $0 to start a T-Shirt company with a site like Teespring… I wish someone would have told me that before I went out and bought inventory. Last but not least, DO YOUR RESEARCH before you collaborate and choose partners for your business.
Thanks again Taylor for being a boss lady and making a difference in the world!
Again, if you would like to learn more about Taylor and Queenin’ For Da Kingdom Ministries you can check out her products and learn more about QDK and their services at queeninfordakingdom.com. Also, GO check out her album Brand New Woman and her EP called The Triniteee 313!!
