We were recently interviewed regarding our support of our local community and other women in business here is that discussion. If you like what you read and want to share our message, please COMMENT AND SHARE!
1. Tell us how and why you started your business.
It really started when I was a child with the realization and dream of being a business owner, instilled in me by my father, which kept me focused on being a business owner. In my early 20’s when I lived in the projects of Fort Greene in Brooklyn, NY, I put fliers up at the State University of NY and offered to type up resumes for $20.00 and Term Papers for $5.00 a page. I made some great side money which was so needed as a young mother of two children. The company name was “Type-Right” I did that for about two years. Then, in my early 30’s my business dream resurfaced and I tried a few home-based businesses such as the scrapbooking company Creative Memories (where my love of crafting flourished) and then Amway which was an amazing entrepreneurial training ground. Finally, for a year or two I used my love of crafting to go on the Holiday Craft Show circuit at Broward County area events and make some money while enjoying my hobby. As my hospitality career took off alongside some of those side ventures, I would launch HBL for the first time in 1999 when I focused on EEO-1 and Affirmative Action reporting for a large hotel management company. Unfortunately, within about two years I had to put HBL on the back burner while my life took some turns and I learned some hard lessons in life, (that book is being written)… LOL Then in 2011, when I was the VP of HR for a hospitality management company, I noticed a shift in the company’s cultural philosophies and budget constraints. As a result, I decided to negotiate myself into a part-time VP role and I offered to reduce my pay which helped the company financially. In the few days I had off, I would rebuild, rebrand and re-launch HBL Resources, Inc. We incorporated in 2011 and I’ve never looked back!
2. How does your business give back or support the local community?
As a member of the Miramar Pembroke Pines Regional Chamber of Commerce, I volunteer on the Governance Committee and chaired the Ambassadors Committee from April 2013 – April 2016, before that I Co-Chaired the Education and Training Committee. I currently volunteer for the Broward County’s KIDS AND THE POWER OF WORK (KAPOW) Program since 2012 where I facilitate 5th grade lessons to help prepare students for their futures in the workplace and life. Due to the rigors of my career and being an employee with less flexibility, I was never able to be in the classroom for my own kids so to give back and volunteer and enjoy others’ kids is very rewarding. A recent initiative that we are really excited about is connected to our sister-brand, The Complete Manager Makeover. A portion of the book proceeds will be donated to The Uganda Clean Water Initiative through the Confidence Builds Success Academy. One water filter can provide 300 gallons of safe drinking water per day to over 450 children over 10 years!
3. How does your business show support for other women, whether it’s through community or through your everyday product and services?
I am a member of the Leadership Team at Oasis Church where I currently facilitate a Women’s Titus 2 Mentoring Group but prior to that I facilitated the Women to Women Mentoring Program for the same church from 2011 to 2015. The program put over 125 women through whether they mentored or were mentees. I’m SUPER passionate about mentoring Women! I’ve also recently joined an organization called the Women’s Prosperity Network whose mission is: A movement and sisterhood of women coming together in collaboration as a massive force for positive change in the world. It’s an awesome group of amazing women who grow together and build one another up!
4. Why do you think it’s important for people to show support for other women-owned businesses?
I think it’s important for Women-Owned Businesses to Grow and for resources to be available to help them do so. There are so many reasons including showing support is for any small business is just good business, everybody wins. But one particularly important factor is Job creation. As excerpted from a recent American Express Survey on the State of Women Owned Businesses, “The share of women-owned firms has grown much faster by number of firms than by employment and revenues. Indeed, while the share of number of firms from 1997 to 2017 grew from 26% to 39%, the share for employment only grew from 7% to 8% and for revenues, the share declined slightly from 4.4% to 4.2%. Closing this gap could be a key to creating more jobs.”