Make Your Passion Your Paycheck

I am a strong believer in "loving what you do". I know first hand what it's like to work somewhere only to get a paycheck. I understand that sometimes responsibilities may come up and you may need that job to keep a float, but it's all about time management. Find a balance between the time you spend at work and use any extra time you have to think of a master escape plan! I remember looking at the Instagram pages of my cohorts who had started a successful business and thinking "if only I had started on my plan I could have been there by now" until one day I looked around and decided a change had to come and soon. I quit my retail job and started working toward bigger and better things, including Novateur Brand Architecture. Don't get me wrong, things didn't happen over night and there were times that I thought I had made a big mistake by quitting on a whim like that but I also knew that God had never steered me wrong before and knew he wouldn't start now. 

I now get to hear the dreams and schemes of others and help them mold that dream into something real and I love every second. If you have dreams and aspirations, go for them and put your all into it. I promise the outcome will be soooo worth it. Don't just sit around and hope for a better day, start planning and building for that day TODAY! 

Need more help making your dream a reality? Let's Chat!

Starting a Business with Your Best Friend.

In honor of #BFFDay, I decided that it would be a great time to discuss a few pros and cons of starting a business with your best friend. Of course you start to think about how long you have been friends and you both love the same things, it'll be great, right? Well it could be the best thing ever or it could be one of the worst. 

Forbes.com has an article about this very subject and list the following points as pros and cons at the same time. 

1. They will already know your strengths, but they will also know your weaknesses. They best thing to do is play on those strengths and weaknesses, were your partner is weak you can be the strength.
2. Communication could be a lot easier, but, if handled the wrong way, could make things very awkward between the two of you.
3. They will appreciate your input and most of all your honesty. When working with your bestie it will be much easier to give your honest opinion being that their reaction will be pretty predictable.
4. Lastly, you and your BFF will get to spend a lot of time together. Just make sure that time is spent productively and not playfully. Work has to be done! 

Sometimes not having an extensive history with your business partner is the best way to go. Shay and I didn't know each other at all and I couldn't imagine having a better business partner. We have grown to be great friends and still keep a great business relationship. Knowing the difference between personal and business is the key to success when working with a friend. If you to can grasp that concept, you and your BFF could have a very successful and prosperous business together. 

Networking 101

Networking is essential to getting your business’ name out there. There are many FREE events that are hosted by people who were once in the same position as you. Networking with your peers at a networking event will give you connections that you may never find out on your own and it will also put you in a comfortable environment with people just like you making them easier to approach and talk to. Finding these events are super easy, sites like EventBrite allow you to search and register for events depending on your location. In my experience, networking events have been held in very laid back atmospheres, drinks & hors d'oeuvres were being served and everyone is open and just want to get to know about you and your business.

Many people are afraid to go out and network because they “fear the pitch”, simply stated, they fear going out there, mingling and pitching their business because they think they will be rejected. Truth is, we all get rejected at least once in our lives, its apart of becoming an entrepreneur.

So grab your cards and get your pitch ready, because you have a great business or business idea and there are people who want to hear about it! You never know, you may even make lifelong business connects!

OH! Did I forget to mention that Novateur Brand Architecture will be hosting networking events soon? Keep up with NBA Branding by following us on Facebook and Twitter! 

Personal Board of Advisors

Your Personal Brand NEEDS a Personal Board of Advisors

Large companies have a group of people to consult before making any major decisions that affect the company called the Board of Directors or Advisors. If you consider yourself a brand then you need to take the same precautions for various reasons. Your personal advisory board should consists of people who have your best interest at heart.

Ideally, your board would include a mentor, a motivator, a mother, an optimist, a frankster, a reminder and a friend. If you’re lucky enough to have one person who takes on all of these roles, great! But I would suggest enlisting a few more people so that you can get diverse views and opinions to help you make major decisions.

Whether you’re an entrepreneur or trying to navigate and advance in corporate America, there will be decisions to be made that you may need some advice on before you can make those tough decisions. It’s not anything to be ashamed of, it’s actually healthy to talk about things. It’s not a must that you take all of their advice but it’s helpful to consider other views.

The Mentor:

Your mentor should be a veteran in your field. Think of your life and career as a journey, the mentor serves as a tour-guide. This person will hopefully help to make things slightly easier for you. They’ll tell you about their past mistakes and how to avoid or overcome them. They’ll cheer for your wins and help you to bounce back from your failures.

If you don’t already have a mentor, then seek one out. Once you find someone you want to have as a mentor, don’t be afraid to ask them.

The Motivator:

This person’s sole purpose is to push you to your maximum potential. They’re likely full of encouraging words helping to propel you reach your dreams. They encourage you to take risks. This person might overlap as the reminder or the optimist but that’s okay, just make sure you always have someone there to motivate you when you feel discouraged.

The Reminder:

The reminder never lets you forget your reasons for doing what you do. They won’t let you bask in a pit of hopelessness because you don’t have time for that. You have a purpose. You have goals to reach. And he or she will help get you back on track.

The Optimist:

You really should already have an optimist is your life. This person is a glass full of positive energy. We love the #positivevibesonly but this person is more than a hashtag; you can actually talk to them! They are fun, encouraging, and inspirational. This is your go-to person to pitch ideas. And every time you doubt yourself or hesitate on why you can’t do something, they’re going to give you five reasons why you can.

The Mother:

The mother is someone who cares about you in every aspect. It does not actually have to be your mother or even a woman, just a caring and grounded person. While he or she cheers for you, they will also tell you when you’re doing too much. They’ll let you know when they think you should slow down. They care about your health: mentally, physically, and spiritually.

The Frankster:

Yes, I made up a word but hear me out. The “frankster” is the realest person on your squad or board. They keep it “100” all the time. They’re so blunt that it hurts sometimes. You know the saying “the truth hurts,” well… here is the painful truth personified.

 But it’s important that this person is painfully honest out of love. While the optimist on your team will encourage you to jump and worry about the consequences later, the frankster will help to keep you a little more grounded and weigh out all options. They’ll let you know when an idea is completely outlandish. But they’ll also provide other suggestions. They are not purely negative. I think of this person like a grandma, because of the honesty and love.

The Friend:

 At last we get to the friend! “How many of us have them?...Real friends,”­—okay, Yeezy break over. You really do need a good friend who encompasses all of the aforementioned qualities. You can cry on their shoulder, laugh, and do whatever you need to do to take a load off. This should be your real judgement free zone. This person has your back no matter what. The only catch is that you also have to be a really good friend.

 As you read this, some of your friends and family probably popped in your mind for certain positions and that’s great! If not, we have work to do. To be successful and keep your sanity you really need a good support system. Life can be overwhelming sometimes but your board of “handy dandy” trustees can help you through it. 

Honestly, you can call this group of people whatever you want: i.e. squad, team, etc. But these are real #squadgoals! So who’s on your Personal Advisory Board? 

Engaging with your Target Audience

So you've started your business and now you need traffic whether that's online or in your store. Digital Marketing is essential to the success of your business. We've created an info graphic to help you understand how much potential is in the online world. However, reaching that audience could be a daunting task. Allow us to help you! We use strategic and innovative marketing strategies to attract your target audience and engage with them! Contact us to learn more about how we can help to maximize your profits. 

New Year, New Business?

It is officially 2016! The beginning of a new year is the perfect time to start a new business and move forward with those ideas and plans you spent most of 2015 holding on to. Do not go through another year of what ifs! If you have always had a dream of opening a boutique or using papa's classic recipe at your own pizzeria , 2016 is your time to shine! 

Many people say that money is the reason that their dream hasn't taken off, but trust me, money is out there. There are so many resources available to you if you just look for them. You have to believe in yourself and your business.

Think about it, you clock into someone else's dream everyday and then sit around thinking about if that could one day be you. While you're day dreaming, time is passing you by. Find your passion and make it pay.

Be inspired. 

Need help bringing your dream to life? Let NBA help you. Schedule a consultation today!

Welcome to Novateur Brand Architecture!

If you've made it to the blog then you have already seen the "About Us" page and gotten some basic information that I'm sure you do not want another run down on, so let me just tell you a little more than what you already know! Novateur Brand Architecture, that's a mouthful, NBA for short, was created by two young brand ambassadors, in this case, architects, Tori Johnson and Saundra LaShay, who believe that a great marketing strategy and a strong brand are the heart of strong businesses.

The goal is simple, to turn hobbies into profits, I am pretty sure you've heard the saying, "Do what you love and love what you do",  and right now at the start of a new year, go for it. NBA encourages everyone to go for the stars and make your dreams happen! We want to be right there with you cheering you on and putting more money into your pockets. 

Like what you see so far? Let's talk business! Check out our Facebook and Twitter pages and set up a consultation today. Maybe you already have your business up and running and need some help on the social side or maybe you just have a seed that you want to plant, NBA can help you.