Vernice Bell

Life & Business Transformation

Once upon a time in a far away land... (Colorado lol 📷:) I was a cosmetology student at Toni & Guy Hairdressing Academy slaying the mannequin game by the way. The story of how I was about to take on the world with my platform artist skills was already planted firmly in my heart.... not knowing that the World had a thing or two or three... to teach this licensed and ready cosmetologist. Not less than 2 years after graduating and getting my license I found myself back at a cubicle surrounded by concrete walls and burnt up coffee pots in the break rooms working as a Video Engineer. Funny thing is I know of many many many people who would have killed for my position but I was unhappy... I hated being glued to my chair and even worse I hated answering the same questions over and over again.

Me: Hello Vernice VTC (Video Teleconference i.e. Facetime) How may I help you?
Them: My VTC is not working!!! 📷:( Me: Did you turn the TV on?
Them: Oh I got to turn the TV on (30 sec of silence) I thought you were supposed to do that!!! Me: Yes, just pick up the remote and hit the red power button the connection is perfect. Them: Ohhhh oh yeah, now I see (30 more secs of silence) next time can you leave the TV on will ya?!
Me: Sure I will, glad I could help goodbye.

I swear I had that same conversation 1 million times a day! I hated feeling like I was worthless (to the customer) unless something was broken. None the less I stayed in the I.T. field doing hair in my off time and spare time any where I could it was like I had to get my doing hair fix LOL.

Then finally, Spring of 2014 I got the green light, I had saved over 90K my bills were paid and I was going to finally start my business. And I did just that I got my license for the state of Virginia and I was off on to the races. LLC check, CPA check, Business License check, website, hair products, and camera check check check. I hired photographers, I hired models, I even hired other MUA to assist me in photoshoots. I opened a small space in an older ladies salon by the way she was really really sweet . I went to fashion shows I put models in fashions shows. I was doing everything right. Wasn’t I... yeah that's what I thought too. Except the numbers weren’t nearly where they should have been. I was in the red and my CPA was not a happy camper. Then a bright light came on, I know what I need, I need a networking event and thus the birth of “Networking in the City” a networking event for the urban entrepreneur. And although those were relatively successful I still wasn’t seeing the success that I’d hoped for or what was overdue to me.

See yall I was doing everything right and everything wrong at the same time. I had no clue about business strategies I had no systems I knew nothing about my numbers analytics or my target market. Then boom it seemingly overnight there I was Fifty-Five Thousand (yep $55,000) dollars down the drain and 12 months later no business setup and running no overflow of clientele and worst of all no data. There was only one thing left to do.... So Back to technology I went and please believe my ego was burned beaten and bruised so badly I would just stare at the screen some days daydreaming about what I could have done differently. And how I could have saved more.

 ...