Innovative Woman Alease Michelle

Alease Michelle head shot 72dpiMeet Alease Michelle successful coach, educator, entrepreneur and author.

How and why did you start your business?
How? I just started selling my artwork to friends and then to small galleries in my town. It was just a hobby that later turned into a personal branding/marketing business. Why? Because I needed to do it. I’ve always played business woman as a child I dreamed of offering my talents to others,  running a company where I was the boss.  Starting a business was in my blood so I had to finally answer the calling.

What has been your biggest challenge and how did you overcome it
My biggest challenge was believing in myself. I’ve accomplished a lot in my life but start a business just seemed out of the questions. But one day as I was driving to work I noticed all the cars and trucks with people’s names on them. And it just hit me… these are real people who started small and it grew into something big. If they could do it then so can I . Even if I fail it will be ok I can either try again or give up. It became so black and white for me. I had been thinking in the gray for a long time. It clearly was a mind set that I had to overcome.

How do you define SUCCESS?
Success is when you enjoy the stage of life you are in. Success is your happy meter. If you are happy in whatever you are doing then you are successful. It has never been about the car or home I live. Its been about doing what makes my heart sing. That’s success to me.

If there was one thing you wish you knew before you began, what would that be?
That its ok to ask for help. I am so thick headed. And sometimes I would rather figure it out myself then to ask for help. But when I did get help the process of starting a business became so much easier.

What makes you an innovative woman?
What makes me an innovative woman is that I was able to turn a bad experience in my career into an opportunity. I actual was able to take lemons is turn it into sugar sweet lemonade.

To learn more about Alease and how you can learn Small Ways to Transform Your Life visit aleasemichelle.com.