How Casey Richardson is bringing access to information, community and funding Black female entrepreneurs

Discover the strategies Casey Richardson used her experience of tech financing to establish BLAZE Group and empower a group made up of Black women entrepreneurs.

A year and a half ago, the life of Ariel Richardson was completely different. Ariel Richardson was from the California's Bay Area and worked for Bank of America, structuring huge-scale loans to tech firms. However, she realized she was the only Black female on the team. In the ten years of being in finance, she didn't receive any cash from a Black business.

"It led me to realize that it wasn't just the wisdom wasn't reaching my people, but also that the wisdom was not reaching my folks," Casey recalls.

In the month of October, 2020 Casey made a decision to alter her mind.

After her experiences in finance for technology companies, businesses and finance, she made the decision to quit her 9-to-5 job and start her own business named The BLAZE Group -- building leaders and accepting no Excuses in order of providing education, mentorship as well as a support system to historically marginalized communities that are comprised of Black female entrepreneurs.

in 2023. BLAZE Group is a firm that BLAZE Group offers online courses using Blaze Knowledge Academy. Blaze Knowledge Academy, group coaching courses, as well as an online community that is known as the application, in-person retreats as well as the semi-annual summit virtual and exclusive research conducted by Casey along with her group of international experts.

How did she do it within just two years? It was a result of proposing solutions to specific requirements that weren't being met through the intentional creation of audiences, and selecting the best equipment and the most suitable staff.

From the corporate finance expert to the most innovative businessman

Prior to making the leap to full-time entrepreneurialism, Casey was a finance specialist who drafted huge-scale loans to companies that dealt with technology. She was an expert in advanced technology was a plus, however, she saw a gap in her coworkers as well as the companies they funded. "I was the only Black female among the team. It was a signal to the world that although I had an education, my personal experiences and my personal experiences weren't included in my "community."

Black females are the largest segment of entrepreneurs in the United States -- but only 3 percent of them have "mature" businesses, while the majority of entrepreneurs fund their startups with capital. There's a significant difference in the amount of financing in addition to different options available to Black women entrepreneurs when contrasted against the white-male marketplace.

Since the summer of 2000, Casey was a participant in protests in protest against the use of force by police. The sense of belonging she felt as well as the determination she had felt were absent from the daily everyday routine. "I found myself more motivated to express my displeasure than I've had never experienced with sexuality in general," she says. "I found myself rubbing shoulders with people that were courageous and courageous enough to make choices that will have impact on the world arena."

At the end of October she came to an agreement to end the route for the finance department of the company - but not because of her having achieved success but, however, because she was highly successful thanks to her successes. What other ways could she make use of her knowledge? What other things could she do? Use her experience in finance and technology to aid others Black women achieve success?

"I'm quite comfortable in the walls. However, I would put cash in my pockets each day, hoping to buy more of the world. So I quit."

The company was terminated. She moved to Africa and started establishing BLAZE Group, a location-independent company which lets Black women all over the globe to accomplish similar things.

BLAZE Grupo has a particular focus on the entrepreneurs in their initial three years of establishing a business, the stage Casey calls"the "entrepreneurial phase."

"BLAZE helps clients understand how they can manage their business in a way to run the business. This is made possible by technology-powered solutions. We're one of them," she says.

To meet the needs of this section, Casey had to build authentic relationships to them.

What are some of the top reasons for you to start an email list on your own (and which is the most effective way to begin?)

Casey knew that she planned to launch an online program in business-related education excellent from beginning, but it was essential to build an online presence before she launched her first product.

Casey was determined to make sure that she did not make similar mistakes as she did that she did when she introduced the first BLAZE product. Thus, she took the first steps to create an audience with an objective in mind. The goal was to build a database of email addresses.

What is the difference between email users and users who are using social networks? "I was aware that I needed to create and keep my own personal relationships with myself," explains Casey.

"On Instagram, you don't possess the ability to regulate the relationship. You don't know which email address their account has, and if their handle changes it is best to have a clue of the handle they currently have," Casey says.

"I want to build relationships, and to be frequently in front of them in order to establish the brand's image and confidence."

Want to know more about her current network

15 minute discovery call in which she explains her focusing on the segment

1. Contacting her contacts currently

There's a wealth of knowledge out there on ways to grow the amount of followers you've got, but the majority of designers believe that their initial customers will be people who have not heard of their website on social media. If you're able to design your process entirely completely from scratch, then you're missing opportunities for massive assistance from your family and friends! your family!

Casey approached everyone who was in her circle of friends to let them know that she was creating an email for business and demanded their consent to join the mailing list.

"I began by going through the most recent texts messages. I also looked through my Instagram tweets and DMs... I set a timer and followed it by going through the most of them I could in five-minute intervals" she says.

Numerous family members as well as friends have been influenced through Casey and her concept in the beginning of her work to develop the database of email addresses. It may be ready for launch.

2. 15-minute discovery calls are made to the audience you want to reach

One of the most effective ways to make contact with those who you meet is through speaking to them.

Casey posted a message on her the social networks, revealing that she'd created an online course that is designed to aid Black women develop a greater comprehension of the business world. "If you'd like me to talk with you for fifteen minutes , or you have concerns, contact me," she said.

This woman knew the fact that the people they spoke with targeted her group of Black women interested in business ventures.

Instead of debating the content of the course and even advertising her own courses, Casey addressed questions such as "What keep you awake until midnight? What's your most feared anxiety? In a year's time, what do you would want to change into?" It was a chance to ensure that women felt valued and appreciated. Also, she realized she was the primary concern that had to be dealt with within the materials for the class.

"Just making the room feel secure is among the primary factors that may affect."

"By the end of many of these phone calls, clients were asking "Can I get the program immediately? What should I purchase?" Casey recalls. It was the initial development phase of the course, but she collected the names of students' emails and said she would update them as soon as the course was launched.

When the course was complete, it was then made accessible to the email list it was constructed using two ways. "There already was this excitement in the people who joined. Everyone was eager to sign up."

What did it mean? The 80 percent of women she spoke to on the first call became customers.

2 years later, Casey still offers free consulting with clients for them to understand the methods she employs for marketing and sales. Potential clients have questions about Blaze Business Intensive. Blaze Business Intensive and would wish to set up appointment to have the free Perfect Fit call for an interview with Casey.

"On average, there are five follow-ups before closing a deal. I believe that most people do not know this," says Casey. "I make these calls to assist in closing the deal."

Using the right equipment along using the correct personnel will aid Casey to grow her business.

Presently, BLAZE offers online courses as well as masterclasses, group training programs, along with an internet-based community. webinars and the TablexTribe app for mobile devices and an annual conference online (a 2022 Webby Award winner to recognize the very best of the best in Business and Finance), in addition to exclusive research.

How can she manage all of these tasks with this level of determination and commitment?

Casey has her fingers on an international organization which will assist her in expanding various areas within her company including:

Blogger and Content Marketer with their headquarters in Nigeria

A junior consultant with his headquarters in London

Production manager and Brand Manager (her fiance!) who grew the BLAZE group that was added to Instagram by 1300 users during the month that ended in the month of May. Then, it was able to reach more than 70,000 people before the end of 2023.

Executive assistant who originally from Kenya

An analyst in research who has published research papers across a range of different sectors. She has also helped BLAZE identify new clients who require consultation.

Production assistant in the annual Semi-Annual Blaze Virtual Summit

The recruiter isn't just looking for new employees. She also makes it a point to recruit equipment.

"I use tools with an incredibly fast speed," Casey laughs. "And I like it because it's why I have this speed."

The growth in revenues doesn't necessarily mean that your company is growing especially if you're investing in more effort or investing in more equipment to maintain that increase.

"The rise in revenue has not be your primary purpose," explains Casey. "If you're spending more at the same time that the revenue is increasing, your cost of doing business won't be affected."

"Scale is the term that is employed to define when you're able to boost your revenue while the time and cost you invest do not change dramatically."

The previous experience with technology been a lesson for Casey that the tools which do not need programming are very effective, as are integrations and automations are. When she founded BLAZE Group, she leveraged the low-cost and no-code tools like Zapier  in order to ensure that the entire process went off without issue.

What Casey utilizes to teach her classes are the online communities, her downloads, and communities.

" was the initial application I used to offer services at a large size," Casey shares.

These techniques allow Casey "more space to focus on other important issues," such as the private sessions she arranges with the people she's interested in.

Casey has developed her first digital product called the Blaze Business intensive online class that includes . This course is self-paced, and is scheduled for six weeks that focus on "Business development, Management of Business and Business Excellence for today's Black Woman."

"It was uncoded in its entirety. The course was created by me when we ran 14-day test tests for trial purposes," Casey remembers. "I designed the entire course in that time period prior to me beginning selling it when the trial was over to be able to market it as soon as it was ready to sell."

(Want to follow the success of Casey's success? Sign up for our no-cost plan during the duration it takes for you to get the course materials installed, after which you can upgrade it when you're ready for marketing.)

The course is offered as an element of the Blaze Knowledge Academy and includes a range of resources for business education Casey has created for her site. The Academy hosts:

Numerous entrepreneurship masterclasses. A lot of them she offers at no cost

Her online community is known as"the Blaze Women's Network has more than 7700 members

"People can choose to being members of"the Blaze Women's Network absolutely cost-free," Casey explains. Virtual coworking refers to the services we provide along with our webinars and then directing users to paid-for classes."

In addition to introducing customers to helpful items, Casey's Community provides members a welcoming and supportive space to connect with co-founders.

"It was the conventional belief that content was the ultimate king. It is shifting to the notion that "community is the king. There are many people looking for applications that are focused on community... as well applications that aren't deemed as spam appear to be authentic."

Her experience with this program has provided Casey some suggestions on how to decide to make use of a zero-code software. "You have a platform that is flexible that has enabled me to build end-to-end solutions using your platform," Casey explains. "And I've employed this scorecard to evaluate the tools I'm using in order to make the platform better."

"It really is a fantastic concept to devise methods to change the direction of the world in ways which are affordable and easy to access for those who are in need today."

Try not to tackle everything simultaneously

Every success Casey made in the space of only 2 years the CEO of BLAZE in addition to BLAZE as the BLAZE brand. Her advice for brand new artists might appear as a shocker Make sure to take a a smaller effort initially, or at a minimum, before beginning to play.

"Keep the primary goal in your mind , that's what's the most important" she writes. The Hustle culture aids entrepreneurs beginning their careers to understand that there's many tasks to be completed or the content to produce. Yet, Casey recommends that all creators are aware that "There's only one limit on the tasks you're able to do regardless of how talented you're."

"You do not have to learn everything from the beginning It's a challenge to get all things perfectly in the beginning on your path."

It is suggested to begin with a signature deal before developing on this. "I first started by taking the Blaze Intensive, my first course. It is the main course I am taking. Entrepreneurs have to figure out what differentiates their services that they are able to provide, and also the kind of services they want to be known for, prior to introducing a variety of other offerings."

There's plenty to consider at first, including your messaging and the audience you intend to reach, and also technologies such as marketing, customer service, and more. Once you've completed your work? There's a chance for you to do a wide range of things.

"I am confident that we will be able to accomplish an array of remarkable accomplishments. Maybe in 200 years. Since Blaze remains in active. That doesn't mean that this must happen now."

We're pleased to be an integral to the Casey tale, and are looking forward to finding out the next steps for Casey as well as BLAZE Group. BLAZE Group -- in this year, 200 years from now  as well as every day through the years.

This article was originally posted on this web site.

Article was first seen on this site

This post was posted on here