What exactly is it? Casey Richardson is bringing access to information, community and funds to Black female entrepreneurs

Learn how Casey Richardson used her experience in tech funding to found BLAZE Group and empower a group of Black women to be entrepreneurs.

A couple of years ago, the world of Casey Richardson was quite different. She hails located in her home in the Bay Area and worked for Bank of America, structuring huge loans for tech firms. It was apparent that she was usually the sole Black female in the group in all 10 years being involved in finance there were never funds allotted to an Black business.

"It proved to me that not only did my data not reach me and that the data was not being dispersed to my neighborhood," Casey recalls.

And in the month of October 2020, Casey decided to change her mind.

Her extensive knowledge of the development of technologies as well as commercial ventures, she left her job at 9-5 and established the BLAZE Group -- Building leaders and accepting any excuses to give guidance, guidance and a community for the previously under-served community of Black women entrepreneurs.

The year 2023 marks the start of BLAZE Group is a business that BLAZE Group offers online courses through the Blaze Knowledge Academy, group coaching and an online community application as well as retreats at the site and an annual summit. It also offers exclusive research led by Casey and her global team of specialists.

What might she have accomplished in under two years? It's a matter of supplying tools that meet the requirements of a particular audience, and to create a strong audience by selecting the appropriate tools and a team.

From expert in corporate finance to game-changing entrepreneurs

Prior to launching full-time entrepreneurial, Casey worked as a finance professional who arranged multibillion-dollar credit for tech-related companies. She was always up to date with the latest developments in technology. She also observed that there was a difference between her fellow colleagues and the businesses they funded. "I was not the sole Black female member of the team. This proved to the world that I was educated, my education and my experiences were not available to the communities I lived in."

Black women make up the majority of the field of entrepreneurs within the United States -- but less than 3% are in "mature" businesses, whereas the majority of entrepreneurs finance the start-up by utilizing capital. There's a significant gap in the level of financing and other resources that are offered to Black female entrepreneurs, when as compared to white male entrepreneurs.

As of the beginning of the summer of 2020, Casey took part in protests in opposition to the brutality and violence of police. She felt a sense of community , and the courage she felt that she'd not felt during her day-to-day job. "I felt more at ease during demonstrations than I was in all the years I worked in the business that was sexy," she says. "I found myself able to communicate with people who were courageous enough and brave enough to make decisions that were actually essential."

At the close of the month, she was able to reach an agreement with the company at the end of the line for her finance job at a corporate companyand not because of her accomplishments and not as a result of. How else can she make use of the knowledge she has acquired? What could she do to use her experience in technology and finance to assist other Black women succeed?

"I'm extremely comfortable in the four walls. But, I'd bet daily on myself and imagine that I could take up even more room. So I quit."

The woman took a break from her job, moved to Africa, and started creating BLAZE Group, a location-independent business that empowers Black women from all over the world to be exactly the same.

BLAZE The Company particularly targets entrepreneurs in the first three years following they've launched their venture which Casey describes as"the "entrepreneurial phase."

"BLAZE will help our clients to understand how they can manage their businesses to make sure they are on track. We accomplish this through providing technologically-based solutions. We are one of them." She continues.

To connect with this particular group of people, Casey had to build connections with them.

Why you should build an email database (and the things you must accomplish to start)

Casey was inspired to design an online course for business owners from the jump -It was essential to build an crowd prior to when she was going to launch her first online course.

Casey wanted to ensure that this wouldn't occur at the time of the introduction of the first BLAZE service. Therefore she approached her initial audience-building exercise with a specific objective in mind. It was to build an email-list.

Why would people opt to sign up for email subscriptions rather than Facebook and Twitter users? "I realized that I was trying for personal relationships with other people," explains Casey.

"On Instagram, you don't manage the relationship. There's no way to know what email address they have or, should they switch their handle you should make sure you're aware of their current handle is," Casey says.

"I was looking to establish relationships, and be frequently in their presence in order to create a positive image and create trust."

Connecting with her existing connections

15-minute discovery note to her audience

1. Contacting her contact information

There's lots of info online about how to grow your reach, and many website owners believe that the very first clients they've had were people that found their websites via social media. If you're making your site using your initial audience then you're missing out on a huge potential sources of assistance, like family members and friends!

Casey sent out an email to all on her list to announce to everyone that she was publishing a new newsletter on entrepreneurialism and asked for their permission to sign up.

"I started by going through my text messages that I'd recently sent to Instagram DMs, Facebook and Twitter... I set the clock and looked through as many as I could in 5 minute intervals." she says.

Many family members as well as friends have taken Casey and her invitation creating an impressive database of email addresses prior to the creation of her own product's launch.

2. A 15-minute meeting to her targeted customer group.

One of the most effective ways of getting to know their personality is by talking with them.

Casey posted a tweet to her accounts on social media where she shared her plans to launch an educational course to assist Black women gain a better knowledge of the business. "If you'd like me chat with you for approximately 15 minutes, and are having questions, you can contact me," she added.

The woman knew that those who set up an appointment to call her were some of her top contacts. Black women interested in business opportunities.

Instead of discussing course content or selling her own content, Casey addressed questions like "What do you think makes you sleepy at night? What keeps you awake in the middle of the night? What's the biggest concern you're facing? If you had only one year to live, who would you like to be?" This time period was utilized to ensure women felt valued and valued. Also, she uncovered what she needed to include in her class contents.

"Just providing them with help and making sure they be comfortable is one of key elements in making it magical."

"By the time the majority of these conversations they were asked "Can I buy the course right now? Are you offering a discounted price on this course?" Casey remembers. She was still working in the class, however she had gathered emails of people who registered and stated that she'd let them know the moment it went live.

When the course was finished The course was tweeted to the email list which she built using these two methods. "There was this excitement among everyone. The students were keen to be a part of the group."

What could they find? Most of the women she spoke with during the first call turned to clients.

After more than two years, Casey still offers no-cost discovery calls as part of her sales process. Should potential customers have any questions concerning Blaze Business Institute or the Blaze Business Institute or Blaze Business Intensive they can schedule a free Absolutely Fit contact to Casey.

"On an average, there's five additional steps before concluding an agreement. There aren't enough business people that are conscious of this fact," claims Casey. "I use these sales calls to market."

Using the right resources and individuals helps Casey grow her business.

Presently, BLAZE offers online courses and masterclasses as well as group coaching programs and an online community. webinars as well as the TablexTribe application for mobile devices and an online biannual annual event (a 2022 Webby Awards Honoree which will be recognized for their excellence in financial and business), and custom research.

How does she manage to handle these issues with the same time? and intent?

Casey has established an international expert group to aid her in expanding her diverse areas within her company, such as:

Blogger and content marketer with a base in Nigeria

A junior consultant based in London

Brand and production manager (her fiancé!) who grew the BLAZE Group Instagram by 1,300 people from May 2022 to over 70,000 by the launch of 2023

A executive assistant from Kenya

Research analyst, who writes research papers in a variety of industries. They also aid BLAZE in identifying new clients in its consultancy services.

Production assistant for the Semi-annual Blaze Virtual Summit

She is not content with just recruiting new employees and uses tools as well.

"I use tools that are quick," Casey laughs. "And I appreciate that, since they are adaptable."

A rise in revenues doesn't necessarily mean that your company is expanding, particularly if you're putting in more effort or greater funds in order to realize the expansion.

"The increase in revenue needs to not be your primary aim," explains Casey. "If you're increasing your costs in the same way you're growing revenue, your bottom line is not going to alter."

"Scale is when you grow your income, yet the expenses as well as the amount of time that you invest don't drastically alter."

The previous experience with technology has shown Casey with the benefit of using automated tools which do not need code. Automations, integrations and also as the integrations. While creating BLAZE Group, she leveraged free, low-cost alternatives like Zapier for ensuring that all functions are working flawlessly.

What Casey uses her class, the community, and downloads

" was the first app that I tried to provide services on a larger dimension." Casey is the person who shares.

Tools like give Casey "more room to focus on important tasks" such as those one-on-one appointments she holds with clients who are interested in her services.

Casey has created her very first digital product, her Blaze Business in-depth online course , which includes . It is self-paced and lasts for 6 weeks which focuses on "Business building, Management of Business and Professional Excellence for today's Black Woman."

"It is 100% free of code. It was designed by me in the time we ran the 14-day trial free trials," Casey remembers. "I designed the entire curriculum at that point and began selling it before the expiration date in order for it to be successful."

(Want to emulate Casey's? Join the plan for absolutely free during the time that you'll have to complete the course's material set up. After that, you'll have the option to upgrade at the time you're ready sell the course.)

This course is part of the Blaze Knowledge Academy and includes a variety of educational resources for business Casey has created on her site. The Academy additionally includes:

Numerous entrepreneurship masterclasses. A few of them are offered without cost

Her community online, known as the Blaze Women's Network  and has nearly 7000 members

"People are able to join this Blaze Women's Network absolutely free," Casey explains. We organize virtual coworking sessions and I also host webinars that then take participants to classes to which they have to pay."

Alongside introducing clients to helpful products that are useful and helpful, Casey's Community gives its participants the chance to be welcomed and a welcoming space to connect with other members who are founders.

"It was once the case that the content of a website was most important thing on the hill However, now the landscape is moving to the idea of the community as the main thing. A lot of people are searching for programs which focus on community... as well since communities that don't seem like spam and are viewed as authentic."

Her research have provided Casey an idea of the qualities to be looking for in a software which does not need code. "You provide a highly adaptable system, which has allowed me to develop end-to end solutions with your platform,"" Casey explains. "And I've utilized the identical scoring system when looking at software, as I'm planning to extend it."

"It really is stunning to use strategies to transform the world in ways which are effective and easily available to the people who were excluded for long periods of time."

Try not to tackle everything simultaneously

Given all that Casey has achieved within only two years of continuous operation BLAZE The advice she gives to new entrepreneurs could be unexpected: Do less in the beginning, and at least while you first get into the business.

"Keep what's important and the top priority" she says. Hustle culture has taught young entrepreneurs that it's hard to finish all the work or create content. However, Casey encourages other creators to be mindful of "There's just one limitation on your abilities, no matter what you're capable of."

"You don't have to be able to master all of it from the beginning And it's likely quite difficult to master a range of different skills at once when you're just starting out."

She suggests starting with a signature offering and then build upon it. "I began with my Blaze Intensive, my first course. This is the principal class I am taking. Entrepreneurs must figure out what their distinct product should be and the items they'd like to be acknowledged for before they begin adding other things."

There are many things to take into consideration in the beginning: communication and target audience, your technology, marketing, and the satisfaction of your customers. What happens after you've completed all that? You'll be able to discover a whole lot more.

"I believe that we are able to do a lot of things. In the coming 200 years. Because Blaze is coming. But, it doesn't need to be happening today."

We're excited to be an integral part of the story of Casey and are eager to find out what's coming for Casey as well as BLAZE Group. In this year's edition, we're 200 years later in the future, and every day in between.

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