Beyonce schooled us a long time ago that the definition of a DIVA, is the female version of a Hustla’. She had to have been referring to none other than Tiffany Williams. Williams is the creator and owner of ‘Rich Girl Collective’, a consulting group for aspiring entrepreneurial women.
I spoke with Tiffany, who shared what inspired her to start her business, a tragic natural disaster, Hurricane Katrina that wreaked havoc on the city of New Orleans. And while it caused so much loss, it also sparked creativity. But turning her vision into a reality didn’t just start off perfectly.
The effect was devastating. I looked around at a community that lost family, houses and jobs. The trauma was collective. Additionally, the storm hit a few months before my wedding, so suddenly I had to deal with literal sunken costs from the event. Moving forward, I knew I never wanted to be in that situation again, so I used my experience with ecommerce to create a few companies, like a digital T-shirt store, that I could run from my laptop. Using my success, I wanted to help others in my community and created the consulting group Rich Girl Collective to help any woman leave her 9-to-5.
In the beginning, Tiffany says she, like most women, struggled with locking in a job that matched her degrees. Eventually, she landed a great job, but in time, that proved to not be as secure, given the unfortunate events following the hurricane. So she left her job, and it turned out to be the best thing that could have happened for her.
Even before the hurricane, it was difficult finding a career even though I had two degrees. I eventually, however, found a job that I loved working in digital marketing. It wasn’t until after the storm and discovery of inevitable layoffs that I decided to quit my job. At first, I started with many different projects like creating eBooks. When I started a print-on-demand T-shirt business, that’s when I really saw revenue take off.
At some point, a friend reached out asking what I did for a living. After explaining to her my businesses, she expressed her desire to leave her job and be financially independent. That same week, two others reached out for advice, so I made a closed Facebook group called Rich Girl Collective. It eventually evolved into a coaching business where I’ve helped over 30,000 women leave their 9-to-5s.
And while she makes the journey look easy, it was far from that. Tiffany says she faced quite a few obstacles, but with time and patience, she learned the key to overcoming them.
Initially, it was difficult to pin down what I wanted my online business to be. I started with selling products on eBay and Amazon. Then I created eBooks. It wasn’t until I started my own ecommerce company that I found my niche, which led me to what I truly loved: helping women become entrepreneurs.
Since starting the journey, Tiffany has successfully helped over 5,000 women start their own businesses. But behind every strong, successful woman is an equally strong, supportive bestie. No one makes it to the top on their own, and Tiffany shared why it’s essential to have someone in your corner who you can lean on when forging along the journey to being a success.
My business bestie, owner of Jilyn Skincare Jai Fenwick, has helped me and held me accountable after we met at a conference 4 years ago. It’s so important to have a support system when making any major changes in your life, especially when creating a new career. A mentor or business coach, for example, can lend not just emotional support but guide you through all the unknowns of a new business.
And to all the young entrepreneurs out there stuck in the planning phase, or maybe even questioning whether your idea or product is good enough, Tiffany dropped some knowledge like the true boss she is!
You must realize your product will never be perfect. Once you accept that, you can let go of the fear of failure and make the necessary decisions to run a business. I tell all of my students: if you wait until your product is perfect before launching, you never will. So, take that leap of faith and grow with your business. Lastly, be patient and your passion will come to you.
Tiffany says, she’s working on a new series called the eBook Empire Digital Kit, including everything you need to launch a successful eBook. Additionally, she’ll also be launching an online store with clothing, stationery and accessories for female entrepreneurs.
