Meet Our Entrepreneurs
Chiquita Kirby-Green
SWEET RUBY’S
As part of National Business Women’s Week 2021, we’ll be featuring some of our Academy Alumna and their stories on this blog page. Meet Chiquita Kirby-Green, owner and founder of Sweet Ruby’s Bakery, Academy Alumna, and a dedicated Academy Facilitator.
Chiquita always had the passion for baking and creativity, but she wasn’t sure how to take that passion to the next level and start her own business. “The Academy provided me with the basic needs to build a sturdy foundation for my business. From name, business structure, pricing and marketing, they helped me move in the right direction and become a profitable business.”
In 2020, Sweet Ruby’s hit a major hurdle alongside so many other small businesses: Covid-19. The pandemic brought uncertainty and hesitancy to our community. “Having a public-service-based business during Covid was hard. The fear alone kept my customers from wanting to host parties, and me from wanting to serve those parties.”
As an Academy Alumna, Chiquita had access to our program The Academy Amplified. This program is focused solely on offering continued support to our alumni. That support can come in many different forms, from small business loans to video marketing classes to more. For Chiquita it came in the form of a business loan through The Academy Invested. “The loan provided me with the funds to get my business back on track. Speaking with my mentor helped me realize that while my prices were sufficient, for my quality of work, I should have been charging more.”
As she continued to learn about running a business, she realized she wanted to get more involved with the Corner to Corner community. “I loved the thought of being able to give what I was once given. I measure my success not only by how much money I make, but also by how much I give back to others. Facilitating at The Academy allowed me to help others build the foundation that The Academy helped me to build.”
As she helps other women take their business ideas and turn them into money-making realities, she has one major suggestion: “Starting small isn’t as bad as it sounds. In order to build a successful business, it takes time. Oftentimes, we want it all right now and by moving too fast, we make mistakes and often cheat the process.” Chiquita is a perfect example of our motto “Start small, start now!”
To invest in the continued support of and success of our local entrepreneurs, invest in Corner to Corner today.
Follow Chiquita’s story
Jeff Easley
FULL SPORT PRESS
Jeff Easley was great at his job (crushing it), but when the economy took a hit he was let go. Walking out to his car he had a revelation –
He would give himself his own job because he would NEVER fire himself. And just like that, he was on his way to becoming an entrepreneur.
Jeff is now the co-host of the Full Sport Press podcast, a weekly podcast for all the consummate sports fans out there. His podcast covers all sports news and events, so you’re never out of the loop! He is his own boss and gets to do what he loves!
Taking the leap to being your own boss can be a bit intimidating at first. Jeff wanted to make sure he was asking the right questions and had all the info he needed first. “The Academy answered all my questions, like ‘what’s my legal structure?’ and ‘how do I market my business?’. Plus it was actually affordable!”
