[SCORE Houston (#01)]
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WELCOME TO ENTREPRENEUR JOURNEY WITH SCORE.
THIS IS A SERIES OF EPISODE WHERE WE TALK ABOUT HOW ENTREPRENEUR CAN GET HELP FROM SCORE TO START A GROWTH THEIR BUSINESS.
I AM THE VP OF MARKETING WITH SCORE HOUSTON CHAPTER.
I'M YOUR HOST IN THIS EPISODE TODAY.
SO GET READY FOR AN EXCITED AND INSIGHTFUL CONVERSATION WITH A FEW OF OUR SCHOOL VOLUNTEERS AS WE TALK ABOUT WHO'S SCORE AND THE SERVICE THAT WE PROVIDE TO HELP OUT ENTREPRENEUR TO ACHIEVE THEIR BUSINESS GOAL.
SO, WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, PLEASE WELCOME OUR FIRST GUEST, JADA HARRIS, UH, PRESIDENT OF SCORE HOUSTON CHAPTER.
UH, CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF AND YOU GOT INVOLVED WITH SCORE? ABSOLUTELY.
UH, I'VE BEEN AN ENTREPRENEUR SINCE 2007.
UM, IT'S SOMETHING THAT I WAS INTERESTED IN DOING AS A CHILD.
I ALWAYS SAW OR ENVISIONED MYSELF IN SOME SORT OF BUSINESS, BUT FROM MY BACKGROUND, IT WASN'T SOMETHING THAT, UM, WAS AN EXAMPLE, UM, IN MY FAMILY OR IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, SO I DIDN'T THINK IT WAS POSSIBLE.
UM, UH, DESPITE THAT, I DID, UH, GO TO COLLEGE AND, YOU KNOW, GRADUATED ALL THAT GOOD STUFF AND STARTED WORKING IN, UM, AT THE UNIVERSITY THAT I GRADUATED FROM, UM, AND ROSE UP IN THE RANKS.
AND, UH, AFTER ABOUT 14, 15 YEARS OF, UH, SERVICE, I WAS LAID OFF.
IT WAS A, A MAJOR LAYOFF WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, UH, GRANT RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.
AND, UH, IT WAS ABOUT 13 OF US THAT GOT LAID OFF.
AND SO AT THAT TIME, IT WAS, YOU KNOW, FIND A JOB OR, YOU KNOW, DO SOMETHING THAT I HAD BEEN WANTING TO DO MY ENTIRE LIFE.
AND SO AS A PART OF THE OFF-BOARDING PROCESS, SCORE WAS INTRODUCED TO ME.
AND SO PRIOR TO THAT, I WAS, YOU KNOW, DIBBLING DABBLING IN, IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP.
I WAS, YOU KNOW, DOING THINGS ON THE SIDE OR DOING TAXES OR, YOU KNOW, HELPING FAMILY MEMBERS OR THINGS LIKE THAT.
UH, ONCE I WAS INTRODUCED TO SCORE, IT GAVE ME THE UNDERSTANDING THAT ENTREPRENEURSHIP WAS POSSIBLE.
AND SO FROM THAT POINT, I EXPLORED WITH A MENTOR, AND THIS WAS IN A TOTALLY DIFFERENT CITY, UM, UH, EXPLORED OPPORTUNITIES OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND ACTUALLY THE, THE GOOD JOURNEY OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP RATHER THAN, YOU KNOW, WHAT I SAW ON YOUTUBE OR, YOU KNOW, WHAT PEOPLE WERE TELLING ME.
UM, AND THAT'S HOW I GOT, YOU KNOW, FAMILIAR WITH SCORE AS A MENTEE.
UM, HOW I BECAME INVOLVED WITH SCORE AS A MENTOR WAS ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO, UM, WHEN I MOVED HERE TO HOUSTON, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, AMAZING CITY, UM, ESPECIALLY FOR ENTREPRENEURS BUSINESS, UH, PEOPLE WHO ARE INTERESTED IN BUSINESS.
UM, AND I, I JOINED THE CHAPTER AS A MENTEE, AND THEN IT WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION THAT VOLUNTEER OPTION WAS AVAILABLE.
UM, AND, AND THAT'S HOW I BECAME A MENTOR, AND I'VE BEEN MENTORING EVER SINCE.
SO, SO TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHO EXACTLY IS SCORE, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT DOES SCORE AND SOME OF THE SERVICES THAT THAT SCORE OFFER TO HELP OUR CLIENTS.
SO SCORE IS A NATIONAL ORGANIZATION.
UM, I, FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, THERE'S NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT KNOW ABOUT SCORE.
UM, AND OUR CHARGE IS TO INFORM THE COMMUNITY THAT WHAT WE DO IS WE PROVIDE EDUCATION, UH, AS WELL AS TOOLS AND MENTORSHIP, UH, TO INDIVIDUALS INTERESTED IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP, STARTING, GROWING, UM, AND EVEN EXITING THEIR BUSINESS.
UM, WHAT WE'RE ABLE TO OFFER IS ENTRY LEVEL, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, SEED, UM, UH, INFORMATION ON STARTING A BUS BUSINESS AND CONNECT YOU TO, UM, OUR ECOSYSTEM RESOURCES THAT'LL HELP YOU GROW YOUR BUSINESS AS WELL.
SO IF I'M A CLIENT, HOW DO I CONTACT SCORE? HOW DO I GET HELP? THE BEST WAY TO GET HELP IS TO REACH US ON OUR WEBSITE, WHICH IS AT WWW, IS THAT THREE WS
AND ON THAT WEBSITE, YOU CAN, UH, FIND A VALUABLE PLETHORA OF INFORMATION, NOT JUST LOCALLY, BUT NATIONAL INFORMATION.
UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, UH, YOU, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO FIND
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A MENTOR, OR WE CAN ASSIGN YOU A MENTOR.UM, SO THE, THAT'S THE BEST WAY TO REACH IN CONTACT SCORE.
UH, WE ARE GONNA TAKE A QUICK BREAK TO SET UP FOR OUR NEXT SEGMENT, SO WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK.
WE ARE A CITY OF COLLABORATORS WHO BUILD ON ONE ANOTHER'S INSPIRATION, STRENGTHS, AND CULTURES TO SHAPE A FUTURE WE ALL CAN SHARE.
TOGETHER, WE ARE MORE THAN 7 MILLION INGREDIENTS THAT MAKE SOMETHING THAT CANNOT BE DISCOVERED, TASTED, OR INVENTED ANYWHERE ELSE.
COME ON, A MOVEMENT, A MOMENT, A FUTURE.
WE CANNOT WAIT TO MAKE TOMORROW TOGETHER.
WE COULD START BY TELLING YOU HOW SLEEK IT IS, HOW IT'S AT THE EDGE OF INNOVATION IN ITS INDUSTRY, THAT IT MAKES CONNECTIONS FASTER AND MORE CONVENIENT.
WE COULD PROMOTE THE FACT THAT EVEN TRAFFIC SIGNALS GIVE IT THE GREEN LIGHT AND THAT IT MOVES SO QUICKLY, WE HAD TO GIVE IT ITS OWN LANE.
OR YOU COULD JUST RIDE, DISCOVER WHERE THIS RAIL LIKE RIDE IS GOING NEXT.
VISIT RIDE METRO.ORG/METRO NEXT, GREASE AND WIPES CLOG PIPES.
IN FACT, CLOGS FROM THESE ITEMS ARE THE MAIN CAUSE OF SEWER OVERFLOWS IN HOUSTON.
LEARN MORE@PROTECTOURPIPES.ORG.
WELCOME BACK TO THE FIRST EPISODE OF ENTREPRENEUR JOURNEY WITH SCORE.
IN THIS SEGMENT, WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WITH A FEW OF OUR VOLUNTEER MENTOR AND HOW THEY HELP OUR CLIENTS.
JOINING ME IS OUR RICH UCCI GUPTA.
SHE'S OUR SCORE VP IN THE NORTH HOUSTON AREA, RICHARD STANLEY AND CHARLENE VINCENT, OUR LONGTIME SCHOOL VOLUNTEER.
SO LET ME START WITH YOU, RUCCI.
UH, TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF AND HOW YOU GOT INVOLVED WITH SCORE.
UM, I STARTED MY CAREER IN THE MEDIA INDUSTRY AS A TECHNOLOGIST, UM, IN INDIA WHERE I WAS ON ONE HAND VERY DEEPLY INVESTED IN TECHNOLOGIES LIKE SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS AND ICTS.
AND ON THE OTHER HAND, I WAS, UH, INVOLVED IN PROGRAMMING, BRINGING CONTENT TO THE VIEWERS.
SO EARLY ON I WAS, UH, REALLY INTRODUCED TO THE ROLE OF MEDIA AND, UH, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, NOT JUST LIMITED TO ENTERTAINMENT, BUT, UH, IT CAN EDUCATE, IT CAN UPLIFT, UH, IT CAN, UM, SHAPE PEOPLE'S PERCEPTIONS.
IT CAN BUILD SOCIAL DIALOGUE, RIGHT? SO I HAD A VERY UNIQUE COMBINATION OF TECHNOLOGY, INNOVATION AND MEDIA, UM, WHICH I WANTED TO TAKE IT, UH, TO THE DIRECTION OF, UM, EDUCATING ENTREPRENEURS.
UH, WE GOT TOGETHER A TEAM OF PEOPLE AND WE STARTED PARTNERING WITH UNIVERSITIES, UH, SO THAT STUDENTS DON'T JUST, UH, SIT IN THEIR CLASSROOMS WORKING IN THEORY, BUT THEY GET A REAL LIFE EXPOSURE OF, UH, UH, THE TECHNICAL AND THE, AND THE INNOVATIVE APPLICATIONS OF IT ALL.
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GENESIS, UH, OF IT.UH, FAST FORWARD, I TRANSITIONED TO THE US, UM, TRANSITIONED TO THE CORPORATE SECTOR AND, UH, UH, TOOK ON THE ROLE OF A MARKETING HIT.
UM, BUT ALL ALONG I LOVED, UH, DOING WHAT I WAS DOING.
I WAS ENGAGED IN THE ACADEMIC SCENE WITHIN HOUSTON.
I WAS DEVELOPING WORKSHOPS AND BOOTCAMPS AND, UH, IN ONE OF THESE BOOT CAMPS, I MET SCORE AND I INSTANTLY CONNECTED WITH ITS VISION AND ITS MISSION, WHICH IS EMPOWERING SMALL BUSINESSES, BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT I ALWAYS DID, AND IT REALLY RESONATED WITH MY PERSONAL ASPIRATIONS.
SO, UH, I'M WICOR, I'VE BEEN IN, IN WICOR, UH, OVER THE LAST ONE AND A HALF YEARS, AND I'VE BEEN MENTORING, UH, ENTREPRENEURS AND, UH, BUSINESS OWNERS AND, UH, FOUNDERS, UH, ACROSS, UH, THE TRAJECTORY, WHETHER IT'S BUSINESS PLANS OR WHETHER IT'S MARKETING, IT TECH, AND IT'S MY WAY OF GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY AND, YOU KNOW, DOING SOMETHING THAT I LOVE DOING.
UH, WE GOT A LOT OF QUESTIONS, UH, YOU KNOW, FROM OUR CLIENT, YOU KNOW, WANTED TO KNOW WHAT EXACTLY IS A MENTOR AND WHAT DOES MENTOR DO AND DON'T DO.
CAN, CAN YOU KIND OF GIVE US A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND ON THAT? ABSOLUTELY, LYNN, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION BECAUSE, UM, OFTEN PEOPLE GET CONFUSED BETWEEN A MENTOR AND A COACH, RIGHT? SO, UH, I WOULD SAY A MENTOR IS, UH, SOMEONE WHO IS, UH, READY TO SHARE THEIR KNOWLEDGE, THEIR SKILLS, AND THEIR EXPERIENCE WITH A SEEKER, HELPING THEM DEVELOP AND GROW.
SO SOMEONE WHO CAN SHARE THEIR RESOURCES, THEIR, UH, SKILLS AND EXPERTISE TOWARDS A SHARED RELATIONSHIP, UH, TOWARDS A SHARED GOAL AND OBJECTIVE, AND ALL THROUGH THE PROCESS, UH, TAILORING THEIR STYLE AND TECHNIQUE, UH, TO SERVE THE UNIQUE NEEDS OF THE CLIENT.
NOW, SINCE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT SMALL BUSINESSES, UM, ESPECIALLY IN CONTEXT OF SCORE, SCORE, MENTORS ARE, UH, REALLY, UH, PARTNERING WITH THEIR BUSINESS CLIENTS, UH, HELPING THEM IN THEIR BUSINESS JOURNEY, UH, NO MATTER WHAT BUSINESS STAGE THEY'RE IN.
SO YOU COULD BE A STARTUP ENTHUSIAST, YOU COULD BE A FIRST TIME FOUNDER, YOU COULD BE A SERIAL ENTREPRENEUR.
UM, WHATEVER STAGE OF BUSINESS YOU ARE IN A STORE MENTOR IS THERE TO SUPPORT YOU, TO DIRECT YOU, TO GUIDE YOU THROUGH YOUR BUSINESS JOURNEY, WHETHER YOU WANNA GROW YOUR BUSINESS, MANAGE YOUR BUSINESS, UM, EXPAND YOUR BUSINESS, OR EVEN EXIT YOUR BUSINESS.
NOW, WHAT A MENTOR DOES NOT DO IS THEY DO NOT MAKE DECISIONS FOR YOU.
THEY DO NOT IMPOSE THEIR DECISIONS ON THE CLIENT.
THEY DON'T MICROMANAGE THE CLIENT'S ACTIVITIES.
SO IT'S, IT'S ABOUT, UH, PROVIDING THEM DIRECTION, HELPING, UH, THEM TO CARVE A ROADMAP AND, UH, PROVIDING THEM WITH GUIDANCE FOR, UH, SPECIFIC NEEDS.
NOW, WHAT A MENTEE SHOULD BE DOING OUT OF THIS, UH, RELATIONSHIP IS ABSORBING THAT KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE IN THE PROCESS, UM, SEEKING THE RELEVANCE, UH, ASSESSING THE RELEVANCE, AND, UM, APPLYING IT IN THEIR CONTEXT, RIGHT? SO I THINK THIS IS A VERY, UH, INVALUABLE, UH, OPPORTUNITY, UH, AND A, A GREAT RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN, UH, A MENTOR AND A MENTEE.
I MEAN, IT'S A GOOD SEGMENT INTO, YOU KNOW, HAVING A GOOD DIALOGUE WITH TWO OF OUR VOLUNTEER HERE.
SO LET ME, UH, CHARLENE, WELCOME TO THE SHOW.
LET ME JUST START THE QUESTION WITH YOU.
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A MENTOR? AND THEN WHY DO YOU DECIDE TO BECOME A MENTOR? I'VE BEEN A MENTOR WITH SCORE FOR THREE YEARS, AND I WAS INTRODUCED TO SCORE WHILE I WAS A STUDENT IN COLLEGE.
'CAUSE I MAJORED IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION.
HER SCORE WAS CREATED IN 1964, SO I WASN'T NOT FAMILIAR WITH SCORE.
AND WHEN I GOT THE OPPORTUNITY BEING A RETIRED PERSON, I DECIDED WHY NOT? AND I'M JUST SO EXCITED ABOUT SCORE 'CAUSE THEY HAVE A, A WEALTH OF INFORMATION, UM, ON THE WEBSITE AND THE MENTORS AND EVERYTHING IS FREE, AND THE MENTEES ARE SO EXCITED WHEN YOU TALK TO THEM ABOUT THEIR BUSINESS.
SO ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS SORT, SORT OF CALM DOWN A LITTLE AND TALK TO THEM AND, AND, AND SEE IF THEY'VE THOUGHT ABOUT CERTAIN THINGS AND POINT THEM TO THE RESOURCES ON THE WEBSITE AND, AND THE CLASSES AND THE WORKSHOPS AND THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
WHAT, JUST SAME QUESTION TO YOU.
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A MENTOR AND WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO BECOME A MENTOR? 17 YEARS.
IT OFFERS A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES TO, UH, KEEP THE BRAIN WORKING BECAUSE YOU DO A LOT OF RESEARCH WITH THE CLIENTS, HELPING THEM ALONG THE WAY.
BUT I'VE BEEN A VOLUNTEER OVER HALF OF MY LIFE.
STARTING OUT WHEN I TOOK MY SON IN FOR THE CUB SCOUT INTRODUCTION, DID HE WANT TO JOIN SCOUTS? THEY SAW MY EAGLE BADGE ON MY UNIFORM, THEY SAID, AND THAT WAS THE BEGINNING OF MY VOLUNTEERISM.
I'VE BEEN A VOLUNTEER IN BOY SCOUTS FOR OVER 30 YEARS.
UH, ALSO I WAS A, UH, A MEMBER OF THE FORT WORTH POLICE RESERVE DEPARTMENT WHEN, WHEN I, UH, MOVED OUR COMPANY OVER THERE TO OPEN A BRANCH OFFICE RESERVE OFFICER, WE'RE ALL VOLUNTEERS.
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UH, AND THEN I WENT INTO PARKLAND HOSPITAL, THE THREE SUMMERS FOR COLLEGE, UH, WORKING THROUGH OR EOR AND EXPERIMENTAL SURGERY IN PARKLAND HOSPITAL.SO WHEN I WAS ASSIGNED A CLIENT, UM, NAMED TASHA ROBERTS, WHO WAS A NURSE, I COULD VERY EASILY RELATE TO HER AND WHERE SHE WAS COMING FROM, SHE WANTED TO OPEN UP HER ACTIVATE DRIP SPA, UH, IN MIDTOWN.
UH, AND SHE WENT THROUGH THE PROCESS, WHICH IS A PROCESS WITH SCORE TO LEARN WHAT YOUR BACKGROUND IS, WHERE DO YOU WANT TO GO, AND HOW DO YOU WANT TO GET THERE, WHAT TOOLS DO YOU NEED TO OPEN UP? UH, WITHIN TWO MONTHS AFTER SHE OPENED UP, SHE WAS PROFITABLE.
13 MONTHS LATER, SHE OPENED HER SECOND STORE, UH, RETAIL STORE ON KATY FREEWAY ACROSS FROM IKEA.
AND IT'S BEEN SUCCESSFUL MAKING A LOT OF MONEY, STILL WORKING AT THE HOSPITAL, STILL RUNNING HER TWO BUSINESSES NOW.
SO, REALLY ENJOY SCORE KEEPS YOU ON YOUR TOES WITH ALL THE RESEARCH THAT YOU DO IN HELPING YOUR CLIENTS.
CHARLENE, WHAT ABOUT YOU? HOW, WHAT IS YOUR EXPERTISE AND HOW DO YOU USE THAT TO HELP SOME OF YOUR CLIENTS? MAYBE A COUPLE EXAMPLE.
UM, IT'S MY ANALYTICAL ABILITY.
I HAVE A WAY OF DRILLING DOWN TO THE ISSUE.
AND SO, UM, USUALLY, UH, ENTREPRENEURS OR BUDDING ENTREPRENEURS, ALL EXCITED AND THEY'RE LOOKING AT WHERE CAN I GET MONEY TO HELP WITH MY BUSINESS? UM, THEY REALLY HAVEN'T GOTTEN DOWN INTO THE DETAILS OF WHAT IS NEEDED TO START A BUSINESS, UH, LOOKING AT THEIR EXPENSES WHEN THEY'RE GONNA MAKE A PROFIT OR BREAK EVEN IF THEY NEED CERTAIN EQUIPMENT STARTING OUT OR NOT.
AND AGAIN, OUR WEBSITE IS WONDERFUL.
SO, SO LET ME COME BACK TO YOU RCI.
UH, SO IF I AM A MENTOR OR HOW IS SOMEONE WANT TO BECOME A MENTOR? HOW DO THEY GO ABOUT DOING THAT? YES.
UM, SCORE IS ALWAYS LOOKING FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT TO VOLUNTEER, UH, THEIR TIME, UH, THEIR BUSINESS FUNCTIONS, THEIR EXPERTISE, INDUSTRY EXPERTISE.
UM, IF, IF YOU TALK TO VOLUNTEERS WITHIN SCORE, YOU'LL ALWAYS HEAR STORIES OF, UH, GIVING BACK OF, UH, MAKING A POSITIVE IMPACT IN THE COMMUNITY, RIGHT? IT'S THE THRILL OF, UH, UH, SEEING SOMEONE ELSE SUCCEED AND BEING ABLE TO SAY, I PLAYED A ROLE IN THEIR SUCCESS, RIGHT? SO IF YOU ARE THAT PERSON, AND IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING JOINING SCORE, THEN YOU COULD ALWAYS LOOK UP OUR WEBSITE, WHICH IS WWW.SCORE.ORG/HOUSTON AND FILL OUT THE VOLUNTEER REQUEST FORM.
UH, AS SOON AS WE GET YOUR REQUEST, UH, FOR VOLUNTEERING, UH, OUR TEAM WILL GET IN TOUCH WITH YOU.
AND THERE ARE A VARIETY OF WAYS WHERE YOU CAN VOLUNTEER.
YOU COULD BE AN SME THAT'S A SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT.
YOU COULD BE A MENTOR, UH, YOU COULD BE A WORKSHOP PRESENTER.
SO WHATEVER YOUR PASSION AND EXPERTISE IS, OUR TEAM WILL PARTNER WITH YOU AND CREATE YOUR ROADMAP AND, UH, HELP YOU VOLUNTEER YOUR SERVICES AND THE BEST FIT POSSIBLE AT SCORE.
I MEAN, I THINK THIS IS AWESOME.
UH, COULDN'T BE BETTER TO, TO HEAR ABOUT SOME OF YOU GUYS HAVE TO OFFER.
SO, UH, WE ARE GONNA GO AHEAD AND TAKE A REALLY QUICK BREAK AND WE'LL SET UP FOR THE NEXT SEGMENT AND WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK AT METRO, YOUR SAFETY IS JOB ONE EVERY DAY, AND WE'RE COMMITTED TO MAKING YOUR RIDE EVEN SAFER WITH SECURITY CAMERAS ON OUR TRANSIT VEHICLES AND LIVE MONITORS ON MANY OF OUR BUSES.
BLUE LIGHT CALL BOXES AT OUR BUS AND RAIL FACILITIES, METRO POLICE PROVIDING PEACE OF MIND AND MPD CONNECT THE APP THAT LETS YOU REPORT SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY INSTANTLY TO METRO POLICE.
METRO IS BUILDING A SAFER TRANSIT SYSTEM SO YOU CAN DRIVE LESS AND DO MORE.
HEY, THERE, DID YOU KNOW SO MANY KIDS ARE BEING SUSPENDED OR EXPELLED FROM SCHOOL AND ENDING UP IN THE PRISON SYSTEM AND THAT THERE'S A NAME FOR IT.
IT'S CALLED THE SCHOOL TO PRISON PIPELINE AND IT'S FLOWING JUST FINE.
DO YOU KNOW THAT OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM IS SO OUTDATED THAT STUDENTS ARE DROPPING OUT BY THE LITERAL THOUSANDS EVERY DAY? DID YOU KNOW THAT ILLITERACY RATES ARE SKYROCKETING TO THE POINT WHERE MORE THAN ONE IN 10 ADULTS CANNOT READ OR WRITE WELL ENOUGH TO COMPLETE A JOB APPLICATION? DO YOU KNOW WHAT ALL THIS IS COSTING THOSE KIDS? MORE IMPORTANTLY, DO YOU KNOW WHAT ALL THIS IS COSTING YOU? STAY TUNED TO LEARN THE HARD TRUTHS ABOUT EDUCATION AND ENGAGEMENT IN THIS DAY AND AGE, AND WHAT WE AT READING WITH A RAPPER ARE DOING TO FIX THEM.
HOUSTON FIRST CORPORATION INTRODUCES
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LYNN WYATT SQUARE IN THE HOUSTON THEATER DISTRICT WITH OAK TREES, WATER FEATURES, AND PROGRAMMING OPEN TO THE PUBLIC LYNN WYATT SQUARE.COM.THE URBAN FABRIC OF HOUSTON IS WOVEN FROM THE AMBITIONS AND TRADITIONS OF PEOPLE AND IDEAS.
WE ARE A CITY OF COLLABORATORS WHO BUILD ON ONE ANOTHER'S INSPIRATION, STRENGTHS, AND CULTURES TO SHAPE A FUTURE WE ALL CAN SHARE.
WE ARE MORE THAN 7 MILLION INGREDIENTS THAT MAKE SOMETHING THAT CAN NOT BE DISCOVERED, TASTED, OR INVENTED ANYWHERE ELSE.
COME ON, A MOVEMENT, A MOMENT, A FUTURE.
WE ARE RESHAPING THE CULINARY LANDSCAPE.
CULTURES COMBINE TO CREATE A POWERFUL, FLAVORFUL TASTE OF THINGS TO COME.
CRAWFISH AND NOODLES, ASIAN FLAVORS MEET TEXAS STYLE BARBECUE, JAPANESE TAPAS, KOREA MIX, AND NIGERIAN JAMBALAYA SET THE TABLE FOR A CREATIVE, INVENTIVE, COOPERATIVE SCENE.
THE POWER OF TOGETHER IS CREATING PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS THAT ARE SHAPING AN ECOSYSTEM OF BUSINESSES IN ORBIT AROUND THE EARTH, TAKING US TO THE MOON AND BEYOND.
COME ON, OUR TOGETHER IS ROCKET FUEL.
THE POWER OF TOGETHER IS THE POWER TO HEAL.
WE ARE DEVELOPING THE WORLD'S MOST ADVANCED RESEARCH CAMPUS AT THE WORLD'S LARGEST MEDICAL CITY.
THE GREATEST MINDS IN MEDICINE, SCIENCE, ACADEMIA, AND COMMERCE COLLIDE HERE.
RESEARCH AND BREAKTHROUGHS COME ON TOGETHER.
WE ARE POWER IN THE FUTURE, EVOLVING THE ENERGY SUPPLY AND SCIENCE LEADING THE GLOBAL TRANSITION TO A MORE EFFICIENT, SUSTAINABLE, LOW CARBON FUTURE.
COME ON, HOUSTON WELCOMES YOU TO SAY HELLO TO THE INCREDIBLE POWER AND INFINITE POSSIBILITY OF TOGETHER.
WE CANNOT WAIT TO MAKE TOMORROW TOGETHER.
WELCOME BACK TO OUR FIRST EPISODE OF ENTREPRENEUR JOURNEY WITH SCORE.
UH, I'D LIKE TO WELCOME BACK A COUPLE OF OUR VOLUNTEER, UH, JADA AND RICHARD.
UH, SO LET'S TALK ABOUT A COUPLE OTHER SERVICES THAT SCORE OFFER.
SO I'LL START WITH YOU, UH, RICHARD.
UM, SCORE ALSO I HEARD UNDERSTOOD THAT THEY ALSO OFFER SOME KIND OF WORKSHOPS AND SEMINARS AND SUCH.
CAN YOU GIVE US AN EXAMPLE OF SOME OF THE TOPIC THAT IT COVERS AND ANYTHING THAT YOU THINK, YOU KNOW, BASED ON YOUR EXPERIENCE THAT THESE WORKSHOP HELP YOUR CLIENT BEING SUCCESSFUL? UH, WE OFFER, UH, NUMEROUS, VARIOUS TYPES OF, OF EDUCATIONAL PROCESSES ONLINE.
UH, VIRTUAL WE HAVE IN PERSON AS WELL AS THE, UH, AND THE, AND THE PREMIUM COURSE THAT WE OFFER THAT ANY ENTREPRENEUR WHO HAS NOT HAD A BUSINESS BEFORE, IT'S CALLED STARTING AND RUNNING YOUR OWN BUSINESS.
IT'S OUR PROBABLY MOST ATTENDED, UH, EVERY ONE OF MY CLIENTS THAT IS ONE ON THE CHECKLIST OF WHAT I CALL ACTION ITEMS FOR THEM TO DO IS TO ATTEND THAT THREE PART SESSION.
THEY COME OUT, MOST OF 'EM SAYING, I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WHAT I DIDN'T KNOW UNTIL I GOT THROUGH WITH THAT COURSE.
UH, WHAT KIND OF INSURANCE I NEED.
I MEAN, IT'S JUST A WONDERFUL COURSE AND I RECOMMEND IT FOR EVERY ENTREPRENEUR TO HELP 'EM, EVEN THOUGH IT'S THAT HAVE BEEN IN EXECUTIVE POSITIONS BUT NOT RUNNING THEIR BUSINESS.
BUT THEY WERE DEPARTMENTALIZED.
IT'S AN EXCELLENT COURSE TO OPEN THEIR EYES ABOUT ALL THE ASPECTS.
UH, ONE OF MY MOST SUCCESSFUL CLIENTS, UH, TOOK THAT COURSE BACK IN 2000, ACTUALLY IT WAS 2008.
UM, UH, HER NAME IS CARRIE TATE BARKLEY, AND HER COMPANY NAME IS FRENCH CUFF BOUTIQUE.
UH, SHE OPENED UP SIX MONTHS AFTER WE GOT THROUGH WITH THE BASIC BUSINESS PRINCIPLES, GETTING THE LOAN, GETTING THE REAL ESTATE, UH, SET UP.
UM, WITHIN THREE YEARS SHE OPENED HER SECOND LOCATION.
FOUR YEARS LATER, SHE OPENED HER THIRD LOCATION.
SHE'S NOW WORKING ON TWO MORE LOCATIONS PLUS A DISTRIBUTION CENTER.
EACH ONE OF OUR FASHION RETAIL STORES IS DOING OVER A MILLION DOLLARS EACH.
SO THAT IS A REAL SUCCESS STORY.
THE SBA RECOGNIZED HER WITH THE SBAS HOUSTON DISTRICT AWARD, UH, FOR WOMAN OF THE YEAR CHAMPION BECAUSE OF HER SUCCESS.
UH, AND PART OF HER SUCCESS WAS WHAT SHE DID WITH WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY.
SHE'S DONATED OVER $150,000 IN GOODS AND SERVICES TO HELP OTHER ORGANIZATIONS.
I THINK AT THE LAST COUNT THERE WERE 13 DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS THAT SHE DONATES CLOTHING TO FOR RAFFLES AND SO FORTH.
SO SHE'S A VERY V INVOLVED IN, UH, PERSON IN OUR COMMUNITY.
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UH, AN EXCELLENT PERSON FOR SELECTING THE RIGHT PEOPLE TO WORK FOR HER.SHE COMES OUT OF THE HR DEPARTMENT OF A FORTUNE 500 COMPANY, SO SHE KNEW PERSONNEL.
UH, SO, UH, I HAD ANOTHER CLIENT OPENING UP HER STORE FOR THE FIRST TIME.
SHE HAD JUST GOTTEN HER SHIPPING IN FROM CHINA.
AND SO CARRIE TATE WORKED WITH HER FOR SEVERAL MONTHS, EVERYTHING FROM SETTING UP, UNBOXING, TAGGING AND DISPLAYING.
SO IT WAS A REALLY GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR CARRIE TATE TO LEARN THE BASICS OF HOW TO OPEN UP A RETAIL SHOP.
SOUNDS LIKE SOME OF THESE WORKSHOPS ARE VERY, VERY VALUABLE AND HELPFUL TO OUR CLIENTS.
NOW, JADA, HOW, HOW DO OUR CLIENTS REGISTER FOR THESE WORKSHOPS? WHERE DO THEY GO? ABSOLUTELY TO OUR WEBSITE, WWW.SCORE.ORG/HOUSTON.
AND, UH, ONCE YOU GO ONTO THE WEBSITE AT THE TOP, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO CLICK ON THE TAB FOR WORKSHOPS AND YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SELECT, UH, PUT YOUR NAME AND INFORMATION IN.
THE GREAT THING ABOUT IT IS THAT, UM, YOU CAN CHECK A BOX, UM, THAT WILL ALLOW YOU TO, UH, RECEIVE, UH, FUTURE ANNOUNCEMENTS OF OUR WORKSHOPS AND WEBINARS.
SO WHAT ARE THE COSTS? WHAT DO PEOPLE HAVE TO PAY? USUALLY 99% OF THE TIME IT IS FREE.
UH, AND VERY, VERY VALUABLE INFORMATION TO USE, UH, TO START, GROW, UM, AND EVEN EXIT YOUR BUSINESS.
UM, ONE OF THE, THE, UH, WORKSHOPS THAT YOU ACTUALLY DO HAVE TO PAY FOR IS THE HOW TO START AND RUN A BUSINESS.
UM, BUT IT IS WORTH EVERY SINGLE PENNY BECAUSE YOU GET TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS NECESSARY TO, UH, UH, GET YOUR EIN FOR INSTANCE, UH, THE INSURANCES, UH, RICHARD STATED, UM, AS WELL AS, YOU KNOW, TIPS ON HOW TO RUN YOUR BUSINESS.
SO IT'S VERY VALUABLE RESOURCE.
WHERE DO I SIGN UP?
SO ANYWAY, UH, I ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE OTHER RESOURCES THAT SCORE ALSO PROVIDED.
YOU KNOW, MAYBE YOU CAN TOUCH ON A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHAT THOSE ARE.
SO ON OUR WEBSITE, YOU'LL ALSO BE ABLE TO PULL DOWN, UH, FINANCIAL PLANNING TEMPLATES, MARKETING PLAN TEMPLATES, A BUSINESS PLAN TEMPLATE.
THOSE ARE JUST A COUPLE OF THE RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE.
UH, BUT IN ADDITION, SPECIFIC TO HOUSTON, UH, THERE'S RESOURCES ON, UM, OUR RESEARCH RESOURCE PARTNERS, UH, THAT WILL, UH, GIVE YOU OTHER INFORMATION ON HOW, HOW TO START AND RUN YOUR BUSINESS.
UH, I ALSO HEARD THERE'S, UH, A, UH, SCORE ALSO HAS AN OFFICE THAT SERVE OUR CLIENT.
MAYBE YOU CAN TOUCH ON A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT.
WE HAVE A CENTRAL LOCATION ON, UH, GESNER 87 0 1 GESNER ROAD.
UH, YOU CAN DROP IN BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 10 AND TWO.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE AN APPOINTMENT.
IN FACT, THE FIRST TIME THAT I WENT TO MY FIRST, UH, MENTORING SESSION, I CAUGHT TWO BUSES TO GET THERE.
AND, UM, STEVE GREENBAUM WAS, WAS MY MENTOR, AND WE WERE ABLE TO SPARK A CONVERSATION, UM, AND GET THINGS MOVING, UM, TO GET MY BUSINESS STARTED HERE IN HOUSTON.
WELL, ONE LAST QUESTION FOR YOU.
UH, SINCE THIS IS A ONE OF THE FIRST EPISODE THAT WE, UH, PUT ON FOR ENTREPRENEUR, HOW WE, YOU KNOW, HELP OUR CLIENT, MAYBE YOU CAN GIVE US A PREVIEW OF SOME OF THE SUBSEQUENT EPISODE THAT WE'RE GONNA PUT ON.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE TOPICS THAT WE'RE GONNA COVER AND JUST GIVE US A FLAVOR IF YOU CAN.
SO, UM, ONE OF THE, UH, UH, EPISODES THAT WE WILL PROVIDE IS ON FINANCIAL PLANNING, UH, AS WELL AS LEGAL REQUIREMENTS.
WE HAVE A, A VOLUNTEER WHO IS VERY ACTIVE IN OUR CHAPTER, WHO IS A, AN ATTORNEY, AND SHE WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH TIPS AND INFORMATION ON, UM, LEGAL STRUCTURE.
UM, I WILL BE PROVIDING A WORKSHOP, UH, PERTAINING TO, UH, FINANCIALS WITHIN YOUR BUSINESS AND HOW TO MANAGE THOSE USING QUICKBOOKS.
UM, SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE A COUPLE OF OUR RESOURCE PARTNERS JOIN US DURING THAT EPISODE, UH, TO HELP INDIVIDUALS UNDERSTAND WHAT IS NECESSARY.
IN ADDITION, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A MARKETING, UH, EPISODE.
SO, UM, WE WELCOME YOU TO CONTINUE TO GO THROUGH THIS JOURNEY OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP WITH US, UH, ESPECIALLY AS WE PROVIDE THESE EPISODES.
JUST TO WRAP UP, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK, UH, ALL OF OUR GUESTS TODAY, UH, JADA, UH, RUCHI, CHARLENE AND RICHARD FOR YOUR TIME, AND PROVIDE US WITH SO MUCH VALUABLE INFORMATIONS.
UH, PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT UH, SCORE.ORG/HOUSTON AND STAY TUNED AND LOOK OUT FOR OUR NEXT EPISODE.