Connect Who or what is your inspiration in business?

My mom is my inspiration in all of my business endeavors. She has worked in sales and marketing for over 25 years and has taught me so much about business. From coming up with creative ideas to branding, marketing and launching a business, she has guided me every step of the way and helped me turn my ideas into reality. She is my biggest supporter and always encourages me to not give up even when things might have a slow start.

How do you stay motivated?

I stay motivated by keeping my focus on what I want to accomplish. In January this year I did goal planning with my mom and put together everything I want to do this year both from the creative end and financial planning end. I like to feel like I am getting things done to move the business forward. I feel great when I have wins both big and small happen to me. I like to help others and feel like I am making a difference. I like to surround myself with good role models and mentors always.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I just launched a business called Sports Sitters, connecting young athletes (middle and high school boys and girls) as role models and mentors to younger kids through teaching them the sports that they love and helping them build confidence. I would use it to invest in the company and expand into other local markets near me so we can offer hundreds of kids this service. I would hire a team, use it for marketing and social media, build out a website and buy the equipment I need to grow.