Today we’d like to introduce you to Brittany Watts.
Hi Brittany, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My story is filled with many ups and downs, but the true reason I am where I am today is because my dad had me arrested in 2019 and my life was changed from that day forward. I had worked myself from nothing to 2 degrees, a budding career, and future plans, so when this happened, I lost pretty much everything and my career wasn’t worth anything with pending criminal charges. After suffering through some depression, I had no other choice but to lift my head up and continue on to my life missions and never had planned on letting anyone or anything stop me. So like the old saying goes, Where there’s a WILL there’s a WAY. And I made a way out of absolutely nothing!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The road has definitely not been smooth, but what is worth having isn’t worth working hard for? I have lived by that motto, so when challenges arise, I meet them with a go-getter attitude. In becoming an entrepreneur, there were many challenges, to name a few…. lack of access to funding, lack of personal credit history, little resources, and lack of support. But the biggest challenge for me was MYSELF! For a while, I was standing in my own way by living in negative thoughts about myself and my business plans, not acting on plans due to self-doubt, and simply not taking care of self. These are all very important pieces to opening and running a successful business. There will surely be challenges and obstacles in any business operation, but how you respond to these challenges will definitely determine your success. Always be prepared for the challenge when it arrives!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Dream Chasers ATL started as I discovered my passion for educating and training. I have a bachelors from Spelman College and a Masters in Ed. Leadership from Argosy. As an educator, I have a passion for training in finance and business and that passion led me to research the data in my community. In communities across America, many people are underrepresented in areas like business ownership and generational wealth. It’s important that people, regardless of socioeconomic class or race, have access to alternative instruction and programs.
Research shows a significant gap in wealth and ownership between white people and people of color in the United States. “The total wealth gap between white and African-American families nearly triples, increasing from $85,000 in 1984 to $236,500 in 2009,” according to the Institute on Assets and Social Policy. One of the key factors in the racial wealth gap is inheritance, financial support, and preexisting family wealth.
Dream Chasers ATL and its owners strive to provide both financial education and preparation to both children and parents who consider themselves people of color. Some researchers suggest students with a savings account are much more likely to attend and complete college; hence it’s important to encourage all families to start saving money early for their children’s education. This strategy will have a greater impact on families’ financial health, their children’s job prospects and economic opportunities. “The results indicate that educational investments are an important mediator of socioeconomic and racial/ethnic disparities.”(Cheadle, 2008)
Dream Chasers ATL specializes in Business Education, Business Development, and Management. Dream Chasers ATL offers services like business training, workshops, financial literacy courses, (YES)Youth Entrepreneurship Series Camp, coaching, and management services. Dream Ridez ATL is a full-service rental company that offers both rental vehicles and rental units. We focus on luxury cars and Airbnb/STR/LTR units.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
There is no one book or resource I use because I use them all! I am always learning and researching, so there is no one place to gather information. Information is so abundantly available so it’s important to gauge what you’re interpreting and check all sources! Remember to always source the information you use.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.dreamchasersatl.com/ www.dreamridezatl.com
- Instagram: @dream_chasersatl, @dream_ridezatl
- Facebook: Dream Chasers Atlanta, Dream RidezATL
- Youtube: Dream Chasers ATL
