Today we’d like to introduce you to Rhonda Evans.
Hi Rhonda, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I can honestly say I never thought I would be a business owner but when I take a look back, it’s not that surprising that this is where I planted my feet. I grew up watching my mother become a business owner herself. She became a cosmetologist, owned several multi-family properties, and took on several other business ventures. Had I really been paying attention, I would have seen that the entrepreneurial bug was in me from a very young age.
Often times we think we have our lives all mapped out. I worked for a company that I just knew I would retire from but clearly was not the case. I remember being a part of their emerging leader’s program. In this program, we would me with a consultant weekly. During our meetings, we talked about goals for our career and life goals. During this time, I had a blog entitled “Not The Single Girl.” To my surprise, she would read the blog. One week, she asked me to call her on my personal line and not the company line. When I got on the call, she talked about the blog and how she loved it. She thought that I was doing great work with it and gave me some pointers, as she was a published author. What has stood with me till this very day was her next statement. She told me, “You don’t belong here. You are such an out-of-the-box thinker and they do not want to nurture it. They want to keep you right inside the box. You have outgrown this place and it’s ok for you to bet on yourself.” During that time in my life fear had set in. I thought to myself, doing the blog on the side was fine but really stepping outside the box, I’m not sure.
I was divorced and raising two children so my immediate thought was I need this guaranteed money. How many of you know that was far from guaranteed. I worked there for a little while longer until the politics of the business booked me right out the door. This was a place I knew I would retire from, “What am I going to now?” I took other jobs, over the years, with nothing sticking. Nothing feeling quite right.
Throughout those years, I took on other business ventures. From the blog came an internet radio show where I interviewed different guests. It was beyond fun, but still, I didn’t see the bigger picture. I even started an online jewelry boutique, not knowing that it would be the start of what has become my current business.
When I first started the online jewelry boutique ten years ago, I had no idea what I was doing. What I did know was that I needed a website. I would take pictures of my products and put them in a photo album, so if I was out and someone was interested, I could show them the products. I know, I know, crazy, but I didn’t have a website. So I did some searching and came across a platform called yola site. If you could see my website back then you would laugh. I soon realized that this was not it. So after doing more research, I decided on a WordPress site. Again, I knew nothing about web design, so this was challenging. After creating the site, it was so good, other people would ask me to do their site. Not even thinking about this from a business perspective, I was doing it for Free99. I remember my friend Nicole telling me one day, “STOP IT! This is a business, and you should really do this for real.” I guess you could say Nicole was the spark I needed to get started.
Even after I started the web design business, I worked my 9-5. While I grew my business I would attend different conferences to network and develop my brand. I remember attending The BYOB Retreat in Atlanta and listening to all of these stories of triumph. Seeing exactly that, if they could do it, I could do it too. Seeing that the fear I had inside was going to spark the drive I needed to excel. While my business grew I begin to develop systems within my business and noticed that most of the clients did not have them in their business. It’s nice to have a cute website and all, but if it’s not generating any leads or customer retention what was the point of it. I knew that my systems could be better but not sure how I was going to get there. Then I had a light bulb moment. I remember getting a business card at a Black Enterprise Conference and on the back was a discount code for a platform called Honeybook. The moment I signed up, my business changed for the better.
Since using Honeybook, I became a Honeybook Educator and a part of their Honeybook Pro program. Since taking these steps, I have been afforded the opportunity to make a real impact. I have helped small business owners learn the importance of building a solid customer journey. The most rewarding part of the work I do is the transformation I get to see with my clients and their brands. I’ve seen clients go from managing their clients on a spreadsheet to implementing systems allowing them to expand their brands into new cities.
I would not be where I am in my business if it weren’t for the relationships. I’ve learned that there are no shortcuts to growing your business and you can’t do it alone. I am here today because other people have taken the time to pour into me and now I get to pour into other people.
I’m grateful for this work. I am thankful for the people I get to go on this journey with. I am thankful that through any obstacles and failures, I still come out learning how to do it better.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It really has not been an easy road. There was a point in my business when I struggled with juggling family life and my business. I was so focused on growing that I neglected my family. I had to take a step back and set real boundaries. I changed my business hours. I made sure it was visible in my client welcome packets. I had to learn to even say No. Learning that not all money is worth it was the best thing I could have done for my business and personal life.
Not only did I make sure I showed up for my clients during the times they needed me, I also showed up for my family a much better way while not forgetting to show up for myself when I needed some self-care.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I help brands make the big shift. I work with service-based entrepreneurs to turn their business into a highly converting brand online through design, implementing effective business systems, and creating the ultimate client experience. What we do is more than design. Our clients become our friends and sometimes family. We invest in them in a great big way just like they invest in us and trust that we will take care of them.
Our company offers services in the following areas:
Honeybook Services that include Full Honeybook Setup and Template Design Services.
Web Design Services that include One Page Web Design and Unlimited Page Web Design.
Brand Development Services that include Brand Strategy, Brand Development, and VIP Day services.
Along with additional services that include Customer Journey Mapping and Online Course Creation.
This year I am so proud that we have hired our first internal employee and are moving into a more digital space. We recognized that we can help more businesses make the SHIFT by providing them with online resources.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
Understanding the bigger picture is such an important part of my success. Part of understanding that bigger picture is recognizing that I don’t know it all and even the things I do know may not require me to actually do it. Learning to consistently develop and to delegate is what’s most important towards my success. Becoming a student and never feeling like that’s it, I’ve learned it all has helped me to learn more about my craft and help my clients better.
Contact Info:
- Email: info@rdevansconsulting.com
- Website: https://www.rdevansconsulting.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therhondaevans/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RDEvansConsulting/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/the_rhondaevans
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIO1LLUVRbqQcVeEsUXwfPg
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/rhonda-d-evans-consulting-charlotte
Image Credits
Brittany Harris of Crownd Photography
