Today we’d like to introduce you to Akilah Charlemagne.
Hi Akilah, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I emigrated to the United States from St. Vincent & the Grenadines. As I navigated a new country as a child, some of the key learnings which helped shape my values included the importance of resilience, the ability to pivot and the power of community. I’ve always been fascinated by history and how the world is connected. I majored in International Relations at Mount Holyoke College. This allowed me to learn more about different cultures, languages and the beauty of differences while finding connections. I’ve been asked how this major connects with my work as a Human Resources professional. The simple answer is my work is all about people – understanding what motivates them, the challenges that they face and finding meaningful ways to connect.
By day I serve professionals as an HR Business Partner where I listen and provide counsel to create solutions. In the evenings and on weekends, I serve Clients via my company, Career Lemonade. My passion and purpose is to create remarkable experiences where professionals feel safe, energized and empowered to take risks and propel their careers! I experienced a period of career transition and during that time, I learned the importance of continuous learning, personal branding & authentically connecting with others to build meaningful relationships.
Since launching Career Lemonade in 2019, my mission has been to partner with professionals and entrepreneurs who are looking to make a shift while increasing their confidence and supporting them in making better Career & Business decisions. My happy places include cooking, playing board games, traveling and learning.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Life is rarely ever smooth. When I moved back to Atlanta, almost 10 years ago, I had a brilliant plan, or so I thought. After several months, numerous rejections and no job offers – I needed to create a new plan. The lessons that I learned during this time and the people that I met along the way are important parts of my story and my decision to launch Career Lemonade – life’s lemons can be used to make something sweet.
Being an entrepreneur has had similar ups and downs. I had a plan and at times my plans didn’t yield the results that I wanted. Going back to my value of being resilient – it was important that I iterated, while staying true to my values and stretched out of my comfort zone. With each new Client, including the Clients who said “no” – I learned new and important lessons about my brand, what makes me different, how to structure my pricing and forming strategic partnerships.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Career Lemonade partners with Clients to support them in gaining clarity on their values, discover their Superpowers, make better Career & Business decisions and build their Legacy. The first 15 years of my career, I had achievements and successes – what I did not have was a strategy. Through coaching and learning from others I gained insights to help me thrive and have the career that I want.
Sharing knowledge and developing others has always been core to who I am. I had been Coaching and impacting others for years and in 2019, I decided to take my own medicine and walk in my strengths and purpose. I am known for my empathy, being a true champion and advocate, building confidence and helping Clients see their greatness. My services include: Career and Leadership Coaching, Interview Consultation, Personal Branding and Linkedin and serving as a Speaker.
At the beginning of 2020, I had a goal to double the clients that I worked with in 2019. As we faced the pandemic, I didn’t know if I would achieve this goal. By the end of 2020, I quadrupled the number of clients that I partnered with – doubling the goal that I set. In the midst of a pandemic, I was simply in awe! The lesson that I learned was the importance of goal setting – even if you have to pivot and adjust. I was able to change my business model from in-person to virtual meetings and had the pleasure of working with clients in Atlanta and throughout the US. I am proud of these results and the client testimonials that I received. I am beyond excited for what the future holds for me and the amazing professionals that I am fortunate to work with.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
Books: Maximize Your Presence by Nadia Bilchik & Kat Cole, The Mind of a Winner by Steve Canal, How Successful People Grow by John Maxwell and an old favorite, Who Moved My Cheese by Spencer Johnson.
Apps: Google Calendar – keeps me organized; OpenFit and Pandora – helps me to stay fit and focused, and music always brings me joy and peace and Instagram – so that I can enjoy & share new content and find new restaurants to try.
Podcasts: Coaching for Leaders, The Look & Sound of Leadership, Business Wars, Sol Talk, Your Daily Cup of Inspiration with Dianna Hobbs and Mentoring Moments. (This one is retired – you can still listen to old episodes.)
Contact Info:
- Email: akilah@akilahcharlemagne.com
- Website: https://akilahcharlemagne.com/
- Instagram: akilahconnects
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/careerlemonade/
- Twitter: akilahconnects
