Today we’d like to introduce you to Steven Barge.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Steven. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I am a native of Greenville, SC. I am the oldest of five boys, three of my brothers are actually triplets. I grew up in a single-family household, my mom is the strongest woman I have ever known and I get my hustle and ambition from her. I was the man of the house growing up and a role model for my brothers to look up to. It was plenty of times where we struggled to keep lights on and food on the table but my mom would give her last to make sure we were good. Being that my mom was a New York native prior to moving to the Carolinas, we also didn’t have transportation. We relied on family and friends to get us where we needed to be, even church. It was times that people would forget or not be able to pick us up and my mom used to have tears of disappointment. Growing up in these situations made me want more and created hunger for more and ambition I have today. I haven’t always made the perfect decisions but I take pride in making the right decisions.
After high school, I made the decision to go to college. I was the first in my family to attend college, I didn’t know what I was getting myself into or what to expect but I did know wanted to get out of Greenville. I felt a lot of people around me was content with where they were in life and I wanted more. I applied at a few HBCU’s around South Carolina and I was accepted into Voorhees College, located in Denmark, SC. I remember times calling home and asking for money and sometimes my mom or my aunt could help, more than most times, they couldn’t. This inspired me to learn how to make my own money as a man and not to ask anyone for nothing. I learned different skills that I knew I could monetize on campus like how to DJ, cut hair, jailbreak iPhones, and other little side hustles so I could keep money in my pockets. Luckily I also landed a work-study job in my field in accounts payable. Throughout my college matriculation, I was very involved in numerous campus organizations that played a major part in my early growth, professionalism, and success. I was able to pledge the Epsilon Omega Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi (also known as the Earthquake Chapter) and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting with a minor in Finance.
If you would have asked would I be an entrepreneur six years later, I would have laughed at that idea. However, after working my first job out of college I realized that I hated it. So, I started looking at things that I could do as a side hustle that would be more fulfilling. I wanted something that would give me purpose or excitement. I started my first business where I learned a lot of trial and error. It was a marketing group where we partnered with venue owners and did social events, networking mixers and even nightlife events. Although later this business failed, I learned many things that prepared me for where I am today. I left the job I hated and go into the property management space for a few months, which sparked my idea to create Tenaciti. In 2016, I transitioned into the healthcare IT field. This introduced me to the tech life and the startup culture which I was still building my business in the background, but this introduced me to the network I needed and I soon then after met my developer. Since then, I’ve gained project management knowledge in my medical implementation role where I gained the opportunity to travel the world and train doctors and nurses on medical software. Working for various early-stage technology companies assisted me in creating the blueprint to build my business.
In November 2018, My Co-Founders and I got the opportunity to share Tenaciti with the world where we partnered with a local startup, Our Errands’ of Comcast NBCUniversal ” The Farm” and Mercedes Benz Tours for our business launch event. Fast forward to today, we have completed development and preparing for our release in the App Store.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
My journey to who I am today was not smooth at all. My first challenge was finding out my mom had cancer when I was 12, through her treatment, it took her through many changes but I’m glad to say that she is still here and she is a survivor. My second challenge in life was finding out my brother Patrick had muscular dystrophy. He was diagnosed with this at three and they told us that he would live to see past the age of 17. I grew up in the church so of course, we didn’t believe anything those doctors were saying. I’m glad to say he is still with us today fighting his fight and will be 21 in October.
I think my biggest challenge that actually impacted me was my transition to Atlanta, GA. I moved to Atlanta, GA in 2013 after receiving a job offer out of college. I literally packed all that I had (which wasn’t much) into my Hyundai Sonata and drove here with nowhere to live yet. All I had was a job at the time, but I felt that all I needed to take this leap of faith in a new city. I literally could count on one finger on how many people I knew here at the time. The first month here, my girlfriend at the time connected me with her brother and I was able to stay at his place & I slept on a mattress on the floor of an extra room. As soon as I got my first check, I applied for my first apartment and moved.
What else should our readers know?
I am the Founder Tenaciti, Inc. where I act as the Chief Executive Officer. Tenaciti is a prop-tech startup that is growing over the Metro Atlanta area. We currently offer two solutions currently and that is our Tenaciti app and Tenaciti Property Management Portal.
Our Tenaciti App allows prospective renters that are looking for a new place to call home to browse apartments, mark their favorites, get pre-qualified, Instantly chat with leasing/property managers, schedule a tour and apply all at a touch of a button via our free mobile app. We streamline the leasing process from start to finish, only needing our users to visit the property when they sign their lease or pick up their keys. This allows renters to complete their search on their time, at their leisure and saves them time and money.
Our Tenaciti Portal Property Management Portal is a state of the art cloud-based software that we provide to properties that partner with us. This allows them to manage all request for their property that comes in via Tenaciti App. Within the portal leasing staff can track all leads, scheduled touring appointments, collect application fees, and manage all applications in one place. We are currently looking to partner with more properties in the Atlanta area as we expand, this can be private owners who want to list their property in our mobile app and of course conventional apartments also.
In addition to my business, I also do startup business consulting where I assist entrepreneurs to take their business ideas and turn them into a functional product with cash flowing revenue models. I specialize in branding, web design, marketing, and I have a development team thats prepared to take on any technical projects, as in mobile apps and ect. I think what sets me apart from most is that I have the ability to plan and actually execute in everything that I put my mind to. I know that there is always new levels to reach and sometimes, the biggest obstacle in life can be ourselves.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I would say I was always a big dreamer with a positive attitude. I always stayed smiling and I loved the outdoors. I never really watched TV growing up, I was always outside or doing something active. My time was spent playing basketball in my community mostly or running around Greenville with friends being a kid. I remember going to post up at the movies and trying to talk to girls with $20 in our pockets. I had a friend name Marquis who was the perfect wingman. Summers was spent playing basketball from sun up to sun down and my mom having to scream from the porch to tell me to come inside. I also was a band geek, I started off playing the trombone in middle school and I failed miserably. I was then moved to percussion where I was able to master reading music. I played snare, quads, bass drum, anything percussion really. I was in marching band for several years through middle school and high school. My last years of high school, I ran track and played football.
Pricing:
- Business Consultations – $25 (I would like to use first session gain interest in your project and then set a pricing point from there)
- Speaking Engagements – Free for non-profit organizations, Other ($25/50 hour)
- Business Website Design – $100-175 deposit – total project price is based on layout/pages (I will provide a link to show my previous work also.)
- Mobile App Design – $200-500 deposit- total project price is based on customer’s budget
Contact Info:
- Website: www.tenaciti.co
- Phone: 4048344572
- Email: sbarge@tenaciti.co
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/tenacitiapp www.instagram.com/startupsteve_
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/tenaciti
- Twitter: twitter.com/tenacitiapp_
Image Credit:
@micholekemp
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