Today we’d like to introduce you to Renita Bryant.
Renita, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
We are all stumbling along on this journey, somewhere between being and becoming.
My entrepreneurial journey was born out of loss, pain, and a lot of determination. Born and raised in Fort Valley, GA, I began my academic journey at Florida A&M University where I received both my BS and MBA. After graduation, I worked for some of the world’s largest FORTUNE 500 companies including, Johnson & Johnson and Procter & Gamble. In 2006, I lost my 42-year old mother to metastatic melanoma and needed a way to creatively channel my energy. So, I turned to what had offered refuge since the age of seven, writing. What started as a short story soon evolved into my debut novella, “Yesterday Mourning.” Instead of pursuing a deal with a traditional publishing house, I registered my first company, Mynd Matters Publishing. Under Mynd Matters, I have also published three collections of poetry, “Remember Me Not,” “Remnants of Tomorrow,” and “Reflections of Forever.” The company has grown exponentially since we started accepting clients in November 2015. We went from having only eight books contracted at the end of 2016 to twenty-five by the end of 2017.
I was always determined to design a rewarding lifestyle around my love for words and entrepreneurship, so in 2014, I left my six-figure career in corporate America, choosing instead the path of business ownership through the launch of my second enterprise, SightsSet Consulting. SightsSet, a market research company, helps clients integrate consumer understanding into every element of brand strategy and marketing execution. Since inception, our team of strategists has created customized solutions for every type and size of business, including one of my previous employers.
Committed to educating others about the power of insights, strategy, writing and entrepreneurship, I facilitate domestic and international workshops, most recently in Buenos Aires, Argentina and London, England. The workshops help attendees bridge the gap between where they are and where they want to be in connecting with consumers/readers and excelling in their businesses.
In 2017, I was awarded a Sundial Brands Fellowship and received an Executive Education Certification in Entrepreneurship from Dartmouth College.
In 2018, I decided to give back in a unique way to the young people in my hometown (Fort Valley, GA) while also honoring my mother. Mynd Matters launched two distinct contests, The Vanessa Y. Bryant Literary Scholarship for high school juniors and seniors and the Peach Book Publishing Contest for children ages 7 to 14.
Because I also believe in providing mentorship, access and skills training for future generations, I recently partnered with my alma mater, Florida A&M University, to launch a summer internship program connecting minority small business owners with college students.
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?
There have definitely been challenges and rough spots along the way. Looking back, I can see the moments where I went left and needed to pivot to the right or when we accepted any client just to celebrate having a client. I spent too little time making sure we were not only attracting the right people to our business but also, repelling the wrong ones. Sometimes, we forget the important balance of doing so and our businesses suffer because of it.
Now, with more time, experience, and confidence, I embrace all the past lessons learned and the future hiccups that are sure to come. It’s all part of this amazing journey of ownership!
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Mynd Matters Publishing & SightsSet story. Tell us more about the business.
Mynd Matters Publishing is a consumer-centric publishing consultancy dedicated to guiding and supporting new and aspiring authors through their book publishing journeys. It is extremely important to offer top-notch service to every author. The writing process can be lonely and many of our clients are afraid of sharing their stories with the world. We take them by the hand and offer support, guidance and encouragement so they never feel alone. We also offer end-to-end packages which include everything from strategy and platform development to post-launch promotions.
I am blessed to connect with so many different people with varied stories and experiences. They trust Mynd Matters to bring their books to market and it’s a very meaningful responsibility that I do not take lightly.
SightsSet
At SightsSet, we help clients integrate consumer understanding into every element of brand strategy and marketing execution. We specialize in landscape assessments, qualitative research (e.g., surveys, focus groups, ethnography) and large-scale research strategy consulting. Since launch, we have developed some powerful strategic partnerships which helped propelled our business forward and provide more exposure and opportunity than we could achieve alone.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I believe blessings, unexpected opportunities and preparation have all worked to my benefit over the past few years. I have met some amazing people that ended up opening doors to opportunities that I did not expect but because I was prepared, it resulted in success for myself and my companies.
I also recognize that there were situations where I was not as prepared and possibly missed out on achieving certain milestones sooner. I also understand timing and how sometimes, we may think something was a loss when it was truly a blessing.
Just because a door doesn’t open when we want it to open, doesn’t mean it was a loss.
Contact Info:
- Address: 201 17th Street NW
Suite 300
Atlanta, GA 30363 - Website: www.myndmatterspublishing.com
- Phone: 888-833-2548
- Email: admin@myndmatterspublishing.com
- Facebook: @MyndMattersPublishing
- Twitter: @MyndMatters_Pub
- Other: www.sightsset.com
Image Credit:
Christina M. Griffin
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