Today we’d like to introduce you to Erika King.
Erika, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
MY first real business was a photography company. I didn’t know a whole lot about business, but luckily I had a strong network of colleagues and supporters, so I had a great start in my first business. I was able to work with other amazing photographers and to also have the opportunity to photograph high level government officials, celebrities, professional athletes, weddings, corporate events and get paid to travel for photography as well.
Photography helped me grow my network very quickly and understand the value of branding but it was starting to become overwhelming and clash with my full-time job, so I decided to do it sparingly.
My professional career includes experience in boring topics like highway construction and the chemical industries. Through the network I gained from photographing professionals, I was offered a position with the NC Department of Transportation as a Site Director/Project Manager for a project funded by the Federal Highway Administration called the OJT Program.
After about a year of working countless hours for the OJT Program, I took a year off to figure out what I really wanted to do. I decided to move to Atlanta and was offered a job that I love at a major chemical corporation. I also decided to package up all of the business advice I’d given throughout the years and my success in business and I call it EK Branding. The need for me to grow my Atlanta network, birthed Business & Brunch, a monthly women’s networking event that I started in March 2018 with a group of friends. I branded it and created a flyer and started calling it an event. Now, 6 months later, my next event will host over 130 women from many different industries, backgrounds, and levels of experience.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has most certainly not been a smooth road. I failed so many times. I quit more times than I can count. I’ve had a few businesses I didn’t care about. I just created them for profit. I’ve been cheated by business partners and clients before. I’ve wasted a lot of money and time. I thought I knew it all. I didn’t do my research and ultimately I’ve been unsuccessful… a lot! But I learned from my mistakes and invested in making myself better so I’m grateful that I those moments back then so that I can have some sense of direction and wisdom now.
What should we know about Business & Brunch? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I work full time at Dow Chemical and I love my job! I am also the owner of EK Branding, a business development firm that specializes in process improvement and branding services. I’m also the founder of Business & Brunch, a monthly networking event for women built on the importance of collaboration among women in business. I aim to break stereotypes about being an entrepreneur or entrepreneurial trends that people feel forced into but don’t work for everyone. For instance, I work 40 hours a week, I manage multiple clients and I’m planning an event for over 100 women at the moment and I love every bit of it! It’s okay that I love my job and my businesses. I’m not an entrepreneur that wants to quit my job and that’s okay. Most people are most familiar with the Business & Brunch side of my business. My goal with Business and Brunch is to help women create valuable and meaningful relationships with other women. I passionately promote collaboration, positivity, and women supporting other women. I’m very transparent about my struggles with business and my story in hopes that it will help someone else get through a difficult time or just inspire people to be grateful for the things they have. I didn’t really know a lot of other women in the photography industry when I started my first business and it was really difficult to feel inspired and stay encouraged. I am most proud when I see women who attended my events purchasing products and services from each other, doing brunch together, setting up a work day together or just out having fun together. That’s the purpose of Business & Brunch. I wanted to create a safe space for women to feel comfortable in a room full of their peers and so far, it’s been nothing sort of amazing. I want to stay away from things like celebrity panels and instead have panels full of everyday women who own businesses or even have a career they love. I think that is more relatable and personal.
Do you have any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general? What has worked well for you?
Go where you feel loved and accepted. Nothing about networking should make you feel inadequate or less than. It’s not a competition of accolades. It’s not a fashion show. It’s not a “Who’s the smartest person in the room contest” Networking is all about finding people and business that you can connect with to develop mutually beneficial business or personal relationships. A lot of people have shared that they don’t network because they don’t feel accomplished or established enough. Relationship building is the number one way to reach your goals faster, so if you aren’t networking you are essentially doing yourself a disservice. You can’t get to the finish line if you never start!
When choosing a mentor, I offer the same advice. Go with someone who you feel has your best interest in mind. I can call my mentor and talk to her about where I want to go for vacation, how to handle difficult clients, marketing advice, weekend plans. Your mentor is going to be one of your closest business relationships and a really great friend. Make sure it just feels right. Make sure it is someone you can be completely open and honest with.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.imerikaking.com
- Email: erika@imerikaking.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/imerikaking
Image Credit:
Connor Barber, Michael Clay
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