Today we’d like to introduce you to Kendra J. Lewis.
Kendra, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
In high school, I was a straight a student, 4.3 GPA, salutatorian, cheerleader, class secretary… you know an all-around stand-up kid. That’s until I got pregnant toward the end of my senior year. So many people counted me out, I heard so many times that I had thrown my life away and to kiss all of the hard work I had done my entire life goodbye because it meant nothing. While this doubt could have made me shrink back in the despair everyone expected, it ignited something in me. I worked full time, went to school at night, barely slept, went through about of being homeless, but I did not give up. I used that doubt to double-down on creating a life that I deserved, not one that had been prescribed to me because of my circumstances. I went on to complete three degrees, create multiple businesses (including a six-figure side hustle when I was 23 years old), work for some of the largest companies in the world, and live the life of my dreams.
While my expertise in business strategy and funding was forged in the Fortune 500, that’s not where my passion lies. Since most entrepreneurs don’t have millions to throw at consulting services like large companies do, my mission is to make that fortune 500 knowledge accessible. I started The Boss Architect to give all of the other dreamers, the misunderstood, the unsupported who’ve been told to give up and just work a 9 to 5, a fighting chance to launch their ideas into the world and live their dream lives too.
Has it been a smooth road?
The road has definitely been difficult. One of the biggest struggles I’ve faced with my business is people believing that it is a SCAM. I think there are so many people in the business funding and strategy space that have given it a bad rap, and so many business owners are jaded. Particularly since my methodologies for strategy and funding go against mainstream knowledge, I’ve had to spend a lot of time leading with my credibility and hoping that business owners will realize that I’m the real deal.
It’s been discouraging at times to know that I am truly coming from a place of credibility and integrity and that it’s my mission to truly help people manifest their dreams but to continuously get doors closed in my face because so many of the people who I want to serve are afraid I’m going to take something away from them when I work so hard to give. I’ve also struggled with work-life balance. My business is not just a business. It’s my calling, my purpose, my life’s work, and with that comes this constant drive to make sure it’s successful. Often times that drive doesn’t have clear boundaries for when its time to take a step back and show gratitude for the things that you have accomplished. I’m learning to practice that gratitude more and to celebrate every success as well as to take some time to stop and smell the roses along the way.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with The Boss Architect – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
My company, Te Boss Architect, which is also the name I go by, focuses on providing small business owners with the business credit and strategy secrets normally hoarded within fortune 500 companies. We are the only company that combines business credit and strategy and created a method called #leveragenotdebt that teaches business owners how to obtain business funding without using their personal credit and reinvest into revenue-generating activities in their business in order to grow.
My company solves two major problems:
1. Business owners who cannot get capital for their businesses due to poor personal credit scores.
2. Business owners who can access funding but don’t really know how to use it in order to grow their business.
We’re all about strategy first and then using “real” business credit as a tool as opposed to viewing as a savior like so many small business owners do. We teach business owners that the most powerful thing they can do for their business is to create a sustainable structure and strategy, with one of our mantras being, #strcture is the new sexy, and then use strategic business credit to fuel that solid structure.
As a former business lender, I had to tell small business owners, “No” all of the time when it came to getting funding for their businesses. I’m proud of the fact that using my method. I’ve been able to help hundreds of small business owners not only get the funding that they need for their business but also help them create businesses that are battle-tested and are thriving regardless of the economic climate.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
Well, First of all, I love the fact that I’m one of the rare Atlanta natives. This city made me who I am, and for that, I’ll be forever grateful. I lived away for Atlanta for eight years, only returning this past June, and have had the opportunity to live in every region of the U.S. But the one thing I can say about Atlanta is that the culture is unmatched, there is something for everyone, the food, the people, the swag and I definitely can’t forget… Waffle House (what I missed most the eight years that I was away).
What I like least is the congestion. For eight years, I did not have to worry about traffic. Coming back, it’s definitely something that I was not prepared to deal with.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1372 Peachtree St Ne
Atlanta, GA 30309 - Website: www.kendrajlewis.com
- Phone: 877-669-0248
- Email: hello@kendrajlewis.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebossarchitect/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thebossarchitect/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/bossarchitect
Image Credit:
Jessica Charuk
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