Today we’d like to introduce you to Keisha Stubbs.
Hi Keisha, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My name is Keisha Stubbs. I am an author, non-profit leader, sales trainer and motivational speaker. I hit my personal rock bottom at an early age. There I found a ladder. Admittedly, I spent quite a while in a state of depression doing absolutely nothing to help myself. One day as if a switch was flipped, I got up and decided to become more. More for myself and more for my son. On a whim, I took on a job as a car saleswoman and seemingly found my niche. I climbed the ladder from newbie to salesperson of the year, to finance manager, to sales manager in a dealership that did not regularly promote people of my gender or shade. The lifestyle I came to afford for myself and my son was one I never imagined. However, I knew there were others like me. People who had been dealt a bad hand and could not quite find their way out of a terrible situation. I felt a tug leading me from personal upliftment to uplifting those around me. I started a non-profit geared toward uplifting and providing basic needs for the children in my community, speaking in public forums to inspire adults that their miseries are actually the building blocks for their greatness and authored a book detailing my journey and providing a road map for salespeople and overcomers alike.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I failed. A lot. I suffered the loss off my boyfriend, who passed away in 2009, my car being repossessed shortly after, and losing my apartment. I moved from NY to GA into my mother’s basement and the pride I held in the things I previously attained washed away. I sat in depression for two years before I finally realized I was going nowhere. Once I started to get back on my feet, I got a job as a deli clerk, a $1200 car and another apartment. I soon found myself scrambling for money once again. Making $2 over minimum wage and raising a child was impossible. The threat of losing another apartment started to become very real. A man I knew offered me a temporary job at a car dealership in NY that I would work at for six months to learn the business, pad my pockets and then return to Georgia to continue in the industry. After two months, the friend I was staying with could no longer house me so I had to go back to GA. Failed again, I thought. I went back to GA still broke and very disappointed.
Four months later, after being rejected from one dealership after another I was finally hired and got extremely good at sales. I broke sales records regularly and the next logical step was management. The position was offered to me, but when the time came to promote me, there was always a reason why it wasn’t possible. I had to fight my way into the position, but I was finally moved up. I was the first black person and the first female to hold the title at that particular dealership. Nothing in my life has been easy, but through determination, an excellent work ethic and learning quickly on the job, I dug my son and I out of poverty and into abundance. It felt great to be making more money than I ever thought possible, but I couldn’t help but feel there was more. I knew there were people like me from inner cities who couldn’t see a way out of a bad situation. I now spend my time reaching and inspiring others. I wished I had someone I could relate to in my darkest times. I aim to be that person for others.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I left the dealership in 2020 (spent eight years in the industry). I was very well paid and left in the pursuit of my purpose and myself. I am now a non-profit leader. We teach young men how to tie their ties, pay for their(boys and girls) school lunch, mentor, provide backpacks full of school supplies to the community and provide free tutoring to children struggling with virtual learning who could not otherwise afford it. Tied Together Inc can be found on all major social media platforms and has been highlighted in newspapers, news websites, celebrities and most importantly by the families we affect. I am an author. Close or be Closed is an insider look at automotive sales and the personal journey of a teen mother who used the industry to change her and her child’s life. I am a motivational speaker. I aim to light the fire of self-belief for my audience. I am a sales trainer. I train new hires for dealerships and individuals who seek training on their own.
What were you like growing up?
I grew up in the inner city of Jamaica Queens. I was always very determined to get what I put my mind to. I had a high level of self-belief and just “knew” I could do anything. After all, my parents told me as much. As a child, I sold candy at school until they told my mother it was against the rules. I sold lemonade at the end of my driveway to help buy things for myself my mother couldn’t afford. I was always a bit of a salesman I suppose. I was a very good student right up until high school and then started cutting school more than I attended. I lost myself. Once I became pregnant, I buckled down. I went to school during the day, night school in the evening, and did reports and projects to make up for the many classes I failed prior to my senior year. I was on a path to high school dropout and turned it around when I knew I’d become a mother. My son changed my life. His life got mine on track.
Pricing:
- Sales Training $250 4 day course
- Motivational Speaking $250/1 hour plus travel if more than 30 miles from 30253
- Book: Close or be Closed $15.99 +tax
- eBook: Close or be Closed $9.99
Contact Info:
- Email: keishavstubbs@gmail.com
- Website: www.keishavstubbs.com
Image Credits
Linour Allen of Allen Studio
