Empowering Black Women Entrepreneurs for Seven-Figure Success

Dr Shanna Scott [00:00:19]:
All right. Hello. We're so excited about our guest today, the wonderful, wonderful, and amazing Dr. Avis Jones. Dew. Yes. Hey, Dr. Avis, how are you today?

Dr. Avis Jones-DeWeever [00:00:35]:
I am wonderful. How are you?

Dr Shanna Scott [00:00:37]:
I'm amazing. I'm amazing knowing that you are here and you get to share with us you today and all of your amazingness. I literally met you maybe in the height of 2020, the pandemic, and you were killing it. One person introduced me to you, and I'm like, oh, my gosh, who is this amazing lady? And so we did get to chat, and I found out so much about you. So I'm so excited about you telling your story and you getting out there and doing the work that you do. So why don't you go ahead and just tell us who you are? Tell everybody who you are.

Dr. Avis Jones-DeWeever [00:01:23]:
Well, thank you so much for having me on your show. So, my name is Dr. Avis. I am the multi seven figure CEO of media to millions. I am both a media commentator as well as an award winning author. And in addition to those things, I am also a media monetization mentor and business elevation strategist. And so I've been in this media game, in the marketing game, in the money game teachings, especially black women entrepreneurs, how to develop their high ticket, what I call their million dollar offer. How to be able to go out there and market it and sell it aggressively, and how to build a lifestyle that allows them to enjoy it all in the process.

Dr Shanna Scott [00:02:05]:
Awesome. Love it, love it, love it. See you all. I told you. She is amazing. She is absolutely amazing. We get to hear the story. So I'm so excited.

Dr Shanna Scott [00:02:15]:
So what I'm going to do is go ahead and dive in.

Dr. Avis Jones-DeWeever [00:02:18]:
All right.

Dr Shanna Scott [00:02:19]:
One of the things that you just introduced that is extremely just out of this world is that you are a multi seven. Not seven, multi seven figure coach, and you built this business brick by brick. So tell us a little bit, because you weren't always here, right?

Dr. Avis Jones-DeWeever [00:02:41]:
Oh, no.

Dr Shanna Scott [00:02:44]:
How did you get started in all of this?

Dr. Avis Jones-DeWeever [00:02:46]:
Oh, my God. So it's funny, because I started this many years ago. I've actually been an entrepreneur for over ten years now. So I am not new to the entrepreneurship game. And I literally started my business not too long after leaving my husband with just my two boys and everything we could fit in the back of my suv in tow. So this is kind of like, maybe it's a little bit, kind of like, break started from the bottom now here. But I feel like.

Dr Shanna Scott [00:03:19]:
Right, insert that jingle right here.

Dr. Avis Jones-DeWeever [00:03:23]:
I feel like I have more to do I'm not quite here yet, but I'm definitely better than being at the bottom. I will say that. Okay. And so, really, I started my business, though, after leaving my job, not too long after leaving my husband, after being put into a very, let's just say, a very unfortunate professional situation that I felt threatened my professional reputation, and it was a situation that I felt required that I leave. All right? And so it was the first time in my life that I left a job without having the next job already lined up. However, all my life, I had admired my father as an entrepreneur and admired his entrepreneurship feats. And honestly, shifting my life in that way gave me the ability to sort of think differently and think more clearly about how I really wanted to create my future instead of just doing the things that they all tell us that we need to do in order to make our careers work. And ultimately, I decided to start consulting.

Dr. Avis Jones-DeWeever [00:04:23]:
I started my company. My first company was a consulting company, and from there eventually grew it to a space where I made a transition to coaching and consulting and professional speaking. And ultimately, when we met, I actually decided to scale back a bit in terms of my focus and only started to focus on coaching. And when I made that very clear, distinct decision to focus on the one thing that I loved most, that's really when my business began to grow, not just from six to multi six, but all the way to seven. And, whoa.

Dr Shanna Scott [00:04:58]:
I just can't imagine. Dr. APIs. Okay, so let's just back up a little bit. You stated that you started this business right when you were leaving your hubby and you had two babies. What were you thinking? I mean, there's no way that you could have known that you would be multi seven. I mean, that had to be scary place, literally.

Dr. Avis Jones-DeWeever [00:05:22]:
Were you thinking, no, the first goal was just to match my previous salary. And I think a lot of us who start businesses, that is the first milestone that you're looking for. You're looking to make what you made when you had that job that you left. I had a somewhat comfortable six figure executive position in the nonprofit space in Washington, DC. And so that was my first goal was to match my salary. But it became very clear to me very quickly that that wasn't know, especially in this position, I had to replace two incomes and not just one income. Absolutely. And so I kept looking to figure out how I can increase the success of my business.

Dr. Avis Jones-DeWeever [00:06:07]:
And so that led to me sort of investing in my own professional development as an entrepreneur. And that really put me in a position where I didn't have time to sort of get stuck in analysis paralysis. I didn't have time to doubt myself, honestly. I didn't have time to do anything but execute because it wasn't just me that I was doing this for. It was me and my sons. And literally, failure was not an option.

Dr Shanna Scott [00:06:31]:
Right? Absolutely. That is just really remarkable. So you had your two boys, you moved forth with your business, replacing, not your salary, because you realized it wasn't enough, but two salaries. And so you picked a specific, or I don't want to even say picked, I believe it called you because you're so amazing at it. You picked a certain niche. And tell us exactly what is that niche that you.

Dr. Avis Jones-DeWeever [00:07:04]:
Absolutely. So I specifically focus on helping black women entrepreneurs in service based businesses, specifically other coaches and consultants, be able to grow their businesses to six figure, multi six or seven figure success. So that is my niche. That is my sweet spot, and that's my passion. I absolutely love working with helping black women achieve their biggest, boldest entrepreneurial dreams.

Dr Shanna Scott [00:07:29]:
Love it. Okay. And it made room for you because you definitely have a gift for this. Okay. But I just kind of want to. Just leaving your job with small voice, there had to be a certain inner something that moved you forth and to not only build a coaching business, but you built a coaching business that helps other black women make six, seven, multiple seven, even eight. Calling it in.

Dr. Avis Jones-DeWeever [00:08:07]:
We're working on eight. We're getting there.

Dr Shanna Scott [00:08:09]:
Working on eight figures. So why is it that you picked that? Why didn't you go and say, hey, I'm going to sell ice cream or something else or sell cars or software? Why this?

Dr. Avis Jones-DeWeever [00:08:23]:
Yeah, that's a fair question. I have been so fortunate in my life that I have never in my adult life done a job, participated in any sort of work for compensation, that I didn't care about what I did. I've never taken a job just to earn a paycheck. I've taken jobs that have meant something to me, that the impact was meaningful for me. And so when I started my own business, I had to continue in that direction. My actual area of specialty, in terms of my phd, is the intersection of race, gender, and the economy. So I literally am an expert in the economic positioning of black women specifically. And I had built a career in that space prior to me starting my business.

Dr. Avis Jones-DeWeever [00:09:07]:
And so it was just natural that when I did start my business, that specific demographic was the demographic that I cared deeply about. I am her, right? I know her from a personal perspective. I know her from a statistical perspective. I know her from a professional perspective in terms of how we have fared in the labor market. And I just made it my mission to rewrite the script around the benefits that black women receive from our labor. I knew all too well how hard black women work and how little we receive as a result of that work. And I really wanted to do my part to change that dynamic.

Dr Shanna Scott [00:09:49]:
Right. Because I've heard the numbers over and over again. Can you share with us just some of the numbers?

Dr. Avis Jones-DeWeever [00:09:58]:
Absolutely.

Dr Shanna Scott [00:09:59]:
Yeah.

Dr. Avis Jones-DeWeever [00:10:01]:
So black women have the highest labor force participation rate of any women in America. We already have. Ever since they always have. Since they've been taking that statistic, we've always had the highest labor force participation rate in America. Now, that shouldn't be surprising, because prior to the development of those statistics, we actually were the labor force. Right. Black men and black women gave this nation centuries of free labor. And so we never really had to go through a women's movement per se to be injected into the labor market in America.

Dr. Avis Jones-DeWeever [00:10:33]:
We've always been here, but throughout that time, we've never been paid fairly. So all the way up to today, we continue to suffer a double wage gap. When I say double wage gap, I mean that we not only face differentials in pay based on race, we also face differentials in pay based on gender. So that if we know that the typical wage gap is maybe eighty nine cents to the dollar, generally speaking, for women, between women and white men, for black women, it's only. We further know that over the course of a black woman's career, like a typical 40 year career, if we were to have been paid fairly, if no such thing as a wage gap existed, by the time we retired, we would have made over $950,000 in wages. So we all should already be millionaires if we were paid fairly. And so my job is to make sure that we not rely on the labor market to act right, seeing that it has centuries of history of not acting right. My job is to make sure that we gain the power and the knowledge and the skills that we need to be able to write our own checks so that we can ultimately get paid what we should be paid and literally what we deserve.

Dr Shanna Scott [00:11:53]:
Right. That is absolutely remarkable. I told you. She is amazing. And it's powerful, too, because not only did you just see the statistics, you decided to pretty much take matters in your own hands. Okay, that does not reek a purpose.

Dr. Avis Jones-DeWeever [00:12:16]:
Absolutely.

Dr Shanna Scott [00:12:18]:
It's like you were born for this because you're amazing at it, and you've helped clients make a lot of money and yourself combating that race, gender, and economy.

Dr. Avis Jones-DeWeever [00:12:34]:
Right.

Dr Shanna Scott [00:12:36]:
And the economical challenges that we all know we face as black women. So with that being said, I just kind of want to take it back, because with you even going to college to study this, was there something in your childhood or back when you were a small girl where you saw this and it just kind of really got underneath your skin and you're like, this is not happening. Was there any specific instance like that?

Dr. Avis Jones-DeWeever [00:13:12]:
That's a very good question. It's really interesting. It's hard for me to pinpoint one instance, but I will say that I was reared in an environment that made me very aware of injustice and very aware of my responsibility to do something about it. So I say that because my parents always told me the stories of what they experienced growing up in the Jim Crow south and still living in that area. So they told me about, for example, how in a period of segregation, my grandparents rallied around other black parents in the area. They all pooled their money together, and they bought a school bus so that they would take turns driving their kids to school every day, since the state of Virginia, whom they paid their taxes to, just like their white peers did, did not provide school buses for black children. Yes. And black children would have to walk miles to school every day while their white counterparts would ride by them in the bus, really ridiculing them.

Dr. Avis Jones-DeWeever [00:14:17]:
And so my grandparents, instead of just being upset about that, they did something about it. They took the initiative in their own hands in order to be able to pull the resources of that community and make sure that their children, too, were driven to school every day. So growing up, hearing stories like that from my family injected in me a belief from a very young age that while injustices occur, you can take it in your own hands to do something about it. And I think that belief system has been exemplified by my priorities, by my belief in my responsibilities, and in what I have chosen to do with my career and just generally speaking, with my activism for the rest of my life. I think it was a beautiful gift that my parents and my grandparents gave me by sharing that information with me and letting me know that it's my responsibility to carry the torch to the next generation.

Dr Shanna Scott [00:15:10]:
Wow. That is powerful. I have goosebumps. I mean, that's absolutely amazing. So it is our responsibility. Yes. We can get upset, but we can do something about it. And that's exactly what you have done, because you weren't born a multimillionaire.

Dr. Avis Jones-DeWeever [00:15:28]:
No, not at all.

Dr Shanna Scott [00:15:32]:
All right. But you were able to take the knowledge, work very hard and get the information that is out there and support to build your business. And now you are supporting other ladies now. And I know that there's a number out there, too, because a lot of times with black women owned business, there's only a certain amount, an average amount that we make per year.

Dr. Avis Jones-DeWeever [00:15:58]:
Oh, yeah. Again, it's so disgusting. It's so disheartening. Yeah, it really is. So the American Express produces a report around the state of women owned businesses. And according to their data, the typical black woman owned business only makes $24,000 per year. That compares to about just under $150,000 made per year by women owned businesses overall. And so the challenge that I find most disturbing among black women business owners is we're doing the work often.

Dr. Avis Jones-DeWeever [00:16:35]:
We are excellent at what we do. We are well qualified. Just, we have all the credentials in the world, right? We have all the experiences. But when it comes time to even charge what we're supposed to charge for the work that we do, many of us run up against blocks that prohibit us from charging aggressively. And as a result, we end up working. Still working our fingers to the bone, but getting paid very little. And that's one of the first things that we work on with our new clients, is making sure that they are priced appropriately such that their labor is recognized and given the appropriate compensation that they deserve.

Dr Shanna Scott [00:17:16]:
Awesome. I mean, that is amazing. So about $24,000 a year. That's like 2000 a month.

Dr. Avis Jones-DeWeever [00:17:26]:
Yeah, absolutely.

Dr Shanna Scott [00:17:28]:
And you support your clients with making 10,000? 20,030? 50?

Dr. Avis Jones-DeWeever [00:17:34]:
Absolutely. Our goal is to get our clients to the point where they're at least making a monthly basis what the typical black woman owned business makes in a year. I mean, that is the goal. And honestly, as a minimum, the goal ultimately, is to get them to at least their first six figures, and then from there, level up every step of the way over time to get to that seven figure mark.

Dr Shanna Scott [00:17:59]:
Right. So, Dr. Avis, there may be someone out there saying, yeah, right. This does not know. We went to college, and they told us if we work really hard for our salary, we'll be okay in the work space. And I'm a proponent of that. And they may be looking at these numbers, 24,000, possibly, in a month. What would you say to that person who maybe has a business amazing in their area, but they're kind of like, I don't know.

Dr Shanna Scott [00:18:38]:
What would you say?

Dr. Avis Jones-DeWeever [00:18:39]:
Well, first of all, I definitely want to be clear. I am not disparaging people who are in the world of work. If you are employed. I completely understand it. Most of us start there at minimum, so there's nothing wrong with that. But I do want people to be very clear about the fact that there are limits on your possibilities when somebody else is paying your paycheck. There are limits. Okay.

Dr. Avis Jones-DeWeever [00:19:01]:
And not only are there limits in terms of your level of compensation, which black women, unfortunately, are very knowledgeable about, I wrote a whole book about it, how we're the most ambitious people in the workforce, but we're the least likely to get the type of mentoring and sponsorship and support at work that we need in order to be able to climb the corporate ladder. So we want those promotions, but they're not given to us. They're given to the people we train. Okay. So I'll just say that. So not only then do we realize really quickly that oftentimes we just do not have power over our own destiny in those spaces. But in addition to that, the reality is, and this economy, I think, has shown a lot of people that though it may feel safe in those spaces, at the end of the day, you're only as safe as the person who is making the decisions around the expenses associated with that business. C.

Dr. Avis Jones-DeWeever [00:20:00]:
Your contribution is one that they want to continue to have. You could have that job today, and it cannot be here tomorrow. So I think that most people, at minimum, need to have something that they're doing on the side, have something that they're doing to make additional income. And I will say, even when I had my six figure executive position, I had a little radio show at NPR on the side. And that was one of the things that allowed me to be able to leave that space, because I knew that at least I had that little check from NPR that was going to be coming into my house for that radio show. And that one check was the thing that motivated me to think, if I can get one check, I can get two. If I can get two, I can get four. And it was that mindset that allowed me to begin to see how I could pivot from employment to entrepreneur.

Dr Shanna Scott [00:20:52]:
Awesome. All right, so that is spot on, and I appreciate you sharing that with others who are out there that are possibly looking to start their business or even grow their business.

Dr. Avis Jones-DeWeever [00:21:06]:
Yes.

Dr Shanna Scott [00:21:07]:
So she's out there. I know you're out there. I hear you. You're amazing. And I'm about to do a huge favor for you. Okay. All the ladies out there who want to grow their business, you get to connect with Dr. Avis.

Dr Shanna Scott [00:21:21]:
So, Dr. Avis, please tell the future millionaires out there millionaires out there, how do they connect with you so they too can grow their businesses or start?

Dr. Avis Jones-DeWeever [00:21:35]:
Absolutely. Well, I would invite you to join me in my online community. It's my Facebook group. Call millionaires in the making with Dr. Avis. We have a link that I know will be kept in the show notes millionairesinthemaking group. And there you'll get all sorts of resources. We have all sorts of trainings there.

Dr. Avis Jones-DeWeever [00:21:52]:
We go live there frequently. We have master classes that you'll have access to there for free. So it's all sorts of resources, training, and information that's specifically meant to help you to be able to take that next step that you need to take in order to build or grow your business to seven figures and beyond.

Dr Shanna Scott [00:22:11]:
Awesome. So make sure that you reach out to Dr. Avis and Dr. Avis, what if someone wants to meet you in person? Is there some event? Okay. Because, you know, that's why we're here. Yes. Huge, amazing event that's going to be happening where we could all come and learn how to write our own check.

Dr. Avis Jones-DeWeever [00:22:35]:
Absolutely. And I think the event queen might know something about this. But yes, I am the host and the founder of Black Millionaire Coach Live. I am so excited about this event. I don't even call it an event. I call it an experience. It is very different and elevated from the typical quote unquote, business conference. So I definitely want to invite you to join me this summer starting on July 24 of 2024.

Dr. Avis Jones-DeWeever [00:23:05]:
We have four days, if you come as a vip in store for you to take you from wherever you are to really leaving there with key assets that you need to take your business to seven figures. And it's going to be all set at the beautiful MGM National Resort in National Harbor, Maryland. So I'm super excited about it.

Dr Shanna Scott [00:23:28]:
Super excited. I am as well. There you have it, everyone. The amazing money maven, Dr. Avis. So make sure that you check her out. Follow her on social media. The links are all there.

Dr Shanna Scott [00:23:43]:
Join her Facebook group, and if you are available, check out the website to ensure that you attend this amazing money making.

Dr. Avis Jones-DeWeever [00:23:57]:
Definitely. They can definitely go to blackmillionairecoachlive.com to get on the list or get more information about joining us.

Dr Shanna Scott [00:24:07]:
Yes. All right, Dr. Avis, thank you so much. It was great speaking with you.

Dr. Avis Jones-DeWeever [00:24:13]:
Great, great having you. Great being with you. Great speaking to you, too. Thanks for inviting me on your show.

Dr Shanna Scott [00:24:18]:
Yes, you're welcome. Talk sooner.