We had the good fortune of connecting with Taymah Jones and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Taymah, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I love simplifying processes and problem solving. No matter where I work or whatever environment I am in, I always try to find ways to be more efficient. I have always known I wanted to enter the entrepreneur space, but wasn’t sure in what capacity. Then during the summer of 2020 an old colleague reached out to me to help her operationalize her business and improve some of her internal business processes. I fell in love with the process and wanted to assist other small businesses. So starting the Consult Jones Collective was a no brainer at that point.
What should our readers know about your business?
Consult Jones Collective is a strategic workflow firm specializing in operational support, process automation, and creative business solutions. Our mission is to optimize your business by filling in the operational gaps that you don’t have time for but are pertinent to the overall success of your business. Our goal is to handle those tasks so that you can focus on the mission of your business. Some examples can include: automating your ordering or onboarding process, digitizing your company documents, creating a training program, researching systems, and strategy planning. We focus on the individual client’s needs and present solutions in a multitude of ways so that they are easy to understand and implement.
I got to where I am today by taking a leap of faith, understanding the importance of pivoting and recognizing that my journey is unique to me. I completed my bachelors degree in Economics in 2010 and spent years working in different jobs not knowing what I wanted to be when I grew up. I eventually returned to school in 2017 because I knew I wanted to enter the tech space. When I started my masters program I initially pursued Computer Science and quickly realized that wasn’t for me, it was a bit too technical. I wanted to be in the tech space but wanted to utilize my business background and my social skills, so after a lot of thoughts of quitting my masters all together I talked to a career counselor and discovered Information Systems. Information Systems are an integrated set of components for collecting, storing, and processing data and for providing information, knowledge, and digital products. Discovering Information Systems, finally gave me a name to define what I had done at every job and in most aspects of my life. I finished my masters degree in June of 2020 and was supposed to start my tech career that same month, but due to the pandemic my start date was postponed until Jan 2021. During that time I really focused on becoming an entrepreneur and officially started the Consult Jones Collective in November of 2020.
I started at the consulting firm in Jan 2021 as planned and continue to work there while owning and operating the Consult Jones Collective. I thoroughly enjoy them both, because it allows me the duality to work with large clients and small businesses. I am excited about the future and being able to assist more small businesses automate their processes and become more efficient.
If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I was born and raised in and around Metro Atlanta.
Some of my favorite places to eat, drink and hangout are:
Eat & Drink: Fresh From Earth Herb & Tea Bar, Sprig Restaurant, Desta Ethiopian Kitchen, Twain’s Brewpub, Grindhouse, Butter Cream, The James Room, Lagarde and PURE Taqueria
Hangout & Visit: Hawks Game, Burn Boot Camp (Decatur), The Battery, Krog Street, Salt & Pepper Kitchen, Ponce City Market for the rooftop specifically
The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to Shoutout Black Women because we exude grace, success, perseverance and love, but there are a few that I would like to especially Shoutout: My Daughter, Blake, who has provided so much joy and inspiration by simply existing.
My Wife, Brittany, for the consistent love, encouragement, proofreading, and reassurance to keep going even when it’s scary .
My Mother, Lucille, who defined entrepreneurship for me and what it means to live a purposeful life.
My Friends and Family, who are phenomenal women, who own businesses, and live life on their own terms and support me endlessly.
Website: www.consult-jones.com
Instagram: @consultjonescollective
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/consultjonescollective
Image Credits
Photos: Arica Ratcliff Logo: Jasmine Blain