Meet Chantelle Quow, MBA | Strategic Management Consultant

We had the good fortune of connecting with Chantelle Quow, MBA and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Chantelle, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I have always had an entrepreneurial spirit, however, being a mom and thinking that a “job” will give me security delayed my start into entrepreneurship. Then one day, I did the math on my potential income from this salary-based job over the next 30 years versus generating revenue in a business where there is no ceiling is what catapulted me into finally launching my Strategic Management Consulting Firm. I loved everything about business and while I stayed in my job for another two years after that realization, I started taking public speaking courses and applied to an MBA program to increase my skill set because I knew this would set me up to succeed when I finally decided to quit that job and bet on myself.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I am the CEO of CQ Business Consulting Inc. where we provide our clients with business planning and strategic planning initiatives to help guide the direction and focus of their business. As a Black-owned. woman-led consultancy organization, what sets us apart is that our team brings unique expertise from different fields of work including market research, strategic planning, adult education, community development, communications and media expertise, business management, financial management, and public relations.

How I got to this position was by collaborating with other organizations that provided complimentary services. Additionally, I share a support team with DAYO Media & Communications. To grow and scale your business, you need a team and as an entrepreneur, you may not have the capital to hire everyone that you need on a full-time basis. Dayo and I figured out that we can provide full-time hours if we shared the staffing costs. However, before I got to the point of scaling, there were many long and lonely nights reading, researching and figuring things out. There were many lost deals and a lot of personal development that happened along the way. I took every perceived failure as an opportunity to learn something and to grow. I also hired a business coach to help with creating systems and participated in mastermind groups where like-minded individuals shared their experiences and resources so that we can all learn and grow together.

One of the major lessons that I learned along the way was how to ask for help. No person is an island and there are people who believe in you and are willing to help you but you have to ask for that help. Don’t let pride get in the way of asking for what you need to achieve your dreams. When I learned to ask for help as I was growing, the number of people who were actually willing to help me really surprised me. What also surprised me was the majority of them were not my family members.

I want the world to know, especially young women of African and Caribbean descent, that you are not your circumstances and you can start right now to change the trajectory of your life. If I can do it, so can you!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
This trip would be phenomenal. I would make sure we hit up some hot restaurants, such as Bones Restaurant, Morton’s Steakhouse, Slutty Vegan, Fin & Feathers, Blaze and Old Lady Gang Southern Cuisine.

I would take them to learn some history about the city at the Atlanta History Centre, take a stroll through Piedmont Park and ride the SkyView.

At night, we would hit up Buckhead and visit some of the clubs and bars that the nightlife there has to offer.

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 give a shoutout to my husband and my son. From the beginning of this journey, my husband has encouraged me, supported me (financially and emotionally) and believed in me even when I was questioning myself. My son gave me the strength and motivated me to push myself to achieve my goals. I knew that he was watching my every step and I wanted to be a mother that he is proud of and inspired by. I wanted him to see my struggles but also my drive to pursue my dreams. That is the best way to show him that he too, can achieve his dreams, whatever they may be as long as he works hard, focuses and doesn’t give up.

Website: www.cqbcinc.com

Instagram: @cqbc_inc

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chantelle-quow/

Twitter: @cqbc_inc

Image Credits
Photos by Kaila Smith Photography