Meet Racheal Ricketts: Things unlearned from an Entrepreneur

We had the good fortune of connecting with Racheal Ricketts and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Racheal, what’s one piece of conventional advice that you disagree with?
One piece of conventional advice that I disagree with is the “No days off”, belief. When I first started my journey in entrepreneurship I was a firm believer in the practice that I had heard many times. “If you want something you have to be prepared to work nonstop”, “Eat, breathe, sleep your purpose” and so many other words I either read or were told. So I adopted this notion that I needed to work this way until I reached a “level of success”- whatever that would be. Only to burn myself out and miss out on moments I wish I could revisit.

Instead, experience has given me the wisdom of knowing when to burn the midnight oil and when to turn the lights out. Knowing how to balance my business life and personal life, which gives me more creativity and energy for my business.

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?
Being an entrepreneur and going from side hustle to a business has brought with it lessons, that helped me improve along the way. There are two lessons that I hold dear: 1. Outsource – As a solo-preneur you have to wear many hats. The marketing hat, the research and development hat, the creative design hat, the financial manager hat and more. You wear all the hats. For awhile I would do the work myself, which was overwhelming. With all the resources and free-lancers available it’s best to outsource what you can.
2. Offline Presence Matters- While social media is important for a business and brand to have it does not speak to your revenue. You can spend hundreds of dollars in social media marketing at a loss overlooking the importance of finding loyal customers offline and in-person. The best marketing you can do is to give someone something they can feel and sample.
3. Be Flexible – There are people who jump right into business, they have an idea and execute starting their business. There are people who plan ahead and start after they are confident in their plan. Here’s what is going to happen. CHANGE! Give yourself grace and be committed to growth instead of your initial idea.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Day One: Midday tea at Just Add Honey and walk on the Atlanta Belt line, followed by dinner at Imperial Fez in the evening Day Two: Brunch at Another Broken Egg, with an evening at Mastermind Escape Games before dinner at The Select (all in Sandy Springs)
Day Three: A tea tasting at ZenTea before a bike ride through Piedmont Park. A bike ride deserves a nice treat that only Zesto’s soft serve can reward. Dinner night three would be Apt4B

So many places to go in Atlanta. The other places to check are:

A day trip to Southern Belle Farms, facials by The Muse Maven, Healium for some meditation, Mojave Restaurant, massages at Healing Touch Iyashi and definitely roller-skating at Sparkle or Cascade Rink.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I dedicate this Shoutout to my children, family, loved ones and supporters. As a Board Member I also dedicate this shoutout to Talent’s of Our Generation ( link: https://www.talentsofourgeneration.org/) a local non-profit organization that focuses on working with youth who have been impacted by the Juvenile Justice System by providing mentorship, art and life skill classes, as well as, equipping them with resources needed to succeed in efforts to decrease recidivism and remain on the path to a brighter future.

Website: www.olivesbranches.net

Instagram: @_rachealricketts_ OR @olivesbranches

Twitter: @olivesbranches

Image Credits
Headshot by: DreaSpeaks (http://www.dreaspeaks.com/ )