We had the good fortune of connecting with Ce’Erica Allen and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ce’Erica, what’s the most important lesson your business/career has taught you?
Over the years I have learned a valuable lesson in both my entrepreneur and professional journey. Now I probably say this once a week: Not all business is “GOOD” business! So what does that exactly mean? Simply put, don’t jump on every opportunity that comes your way because it may not always be a good fit. Sometimes we are eager to take on projects or opportunities because of the overwhelming desire to make money. Leading your business or career decisions with this mindset can truly set you up for failure. Please don’t be misled by shiny things, there is a catch. It has been a common belief that when you are just starting out that you should take every opportunity that comes your way because you need the “experience” but that’s not the case. It is important that we shift our mind set to focus on purpose and really inspect the long term value when making these decisions. You determine “good” business by outlining your vision and values. Here are some red flags to “BAD” business: 1. The budget/expectations for a project are well below your standard rate. (know your worth, it’s super important to establish your value up front) 2. The project/job responsibilities outline is unclear with no real clear end goal outcome. (You will be chasing them forever to get details and it will drive you crazy.) 3. The project is outside of your preview or niche. (It’s something you know how to do but don’t do often.) 4. The person or business that you are getting in a relationship with is not inline with your values or goals. (Are you selling out?) 5. The opportunity seems too good to be true or has a lot of varying reviews (If you have a bad feeling listen to it.) 6. The opportunity will drastically impact other things/people in your life. (Is it worth what you will lose?) I have made the mistake early on of accepting jobs or business opportunities that have cost me more than what they were worth. Not until I re-aligned myself and began to focus on what was most important was I able to clearly define “GOOD” business. I just sat down and put together some non-negotiables and since then I have not wavered from that. In business it can be tricky so I have created a template for product and service pricing to calculate rates that won’t kill your work life balance. This is all a part of my “work smarter, not harder” philosophy.

 

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?
FRSH Marketing, Branding & Design, LLC was created to craft clean and hassle-free design solutions for passionate small businesses. Led by the notion less is more FRSH focuses on branding driven by the “WHY”. Initially I never planned to become an entrepreneur. My focus was just on getting a job and living the cookie cutter life. After I had my daughter and got married I realized there was more to it all, and I truly craved the freedom to enjoy the simple things. Now I’m driven by my family and finding ways I can work less and make more. I want people to know you can have it all! It’s all about establishing boundaries and keeping your purpose at the center.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would love for my besties to come into town, here’s what we might do:
Ponce City Market Rooftop 🎟
Fat Matt’s 🐷 BBQ with Live Jazz🎵
Ferris Wheel in Centennial Park 🎡
Top Golf ⛳️
Coca-Cola Factory 🏭
GA Aquarium 🐠
Civil Rights Museum ✊🏾
Old Lady Gang Downtown 🥘

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My family was a key component in teaching me this lesson. My husband, Devario Allen helped me tremendously in establishing my value.

Website: www.keepingitfrsh.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keepingit_frsh/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/keepingit_frsh
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/keepingitfrsh/?ref=bookmarks

Image Credits
Tatyanna Chamere