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

Hi Desiree’, other than deciding to work for yourself, what was the single most important decision you made that contributed to your success?

To keep going. I’ve faced a lot of things that I feel were meant to break me and it takes a lot to have resolve and tenacity. It takes a lot to power through situations until what you see in your mind come to fruition in reality- especially when your current reality is so different from the one that you envision. Imagine only knowing abuse, poverty, or something terrible and working to build a life that doesn’t have those things- it takes a lot to make happen. You’ve got to build yourself to become the person required to get the job done while creating a completely foreign paradigm for yourself. ALGEBRA helps you learn calculus, not English Lit.- and it’s a whole process to go from trying to use English Lit to do calculus, learning calculus the right way, DOING calculus, and then being GOOD at calculus. It’s a process.

What should our readers know about your business?

Desiree’ Stapleton & Company is a consulting firm that provides every-day people with tools and resources to help them achieve their goals and enhance their personal growth and development.

I never really wanted to be an entrepreneur. When people were going to school for business and were all hyped about being their own boss, I was in school for psychology and social work. I wanted to know why people did what they did and the effect certain things in their lives had on them. I wanted to find a way to help people not have to endure what I did- at least not alone.

I’ve always been an ambitious person and someone most people believed had potential to make it, but I had a lot of “muck” to get through. And oddly enough, that “muck” I went through is the reason why I am seeing the success that I am.

I can relate to the people I am helping. I FEEL the work that I’m doing, it’s not just an income thing.

I’ve had suicidal ideation, I’ve self-harmed, I’ve been numb, I’ve not wanted to be here- and I had to get through the moments that encouraged me to feel I didn’t have worth or that someone could do to me whatever they wanted or treat me however they wanted.

Every time I went through something that altered me or took a piece of me, it added to my desire to be able to help other people get through what I just overcame. I’m a relatively bubbly and goofy person, I’ve got tenacity for days (life has been trying me since I was 5), and because I felt I had to go through my stuff with little to no support, I wanted to be there for someone else. I knew the thoughts someone could have after going through something tough and I wanted to be a voice in the back of their heads saying “you’re okay”.

I started my business because the opportunity presented itself. I was literally forced to fully step into this calling and setting everything up business-wise ran smoothly because I was trained by an actual expert in business that has more than enough results to prove she knows what she’s doing.

As far as bringing projects to fruition, that was a matter of not being afraid of what other people may think about what I’m doing. I’m not here to reach everybody, I’m here to reach the person that I reach- and because of that I’d say my business has been doing fairly well for it to be so new.

I feel I received all my accolades because my heart is in the right place and because I’m more concerned with bringing awareness that there is life on the other side of your struggles- one you are worthy and capable of living.

The Self-Help app is my latest project that I hope will bless many. It’s what I needed when I was struggling alone, trying to manifest my future, and when I felt no one around me could help me get to where I was trying to go. It’s an app that I hope will help people elevate; for those of us blazing paths trying to get to where we’re going, and those of us just trying to figure it all out- I’ve worked to make sire that The Self-Help app has a little something for ALL of us .

My goal here is to help people mitigate the challenges they face so that they can produce and hit more of their goals- you know, get their external world to match more of their internal world- and vice versa.

I’ve been determined for a while to live the life I want to live, and I know I’m not the only one that has taken some hits and experienced things that made them wonder if the life that they envision is ever going to manifest. It will, but we’ve got to work and get through what need to get through to get here- in our personal lives AND business lives. We’ve got to be a beast in both areas.

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?
This may sound a way, but co-working spaces downtown, Buckhead, or Midtown. My circle is in a season of putting in that work. We are crossing things off of vision boards and finally going for our dreams unapologetically and with gusto- so work first, play later.

Margaritas will DEFINITELY be involved. Some form of fun/self-care will be involved. But first and foremost, they come to work. Whether it be us planning a conference, a seminar, a way to tag-team, or help each other’s businesses, we NEED a good place to chat and talk business.

THEN we shall become 25% margarita and do very elegantly crafted karaoke performances.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?

Nicole Walters of Inherit Learning Company, the USA sitcom ‘She’s the Boss’, and investor on Entrepreneur.com’s ‘Elevator Pitch’.

Website: desireestapleton.com

Instagram: instagram.com/desireesstapleton

Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/in/desiree-stapleton-cmlc-060980200

Twitter: Twitter.com/desisstapleton

Facebook: facebook.com/desireesstapleton

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