Meet Dr. Bessie Stewart-Banks | Entrepreneur/Author/Certified Goal Success Coach

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dr. Bessie Stewart-Banks and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dr. Bessie, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?

My name is Dr. Bessie Stewart-Banks and I’m the author of inspirational books, In Finding Him I Found Me, Fear the Other F Word, Girlfriend I Forgive You and the upcoming release of Sophie’s Garden. As an entrepreneur at heart, I own a publishing company, Conscious of the Heart Publishing, where I help other authors bring their visions to life. As a Certified Master Life Coach, I inspire women of all ages to be the best version of themselves.

As far as I can remember I’ve always wanted to start my own business, but as life happened, I had to put that dream on hold and worked for others. However, after years of working for others, gaining more knowledge through my educational journey, and feeling less fulfilled in life, I decided it was time to work in purpose. I knew I had to do something that pulled on the skills, knowledge, and experiences that I gained over the years to assist others (specifically women and youth); something that would change the trajectory of their lives. In the spirit of wanting to help others excel in life, Easton Banks Learning & Life Center, Inc. (EBLLC, Inc.) was established in 2006. Easton Banks Learning & Life Center is a non-profit organization that focuses on early childhood education and youth development services. Since its inception the organization has been able to impact change in the lives of several youth and their families throughout DeKalb County, Georgia.

Nevertheless, while moving forward with the implementation of EBLLC, it was soon discovered that I had other hidden gifts and talents that would soon come to light. Hence, the creation of a publishing company. “It is quite telling that once you step out in faith to accomplish one goal, you are steered toward other goals that exceed your greatest expectations in life.”

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.

Over my lifetime, I have learned an array of things professionally that attribute to who I am today as an entrepreneur. Some of the lessons learned include decision-making, being a risk taker, recognizing and valuing my strengths, and the delicate art of balancing between work life and my personal life.

As I reflect back on my journey to becoming a fulltime entrepreneur I had to make a crucial and one of the most difficult decisions, to walk away from fulltime employment in pursuit of my dream of working for myself. The decision proved to be difficult because at times I would second guess myself and question if I had made the right choice. However, I had to make the conscious decision that I would either spend the rest of my life working for someone else or at least try my hand at becoming the best business owner I knew could evolve into. Honestly speaking, walking away from a stable income is hard to do, but at one point those who employ others had to make the same decision and step out on faith.

Risk taking is another noteworthy lesson that I have learned over the years. Oftentimes, taking risks in business is frowned upon by many people because it challenges them to move out of their comfort zone, threatens their sense of being in control, and is viewed as a road to failure. However, taking risks in business is the opposite. According to the accounts of those who have succeeded in business they accredit their success to the risks they took and the failures they encountered. Based on this assertion taking risks in business has afforded my nonprofit (EBLLC, Inc.) the opportunity to collaborate with others within my respective community, opened doors for the expansion of the organization, allowed the organization to reach more youth and their families, connected us with other successful people who gave way to the visibility we needed to grow as an organization and positioned us in such a way that others seek our expertise as an organization to teach them how to do what we do. Hence, risk taking has become one of my strongest suits as an entrepreneur.

Another important lesson I’ve learned is ignoring the negativity of naysayers, challenging the status quo, working hard, my dedication to the craft of the business, and surrounding myself with people who challenge me to grow. It is vitally important that as entrepreneurs we do things on our own terms and never do things that goes against what we believe to be true for our vision. Alongside to remaining true to the vision of my business I stayed clear from veering off the path of trying to do something that someone else was doing. I’ve learned over the years as an entrepreneur that when you attempt to replicate another person’s business idea you are in fact robbing yourself of the greatness of your creativity. Therefore, the best advice to success that I would give to a young entrepreneur, “Never deviate from the path you were given, remain true to your vision.”

Lastly, learning the delicate art of balancing between work life and a personal proved to be difficult. Work life is a difficult task to balance and maintain, especially when you have other things (such as a personal life) competing to be first place. However, it is necessary if you wish to have a productive work life as well as a healthy home life. Over the last several years my work life has changed significantly. At one point in time, I juggled being a single mother, working and pursuing higher education. As time passed, I discovered that mastering the art of balance meant that I had to prioritize my time, maintain a level of focus and that the word “No” would become my best friend. Furthermore, I realized that throughout the scheme of accomplishing work goals I had to periodically focus on some type of self-care. By doing so, I would avoid burnout, the inability to think creatively, ineffectiveness as a business owner, and eliminate the feelings of incompetency as a mother.

When I think about my legacy and the lessons I have learned, I want the remembrance of my life to be one that is representative of faith and purpose. That I lived a life that was full of dreams that I not only dreamed but pursued and accomplished. A life that I was not afraid to take risks in. A life that inspires others to pursue their goals in life and live life to the fullest. A life that my sons would be proud to say that they had a mother that inspired them and showed them what it meant to think outside of the box and do things a little different than the ordinary. Also, I want my sons to remember that they had a mother who lived a disciplined life that was full of love, joy, and peace.

Additionally, I want my family and those in my community to remember me as a person who was forgiving, trustworthy, dependable and a giver. That not only was I an author, entrepreneur, someone who challenged others to evolve into the best version of themselves, but a person who never gave up on their dreams despite the adversities and setbacks I’ve faced in life. Ultimately, I want my legacy to be one that every goal I set for myself I accomplished them, and I helped others with doing the same.

To learn more about Easton Banks Learning & Life Center, its programs and services, events and location grand opening follow us on social media @ebllcinc or visit www.ebllcinc.com. For more information on Conscious of the Heart Publishing, visit www.cothpublshing.com or follow us on social media @cothpublishing. To grab your next inspirational book written by Dr. Stewart-Banks visit https://www.amazon.com/Dr-Bessie-Stewart-Banks/e/B071ZFSNNH. 

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Since I am a foody and enjoy different types of cuisine I would take my best friend out on the town to visit the following restaurants: Mary Mac’s Tea Room, Maggiano’s, Pappadeux Seafood Kitchen, Fumi Hibachi Sushi Bar and Sweet Georgia’s Juke Joint to a name few. Also, while on our weeklong of excursions, we would visit the High Museum of Art, the King Center, The City Winery Atlanta and walk the paths in Stone Mountain Park.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?

I would like to acknowledge my mother and the memory of my late father for being an example of what hard-work and dedication looked like. It would also be remiss of me not to recognize my sons for being that motivating factor that keep me encouraged to do something in life that would serve as an example for them to follow.

Website: www.ebllcinc.com

Instagram: @ebllcinc

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-bessie-stewart-banks-ed-d-mpa-565a125a/

Facebook: www.facebooks.com/ebllcinc

Other: www.cothpublishing

Image Credits
Photos courtesy of @realimagesbymccoy