Meet Lisette Bethea-Scott | Owner & CEO

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lisette Bethea-Scott and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lisette, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
For close to two years now, we have been immersed in a COVID-19 environment whereby many folks, including myself, are teleworking via Zoom. Also during the past two years, I, as well as many of my friends, have resorted to extreme online shopping. Finally, by way of social media, I also noticed an uptick in small businesses being birthed due to the economic strain that came along with COVID-19.

Luckily, I have remained gainfully employed on my full-time job during this time, however, I was approached by my childhood friend/mentor/millionaire about starting my very own business. I’m a risk taker and always up for a good challenge and this was something I thought I could do on my own, while being guided with the professional support she offered. The start-up cost was affordable, and the philosophy of the company was something I supported. I wanted to be able to make women and men look nice on their Zoom calls, as well as when they stepped out of the house, without breaking the bank. More importantly, I wanted to be able to put myself in the position of creating generational wealth for my family because I saw the economic devastation associated with COVID-19. And finally, another end goal for me was to position myself financially to be able to give back to the community I grew up in.

Be Jeweled by Lisette has been the stepping stoneto many opportunities I never imagined.  Although still a very young company, a big part of the success of my business has been by selling my jewelry on social media, at vending events, and through my website, I have also been able to insert my business into the fashion industry by styling models with my jewelry on the runway at New York Fashion Week, celebrity filled events in Hollywood, CA and the catwalk in Miami, FL.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
As a compliance professional for a Fortune 100 company, a parent to a busy teenaged daughter, as well as being a small business owner, work-life balance is quintessential to my success personally and professionally. Being able to juggle multiple projects and activities while staying on task requires prioritization and superior time management skills. These skills don’t come easily, and also require pockets of “me time” to reflect and reset.

I have a small team of employees who report to me at my full time job, Also, due to the demands of my job, I am sometimes required to work longer hours on the weekday, therefore, the focus on my business can only occur after that time and on the weekends. As a tenured employee at my full time job, I can more easily ascertain how to manage my work day. However, as a new business owner, each day can be challenging and unpredictable. At this point in time, my business absorbs the majority of my free time because I am working hard on marketing, branding, and building a solid foundation for success. I am consistently taking training courses, reading relevant books, revising my website, working hard to expand my team, all while looking for opportunities to put my business in front of people.

I am very proud of where I am positioned professionally because I leveraged relationships throughout my career and created a brand for myself built on integrity. As a business owner, I am creating a business based on those same principles. I also want everyone out there to know that starting your own business may seem daunting for some but the end results are richly rewarding. You can be your own Boss and create another stream of income by putting in the work.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I happen to be in the DC area right now, however here is what me and someone visiting the area would do on a week long trip:

Sunday:
Alfred Street Baptist Church
Brunch @ Milk & Honey Cafe (shrimp and grits)
Ride the Open Top Hop-On Hop-Off Tour bus of the city and monuments

Monday:
Visit the National Museum of African America History & Culture (soul food lunch options while there)
Ocean Prime for Dinner (because you deserve to treat the amazing person you are after taking in history and witnessing the travesties of our people (white truffle cavier deviled eggs/berries and bubbles)

Tuesday/Wednesday:
Day trip to Cambridge, MD to see the Harriet Tubman mural and also to visit the museum
Continue the drive to visit the beach at Ocean City, MD
Eat lunch “in” the water at Seacrets while in Ocean City
Stay overnight at Hilton Garden Inn and wake up and drive across the street to indulge in retail therapy at the shopping outlet
On the drive home stop in Annapolis for dinner at Miss Shirley’s Cafe (everything on the menu is amazing)

Thursday:
Eat at Ben’s Chili bowl
Head over to District Winery for light wine tasting at the Navy Yard
Relax, recline and eat while catching a good movie at ipic movie theater in Bethesda, MD

Friday:
Spend the entire day at Spa World at the amazing 24 hour facility.  Indulge is massages, steam rooms, etc.  Get all of the kinks out of your body from a busy week. Also, enjoy lunch on site, read a book in the quiet area, or simply lay in the common area and grab a quick nap.

Saturday:
Chill during the day so you can save your energy to bar hop on the U Street corridor in DC in the evening.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to shout out my childhood friend/mentor/millionaire, Karle Neal Pierce for presenting me with this life-changing opportunity. I am a business owner now because of her ability to see a quality in me that I did not realize I possessed, and for her persistence that made me decide to say “YES” to starting my own business.

I have to shout out my family for being patient with me as I grow my business because it requires a lot of time and attention. A special shout out to my daughter, Taikirha Miller, who happens to be a model as well as my muse for my advertisements. My hard-working business partners on my entire team have also made this an amazing journey.

Lastly, a huge shout out ALL of my customers because no matter how small or big each of their purchases have been, they have put me one step closer to making my small business into a “big” small business.

Website: bejeweledbylisette.com

Instagram: bejeweledbylisette

Linkedin: Be Jeweled By Lisette

Twitter: Lisette1124

Facebook: Lisette Bethea-Scott & Be Jeweled By Lisette

Other: Clubhouse: lisettebethea TikTok: lisetteb

Image Credits
Photo Cred: Franz Orban (ad with my daughter) Vending Event at Black ExPO: my iphone Multi-colored dress: Ebes Olumese Blue dress: red carpet in Hollywood (my iphone)