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

Hi Malika, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
“Give, if you have it. Ask, if you need it.” This is my go-to for daily success in life and business. I love the fact that I have been accused of giving too much because it lets me know that I am on track with my life goal to outgive the biggest giver in the world. I know that seems farfetched and nearly impossible, but that’s what success is birthed from, the one thing that makes you unlike any other human on the planet and positively making it worth your existence. There have been many times when the urge to give up was stronger than the urge to keep going. It became exhausting because efforts to grow my business were shrinking my profits. Amid my hard times, I would find myself encouraging others and providing strategies to solve their problems over and over again. I later realized how much more I was super-charged by empowering others in their time of need. I wanted to give more of my gift to receive more of that fulfilled feeling. Just the opposite, I was afraid to ask people for help and sucked at receiving it until I realized it was blocking their blessings to share their expertise. We cannot do life or business alone and no one person has all the answers for one person. We need each other. God has appointed me to be an answer with the gift he intentionally assigned. My business is the way to deploy that gift and give access to the answer. I am thankful that my brand gives that answer to those who need it, or receives the answer from those who have it. We know that increase is the greatest return on investment; it’s how I am becoming a multi-billionaire by the day, increasing others through giving and receiving.

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?
Emerging Consultant Solutions, LLC (ECS) an SBA-certified Woman-owned Small Business, is truly my BFF (Business Friend-Forever) since 2010. Originally established in Atlanta, GA as an independent consulting firm, we have grown to a multi-million-minded consulting firm helping highly ambitious business owners build, grow and spend wealth responsibly through government contracting and teaming opportunities to achieve short-term and long-term revenue goals and expand revenue streams. We don’t believe in doing business alone or in a silo. Not to mention, navigating the profitable world of Commercial/Government/Federal contracting can be intimidating, overwhelming, and a huge commitment of time. We want generational wealth to be generationally available in our community of small businesses. We do that by providing turnkey solutions to our clients and business partners to support their business success in finding, bidding, and managing winning contracts. What sets us apart is our ability to take sharing to the next level. Everything we do is tied to sharing and building lasting relationships. We founded The Skill Exchange so we can share our team of experts with small businesses that don’t have a team. This allows business owners to hit the ground running and spend time working on bringing in more business while delegating the rest. In exchange, we leverage the small business expertise that other businesses can benefit and everyone wins. Plus we offer an Integrated Government Opportunity Management Solution to manage our clients all-in-one place to make it even simpler to follow our step-by-step, turn-by-turn proposal process that wins contracts. Our business community loves us because we continue to bring them more business through contract partnerships and repeat opportunities. I am excited to continue to share and bring more opportunities to my business community and see them thrive in meeting their revenue goals while helping other businesses meet theirs and bringing my 12-year old daughter on the journey to become a well-rounded CEO!

Was it easy? No, no, and no! Though I have had a successful career of over 20 years in I.T. working for other successful companies, I always was an entrepreneur at heart. I saw myself as a partner rather than an employee for these companies which employed me. I admired CEOs and would watch how they made decisions and influenced change and wanted the ability to do the same. I wanted to do more with my impact and no matter how much I worked, the time I dedicated, roadblocks removed, or financial savings gained from the projects I implemented, my pay didn’t change, and neither did my freedom or position to influence greater change. The time came to do what I was made for and not just paid for. Though the leap to fully run my own business was life-changing, it was also scary given the uncertainty and unknowns. Surely if I can help multi-billion dollar companies be successful, I can do the same for my own, right? It’s not that easy. You work more and sleep less but the reward in the freedom to choose is worth grinding for. The reward in leaving generational wealth for my children’s, children’s children is worth working for. The ability to influence positive change with my existence on earth is worth living for. I want to pour out to others everything God has poured into me so I leave this earth empty. Though there are daily challenges, my strong faith in God and desire to be fruitful keeps me moving in a forward direction. There will always be lessons learned on the journey and frankly, I look forward to the resistant climb up the mountain because it’s what strengthens me and gives me the resilience and wisdom to make better decisions the next time. For lessons learned, it’s worth noting these 5 key things:

1. DO NOT do business alone, you must have a team on your team so together everyone achieves, much, much more. Get a group of accountability partners your ambition level and higher to help you stay on track and committed to the finish. Hire a team that can complement your areas of weakness.
We should expect and account for roadblocks that will cause disappointments in life, but know that delay is not denial. No is just as valuable as a yes because you want what is for you, not for someone else. Choose yes for encouragement and no for discouragement.

2. Accept the worst thing that can happen, and focus on the best thing that can happen. This is what keeps us bound when we are afraid of the unknown. Fear is traumatizing and disabling but we get to choose our FEAR acronym to either Face Everything and Run or Face Everything and Rise. If you make a bad investment that costs your company money, the worst thing that can happen will not outweigh the best thing that can happen, in doing what it takes to recover.

3. Self-care comes before “their” care. What’s worst than one victim, is 2 victims. I didn’t know where I fit on the priority list and therefore I put everyone ahead because taking care of everyone and everything was the priority. I became a victim of neglect – mind, body, and soul. Now that I know better I intentionally make better decisions to prioritize myself each day. Then I prioritize who and what gets prioritized each new day, because tomorrow isn’t promised to us.

4. I ask myself often how do I want to be remembered and I answer it based on the people I choose to be in my circle, the response to situations I cannot control, and the positive impact I leave with people who encounter me in hopes to empower them to be better and go further than me.

We all have a story to be told and the significance is in writing it by the way you walk it. Many will tell my story as a woman who perseveres, work hard at the business life, and overdose on giving and empowering others. This summary would be true with the exception that I want to do even more. When our businesses meet, we become family. My company, Emerging Consultant Solutions, LLC partners with highly ambitious business owners to do what only can be done through sharing and connecting opportunities to make BIG MOVES (Maximizing Opportunities Virtually Everywhere). A Servant Leader’s Impact Never Expires – Malika Humphries

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?
Ok Bestie, let’s plan a luxurious getaway to a private island with crystal, clear greenish-turquoise blue water surrounded by Dolphins, specialized masseuse, and high-rise, all-glass, architecturally designed bungalow homes designed by my 12-year old daughter, Hannah Katurah, and furnished with a modern, mid-century flare! But before we go, I am a connoisseur of authentic Thai food always looking for a great spa experience within driving distance with plenty of unique boutiques. Since my favorite authentic Thai spot is no longer in business, I would take my best friend to Bangkok Cabin in Kennesaw for lunch, then to Tuk-Tuk for dinner! We would have the famous Golden Krust in Austell, GA for a Caribbean night and then head to VeGreen Vegan Fusion Cuisine in Duluth, GA for the ultimate meal experience at least twice in one week! We will take a nice drive to Chateau Elan for the wine-tasting and chef-inspired cook-along meals, plus a 4-hour long spa day to include a treat your feet soak. We will watch a hilariously funny movie at the Grand IMAX big screen theatre, attend a Falcon’s game, and cheer (or scream) with all our might to show up as true football fans! Spend a few hours boutique shopping, then end the week with a lovely sermon from my home church, Word of Faith Family Cathedral (WOFF). And of course, after church, we would end the day with a meal at the awesome, New Orleans-inspired Capers restaurant in Kennesaw, GA for a rack of delicious lamb with all the sides on the menu and a peach bellini cocktail! If my bestie had any life in her left before we head to the private island we would take a quick flight to Houston, TX for the best breakfast place on the planet, The Breakfast Klub! Now…time for some self-care with the real trip to Central America, to shop, dine, and unwind!


Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
The positive impact and contributions from my family, friends, and acquaintances are purely endless and the shout-outs will never end! I am truly blessed to have a life-long partner who happens to be my husband and best friend that supports me daily. Of course, there is nothing in the world that can replace the originals, my very own parents, who are my prayer warriors, and human angels with wings that always have a wise word to share about life. My talented kids and fiercely, loving siblings share their honest feedback and encourage me during discouraging times. And everyone in the world needs a group of strong, ambitious, and committed accountability partners which I am so blessed to be able to call my GIANT Sisters (Dr. Shenelle DuBose the Expert Educational Leadership Coach, Erica Crawley the Personal Style Coach, Roxanne Postell the Mental Wellness Coach, Sharonda Christopher the Dream-achieving Expert Coach). I am so thankful for everyone who is a part of my life!

Website: www.emergingcs.com

Instagram: emergingconsultant

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mhumphries-dll/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Emerging-Consultant-Solutions-LLC-575915423089190

Other: https://emer.fedbidspeed.com/

Image Credits
Image Credits to Terrance Carson, Carson411, LLC

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