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

Hi Michelle, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I have always found myself in positions wanting to give back. Starting my own businesses allows me to do this and provide the resources I wish I had. From financial consulting for small businesses to building a community for professional women, I know that my experiences will help someone else.

Someone may think that it’s impossible, but I am here to show them that it is.

Additionally, using my knowledge to generate income and begin the process of building generational wealth.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am an Accounting & Finance Professional. Aside from working in the corporate world, I also have a financial consulting firm in which I strive to help small businesses understand and take control of their finances.

I’d say that I’m most proud of being recognized as one of Charlotte’s Top 30 under 30 honoree from Elevate Lifestyle. This accomplishment showed me that the work I do matters and doesn’t go unnoticed.

How did I get where I am today? I’d say a lot of hard work, tears, sacrifices & support from family and friends. Starting my career wasn’t easy. & to top it off, I was laid off at 22 and this may have been one of the hardest things I’d faced. I made the decision to move to Charlotte and landed a contract position soon after. I worked for Belk corporate in Accounting for 3 years before making a move to Bank of America, where I now work in Finance.

Was it easy? NO! I am a first generation college graduate (second grandchild after my brother). There weren’t many examples where I come from. All I knew was that staying home wasn’t an option and college was my only hope. I didn’t quite understand what I would do with my degree, but I knew I had to get it. The love for accounting and finance came later. Once I actually understood the subjects, I understood what I could do for myself, my family and my community, and that was give back by helping teach the basic finance skills some have no access to.

How did I overcome the challenges? I just kept going. I knew that I couldn’t quit. I had people depending on me, looking up to me and I had graduated high school a year early. I was afraid of failure. The thought of leaving home early to not make the best of it haunted me. When times got tough, I’d vent to family and friends and they’d remind me that I could do it or that I’d worked hard and would eventually land on my feet. They’d tell me to just be myself. I started to network and that was the best decision I could have made for my career.

What lessons have I learned along the way? To stay confident when you know your stuff. To make connections and not only keep in touch with your “fun” friends from college & don’t be afraid to speak up for yourself.

What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story? I feel like it’s sooo much I could share. I’ll leave you with everything I am is everything I WORKED for.

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?
My friend would definitely contact me because my husband and I always know the spots haha. I’d take them for good food and drinks (& some hookah). A few of my fav spots to eat are @ 7th, Stir, Boardwalk Billy’s, really anything with seafood. To hangout & grab drinks we’d visit Member’s Only, Cloud, French Quarter, Firehouse and hopefully they’re staying on Sunday because 1501 and Stats are a MUST GO!

For relaxation, I’d visit lake norman and rent a boat, maybe do a picnic in one of the parks or go bowling/go cart riding.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d dedicate my shoutout to the women of my family. They are the reason I am who I am today. They motivated me and gave me my “go getter” attitude and I knew that whatever it was I wanted to do, I could figure it out. I have other family & friends as well who have been listening ears along the way. They listened to all of my ideas and have always shared positive feedback and supported me in any way they could.

Website: www.MichelleLaQuan.com

Instagram: @michellelaquan

Linkedin: Michelle L. Theirse

Other: Community & Brand – www.MillennialWomanBrand.com

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