Meet Muhammed Sokhna: Owner of Black Star Resumes

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

Hi Muhammed, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
My initial thought about starting my business was, “I had nothing to lose.” I was at a point in my life where I wasn’t getting paid what I’m truly worth. I was frustrated and upset that I was starting to lose my passion for helping people take control of their careers. Working for a company wasn’t not going to help me experience financial independence. Plus, I had my own style of helping my resume clients, and I could never express that by working for someone else. Starting my business was my only option to feel passionate about my craft and take my skills to the next level while helping clients succeed with their career endeavors.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Black Star Resumes is a resume writing boutique designed to help professionals develop their personal brands for optimal career progression. We cater to people of various backgrounds, but we’re hyper-focused on helping more African Americans excel in the corporate world. Our approach to resume writing is based on the following: creating compelling personal branding statements for clients, utilizing best practices in resume writing to develop the most ATS compliant documents, and using modern designs to stand out against the competition. My organization became successful when I started to give tips on LinkedIn and leverage my network within the local community of Gwinnett to be more of service. It was not easy at first. This is because, in the beginning, you’re doing everything. To scale, you need a team. I learned this after I made my first $10k by myself. This led me to get my first 2 writers. The main lesson that I’ve learned in business is that you’ll be learning new things every day. You don’t have to know everything, but you need to be comfortable with learning quickly to adjust to change ASAP.

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?
When it comes to food, I love Flip Burger Boutique. It’s a nice upscale burger spot that has the best vodka battered onion rings. Did I mention they have a Krispy Kreme Milkshake? To tour the city, I would go to the High Museum, The Underground, or the Aquarium. All these options are good places to go shop or get lost in. For the nightlife, Atlanta has plenty to offer from various bars and clubs. Personally, I would take my friend to a cigar bar or jazz lounge. Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to dedicate my shoutout to The Society of Elite Resume Writers, its founder Melanie Denny, and Shanda Houston. SERW is a resume writer group dedicated to helping resume writers with the craft of resume writing and equips writers with the tools needed to run a resume business. Melanie Denny is a woman that has been through it all when it comes to the resume writing business. Her mentorship and passion for helping others show that she is dedicated to bringing forth the next generation of resume juggernauts. Shanda Houston is someone I’ve grown to love. She’s considerate and cheers me on when times get tough. We both push each other and want to see each other win.

Website: www.blackstarresumes.com

Instagram: @blackstarresumes

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/muhammedsokhna/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlackStarResumes