BRAC had the opportunity to interview two members of the Drive Minority Business Accelerator powered by ExxonMobil. The annual program is designed for minority small business owners who want to take their business to the next level within the Capital Region. Drive powered by ExxonMobil will provide participants with the tools to advance their business operations, financial management, marketing and sales, human resources, business strategy development, access to capital, and contract development.
Craig Stevens
CEO, Genesis 360
What’s been your biggest takeaway so far in the program?
So far, my biggest takeaway has been learning what my cohorts’ motivation for starting their own business is and why they’re still in it after so many years. Also, I have been learning the different visions and missions of each business; we’re so diverse.
What do you most look forward to in each session?
I look forward to continue to learn about the cohort, while continuing to learn some key takeaways. Whether it’s from Ronnie Slone, the group’s facilitator, or from other people in the group, I’m focused on how I can gather more of the “ah-ha!” moments or implement some systems or programs that I don’t currently have in place.
Lakeisha Robichaux
CEO, Chief of Minds
What’s been your biggest takeaway so far in the program?
My biggest takeaway has been our second class, when we talked about delegation; specifically, the five levels of delegation. I loved how Ronnie Slone went into detail and talked about the different stages – going all the way up to giving a task to someone on your team and they can make it their own, saying, “I trust you, you’ve done the work and the research,” which is truly important in a business. Building trust, building loyalty with your team, making sure they really understand the different levels of delegation, with you as a CEO utilizing them. I love how Ronnie broke that down.
What do you most look forward to in each session?
Honestly, the environment. I love that we can fully lean on each other and get truthful, honest feedback in return. We’re pushing each other to levels of success that we wouldn’t really think about. So having these conversations on a higher level, being able to trust and talk in a room with other CEOs who are at the same stage of business, but still looking to go far. I think about walking into this room and knowing that I can lean on my colleagues and that they can lean on me for advice or support, whatever they may need. Having that connection just brings another layer to help my growth as a CEO and business owner in Louisiana and beyond.
Responses have been edited for clarity and length.