Being your own Boss is something many strive to accomplish but, not everyone is up for the challenge and stress that comes with entrepreneurship. I recently had an opportunity to sit down and speak with Cameka Smith, the founder of The Boss Network. Cameka shared with me all the struggles and successes of business and how she has continued to stay in business for the last 10 years.
Cameka is a speaker, trainer and award-winning entrepreneur. She started The Boss Network in 2009 and since its inceptions, it’s been a success. The BOSS Network has become one of the fastest-growing women business communities, garnering several accolades such as a Top 50 Websites for Entrepreneurs by Inc. Magazine, and the 10 Best Career Sites for Women in Forbes.com.
BDO: What is The Boss Network and how long have you been in Business?
CS: I started The Boss Network in 2009 after working in the educational system as a school administrator. After finding out that I would be losing my job due to downsizing, I knew this was my opportunity to become my own boss. I first started with my event company that I worked as a side-hustle. I hosted events all over Chicago and this allowed me to connect and have conversations with multiple business owners.
During these conversations, I would hear women talk about needing support, mentors and even coaching in their business. This is when I decided to put together a series of Boss events. This created a space for women to connect, collaborate and hear from other successful career and business women. Women were drawn to these events and they wanted more. This is when I decided to create something that would go beyond events.
The Boss Network (Bring Out Successful Sisters), a digital platform that supports women entrepreneurs and women who want to climb the corporate ladder. The Boss Network provides digital content, virtual workshops, blogs, events, marketing programs and coaching services.
BDO: What obstacles have you had to overcome in order to become successful?
CS: With any business there are always failures and successes, but I had to learn how to manage it all. I could not get caught up in the validation of it all. When I first started my business, I was listed in Forbes, Black Enterprise, and INC. Magazine as one of the top digital platforms for women.
While this was validation for my business, I was not making the money to match those accolades. I had to get out of my own way and learn to ask for help. I was afraid of failure and not knowing would I really make it to the next level in my business. I also had to get over the obstacles of not having the finances I needed to sustain my business. Therefore, this is when I created the membership component to my business. The memberships allowed me to create multiple income streams and make money while I sleep.
I also had to be strategic about creating and building strong relationships with financial sponsors like Prudential, Sage and many others. In business you must create revenue to keep your business growing. It doesn’t matter if you have 100K followers on social media when you’re not bringing in the revenue to match it.
BDO: What is success burnout?
CS: I have been an entrepreneur for 15 years and have been growing my business The Boss Network for the last 10 years. It has not been easy supporting entrepreneurs, creating content, producing events and managing a digital platform. It has been a lot of sacrifices, failures and financial losses along the way. The pressure of it all can cause anxiety, depression, and social withdrawal at times. Over the years I have put so much in my business that I have not been able to have much of a personal life.
As the CEO of Boss, I have provided programs, continued to support my digital platform and host a multi-city tour for the last 4years. This caused me to become burned out. Even though I have a team, the bulk of everything falls on me. It took me 4 years before I started to see revenue in my business, and I wanted to keep going.
I started to have anxiety about the future of my business, and I knew I had to keep it up. It was draining me, because I wasn’t taking time to invest in my personal life. I need at this point to have balance in my business and my personal life.
Your life is just liked a car, if you don’t put gas in the tank the car will stop. If you don’t take the car to get the oil changed the car will stop. If you don’t get the tires changed on the car it will stop. With your life you must take the necessary measures to pour into yourself so you can be so much greater in your business.
BDO: What measures have you taken to prevent success burnout?
CS: The first thing I had to do was acknowledge that there was a problem. I listened to my body. I started to have more anxiety, colds, and stress. That’s when I knew I had to seek help. So, I reached out to my doctor and he confirmed that I was under stress. I knew I had to do somethings different in my life.
The first thing I did was change my diet. I decided to give up meat and only eat foods that would give me energy and life. I then begin to change up my personal routine. This includes when I wake up in the morning I start with prayer, meditation and gratitude instead of just waking up and getting right to business. This was very helpful in me being strategic about my day.
I also added a routine of yoga, cardio exercises, and self-care activities like floating H2O. Lastly, I decided to put myself first and enjoy life. This included traveling and even taking a three-month sabbatical. I went to Florida and stayed there for three months so I can start doing activities I love, like going to the beach, attending the theater, festivals, and art shows.
I forgot about how much I enjoyed these things, and I was strategic about making these activities a priority again. I have also learned to create balance in my life and to the things in life that brings me joy.
BDO: What advice would you give to an entrepreneur who may be experiencing the same thing?
CS: I would say take time to think about what success means to you? What does success look like in your life? How would you define success? For me, success is a peace of mind, enjoying life, and being all that I am called to be. I want to be happy enjoying my success. I don’t want to live an Instagram life, a life where you must work all the time and grind constantly.
There are many billionaires who are successful, but they aren’t happy, and they don’t have a life. As my good friend Sheri Riley would say, Peace is the New Success. What is the point of having riches if you are not happy? I choose peace over prosperity. When you have peace in your life, then that’s when you can truly enjoy prosperity.
BDO: How can people connect with you?
CS: You can follow me on all social media site as The Boss Network.
Instagram: @thebossnetwork
Twitter: @thebossnetwork
Facebook: The Boss Network and be sure to join the Boss Network Success Forum
Website: www.thebossnetwork.org
Symptoms of Stress:
If you are experiencing symptoms of stress, please reach out to your doctor for support and see what resources are available to you.
Priscilla Q. Williams, RN: Author, Speaker, Certified Life Coach, Global Nurse Educator www.priscillaqwilliams.com
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