S1, E3 - Entrepreneurial Culture: Writing Your Own Success Story in Entrepreneurship for Women-Identifying Folx of Color with Alyssa Hall Unlearn Lab

Big dreams and goals have almost become prerequisites to building a successful business. But, taking leaps to chase those dreams shouldn’t happen at the spur of the moment; it needs preparation and support. You need to be equipped to deal with the barriers and challenges that entrepreneurship life will constantly throw at you. In this episode of Unlearn Lab, Alyssa Hall shares her journey to becoming an entrepreneur. She explores the hardships of growing a business that no one seems to talk about — but is what we really should be talking about if we want to achieve greater success in our businesses. Alyssa also discusses the barriers we need to overcome for our business to thrive. Then, she shares how she redefined her own success and wealth as an entrepreneur, a mother, and a woman. If you want to learn about the struggles of being an entrepreneur and how you can rise above them, this episode is for you!
Here are three reasons why you should listen to this episode:
Explore the difficult side of entrepreneurship that no one talks about. Discover how to break down barriers in entrepreneurship and be empowered. Learn what success and generational wealth mean to Alyssa. Resources
Connect with Alyssa: Email | Instagram | LinkedIn | Facebook | Website Episode Highlights [02:38] How Alyssa Became An Entrepreneur In late 2018, she bought her own domain and became a single mom. Becoming an entrepreneur seemed like the most realistic way to survive with her daughter. Six months into entrepreneurship, she quit her nine-to-five because she seldom saw her daughter, which was painful for her. If you quit your job unprepared, it won’t be easy. [07:08] The Hardships Of Being An Entrepreneur She got good tax returns, which made her feel secure enough to quit her job and focus on building her business. The child support agreement also included her daughter’s dad paying for her rent. With around $6000, she was able to coast for a few months. When her lease was about to end, things started getting difficult even if she had a solid support system; ultimately, she ended up having to move in with a family member. [13:46] Defining Success When she entered a group coaching program filled with moms, she felt angry and bitter that everyone just wanted to make extra money, while she, on the other hand, was barely trying to survive. She felt guilty that she wasn’t financially prepared to provide for her daughter. For her, success means providing her daughter with the life she deserves. [19:57] Breaking Barriers in Entrepreneurship People often end up glamorizing numbers rather than thinking about sustainability. She despised asking for help but realized that we could only break through barriers that hold us back and become empowered if we lean on our resources. Alyssa: “... the only way that we are able to truly break through the barriers that were created to have us stay small is if we lean on the resources that we already have. And we do so from a place of empowerment instead of from a place of feeling like you failed…”
Know when you need help, and don’t hesitate to ask for it. [25:23] Struggling with Generational Wealth and Identity She couldn’t grasp the concept of generational wealth. Eventually, she came to the conclusion that generation wealth is freedom of options. Alyssa: “[Generational wealth is] the freedom of being able to say, ‘Whatever this situation is, whether it be a job, whether it be a location, whether it be a relationship, this is not suiting me’, and to have the flexibility to move and to leave and to shift.”
She wants to give her daughter that flexibility that we should be afforded. Because of her different identities, she fits into so many boxes yet doesn’t fit perfectly. She used to feel like she had to prove herself, but now she doesn’t conform to anyone else’s description of her. Alyssa: “I’m never gonna fit into whatever someone else’s description of me is. But