What is it that Casey Richardson is bringing access to community, knowledge and the capital Black female entrepreneurs
Discover the way Casey Richardson used her experience of tech financing to establish BLAZE Group and empower a network composed of Black female entrepreneurs.
About two and a half years earlier, her life was quite different. Richardson was from the California's Bay Area and worked for Bank of America, structuring large-scale loans to tech firms. She soon realized she was the sole Black female on the team for over a decade involved in finance, she had didn't see any money allocated to an Black company.
"It revealed to me that not just was the information was not being distributed, but the knowledge wasn't being distributed to my communities," Casey recalls.
In October 2020, Casey decided to change that.
Armed with her experience working in finance and technology, she decided to quit her 9-to-5 job and founded BLAZE Group."Building leaders and accepting no excuses" to give information, guidance and a community for the traditionally under-served communities Black women entrepreneurs.
Then, 2023 is here: BLAZE Group offers online courses via The Blaze Knowledge Academy, group coaching classes, an online community, an application for retreats on site, a biannual summit and exclusive research conducted by Casey and her team of global experts.
How could she have done it within just two years? A combination of providing tools that satisfy a certain needs that are not being met, the deliberate growth of the audience as well as identifying the best equipment and the right team.
From corporate finance expert to the revolutionary businessman
Prior to becoming a full-time entrepreneur, Casey worked as a financial professional, structuring multibillion-dollar loan agreements for tech firms. Always on the forefront of advancements in technology. However, she noticed that there was a gap in her group as well as in the companies they were funding. "I was the only Black female among the group. It showed me that my educational level and my experience, as well as my experiences were all not available in my area."
Black females are the most successful category of entrepreneurs within the United States -- but just 3% of them are in possession of "mature" firms, and many entrepreneurs are self-funded with startups with capital. There is a huge gap in the amount of funding and other resources that are available in the hands of Black entrepreneurs, when compared to their white male counterparts.
As of the summer of 2020 Casey was a participant in protests against police violence. Casey discovered a sense of community and the strength that were missing from the routine of her job. "I discovered that I was more motivated and active in protests than in any of my years of making those sexually explicit deals," she says. "I was able to connect with people who are brave enough and courageous enough to take decisions that really are important."
In October, she had come to terms at the conclusion of her road in her job as a finance manager for a company but not due to her having succeeded and had not, however, because of the fact that it. What else was she able to achieve with this ability? What could she do to make use of her knowledge in technology and finance to assist fellow Black women succeed?
"I'm extremely comfortable inside the confines of the four walls. But, I'd like to put my money on myself each day for the belief that I'd take over more space in the world. So I quit."
The woman quit her job and then moved to Africa in order to begin building BLAZE Group, a location-independent company that empowers Black women across the world to accomplish what they want to achieve.
BLAZE Grupo is specifically targeting entrepreneurs during their first three years of business creating what Casey calls"the "entrepreneurial phase."
"BLAZE is a company that aims to help individuals understand how they can manage their business in a way that will ensure that the business is running. We do this by using technologically-enabled solutions. We're one of them." she declares.
To connect with the group Casey needed to develop genuine relations with them.
There are many reasons why you should create an email-list (and the best way to begin)
Casey decided to develop a highly business-focused online course straight from the start -- however, it was vital to establish an crowd prior to when she could launch her first course.
Casey was determined to make sure that this didn't occur with the launch of BLAZE's first product. So, she approached her first audience-building efforts by setting a target that wasn't centered around building an electronic database.
Why email subscribers over the social media users? "I realized that I was looking for personal relationships," explains Casey.
"On Instagram, you don't possess the authority to control your relationships. There's no way to know which email address they have as well as if their handle changes then you must be aware of what their current handle is," Casey says.
"I would like to have a good relationship with people and be in front of them often to build that image and build trust."
Contacting her current networks
15-minute discovery calls with her target public
1. Contacting her contact information
There's plenty of information online on how you can increase your reach Many creators believe that their initial customers will be people who have never heard of them via social media. However, if you begin the process from scratch You're missing the most powerful source of help: Your friends and family!
Casey sent out an email to all within her circle to let people know she'd started the publication of a monthly newsletter about entrepreneurship. She asked if they'd like to subscribe.
"I began by looking over my recent text messages, Instagram DMs, Twitter Facebook... I set up a timer and made sure that I deliver as many messages as I could in 5 minute intervals" she explains.
Many family members and acquaintances have embraced Casey and her idea as well, so she set about developing a good mailing list that would eventually lead to her launch.
2. 15-minute discovery phone calls to the intended audience of clients
One of the most efficient ways to connect with them is to talk to them.
Casey shared a post on her social media pages, revealing that she had created an online course that will help Black women gain a better understanding of business. "If you want me to talk with you for 15 minutes , and have any questions, you can reach me via email," she added.
The callers who wanted to set up a meeting with her are her ideal audience: Black women interested in entrepreneurial endeavors.
Instead of speaking about the content of the course or promoting the course, Casey addressed questions such as "What keep you up through the night? What's your most feared fear? In a year's time, what do you want to become?" The occasion was used to ensure women felt valued and appreciated. Then, she realized what she needed to consider when preparing her courses.
"Just holding space for that and helping them feel comfortable that's a key element in the magic."
"By the conclusion of the majority of these conversations, participants were asking, "Can I now purchase the course Do you have discounts on this course?" Casey remembers. She was still working on the course but had already collected their email addresses , and advised them to contact her that day the course was officially made available.
After the course was complete, she tweeted it to her email list that she designed using these two strategies. "There was already an anticipation in the minds of all who signed up. The were eager to sign up."
What are the results? 80% of the women she spoke with during the initial calls ended up becoming customers.
Two years on, Casey still offers free call-ins as part of her sales and marketing process. For potential clients who have questions about their experience with the Blaze Business Intensive, they may make a complimentary Fit Call. Make a Fit Call with Casey.
"On average, it takes five rounds of follow-ups prior to closing an agreement. I'm not sure how many entrepreneurs are aware of thisfact," claims Casey. "I utilize these calls to really close the deal."
What is the best way to work with sources and people will help Casey develop her business
Today, BLAZE offers online courses and masterclasses as well as workshops for group coaches and an internet-based community. webinars as well as TablexTribe, TablexTribe mobile application , a semiannual online gathering (a 2022 Webby Awards honoree for the Best in Business and Finance), as well as proprietary research.
How does she manage all of those things by focusing on the details and affection?
Casey has put together an international team that helps to expand various areas of her enterprise, which include:
A blogger and content marketer with a base in Nigeria
A junior consultant located in London
A production and brand manager (her fiance!) who grew the BLAZE group on Instagram by 1,300 people in May 2022 to over 70,000 at the time of the launch of 2023
An executive assistant who is from Kenya
A researcher analyst who writes research papers across different industries. Additionally, he helps BLAZE in identifying new clients for consulting.
A member of the team responsible for production to help with the bi-annual Blaze Virtual Summit
The company doesn't only hire new workers. She also employs equipment, too.
"I employ tools I hire with rapidity," Casey laughs. "And I love that because it's not the cost but the scale."
The growth in revenues does not always mean your business is growing in the same way, especially if you're performing more work or spending more to attain that growth.
"The rise in revenue must not be your primary objective," explains Casey. "If your costs are rising at the same rate that you earn more money, your final result won't change."
"Scale is the term used to describe when you're able to raise revenue while the cost and amount of the time that you invest vary significantly."
Experiential work in the tech field has provided Casey that the value of non-coding tools . Integrations, automations as well as integrations, can be. When she launched BLAZE Group, she leveraged instruments that did not require any code and without code such as Zapier, which allows everything to run smoothly.
What are the ways Casey utilizes her online course Community, downloads, and Community
" was the very first app I tried to offer services on a large scale" Casey shares.
These tools allow Casey "more space to focus on intentional things," such as the personal discovery calls she provides potential clients.
Casey built her first digital product called the Blaze Business Intensive online course. It includes . The class is self-paced and paced over six weeks. class that focuses on "Business building, Business Management and business excellence for the modern Black Woman."
"It was totally no-code. I created it during the time of 14-day free trial period," Casey remembers. "I constructed the entire course in that window and started selling it before that expired so I could be immediately profitably."
(Want to have the same experience as Casey's? Join the free plan , take all time needed to get the course's contents set up, then upgrade once you're in a position to for selling.)
This course is part of the Blaze Knowledge Academy which is a set of educational tools for business Casey created on her website. The Academy is also home to:
Many entrepreneurship masterclasses, many of which are provided without cost
Her online community, known as the Blaze Women's Network includes more than 7,000 members.
"People have the option of signing up to the Blaze Women's Network absolutely free," Casey explains. Virtual coworking is a thing we do as well as host webinars and then that funnels members into paid classes."
In addition to introducing customers to helpful products and useful, the Casey's Community provides members an inviting and welcoming space to network with fellow founders.
"It used to be that "content was the main factor,' but it's shifting to the notion that 'community is the most important thing.' The people are seeking community-focused applications... and communities that don't feel like spam seem real."
Experience she's had using the program has given Casey an idea of qualities to be looking for when you're looking for an application that doesn't require code. "You have an extremely flexible platform that lets me to build end-to-end solutions from your platform," Casey explains. "And I've used the same scorecard whenever I review the tools I utilize since I'm hoping they expand with the help of the platform."
"It is truly an incredible thing to implement solutions like for transforming the world using ways that are affordable and easily accessible to the poor people of today."
Do not try to accomplish everything simultaneously
In light of all that Casey is able to accomplish in just over two years running BLAZE and BLAZE, her tips for new creators might seem like a pleasant surprise. Start with less, at minimum, at the point you begin.
"Keep the main thing primary, which is what you should be doing," she says. The Hustle culture educates entrepreneurs just getting started that there's not enough work to do or material made. However, Casey is a reminder to fellow creators "There's only the amount you have to do regardless of how great you might be."
"You shouldn't be obligated to learn everything from the box It's going to be extremely difficult to get everything perfect in the beginning."
It is advised to start with an initial signature offer and then build upon that. "I started with an initial course called the Blaze Intensive, my first course. It's still my most-loved course. Entrepreneurs need to work out what their product should be, what they want to be recognized for before they start adding on many other options."
There's lots to think about beginning with your initial thoughts: your messaging, your the right audience, your technology and marketing strategies, as well as customer satisfaction. What happens after you've completed the work? It opens the door to do so much more.
"I am confident that we've got the capacity to accomplish millions of tasks. In 200 years, maybe. Because Blaze remains in the air. However, that shouldn't have to happen today."
We're extremely grateful for being a part of the story of Casey and we can't wait discover what's next for Casey and BLAZE Group in the coming year, and in the next 200 years from now and each day in between.
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