What to Expect This Weekend at Sistahs in Business Expo- Atlanta

As a successful entrepreneur, Aisha Taylor Issah is the Founder and  CEO of the Sistahs in Business Expo, a multi-city small business expo created to celebrate the accomplishments of entrepreneurial women of color; as well as Co-owner and Chief Consultant of TAYLORmade ~ Professional Career Consulting, a business-turned-ministry that equips, empowers, and prepares God’s people for successful careers. She has shared her insights as a regular Career Blogger on numerous media outlets including BlackEnterprise.com. Aisha has also served on the Executive Board for the New York Urban League Young Professionals and is a National Urban League Emerging Leader. She has taught as an Adjunct Professor of Urban Studies and Public Administration at Long Island University – Brooklyn Campus, and Metropolitan College of New York.

This week the Sistahs of Business Expo will take place at the Dekalb Conference Center, so we are excited to speak with her before the event and get the details while also learning more about her.

Fancy: How would you describe your swagher? What makes Aisha, Aisha?

Aisha: I was born and raised in Brooklyn, but I spent every summer and holiday growing up in South Carolina.  So, I’d have to say my swagher is a perfect blend of city girl hustle mixed with southern charm.  My passion for helping people, whether it be the young people I lead as a youth and young adult pastor, the clients I assist with their careers and recruitment through TAYLORmade ~ Professional Career Consulting, or the businesswomen I empower through the Sistahs in Business Expo, pushes me to go hard every day.

Fancy: To what do you attribute your success?

Aisha: My success is a direct result of God’s grace.  I am fully aware that every gift, talent, resource, and opportunity that I’ve been given comes from God.  Additionally, my success comes from an intense work ethic that was instilled in me by my parents.  My mother worked long hours on the same job for 39 years, to provide for my sister and me.  My father was a stickler for education and would make us rewrite an entire assignment if even one word was spelled wrong.  Their desire to see my sister and I excel in our endeavors has been a source of motivation in every area of my life.  I’m successful because my parents taught me how to work hard.

Fancy: What inspired the Sistahs in Business Expo?

Aisha: I was inspired to create the Sistahs in Business Expo, because I wanted to provide a platform for entrepreneurial women of color that I didn’t have when I first started my career consulting business with my sister back in 2005.  Most expos were geared towards products, rather than services, and they all had extremely high vendor fees.  This excluded us from a lot of expos, because we owned a business that provided a service and couldn’t afford thousands of dollars in vendor fees as a new small business. 

Additionally, when I learned that women of color are the largest growing demographic of entrepreneurs but the least earning, it frustrated me.  It disappointed me to know that so many women of color were starting businesses, but they weren’t earning much compared to other demographic groups.  I wanted to create an accessible and affordable platform for women of color that would help to close that gap. 

Fancy: What type of activities will take place?

Aisha: Our agenda for SIBEXPO Atlanta includes our Keynote Speaker, legendary actress, director, producer, author, and entrepreneur Kim Fields; featured speakers Miko Branch (Co-Founder & CEO of Miss Jessie’s) and Nicole Walters (business consultant and TV personality).  In addition to our speakers, we will be hosting our signature SuperPower Panel of hugely successful entrepreneurial women of color from the Atlanta area. The panel is being moderated by author and speaker Lakia Brandenburg and will include Dr. Tiffanie Davis Henry (sex therapist, TV personality, and entrepreneur), Dr. LaKeysha Hallmon (Founder & CEO of the Village Market Atlanta), Kelly Jefferson (Certified Life & Business Coach and Founder & CEO of Natural Girls Rock), and Koereyelle Dubose (International Speaker, Author, and Serial Entrepreneur) . 

Fancy: What type of women and men do you think this event would or should appeal to?

Aisha: The SIBEXPO is generally appealing to women and men with an entrepreneurial spirit.  Whether currently in business or looking to start/grow a business, our expo has something for everyone.  Much of the information that is shared and learned can really be applied to any professional goal.  Whether you want to excel as an entrepreneur or as an employee, the expo provides an opportunity to tap into a plethora of resources and information that will help in reaching that goal.

Fancy: 700 attendees at an event is awesome. Would you care to share a few tips for a successful event?

Aisha: Putting together an event like this is a tremendous task.  My first tip is to pull together a team that you can trust. There is no way that we’d be able to plan for or serve hundreds of women without proper structures in place.  My support system, better known as the Red Shirt Brigade, has been critical to the success of our events.  My next tip is that you literally have to work on your event every single day.  This is especially true if, like us, you are planning multiple events at once while trying to create a movement that lasts beyond the day of the event.  You should be doing at LEAST one thing every single day of the week that helps to build your brand.  There are literally no days off.  Don’t get me wrong, I do believe in self-care and making time for myself.  But throughout the course of that day, there is guaranteed to be something that I must do to help my business grow.

Fancy: While statistics show that the more Black women are opening businesses, what are your thoughts on how the black community supports those businesses?

Aisha: Black women are the largest and fastest growing demographic of entrepreneurs in the country, but we are the least earning.  Businesses owned by women of color would grow astronomically if their community supported them.  Additionally, the business owners must make every effort to put their best quality product or service forward. 

Fancy: Is Atlanta the last stop of the tour?

Aisha: Atlanta is our last stop for 2018. October 13^th at the Dekalb Conference Center!  We will be announcing our 2019 dates soon. 

Fancy: Do you have any other upcoming events or projects that you care to share?

Aisha: Right now we are just working on our dates and cities for 2019.  Stay tuned!

For more information on the SIB Expo, and/or for ticket information, please visit www.sistahsinbusinessexpo.com.

Instagram: @SIBExpo

Twitter: @SIBExpo

Facebook: @SistahsinBusinessExpo