In this episode, hosts Ellie and Maggie sit down with entrepreneur Tawana Bain to explore her journey of resilience and self-discovery. Reflecting on her high school graduation, Tawana shares feelings of fear and uncertainty, admitting she hadn't yet recognized her own gifts. Despite personal struggles, she recalls an innate ability to solve problems and connect with people. The discussion highlights the challenge of identifying and nurturing unique talents, especially when they don't align with traditional expectations.
After high school, Tawana chose to attend Brockport College, initially without a clear direction. Living in the inner city, she made intuitive choices, eventually majoring in French and minoring in computer science, later swapping them. The conversation delves into her self-directed nature and the challenges it posed within her family dynamics. She reflects on parenting her own grandchildren, recognizing similar traits and striving to nurture them differently. Her early career included a year in France to hone her language skills, followed by work in a call center where she utilized both her French and tech background. Facing career roadblocks, she pivoted to a small design firm, where her problem-solving skills shone in high-level meetings. The hosts discuss the importance of speaking up, unlearning fear, and the value of supportive mentors—or the lack thereof.
Tawana's entrepreneurial journey takes her to Miami for a commission sales job, and later to Louisville, Kentucky. Balancing work and motherhood, she eventually leaves a job to help launch a payroll business for an entrepreneur. After building the business, she departs to start her own company, Back Office Marketing, leveraging her network and skills in telemarketing and lead generation. The group discusses the challenges of control, equity, and incentivizing key team members in small businesses. Tawana shares her philosophy on rewarding dedication and the lessons learned from not having ownership in ventures she helped build. Her ventures expand to include TBA & Co., a company that blends for-profit business with nonprofit values, emphasizing community connection and social impact. She also opens a boutique and purchases Black Jockey’s Lounge, using delayed receivables to fund new ventures.
The conversation shifts to Tawana's role as a Black woman entrepreneur in underrepresented spaces and the importance of visibility for inspiring others. She discusses her latest venture as CEO of American Clean Resources Group, a publicly traded firm focused on building a massive renewable energy industrial park in Nevada. The project aims to generate clean energy while boosting industrial production, economic growth, and job opportunities. Tawana describes the project's scale, innovation, and bipartisan support, as well as her excitement in combining creativity with operational expertise. The hosts and Tawana discuss the tension between leading with social good and articulating a strong business value proposition. Tawana shares her evolution: learning to balance doing good with making money and helping others see the value in both. The episode wraps with encouragement for entrepreneurs to embrace both profit and purpose, with the hosts expressing excitement for Tawana’s future chapters and thanking her for sharing her journey and insights.