We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Torri Hicks. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Torri below.
Torri , so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
While attending Michigan State University, my very first “Real Job” was working for a non-profit that taught sex education to youth. Despite the uncomfortableness of teaching an already difficult topic to youth, for the first time I had a job that didn’t feel like work. I enjoyed both the mentorship/counseling of at-risk youth and the opportunity to work/learn many different roles of nonprofit work. After graduating from Michigan State University I moved to Atlanta, GA where I entered graduate school at Argosy University and studied to become a mental health therapist, while continuing to work for nonprofit organizations. My experiences working with different nonprofits afforded me the opportunity to learn and wear several pertinent hats that attribute to nonprofit & business growth and impact. In most of my roles I was asked to develop programs/services from scratch (with only a vision) which allowed me to develop the creative and strategic stamina (that is now the foundation of our company, “turning business and nonprofit visions into reality”) My eclectic style of creating and customizing innovative strategies and programs to meet organizational needs became a hit in the nonprofit and business sectors and I was requested to assist highly recognized organizations and institutions including Hands On Atlanta, YWCA, Georgia State University, National Sales Network, and the Arthur M. Blank Foundation.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I launched YouthNique in July 2009 to assist start-up and existing nonprofits nationwide with fulfilling their mission. Since then we have hosted an internship program at Georgia State University that trained college students as Nonprofit Strategists while they gained professional development and scholarships, We have provided over 100 nonprofits and social entrepreneurs with the consulting, training, programming, and tools needed to make measurable impact, and we are not slowing down.
This is a very exciting season for YouthNique! We recently received a Motor City Match Grant Award along with other funding to open our first location in Detroit Michigan, “StartUP Center”. YouthNique’s “StartUP Center” will be a Fun Place to Innovate, an All-In-One Solution, Turning business and nonprofit visions into reality.
Using my mental health background I developed the culture for the “StartUP Center”. YouthNique has a unique way of doing things that makes our StartUP Center the most creative (most fun) experience for any client or team member. Adorn with video games, stress relieving gadgets, and comfy chairs our belief is that playing is not just essential for kids; it can be an important source of relaxation and stimulation for adults as well. Play is a vital tool for keeping our relationships (and MINDS) fresh, exciting, and “youthful.”
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Whew! Consistency is number one for me! This entrepreneur journey has so many twists and turns, ups and downs, mistakes, lack of support etc…etc…etc… but as long as there is movement one will always get to their desired destination/goals (regardless of how long it takes). If you are stagnate you are sure to NEVER get where you need to be.
In addition to Consistency, Mentorship (Had I had a mentor sooner it would not have taken me 13 years to get to this phase of my business), and Education. Education/training for your field is imperative to learn how to prepare to provide the best service to your clients/customers. However, life-long education in your field is just as important to be able to ALWAYS provide the best service to your clients/customers as the world continues to evolve/change.
Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?
Any entrepreneur seeking to start a nonprofit or business, regardless if they know what kind of business or nonprofit they want to start or not. Turning the visions and dreams that we see in our minds into reality is not an easy task, but it is the most important. Being able to clearly display and communicate our plans for our businesses and nonprofits proves to partners, funders, and clients/customers that we are able to deliver on our promises (If they can see it, they can run/trust it).
YouthNique starts at Step 1, listening to all the details of your vision, then providing the hands-on assistance and services that guide our clients through each chronological step in turning it into reality.
Our results prove that a strong starting foundation leads to faster and long-term success
Contact Info:
- Website: www.youthnique.com
- Instagram: @youthniquellc
- Facebook: YouthNique Nonprofit & Business Consulting
- Linkedin: YouthNique Business & NPO StartUP Firm
- Twitter: @youthniquellc
