We were lucky to catch up with Dawanna Jones recently and have shared our conversation below.
Dawanna, 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?
I believe that my purpose is making a difference in the lives of others. I truly enjoy knowing that I helped someone in their journey. I realized my purpose one day after I helped someone with an issue they were having. This person explained to me what I meant to them. They told me that they had never encountered anyone who took their time to break things down in a way that they could understand like I had done. They told me that I had gone over and beyond what they had expected, and for that they were grateful. This made my heart smile, but it also was an “eye opening” moment for me. These days, a lot of people are trying to reach their goals and are confused about how to get there. So many people are trying to live a certain lifestyle that requires a certain amount of money. Therefore, they aren’t willing to share a lot of information for free. A lot of people don’t have time or want to have the patience to help others. Also, there is a lot of misinformation on the internet. I knew that for me, it isn’t just about making money. I find joy in helping people regardless of monetary gain. When that light bulb went off, I knew that my purpose was helping others in any way that I can.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
My goal is to make a difference in the lives of others in any way that I can. I enjoy motivating others and being a support for them during the difficult times. Being a successful entrepreneur is rewarding but not easy. It is overwhelming! Senoj Professional Business Services, LLC helps people who want to start a business or already has a business but needs help in one area or another. We assist with business plans, legal business filings, website formation, public relations, strategic plans, and more. One of the most exciting things about my business for me is that we cater our services to the individual needs of the client. So, each person can be assured that we are working to make sure their individual goals are the focus and we are not treating them like a “one size fits all” type of client.
We have recently added financial services to help individuals who are not business owners. With the cost of everything increasing, and incomes staying the same, some people are finding themselves in situations where there is more month than money. Our financial services is aimed at helping clients create personal budgets, finding ways to cut spending and save money so that they can eventually start investing or increase investments. We can also help with creating plans to pay down and eliminate debt and rebuild credit worthiness. The unique thing about these services is that we first work with the client to determine how they found themselves in a financial crisis, create an individual plan to come out of the crisis, and serve as an accountability coach to help them break bad financial habits.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Three qualities, skills, and areas of knowledge that has been impactful in my journey has been being a risk taker, organized, and having a desire to learn more. The saying goes, you will never know if you can fly unless you jump. I take this to heart. It is so true with anything that you want to do. Starting something new can be scary and overwhelming. You may be afraid of what people will say, if you will get support, and if it will be successful. However, you must be willing to take the risk. If you don’t, you will never know what will happen. I often tell people to consider where we would be if people like Jeff Bezos and Sam Walton had not taken the risk!
In anything organization is going to be key! Organization provides a roadmap for your day, week, month, and year. Utilizing a calendar or some other software helps you to know what you are doing, when you are doing it, and how. Without a clear organized plan, you are going to be all over the place. You will miss appointments, events, etc. It is also more likely that you will get overwhelmed when you don’t have a plan and your chances of giving up increases.
I love reading and I love learning. This is essential for entrepreneurs. There is a lot of information about starting and owning a business on the internet and social media. However, you must know how to read and decipher information for yourself. I often see people on social media talking about how people “gatekeep” information. I feel like at the end of the day, it is up to you to read, research, and put in the work for what you want to accomplish.
To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?
The most impactful thing that my parents did for me was teaching me about God and faith at an early age and taking me to church. You can’t do anything without God. Everything is made possible by God’s mercy and grace. I don’t judge people by what they believe and I don’t try to force anyone to believe what I believe. I do know that I know God for myself. I know that it has been no one but Him who has allowed me to get to where I am today. He has provided for me. He has given me the knowledge and skills that I needed to get to this point and it is only Him who will continue to carry me forward. If my parents had not introduced me to God at an early age and helped me to create a relationship with Him, I don’t know where I would be. Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1). It was my parents who taught me about having faith and trusting God. You will not make it as a successful entrepreneur, employee, or anything without having faith and trusting God. When the clients/customers slow down, you must have faith that God will send more. When the revenue is slow or down, you must have faith that God will provide. When you don’t know what move to make next, you must have faith and trust that God will lead and guide you to the path you should take. I can’t thank my parents enough for instilling values and morals in me that helped to shape the lady that I am today.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.dawannajones.com
- Instagram: @ddawanaj
- Facebook: Dawanna Jones Mpa
- Other: Senoj Professional Business Services, LLC @senojservices FB & IG Black Business Professionals of Southeast Texas @bbpsetx FB & IG
