Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Trinita Ervin-Patton, CEO and Founder of Ladybug for Girls, LLC., located in Atlanta, GA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Ladybug for Girls® is an American sports wellness and clean beauty brand MADE FOR CHAMPIONS! We provide evidence-based health education classes, along with high-performance organic skincare products and vibrant quality sports essentials that help elite athletic girls build healthy habits, boost their self-confidence, and level up their mental game.
Tell us about yourself
I bring a unique combination of public health knowledge and sharp business strategies to my role as the CEO/Founder of Ladybug for Girls. I'm a pioneer for girls' sports wellness. I am a certified health coach and behavior scientist. My areas of expertise include primary prevention, brain-body neuroscience, and nutrition literacy. Since its founding in 2008, I have led Ladybug for Girls to become the first U.S.-based social enterprise that uses scientifically proven research strategies as a comprehensive approach to improving girls' participation in organized sports. I continue to help define and drive sports wellness for elite athletic girls as Ladybug for Girls expands its outreach internationally.
Throughout my journey as a public health professional, I have been driven by the health inequities found in the current health system. Namely, I have always been passionate about improving the health literacy rates and access to health in my community because of the loss of my parents. I lost both of my parents at a very young age. My mom died when I was just two years old because of maternal health disparities, and my dad died of lung cancer because of tobacco use when I was sixteen. Both were preventable illnesses through health education and improved healthcare access for minorities.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
The healthcare field has been the most rewarding path for me as a business owner, and I have been privileged to broaden my knowledge through years of studying and researching the correlation between behavioral health theories and chronic disease prevention. One of our biggest accomplishments is establishing our charity. The primary commitment is to ensure that young girls have the social-emotional tools and sports safety resources needed to have an equal opportunity in sports. Our charity, the Ladybug for Girls Foundation, Inc., has allowed us to expand our outreach globally to the world's most marginalized populations in places such as India, Liberia, and now Kenya.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
I think mentorships are crucial, but sometimes it's difficult to find the perfect mentor to match your needs. At the time that I started out in this space, it was a rather lonely path because no one was interested in this type of work. Although I faced many roadblocks, my messaging went on deaf ears in investor board rooms because sports wellness for young girls was not a popular trend. My mentor, Vikki Millender-Morrow, encouraged me to be a bold, innovative pioneer and to leap into the unknown without the fear of failure. And she was right! Today, everyone is consumed with thinking about their health, and with the latest focus on mental health awareness in athletes, thanks to athletes such as tennis star Naomi Osaka and Olympian Simone Biles, girls' emotional health is finally at the forefront of health and wellness conversations.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Never give up!
- Form a community of good mentors. Think of them as an advisory board to help you develop skills or expertise you don't necessarily possess.
- Seek the advice and guidance of a professional bookkeeper and accountant to understand your business financials.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://ladybugforgirls.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LadybugforGirls
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ladybugforgirls/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ladybugforgirls
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trinita-ervin-patton-82a10510/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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