Dr. Sheila Brooks, founder and CEO of SRB Communications, LLC., has been a mentor nearly her entire adult life. As the owner of a boutique advertising and marketing agency in Washington, D.C. for more than 27 years, she has taken pride in mentoring up-and-coming minority and women entrepreneurs. She has also mentored young journalists as a longtime member of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ).
In 1990, Dr. Brooks co-founded NABJ-TV and the NABJ Monitor student projects. NABJ-TV is a daily newscast produced during the annual NABJ conference and staffed by college students. The Monitor is a daily newspaper, also produced by students. Both focus on news and highlights at the convention, and have NABJ professionals, instructors and mentors.
“I choose to mentor young leaders and give them opportunities…because I know there are so many that grew up without one, like myself,” she stated.
Dr. Brooks most recently adopted the managing partners of ABCD & Company as her mentees. ABCD & Company, a management consulting firm, is owned by four African-American Millennials who are between the ages of 27 and 28.
Amber Dozier, Brittanye Calhoun, Corey Briscoe, and Durecia Moorer met at Howard University where they majored in subjects ranging from political science to pre-med. They decided to start a business after realizing they shared core values of community service, academic excellence and faith.
Each of the partners plays a critical role in the day-to-day operations of the company. Dozier leads research and development. Calhoun oversees client services and quality control. Briscoe leads the internal operations and talent acquisition, and Moorer oversees sales, marketing and strategic development.
Moorer says Dr. Brooks’ imparted entrepreneurial wisdom has been invaluable to their team. “[Dr. Brooks] took us in with open arms. She really just has a genuine investment in seeing us succeed,” Moorer explained.
Dr. Brooks admired the dedication that the associates showed toward their new company. “They didn’t have [outside] part-time or full-time jobs. Their business was their full-time venture. That impressed me very much.”
According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, only about 50% of new businesses survive five years or longer. For companies like ABCD & Company, who are just hitting their two-and-a-half-year, this is a critical and challenging time.
“Dr. B. has really given us the confidence to go after some of the bigger fish and we believe that we have just as much, if not more, qualifications than a firm that is two to three times our age and size,” said Moorer.
As a mentor, it is important to Dr. Brooks that she helps her mentees strengthen their craft. In November, she saw an opportunity to allow ABCD & Company to shine. She brought them on as a strategic partner to work in tandem with SRB Communications for The Presidents’ RoundTable (PRT) Scholarship Awards Gala.
The PRT, based in Columbia, MD., is an organization of African-American entrepreneurs in the Baltimore-Washington, D.C. region. The 2016 Gala honored achievements of outstanding African-American entrepreneurs and corporate executives, as well as awarded scholarships to aspiring entrepreneurs from historically Black colleges and universities. In three years, the PRT has awarded more than $80,000 in scholarships.
The two African-American owned businesses joined forces for what has been declared by the PRT Members as one of the best Galas to date. The partners at ABCD & Company were co-producers of the Gala. Their role was to ensure that everything behind the scenes ran smoothly and on time. SRB Communications handled all the preliminary planning and logistics for the Gala and they managed the staff, volunteers and guests during the event.
“I believe some of the benefits of working alongside a young minority business enterprise are being able to share my experience, expertise, and give them an opportunity to deliver, perform, and offer their value add,” said Dr. Brooks.
The smooth execution of the Gala served as a testament to why collaborative efforts between small businesses are essential.
Despite the benefits, mentorships and partnerships between minority-owned small business are few and far between.
“Everyone wants to make the dollar, and everyone wants to be successful. What we must learn is that you have to collaborate. We’re competing with the large companies out there, so as a small business, we come at a disadvantage. If you’re out there alone, you’re [really] at a disadvantage.” Dr. Brooks explained. “Partnerships, relationships, teaming … they’re very, very important.”
