Entrepreneurs Think Tank

The founder of Big Break Creative, Sarah Salaveria, provides business and marketing education, strategy consultancy, and other services to help creatives transition from independent contractors to CEOs.

Her 10+ years of experience working in various creative industries, including event design, graphic design, and TV production, and working for some of the top names such as Disney, Bravo, MTV, NBC, and Buzzfeed helped her build the business of her own. One that allowed Sarah to bring all her creative ideas to life and share her passions and knowledge with like-minded creatives to help them do the same.

Sara’s mission is to help as many creatives as possible build and grow a business that allows them to do what they love and get the financial abundance, freedom, and flexibility they deserve in return.

Connect with Sarah

Email: sarah@bigbreakcreative.com

With over 30 years of experience as a Professional Speaker and Trainer, Jen Buck’s strength and conviction on the platform have earned her standing ovations and rave reviews around the world. Jen began the first decade of her career in a startup where she helped launch a billion-dollar global and award-winning brand while in a leadership development role. She has since launched an online learning academy for women, founded several nonprofits, and sits on the executive board for two organizations. She is a Bestselling author with six publications, has a television show that is seen in 50 countries worldwide and is the host of a podcast that highlights female leaders who are changing their corner of the world.

Jen has spoken to countless numbers of people throughout her professional speaking career and has delivered keynotes and workshops in front of audiences ranging from 10- 25,000 people. She focuses on leadership and management and is committed to helping leaders thrive in ever-evolving and high-intensity environments. Jen is a Certified Professional Coach with three coaching designations who helps people increase their potential so that they can achieve higher levels of success. Along with working with some of the largest brands in the world, she has trained and coached 4- and 5-Star Generals, the highest-level executives at Coca-Cola, Mercedes, McDonalds, Walmart, and even an Emmy nominated actress—the demand for her knowledge and perspective is very broad.

Connect with Jen

Niki Taylor has gained her experience by working for large non-profit organizations such as Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta, Spelman College, and The United Negro College Fund as well as major corporations such as The Home Depot, The CW Network, and The Washington Post.

Obtaining her master’s degree in Communication from Trinity College in Washington, D.C., and an alumnus of Howard University, Niki currently conducts biannual media relations workshops at the Georgia Center for Nonprofits for PR professionals and was an adjunct professor at Georgia Perimeter College for three years teaching Human Communications, Media Culture & Society, and Public Speaking courses.

In addition to owning and operating a public relations firm, Niki is the former National Communications Co-Chair for ColorComm and lives in Atlanta with her husband and three children.

Connect with Niki

Our guest today is Tisha Price and she shares with us her journey of becoming a business coach. She actually calls herself an empowerment and confidence coach.

Listen in on her transition from working a corporate job to stepping into her purpose.

Connect with Tisha

Certified Strategic Transformation Coach, homeschooling mom of three, and an entrepreneur, Ilonka has a deep understanding of all the challenges that come with building a business while being a mom.

After feeling like a Zebra in a world where everyone was being taught how to be a horse, she left her high-paying corporate job and started her own business.

After months of feeling stuck on overwhelm street, Ilonka realized that her employee mindset was running the show and that she was creating a time trap she would never be able to escape from unless she started thinking and acting like an entrepreneur.

However, she was also a mom, and "business as usual" wasn't going to cut it. She had to figure out a way to generate an income and make her impact while leaving enough time to raise her family.

Ilonka has spent the last 15 years studying and learning from the best in personal and business development and she has picked up some valuable lessons over the last decade of starting successful businesses (and also having a couple that fell flat on their faces)...the type of lessons you can only learn from getting on the actual bike and peddling your little but off to stay on it.

Her mission is to help service-based mom entrepreneurs work less, live more, and build a business that is in absolute alignment with who they want to be as women.

"The ripple effect that occurs when moms overcome old, limiting beliefs, and make money while doing what they love, is one that I believe will change this world because when we live in alignment, our kids get to experience it too!" - Ilonka

Connect with Ilonka

Jan Smith, dubbed Mama Jan by Usher, is the world’s premier vocal producer and instructor. She has over 30 years of experience in the music industry as an artist and a mentor. Mama Jan is a Grammy-nominated producer and a Georgia Music Hall of Fame inductee.

In addition to being a creative force for vocal excellence, Mama Jan is a visionary executive working across entertainment to reboot the music industry into an artist-driven business. As CEO of Mama J Music, she works tirelessly to fuse artist development, technology, and music education into a successful career roadmap for all musicians.

Mama Jan’s extraordinary list of professional credits includes multi-platinum, Grammy-winning and nominated artists Usher, The Band Perry, Rob Thomas, Matchbox Twenty, Justin Bieber, Drake, Keyshia Cole, Sugarland, Monica, Jill Scott, LaToya, Ciara, TLC, Omarion, India.Arie and Collective Soul, as well as industry CEOs such as Matt Serletic, Jermaine Dupri, LA Reid, and Clive Davis.

Mama Jan has played a significant role in shaping numerous award show performances. She received a Grammy nomination for the song “Born to be Somebody,” written by Diane Warren and performed by Justin Bieber for Paramount’s documentary “Never Say Never.” In all, over 10,000 vocalists, musicians, and producers turn to Mama Jan for her special brand of technical artistry, tough-love training, and music industry expertise.

The personal care Mama Jan provides artists is rivaled only by the vocal mastery she shares in the studio and when touring around the world. All of which makes Mama Jan, who Billboard named one of the top 100 women in the music business, the real deal and a true luminary inside the craft she loves.

Connect with Mama Jan

Asha Wilkerson takes great pride in working with and teaching BIPOC entrepreneurs about business formation, contract creation, and liability reduction. She is committed to helping entrepreneurs of color not only start businesses but also stay in business for years to come.

In addition to practicing law, Ms. Wilkerson is a full-time professor and Department Chair of the Legal Studies Program at American River College in Sacramento. Through her paralegal program, she has implemented a monthly record expungement clinic that assists participants in clearing past criminal records.

When out of the office, Ms. Wilkerson enjoys traveling, reading, Cuban salsa, and throwing parties. She is conversational in Spanish, Portuguese, and Haitian Creole with plans to tackle American Sign Language and French next.

Connect with Asha

Our guest today, Sophie K Hunter, is a Dallas Personal Branding & Portrait Photographer. She is a visual creator, styling assistant, location hunter, and personal hype woman! Her goal is to be intentional about customizing sessions for each client to showcase their personality and make sure they feel empowered during the entire process. When she’s not shooting or editing, you can catch her chasing her toddler or watching movies with her hubby.

Connect with Sophie

Our guest today is Zelenka Boyd, a lifestyle and mommy blogger. Zelenka is a mom of 3 and a survivor of domestic violence that has opted to share her story so that other women can learn from her journey.

In her own words via Shoutout Atlanta:

What was your thought process behind starting your own business?

When I first decided that I wanted to branch out on my own and be a blogger, I knew that I wanted to be a vessel for God in helping women and specifically single moms who’s odds were stacked up against them, to gain the strength and motivation to go against the grain and do what society sometimes feel like we can’t do. I know that sometimes we’re made to feel like “just because we’re left to raise kids alone (for one reason or another) we can’t pursue our own dreams” which can’t be further from the truth.

Connect with Zelenka

We are thrilled to kick off the second season of Entrepreneurs Think Tank with our first guest checking in from Trinidad and Tobago.

Ameniki is authentic, fierce, unafraid and SPIRIT LED. She is killing it... not with guns but with sheer genius and loads of grit. She steers the ship that is Trinidad Mogulista as its Chief Inspiration Officer, a movement of female hustlers who are always looking for the next big thing, who are mastering their craft while building it and inviting others to join in on the fun. Trinidad Mogulista is all about helping women stand out while pushing them towards their MOGUL legacy by using social media platforms to catapult them into their own form of success. Simply put, Trinidad Mogulista is the home for female Moguls.

Ameniki Omotola has the vision and goal to help other “Mogulistas” realize their true business potential and thrive in the small business market. Her creative pursuits have always been an integral part of her personality from a very young age and have driven her to follow a successful career in the business field since 2007. She has also been working as a professional blogger since 2005, giving advice to others on small business branding and promoting aspects. Ameniki is armed with an enthusiastic approach for work and a “go-get-it” professional attitude. She is able to offer her clients one-of-a-kind services and advice that covers all aspects of small business development online—from the development of their own corporate brand and identity to attracting more leads and conversions, contributing to a richly rewarding online presence. Ameniki is determined to help Female Business owners from Trinidad & Tobago and all corners of the globe conquer their small business social media challenges like she has successfully managed to conquer herself over the years. She comes up with real solutions concerning her clients’ online businesses by creating intensive strategies–from the moment they launch their business to being mentioned in the prestigious Forbes list.

Connect with Ameniki

At the top of her game, Soledad O'Brien decided to start her own company and join those of us in the world of entrepreneurship. You will enjoy listening to how she has decided to to do what she needs to do in order to ensure that her company, Starfish Media, is a success.

To learn more about Starfish Media Group: 

Sometimes it is necessary to take a few steps back in order to take some significant steps forward. That is exactly what we did at ETT. We needed to assess what we created, what we learned, and where we need to go to help entrepreneurs in a greater way.

Thank you for taking the time to listen to this episode of Entrepreneurs Think Tank. We hope that you enjoyed the show.

In this episode, we talk about the challenges of podcasting allowing with having an AWESOME conversation with guest, Ginger Brewton.

Ginger Brewton, creator and principal designer of Ginger Brewton Interiors, is widely known for her refined, sophisticated interiors ranging in style from classic to contemporary. Her expertise in decorative arts qualifies her to seek out the very best artisans and manufacturers, creating a unique, one of a kind interior custom tailored to each client’s lifestyle. Ginger’s formal training includes education from the distinguished New York School of Interior Design in Manhattan, as well as an apprenticeship with Elaine Griffin Interior Design. Her work has been featured in numerous national and regional publications, including House Beautiful, Coastal Living and Garden & Gun, as well as honors as a top designer from both House Beautiful and Traditional Home.

Thank you for taking the time to listen to this episode of Entrepreneurs Think Tank. We hope that you enjoyed the show.

Our guest, Dwayne Hamlett has worked on an array of projects as a creative director. The brands that he has touched range from Nike to Bank of America. Listen to this episode and take in the different tactics that he has used to keep his business going.

My guest today will have you laughing and learning at the same time. Candice Davis, Anita Henderson, and Carol Dunlop all have their own successful businesses but decided to form a collaboration. They strategically went through the process of establishing a collaboration that was to the benefit of the combined business entity and their individual businesses.

We hope that you enjoy listening to their journey!

Connect with our Guest

Welcome to episode 6 of Entrepreneurs Think Tank.  Today we will hear from one of our all time favorite YouTuber's, Amy Schmittauer. She actually started uploading to YouTube before it was as cool as it is today.

We hope that you will connect with Amy for additional tips that you can apply to your vlogs immediately. We are actually implementing some of her tips in our own vlogging strategy.

Video is the way to go to reach audiences all over the world and with YouTube being one of the top search engines, it is a no-brainer.

Welcome to Episode 5 of ETT. We have yet another exciting episode in store for you today. My guest today launched his podcast last year and he did it by just getting in there and doing it. Many of us feel that we need to take a class or seminar before we can move forward, but honestly, that is what can stop many from actually getting past the start line.

Dave Lukas, host of Misfit Entrepreneur, helps us to break down what it took from him to go from concept to actual podcast on today's episode of Entrepreneurs Think Tank.

Is it too early in our podcast journey to just rant. We lost our first episode and it was a really good one. I guess it is all part of the journey. You live and you learn. Failure is a part of it, but we still have to keep moving.

Thank you for taking the time to listen to this episode of Entrepreneurs Think Tank. We hope that you enjoyed the show.

Welcome to episode 3 of Entrepreneurs Think Tank.  As entrepreneurs, there are many elements that we do not think about when it comes to protecting our business.  We generally enjoy the part of our business that is the reason that we started, but there is so much more to running a viable business.

Understanding what it takes to protect your intellectual property is one of those very important task that you do not want to take lightly. It would be devastating to pour your heart and soul in to your business to turn around and have someone take it away from you simply because you did not protect yourself. 

In this episode you will here from Andrea Evans. She is an IP attorney that will not only share her entrepreneurial journey with us, but she will also teach us a little about patents, trademarks, and copyrights.

Welcome to Episode 2 of ETT.  We are still working out the kinks, but the content in this episode is amazing.  Be sure to get your notebook out or jump on the elliptical. This is one that you are going to want to listen to without interruption.  

Our guest, Kim Garst, really provides so many nuggets that we can apply to our businesses immediately. 

Follow Kim at the following links: