Business Coach, Ja’von Delgado, On Overcoming Challenges and Strategically Evolving Businesses

Being in business has its share of challenges; however, how you embrace those challenges is what makes or breaks a business (or a person). Just ask business strategist and coach, Ja’von Delgado, who was given the moniker, “The Profit Rainmaker” because she not only has the ability to save businesses money but also put in processes that generate revenue. She embodies what makes businesses great – a superlative strategy.

Working with Fortune 500 companies for 17 years, Ja’von has endured her share of navigating uncharted waters and coming out on top. In an interview, she shared how being a Black female strategist in markets where she had to make her voice heard; as well the challenges that come along when balancing life while also continuing to boss people up – even though it’s tough!

It is a sheer pleasure to be speaking with you. You have been in business for more than 17 years. What has been your experience in navigating spaces that were not always as open to minorities?

I’ve often been overlooked and underestimated, as could be expected, unfortunately, because of my gender, race, and age. Excelling in markets such as business strategy and supply chain as a Black woman is relatively unheard of. There aren’t many Black female C-Suite executives of strategy firms, so I had to sharpen my competitive tool. To compete, I’ve had to bring the WOW factor – finding ways to get better results and generate those results quicker and easier than my counterparts because while I had a seat at the table, no one really wanted to hear me speak. I found ways to let the numbers speak for themselves and substantially outperform my competitors to create my own lane.

You have worked with some major companies on global product launches. What has been the toughest obstacle you have had to overcome when dealing with major companies?

The toughest challenge I’ve faced has been helping some of these big businesses remember what it’s like to be nimble and responsive to their customer’s needs. The bigger the business grows, the more the business demands predictability. You get more red tape, more stakeholders, and more regulations. Helping a business dig deep and remember what it means to be comfortable with pivoting sooner and listening better to what the people want is no easy task, but it is incredibly rewarding. Every time I see a product or campaign out in the market, which almost didn’t make the cut, but it’s doing well, I have to admit that I chuckle just a bit.

Who is Ja’von away from the business? How do you balance life as an entrepreneur, wife, and mother?

Away from the business, I’m all family all the time, unless you find me curled up in the corner with a good book and cup of tea. Whether it’s vacationing with my husband and our 3 kids, ages 1, 3, and 14, or having my huge extended family over for BBQs, they are my life blood, and spending time with them reinvigorates me. Honestly, business for me is not about balance. It’s about integration. I’m a strong belief proponent for my business fitting into my family life, not the reverse. Family comes first, always. I do it all to be able to do what I love with the people I love when I want to.

What would you tell budding entrepreneurs about branding strategies and the importance of having one?

A brand is developed with intention. You must purposefully put out into the world what you want to be known for and that includes who you want to serve and why. Many people go into business thinking about what they want to create, as opposed to who they want to help, which makes creating their brand more difficult. It makes finding their niche challenging and establishing their voice almost impossible. Spending time to get this right can be the deal breaker on whether you have a thriving business or product launch versus no business at all.

What is next for you?

I’m very excited about launching a series of masterclasses later this month to give aspiring entrepreneurs a supercharged start to launching their businesses, focused on pinpointing their niche and how to perform a quick launch so that they start generating consistent $5k months. In November, I’ll be opening the doors to the Luxe Biz Academy, which will be a learning platform aimed at helping existing business owners scale to six-figure years and then months.

What is next for you?

How can ppl connect with you?

You can find me on IG @iamjavondelgado and online at www.javondelgado.com, where you can join my email list to get free weekly strategies on how to build a profitable business without feeling overwhelmed.