SERIAL ENTREPRENEURS

“Doing what I love feels like I’m not working a single day in my life.”

Meet the Queen Of Sparkle Empire SOPHIA BRIA GEDEON

Written by Alex Popa

Sophia Bria Gedeon is a young entrepreneur who owns Sparkle Empire, a multifaceted business that has four subsidiaries: 1. Sparkle Magazine—A lifestyle magazine publication with bits of inspiration, motivation, and information. 2. Sparkle Property Investment

Group—A real estate investment group that purchases properties as-is for cash. 3. Sparkle Publishing House—A publishing house that publishes fiction, non-fiction, self-help, memoirs, children’s books, graphic novels, and other genres. 4. Sparkle Graphic Creations—A company that offers affordable and innovative graphic design services for businesses.

She says that even though it’s difficult to run all of these businesses, work as a nurse and take care of her family, she loves it. In her own words, “It was easy for me to get started because I was getting into businesses that I was interested in and that I loved. I must admit, though, starting a business takes commitment, time, and resources.”

At present, Sparkle Property Investment Group and Sparkle Graphic Creations are quite popular and have proven to be good investments for Sophia. In the future, she wants to improve on the other two subsidiaries and promote them to the general public. Until now, word of mouth has been the only type of advertisement she has focused on, but she realizes it’s not enough.

WHAT IS HER EXPERIENCE WITH ENTREPRENEURSHIP?

“I love it. Doing what I love feels like I’m not working a single day in my life. I do not struggle to put effort into my business because I feel passionate about it. I am happy to have sleepless nights over it and sacrifice a thing or two to move the business to the next level. I feel very lucky to do what I love,” says Sophia.

She also admits that one of her greatest accomplishments is publishing six books and building her clientele through quality products and great customer support. When we asked her what advice she would give to Haitian women aspiring to be entrepreneurs, she had a lot to say.

First and foremost, patience, consistency, thick skin, and family support are the most important factors in succeeding in entrepreneurship, according to her. If you don’t take the initiative and keep at it against all obstacles, you’ll never make it. She says that “it’s easy to get discouraged as a businessperson, especially when you see your colleagues succeeding when your business is still struggling. But keep trying until you get it right.”

Another piece of advice she gives is that failure is to be welcomed, an experience you should learn from. Entrepreneurship isn’t easy nor accessible. You need to be consistent and believe in what you do. When you fail at something, pick yourself up, ask yourself what went wrong, and correct your mistakes. Only by doing that will you advance your business and achieve your dreams. Put in the work that no one else is willing to put in!

Sophia also acknowledges that family support is very important, especially when it comes to feedback on your products. You need to realize when the product is bad and try to fix it. Ego has no place in business. Only the customer matters, and if the customer doesn’t like your product, it’s your fault.

HOW DOES SHE MANAGE WORK-LIFE BALANCE?

Sparkle Empire takes a lot of time to manage, but Sophia doesn’t complain. She loves every moment of it but still, she realizes she needs spare time to spend with her family. This is another piece of advice she gives aspiring entrepreneurs, “Winding-up time is as important as family time and work time. Be intentional about how you spend your time.”

In the future, she wants to further extend her reach and customer base to other areas. Advertisement is going to play a large role in this, according to her. We’ll see what happens, and we’ll be there to write about it when it happens!

CONTACT INFORMATION

1175 NE 125th St, St 416, North Miami, FL 33161 786-710-6570

Sparkle-Empire.com

Kathy Jean

ANDY & KATHY JEAN

Continue to Create Opportunities and Educate Through Their Growing Business Portfolio

Written by Shelly-Ann King

Andy and Kathy Jean are a dynamic, high-energy duo with charismatic personalities. The chemistry between this beautiful married couple is refreshing and only rivaled by their enthusiasm for the businesses they passionately pursue. The couple own and operate World Management and Technologies as well as The Health Station. Within the last few years, both entities have experienced tremendous growth due to the relentless efforts of their owners and their team.

Under World Management and Technologies, which houses TaxForce Pro, an online business-to-business tax and management software program, there’s a new component that now offers education in cryptocurrency. The Jean’s also made this a family affair when they became aware of their son Michael’s interest and proficiency in coding. Michael’s passion for coding, drones, and robots led his parents to join him in establishing the LevelUp Scholarship, which gives Black and minority children an opportunity to learn to code for free. So far, the LevelUp Scholarship has been awarded to 12 children. The Jeans are currently in talks with celebrity heavyweights Damon John and Akon to expand the program to reach far more disenfranchised youth.

Andy Jean The Jeans are currently in talks with celebrity heavyweights, Damon John and Akon to expand the LevelUp Scholarship program to give Black and minority children an opportunity to learn to code for free.

The pandemic made us all conscious of our health and the need to lead healthier lives. Andy and Kathy Jean were ahead of this trend before the pandemic when they entered the healthcare and wellness space with the Health Station. Their flagship B12 Store at the Broward Mall continues to attract patrons who seek a more holistic approach to health and wellness. Within the past two years, a second location has opened at the Sawgrass Mills Mall. The B12 Store differs from other vitamin stores in that it sells no pills and qualified healthcare professionals are onsite to prescribe and administer injectable vitamin shots for precise outcomes. There are a variety of product offerings for diverse needs, including weight loss, vitamin supplementation, IV hydration, detox, and most recently, sexual enhancement for both men and women.

What’s on the horizon for the Jean’s? This power couple has also secured the franchise rights to a group deal for five locations in Florida for the Stretch Zone, a practitioner-assisted stretching method to improve mobility and overall wellness. The Jean’s first Stretch Zone store is expected to be open in Miramar in 2022.

Code Ninjas - Training

Code Ninjas - certificate

Code Ninjas - Presentation

Code Ninjas - Group Photo