MICHELLE D. JACKSON The Pretty Boss Mom

Jacksons passion for entrepreneurship ignited during the 10 years she spent managing shopping malls in Alabama and Georgia This was followed by her sixyear stint working for the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development (DBED) While at DBED, she led the policy development effort to create the InvestMaryland program, a first-of-its-kind legislative initiative that raised $84 million for seed and early-stage companies In addition, Jackson led the Agency’s first division focused on innovation and entrepreneurship and created the InvestMaryland Challenge, the state ’ s first international business competition From 2012 to 2015, Jackson helped the state award close to $2 million in cash and in-kind prizes to high-tech start-up companies from across the US and abroad

Michelle D Jackson is the CEO/President of PR Solutions LLC, an award-winning strategic marketing and public relations firm She is the founder of two subsidiaries Direct2Authorcom, an online selfpublished book marketplace, and the i Invest National Youth Business Competition In addition, she is the Executive Director of LifeSkills Foundation, a 501 (c) (3) organization based in New Orleans, LA dedicated to youth and youth entrepreneurship, a 3x published author and the founder of the Black Writers Workspace, an online community of over 15,000 black writers and avid readers

She published her first book, The Heart of a Man, a Christian fiction novel, in 2010 In 2014, the book was awarded a top prize in The Author's Zone Annual Writer's Competition, General Fiction Category She was also the recipient of the Princeton Literary Review Gold Standard Her second novel, From Darkness to Night: Book One - Family Secrets, was released in 2020 It was selected as an AwardWinning Finalist in the American Book Fest's Fiction: African-American category of the 2020 Best Book Awards In 2022, she is set to release her third book, Poppi Makes Cajun Popcorn Magic: The 10-Step Guide to Building a Successful Food Startup, a graphic novel based in New Orleans crafted to teach young entrepreneurs how to launch a business

Jackson was a contributing writer for The Mount Christian Lifestyle Magazine in Pittsburgh and has had articles published in Essence Magazine, Biz Magazine New Orleans, Nia Magazine, CityBusiness New Orleans, and many other print and online publications She was selected as a Martha's Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing Fellow

In 2016, Jackson created i Invest, a sixmonth web-based competition and mentoring program designed to showcase the innovative ideas of aspiring entrepreneurs, 13-19 years old Since its inception, i Invest has trained 13 teams from across the country and awarded $50K in prizes Participants have raised over $250K in pre-seed funding, hired staff, enrolled in the best business schools in the nation, and received ongoing media coverage for their ventures In 2020, Jackson, working on behalf of the LifeSkills Foundation, launched the Tech2Talent Career Expo to help youth and young adults in Louisiana learn about tech training and job opportunities

Jackson is the wife of a retired military officer and has one son She has a Bachelor’s degree in communications from The University of Alabama and Master's of Public Administration from Central Michigan University

What inspired your start in entrepreneurship?

Ive always wanted to be an entrepreneur I remember visiting the only Black-owned grocery store in my hometown of Fairfield, AL as a little girl almost every day and wondering how I too could own my own business

I started my company, PR Solutions, in college It began as a freelance public relations service and I worked as a copywriter for a Black-owned newsletter in Tuscaloosa, AL It was the start of my mission to be my own boss and help others build successful business ventures

What has been your biggest challenge/failure as an entrepreneur? And how do you deal with it?

Learning to know my worth was my biggest challenge One of the toughest jobs a new business owner has to do is to determine the cost of their time, expertise, and intellectual property When you are hired to do a job, your collective business knowledge is what the client wants to tap into If you don’t know your worth you will undervalue yourself and your service and the client will know In other words, it ’ s important to price your time and service correctly This took years for me to master I, like many other small business owners, offered discounted rates to satisfy the client We must learn to value ourselves correctly and to move on if the client doesn’t understand or appreciate what we bring to the table

How do you balance entrepreneurship and Motherhood without experiencing burnout while pursuing your passion?

I dont pursue Work-Life Balance Men are never asked about this but women are expected to have an acceptable formula for making everyone happy Instead, I focus on providing my family with an honest assessment of how I will need to use my time to be successful and then I ask for their support

Too often, projects will require late nights and travel So I taught my teenage son how to cook and wash his clothes and my husband and I communicate about everything He’s my protector and he gives me the space to go after my dreams

What advice do have for moms looking to get started In entrepreneurship?

Just do it More women of color are starting businesses now than ever before This is your time, go for it Don’t second-guess yourself Do your research, take the necessary classes, network then get it done

What does being a Pretty Woman Who Hustles mean to you?

My hustle is to live my life with integrity and pride I believe all women are beautiful, the challenge is making sure we all exemplify beauty in how we live, work, and play This opportunity to be in your magazine is a reflection of my desire to stay connected to other women working hard to experience the fullness of life

What books do you recommend for moms navigating entrepreneurship?

No specific book but I recommend finding resources that will help with building confidence and organizational skills

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