EmpowerHER Business Podcast
Welcome to the EmpowerHER Business Podcast — the unapologetic space for Black women entrepreneurs building bold businesses and beating the odds in their FIRST FIVE years.
Here, we talk about the real journey: money, mindset, and the messy middle that nobody warns you about. From beating the 97% failure rate to mastering your cash flow and building a business that lasts, this is where you’ll find the clarity, confidence, and community to keep going.
In our biweekly episodes, host Linette Cottrell — accountant, coach, and advocate for Black women founders — brings you bold conversations, survival strategies, and legacy-driven insights designed to help you thrive beyond year five.
✨ If you’re ready to ditch scarcity thinking, step fully into your CEO role, and build the empire you deserve — you’re in the right place.
🔔 Subscribe now and join a movement of Black women changing the face of entrepreneurship.
#BlackWomenInBusiness
EmpowerHER Business Podcast
Business Growth After Crisis | Melva LaJoy's CEO Story
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
What do you do when you lose 98% of your income overnight?
Melva LaJoy chose to dress for the job she was praying for — and rebuilt bigger than ever.
In this powerful episode of the EmpowerHER Business Podcast, host Linette Cottrell sits down with Melva LaJoy, founder of LaJoy Creative — a comprehensive events management agency based in Washington, D.C. and New York, servicing clients globally. With 18 years in business, Melva shares her journey from educator to nonprofit leader to visionary CEO. She opens up about rebranding in 2019, losing nearly everything in 2020, being closed for 18 months, and how discipline, faith, and mindset helped her business double year after year from 2022–2024 — including 58% growth last year alone.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- How to pivot when your business income drops almost overnight
- The mindset shift that helped her survive an 18-month shutdown
- Why “dressing for work” changed everything during uncertainty
- The power of rebranding and long-term vision in scaling sustainably
- What it really takes to stay in business for 18 years as a Black woman entrepreneur
👉 Follow the podcast and share it with a sister who needs this conversation. We’re on a mission to help Black women make it through the first five years in business — and thrive far beyond them.
#BlackWomenInBusiness #WomenEntrepreneurs #EntrepreneurJourney #BusinessGrowth #EventPlannerLife #EventManagement #CEOStory #BusinessResilience #WomenInLeadership #FaithAndBusiness #StartupToScale #SmallBusinessOwner #EmpowerHERPodcast #BusinessMindset #RebrandYourBusiness #BlackWomenCEO #EntrepreneurMotivation #FirstFiveYears
✨ Support the Podcast ✨
Become an EmpowerHER Insider for $10/month → HERE
🌐 Visit website: www.empowerherbusiness.us
📧 For speaking & sponsorships: linette@empowerherbusiness.us
📱 Connect on Instagram: HERE @empowerher_biz
Together, we’re helping women entrepreneurs thrive beyond Year Five!