Houston business leader Joi Beasley says, give me an anecdote or a quote from an influencer, famous person, or a thought leader, and she understands the intention behind it versus someone only giving her a word definition. Read how the entrepreneur created a system for helping business leaders communicate authentically and the 19th Century poem her father introduced to her that gives her the courage to lead.
We as women, especially women of color have the power to propel
As a business leader with over 25 years in executive management and with 16 of those years as a Houston business owner, you recently hosted Propel: A Business Leader’s Master Class. Can you tell us more?
Leadership is very near and dear to me. Propel is a brainchild of mine. I’ve owned my print company GoGo Business for 16 years, and before that, I was VP of HR for a company on the East Coast, so most of my corporate life has been entrenched in human performance. Many of us have been told to pivot and pivot and pivot, especially at the onset of COVID, but I did not want to be a part of the minutia of it all. Instead, I focused on high-performing leaders who lead with value. I spent so much time helping to coach business strategies with other business owners throughout my career that my roots came back to me in the form of Alabaster Consulting and the Alabaster leader concept; from it, I launched a leadership tool kit at the Propel master class that contains anecdotes and quotes on cards I created, packaged and published because I believe, “Your leadership is your brand and valuable leaders lead with values.”
You say, “Leading is a lifelong learning journey that has to grow and develop as our businesses grow and develop.” How do you make the message relatable to women business leaders?
As women, especially women of color, we have the power to propel. It is that internal guide knowing we have leadership ability even if no one gave us the title. It is a reminder of the phenomenal leaders we are that launched the products, services, or businesses that made us leaders in the first place.
Storytelling has become a beneficial tool in business. How do you include it in your master class?
I include it with the anecdotes and quotes that I talk about with the Alabaster Leader System. It is self-reflective because the back of those cards is where you tell your story, so it is critical that our stories get told. If anyone is familiar with the poem “Invictus” by William Ernest Henley, it ends with “I am the master of my fate. I am the captain of my soul.” I first heard it from my dad. The words have always inspired me in my darkest moments, and when I read that poem, it gives me courage, and my masterclass Propel, guides people in the same way.
Complete the following statement, “I give people permission to be who they are professionally and to have fun doing it” because:
It is my purpose on this planet. It’s about human performance. I do it because when people have fun, and they know you are comfortable with whoever they are, however, they are, they liberate themselves, and they become stronger and perform better.
One of the greatest takeaways, and I’m coining a phrase, says, “There is “No I in team, but it is in the mindset of a champion.” Your mindset and being a champion have (eyes) to focus on yourself. It is what you can control and are accountable for as an entrepreneur and authentic leader.
What does a self-care day look like for you?
My self-care day can happen at any moment with a manicure/pedicure. I love a good foot massage. I love going to the foot spa and putting my feet in the warm water, and then afterward, I go home and rest. That is my self-care and guilty pleasure as a mom.
For more information about the work of Joi Beasley and her team visit Alabaster Inc.
Photo courtesy of PJB
