#HERstory2.0:
I am a believer. I am hardworking. I am an overcomer. I am compassionate.
I am strong. This is who I have been created to be.
At
the age of nine years old, my mom took me to Blockbuster to have an Ident-A-Kid
video made. These videos were made in
order to increase the chances of a child being located should they get
lost. For the video, I was asked several
generic questions such as my name and address.
But the question, or better yet the answer, that got the most attention
was when I was asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I politely responded, at the tender age of
nine, in my small, country dialect, “an accountant.” Most would say, “What child says they want to
be an accountant at the age of nine?”
Well, that would be me!
I
have always had a greater sense of purpose for my life. Following my
dream to be an accountant, I have experienced the corporate world as an auditor
at one of the nation’s Big 4 accounting firms. Although I strongly pursued
becoming an accountant, I never lost my passion to also make a difference in my
community. I founded two nonprofit organizations in 2008 and 2009. But I did
not stop there, I decided in January 2011 to combine my passion for giving back
and my corporate/financial background to form The Y9 Group, a boutique
consulting firm specializing in 501c3 nonprofit administration and management. The
Y9 Group’s mission is to enhance nonprofit organizations' ability to achieve their missions and sustain themselves over time through improved processes related to effective leadership and financial management.
Coming
from a family of entrepreneurs, taking the plunge wasn’t a big deal. However,
there has been a lot of unfamiliar territory throughout the process that’s made
me question my decision to be a full-time entrepreneur, question my passion,
and some days make me want to completely give up. Each obstacle that I have
faced in life has shaped me into this being.
With every hardship I have chosen to believe that the Lord has “thoughts
of peace, and not of evil, to give [me] an expected end (Jeremiah 29:11).” With
every barrier I have consciously chosen to work harder to overcome what was
designed to hold me back. With every
triumph over each obstacle I have grown stronger and more compassionate towards
those who will face the same challenges.
Life’s circumstances, my faith in my creator, and the conscious
decisions I have made define me.
Women
Entrepreneurs 2.0 is an extension of my compassion towards those who may face
the same feelings or questions when taking the big plunge to entrepreneurship. I,
together with the co-founder and other ladies who share their wisdom with us
each month, want to hold your hand through the process, helping to provide the
encouragement and resources that you may need. Let’s grow together!
Yolanda N. Davis, creator of The successFUL Way, is an accomplished serial entrepreneur, philanthropist, and follower of Christ. She is the founder and CEO of The Y9 Group, a boutique consulting firm specializing in 501c3 nonprofit administration and management; NC Realtor® and licensed real estate broker under Y9 Real Estate; and founder and president of both Tea Talk, a Christian women's fellowship, and The Y9 Foundation, The Y9 Group's philanthropic arm.
Yolanda previously worked as an auditor specializing in the financial services for Ernst & Young, LLP.
She is currently a Juris Doctorate Candidate at Charlotte School of Law and holds a Graduate Certificate under the Masters of Public Administration program in Nonprofit Management from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, a Masters of Science in Accountancy from Wake Forest University, and a Bachelor of Science in Biology (minor in Chemistry) from Winston-Salem State University.
Yolanda's passion for successFUL living is at the core of her growing empire and life philosophy. She is most committed to empowering women both spiritually and financially through strategies that help build, inspire, engage, and connect others. Yolanda is a strategist at heart, who loves to assist individuals in birthing the potential within them by creating opportunities for strategic thought - improving processes, rethinking strategies, and implementing solutions for success!
Website: www.TheY9Group.com | Facebook: /TheY9Group | Twitter: @TheY9Group
Instagram: @TheY9Group | About.Me: /YolandaNDavis
