Today we’d like to introduce you to Sherica Snowden
Hi Sherica, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Since high school I have always known that I wanted to own my own business. I wanted a family entertainment center, some place older kids could go hang out and have fun other than the local Chuck E. Cheese. I wanted it to be more like a Dave & Buster’s but not a franchise. I even went as far as picking a building which is actually used currently for GetAir trampoline park. I had it all figured out from the 24hr indoor basketball court to the race track behind the building. I started selling snacks from my clear rolling book bag in the hall at school to start working towards my goals. Later on I started working two jobs to save up for my future building and became pregnant in the process which put my dreams on hold. It wasn’t until 2018 when my foot got ran over at a warehouse that I started thinking of my dreams again. The down time along with the decrease in pay is what made me realize that I had a whole vision that needed to be fulfilled. One day I sat my kids down and asked each of them what they liked to do or could see themselves doing. The girls knew that from following their favorite influencer and her mom that they wanted to make their own lip gloss. So I started researching how to own a business and paid the influencer for a how-to class. The business was created using the dba Lucky Gloss & Beauty Queenz. We went out to local pop up shops, events, etc. selling and advertising the girls business. Eventually my son saw the amount of money they made and decided he wanted to have something of his own so we created Kid Cocktails which was a kid friendly drink. Though the kids were becoming known entrepreneurs I still had no idea what I wanted to do. I am definitely a introvert who likes to do things behind-the-scenes with no recognition so a decided to build a business birthing young entrepreneurs (S.T.A.T). Stop Thoughtin and Think LLC is a online youth business course that teaches children how to build, run, and manage a business from the ground up! Once they have completed the course we even take them out on popup shop trips where they set up as a vendor to sell their products. From that program I began to host giveback events for the community under the nonprofit organization S.T.A.T. Kids Inc which covered the start up cost for the children enrolled into the program. The S.T.A.T. youth entrepreneurship program is 100% a online course with 1-on-1 mentorship options available.
My favorite saying is “I just wanna wake up and go places”. I have this burning passion to be able to run my business from anywhere without having to worry about my health or my body being overworked. Today I am literally living my dream and have since been able to help others do the same. For years I have been screaming that I wanted to be able to watch my business from anywhere around the world without actually having to be in the building. S.T.A.T. has definitely pushed me towards that goal and desire of wanting to become the greatest philanthropist ever!
I recently just started my travel business as well which has allowed me to wake up and just go places! I am looking forward to teaching my new students how they can earn and save on their own trips without breaking the bank! I am now able to offer exclusive business trips to my students to show them the benefits of time freedom as an entrepreneur.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The journey has definitely not been easy. I believe people aren’t fully aware that being an entrepreneur is hard work, there are times when you don’t wanna wake up, there are times when you don’t have enough hours in a day, and there are going to be times where you don’t feel like your business is worth the hard work and personal development that is required. When I wake up and don’t work my business, the results show on the money side because nothing is coming in. I have to sacrifice sleep, kids games, special events, etc. My biggest struggle was managing my time, there were times when I felt like I had all day to get the work done, but I didn’t and ended up rushing or given half the effort. I had to learn how to personally develop myself so that I could develop others .
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
The business was named from one of my dad’s favorite sayings to my sister and I. Anytime he would ask us to do something and we didn’t do it, my sister would come back with some type of reply to avoid getting in trouble. She would say “ Well, I thought” and he would cut her off yelling “well stop thoughtin and think”! It was one of those things that stuck for us. Incorporating that name into the business I wanted the youth to know that anything they believe, they can achieve. Stop listening to everybody else and go do the research yourself. S.T.A.T. is a youth entrepreneurship program that teaches children how to run their own business Specializing in marketing. We are known for the State of the art training and what sets us part is that we don’t leave the children hanging once they have completed the course, we help them find events to showcase their business.
I am most proud of being able to help the number of children that I have thus far and the continued growth of the business overall. People know they can come to me about business, I am the business g.o.a.t. for those who have worked closely with me. When you come to me, you know that you’re gonna leave knowing everything that I know. There is a no gatekeeping policy here. I offer One on one coaching, mentorship, youth entrepreneurship courses, and so much more. What I don’t know I’ll figure it out!
