Today we’d like to introduce you to Shani Michelle Hawley.
Hi Shani Michelle; so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Hi! Thank you for having me and letting me share a little about Genesis 7. I can tell you from an early age, I was surrounded by all of these amazing women entrepreneurs in my family. My parents owned an afterschool program in Houston, TX, my mother had a company selling items for baby nurseries, my maternal grandmother owned her beauty salon and my maternal great-grandmother owned a cafe in Slidell, Louisiana. So naturally I started my first company called “Shani’ Shoes” in high school and that tiny taste of entrepreneurship hooked me! Now I currently own Genesis 7 Consulting and run a hemp farm and laboratory with my family called Hawley Hemp Labs in east Texas.
I obtained a B.B.A. in Marketing from the University of North Texas while also studying Merchandising, and ever since I can remember, I have always loved fashion, style and beauty. I worked several jobs and internships within both industries, but when it came time to graduate, I pursued a career in Automotive Marketing. I worked in that industry for three years and I learned so much, but I knew that wasn’t what I was supposed to be doing. Getting back to entrepreneurship was always my calling, but I didn’t know in what way just yet. I started Genesis 7 as an image consulting company during my final year at my Automotive Marketing job. The idea originally started as a holistic wellness brand helping women achieve balance within their everyday lives. I wanted to help focus on seven specific goals within their lives: spirituality, mental health, nutrition, fitness, style, beauty and balance. Knowing that was ambitious, I decided to focus on the goals I loved most! – style and beauty.
I got certified to be an image consultant and formed my business in January of 2015. During my lunch breaks, I would take consultations at the Starbucks across the street from my job, then walk over to Nordstrom to do personal shopping for clients. I realized that I couldn’t keep my job and focus on building the type of business I wanted, so in November of 2015, I left and moved back home to Austin, TX, to pursue my image consulting and styling dreams.
A mentor told me that being an image consultant in Austin was a challenge, but I needed to listen to my inner voice and trust my vision. So, I came anyway and took on multiple part-time jobs while trying to build my dream, but my mentor was right; it was a challenge. During my second year in business, I got a job at a new luxury nail salon opening its first store in Texas. I put together a marketing proposal to help them connect with the Austin market. Shortly after that, I moved on from that role but realized I enjoyed being creative and analytical. This gave me the inspiration I needed to pivot Genesis 7 from Image Consulting to Marketing Consulting; what I did for people, I would now do for businesses.
For several years I did everything on my own. I continued to do image consulting (and still do by special request), but most of my energy went into marketing. I focused on strategy and planning then realized that most business owners also need help executing. We focus on Texas-based companies, but we’ve had several clients in other states and are now expanding our content creation efforts to include Houston, TX, in 2022. I’m bringing the company back to its Genesis by focusing on clients within the health, wellness, fashion and beauty industries so expanding was necessary. All those passions I had when I started are still present, but instead of trying to take them all on, I can now be the supporting force behind those businesses, providing them with the tools and services in their marketing efforts.
Alright, let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what challenges have you had to overcome?
Every step of the way, one of my biggest struggles has been trying to do things myself. In 2019, I started building an amazing team to help aid in that. It has not been smooth, but it has been fun! It took me a while to stop being stubborn and hire a team, but it was one the best decisions I’ve made for my company. Now we have a full team of 8 consultants specializing in data analysis, brand management, technology consulting, content creation, copywriting and creative consulting.
Thanks for sharing that. So, you could tell us a bit more about your business.
Genesis 7 Consulting is about giving businesses the fresh start they need. Whether in month one or year ten, we provide the support they need to connect and foster relationships with their customers and target market.
Our 7 A’s method, which focuses on authenticity, accumulated audience, attention, appeal, alleviation and appreciation, sets us apart from other marketing consulting companies. Often marketing companies only look at the basics of what they “should” be doing and do not look at their clients’ needs and goals. But we also really care about business owners as people, not just the business. We are launching a new series on our YouTube channel called “Inner Views” this month, giving business owners a platform to share their stories and be honest about their entrepreneurial journey. One of our top priorities is to relieve business owners from most marketing tasks so they can focus on what they love. We also are very driven by data and analysis; it is the foundation of everything we do. We don’t say what we think is a good idea, we look at the numbers to determine what are the best marketing actions, tactics, and strategies to not only connect with new customers but build relationships and brand loyalty.
I’m most proud of how selective we are when it comes to choosing who we work with. From the people we hire to the clients we serve; we are intentional about who we connect with. Everything boils down to relationships and truly caring about others. I don’t work with companies for a quick buck, I work with business owners who truly care about the people they serve because we truly care about the people we serve. That must always be aligned for us to work well with any client. We are all about “Purposeful Planning,” and connecting with clients who are purpose driven. We care for businesses as if they are our own because our client’s success is our success.
What does success mean to you?
No one has stated what success means better than Ms. Maya Angelou. From the first time I read this, it resonated with me, and it is how I continue to define the meaning of success.
“Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.” – Maya Angelou.
Service Packages :
- Marketing Plan – Perfect for business owners that want to understand more about their business industry and are in need of direction, strategy, and planning that they want to execute in house.
Includes: Marketing Research, Marketing Plan & Strategy, and Branding - Marketing Coordination – This is for business owners that need marketing direction but also need help setting up all of their marketing technology and processes to be able to execute in house effortlessly.
Includes: Marketing Research, Marketing Plan & Strategy, Branding, Design Elements, Technology Setup, and Implementation - Marketing Management – We recommend this service for the busy business owner that wants the perfect extension of their team with an outsourced marketing management service. We handle everything outlined in the plan we created from planning, implementing, and managing.
Includes: Marketing Research, Marketing Plan & Strategy, Branding, Design Elements, Technology Setup, Implementation, and Management
Our Individual Services (that are included in our packages):
- Brand Creation & Development
- Marketing Campaigns
- Social Media Management
- Content Creation
- Graphic Design
- Web Design
- Copywriting
- Email Marketing
- Text Marketing
- Blog Writing
Contact Info:
- Website: http://genesis7consulting.com
- Instagram: @_genesis7_
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/genesis7consulting
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/genesis-7-consulting-llc
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@genesis7consulting/
