By the age of 26, Kyla Shelley was a multi-million dollar entrepreneur and franchise owner. “I think it’s in my DNA,” the Southern California native said, reflecting on her own journey.
Considering her early aptitude, she could be on to something. Twelve-year-old Shelly was making $3,500 a week sourcing wholesale supplies from L.A.’s fashion district and making handmade “Basketball Girlfriend” style earrings to sell at school. Her foray into ownership has continued ever since. Still, despite the Midas-esque influence, Shelley’s entrepreneurial journey wasn’t perfect. “When I was 21, I was broke in Las Vegas,” she said. Now, Cherry has made it her actual job to help others benefit from her own experiences.
Blueprint University, a Dallas-based networking hub, helps entrepreneurs with everything from drafting business plans and brand strategy to workshops and networking events. “We will continue the journey with you, building your business credit and making sure you are well-equipped as a business owner,” she said. Cherie recently expanded her brick-and-mortar business with Dallas Startup Club. Coworking spaces offer a vibrant entrepreneurial community. “Now you can network and apply for government contracts, private grants, and loans. We’ll support you with whatever you need to start your business,” she told ESSENCE. I spoke with her CEO about her early journey in business, lessons learned, and why sharing the blueprint with budding entrepreneurs remains core to her mission.
Kyla, you’ve accomplished a lot in a relatively short period of time, from franchising with ADT to your current venture in Dallas. Can you tell us where this entrepreneurial journey started?
I was about 19 years old and had this concept of taking a business and investing in a certain area. It was just an idea. That’s when I noticed an empty building across the street from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) where I was attending school. So I stopped by one night. Standing there in the dark, the lighting, the location, everything was perfect. It was close to the airport and had 160 seats. [parking] I immediately saw the potential. Although the building was old and in need of renovation, it immediately felt like home.
So I contacted the owner and told him the concept. She liked the idea, but didn’t have the time or energy to renovate it. So I just said, “Let me lease and own this building,” and she agreed. That’s when things really started happening.
Wait a minute, Kyla. Can we stop and admit – that such a vision makes her so decisive and assertive at age 19, her sophomore year at UNLV?It is different. You know that, right?
[laughs] It’s strange to say that. You always know that. Even my mother says, “Where are you from?” To be honest, I don’t know. I think it’s in my DNA. In high school, I was an excellent student. I earned my nursing license and was in every AP class imaginable with every honor roll. I guess it’s just the way I’m wired.
That’s amazing. So, once you have this building, what happens next?
As soon as the building was completed, customers started coming. First came the tax preparation companies, then the mobile auto detailing companies, and then more and more from there. And as we got to know each other, we found out that many of them were operating without a license. The regulatory requirements in Las Vegas at the time were very strict for small businesses. So I started helping them register and write a business plan, which took about three hours. I worked as a broker because I had good credit and had saved up a little capital during middle school and high school. I was a “fake” broker because I didn’t have any qualifications, but I was able to provide them with the funds they needed and broker them. make money from it. I then reinvested it into their business. I knew my goal was to buy the building outright, so I used the rental income and the equity from those businesses. I did that for about two years.
The concept is similar to The Dallas Startup Club. In terms of providing physical space and comprehensive support to entrepreneurs.
Although certainly a primitive version, the model is very different. I’ve learned a lot since then.
What were some of those lessons?
There were many. The difficult part about the initial situation was that I was still learning how to run a business. So I was trying to figure it out on my own while helping others. I learned that as an angel investor, you need to do some scouting. I didn’t do that. I genuinely thought so, but it turns out that often their intentions are not so pure. And some of the people I partnered with didn’t have a business mindset at all. This is where the real disconnect occurred.
Based on that experience, what advice would you give to the entrepreneurs you mentor?
I always tell them that before you partner with or invest in someone, you need to get to know them. Because you might be swimming in a sea full of sharks. That’s really what it means. Sometimes it’s a dolphin, a real human, but it can also be a shark, and sometimes it’s a shark disguised as a dolphin. you don’t know You need to vet and research who you do business with. That’s the biggest lesson especially for women. I always tell women to take care of themselves. If you do what needs to be done for yourself, you can help others.
Why did you choose to focus on social entrepreneurship?
I realized that there was a need. Especially around 2015 and 2016, when I was starting out, there weren’t that many people building businesses. To this day, my favorite part is the service component. I get really excited when people come to me with new business ideas. I’m much more excited about your business than you are. I’m like, “Let’s go!” When can I start? Can it be built tonight? ”
