Meet Avern Richardson | Business Coach & Operations Strategist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Avern Richardson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Avern, what is the most important factor behind your success?
The most important factor behind the success of Strategic Encounter Agency and Avern Richardson as a brand has been my faith and connection to a purposeful why.

My brand and business are built on the message of Genesis 1:28 Be fruitful, Multiply, Subdue & Dominate”.

As a result, I have coined the 3P Marketplace Trifecta:
1. Purposeful Leadership
2. Personal Leadership
3. Professional Leadership.

Of the three, Purposeful Leadership carries the most weight for me because as I have stepped into entrepreneurship and built a personal brand, I have come into a deeper understanding that I am created by God to accomplish His purpose on earth through serving others in the marketplace from a place of Kingdom dominion versus ambition.

This has helped me to serve with integrity, discipline, excellence, and determination and steward by assignment well.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Growing up on the Caribbean island of Anguilla, I didn’t want to be an entrepreneur because of the uncertainty I saw entrepreneurs live through, so I decided to live a dream that captured me.

Work hard, go to college, get a good job, get married, have kids, and yeah, that dream…

And that’s precisely what I pursued.

As I was wrapping up high school, I didn’t have the finances to attend college, but I possessed many skills, such as playing the flute, singing in the school choir, running track, and playing tennis, to name a few.

With those skills on deck, I became innovative in my thinking and decided that my dream was to attend college on a tennis scholarship.

To increase my skill level within a one-year timeframe to be even considered for a tennis scholarship, I ended up doing both home and private schooling and increased my practice hours to 40 hours a week while attending school 7 days per week.

Within one year, I attended Clark Atlanta University on a full tennis scholarship. I graduated with my Bachelors in Supply Chain Management and Masters in Public Policy simply because I am obsessed with systems and processes.

In 2020, I moved back home and worked as a Company Manager. Within three months, I was released from my job and had no plan B.

My mother, Avenella Griffith, the Author of Sandy Ground Tales Series: Boat Men, asked me to become her Project Manager and spearhead her book launch during the pandemic.

Reluctantly agreeing to her request and with only 2 weeks to promote and plan private and physical launch days, within the first 2 days, we generated $10k + in revenues, and within 30 days, $14k + from in-person local sales and 50 + Amazon reviews.

Then, I stopped applying for jobs and started believing in my ability to succeed as an entrepreneur regardless of what I saw others in my community experience.

I then served creatives with Project Management in launching musical artists’ live concerts and new song releases, executing Orchestra events, Social Media Management to musical bands, photography and film agencies, Online Business Management services to marketing agencies, Leadership Development and Business Consulting services.

As a creative myself, it has been a God-ordained path to cultivate my type A brain creativity while using type B brain with my background in innovative and strategic planning and analytics and now merging the two to serve creatives in eliminating the chaos in their businesses to walk in their God-given dominion by operating fully in their zone of genius while I take care of the heavy operational lifting.

Getting to this place of confidence, authority, and excellence was difficult. Still, it was a testament to unwavering faith in God, belief in who God says I am, and doing the work even when I didn’t want to, which meant investing in myself and my business when it was scary.

Along the way, I always remind myself that I am only one of one and that I do one thing is the way I will do everything.

As a result, I must ensure that from behind closed doors, when no one is watching, I build character, capacity, and consistency purposefully and personally to dominate professionally, but it will come to light.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If my best friend came to Atl, we’d hit a mix of food vibes, outdoors, local spots for the culture

Day 1:

• Breakfast: Start our day at First Watch for a delicious breakfast.
• Morning Activity: Explore the Atlanta Botanical Garden.
• Lunch: Head to Poor Calvin’s for a unique and flavorful lunch experience.
• Afternoon Activity: Visit the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site.
• Dinner: Enjoy a dinner at The Capital Grille for a fine dining experience.

Day 2:

• Breakfast: Grab breakfast at Another Broken Egg Cafe.
• Morning Activity: Visit the Atlanta History Center.
• Lunch: Try Cultivate Food and Coffee for a vibrant fresh lunch.
• Afternoon Activity: Explore the High Museum of Art.
• Dinner: Indulge in a riverside dining experience at Ray’s on the River.

Day 3:

• Breakfast: Start your day with a cozy breakfast at West Egg Cafe.
• Morning Activity: Visit the Georgia Aquarium for an underwater adventure.
• Lunch: Head to Mary Mac’s Tea Room for Southern comfort food.
• Afternoon Activity: Stroll through Piedmont Park.
• Dinner: Try South City Kitchen for contemporary Southern cuisine.

Day 4:

• Breakfast: Enjoy a morning meal at Bread & Butterfly.
• Morning Activity: Explore the Atlanta BeltLine Eastside Trail.
• Lunch: Try The Flying Biscuit Cafe for a delightful, quirky lunch.
• Afternoon Activity: Visit the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum.
• Dinner: Experience modern American cuisine at Gunshow.

Day 5:

• Breakfast: Start your day with a hearty breakfast at Highland Bakery.
• Morning Activity: Visit the Bamboo Forest
• Lunch: Try Buttermilk Kitchen for a Southern-inspired brunch.
• Afternoon Activity: Explore the vibrant neighborhoods of Little Five Points.
• Dinner: Enjoy a culinary adventure at Staplehouse.

Day 6:

• Breakfast: End your trip with a farewell breakfast at Home Grown.
• Morning Activity: Visit the Atlanta Zoo for a fun and engaging experience before departing.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
First and foremost, I would like to honor my mother, Avenella Griffith, who has been by my side along this journey of becoming! Thank you, Mummy, for always believing in and investing in the future I am now boldly living in!

To my husband, Sharmori Richardson, who has supported every dream and pursuit since 2019, I am so grateful for you!

To the Business and Consulting Coach of LA, Aundra Williams, thank you for paving the way for this amazing opportunity!

Last but certainly not least, to my brand coach, Rose, at Rose Loreston Consulting, thank you so much for helping me to recognize the power of building the woman and the brand that I now lead and serve through.

Website: https://linktr.ee/averngumbs

Instagram: avernrcichardson

Linkedin: Avern Richardson

Facebook: Avern Richardson

Youtube: Avern Gumbs

Image Credits
KSharp Media Film + Photography Credit for the Main Photo where I am wearing orange with the blue walls