Daphne Mallory interview with The immigrant Entrepreneur

Daphne Mallory, Esq., is passionate to support family companies. Because they support their communities. Because it’s not about you, it’s about your tribe.
Daphne is an Entrepreneur Magazine contributor, media personality, trainer and family business expert. Born in Liberia, Daphne was sent to London by her family at the age of eight. Weeks before Liberia’s traumatic civil war, she was the only one who they could get a visa to exit the country. From that early age she knew that she was the first one out to the land of gold and that she was expected to pave the path for others to follow. From an early age she knew that she herself had to survive, excel and advance.
She came to America soon after attended a lower income high school, was the first from her school to attend an Ivy League university (Brown), and received her law degree from UNC-Chapel Hill School of Law. She clerked for an illustrious justice, worked as a prosecutor, and practiced business law.
Today, Daphne is on a journey to build wealth for others and leave a legacy. Learn from her expertise, victories and struggles so that you can double your current income and strengthen your community with a family business. Get yourself seriously educated and energized by reaching out to Daphne at
To listen to the full interview CLICK HERE

Managing Priorities in Your Family Business

The payoff for running a family business is huge. You can transfer wealth for generations to come. It's a perfect vehicle for uplifting others out of poverty. You become the change agent in your community and can make a difference in the lives of many. That's why running one is tough. Add to that multiple and sometimes conflicting priorities with your family and business, and you could feel overwhelmed.

List Your Family Priorities

The first word in family business, is "family." That is your number one priority and your business exists to serve every member. As a family unit, you have many priorities. Some include: academic education, leadership development, ministry service, volunteerism, fundraising, board participation and social development. If you haven't already written a family vision statement,start today. Your vision statement will hold you accountable to choose and implement the right priorities for your family. Once you identify those, list them in order, again, using the vision statement as a guide.

List Your Business Priorities

The same applies to establishing your business priorities. I believe that the most important business document you can ever write is your strategic plan. That plan should include a vision statement for your family business, which will guide the priorities you set for running it day to day. Some include: generating publicity, prospecting, sales presentations, networking, drafting proposals and contracts, serving clients or customers, innovating and more. List your family business priorities in order.

Read more about managing priorities in your family business

Win by Telling Stories

I live in many worlds as an entrepreneur, family business owner, board member and community developer. Each of these worlds has its own battles and opponents, and everyone wants to have their ideas and philosophies dominate. I've studied entrepreneurs who engage in the art of war to see how they win. One simple strategy they use is to tell simple and strategic stories. If you listen to them in interviews, or watch their marketing and sales approach, you'll soon catch on to three or four core stories that they share with everyone, everywhere. Hidden within those stories is a subtle, yet powerful message: "I see you. I hear you. You can trust me. Let's join forces." Whether you want to grow your network, increase sales or raise more money for your cause, you can do the same. Here's how:
I See You
People want to see parts of themselves in you. Why do some millionaires wear t-shirts, "cheap" suits, store department outfits, and jeans to events? It's strategic. They want you to see yourself in them. They want to visually tell the story that they are like you. If you are like them, then you know them. You like them. You can trust them. The result is, you will do business with them. After all, they are just like you. Beyond the visual appearance which is part of the storytelling, are the actual stories they share. You may not hear stories about expensive vacations, large trust accounts, and million dollar deals done on napkins. You will hear stories of rejection, adversity, and difficult relationships leading up to final success. Why? These stories say, "I see you!" Your customers, clients and followers want to know that you have been where they are. You relate to them, or at least understand what they need and want. Develop and rehearse one or two stories from your past that your audience can relate to. Sharing the truth about your journey does not have to be manipulative. It's a gift, and sometimes a very painful gift, you were given to excel in business. Use it.
Read more about how to Win by Telling Stories

500 words mind set Challenge – Focus

Definition: a strategy in which you say no to everything except your core activities in order to have a competitive advantage

Example:  Noah ...The key here for family business founders is that he did not gain an advantage (in this case the entire world) over night. He had to keep his focus for more than a century!

List of Action Steps and Projects

1. Be  fully present, and complete one task for 50 minutes.

2. Sabya (16): Be fully present, and complete one task for 50 minutes.
3. Samuel (8): Build a Lego project using 100 pieces
4. Grace  (4):  Build a Lego project using 50 pieces
5. James (6):   Build a Lego project using 50 pieces.

Entrepreneur Education Project #7

Click "Read More" to get the details and explanation of this project:

Q&A with Two Men and a truck

1.       What is the name of your business?  TWO MEN AND A TRUCK

2.       Where is it located? I operate multiple franchises in the states of GA, NC, and the MD/DC area.

3.       Do you have a website(if so please list it)? www.twomenandatruck.com

4.       What makes your family business experience unique?  I work with my husband.  He started with the company as a mover while in college at the University of SC (USC).  He worked his way up to franchise ownership.  When I graduated from USC, I worked as a Customer Service Representative during the peak summer season.  The position was intended to be temporary while I pursued a career in my field of study; however, I was drawn to the family aspect of the TWO MEN AND A TRUCK organization and decided to pursue franchise ownership instead. 

5.       How is it different from running a "typical" small business? When starting a small business, we wear many hats and are forced to be somewhat of a "jack-of-all-trades." As a business owner, we are responsible for marketing, advertising, finance, sales, and operations among many other tasks.   But, unlike traditional small business start-ups, Franchising has benefits.  Rather than a trial by fire approach to learning all aspects of business management, TWO MEN AND A TRUCK offered training and guidance to aid in our success.  Combined with our previous experience managing a franchise location, we were able to quickly grow in our new market by building positive team cultures and exceeding customer expectations.   The familial character of our venture introduced unique challenges and rewards. 

6.       What do you love about family business? 

How This Mom Got the Kids to Buckle Up While She Launched Their Family Business

Meghan Khaitan is the founder of MyBuckleMate, an invention and family business formed to keep kids safe and provide a better driving experience for families. Her company is based in Ashburn, Virginia. Meghan runs her family business with her husband, Anurag Khaitan, and three children, Indy, Haley, and Jack (ages 13, 10 and 7). MyBuckleMate is an award-winning seat belt buckle holder that keeps floppy back seat buckles propped up, so that kids in booster seats and older can buckle up by themselves. When contacting her for this story, I felt as though I was talking to another mom, and not a CEO, with a passion and a cause. She shared her secrets to success:

Don't fear integrating family and business life.

Make Entrepreneurship Education Your Summer School

Summertime is perfect for supplementing your children's education with entrepreneurship. Through projects based learning activities, you can teach sales, leadership, communication and emotional intelligence. Whether or not they aspire to become entrepreneurs, these skills will serve them well in life. Here are some ideas for the entire family:

Plan an Event for Charity
The event doesn't have to take place this summer. You can plan it now for the following year. For example, your family might volunteer to plan an annual Gala for your favorite charity. You will learn about event planning, social media, publicity, how to write letters and announcements, cold calling, sales scripts and more. Assign small tasks for your children to complete independently. Allow them to work alongside you to complete larger projects. The key to successful entrepreneurship education is to take the time to explain what, how and why you're completing tasks. Make sure they take notes. Encourage and reward them for asking great questions.

Give a Speech
Find opportunities to do more public speaking this summer. Think about your civic, church, community or social groups. Can your teen present a short presentation about the economic needs of a country that your church sends missionaries to? Can your pre-teen give a short talk about how much an after school program has impacted their life? You may have to get creative and make opportunities for your children that don't exist. If you can't find a live audience, have your children present on video, using a smartphone or video camera.

Read more about making Entrepreneurship education your summer school

A Family Business Dedicated to Empowering Short Men Towers Over Competitors

Jimmy Au's for Men 5'8" and Under  in Beverly Hills, Calif., is a family business that has served a niche in men's wear for over 50 years. Jimmy Au and his son, Alan, run the business together. I had a great conversation with Alan about his family business, and was surprised to learn that behind the business was a worthy cause.

Jimmy Au grew up in a dirt village in China. His father built a mercantile business, and Jimmy learned from his parents how to build a family business.  When Jimmy came to the United States with a student visa, he worked two jobs in college. He sent most of his earnings back to help his family and only kept what he needed to get by. Alan shared this about his dad, "He started looking into doing clothing and made more money doing custom clothing than his other two jobs."

#19 - How to Set Community Development Priorities for Your Family Business

On last week's episode, I talked about how to set community development priorities for your family business. Today, I share how to execute Listen and learn some strategies that may those priorities to make a difference.

You can download and listen to this episode here and/or watch/listen to the Video

Daphne Mallory Interviewed by Daine Helbig

Join host Dr. Victoria Boyd as she welcomes Daphne Mallory, Esq. an international speaker and trainer that focuses on Family Business and Community Development. Her belief is that Family Businesses are a key vehicle for community impact.

Daphne is originally from Liberia, one of the poorest countries in Africa. Her father was sent to Oxford University by his company which paved the way for her to attend school in London after his return, as a child, and alone. She learned to develop an entrepreneurial mindset and leadership skills to survive in three different countries: Liberia, England and the United States.
Combining that entrepreneurial mindset and her belief in the power of family she now focuses on building Famliy businesses to have community impact.
Learn the key aspects to conquer the family dynamics such as, What is the difference between a family and small business and what are some of the key challenges?
To listen to full interview CLICK HERE

Q&A with Team Epiphany

1. Basic Info:

Business name: Team Epiphany: Coltrane Curtis, Lisa Chu (wife), Valerie Chiam (cousin)

2. What makes your business a family business? (w/ spouse and/or children, siblings...)


My business, Team Epiphany, is a strategy, event production, new-world public relations, and social media agency with offices in New York and Portland.

 I founded the agency over 10 years ago. Today, my wife Lisa Chu is a managing partner and head of operations. Lisa’s cousin Valerie Chiam, our former communications director,runs new business.

 Team Epiphany’s credo is actually “Family Business” – Artist Faust graffitied this onto the main wall of our New York office in his renowned calligraphy-inspired style – because we consider everyone here family. Most of the team hasbeen with me from the beginning, like:

- Our third Agency Partner, Sky Gellatly, who built our social media division from the ground up.

- Our Senior Strategist Jarrett Cobbsworked closely with me at Marc Ecko, Complex and MTV. We also worked together in promotions in the early 2000s- making connections within nightlife that we still use to conduct business today. He’s been with me since the beginning.

 3. How did you come into the business? (transferred, hired by parents? Founder?)


I am the founder of Team Epiphany, but it is no surprise that I had the urge to pursue brand building, as my father, John Curtis- worked as a marketing executive for over 25 years at J. Curtis & Company, with offices in SoHo and Montclair, NJ. He brought me along to various celebrity events when I was growing up and exposed me to all facets of the marketing business, from Relationship building, to strategy development, to client management. Through my father’s encouragement and guidance, I attended Morehouse University in Atlanta, Georgia and it was here that I began to groom the communication skills first learned from shadowing my father’s work. College also offered me the opportunity to forge my own relationships within Atlanta’s burgeoning music and nightlife scenes and to build my skill for identifying and nurturing powerful cultural movements, which followed me to New York City, Miami and beyond.

 Prior to founding the agency, I served as VP of Marketing for Marc Ecko Enterprises, as well as Editor-at-Large at Complex Magazine, where I worked on marketing campaigns with various celebrities and brands. I parted ways with Marc Ecko to pursue a position at MTV as their first Style VJ, where I interviewed various celebrities on the red carpets at events like the MTV Movie Awards, VMAs and TRL Awards.

 In 2004, I left MTV to foundTeam Epiphany. The agency has grown from a one-man shop to a 70+-person agency that has garnered acclaim on Inc. Magazine’s elite list of “Fastest Growing Privates Companies” annually since 2009. Our client roster boasts some of the most creative brands in the game: HBO, Heineken, Cadillac, Converse, Smirnoff, Nike, Moet, Hennessey, and more.

 4. What makes your family business experience unique? How is it different from running a "typical" small business?


Our office culture is a direct reflection of the culture we belong to. We have a uniquely tight-knit office culture and dynamic that makes Team Epiphany a true family business, despite our explosive growth.

 Our business in general is wholly unique. Our agency does things that no other agency can.(Happy to talk more about this on the phone)

5. What do you love about family business?


Improving Where They Live Seems to Come Naturally to Family Businesses

The impact that many family business owners make in communities deserves our attention and gratitude this Thanksgiving. It takes courage, resources and strength to build a business, work together without killing each other, create jobs and give back.

Running a family business afforded me the time to propose (and it was unanimously passed) the first Seniors Advisory Committee for the city of Twin Falls, Idaho. Senior adults in our community can now make recommendations to our City Council to improve the quality of life for older adults. Here are other examples to motivate all of us to do more:

#18 - Immigrants Should Consider Owning a Family Business

Starting a family business as immigrants is a powerful way to start with a natural network that may not be in place. Why not pool together you energies, monies, talents and skills? Family business may be a great start.

 You can download and listen to this episode here and/or watch/listen to the Video

     

Community Development Priorities for Your Family Business

If the strategic plan for growing your family business does not include community development, then it's mediocre at best. At your finger tips lies the power to create better communities. It's the gift inherent in building any solid family business. You have to decide what it is you want. What changes do you want to see? Can you visualize what a great community would like, and the priorities that your family needs to set to get there? When you operate your family business with the goal of using a portion of your profits to love others, meet needs and alleviate suffering, you open yourself up to be more creative, energetic, and successful.
How Do You Choose Priorities?

Daphne Mallory Interviewd by Marie Berg

DAPHNE Mallory, Esq. is an immigrant entrepreneur and family business expert. Whether on television, on stage, or in the boardroom, she is known for being a creative thinker and passionate advocate.
She writes for Entrepreneur Magazine, The Huffington Post and hosts her own radio program Family Business with Daphne on 103.9 FM, KDKI to bring relevant strategies and hope to family.
Click here to listen

Q&A with Nuts.com

 1.       What makes your business a family business? (w/ spouse and/or children, siblings...)

   Nuts.com is made up of my father, uncle, me, first cousin

 2.       How did you come into the business? (transferred, hired by parents? Founder?)

 I worked with the company while growing up and started the website while in college. After initially going into investment banking after school, I quit that business to rejoin the family company full time in 2013 as a personal decision. My family all thought I was nuts for doing so.

 3.       What makes your family business experience unique? How is it different from running a "typical" small business?

 It was a complete family role reversal early on.  I, as the grandson, transformed the company from a  sleepy business and saved it from extinction.  It went from a status quo business for 75 years and turned it on its head.

 4.       What do you love about family business?

 I get to see my family every day.

 5.       What do you hate about family business?

 I have to see family every day. 

 6.       What's a myth about family business you'd like to debunk?

People always think we are dysfunctional.  The people and relationships can be at times, but things can really work well.  Family members can slot into specific roles and respect boundaries quite nicely.

 7.       What three things have been key to your success?

The Basics of Crowdfunding

Collecting cash to support a cause is nothing new. Senior citizens have gathered in church halls, living rooms, community centers and at fundraising events to support causes.

Leaders in our community from business owners to non-profit organizations confirm that seniors are generous and have helped to make the Magic Valley stronger. Crowdfunding is just one more way to reach your giving goals and make a greater impact, with little money.

Why I Organized a Senior Advisory Commission for My City

The City of Twin Falls, Idaho, where I live is on the verge of an explosive growth of baby boomer and older adults. Retirees are relocating to the area to enjoy an improved quality of life. As you can imagine, current and future senior citizens have needs that can be more challenging to solve in those golden years, such as affordable housing and transportation. I didn't realize all of these challenges when I first proposed the Senior Citizen Advisory Commission. I'm originally from Liberia, and I understand and appreciate that any community that wants to thrive must honor its elderly population. It was that mindset and upbringing that inspired me to propose the City's first ever Commission that was passed unanimously by our City Council. I believe it's one of the best vehicles to empower senior adults. I'm convinced that every community needs one.

Advice Not Services