the startups.com platform about startups.comCheck out the new Startups.com - A Comprehensive Startup University
Education
Planning
Mentors
Funding
Customers
Assistants
Clarity
Categories
Business
Sales & Marketing
Funding
Product & Design
Technology
Skills & Management
Industries
Other
Business
Career Advice
Branding
Financial Consulting
Customer Engagement
Strategy
Sectors
Getting Started
Human Resources
Business Development
Legal
Other
Sales & Marketing
Social Media Marketing
Search Engine Optimization
Public Relations
Branding
Publishing
Inbound Marketing
Email Marketing
Copywriting
Growth Strategy
Search Engine Marketing
Sales & Lead Generation
Advertising
Other
Funding
Crowdfunding
Kickstarter
Venture Capital
Finance
Bootstrapping
Nonprofit
Other
Product & Design
Identity
User Experience
Lean Startup
Product Management
Metrics & Analytics
Other
Technology
WordPress
Software Development
Mobile
Ruby
CRM
Innovation
Cloud
Other
Skills & Management
Productivity
Entrepreneurship
Public Speaking
Leadership
Coaching
Other
Industries
SaaS
E-commerce
Education
Real Estate
Restaurant & Retail
Marketplaces
Nonprofit
Other
Dashboard
Browse Search
Answers
Calls
Inbox
Sign Up Log In

Loading...

Share Answer

Menu
Start-ups: Imagine advising an aspiring entrepreneur who is starting a business ... after being in prison. What advice would you give on key things to do/avoid?
MY
MY
Montina Young Fraiser, Founder , One of the Crazy Ones answered:

Fantastic question! First, a little about me and why I am qualified to answer. My father served 19 years of a 20 year sentence in prison where he passed and I had challenging background. I never met my birth mother and met my birth father at the age of 18. I've been on my own since I was 16 and have lived in the YWCA, homeless shelter's etc. I don't have any family support financial or otherwise. I haven't even had a call on a birthday, holiday, wedding day or even the birth of a child. I have a GED and now a Master's, built my first home before 30 and all while a single mom at the time. I worked very hard throughout my life and now I am retiring from a position at a Fortune 500 company after 10 years of service in my 30's. My husband has had challenges with his background and we opened a gym here in Atlanta for 8 months before closing and I also own several businesses online that focus on teaching part-time entrepreneurs how to convert their passion into profits. I have dozens of courses published on the world's largest destination for online courses including 3 best selling books on Amazon. Okay, now that ALL of that is out the way, here is my response.

Yes, I have begun working with local entrepreneurs and small business owners in Atlanta, GA to build their Internet properties and protect their reputations online and off. I help them create and develop "trust based marketing" through email, books and online and I am partnered with the #1 trusted marketer online to accomplish this and a group of over 10,000 offline business entrepreneurs.

Key things to avoid:
- excessively talking about your past
- blaming others for your current situation
- the old environment

Key things to do:
- Read (or listen to) Dale Carnegie's "How to Win Friends and Influence People"
- Find a mentor/coach that you can share your goals with and get feedback
- Invest in small business and personal development classes online or at a center (most are free)
- Think outside the box
- Build a community online
- Transfer life skills into your business
- Understand the pricing structure for your business
- Set goals and create plans to achieve them
- Invest financially and reinvest back into your business
- Create a business and financial plan (on paper)

I could go on and on and would love to connect with your organization. A 15 minute chat to provide more clarity would be great! ~Montina

Talk to Montina Upvote • Share
•••
Share Report

Answer URL

Share Question

  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on LinkedIn
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Google+
  • Share by email
About
  • How it Works
  • Success Stories
Experts
  • Become an Expert
  • Find an Expert
Answers
  • Ask a Question
  • Recent Answers
Support
  • Help
  • Terms of Service
Follow

the startups.com platform

Startups Education
Startup Planning
Access Mentors
Secure Funding
Reach Customers
Virtual Assistants

Copyright © 2025 Startups.com. All rights reserved.