As the founder and CEO of Anchor Adversity, Connie Jordan of Las Vegas is an educational consultant and professional life and career coach. She develops programs tailored to individuals to help them achieve success in their professional careers and personal life. Jordan has been recognized by the University of Phoenix for her extraordinary commitment as Outstanding Faculty Educator and received a Community Outreach Award from the Academy of Excellence. With deep community roots in Las Vegas, Connie Jordan is known as an energetic and positive professional who takes pride in supporting others as they engage in self-development to embrace change.
How did you get started in this business? What inspired you to start this business?
I finally stopped dreaming and started implementing my vision! I got tired of hearing and seeing other people do and say what was on my mind. I had so many ideas going through my brain and just never launched any of them, until now.
Having to face my career challenge of losing a job is what truly made me realize that I am made for more. It was at this moment when I knew I had to confront this adversity head-on. No more doubting my talents and being self-sensitive about a job loss. It was at this point when I knew I had to commence to rising up and taking action.
During the downtime of not having work, I began to e-journal my emotions. Interestingly, I found myself becoming somewhat intrigued with my writing; which eventually, turned into inspiring lyrics. With this daily scripting, I started to believe in me again.
Two top reasons pushed my inspiration to start my business. First, striving for a winning self-comeback after resigning from a former leadership position. Second, dropping out of a Ph.D. program then years later re-entering the program. Both served as a catalyst that led to a personal passion and pledge of allegiance to research the academic topic of self-efficacy.
How do you make money?
My concentration is to give life strategies on self-efficacy; in essence, expressing the significance of self-worth. I enthusiastically speak to individuals and come to understand their beliefs about completing tasks and being dominant with their choice of effort, perseverance, and success.
I meet with and strategically coach individuals who desire to expand their learning perception. I assist people who select to grasp goals and take personal caution towards self-growth.
How long did it take for you to become profitable?
Thus far, it has taken the business over two years to begin to see some profit. I also had to learn self-discipline and forgo immediate frivolous enjoyment and become more serious with my set goals.
When you were starting out, was there ever a time that you doubted it would work? If so, how did you handle it?
Doubt would regularly surface. There were multiple times when I took month long breaks from the mission of building my business. I had to learn how to clear the negative outside energies and connect my intrinsic missionary dots. Having confidence in task achievement, combat challenge with heart and authenticity, be fearless of new plight, and take heed to those who succeed me was how I handled my doubt.
Possessing a ‘do whatever it takes’ mindset to produce and promote active business change became intentional with time.
Amusingly, once I got the fundamentals of self-efficacy, I recognized that self-efficacy is the birthplace of self-confidence, self-motivation, and my behaviors to accomplish success.
Do you feel like you can rise up and accomplish your goal or do you give up in defeat?
Feeling like you are starting over from the bottom and climbing back in the race was not an easy journey. I had to shake off my disposition of continually comparing myself as to where I should professionally be in my life.
I certainly trust my efforts to execute goals in addition to succeeding in achieving set purposes. I have always known that I can exert control over my drive to rise up and reach set ideas. This is the core reason as to why I dive into the significance of self-efficacy because it plays a significant role in how I approach goals, tasks, and challenges.
I do not place any energy on giving up; my business style and behaviors are heightening at a level of remaining attentive and self-driven towards aspiring my goals.
How did you get your first customer?
I attended a resume builder seminar when the question was asked to the audience “Do you know what you want to be when you grow up?” I noticed how one person did not raise her hand. The presenter asked if anyone wanted to share their thoughts and this particular individual comfortably stated, “I don’t know what I want to do, yet.” This is where I began to sit up taller, as I knew this was the moment to zoom in on her even more so. I started to plan my approach to meet her when the seminar ended.
At the end of the session, I moved towards her with inner excitement! I introduced myself and proceeded to ask her if she wouldn’t mind sharing her life history with me at some point; as I intended to see if I could tap into her intrinsic desires that would allow me to strategize some ideas for her personal and professional future. Needless to say, we have been meeting since. I am pleased to share that as my first customer, (with continued guidance and strategic planning) she has started her Math Tutoring business on a military base.
What is one marketing strategy that you’re using that works well to generate new business?
- Upholding a strong presence when appearing before others as well as professional conferences and social events.
- Elevating opportunities when prompted.
- Changing up when necessary.
- Revisiting, reflecting and revamping my business to stay current with today’s market.
What is the toughest decision that you’ve had to make in the last few months?
About six months ago I had to unpack my inward pain and make a tough decision to sell our home. Both my husband and I loved our house dearly, but we had decided to relocate the business which required moving out-of-state prior to my husband coming with me. The challenge is that my husband is still residing in Las Vegas, NV for the next year or so while I’m getting things off the ground in our Arizona home plus jump-starting the business. It’s a chaotic time as my husband, and I are not together, but I trust unquestionably that this move will be worthwhile in the end.
What do you think it is that makes you successful?
Having the right mindset, no matter what is thrown my way is what makes me successful. I lean into the discomfort of my work. Keeping the attitude to view challenging situations as a task to be mastered, and not to avoid. Personally, believing wholeheartedly in building my enterprise.
I am hard wired in taking risks in addition to understanding that I will be without substantial personal profits (revenue) for a few years. On the surface, it may come across as a major problem, but I had to come to the realization that not having a lot of personal capital should not stop me from chasing my business dreams.
I am successful because I understand the importance of giving 100% of quality time and effort to my work. It is totally conceivable to start and develop a business with almost no personal monetary savings whatsoever. I share this statement because most of us begin to think that we can’t be successful if we don’t have the money to start the process; well, I learned that this is not the case.
In essence, exercising the mind to appreciate and become keener in every aspect of my business industry to meet the needs of my clients, is what makes me endlessly successful.
What has been your most satisfying moment in business?
Seeing how individuals strategically recreated, strengthened or even rebuilt their character to give more exposure of themselves in a bold, enterprising way has been rewarding.
What does the future hold for your business? What are you most excited about?
The future for Anchor Adversity is limitless. My mindset is always willing to conquer more. As I stay ambitious and reset when necessary, the business will soar with multiple clients being fulfilled with self-growth in their preferred career capacity.
I got a glimpse to see what I am capable of doing and it is this inside image that pushes me towards the future. I am most excited about publishing my first book on the genre ‘self-help.’ Branding and rebuilding people for success, especially after facing adversity, is my intent.
Unlimited and unexpected opportunities.
Anxiously and patiently waiting to see what will emerge from my doctoral work.
Seeking the unexpected opportunity to be soon able to publish a theory that is relevant to my business efforts.
What books have related to business that inspired you?
Self-help books are the spine of my reassurance and motivation.
What is a recent purchase that you have made that’s helped with your business?
Purchasing a template on engineering a contingency plan on business sustainability.
Leave us with one point that few individuals know about your company.
Giving advice is informal and easy. Taking the actual step towards implementing the advice is where it matters. For instance, I hit a roadblock where I didn’t see a way out. After years of working in a leadership position, the answer became more evident- that nothing worthwhile is easy! I had to make a change; now knowing and understanding that a real change takes time and is a process.
I had no contingency plan for being let go from a career that I felt was my true identity. I had to learn to enlighten every dark situation and gain a deeper understanding of myself and others, and how we operate. What you may not know is that my business work is grounded upon my personal life experiences that led to the rise and acceleration of my company.
Recognizing I had equivalent skills as others who are at the forefront of their business gave a substantial boost to my self-poise. Yes, I still need to keep my skills sharpened to emphasize supporting others to anchor their adversity yet, at the same time my business continues to expand with greatness because of this realization.