Kelly Blackmon was born and raised in Chicago’s poorest and most violent neighbourhoods. From there, my family moved us into a public housing apartment, a.k.a the projects. He mentions where he grew up because there seems to be some mystification with people who “made it out” of the ghetto. And while he was raised in and around poverty, violence and plenty of the worst parts of life, Kelly considers himself fortunate. His childhood was a rough one that taught me preparation, self-reliance and balance. It’s what ultimately prepared him for success. Kelly has spent most of his life working in finance in one form or another.

In 2005 while working in accounting, he started attending DePaul University, majoring in business and marketing. Every subject spoke to me. It was like all the abstract ideas and one-off methods he’d learned working in accounting and sales had finally given solid form, and now he was able to use them at will. Kelly immediately went to work for himself as a business coach. He’d canvass the neighbourhood shops and restaurants around the places he’d grown up and ask questions about how they ran their businesses in exchange for marketing and business advice. This is where he learned one of the most important lessons about entrepreneurs. Most of them had no natural business acumen. They were good at cooking, so they’d open a restaurant. They were good at fixing cars, so they’d open an auto body shop. Most had no marketing plan or expertise. No business plan. No financial plan. They were going what they knew and making just enough to avoid closing. And he would help in any way he could. Mostly in planning.

SHOW LESSContact Kelly:  

Website: thebeconsulting.com 

Email: [email protected] 

LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/kellyb-be-cons

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kelly.blackm