Matt Deichmann: It may look like a leisurely walk in the park but Travis Mitchell is one of millions of African American entrepreneurs working to create new opportunities in their communities as they grow their enterprises, this animal lover work as a certified animal technician and zookeeper before launching his own pet care business; PetKeepers.
Travis Mitchell: I’m good with animals and I love what I’m doing. You know, there are wonderful hours. You know, I’m out here and meeting people everyday.
Matt Deichmann: Mitchell works to help pets and their owners on many fronts outside of the pet care business. This busy entrepreneur launched a local pet magazine and is a frequent speaker at community groups.
Travis Mitchell: It inspires me that I can talk or perhaps give tips on how to be a responsible pet owner or other things so it’s just, I have so much information that I’m willing to share.
Matt Deichmann: After years of caring for animals in corporate, university and zoo facilities, Mitchell has found a way to combine his love of animals and his creative spirit in a growing successful business that now includes employees. He has a basic approach to running his business.
Travis Mitchell: What goes around, comes around, so if you do a good job in business, well these are good things are going to happen for you.
Matt Deichmann: Creativity and hard work abound in the nation’s black owned business. At Cerese D. a company creating custom jewelry, the line reflects artistry, craftsmanship and innovation.
Cerese Dolman: Inspiration for design comes from actually my grandmother who was very creative, always making things sewing upholstering and I just kind of picked that up and inherited that.
Matt Deichmann: Cerese D. is family inspiration doesn’t stop with design. Entrepreneurship is a family tradition and this busy business owner counts on her mother to help with business development. In fact, successful businesses are a family tradition.
Cerese Dolman: The entrepreneur in me came from my mother. She’s had her own business for some 20-years and I grew up going to her business. You know, summer vacations and off from college I would be there so I always got the inspiration and so how her business worked, how she treated her employees and how wonderful it was to have your own business, not to have to insert to anyone else and that was just inspiration enough.
Matt Deichmann: The Dolman’s are working to increase their share of the more than $100 billion in sales generated every year by US black owned businesses. Each sparkling necklace serves as an example of the creativity and innovation of the nation’s African American entrepreneurs, writing new inspirational chapters in US history.
I’m Matt Deichmann reporting for SBTV.com where small business is our only business.
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