Shmeka Gibson, Founder of Innate Success and Changing the Mindset Inc.

Shmeka Gibson is a  mother of two daughters. She has a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, a Master of Science in Psychology, and a Ph.D. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology/Focus in Inferential Statistics. In her free time, she loves to draw and rest. Shmeka balances a lot of responsibilities, children, work, school, teaching, writing, running my businesses, being a friend, sister, and daughter, that sometimes, she sits back and enjoys all the growth around her. With the many hats she wears, her most exciting job is being a college professor. Shmeka enjoys being able to educate her students on Psychology and how applying the learnings can enhance their professional and personal goals. This is like the work  she does with her business, Innate Success Corp. They offer an array of services to educate anyone that would like to understand and alter their perceptual views to modify behaviors.  Shmeka has over 15 years of experience in clinical/counseling psychology, data analytics, grant writing, HR, project management, business coaching/consulting, and organizational development.

Hi, Shmeka we are thrilled to interview you today. Please tell our readers about the work that you do?

Shmeka: My name is, Shmeka Gibson and I am an author, international speaker, business owner, and college professor. I am the founder and CEO of Innate Success and Founder of Changing the Mindset Inc. Innate Success Corporation started in 2018 as SG Consulting and Data LLC. After 3 years of growth and support, SG Consulting and Data LLC. was updated and rebranded. The name change occurred in July 2020 and Innate Success’s doors open for business in January 2021. Innate Success Corp. provides a variety of business options, tools, and resources needed to develop business owners, organize business practices, enhance the leader traits in individuals, and promote potential business leaders.

Innate Success Core which is one of our 5-subsidiary businesses provides contract services to organizations in need of organizational infrastructure development and program management, research, and applying to funding opportunities and data analytics. Our other popular business under the Innate Success model is I.S. cares which house the Mentorship Program. Each cohort consists of 10 business start-ups to help enhance business practices, organizational and programming development. Each organization goes through a 4–6- month rigorous training program that provides them with all the skills needed to upscale and upskills their business to increase an efficient business infrastructure and prepare them to be a grant-ready organization. The goal is to create business infrastructure and stability to upscale the economy and communities.

After a year of work with my consulting business, I decided to create a proof-of-concept model, called Changing the Mindset© because the business needed a guide to use when helping clients be successful. The model became a trilogy of books, and a bullying and technology non-profit was created called “Changing the Mindset Inc.” This organization teaches the youth nationally and internationally about bullying prevention and how to excel in the skills of technology.

What was it that sparked your interview to pursue your current career path?

Shmeka: I always knew I wanted to be a consultant; I just did not know what type. I began my journey in 2007 after I graduated from college with my undergraduate degree. I feel it is important to start here with the story because this is where my experience began. My experience, skillset, and network connections did not start when I stepped out on faith. My business started once I entered the workforce. I worked for some amazing organizations that strengthen the leader in me. I also learned about program management, organizational development, grant writing, working with clients and customers, database management, etc.

The skills I learned in my 15 years of employment, crafted the skills and experience needed to step out as my own business owner. At the age of 25, I created a plan that consisted of 10-year goals. This plan was used to push and guide me through the next chapter of my life. I conducted my first workshop in 2018 as an independent presenter and from then, my name was shared with other organizations, and more calls would come.

I did not decide to start a business until a company asked for some specific documentation and I began to research. After my research and talking to some professionals that were entrepreneurs, I decided to Charter and launch, SG Consulting and Data LLC. (SGCD). SGCD provided professional development and consulting services for career-driven individuals and entrepreneurs, and we offered workshops. After a year of work with my consulting business, I decided to create a proof-of-concept model, called Changing the Mindset© because I felt I needed a guide to use when helping my clients and that model became a trilogy of books and the model, I use to help my clients be successful.

What do you enjoy most about the work that you do?

Shmeka: I love the ability to help others grow in their business. I enjoy the flexibility of being able to work at a pace that is comfortable for me and still meet the deadlines and goals. My clients are my safe place, something that I find peace and comfort in. I enjoy connecting, educating, and sharing in their happiness when they meet their business goals. The thing I love the most is seeing the mind shift. A client is not the same when they leave me. They look at things from a different perspective, they change their behavior, they move differently. The mindset about business change.

How do you feel you make a difference in the world?

Shmeka:  I have not made a difference in the world, but I can speak to the community that I’m a part of. I feel the community made a difference in me. I had to change my mindset when it came to being a service-based business. It wasn’t about me being the best consultant, it was about making an impact in the lives of businesses. The community didn’t really need me, I needed the community.

The community needed my services. I desire to give more of myself every day to those that need it. There are enough people doing what I do, there are not enough people that do it as I do. So, I needed the community and the people part of it to produce greatness, without it, there’s no purpose. I want to be remembered for the impact I made in people lives and how it changed the community.

What are some memorable moments in your career so far?

Shmeka:  I have been working my business full-time for 18 months and through Innate Success, we have applied for over $10M in grant funding for non-profits, awarded $7M, and provided business infrastructure and programming support to 36 businesses through our Business Mentorship Program. We have connected with 5 countries to provide employable technology services and anti-bullying training to participants through our non-profit Changing the Mindset Inc. We have developed a model that will help many businesses and individuals be successful and sustainable through our work with Changing the Mindset. It’s amazing to see how far we have come with just an idea in 2018. My biggest joy is receiving that phone call of success from a grant, an organizational milestone accomplishment or a client success story. We do it for them, every day I go to sleep knowing that I’ve done the best I can to help another business or individual achieve their goals and I look forward to waking up the next morning to do it all over again.

What are you currently working on?

Shmeka:  Currently, I’m helping my daughter, Jaylah Whittaker, and her work with our Non-Profit Changing the Mindset Inc. We are launching the Changing the Mindset trilogy of books this fall, planning some fundraising events, and preparing our anti-bullying campaign. Jaylah was a victim of bullying and wanted to commit suicide, she has turned her pain into passion and is now educating, advocating, and mentoring victims of bullying and individuals that displayed bullying behaviors.

We are also gearing up for our Changing the Mindset Conference in September that will allow expert speakers to provide professional and personal development to participants. After that conference, I will be launching our “Adults are Bullies Too” campaign to promote awareness about workplace trauma and bullying. In October, we will be launching our Kenya project with Journey to Destiny Ministries helping young girls in Kenya with self-love, esteem, and confidence and teaching the girls employable technology skills.

What is a quote that you live by?

Shmeka:  “If it does not pay the bills at my home, it is not worth my energy”. I have learned over the past year, that people consume too much time in other people’s business. So, I’ve learned to mind my own. I cannot be productive if I’m too concerned with what others are doing. It does not help with my business, it does not affect my children, and it does not pay the bills in my home.

How has the pandemic made an impact on your personally?

Shmeka: I do not think anyone was prepared for the life shift due to Covid-19. I was not affected by the virus health-wise, but the impact of the virus and the disruption it created in the economy was devastating. In March of 2020, I had to make the decision to leave my home and return to my parents’ home due to my clients closing deals and canceling contracts because of the financial impact of Covid. This was concerning to me, as a single mother of 2 children, I became afraid, depressed, unsure about the future and I began to lose faith. Returning to my parents’ home felt like a defeat for me. Many people may read this and feel that it may not be that big of a deal, at least I had somewhere to go right?

However, being an independent woman, who rarely depended on anyone, this was a blow to my confidence, esteem, psychological stability, and faith. Everything I felt I worked for was taken away by a virus. However, when I returned to my parents’ home, something changed for me, life shifted, and faith was restored. I had time to redirect my thinking and set some new goals for myself. I began to focus on things I had control of, which were my daughters and I health and safety. Anything else, I turned it over to God and let him work in my favor.

As I begin to learn more about myself and the next phase of my life, I prayed and fasted my entire stay and in those short 3 months, which felt like years, God started to reveal some ugly truths about myself and how to cleanse to move past the wilderness. Those long nights of praying and crying yielded some positive outcomes for me. This strong woman that was once led by power, success, and money, now leads with God’s guidance and is obedient to the word and his voice. I no longer question the first thought, I no longer question people’s intentions, I no longer question the direction for my life. I receive it and walk with purpose.

How can we keep up to date with all you have going on?

Shmeka:  View my linktree: it has all my information about Innate Success and Changing the Mindset:
https://www.flowcode.com/page/innatesuccess

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