Lavera Coleman

From Waitress to Million Dollar CEO

BY AMANDA AVERY

Lavera Coleman, aka the FlyBoss Chick, has taken entrepreneurship by storm. She helps BOSSES create SMART businesses by building solid foundations and strategic marketing plans for growth. She has been featured in NBC, CBS, Fox News, Business Insider. Lavera has made a name for herself, and her FlyBoss brand is nationwide. Read her story and follow her on social media, and you will be beyond inspired.

The FlyBoss Lifestyle is a movement designed to help women manifest their business visions on a High Level. What exactly is a FlyBoss?

FLYBOSS (adj) - a Super Fly, Confident, Bold, Ambitious, Businesswoman looking to Elevate in ALL areas of their life. She is motivated by the impact she makes on others through her own personal development.

What type of tools do you offer to help those be successful within the FlyBoss Lifestyle?

At times, the "new" entrepreneur is hard to work with because their journey is new and they're indecisive, and you have to convince them that they can do it. I offer multiple tools, including one-on-one coaching where the FlyBoss can work with me directly and a la carte solutions if they only need specific help in their business. I also do group coaching that has free and paid options. My Passion 2 Profit group coaching has a 12-month curriculum focusing on a specific aspect per month.

Your Facebook Group has over 23,000 members. What can a member glean by being a part of this group? In joining this group, you are going to be a part of a positive environment. This group has accountability partners, and even if you haven't started a business, you can join and be inspired by others to make that step. I have been super impressed by the type of energy that comes into the group. You're going to get a great deal of accountability, be able to network with other like-minded sisters. We also have free resources in our file sections. We have a lot going on, and it's almost like a private party!

You and the FlyBoss Movement is a whole vibe. I'm sure there is a story before the story. What struggles did you encounter before becoming a FlyBoss yourself?

I lack creativity big time! But, even with my newfound confidence, I struggled with my new business aspirations. I would track things, but then I would stop. As a wife and mother of 4 children, I was consistent in some things and inconsistent in others, struggling daily to balance business and my personal life.

I was not saving any money, and managing my business budget was something I had no idea how to do! I wasn't paying myself and was unable to track my actual bottom line. Once again decided that a change was needed to truly realize my full potential and become the empowered entrepreneur I knew I could be.

In 2017, I asked God to strengthen my creativity and give me ideas that would blow my mind because that was one of my weakest areas. You may not be fully ready when God gives you things because you're outside your comfort zone. For years, people would ask me for advice, and I would give it. But God wanted me to create 1 to many spaces. That's how the FlyBoss Fb group came about. It wasn't about me. What I love most about the group is the true sisterhood it has formed.

I take it that The Flyboss Lifestyle Movement is a woman-only organization. Why?

The reason that I focus on women is because of my history with my mom. She had to work little pieces of jobs that took her out of the house, and she was not there for me. I was a majorette and in honor programs, but she never was able to attend. I also had an absent father, so my mom had to do it all on her own. My mom cleaned for a living and had her own business. However, she did not fully understand how to run a business. If she knew the skills, foundations, and principles that I'm teaching right now, she would have had a greater chance at success. My platform is to help women spend more time with their children because Corporate America tends to take us away from that.

You are a transparent coach, and you don't mind admitting your flaws and shortcomings. I read that you love math in one of your posts, but you're not the best speller. How do you use that to help your audience?

I'm not ashamed to tell people that. I think transparency helps because when you think about superstars and other influencers, so many of them paint a perfect picture. But in reality, that's not real life. I want my audience to know that I really did get it out of the mud and came from nothing. I believe that people learn faster, and it sticks with them when you are transparent. If you want to promote entrepreneurship, then you have to give the "real."

Early in your entrepreneurship journey, you started a coupon business. How did that get started?

I get a lot of entrepreneurs that say they don't have the money to fund their business. Most of us don't. I remember being broke with no money and getting keys to an office that I couldn't pay for. My passion has always been teaching. Everything that I've learned, I teach. I didn't know how I was going to pay my office rent the following month, but |17 Nov / Dec 2021 | Bluff City Magazine what thing I did know, "couponing."

Couponing was a hobby of mine. I enjoyed it! It was the idea of going someplace where I could pay no money or a very low amount. I loved that I could go to my garage and pick any laundry detergent that I wanted. I turned that hobby into a paid class and charged $20 per person. I had to determine how many classes and students I needed to host to pay for the office. The office space was about $480 per month. I hosted three classes per month, $20 per person, maximum of 10 students to achieve my goal. I have produced over 30 couponers here in Memphis who have a considerable stockpile and can teach others.

You and your husband Chris created Coleman Financial Credit Repair. How did that shape you into the business owner that you are today?

Coleman Financials gave me the confidence to do whatever type of business I wanted to do. That was the first business that we built on our own. We made our first six figures in that business without a coach. We got a chance to learn what things are supposed to look like. We got a chance to make mistakes very costly mistakes. From there, we were able to build a brick-and-mortar solid foundation for that type of business. Coleman Financials was birthed from our own personal struggles. We were about to divorce in 2017. Part of our struggle was that we both had poor credit scores. My score was 424, and I think his was lower than mine. When your credit score is bad, your priorities are most likely not organized. When we were able to repair our credit, we learned the value of what it meant to truly take care of our scores, save money, and intentionally build credit. Once we learned those factors, we knew we had to get that feeling 12 months of time and planning.

The most important page of the entire planner is the 'Monthly Goal Planning.' It shows balance in multiple categories. It has nine different goal blocks from finance, relationships, spirituality, selfcare, and more. As a business owner, you forget things because of your busy schedule. That page reminds you of your priorities in life. The idea is to go back each month to reflect on how you've grown and the goals that you've achieved. I've gotten great feedback on the 'Hello Month' section, a freestyle section, and they're using it for devotions and affirmations. The 'Dump It' page is also a boss favorite. This page is where your ideas go, and they're just unleashed. That page is used for your super and valuable ideas. The 'Dump It' page is weekly, so you can write all your thoughts down and plan and prioritize them later.

to other people. When you're in our program, we fix your credit and educate you on the role you play and what you should be doing. When our clients leave our program, they are more responsible, make better decisions, invest more, and start their businesses.

Let's get into your newest creation, the FlyBoss Lifestyle Planner, which you have nicknamed "Bossy Blue." How did this idea come about?

I created this planner to help women get organized and be more consistent. This book has genuinely helped bosses take control of their busy lives. The planner's vision came about in 2018, but I didn't start any planning until March 2020. We actively started working on the project by designing the pages and structuring the layout. I opened pre-sales in Oct of 2020, and we began fulfilling orders in July 2021.

Blue signifies power and strength. Those are my brand colors, but I was not a fan of the color blue. I teach my students that it's not about what you want but what people respond to. Blue is girly but also bossy. I call her "Bossy Blue" because she is your assistant, your accountability partner, and she will keep you on point.

What makes the FlyBoss Lifestyle Planner, aka "Bossy Blue," so unique?

There are so many unique features in "Bossy Blue." There is a 30, 60, 90-day business start-up plan. The calendar has an undated feature. I chose that method because I have "bosses" who have never used a planner, and I wanted them to start planning as soon as possible without missing out on anything. No matter when you start, you'll still have

I'm sure creating this planner was no easy task. What are some challenges that you encountered?

My initial planner designer did not charge me. She gifted her time and talents. I didn't want to put any pressure on her because of that. But we had issues with saving the file, and the project was on hold for several months. The company that printed the planners assisted me with the file and getting it to the finish line and to market. My true struggle with all the issues was overcoming the thoughts that I wasn't enough and lacked creativity. I had to overcome my way of thinking that everything had to be perfect at everything. My coach instilled in me that "done is better than perfect because perfect never gets done." There were times that I didn't move because I didn't have all the pieces together.

IG: lavera_theflyboss Business IG: Flybosslifestyleplanner Business FB: FlyBoss Lifestyle Planner

This planner is trending all over the country. What more can you share about the planner?

The regular price of the planner is $97. Currently, the cost is $85 plus shipping which you can order at www. flybosslifestyleplanner.com. The 374page gold spiral-bound book is worth more than that. The type of materials used was implemented on purpose to showcase a professional quality exquisite planner. I have sold 7,000 planners across the country, including Spain, Jamaica, Australia, and the Philippines.

If someone aspired to be an entrepreneur but doesn't have the funds, how do you encourage them not to give up on their dreams?

I would first recommend determining your passion. Often, people are discouraged by not having the money but overlooking the work that comes with the research and things that require only your brain. The research will help you determine what you should invest in. I created a free resource, Passion Finder, that will walk you through ideas and things you may be good at. You can list things that friends and family ask you for assistance with. Sometimes you don't realize that your gifts and talents are right in front of you.

After determining your passion, the next step I suggest is to determine your target audience, so you'll know who to market and advertise your business to.

You have a huge event planned for November 20th called Content Day. What is that?

I'm so excited about that. Content is the life of the business! I hear entrepreneurs say, "people are not really buying into what I got going on." The truth is that many entrepreneurs are not allowing their audience to see what goes on behind the scenes. They want to pop up and sell. Content will enable them to sell indirectly. Content Day is going to be lit! It will show entrepreneurs what it looks like, from outfit changes to different scenery to product photos. They're going to learn all those things plus have fun!

Although you are the face of your brand and business endeavors, your husband Chris plays a vital role in your success.

Let me tell you something about "bae," he is the coldest behind the scenes. He is responsible for the growth of FlyBoss. He took it from the idea stage to well over 6-figures. From his direct coaching, we have had 5 to 6 figure launches. When he started scaling my brand, it just took off so fast. We work so well together that he is the visionary, and I'm the executor. Together, Chris and I have created a one-on-one coaching program titled 100k in a Year. This program is for the established entrepreneur, and we work on multiple parts of your business on a very aggressive level.

As a mother, wife, and business owner, how do you do it all?

Prioritize. In 2018, I started going to church, and one thing my Pastor taught me was how to prioritize—God, husband, children, and the business. Sometimes we focus on the business, then we forget about God.

Leveraging and building a team is essential. I'm huge on system building. Even if you don't have the money to invest in a team, invest in systems because they're like employees in a sense. In my business, I am a system builder. I create automation that works. Systems are like the secret weapon to it all.

What sticks out most about your journey?

I worked at Bahama Breeze for two years as a waitress as well as other restaurants. I carried a notebook in my back pocket because my mind was locked in trying to start a business. I would question my customers because I was intrigued by entrepreneurship. I almost got fired because of my distractions. Soon after, I transitioned to Corporate America. I caught the flu but was not able to take medicine because of being pregnant. I didn't have any PTO because my kids had caught the flu three times, and I had used up my time. I took advantage of my unpaid leave and left my job, and never looked back. In 2018, I returned to my notebook, and I started to achieve some of my dreams.

Utilizing digital marketing and navigating in the digital space, I built a million-dollar empire in less than a year and a half. I employ ten people across the country. To date, I have helped 200 plus women quit their jobs and become full-time entrepreneurs in one year, which is the sole purpose of the FlyBoss movement.

Many entrepreneurs love the financial freedom a successful business provides, but I love the liberty of time it provides for my family and me. My favorite thing is "bae days." Just simple things as enjoying late lunch with my husband at 2 p.m. or just a carefree stroll in the city.

You have been booked to speak at various events, so public speaking is added to your portfolio. What is next for you and your FlyBoss Lifestyle brand?

At the beginning of the year, I told myself I was going to do more speaking engagements. I made myself available, and I've spoken at 14 events thus far. I have done virtual and in-person events as well as being flown out to speak. That tells me that my brand has a significant impact on people, and it is inspiring. It is creating the "you can do it too." I was born and raised here in Memphis, and my goal is to share my story and give back to Memphis. Women deserve to live the life their worthy of, and it starts with me.

I have some big plans for 2022, including a business conference where we bring bosses from multiple professions to hit the stage to pour into the new entrepreneur. We have a couple of trips planned for our groups and clients. My goal is to do more collabs and more business-oriented events.