Meet Antwanise Jackson | Business Consultant, Founder/CEO EmpowerNet

We had the good fortune of connecting with Antwanise Jackson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Antwanise, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I grew up around business owners and entrepreneurs. Eventhough my mom had a day job she still had her side hustle. My grandparents were self-made and so many other family members. I come from a line of hustlers. Being around that always trained me to have something of my own and my mother always told me growing up that a job is not enough. You need multiple sources of income to sustain a comfortable life. I guess you could say I was born for this because I’ve had “businesses” since I was 7. From selling rocks to kids on the playground, making lanyard bracelets to burning CDs (R.IP. Limewire,) I even had a business creating Dr. notes and fake practice records for kids in school. I have always had a go-getter mindset and been incredibly driven.
With EmpowerNet I wanted to do something that helped other entrepreneurs grow, develop and lift them up the way my grandparents, businesswomen in my family and my hometown helped me and showed me the ropes. I also wanted to bring something different to the table in the way we network in East Texas. I network alot, I mean I am everywhere and what I came to find was that networking events here were boring, monotonous and I didn’t see many who actually benefited from or gained alot of business from these events. I thought we needed some pizazz and excitement.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.

Well by day I am a Financial Consultant. I got into banking because I wanted to do something to help Black and Brown people like myself. When it comes to finance our community often misses opportunities and gets taken advantage of but it’s simply due to lack of knowledge. The financial literacy isn’t there so we get into these financial ruts we can’t get out of. However, I thought there needed to be more folks that looked like us in the finance world. When you go into a bank who do you typically see? Middle-aged white women. There’s not a ton of diversity unless you’re at a larger bank like the big boys (Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Citi, etc.,) but they’re just trying not to get sued. I transitioned into finance from multimedia and marketing because representation matters. It has not been easy though. It took me at least 3 years to break into banking because my degree wasn’t business or finance related. I was a mass communication major with a background in multimedia and public relations. No one would give me a chance until a small retail bank inside of Walmart noticed my potential, loved my personality and gave me a shot. Retail banks like those are sales-driven so they tend to gravitate to those with huge personalities that can sell ice to an Eskimo like me. They weren’t wrong though. I happen to be one of those people that can talk to a brick wall and make a brick wall talk back, I’m glad that bank took a chance on me because it allowed me to develop into a leader, gain skills and knowledge of the industry and get my foot in the door of the financial world. Working there taught me one of my greatest lessons which was to ALWAYS be authentically me and never compete with anyone but myself. I killed it at that bank and was incredibly successful. It was because I was always me. People loved Antwanise and they loved coming to the bank to deal with me I could sell accounts because I was never shy to walk up to strangers and just start rambling about the benefits of a money market account. My vibrant personality along with my penchant for forcing people to tap into their own excellence is what separated me from the rest. Not only was I going to be great but I was going to make everyone around me do the same. I loved being a mentor and leader to those young tellers of mine. They were fresh minds new to the real world and had so many influences ready to discourage them.

I love what I do in banking when I get to help others. However, I am a creative by nature and the monotonous environment of a bank does not soothe me. I need to be around creativity and in a place where I can satisfy the creative aspect in me but also that fast-paced, innovation that comes with being an entrepreneur. EmpowerNet checks all of my boxes because not only do I get to use my background in finance by providing business owners with financial advice and coaching but I also get to tap back into my communication and journalism roots. I am the publicist, photographer, marketing consultant, content creator and media specialist all wrapped up into one. I have to be because with any new project the funding is always low at the beginning. I even video and shoot our events to document them for branding and marketing purposes.

I love this organization and eventhough it is still just a baby I am so damn proud of it and what it will become. I am proud of what it stands for and what it’s purpose is. EmpowerNet is why I do what I do. One of my passions, and I suppose this is why the Lord made me such an extrovert, is I love uplifting and encouraging others. I want us all to win and nothing gives me greater joy than when I see someone basking in their small successes. Whether it’s showing someone how to market themselves or encouraging that woman who was unsure of starting her cleaning company to GET AFTER IT, I love what I do and get so much happiness from it. There were 2 moments recently when I knew I was doing what I am supposed to be doing: the first was when I hosted the inaugural networking mixer and to change things up a bit I made the guests speed date each other but the twist was they had to talk about anything other than their business. The purpose was to force them to make meaningful connections with each other. I was shooting the event as well so I could make a content post later and man if you could see some of their faces. They were laughing it up and you could just tell people were genuinely enjoying themselves. It was so nice to see and that energy in the room calmed me down like drinking a fresh glass of lemonade on a hot summer day in the South while being sung old Negro spirituals. It was so refreshing to see. Now the second moment of clarity came when I was at a networking event and a woman stood up and announced her newly created life coaching business. She said she had literally just stepped out on faith and started the business just 2 days prior to the event. She was like ya’ll I don’t even have a business card. After the introductions I went up to her and was like “sis do you want me to make you a card? I can hook you up with a digital card right now.” I took out my phone and made her a digital business card using HiHello and when I completed it that woman wrapped her arms around me so tight and gave me the longest, most sincere, warmest hug. I almost teared up and she said, “God sent you here tonight for me,” then texted me the next day “thank you for sowing into my life.” It was so comforting to be able to make someone happy like that by doing something so simple that literally took me 3.5min to complete. I want to continue doing that for others. Helping them progress forward. Reminding them that they WILL succeed and to not let their fears of starting a business deter them. EmpowerNet is here to create more moments like that woman and her business card. It is here to grow others. It’s here to show aspiring entrepreneurs that yeah this shit is hard but there’s someone on your team. There is always someone rooting for you and willing to be there for you. Don’t be afraid, square up with that fear, start your business and own your future.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I am a big *ss nerd and love history so as corny as this sounds the JFK tour is something I’d make them suffer through. I love horses so a trip through Ascend is a must and we’ll be headed to the stockyards in Ft. Worth so I can reach my maximum Texan level. Doesn’t Ft. Worth just make you feel like a Texan? It’s all the stereotypes of Texans you see on tv but in 1 central area. The Dallas Arboretum and Aquarium are where I like to hang to calm my anxiety and ADHD but that’s all touristy type stuff. If I really wanted to show my BFF what I love the most about coming to Dallas, we’re living our best Real Housewife lives and hitting up all the bougie boutiques, we’re eating at Capital Grille and Ocean Prime, then heading over to Highland Park Village and pop into Madison and try not to get thrown out of Fachini for stuffing our faces. Finally I’m throwing on my sexiest retro dress and heading to Akai, Capones or Red Phone Booth. My family has a history with the prohibition era so I am partial to speakeasies and places with old timey vibes like that. I’ve got 1 hell of a moonshine recipe from my grandpa in my repertoire. But it wouldn’t be a week with me in the city if we did not hit up a ton of networking events, tech mixers, boss brunches and social gatherings. My mind is always on the business and connecting with other hustlers and successful people. MixerCloud, Dallas Boss Babes, African Think Tank, all of them. We in there. I just love being in a room full of people with the same mindset that look just like me. A room full of melanated excellence is my best hangout spot in the city and the best motivator.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Hands down my mama. Just writing this now is getting me emotional because I would not be who I am without her. I come from a single parent household, absentee bum father but I have never wanted for anything. I think my mother has always known the type of kid she had. She’s always known that I was a creative, ambitious person which is why anything I have ever wanted to do she has NEVER held me back and you know for a Black woman that is saying alot because Black parents are protective as hell. But Barbara never discouraged me. I said I was gonna go work at Disney and she let me experience that. When I wanted to study abroad she let me go. I said hey I’m gonna start a non-profit she said When, Where and How can I help? My mother has always let me fly. Watching how hard my mother has worked has been so inspiring and keeps me going. I work as hard as I do to be able to be in a position to give back to her. I keep telling her to hurry up and retire so I can implement my plans for world domination for her.

Instagram: @empowernettx

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/antwanisejackson

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61554934800551

Other: Personal Pages FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/antwanisej/ INSTAGRAM: @antwanise08 TIK TOK: @antwanisejackson

Image Credits
Mandy Ray Photography