Meet Najja Cummings | Therapist & Owner

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

Hi Najja, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Honestly, it was inevitable. I’ve been planning my life since I was 19 years old. My father ran his own business when I was a kid. We struggled financially, but it was the pride that he had in it was what resonated with me. It was the fact that he had something to call his own. I knew as a child, that entrepreneurship was my eventual outcome. After that, I just needed to find a passion, and mental health introduced itself to me when I was a senior in high school. Once I knew I wanted to be a therapist, starting my own practice was the only option.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I actually have 3 businesses; Serenity Counseling Group LLC (private practice), LOFE LLC (commercial cleaning), and C&L Real Estate Holdings LLC (real estate investing). In terms of traits that set me apart, I am a lifelong learner. There is nothing more exciting to me than learning, whether it’s a book, a city, or a person. I am very analytical, a natural researcher. Honestly, some of the traits thats made me a good therapist makes me a good businessman. I’m also just naturally gifted at people (Again all credit to mama). I’ve always been personable and able to nagivate different spaces seemlessly. I’m easily most proud of the fact that my businesses afford me the ability to help the people around me. Retiring my parents has always been my fuel since I embarked on entrepreneurship, and it still drives me today, so the fact that I can help in taking care of them is my most cherished possession. The journey in getting here started with the work. My father was my biggest example. I would watch him wake up at 5 AM every morning, read the morning paper, prepare his day and go to work. I remember as a child during the summers, I would stay up all night just to have coffee with him in the mornings before he went to work. He never missed a day, no sick days, no call-offs. It was the consistency that I revered as a child. I knew whatever I wanted in life, it started with the work. The acknowledgment can be cool. I ironically love people but really dislike a lot of attention, so acknowledgment isn’t that important. The money is nice. It’s essential to exist in this world. However without the work it all just lacks substance. I’ve been a little lucky too. I have an intellectual trade that I was smart enough to monetize. I’m also intentional with my relationships and who I surround myself with. I learn a lot from my friends, business partners, and mentors. There isn’t much about entrepreneurship that’s easy. I work weekends, late nights and take few vacations. Is it rewarding though? Very. My career has been nothing but resilience. I applied to 6 PhD programs and didn’t get into any. I lost a CHUNK of money my first few years of investing in real estate. I haven’t lost enthusiasm. I’m only 33. I got a lot more failures ahead of me. I also have even more enthusiasm ahead of me. My failures have propelled me to create companies that generate enough revenue to take care of me and help support the people around me. My best friend and I have a saying, “fail fast.” It simply means that failure is a necessary component to success and you want to do it quickly because the corrections need to come just as swift. Some of the lessons so far, is maybe start with services as opposed to product, you tend to have less operational expenses. Don’t invest in ideas, invest in people. A good team can turn a decent idea into something amazing. Be willing to delegate (still probably learning this one). As far as my brand, I just want people to know that it all begins and ends with work ethic. LOFE is the name of my commercial cleaning company. It stands for Labor Over Fruit Enterprises. Most people want the fruit but not many want the labor. Its another saying my best friend and I say. The success of your marriage takes work. Your devotion to your higher power takes work. Displaying commitment to your relationships, your health, mental health takes work. Success in any endeavor starts with the work.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Probably depends on the friends. Everyone that knows me knows I love to have a good time. It gotta be some level of ratchness sprinkled in there. We would probably do some combination of dinner and a late night for drinks. I like Paparazzi Lounge. Some of my favorite restaurants in the city are SER and Winsome Prime.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I have to shoutout my family. My parents (Clinton and Dollie Cummings) have always been my rock. My parents were an interesting combination in values that led me to where I am today. My mother valued formal education heavily, and my father leaned entreneurship and skill development. He felt like formal education wasn’t necessary to be successful. However, he believed in seeking knowledge and being an independent thinker. Through him, I learned the significance of my own way of being. Independent thinking and formal education became integral concepts of who I am. Aside from education, my mother is one of the most people personable you will ever meet. She can get you to tell you her your whole life story within minutes. I’ve always have marveled at how she connnects with people, and lucky for me its an ability that I was able to get from her. These were there teachings. My mother’s encouragement, father’s example, and siblings’ presence are the things that propelled me to get to the place I am today. I always knew no matter how far I went in life I had a home. The home was much more than a physical dwelling, but it was love, unwavering support, and connection. People provide these characteristics, the home is just the vessel that holds it. My nieces and nephew, my best friends, my support system has always been my source of strength.

Website: serenitycg.org

Instagram: @najjadc

Other: laboroverfruit.com

Image Credits
linnearxstrategies_photography