Alumni News

Toschia Moffett, Class of 1994, is the Chief Operating Officer of Prosperity Publications in San Antonio, Texas.  Prosperity Publications is an African American publishing company committed to preserving history, strengthening communities, and creating a lasting legacy. Prosperity Publications fosters black excellence with a mission to empower talented authors, writers, and poets by providing a platform to share their voices and stories. Through community engagement, cultural preservation, and partnerships with non-profit organizations, the publishing house inspires positive change and empowers individuals. They are committed to elevating the discourse, enriching minds, and inspiring hearts through the power of storytelling. They invite you to join them on their journey of discovery and elevation, where every page turned is a step towards a greater understanding of the world and your place within it. 

Prosperity Publishing is a forward-thinking publishing company committed to creating inspiring and entertaining books.  It is not your atypical publishing company. Prosperity Publishing is actively involved in the community across several states and internationally.  For over a decade, it has been actively hosting book clubs all over the country and partnering with housing projects, public and private schools, and churches.

They have conducted workshops/panel discussions/and speaking engagements for the National Pan Hellenic Council, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., Central State University, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Zeta Phi Beta Incorporation, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. Groove Phi Groove Social organization, Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc. Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. United States Army, Barton College, Limestone College, Georgia Tech University, University of Georgia, Miami-Dade College, Coker University, St. Phillips College, University of Texas at San Antonio, Duke University, University of Texas, Texas A&M University, Atlanta NPHC, US Dept. of Agriculture, RawSistaz Literary Event, Sister to Sister Sorority Luncheon Series, National Action Network, NAACP, Mainstream and Independent bookstores, Black Caucus of the American Library Association, Harlem Book Fair, The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, The Beech Institute, Fulton County Library, Queen’s Library in New York just to name a few. They also have several signature workshops as well.

Tracy Wallace Redfearn, Class of 2002, is the founder and CEO of Child and Family Resource Center and Foundation.

The Center provides educational support and mental health services to children and their families in the Hartsville community and across the State of South Carolina.  Their primary purpose is to educate, evaluate, address, coordinate, and provide resources to all children and families who come to them.  The Center provides services such as testing and advocacy, after school programs, parent support groups, camps for children throughout the year and private counseling.

Their goal is to ensure all children are equipped with a strong foundation and have the rote skills needed to be successful in school and in life and that this can be achieved through empowering their families to heal to heal from grief, trauma and loss in their daily lives.

The Child & Family Resource Center collaborates with Coker University who provide a Nurse Practitioner and Clinical Coordinator to work with the Child and Family Resource clinicians to improve wellness and mental health of children of Darlington County.

LiAsia Tillman jump-started a journey to revolutionize how businesses handle administrative tasks by establishing Precisions by Patch. 

Driven by an aspiration to alleviate the burden of mundane yet essential tasks for fellow entrepreneurs, Tillman set out to offer a unique service tailored to the needs of small businesses. 

Her vision was simple yet profound: to serve as the virtual equivalent of “Google” for enterprises, efficiently tackling tasks ranging from data entry to setting up QuickBooks with precision and meticulousness.

What was the inspiration behind starting your business?
I started my business because I wanted to help those who already had businesses and didn’t want to do simple tasks. By simple tasks, I mean data entry, filing in a particular order, making spreadsheets, documents, invoices, and even setting up QuickBooks. If someone asks for a specific document or file, I can work with minimal clues to figure out precisely what they need. I consider myself like “Google”. We tell Google what we are looking for as it pulls up all the needed options. That is what I offer other businesses that do not necessarily need a secretary; they just need someone to get them started or fix a few things that may have gotten out of hand.

What sets your business apart in the market?
What sets me apart from other businesses is the time I take. Since we live in a world where everything is fast-paced, I take my time and look at the details to ensure I complete the job without missing anything. If I am setting up a spreadsheet with formulas, I make sure those formulas work and are locked in so no one can make a mistake and mess up the spreadsheet. 

What challenges have you encountered along the way, and how have you overcome them?
The only challenge I have faced is building my clientele. People don’t understand precisely what I do, and they do not understand how I can help them.

Is there any advice you’d like to share with students considering a similar path?
I would tell them to never give up on your dreams. Even when it may seem difficult, remember you followed your passion for a reason. You could be ahead, but it gives you more time to perfect your work.

In the wake of a personal tragedy and a scarcity of quality childcare options in her community, Brittany Henderson anchored a life-changing path. 

Driven by a desire to fill a necessary need and armed with her experience, education, and attention to childcare, she boldly decided to transition from a ten-year teaching career to a stay-at-home mom. 

During this time of reflection, the seeds of Tiny Treasures Daycare were sown, leading Henderson to jump-start a journey to create a childcare center that would meet and exceed families’ expectations in her area.

What was the inspiration behind starting your business?
“The inspiration behind starting my business came in January of 2020 when my children’s daycare closed due to the death of their director/owner. I searched for a quality childcare center in our area and was unsuccessful. In February 2020, I walked away from my 10-year public teaching career to stay at home with my two children. While being a stay-at-home mom, I had some extra time to ponder some things and realized the only way to fix our daycare shortage in the area was to open one myself. I had the education, the experience, and the drive to give our community what it desperately needed”.

What sets your business apart in the market?
“I have a brand-new facility with state-of-the-art safety features, experienced caregivers who have the same common goal as myself and that is to provide quality childcare, and I am also the highest licensed provider for children under 30 months of age in our area”.

What challenges have you encountered along the way, and how have you overcome them?
“I have encountered many challenges along the way. It was very hard to get anyone in our community to have enough faith to give us such a substantial amount of money to build the facility. I was a stay-at-home mom with no income and my husband is a business owner. We knew it would work out if someone would just give us the opportunity to show them. And we are so thankful that Mutual Savings Bank saw something that no one else did. Another major challenge came when we finally got the loan, COVID hit and shut everything down so the progress we finally made was being pushed back. Honestly, it was all by the grace of God that we overcame those challenges. I had to keep telling myself that it was His timing, not mine. And that was absolutely true!”

Is there any advice you’d like to share with students considering a similar path?
“Some advice I would like to offer is that no matter how many people doubt you or tell you no, you can’t give up if it is truly something you are passionate about. The rewards are much bigger than the challenges when you get the opportunity to make a difference in children’s lives daily!”

Scott Phelps founded Under the Lights Driver Training by leveraging his passion for education as a full-time teacher. His primary motivation was to extend his role as an educator beyond the classroom, aiming to equip young drivers with essential skills while supplementing his income. 

Scott’s business uniquely integrates his educational expertise with practical driver training by offering a focused and personalized learning environment. 

What was the inspiration behind starting your business?
“I’m a full-time teacher and enjoy helping students. I started a driver training business in order to continue to help students and supplement my income”.

What sets your business apart in the market?
“Because I teach full time, I can only serve a small group of clients monthly, so my classes are small and individualized.”

What challenges have you encountered along the way, and how have you overcome them?
“The rise in costs, particularly gas and insurance, have been a challenge as I try to balance the costs I pass on to the customers. I’m trying to keep prices as low as possible.”

Is there any advice you’d like to share with students considering a similar path?
“Owning your own business can be challenging but very rewarding. Choosing a business that is a ‘need’ for customers is important. A business that is a ‘want’ can be challenging, especially in the inflated economy with so many people and families struggling to pay bills”.

To learn more about Under the Lights Driver Training, visit http://driveunderthelights.weebly.com.

Darrian Love, founder of Collegiate Academy of Carolina, aims to cater to the diverse educational needs of learners. From the academy’s foundation as a support system for ESL learners to its expansion into Academic Success Programming and Educational Coaching, Collegiate Academy of Carolina is a testament to Love’s vision of providing thorough academic support. 

In this question-and-answer series, Love reflects on the inspiration behind his business, its unique offerings, challenges encountered along the way, and valuable advice for aspiring entrepreneurs.

What was the inspiration behind starting your business?
My inspiration came from supporting all learners in their academic journey to success, no matter the language or the academic school program they attend, and from providing a place to receive extra intervention or enrichment.

What sets your business apart in the market? 
We offer a unique tutoring program that is not like your typical tutor. For one we call our Tutors, Academic Success Techs. Our goal is to support learners in being successful in any subject. We utilize a diagnostic tool to gather a baseline of the learners’ performance and then provide a unique individualized academic program for several weeks to measure academic growth.

What challenges have you encountered along the way, and how have you overcome them?
Most challenges I have encountered have been inhuman resources and accounting sectors. I do not have a background in payroll, billing, or onboarding contractors. However, I had to research it and find the best platforms that worked for me and my business. After discovering my solution, I used Square for my invoice system and payroll. I utilized Indeed to find potential contractors to bring onto my teams. I still have challenges that may arise from time to time that I just don’t know the answer to, but the answer comes from the advice I would give one”.

Is there any advice you’d like to share with students considering a similar path?
I encourage students who are considering a similar path to persevere. You learn so many skills running a business. I have learned so much from Networking groups. You can meet other professionals with whom you are unfamiliar and have a conversation over coffee or a Zoom meeting to trade best practices. Therefore, my biggest advice is never to give up and network because other business owners were once a blank canvas, and their passion developed over time.

Darrian Love’s entrepreneurial journey exemplifies the life-changing power of passion, perseverance, and adaptability in business. Through the Collegiate Academy of Carolina, Love addresses educational gaps and fosters a community dedicated to academic success and personal growth. 

To learn more about the Collegiate Academy of Carolina, please click here. 

John Curnias, 1996, owns Palmetto State Exteriors.

What was the inspiration behind starting your business?

I started Palmetto State Exteriors due to COVID-19. I had 25 years’ experience in Sales Management and ran two brick plants. So, I knew the demand for corrective masonry staining and waterproofing. That was the impetus for starting the business. Actually, it was driven by companies becoming lien.

What sets your business apart in the market?

What sets us apart is we are very diversified in what we are capable of doing by adding Limewashing, German Smears, masonry cleaning and roofing. I’ve since opened a Company called Palmetto Thermal Coatings which goes on any building substrate and the products are highly innovative. It’s the same technology used on the space shuttle and nobody else has anything close.

What challenges have you encountered along the way and how have you overcome them?

There are many challenges that can be an issue and you have got to be patient. Quick growth means cash flow issues. The labor pool is not reliable, so I have to always be ready to do the job myself if necessary. Lack of communication and correct information is a major setback. The way we overcome these issues is being honest and working out the scope of work before starting. I take the pricing of the work out of the laborers’ hands by doing the quotes myself and letting them know the labor price and how long the job should take. The key is to do what you say you’re going to do and exceed the customer’s expectations. I treat every customer as if I’m dealing with myself.

I use four principles when selling a job and or using a product:

1. I ask myself the question, “Am I solving a problem and will I always be a resource for a customer?” Meaning by being truthful and even walking away from a job, can I give them another company that can solve the problem?

2. Always answer the phone! If I am in a meeting, I will send them a message saying that I will call them as soon as I am done. Open communication eliminates a lot of problems.

3. Environment, health, and product knowledge are essential. I never put anybody in a situation to get hurt or hurt the environment.

4. Can I make money? That doesn’t mean be greedy but be fair in pricing. Hawgs always get slaughtered.