The thought of letting go the seemingly security of corporate America to self-employment is scary. Navigating the professional world in general as a Black millennial woman is scary. It’s like knowing for sure you have what it takes to succeed but shying back a bit because not only are you a woman, but you’re a Black woman. And let’s just be real – the way society is set up; you’d think you may not have a chance at success. But it’s beyond time to let those thoughts go. Just look around at the amazing Black millennial women out here making it happen! Brittany Thompson, COO of MVP Outsourcing is one of those amazing women I had the pleasure of connecting and working with on a few projects over the past few years. She has helped me in so many ways not only professionally, but personally as well. She is truly the MVP!

I wanted to sit down and chat with her about her professional journey with the hopes that it could inspire someone else on their journey. 

Brittany is a Business Strategist + COO for clients all over the world. She teaches entrepreneurs and small business owners how to scale and grow their businesses. She does this through the creation of systems, processes, and team building.

I asked Brittany if this is what she was always doing and if not, what she did before now and how she was able to transition. She explained that she started as a Virtual Assistant in June 2016. In 2018 she was offered a position as a Business Outsourcing Consultant and fell in love with developing systems and processes. She found a passion for helping business owners grow their business. From there she learned that the position would be best known as [Chief Operations Officer or Business Operation Manger]. She then made it her business to master the art of delegation and systemization.

Brittany essentially took the skills she learned in corporate America, mastered them and started her own business. 

Of course, starting a new role comes with many challenges, but the important thing to do is learn how to overcome the challenges.

Brittany says the most challenging thing is understanding that every client is not for her.

She focuses on strategizing her client onboarding process to make sure that their visions are aligned. Brittany stressed the fact that she loves what she does, and she does it [well]. She clarifies that in order for her to her job well, there’s a specific type of client she needs to work with. I can totally relate to this sentiment even through my own professional journey. As I search for new employment opportunities, it’s a major factor that each professional relationship is mutually beneficial. The vision of success on either side need to align. This is so important for growth of an individual and a company.

I was curious to know Brittany’s thoughts on what she would have advised her 20-year-old self.

So many times, I think back to my early 20s and wish I would have done things a bit differently to prepare myself for success.

Brittany’s response, “Oh, I love this”.

– Set boundaries for self + business

– Self-discipline is the core of success

 – Read, read, read and master what you love

 – Stop seeing failure as a loss, take the lesson, break it down and learn from it!

In the next 5 years Brittany plans to have obtained financial and time freedom. Have her business running without her and have the ability to travel the world.

I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t ask her about her love life. A big struggle for many of us is work/life balance and how to manage having a partner while following your dreams.

Brittany exclaimed that she IS dating and is grateful that her partner is also an entrepreneur, so balancing is not hard at all. They understand each other’s busy lifestyle and have weekly date night on Friday. She mentioned that they have not missed a date night in months! If he is not at his tattoo shop, Brittany and her partner both work from home in separate office spaces. She says, “We get it. We respect each other’s dreams and motivate each other. It’s dope.”

I love to see it.

Chatting with Brittany was such a good time. She has a light-hearted spirit but is also about her business.  She has a deep understanding of how to organize and be more efficient. Going from corporate America to self-employment in my opinion is the smartest way to do it. Just like Brittany, taking the invaluable skills you learn as an employee or consultant and applying them in your own business is a great way to prepare for success. 

More inspiring stories below!