Sep 21, 20203 min read

S2 Ep 18 From designing for Tyler Perry to designing for the WORLD [w/ Monica Allen]

How many times have you said to yourself, "I'm so ready to be done." Or maybe even typed up your resignation notice and have it just waiting in that special folder on your desktop. Waiting to whip it out at an uncertain date in the future.

Been there, and my guest on the show today, Monica Allen has too. Monica is a serial entrepreneur owning several businesses in the Westside Atlanta area. She is co-owner of Allen Professional Graphics Group and Deuce Equity Group with her husband Ethan King. She is also the founder and CEO of Monica Allen Interiors.

Allen Professional Graphics Group is a full-service graphic design firm owning the brands Zeus’ Closet, stuff4GREEKS.com, and FratBrat.com.

From being given office space for their business by Tyler Perry in their early years to her and her husband creating design that now reaches around the world, in all of that, there were decision points.

At some point, you may cross that corp life vs. paying the bills scenario, but what to do next and how to lay a successful path, we're talking about that on the show.

Monica majored in Risk Management and Insurance at the University of Georgia. She would later earn her MBA from Georgia State University while moving up the corporate ladder at Mercer as an employee benefits broker. After working in Corporate America for 8 years, Monica left her full-time job to pursue her entrepreneurial goals.

One of the things that makes Monica the happiest is that she is able to employ other people and help make their dreams of homeownership, going to school, or providing a good education for their kids come true.

Monica believes that being surrounded by positive people, believing in yourself, and having faith in God has led to her success.

She feels like entrepreneurship is in her blood. She is passionate about helping other budding entrepreneurs and enjoys talking about it every moment she gets. From this love came her most recent passion project, the Stitched for Success podcast.

Stitched for Success is a podcast dedicated to helping aspiring entrepreneurs, side hustlers, and new business owners achieve the American Dream while avoiding the pitfalls of owning their own business. She shares stories from successful entrepreneurs who overcame the odds and have the battle scars to prove it.

Monica also has a deep love for education with a focus on the importance of reading and literacy. Her grandmother, who was illiterate, always stressed to Monica the importance of education. Monica shows her deep care for education by serving on the board of Westside Atlanta Charter School, and regularly volunteering her time to speak to elementary, high school, and college students.

She is the co-author of “You've Graduated. Now What?: 10 Steps to Stand Out and Get Hired in The New Economy” to help young grads enter the job market. The book gives unfiltered real-world advice from the perspective of hiring managers; knowledge that students aren’t receiving in high school or college. It has 5-star reviews on Amazon and has been featured on The Wall Street Journal This Morning.

She is the proud mom of 2 kiddos, Imana 10 and Legend 6. They make her laugh every day and keep her pushing to be the best.

In this episode, we’ll talk about…