Carrie Just StARTed! We registered her LLC!
- Malena Amusa
- Sep 15, 2025
- 4 min read
Some of the most powerful moments in business happen when you simply start. That first step—officially organizing your business—is a declaration: I’m ready to make this dream real.
This past Saturday, Ms. Carrie Collins-Whitfield, a fellow dancer and proud St. Louis native, registered her LLC! 🙌🎉 For many of us, this milestone might seem small, but it’s a giant leap toward running that rockstar biz!
From here, we discussed two super core matters: defining your mission and your biz model. Take a look below, then dive into some examples from brands we love and exercises to help you define your mission & biz model.
Clarify Your Mission
Once you’ve started, the next key step is clarifying your mission. This is the driving call of your business, how what you offer will help people improve and better their lives. A strong and clear mission is key, as it rallies support to your mission while keeping your grounded when challenges arise.
4 Quick Exercises to Jumpstart Your Mission:
Answer the “Why” Question: Write down why your business exists beyond making money. Ask yourself: What change or impact do I want to create for my customers or community?
Define Your Ideal Customer: Describe the person who benefits most from your work. Understanding who you serve helps refine the purpose of your mission.
Identify Challenges You Address | Map the Impact: Write down both personal and systemic obstacles your business helps overcome. How does your offering empower individuals while addressing broader inequities?
List the ways your business can improve the lives of customers, employees, or your community. Think beyond products—consider economic, educational, and social outcomes.
Craft a Bold, Clear Statement: Condense your mission into one powerful sentence that reflects purpose, impact, and direction. For instance:
Example for Company X: "Our platform connects talented freelancers from underrepresented communities with global opportunities, helping close systemic gaps in employment while building thriving, sustainable careers."
Define Your Business Model
Now that your mission is in place, the next crucial step is understanding how it will operate. Your business model serves as your blueprint—a roadmap for growth and sustainability. It's essential to determine what part of the ecosystem you aim to own or influence. Are you creating a platform that touches multiple layers of your market, or are you focusing on a specific niche where you can be most impactful? Let's take ques from top brands we love.
Fenty Beauty: Manufacturing and Distribution
Business Model: Fenty Beauty manufactures and distributes makeup products, focusing on inclusivity with a wide range of shades. By controlling production and distribution, Fenty ensures quality and brand consistency.
Revenue Generation: In 2023, Fenty Beauty achieved over $600 million in annual revenue, making it the top-earning celebrity beauty brand globally.
Strategic Insight: Fenty's model emphasizes direct control over product creation and distribution, allowing for rapid market response and brand loyalty.
World Wide Technology (WWT): Technology Solutions Provider
Business Model: WWT specializes in providing technology solutions, including cloud computing, data analytics, and cybersecurity services. They integrate these solutions into existing tech ecosystems, offering tailored services to meet client needs.
Revenue Generation: In 2024, WWT reported an annual revenue of $20 billion, positioning it as the largest Black-owned company in the U.S. and among the top 20 private companies nationwide.
Strategic Insight: WWT's success lies in its ability to adapt and integrate into various industries, providing customized tech solutions that address specific business challenges.
Lucy Guo's Ventures: Platform Creation and Exit Strategy
Business Model: Lucy Guo's approach involves creating platforms that serve specific market needs and then positioning them for acquisition. Her notable venture, Scale AI, was co-founded to provide data labeling services for AI applications.
Revenue Generation: Scale AI has been valued at $25 billion, and Guo's stake in the company contributed significantly to her net worth, making her the world's youngest self-made female billionaire.
Strategic Insight: Guo's model focuses on identifying emerging market needs, developing platforms to address those needs, and scaling them for acquisition, allowing for substantial returns on investment.
Quick Exercise to Define Your Business Model:
Map the Ecosystem: Identify all players, partners, and touchpoints in your industry. Highlight where your business fits naturally.
Decide Your Ownership: Determine which parts of the ecosystem you want to control, influence, or collaborate with.
Align With Your Team: List the activities that feel harmonious and energizing to you and your team, and focus your model around those areas.
Every creative leader requires intentional steps—launching, clarifying your mission, and defining your model.
If you’re ready to build in a way that aligns with your vision ✨, your strengths 💪🏾, and the impact you wish to make in your community 🌍, get the life-changing 1:1 and personalized coaching and workshop time with me 🛠️🎨 and let's make it happen! We care so much about your ideas 💡❤️. I can't wait to talk about yours 👋🏾.
Our Mission: To help re-boot the national economy by empowering creative leaders. By 2027, we aim to support 100,000 visionaries, from leading firms to solopreneurs, with a supportive newsletter community, coaching, workshops, and a launchpad/incubator. Share, connect, and let’s all get smarter, wealthier, and more impactful. We can’t wait to hear about your ideas!
About Malena: Malena Amusa is the CEO and Founder of Artsy-Preneur.com, a business and marketing incubator helping your big ideas achieve maximum impact through coaching, workshops, and powerful learning experiences. A pro journalist, educator, comms strategist, serial entrepreneur, and former nationally-touring dancer, Malena has reached millions globally, helping small and mega firms transform their marketing, engagement strategy, and messaging to advance new market share, embolden brand leadership, and fuel sales and growth. Malena is based in St. Louis, Mo., serving the world.
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