Meet Neena Speer, Presenter of "12 Months to Become Your Own CEO" Workshop Series

 

Neena Speer's "12 Steps to Become Your Own CEO" holds its 2nd workshop Monday, July 25. 

Birmingham, Ala. - Do you have a desire to run your own business one day? Then make plans now to attend the second part of BPL’s new monthly seminar series, "12 Months to Become Your Own CEO," at 4:30 p.m. on Monday, July 25, at the Central Library in downtown Birmingham.

 Below is an introduction to workshop series presenter Neena Speer, a Birmingham attorney who has professional experience in helping clients start and grow businesses in metro Birmingham. Learn more about this workshop series by clicking here. 

 A native of metro Birmingham, Neena Speer graduated from the University of Alabama School of Law in 2017, and received her undergraduate degrees from Howard University in 2014. In addition to owning an award-winning trademark law firm, Neena Speer is principal of a book, speaking and consulting company, executive director of a non-profit, and the author of two Amazon best-selling books, “Dear Future Lawyer: An Intimate Guide for the Minority Female Law Student” (July 2018) and “Dear Future CEO ®ANI: A Thriving Business Owner's Secret Playbook” (April 2021).

 In a Q & A with the Birmingham Public Library, Speer talked about what inspired her “12 Steps to Becoming Your Own CEO” workshop series at BPL and shares tips for other business owners. 

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BPL: For those unfamiliar with you, introduce our readers to Neena R. Speer. 

Speer: I hail from Birmingham originally. (graduated Homewood High) I am a graduate of the illustrious Howard University and University of Alabama School of Law. In my four years at Howard, I learned a lot about myself as a minority woman trying to make myself a leader in business. 

I did not have a lot of images of success, especially in the law field which I've known I wanted to do since eighth grade. I started out wanting to do criminal defense, and that was only thing I was passionate about. When I was 8 years old, I started out making business plans.

I wrote the business training plan we still follow for my non-profit today. It's called "Step 1-2-3 Mentor for Life Initiative." We focus on career-based mentorship in which we help people develop successful life and communication skills. 

One thing I saw when I first got out of undergrad was I had never done this law thing before in my life. It showed because my grades did not reflect knowing what I was talking about. I felt really insecure about that for a while. I almost flunked out of law school my first year. 

They put me in a special class with people also struggling. A low GPA was considered a 2.5. I had to keep a 2.85 to keep my scholarship. There was one black professor who was the only one whose Evidence class gave me hope to keep on this law school path. I went on from there and it was like a rocket ship. I did well in my law classes after 1L Year. 

I was more successful once I learned the game of law from one phenomenal teacher who knew how to reach me. When I got into the real world, it was time for the bar exam. If I struggled in law school, I struggled with the bar exam as well. Many people have the same story including Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton. Failing my bar exam put me on the trajectory to master business. 

Two weeks after I found out I failed and was depressed, I got into this black business accelerator program - in North Carolina. I went there and in three days I failed my pitch at first. I had to completely redo it in 24 hours. I was able to pitch it to investors and learn about all the business terms - entrepreneurship, how to create your own product, how to think about your competitors. 

I did it in a day in a hyper-intensive accelerator called "The Black Upstart" by Kezia Williams. That led me to believe that when I did start my own law practice contrary to what I thought, I wanted to do criminal defense and wanted to make sure I also did business. No matter what I did, I was going to add business services and protections into my practice. That is how my law firm came to be, and I've been at it four years now.

 BPL: What led you to do this 12 Steps to Becoming Your Own CEO series here at the Central Library?

Speer: Most people don't know this about trademarks, but it is a 12 to 15 month process. It used to be an 8 to 12 month process. Therefore, my 12 Steps to Becoming Your Own CEO Program helps you get your business in order. 

It took me a year to really get my business off the ground and to really get people to believe in me. From April 2018 to April 2019, it was a struggle - so much so that I took free legal advice clinics to learn how to do what I do now, so much so I had to ask for help from coaches and go to networking events.

 I don't want others to have to struggle through that processes. I wanted to break it up into areas that once I learned how to master, I was able to use that area to learn how to do other areas of business.

BPL: I love you broke it down into 12 areas so it won't seem as overwhelming to participants of your class. Step by step, what can people expect during these 12 monthly workshops? 

Speer: The first thing they are going to learn (June 27) is my trademark your brand master class which is called "Intellectual Property 101: Trademark Your Brand Masterclass." 

 If you never knew anything about trademarking your brand or don't know how to monetize your trademark if you do have one, come to this class and you will learn how myself and other lawyers have gone through this process and learn a few case studies to figure out whether your brand qualifies for a trademark.

Class Two Launch a Nonprofit Organization (Monday, July 25) 

This class is near and dear to my heart. After I finish talking participants through how to get your business protected, I want you to think about the service - launching your nonprofit organization. Most people don't know what they're doing. 

They think about trying to make money off their nonprofit. One thing I know - it is non-profit which means not for profit. If I can get that through your head by the end, we will be successful together. 

The next one is to get you to think about business planning (Rebirth That Business Idea, Monday, August 29). Getting that business idea, getting that stuff in place will really help you. This session will tackle the scary reality for most entrepreneurs, which is mastering how to pitch your business to investors. 

Class Four Discover the Magic of Mentoring (Monday, September 26) 

After you come up with your business idea, you need to figure out where your mentors are, who your coaches are. The magic of getting mentors before you embark on this mission is important. A lot of us don't think about coaching and what we can do to get our business to the next level. Instead you try to figure out how to do this on my own and you never outsource the help.

Stop looking for your mentors to be people you don't pay. A lot of mentors do not know how to be coaches. Sometimes your mentors have an invoice attached. It is still a mentor that you look up to who can help you. Stop thinking your mentor has to be someone who gives you free advice. It can be someone you pay, it can be someone who pours into you and they won't stop pouring if you do it right.

Class Five is "Do What Scares You (Monday, October 31

What scares most people is talking, speaking publicly, getting to that next level. I will tell you a lot about what scares me. I will tell you about my fears; we will have a vulnerability session and actually talk about your mindset.

If you don't figure out what scares you, what makes you feel insecure we will never figure out a solution. A lot of us struggle with the same stuff - procrastination, fear of failure, fear of massive success, fear of one day becoming the millionaire you dream of becoming. If you want to become that, you've got to address what is making you insecure. 

Class Six (Monday, November 28) is What Are You Thankful For? 

Thanksgiving is the perfect time to give thanks for your business and your customers. I will give you all my client freebie hacks that have served me well over the years to express my thankfulness for them.

Class 7 (Monday, December 5) is "Giving the Gift of Service Projects"

This is more-so about understanding that your business must be impactful. If you prioritize money and forget that your business must make an impact and provide great value, you can't be unstoppable. 

The best way to showcase your business can be of great value is to start hosting service projects in your community. Nobody knows what you care about or value until you make uncompensated time for it. Find a service project you're passionate about and we're going to show you how to make that service project the primary marketing for your business.

Class 8, Monday, January 30, is "Stop Making Resolutions, Just Do It"

Stop making resolutions for stuff. You can get a new you tomorrow, all you have to do is be more disciplined. We will talk about the real honest truth - discipline and how to develop it. This session will tackle the scary reality for most entrepreneurs, which is mastering how to elevate their business virtually. 

Class 9, Monday February 27, is Everything Black 

This will be a showcase of black-owned excellence right here in Birmingham. If you have a black-owned business and would like to showcase your talents, bring all the game to make sure that your business gets funding, gets access to brand professionals who look like you and can help you, come showcase your business. 

This is a chance for you to use this platform at the library to be a force. Bring a table, bring a friend. There is no vendor fee. This is a networking opportunity for everybody black to be in a room with everybody black. 

Class 10, Monday, March 27, "A Woman's Place is CEO," will take place during Women's History Month. We will not have a presentation; we will have a candid community roundtable about where a woman's place is. I believe a woman's place is CEO.

Too many times women are put into boxes and viewed as a baby-making machine and not given the leadership opportunities they are duly equipped to hold. Men you are welcome to attend as a support advocate, but this is a safe space for my ladies.

I want women to come here to actually talk about what they struggle with and how they can be taken seriously in business. The goal is for us to come up with a collaborative effort to take back our mantle.

Class 11, Monday, April 24, Get Yo Money Right

We will discuss the things you are doing to mess up your money. One thing I know we're doing is mixing your money - You use CashApp, Venmo, things you are not supposed to be using. I will give you the breakdown and hopefully bring in a person you can contact afterwards to help you better understand credit, business funding and how to take your business to the next level. 

It is easy to talk about how to get your money right, but hard to understand it. I know many people in my circle who will tell you the biggest mistake people make is not using or understanding business credit sooner.

Class 12, Monday, May 29, Graduate Your Business Tool 

If you make it to all 12, we will have a graduation on May 29, 2023. After going through a 12-month program, you will have the opportunity to pitch your business to an investor. I really believe you will have a chance to be successful. You can become a CEO if you have the funding, the mindset and the strategy.

BPL: Briefly share some personal experiences you went through before becoming your own CEO that helped shape you into the woman you are today. 

Speer: I absolutely will talk about my personal experiences. I will be very candid with one story that I know many can resonate with. I made $80 my first year of practice. I had one consultation and I was pricing myself way too low. People would not take me seriously until I raised my prices. 

A lot of you need that talk more than anything else. The second part I will really get into is getting that mindset right. You've got to learn how to talk to people. You can't get any people to stay on your staff unless you learn how to lead a team. You need leadership assessments to find out what your team is good at. Those are the two I can tell you. You have to come to my classes for the rest.

BPL: During my previous career as a business journalist, I interviewed dozens of women who talked about the difficulties of overcoming the glass ceiling and other challenges as women in the workplace. Did you encounter similar challenges as a female entrepreneur? 

Speer: One example: I was in a business meeting and had my pitch together. I will never forget when a man said to me, "Oh look at you being a little business woman!" It helped me understand a lot of times people don't expect women to have our stuff together. When we do, they're surprised and shocked.

They expect men to have their stuff together when more often than not it's the woman behind the scenes making sure everything runs smoothly. The challenges that I encountered are from always being behind the glass when somebody else was taking the shine. I was always "chameleoned" in the background. If you take my session on "Leadership in the Jungle," you will know what I mean. 

I was always hiding in the background and making everybody else shine. I no longer wish to do that. As an entrepreneur, you really cannot do either that because someone will steal your shine and your brand - and everything you created, call it theirs and make it impossible for you to make it protected. 

Stop hiding and stop working for people who refuse to allow you to shine. I had to learn to say no to people who did not appreciate my gifts. 

Neena Speer's "12 Steps to Becoming Your Own CEO" workshop series continues Monday, July 25.  

BPL: What advice can you offer to others on how to bring their entrepreneurial CEO dreams to life? 

 Speer: You've got to have boundaries. Your clients cannot call you at 4 in the morning. You've got to let them know it's a process. You've got to let them know unless it's some type elite business package you've created allowing your clients to have 24-hour access to you, there need to be boundaries at work, and once you get home.

Your work and your business cannot overlap. Figure out a way so that your family doesn't feel unwelcome in your business and make doing business full-time make you unavailable to your family. A lot of times people in your life feel un-prioritized, like you don't have life-work balance. 

You must have balance to have peace. You cannot feel stuck at the office hours and hours doing the same slide, the same PowerPoint over and over. Automation is the future. You need to get hip, get current and get active. If you want to get fluent, have some type of automation, and develop ways to establish boundaries. You will find those in these classes. 

BPL: Anything else to add?

Speer: I said a lot about business structure, but we wouldn't be anywhere without learning how to leverage marketing our brand. Every single time you come to my class, we want you to post on social media. Make connections. Tell people your teacher is teaching you things that you did not learn in school.

They told me I would be a lecturer at some point so I am going to assume I am your lecturer in this class. Take pictures, document the experience. I admire young people for turning content into purposeful information that people want to watch. Many more people learn by watching social media content creators other than anywhere else. You can unlock doors by what you post on social media. 

 If you make it to all 12 of my classes - or just miss one - I will give you my Social Selling 101 workshop absolutely free. You will have the opportunity to take your social-selling game to the next level. 

DISCLAIMER: ‘No representation is made that the quality of the legal services to be performed is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers.'”