Some people think that the key to success lies within their daily routines. Do you agree with this, and if so, what is your daily routine?
For one, I have ADHD, so my routine is different everyday and I also have a 1-year-old. She wakes up between 5:30 and 7 am so that changes the day. I don’t really have a set routine, change her diaper, feed her, get my coffee, get started on my work, and check my emails. I would say I have never been a big person on routine because I think things work differently for everyone. Some people say I wake up this time and do this and do that. I do try to go to bed early, and that helps. I think routine is different for everyone. For some is key but for me is just what I want to accomplish for a particular day. I do consulting, I’m working on my own software product, and I also teach. It’s just a general plan of what is a priority. It is setting priorities for the day and for the hours that are most important to me.
Looking back at your teenage years, did you have any entrepreneurial interests?
All the time. I was always doing something. I used to have a lemonade stand. My house was located on a stop sign on a busy street so we made a lot of money making cookies and lemonade and hot chocolate. I used to make books- pretty much always. If there was a way to make something, I was always up for it.
Is there a specific time of day when you feel most productive?
I am definitely a morning person. I get more sleepy in the evening. The earlier I get started, the more I get done in the morning, and the better and I try to get the more complicated stuff done in the morning.
Do you think there is one character trait/skill that is important to have in order to become a successful entrepreneur in today’s world?
I think resiliency and just never giving up and the ability to pivot. That may seem that is opposite. Your original idea may not work but put it into the mix and the dedication to do it. I always wanted to be an entrepreneur and as you get into different jobs, especially in tech, it’s like okay I will do my own thing this year and then at some point, you just have to jump in and do it and be dedicated to doing it. Resilience and being stubborn and being like this is what I’m going for and I’m going to do it and I’m going to keep trying until it works.
Has being a woman in the business world affected you positively or negatively, and how so?
It has some challenges for sure. It is challenging with not as many women being in the field and more specifically black women not having representation does make it challenging for me because sometimes I’m not what people expect to see as a leader and I have definitely dealt with sexual harassment in the workplace. That definitely is something difficult that women still have to deal with, unfortunately.
What is one major goal that you wish to achieve by 2030?
By 2030, I’d like to have my software in at least 50% of all U.S. hospitals.
Who is your biggest influence, and why?
Two things: my faith in God and my parents have been a huge influence because they always pushed me to pursue my dreams. Whatever it was, they went 100% all in with helping me and made me feel like I could do whatever. I felt like there were no limits. We all decided to go to college but if I said I wanted to go to Hollywood and try to be an actor, they would set me up with an apartment instead of college. I felt like the sky was the limit, and we could pretty much do whatever we wanted in terms of achieving our goals.
If you could pick one female entrepreneur, who would you say is your biggest inspiration?
I would say Cr Despana because I think what she is doing is really important. She has a start-up for healthcare for women. One of the biggest issues we have in health care is maternal, in particular black women having poor outcomes for maternal health and other things. I think it is really cool a black woman has created a company that focuses on quality health care for women. I really love what she is doing.
What has been the most formative advice you have received and why?
With my parents always saying to” just go for it!” The time is now to take risks. Just go for it.
What has been the most impressive/memorable question anyone has ever asked you?
I’m going to say, my nephews constantly ask me why. Working in a technical field, until you can explain something to where a child can understand, you don’t understand it yourself. My nieces and nephews always ask questions. I always like how children will continue to pry until they understand it and that really tests whether you yourself fully understand it. For me, I take this into my teaching because I do teach master’s degrees at a couple of schools, and I feel until you can teach things plainly to any audience you don’t understand them. So I am driven by my nieces and nephews constantly asking why because it lets me know whether or not I know something. I like to help people understand it with sim concepts and AI concepts, I am driven to take the concept and break it down because at the end of the day, we are all impacted by technology, and we all need to understand it clearly. I am driven by the fact that I think information is for everyone, technology is for everyone, and math is for everyone.
If you have siblings, are they also entrepreneurs?
I have a younger sister, and she leads the Purdue Polytechnic High School Network, so it is a charter school stipulated with Purdue University and my brother is a law enforcement officer who focuses on mental health and serving those in the community who have mental health issues and helping law enforcement to be better equipped with individuals and supporting individuals with mental health issues. I guess the long answer is no.
Do you think the drive to become an entrepreneur is born with or is learned?
I think it is both. As long as I can remember, I have always wanted to hustle and wanted to do things on my own. I also think it is cultivated in that it was always supported. I think part of it could’ve been born with, but part of it was encouraged. What I’m doing with my own child is that if she has an idea or something, I will definitely put my own support behind it so she feels that she can do whatever it is she sets her mind to.
CONTACT INFORMATION & SOCIAL MEDIA CEO Ellison Laboratories Wellington, FL website: https://www.ellisonlabs.com/ Instagram: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/korin-reid-ph-d-b4102a17/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/korinreid and email: [email protected]