Business Growth After Crisis | Melva LaJoy's CEO Story

What do you do when you lose 98% of your income overnight?Melva LaJoy chose to dress for the job she was praying for — and rebuilt bigger than ever.In this powerful episode of the EmpowerHER Business Podcast, host Linette Cottrell sits down with Melva LaJoy, founder of LaJoy Creative — a comprehensive events management agency based in Washington, D.C. and New York, servicing clients globally. With 18 years in business, Melva shares her journey from educator to nonprofit leader to visionary CEO. She opens up about rebranding in 2019, losing nearly everything in 2020, being closed for 18 months, and how discipline, faith, and mindset helped her business double year after year from 2022–2024 — including 58% growth last year alone.In this episode, you’ll learn:How to pivot when your business income drops almost overnightThe mindset shift that helped her survive an 18-month shutdownWhy “dressing for work” changed everything during uncertaintyThe power of rebranding and long-term vision in scaling sustainablyWhat it really takes to stay in business for 18 years as a Black woman entrepreneur👉 Follow the podcast and share it with a sister who needs this conversation. We’re on a mission to help Black women make it through the first five years in business — and thrive far beyond them.#BlackWomenInBusiness #WomenEntrepreneurs #EntrepreneurJourney #BusinessGrowth #EventPlannerLife #EventManagement #CEOStory #BusinessResilience #WomenInLeadership #FaithAndBusiness #StartupToScale #SmallBusinessOwner #EmpowerHERPodcast  #BusinessMindset #RebrandYourBusiness #BlackWomenCEO #EntrepreneurMotivation #FirstFiveYearsSupport the show✨ Support the Podcast ✨  Become an EmpowerHER Insider for $10/month → HERE🌐 Visit website: www.empowerherbusiness.us 📧 For speaking & sponsorships: [email protected]  📱 Connect on Instagram: HERE @empowerher_biz Together, we’re helping women entrepreneurs thrive beyond Year Five!