and I always sought out leadership and educational opportunities to have the capacity to rise above my circumstances and live a life I can truly enjoy and be proud of, a life of faith, adventure, genuine love and relationships and positive social impact and progress. Where I come from, having material things was more important than actually being wealthy--it was more cool to look like you have it all together and play the part of "being paid and having money" than to actually have it all together and actually have money / be wealthy. It is very difficult to want more out of life but only be surrounded by individuals satisfied with a life of mediocrity and poverty, surrounded by folks taking pride in working long, hard hours only to continue living paycheck-to-paycheck and having to ask favors to keep the lights on, food on the table and upkeep an image that was slowly crumbling with every child who left home to pursue a better life. Growing up in poverty, I desired to attain "the American dream"--to be presented with the opportunities to be successful. I started businesses to pay for academic and leadership activities, studied long and hard to be the best of the best, was top of my class in school, and you can find my name mentioned in almost anything pertaining to education and leadership in my community. No social life for me--all of my time went into education, business, chores, work and repeat. Though it's a joke where I come from, I self-harmed almost everyday. The racism (more like colorism) down South is very explicit and is embedded into the framework of even my own culture, and I witnessed minority communities work tirelessly just to put food on the table for their families and then pass away in debt, unfulfilled and haven't known what it means to truly enjoy life. Despite the promise of opportunity if I checked all of the boxes (and even excelled beyond the boxes) my entire life, I found myself going into debt to survive with no guarantee of a job if I graduated college and no matter how hard I worked or what I achieved, a higher quality of life or decent pay seemed so out of reach, despite my qualifications and experience. I moved across the country to another state where I didn't know anyone, didn't have family around and begin to navigate new social territories with new rules that I did not want to adhere to in the name of finding success. I held several jobs in a variety of different industries, most of them in the education system, in leadership and business, and I found myself desiring so much more than the daily grind of going to work, going home, paying bills and repeat. So, I decided to go into entrepreneurship and business full-time as a foundational alternative to traditional paths to success and have not looked back since. In my journey, I witnessed and continue to witness the generational and historical effects of the lack of awareness (or desire to be aware) of how essential a supportive community, a mentor, education, and health is to escaping the mental and financial poverty we all grew up in. We all have dreams of being wealthy and living a high quality life, but we are not taught the fundamentals of stability and wealth building or how to navigate the system to get there, especially as people of color, and even more specifically, people of African descent in America. And allies are not taught how to effectively get involved and help make this knowledge and resources more accessible to diverse demographics. As a person of African descent living in the USA, I feel a duty to help us as a collective combat our unique obstacles in society that everyone else are either insensitive to or just don't care about.  Diversity is the representation of a variety of audiences in culture, features, perspectives and beliefs. Inclusion is the creation of a space where each individual is not only represented in being asked to sit at the table but also to be invited to influence the conversations, decisions made and opportunities to be had and received. ✨ What It is Like Working With Me ✨As of September 2021, I am starting over in my wealth building journey and in taking all of the lessons I have learned in education, business, entrepreneurship and in what kind of a life I want to live and putting all of my wisdom into a program called, 5 Stages to Building Generational Wealth, where I am teaching those with a serious interest in saving, managing and investing in their future for personal growth and financial security. Through this program, I aim to share my wisdom, knowledge, resources and networks with those serious about education for a higher quality of living, business, investing and building generational wealth. With my work in leadership, education, business and program development, I also aim to advocate for racial equity and solutions to the unique professional, financial and social obstacles presented to minority communities, women leadership and effective, community-based poverty reduction that levels the playing field of opportunity and success for minority communities. My mentor-ship style can be summed up as straight no chaser accountability. Other words that have been used to describe my mentor-ship style is passionate, poised, challenging, comfortable...you can see testimonials via the comments below. Communication is important to me, and I hope we would be able to establish a relationship of open communication. I would start off with getting to know each other, sharing stories and setting expectations. I want to know your story and really understand who you are as an individual. We would then move forward with creating a custom strategy and blueprint for you to reach your personal, professional and financial goals. Ultimately, through my mentor-ship style, you will come to understand that I genuinely want to see you succeed in life, support you through tough times and celebrate the victories (small and large) with you. I give tough love with a compassionate delivery so that you are held accountable to the goals and vision that you have set. I support you in choosing the right paths that work for YOU and your goals. The first step to start working with me is to get a free consultation to see what if you would be a great match for me as a mentee and if I would be a great match for you as a mentor.  My Programs + Other Services I OfferStart where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can. -- Shatoyia Jones
After high-school, she left to Louisiana for college on the other side of the country. In 2017, she was selected as a solo international global literacy project and ministry community leader, program coordinator and manager for Beyond El Campo in Costa Rica and spoke at a variety of colleges and non-profit organizations. In 2018, she switched gears and focused on business and entrepreneurship full-time, serving as Miss Black America Massachusetts whilst doing social impact and management operations consulting work with her own consulting company for non-profits and small businesses, such as Institute for Training and Development, GPI US, US Performing Arts Camp, MIT Innovation Conference, Self-Dial Americorps, Harvard Business, NextGenHQ Summit, Power in Your Purse, EaseNation, Make-It-Springfield, Trinity College, HerCampus, College Fashion Week, HerConference: EmpowerNYC, Harambe Seed Funding at Harvard Business, Harvard African Business Conference and other high-profile business, entrepreneurship, education and women's empowerment organizations.
In 2019, she served as guest and media for the Collaborative for Educational Services: Improving Outcomes for Students Living in Poverty and Trauma, Business Fights Poverty NYC and Next Gen Summit. She also worked at a variety of local educational institutions and served in many capacities, won an award for volunteer of the year and served as Ms. Massachusetts 2019 AWOS and national Ambassador for Afri(k)que, appearing, speaking, hosting and performing for a variety of women's empowerment and business / entrepreneurship organizations, conferences and other events around the U.S. She also served as mentor and judge for entrepreneurship and business competitions such as Diamond Challenge and WIT and closed out the year with 4 prestigious awards and honors for her work with her organization, First Ladies of Poverty Foundation. Currently, Shatoyia travels and serves as Founder and CEO of First Ladies of Poverty Foundation, a multi-awardwinning community center and resource hub providing educational resources, community, group/private mentoring and coaching options and business and investing trade programming for entrepreneurial-minded minority individuals who are the first (or one of the few) in their family to think about or start the process of building generational wealth. Her service to the community is extended into her service as Co-Chair, international poverty and racial equity specialist and diversity, equity and inclusion chair for SCORE Westernmass, a mentoring organization for small business owners, national ambassador for Afrikque, an organization empowering women out of poverty and founder / creator of School of Joie, an organization empowering modern women to confidently claim title of CEO of their lives with elegance, poise and femininity--and without shame or reservation. She also takes on business development consulting and various speaking / hosting and content creation / influencer opportunities through the year and will be authoring a book for 2022. In her 16 year (and counting) professional career, Shatoyia has earned a strong reputation for being a forward thinking, energetized visionary who confidently and gracefully creates innovative, timeless and sustainable solutions to some of the world's biggest issues in education, leadership, diversity, equity and inclusion and poverty reduction. She credits her underdog success and wisdom to (first and foremost) Yahweh, fueled by the Holy Spirit with a touch of unwavering resourcefulness, resilience and business savvy with a lifestyle anchored in lifelong learning and humility.
18 Comments
Maria Auxiliadora Lopez Castillo
5/25/2020 05:37:45 pm
Today, I had my first 60 minute consultation with Shatoyia. The topic to tackle was being more productive and manage my time better. The conversation was pretty insightful as we set up a 7 day trial of a schedule of things I need to get done based on hours I want to dedicate to certain task and not a strict schedule because life might happen along the way.
Maria Auxiliadora Lopez Castillo
8/4/2020 12:50:06 pm
Getting to know Shatoyia these part few months through FLP has been absolutely amazing. I have certainly felt her support and willingness to help me in any possible way. I have received support from Shatoyia regarding job applications, time management and productivity and most importantly she has served as the perfect example of a resilient women who is passionate about what she does and is always working on being better! She has taught with her own example that is possible to do what you are passionate for a job. I found Shatoyia extremely committed to helping all of the members and partners of FLP succeed and I think this is what makes FLP what of a kind, a mentorship community and family. I really look forward to keep on learning more about FLP and learning from Shatoyia. 8/5/2020 06:47:44 am
Shatoyia has been a wonderful mentor and leader thus far. She always challenges me in my weaker areas, such as public speaking. She even gave me a 7 day challenge to help me manage my time better and be more productive. Right now I'm on day 4 of that challenge and it's working. Shatoyia is always willing to be there for you even if it's just to lend an ear. I'm thankful she entered my life for this season and am looking forward to our continued partnership.
Maria Auxiliadora Lopez Castillo
9/29/2020 11:35:35 am
Shatoyia has certainly been more than a mentor to me. She is 110% always there whenever you need an advice, feedback, someone to talk to you. She seems to see what you are not able to see, the good in you, your potential. I dont think I have ever had a talk with her when I dont feel better after. The most important thing that she has taught is to believe in myself. I am thankful I discovered FLP and I got the chance to meet such a thoughtful and impactful leader. The most wonderful thing about Shatoyia is that she sincerely wants to see your growth, both personally and professional. I believe is hard with any mentor you have. She also understand life happens and something you cant give your best, she is flexible and patient and always willing to lend a hand. Thank you Shatoyia for the time, the opportunity and the chance. 9/29/2020 12:17:32 pm
More testimonials / client portfolio can be found here:
Rickey J Cayo
11/15/2020 07:14:59 pm
Anyone who knows Shatoyia cannot deny her work-ethic and impact, and I personally am very impressed with who she is as a person and the work she continues to do for herself and others. She is very intentional, meaning she is aware of what she does, the impact she wants to make. She isn't afraid to put not just time but the necessary effort to reach parts of communities that she wishes to influence (i.e. BIPOC and minority). I think she is fair and demonstrates a drive and radiates a contagious passion for her work with not only her foundation but others' community development projects. My awe of her is not really explainable in words but can be felt by everyone around her who she inspires--despite the systemic barriers of oppression that she encounters daily in her efforts to bridge educational and opportunity gaps for bipoc and minority communities via entrepreneurial and communitiy-based solutions. 10/7/2021 11:28:23 pm
Shatoyia did a review and 3 suggestions for me in regards to my business. She assured me of everything I was doing right and conveyed what needed to be done. She gave me the much needed reassurance and advice I needed as a novice entrepreneur. Thank you Shatoyia, I will be reaching out soon.
Audrey Dilgarde
10/12/2021 03:52:15 pm
Dear Shatoyia,
Liem Berman
10/14/2021 04:59:16 pm
Shatoyia guided me through stages one and two of wealth building principles. I found the time extremely helpful and grounding and orienting to begin to wrap my head around breaking steps down into what feels manageable and applicable. 10/21/2021 04:38:45 pm
Shatoyia's process is streamlined and transparent. I like this approach. Thanks Shatoyia.
Heather
10/26/2021 04:21:53 pm
Shatoyia is a strong communicator and she is very thorough in her work. I am thankful to be working with Shatoyia for my college honors class and have someone I can learn from!
Samuel Washington
10/28/2021 05:05:45 pm
I like that the process is treamlined and the webinars are interactive versus just lecture. The interactivity ensures that there is value added. Many thanks!
Samuel
10/31/2021 04:01:03 pm
I found the information in the Identity Theft and Cybersecurity Certification Course meeting to be useful and a necessary venture in this day in age. Many people know at least a little bit about it but often not nearly as much as they need to.
It has been my greatest pleasure to partner with Shatoyia. Her captivating ability and unwavering compassion for humanity truly captures her transformational leadership style.
Heather
11/16/2021 04:13:18 pm
Shatoyia is an inspiring mentor who is easy to talk to and receptive of thoughts and feelings.
Samuel
11/28/2021 04:53:14 pm
I have found the masterclasses with Shatoyia to be enlightening and thought-provoking, which has allowed me to grow more into a wealth mindset. Since beginning with her, I have found that not only am I on the right track, but that I have begun experiencing more exponential growth in the way I approach business, mentorship, and community.
Heather
12/10/2021 03:05:39 pm
I always enjoy working with Shatoyia. Together we are working on some much needed and innovative changes for a nonprofit organization. I feel that my work with Shatoyia has been pivotal to stepping out of my comfort zone and expressing my opinions and ideas.
Heather
12/22/2021 01:46:04 pm
I have greatly enjoyed the time working with Shatoiya. I think she is a great inspiration and would be pivotal to individual and organizational success and growth. I am very thankful to have been able to work with her on an honors project, she taught me a lot of new skills and I got high remarks on my project from professors. Leave a Reply. |
Our MentorsFirst Ladies of Poverty Foundation's mentors are hand-picked, curated and vetted by our leadership team. We are serious about providing you with a variety of compassionate, resourceful and supportive mentors who can provide the best support and expertise for living your absolute best and most successful life (as humanly possible). From self love and healing to finding a support system to goal setting and financial management, our mentors are ready to assist you on your next steps to creating a better future for yourself and your loved ones. Archives
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