After spending over ten years in corporate America, helping to build multimillion-dollar businesses as the “go-to numbers girl,” Octavia decided to ditch the 9 to 5 in 2011 and build her dream business instead. With a laptop, a busted printer, and nominal savings, but full of passion, Octavia embarked on a journey of providing small businesses with advanced financial management support, strategies, and solutions. Her passion led to the birth of Say Yes to Profits.
After leaving her corporate 6-figure career to become a full-time entrepreneur, Octavia experienced a period she titled “Broke, Busted, & Disgusted – Breakthrough.” During this challenging time, Octavia was completely broke and broken. From building her dream home from the ground up to one month away from foreclosure. Octavia wondered, “How could this be happening”?
Conner would go from pre-foreclosure on her home and near-repossession of her then newly-purchased SUV to the founder of million dollar consulting firm. She mentally regrouped shifted her perspective, and returned to a part-time position in corporate finance. Within 14 months, she reemerged as a full-time six-figure business owner of Smart Accounting Services. Later, she rebranded from Smart Accounting Services to Say YES to Profits, where she has a proven track record of helping clients achieve 90% growth rates within 12 months. Eventually, Say YES to Profits, LLC earned seven-figure revenue at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic when several other businesses were losing revenue at alarming rates.
She is the epitome of a walking success story!
Today, Octavia teaches business owners how to get their finances in order so that they cross the seven-figure mark within three years of working with her and her team. She has helped over 90% of her clients grow between 30% and 350% within 12 months.
Octavia has been quoted in Forbes and featured in ENSPIRE Magazine, Voyage ATL, Afro Tech, Inuit, and many more. Selected as a top 50 accountant in North America for two consecutive years and an award-winning best-selling author and professional speaker Octavia combines over 20 years of business, accounting, and financial experience.
When did you realize you had a passion and gift for teaching others financial literacy?
I realized I was passionate about teaching business owners financial literacy after helping my sister scale her business to multi-six figures within less than 12 months of working with her.
What obstacles did you have to endure to get where you are today in entrepreneurship?
I had to endure several obstacles to achieve my current level of success.
Confidence. In my industry, many people don’t look like me. Therefore I had to work on my confidence and belief in myself to know that I am exactly where I am supposed to be, even if I’m the only person in the room that looks like me.
Imposter syndrome. I often felt and sometimes still feel like everything must be perfect before I can proceed. To this day, I still work on this because it has caused me to miss opportunities due to trying to be perfect.
What message do you hope women take away from your platform?
I hope women believe in themselves more and realize that no matter the obstacles, they can achieve massive success if they don’t give up.
What are steps entrepreneurs can take to safeguard their business?
A few steps entrepreneurs can take to safeguard their business is building a six months cash reserve. Having a significant cash reserve will give them breathing room and financial confidence. Next, entrepreneurs should create a profit plan that identifies how they will not only earn more money but keep more money in business.
What can your community expect from you next?
My community can expect to hear about our new company headquarters located in Atlanta, GA. In addition, we are hosting a virtual masterclass called Passion To Profit on June 10th. This masterclass will teach entrepreneurs how to take their passion and make profitable money moves.
What is your definition of a Pretty Woman Who Hustles?
My definition of a Pretty Woman Who Hustles is someone striving to achieve her desired level of success by any means necessary.
Connect:
Say YES To Profits | College Park GA | Facebook
Virtual CFO & Profit Strategist (@octaviaconnercfo) | Instagram
