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Founder and Owner | Y.E.S. Consulting
Shamika N. Anderson’s executive project-management firm—for which she also serves as chief strategy officer—helps small businesses expand with financial, human resources and marketing guidance. Together, the firm and its clients focus on developing five goals within each of those three areas to be completed in a set time frame. “I was able to aid my client in closing on her building within 60 days. I worked with the real estate broker, the finance company, construction firm and design team and achieved something that I thought was impossible,” Anderson said. Outside of work, she started her own foundation, The Woman Print Foundation, whose goal is to help women entrepreneurs evolve, develop a solid foundation and grow.
Getting here: Working for Comcast as a manager for fiber optics projects and installation, Anderson built skills in forecasting call-center metrics, sales support and project management and “became the youngest employee to achieve $1.4 billion in revenue in a single sales quarter at my company.” She worked in global supply management for Stanley Black & Decker, overseeing an $80 million annual budget. After 15 years, “solving problems became second nature to me. I wanted to apply these skills to my own firm, assisting small businesses to scale.”
First job: Peer educator, Planned Parenthood
Givebacks: Board and committee service for Pass the Torch for Women, Coburn Place, and Jack and Jill of America, Indianapolis chapter, among others
Influential moment: Presenting the results of a nine-month project to the global chief financial officer for her employer at the time. “At that moment, I felt a sense of excitement and nervousness as the project I had worked on for nine months was being analyzed, and a decision would be made based on my recommendation.”
Advice: “It’s a good idea to maintain a journal to note down your thoughts and experiences. Take out some time to understand people around you and identify those who can offer valuable advice. Keep people around you who will tell you the truth.”•
Check out more Forty Under 40 honorees.
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