Facing My Fears

Thanks for sharing your story with us Ayrica. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.

My career started because of what I thought was the worst thing that could happen to a person…. I WAS FIRED!!! Well, I was laid off. But you get the idea. I started my career in the accounting industry by working for one of the biggest accounting software in the world, Intuit. I found my love for numbers, community, small business, and the everyday individual by working for this company. I transitioned into the Business Management and Entertainment industry by working for numerous CPA firms and grew my passion for Business Management. As the company declined financially, they started their layoffs using the method of “the last one hired, first one fired.” I had never been “fired” before, nor have I ever been unemployed.

In addition to the fear of the unknown, I had the strong genes of my dad; who raised me on the principles of stability, security, and reliable company benefits. For some background; my dad comes from the military and federal government industry. This is where he has found his financial security for the past 20+ years. As his daughter, I learned that my thought process and/or belief system didn’t fall too far from the tree.

On the contrary, I don’t remember my mom ever working for anyone. Even the vague memories I do have, I always saw my mom more so work with someone, rather than for them. My mom owned multiple businesses in the financial and business management field. The apple didn’t fall far from the tree there either!

So in February 2014, I was laid off with two opposite belief systems and principles instilled in me and I had to make a decision on which one I was going to follow. Little did I know I was creating a company that implemented both financial freedom and security/stability wrapped up in one. At first, it was about money and opportunity. Being unemployed, I needed to figure out how to live within a new budget and use my literal hunger as motivation to generate more income. Between clients, unemployment, and EBT I had just about 2,200/month to live on.

Looking back, this period taught me how to budget, how to save, and how to prioritize. It was through this experience I am now able to birth my campaign Know Your Numbers, which is a budgeting/bookkeeping platform free for the first year. Once I experienced the taste of freedom in entrepreneurship, I decided in March of 2014 that I was fully committed to the desires in my heart. From there, I birthed the vision of a new Business Management Firm that I envisioned based on the five main ministries taught in Ephesians 4:11.

I grew up in a non-denominational church and it was during a leadership meeting that I became inspired to create a Business Management firm. I knew that I would found it upon the 5 pillars that are needed in every ministry. And recognizing that every business is an entrepreneur’s ministry, my mom and I came up with the name Five Fold Group. We felt that it would represent us helping build other entrepreneur’s ministries. Most business management firms focus solely on the financial reporting and compliance for the company. I wanted to focus on not just the financials, but the operations, the service, the end goal of the owner, and the peace of mind that should be established within every company culture. The 5 pillars required for every strong company is Growth/Investment, Financials/Accountability, Marketing/Sales, Customer Service/Administration, and Educating/Awareness.

As an entrepreneur, you are forced to face your fears and choose your beliefs. Every day you wake up and choose how you will pursue your day. And with every choice, you will have to reconcile whether a choice is made from fear or opportunity. In Entrepreneurship, you will no longer be able to hide from the areas that you don’t want to address. In the service business, there are some things you must do to serve authentically. You’re constantly vulnerable putting your heart on the line. Whatever you conceal can’t be healed and to grow, you first must feel the discomfort that motivates you to grow.

This lesson was taught to me in June 2014, when my mom was sentenced to 7 years in prison, with a 13 million restitution. That story will be told on another day, but my mom was my biggest supporter and my biggest mentor. At this time, not a lot of people knew about my decision out of protection for my faith. So not only did I have to deal with the separation of my mom, I had to learn how to grow my other apple without the tree I thought it came from. The years 2014 – 2016 were challenging to say the least, but looking back I am so glad I went through it. I feel like I transitioned into adulthood learning how to go make decisions on my own, go through disappointments without help, and build new relationships and mentors that could teach me in ways that didn’t have emotional connections included. For the sake of my mindset and growth, I had to meet other millionaires and women who grew their business in other ways so that I didn’t equate millions to prison.

In March 2016, I finally told my dad I had started my own business and that I hadn’t been working at the job I told him I was working at for two years. I explained that I knew out of protection he would try to get me back to stability/security and I chose to share when I was mentally strong enough to block his very strong suggestions. In 2016, my confidence grew because this was the first year my salary was 5 figures. I ended my career in corporate America making 5 figures, so in my mind, I was happy to match what I was making. Much to my expectation, my dad kept sending job posts to me for about a year, but it was okay. He was a father protecting his daughter the best way he knew how. And I must say it felt good to say “Dad, I make more working for myself than what this job post is offering.” His response was always, “Yeah, but still, just try it.”

2017 was my first six-figure year. I believe with every comma to your business’ revenue, a new person is born. You must become who you want to see before it shows up in your reality. This was the year I was introduced to mindfulness, manifestation, quantum physics, and metaphysical beliefs. I learned how much I could create through the power of my thoughts. That year I created a new relationship, a new car, and a nonprofit that teaches others how to create the reality they want to see. Throughout this journey, I learned how to make decisions that inspired me and taught me how to think in ways that best served me. My nonprofit is called Think 4 Yourself, with its mission to teach everyone else how to do the same.

Every year I learned how to conquer a new fear that I didn’t know existed. No matter how much you make, the fears never go away, you just learn how to approach or face them differently. At first, you are in fear of failing. Then, you fear to lose all that you gained and then you fear all the changes – not knowing what’s going to happen next. Everyone goes through it, and if you don’t conquer it at the 4-figure mark, the higher you go only becomes scarier because it looks like a harder fall. In 2018, I hired my first two employees. In 2019, I experienced the first rollercoaster of my first decline, only to double up by the end of the year. I started 2020 by hiring 5 new employees, with 3 new clients pending, my January calendar booked. Not to mention, being busy and writing out my first of many interviews for VoyageLa media. My 5th pillar (Education) is being launched this year as I continue to execute my vision. Thanks to the prison law changes, I am looking forward to bringing my mom home from prison. Needless to say, 2020 is going to be an abundant, prosperous, peaceful, fun, and exciting year.

The cliché saying is true “It’s not about the destination; it’s about the journey.” It’s your road and yours alone. Others may walk with you, but no one can walk it for you. I hope my story and journey inspires you to continue to pursue your journey.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?

It hasn’t been a smooth road! Much like learning how to ride a bike, you must experience the falls to be emotionally motivated to no longer want to experience them again. We all know what we should do, but it’s not until we are emotionally motivated or triggered that we choose to do so. Entrepreneurship provides the opportunity to build relationships, but it is through the relationships that you learn about and build your character. The learning phase is that bumpy road that we all want to avoid but is required for growth.

Part of my struggle and growth was creating the boundaries between friends and clients. Learning how to stay within or raise the standard of my professionalism, and regardless of the character of the client, I learned to never lower my professional standard to them but raise their standard to mine. I learned that I don’t want everyone as a client, just the ones that align with the company’s mission. I also learned that no one wants mistakes to happen. Not the company or the client, but it is inevitably going to happen, and it says more to the character of the company and the individual towards how they handle those mistakes.

We’d love to hear more about your business.

My business is a Business Management & Accounting Firm. We handle all aspects of the business and finance from Administration, Accounting, Payroll, Customer Service, Process Management, Tax Preparation, Budgeting, Credit Consulting & Repair, Audit Preparation, Forensic Accounting, and Teaching.

I would say Five Fold Group is known for solving problems, being flexible with the client, creating systems and processes according to the structure of the client. For not only servicing the client but also teaching them so they know better for the future.

What I am most proud of within the company is looking for the needs of the community and providing a solution. Also not being a firm that’s just for a niche or a company but looking for ways to serve small and large companies, and individuals as well. I believe there is a stigma that you only need an Accountant for tax season, and I want to show the world that they should have accountability with their finances all year long. People don’t have to make financial decisions alone and creating a space and platform where the everyday person can easily ask questions to help them with their financial decision making is what I am most proud of.

What sets us apart from others is that we are not just building another Business Management Firm that process financials quarterly or yearly for businesses. We are an accountability system for Business and Individuals that gives them access to the knowledge they need to create the success that they’ve always wanted. I believe if people knew better, they would do better, and no one teaches the financial fundamentals of life in high school or college. Therefore, the individual or business owner is forced to learn through life. We are changing that by creating the education, services, and support that everyone needs.

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?

The most important character I believe you should have is Resilience. Success will force you to become someone you never knew how to become. And therefore, in the transforming process, you will have to be able to face failure and then reset quickly towards servicing your next customer. It takes resilience to do that.