Keisha Green

Born in the #8 poverty city in the country, Syracuse, NY, a teen-age single mother of 3 boys and a high school dropout . Keisha Green had every reason to succumb to the pressures of life. However, Keisha became a successful business owner and created a powerful and productive environment for her family.

In 2010, Keisha relocated her family and business in Atlanta, GA. In 2013, Keisha experienced a life altering car accident which left her as a bilateral amputee. With no additional support from family, friends or colleagues, Keisha had to quickly redefine her steps. During a mini coma post-accident, Keisha experienced a supernatural calling on her life. During this period, she obtained a glimpse into her future journey. Keisha awoke from this life- threatening tragedy, ready to live out her purpose.

Keisha is an author of two books, a celebrated business owner of multiple brands, a real estate developer (focused on providing luxury properties for the amputee community, international speaker, founder of Legless & Wheelchair Divas (501C3) and a strategic business coach. Keisha teaches others how to excel despite one's changes.

Being from Syracuse, NY too, I was completely thrilled to interview Keisha. She is a role model and legend in the Syracuse community and beyond. Her strength and achievements is an inspiration for a lifetime. Please enjoy our interview.

Tammy Reese:

How has your entrepreneur journey been so far?

Keisha Green:

Coming from the number 8th city in poverty, Syracuse, NY life moves fast for you, things happen fast for you, and you kind of find a way early where I'm from. I have had my own apartment since I was 16. I tell a lot of people my entrepreneurship comes from what I've learned in the streets. I tell people I know about flipping money because I'm from the streets. I've always known how to be your own boss, even when I was playing outside in the streets. As a woman I was like I'm not being a worker, I got to make my own moves. I've been that way, that's who I've been growing up, and as a person. Being an entrepreneur has always been inside of me. Moving to Atlanta in 2009 was really a decision I made to be able to tap into different strands of black opportunities, as well as me raising three black sons I wanted them to be able to see black male opportunities. Being you don't often see that anywhere you can just walk into a place of business and see amazing black men doing great things. I came to Atlanta to give my boys something new. When I came here I didn't dive right into being an entrepreneur. I actually was a server at Applebee's, after that I began to dabble into the hair extension business because I was paying a lot of money for them. Hair is still expensive, but back then you could really charge a lot of money. I was spending a lot of money on hair. Someone was like this is the last time and that I need to start selling that stuff. Of course my street mentality kicked in, I went to the girl and she started selling the hair to me. I was like I'm not going to keep paying her when I could be a direct connect. That was the beginning of my true entrepreneur journey.

Tammy Reese:

What other business endeavors are you involved with right now?

Keisha Green:

Right now I am National Director with Total Life Changes, a health and wellness company where you can change your body and your bank account. I am a salon suite owner, I do real estate development as far as on the accessibility side. There are only 2 percent of housing being built in the United States that actually is accessible. I like to give people an enlightenment on what luxury with accessibility looks like. Housing that is extremely beautiful because often times when we think about accessible housing we think about this ramp in the front . This is the image that has been placed out before us by society, so I like to build luxury accessibility. I am a author, you can purchase my book Walking Through It All on my website www.keishagreen.com

Tammy Reese:

I understand you are involved with a library?

Keisha Green:

Yes! We are working with making some connections and doing some collaborations with some different organizations out in Africa, due to the pandemic it is just a little bit slower at this time, but we are going to be building some libraries out in Africa, That is my passion and my desire, it's what I was born to do. I am a woman that is extremely over the top, so the fact I get to sit on a pedestal each and everyday and I don't have a shoe bill makes me feel that I've been granted a covering over my finances in that area. I've been shown there are so many things I can do. I don't carry bags.I have friends who have 20,000 dollar bags. What I do know is that you can build a library in Africa for 15,000 dollars. You can change the lives of so many people. Eve has done it and she is the person who inspired me to do it too.

"I believe that as black women we need to be entrepreneurs."

- Keisha Green

Tammy Reese:

Why do you think it's important for black women to become entrepreneurs?

Keisha Green:

I think it's extremely important for black women to become entrepreneurs because as a mother of three Black Kings who truly knows that black lives matter and not just the black lives of our Kings, but we have not forgotten Breonna Taylor. We have not forgotten the Black Queen who her and her family deserve to be honored and to get justice on her behalf. Also as the mother of three Black Kings and having multiple streams of income it allows me to have my boys close to me. It allows to not have my boys make desperate measures and do things that they shouldn't have to do which is barely normal in the black male community. So I believe as Black Queens and as black mothers we are called to cover our families by planting the seeds to build out the legacy for our family. That's why I believe that as black women we need to be entrepreneurs. We have Black Kings that are constantly going into the prison system and are coming home unable to get the employment that they deserve. Their talents and gifts are watered down to the point they still can't make ends meet for their families. Which makes them again go against the grain and do things that calls desperate measures. Because they do want to be Kings and they do want to be the head of their household. I just believe as women and especially in this season,as we continue to elevate we need to open up our minds, we need to open up our hearts. Humble ourselves and use these things to elevate the Black King. Open up opportunity and businesses of our own because black lives do matter, Black Kings do matter. We need to build the jobs and the opportunities for them to be Kings. That's what we need to do.

Tammy Reese:

How do you balance family and career?

Keisha Green:

I just built my office at home with everything going on with the pandemic. I balance it out. In this season we can't really go outside . My children don't have to go outside or do nothing desperate. They have a bunch of groceries, the internet work and they have all the things they need. I don't want to be that mom that when I leave here their kids be like my mom was a great cook, she cleaned up real good ...but what else? So I do balance. I clean the house top to bottom , I cook several times a week, but I let my kids know that's not my job. That's not who I am, I am not required to do that. I believe that I am better away from the stove, I am better away from the washer and dryer, and I am better away from the mop and the broom. I let that be known around here I am nobodies worker. I balance it, but I'm their mom not their worker. I don't feel no other pressure for all that other mom stuff. During the hours at the stove you know what type of business moves I could have made. What I could have done. When I realized that I didn't want to separate myself from the domestic duties I was burning the food. I was like you know what I don't have to do this. I can provide meals that don't require me to have to do them. People be like kids should eat real cooked meals. They surely should and I can still buy them that too.

Tammy Reese:

What are some obstacles you overcame that resulted in victory?

Keisha Green:

People would look at me first and say losing both legs is truly one of the things I have overcome. Becoming an bilateral amputee being able to embrace my wheelchair as truly being a pedestal and platform for me, but when people see it as the first thing I tell people I have survived so many other things and triumphed. Being a single mother of three, a teenage mom with a GED, coming from the number eight poverty city, being able to triumph through EBT and Section 8 to be that change of my family blood line. Those are the things I think I've overcame. I also overcame the hood , being a drug dealers wife. There's so many things I've overcame.

"I believe you attract those things that are truly inside of you."

- Keisha Green

Tammy Reese:

What are some universal laws of success to you?

Keisha Green:

Mind over everything for me is the most extreme thing. I believe you attract those things that are inside of you. Some people will sit back and be like well I'm not attracting those things that are inside of me. Sometimes you have people around you that are blocking those things from you. What ever is in your heart will come to pass. There is patience in propelling into your purpose.

Tammy Reese:

What do you want your legacy to be?

Keisha Green:

For me I want my legacy to be a true family tree. I say that because the tree bears fruit and we're suppose to be able to eat fruit. My legacy will be the tree my family will be able to eat from for generations to come. The seed where your family line changes.

Tammy Reese:

What's next for you Keisha?

Keisha Green:

I feel like I have been watering down who I am. A lot of people don't know how strong and how powerful I am so I just want to be more impactful. I want to write out the tools to plant the seeds for those legacies. Talk about investing, turning credit into cash and all those things we are not taught. I want to talk about why we should build entrepreneurship and work for the Black King to succeed. Those are the things I have coming up next. I am getting ready to launch a couple of programs. I want people to be able to engage andto be able to learn how to brand themselves from a broken place and be the change you want to be.

Tammy Reese:

What is some advice you would have for someone who wants to become an entrepreneur?

Keisha Green:

Feed your mind. If you sit around for so long you will sit around for someone to bring you some food. You're going to have to feed yourself. What I will say is I don't like when people say they don't have the right people around them, because you can go through people phones and they will have like 50,000 songs downloaded , but don't have one book in their phone. You have to feed your mind , you have to strategically start investing in yourself. You have to be willing to make the sacrifice, embrace the isolation that often times comes before the elevation. Don't forget there is going to be an amazing and a huge separation that is going to also help you to propel into elevation. Invest in protecting your peace.