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Dear Entrepreneur: Start Where You Are by Shemia A Williams

March 12, 2025 Melanie Hawken

Shemia A. Williams

Book Review

In her new step-by-step workbook, Dear Entrepreneur: Start Where You Are, Shemia A Williams is your guide to building a solid foundation for your brand or business, whether you're starting for the first time or catching up. It is a book that combines actionable insights with heartfelt advice—designed to guide entrepreneurs toward success and purpose.


Shemia A Williams, author of Dear Entrepreneur: Start Where You Are, says as an entrepreneur, “You’re not too late. You’re not too old. You’re not too far behind. You’re not too broke. You’re not too shy. You’re not too inexperienced. If you’ve already started and you feel like you need to start over. Do it. Reset. If you’ve started before and it didn’t work out, go to the head of the class. You’re already ahead of the pack. If you’re tired of starting over and you’re ready to make real progress…one step at a time, let’s get to work! If you haven’t started but want to get through the rookie stage more gracefully, this is a great place to start. BUT…If this is going to work, you have to be willing to start. Why not start where you are?

Author Quotes

Perhaps you are the rookie entrepreneur who is just about to start. You want to start strong and learn from the mistakes of those who have gone before you. Or maybe you are what I like to call the experienced rookie. You have entrepreneurial experience and you’ve learned quite a bit along the way. You still, however, need help course correcting, pivoting or rebuilding.

You will be guided through some important considerations that will help you to start where you are, know where you are going, and avoid some of the rookie mistakes that a lot of entrepreneurs make on repeat.

If you are thinking that this will be an easy, overnight process, let me save you some major disappointment in advance. IT WON’T…..Any successful entrepreneur will tell you  that this is part of the journey - especially if you are willing to play the long game.

About the author

Shemia A. Williams is an empowerment enthusiast, entrepreneur, coach and speaker. She is the founder of Borderless Creative Group, headquartered in the Bahamas but serving people worldwide. BCG is an agency that provides brand strategy, design, support and coaching for creatives, experts, thought leaders, and entrepreneurs. She’s most passionate about topics related to personal branding, entrepreneurship, digital skills building, and personal development. Known for her engaging, interactive workshops and practical frameworks, she's collaborated with various government agencies, non-profit organizations, churches, and individuals to provide tools to help millennials and early Gen Z's activate, elevate, and thrive. Shemia is the author of Dear Entrepreneur, a book series that combines actionable insights with heartfelt advice—designed to guide entrepreneurs toward success and purpose—and Arise: Devotions to Embrace Your Season of New Beginnings. When she's not coaching, training, or designing, Shemia enjoys leading worship at her local church in The Bahamas, mentoring budding entrepreneurs in high school, and exploring new ideas in social innovation, education, and collaboration.

www.bigboldborderless.com


Why LoA loves it…

Every successful business is built on a solid foundation, one with the right building blocks in place to ensure it can withstand all the challenges, hurdles and growing pains along the way. But creating that strong foundation takes work, learning, and planning. In her book, Dear Entrepreneur, Shemia A Williams helps guide entrepreneurs to build their businesses and brands by laying firm foundations that are set up for future growth. This is a practical, advice-filled book that is a good read for all those embarking on their entrepreneur journeys. — Melanie Hawken, founder & ceo, Lionesses of Africa

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Statement Accessories…We love the power of accessories to make strong fashion statements, and Taíla Carrilho, founder of Atelier Taila Carrilho in Mozambique creates the most exquisite, eye-cat Image of the Day / Nokware Skincare

Sustainable skincare…We love to see natural cosmetics companies with a sustainable approach to business succeeding in Africa, and Nokware Skincare, founded by Tutuwa Ahwoi in Ghana is a great example. She f Image of the Day / Eloli

African luxury couture…For those who want to stand out from the crowd, Dibo Ndumbe Eyoh, co-founder and co-creative Director of Eloli, an award-winning luxury African fashion brand in Cameroon, has just what you need. Image of the Day / KOVA

Luxury leather tote…Petrina Auino-Mwandingi is the founder and creative director of her own brand of leather products, KOVA, in Namibia. The business produces high quality leather handbags, primarily totes as well as o Image of the Day / Hope Distillery

Boutique gin…If you are a gin lover, then check out Hope Distillery, a South African distillery in the heart of urban Cape Town. Established by Lucy Beard and her husband Leigh Lisk, Hope Distillery is a sma Image of the Day / Amorambique

Capulana with style... If you love Capulana, then explore the new range of modern accessories from Amorambique, Mozambique, created by founder Patricia Vasco. This proudly Mozambican brand of accessories and footwear i Image of the Day / Suzie Beauty

Marvellous Make-up…When you need to take your make-up routine to the next level, professional Kenyan make-up brand, Suzie Beauty, founded by Suzie Wokabi, has you covered. Suzie founded her successful business Image of the Day / Aya K Design

Sophisticated sandal style…If you love design that combines traditional with modern style, then these sandals from Aya K Design, founded by Aya Keita in Cote d’Ivoire, are a must-buy. Aya is an entreprene Image of the Day / House of Cinnamon

Animal print pumps…These eye-catching animal print pumps from House of Cinnamon in South Africa are a great addition to any stylish wardrobe. Founded by Frances Edwards, House of Cinnamon is a proudly Afro

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