June 27, 2023
By Memphis Voyager
Today we’d like to re-introduce you to Robyn Noble Powell.
Robyn, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My UN-BEE-LIEVABLE story begins with me not seeing the entrepreneurial spirit that others saw in me. I never wanted the buck to stop with me and I never saw myself as talented, creative, or gifted—the things that I thought it took to be an entrepreneur. I knew that I admired those qualities in others and wanted to help those people become successful, but that was it.
I started working as an administrative assistant right after I finished junior college and in the middle of two decades of that work, I decided to make myself more marketable in the workforce by earning a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. Bolstered by my family, friends, and nagging thoughts that there had to be better approaches to what I was seeing in business, I was determined to grow and excel academically, while continuing to work and run a family. It was one of the most challenging things I have ever done, but I overcame the challenges and graduated summa cum laude from LeMoyne-Owen College with a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree. The strengths and skills I gained from that experience were invaluable.
After graduation I continued in administrative work, trying to apply that expanded knowledge base, but I did not feel settled. In 2017, I began a spiritual journey that led me to know God more intimately. During this journey, God started to reveal to me who He was and who He created me to be. Although God was revealing His plan for my life, I was hesitant to accept His vision. I received numerous prophesies confirming God’s plans for me, several which mentioned me owning my own business but, again, I did not receive what was being said. Instead, I continued to play it safe, stay in my comfort zone, and help others to grow their businesses.
Fast forward to 2021, in the midst of Covid, I was having a conversation about side-hustles with my friend and she encouraged me to think of something I could do to generate some extra income. I rested on the same thoughts as always—I know a lot about business and have experience running others’ business but I’m not creative and I don’t have a marketable talent or gift. She just laughed and told me to pray about it. Well, that is exactly what I did. I started praying and seeking God for inspiration. God answered my prayers and gave me the idea for my business. From those friendly seeds and divine intervention, The Helper Bee, LLC, was created. One year and a couple of months later, I renamed the business, Just Bee Helpin’, and rebranded it to expand our service area and support the needs of our growing clients—and it has been buzzing ever since!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far? No, the road has been bumpy to some degree. There has been a lot of trial and error, long nights, and frustration. As a newbie in business, I had to work every aspect of the business myself and that was extremely challenging and exhausting! Figuring out how to grow my business through the various marketing and advertising channels has been one of the most difficult parts.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do? We “just bee helpin’”! We help busy entrepreneurs, corporate executives, senior citizens, homebound/limited mobility individuals and everyday people live a balanced life by providing concierge services like errand running, day of assistance (which is onsite support for your event or project), courier services, and more.
We pride ourselves on being in a space that we truly LOVE and ENJOY! Most people do not like running errands, but being able to build a lucrative business through that platform is a reward of its own, for us.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love? I love the entertainment and food that Memphis offers. I do not love the infrastructure. It needs improvement for those, like myself, who operate businesses and for tourists.
Contact Info:
Website: www.justbeehelpin.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/justbeehelpin/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/justbeehelpin/
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/robyn-noble-Powell-790b6950/
Yelp: www.yelp.com/biz/just-bee-helping-Southaven
