Crystal Ngumezi
CEO, Entrepreneur
I thought it would be fitting to tell you about my transition from working as a Mechanical Engineer in Corporate America to owning and running my own brands and businesses as a Christian Entrepreneur. But before I get into that though, let me let you in on a little secret:
I never wanted to become an entrepreneur – God did!
I didn’t always have a desire to pursue entrepreneurship, but as the Bible says,
God’s ways are higher than our ways (Isaiah 55:9).
Growing up, I transitioned from having a desire to enter the entertainment industry to having a desire to enter the industrial industry as an engineer. I was always great with mathematics and solving problems, and I found great interest in the study of engineering as a teenager.
Going on to attend university and graduating top 15% of my class with a Mechanical Engineering degree, I was one of maybe 3 other black girls within my graduating class. I knew early on that women who looked like me weren’t the standard in the industry, but I was confident in my abilities because as a college undergraduate, I interned with major corporations within my field, giving me a leg up in experience amongst my peers.
From transitioning every year from a college student to an employee, to transitioning from a college graduate to a technical manager at a Fortune 500 company, my life has always been in transition.
I transitioned from working in Corporate America as an Engineer, to working in God’s Kingdom as a Christian Entrepreneur, and have since then made it my mission to help other women pursue purpose and transition.
After God took me out of Corporate America, one of the greatest lessons I learned early on as an entrepreneur was that I was going to have to change my mindset. As a born-again Christian, everything I do is centered around what God has called me to do, birthed by having a real and authentic relationship with God through His son – Jesus Christ. Transitioning from working at an established company to building and running my own was hard work. In one year, I launched both a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and a sole proprietorship, creating several other brands and businesses later. I was qualified to start my nonprofit organization, The Proverbs 31 Women’s Organization, because as a young woman who struggled through life due to a lack of female mentorship, I could relate and connect to the kind of women God was calling me to serve. My nonprofit organization targets young teenage girls and adult women from under-served communities, and my experiences in high school, college, and post-college have allowed me the opportunity to give back to my community through my nonprofit organization in various ways.
If you are seeking to pursue your purpose, your mindset has to shift. You cannot expect to do great things if you are unwilling to change your mindset.
A change in mindset for me looked like:
- Understanding that everything I now do should advance the Kingdom of God.
- As an entrepreneur, setting my own work schedule through time blocking each day according to a task management system.
- Sacrificing current luxuries for long-term financial sustainability.
- Relying on trusted sources for quality information (books, courses, mentors, libraries, research centers, etc.).
- Trusting God and my instincts to become more confident sharing my gifts online.
- Learning how to sell products/services online and scale my revenue to support my ministries.
There were a lot of lessons I had to learn in my transition, but it was because of my willingness to learn new things (and unlearn old things) that helped me excel.
Business ownership and entrepreneurship require continuous learning. You will not succeed in business if you are unwilling to learn new things.
My brand and business ideas came from God, and so did their success. It is the power and peace of God that keeps me passionately pursuing my purpose to this day. When you partner with God to start or build anything, peace will follow, and even if you run into trouble, God will defend you and give you the peace of mind and clarity needed to run your race. I didn’t get my start into managing and running my own brands and businesses by happenstance; I was given a vision and a purpose by God to pursue the things I was called to do.
I was a servant before God elevated me to leadership. What you do in your hidden season matters.
Trusting in God and pursuing my purpose led me here, and branding and marketing my businesses on social media allowed me the opportunity to generate 7 streams of revenue online. Over the past 4-5 years, I am happy to say that I have helped numerous women start businesses, build brands online, and launch 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations from scratch! My history of work speaks for itself, but I’m happy to know that in my efforts to honor the calling over my life, I have been able to help other women do the same.
As an engineer, I wanted to work my way up the corporate ladder so that I could advance to a position that would allow me to help other women who looked like me in the industry. I now get to do that in the lane that was destined for me through my Brand Coaching Program, Brand Your Biz Academy. There’s nothing more rewarding than knowing your dreams involve helping others.
I’m the CEO and Founder of an established nonprofit organization, a Christian entrepreneur, and I help other women turn their God-given ideas into brands and businesses to support their ministries.
My purpose is to help others, and through my various brands and businesses, I get to do that more effectively. As children of God, we must learn how to be good stewards. Coming from Corporate America, I knew a lot about solving problems, managing operations, and leading teams, but I had a lot to learn about entrepreneurship. I had to trust God more, invest in myself, and vigorously study the lane God was calling me to.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” – Proverbs 3:5-6
If you’re reading this, I want to encourage you to trust God for your process and lean on those who have paved the way for your next level of increase. I consistently show up for my calling because:
- I’m ordained to do so by God.
- I received a word from God over my life that instructed me what path(s) to take in the lane of entrepreneurship.
- I have a devotional life with God that involves prayer, Bible study, and fasting.
- I surround myself online and in person with other Christian entrepreneurs who have strong faith in God and in God’s promises.
What I’m really saying here is that I’m intentional, and I want to encourage you to be the same. Be intentional with your purpose. You can’t reap success if you don’t sow (wisely). Stand firm on the promises of God over your life and your career, and things will go well for you.
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Crystal Ngumezi 