M. Reese Everson

M. Reese Everson is a tireless advocate for young women, committed to helping them to and their voice and showing them how walk in their purpose, uncompromised. While serving as Advocate in Chief of the Blush Project Foundation, she travels the globe as a Women’s Rights Expert, Lifestyle Engineer, author, and speaker.

Where did the idea for Blush Project Foundation come from?

After being targeted by sexual harassment and retaliation on Capitol Hill, while working for the U.S. Congress, I realized that young women often lack the tools for successfully navigating sexual harassment and gender discrimination in the workplace. Further, there were few support systems and safe spaces to learn how to be entrepreneurially-minded as an employee. Even more, there were not enough resources to teach young women how to max out their experiences while employees then utilize them while building their own empires. I decided to create a manual for young women in the workplace to address sexual harassment while maintaining their integrity.

What does your typical day look like and how do you make it productive?

I love checking emails first to see which new opportunities have gravitated towards me each day. Then I go through my to do list until everything is checked off.

How do you bring ideas to life?

First I write them down, then I pray over them, and finally I chop them down into the smallest part and do that first. If you need a website, start with getting the logo designed. Always lead with a visual.

What’s one trend that excites you?

I love the social media marketing trend, because it allows you to create as much exposure as you’d like.

What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive as an entrepreneur?

1) I write everything down in my planner. 2) I take a vacation every quarter to reset.

What advice would you give your younger self?

Your journey will not look like everyone else’s, and that’s ok. Get comfortable being different. “The one who follows the crowd, will usually get no further than the crowd. The one who walks alone will find herself in places no one has ever been before.”

Tell us something that’s true that almost nobody agrees with you on.

Making connections is more important than making money. The money will come!

As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?

I write a list of what I intend to accomplish each day, each week, each month and each year. It works.

What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business?

Reaching out to organizations and offering our services. We don’t wait for people to pick up the phone and find us, we go to them and let them know why they need us.

What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?

In 2014, I believed that it was necessary to start the conversation on sexual harassment in the workplace. The world did not catch on to that idea until 2017. I kept going.

What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?

Sign up for luncheons and go and network like there’s no tomorrow, but instead of walking up to a ton of people ask, “who in this room am I supposed to meet?”

What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?

I spent $60 on new social media posts for IG and they are fantastic!

What is one piece of software or a web service that helps you be productive?

www.Fiverr.com is a startups best friend!

What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?

I highly recommend “The B.A.B.E.$ Guide to Winning in the Workplace: You Don’t Have to Compromise.”

What is your favorite quote?

March on. Do not tarry. To go forward is to move toward perfection. March on, and fear not the thorns, or the sharp stones on life’s path. Kahlil Gibran

Key Learnings:

• Always stand in your truth, in your authenticity, no one can do this but you.
• Never take a ‘no’ from someone who can’t give you a ‘yes’.
• If you’re afraid, keep going. If you’re terrified, pray, but keep going.