Meet Simone Morris, CEO of Simone Morris Enterprises LLC, and UConn alumni. As an experienced entrepreneur, Simone demonstrates the qualities of resilience, passion, and determination. I had the opportunity to sit down with Simone to learn about her journey focusing on her discovery of passion, the challenges she faced, and the advice she has for aspiring women who want to be an entrepreneur.
Education & Career
Simone graduated from Quinnipiac University and pursued a master’s degree in management and technology at UConn. Her early career consisted of working in corporate America, managing large tech projects. Simone faced lots of challenges as an African American woman in Information Technology. She stated that she was grateful for the job and was taught to be professional, however, she found herself being more functioning and accommodating rather than challenging practices. In 2009, she became aware of the systemic issues after taking part in an affinity group. She learned about cultural challenges, equal opportunity, and transparency. Simone later found herself navigating differently and moved from tech to human resources.
Transitioning to Entrepreneurship
During her full-time job, she attended a career coaching institute, to become a certified coach. Simone’s career took a turn to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion consulting, leaving corporate America in 2013. Two years later, she started her company and is the founder of Simone Morris Enterprises.
Simone’s business provides DE&I consulting, working with companies to create inclusive workplace cultures. The company helps organizations by finding cultural problems, guiding discussions, coming up with ideas, and putting them into action. Simone facilitates the training, coaching, and speaking engagements.
Discovering Passion
Simone’s journey towards entrepreneurship was a process of discovery and elimination. She discovered her passion with time and experience. She initially thought she wanted to be a Macy’s department buyer but didn’t end up getting her dream job, which brought disappointment. During her time at work, she volunteered to be a part of an employee’s resource group where she felt that she mattered and had a purpose. She took a three-month sabbatical to evaluate her career choice and discover what she wanted to do. Simone’s story highlights the importance of self-reflection and discovering and pursuing one’s passion.
Advice for Success
Simone likes to emphasize to her clients that confidence is one of the most important qualities to have, especially when working in a male dominated field. She motivates aspiring entrepreneurs to foster self-belief, navigate challenging environments with resilience, and master the art of strategic and impactful communications. If the plan doesn’t go as intended, an example of this can be not having a good meeting or presentation, know that there is an opportunity to go back and show up differently. Simone feels that one should “believe in a comma, not a period.”
Along with confidence, Simone stressed the importance of building a supportive network. This includes mentorships and creating an environment with people who share similar interests and passions, helping one advance in their career and overcome challenges. From personal experience, she has had various organizations and groups that contributed to her success, including the Women’s Business Development Center, Society for Human Resource Management, and her involvement in the local chamber of commerce.
Finally, having a strategy is another essential skill for success. Simone thinks of strategy as a way to differentiate yourself because not many will reveal that to you once you start to become an entrepreneur.
Final Thoughts
Simone encourages anyone to embrace entrepreneurship. She states that many people want to become entrepreneurs but talk themselves out of it. The only way to overcome that is to “give yourself grace to discover.” To put in the effort of what you want to do and accomplish it.
Regarding the changing workplace for women, Simone finds excitement in seeing more Women CEOs and obtaining leadership positions. She expressed there is still a need for more representation and overall authenticity. She hopes to see more people advocating for equity, inclusion, and belonging in the workforce.
For more information and career resources, visit the Women Affinity Community Page.
