Today we’d like to introduce you to Severen Henderson.
It’s an honor to speak with you today. Why don’t you give us some details about you and your story. How did you get to where you are today?
Hello! It’s an honor to speak with you as well. I’m looking forward to getting my story out and the meaning behind my mission! With that being said, let’s start! My primary career is as a first responder in a major metropolitan city. And my side career, or as I like to refer to it, my “parallel career,” is as a business coach and consultant. I’m a serial entrepreneur whose mission is to help other entrepreneurs. In my primary career, I would come to find that either through physical injuries or no longer being mentally fit, some people in my career were no longer able to perform their duties as first responders. And while the disability system might be able to come in and take care of these people, that isn’t always the case. And even if it is the case, these people who once served their communities at a high level still wanted to do that, just in a possibly different way. So I started an education company and service where we show those who already own a business or are aspiring entrepreneurs how to set up their companies properly. This way, these people can still contribute to their community in the same way they were accustomed to when employed by their respective entities. The name of our company is Department3C, and part of our mission statement is “We are here when you need us!”
I’m sure your success has not come easily. What challenges have you had to overcome along the way?
Well, to start, challenges are what made us initially start the business in the first place. While starting our business, we ran into and found so many roadblocks. Department3C didn’t want entrepreneurs to go through some of the same negative experiences that we did. Therefore we aim to educate so that other business owners and beginners can learn from our missteps. There is more to starting your own business than coming up with a name and an idea for services to be rendered. You have to file specific paperwork. You have to fill out certain forms for specific licenses. There are taxes, business entity formation, payroll, bank accounts, and business credit. Owning and running your own business is more than just a notion, and that’s where we come in to assist. We offer the education that we have gained over the years and teach businesses how to set themselves up not just for current success properly but the success that will last well into the future. We genuinely want your business to be viable and owning it to be an enjoyable experience. We are still overcoming challenges. And in overcoming those challenges, we make sure to educate in detail how and what we have done to be successful. Our story is not our own. Our story is one to educate and teach other business owners how to succeed in their individual spaces.
Let’s talk about the work you do. What do you specialize in and why should someone work with you over the competition?
Department3C is a one-stop-shop for any resource that you need to become a successful business owner. We can assist in every area you may need or come to find when starting or already running your business. For example, we can assist with logo creation, marketing plans, content creation for advertising, setting up a business bank account, establishing business credit, and the list goes on and on. Now it is true that there are tons of companies that can do what we do. Additionally, people can even do some of this on their own. But what sets us apart is the care and concern that we offer to each customer. I like to compare how we care for our customers to how an extended family works. A parent may have a child, and the business represents the child. Well, we are like the Aunt, Uncle, or Grandparents of that child or the business. While the business is the owner’s baby, we are here to fill in the blind spots and assist when requested. Now we aren’t the type of overbearing family that’s all in your business and offers advice when you don’t ask. We are the support system that wants your child/business to grow up to be a positive functioning member of society. Does that make sense? We want our client’s businesses to be able to grow and succeed. And I don’t know if other agencies offer that quite like we do.
What’s your best piece of advice for readers who desire to find success in their life?
Wow! Great question! So many come to mind, but two seem to stick out. For the sake of time, I’ll try and limit it to two. The two pieces of advice that I offer anytime that I can. First readers are leaders! If there is anything you want to know, find the optimal resources and read and apply the knowledge that you feel is good for you! It doesn’t always have to be your mistake that you learn from. You can learn from the mistakes of others if you take the time to read and observe from those around you. With that being said, the other piece of advice that I would offer is that any person that you meet or come across in life can teach you something, if you let them. When I say this, I mean EVERY PERSON! Even a person who is down on their fortune of circumstances is a person that you can learn something from. How they ended up in the wrong place or a bad spot can be an example for you on what not to do. I guess this may fall into the kind of “don’t judge a book by its cover” territory. But if that’s what it takes to let that sink in, then so be it. Just in all, take time to have conversations, read, learn, and listen to the world around you. It has so much to communicate if we take the time to absorb the information.
Speaking of success, what does the word mean to you?
Success is the product of proper planning and execution! I don’t know if anyone else has phrased success quite like that, but that’s what comes to my mind when I think of success. I mean, sure, a person can be successful without a plan or even executing a plan, but to me, true success is the accumulation of these two elements. Proper planning and execution! Success is more than just getting it right. Success is looking back on all of the long nights of setting everything up and the final product being presented precisely the way you envisioned. Success is knowing that the next move that you make will be just as successful, if not more because you have the proper systems in place. In these cases, the lack of a successful endeavor isn’t even an option because you already know the plan. Success is your ideal vision for any mission that you set out to take on. And when you come back a winner, and you’re on top of the world, that’s what success is. Success is your definition of positivity of yourself and your surroundings. If you are happy where you’re at, I guess in your eyes, you are a success, but if you feel that there is more to do, you could still be considered a success to most. But to yourself, you might have a bit more work to do. Success is what you make it. So I’d try and make it the best.
What’s next for you?
To keep going and keep up the positivity. Department3C is always looking to expand, and we are always looking towards what we can do to help our community. We just started a Non-Profit division of our company that goes by the name Care-Concern-Connect or Trip C, as we have been calling it. At the same time, we produce a lot of content for ourselves and a few of our customers, with the content being in the form of blogs, books, courses, and podcasts. We want to get more into production, especially from a video standpoint. And we are always looking to secure more of a recognition factor in our space. Part of our mission here at Departement3C is to do the most good and bring the most positive attention to our causes and the causes of our customers. While we are searching for customers to work with, we want to make sure that our values align. We want to make sure that a mission of positivity is at the forefront of each business we choose to work with and support. So in all, we want to keep moving in the right direction and getting behind the right causes. Because to us, the actual value in our existence is the ability to help and support others.
Finally, how can people connect with you if they want to learn more?
You can find me and connect with me on most social media channels @iamsevy. I can be found at that name on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. You can connect with the company on those same social media channels @department3c. We have a website, WWW.DEPARTMENT3C.COM. There you can find and keep up with most of what we are doing and offering. Our phone number is listed there as well as our address for in-person coaching and consultation. Like I mentioned earlier, we offer content in Books, Podcasts, Courses, Blogs, and Vlogs, with a children’s book to come soon! And part of our offer is to create and produce these forms of media for you and your business. You can e-mail the company at INFO@DEPARTMENT3C.COM. With all of that being said, I genuinely appreciate the time you gave me for this interview, and for those that reach out to us, we look forward to working with you and making your ideas, thoughts, and dreams turn into a reality. Hopefully, a reality that is even beyond your dreams! We are just looking for how we can uplift and support you and your business. And as always, Department3C is Here When You Need Us!