Ebony Vick

So nice to meet you! First off, what’s your name? Tell our readers a bit about yourself—where you’re from originally and where you live now.

My name is Ebony Vick, and I’m originally from Waco, Texas, but I was raised in Dallas, which has been home for most of my life. Today, I’m based in the Dallas–Fort Worth area, where I’m building a life and career centered around growth, entrepreneurship, family, and creating opportunities for others.

I’m a wife, mother, corporate professional, REALTOR®, entrepreneur, and lifelong learner. I’ve spent the past eight years building my career at Microsoft while also pursuing my passion for business ownership and helping others turn their ideas into something tangible.

I’m the founder of Empower.Execute.Elevate., a brand dedicated to helping aspiring and emerging entrepreneurs move beyond simply having ideas and actually build businesses. I’m also the founder of Shanta’ Hair Beauty Fashion, a luxury hair and beauty brand, and a real estate professional with Landen Realty Group, sponsored by CLO Dallas Realty, LLC.

Education and personal development are also important to me. I earned my bachelor’s degree in business and am currently pursuing my MBA. I’m also actively involved in Toastmasters, where I continue developing my leadership and public speaking skills.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned throughout my journey, it’s that you don’t have to limit yourself to one passion or one version of success. I’m passionate about showing other women that it’s possible to build a meaningful career, pursue multiple dreams, and create a legacy on your own terms.

Tell us one thing you love about where you live now.

One thing I love most about living in the Dallas–Fort Worth area is the opportunity. DFW is constantly growing, and there’s so much room for people to build, reinvent themselves, and pursue their goals.

As both an entrepreneur and a real estate professional, I get to experience that growth from different perspectives. I love seeing new businesses open, communities develop, and families create new beginnings through homeownership.

I also appreciate the diversity. There are so many different cultures, industries, experiences, and people here. You can walk into a room and meet someone who inspires you, challenges your thinking, or opens the door to an opportunity you hadn’t even considered.

Dallas has played a major role in shaping who I am, and I love being able to grow personally and professionally in a place that continues to evolve right alongside me.

Tell us a little more about what your company does and how it started. How does it help your customers?

Empower.Execute.Elevate. was born from my passion for entrepreneurship, personal development, and helping people recognize that they are capable of so much more than they sometimes give themselves credit for.

My entrepreneurial journey didn’t begin with a perfect business plan or unlimited resources. Like many entrepreneurs, I had ideas, ambition, and a willingness to figure things out along the way. While building my corporate career, I also ventured into business ownership through Shanta’ Hair Beauty Fashion, my luxury hair and beauty brand, and later expanded into real estate with Landen Realty Group.

Through those experiences, I learned firsthand that having a great idea is only the beginning. The real challenge is understanding how to turn that idea into a legitimate business, put the right systems in place, and remain consistent when life is pulling you in multiple directions.

That’s what inspired Empower.Execute.Elevate.

The brand focuses on helping aspiring and emerging entrepreneurs gain clarity, build confidence, and take actionable steps toward launching and growing their businesses. Through educational resources, courses, consulting, and community, my goal is to simplify entrepreneurship and make the process feel less overwhelming.

One of the resources I’ve developed is a course called “Build a Business in 3 Days,” designed to walk aspiring entrepreneurs through foundational steps they can take to begin turning their ideas into actual businesses.

But my vision extends beyond teaching people how to start a business. I want to help people develop the mindset, discipline, and confidence to pursue opportunities they may have previously talked themselves out of.

I know what it’s like to juggle a demanding career, motherhood, education, and multiple businesses. I also know what it’s like to have big dreams and not always have enough hours in the day to execute them. That’s why I believe in practical strategies, realistic expectations, and taking action even when everything isn’t perfect.

At the heart of everything I do is a simple philosophy: Empower yourself with knowledge, execute with intention, and continuously elevate into the next version of yourself.

My goal is to help people stop waiting for the perfect moment and start building the future they envision.

If someone wants to start a business, what advice would you give them?

My biggest piece of advice is to stop waiting until you have everything figured out. You don’t need to know everything to get started, but you do need to be willing to learn, take action, and remain consistent.

I think one of the biggest mistakes aspiring entrepreneurs make is spending so much time planning, researching, and trying to make everything perfect that they never actually launch. I’m a firm believer that clarity often comes through execution. You learn things by doing that you simply cannot learn by sitting on an idea.

But I also believe in being strategic. Before you spend thousands of dollars on logos, websites, inventory, or branding, understand what problem your business solves, who your target audience is, and whether people are actually willing to pay for your solution. Learn your numbers, establish your business properly, and put systems in place early so you’re building something sustainable rather than creating another full-time job for yourself.

And please, don’t compare your chapter one to someone else’s chapter twenty. Social media has a way of making entrepreneurship look glamorous, but behind the scenes, it requires discipline, sacrifice, resilience, and a whole lot of figuring things out.

I’ve built businesses while working a demanding corporate job, raising a family, and continuing my education. So I understand that everyone doesn’t have the luxury of quitting their job and jumping into entrepreneurship full-time. You can start where you are, with what you have, and build intentionally.

That’s really the foundation of Empower.Execute.Elevate. Empower yourself with the knowledge, execute the plan, and elevate as you grow. The goal isn’t perfection. It’s progress with purpose.

What is one piece of feedback from a happy customer or client that you won't forget?

Some of the feedback that means the most to me comes from people who tell me that I helped make something they initially found overwhelming feel achievable.

Whether I’m helping someone navigate the real estate process, sharing business knowledge, or mentoring someone through a professional or personal challenge, I never want people to feel like they’re just another transaction or number. I’ve had someone tell me that every time I level up, I share it with them, and it inspires them to continue learning.

What stays with me is knowing that someone walked away from an interaction with me feeling more informed, confident, and capable of taking their next step.

I believe people remember how you make them feel just as much as they remember what you do for them. That’s why I try to lead with transparency, patience, and genuine care. I don’t believe in withholding information just because someone isn’t ready to make a purchase or take immediate action.

For me, the greatest compliment is knowing that someone trusted me enough to allow me to be part of their journey and that I made a positive difference along the way.

That’s the kind of impact I want every business I build to have.

Where do you see your company in the future?

I see Empower.Execute.Elevate. becoming much more than a business education brand. My vision is to build a platform and community that empowers people, particularly women and aspiring entrepreneurs, to recognize their potential and develop the skills, confidence, and resources to create opportunities for themselves.

I envision expanding our educational programs, digital courses, consulting services, workshops, and speaking engagements to reach entrepreneurs beyond my immediate community. I want to create experiences where people aren’t just motivated for a moment but leave with tangible tools and strategies they can actually implement.

I also want to continue building a strong community where entrepreneurs can connect, collaborate, share resources, and support one another. Entrepreneurship can be lonely, especially when you’re balancing a career, family, and other responsibilities. Having access to people who understand that journey can make a tremendous difference.

Another important part of my long-term vision is expanding our media presence through digital content and television programming that highlights entrepreneurship, personal development, business ownership, and the realities of building success.

And as my businesses grow, I want my community impact to grow alongside them. I envision creating more opportunities for mentorship, youth entrepreneurship education, and initiatives that help underserved communities gain access to knowledge and resources that can change their financial futures.

Ultimately, I don’t measure success solely by revenue or recognition. I want to build something that outlives me. Something that creates opportunities, opens doors, and inspires people to pursue dreams they once believed were out of reach.

If Empower.Execute.Elevate. can help someone turn an idea into a business, develop the confidence to pursue a new opportunity, or change the trajectory of their family’s future, then we’re accomplishing exactly what I created it to do.

What is the biggest misconception about your industry?

I think one of the biggest misconceptions about entrepreneurship is that being your own boss automatically means freedom, flexibility, and financial success.

Social media has created this image of entrepreneurship where everyone is making six figures, traveling whenever they want, and working from their laptops on a beach somewhere. And while that lifestyle may be achievable, what people don’t always see is the amount of work, sacrifice, financial investment, and uncertainty that goes into building a successful business.

I always say there’s a difference between owning a business and building a business that actually works for you.

When you’re first starting out, you’re often the CEO, marketing department, customer service representative, accountant, and everything in between. If you’re not careful, you can create a business that demands more of your time than the job you were trying to escape.

Another misconception is that you have to quit your job to be considered a serious entrepreneur. I completely disagree. I’ve spent years building my career at Microsoft while simultaneously pursuing my entrepreneurial goals. My corporate career has provided financial stability, professional development, and valuable skills that I apply directly to my businesses. There’s nothing wrong with allowing your career to help fund your dreams while you build something sustainable.

I also think people confuse visibility with profitability. Just because a business looks successful online doesn’t necessarily mean it’s generating revenue or operating efficiently. That’s why I’m so passionate about teaching entrepreneurs to focus on their foundations, understand their finances, establish systems, and build businesses with long-term sustainability in mind.

Entrepreneurship isn’t a shortcut to success. It’s a journey that requires discipline, resilience, adaptability, and a willingness to continuously learn.

And perhaps the biggest misconception of all is that successful entrepreneurs have everything figured out. We don’t! We’re learning, adjusting, making mistakes, and growing along the way.

That’s exactly why I created Empower.Execute.Elevate. I want people to understand that you don’t need to have all the answers to get started, but you do need to be intentional about what you’re building.

Because the goal isn’t just to become an entrepreneur. The goal is to build something meaningful, profitable, and sustainable that creates the life and legacy you envision.

What has been one of your biggest struggles building your business, and how did you deal with it?

One of my biggest struggles has been learning how to balance ambition with capacity. I’m someone who genuinely loves pursuing new opportunities, learning new things, and challenging myself. But when you’re balancing a demanding corporate career, multiple businesses, motherhood, graduate school, community involvement, and leadership responsibilities, there comes a point when you realize that having the ability to do something doesn’t necessarily mean you have the capacity to do everything at once.

For a long time, I thought being successful meant being able to manage it all. If something needed to get done, I figured out how to make it happen, even if that meant sacrificing sleep, personal time, or rest. But I’ve learned that constantly being busy isn’t the same as being productive, and just because you’re capable of carrying a heavy load doesn’t mean you should have to.

Another challenge has been accepting that building a business while maintaining a successful corporate career requires patience. There are days when I’d love to dedicate all my time to my entrepreneurial ventures, but I also recognize the importance of financial stability and being intentional about my transition.

I’ve been working through these challenges by becoming more disciplined with my priorities, establishing better systems, leveraging technology and automation, and learning to set boundaries. Most importantly, I’m learning that rest is productive, too.

I haven’t mastered the balance, and I don’t pretend to have. But I’ve learned to give myself grace, celebrate progress, and recognize that success isn’t about doing everything simultaneously. It’s about making intentional decisions that move you closer to the life you’re building.

Sometimes the biggest lesson in entrepreneurship isn’t learning how to do more. It’s learning what deserves your time, energy, and attention.

Who was your favorite music artist and athlete growing up?

Beyoncé. And before anyone asks, yes, that’s my answer for BOTH! (Laughs.)

I’ve been a Beyoncé fan since her Destiny’s Child days, and what I’ve always admired about her goes far beyond the music. It’s her work ethic, discipline, attention to detail, and commitment to excellence.

And let’s be serious, anyone who can perform intense choreography for hours, sing live, maintain that level of stamina, and make it look effortless is absolutely an athlete in my book!

But what inspires me most is how she’s continued to evolve throughout her career. She’s never allowed herself to be limited to one version of success. She’s an entertainer, entrepreneur, visionary, and businesswoman who has built an incredible legacy through consistency and intentional execution.

I admire people who are willing to reinvent themselves, challenge expectations, and continue raising the standard for what they’re capable of accomplishing. Beyoncé has always represented that for me.

Plus, I’m from Texas, so you already know I have to represent for our girl!

Any shoutouts you want to make?

First and foremost, I want to give a huge shoutout to my family, especially my children. They get a front-row seat to all my ideas, ambitions, busy schedules, and the occasional chaos that comes with having an entrepreneurial spirit! Their love and support mean more to me than they’ll ever know.

I also want to recognize the mentors, colleagues, friends, and leaders who have encouraged me, challenged me, and opened doors throughout my journey. I’ve been fortunate to connect with some incredible people through Microsoft, Blacks at Microsoft, Women & Allies, and Toastmasters who have helped shape me both personally and professionally.

A special shoutout to the organizations and communities that continue doing meaningful work through mentorship, volunteerism, education, and leadership development. Having served with organizations such as the Humanitarians of Light Association and being recognized with the Dallas Leadership Foundation Mentorship Award, I understand firsthand how powerful it is when people invest their time and resources into uplifting others.

And finally, to every entrepreneur, working mother, student, and dreamer who’s trying to figure out how to make it all work: I see you! Keep going. You don’t have to have everything figured out, and you certainly don’t have to look like everyone else while doing it.

I’m still building, still learning, and still evolving myself. And that’s the beauty of the journey. We’re all works in progress.

Empower. Execute. Elevate. Always.

Where can our readers learn more about you and your company?

I’d love to connect with your readers!

You can learn more about me and my work through Empower.Execute.Elevate., where I’m passionate about helping aspiring entrepreneurs turn their ideas into action, build sustainable businesses, and develop the confidence to pursue their goals.

Empower.Execute.Elevate.

Website: https://www.empowerexecuteelevate.com

Email: ebonyvick@empowerexecuteelevate.com

For those interested in luxury hair extensions and beauty products, you can explore my beauty brand, Shanta’ Hair Beauty Fashion, at https://studioshanta.com.

I’m also a REALTOR® with Landen Realty Group, sponsored by CLO Dallas Realty, LLC, serving clients throughout the Dallas–Fort Worth area.

Landen Realty Group

Website: https://landenrealtygroup.com

I’m always excited to connect with fellow entrepreneurs, business owners, aspiring leaders, and organizations interested in collaboration, mentorship, speaking engagements, or business education.

And if there’s one thing I hope readers take away from my story, it’s that you don’t have to fit into one box or limit yourself to one dream. You can pursue multiple passions, redefine success on your own terms, and create opportunities that extend far beyond yourself.

Empower. Execute. Elevate.

The journey doesn’t stop here, and neither do I!