How Sidjae Price used Adversity to Build Two Successful Businesses

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From Food for the Poor to becoming a startup founder, how Sidjae Price used adversity to build two successful businesses.

I’m Sidjae Price, owner and business planning consultant at Priceless Planning and Founder and President of Speak Loud Incorporate, 501(c)3 non-profit organization.

I’m also a 2017 doctoral degree candidate, a born leader, peer mentor for my cohorts, ad-hoc editor of an academic journal, and a guest contributor on a plethora of platforms.

Well, how did I get involved in all of this?

To be honest, I was born in California with a silver spoon. But, after my parents separated the spoon got a bit rusty. It was then a matter of time that I would be in a single parent household, with little income living in Jamaica.

During this time, we received from neighbours and different local organization. I remember receiving an anonymous sponsor for my tuition after being placed on the step for no payment, receiving food from Food for the Poor and being mistreated and sleeping on the floor of relatives. This phase of life taught me an invaluable lesson…that I must give to others because someone once gave to me.

We later relocated to New York City for about two years where we lived with relatives. Attending junior high school in NYC, made me quickly learn that being a leader was important. It was there I learned that it is okay to walk the other way by myself even if everyone else was going up the block to watch the fight on Flatbush. However, we had to soon relocate, as my mom got laid off from her job.

By the time I reached 14-years-old we were living in Florida. During high school, my youngest sister became sick with an immune disease. I was involved in all of these leadership positions, honour classes, and having to take the bus to and from the hospital after school.

When I turned 16, I decided to get a job. I learned early not to complain and adapt to change, so I quickly learned new bus routes, to pack an extra bag and to get up at 5:00am for school to be home by 10:00pm.

I graduated from high school. I applied to 10 universities, but only two accepted me. What I found ironic was that the only reason I even got into the two that accepted me was because I received recommendations for those two. This brings me back to say that all interactions will align themselves.

Success is not for the faint of heart, so to the new entrepreneur or to the person who may feel like life is just one too many ups and downs, keep going and don’t throw in the towel.

After college, I faced the typical millennial challenges including being caught up in an economic recession. During this time, I started speaking at Speak Loud Inc to help youth as I needed to give to others.

Two years after this I started my own company, Priceless Planning, as I knew for a fact that I was being led from my 9-5 job with a government agency. I saved six months worth of pay, moved back in with mom, laid on the bed, and cried like a baby.

During that transition, I had three major deaths in my family and realized even if I had stayed at the job, they would have fired me for taking so much time off anyways to attend funerals and grieve.

During this time, I also took a doctoral course in organizational consulting thinking it was an easy A. But to my surprise, it was a wake-up call for me to realize the talents I naturally had and developed in all my past 9-5 jobs. This right here was the major alignment, based on life experiences.

While my journey is still being written, I have realized that life will continue to align itself.

Now having a business, better yet two businesses, is no walk in the park. They both require a plan and passion. Without my life experiences, I would not be able to determine and figure out what I was passionate about and these two businesses would not have lasted past a year.

This is because the 1st year of any business is the toughest, even though having an open-ended plan can relieve some of the pain.

You will hear lots no’s, will have to change things around a few times and will have a few crying parties.

You will hear lots no’s, will have to change things around a few times and will have a few crying parties.

But success is not for the faint of heart, so to the new entrepreneur or to the person who may feel like life is just one too many ups and downs, keep going and don’t throw in the towel.

I promise you one day you will look back and see that everything from when you were a child to now aligns itself and you will have a moment when it all makes sense.

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