In this special episode of the Scale Up Your Business Podcast, the roles are reversed. LA21 President and CEO Kwaku Boateng interviews host Zakia Ringgold about her journey from entrepreneur and Scale Up participant to business advisor, educator, and AI systems architect.
From Revenue to a Sustainable Business
Before joining LA21, Zakia had built Live Soap School, published books, sold products internationally, and developed extensive technology and instructional-design experience. She could generate revenue but needed help building the structure behind the business.
That changed when she joined the first cohort of LA21’s Scale Up Your Business program in 2020.
LA21 combined training with coaching, technical assistance, and community. Today, Zakia helps provide that same support to other entrepreneurs through advising, program development, and the Scale Up Your Business Podcast.
As she explains in the episode:
“Information isn’t implementation.”
Building Systems That Last
The conversation also explores how Zakia’s stage 3 colon cancer diagnosis changed the way she approached entrepreneurship. During recovery, she recognized how much of what she had built depended on her personal capacity.
That reflection inspired her fifth book, Nothing Was Random, and a renewed focus on creating systems that can continue without the founder doing everything.
Orientation Before Automation
Through Business Tech Lab, Zakia now helps entrepreneurs and organizations understand their operations before adopting AI.
Her guiding principle is simple: orientation before automation.
Before selecting tools, a business must understand its goals, processes, knowledge, and customers. Otherwise, technology may automate confusion instead of improving the business.
Zakia also discusses her work supporting Philadelphia’s small-business ecosystem, including serving on the advisory group for the Philly Biz Hub.
Links Mentioned
– LA21
– Scale Up Your Business Program
– LA21 Online Global Community
– Business Tech Lab
– Live Soap School
– Philadelphia Business Resource Hub
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