Meet Joel Atkins | Business consultant and serial entrepreneur

We had the good fortune of connecting with Joel Atkins and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi joel, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
As I was networking, I keep seeing needs that was going unfulfilled. I tried to to find a referral partner to help my clients and they failed to fulfill my clients needs, so I started signing joint venture agreements and acquiring other services to take care of the needs myself.

I began with a printing brokerage and since expanded into several other verticals such as accounting, merchant services, business consulting, among other things.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
My business, The I AM Joel consultancy, Is just more than just a business coach that tells their clients what to do. We roll up our sleeves and gets in the trenches with our clients. From looking at financials to parlaying Joel’s years of networking to make contacts and leveraging relationships, the I Am Joel consultancy is uniquely equipped to help small business grow and thrive!

One of the largest lesson I have learned is you net worth is directly correlated to your net work. I have strived to grow my network to be able to service my clients needs no matter where or what the needs are.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Chattanooga is a very historical city, but with thriving food and an outdoor scenes.

A week of hiking through the historical battlefields, whitewater rafting, biking, and paddle boarding would definitely be on the docket. There are several eclectic and great restaurants in Chattanooga that would be worth a visit. Breakfast at Aretha Frankenstein’s, drinks at Good Fellas, Music and craft beer at the barrel house would be great options as well.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My not so secret in business is BNI (Business Networking International). BNI is a worldwide closed networking organization that promotes networking through weekly chapter meetings and facilitating business relationships for it’s membership.

Website: https://www.facebook.com/joeltheconnector