November 1st 2023.
Sophia Strother had the courage to invest $10,000 of her own money into her dreams in 2020, and in a mere 18 months her business, Learning 2 Exhale Industries (L2E), had become a multimillion-dollar brand thanks to a partnership with Amazon.
As Business Insider reports, the road to success wasn't easy. In 2019, when the 43-year-old single mother was invited to meet Amazon's partners in Seattle, she had no way to afford the trip from Austin, Texas, and so she declined.
But a day after Christmas, Amazon came back to her, and Strother decided to take the chance. She attended an event in Las Vegas where each candidate was interviewed by an Amazon executive. Despite having no transportation experience, she talked about the initiatives she had led and her passion for serving her community, and that was good enough.
Fast-forward three years and L2E is now a successful business with nearly 80 associates and 38 vans. The business provides service to communities in Central Texas and Strother leads operational duties, and plans ahead for various routes.
But success comes with its own set of challenges. In February 2021, an unprecedented winter storm in Texas forced the business to shut down for a week, leading to a significant decrease in deliveries and earnings. To continue paying her employees and keep the business afloat, Strother had to empty her retirement and savings accounts.
Fortunately, after meeting with a temporary business coach from Amazon, she was able to get back on her feet. She hasn't missed a payroll check since then and has started to pay herself again.
Sophia Strother's story is a remarkable example of how a determined individual can turn their dreams into reality. With hard work and a little help from Amazon, she was able to build a multimillion-dollar business in just 18 months.
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