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Exploring Life & Business with Andre Erving.
Exploring Life & Business with Andre Erving
Today we’d like to introduce you to Andre Erving.
Hi Andre, so excited to have you on the
platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
I started off as a truck driver 13 years ago with no experience in business and no experience in the transportation industry. I worked and learned the business and became a truck driver trainer. After training for a while, I purchased my own truck, then I became a broker and started brokering freight out of my apartment. After brokering freight for a while, I created a business, Erving’s Training, Inc. and created an online course on brokering freight, and started teaching people how to broker freight. It was all online, my course started doing good and gaining a lot of positive reviews.
My business started doing so well, I decided to get some office space in Chicago, IL where I am born and raised, and start teaching people how to broker freight in person, offering a Hands-On Training option now instead of only online. I worked on getting the office space and eventually, I did, now I am up and running in an office now and I still have my online course running as well. My Hands On Training started doing really well, so I had to hire an assistant to help me out with answering phones, and emails, helping students out on the computers, etc…
In between my Online and Hands-On Training businesses, I was in college, yes, I graduated, doing graphic design, creating websites, doing IT work, creating logos, starting businesses for people, and more. At this point, I started bringing myself more into the spotlight, I have made some accomplishments, so it is time to let the world know by using all available platforms. I have thousands of good reviews, people look up to me, and call me their mentor, teacher, advisor, friend, instructor, boss, and coach. This is what keeps me going every day, knowing that I make a positive impact on people’s lives.
After 5 years of maintaining the Chicago, IL location, I decided that it is time to expand my operations, so Atlanta, GA is the place to be right now. I have been to Atlanta on many different occasions, I know many truck drivers here, and I have done business with many customers here, it is a central location for transportation and many other things, so opening a location in Atlanta, GA is the smart thing to do. Atlanta is also where a lot of my students and business partners are from, so that means Atlanta is one of my target markets.
Throughout my journey to success, I have opened many profitable businesses, so my title is called Entrepreneur. I have also, put so many people in positions to provide more for their families. I now have 8 businesses and I do not plan on stopping any time soon. I also speak at events, I am the author of the Freight Broker Training Manual book, which is provided along with my courses, and I train teams of people how to open and operate businesses.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The biggest challenge I had was having an idea and I could not do anything with it because I didn’t have enough money to do it. My solution was to do a little as often as possible until I reached the goal of where I can do it. I most definitely had people that did not believe in my vision or my way of thinking, and I really thank them for that, that made me focus more. Once I started helping others become successful, those others started helping me become more successful, with referrals, promoting, etc…
This has not been a smooth road, and it never will be as long as I keep creating more goals. Your goals should challenge you and make you scared, if they don’t, they are not high enough. So, my road was and is very bumpy, the more successful you become, the more bumps appear in the road. You must not give up though, you must keep pushing forward, obstacles and challenges make you better as a person, a business owner, an entrepreneur, a boss, etc. I have gone through many issues, so now I try to create ways where no one else will go through what I did to get where I am.
Trying to get ahead while being black is also rough, you must gain respect and credibility with everyone, meaning, I had to give away a lot of free stuff just to make people believe what I was providing was legit, but only the strong survive.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I created Erving’s, Companies, LLC to start my family of companies’ journey, and later changed it to Erving’s, Inc. The slogan is A Family of Companies because that was and is my vision, to create multiple successful businesses and bring my family in on them.
The main title of what I do is provide professional services, some of the services include, training and consulting, photography, web design, transportation arrangement, mentoring, and load hauling. I specialize in many different areas and services. Before my entrepreneur journey, I was working and going to school, I have a degree in Computer Science, a degree in Computer Information systems, and a certificate in Web Development, and I will have a degree in Business Administration in June of this year, 2022. I have many other certificates as well and was on the Dean and Presidents list of honors. Being involved in many different things, helped me create many different businesses and provide many different services to people.
I am known for trying to help, motivate, encourage, and inspire people.
What sets me apart from others is that I am self-made for real, I really started from the bottom, I really put in the work to get things done and become successful, and I really changed people’s lives in a positive way.
I learned in school to always brand yourself, no matter what it is, and put your stamp on it, if you did it, or it is yours. So I am proud of the way I branded myself, I always to make it better, but as of right now, I am proud of everything.
I provide many different services, but Freight Broker Training is where I spend most of my time – Visit my website https://www.ervingstraining.com/
I also encourage anyone that is interested in any other services I provide to visit my website – https://www.ervingsincorporated.com/
What do you think about luck?
I do not believe in luck, I believe in working hard for what you want. I have had many things happen to me, but it was not to the point where I couldn’t overcome it.
Contact Info:
Email: support@andreerving.com
Website: https://www.andreerving.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ervingpreneur/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ervingpreneur
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AndreErving
Other: https://www.ervingsincorporated.com/