She Didn’t Just Need a Business Plan. She Needed Someone in Her Corner.

In almost every entrepreneur's journey, the excitement of starting something new gives way to the weight of keeping it going. The dream and passion are still there, but suddenly, there are decisions to make, problems to solve, bills to pay, and questions no one else can answer for you.

For Taylor, that moment came nearly two years after she opened her business. In 2019, Taylor and a business partner launched Bae Med Spa, a business rooted in their shared experience with skincare and massage. The name B.A.E. stands for Beauty and Aesthetics—a reflection of the work they loved and the vision they hoped to bring to life. But after almost two years of building the business together, Taylor's journey took an unexpected turn. She bought out her business partner.

What had once been a shared dream was now hers to carry. “That was the pivotal point for my company and me,” Taylor said. “I needed to learn fully how to run my business by myself.”

The transition was significant. Taylor wasn't simply stepping into a new title. She was learning what it meant to carry the responsibility of leading a business and the challenges of it on her own.

Like so many small business owners, Taylor discovered that having a vision and knowing how to build a sustainable business are not always the same thing. Her business was going through a period of reorganization, and she needed to take an honest look at where it was and what needed to change for it to grow. She knew she couldn't stop. But she also knew she couldn't keep doing everything the same way. So Taylor began searching for help.

She participated in several business programs, hoping each one would give her something new to move her business forward. But instead, she often found herself sitting through familiar information.

“I did quite a few programs before this program,” Taylor said. “And I felt like all the programs were pretty much the same.”

Then she walked into The Business Cohort at Watermark Community Development Corporation. And something felt different.

They Learned Her Before They Learned Her Business

The Business Cohort is a Gospel-centered business accelerator that helps entrepreneurs strengthen both their businesses and their ability to lead them. Participants explore practical topics such as understanding themselves and their customers, marketing, finances, sales pipelines, and more. But Taylor's experience began somewhere more personal.

“My first impression when I started the program was, they didn't learn my individual business first,” she said. “They learned me first.”

For someone carrying the responsibility of a business largely on her own, being seen as more than an entrepreneur was meaningful. Before anyone could help Taylor think about the next steps for her company, they wanted to understand the person making those decisions: her strengths, challenges, goals, and story. That approach created space for something Taylor hadn't expected: connection.

The Business Cohort wasn't simply asking, “How can we make this business grow?” It was also asking, “Who is Taylor, and what does she need to grow?” And for Taylor, that made all the difference.

More Than Information—A Way Forward

Knowledge is valuable. But for many entrepreneurs, knowing what to do and knowing how to do it can feel like two very different things. Taylor didn't just need another presentation or another list of things she should be doing. She needed help putting what she was learning into practice.

“My biggest takeaway from The Business Cohort was literally execution,” she said. “Not only did they provide the information, but they helped me execute.”

That support allowed Taylor to take a deeper look at her business during a critical season of change. Instead of simply moving from one challenge to the next, she could pause, assess where she was, and begin building a stronger foundation for the future. Entrepreneurship rarely follows a straight line.

“To be a successful small business owner, you have to really believe in what you're doing,” she said. “When you fall down, you've got to get back up.”

Those words aren't just good advice. They're a reflection of the way Taylor has chosen to live her own story.

Getting Back Up

Throughout her journey, Taylor faced numerous obstacles, some within her control and others that weren't. But those who walked alongside her noticed how she responded.

“Taylor is optimistic,” her business coach, Marty, shared. “She believes in her business and what she's doing, and she would continually find solutions to those problems.” Ashley, Coordinator of The Business Cohort said, “Taylor is the epitome of an entrepreneur. She just needed a team in her corner.”

A Place to Breathe

But that support reached beyond Taylor's business. As she built relationships with the people at Watermark CDC, something began to shift in her personally and spiritually.

“Meeting the people at Watermark CDC kind of helped reboost my faith,” Taylor said. For Taylor, being part of the community meant she didn't have to have all the answers. “I allowed myself just to breathe and be vulnerable,” she shared.

For Taylor, Watermark CDC became more than an initiative. “It's not just a program for me,” she said. “It's like they're family.” Those words capture something that can't be measured on a balance sheet. People need community. They need someone in their corner. They need to know they don't have to carry everything alone. Taylor's story reminds us what can happen when those two things come together—practical support and personal connection.