Skip to Main Content
HBS Online
  • Courses
    Open Courses Mega Menu
    • Business Essentials
      • Credential of Readiness (CORe)
      • Business Analytics
      • Economics for Managers
      • Financial Accounting
    • Leadership & Management
      • Leadership Principles
      • Management Essentials
      • Negotiation Mastery
      • Organizational Leadership
      • Strategy Execution
      • Power and Influence for Positive Impact
    • Entrepreneurship & Innovation
      • Entrepreneurship Essentials
      • Disruptive Strategy
      • Negotiation Mastery
      • Design Thinking and Innovation
    • Strategy
      • Strategy Execution
      • Business Strategy
      • Economics for Managers
      • Disruptive Strategy
      • Global Business
      • Sustainable Business Strategy
    • Finance & Accounting
      • Financial Accounting
      • Leading with Finance
      • Alternative Investments
      • Sustainable Investing
    • Business in Society
      • Sustainable Business Strategy
      • Global Business
      • Sustainable Investing
      • Power and Influence for Positive Impact
    • All Courses
  • For Organizations
    Open For Organizations Mega Menu
    • Corporate Learning
      Help your employees master essential business concepts, improve effectiveness, and expand leadership capabilities.
    • Academic Solutions
      Integrate HBS Online courses into your curriculum to support programs and create unique educational opportunities.
    • Need Help?
      • Frequently Asked Questions
      • Contact Us
    • Black, Latinx, and underrepresented minority professionals
      Pathways to Business

      Stories designed to inspire future business leaders.

  • Insights
    Open Insights Mega Menu
    • Business Insights Blog
      • Career Development
      • Communication
      • Decision-Making
      • Earning Your MBA
      • Entrepreneurship & Innovation
      • Finance
      • Leadership
      • Management
      • Negotiation
      • Strategy
    • All Topics
    • Free Business Lessons and E-Books

      Gain actionable skills and insights to advance your career.

    • Free Guide

      Learn how to formulate a successful business strategy.

  • More Info
    Open More Info Mega Menu
    • Learning Experience
      Master real-world business skills with our immersive platform and engaged community.
    • Certificates, Credentials, & Credits
      Learn how completing courses can boost your resume and move your career forward.
    • Learning Tracks
      Take your career to the next level with this specialization.
    • Financing & Policies
      • Employer Reimbursement
      • Payment & Financial Aid
      • Policies
    • Connect
      • Student Stories
      • Community
    • Need Help?
      • Frequently Asked Questions
      • Request Information
    • Apply Now
Login
My Courses
Access your courses and engage with your peers
My Account
Manage your account, applications, and payments.
HBS Home
  • About HBS
  • Academic Programs
  • Alumni
  • Faculty & Research
  • Baker Library
  • Giving
  • Harvard Business Review
  • Initiatives
  • News
  • Recruit
  • Map / Directions
HBS Online
  • Courses
  • Business Essentials
  • Leadership & Management
  • Entrepreneurship & Innovation
  • Strategy
  • Finance & Accounting
  • Business in Society
  • For Organizations
  • Insights
  • More Info
  • About
  • Media Coverage
  • Founding Donors
  • Leadership Team
  • Careers
  • My Courses
  • My Account
  • Apply Now
  • …→
  • Harvard Business School→
  • HBS Online→
  • Business Insights→

Business Insights

Harvard Business School Online's Business Insights Blog provides the career insights you need to achieve your goals and gain confidence in your business skills.

 
Filter Results Arrow Down Arrow Up

Topics

Topics

  • Accounting
  • Analytics
  • Business Essentials
  • Business in Society
  • Career Development
  • Communication
  • Community
  • ConneXt
  • Decision-Making
  • Earning Your MBA
  • Entrepreneurship & Innovation
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Management
  • Marketing
  • Negotiation
  • News & Events
  • Productivity
  • Staff Spotlight
  • Strategy
  • Student Profiles
  • Technology
  • Work-Life Balance

Courses

Courses

  • Alternative Investments
  • Business Analytics
  • Business Strategy
  • CORe
  • Design Thinking and Innovation
  • Disruptive Strategy
  • Economics for Managers
  • Entrepreneurship Essentials
  • Financial Accounting
  • Global Business
  • Leadership Principles
  • Leading with Finance
  • Management Essentials
  • Negotiation Mastery
  • Organizational Leadership
  • Power and Influence for Positive Impact
  • Strategy Execution
  • Sustainable Business Strategy
  • Sustainable Investing
Subscribe to the Blog
RSS feed

Filters

Topics

Topics

  • Accounting
  • Analytics
  • Business Essentials
  • Business in Society
  • Career Development
  • Communication
  • Community
  • ConneXt
  • Decision-Making
  • Earning Your MBA
  • Entrepreneurship & Innovation
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Management
  • Marketing
  • Negotiation
  • News & Events
  • Productivity
  • Staff Spotlight
  • Strategy
  • Student Profiles
  • Technology
  • Work-Life Balance

Courses

Courses

  • Alternative Investments
  • Business Analytics
  • Business Strategy
  • CORe
  • Design Thinking and Innovation
  • Disruptive Strategy
  • Economics for Managers
  • Entrepreneurship Essentials
  • Financial Accounting
  • Global Business
  • Leadership Principles
  • Leading with Finance
  • Management Essentials
  • Negotiation Mastery
  • Organizational Leadership
  • Power and Influence for Positive Impact
  • Strategy Execution
  • Sustainable Business Strategy
  • Sustainable Investing
Subscribe to the Blog
RSS feed

How a Leap of Faith Helped One Community Organizer Start Her Business & Enable Others to Reinvent Their Own

Artise House studio
  • 27 Jul 2021
Lauren Landry Author Staff
tag
  • Community
  • Entrepreneurship & Innovation
  • Entrepreneurship Essentials
  • Student Profiles

Art has always been a constant in Indya Wright’s life—what she calls her “catharsis.” Yet, it took a leap of faith for her to turn it into a career.

“I’d draw when I wasn’t feeling well or sing to self-soothe if I had a bad day,” Wright says. “But art was never something I was encouraged to pursue professionally. My family didn’t see it as a viable career and never realized it was, or could be, profitable.”

So, Wright instead started working in what those in her Washington, D.C. neighborhood called “good government jobs.” She served as a commercial banker before becoming a deputy clerk at the D.C. Superior Court, where she oversaw the daily operations of the Landlord and Tenant Branch. It was there she had an epiphany. She realized she was miserable.

“I was watching people fight to keep a roof over their head every day,” Wright says. “As the youngest person in the office, I saw some colleagues who had been there 20 or 30 years numb to tears. They weren’t phased by seeing people cry. It broke my heart.”

Taking the Leap into Entrepreneurship

Wright put in her two weeks’ notice without having a backup plan or any money saved. Although risky, she followed the advice she had heard comedian Steve Harvey share in a video she stumbled upon online: “You gotta jump.” She wrote about Harvey’s words and her “proverbial jump” in an article for the HuffPost, which caught the attention of producers from “The Steve Harvey Show,” who were looking for people who had either successfully transitioned careers or wanted to transition but were scared.

Indya Wright
Indya Wright

“I was that person in the middle who had jumped but didn’t have a plan, and so they invited me to be a guest on his show,” Wright says. “He gave me $1,000, and his only stipulation was that I couldn’t use it for necessities. He said, ‘You have to put this toward whatever the dream is, whether it’s your website, equipment that you need, whatever.’”

At the time, Wright had been helping some former classmates from the Duke Ellington School of the Arts land opportunities to perform around D.C., including the chance to sing at the Capital One Arena. The success encouraged her to pursue her passions professionally. She used the money from Harvey to create the website for her public relations and production firm, Artiste House.

“I recognized this was something I was doing in my free time for friends while still using skills people are willing to invest in, like building relationships, networking, being a strong writer, and seeing opportunities for them to expand and amplify their brand,” Wright says.

Over the past four years, she’s grown Artiste House into a full-service creative firm, offering services from public relations and TV and film production to brand identity, web design, copywriting, and social media strategy. Like most small businesses, though, Wright needed to pivot in 2020 at the start of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Leveraging HBS Online to Pivot Her Business and Others’

As COVID-19 cases surged globally, Wright experienced another tragedy: the loss of her mother.

“One of the last things I told her I wanted to do was take an HBS Online course,” Wright says. “I used the education and experience to stay busy when everything happened.”

Wright enrolled in Entrepreneurship Essentials to learn to speak the language of entrepreneurship, including how to communicate with investors to raise capital. Yet, once in the course, what resonated most was learning how to pivot your business model and react to a changing marketplace.

“This was not only incredible for me, but it was incredible for my clients,” Wright says. “The course inspired me to help my clients pivot into digital spaces.”

At the beginning of the pandemic, several of Wright’s clients couldn’t afford her anymore because they needed to temporarily shut down their businesses, including award-winning celebrity barber Eric “Kleankut” Dixon, whom she had recently gotten into Forbes. After taking Entrepreneurship Essentials, Wright urged Dixon to create his own digital course, teaching others his technique while sharing best practices, product suggestions, and expert tips and tricks. Artiste House shot and produced the 30-minute course, which Dixon now sells for $24.99. Within a week of launching, he made $2,000—creating a steady income for himself until he could reopen his barbershop.

“The course opened my eyes to that pivot piece,” Wright says. “And it was not just how can I keep money coming in for me, but how else can I continue to serve my clients?”

Entrepreneurship Essentials - Succeed in the startup world. Learn more.

Looking to What’s Ahead

Since finishing Entrepreneurship Essentials, Wright has become the Chapter Organizer for the HBS Online Community’s Washington D.C. Chapter. Earlier this year, she held her first virtual event to meet, network, and exchange resources with fellow business professionals from her area.

“I love collaboration and meeting other people who think differently, move differently, and come from different backgrounds,” Wright says. “That’s the best way to grow.”

Wright is now focused on helping Washington D.C.’s thriving urban culture grow and amplify the creativity coming out of the nation’s capital.

“On a national level, D.C.’s urban culture isn’t recognized the same way that New York’s or California’s is,” Wright says. “When you look at the representation on screen, they always highlight politics, so I’m creating video content that talks to some of the other great things happening inside the city.”

When she’s not working on that project, Wright is likely learning a new skill. A self-described “perpetual learner,” Wright remarks that she’s “always taking a course about something.” Her most recent endeavor? Earning her boat captain’s license so that she can enjoy a summer on the water with her family and friends.

When asked what advice she has for aspiring entrepreneurs, she re-emphasizes education.

“Educate yourself,” Wright says. “And if that means using some of your savings, do that. You need to find ways to equip yourself with the skills necessary to sustain your business. You’re investing in your own success.”

Are you interested in learning more about how to start your own business? Explore our four-week Entrepreneurship Essentials course and other programs on entrepreneurship and innovation.

About the Author

Lauren Landry is the director of marketing and communications for Harvard Business School Online. Prior to joining HBS Online, she worked at Northeastern University and BostInno, where she wrote nearly 3,500 articles covering early-stage tech and education—including the very launch of HBS Online. When she's not at HBS Online, you might find her teaching a course on digital media at Emerson College, chugging coffee, or telling anyone who's willing to listen terribly corny jokes.
 
All FAQs

Top FAQs

How are HBS Online courses delivered?

+–

We offer self-paced programs (with weekly deadlines) on the HBS Online course platform.

Our platform features short, highly produced videos of HBS faculty and guest business experts, interactive graphs and exercises, cold calls to keep you engaged, and opportunities to contribute to a vibrant online community.

Do I need to come to campus to participate in HBS Online programs?

+–

No, all of our programs are 100 percent online, and available to participants regardless of their location.

How do I enroll in a course?

+–

All programs require the completion of a brief application. The applications vary slightly from program to program, but all ask for some personal background information. You can apply for and enroll in programs here. If you are new to HBS Online, you will be required to set up an account before starting an application for the program of your choice.

Our easy online application is free, and no special documentation is required. All applicants must be at least 18 years of age, proficient in English, and committed to learning and engaging with fellow participants throughout the program.

After submitting your application, you should receive an email confirmation from HBS Online. If you do not receive this email, please check your junk email folders and double-check your account to make sure the application was successfully submitted.

Updates to your application and enrollment status will be shown on your Dashboard. We confirm enrollment eligibility within one week of your application.

Does Harvard Business School Online offer an online MBA?

+–

No, Harvard Business School Online offers business certificate programs.

What are my payment options?

+–

We accept payments via credit card, wire transfer, Western Union, and (when available) bank loan. Some candidates may qualify for scholarships or financial aid, which will be credited against the Program Fee once eligibility is determined. Please refer to the Payment & Financial Aid page for further information.

We also allow you to split your payment across 2 separate credit card transactions or send a payment link email to another person on your behalf. If splitting your payment into 2 transactions, a minimum payment of $350 is required for the first transaction.

In all cases, net Program Fees must be paid in full (in US Dollars) to complete registration.

What are the policies for refunds and deferrals?

+–

After enrolling in a program, you may request a withdrawal with refund (minus a $100 nonrefundable enrollment fee) up until 24 hours after the start of your program. Please review the Program Policies page for more details on refunds and deferrals. If your employer has contracted with HBS Online for participation in a program, or if you elect to enroll in the undergraduate credit option of the Credential of Readiness (CORe) program, note that policies for these options may differ.

 

Sign up for News & Announcements

Subject Areas

  • Business Essentials
  • Leadership & Management
  • Entrepreneurship & Innovation
  • Strategy
  • Finance & Accounting
  • Business & Society

Quick Links

  • FAQs
  • Contact Us
  • Request Info
  • Apply Now

About

  • About Us
  • Media Coverage
  • Founding Donors
  • Leadership Team
  • Careers @ HBS Online

Legal

  • Legal
  • Policies
Harvard Business School
Copyright © President & Fellows of Harvard College
  • Site Map
  • Trademark Notice
  • Digital Accessibility