Meet Teniqua Broughton | Founder and Chief Executive Officer, VerveSimone Consulting

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

Hi Teniqua, what do you attribute your success to?
The most important factor behind my success and brand is the ability to broker and build relationships. In this line of work, who you know and how your network works for you can mean the difference between creating actionable change and just knowing people in your community. From my experience, I have been able to help organizations create the most change when I activate my network and utilize personal relationships.

Relationship currency is vital to everyone’s success; it is essential to understand how it works for you and those which who you have relationships. I believe there is a great benefit to understanding that everyone is looking for either an opportunity or an authentic support system for mentorship, coaching, or allyship. While some relationship starts as a transaction, if it is meant to be, you can elevate the transactional relationship to a partnership, collaboration or even a thought partner for shared ideas and opportunities to increase your sphere of influence.

What should our readers know about your business?
VerveSimone Consulting was founded in 2014 after I culminated my vast experience in leadership strategies, non-profit governance consulting, diversity, equity & inclusion, and the implementation of management strategies to create the outcome that organizations have always desired achieve success and achieve their goals.

I established VerveSimone Consulting as a means to build an organization where I could control the fruits of my labor. I wanted to exercise my own capacity as a community leader for the issues and topics most dear to my heart, arts and culture, women and girls, and marginalized communities.

This was difficult, as my focus as an entrepreneur was to branch off to display my many talents in my toolbox. I recognized, unintentionally, that people preferred to categorize you to one organization or role for their own explanation of comfort. I realized I have control of my own narrative. I worked to ensure my allies, supporters and naysayers understood that this journey is about fulfilling my purpose and destiny; while also focusing on what I am meant to do and who I am meant to be for others, especially myself.

As a woman-owned small business providing customized consulting services to individuals and organizations, we have built our work and reputation on the idea that we should lead by example. To us this means operating in a way that allows us to lead in the way in which we are role models of the industry, but also to push our employees and clients to lead with excellence.

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.
If my best friend was visiting Arizona for a weeklong trip I would select three places across the state. I would start North in the state with a trip to Sedona, staying at Amara Resort and Spa, hiking a trail on the red rocks, a pink jeep tour, and dinner at Shorebird Sedona.

A few days later, back in Phoenix – Scottsdale, you must brunch at Maple and Ash, a spa day at Well-Being Spa at Scottsdale Fairmount Princess Resort, and a wine tasting and appetizers at Copper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant.

Also, based on what’s available, see a show at ASU Gammage, Chandler Center for the Arts, or Scottsdale Center for the Arts. In Tempe, stay at Canopy by Hilton and eating at Alter Ego Restaurant and Lounge. In Chandler, experience Mingle and Graze, and in Scottsdale, Francine’s at Scottsdale Fashion Square Mall.

I would close out the trip with travel to Southern Arizona to African American Museum of Southern Arizona, lunch at Wildflower Restaurant and dinner at The Parish. For a big tub experience, stay at Loew’s Ventana or in downtown Tucson, a boutique hotel experience at Citizen Hotel.

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?
There are so many amazing women who have built me up, a few to name such as Fatimah Halim, MaryLynn Mack and Rachel Frazier Johnson over the decades, that have supported me throughout my career. However, Colleen Jennings- Roggensack, Executive Director and VP of Cultural Affairs at ASU Gammage, has been the foundation of my leadership as an industry leader in arts. She has played such a significant role in my life, seeing potential in me even when I didn’t see it within myself early in my career. She serves as a model for arts and culture leadership, especially for women of color across many sectors. Her support for me has extended beyond the many years I worked on staff, saying a lot about her ability to identify talent and leadership outside her own staff and championing others.

Website: http://www.vervesimone.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teniquab/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/teniqua-broughton-8b29417/

Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/vervesimone