Start with the person
A business should fit the life of the person building it. We begin with your strengths, story and season.
About Yo
A life spent building, and helping others build.
Entrepreneur, coach and speaker Yolanda "Yo" Butler on the road that shaped The Business of You.
Her story
I know the road, because I've walked it.
For more than thirty years I've been an entrepreneur. I ran Christian Family Preschool in Oakland for thirteen years and grew a consignment business alongside it. I learned what it takes to make payroll, earn a family's trust and keep the doors open through hard seasons.
Then I spent my career helping other owners do the same. I trained women entrepreneurs at Women's Initiative for Self Employment. I advised small business owners at the Contra Costa SBDC. And over thirteen years at Operation HOPE, I grew from Small Business Coordinator to VP Community Relations to Financial Well-Being Coach.
"We build the business around you, not the other way around."
Along the way I saw the same thing again and again: good people with good ideas, held back by money stress, missing connections or a plan that didn't fit their life. The Business of You is my answer. Strategy, financial wellness and community, shaped around the person doing the building.
— Yo
The journey
Three decades, one mission.
- Founder
Christian Family Preschool, Oakland
Ran her own preschool for 13 years and grew a consignment business on the side.
- Trainer
Women's Initiative for Self Employment
Trained women entrepreneurs to plan, launch and grow their businesses.
- Advisor
Contra Costa SBDC
Advised small business owners on planning, funding and growth.
- 13+ years
Operation HOPE
Grew from Small Business Coordinator to VP Community Relations to Financial Well-Being Coach.
- Education
Cal State East Bay
Studied Business Administration and served as president of the Black Business Association.
The Business of You™ philosophy
Four beliefs behind every talk.
Financial dignity
Credit, money management and wealth that lasts. Everyone deserves to understand their money.
Each one, reach one
Social capital is real capital. When you rise, you reach back and bring someone with you.
Wellness is strategy
A rested, confident founder makes better decisions. Mental wellness is part of the business plan.
"Your story, your skills and your relationships are assets. Build on them."
Yolanda Butler
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Yolanda "Yo" Butler is a keynote speaker, podcaster and business strategist who teaches entrepreneurs how to build a business around themselves. A 30+ year entrepreneur, she spent 13+ years at Operation HOPE, most recently as a Financial Well-Being Coach.
Yolanda "Yo" Butler is a keynote speaker, podcaster and business strategist based in Antioch, California. She teaches entrepreneurs how to build a business around themselves, blending business strategy with mental and financial wellness. An entrepreneur for more than 30 years, Yo ran Christian Family Preschool in Oakland for 13 years and grew a consignment business. She went on to train women entrepreneurs at Women's Initiative for Self Employment, advise owners at the Contra Costa SBDC, and spend 13+ years at Operation HOPE, where she grew from Small Business Coordinator to VP Community Relations to Financial Well-Being Coach.
Yolanda "Yo" Butler is a keynote speaker, podcaster and business strategist based in Antioch, California, serving the San Francisco Bay Area and audiences everywhere virtually. Through her framework, The Business of You, she teaches entrepreneurs how to build a business around their own strengths, story and season of life, blending practical business strategy with mental and financial wellness.
Yo has been an entrepreneur for more than 30 years. She ran Christian Family Preschool in Oakland for 13 years and grew a consignment business alongside it, learning first-hand what it takes to make payroll, earn trust and keep going through hard seasons.
She has spent the years since helping others build. Yo trained women entrepreneurs at Women's Initiative for Self Employment and advised small business owners at the Contra Costa Small Business Development Center. Over more than 13 years at Operation HOPE, she grew from Small Business Coordinator to VP Community Relations to Financial Well-Being Coach, helping families and owners strengthen credit, plan their finances and grow with confidence.
Yo studied Business Administration at California State University, East Bay, where she served as president of the Black Business Association. Today she brings keynotes, workshops and one-on-one coaching to businesses, nonprofits and ministries.
On stage & behind the scenes
See Yo in action.
Bring Yo to your stage.
Keynotes, workshops and panels for businesses, nonprofits and ministries.