After Necole Parker graduated from college, she did what all college graduates do, she went and found a job. Parker worked and developed a talent in the project management field and began to have some success. She enjoyed success at a very high level and believed that her value was evident to those she worked for. That was until she was passed over for a promotion — again.
Parker was a little confused by the decision not to give her the position she deserved. She brought in over 70 percent of the revenue. She was loved by her co-workers and clients who knew her and could not understand the decision.
Perplexed by the company’s decision not to reward her hard work, she went to her father’s house and tried to reflect on what had just happened.
“I sat with my father, in tears, and went over the decision that was made and how I was going to address it,” Parker said.
Parker’s father gave her some great advice. “You know what you’re going to do?” he said. “You’re going to quit and start your own business.”
Parker did just that, she started The Elocen Group. She listened to her father, and her own heart, and formed her own company in her parents’ basement.
Elocen, which is her name spelled backward, would work in the construction management field, and attempt to fill her inner calling to become an entrepreneur.
Dubbed the million-dollar basement, where she also lived at the time, Elocen was officially incorporated in 2007. Within just five years, Elocen went from Parker being the company’s sole employee to employing several full-time workers and contractors.
With this rapid growth, The Elocen Group moved to its first commercial office space in Washington, DC in 2010. As the company continued to grow and expand its horizons beyond the capital region, the company rebranded to reflect the industry’s greater need for the services Elocen knew it could perfect.
This gave the firm the ability to provide streamlined client solutions and scope capacity, as well as an approach to client solutions, attention to detail, and focus emphasizing customer care. In the years since, the Elocen Group has expanded its offices and reach into Virginia, Georgia, and Florida as the company continues to engage, execute, and deliver to its customers.
Today, Elocen is a 10-million-dollar firm employing over fifty employees and contractors across the country. Parker just celebrated being in business for fifteen years and offers her success to her ability to stay true to who she is through it all.
“I tend to never look back,” Parker said. “There’s a reason why the rearview mirror is smaller than the window in front of you.”
If you meet Parker, you will understand why she’s so successful. Her amazing spirit and positive outlook are expressed throughout every inch of her. Parker, who works in a male-dominated field, manages her business with the savvy of Oprah Winfrey, the charisma of Michelle Obama, and the fashion sense of Beyonce.
That combination is what makes her so special. Her smile is infectious and her leadership skills command respect. It’s no wonder why she’s beloved by those she works with and serves in her community.
“We all fall down a time or two,” Parked explained, “but we learn that we have to get back up and remain in the fight if we’re going to win.”
Parker’s company was hit by the pandemic in 2020 and lost some accounts in different states. But she worked even harder to maintain her staff and managed to remain relevant when the conditions questioned everyone who owned a business.
“When we lost the contracts in Atlanta, it allowed me to focus on my home market, and we were able to pick up the contracts we lost and more,” Parker said.
The pandemic allowed Parker’s team to go back and research the market to find even more opportunities for growth in her own office and across the industry.
Fifteen years is a long time to be in business. Necole Parker feels blessed beyond belief to be able to lead her team and her industry in an ever-changing world. She serves as a reminder to always follow your heart. ●
