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How you can build your business without giving up your corporate ambitions
Giselle Rouson Battley tells Power Broker that she calls her entrepreneurial and professional full-time career a “portfolio career” because she’s able to do a little bit of everything.
“On one hand, I'm really good at recruiting, I’m really good at building a talent strategy and I’ve led global recruiting teams,” she says. “And I still want to do that. But at the same time, I’m really good at finding deals. I’m really knowledgeable about handbags and the luxury resell market; so I'm saying it's a portfolio career because I can do both things and I can be really good at both.”
Battley, daughter of Florida Sen. Darryl Rouson, is founder of The Deal Suite, a luxury handbag resale business. As a fashion content creator, she also runs The Style Exec on Instagram and TikTok, where she discusses luxury resale items and career pivoting.
Previously, she worked full-time in the corporate world as a director of recruiting. During the day, she was navigating the responsibilities of leading global recruiting teams and sitting in board meetings discussing marketing and business strategies with Fortune 500 companies. But after hours, her focus narrowed to The Deal Suite. During that time, Battley was building relationships in the resale market, finding great deals, and posting on resale sites to make a little profit.
“It’s been like a passion project of mine,” Battley recalled. “I was always sourcing luxury bags under retail for myself,” she explained.
Battley realized it was a calling when someone asked, “Why aren’t you doing this more full time?”
Adversity Prompts Purpose Pursuit
But in February, the passion project upgraded into a passionate pursuit when she was laid off from her corporate job. She felt the traditional emotions of losing a job, but instead of moping, Battley decided to use her time intentionally. She spent time with her family and rested.
“I had a really great career, and things ended very positively,” Battley said, reflecting on her 20-plus year career. “Nothing was on a sour note at all.”
She also used the time to work on building her business and went publicly with The Deal Suite this summer.
“It started as a side hustle, but I’m hoping it really grows into a full time business,” she said.
Battley is among the exodus of Black women who have been pushed out of the workforce. According to gender economist Katica Roy, more than 600,000 Black women have lost their jobs since January 2025.
Dr. Antoinette Boyd, the director of career success & professional development at Maryville University, says many people from underrepresented groups, including Black women, have traditionally faced barriers in the workforce, which include wage gaps and overlooked opportunities to advance, despite being the most educated group.
“For many, entrepreneurship became essential precisely because other doors were closed,” says Boyd. “Entrepreneurship isn't just a career alternative anymore—for many, especially those from underrepresented communities, it has become essential. It's a pathway to economic empowerment, a way to build essential and transferable skills, and an engine of opportunity that lifts not just the entrepreneur, but entire communities.”
For Battley, the current job market has pushed more people like herself to entrepreneurship by necessity rather than choice. “It’s driving people to turn their ideas into a business.”
As a recruiter, she said she has seen both sides of the job market.
“Out of my close knit circle of women [Black women specifically] that are on the job market, all of them have considered entrepreneurship,” says Battley. “Whether they started or dabbled and maybe now they’re going back to find a job.”
Black women continue to lead the call as the fastest growing group of entrepreneurs. According to a 2026 report by Wells Fargo, Black, women-owned businesses grew over 18% in 2025 and are growing faster than the national average in both employment and revenue.
Additionally, a 2026 WorkWatch Report from Monster’s, according to Rovita Nawbatt, the founder of Ro & Co Consulting Inc., found that nearly two-thirds of workers are turning to extra income streams, with 32% already possessing a side hustle. Nawbatt says one mistake recruiters make is not hiring someone who’s used to being their own boss.
“Companies say they want ownership and innovation, then screen out the people who actually did it,” says Nawbatt. “It’s the same bias we see against mothers returning to work, or anyone with a gap in their résumé. These are often some of the most qualified people in the pool.”
Putting Entrepreneurship on the Résumé
Boyd says recruiters may question whether entrepreneurs will stay with an organization, but they should also recognize the value of an entrepreneurial mindset.
Still, candidates must be prepared to explain how those experiences translate into a corporate role — and why they want to return.
“Will this person stay? Will someone used to being their own boss struggle within established structures? Those are fair questions, and the candidate must answer them directly, by showing the concrete skills gained and demonstrating genuine commitment to the organization's mission,” Boyd says.
That explanation starts with how candidates present their business experience, says Nawbatt.
“It can do both. The difference is how you tell the story,” Nawbatt says of whether entrepreneurship strengthens a résumé or raises concerns among recruiters.
Her advice: Treat the business like any other job, with measurable results. Highlight revenue, clients won and accomplishments that demonstrate what the candidate can bring to an employer.
“A ‘Founder & CEO’ title with no detail makes recruiters nervous,” Nawbatt says.
For candidates leaving a business, Nawbatt recommends explaining what they learned and why the position represents their next step. They should also address concerns about their long-term commitment.
“Answer the ‘Will you leave us?’ question before they ask it,” Nawbatt says. “Be clear on why you want to be inside this organization.”
For Battley, returning to corporate work remains part of the plan, even as she works to grow The Deal Suite.
She uses AI personally and in her business for various reasons. It helps her automate her workflow for her business and schedule content. On the other hand, she can use it to scan the job markets.
“I do intend on returning to corporate but I want to get this business running on its own first,” she said.
When searching for her next opportunity, Battley prioritizes flexibility and an environment that supports their employees’ ventures — inside and outside of the company.
Her goal reflects the balance job seekers with businesses must explain to prospective employers: How their entrepreneurial ambitions fit alongside their commitment to a full-time role.
“I think we all can be multifaceted. I know I am,” says Battley. “I still think I have a lot to give the corporate world. But I think I have a lot to give the luxury resale space also.”
A report from Women of Color Retail Alliance found that Black women make up 1.7% of executive roles in retail and consumer goods.
“There are so few Black women that run a luxury retail business,” Battley says. “If you look out there, you’re not going to see people that look like me, and that has been a trend in my career. I’ve always been in spaces where we’re underrepresented, and I want this to be another one, where I kind of break that glass ceiling.”
Battley has advice for anyone who is struggling to find full-time employment but also has a business idea they want to pursue as well.
“Do both,” she says. “If you have that idea, go for it … you owe it to yourself to see how it can play out.”
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