Tarsha Works opened her consulting firm, Ahsrat Company, near Fifth and Washington, instead of seeking a location somewhere on State Street or Bay Road, or in an escape-from-Saginaw venue like Atlanta or Dallas.
This is because she believes she can assist others toward following her path, in or near her hometown northeast neighborhood.
“I am energetic, motivated and self-disciplined, and I enjoy helping people. In this distressed area, we can give individuals a sense of hope,” explains Tarsha, a 1993 Saginaw High School grad, who a year ago was in the startup process in a former credit union at 1315 North Washington.
“Ahsrat” is Tarsha spelled backward, akin to her rode model, Oprah Winfrey, with “Harpo.”
She is receiving support from OPRA, not the famous TV motivator but the state’s Obsolete Property Rehabilitation Act, to encourage development in hard-pressed areas, both urban and rural.
Saginaw City Council members voted with unanimous approval at their Jan. 23 meeting. Tom Miller, Saginaw Future vice-president, explained that Ahsrat will pay property levies on the existing structure, but “won’t be penalized” with increased taxes for making repairs and upgrades.
During its first year, Ahsrat has gained:
- Self-help coaching arrangements with seven clients, anything from a new enterprise to personal finances to organizing one’s life in general
- A Chamber of Commerce contract to conduct workshops through the Minority-and Woman-Owned Business Mentorship Program.
- A leading role in Juneteenth holiday events, combining an outdoor barbeque party with promotions for forming small businesses and, in general, “working together to strengthen our community.”
Coming back home
For Tarsha Works, “community” begins with the First Ward. She grew up on Casimir Street selling snacks, inspired by her father, Jerry Blakely, in property management and maintenance, and her mother, Sarah, a seamstress.
This led her to Michigan State University, where she attained a bachelor’s degree in business administration. She then undertook the extra effort toward a master’s in industrial relations and human resources. She followed up during the pandemic shutdown with an online Ph.D in organizational development.
The former credit union most recently was home to the Juneteenth Cultural Center. Tarsha, with her trademark optimism, won’t hear any talk of the First Ward dying and becoming a “green zone.”
“My business plan was in place,” she says, “and this is ideal, 2,500 square feet, plenty of good parking, and it allows me to give back to the same part of the city where I grew up.”
Lula Briggs Galloway attained grant funding to open the Juneteenth Cultural Center in 2003, but she passed away in 2008 and the museum was shuttered soon afterward. A curbside granite marker remains at the site of Stevie Wonder’s birth home. Ahsrat’s summer event is intended to restore the Juneteenth spirit.
The minority business seminars will continue in 2024 with six workshops, and Tarsha pursues her own personal improvement each time she oversees an event.
“I’m sharpening my skills, engaging with clients who have different personalities,” she notes. “There are a variety of teaching styles — visual, lectures, hands-on.”
Popular choices for small enterprises range from beauty shops and restaurants to car washes and detailing garages. Tarsha sees potential for other concepts, like neighborhood health care and fitness centers.
Beyond Ahsrat
Tarsha ran as a Democratic Party candidate in fall 2022 for a seat on the County Board of Commissioners in southwest Saginaw Township. She fell short by a slim 116 votes out of more than 8,000 cast, and promised supporters she will make another run in District 3 in 2024.
“Not bad for my first time in politics, while running my own business,” she wrote in a thank-you note to supporters.
At the same time, she will keep her consulting and coaching headquarters in the First Ward.
To a suggestion that she could bring in bigger bucks by locating elsewhere, she responds with a scoff of laughter.
“Maybe at some point,” she says, “we will expand with (a branch office) in the township.”
Tarsha Works can be contacted through Facebook, her email at tarsha@tarshaworks.com, or by calling 1-888-256-8419.
