No One Is Self-Made: Build Your Village to Flourish in Business and Life—A Motivational Self-Help Guide with a Community-Oriented Approach, Rewrite the Rules of Business with Collective Support

by Lakeysha Hallmon

From the visionary behind the groundbreaking Village Market, this inspirational guide dares to dismantle the myth of individualism and reveals how collective support can shatter systemic barriers to success.

It’s a bold roadmap for entrepreneurs and leaders determined to rewrite the rules of business.

No One Is Self-Made is an inspirational narrative weaving together themes of community, purposeful businesses, and collective economics. This book debunks the myth of being self-made and empowers readers to abandon the notion and lean into community on their pathway to success.

Entrepreneurs at any stage of growth will appreciate Dr. Lakeysha Hallmon’s story—with all the ups and downs of founding The Village Market—and the road-tested advice she dispenses for those striving for success in business, career, and life. She breaks down economic and social factors, missteps that can derail goals, and the tools necessary to create their own thriving village.

Along the way, it becomes clear why working within a collective is a more effective path to success than going it alone. That’s where her guiding principle comes Support is a verb.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Memoir, Business

240 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 4, 2025

Reviews

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did not know of Dr. Hallmon before reading this book, but I’m so glad I’ve heard of her now! “No One Is Self-Made” is a great book to gift an entrepreneur or college kid in your life. It showcases the power of networking and community and how important they are to success. In America, we are sold this idea that success is an individualistic Hunger Games process, and that, to succeed, someone else must fail. The reality couldn’t be further from the truth, and I’m glad this book emphasized community so much. We are in a new world where we can recreate the rules of success and the roadmap to get there, and this book can be a guiding hand in that.

Dr. Hallmon’s memoir-style storytelling leads us through the ups and downs of building a business, systemic barriers to achieving success, finding purpose, and more. While everyone reading this may not face the exact struggles, aspire to be an entrepreneur, or be from the same background as her, there are still plenty of takeaways that make this a must-read.

Thank you to #NetGalley for a review copy of #NoOneIsSelfMade. All feedback is my unbiased opinion, not paid, and simply for the love of books.

[Nan · Rating 3 out of 5]

No One Is Self-Made: Build Your Village to Flourish in Business and Life by Dr. Lakeysha Hallmon is a compelling and insightful guide that challenges the myth of individual success by emphasizing the power of community. Drawing from her experience founding The Village Market, Hallmon illustrates how collective support can dismantle systemic barriers and foster economic prosperity. Through personal anecdotes and practical advice, she offers entrepreneurs a roadmap to build sustainable businesses rooted in collaboration and shared purpose. While the book is particularly resonant for Black entrepreneurs, its principles are universally applicable, making it a valuable resource for anyone seeking to thrive in business and life. Hallmon's mantra, "Support is a verb," encapsulates the essence of the book, inspiring readers to actively engage in uplifting one another. With its blend of personal narrative and actionable strategies, this book serves as both a motivational read and a practical toolkit for success.

[Parker | simplybibliophiles · Rating 3 out of 5]

First, I want to say I love Dr. Lakeysha Hallmon and all the work she is doing with The Village Market, The Village Retail, and Our Village United. This queen is doing genuinely fantastic work, and that work was expertly cataloged in this book.

Now, the reason for the rating: I felt like this book was doing way too many things at once. The title suggests a business book, but it is also a memoir and a self-help book for entrepreneurs all in one - which, for me, is doing way too much.

It's not bad by any means; it's just doing A LOT. Still, if you are an entrepreneur looking for some tea and memoir vibes from a successful entrepreneur who has been through the trenches growing their business, I recommend this.

[Alicia Bayer · Rating 5 out of 5]

At its core, this book is a very encouraging and helpful book for entrepreneurs, particularly Black entrepreneurs. It’s also quite a lot of memoir about Hallmon’s journey from teacher to running a huge nonprofit that supports Black businesses in her community and around the country. I found a lot of helpful advice that I plan to use in running a free community arts center that our family runs and also a lot of good advice for myself personally. It’s a great resource.

I read a digital ARC of this book via netgalley.

[Samantha]

This is a really great book for entrepreneurs or really anyone in a leadership role. I learned a lot and took notes and will carry with me into my business as well as into coaching sessions with other business owners to help them grow.

As a “recovering” hyper independent person, I also appreciated the hints at asking for help. I also got a lot out of the reframing of the myth of being “self-made” I will definitely never call myself self made ever again ♥️

[Ranika Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really love this book! It's the type of book you go back to read because there are so many gems! It really explains why we've been indoctrinated to think we have to be successful on our own when there are so many people along the way that help us on our journeys. I really appreciate the ideology that coalition, community, love and more is a necessary part of your village.

[Derrick C · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book- the entrepreneurial spirit, both in conception and in action. I love the purposeful way Dr. Hallmon went about her business building her business. I was encouraged! Thank you. I'm part of the village!

[Lindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr. Hallmon breaks the trance of hyper individualism and offers a new approach of communal responsibility, with practical steps and reflections to shape your own entrepreneurial village.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review to come...

[Art · Rating 2 out of 5]

On the positive side, the author seems genuinely interested in supporting budding entrepreneurs and in expressing gratitude to the many people who contributed to her success. I found this commendable. She has some pretty good ideas, and I imagine that there are people who would benefit from her actionable insights. This was an easy and quick read, with mostly a conversational tone. There is also an extensive bibliography, broken down by chapter, starting on pages 211-227 of my copy.

For balance, I'll share my constructive comments. Some or all of these matters might be addressed in future editions of the book. I found many of the sentences redundant because of repetition, so that made the book less appealing to me as a I read through it. This 227-page book could have been even shorter if each point were made more concisely. Also, some of the language was too informal for me.

I'm not sure about the final copy, but in the uncorrected version that I received, she states some facts with very few endnotes or footnotes to link the facts with the bibliography. The nonfiction books that I'm accustomed to reading tend to have clearer citations and a more formal tone.

I am grateful for the uncorrected proof that I received before publication. Peace be with you.