At the time, she was building a comprehensive business plan for ProManage Services, her construction management firm focused on supporting small contractors. Her company acts as a bridge, helping subcontractors and general contractors navigate the paperwork required to get paid on time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The PowerUP! competition required a full business plan, covering everything from marketing and finance to creating a sustainable business within Brooklyn. Catrina went into the process completing it largely on her own. But when she enrolled in Walid\u2019s 8-week program, something shifted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe first day I went in that course, I\u2019m like, \u2018This is the best spent time of my day of learning more about becoming a small business and entrepreneurship overall,\u2019\u201d she said. Unlike other programs she had taken, this one felt practical and personal. \u201cEverything was focused on small businesses and creating the business plan.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Walid\u2019s style resonated with Catrina immediately. \u201cHe relates each class to what we may have or will soon encounter in the world of business and he\u2019s a straight shooter,\u201d she said. She appreciated that he spoke from experience, often saying, \u201cThis is what I\u2019ve been through. This is what I\u2019ve done in business. This is what failed. This is what went successfully.\u201d More than instruction, Walid\u2019s teaching style felt familiar. \u201cI literally feel like I was talking to a family member, like speaking with my own brother,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After the course ended, Catrina didn\u2019t hesitate. \u201cI knew I wanted to continue working with Walid, regardless of the outcome of the competition,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When she was selected as a finalist for the PowerUP! Competition, the business plan moved from document to dynamic strategy. Together, they refined her presentation and pitch. \u201cHe was a great sounding board,\u201d she said. \u201cHe filled in the gaps for me.\u201d From recommending procuring an accountant and lawyer to reminding her about a using a teleprompter app to practice her speech, Walid\u2019s support was both strategic and tactical.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWalid became an exceptional coach, keeping me motivated, offering honest and constructive feedback, and sharing his trademark humor that made every meeting engaging,\u201d she remarked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Equally impactful was how Walid pushed Catrina to think bigger. Initially, Catrina had focused exclusively on public sector clients\u2014housing authorities, transit agencies and state entities. Walid encouraged her to expand her list of prospects to include private developers and contractors. He also suggested exploring federal opportunities through sam.gov.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHe definitely opened up the pool a little more and encouraged me not to silo myself there just yet,\u201d she said. \u201cHe kind of reshaped that strategy for me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Instead of treating her business plan as a finished submission, Walid treated it as a working tool\u2014something to test, expand, and refine in real time. They created prospect outreach lists, strengthened marketing materials, adjusted positioning, and built momentum all the way through competition day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Catrina was named a top 8 finalist out of 200 applicants, received a merit award, and won the People\u2019s Choice Award\u2014earning $2,000! \u201cIt was an amazing time,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n More importantly, she proved something to herself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI was up there presenting by myself,\u201d she said. \u201cIf I could do this, I can do anything. That means I do make good business decisions. I have the discipline to focus and conquer all my goals.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The wins didn\u2019t stop there. With Walid\u2019s guidance, Catrina secured a consulting contract with an organization focused on helping young adults enter the construction trade\u2014work that positions her to qualify for Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise (M\/WBE) certification in New York City and New York State.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWalid has been a tremendous coach, an excellent educator, and an overall outstanding person to work with,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Today, her next goals are clear: secure three more projects and complete her M\/WBE filing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For Catrina, the difference wasn\u2019t just writing a business plan. It was learning how to let it guide her decisions long after the competition ended. With the right coaching, what started as a competition requirement became a living, breathing roadmap\u2014guiding her decisions, expanding her vision, and helping her succeed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For more information:\u202fOperationHOPE.org<\/a>. Follow the HOPE conversation on Facebook<\/a>, Instagram<\/a> or LinkedIn<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" For many entrepreneurs, a business plan is a box to check. For Catrina Bowen, it became something much more. Catrina first learned about Operation HOPE through the Brooklyn Public Library\u2019s …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":28,"featured_media":254706,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[36],"class_list":["post-254703","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hope-stories","tag-1mbb"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/operationhope.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/254703"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/operationhope.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/operationhope.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/operationhope.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/28"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/operationhope.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=254703"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/operationhope.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/254703\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":254710,"href":"https:\/\/operationhope.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/254703\/revisions\/254710"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/operationhope.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/254706"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/operationhope.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=254703"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/operationhope.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=254703"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/operationhope.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=254703"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/operationhope.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/CBowen-Headshot-2.png\")
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