After gaining insight about contract work and electrical work from her day job and ex-husband, one businesswoman birthed a company that’s now closing six-figure deals.
Deana Neely never saw herself in the electrical industry until it was put on her radar due to her ex-husband’s work as an electrician. Observing his work eventually sparked a business idea she had to see through. So, in 2016, she founded Detroit Voltage, a certified Woman Business Enterprise, and serves as the CEO. The Detroit native’s organization is an electrical contracting firm that specializes in residential and commercial electrical installation, repair, remodeling and renovation services, and installs electrical vehicle charging stations in addition to supplying LED lighting to other businesses nationwide. She recently signed off on a $100,000 deal with smart energy company, DTE Energy, a victorious moment for DV, Because Of Them We Can reported.
Before becoming a full-time entrepreneur, Neely worked for the city of Detroit. While serving her hometown she gained some valuable insight into contract work and partnerships through projects she assisted with. Although her marriage resulted in a divorce, she stumbled into her purpose.
“I worked in local government for over a decade, and while working in [the] Buildings and Safety Department for the city of Detroit, I had an opportunity to work with contractors, and so I learned both sides of the counter never really thinking that I would be a contractor,” she said in an interview with CBS Detroit. “I ended up marrying an electrician. The relationship didn’t work, but the company was birthed from that, and so here we are.”
As someone who grew up in “The Motor City,” Neely had a front-row seat and experience of how her community was often overlooked by various companies that could be the solution to some problems that need attention.
“As a born and raised Detroiter, I also saw that people didn’t really want to serve the community, and I was more than happy to do so and so I kind of found that niche and just rolled with it,” she said.
Despite the hard work and dedication she’s put into her brand over the past eight years that’s led to this monumental moment for her business, she’s grateful for the relationships she’s built through connecting with other like-minded women. A group she credited with having women who have offered support along her successful entrepreneurial journey is the Great Lakes Women’s Business Council.
“I was looking for a safe place where I could get some mentorship,” she said. “They have been the most amazing organization for me. I mean, they welcomed me with open arms and have helped me along the way, so I’m in my eighth year of business and they have been just dynamic.”
Check out Neely’s full interview with CBS Detroit below:
