Founding The Ambition Planner: Deon's Story

As we turn the page to the month of February, we also mark the beginning of Black History Month--which is an especially meaningful holiday here at The Ambition Planner. As a black female entrepreneur, our founder Deon Stokes saw a need in the market for a planner that was all-inclusive both spiritually and culturally and took it upon herself to create something which filled that void. We aim to uplift the voices of those who are not heard and celebrate the beauty that diversity brings, which is why throughout the month of February, we will be commemorating BHM through our social media in a couple of different ways. We are so excited to bring back Faces of Ambition, where we highlight extraordinary women who are making a difference and following their dreams. Throughout the month of February, we will be spotlighting incredible black women in four fields: entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs, self-care specialists, and faith-focused women. Furthermore, we have posted a Facebook Live (watch it here) and will be curating our blog content to celebrate Black History Month.

To kick off Black History Month, our first Face of Ambition is our very own S. Deon Stokes with a letter about what this month means to her as a woman of color and to her business.

"Every morning that I am blessed to help women set and achieve their most ambitious goals, I am overcome with gratitude. During the month of February, I am humbled by the sacrifice of my ancestors for working, fighting, crying, and dying so that I could have a story. This is my story.

The day I sat down and created The Ambition Planner, I was actually frustrated. I had spent hours searching for a culturally-inclusive, all-encompassing planner for women and I could not find it. As a serial entrepreneur, I needed a daily planner that could help me organize my life and keep me spiritually grounded. After a tireless search, I pulled out some Sharpies and some computer paper and drafted the layout for what is now The Ambition Planner.

As a black woman with experience in many industries, including marketing, tech, politics, public relations, and planning/organization, I have been met with expectations and limitations that unjustly labeled my existence. When I worked in politics in Alabama, I was told I could not escort my candidate to a town hall meeting because I was black. When I worked in public relations I was warned to not allow “slang” and ethnic terminology to color the story that I was creating. In marketing, I was in high demand because I could reach targeted pockets of our nation’s largest consumers. And in tech, I was celebrated for being a female founder with a non-tech background that had a coveted seat at the all-white men’s table.

Now, in the field of planning, organization, and productivity, I have been determined to create and control the narrative. We are operating in a space that has been dominated by women who do not look like me for years. But, 2020 taught us a lot of lessons ladies; America—We the people—we the Black people have always been great. We have always been able to take something as small and insignificant as a peanut and become a world-renowned Scientist. We have always broken world records and occupied spaces that our ancestors never thought possible. This is our American History, too. It is up to us to set goals that scare us and achieve them anyway.

I am proud to be a black female entrepreneur. Every day I get to do what I love, and I am grateful for the opportunity that those who came before me have created. To my ancestors—thank you."

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Follow along with us on our social media platforms as we continue to celebrate Black History Month here and be on the lookout for our next featured woman on Faces of Ambition.

Before you go...take advantage of our sale going on right now and purchase your 90-Day Planner Bundle to last you an entire year! Details below.

About Me —

 I'm Deon Stokes, and I built my life around one question: What would the most ambitious version of me do?

That question led me to build a million-dollar nonprofit from scratch, raise over $25 million as a political strategist, and coach hundreds of women to scale their businesses into six and seven-figure brands. But my biggest transformation wasn’t professional—it was personal.

I learned that ambition without intention is just exhaustion. That success isn’t about doing more—it’s about becoming someone different.

Now, I help women reinvent themselves through identity-first transformation. Because you don’t need another goal-setting workshop. You need a system that helps you become the woman who naturally achieves those goals.

You can also find me on Instagram, YouTube, and on my podcast, where I dive into life, business, and how to reach your most ambitious goals.