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Speaker 1: by the U. S. Forest Service, your state Forrester and

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Speaker 1: the AD Council. Welcome to Money Making Conversations. It's the

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Speaker 1: show that she has the secrets of success experience firsthand

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Speaker 1: by marketing and Brandon expert Rashan McDonald. I will know

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Speaker 1: he's given me advice on many occasions. In occasion didn't notice,

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Speaker 1: I'm not broke. You know. He'll be interviewing celebrity CEOs,

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Speaker 1: entrepreneurs and industry decision makers. It's what he likes to do.

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Speaker 1: It's what he likes to share. Now it's time to

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Speaker 1: hear from my man, Rashan McDonald. Money Making Conversations. Here

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Speaker 1: we go. Welcome to money Making Conversation. I'm your host,

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Speaker 1: Rashan McDonald. I tell people every week it's time to

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Speaker 1: stop reading other people's success stories and start writing your own.

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Speaker 1: And people always talk about their gifts and their passion

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Speaker 1: and if you have a gift, lead with your gift.

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Speaker 1: And if you don't, if you're gonna do that, then

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Speaker 1: don't let your age, friends, family or coworkers stop you

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Speaker 1: from planning or living your dreams. People always talking about

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Speaker 1: the interviews I have on the shows, feel like I'm

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Speaker 1: always reminded people as what I'm trying to do with

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Speaker 1: money making conversations. Yes, I have celebrities, CEO of entrepreneurs

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Speaker 1: and what I like to call industry decision makers on

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Speaker 1: money making conversation. My goal is to get them to

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Speaker 1: tell you about their secrets to their success, their nuggets,

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Speaker 1: drop some gems on you. You hit these gems, you

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Speaker 1: use them. But because it's going to be tied to work,

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Speaker 1: nothing is luck. Nothing has been at the right place

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Speaker 1: at the right time. It's all tied to proper planning,

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Speaker 1: proper effort, and realizing that hey, you can't be selfish

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Speaker 1: in pursuing your own dream. You have to put forth effort.

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Speaker 1: My next guest is Marcus David's been knowing him a

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Speaker 1: long time. Straight out of Houston, Texas. He's the host

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Speaker 1: of Fish, Grits and Politics. He's an entrepreneur, restaurant owner,

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Speaker 1: and motivational speaker. Like I said earlier, he's located in Houston, Texas. Houston, Texas,

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Speaker 1: Marcus the spirit and entrepreneur. My my the mind behind

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Speaker 1: the Breakfast Club, which is nationally recognized. It first came

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Speaker 1: to fame and Oprah way back in I had the

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Speaker 1: blessing of inviting him on the Steve Harvey talk show.

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Speaker 1: Blew him up even more. If you go there right now,

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Speaker 1: there's a line at the door. The people are nice,

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Speaker 1: the food is great, the reggae hood, the Alec catbar allowed,

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Speaker 1: and the culture. He is best known for his charismatic personality,

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Speaker 1: authentic customer appreciation, and his tireless commitment to the community.

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Speaker 1: That's what it is. Marcus Restaurants are rooted in principles

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Speaker 1: of faith, family, community, with a K and empowered. They

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Speaker 1: treat every customer like family and believe that family is

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Speaker 1: the corner stone of any community. So if they placed

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Speaker 1: an emphasis on supporting activities and causes that enriched and

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Speaker 1: strengthened family, he has created one of the most phenomenal

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Speaker 1: restaurant success stories in the country. If you landed in

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Speaker 1: the intercoming on the airport, is there his footprint is there.

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Speaker 1: When I saw that man, damn their crimes, brother man,

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Speaker 1: the breakfast the breakfast club at you know, yeah, that

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Speaker 1: the terminal, my Delta termina. That's when I fly to

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Speaker 1: the Delta terminent over there, he's working to money making

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Speaker 1: conversation Marcus Davids, how are you doing, Marcus Man? After

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Speaker 1: after listening to you and that that that, uh man,

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Speaker 1: I'm feeling great. You just made me feel real well

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Speaker 1: every time because because I fly on Delta, I'm based

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Speaker 1: in Atlanta, so I always fly on Delta. And when

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Speaker 1: I when I first landed Man, and I was telling

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Speaker 1: my wife, I said, I think my boy, I think

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Speaker 1: they're putting some up with in the Condal Airport. As

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Speaker 1: she said, well, I think I think he's at the

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Speaker 1: Coundonal Airport. Now your restaurant black owned, right and uh

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Speaker 1: one of the busiest airports in the country. Walkers to

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Speaker 1: the steps of how that came about Marcus in Houston,

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Speaker 1: Texas and knowing the journey of the Breakfast Club. Well,

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Speaker 1: you know, it's funny you said that because I've never

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Speaker 1: been uh doung hole about the airport. I know a

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Speaker 1: lot of people in business, a lot of people in restaurant. Uh,

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Speaker 1: they are airport, airport, airport. And I'm a street side

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Speaker 1: guy and and I was like, man, give me a

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Speaker 1: good location on the streetside and I'll be good. And

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Speaker 1: you know, years ago we started getting approach with questions

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Speaker 1: about being in the airport, but we never pursued it.

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Speaker 1: And then I got to working on the Convention of

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Speaker 1: Business Bureau board. I was on the board here in Houston,

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Speaker 1: UH to talk about, you know, visitors who comes here,

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Speaker 1: how do we get more here, how do we elevate

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Speaker 1: the brand of the city, the awareness of what Houston

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Speaker 1: is about, how much better than Atlanta it really is,

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Speaker 1: and all that good stuff. So yes, like sleeve that

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Speaker 1: in there right absolutely, But you know, I'm magnoring you.

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Speaker 1: I'm magning you. But and and while while doing that,

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Speaker 1: you know, I saw that there was a need uh to.

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Speaker 1: I believe in my definition of entrepreneurship, let's just started off,

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Speaker 1: is filling a void in the marketplace that the marketplace

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Speaker 1: is calling for consciously, our subconti entrepreneurship feeling a void

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Speaker 1: in the marketplaces the marketplace is calling for consciously, our subconsciously.

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Speaker 1: And one of the things we discovered was that people

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Speaker 1: who came to Houston didn't really get the taste of

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Speaker 1: Houston because of the number of flights that came into

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Speaker 1: the airport where people just transferring UH to another plane

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Speaker 1: to another city and never knowing the great food that

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Speaker 1: we the great culinary city that that that that we are.

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Speaker 1: So there was this effort to one bring about the notoriety,

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Speaker 1: but to the need to put concepts in in uh,

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Speaker 1: into the space. So I felt compelled being an ambassador

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Speaker 1: of my city, being uh, you know, one to put

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Speaker 1: on from my city and red for my city. I

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Speaker 1: felt compelled to make it a point to be a

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Speaker 1: part of that. I keep talking about it if I'm

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Speaker 1: not gonna be about it. But to you to your

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Speaker 1: other point, I have found how great it is to

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Speaker 1: be a black owned restaurant in the airport, simply because

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Speaker 1: it's in the space that African Americans typically say we're

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Speaker 1: not in and so to have African American representation in

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Speaker 1: that space was was was quite gratifying and part of

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Speaker 1: the gold part of the motive. Well, you know, it's

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Speaker 1: really and I say that, and i' gonna stay on

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Speaker 1: this for a minute, being that you know, you do

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Speaker 1: have a I'm in Atlanta, so you know this is

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Speaker 1: a persided that's recognized for Black forward movement. You know,

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Speaker 1: you know there are a number of black entrepreneurs who

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Speaker 1: do have restaurants at Heartfield Apple, which is classified as

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Speaker 1: the biggest businest airport in the world. And so I've

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Speaker 1: had people friends of mine setting photos like you're turning

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Speaker 1: your restaurant over at the Incoming Apple into a tourist

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Speaker 1: spot out of pride and say, you know, taking pictures

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Speaker 1: of the food. So they ate here talk about this

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Speaker 1: slower down man, because we know where the original spot is, okay.

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Speaker 1: And then be at the airport. You know, I know you,

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Speaker 1: I know you. You've been in the public side've been

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Speaker 1: doing the morning show, doing public awareness and that from

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Speaker 1: the basically being a voice of the people on the

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Speaker 1: radio in Houston, Texas Caucuses. But to be part of

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Speaker 1: something that you know is different and that has been

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Speaker 1: at the airport. Really talk about how people the pride

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Speaker 1: that people really took it to the next level with you,

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Speaker 1: they also saw as a possibility it can be them too,

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Speaker 1: right right, And and you know, we're getting ready to

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Speaker 1: celebrate uh twentieth year in business this fall, and I

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Speaker 1: look forward to having me back on to talk about

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Speaker 1: that in in the fall. We're getting ready to celebrate

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Speaker 1: our twenty year in business. And the model that I'm

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Speaker 1: rolling with this twenty years of inspiration. We've been on

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Speaker 1: the corner of Travis and Alabama, inspiring our community for

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Speaker 1: over twenty years, inspiring entrepreneurship for twenty years. So to

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Speaker 1: answer you a question about what does that feel like,

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Speaker 1: it feels the same way as it does when we

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Speaker 1: unlock the doors at thirty seven eleven Travis. To see

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Speaker 1: the number of people that come through the door that

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Speaker 1: are amazed, that are fascinated, that are impressed, that are

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Speaker 1: proud of uh this establishment. When they look and they whisper,

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Speaker 1: and they lean over the its like on and you're

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Speaker 1: telling me, yes, it is for one of these one

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Speaker 1: of these numbers, and and and and they all excited

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Speaker 1: because they had a great experience. The professionalism, the quality

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Speaker 1: of product, qualitive service, qual of the people that served them,

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Speaker 1: UH was was fascinating to them. So UM we where

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Speaker 1: we where they were pride. Similarly, when we stepped into

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Speaker 1: a new space that we knew was a travel space

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Speaker 1: and space that brought people from all over the world,

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Speaker 1: we knew that we were stepping it up to another level.

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Speaker 1: So UH it gave us an opportunity to want to

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Speaker 1: be on a bigger platform for guests, but more importantly,

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Speaker 1: on a bigger platform for entrepreneurs to see what is possible,

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Speaker 1: what we're capable of doing you know, talking about again,

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Speaker 1: I'm a street side got there, I know it. But

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Speaker 1: you know, but but you're a smart guy because street side.

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Speaker 1: But you're a smart guy because of the fact that

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Speaker 1: when people give you a shot an opportunity, you deliver.

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Speaker 1: When I say that we're gonna go back to Oprah,

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Speaker 1: you know, giving an opportunity to feature your your brand,

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Speaker 1: and this is open when she was on every day,

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Speaker 1: five days a week, when everybody was watching her. And

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Speaker 1: and then because even today, man, you have people lining

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Speaker 1: up to come into your restaurant. That's twenty years man,

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Speaker 1: I'm talking about if you I keep you not ladies

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Speaker 1: and gentlemen, you go you try to just think you're

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Speaker 1: just gonna walk into this restaurant. That's not going to happen.

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Speaker 1: Well if you tell them, if you tell them that,

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Speaker 1: uh put it on Rashawn's tab and you know, don't

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Speaker 1: do it like that. Market are you talking about back

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Speaker 1: on my show in the fall, Because because I've been

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Speaker 1: there several times and like I said, I've done my duty.

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Speaker 1: I I you know you're gonna do it two ways. Team,

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Speaker 1: You're gonna get there with the restaurant immediately opens up

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Speaker 1: then you can slide on it or slide on it,

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Speaker 1: but you let an hour or two hours slide in.

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Speaker 1: You're gonna be inlive at the breakfast Club. Yeah we

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Speaker 1: we we we do here. I mean, I am grateful

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Speaker 1: that people support us in an outrageous fashion. People come

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Speaker 1: in and they say, hey, man, I'm proud of you,

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Speaker 1: and I tell them, no, I'm proud of y'all. Y'all

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Speaker 1: want that showed up. I share with my team every

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Speaker 1: morning when you show up at seven am, every one

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Speaker 1: on one unlocked the door. The first guests that walks

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Speaker 1: through the door gets around to applause from my staff

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Speaker 1: right for my team. And the reason is I try

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Speaker 1: and share with my team that one we can never

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Speaker 1: take for granted that we unlock that door, somebody's gonna

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Speaker 1: walk in. We have to be grateful for every single

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Speaker 1: person that walks into that door. We have to show

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Speaker 1: them the gratitude that they deserve for choosing us as

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Speaker 1: their destination for dyning over the other nine and ninety

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Speaker 1: nine restaurants that are in the city of Houston. So

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Speaker 1: um we we we we We are extremely grateful of

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Speaker 1: the number of people that come from within the city,

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Speaker 1: within the state, from throughout the country and beyond the

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Speaker 1: Atlantic and the Pacific to visit thirty or seven eleven traps.

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Speaker 1: I'm bragging a little bit, um, I tell folks, we

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Speaker 1: we did this pre I G right, you know how

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Speaker 1: you date things by BC and A V right right

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Speaker 1: right right right, I tell I tell I tell, I

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Speaker 1: tell you these young casts is doing will and congratulations

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Speaker 1: to them, to all the ones that are you know,

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Speaker 1: having success to day, I said, but how let you

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Speaker 1: boar when you've been doing it for two decades and

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Speaker 1: and and and and and take this out. We created

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Speaker 1: that buzz with no instagram a face. That's why, that's

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Speaker 1: why I want to score down with you, because you

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Speaker 1: know Markus, you know, because first he naturally funny, as

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Speaker 1: you can hear the interviews, He's a natural entertainer, and

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Speaker 1: amiss all that. Sometimes you can go past the hard work,

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Speaker 1: the commitment and the planning and the professionalism because I'm

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Speaker 1: telling you you go into any of his restaurants, it

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Speaker 1: is a professionalism. And I'm gonna tell you something what

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Speaker 1: happens with black businesses because sometimes people kind of like

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Speaker 1: knock us. You know, you know, the servis, the food

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Speaker 1: quality and all that stuff and who you compared to. Now,

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Speaker 1: if you know anything about Houston, Texas, it is the

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Speaker 1: culinary game in Houston, Texas is a beast. I mean

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Speaker 1: it is, it is. I mean, it's top notch. We

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Speaker 1: we we have I think at one point we were

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Speaker 1: we were the number one restaurant presquact uh for the

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Speaker 1: for a capita in in in the nation. But we

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Speaker 1: by far have uh we rank in the top. And

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Speaker 1: the number of restaurants, the number of different cuisines uh

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Speaker 1: that that we have because of the diversity of the city.

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Speaker 1: And yes, flavor for sure, we and and look, look,

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Speaker 1: I know I know you loved A, but I tell you,

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Speaker 1: man that A can't touch the age when it's I'm

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Speaker 1: the food. Don't get you on the phone to call

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Speaker 1: all the fellows. Don't get me on the phone to

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Speaker 1: call around to all the cats in the age. We

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Speaker 1: just need to go ahead and put it down. We

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Speaker 1: just need to put it down in restaurants. You're not

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Speaker 1: I'm not gonna ever. I know I was born to

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Speaker 1: raised in Houston. The food in Houston, man, is a beast, dude.

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Speaker 1: I mean the seafood, the Mexican uh. The text of

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Speaker 1: ex food the the the barbecue combibecu, you can just

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Speaker 1: shut it down the breakfast spots. And so that leads

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Speaker 1: me to my question is you had this hit, the

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Speaker 1: Breakfast Club, and you needed to expand because you saw

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Speaker 1: all of this diversity, you saw all of this opportunity

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Speaker 1: and and Parlia and your reputation as as a of

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Speaker 1: having a hit restaurant. Was that the need to expand

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Speaker 1: into the reggae hud, the ally Cat bar and lounge,

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Speaker 1: and the culture. So the that need goes back to

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Speaker 1: the original. And that's why I gave the definition at

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Speaker 1: the beginning, because I'm always come back to a filling

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Speaker 1: the void in the marketplace that the marketplace is calling

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Speaker 1: for consciously, subconsciously. And so the breakfast club was was

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Speaker 1: a response to Midtown not having a breakfast spot. Uh,

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Speaker 1: this new area of of Houston that was third wards,

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Speaker 1: last fourth ward that was created and turned into Midtown, uh,

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Speaker 1: not having a breakfast either in the city of Houston,

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Speaker 1: having a space open for a Southern big breath breakfast concept.

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Speaker 1: And quite naturally, quite honestly, rather you know, I wanted

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Speaker 1: a you know, I go from the get go, was

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Speaker 1: to be synonymous with the city of Houston. I wanted

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Speaker 1: people saying when I go to Houston, I'm going to

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Speaker 1: the breakfast club. I wanted that to move into I

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Speaker 1: am going to Houston because I want to go to

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Speaker 1: the breakfast club. And now today, twenty years later, I

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Speaker 1: tell folks, if you have been to Houston and have

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Speaker 1: not been to the breakfast club, then you, my friend,

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Speaker 1: have never been to Houston. Absolutely absolutely talk talk talk

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Speaker 1: the game, because the game is you my friend. Now,

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Speaker 1: now let's talk about it. But but I want to

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Speaker 1: make sure. I want to make sure I answer I

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Speaker 1: answer your question. Uh. Those those other concepts the radio

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Speaker 1: hud uh Alec had borne, lounge and culture were all

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Speaker 1: birth out of the knee listening to the marketplace and

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Speaker 1: what it was asking for looking at the marketplace and

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Speaker 1: seeing what's what's what's what's not there, and being the

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Speaker 1: go between, which is the original definition of entrepreneur, the undertaker,

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Speaker 1: the person who would take on, uh this this challenge

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Speaker 1: of this opportunity that that that's in front of us.

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Speaker 1: And so the Regga hell was an existing business. The

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Speaker 1: Reggio had started five years before t VK Regga had

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Speaker 1: started and had its success. When I was still a

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Speaker 1: senior UH at Texas and then I and then I

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Speaker 1: went off and came back and opened the Breakfast Club

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Speaker 1: and it was still going in and as an institution

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Speaker 1: in our community. Our community wanted it to be open,

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Speaker 1: to behold. So when it started to have it, it's

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Speaker 1: its troubles. I put into practice the fourth principle of quanza,

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Speaker 1: which is co operative economics. I took the money that

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Speaker 1: the people were putting in the cash registered at thirty

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Speaker 1: seven eleven Travis, and went and saved salvage a concept

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Speaker 1: in Third War that our community needed to have sustained.

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Speaker 1: And I say needed, and I closed on this. I

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Speaker 1: say needed because in the African American community, we are

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Speaker 1: hurt every time one of our business is closed, right

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Speaker 1: it it tears at the moral and the morale fabric

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Speaker 1: of our community. We may not express it, we may

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Speaker 1: resting in the wrong way. Sometimes we may say stuff

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Speaker 1: like see that I told you it was going to close,

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Speaker 1: and we're saying that out of her out of pain.

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Speaker 1: It's painful when I when our businesses in our community closed.

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Speaker 1: So we fifteen years ago acquired the Reggae Hut to

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Speaker 1: keep an institution in our community open to keep an

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Speaker 1: additional place for us to circulate our dollars and to

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Speaker 1: serve jerk Chicken. Of course, brother jerk Park. On my end,

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Speaker 1: I know a lot of people, Oh hey have it.

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Speaker 1: I mean, I got it for you know what I'm

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Speaker 1: talking about. I'm but I'm gonna ask you this question,

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Speaker 1: Marcus woman, say, okay, look, you got a popular The

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Speaker 1: breakfast club is popular. Why don't we see another breakfast club?

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Speaker 1: You know? You know they do it with Bojangles, they

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Speaker 1: do it with you know, Chick fil A. Why don't

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Speaker 1: we have like I know you're the airport, but why

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Speaker 1: don't we have like four or five breakfast clubs with

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Speaker 1: a k running around running around the city of Houston?

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Speaker 1: And then't expand it in Texas? Man? You you you

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Speaker 1: bring up an absolute perfect point. I've got a meeting

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Speaker 1: today with a brother who is who is about to

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Speaker 1: uh do something super spectacular. Uh. There's a void in

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Speaker 1: the marketplace, right we as African Americans in the restaurant industry.

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Speaker 1: The void that we have is there's not an African

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Speaker 1: American concept that stretches across a region. That's not an

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Speaker 1: African credit concept that stretches across the nation, we don't

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Speaker 1: have a national concept we have, Don't get me wrong.

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Speaker 1: We have successful restaurant tours, brothers that can buy a

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Speaker 1: hundred uh taco bills or what have you, But we

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Speaker 1: have no concepts where we're selling one hundred franchises. And

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Speaker 1: that's where African Americans have to graduate too. If we're

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Speaker 1: gonna do this business thing seriously, right, if we're gonna

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Speaker 1: be serious about uh generational wealth, if we're gonna be

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Speaker 1: serious about making rebuilding Black Wall Street running it back,

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Speaker 1: if we're gonna be serious about building Wakonda, then we

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Speaker 1: gotta start with our dollar. And the only way we

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Speaker 1: can get those those things that you describe one to five,

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Speaker 1: five to ten, ten to twenty across the country is

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Speaker 1: if we're deliberate in our dollar. And that's where African

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00:19:06,520 --> 00:19:09,000
Speaker 1: Americans have to step in and step up to the plate.

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Speaker 1: And yes, we do need to make sure that the

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Speaker 1: concepts that are presented are are are desirable, uh, that

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00:19:15,480 --> 00:19:18,000
Speaker 1: they are palatable, that people love them, that they adore

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00:19:18,040 --> 00:19:20,959
Speaker 1: there they embrace them. But the one thing I do

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Speaker 1: ask for the from the marketplace, from the African American marketplace,

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Speaker 1: is fairness. And when I say fairness. When we're judging

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Speaker 1: businesses from restaurants on down, keep that same energy, because

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Speaker 1: we will walk into a nail salon and let them

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Speaker 1: talk dirt to us and we take it. We will

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Speaker 1: walk into beautisalon and let them follow us along the

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Speaker 1: around the thing, and we still buy from them. Right.

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Speaker 1: We will walk into a restaurant that has the highest

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Speaker 1: level of discrimination I mean of of a bad service,

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Speaker 1: which is discrimination, and we will try and force them

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Speaker 1: to take our dollar. We're still trying to make somebody

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Speaker 1: take our dollar. But you know, so those days have

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Speaker 1: have to be gone. We have to have the same

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00:20:03,119 --> 00:20:06,919
Speaker 1: amount of patients and tolerance and persistence with building our

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00:20:07,000 --> 00:20:09,840
Speaker 1: business as we do with the tolerance that we have

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Speaker 1: with others. Last one on this, no, last one. I

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Speaker 1: just finished watching this another night when when when people

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Speaker 1: ask you don't want how much tolerance? How much patients

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Speaker 1: are we supposed to have? If you're talking about building

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Speaker 1: your community for real? I encourage everybody to go back

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Speaker 1: and look at the Montgomery Boycott West Boycott three hundred

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Speaker 1: and eighty one days. That community was very intentional about

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00:20:33,080 --> 00:20:36,439
Speaker 1: accomplishing their goal. They had to do the big s,

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00:20:36,560 --> 00:20:39,720
Speaker 1: which we are not comfortable doing, which is to sacrifice.

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Speaker 1: And if we want to rebuild Blackwall Street, if we

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Speaker 1: want to build with Kanda, if we want a fortune

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00:20:45,240 --> 00:20:48,280
Speaker 1: five hundred restaurant company, if we want to restaurant food

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Speaker 1: service comming and traded on the NASDAC, then we've got

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Speaker 1: to be deliberate and where we circulate our doubts. I'm

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Speaker 1: gonna slow you down on that one because I love

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Speaker 1: because because you know, you know, you know, I'm the

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Speaker 1: sun grand son and great grand son of the Black

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00:21:01,640 --> 00:21:04,480
Speaker 1: Baptist preachers. And it's what they're ever gonna stop here,

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Speaker 1: They ever gonna stop now, but as a microphone around

398
00:21:07,400 --> 00:21:10,040
Speaker 1: here somewhere. But as a black entrepreneur, you know, there's

399
00:21:10,080 --> 00:21:13,760
Speaker 1: always been that fear if I tell people who I am,

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Speaker 1: will I get the same reaction, you know, especially from

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Speaker 1: the white community. And then when we all we had

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Speaker 1: a great ground swell that was laid behind our tragic

403
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Speaker 1: death of you know, uh, George Floyd, I apologize for

404
00:21:28,520 --> 00:21:30,840
Speaker 1: the forking this name and uh. And so then of

405
00:21:30,880 --> 00:21:33,040
Speaker 1: a sudden, the injured that the corporation said, hey, we

406
00:21:33,080 --> 00:21:35,400
Speaker 1: want to know if you are black owned business. Google

407
00:21:35,760 --> 00:21:38,399
Speaker 1: actually went out and said we have a little marker

408
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Speaker 1: that you can actually say, if you my only business,

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00:21:40,800 --> 00:21:44,000
Speaker 1: check this. And so now you have black businesses saying,

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00:21:44,040 --> 00:21:45,960
Speaker 1: you know, we could actually come out of the dark

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Speaker 1: and and and be appreciated. You know all the time

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Speaker 1: you even say he was a black business, you could

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00:21:50,840 --> 00:21:53,000
Speaker 1: just sign up doing the right. Nobody would tear down

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Speaker 1: your building. That's when you say you were black home.

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00:21:55,560 --> 00:21:57,720
Speaker 1: Prior to that, you didn't want to recognize it and

416
00:21:57,960 --> 00:22:01,000
Speaker 1: be recognized at all. But we now at a point differently,

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Speaker 1: like I said, post I G And that's the life

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00:22:04,480 --> 00:22:06,840
Speaker 1: we live in now where you could be proud, you

419
00:22:06,880 --> 00:22:10,120
Speaker 1: can brag, you could promote that you're black owned business.

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Speaker 1: Is that important? Marcus? Look and and I wish those

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00:22:15,800 --> 00:22:17,480
Speaker 1: people that you're talking about, I wish you had had

422
00:22:17,480 --> 00:22:19,919
Speaker 1: pointing them out to me before, because I I, you know,

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Speaker 1: I don't know, and I've seen it. I'm aware. I've

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00:22:23,400 --> 00:22:25,879
Speaker 1: seen what people will make an effort to conceal or

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Speaker 1: two and I just see I'll say this, uh, post

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Speaker 1: traumatic slave, this order is real. Right, anytime you decide

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00:22:33,520 --> 00:22:37,120
Speaker 1: that you gotta hide or have a fear of letting

428
00:22:37,160 --> 00:22:40,159
Speaker 1: people know who you are or what you're about, you know,

429
00:22:40,359 --> 00:22:45,640
Speaker 1: I deliberately from day one, September October two thousand and one,

430
00:22:45,720 --> 00:22:47,879
Speaker 1: deliberately wanted folks to know that this was an African

431
00:22:47,880 --> 00:22:50,720
Speaker 1: American owned established right now. That didn't mean that all

432
00:22:50,760 --> 00:22:53,240
Speaker 1: of our all one hundred seats were for African Americans.

433
00:22:53,240 --> 00:22:55,560
Speaker 1: It just meant that the person who had their name

434
00:22:55,600 --> 00:22:57,679
Speaker 1: on the door, on on the martage, on the least

435
00:22:58,080 --> 00:23:00,840
Speaker 1: on the partmit was African American. But we're gonna deliver

436
00:23:00,920 --> 00:23:03,719
Speaker 1: a product that is good for the general market. And

437
00:23:03,760 --> 00:23:06,359
Speaker 1: that was a goal, right some reason, For some reason,

438
00:23:06,400 --> 00:23:08,919
Speaker 1: African Americans, well, for the obvious reason that that that

439
00:23:08,960 --> 00:23:12,080
Speaker 1: phrase I just gave post traumatic slave disorder. African Americans

440
00:23:12,080 --> 00:23:16,920
Speaker 1: have been denied the knowledge that we have the ability

441
00:23:16,960 --> 00:23:20,960
Speaker 1: to create a product for the general marketplace. We've been

442
00:23:21,000 --> 00:23:24,439
Speaker 1: convinced that the only market, the only product that we

443
00:23:24,480 --> 00:23:27,840
Speaker 1: can create for the general marketplace, not just for black folks,

444
00:23:27,880 --> 00:23:30,840
Speaker 1: because the whole pie was whether we can run fast,

445
00:23:30,960 --> 00:23:33,440
Speaker 1: we can jump high, or whether we can sing or

446
00:23:33,480 --> 00:23:36,000
Speaker 1: whether we can dance. Those were the only places where

447
00:23:36,000 --> 00:23:38,880
Speaker 1: we felt our gifts, our talents, our skills were worthy

448
00:23:38,960 --> 00:23:42,640
Speaker 1: of the general marketplace. And I'm here to say not so, right,

449
00:23:42,760 --> 00:23:45,280
Speaker 1: I am here to build black business. I am here

450
00:23:45,320 --> 00:23:51,560
Speaker 1: to build black business that will flourish in the general marketplace. Awesome.

451
00:23:51,800 --> 00:23:54,200
Speaker 1: Now that that leads me to your stupid or your

452
00:23:54,240 --> 00:23:59,399
Speaker 1: show host of fish. You know, because we've been actually

453
00:23:59,480 --> 00:24:03,680
Speaker 1: having scripts and politics talk this entire interview, and that's

454
00:24:03,680 --> 00:24:06,600
Speaker 1: how you know he's an entrepreneur, he's a game changer,

455
00:24:06,680 --> 00:24:09,359
Speaker 1: and tell us about the show, tell us about the

456
00:24:09,880 --> 00:24:12,440
Speaker 1: need for the show and what's the goal of the show.

457
00:24:13,240 --> 00:24:16,720
Speaker 1: So you know you mentioned in in the in the opening,

458
00:24:16,920 --> 00:24:21,040
Speaker 1: I spent some time uh doing uh commentary and this

459
00:24:21,160 --> 00:24:26,720
Speaker 1: community voice community activists, whatever title it is, and my

460
00:24:26,760 --> 00:24:29,080
Speaker 1: big mouth got landed me a seat on the radio,

461
00:24:29,520 --> 00:24:33,359
Speaker 1: uh sitting next to my mentor. Uh sister died a

462
00:24:33,480 --> 00:24:36,359
Speaker 1: K eight to atwards. She was she was a radio

463
00:24:36,440 --> 00:24:39,280
Speaker 1: host in Houston for a number of years on the

464
00:24:39,320 --> 00:24:42,600
Speaker 1: community program. And so I sat at her at her

465
00:24:42,680 --> 00:24:45,000
Speaker 1: foot and learned from her and then went on to

466
00:24:45,040 --> 00:24:47,439
Speaker 1: become the host of Magic one of two Sunday Morning

467
00:24:47,480 --> 00:24:51,840
Speaker 1: Live for for ten years. I don't know if ten years.

468
00:24:52,680 --> 00:24:57,080
Speaker 1: Thank you for falling, said, okay, all right, see he's

469
00:24:57,119 --> 00:25:00,399
Speaker 1: seen me, Marcus and saw me all the way back

470
00:25:00,440 --> 00:25:05,119
Speaker 1: to hip hop comedy stopped stopped. So, man, look, you

471
00:25:05,160 --> 00:25:07,920
Speaker 1: know I had saved that. I had saved that to last,

472
00:25:07,960 --> 00:25:09,920
Speaker 1: but since you brought it up, I'm gonna go ahead

473
00:25:09,920 --> 00:25:13,720
Speaker 1: and talk about it. Now. Entrepreneurship is contagious. It is

474
00:25:13,840 --> 00:25:16,960
Speaker 1: absolutely contagious. The day that I walked into the hip

475
00:25:16,960 --> 00:25:19,280
Speaker 1: hop Comedy Stop and I did the same thing that

476
00:25:19,320 --> 00:25:22,840
Speaker 1: people walking to the Bush Club. It's black home, it's us.

477
00:25:23,240 --> 00:25:26,520
Speaker 1: Immediate spoils up. You know, you're standing a little taller.

478
00:25:26,600 --> 00:25:28,679
Speaker 1: You know you're here. You get a little higher because

479
00:25:28,720 --> 00:25:30,840
Speaker 1: you know this, this, this is us doing something. So

480
00:25:30,920 --> 00:25:33,840
Speaker 1: when I heard those commercials running you and brother David

481
00:25:34,240 --> 00:25:36,159
Speaker 1: uh and I win, I saw, and I went, and

482
00:25:36,200 --> 00:25:38,240
Speaker 1: then it happened to go one night when Steve was

483
00:25:38,280 --> 00:25:40,680
Speaker 1: there and I just you know, my ribs steel cracked

484
00:25:41,119 --> 00:25:43,359
Speaker 1: from one of those late night shows. Man, where I

485
00:25:43,440 --> 00:25:48,399
Speaker 1: just you know, the thing that Marcus is that you know,

486
00:25:49,320 --> 00:25:53,639
Speaker 1: entrepreneurship is contagious. So I have to tell you that,

487
00:25:54,040 --> 00:25:58,399
Speaker 1: uh that that that was a source of fertilization, uh

488
00:25:58,480 --> 00:26:02,280
Speaker 1: for the entrepreneur. Uh see, that was inside of me.

489
00:26:02,320 --> 00:26:04,679
Speaker 1: So I appreciate you and your brother's stepping out on

490
00:26:04,720 --> 00:26:07,000
Speaker 1: faith in doing that. Well, you know, sometimes you know

491
00:26:07,320 --> 00:26:09,800
Speaker 1: I've looked at my life and I just like I said,

492
00:26:09,880 --> 00:26:12,199
Speaker 1: do it on faith. I do it on belief. I

493
00:26:12,200 --> 00:26:14,480
Speaker 1: believe that somebody can't tell me no. If you're gonna

494
00:26:14,480 --> 00:26:16,840
Speaker 1: tell me no, you're gonna tell me why, and speaking

495
00:26:17,040 --> 00:26:18,720
Speaker 1: no stop to a lot of people. When you tell

496
00:26:18,760 --> 00:26:20,560
Speaker 1: me no, you have to tell me explain, explain. Don't

497
00:26:20,560 --> 00:26:22,879
Speaker 1: just tell me no. You have to explain to me

498
00:26:22,920 --> 00:26:25,720
Speaker 1: to why, because that way I can If you tell

499
00:26:25,720 --> 00:26:27,920
Speaker 1: me why and explain to me, I'm gonna figure out

500
00:26:27,960 --> 00:26:30,679
Speaker 1: that I can do it because well, and you know

501
00:26:30,760 --> 00:26:34,119
Speaker 1: part of why why it is were showing I've discovered

502
00:26:34,359 --> 00:26:36,080
Speaker 1: part of why that is. And this goes back to

503
00:26:36,119 --> 00:26:39,520
Speaker 1: your question about why not one team fifteen stores. Part

504
00:26:39,520 --> 00:26:43,199
Speaker 1: of why there you hear the know is because what

505
00:26:43,240 --> 00:26:46,000
Speaker 1: people are doing is they're attempting to project their fear

506
00:26:46,320 --> 00:26:50,440
Speaker 1: and their faithlessness onto you. Right. What they're telling you,

507
00:26:50,480 --> 00:26:52,840
Speaker 1: what they're saying when they say no, you can't do it,

508
00:26:52,880 --> 00:26:55,159
Speaker 1: is they're saying, I've seen that I can't do it.

509
00:26:55,240 --> 00:26:57,000
Speaker 1: I don't have the faith to do it. So I'm

510
00:26:57,040 --> 00:26:59,399
Speaker 1: telling you how I feel and I'm gonna project it

511
00:26:59,440 --> 00:27:01,320
Speaker 1: onto you. I'm not saying that they're doing a delivery.

512
00:27:01,400 --> 00:27:04,520
Speaker 1: I think it's being done unconsciously right right. Uh, But

513
00:27:04,520 --> 00:27:07,720
Speaker 1: but people have to understand that you cannot allow others

514
00:27:07,800 --> 00:27:11,679
Speaker 1: to project their fearfulness onto you. You've got to stay in,

515
00:27:11,680 --> 00:27:15,600
Speaker 1: flat footed and faithfully on the dream, the golden vision

516
00:27:15,720 --> 00:27:18,159
Speaker 1: that was placed inside of you if you wanted to

517
00:27:18,200 --> 00:27:22,159
Speaker 1: come into fruition. So going when when? The reason I

518
00:27:22,240 --> 00:27:24,560
Speaker 1: mentioned the one that tends a hundred is because every

519
00:27:24,600 --> 00:27:27,480
Speaker 1: time you have a restaurant concept and people talk about expanding,

520
00:27:27,800 --> 00:27:31,159
Speaker 1: if you listen, the marketplace will tell you, oh, I've

521
00:27:31,200 --> 00:27:33,760
Speaker 1: literally heard this. I took surveys and I've literally heard

522
00:27:33,840 --> 00:27:38,000
Speaker 1: people say, don't do this. Every time we do this,

523
00:27:38,359 --> 00:27:41,880
Speaker 1: we lose. And I point out to one young lady,

524
00:27:41,920 --> 00:27:45,440
Speaker 1: I said, I can guarantee you I can in your day,

525
00:27:45,520 --> 00:27:48,399
Speaker 1: I can point out three or four concepts that you

526
00:27:48,480 --> 00:27:54,000
Speaker 1: support that wants one store operations. Right when you go

527
00:27:54,080 --> 00:27:56,040
Speaker 1: get your coffer in the morning at that buck place,

528
00:27:56,200 --> 00:27:58,359
Speaker 1: they started out as a single store. When you go

529
00:27:58,400 --> 00:28:01,120
Speaker 1: get your nuggets at that filate place, they started out

530
00:28:01,160 --> 00:28:05,000
Speaker 1: as a single store. And to be told, we are

531
00:28:05,000 --> 00:28:07,880
Speaker 1: the ones that are financing the whole arm and leg

532
00:28:08,440 --> 00:28:12,119
Speaker 1: of this growth of this expansion. And so we just

533
00:28:12,160 --> 00:28:14,080
Speaker 1: have to turn that faith around and believe that we

534
00:28:14,119 --> 00:28:16,320
Speaker 1: have the ability. We already have the bill. You know,

535
00:28:16,920 --> 00:28:19,720
Speaker 1: McDonald's don't run McDonald's three six five for no reason.

536
00:28:19,720 --> 00:28:22,040
Speaker 1: They run three six five because we're in there three

537
00:28:22,080 --> 00:28:28,040
Speaker 1: six and five. Absolutely, And Marcus Uh. First of all, Man,

538
00:28:28,280 --> 00:28:31,400
Speaker 1: I knew I was talking to your our conversation now,

539
00:28:31,520 --> 00:28:33,600
Speaker 1: you know you're coming back for your twenty and adversity.

540
00:28:33,640 --> 00:28:35,679
Speaker 1: That's gonna be really about that. But but I just

541
00:28:35,720 --> 00:28:38,320
Speaker 1: want to get to these season, these these flavors behind you,

542
00:28:38,600 --> 00:28:40,840
Speaker 1: because you know, I got a TV show called Rahard's

543
00:28:40,880 --> 00:28:44,400
Speaker 1: Kitchen Now and a little a little Birden told me that, absolutely,

544
00:28:44,400 --> 00:28:46,520
Speaker 1: and so I gotta get that stuff so I can

545
00:28:46,560 --> 00:28:49,280
Speaker 1: start making stuff and start posting on my social media

546
00:28:49,560 --> 00:28:52,040
Speaker 1: and support you this way. So tell us about the

547
00:28:52,080 --> 00:28:54,920
Speaker 1: season and talk about the extension of going in the

548
00:28:54,960 --> 00:28:58,520
Speaker 1: online packaging and grocery stores and stuff like that, because

549
00:28:58,920 --> 00:29:01,760
Speaker 1: I gotta feature this stuff for Roosarge Kitchen. I gotta,

550
00:29:01,880 --> 00:29:04,880
Speaker 1: I gotta. I gotta a cook. Of course, you know

551
00:29:04,960 --> 00:29:07,479
Speaker 1: I can cook and bake and so and I just

552
00:29:07,520 --> 00:29:10,600
Speaker 1: do it just anywhere from beans, the steaks, the fish

553
00:29:10,640 --> 00:29:14,240
Speaker 1: now everything. Talk about your whole line of seasoning and packaging.

554
00:29:15,360 --> 00:29:19,600
Speaker 1: So yeah, so man, we um we have a line

555
00:29:19,680 --> 00:29:23,560
Speaker 1: of products that give you the ability to uh take

556
00:29:23,640 --> 00:29:25,400
Speaker 1: us home with you, right, you can? You can. You

557
00:29:25,440 --> 00:29:27,360
Speaker 1: want that same great flavor of the chicken, You want

558
00:29:27,400 --> 00:29:29,520
Speaker 1: that same great flavor of the fish, You want the

559
00:29:29,560 --> 00:29:32,520
Speaker 1: same great favor flavor of the waffle. Uh. Then we

560
00:29:32,600 --> 00:29:34,120
Speaker 1: have a lot of products. So we have where have

561
00:29:34,240 --> 00:29:37,640
Speaker 1: our chicken fry, fish fry, We have our pancake and

562
00:29:37,680 --> 00:29:40,760
Speaker 1: waffle mix. Where our coffee beans because we are a

563
00:29:40,800 --> 00:29:43,880
Speaker 1: full service coffee shop. You can get the whole bean

564
00:29:43,960 --> 00:29:45,800
Speaker 1: or you can get them ground up. And then most

565
00:29:45,800 --> 00:29:49,280
Speaker 1: importantly less and most important, sorry're gonna do the selfless

566
00:29:49,280 --> 00:29:52,320
Speaker 1: club we have we have our all purpose seasoning. Right,

567
00:29:52,600 --> 00:29:55,160
Speaker 1: That's what I want, right for my being, for my

568
00:29:55,240 --> 00:29:59,240
Speaker 1: green that look yeah man, I'm gonna tell you look club.

569
00:30:00,200 --> 00:30:03,960
Speaker 1: I tell folks. So, my father, who was the biggest

570
00:30:03,960 --> 00:30:07,720
Speaker 1: influence in my career because he was a great educator,

571
00:30:07,760 --> 00:30:09,959
Speaker 1: he was a great musician, but he was also a

572
00:30:09,960 --> 00:30:11,960
Speaker 1: great chef. He was I mean, this food was just

573
00:30:12,000 --> 00:30:15,720
Speaker 1: absolutely dynamic, and he taught me what great great flavor

574
00:30:16,200 --> 00:30:20,440
Speaker 1: uh actually was. And so fortunately is my first year

575
00:30:20,440 --> 00:30:23,280
Speaker 1: in business, he was here with me to help formulate

576
00:30:23,800 --> 00:30:26,560
Speaker 1: the recipes and and and the menu and all that

577
00:30:26,560 --> 00:30:29,920
Speaker 1: good stuff. And this is a result of what he

578
00:30:30,000 --> 00:30:34,400
Speaker 1: taught me. It's the base for everything that we do

579
00:30:34,480 --> 00:30:37,040
Speaker 1: at the Breakfast Club. And I tell people because I've

580
00:30:37,040 --> 00:30:39,280
Speaker 1: had people ordering and they and they're like, man, I

581
00:30:39,320 --> 00:30:41,360
Speaker 1: can't believe how good that was. I was like, you've

582
00:30:41,400 --> 00:30:45,800
Speaker 1: eating at the restaurant thirty seven thousand times? How not?

583
00:30:46,200 --> 00:30:48,520
Speaker 1: I just I just didn't know. So for those who

584
00:30:48,600 --> 00:30:51,120
Speaker 1: cooked anywhere that you and I'm not gonna give nobody

585
00:30:51,120 --> 00:30:54,240
Speaker 1: else no props anywhere that you use those other people

586
00:30:54,400 --> 00:30:58,040
Speaker 1: season right, stop, put it down and pick this up.

587
00:30:58,080 --> 00:31:02,080
Speaker 1: So if you use that T word, yeah, substitute right here.

588
00:31:02,200 --> 00:31:05,760
Speaker 1: If you use that slap yo whatever, whatever, whatever, substitute

589
00:31:05,840 --> 00:31:08,320
Speaker 1: right here. Anywhere you're using an all purpose season I

590
00:31:08,360 --> 00:31:11,120
Speaker 1: invite you to get the Breakfast Club season and take

591
00:31:11,200 --> 00:31:14,800
Speaker 1: us home with you. I'll just tell you, We'll tell

592
00:31:14,800 --> 00:31:17,200
Speaker 1: you Mark, don't don't send me nothing. I'll be ordering

593
00:31:17,200 --> 00:31:19,840
Speaker 1: that today, okay. Because you know me, I always support

594
00:31:19,880 --> 00:31:22,400
Speaker 1: black businesses, and in that way, I know I use

595
00:31:22,480 --> 00:31:25,280
Speaker 1: all purpose seasoning. I have another young black lady who's

596
00:31:25,280 --> 00:31:28,440
Speaker 1: really talented. I use her and she's African American season

597
00:31:28,520 --> 00:31:30,720
Speaker 1: and stuff. But I gotta invite you into my kitchen,

598
00:31:30,720 --> 00:31:33,560
Speaker 1: man Rashawn's kitchens talking about the product and all that

599
00:31:33,600 --> 00:31:37,200
Speaker 1: good stuff. But again, man, the greatest talker and motivator

600
00:31:37,280 --> 00:31:40,120
Speaker 1: in the game, in the restaurant game. His name is

601
00:31:40,120 --> 00:31:43,280
Speaker 1: Marcus straight out of Houston, Texas. He'd be back on

602
00:31:43,360 --> 00:31:46,160
Speaker 1: in the fall celebrating the twentieth year of the Breakfast

603
00:31:46,200 --> 00:31:48,720
Speaker 1: Club in Houston, Texas, because we're gonna talk about a

604
00:31:48,760 --> 00:31:50,520
Speaker 1: lot of great things. Thank you for coming back on

605
00:31:50,560 --> 00:31:53,080
Speaker 1: the show. Man. You're a beautiful brother. Man. Thank you.

606
00:31:53,080 --> 00:31:55,400
Speaker 1: I appreciate, I appreciate the invite. Man. You look great,

607
00:31:55,440 --> 00:31:58,640
Speaker 1: you look fantastic. You look healthy. I'm glad. I'm glad

608
00:31:58,680 --> 00:32:00,640
Speaker 1: you're taking care of yourself. We want you and need

609
00:32:00,720 --> 00:32:03,800
Speaker 1: you here for a couple of more years, a few more,

610
00:32:04,000 --> 00:32:07,800
Speaker 1: a lot of thank you, thank you, thank you, all

611
00:32:07,880 --> 00:32:10,880
Speaker 1: right and and amen and thank you. I gotta say,

612
00:32:10,920 --> 00:32:14,000
Speaker 1: you know, we we we we we got some national recognition,

613
00:32:14,440 --> 00:32:16,560
Speaker 1: uh in our first couple of years of business. But man,

614
00:32:16,600 --> 00:32:20,160
Speaker 1: we hit it big. We hit it big. Shan call

615
00:32:20,240 --> 00:32:22,280
Speaker 1: and said, hey, man, y'all gonna be on the Steve

616
00:32:22,320 --> 00:32:29,800
Speaker 1: Harpers Show. Man. Yeah, thank you Marguts for coming on

617
00:32:29,880 --> 00:32:33,760
Speaker 1: money making conversations. Brother. I appreciate you. Brother. We will

618
00:32:33,800 --> 00:32:36,880
Speaker 1: be right back with more money making conversations with your

619
00:32:36,880 --> 00:32:41,440
Speaker 1: host Roshan McDonald. It's finally here, the season of celebration,

620
00:32:41,680 --> 00:32:44,320
Speaker 1: and no matter how you celebrate with family and friends,

621
00:32:44,520 --> 00:32:48,440
Speaker 1: whether you're preparing for reys, magos or Karamu lighting the Manura,

622
00:32:48,680 --> 00:32:51,680
Speaker 1: are going to midnight mass, Coals has just what you

623
00:32:51,760 --> 00:32:55,600
Speaker 1: need to make those traditions special. Plus you'll find gifts

624
00:32:55,600 --> 00:32:58,880
Speaker 1: for all your loved ones. Send warm wishes with Cozy

625
00:32:58,960 --> 00:33:03,320
Speaker 1: Fleece's Sweater Lounge, where blankets and throws support minority owned

626
00:33:03,440 --> 00:33:06,680
Speaker 1: or founded brands by giving gifts from Human Nation and

627
00:33:06,760 --> 00:33:10,480
Speaker 1: Shame Moisture, or treat them to everyone's favorite activewear from

628
00:33:10,520 --> 00:33:14,320
Speaker 1: top brands like Nike, Adidas, and under Armor. And in

629
00:33:14,360 --> 00:33:17,880
Speaker 1: the spirit of giving, Coals Cares is donating eight million

630
00:33:17,880 --> 00:33:21,400
Speaker 1: dollars to local nonprofits nationwide committed to the health and

631
00:33:21,440 --> 00:33:24,840
Speaker 1: well being of our communities. No matter how you celebrate,

632
00:33:25,000 --> 00:33:27,840
Speaker 1: when you shop at Coals, you're right where you belong.

633
00:33:28,320 --> 00:33:31,360
Speaker 1: So this season, give with all your heart with great

634
00:33:31,360 --> 00:33:34,440
Speaker 1: gifts from Coals or Coals dot Com. Look for your

635
00:33:34,520 --> 00:33:37,720
Speaker 1: children's eyes to see the true magic of a forest.

636
00:33:38,120 --> 00:33:41,200
Speaker 1: It's a storybook world for them. You look and see

637
00:33:41,200 --> 00:33:44,200
Speaker 1: a tree, They see the wrinkled face of a wizard

638
00:33:44,360 --> 00:33:48,240
Speaker 1: with arms outstretched to the sky. They see treasure and pebbles.

639
00:33:48,680 --> 00:33:51,400
Speaker 1: They see a windy path that could lead to adventure,

640
00:33:51,760 --> 00:33:56,200
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641
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642
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643
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Speaker 1: States Forest Service and the AD Council. Hi everyone, Al

644
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Speaker 1: Roker here as a guy with his own catchphrase. I

645
00:34:07,640 --> 00:34:12,080
Speaker 1: appreciate that Smokey's only said only you can prevent wildfires,

646
00:34:12,080 --> 00:34:14,880
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647
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648
00:34:18,280 --> 00:34:21,320
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649
00:34:21,880 --> 00:34:25,439
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650
00:34:25,440 --> 00:34:27,920
Speaker 1: of the woods. Go to Smokey Bear dot com to

651
00:34:28,040 --> 00:34:31,080
Speaker 1: learn more about wildfire prevention. Brought to you by the U. S.

652
00:34:31,160 --> 00:34:35,719
Speaker 1: Forest Service, your State Forrester, and the AD Council. You

653
00:34:35,800 --> 00:34:39,200
Speaker 1: are now tuned into the money making conversations. Minute of

654
00:34:39,239 --> 00:34:43,680
Speaker 1: Inspiration with Rushan McDonald I recently interviewed Gina Yasay, a

655
00:34:43,719 --> 00:34:47,120
Speaker 1: British comedian of Nigerian heritage. She has the co creator,

656
00:34:47,320 --> 00:34:50,280
Speaker 1: co executive, ducer, writer and actress on the hit CBS

657
00:34:50,360 --> 00:34:54,560
Speaker 1: series Bob Hart Abashola. Gina is released in our first book,

658
00:34:54,640 --> 00:34:57,839
Speaker 1: a memoir, Cat Candy Puts chronicles her odyssey to get

659
00:34:57,840 --> 00:35:01,200
Speaker 1: to America and break into Hollywool. I wrote the book ovinually.

660
00:35:01,200 --> 00:35:04,080
Speaker 1: It started off as just on Instagram. There was a

661
00:35:04,160 --> 00:35:07,880
Speaker 1: hashtag fowback Thursdays where you past old pictures, and I

662
00:35:07,960 --> 00:35:10,520
Speaker 1: was posting all pictures and writing the story behind the

663
00:35:10,560 --> 00:35:13,759
Speaker 1: pictures by post a picture and writing elaborate post explaining

664
00:35:13,800 --> 00:35:16,880
Speaker 1: the history behind the picture, and people were really interested

665
00:35:16,920 --> 00:35:19,240
Speaker 1: in saying, oh my god, your story is so good,

666
00:35:19,400 --> 00:35:21,760
Speaker 1: why don't you write a book? So I started keeping

667
00:35:21,800 --> 00:35:24,120
Speaker 1: those and I want to school about my history because

668
00:35:24,160 --> 00:35:28,000
Speaker 1: people don't seem to realize that the UK started safely.

669
00:35:28,200 --> 00:35:31,040
Speaker 1: If you want to hear the full interview with Gina Yasharai,

670
00:35:31,200 --> 00:35:35,200
Speaker 1: it's available on money Making Conversations dot com. Welcome back

671
00:35:35,280 --> 00:35:39,640
Speaker 1: to Money Making Conversations with your host, Rashan McDonald. My

672
00:35:39,719 --> 00:35:42,640
Speaker 1: next guest is one of my favorite people. Her name

673
00:35:42,719 --> 00:35:45,879
Speaker 1: is Snoop Dillard. She's the owner of Dillard Hospitality Group.

674
00:35:46,000 --> 00:35:50,320
Speaker 1: D HC. Dealer Hospitality Group is Atlanta based hospitality company

675
00:35:50,360 --> 00:35:54,280
Speaker 1: that takes pride and delivering high quality care and customer service.

676
00:35:54,560 --> 00:35:58,400
Speaker 1: With five restaurants, three salon suites, a charity organization to

677
00:35:58,400 --> 00:36:02,360
Speaker 1: tourism and travel agencies, a real estate investment and business

678
00:36:02,400 --> 00:36:05,200
Speaker 1: consulting agency. D h D has become a leader and

679
00:36:05,239 --> 00:36:09,080
Speaker 1: provide in Atlanta now excellent examples of optimal delivery within

680
00:36:09,120 --> 00:36:12,200
Speaker 1: the service industry of Atlanta, Georgia. On the show to Day,

681
00:36:12,320 --> 00:36:14,040
Speaker 1: Snoop and I were going to talk to her about

682
00:36:14,040 --> 00:36:17,320
Speaker 1: her road to recovery and also our mentorship program because

683
00:36:17,440 --> 00:36:20,960
Speaker 1: last year both she and I were frustrated with this

684
00:36:21,040 --> 00:36:25,200
Speaker 1: COVID nineteam when they were both entrepreneurs and also talking

685
00:36:25,200 --> 00:36:27,600
Speaker 1: about putting your business back on the fast fast track

686
00:36:27,680 --> 00:36:29,880
Speaker 1: to success. If anybody can talk about that because of

687
00:36:30,400 --> 00:36:33,719
Speaker 1: our diversity of her portfolio, is her, Please welcome to

688
00:36:33,719 --> 00:36:36,759
Speaker 1: the show Money Making Conversation, Snoop Dialard, Hey do snow

689
00:36:38,440 --> 00:36:45,080
Speaker 1: thanks to having that phenomenal uh, that phenomenal phenomenal well

690
00:36:45,120 --> 00:36:46,480
Speaker 1: you know you know those two are you one of

691
00:36:46,520 --> 00:36:48,880
Speaker 1: my favorite people. And last time I had you on

692
00:36:48,920 --> 00:36:53,160
Speaker 1: the show, COVID with beating us up as entrepreneurs was

693
00:36:53,200 --> 00:36:56,359
Speaker 1: beating us both of you know, uh, your your your

694
00:36:56,360 --> 00:37:00,799
Speaker 1: birthday tour got canceled everything, and I could I could

695
00:37:00,880 --> 00:37:03,719
Speaker 1: hear in your voice you were frustrated and because there

696
00:37:03,719 --> 00:37:06,120
Speaker 1: were no answers, can you walk us back to as

697
00:37:06,120 --> 00:37:08,880
Speaker 1: an entrepreneur, as a business owner, as a restaurant owner,

698
00:37:08,960 --> 00:37:12,239
Speaker 1: because that was really scary because customers couldn't come in

699
00:37:12,280 --> 00:37:17,200
Speaker 1: your business and talk about that whole process. Yeah, absolutely

700
00:37:17,280 --> 00:37:20,000
Speaker 1: so um as you all know, of course, you know,

701
00:37:20,080 --> 00:37:22,520
Speaker 1: we all went through the same thing with COVID nineteen

702
00:37:22,640 --> 00:37:26,239
Speaker 1: and I think it was probably around the beginning of

703
00:37:26,320 --> 00:37:29,480
Speaker 1: April or the end of March the human I spoke

704
00:37:29,719 --> 00:37:33,920
Speaker 1: last year, And of course, definitely frustrating time. That was

705
00:37:33,960 --> 00:37:36,640
Speaker 1: around the time when everything was just being shut down.

706
00:37:37,360 --> 00:37:40,080
Speaker 1: We were unclear on when things would open up and

707
00:37:40,120 --> 00:37:43,239
Speaker 1: when everything would even turn back to any type of

708
00:37:43,280 --> 00:37:46,840
Speaker 1: normalcy or if there ever would be normalcy, and what

709
00:37:47,000 --> 00:37:49,840
Speaker 1: that would look like, you know, um for months and

710
00:37:49,920 --> 00:37:53,120
Speaker 1: years to come. So um, absolutely a frustrating time. As

711
00:37:53,120 --> 00:37:55,800
Speaker 1: you mentioned, our own five restaurants. So it's just having

712
00:37:55,840 --> 00:38:00,000
Speaker 1: all of those clothes that once was very very scary, UM,

713
00:38:00,120 --> 00:38:04,000
Speaker 1: made me have to be super innovative. Um and really

714
00:38:04,120 --> 00:38:07,399
Speaker 1: you know, just kind of think out of the box. Uh. Now,

715
00:38:07,520 --> 00:38:11,560
Speaker 1: Fortunately we were able to open back up, you know,

716
00:38:11,600 --> 00:38:15,000
Speaker 1: about a month after month later after we spoke you know,

717
00:38:15,520 --> 00:38:18,040
Speaker 1: uh during that time last year. And so I was

718
00:38:18,160 --> 00:38:20,520
Speaker 1: very surprised that we were able to open back up

719
00:38:20,520 --> 00:38:23,399
Speaker 1: as quickly as we were, UM and even more so

720
00:38:23,520 --> 00:38:27,960
Speaker 1: surprised and pleased to see people coming out and patronizing

721
00:38:28,000 --> 00:38:30,839
Speaker 1: the businesses like they did, you know, once we were

722
00:38:30,880 --> 00:38:33,840
Speaker 1: able to open back up. And so I went on

723
00:38:34,040 --> 00:38:38,680
Speaker 1: to open up three new businesses during the pandemic. So

724
00:38:39,360 --> 00:38:42,160
Speaker 1: that was definitely it was kind of like turning you know,

725
00:38:42,440 --> 00:38:45,640
Speaker 1: lemons into lemonade, you know, making a bad situation and

726
00:38:45,719 --> 00:38:49,960
Speaker 1: turning that into a positive situation. So um, everything ended

727
00:38:50,040 --> 00:38:52,640
Speaker 1: up turning out all right. But it was definitely you know,

728
00:38:53,000 --> 00:38:55,640
Speaker 1: a scary time, you know, for all of us. Then

729
00:38:56,000 --> 00:38:58,800
Speaker 1: I think the time that will you know all never forget.

730
00:38:59,320 --> 00:39:02,839
Speaker 1: We know, it's really interesting because you're always upbeat, You're

731
00:39:02,880 --> 00:39:06,040
Speaker 1: always a positive and you know, and as a and

732
00:39:06,080 --> 00:39:08,640
Speaker 1: I want to call your friend of mine, just hearing

733
00:39:08,640 --> 00:39:13,399
Speaker 1: your voice and hearing the the the uncertainty and your

734
00:39:13,480 --> 00:39:16,120
Speaker 1: voice doing COVID as an as an entrepreneur, because you're

735
00:39:16,120 --> 00:39:18,040
Speaker 1: not only that you try to get customers the door,

736
00:39:18,080 --> 00:39:20,600
Speaker 1: but you have people you're employing, and you're hearing their

737
00:39:20,640 --> 00:39:23,000
Speaker 1: stories and their their checks and their bills that they

738
00:39:23,000 --> 00:39:26,759
Speaker 1: cannot pay. But with that being said, there has been

739
00:39:26,800 --> 00:39:31,080
Speaker 1: a difference in customer service now because now online or

740
00:39:31,120 --> 00:39:34,640
Speaker 1: to go has become a has changed the dynamics, especially

741
00:39:34,680 --> 00:39:38,040
Speaker 1: in black restaurants. Talking about how that has shifted your

742
00:39:38,280 --> 00:39:42,560
Speaker 1: business model, well, you know, while we were shut down,

743
00:39:43,239 --> 00:39:45,799
Speaker 1: we were when we were allowed to stay open just

744
00:39:45,960 --> 00:39:49,400
Speaker 1: to do take out. Uh, So that made us have

745
00:39:49,560 --> 00:39:52,400
Speaker 1: to focus, you know, on that aspect of the business

746
00:39:52,560 --> 00:39:56,239
Speaker 1: much more than we ever had before before. You know,

747
00:39:56,360 --> 00:39:59,799
Speaker 1: we always were more so concerned and cater to the

748
00:40:00,000 --> 00:40:03,439
Speaker 1: customers that were coming into the business. So we ended

749
00:40:03,520 --> 00:40:05,520
Speaker 1: up seeing a lot of our profits from you know,

750
00:40:05,640 --> 00:40:09,520
Speaker 1: uber eats, grub hub, things that nature nature and even

751
00:40:09,600 --> 00:40:13,919
Speaker 1: changing our platform um to see how we could do uh,

752
00:40:14,120 --> 00:40:17,839
Speaker 1: take out and delivery without using those platform forms which

753
00:40:17,920 --> 00:40:21,360
Speaker 1: take you know a certain percentage of profits. So, uh,

754
00:40:21,400 --> 00:40:24,000
Speaker 1: it was definitely a time to kind of change some

755
00:40:24,080 --> 00:40:27,600
Speaker 1: things change our we even looked at changing our to

756
00:40:27,800 --> 00:40:31,520
Speaker 1: go containers, you know, to preserve food and make sure

757
00:40:31,560 --> 00:40:35,200
Speaker 1: that our to go food was fresh just like it

758
00:40:35,200 --> 00:40:37,640
Speaker 1: would be in the restaurants, you know, once you get

759
00:40:37,680 --> 00:40:41,200
Speaker 1: it there at home. So UM, definitely a lot of

760
00:40:41,840 --> 00:40:44,840
Speaker 1: thinking outside the box, you know, during this time period

761
00:40:44,840 --> 00:40:48,080
Speaker 1: and some things that we've carried on up until now.

762
00:40:48,200 --> 00:40:52,000
Speaker 1: You know, we've even implemented curbside windows that several of

763
00:40:52,000 --> 00:40:55,600
Speaker 1: our locations UM and still keep those going to this day,

764
00:40:55,640 --> 00:40:58,759
Speaker 1: even though people are coming back into the restaurants now.

765
00:40:59,239 --> 00:41:00,920
Speaker 1: It was really interesting. I was with a friend I

766
00:41:01,000 --> 00:41:03,440
Speaker 1: was at I was at the waffle House and we

767
00:41:03,440 --> 00:41:06,040
Speaker 1: were sitting up at the bar eating and I could

768
00:41:06,080 --> 00:41:09,319
Speaker 1: tell you it was actually the the the go pick

769
00:41:09,400 --> 00:41:11,800
Speaker 1: up area at the end of the bar for Waffall

770
00:41:11,960 --> 00:41:14,760
Speaker 1: was like amazing. It was like it was like a constant,

771
00:41:14,920 --> 00:41:19,120
Speaker 1: steady flow. So I know the mentality of the customer

772
00:41:19,200 --> 00:41:22,000
Speaker 1: now is they have no problem coming in, picking up

773
00:41:22,040 --> 00:41:25,239
Speaker 1: their their food and exiting out of the facility. Is

774
00:41:25,280 --> 00:41:28,480
Speaker 1: that it may be tied to maybe a fear or

775
00:41:28,560 --> 00:41:30,560
Speaker 1: it's just a habit that was built. Droughing COVID a

776
00:41:30,640 --> 00:41:33,480
Speaker 1: team when it comes to future restaurant customer. I think

777
00:41:33,480 --> 00:41:36,240
Speaker 1: it was a habit that was built during that time period,

778
00:41:37,040 --> 00:41:39,560
Speaker 1: and so that enabled you. That's why you said, Okay, Rishan,

779
00:41:39,719 --> 00:41:42,520
Speaker 1: we used to have a certain way that we delivered.

780
00:41:42,560 --> 00:41:44,560
Speaker 1: I'm talking to Snoop dialer, then her customers. She has

781
00:41:44,600 --> 00:41:47,239
Speaker 1: five restaurants in the Atlanta area. And Snoop when we

782
00:41:47,280 --> 00:41:50,640
Speaker 1: were talking about this, the ability to say, you have

783
00:41:50,640 --> 00:41:52,800
Speaker 1: different things you have to You have the seal containers

784
00:41:52,800 --> 00:41:54,600
Speaker 1: that you can just put a lid on top of it,

785
00:41:55,000 --> 00:41:57,319
Speaker 1: and then you have the little the little style foam

786
00:41:57,400 --> 00:42:00,120
Speaker 1: that you would just fold down and just walk out

787
00:42:00,120 --> 00:42:01,799
Speaker 1: of there. So I'm assuming that you went more to

788
00:42:01,880 --> 00:42:04,600
Speaker 1: a seal container as far as your to go and

789
00:42:04,600 --> 00:42:07,000
Speaker 1: even with the styrofoaone, you know, we went to a

790
00:42:07,000 --> 00:42:11,560
Speaker 1: more breathable styrofoam container that would you know, keep wings

791
00:42:11,719 --> 00:42:15,360
Speaker 1: and fried foods, you know, fresh shirt by the time

792
00:42:15,400 --> 00:42:18,560
Speaker 1: we got those to the to the home location. Okay, cool,

793
00:42:18,640 --> 00:42:20,640
Speaker 1: But let's when we were out of that. You know,

794
00:42:20,640 --> 00:42:24,040
Speaker 1: we're into two were playing it only because I know

795
00:42:24,160 --> 00:42:27,440
Speaker 1: you're you know, you're not a person that six thirty

796
00:42:27,480 --> 00:42:29,839
Speaker 1: days are you're playing a year in advance. You got

797
00:42:29,840 --> 00:42:32,439
Speaker 1: the five restaurants, the three so long, sweet break down

798
00:42:32,440 --> 00:42:35,040
Speaker 1: to everybody. Your five restaurants in the line of areas,

799
00:42:35,040 --> 00:42:37,680
Speaker 1: so we get a sense of what the the hospitality

800
00:42:37,680 --> 00:42:41,680
Speaker 1: the group is doing from a restaurant perspective. Absolutely, We've

801
00:42:41,680 --> 00:42:45,200
Speaker 1: got Escobar Restaurant the top of Us, which is located

802
00:42:45,239 --> 00:42:49,319
Speaker 1: downtown on Peter Street at three seven Peter Street. We've

803
00:42:49,360 --> 00:42:52,400
Speaker 1: got Escobar South which is on the south side, and

804
00:42:52,480 --> 00:42:56,120
Speaker 1: Moron George at eleven forty Mount Zion Road. And we've

805
00:42:56,160 --> 00:42:59,400
Speaker 1: also got members only Lounge and Restaurant which is located

806
00:42:59,400 --> 00:43:03,200
Speaker 1: at one third nine Ralphe mcgheo once again downtown. Uh.

807
00:43:03,239 --> 00:43:06,680
Speaker 1: And then we've got Crazy Restaurant which is located in

808
00:43:06,680 --> 00:43:11,040
Speaker 1: a little five points uh. And then I also owned

809
00:43:11,440 --> 00:43:14,240
Speaker 1: Esco Sea Food, so that one was opened up during

810
00:43:14,280 --> 00:43:17,080
Speaker 1: the pandemic and it's located at four or forty seven

811
00:43:17,239 --> 00:43:22,480
Speaker 1: edge Wed Avenue. This opening up a restaurant during the pandemic,

812
00:43:23,239 --> 00:43:25,520
Speaker 1: talk to me. You know people out there can't even

813
00:43:25,560 --> 00:43:29,640
Speaker 1: get p P pay people out there, and you made

814
00:43:29,680 --> 00:43:32,759
Speaker 1: a decision. Was it was that in the works already

815
00:43:33,680 --> 00:43:35,920
Speaker 1: now it was not the reason why I made the

816
00:43:36,000 --> 00:43:38,520
Speaker 1: decision to open up Sco Sea Food is because I

817
00:43:38,520 --> 00:43:41,120
Speaker 1: saw the influx of people that were coming to Atlanta,

818
00:43:41,160 --> 00:43:43,520
Speaker 1: being that we were one of the only cities that

819
00:43:43,600 --> 00:43:45,880
Speaker 1: were opened up the way that we were during the

820
00:43:45,920 --> 00:43:49,840
Speaker 1: pandemic UM, and just kind of wanted to take advantage

821
00:43:49,840 --> 00:43:53,080
Speaker 1: of that. Also, there were some unfortunate restaurants that did

822
00:43:53,160 --> 00:43:56,120
Speaker 1: have to close down run the pandemic, and so, uh,

823
00:43:56,200 --> 00:44:01,520
Speaker 1: there were several second generation restaurant location is available UM

824
00:44:01,600 --> 00:44:04,759
Speaker 1: that would allow us to get open pretty quickly. UM.

825
00:44:04,880 --> 00:44:07,799
Speaker 1: And so once I found that location on Edgela, which

826
00:44:07,840 --> 00:44:11,080
Speaker 1: is a pretty sought after, you know areas to be on. UM.

827
00:44:11,120 --> 00:44:14,440
Speaker 1: There's a lot of walk up traffic on that street. UM,

828
00:44:14,480 --> 00:44:16,719
Speaker 1: I figured that that would be a good area to

829
00:44:16,920 --> 00:44:20,560
Speaker 1: start our sea food chain UM and go ahead and

830
00:44:20,560 --> 00:44:22,759
Speaker 1: get that going. And so we actually get that, got

831
00:44:22,800 --> 00:44:26,680
Speaker 1: that location open and about three months we opened December

832
00:44:26,840 --> 00:44:29,440
Speaker 1: ninth of last year. Well, I'm good to be honest

833
00:44:29,480 --> 00:44:32,120
Speaker 1: with everybody. When I talked to Snoop deal it, she's

834
00:44:32,160 --> 00:44:35,279
Speaker 1: a visionary. I tell her that all the time, and

835
00:44:35,480 --> 00:44:38,160
Speaker 1: she but she's also a grinder. When I say a

836
00:44:38,200 --> 00:44:40,640
Speaker 1: grinder means that she's out there grind and she doesn't

837
00:44:40,640 --> 00:44:43,319
Speaker 1: even realize how. She knows she's talented, but may not

838
00:44:43,440 --> 00:44:45,839
Speaker 1: realize that how talent and the impact that she makes

839
00:44:46,160 --> 00:44:49,360
Speaker 1: on other people. Well, she has a program mentorship program

840
00:44:49,600 --> 00:44:53,360
Speaker 1: that uh that the Road to Mentorship program. Talk to

841
00:44:53,480 --> 00:44:56,239
Speaker 1: us about that Road to mendorship program and why it's

842
00:44:56,280 --> 00:44:59,920
Speaker 1: important and why did you started? Absolutely so, who is

843
00:45:00,040 --> 00:45:03,200
Speaker 1: Snoop's Road to Millions mentorship Program? I pretty much started

844
00:45:03,239 --> 00:45:06,799
Speaker 1: this mentorship program during COVID. One of the things that

845
00:45:06,800 --> 00:45:09,440
Speaker 1: I did while we worshiped down was to film various

846
00:45:09,520 --> 00:45:12,879
Speaker 1: courses that I felt would be helpful to people who

847
00:45:12,920 --> 00:45:16,760
Speaker 1: wanted to get into entrepreneurship, who wanted to start saving

848
00:45:16,760 --> 00:45:20,839
Speaker 1: and investing, who wanted to get into restaurant ownership UM.

849
00:45:20,920 --> 00:45:23,960
Speaker 1: And then also during COVID UM, I took the course

850
00:45:24,040 --> 00:45:27,680
Speaker 1: myself to sharpen my skills by a friend of my

851
00:45:27,760 --> 00:45:31,719
Speaker 1: name Marcus Barney. He has this whole recession recession through

852
00:45:31,800 --> 00:45:37,120
Speaker 1: family where he teaches financial literacy, credit repair, UM, funding,

853
00:45:37,440 --> 00:45:40,360
Speaker 1: business credit, things of that nature. So UM. And just

854
00:45:40,480 --> 00:45:43,560
Speaker 1: kind of pulling all of that together and combining some

855
00:45:43,640 --> 00:45:46,399
Speaker 1: of the things that I've been teaching and questions I've

856
00:45:46,400 --> 00:45:50,400
Speaker 1: been answering through my business consultation to the past few years,

857
00:45:50,800 --> 00:45:52,719
Speaker 1: I said, well, let me kind of put together a

858
00:45:52,760 --> 00:45:56,839
Speaker 1: mentorship program that would encompass all of this information UM

859
00:45:56,880 --> 00:46:00,560
Speaker 1: to be able to help individuals with my platform form

860
00:46:00,800 --> 00:46:03,799
Speaker 1: UM get to the point that they can be millionaires

861
00:46:03,840 --> 00:46:06,040
Speaker 1: or get to the point that they can reach their goals.

862
00:46:06,480 --> 00:46:08,480
Speaker 1: And so that's what it is that I'm doing. UM.

863
00:46:08,480 --> 00:46:11,759
Speaker 1: It's a mentorship program at last about four weeks. UM.

864
00:46:11,840 --> 00:46:15,319
Speaker 1: It encompasses teaching people how to invest, teaching people how

865
00:46:15,320 --> 00:46:19,799
Speaker 1: to save UM, teaching UH, fixing individuals credit UM, showing

866
00:46:19,840 --> 00:46:22,719
Speaker 1: them how to be a business credit, showing them how

867
00:46:22,760 --> 00:46:26,080
Speaker 1: to get funding, showing them how to start businesses, how

868
00:46:26,080 --> 00:46:29,960
Speaker 1: to scale businesses excuse me, UM, and there's a lot

869
00:46:29,960 --> 00:46:33,279
Speaker 1: of one on one with my mentees. So UM it's

870
00:46:33,280 --> 00:46:35,600
Speaker 1: been a great program. People have really really been and

871
00:46:35,880 --> 00:46:39,200
Speaker 1: been enjoying it. UH. Started off wanting to take about

872
00:46:39,280 --> 00:46:42,040
Speaker 1: ten mentees a month, kind of scale back so that

873
00:46:42,239 --> 00:46:45,520
Speaker 1: it kind of became a little overwhelming. So right now

874
00:46:45,760 --> 00:46:47,920
Speaker 1: I kind of take on about six to eight mentees

875
00:46:48,000 --> 00:46:51,080
Speaker 1: per month UM and it's a great program. People can

876
00:46:51,080 --> 00:46:53,400
Speaker 1: find out more information about it by going to my

877
00:46:53,480 --> 00:46:57,760
Speaker 1: website at www dot Who is snoop dot com? Well

878
00:46:57,800 --> 00:47:00,520
Speaker 1: here's the thing I'm talking to. She's on them deal

879
00:47:00,560 --> 00:47:03,560
Speaker 1: at Hospitality Group. If you're not aware, it's an Atlanta

880
00:47:03,600 --> 00:47:06,960
Speaker 1: based hospitality company takes pride and delivering high quality care

881
00:47:07,000 --> 00:47:09,680
Speaker 1: and customer service. Let's talk about that. Let's talk about

882
00:47:09,680 --> 00:47:11,719
Speaker 1: this all started with a party of bus you know,

883
00:47:11,719 --> 00:47:14,000
Speaker 1: in the Atlanta way back in the day. And this

884
00:47:14,080 --> 00:47:16,920
Speaker 1: is an idea of stepping out on some people. Some

885
00:47:16,960 --> 00:47:20,319
Speaker 1: people use the word faith. Uh, you and I were

886
00:47:20,360 --> 00:47:22,279
Speaker 1: kind of like, we got faith, but we also are

887
00:47:22,320 --> 00:47:25,280
Speaker 1: planners and we also have a budget tied to the plan.

888
00:47:25,960 --> 00:47:30,279
Speaker 1: So give people advice on that whole process because you know,

889
00:47:30,880 --> 00:47:34,320
Speaker 1: you know, prayers used a lot when people make a decision,

890
00:47:34,719 --> 00:47:37,560
Speaker 1: but also within that prayer, it has to be a

891
00:47:37,640 --> 00:47:42,359
Speaker 1: sense of reality, a sense of revenue that you can

892
00:47:42,400 --> 00:47:45,560
Speaker 1: generate out of your dream. And how do you put

893
00:47:45,560 --> 00:47:48,560
Speaker 1: your ideas together, especially in the early days of starting

894
00:47:48,600 --> 00:47:50,520
Speaker 1: your company and the building your I want to say

895
00:47:50,560 --> 00:47:54,279
Speaker 1: the word empire. I think it starts with number one,

896
00:47:54,320 --> 00:47:56,960
Speaker 1: first and foremost, having a good plan, as you mentioned,

897
00:47:56,960 --> 00:47:59,919
Speaker 1: you know, and when we talk about playing a business plan,

898
00:48:00,000 --> 00:48:03,040
Speaker 1: and you know a lot of people are excuse me,

899
00:48:03,120 --> 00:48:07,120
Speaker 1: starting businesses without even having a business plan. Um, So

900
00:48:07,160 --> 00:48:10,239
Speaker 1: it really starts there, you know, it starts with um.

901
00:48:10,360 --> 00:48:14,239
Speaker 1: Having the business plan during the research UM, having good

902
00:48:14,280 --> 00:48:18,799
Speaker 1: mentorship no individuals that are in the line of work

903
00:48:18,840 --> 00:48:21,280
Speaker 1: that you're trying to get into or that have businesses

904
00:48:21,400 --> 00:48:24,240
Speaker 1: similar to what you're trying to do, UM, and really

905
00:48:24,280 --> 00:48:27,800
Speaker 1: studying and scaling those businesses and and putting the research

906
00:48:28,400 --> 00:48:31,640
Speaker 1: together with the grind and the hustle UM because a

907
00:48:31,640 --> 00:48:34,040
Speaker 1: lot of times people really don't research what it is

908
00:48:34,080 --> 00:48:36,240
Speaker 1: that they're trying to do, and I end up spending

909
00:48:36,239 --> 00:48:39,280
Speaker 1: and wasting a lot of money trying to learn along

910
00:48:39,320 --> 00:48:43,280
Speaker 1: the way. So UM, that's been a big thing for me. UM.

911
00:48:43,320 --> 00:48:48,360
Speaker 1: It's just having great mentors UM and having good planning skills,

912
00:48:48,480 --> 00:48:50,840
Speaker 1: you know, UM. And also you know, having that funding,

913
00:48:50,920 --> 00:48:54,000
Speaker 1: you know, saving and having the finances UM to be

914
00:48:54,040 --> 00:48:57,240
Speaker 1: able to back up you know, those dreams and aspirations.

915
00:48:57,719 --> 00:48:59,640
Speaker 1: But its interesting thing when I when I sit down

916
00:48:59,640 --> 00:49:02,120
Speaker 1: and talk with Snoop Dealer, is that there's always a

917
00:49:02,200 --> 00:49:04,880
Speaker 1: level of confidence but you and I would tell you

918
00:49:04,920 --> 00:49:07,720
Speaker 1: that I I don't understand balance. You know, you seem

919
00:49:07,800 --> 00:49:10,520
Speaker 1: to be able to understand. Hey, I can relax, I

920
00:49:10,520 --> 00:49:14,480
Speaker 1: can go on vacation, I celebrate with my friends. How

921
00:49:14,560 --> 00:49:18,239
Speaker 1: are you able to do that? Because I would tell you.

922
00:49:18,320 --> 00:49:20,439
Speaker 1: I love you know, I tell people I love the work.

923
00:49:20,480 --> 00:49:23,200
Speaker 1: I love the bought the building and doing covid use

924
00:49:23,280 --> 00:49:26,719
Speaker 1: at that restaurant. I bought the building. Okay, So I

925
00:49:27,600 --> 00:49:29,600
Speaker 1: bought into myself and believed in myself. And one of

926
00:49:29,600 --> 00:49:32,360
Speaker 1: the great business decisions I've made in the past several years,

927
00:49:32,800 --> 00:49:36,160
Speaker 1: how do you balance being able to be exceptionally busy

928
00:49:36,200 --> 00:49:39,520
Speaker 1: as an entrepreneur, but then also having a family life,

929
00:49:39,719 --> 00:49:42,040
Speaker 1: a social life, a life to be able to know

930
00:49:42,120 --> 00:49:45,960
Speaker 1: your friends and spend time with your friends. Absolutely great question.

931
00:49:46,280 --> 00:49:48,040
Speaker 1: I think for me, I made the decision a few

932
00:49:48,120 --> 00:49:51,600
Speaker 1: years ago that it was just something that I have

933
00:49:51,760 --> 00:49:54,600
Speaker 1: to do because it's extremely important to me. You know.

934
00:49:54,640 --> 00:49:57,720
Speaker 1: I think that you know, we're all here for a reason,

935
00:49:57,840 --> 00:49:59,880
Speaker 1: and that you know when we leave this earth. You

936
00:50:00,120 --> 00:50:02,719
Speaker 1: we look at tomb stones and I've never walked by

937
00:50:02,719 --> 00:50:07,200
Speaker 1: anyone tomb stones that said a great athlete, great business person,

938
00:50:07,280 --> 00:50:10,000
Speaker 1: owner of such and such. You know, it says mother, father,

939
00:50:10,040 --> 00:50:13,839
Speaker 1: and sister, doorter, friend to whoever. Um, and those are

940
00:50:13,840 --> 00:50:16,560
Speaker 1: the relationships that I feel like are most important that

941
00:50:16,600 --> 00:50:18,319
Speaker 1: we need to make sure that we make time for.

942
00:50:18,640 --> 00:50:21,600
Speaker 1: So UM, it's definitely about having that balance and scheduling

943
00:50:21,640 --> 00:50:24,879
Speaker 1: those things, and uh, it used to be a point

944
00:50:24,880 --> 00:50:26,839
Speaker 1: in time where I would you know, be up all

945
00:50:27,000 --> 00:50:29,239
Speaker 1: night checking emails, because in the middle of the night

946
00:50:29,560 --> 00:50:32,759
Speaker 1: emails working. And so I've decided that, you know, I've

947
00:50:32,800 --> 00:50:35,719
Speaker 1: got to have a cut off point because there are

948
00:50:35,760 --> 00:50:40,200
Speaker 1: things that are also important in life that don't evolve

949
00:50:40,239 --> 00:50:44,799
Speaker 1: around money in business. Well, before I get into the

950
00:50:44,800 --> 00:50:48,759
Speaker 1: the good credit and credit repair company, I want to

951
00:50:48,760 --> 00:50:52,399
Speaker 1: talk about your charity organization. And then I also want

952
00:50:52,440 --> 00:50:55,440
Speaker 1: to talk about something that African Americans really don't get into,

953
00:50:55,680 --> 00:50:59,000
Speaker 1: is that the tourism and travel business. And we know

954
00:50:59,120 --> 00:51:01,760
Speaker 1: that's about to take back off. Just this past weekend,

955
00:51:02,280 --> 00:51:05,120
Speaker 1: cruise ships have been released. They're starting to go back

956
00:51:05,120 --> 00:51:08,560
Speaker 1: out into the waters and travel with this world. I'm

957
00:51:08,600 --> 00:51:13,120
Speaker 1: a big component of a friend, a big fan of

958
00:51:13,239 --> 00:51:16,080
Speaker 1: people doing cruisers, especially black people. They don't realize that

959
00:51:16,400 --> 00:51:17,759
Speaker 1: you go out there, you get your room, you get

960
00:51:17,800 --> 00:51:20,320
Speaker 1: your food, you get your experience. It's done. You know

961
00:51:20,360 --> 00:51:24,120
Speaker 1: what I'm saying. Closer, it's all inclusive. So talk about

962
00:51:24,200 --> 00:51:26,000
Speaker 1: first about your charity, and then we're going to go

963
00:51:26,040 --> 00:51:29,120
Speaker 1: over into the tourism and travel agencies and encompasses. On

964
00:51:29,200 --> 00:51:33,000
Speaker 1: the d h G absolutely, as so my charity organization

965
00:51:33,040 --> 00:51:37,000
Speaker 1: as Her Impact Foundation UM. And what we do is

966
00:51:37,040 --> 00:51:38,960
Speaker 1: we just try to help the community in any way

967
00:51:39,000 --> 00:51:41,799
Speaker 1: so that we can. So we have UM movements where

968
00:51:41,800 --> 00:51:44,480
Speaker 1: we feed the homeless UM and set up you know,

969
00:51:44,800 --> 00:51:48,640
Speaker 1: UM coalitions you know, with various organizations in the community

970
00:51:48,719 --> 00:51:52,080
Speaker 1: to be able to do that. We also help UM

971
00:51:52,440 --> 00:51:54,920
Speaker 1: kids you know that are going back to school that

972
00:51:55,040 --> 00:51:58,160
Speaker 1: aren't able to you know, whose parents aren't able to

973
00:51:58,200 --> 00:52:01,839
Speaker 1: provide you know, their school supply and things of that nature. UM.

974
00:52:01,920 --> 00:52:05,480
Speaker 1: We've got a Friends Giving UH event that we do

975
00:52:05,600 --> 00:52:09,640
Speaker 1: which is also just based around during the Thanksgiving time UM,

976
00:52:09,760 --> 00:52:13,040
Speaker 1: feeding the community UM and giving back to some of

977
00:52:13,080 --> 00:52:16,920
Speaker 1: the homeless individuals. So UM definitely try to focus a

978
00:52:16,960 --> 00:52:19,839
Speaker 1: lot of efforts and that UM. I was a single mother,

979
00:52:20,040 --> 00:52:23,719
Speaker 1: so we do. I do a diaper drive as well

980
00:52:23,760 --> 00:52:27,680
Speaker 1: once a year, and it's just UM basically you know,

981
00:52:27,880 --> 00:52:31,600
Speaker 1: getting donations you know of pampers UH and diapers and

982
00:52:31,719 --> 00:52:35,160
Speaker 1: donating those two mothers that are in need. UH. So

983
00:52:35,200 --> 00:52:37,600
Speaker 1: we do a lot of different, you know, combinations of

984
00:52:37,640 --> 00:52:42,080
Speaker 1: different efforts to give back to the community here in Atlanta, UM.

985
00:52:42,120 --> 00:52:46,400
Speaker 1: And then moving over to the travel UM leg of things.

986
00:52:46,440 --> 00:52:49,040
Speaker 1: So UM we're actually kind of in the works of

987
00:52:49,040 --> 00:52:52,279
Speaker 1: putting that together right now. But it's just hoping individuals

988
00:52:52,360 --> 00:52:55,360
Speaker 1: to be able to see the world um and travel,

989
00:52:55,560 --> 00:52:59,040
Speaker 1: you know, UM and be able to you know, because

990
00:52:59,120 --> 00:53:03,200
Speaker 1: right now travel is so high. Last year it was

991
00:53:03,280 --> 00:53:05,480
Speaker 1: you know, the dropping prices on everything because not as

992
00:53:05,520 --> 00:53:07,920
Speaker 1: many people are traveling, and now that everything is kind

993
00:53:07,920 --> 00:53:11,239
Speaker 1: of opening back up, they're hitting everybody over their head.

994
00:53:11,400 --> 00:53:13,960
Speaker 1: So UM. But they do have programs where you can

995
00:53:13,960 --> 00:53:16,320
Speaker 1: get tickets on the Old Way and things of that nature.

996
00:53:16,360 --> 00:53:18,520
Speaker 1: But a lot of people don't realize, you know, how

997
00:53:18,560 --> 00:53:21,879
Speaker 1: reasonable it can be, you know, to travel and just

998
00:53:21,920 --> 00:53:24,120
Speaker 1: what the importance of it is and being able to

999
00:53:24,160 --> 00:53:27,160
Speaker 1: have that culture um and expand your mind a lot

1000
00:53:27,160 --> 00:53:29,839
Speaker 1: of times, you know, as your I see things, um,

1001
00:53:29,920 --> 00:53:33,480
Speaker 1: your mind expands um and it and it cultivates and

1002
00:53:33,600 --> 00:53:37,000
Speaker 1: creates different dreams for you um and different goals that

1003
00:53:37,080 --> 00:53:39,279
Speaker 1: you may want to reach. So I think everything is

1004
00:53:39,320 --> 00:53:42,320
Speaker 1: all connected. Well, I know you do. I see a future,

1005
00:53:42,400 --> 00:53:45,000
Speaker 1: you know, talk join the type cruise in your future.

1006
00:53:45,560 --> 00:53:47,840
Speaker 1: I know you. I know you. I tell you that

1007
00:53:48,080 --> 00:53:49,960
Speaker 1: you know you just to party. But that's how I

1008
00:53:50,040 --> 00:53:53,040
Speaker 1: al started. That's just a bigger version of that to

1009
00:53:53,160 --> 00:53:57,120
Speaker 1: get to travel and safe and friends and family. Well,

1010
00:53:57,239 --> 00:53:59,359
Speaker 1: how how big you want to go with this now,

1011
00:53:59,360 --> 00:54:01,520
Speaker 1: because you know we're doing anything small, it's always in

1012
00:54:01,560 --> 00:54:04,680
Speaker 1: the smallest the planning stage. But once the planning states

1013
00:54:05,760 --> 00:54:08,600
Speaker 1: go on, that come on that the whole process of

1014
00:54:08,680 --> 00:54:12,880
Speaker 1: getting the African Americans out into the travel space. And

1015
00:54:12,960 --> 00:54:16,920
Speaker 1: like you said, because of COVID, car runnods are extremely

1016
00:54:17,000 --> 00:54:19,560
Speaker 1: high nowadays. You know, getting a good car is ridiculous,

1017
00:54:19,800 --> 00:54:22,680
Speaker 1: especially begetting to the Florida area. So getting with the

1018
00:54:22,719 --> 00:54:26,239
Speaker 1: travel agency or tourism organization that can protect you and

1019
00:54:26,280 --> 00:54:28,839
Speaker 1: provide you with information. You really can't just jump out

1020
00:54:28,880 --> 00:54:30,839
Speaker 1: there like you used to. You know, gas prices are

1021
00:54:30,920 --> 00:54:33,880
Speaker 1: high in certain states, in certain places, parts of California's

1022
00:54:33,920 --> 00:54:37,439
Speaker 1: five dollars a gallop in California. So that's the type

1023
00:54:37,440 --> 00:54:41,160
Speaker 1: of information that that comes to your organization when people

1024
00:54:41,160 --> 00:54:43,920
Speaker 1: come to you. It's like basically you protect people, providing

1025
00:54:43,920 --> 00:54:45,800
Speaker 1: them with information that makes you steering them in the

1026
00:54:45,920 --> 00:54:50,680
Speaker 1: right direction. Correct, absolutely, absolutely. Now let's talk about good

1027
00:54:50,680 --> 00:54:54,960
Speaker 1: credit bad credit. Black people are notorious that we have

1028
00:54:55,000 --> 00:54:58,120
Speaker 1: a history. I'm not saying we do, but we always

1029
00:54:58,160 --> 00:55:00,960
Speaker 1: hear the jokes. You know, you you put your your

1030
00:55:01,040 --> 00:55:03,960
Speaker 1: child's name or your on your own, your own, your

1031
00:55:04,000 --> 00:55:07,200
Speaker 1: gas bill or your life bill that your po child

1032
00:55:07,560 --> 00:55:11,359
Speaker 1: grew up they realized they got bad credit. We've we've

1033
00:55:11,480 --> 00:55:14,440
Speaker 1: we've seen these stories. We've heard these stories and been

1034
00:55:14,480 --> 00:55:16,560
Speaker 1: a part of this story. Depending on who's listening to

1035
00:55:16,600 --> 00:55:20,520
Speaker 1: this interview. When you talk about good credit in your

1036
00:55:20,520 --> 00:55:23,319
Speaker 1: repair company, to help that out, let's talk about what

1037
00:55:23,440 --> 00:55:27,440
Speaker 1: exactly is good credit? Snoop, you know, good credit they

1038
00:55:27,560 --> 00:55:29,759
Speaker 1: used to be a seven twenty or better, but you

1039
00:55:29,800 --> 00:55:33,040
Speaker 1: know they're saying it nowadays that doesn't even cut it. Um.

1040
00:55:33,080 --> 00:55:36,000
Speaker 1: But you know, a good credit report number one is

1041
00:55:36,040 --> 00:55:39,000
Speaker 1: at least you know, ten open positive accounts. Zener wrote

1042
00:55:39,040 --> 00:55:43,160
Speaker 1: the rocket story accounts zero late marks, zero items and

1043
00:55:43,280 --> 00:55:46,920
Speaker 1: collections and only two to three inquiries, um. You know

1044
00:55:47,000 --> 00:55:50,120
Speaker 1: over the past couple of years, um. And that could

1045
00:55:50,160 --> 00:55:53,080
Speaker 1: be easily attainable, you know, just by hiring your credit

1046
00:55:53,080 --> 00:55:55,000
Speaker 1: re scare something and kind of show show you what

1047
00:55:55,080 --> 00:55:57,400
Speaker 1: it is you need to do. Even a lot of

1048
00:55:57,400 --> 00:55:59,839
Speaker 1: people that I know they have good credit, they don't

1049
00:55:59,840 --> 00:56:02,359
Speaker 1: need and know how they've gotten there, especially a lot

1050
00:56:02,400 --> 00:56:04,360
Speaker 1: of you know, people from you know, our our older

1051
00:56:04,400 --> 00:56:07,040
Speaker 1: generations and things of that nature. So I think it's

1052
00:56:07,080 --> 00:56:10,520
Speaker 1: so important to have that literacy behind it because you know,

1053
00:56:10,600 --> 00:56:13,640
Speaker 1: it used to be like cash is king, um and

1054
00:56:13,680 --> 00:56:15,839
Speaker 1: I still believe that to this day. But hey, if

1055
00:56:15,880 --> 00:56:17,719
Speaker 1: you've got good credit, you can keep a lot of

1056
00:56:17,760 --> 00:56:20,680
Speaker 1: that cash in your pocket. Um. You know, and if

1057
00:56:20,719 --> 00:56:24,360
Speaker 1: if you've got good credit personally, then you can build

1058
00:56:24,600 --> 00:56:28,600
Speaker 1: and establish the business credit. UM end up getting a

1059
00:56:28,640 --> 00:56:31,200
Speaker 1: lot of things in your business name, and they don't

1060
00:56:31,200 --> 00:56:34,480
Speaker 1: have to go on your personal credit report um and

1061
00:56:34,520 --> 00:56:37,719
Speaker 1: affect your debt to income ratio. So UM. I think

1062
00:56:37,760 --> 00:56:40,239
Speaker 1: it's probably one of the most important things I'm doing

1063
00:56:40,400 --> 00:56:43,040
Speaker 1: right now is you know, my credit repair business and

1064
00:56:43,080 --> 00:56:46,879
Speaker 1: helping individuals be able to repair their credit because UM,

1065
00:56:46,880 --> 00:56:50,200
Speaker 1: a lot of people's financial goals and dreams are based

1066
00:56:50,640 --> 00:56:54,279
Speaker 1: are based around having a good credit score. UM. You know,

1067
00:56:54,360 --> 00:56:56,640
Speaker 1: it's hard to buy at home if you don't have

1068
00:56:56,680 --> 00:56:59,160
Speaker 1: a good good credit you know. UM, it's hard to

1069
00:56:59,160 --> 00:57:01,319
Speaker 1: get the dream are that you want if you don't

1070
00:57:01,320 --> 00:57:03,440
Speaker 1: have the credit. You know, it's hard to start that

1071
00:57:03,560 --> 00:57:07,239
Speaker 1: business if you don't have the credit. So UM, that's

1072
00:57:07,280 --> 00:57:10,279
Speaker 1: one of the things that I took courses on and

1073
00:57:10,360 --> 00:57:13,680
Speaker 1: did a lot of research. One during the pandemic UM

1074
00:57:13,719 --> 00:57:16,120
Speaker 1: and I'm using that information now to be able to

1075
00:57:16,120 --> 00:57:21,880
Speaker 1: teach that to other entrepreneurs and just other individuals. You know,

1076
00:57:21,920 --> 00:57:23,800
Speaker 1: it was interesting I would tell people for some reason

1077
00:57:23,840 --> 00:57:27,040
Speaker 1: when I was eighteen years old, always protected my credit always.

1078
00:57:27,120 --> 00:57:32,080
Speaker 1: I was always protective of paying my bills on time. Now,

1079
00:57:32,840 --> 00:57:36,440
Speaker 1: when you when somebody comes to you your credit repair service,

1080
00:57:36,600 --> 00:57:40,200
Speaker 1: you know they confused. Obviously is messed up. That's obviously

1081
00:57:40,240 --> 00:57:43,080
Speaker 1: the case. One of the course of the steps and

1082
00:57:43,560 --> 00:57:46,160
Speaker 1: sitting down with a person and getting them pointed in

1083
00:57:46,200 --> 00:57:48,360
Speaker 1: the right direction because they have to do something to

1084
00:57:48,840 --> 00:57:51,520
Speaker 1: you know, because they wouldn't be sitting in front of

1085
00:57:51,560 --> 00:57:54,840
Speaker 1: you if they didn't do it right. Okay, right, Um,

1086
00:57:54,880 --> 00:57:56,640
Speaker 1: So one of the first steps for me is number one,

1087
00:57:56,680 --> 00:57:58,800
Speaker 1: finding out what their goals are. You know, what are

1088
00:57:58,840 --> 00:58:00,840
Speaker 1: your goals for your credit? Because you know, you can

1089
00:58:00,840 --> 00:58:03,440
Speaker 1: fix somebody's credit, but you know, if they don't have,

1090
00:58:03,760 --> 00:58:05,520
Speaker 1: you know, the right amount of trade lines or the

1091
00:58:05,640 --> 00:58:08,040
Speaker 1: right mix of credit, a lot of times it's still

1092
00:58:08,080 --> 00:58:09,800
Speaker 1: hard for them to get what it is that they're

1093
00:58:09,800 --> 00:58:12,880
Speaker 1: looking to obtain. So the first and foremost thing is

1094
00:58:12,960 --> 00:58:16,400
Speaker 1: finding out what their goals are. Um. Secondly, um, it's

1095
00:58:16,440 --> 00:58:19,439
Speaker 1: hoping to create a budget for them because as you mentioned,

1096
00:58:19,480 --> 00:58:21,120
Speaker 1: there are still some things that they're gonna need to

1097
00:58:21,160 --> 00:58:23,480
Speaker 1: do on their own, and they're gonna need to they

1098
00:58:23,520 --> 00:58:25,760
Speaker 1: may have to pay some things down or whatever the

1099
00:58:25,800 --> 00:58:29,760
Speaker 1: case may be. UM. Third, it's pulling their credit report. UM.

1100
00:58:29,880 --> 00:58:33,720
Speaker 1: So getting those three credit reports and seeing exactly where

1101
00:58:33,720 --> 00:58:36,360
Speaker 1: it is that they are and what we need to do,

1102
00:58:36,440 --> 00:58:39,320
Speaker 1: you know, whether it's getting things removed off of their credit,

1103
00:58:39,920 --> 00:58:43,520
Speaker 1: whether it's paying some of our credit cards down. I've

1104
00:58:43,560 --> 00:58:46,360
Speaker 1: got some people who come with decent credit and they

1105
00:58:46,400 --> 00:58:50,400
Speaker 1: just need to know how to UM hide their utilization

1106
00:58:50,560 --> 00:58:54,760
Speaker 1: or they need to know how to manufacture they're spending

1107
00:58:55,240 --> 00:58:58,360
Speaker 1: UM so that they can get higher credit limits. UM.

1108
00:58:58,440 --> 00:59:01,600
Speaker 1: So it's it's a up the different things. Sometimes it's

1109
00:59:01,600 --> 00:59:04,680
Speaker 1: selling trade lines to individuals, are helping provide them with

1110
00:59:04,760 --> 00:59:09,760
Speaker 1: trade lines so that they get more established credit history um.

1111
00:59:10,360 --> 00:59:13,840
Speaker 1: You know, to show their potential creditors. So UM it's

1112
00:59:13,880 --> 00:59:15,520
Speaker 1: a basic looking at it. And then one thing that

1113
00:59:15,560 --> 00:59:18,080
Speaker 1: I offer is a free consultation. So a lot of

1114
00:59:18,120 --> 00:59:22,160
Speaker 1: times people will go to credit repair individuals and their

1115
00:59:22,200 --> 00:59:24,920
Speaker 1: fixed their credit, but they have no information on how

1116
00:59:24,960 --> 00:59:27,560
Speaker 1: to keep that credit score up. UM. And so that's

1117
00:59:27,560 --> 00:59:29,280
Speaker 1: one of the things that I teach is just you know,

1118
00:59:29,400 --> 00:59:32,160
Speaker 1: how can you keep that credit score up? Um? What

1119
00:59:32,360 --> 00:59:35,360
Speaker 1: is it that the credit bureaus and the credit report

1120
00:59:35,440 --> 00:59:38,280
Speaker 1: agencies are looking at? How do we get this scoore

1121
00:59:38,360 --> 00:59:41,360
Speaker 1: or what is this score comprised stuff? So there's also

1122
00:59:41,440 --> 00:59:44,560
Speaker 1: some education that goes behind it as well. Where when

1123
00:59:44,600 --> 00:59:46,800
Speaker 1: we were as we wrapped up this call and we

1124
00:59:46,880 --> 00:59:50,280
Speaker 1: talk about you know, black people in general trying to

1125
00:59:50,320 --> 00:59:54,960
Speaker 1: be mobile. We've we've had the social movement we recognize

1126
00:59:55,000 --> 00:59:58,920
Speaker 1: as a credible part of this country and and still

1127
00:59:59,040 --> 01:00:01,840
Speaker 1: being demon That is because people don't want to acknowledge

1128
01:00:01,880 --> 01:00:05,040
Speaker 1: that there is a problems as a as a black

1129
01:00:05,080 --> 01:00:08,160
Speaker 1: business owner in the city of Atlanta. What are the

1130
01:00:08,200 --> 01:00:12,160
Speaker 1: advantages that you are achieving and what are the negatives

1131
01:00:12,200 --> 01:00:15,680
Speaker 1: that you're still having to overcome? Um. I think some

1132
01:00:15,720 --> 01:00:17,960
Speaker 1: of the advantages just being in a black city, of

1133
01:00:18,040 --> 01:00:20,439
Speaker 1: black city where when you go down to city hall,

1134
01:00:20,600 --> 01:00:23,120
Speaker 1: a lot of those individuals and officials that are making

1135
01:00:23,160 --> 01:00:25,640
Speaker 1: decisions look just like you. They're the same color as

1136
01:00:25,680 --> 01:00:28,680
Speaker 1: you are. Um, they're here is the same way, etcetera.

1137
01:00:28,760 --> 01:00:31,840
Speaker 1: I just think that that is very very helpful and

1138
01:00:31,960 --> 01:00:36,440
Speaker 1: very very inspiring, especially coming from a city like Nashville, Tennessee.

1139
01:00:36,480 --> 01:00:39,200
Speaker 1: You know, I went to high school and college in Nashville, Tennessee,

1140
01:00:39,200 --> 01:00:43,240
Speaker 1: originally from Detroit. And so um, I've seen both sides

1141
01:00:43,280 --> 01:00:46,280
Speaker 1: to the coin and how difficult it can be when

1142
01:00:46,320 --> 01:00:48,560
Speaker 1: you don't live in a black city, UM and you

1143
01:00:48,680 --> 01:00:51,040
Speaker 1: don't have the help of you know, city hall and

1144
01:00:51,480 --> 01:00:54,720
Speaker 1: various council members and things of that nature. I think

1145
01:00:54,760 --> 01:00:57,640
Speaker 1: some of the negatives is just some of the influx

1146
01:00:57,680 --> 01:01:00,080
Speaker 1: of prime that we've seen here in Atlanta do to

1147
01:01:00,280 --> 01:01:03,960
Speaker 1: covid Um. It definitely was not like this before the pandemic.

1148
01:01:04,280 --> 01:01:06,360
Speaker 1: We get a lot of people who moved here from

1149
01:01:06,360 --> 01:01:09,760
Speaker 1: other cities, a lot of people who traveled here, you know,

1150
01:01:09,840 --> 01:01:13,280
Speaker 1: from other cities, UM to be able to take advantage

1151
01:01:13,320 --> 01:01:16,000
Speaker 1: of a lot of the great things that we have

1152
01:01:16,160 --> 01:01:20,440
Speaker 1: here in Atlanta. UM. And I think that we definitely

1153
01:01:20,600 --> 01:01:25,200
Speaker 1: need that uh revitalization and reconstruction you know, down in

1154
01:01:25,320 --> 01:01:27,480
Speaker 1: city Hall. And it starts with you know this this

1155
01:01:28,040 --> 01:01:30,840
Speaker 1: mayor race that you know we're gonna have in the

1156
01:01:30,880 --> 01:01:34,600
Speaker 1: next four or five months. So UM, I think that

1157
01:01:34,600 --> 01:01:38,000
Speaker 1: that's probably one of the biggest negatives. Are really don't

1158
01:01:38,040 --> 01:01:41,560
Speaker 1: see too many outside of that. Hey, you know, Atlanta

1159
01:01:41,640 --> 01:01:44,880
Speaker 1: is a great city and it's been great to me. So, um,

1160
01:01:45,160 --> 01:01:47,680
Speaker 1: can really come up with too many negatives other than

1161
01:01:47,760 --> 01:01:49,760
Speaker 1: just some of the things that we're battling now that

1162
01:01:49,960 --> 01:01:54,440
Speaker 1: we're due to the pandemic. Absolutely, you know, always fantasy.

1163
01:01:54,480 --> 01:01:57,920
Speaker 1: First of all, happened to the smile back? Okay. Secondly,

1164
01:01:58,040 --> 01:02:00,040
Speaker 1: I'm finally gonna get to you on your restaurants to

1165
01:02:00,120 --> 01:02:02,320
Speaker 1: sit down and eat with you and Dad, because you

1166
01:02:02,360 --> 01:02:05,400
Speaker 1: invited me to a couple of testings taste testings that

1167
01:02:05,520 --> 01:02:08,040
Speaker 1: I wasn't able to make it. So that's my goal

1168
01:02:08,160 --> 01:02:11,480
Speaker 1: this year. Congratulations are always success and I always keep

1169
01:02:11,480 --> 01:02:13,959
Speaker 1: me posting and I got a Outum, I always gotta

1170
01:02:13,960 --> 01:02:19,000
Speaker 1: have my annual you know, Snoop check in Okay, it's check. Absolutely.

1171
01:02:19,040 --> 01:02:21,280
Speaker 1: I appreciate you so much. It was so good to

1172
01:02:21,320 --> 01:02:23,480
Speaker 1: see you this morning. Okay, Cool, you stay strong and

1173
01:02:23,520 --> 01:02:26,440
Speaker 1: we talked soon, okay, Snoop, alrighty, thank you. You have

1174
01:02:26,480 --> 01:02:29,280
Speaker 1: a good one, Okay, Cool. We will be right back

1175
01:02:29,440 --> 01:02:33,000
Speaker 1: with more money making conversations with your host Roshan McDonald.

1176
01:02:33,400 --> 01:02:36,720
Speaker 1: At ADP, we understand the importance of building the right

1177
01:02:36,760 --> 01:02:40,360
Speaker 1: team and offer the data insights to help. Just as importantly,

1178
01:02:40,640 --> 01:02:44,480
Speaker 1: our AI technology helps you pay. The team accurately grow

1179
01:02:44,560 --> 01:02:50,000
Speaker 1: stronger with adp HR, talent, time and payroll. What grows

1180
01:02:50,040 --> 01:02:53,440
Speaker 1: in the forest trees, Sure you know what else grows

1181
01:02:53,440 --> 01:02:56,800
Speaker 1: in the forest, our imagination, a sense of one day,

1182
01:02:57,080 --> 01:02:59,800
Speaker 1: and our family bonds grow too, because when we just

1183
01:03:00,000 --> 01:03:06,520
Speaker 1: connect from this and connect with this, we reconnect with

1184
01:03:06,560 --> 01:03:10,040
Speaker 1: each other. The forest is closer than you think. Find

1185
01:03:10,040 --> 01:03:13,280
Speaker 1: a forest near you and start exploring. I discover the

1186
01:03:13,320 --> 01:03:16,040
Speaker 1: forest dot Org, brought to you by the United States

1187
01:03:16,080 --> 01:03:20,360
Speaker 1: Forest Service and the AD Council. And we're live here

1188
01:03:20,400 --> 01:03:23,760
Speaker 1: outside the Perez family home, just waiting for the and

1189
01:03:23,960 --> 01:03:26,920
Speaker 1: there they go, almost on time. This morning, Mom is

1190
01:03:27,000 --> 01:03:29,480
Speaker 1: coming out the front door strong with a double arm

1191
01:03:29,560 --> 01:03:32,360
Speaker 1: kid carry. Looks like Dad has the bags. Daughter is

1192
01:03:32,400 --> 01:03:36,520
Speaker 1: bringing up the rear. Oh but the diaper bag wasn't closed.

1193
01:03:36,640 --> 01:03:41,400
Speaker 1: Diapers and toys are everywhere. Oh but mom has just

1194
01:03:41,680 --> 01:03:45,000
Speaker 1: nailed the perfect car seat buckle for the toddler. And

1195
01:03:45,120 --> 01:03:47,480
Speaker 1: now the eldest daughter, who looks to be about nine

1196
01:03:47,560 --> 01:03:50,400
Speaker 1: or ten, has secured herself in the booster seat. Dad

1197
01:03:50,440 --> 01:03:54,320
Speaker 1: SIPs the bad clothes and they're off. Ah, but looks

1198
01:03:54,320 --> 01:03:56,600
Speaker 1: like Mom doesn't realize her coffee cup is still on

1199
01:03:56,640 --> 01:04:00,880
Speaker 1: the roof of the car and there it goes. Oh,

1200
01:04:00,920 --> 01:04:03,880
Speaker 1: that's a shame that mud was a fan favorite. Don't

1201
01:04:03,880 --> 01:04:06,440
Speaker 1: sweat the small stuff, just nailed the big stuff, like

1202
01:04:06,520 --> 01:04:08,320
Speaker 1: making sure your kids are buckled correctly in the right

1203
01:04:08,320 --> 01:04:10,320
Speaker 1: seat for their agent's eyes. Learn more than n h

1204
01:04:10,440 --> 01:04:12,720
Speaker 1: t s A dot gov slash the Right Seat visits

1205
01:04:12,920 --> 01:04:16,680
Speaker 1: n h s A dot gov slash the Right Seat

1206
01:04:16,800 --> 01:04:20,880
Speaker 1: brought to you by NITZA and the ad Council. You

1207
01:04:20,920 --> 01:04:24,360
Speaker 1: are now tuned into the money making conversations. Minute of

1208
01:04:24,360 --> 01:04:27,800
Speaker 1: Inspiration with Rashan McDonald. I spoke with Sean Robinson, the

1209
01:04:27,880 --> 01:04:31,080
Speaker 1: Emmy Award winning journalists and executive producer who was a

1210
01:04:31,120 --> 01:04:34,720
Speaker 1: proud graduate of Spellman College and HBCU in Atlanta, Georgia.

1211
01:04:35,040 --> 01:04:38,000
Speaker 1: We discussed how Spellman College shaped her life. You know,

1212
01:04:38,080 --> 01:04:44,080
Speaker 1: Spellman gave me an appreciation, a real appreciation for sisterhood

1213
01:04:44,280 --> 01:04:48,760
Speaker 1: and also when you empower a girl, she can change

1214
01:04:48,840 --> 01:04:52,160
Speaker 1: the world. I would not trade my education at Spellman

1215
01:04:52,480 --> 01:04:56,520
Speaker 1: for anything in the world. It just taught us that,

1216
01:04:56,560 --> 01:04:58,520
Speaker 1: you know, first of all, taught us the value of

1217
01:04:58,640 --> 01:05:03,240
Speaker 1: education and us real connection about our ancestry and where

1218
01:05:03,280 --> 01:05:05,520
Speaker 1: we came from, and the fact that it was up

1219
01:05:05,560 --> 01:05:08,520
Speaker 1: to us to help change the world for the better

1220
01:05:08,920 --> 01:05:12,000
Speaker 1: for all these little black girls coming after us. If

1221
01:05:12,040 --> 01:05:14,440
Speaker 1: you want to hear this full interview with Sean Robinson,

1222
01:05:14,560 --> 01:05:20,120
Speaker 1: visit money Making Conversations dot com. Keep winning. Welcome back

1223
01:05:20,200 --> 01:05:24,400
Speaker 1: to Money Making Conversations with your host, Rashan McDonald. My

1224
01:05:24,520 --> 01:05:27,960
Speaker 1: next guest is Terry Dennison. She's the Georgia District Director

1225
01:05:27,960 --> 01:05:30,600
Speaker 1: of the U s Small Business Administration you know as

1226
01:05:30,720 --> 01:05:33,400
Speaker 1: the s b A, and this role has made two

1227
01:05:33,480 --> 01:05:37,400
Speaker 1: thousand two. She's responsible overseeing the implementation of the SBA's

1228
01:05:37,440 --> 01:05:42,240
Speaker 1: financial counseling, training, and business development program for small business

1229
01:05:42,280 --> 01:05:45,600
Speaker 1: throughout Georgia. The SBA is the only cabinet level federal

1230
01:05:45,640 --> 01:05:50,440
Speaker 1: agency fully dedicated to small business and provides counseling, capital,

1231
01:05:50,720 --> 01:05:54,640
Speaker 1: and contracting expertise as the nation's only go to resource

1232
01:05:55,080 --> 01:05:58,040
Speaker 1: and voice for small business. If you're a small business

1233
01:05:58,080 --> 01:06:00,480
Speaker 1: own listen up. This is a show you want you

1234
01:06:00,520 --> 01:06:03,600
Speaker 1: don't want to miss. She's my friend. Every time I

1235
01:06:03,640 --> 01:06:05,840
Speaker 1: get a chance to bring on the show, she drops

1236
01:06:05,880 --> 01:06:08,880
Speaker 1: pearls of wisdoms to all entrepreneurs people who want to

1237
01:06:08,880 --> 01:06:12,320
Speaker 1: go into the entrepreneurial space. Even in the chaos of

1238
01:06:12,360 --> 01:06:15,920
Speaker 1: this situation, small business owners still so opportunities, and she

1239
01:06:16,080 --> 01:06:19,560
Speaker 1: was there to help them seize that opportunity. Georgia District

1240
01:06:19,600 --> 01:06:22,960
Speaker 1: put process over one billion dollars for traditional sp A

1241
01:06:23,040 --> 01:06:26,760
Speaker 1: loans over the past year, despite the challenges of COVID nineteen.

1242
01:06:27,240 --> 01:06:30,320
Speaker 1: Please work with the money making conversation to Georgia District

1243
01:06:30,360 --> 01:06:33,920
Speaker 1: Director of the s p A, Terry Dennison, How are

1244
01:06:33,920 --> 01:06:37,640
Speaker 1: you doing, Terry? I'm doing fine. Great to see you again.

1245
01:06:38,320 --> 01:06:41,000
Speaker 1: Wait too long? Thank you? You know well, I call

1246
01:06:41,080 --> 01:06:43,360
Speaker 1: you my friend. I call you my friend because you

1247
01:06:43,520 --> 01:06:47,040
Speaker 1: come on my show and you enlighten people about an

1248
01:06:47,120 --> 01:06:50,640
Speaker 1: organization that quite frankly, a lot of people know nothing about.

1249
01:06:53,040 --> 01:06:56,800
Speaker 1: And it's true. How do we how do we change that? Because,

1250
01:06:57,000 --> 01:06:59,480
Speaker 1: like I said, I learned about it when I opened

1251
01:06:59,480 --> 01:07:01,520
Speaker 1: my comedy club way back in the day when I

1252
01:07:01,520 --> 01:07:05,000
Speaker 1: was living in Houston, Texas. I went in there. Resources

1253
01:07:05,000 --> 01:07:08,880
Speaker 1: were free, Counseling was free. You guys, who are the

1254
01:07:09,000 --> 01:07:11,200
Speaker 1: organization of Texas which is just the same like the

1255
01:07:11,280 --> 01:07:14,200
Speaker 1: SBA here, we're there to want to want me to

1256
01:07:14,240 --> 01:07:17,439
Speaker 1: be successful. If I was opening a nightclub, they will

1257
01:07:17,520 --> 01:07:20,440
Speaker 1: tell me you here's a book you can this is

1258
01:07:20,440 --> 01:07:22,920
Speaker 1: how you can work out your budget, they had counseling

1259
01:07:22,960 --> 01:07:26,320
Speaker 1: and organizations and things like that. So you've been at

1260
01:07:26,360 --> 01:07:29,800
Speaker 1: this hym asince two thousand two in the State of

1261
01:07:29,800 --> 01:07:33,920
Speaker 1: Georgia talk about the growth and then technology accelerating some

1262
01:07:34,000 --> 01:07:37,480
Speaker 1: of the opportunities are working as an entrepreneur with the

1263
01:07:37,600 --> 01:07:42,080
Speaker 1: s b A well. Definitely, this past year has really

1264
01:07:42,240 --> 01:07:46,800
Speaker 1: tested the idea of connecting with people virtually. It's not

1265
01:07:46,840 --> 01:07:52,200
Speaker 1: necessarily in all cases the best option, but it was

1266
01:07:52,240 --> 01:07:54,960
Speaker 1: an option that we could use, and I think it

1267
01:07:55,080 --> 01:07:57,480
Speaker 1: forced us to cut up our game in terms of

1268
01:07:57,480 --> 01:08:00,680
Speaker 1: our technology and the application of that technolog energy to

1269
01:08:00,840 --> 01:08:05,280
Speaker 1: reach across the state because our office is responsible for

1270
01:08:05,320 --> 01:08:07,880
Speaker 1: the entire state of Georgia and so this is definitely

1271
01:08:07,920 --> 01:08:11,960
Speaker 1: a tool that we can use for that. We also

1272
01:08:12,000 --> 01:08:14,720
Speaker 1: have a new program that is coming up. It's a

1273
01:08:14,760 --> 01:08:19,760
Speaker 1: pilot program under the American Rescue Plan called Community Navigators,

1274
01:08:20,920 --> 01:08:27,320
Speaker 1: and that's where we would UH grant to key UH

1275
01:08:27,479 --> 01:08:34,160
Speaker 1: community organizations and stakeholders who have networks within the communities

1276
01:08:34,680 --> 01:08:39,160
Speaker 1: across the state UH to basically be that liaison between

1277
01:08:39,400 --> 01:08:43,000
Speaker 1: US and the small business community UM. Sometimes it's hard

1278
01:08:43,040 --> 01:08:45,920
Speaker 1: for us as a federal government agency, being the government

1279
01:08:46,360 --> 01:08:50,680
Speaker 1: to UM connect or people feel they can connect to us,

1280
01:08:51,040 --> 01:08:53,920
Speaker 1: and this is a way for us to utilize those

1281
01:08:53,960 --> 01:08:59,439
Speaker 1: stakeholders that already have a reputation in various communities um

1282
01:08:59,479 --> 01:09:02,320
Speaker 1: to be more knowledgeable about us and to help connect

1283
01:09:02,600 --> 01:09:08,440
Speaker 1: us to those small business owners existing and uh perspective

1284
01:09:08,800 --> 01:09:11,679
Speaker 1: in those communities. Well, you know, you're just really interesting

1285
01:09:11,680 --> 01:09:13,920
Speaker 1: you're saying that because let's just use the terminology when

1286
01:09:13,960 --> 01:09:16,200
Speaker 1: you when they always talk about the police, they always say,

1287
01:09:16,200 --> 01:09:18,640
Speaker 1: if the police would be in the neighborhood, then it

1288
01:09:18,720 --> 01:09:21,759
Speaker 1: would be better served for that neighborhood. So it sounds

1289
01:09:21,800 --> 01:09:25,160
Speaker 1: like you're taking your the brand, which is a national brand,

1290
01:09:25,240 --> 01:09:28,360
Speaker 1: there's also localized in each state, and now you're taking

1291
01:09:28,360 --> 01:09:30,400
Speaker 1: it more into the community. Let's let's stay on that

1292
01:09:30,520 --> 01:09:33,040
Speaker 1: a minute, because I think that's really uh important. We

1293
01:09:33,040 --> 01:09:35,320
Speaker 1: talked about the Community Navigator, which is a program and

1294
01:09:35,439 --> 01:09:39,560
Speaker 1: established to provide grants to organizations and local communities that

1295
01:09:39,680 --> 01:09:43,920
Speaker 1: help small businesses connect to local sp A resources, and

1296
01:09:43,960 --> 01:09:47,000
Speaker 1: that's what we're talking about the very top about. I

1297
01:09:47,040 --> 01:09:48,800
Speaker 1: know about the s b A, but a lot of

1298
01:09:48,800 --> 01:09:50,559
Speaker 1: people who need to know about the s b A

1299
01:09:50,800 --> 01:09:53,760
Speaker 1: know nothing about it. And that's what the Community Navigator

1300
01:09:53,800 --> 01:09:57,120
Speaker 1: will be able to help in this role. Correct, That

1301
01:09:57,280 --> 01:10:00,000
Speaker 1: is correct now when they serve as a link between

1302
01:10:00,000 --> 01:10:04,800
Speaker 1: in these small businesses existing and the startups. Now, let's

1303
01:10:04,840 --> 01:10:06,640
Speaker 1: let's talk about if you can walk me through and

1304
01:10:06,680 --> 01:10:10,240
Speaker 1: slowers down because we always hear about the opportunities terror

1305
01:10:10,280 --> 01:10:13,480
Speaker 1: you always hear about well you know this is available

1306
01:10:13,520 --> 01:10:16,599
Speaker 1: to you, but still how do you access it? So

1307
01:10:16,880 --> 01:10:20,160
Speaker 1: we have this great community navigated program, how do I

1308
01:10:20,240 --> 01:10:23,880
Speaker 1: access that program? Uh? And also I'll be interested in

1309
01:10:23,920 --> 01:10:25,519
Speaker 1: knowing how I can be a part of that program.

1310
01:10:25,600 --> 01:10:28,360
Speaker 1: It feels like something that my organization of me and

1311
01:10:28,439 --> 01:10:32,040
Speaker 1: general should be naturally associated with because I'm always trying

1312
01:10:32,080 --> 01:10:35,680
Speaker 1: to be that connected dot with local local businesses and

1313
01:10:35,760 --> 01:10:38,519
Speaker 1: that's local businesses, local entrepreneurs and a lot of times

1314
01:10:38,560 --> 01:10:41,080
Speaker 1: people need to understand it's not always a brick and mortar.

1315
01:10:41,600 --> 01:10:45,880
Speaker 1: You know, entrepreneur has a wide range of opportunities where

1316
01:10:45,920 --> 01:10:48,559
Speaker 1: and so don't be confused that you gotta you gotta

1317
01:10:48,600 --> 01:10:50,920
Speaker 1: be selling the you gotta be a restaurant, you gotta

1318
01:10:50,920 --> 01:10:53,759
Speaker 1: be a mechanics store, or you gotta be a place

1319
01:10:53,840 --> 01:10:57,040
Speaker 1: of a full flshed business. You are a business and

1320
01:10:57,080 --> 01:11:00,680
Speaker 1: you have to reach certain requirements. Now, this community navigator,

1321
01:11:00,880 --> 01:11:04,160
Speaker 1: how long has it been in place theory well as

1322
01:11:04,200 --> 01:11:09,000
Speaker 1: actually just was passed back UH in this that would

1323
01:11:09,000 --> 01:11:12,840
Speaker 1: be in March when the American Rescue Plan was UH enacted,

1324
01:11:13,200 --> 01:11:17,679
Speaker 1: And we're really just getting the program off the ground. Currently,

1325
01:11:17,680 --> 01:11:24,080
Speaker 1: the agency is accepting proposals from various organizations what we

1326
01:11:24,160 --> 01:11:27,439
Speaker 1: call hubs, which would be like the lead organization, and

1327
01:11:27,520 --> 01:11:32,720
Speaker 1: they will be presenting proposals on how they utilize SPOKES

1328
01:11:33,680 --> 01:11:39,000
Speaker 1: or other smaller organizations within a certain area. It could

1329
01:11:39,000 --> 01:11:42,200
Speaker 1: be nationally, it could be statewide or within a certain

1330
01:11:42,200 --> 01:11:46,759
Speaker 1: geographic area says city or county. UM. So that actually

1331
01:11:47,240 --> 01:11:52,080
Speaker 1: that application process goes through July was actually extended to

1332
01:11:52,200 --> 01:11:56,720
Speaker 1: allow the maximum number of applications to be submitted as possible.

1333
01:11:57,320 --> 01:12:01,759
Speaker 1: So we're at the very beginning of ample manating this program, okay.

1334
01:12:01,760 --> 01:12:04,280
Speaker 1: And the purpose of the programs we stated earlier is

1335
01:12:04,360 --> 01:12:08,200
Speaker 1: kind of creating more a more granular or more localized

1336
01:12:08,840 --> 01:12:11,360
Speaker 1: level of communication. It can be somebody in your church,

1337
01:12:11,680 --> 01:12:14,000
Speaker 1: it can be people that you walk down the street,

1338
01:12:14,040 --> 01:12:16,960
Speaker 1: you hang out with. Basically, then you know that the

1339
01:12:17,040 --> 01:12:19,360
Speaker 1: difficulty of being able to relate to the sp A

1340
01:12:19,479 --> 01:12:22,200
Speaker 1: isn't as difficult as you think. If you know somebody

1341
01:12:22,200 --> 01:12:24,800
Speaker 1: and you feel comfortable with extending the conversation because a

1342
01:12:24,800 --> 01:12:26,960
Speaker 1: lot of people feel they just it's just this program

1343
01:12:27,080 --> 01:12:29,840
Speaker 1: may beyond their needs and their means because the s

1344
01:12:29,800 --> 01:12:32,519
Speaker 1: c b A offers loans and we're gonna break that down.

1345
01:12:32,560 --> 01:12:35,080
Speaker 1: But I want to talk about this program is a

1346
01:12:35,120 --> 01:12:38,240
Speaker 1: little bit more so through July twenty three. You say,

1347
01:12:38,439 --> 01:12:42,120
Speaker 1: individuals can go online at the website. Where can they go?

1348
01:12:43,640 --> 01:12:46,160
Speaker 1: They would go to grants dot gov, which is the

1349
01:12:46,200 --> 01:12:52,320
Speaker 1: official federal government portal for submitting grant applications. So you

1350
01:12:52,320 --> 01:12:56,400
Speaker 1: didn't look up community navigators and grant that. It will

1351
01:12:56,439 --> 01:12:59,639
Speaker 1: take you to the page, give you all the updates

1352
01:13:00,080 --> 01:13:04,360
Speaker 1: art the request for proposal document and what's being asked

1353
01:13:04,600 --> 01:13:09,040
Speaker 1: and of course what documents need to be submitted. Okay, cool, well, good,

1354
01:13:09,160 --> 01:13:11,679
Speaker 1: good for your boy. Gonna get on that. Not Terry,

1355
01:13:12,240 --> 01:13:14,880
Speaker 1: I'm excited about this opportunity, and so let's talk about

1356
01:13:14,920 --> 01:13:18,320
Speaker 1: the National Small Business Week. You know, usually sometimes I'm

1357
01:13:18,320 --> 01:13:20,639
Speaker 1: just getting ahead of the curve now, because I've learned

1358
01:13:20,680 --> 01:13:23,160
Speaker 1: that if you don't get ahead of the curved terry

1359
01:13:23,320 --> 01:13:26,760
Speaker 1: with information, people always say I didn't know, I didn't know,

1360
01:13:26,840 --> 01:13:30,200
Speaker 1: Nobody told me. So we know that National Small Business

1361
01:13:30,240 --> 01:13:32,960
Speaker 1: we will be celebrating mid September, you know, and no

1362
01:13:33,120 --> 01:13:35,200
Speaker 1: wards be given this year, but it would be recognized

1363
01:13:35,240 --> 01:13:38,680
Speaker 1: the when I like to call we have been, Uh,

1364
01:13:38,720 --> 01:13:40,960
Speaker 1: I've been. I've been. I've been interviewing people from Texas,

1365
01:13:41,080 --> 01:13:43,040
Speaker 1: from California, from New York, and I say that I'm

1366
01:13:43,040 --> 01:13:45,840
Speaker 1: talking about small business owners and it has been a

1367
01:13:46,080 --> 01:13:50,120
Speaker 1: challenge to understand how you can keep your bills on

1368
01:13:50,160 --> 01:13:53,800
Speaker 1: the table, your people are employees employed. What has been

1369
01:13:53,840 --> 01:13:58,080
Speaker 1: the most trying, um controversy I shouldn't say they word,

1370
01:13:58,160 --> 01:14:02,320
Speaker 1: but trying opportunity of trying to keep these businesses afloat

1371
01:14:02,560 --> 01:14:07,679
Speaker 1: other than the p PP program a loan programs. Terry Well,

1372
01:14:07,760 --> 01:14:10,800
Speaker 1: I think even before we get to the money aspect,

1373
01:14:11,320 --> 01:14:15,400
Speaker 1: one of the biggest challenges is that was you know,

1374
01:14:15,520 --> 01:14:19,120
Speaker 1: people's business models, and if you had a business model

1375
01:14:19,160 --> 01:14:23,479
Speaker 1: that was dependent upon people coming into a location or

1376
01:14:23,560 --> 01:14:27,320
Speaker 1: you interacted with them face to face. UM, now you've

1377
01:14:27,320 --> 01:14:31,760
Speaker 1: got to change that dynamic because of the restrictions, you know,

1378
01:14:31,800 --> 01:14:34,960
Speaker 1: the social distancing and business is actually being closed for

1379
01:14:35,000 --> 01:14:37,880
Speaker 1: a time and then once they reopened, they had to

1380
01:14:37,920 --> 01:14:42,920
Speaker 1: meet certain guidelines, uh for safety and health purposes. So

1381
01:14:43,000 --> 01:14:44,920
Speaker 1: a lot of businesses were just trying to figure out

1382
01:14:44,960 --> 01:14:47,919
Speaker 1: how do I now deliver my good or my service

1383
01:14:48,560 --> 01:14:51,800
Speaker 1: in a way that I had not envisioned originally or

1384
01:14:51,880 --> 01:14:56,599
Speaker 1: normally we would not h people had to rethink things like, uh,

1385
01:14:56,640 --> 01:15:01,120
Speaker 1: there's supply the supply chain, because even if I'm operating

1386
01:15:01,560 --> 01:15:05,880
Speaker 1: to some degree, now the suppliers that help provide the

1387
01:15:05,920 --> 01:15:09,600
Speaker 1: good or service that I'm delivering, those have been disrupted

1388
01:15:09,640 --> 01:15:12,320
Speaker 1: as well. And now we've got to try to figure

1389
01:15:12,360 --> 01:15:15,599
Speaker 1: out how do we get what we need to keep

1390
01:15:15,600 --> 01:15:19,439
Speaker 1: the business going. So I really my hand my hats

1391
01:15:19,479 --> 01:15:22,920
Speaker 1: off to our resource partners such as SCORE in the

1392
01:15:23,000 --> 01:15:26,479
Speaker 1: Small Business Development Centers and the Women Business Centers, who

1393
01:15:26,520 --> 01:15:31,160
Speaker 1: have really helped the Georgia District Office in working with businesses,

1394
01:15:31,280 --> 01:15:36,760
Speaker 1: not only in terms of accessing the various resources UH

1395
01:15:37,040 --> 01:15:40,240
Speaker 1: with p PP and the Economic Injury disaster loans, etcetera,

1396
01:15:40,360 --> 01:15:44,560
Speaker 1: but helping people figure out how to manage and structure

1397
01:15:44,640 --> 01:15:48,240
Speaker 1: their organizations and their operations to meet the challenges of

1398
01:15:48,280 --> 01:15:51,200
Speaker 1: the situation. Well, you know, and you never know where

1399
01:15:51,240 --> 01:15:54,280
Speaker 1: the challenge comes from or whether whether because I'm gonna

1400
01:15:54,320 --> 01:15:56,320
Speaker 1: tell you when the Panama Command when that that ship

1401
01:15:56,360 --> 01:16:01,280
Speaker 1: got trapped and just I, um, it affected me personally

1402
01:16:01,320 --> 01:16:04,479
Speaker 1: because I I take cows and pills and I went

1403
01:16:04,479 --> 01:16:07,639
Speaker 1: into Walry when the CVS and I was like, finally,

1404
01:16:07,640 --> 01:16:10,200
Speaker 1: I said, excuse me, what's going on? Easier man? He said,

1405
01:16:10,520 --> 01:16:15,360
Speaker 1: that ship there's blocking the Panama Canal is shutting down

1406
01:16:15,640 --> 01:16:20,559
Speaker 1: all available transport between that canal. And so that's what

1407
01:16:20,720 --> 01:16:22,519
Speaker 1: we just need to know. This may be in the

1408
01:16:22,640 --> 01:16:25,479
Speaker 1: COVID name team, but there are other scenarios out there

1409
01:16:25,880 --> 01:16:29,360
Speaker 1: that can stop you from becoming a resourceful company if

1410
01:16:29,360 --> 01:16:32,680
Speaker 1: you don't plan ahead or you don't have alternative sources

1411
01:16:33,040 --> 01:16:37,519
Speaker 1: to move your product forward. That's what you were talking about, right, Terry. Correct.

1412
01:16:38,120 --> 01:16:40,040
Speaker 1: And one of the things, you know, we talk about

1413
01:16:40,080 --> 01:16:42,280
Speaker 1: business plans. Of course, a lot of people don't bother

1414
01:16:42,439 --> 01:16:46,760
Speaker 1: with business plans, which, of course that's another discussion why

1415
01:16:46,840 --> 01:16:49,320
Speaker 1: you should do one. But even when they do the

1416
01:16:49,400 --> 01:16:53,200
Speaker 1: business plan, they kind of focus on the maybe the

1417
01:16:53,200 --> 01:16:57,280
Speaker 1: most likely scenario or the best case scenario, But we

1418
01:16:57,439 --> 01:17:00,479
Speaker 1: never look at the other end of the spectrum. What

1419
01:17:00,520 --> 01:17:04,600
Speaker 1: if things don't go according to plan? You know, what

1420
01:17:04,680 --> 01:17:09,640
Speaker 1: if my UH supply chain and delivery systems are compromised

1421
01:17:09,680 --> 01:17:14,559
Speaker 1: because of a given situation or emergency. Um, what if

1422
01:17:14,560 --> 01:17:19,960
Speaker 1: my revenues go down, Uh, what does that look like

1423
01:17:20,439 --> 01:17:22,920
Speaker 1: in terms of my bottom line or my expenses go up?

1424
01:17:23,520 --> 01:17:25,559
Speaker 1: You know with COVID nineteen people now I had to

1425
01:17:25,600 --> 01:17:30,919
Speaker 1: think about additional cleaning, you know, methods, more frequent cleaning,

1426
01:17:31,200 --> 01:17:34,840
Speaker 1: Certain types of equipment they had to think about ppe

1427
01:17:35,040 --> 01:17:39,680
Speaker 1: of course, personal protection equipment. That was extra expenses they

1428
01:17:39,680 --> 01:17:43,960
Speaker 1: had not envisioned, uh, prior to the pandemic. So when

1429
01:17:44,000 --> 01:17:46,160
Speaker 1: you're doing business plan and you really got to look

1430
01:17:46,200 --> 01:17:50,080
Speaker 1: at the full range of possibilities and have at least

1431
01:17:50,080 --> 01:17:52,599
Speaker 1: an outline of a game plan on how you can

1432
01:17:52,680 --> 01:17:57,000
Speaker 1: counter or mitigate some of those situations when they occur. Well,

1433
01:17:57,080 --> 01:18:00,639
Speaker 1: let's talk about the budget. It seems to be nobody

1434
01:18:00,720 --> 01:18:02,960
Speaker 1: wants to do a budget, but everybody wants to run

1435
01:18:02,960 --> 01:18:07,120
Speaker 1: a business. How can we convince people? Terry, come on,

1436
01:18:07,240 --> 01:18:12,120
Speaker 1: help me, I tell you this. A budget. You got

1437
01:18:12,160 --> 01:18:15,479
Speaker 1: to know what your expenses are, not just how much

1438
01:18:15,600 --> 01:18:18,920
Speaker 1: you're trying to generate. That there has to be a

1439
01:18:18,960 --> 01:18:21,559
Speaker 1: plan special If we're not talking about a one off party,

1440
01:18:21,760 --> 01:18:24,400
Speaker 1: one off party, you probably get away with that. If

1441
01:18:24,439 --> 01:18:27,280
Speaker 1: you're trying to do sign elites with somebody, if you're

1442
01:18:27,280 --> 01:18:31,200
Speaker 1: trying to lockdown employees, if you're trying to generate revenue

1443
01:18:31,200 --> 01:18:34,639
Speaker 1: on a consistent daily, weekly, and monthly and annual basis,

1444
01:18:35,120 --> 01:18:37,880
Speaker 1: there has to be a budget tied to that and

1445
01:18:37,960 --> 01:18:40,920
Speaker 1: that's where the SCORE organization, which is part of s

1446
01:18:40,960 --> 01:18:45,200
Speaker 1: p A, can assist young, old or people who are

1447
01:18:45,200 --> 01:18:51,920
Speaker 1: trying to follow their dreams with the budget planning part. Correct, Terry, Yes,

1448
01:18:52,000 --> 01:18:54,760
Speaker 1: we have SCORE that can help with that. The Small

1449
01:18:54,800 --> 01:18:57,479
Speaker 1: Business Development Centers we partner here with the University of

1450
01:18:57,479 --> 01:19:01,799
Speaker 1: Georgia have numerous locations around the state, as does SCORE.

1451
01:19:02,280 --> 01:19:05,240
Speaker 1: We have a Women's Business Center that can provide assistance

1452
01:19:05,520 --> 01:19:11,120
Speaker 1: UH for women entrepreneurs particularly, but they insisted the mail

1453
01:19:11,200 --> 01:19:14,439
Speaker 1: owned businesses as well. But there's a lot of different

1454
01:19:14,960 --> 01:19:18,120
Speaker 1: resources and expertise that can sit down with you and

1455
01:19:19,080 --> 01:19:21,759
Speaker 1: kind of help you work through those types of questions

1456
01:19:21,760 --> 01:19:25,840
Speaker 1: and issues. And the counseling is free. Say that one

1457
01:19:26,080 --> 01:19:28,599
Speaker 1: the counselors right now, the counsel you do not have

1458
01:19:28,640 --> 01:19:30,640
Speaker 1: to pay for the counselor, but in a way you

1459
01:19:30,760 --> 01:19:35,160
Speaker 1: have because as a taxpayer, your tax dollars go to

1460
01:19:35,200 --> 01:19:38,920
Speaker 1: help under right, SCORE and the small Development Centers, Women's

1461
01:19:38,920 --> 01:19:43,160
Speaker 1: business Centers, etcetera. So you're just recouping on the investment

1462
01:19:43,200 --> 01:19:47,479
Speaker 1: you've made as a taxpayer. Really, and and here's is

1463
01:19:47,560 --> 01:19:50,280
Speaker 1: never packed. It's people are in there, but it's never

1464
01:19:50,320 --> 01:19:52,559
Speaker 1: like a line out the door. So you will not

1465
01:19:52,680 --> 01:19:55,680
Speaker 1: be discouraged by going in there, and then they're receptive

1466
01:19:55,720 --> 01:19:58,479
Speaker 1: to you. I'm just talking about my experience, right, you know.

1467
01:19:58,479 --> 01:20:01,040
Speaker 1: I I have a relationship and in Texas, have a

1468
01:20:01,040 --> 01:20:03,639
Speaker 1: relationship in Georgia with the s b A. And I'm

1469
01:20:03,720 --> 01:20:06,760
Speaker 1: fans of trying to tell people how important it is.

1470
01:20:07,040 --> 01:20:09,960
Speaker 1: It was a young man, uh and his brother, Uh,

1471
01:20:10,120 --> 01:20:13,280
Speaker 1: we're looking at opening up a local restaurant. Look kind

1472
01:20:13,280 --> 01:20:15,200
Speaker 1: of like a subway type set up, you know, but

1473
01:20:15,280 --> 01:20:17,760
Speaker 1: it was original food. And I asked him it was

1474
01:20:17,880 --> 01:20:21,519
Speaker 1: like three weeks ago, Terry, I said, uh, he kept

1475
01:20:21,520 --> 01:20:23,559
Speaker 1: asking me questions. I said, you gotta put together. But

1476
01:20:23,920 --> 01:20:25,519
Speaker 1: I got there, sir, he said. I said, well, you

1477
01:20:25,520 --> 01:20:28,479
Speaker 1: need to get a design layout, because you really can't

1478
01:20:29,000 --> 01:20:31,080
Speaker 1: get a layout of before they're working. I said, have

1479
01:20:31,200 --> 01:20:33,800
Speaker 1: you been to the SPA? He went, what you're talking about?

1480
01:20:34,240 --> 01:20:36,360
Speaker 1: I said, wow, okay, cool, here we go. Here we go.

1481
01:20:36,800 --> 01:20:40,439
Speaker 1: Now you gotta go there because it's free and you

1482
01:20:40,560 --> 01:20:43,320
Speaker 1: gotta start talking. And they have mentors. There's like mentors.

1483
01:20:43,400 --> 01:20:46,960
Speaker 1: I'm just telling everybody there's being like mentoring. They're mentoring

1484
01:20:47,479 --> 01:20:52,120
Speaker 1: young businesses to be successful. Because the goal is the

1485
01:20:52,120 --> 01:20:56,280
Speaker 1: current administration has a new goal to increase small disadvantaged

1486
01:20:56,320 --> 01:21:01,439
Speaker 1: business contracting goals from five to fifteen percent. Okay, this

1487
01:21:01,479 --> 01:21:05,479
Speaker 1: is an initiative to empower underserved communities. Now you might

1488
01:21:05,520 --> 01:21:07,639
Speaker 1: say I'm not underserved. Well, if you don't know any

1489
01:21:07,640 --> 01:21:10,280
Speaker 1: information about how to run your business, you are underserved

1490
01:21:10,680 --> 01:21:12,720
Speaker 1: and you need to gain information. And that's what this

1491
01:21:12,920 --> 01:21:15,960
Speaker 1: BA is about. Talk about what I just said about

1492
01:21:16,479 --> 01:21:21,080
Speaker 1: increasing the goal of disadvantages business contracting goals from five

1493
01:21:21,120 --> 01:21:24,240
Speaker 1: percent to fift because what I'm just trying to tell everybody, Terry,

1494
01:21:24,320 --> 01:21:26,920
Speaker 1: is that you are on a mission. You've always been

1495
01:21:26,920 --> 01:21:29,519
Speaker 1: on a mission, and your mission and your organization is

1496
01:21:29,560 --> 01:21:33,559
Speaker 1: to really tell minorities and invite them into this diverse

1497
01:21:33,640 --> 01:21:39,719
Speaker 1: pool of entrepreneurial opportunities. Correct, yes, that is correct and

1498
01:21:40,520 --> 01:21:43,960
Speaker 1: um with in terms of the small disadvantaged business though,

1499
01:21:44,600 --> 01:21:48,919
Speaker 1: you know, the federal government buys a lot of products

1500
01:21:48,920 --> 01:21:54,799
Speaker 1: and services and a year, uh, we spend government wide

1501
01:21:55,000 --> 01:21:58,920
Speaker 1: five hundred billion, six hundred billion dollars and goods and

1502
01:21:59,000 --> 01:22:03,639
Speaker 1: services throughout the federal various federal agencies. So there's a

1503
01:22:03,640 --> 01:22:07,200
Speaker 1: lot of opportunity things that you wouldn't necessarily think of

1504
01:22:07,200 --> 01:22:11,960
Speaker 1: the government purchasing, you know, at first thought, you realize

1505
01:22:12,000 --> 01:22:14,960
Speaker 1: they do. So it's always been a goal. How do

1506
01:22:15,000 --> 01:22:18,160
Speaker 1: we make sure that all segments of the small business community,

1507
01:22:18,600 --> 01:22:20,880
Speaker 1: as well as the small business community as a whole,

1508
01:22:21,439 --> 01:22:27,120
Speaker 1: right from uh participating in the federal procurement system. Uh.

1509
01:22:27,160 --> 01:22:29,679
Speaker 1: And we do have programs and tools to help people

1510
01:22:30,000 --> 01:22:33,160
Speaker 1: who are looking to enter the federal contracting market or

1511
01:22:33,200 --> 01:22:38,559
Speaker 1: to expand their presence and activity in that market. Uh.

1512
01:22:38,640 --> 01:22:40,599
Speaker 1: You know, it's really it's really amazing. When I talked

1513
01:22:40,640 --> 01:22:42,760
Speaker 1: to you, Terry, you know some ways that you know,

1514
01:22:43,400 --> 01:22:46,000
Speaker 1: you know, you know me, I can get frustrated because

1515
01:22:46,040 --> 01:22:48,160
Speaker 1: I just want to give information. I want people to win.

1516
01:22:48,720 --> 01:22:50,559
Speaker 1: And I'm talking to If you don't know who I'm

1517
01:22:50,600 --> 01:22:53,760
Speaker 1: talking to, Terry Dennison. She's a Georgia District director of

1518
01:22:53,840 --> 01:22:57,680
Speaker 1: the US Small Business Administration you know it as you

1519
01:22:57,720 --> 01:22:59,840
Speaker 1: know it as the s b A. She's been in

1520
01:22:59,840 --> 01:23:02,800
Speaker 1: the roles has made two thousand two when I came in,

1521
01:23:02,840 --> 01:23:06,200
Speaker 1: and is marketing with money Making Conversation. She's one of

1522
01:23:06,200 --> 01:23:08,320
Speaker 1: the very first guests that I brought on the air

1523
01:23:08,760 --> 01:23:11,040
Speaker 1: and when and and it really and our reason. That's

1524
01:23:11,040 --> 01:23:13,960
Speaker 1: what money making conversations about. It is about letting you

1525
01:23:14,080 --> 01:23:17,599
Speaker 1: see and talking to I call industry decision makers. That's

1526
01:23:17,640 --> 01:23:20,120
Speaker 1: what she is. Yeah, she's not a celebrity, she's not.

1527
01:23:20,720 --> 01:23:23,200
Speaker 1: She's an industry decision maker. When of words, she can

1528
01:23:23,280 --> 01:23:26,120
Speaker 1: give you information that can change your life. And when

1529
01:23:26,120 --> 01:23:28,360
Speaker 1: I say change your life, we're talking about so many

1530
01:23:28,400 --> 01:23:31,280
Speaker 1: people who are trying to open up businesses and trying

1531
01:23:31,320 --> 01:23:34,560
Speaker 1: to run a business and have no knowledge of that opportunity.

1532
01:23:34,920 --> 01:23:38,120
Speaker 1: And so tell us the primary role of the s

1533
01:23:38,120 --> 01:23:39,559
Speaker 1: b A. And I'm gonna ask a couple of more

1534
01:23:39,600 --> 01:23:43,559
Speaker 1: questions before I let you get you out of here. Okay, Oh,

1535
01:23:43,600 --> 01:23:46,000
Speaker 1: what is our role? Okay? Well, of course we're a

1536
01:23:46,000 --> 01:23:48,679
Speaker 1: federal government agency. A lot of people don't realize that.

1537
01:23:48,800 --> 01:23:51,800
Speaker 1: They think we're a nonprofit corganization, But we are part

1538
01:23:51,840 --> 01:23:56,200
Speaker 1: of the federal government and we've been around since nineteen three,

1539
01:23:56,240 --> 01:23:59,240
Speaker 1: and our mission has always been to support the U.

1540
01:23:59,360 --> 01:24:02,840
Speaker 1: S economy through supporting small business in terms of small

1541
01:24:02,880 --> 01:24:09,280
Speaker 1: business creation and uh uh growth. We do that in

1542
01:24:09,320 --> 01:24:13,479
Speaker 1: a variety of ways. We have our loan programs, mainly

1543
01:24:13,520 --> 01:24:16,920
Speaker 1: our loan guaranteed programs, where we guarantee loans made by

1544
01:24:16,920 --> 01:24:21,000
Speaker 1: commercial lenders. We also have a micro loan program for

1545
01:24:21,080 --> 01:24:26,639
Speaker 1: those UH and UH businesses that maybe their home based

1546
01:24:26,760 --> 01:24:29,559
Speaker 1: or as a sole preneurs. They don't need a lot

1547
01:24:29,640 --> 01:24:33,200
Speaker 1: of capital, they don't need millions of dollars, but they

1548
01:24:33,240 --> 01:24:35,760
Speaker 1: need what they need when they need it, so they

1549
01:24:35,800 --> 01:24:39,920
Speaker 1: provide loans up to UH fifty dollars and those are

1550
01:24:39,960 --> 01:24:45,720
Speaker 1: done by nonprofit community development financial institutions, so they may

1551
01:24:45,800 --> 01:24:48,439
Speaker 1: have a they have a little more leeway in terms

1552
01:24:48,439 --> 01:24:51,760
Speaker 1: of how they look at credit compared to a commercial lender.

1553
01:24:51,880 --> 01:24:56,120
Speaker 1: For profit UH. We've talked about the counseling and education

1554
01:24:56,240 --> 01:24:59,240
Speaker 1: resources that we have for people who are got an

1555
01:24:59,320 --> 01:25:02,200
Speaker 1: idea and don't know what the next step should be.

1556
01:25:02,240 --> 01:25:04,680
Speaker 1: To someone who's been in business, they've gone through the

1557
01:25:04,680 --> 01:25:07,680
Speaker 1: start up stage. Now maybe they have new challenges, new

1558
01:25:07,720 --> 01:25:11,760
Speaker 1: opportunities because of their growth, and now they need to

1559
01:25:11,760 --> 01:25:15,320
Speaker 1: prepare and situate that business to be able to enter

1560
01:25:15,360 --> 01:25:19,519
Speaker 1: the new stage of that business life cycle. And then

1561
01:25:19,560 --> 01:25:24,040
Speaker 1: the government contracting peace which we alluded to earlier, to

1562
01:25:24,160 --> 01:25:26,760
Speaker 1: help small businesses that want to enter that market from

1563
01:25:26,760 --> 01:25:30,559
Speaker 1: five percent up to now before one area I wanted.

1564
01:25:30,600 --> 01:25:32,519
Speaker 1: There's a lot of things that were created during COVID

1565
01:25:32,560 --> 01:25:36,800
Speaker 1: nat pandemic. The SBA delivered various relief programs. I want

1566
01:25:36,800 --> 01:25:38,479
Speaker 1: to ask you if these programs not trying to put

1567
01:25:38,479 --> 01:25:41,160
Speaker 1: your bot. If you unaware of the UH, please let

1568
01:25:41,160 --> 01:25:43,120
Speaker 1: me know. But I wonder know if they're still in existed.

1569
01:25:43,200 --> 01:25:46,080
Speaker 1: If they are still in existence, what purpose do they serve.

1570
01:25:46,240 --> 01:25:49,360
Speaker 1: I'm gonna start off with their Paycheck Protection Program program

1571
01:25:49,439 --> 01:25:52,479
Speaker 1: that I used UH in the month of May UH

1572
01:25:52,600 --> 01:25:55,559
Speaker 1: to help pay my staff when the country was shut down.

1573
01:25:55,880 --> 01:25:58,599
Speaker 1: So talk about their payroll Protection program. Is that's still

1574
01:25:58,640 --> 01:26:02,439
Speaker 1: available and where how is it serving a purpose now

1575
01:26:02,479 --> 01:26:06,760
Speaker 1: that the country's opening back up. Well, actually, the Paycheck

1576
01:26:06,800 --> 01:26:11,639
Speaker 1: Protection Program or p p P sunset on. It's sunset

1577
01:26:11,680 --> 01:26:17,080
Speaker 1: it on May thirty one. Okay, so uh, SBA no

1578
01:26:17,160 --> 01:26:21,639
Speaker 1: longer took applications from participating lenders and we've actually cleaned

1579
01:26:21,640 --> 01:26:26,240
Speaker 1: out the backlog of applications and it's totally shut down

1580
01:26:26,280 --> 01:26:29,320
Speaker 1: as of June thirty Okay, cool, Great. What about the

1581
01:26:29,360 --> 01:26:34,400
Speaker 1: Restaurant Revitalization Fund program? Is that still available? Actually? That

1582
01:26:34,560 --> 01:26:38,160
Speaker 1: is not UH. It was a case of a lot

1583
01:26:38,200 --> 01:26:42,519
Speaker 1: of demand versus what was allocated for the program. Twenty

1584
01:26:42,760 --> 01:26:46,280
Speaker 1: point six minute excuse me, billion was allocated for the program.

1585
01:26:46,600 --> 01:26:52,280
Speaker 1: We received applications nationwide totally around seventy billion, so that

1586
01:26:52,400 --> 01:26:57,040
Speaker 1: money went pretty quickly. So currently the program is closed,

1587
01:26:57,600 --> 01:27:01,479
Speaker 1: and I know there's been some discussion of maybe Congress

1588
01:27:01,520 --> 01:27:03,760
Speaker 1: providing more funds and we'll just have to wait and

1589
01:27:03,800 --> 01:27:06,760
Speaker 1: see about that, but it is closed as of now.

1590
01:27:07,080 --> 01:27:10,880
Speaker 1: So basically letting everybody know that the country is coming

1591
01:27:10,920 --> 01:27:14,320
Speaker 1: back to normal. The supports system that you may have

1592
01:27:14,479 --> 01:27:17,080
Speaker 1: experienced or may have been a part of previously during

1593
01:27:17,080 --> 01:27:22,520
Speaker 1: the COVID of has changed, but you do have programs,

1594
01:27:22,560 --> 01:27:26,160
Speaker 1: new online programs and learning coaching platforms like the Ascent

1595
01:27:26,479 --> 01:27:28,960
Speaker 1: for Women business Owners. That is that new or that's

1596
01:27:29,000 --> 01:27:31,360
Speaker 1: something that that's been around it I'm just made aware

1597
01:27:31,360 --> 01:27:35,400
Speaker 1: of through this interview. No, it's relatively new. It launched

1598
01:27:35,800 --> 01:27:39,400
Speaker 1: back in January of this year. It had been several

1599
01:27:39,479 --> 01:27:42,640
Speaker 1: years in the making, but it was really created to

1600
01:27:42,720 --> 01:27:46,559
Speaker 1: help women owned businesses who have gone through the start

1601
01:27:46,600 --> 01:27:52,000
Speaker 1: up phase and now they're in a position or considering scaling.

1602
01:27:52,720 --> 01:27:55,280
Speaker 1: That's been one of the biggest challenges I think the

1603
01:27:55,360 --> 01:27:59,120
Speaker 1: women owned businesses and probably other underserved communities as well.

1604
01:27:59,680 --> 01:28:01,280
Speaker 1: You know, when we're may be able to get the

1605
01:28:01,280 --> 01:28:06,080
Speaker 1: business started, but it remains basically a self employment. Awesome.

1606
01:28:06,200 --> 01:28:08,760
Speaker 1: I want to wrap so this is about how you

1607
01:28:08,800 --> 01:28:11,559
Speaker 1: get to that next stage, especially if you have the

1608
01:28:11,600 --> 01:28:15,640
Speaker 1: market and the product of service that iscalable. And I

1609
01:28:15,640 --> 01:28:17,799
Speaker 1: want to just close out by bringing up the Community

1610
01:28:17,920 --> 01:28:21,120
Speaker 1: Navigator's program again, which I'm very excited about. You said,

1611
01:28:21,200 --> 01:28:24,679
Speaker 1: just go to if it's available on grant dot gov. Right,

1612
01:28:24,720 --> 01:28:27,160
Speaker 1: if you go there and this isn't this is an

1613
01:28:27,280 --> 01:28:30,320
Speaker 1: RFP type or response to this if you want to

1614
01:28:30,320 --> 01:28:32,519
Speaker 1: be a part of being considered for this in the

1615
01:28:32,560 --> 01:28:37,840
Speaker 1: state of Georgia only correct. Well, actually it's nationwide. Okay, okay, cool,

1616
01:28:37,880 --> 01:28:41,679
Speaker 1: it's nationwide, so they're looking to give rewards out across

1617
01:28:41,760 --> 01:28:44,920
Speaker 1: the country. Uh. What I would say is, once again,

1618
01:28:44,960 --> 01:28:50,519
Speaker 1: it's for organizations, so nonprofit entities, government entities that uh

1619
01:28:51,960 --> 01:28:56,120
Speaker 1: or you know, provide technical assistance to small businesses. So

1620
01:28:56,160 --> 01:28:59,600
Speaker 1: it's not to finance small businesses themselves. Okay, cool. And

1621
01:28:59,640 --> 01:29:01,920
Speaker 1: I want to clear so the Community Navigator has to

1622
01:29:01,920 --> 01:29:05,479
Speaker 1: be a nonprofit that is correct, Okay, cool? Great. I

1623
01:29:05,520 --> 01:29:08,000
Speaker 1: want to make sure that everybody understood that. Again. Terry

1624
01:29:08,000 --> 01:29:10,000
Speaker 1: Denison thank you for coming on my show. You've been

1625
01:29:10,000 --> 01:29:12,639
Speaker 1: fantastic as usual. Like I said, when I go live

1626
01:29:12,720 --> 01:29:14,760
Speaker 1: with on w c OK in the fall, I want

1627
01:29:14,760 --> 01:29:17,040
Speaker 1: to bring you back and we celebrate and take some

1628
01:29:17,120 --> 01:29:20,240
Speaker 1: phone calls to the properly screen of course, to talk

1629
01:29:20,280 --> 01:29:23,280
Speaker 1: about how we can move forward and continue to grow

1630
01:29:23,600 --> 01:29:27,960
Speaker 1: entrepreneur especially in disadvantaged ofhoods, especially in minority community, because

1631
01:29:28,320 --> 01:29:31,040
Speaker 1: my goal, my passion is to let everybody know that

1632
01:29:31,240 --> 01:29:34,080
Speaker 1: sp A is there for you. As she clearly stated,

1633
01:29:34,720 --> 01:29:37,280
Speaker 1: it's your money. Your money is being spent. That's why,

1634
01:29:37,280 --> 01:29:39,120
Speaker 1: that's why our scorer is there, That's why all these

1635
01:29:39,200 --> 01:29:43,320
Speaker 1: organizations are there. So why not use resources that you've

1636
01:29:43,360 --> 01:29:46,840
Speaker 1: already paid for. Thank you again, Terrynion Dennison for coming

1637
01:29:46,880 --> 01:29:49,920
Speaker 1: on Money Making Conversations. It's been a pleasure. I look

1638
01:29:49,920 --> 01:29:52,200
Speaker 1: forward to seeing you again. Okay, thank you very much.

1639
01:29:52,680 --> 01:29:55,760
Speaker 1: We will be right back with more Money Making Conversations

1640
01:29:55,760 --> 01:29:59,479
Speaker 1: with your hosts ros Sean McDonald. Adoption of teams from

1641
01:29:59,479 --> 01:30:01,600
Speaker 1: Foster k. There is a topic not enough people know

1642
01:30:01,680 --> 01:30:04,439
Speaker 1: about and we're here to change that. I'm April Dinuity,

1643
01:30:04,520 --> 01:30:08,080
Speaker 1: host of the new podcast Navigating Adoption, presented by adopt

1644
01:30:08,160 --> 01:30:11,880
Speaker 1: Us Kids. Each episode brings you compelling, real life adoption

1645
01:30:11,960 --> 01:30:14,440
Speaker 1: stories told by the families that lived them, with commentary

1646
01:30:14,479 --> 01:30:18,599
Speaker 1: from experts. Visit adopt us Kids dot org, slash podcast,

1647
01:30:18,680 --> 01:30:22,280
Speaker 1: or subscribe to Navigating Adoption, presented by adopt us Kids,

1648
01:30:22,280 --> 01:30:24,040
Speaker 1: brought to you by the U. S Department of Health,

1649
01:30:24,040 --> 01:30:26,880
Speaker 1: that Human Services Administration for Children and Families, and the

1650
01:30:26,920 --> 01:30:30,360
Speaker 1: ad Council. If I could be you and you could

1651
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Speaker 1: be me for just what hour? If you could find

1652
01:30:32,840 --> 01:30:36,840
Speaker 1: a way to get inside each other's mind. Walcome Mile

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Speaker 1: in my shoes, wacome Mile in my shoes. Shoes. We've

1654
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1655
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1656
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Speaker 1: it belonging begins with us dot org, brought to you

1657
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Speaker 1: by the ad Council. Welcome Mile and the shoes. Look

1658
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Speaker 1: for your children's guys to see the true magic of

1659
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Speaker 1: a forest. It's a storybook world for them. You look

1660
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Speaker 1: and see a tree. They see the wrinkled face of

1661
01:31:08,040 --> 01:31:11,599
Speaker 1: a wizard with arms outstretched to the sky. They see

1662
01:31:11,600 --> 01:31:14,840
Speaker 1: treasure and pebbles. They see a windy path that could

1663
01:31:14,920 --> 01:31:18,920
Speaker 1: lead to adventure, and they see you. They're fearless. Guide.

1664
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1665
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1666
01:31:25,479 --> 01:31:28,040
Speaker 1: you by the United States Forest Service and the Council.

1667
01:31:29,920 --> 01:31:33,400
Speaker 1: You are now tuned into the money making conversations. Minute

1668
01:31:33,400 --> 01:31:36,799
Speaker 1: of Inspiration with Rashan McDonald Molly Music is a Grammy

1669
01:31:36,800 --> 01:31:40,120
Speaker 1: Award winning musician, songwriting and producer. He is an artist

1670
01:31:40,160 --> 01:31:42,400
Speaker 1: first and foremost, but he will not be put in

1671
01:31:42,400 --> 01:31:45,320
Speaker 1: the box. He loves the freedom of creating amazing music

1672
01:31:45,640 --> 01:31:48,519
Speaker 1: no matter whether it's gospel, R and B, hip hop

1673
01:31:48,640 --> 01:31:50,960
Speaker 1: or rock. You open up the doors to be heard

1674
01:31:51,000 --> 01:31:54,280
Speaker 1: out by different races. Then it gets uncomfortable for just

1675
01:31:54,360 --> 01:31:58,160
Speaker 1: because you start bringing out different issues. I recently traveled

1676
01:31:58,160 --> 01:32:01,760
Speaker 1: to Nashville to do some song writing Chad Lee saying

1677
01:32:01,880 --> 01:32:05,280
Speaker 1: Christian rock band Unspoken, and it was a challenge for me,

1678
01:32:05,520 --> 01:32:09,000
Speaker 1: especially coming from soul background gospel background, but I had

1679
01:32:09,080 --> 01:32:12,360
Speaker 1: to remember I have songs that have rock feels for it,

1680
01:32:12,439 --> 01:32:15,479
Speaker 1: so man, the spreading and the falling of the genres,

1681
01:32:15,560 --> 01:32:17,960
Speaker 1: it's definitely good. I've been watching it happen to hip

1682
01:32:18,040 --> 01:32:20,720
Speaker 1: hop and other genres for a long time, and I'm

1683
01:32:20,720 --> 01:32:23,120
Speaker 1: glad that it's finally made it to the gospel. If

1684
01:32:23,120 --> 01:32:25,639
Speaker 1: you want to hear the full interview with Model Music,

1685
01:32:25,880 --> 01:32:29,479
Speaker 1: it's available on money Making Conversations dot com. Welcome back

1686
01:32:29,560 --> 01:32:33,760
Speaker 1: to Money Making Conversations with your host, Rashaan McDonald. My

1687
01:32:33,840 --> 01:32:37,800
Speaker 1: next guest is Philip Ashley Rex. Philip Actually Chocolates is

1688
01:32:37,840 --> 01:32:40,960
Speaker 1: one of the world's pre pre eminent they were right there,

1689
01:32:40,960 --> 01:32:45,400
Speaker 1: pre eminent ships and designers of luxury chocolate. He is

1690
01:32:45,400 --> 01:32:48,080
Speaker 1: an award when the chocolate Chocolate Tour. Is that that

1691
01:32:48,200 --> 01:32:53,679
Speaker 1: just that correct, Philip Chocolate Tour. Yeah. Founding in Memphis, Tennessee.

1692
01:32:53,720 --> 01:32:56,080
Speaker 1: That's right up, I mean Atlantis. That's just a little

1693
01:32:56,120 --> 01:32:58,480
Speaker 1: bit up. No, you know, we all know about the barbecue.

1694
01:32:58,960 --> 01:33:01,559
Speaker 1: We know about that hot chicken in Memphis. Now you're

1695
01:33:01,560 --> 01:33:04,760
Speaker 1: about to find out by Philip Astley Chocks in twenty two.

1696
01:33:04,840 --> 01:33:07,280
Speaker 1: That's when it all start. The brand has an international

1697
01:33:07,360 --> 01:33:11,000
Speaker 1: following and is retained by high profile clients, top corporations

1698
01:33:11,200 --> 01:33:14,960
Speaker 1: and major events to offer premium gifts. And we all

1699
01:33:14,960 --> 01:33:18,240
Speaker 1: know about the COVID nineteen pandemic shut down this country. Well,

1700
01:33:18,320 --> 01:33:21,680
Speaker 1: in February twenty prior to the code COVID shutting down

1701
01:33:21,680 --> 01:33:24,200
Speaker 1: a company, he had a lot of major eights on it.

1702
01:33:24,240 --> 01:33:26,760
Speaker 1: He was on the Food Networks Chop Sweet to the

1703
01:33:26,800 --> 01:33:30,160
Speaker 1: Finals and then in November that same year Oprah's Favorite

1704
01:33:30,160 --> 01:33:33,080
Speaker 1: Things to Listen to, buy the book to putting your

1705
01:33:33,080 --> 01:33:35,920
Speaker 1: Gifts for Christmas for whatever you wanted to do. Philip

1706
01:33:36,040 --> 01:33:39,320
Speaker 1: is also known for his branding and marketing expertise that

1707
01:33:39,479 --> 01:33:42,440
Speaker 1: checked this out. In twenty one, he found an Uncommon

1708
01:33:42,520 --> 01:33:47,960
Speaker 1: Hospitality Group, a real estate development company focused on driving imagination, innovation,

1709
01:33:48,200 --> 01:33:51,080
Speaker 1: and impact in the mixed used commercial real estate space.

1710
01:33:51,479 --> 01:33:54,360
Speaker 1: Please welcome to the show. An innovator. I want to

1711
01:33:54,560 --> 01:33:56,799
Speaker 1: I wanna call him an instigator because he got chocolate,

1712
01:33:56,800 --> 01:33:58,679
Speaker 1: you know, but he looks like my little twin brother.

1713
01:33:58,880 --> 01:34:02,360
Speaker 1: But believe for the show, Philip. Actually Rex, how you doing, Philip?

1714
01:34:02,720 --> 01:34:05,560
Speaker 1: How you doing? Thanks for having me? You know a

1715
01:34:05,640 --> 01:34:07,320
Speaker 1: good looking guys. So I got I got throw that

1716
01:34:07,320 --> 01:34:09,400
Speaker 1: that right now. You know, I got the big got

1717
01:34:09,400 --> 01:34:14,200
Speaker 1: the glasses so so. But you clean every every week,

1718
01:34:14,400 --> 01:34:17,559
Speaker 1: every week, and people don't understand, you know women. Women

1719
01:34:17,720 --> 01:34:20,320
Speaker 1: was like like, it's hard, looking like us, it's hard.

1720
01:34:21,040 --> 01:34:23,280
Speaker 1: You gotta keep you gotta maintain this. This is a

1721
01:34:23,360 --> 01:34:27,160
Speaker 1: weekly process. I go to the barber, get us straight

1722
01:34:27,280 --> 01:34:31,000
Speaker 1: right every Saturday morning. So you know. That's why I

1723
01:34:31,080 --> 01:34:33,160
Speaker 1: just want to let everybody know because I got an

1724
01:34:33,160 --> 01:34:36,519
Speaker 1: identical looking guy on the phone on video on my

1725
01:34:36,680 --> 01:34:39,240
Speaker 1: on my talk show today. It looks like me. I

1726
01:34:39,360 --> 01:34:42,519
Speaker 1: put in the work every day to just get up.

1727
01:34:42,560 --> 01:34:45,160
Speaker 1: I wish I could just walk out of that door, Philip.

1728
01:34:45,360 --> 01:34:47,640
Speaker 1: But people were like, I'm broke. They were looking like

1729
01:34:47,680 --> 01:34:51,040
Speaker 1: I'm sick. They won't ask me what's wrong? All those things?

1730
01:34:51,120 --> 01:34:54,840
Speaker 1: So you are a brand, correct fellow, Yes, sir, yes, sir.

1731
01:34:54,920 --> 01:34:56,880
Speaker 1: And and like you said, they think that you know

1732
01:34:57,240 --> 01:35:02,400
Speaker 1: everything takes you know, curation management, you know. So like

1733
01:35:02,400 --> 01:35:04,720
Speaker 1: I said, if we I don't have hair, you don't

1734
01:35:04,720 --> 01:35:09,479
Speaker 1: have but that there's a process, you know, because you

1735
01:35:09,479 --> 01:35:11,200
Speaker 1: can you come out there with a little scattered half,

1736
01:35:11,240 --> 01:35:13,400
Speaker 1: people act like what's wrong man? What you do? You

1737
01:35:13,439 --> 01:35:17,639
Speaker 1: have time? You have time. So because we just started

1738
01:35:17,640 --> 01:35:21,240
Speaker 1: out like that talking about image, talking about brands, talking

1739
01:35:21,240 --> 01:35:24,599
Speaker 1: about because that's part of what you are pursued about

1740
01:35:24,680 --> 01:35:27,320
Speaker 1: marketing and branding, and a lot of people throw those

1741
01:35:27,360 --> 01:35:29,479
Speaker 1: words out because you hear, but what's my because you're

1742
01:35:29,479 --> 01:35:32,240
Speaker 1: branding a lot and some people just saying they don't

1743
01:35:32,240 --> 01:35:35,120
Speaker 1: even know what that means. And then because sometimes they

1744
01:35:35,200 --> 01:35:37,680
Speaker 1: put the word branding. They're marketing together, thinking it's all

1745
01:35:37,760 --> 01:35:41,360
Speaker 1: one world, and that's not true. You know, brand, you develop.

1746
01:35:41,640 --> 01:35:43,880
Speaker 1: Marketing is what you do to get the word out

1747
01:35:43,920 --> 01:35:46,720
Speaker 1: about your brain. So talking about being one of the

1748
01:35:46,880 --> 01:35:49,760
Speaker 1: sought off most sought off people in that area, and

1749
01:35:49,840 --> 01:35:52,920
Speaker 1: how did that really start launching your own brand? How

1750
01:35:52,920 --> 01:35:56,320
Speaker 1: did that manifest itself into your brand? Philip? Yeah, so

1751
01:35:56,520 --> 01:36:03,160
Speaker 1: really it started two thousand seven. I was living in

1752
01:36:03,240 --> 01:36:08,120
Speaker 1: Baltimore at the time, living in Baltimore, working in Corporate America. Uh,

1753
01:36:08,320 --> 01:36:10,960
Speaker 1: three o'clock in the morning, woke up from the dream.

1754
01:36:11,040 --> 01:36:13,320
Speaker 1: It was like, Okay, I'm gonna be a chocolate teer

1755
01:36:13,360 --> 01:36:15,000
Speaker 1: for the rest of my life and make chocolate for

1756
01:36:15,080 --> 01:36:19,120
Speaker 1: a living. And and that's literally how it happened. Uh.

1757
01:36:19,160 --> 01:36:22,360
Speaker 1: And from there it just became an obsession. You know.

1758
01:36:22,439 --> 01:36:27,240
Speaker 1: I was already in the consumer packaged goods industry, moving product,

1759
01:36:27,400 --> 01:36:32,200
Speaker 1: working with companies and individuals. Uh. And I've been cooking

1760
01:36:32,240 --> 01:36:34,080
Speaker 1: for a long time. I was I started learning how

1761
01:36:34,120 --> 01:36:36,880
Speaker 1: to cook for my grandmother at five and so I

1762
01:36:36,960 --> 01:36:40,360
Speaker 1: was always a really good cook. But you know, so

1763
01:36:40,560 --> 01:36:43,360
Speaker 1: a lot of things kind of fell into place, ended up,

1764
01:36:44,240 --> 01:36:47,639
Speaker 1: you know, pursuing chocolate and so I spent the better

1765
01:36:47,720 --> 01:36:51,839
Speaker 1: part of five years, the first three in particular, teaching

1766
01:36:51,880 --> 01:36:55,479
Speaker 1: myself about chocolate, learning everything about food. You know, how

1767
01:36:55,479 --> 01:36:59,280
Speaker 1: do you taste? Uh, you know, the zones of the palette,

1768
01:36:59,320 --> 01:37:04,400
Speaker 1: studying herbs, spices, proteins, you name it. And then you know,

1769
01:37:04,520 --> 01:37:09,320
Speaker 1: my main goal was to recreate that stick of gum

1770
01:37:09,360 --> 01:37:14,000
Speaker 1: from Willy Wonka. I was always fascinated with that story, um,

1771
01:37:14,040 --> 01:37:17,120
Speaker 1: and particularly that concept where he had the roast beef,

1772
01:37:17,479 --> 01:37:22,000
Speaker 1: the blueberry pie uh, and the potatoes in one thing.

1773
01:37:22,880 --> 01:37:24,479
Speaker 1: You know, It's like, I want to do that in

1774
01:37:24,520 --> 01:37:29,080
Speaker 1: real life. Uh. And so subsequently, that's what we've become

1775
01:37:29,160 --> 01:37:32,880
Speaker 1: known for in putting blue cheese and chocolate one of

1776
01:37:32,880 --> 01:37:36,040
Speaker 1: our our most popular flavor. One we've won a Good

1777
01:37:36,080 --> 01:37:40,080
Speaker 1: Food Awards, which is kind of like a Grammys for food. Um,

1778
01:37:40,120 --> 01:37:42,439
Speaker 1: you know, and that's the thing is our French blue

1779
01:37:42,520 --> 01:37:46,160
Speaker 1: cheese chocolate calls some boy. Uh. And you know we've

1780
01:37:46,240 --> 01:37:49,800
Speaker 1: won awards for a number of chocolate, barbecue, chocolate, sweet

1781
01:37:49,840 --> 01:37:53,639
Speaker 1: potato chocolates, you know, chocolates that really tell stories. And

1782
01:37:53,680 --> 01:37:56,600
Speaker 1: so you know, what does your show takes like? And

1783
01:37:56,920 --> 01:38:00,240
Speaker 1: so we create something that has your person out with

1784
01:38:00,439 --> 01:38:04,000
Speaker 1: your DNA, your favorite foods, your favorite colors, and we

1785
01:38:04,080 --> 01:38:08,080
Speaker 1: kind of create and craft and extract the flavor and

1786
01:38:08,240 --> 01:38:11,160
Speaker 1: turn it into a bon bon well, you know we

1787
01:38:11,280 --> 01:38:14,880
Speaker 1: we always um you know, sweech grabs anybody's attention, you

1788
01:38:14,920 --> 01:38:18,960
Speaker 1: know their palate, as they say. And chocolate is also

1789
01:38:19,680 --> 01:38:21,920
Speaker 1: you know that that version. My wife loves chocolate. She

1790
01:38:22,080 --> 01:38:24,840
Speaker 1: but but there's a different chocolate. You don't have to do.

1791
01:38:25,120 --> 01:38:28,200
Speaker 1: And because you're gonna educate me here a little bit, Philip, okay,

1792
01:38:28,320 --> 01:38:32,240
Speaker 1: because you have your premium chocolate, like my my favorite

1793
01:38:32,280 --> 01:38:36,400
Speaker 1: premium chocolate candy is turtles. Okay, I love those. Now,

1794
01:38:36,479 --> 01:38:39,360
Speaker 1: by the way, I went to your website now and

1795
01:38:39,439 --> 01:38:41,960
Speaker 1: ye out of turtles. So I was mad at you, Philip,

1796
01:38:42,080 --> 01:38:44,720
Speaker 1: because I like that that we just hearted back all

1797
01:38:44,720 --> 01:38:49,479
Speaker 1: the day. So because because because when I try to do, Philip,

1798
01:38:49,760 --> 01:38:52,040
Speaker 1: when I interviewed somebody like you have food, I always

1799
01:38:52,040 --> 01:38:54,880
Speaker 1: like to test your product and trust the whole system.

1800
01:38:54,920 --> 01:38:57,439
Speaker 1: How does it work? So I go online and order

1801
01:38:57,680 --> 01:39:00,360
Speaker 1: and I said, okay, it came. I got notified K shoes,

1802
01:39:00,479 --> 01:39:02,720
Speaker 1: and because that lets me know where they staying as

1803
01:39:02,720 --> 01:39:05,120
Speaker 1: far as trying to get the product to the customer.

1804
01:39:05,120 --> 01:39:07,280
Speaker 1: Because we're coming on my show, money making conversation. I

1805
01:39:07,320 --> 01:39:09,519
Speaker 1: get assists of who you are, and so I went

1806
01:39:09,560 --> 01:39:12,479
Speaker 1: on there and I said, so turtle, oh May out

1807
01:39:12,479 --> 01:39:15,840
Speaker 1: of turtles because that's my favorite man. So so you

1808
01:39:16,160 --> 01:39:19,360
Speaker 1: you have something on the way, So we will be

1809
01:39:19,439 --> 01:39:21,720
Speaker 1: very I'll be very happy and I'll be posting it

1810
01:39:21,760 --> 01:39:24,760
Speaker 1: on my social media to me eating that you're through

1811
01:39:25,000 --> 01:39:29,040
Speaker 1: Philip Ashley chocolate turtles, because tell us why what is

1812
01:39:29,360 --> 01:39:32,120
Speaker 1: between me just grabbing something off the shelf and let

1813
01:39:32,120 --> 01:39:35,200
Speaker 1: me just know, not just being derogatory like a Snickers

1814
01:39:35,240 --> 01:39:38,040
Speaker 1: ball has chocolate it around it U or anything like

1815
01:39:38,080 --> 01:39:42,600
Speaker 1: that versus your premium chocolates that you serve. Yeah, no,

1816
01:39:42,720 --> 01:39:46,439
Speaker 1: that's a great question. We what we really focus on,

1817
01:39:46,560 --> 01:39:49,599
Speaker 1: like I said, is that storytelling element. And so it's

1818
01:39:49,640 --> 01:39:52,439
Speaker 1: not just chocolate or a box of candy. It really

1819
01:39:52,520 --> 01:39:55,080
Speaker 1: is an experience. You know, where else are you gonna

1820
01:39:55,120 --> 01:40:00,439
Speaker 1: find a chocolate that has sweet potato in it or particular?

1821
01:40:00,520 --> 01:40:03,120
Speaker 1: We have chocolates that are a collar green and corn

1822
01:40:03,120 --> 01:40:07,120
Speaker 1: bread chocolate that tastes good and tastes like the things

1823
01:40:07,200 --> 01:40:10,960
Speaker 1: that we say are in it, and so you know,

1824
01:40:11,360 --> 01:40:15,000
Speaker 1: truly handcrafted, like we are in here in Memphis. I'm

1825
01:40:15,040 --> 01:40:19,280
Speaker 1: in my chocolate factory, the two point o version of it. Uh.

1826
01:40:19,360 --> 01:40:23,840
Speaker 1: And we make everything by hand. I'm sourcing the best ingredients.

1827
01:40:23,880 --> 01:40:27,759
Speaker 1: We're constantly scouring the earth for the best cocoa beans

1828
01:40:27,760 --> 01:40:30,439
Speaker 1: out of Ghana, out of coach before you know, where

1829
01:40:30,439 --> 01:40:34,519
Speaker 1: can we get the best strawberries from? Whose farm do

1830
01:40:34,600 --> 01:40:37,360
Speaker 1: we need to go to? Um? You know, it's just

1831
01:40:37,520 --> 01:40:43,280
Speaker 1: always in this constant, perpetual state of daydreaming new flavors

1832
01:40:43,720 --> 01:40:47,320
Speaker 1: and new ideas and then how do we bring those

1833
01:40:47,360 --> 01:40:50,360
Speaker 1: to fruition uh in the chocolate and and so that's

1834
01:40:50,360 --> 01:40:55,240
Speaker 1: what you're getting. Different from your standard variety chocolate on

1835
01:40:55,280 --> 01:40:58,439
Speaker 1: the shelf, you know, we we have chocolate something else

1836
01:40:58,439 --> 01:41:01,400
Speaker 1: that's on its way to you. We do a collection

1837
01:41:01,479 --> 01:41:06,840
Speaker 1: for Uncle Nears, which is a premium whiskey, the amazing

1838
01:41:06,880 --> 01:41:10,720
Speaker 1: whiskey makers. That distillery is here in Tennessee, not too

1839
01:41:10,760 --> 01:41:13,080
Speaker 1: far from us, just out of side of Nashville. And

1840
01:41:13,120 --> 01:41:16,400
Speaker 1: so we have an entire collection that captures the whiskey

1841
01:41:16,400 --> 01:41:18,960
Speaker 1: as they have, but not just that. We didn't just

1842
01:41:19,000 --> 01:41:22,360
Speaker 1: throw whiskey in the chocolate. We said, okay, what's the

1843
01:41:22,400 --> 01:41:25,360
Speaker 1: story of Uncle Nears, what's the story of Lincoln County

1844
01:41:25,400 --> 01:41:30,000
Speaker 1: and the process that differentiates Tennessee whiskey from bourbon. How

1845
01:41:30,000 --> 01:41:33,439
Speaker 1: do we convey that through a bond? Bond? And so

1846
01:41:33,600 --> 01:41:36,960
Speaker 1: that's really what you're getting now. When when we talked

1847
01:41:37,000 --> 01:41:41,280
Speaker 1: about you, you based in Memphis, Tennessee. Like I said earlier,

1848
01:41:41,280 --> 01:41:48,040
Speaker 1: barbecue chicken, you know, the little ducks, you know music,

1849
01:41:48,560 --> 01:41:51,200
Speaker 1: and then you the chocolate tier. Now you said you

1850
01:41:51,439 --> 01:41:54,400
Speaker 1: was in Boston. You know two thousand seven, he was

1851
01:41:54,439 --> 01:42:00,599
Speaker 1: in Boston. Now you're down in um Memphis. What made

1852
01:42:00,600 --> 01:42:02,840
Speaker 1: what inspired you to go in this direction? Other than

1853
01:42:02,880 --> 01:42:05,080
Speaker 1: the fact it was a passion, It was carried off

1854
01:42:05,080 --> 01:42:07,920
Speaker 1: from a childhood dream Willie Wonker. Because a lot of

1855
01:42:07,920 --> 01:42:10,679
Speaker 1: people a doubt you. A lot of people tell you, man,

1856
01:42:11,320 --> 01:42:13,280
Speaker 1: you know that you need to be making a soul

1857
01:42:13,320 --> 01:42:15,400
Speaker 1: food restaurants, something that people gonna buy a lot of,

1858
01:42:15,760 --> 01:42:19,679
Speaker 1: because people don't conceptualize this business. Like I always tell people.

1859
01:42:20,040 --> 01:42:23,479
Speaker 1: People understand the ninety five when I left my job

1860
01:42:23,520 --> 01:42:25,400
Speaker 1: to tell people I wanted to be a stand up comic,

1861
01:42:25,439 --> 01:42:27,960
Speaker 1: they went, how are you gonna make money? Well, quite frankly,

1862
01:42:27,960 --> 01:42:30,680
Speaker 1: I couldn't really tell you either, but I knew this

1863
01:42:30,720 --> 01:42:33,320
Speaker 1: is what I wanted to do for my life, my dream.

1864
01:42:33,360 --> 01:42:36,160
Speaker 1: And so when you made the decision to do what

1865
01:42:36,240 --> 01:42:37,799
Speaker 1: you had to do. There was a lot of doubts

1866
01:42:38,160 --> 01:42:41,200
Speaker 1: talk about walking through that process and then when he

1867
01:42:41,320 --> 01:42:45,360
Speaker 1: started clicking for you professionally, Yeah, and I believe you

1868
01:42:45,400 --> 01:42:48,200
Speaker 1: can attest this. I think when when you really are

1869
01:42:48,360 --> 01:42:51,880
Speaker 1: driven by you know, purpose, passion, in a in a

1870
01:42:52,000 --> 01:42:55,640
Speaker 1: real desire like you said with comedy, you know, and

1871
01:42:55,960 --> 01:42:59,400
Speaker 1: you've obviously learned this that you know that's gonna make

1872
01:42:59,600 --> 01:43:02,400
Speaker 1: way for you and make room for you, particularly when

1873
01:43:02,439 --> 01:43:06,240
Speaker 1: you're you know, You're like, I was just driven, like

1874
01:43:06,320 --> 01:43:09,679
Speaker 1: I couldn't do anything else if I wasn't doing this essentially,

1875
01:43:10,040 --> 01:43:12,960
Speaker 1: and I can do a lot of other things just

1876
01:43:13,040 --> 01:43:16,840
Speaker 1: by the means of survival so to speak, but you know,

1877
01:43:16,920 --> 01:43:20,160
Speaker 1: to truly live. And it didn't matter about struggling or

1878
01:43:20,200 --> 01:43:22,720
Speaker 1: not struggling, you know. It was like, Okay, this is

1879
01:43:22,760 --> 01:43:26,400
Speaker 1: something that I have to do. Uh and and so

1880
01:43:26,520 --> 01:43:29,799
Speaker 1: through again, you know, and I've always just been different

1881
01:43:29,800 --> 01:43:33,640
Speaker 1: and I learned real early. I think, like my sophomore

1882
01:43:33,720 --> 01:43:36,840
Speaker 1: year in college, I was working a part time job

1883
01:43:36,880 --> 01:43:41,320
Speaker 1: at a call center, and I knew then that entrepreneurship

1884
01:43:41,439 --> 01:43:45,000
Speaker 1: was the way I was going. And again and I'm

1885
01:43:45,000 --> 01:43:50,559
Speaker 1: I never I'm always and for and understand the need

1886
01:43:50,640 --> 01:43:53,160
Speaker 1: for nine to five. Heck, we have people that work

1887
01:43:53,240 --> 01:43:56,960
Speaker 1: for us, you know, and that's we love our employees.

1888
01:43:57,000 --> 01:43:59,920
Speaker 1: Were working well and hard for them to make sure

1889
01:44:00,000 --> 01:44:02,160
Speaker 1: that they make a living wage and all of that.

1890
01:44:02,400 --> 01:44:06,160
Speaker 1: But I knew for me personally, I wanted to be

1891
01:44:06,280 --> 01:44:10,160
Speaker 1: the employer. And then I wanted to create something through

1892
01:44:10,320 --> 01:44:13,519
Speaker 1: the talent and then in the imagination and the gifts

1893
01:44:14,240 --> 01:44:16,760
Speaker 1: um that I've been fortunate to be blessed with and

1894
01:44:16,760 --> 01:44:20,479
Speaker 1: and chocolate again was that medium. And like I said,

1895
01:44:20,520 --> 01:44:24,519
Speaker 1: you know, their writers, their directors, there's actors, there's all

1896
01:44:24,600 --> 01:44:30,000
Speaker 1: sorts of storytellers. And I've always been fascinated by the

1897
01:44:30,040 --> 01:44:33,840
Speaker 1: storyteller world, play rights, etcetera, etcetera. You know, just growing up.

1898
01:44:34,120 --> 01:44:36,800
Speaker 1: You know, I've written plays in school and all kinds

1899
01:44:36,800 --> 01:44:39,000
Speaker 1: of stuff. And I was like, you know, but I

1900
01:44:39,040 --> 01:44:43,840
Speaker 1: wanted to marry three things, you know, my passion for storytelling,

1901
01:44:44,000 --> 01:44:48,400
Speaker 1: my love of food, and in my deep interest, uh

1902
01:44:48,439 --> 01:44:52,280
Speaker 1: in the consumer package goods industry. And I understood very

1903
01:44:52,280 --> 01:44:55,840
Speaker 1: early on that creating a product, in being able to

1904
01:44:55,920 --> 01:44:59,880
Speaker 1: move product across the supply chain, and then creating a

1905
01:45:00,040 --> 01:45:04,040
Speaker 1: sustainable one is where it's at. Uh, and so I

1906
01:45:04,080 --> 01:45:07,679
Speaker 1: wanted to bring those three things together. Now, in bringing

1907
01:45:07,680 --> 01:45:11,280
Speaker 1: those things together, two things that happened to you in

1908
01:45:11,720 --> 01:45:14,080
Speaker 1: and I'm just gonna break it apart. One was the

1909
01:45:14,280 --> 01:45:18,799
Speaker 1: parents on Food Network, the competition and then Oprah's Favorite

1910
01:45:18,800 --> 01:45:22,840
Speaker 1: Things List. Now me if I was your manager, sir,

1911
01:45:23,360 --> 01:45:25,599
Speaker 1: and I go, okay, you you have a popular brand

1912
01:45:25,600 --> 01:45:28,840
Speaker 1: out there. Why would you go on a competition show

1913
01:45:29,360 --> 01:45:34,200
Speaker 1: where if you don't win, you know, you considered a loser. Okay,

1914
01:45:34,280 --> 01:45:37,320
Speaker 1: So you made the finalist Food Network? Hey, we know

1915
01:45:37,360 --> 01:45:39,120
Speaker 1: I watched the Food Network all time. I know who

1916
01:45:39,120 --> 01:45:42,320
Speaker 1: you are, Okay because I saw your Food Network Okay, Chops,

1917
01:45:42,439 --> 01:45:45,160
Speaker 1: which one of my favorite show. So when you start

1918
01:45:45,240 --> 01:45:47,439
Speaker 1: that's the part of the brand. We're talking about your marketing,

1919
01:45:47,520 --> 01:45:50,840
Speaker 1: your branding. Okay. So when you made that decision, what

1920
01:45:51,040 --> 01:45:53,679
Speaker 1: was the idea and the concept? Because it was about money,

1921
01:45:54,120 --> 01:45:57,799
Speaker 1: So what was it about? Well, just a general spirit

1922
01:45:57,840 --> 01:46:00,960
Speaker 1: of competition. You know, I wanted to go on what

1923
01:46:00,960 --> 01:46:03,920
Speaker 1: what I feel like, it's a big stage for food

1924
01:46:04,000 --> 01:46:07,200
Speaker 1: and for for chefs and compete. You know, I played

1925
01:46:07,240 --> 01:46:10,880
Speaker 1: sports and it's rare nowadays that we actually have a

1926
01:46:10,960 --> 01:46:15,080
Speaker 1: chance to at least for me to to compete against

1927
01:46:15,160 --> 01:46:18,679
Speaker 1: others and in in a true arena, so to speak.

1928
01:46:18,920 --> 01:46:20,679
Speaker 1: And so I thought that was fun. Then of course

1929
01:46:20,680 --> 01:46:23,599
Speaker 1: it's Food Network. I mean love Food Network. Grew up

1930
01:46:23,600 --> 01:46:27,400
Speaker 1: watching it, always been around it, you know, particularly at

1931
01:46:27,439 --> 01:46:31,000
Speaker 1: you know, at its hype. Uh And so chip was

1932
01:46:31,080 --> 01:46:33,400
Speaker 1: a has definitely been a favorite of mine. And so

1933
01:46:33,439 --> 01:46:36,720
Speaker 1: when they came out with the sweet version, I was like, yeah,

1934
01:46:36,760 --> 01:46:38,519
Speaker 1: of course I want to do it, you know, I

1935
01:46:38,600 --> 01:46:42,280
Speaker 1: do the regular one. So the original so um that

1936
01:46:42,400 --> 01:46:45,960
Speaker 1: was that was really the thought process behind net um.

1937
01:46:46,280 --> 01:46:52,720
Speaker 1: You know, Losing or not finishing was never entered my mind. Uh,

1938
01:46:52,880 --> 01:46:55,160
Speaker 1: you know, and I even think you know, and and

1939
01:46:55,360 --> 01:47:01,160
Speaker 1: my friend Ambercroom, who I know, uh so, yeah, you know,

1940
01:47:01,479 --> 01:47:04,600
Speaker 1: she did a fantastic job. You know. Of course the

1941
01:47:04,720 --> 01:47:08,320
Speaker 1: competition or the competitor in me is like, yeah, I

1942
01:47:08,320 --> 01:47:11,639
Speaker 1: should have won the same time a great job as well.

1943
01:47:13,160 --> 01:47:15,960
Speaker 1: You know, she's very talent, Amber, I know it very well.

1944
01:47:16,479 --> 01:47:18,880
Speaker 1: Uh and so so so that, but what did it

1945
01:47:19,000 --> 01:47:22,040
Speaker 1: do it far as your popularity? Did he bring, visual recognition?

1946
01:47:22,120 --> 01:47:25,479
Speaker 1: Did it bring did it bringe sales to your brand?

1947
01:47:26,360 --> 01:47:29,000
Speaker 1: News articles of course, especially in the market of Memphis,

1948
01:47:29,200 --> 01:47:32,840
Speaker 1: talk about that part of the the the blessing. Yeah,

1949
01:47:33,160 --> 01:47:35,879
Speaker 1: it was definitely one of those things, you know, continue

1950
01:47:35,880 --> 01:47:41,080
Speaker 1: to seek national uh acclaimed visibility, which leads to growth,

1951
01:47:41,120 --> 01:47:44,920
Speaker 1: and that was the real motivation behind it. This is

1952
01:47:45,520 --> 01:47:48,880
Speaker 1: a large stage where I get to showcase not only

1953
01:47:48,920 --> 01:47:53,000
Speaker 1: my talent, but talk about my brand, my business uh

1954
01:47:53,040 --> 01:47:56,559
Speaker 1: and my product uh and and on in a um

1955
01:47:57,200 --> 01:47:59,920
Speaker 1: media or on a medium that put us in front

1956
01:48:00,000 --> 01:48:04,160
Speaker 1: of tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, millions of people

1957
01:48:05,240 --> 01:48:07,639
Speaker 1: viewers around the country and even the world. And so

1958
01:48:08,080 --> 01:48:12,640
Speaker 1: you know, we we ship internationally and so you know,

1959
01:48:12,800 --> 01:48:16,679
Speaker 1: I've always been thinking beyond the four walls of Memphis,

1960
01:48:17,040 --> 01:48:20,880
Speaker 1: you know, and and that's really the main thing. And

1961
01:48:20,920 --> 01:48:25,080
Speaker 1: like I said, my goal was to uh you know

1962
01:48:25,800 --> 01:48:30,000
Speaker 1: when of course, but if not when have a good showing.

1963
01:48:30,479 --> 01:48:33,920
Speaker 1: And I felt like that would would know who we

1964
01:48:33,920 --> 01:48:37,400
Speaker 1: were and what we do here. Absolutely, you you've accomplisated,

1965
01:48:37,400 --> 01:48:40,120
Speaker 1: like because you came on my radar. You came on

1966
01:48:40,160 --> 01:48:42,679
Speaker 1: my radar. And so so now we're talking to Philip

1967
01:48:42,680 --> 01:48:46,280
Speaker 1: all you know, he's defied in CEO of Philip Ashley Chocolates.

1968
01:48:46,320 --> 01:48:51,599
Speaker 1: Now that's fast forward to November that you know, Oprah's

1969
01:48:51,640 --> 01:48:54,280
Speaker 1: favorite things. That's a definitely different conversation. Now, you know

1970
01:48:54,360 --> 01:48:57,800
Speaker 1: the beauty of life man, Oprah. There's two black people

1971
01:48:57,840 --> 01:49:00,799
Speaker 1: in America that you always want to be associated with. Tyler.

1972
01:49:01,200 --> 01:49:03,599
Speaker 1: If Tyler peer call you and me, you got acting job.

1973
01:49:04,320 --> 01:49:07,519
Speaker 1: If Oprah call you and me, she likes something you're doing. Okay,

1974
01:49:08,120 --> 01:49:11,880
Speaker 1: In this case, o people call you contact you said, hey, man,

1975
01:49:11,920 --> 01:49:14,920
Speaker 1: you're chocolates. What was your reaction to that man and

1976
01:49:15,000 --> 01:49:18,080
Speaker 1: what did you do to capitalize on that opportunity she

1977
01:49:18,160 --> 01:49:20,920
Speaker 1: gave you to be on that list? Yeah? Well, first

1978
01:49:20,920 --> 01:49:23,680
Speaker 1: of all, I was just grateful and and and you know,

1979
01:49:23,800 --> 01:49:27,880
Speaker 1: I'm all about, you know, setting goals, creating a vision,

1980
01:49:28,479 --> 01:49:31,080
Speaker 1: working to manifest it, and you know, and a lot

1981
01:49:31,120 --> 01:49:36,080
Speaker 1: of it is, you know, timing opportunity, um favorite look,

1982
01:49:36,160 --> 01:49:38,479
Speaker 1: whatever you want to call it. And so you know,

1983
01:49:38,600 --> 01:49:41,120
Speaker 1: I said eight years ago when I found the coming Man,

1984
01:49:41,160 --> 01:49:43,280
Speaker 1: we should be one of Oprah's favorite things. Clearly we

1985
01:49:43,280 --> 01:49:47,120
Speaker 1: weren't ready then, even when we got the call, which

1986
01:49:47,120 --> 01:49:49,880
Speaker 1: would have been this time last year, when we got

1987
01:49:49,880 --> 01:49:53,240
Speaker 1: the original call saying hey, we're looking at you, uh,

1988
01:49:53,360 --> 01:49:55,599
Speaker 1: and then when we months later when we got the

1989
01:49:55,640 --> 01:49:59,080
Speaker 1: final hey, you know you're one of them and we

1990
01:49:59,120 --> 01:50:04,120
Speaker 1: want the perfect turtle Uh that product and we make

1991
01:50:04,200 --> 01:50:07,080
Speaker 1: a really good turtle. I think you'll enjoy it. Uh.

1992
01:50:07,120 --> 01:50:10,440
Speaker 1: And so it was a huge thing. Of course, it's oprah,

1993
01:50:10,479 --> 01:50:14,320
Speaker 1: you know, the amount of attention. UM. Of course we

1994
01:50:14,360 --> 01:50:19,680
Speaker 1: had to also contend with the pandemic. So uh in

1995
01:50:19,720 --> 01:50:22,080
Speaker 1: a year where one of the biggest things that could

1996
01:50:22,120 --> 01:50:26,000
Speaker 1: happen to us, the world is essentially um on hold

1997
01:50:26,600 --> 01:50:29,520
Speaker 1: and you know, all the things that all the challenges

1998
01:50:29,560 --> 01:50:33,240
Speaker 1: that came with that, I'll tell you was you know,

1999
01:50:33,360 --> 01:50:38,240
Speaker 1: but ultimately that it was a great opportunity, huge momentum

2000
01:50:38,280 --> 01:50:43,280
Speaker 1: generated behind that, which put us again on an even bigger,

2001
01:50:43,800 --> 01:50:47,880
Speaker 1: more national and international stage than Food Network. UH. And

2002
01:50:48,640 --> 01:50:52,960
Speaker 1: then that led to other opportunities and other visibility UM.

2003
01:50:53,000 --> 01:50:55,679
Speaker 1: You know, and we also I'll tell you we had

2004
01:50:55,760 --> 01:51:01,479
Speaker 1: some some mighty challenges um navigating uh that world because

2005
01:51:01,680 --> 01:51:06,760
Speaker 1: as you know, growing growing really really quickly is difficult.

2006
01:51:07,360 --> 01:51:10,680
Speaker 1: UH it's even harder when you know, again not to

2007
01:51:10,720 --> 01:51:14,360
Speaker 1: make excuses, but the pandemic created challenges that you know,

2008
01:51:14,400 --> 01:51:18,200
Speaker 1: we I had to figure creative ways around and so

2009
01:51:18,760 --> 01:51:22,760
Speaker 1: uh dealing with backlog, dealing with uh, you know, only

2010
01:51:22,760 --> 01:51:25,800
Speaker 1: being able to have so many people uh in in

2011
01:51:25,840 --> 01:51:29,320
Speaker 1: an area for so long that kind of thing. Uh.

2012
01:51:29,400 --> 01:51:31,479
Speaker 1: You know, so it was tough, but I'll tell you what,

2013
01:51:31,600 --> 01:51:35,560
Speaker 1: it definitely taught me a lot, not only about myself,

2014
01:51:35,640 --> 01:51:39,760
Speaker 1: but how I see the business, how I operate. And

2015
01:51:39,800 --> 01:51:44,680
Speaker 1: we've been making some incredible enhancements to our operations to

2016
01:51:45,439 --> 01:51:51,120
Speaker 1: increase production, to um communicate with our customers more efficiently

2017
01:51:51,160 --> 01:51:56,400
Speaker 1: and effectively, and really again just make the experience from

2018
01:51:56,600 --> 01:52:01,000
Speaker 1: start to finish that much more favorable, uh and and

2019
01:52:01,160 --> 01:52:06,920
Speaker 1: more enjoyable. So ultimately, I'm super grateful that she found us,

2020
01:52:07,240 --> 01:52:09,920
Speaker 1: even with the challenges that came our way and the

2021
01:52:10,040 --> 01:52:12,679
Speaker 1: things that we have to navigate. You know, I think

2022
01:52:12,720 --> 01:52:15,960
Speaker 1: you learned the most kind of things like that. You know,

2023
01:52:16,360 --> 01:52:19,120
Speaker 1: if it were just, oh, you know, over called us up.

2024
01:52:19,439 --> 01:52:22,160
Speaker 1: You know, we saw and we did well in sales.

2025
01:52:22,520 --> 01:52:26,360
Speaker 1: But also if there was no challenge behind it or

2026
01:52:26,479 --> 01:52:30,600
Speaker 1: nothing that really pushed me. I mean you may we

2027
01:52:30,680 --> 01:52:32,439
Speaker 1: may not be talking and it would just be like

2028
01:52:32,479 --> 01:52:34,479
Speaker 1: another thing, you know what I mean. Well, you know

2029
01:52:34,560 --> 01:52:36,840
Speaker 1: the thing about it, I think from a standpoint of

2030
01:52:37,080 --> 01:52:41,000
Speaker 1: we all know how minority business, of business of color

2031
01:52:41,120 --> 01:52:44,240
Speaker 1: and African or were impacted by COVID. But the blessing

2032
01:52:44,320 --> 01:52:47,439
Speaker 1: of it is that I think as restaurant owners and entrepreneur,

2033
01:52:47,479 --> 01:52:50,760
Speaker 1: we learned, we learned, We learned that we will kind

2034
01:52:50,760 --> 01:52:53,200
Speaker 1: of like cheating ourselves on how we should be doing

2035
01:52:53,240 --> 01:52:57,719
Speaker 1: our business model. And COVID and all the pandemic said, okay,

2036
01:52:57,720 --> 01:52:59,800
Speaker 1: there's a model to win with long term and you

2037
01:53:00,000 --> 01:53:02,080
Speaker 1: you to have a plan B, and the plan B

2038
01:53:02,240 --> 01:53:05,080
Speaker 1: should move you forward. The plan B is not a

2039
01:53:05,160 --> 01:53:08,040
Speaker 1: plan that's to say you're trying to shortchange yourself. Is

2040
01:53:08,080 --> 01:53:10,920
Speaker 1: to let you know that the perfect world does not exist,

2041
01:53:11,640 --> 01:53:15,080
Speaker 1: and you should have options how you sell your product.

2042
01:53:15,520 --> 01:53:17,360
Speaker 1: And when you were saying what Philip is saying about

2043
01:53:17,400 --> 01:53:19,639
Speaker 1: is that you could be selling business, but that doesn't

2044
01:53:19,640 --> 01:53:22,160
Speaker 1: mean when you're selling stuff, that means that your your

2045
01:53:22,200 --> 01:53:24,280
Speaker 1: dollar comes back to you as fast as you sell it.

2046
01:53:24,680 --> 01:53:26,920
Speaker 1: So that means when somebody like an Oprah, if a

2047
01:53:26,960 --> 01:53:28,680
Speaker 1: massive business, come and say we want a lot of

2048
01:53:28,680 --> 01:53:31,760
Speaker 1: your product, Okay, there's a payment period that you gotta

2049
01:53:31,840 --> 01:53:35,120
Speaker 1: also also be able to deliver to the people and

2050
01:53:35,200 --> 01:53:37,240
Speaker 1: say hey, I got to buy the product, I gotta

2051
01:53:37,560 --> 01:53:39,839
Speaker 1: make the product, and I got to shift the product.

2052
01:53:40,080 --> 01:53:43,320
Speaker 1: So you got to have revenue or income sitting there,

2053
01:53:43,439 --> 01:53:45,439
Speaker 1: or some type of investor to come in and be

2054
01:53:45,479 --> 01:53:47,840
Speaker 1: able to help you move that product to the level

2055
01:53:47,920 --> 01:53:51,240
Speaker 1: so you can deliver on time and be and be

2056
01:53:51,320 --> 01:53:54,160
Speaker 1: recommended as a company of choice and also be recommended

2057
01:53:54,200 --> 01:53:56,360
Speaker 1: as a company that can deliver what they say. That's

2058
01:53:56,360 --> 01:53:58,879
Speaker 1: what people have to understand when you're talking about these products.

2059
01:53:59,040 --> 01:54:01,120
Speaker 1: And that's what thats one of the great skills that

2060
01:54:01,160 --> 01:54:03,720
Speaker 1: you developed that you talk about and people come to you,

2061
01:54:03,840 --> 01:54:06,519
Speaker 1: right Philip, in regards to these levels of conversation, talk

2062
01:54:06,560 --> 01:54:10,479
Speaker 1: about that. Yeah, you know, just talk to Shelby County

2063
01:54:10,720 --> 01:54:14,000
Speaker 1: government Mayor Lee Harris had me talked to his folks

2064
01:54:14,000 --> 01:54:18,200
Speaker 1: about that very thing. And really you know, focusing, um,

2065
01:54:18,240 --> 01:54:20,200
Speaker 1: you know, and and and that's what we've had to do.

2066
01:54:20,320 --> 01:54:24,360
Speaker 1: Focus and me personally as the business owner. There's so

2067
01:54:24,400 --> 01:54:26,960
Speaker 1: many things, and you know, people are always kind of

2068
01:54:27,000 --> 01:54:30,080
Speaker 1: coming at you with this or that. You know, really

2069
01:54:30,160 --> 01:54:36,040
Speaker 1: focusing on ensuring the long term success of the business. Uh.

2070
01:54:36,120 --> 01:54:39,360
Speaker 1: And and part of that is is really being agile

2071
01:54:39,880 --> 01:54:43,480
Speaker 1: and and how to pivot, you know, and and create

2072
01:54:43,560 --> 01:54:47,040
Speaker 1: opportunities out of even you know, the rest in a sense,

2073
01:54:47,080 --> 01:54:49,320
Speaker 1: you know, well, what are the difficult things that have

2074
01:54:49,440 --> 01:54:55,240
Speaker 1: come via uh this opportunity? What mistakes did we make? Uh?

2075
01:54:55,280 --> 01:54:57,680
Speaker 1: And how can we improve on them in hands and

2076
01:54:57,720 --> 01:55:01,520
Speaker 1: then prevent those same things from the current next time.

2077
01:55:01,600 --> 01:55:05,960
Speaker 1: And so um, that's again just just understanding how to

2078
01:55:06,040 --> 01:55:09,160
Speaker 1: develop the business to scale it, you know, because you know,

2079
01:55:09,200 --> 01:55:12,000
Speaker 1: I'm trying to five x tenets this thing and beyond.

2080
01:55:12,680 --> 01:55:17,320
Speaker 1: And so how do we improve our standard operating procedures,

2081
01:55:17,640 --> 01:55:21,800
Speaker 1: how do we bring in employees, trained them more effectively,

2082
01:55:22,640 --> 01:55:25,440
Speaker 1: how do we refine our product? You know, how do

2083
01:55:25,480 --> 01:55:28,880
Speaker 1: we communicate and market and even be on stages such

2084
01:55:28,920 --> 01:55:33,040
Speaker 1: as this and on your show then let people know that, Hey,

2085
01:55:33,160 --> 01:55:35,520
Speaker 1: you know, we are a small business that's growing. We

2086
01:55:35,560 --> 01:55:38,560
Speaker 1: are black owned business, but you know we we do

2087
01:55:38,760 --> 01:55:41,960
Speaker 1: an amazing job at what we do. Let let's talk

2088
01:55:41,960 --> 01:55:44,200
Speaker 1: about because you kind of walked about which I what

2089
01:55:44,360 --> 01:55:46,160
Speaker 1: I want to lend into my next question is about

2090
01:55:46,160 --> 01:55:48,720
Speaker 1: putting young black men and women in this in the

2091
01:55:48,800 --> 01:55:52,160
Speaker 1: craft trade environment. Talk about that and then I want

2092
01:55:52,160 --> 01:55:57,000
Speaker 1: to close what you're talking about your uncommon hospitality group. Yeah, so, um,

2093
01:55:57,040 --> 01:55:59,560
Speaker 1: it's really important. And I mentioned you know earlier about

2094
01:55:59,640 --> 01:56:03,440
Speaker 1: just uh curing a sustainable supply chain, and for me,

2095
01:56:03,560 --> 01:56:08,200
Speaker 1: that's both in sourcing UM raw materials, so from our

2096
01:56:09,000 --> 01:56:13,520
Speaker 1: coco um beings and things of involvement in Africa and beyond,

2097
01:56:14,280 --> 01:56:18,600
Speaker 1: but also with our employees, with our with with the

2098
01:56:18,720 --> 01:56:22,040
Speaker 1: labor uh. And particularly being in Memphis. Memphis, like a

2099
01:56:22,080 --> 01:56:26,120
Speaker 1: lot of other cities, UM, we have a we're seventy

2100
01:56:27,080 --> 01:56:30,800
Speaker 1: African American. You know, seventy percent of Memphis is black.

2101
01:56:30,840 --> 01:56:34,080
Speaker 1: And so with that, you know, my focus from an

2102
01:56:34,160 --> 01:56:39,240
Speaker 1: employment standpoint has really turned the focus on young men

2103
01:56:39,320 --> 01:56:43,320
Speaker 1: and women African American and of color between the ages

2104
01:56:43,600 --> 01:56:47,200
Speaker 1: of eighteen and twenty one, specifically because these are folks

2105
01:56:47,240 --> 01:56:51,280
Speaker 1: that you know there if they're not going to college. Um,

2106
01:56:51,480 --> 01:56:54,000
Speaker 1: and and these just hired another young man yesterday, he

2107
01:56:54,080 --> 01:56:58,240
Speaker 1: started today, eighteen, just graduated, wasn't going to college. But

2108
01:56:58,320 --> 01:57:00,640
Speaker 1: of course high schools aren't really focused and on trades

2109
01:57:00,720 --> 01:57:05,320
Speaker 1: anymore either. UH. So bringing them in, showing them a

2110
01:57:05,360 --> 01:57:08,640
Speaker 1: craft trade, uh and then saying, look, you know, we're

2111
01:57:08,640 --> 01:57:11,800
Speaker 1: gonna pay you fifteen dollars an hour uh for the

2112
01:57:11,880 --> 01:57:14,360
Speaker 1: first year, but by the end of the first year

2113
01:57:14,520 --> 01:57:17,200
Speaker 1: you will be upwards to twenty dollars an hour. So

2114
01:57:17,360 --> 01:57:21,360
Speaker 1: at nineteen barely twenty, you're gonna be making forty plus

2115
01:57:21,400 --> 01:57:24,920
Speaker 1: thousand dollars in a city where the median income or

2116
01:57:24,920 --> 01:57:28,480
Speaker 1: the partner lies like thirty five, So we got you

2117
01:57:28,560 --> 01:57:32,720
Speaker 1: above that at a young age. But I'm also working

2118
01:57:32,760 --> 01:57:38,480
Speaker 1: with uh folks like my friend up in Pittsburgh, Manya Erick.

2119
01:57:38,880 --> 01:57:41,720
Speaker 1: Um that will help with financial planning and doing all

2120
01:57:41,720 --> 01:57:45,040
Speaker 1: those kind of things. Uh, that will work with these

2121
01:57:45,040 --> 01:57:49,240
Speaker 1: young folks to not only make money, but when they're

2122
01:57:49,240 --> 01:57:53,400
Speaker 1: twenty five, thirty five and forty five, they understand the

2123
01:57:53,600 --> 01:57:55,880
Speaker 1: value of the dollars that they've earned and they can

2124
01:57:55,920 --> 01:57:58,640
Speaker 1: go off and do investing and do other things. And

2125
01:57:58,680 --> 01:58:01,560
Speaker 1: so that's the bigger picture. I suggest employ them today

2126
01:58:01,560 --> 01:58:04,720
Speaker 1: and pay them fifteen bucks or twenty bucks, but really

2127
01:58:05,120 --> 01:58:09,800
Speaker 1: set them on a course of success and and and honestly,

2128
01:58:09,800 --> 01:58:11,720
Speaker 1: looking at some of the things that I had to

2129
01:58:11,800 --> 01:58:16,560
Speaker 1: navigate between eighteen and forty two. Uh, and if I

2130
01:58:16,600 --> 01:58:19,640
Speaker 1: can knock out a few of those roadblocks, you know,

2131
01:58:19,760 --> 01:58:23,480
Speaker 1: then you know, hopefully it's it's a good thing. And Uh.

2132
01:58:23,680 --> 01:58:29,080
Speaker 1: The Uncommon Hospitality Group, Yes, Uncommon Hospitality Group is something

2133
01:58:29,160 --> 01:58:32,440
Speaker 1: that you know, is really a part of me in

2134
01:58:32,520 --> 01:58:36,440
Speaker 1: my next kind of phase of of bringing a real

2135
01:58:36,680 --> 01:58:41,720
Speaker 1: chocolate factory to life. But again, I'm all about the experience,

2136
01:58:42,040 --> 01:58:46,000
Speaker 1: you know, So I curate things like a Grand masterade

2137
01:58:46,080 --> 01:58:49,240
Speaker 1: ball in the uh in November. You know, we do

2138
01:58:49,320 --> 01:58:53,920
Speaker 1: all these really cool tastings, virtual tastings, live tastings. Uh.

2139
01:58:54,000 --> 01:58:58,400
Speaker 1: So you know, again the chocolate is a big experiential element.

2140
01:58:58,720 --> 01:59:03,480
Speaker 1: And so taking that field and that brand to commercial

2141
01:59:03,520 --> 01:59:07,680
Speaker 1: real estate where mixed use um. You know, so then

2142
01:59:07,800 --> 01:59:14,040
Speaker 1: bringing in black owned businesses, wine companies, restaurants, uh, you know,

2143
01:59:14,240 --> 01:59:18,400
Speaker 1: commercial businesses and even residential and so that's what it's

2144
01:59:18,400 --> 01:59:22,400
Speaker 1: all about, starting here in the heart of Memphis, working

2145
01:59:22,400 --> 01:59:26,280
Speaker 1: to source several properties to put together just a really

2146
01:59:26,320 --> 01:59:29,320
Speaker 1: cool experience for people to come. Not only experienced Philip

2147
01:59:29,360 --> 01:59:32,720
Speaker 1: ashially chocolates, but that's that's the anchor of core. But

2148
01:59:32,920 --> 01:59:37,600
Speaker 1: then just kind of see a community uh that that

2149
01:59:37,840 --> 01:59:42,440
Speaker 1: is business oriented uh and focused on consumer goods and

2150
01:59:42,480 --> 01:59:47,080
Speaker 1: focused on consumer experience uh and and and and living

2151
01:59:47,280 --> 01:59:50,720
Speaker 1: in a downtown community. Uh and just kind of showing

2152
01:59:50,760 --> 01:59:54,360
Speaker 1: people that there are other folks that can develop, you know,

2153
01:59:54,480 --> 01:59:58,600
Speaker 1: really cool things uh in a city as well. It's beautiful.

2154
01:59:59,040 --> 02:00:03,760
Speaker 1: He's based in Memphis. Uh. You can buy his products online, international, domestic,

2155
02:00:04,200 --> 02:00:06,600
Speaker 1: But more importantly, when you go to Memphis nowadays to

2156
02:00:06,600 --> 02:00:08,440
Speaker 1: go out film for the blues, go there for the

2157
02:00:08,480 --> 02:00:11,000
Speaker 1: hot chicken going there for the barbecue. Now you go

2158
02:00:11,080 --> 02:00:14,120
Speaker 1: up there for the turtles, the perfect turtles down there

2159
02:00:14,160 --> 02:00:17,240
Speaker 1: that Philip Ashley chocolate. Hey, Phillips Man. Thank you for Philip.

2160
02:00:17,240 --> 02:00:19,280
Speaker 1: Thank you for coming on my show man Money Making Conversation.

2161
02:00:21,400 --> 02:00:23,720
Speaker 1: Pleasure and you know it's always nice. Looking at my

2162
02:00:23,720 --> 02:00:29,840
Speaker 1: twin brother too. I love it. I love it. Well,

2163
02:00:29,840 --> 02:00:31,840
Speaker 1: I'm gonna get up to Memphis, man. And you said

2164
02:00:31,840 --> 02:00:33,560
Speaker 1: in the fall you do some things. I want to

2165
02:00:33,560 --> 02:00:35,280
Speaker 1: come up them and be part of it. Just hang

2166
02:00:35,320 --> 02:00:38,480
Speaker 1: out with the calendar out and also when you do

2167
02:00:38,520 --> 02:00:40,600
Speaker 1: the next virtual testing center to me so I can

2168
02:00:40,600 --> 02:00:42,720
Speaker 1: post them on social media and put my news letter. Okay,

2169
02:00:43,440 --> 02:00:45,360
Speaker 1: we'll do. Thank you, my brother. Thank you Philip for

2170
02:00:45,360 --> 02:00:47,360
Speaker 1: coming on Money Making Conversation. If you want to hear

2171
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Speaker 1: or see any of my interviews, please go to money

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Speaker 1: Making Conversation dot com. I'm with Sean McDonald. I am

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Speaker 1: If you were black, you had to be able to

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2181
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2186
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2187
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Speaker 1: So I played the head of the black game and

2188
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