WEBVTT - CAMARA JACKSON - Crispy Courage 0:00:00.080 --> 0:00:03.000 Hey, guys, welcome to another episode of Eating While Broke. 0:00:03.240 --> 0:00:05.520 I'm your host, Coleen Wit and today we have very 0:00:05.559 --> 0:00:10.520 special guests. Entrepreneur founder of Elite Learners, Kamara Jackson is 0:00:10.520 --> 0:00:11.039 in the building. 0:00:11.560 --> 0:00:13.200 Thank you so much for having me. 0:00:13.720 --> 0:00:14.680 How are you doing today? 0:00:14.840 --> 0:00:16.760 I'm good, excited. 0:00:16.600 --> 0:00:19.119 Excited thk you. So, guys, we are not in a 0:00:19.200 --> 0:00:23.080 kitchen today, we are in New York, So when in Rome, 0:00:23.239 --> 0:00:27.800 eat out. So before we get into your story, which 0:00:28.040 --> 0:00:30.640 and before we get into your story, actually, why don't 0:00:30.640 --> 0:00:33.600 we start with telling us a little bit about Elite Learners. 0:00:33.880 --> 0:00:36.559 So, Elite Learners is a five oh one c three 0:00:36.600 --> 0:00:40.960 nonprofit organization and we provide services to young people and 0:00:41.000 --> 0:00:43.840 their families. We are part of the New York City 0:00:43.880 --> 0:00:48.080 Crisis Management System, which focuses on public safety and making 0:00:48.080 --> 0:00:50.760 sure that our communities are safe for our young people. 0:00:51.400 --> 0:00:55.160 Along with Elite Learners comes an education department that serves 0:00:55.200 --> 0:00:58.320 in New York City public schools. So we support many 0:00:58.360 --> 0:01:02.920 schools in the boroughs with mentorship programs. We do a 0:01:02.920 --> 0:01:07.520 lot of robotics and sports things that really keep young 0:01:07.600 --> 0:01:10.840 people in tuned and excited about learning in school. 0:01:11.440 --> 0:01:13.600 What makes you, guys unique that I call. My attention 0:01:13.640 --> 0:01:16.800 to was twenty four to seven. Yes, how is that possible? 0:01:16.920 --> 0:01:19.679 So we have on call teams. We have support teams 0:01:20.160 --> 0:01:24.360 that work either at the hospital for those that may 0:01:24.400 --> 0:01:27.679 be victims of crimes, or we have our Let's Eat, 0:01:27.720 --> 0:01:31.120 which is our food program where individuals may need food. 0:01:31.400 --> 0:01:32.720 So we have on call shifts. 0:01:33.000 --> 0:01:36.600 And then do you guys do after school care services? 0:01:36.800 --> 0:01:40.080 So we are in about two public schools in Brooklyn, 0:01:40.160 --> 0:01:42.960 we have one in the Bronx, so we're servicing anywhere 0:01:43.000 --> 0:01:46.039 from six hundred to eight hundred kids weekly and after 0:01:46.080 --> 0:01:46.840 school services. 0:01:46.920 --> 0:01:50.720 Wow, this is a big feat now. And just to 0:01:50.720 --> 0:01:52.720 get into the New York schools, by the way, is 0:01:52.800 --> 0:01:54.960 really really tough. If you guys know anything about it's 0:01:55.080 --> 0:01:57.680 LAUSD and New York. They are probably one of the 0:01:57.680 --> 0:02:01.000 toughest schools to get yes up partnership. But so I'm 0:02:01.000 --> 0:02:03.960 pretty sure it was a heavy feet all right. Now, 0:02:04.080 --> 0:02:05.480 why don't we get into what are you gonna have 0:02:05.520 --> 0:02:07.920 me eating today? Because you could smell the aromas. 0:02:08.200 --> 0:02:11.720 Yes, so we're eating fried chicken. 0:02:12.600 --> 0:02:15.359 And it's not just fried chicken, it's from our local 0:02:15.480 --> 0:02:16.480 Chinese restaurant. 0:02:17.200 --> 0:02:18.639 So very much a go to. 0:02:20.120 --> 0:02:43.360 For me. 0:02:35.360 --> 0:02:36.679 Last time I was in New York. I want to 0:02:36.720 --> 0:02:38.400 say a couple of times ago. Let's open, let's try 0:02:38.400 --> 0:02:39.919 to take a bite of this. Last time I was 0:02:39.960 --> 0:02:41.600 in New York, I think the last person I had 0:02:41.639 --> 0:02:45.160 me eat this with cipher sounds, you know, yes, yes, 0:02:45.320 --> 0:02:48.360 And when he ate it, he was like, yo, it's 0:02:48.400 --> 0:02:52.360 taking me back. He really enjoyed it, and I enjoyed it. 0:02:52.400 --> 0:02:55.160 But you know, sometimes these Chinese foo spots mess it up. 0:02:55.160 --> 0:02:57.360 But I feel like the fried chicken is. 0:02:57.280 --> 0:03:01.280 Thet It smells good, it has the right amount of crunch, 0:03:03.040 --> 0:03:06.040 so definitely that every time. 0:03:07.520 --> 0:03:13.119 Okhay, oh my god, it's so good. It is now 0:03:13.400 --> 0:03:16.440 just random random. I know this is your broke dish, 0:03:16.440 --> 0:03:18.440 but when was the last time you actually ate this? 0:03:19.440 --> 0:03:23.400 So I haven't had Chinese food in probably about six 0:03:23.520 --> 0:03:24.480 or seven months. 0:03:26.000 --> 0:03:27.639 Oh. 0:03:27.760 --> 0:03:32.520 I have sickle cell disease, okay, and I'm really trying 0:03:32.600 --> 0:03:36.800 to work on my diet and you know, just being 0:03:36.840 --> 0:03:40.920 able to have longevity in life. So I've been watching 0:03:41.200 --> 0:03:44.360 what I eat, trying to cut back on the fry foods, 0:03:44.400 --> 0:03:45.960 more of the fruits and vegetables. 0:03:46.520 --> 0:03:50.160 So what you eat affects the sickle cell. Yes, and 0:03:50.280 --> 0:03:52.600 for listeners that don't know about sickle sell, could you 0:03:52.640 --> 0:03:53.760 tell them a little bit about it? 0:03:53.840 --> 0:03:58.480 Yes, So, sickle cell disease is an inherited blood disease disorder, 0:03:59.240 --> 0:04:02.280 and it affects your red blood cells. So it is 0:04:02.320 --> 0:04:07.280 the lack of oxygen moving through the body which causes 0:04:07.360 --> 0:04:11.960 your bones to form a sickle shape. And when that 0:04:12.120 --> 0:04:15.360 shape forms, when you're in that sickle moment, it's called 0:04:15.360 --> 0:04:19.120 a sickle cell crisis. But any and every joint that 0:04:19.200 --> 0:04:23.560 you can have really hurts at that moment. It's excruciating 0:04:23.600 --> 0:04:27.880 pain and it's really nothing that you can do but 0:04:28.200 --> 0:04:31.880 hydrate yourself. You know, in the past, I've been on 0:04:32.000 --> 0:04:35.760 chronic blood transfusions to try to keep fresh blood coming 0:04:35.800 --> 0:04:38.680 in the body. But that wears and tears on you. 0:04:38.760 --> 0:04:43.600 So unfortunately, it's a disease that I've been born with 0:04:43.960 --> 0:04:46.479 and I'm going to continue to live with. But it's 0:04:46.640 --> 0:04:49.960 very painful and it attacks the bodies. It attacks you. 0:04:50.080 --> 0:04:54.120 So your immune system is not strong like the average 0:04:54.120 --> 0:04:58.200 person's immune system, and any and everything can really cause 0:04:58.839 --> 0:05:03.960 that change in health to where your bones and your 0:05:04.000 --> 0:05:07.279 body's just aching. Lack of oxygen to the chest, it 0:05:07.279 --> 0:05:08.200 gets really difficult. 0:05:08.240 --> 0:05:10.880 Oh wow, So there's no way to actually predict it. 0:05:10.960 --> 0:05:13.560 But no, but the best thing you could do is 0:05:13.600 --> 0:05:16.080 watch diet. Yes, so you utivity. 0:05:16.640 --> 0:05:19.800 I'm watching my diet the best that I can, right 0:05:19.960 --> 0:05:22.839 because a part of it is when you are in 0:05:23.000 --> 0:05:28.440 so much pain, it's really hard to even consume food 0:05:28.560 --> 0:05:31.279 that you would normally, you know, consume because you're just 0:05:31.320 --> 0:05:34.880 in so much pain. But watching my diet definitely trying 0:05:34.880 --> 0:05:38.360 to manage stress because it is an illness that can 0:05:38.400 --> 0:05:42.599 be brought upon when the individual is really under a 0:05:42.600 --> 0:05:46.320 lot of stress. So managing that, dressing warm according to 0:05:46.400 --> 0:05:49.640 the weather, you know, when the weather changes, we have 0:05:49.720 --> 0:05:53.160 to be prepared and changed before so that we can 0:05:53.320 --> 0:05:58.159 kind of protect ourselves against coals and the flus and. 0:05:58.040 --> 0:05:58.680 Things like that. 0:05:58.760 --> 0:06:01.359 So it is definitely a full time job. 0:06:02.279 --> 0:06:08.080 I would imagine though, being an entrepreneur and stress goal 0:06:08.240 --> 0:06:09.120 kind of hand and hand. 0:06:09.080 --> 0:06:09.600 Hand in hand. 0:06:09.760 --> 0:06:15.280 How do you, I guess, reduce your stress levels? Like, 0:06:15.320 --> 0:06:19.920 how can you do that? Because entrepreneurship is pretty much unpredictable. 0:06:19.920 --> 0:06:20.400 It's rough. 0:06:20.720 --> 0:06:23.520 So for me, you know, one of the things that 0:06:23.560 --> 0:06:28.359 I do is communicate, right. I find that when my 0:06:28.800 --> 0:06:34.040 employees or my mentors allow me the ability to talk 0:06:34.160 --> 0:06:37.719 through a lot of my challenges. It alleviates some of 0:06:37.760 --> 0:06:40.440 my stress. So although the stress is there, but if 0:06:40.480 --> 0:06:44.599 I'm able to communicate and really just express myself, it 0:06:44.720 --> 0:06:47.520 helps me. So it doesn't feel like I'm doing this 0:06:47.640 --> 0:06:50.080 on my own and I'm, you know, relying on that 0:06:50.200 --> 0:06:54.560 village to help me. In the business, time management is 0:06:54.760 --> 0:06:57.800 what I'm finding to be more successful the more that 0:06:57.880 --> 0:07:01.760 I manage my time, meaning I have to take care 0:07:01.760 --> 0:07:05.200 of myself. So my monthly hematology appointments, I have to 0:07:05.240 --> 0:07:07.599 make them. I want to know what my blood levels 0:07:07.600 --> 0:07:12.400 are beforehand. So just carving out the schedule where it's 0:07:12.480 --> 0:07:17.240 conducive to me and my illness is big for success. Now, 0:07:17.280 --> 0:07:21.080 when I'm not doing those things and I'm completely elevated 0:07:21.320 --> 0:07:25.120 and completely stressed out, nine out of ten times I'm 0:07:25.160 --> 0:07:28.480 in the hospital because that's what it does to your body, 0:07:28.920 --> 0:07:29.840 just a complete shock. 0:07:30.280 --> 0:07:34.040 Oh gosh, Well, you've had a lifetime so far to 0:07:34.120 --> 0:07:36.880 kind of get it right. So take me back to 0:07:36.920 --> 0:07:41.920 what was going on in the Fried Chicken survival mode error. 0:07:42.040 --> 0:07:43.960 Can you take me back to that pivotal moment where 0:07:44.120 --> 0:07:45.840 when you thought about what am I gonna have on 0:07:45.880 --> 0:07:47.960 eating while broke? I think I'm gonna go with fried 0:07:48.080 --> 0:07:50.760 chicken or chicken Alfred. Oh, can you take me back 0:07:50.800 --> 0:07:52.520 to that era of time? What was going on? 0:07:53.120 --> 0:07:57.640 Yeah, I just had my daughter, so fresh into motherhood 0:07:58.200 --> 0:08:02.920 and really trying to balance being a mom but not 0:08:03.040 --> 0:08:07.240 wanting to be home, right. I really wanted to continue 0:08:07.280 --> 0:08:09.840 my journey and working with young people. So what I 0:08:09.840 --> 0:08:12.600 would do is, I'm rushing to take my daughter to school. 0:08:13.200 --> 0:08:16.640 I'm working and going into a school building, and then 0:08:16.680 --> 0:08:20.800 I'm rushing home, and I'm just grabbing that meal, right 0:08:20.920 --> 0:08:25.800 and Chinese chicken and the wings and fried rice was 0:08:25.840 --> 0:08:30.000 my go to meal, something that I can get while 0:08:30.040 --> 0:08:35.800 coming in and really just affordable rights, something that I 0:08:36.440 --> 0:08:38.880 something that I know I could afford at that time. 0:08:39.400 --> 0:08:43.720 Timing is everything, you know. Having the disease and then 0:08:44.000 --> 0:08:48.400 bearing a child is big, is big, and I knew 0:08:48.400 --> 0:08:52.400 that it was going to be a challenge, and you know, 0:08:52.520 --> 0:08:55.680 so I wanted to ensure that I was able to 0:08:55.720 --> 0:08:58.200 do that, but I still wanted to have a career. 0:08:58.840 --> 0:09:01.720 What were you doing prior to having the baby? 0:09:02.360 --> 0:09:05.560 So prior to having my daughter, I was working, but 0:09:05.840 --> 0:09:09.559 working wasn't as major as it become as it became 0:09:09.640 --> 0:09:10.400 after adder. 0:09:10.679 --> 0:09:13.080 So I would work in schools. I was teaching. 0:09:13.400 --> 0:09:17.560 Oh, you were still in education, always an educator, always teaching. 0:09:17.840 --> 0:09:21.679 I would work with other nonprofits. I had many jobs, right, 0:09:21.720 --> 0:09:26.080 But the idea was that I could not remain consistent 0:09:26.200 --> 0:09:30.800 because I couldn't remain healthy right, And corporate America wasn't 0:09:30.840 --> 0:09:34.840 accustomed to folks saying, hey, listen, I'm really not well today. 0:09:34.960 --> 0:09:36.440 You know I can't come in today. 0:09:36.960 --> 0:09:38.920 You look at me now and you say, wow, you 0:09:38.960 --> 0:09:41.840 look great, you look strong and healthy. 0:09:41.960 --> 0:09:43.600 I can leave here and in ten minutes I'm in 0:09:43.640 --> 0:09:44.160 a crisis. 0:09:44.559 --> 0:09:47.120 So with sickle cell, is that something that you would 0:09:47.200 --> 0:09:50.320 disclaim upfront or would you be more fearful to tell employer? No. 0:09:50.360 --> 0:09:53.800 I would always tell my employers upfront because it's a 0:09:53.840 --> 0:09:56.600 part of me right, and I know that I can't 0:09:56.640 --> 0:09:59.720 prevent what may happen. You know, no one wants to 0:09:59.720 --> 0:10:02.320 be but you don't know when that's gonna happen. So 0:10:02.440 --> 0:10:04.760 I've always been an upfront person because it's a part 0:10:04.760 --> 0:10:08.800 of my journey. However, you know, I think once an 0:10:08.840 --> 0:10:11.880 employer hires someone and they need them and they get 0:10:11.920 --> 0:10:16.520 them in the workforce, then they just don't understand how they. 0:10:16.400 --> 0:10:17.040 Own this works. 0:10:17.320 --> 0:10:20.280 Right, you were here today, you did great, fine, you 0:10:20.360 --> 0:10:22.800 seem fine, and now all of a sudden, you can't 0:10:22.840 --> 0:10:25.200 come in or you're at the hospital. So I knew 0:10:25.240 --> 0:10:27.480 it was that moment that I had to make a decision. 0:10:28.040 --> 0:10:30.480 And the decision was, Yeah, I have my daughter. I 0:10:30.559 --> 0:10:33.200 need a career, but not only that, I want a career, 0:10:33.600 --> 0:10:36.200 and then what am I going to be able to 0:10:36.280 --> 0:10:39.240 do that's going to allow me to take care of 0:10:39.240 --> 0:10:42.520 myself and really accept the fact that if I'm not well, 0:10:42.920 --> 0:10:43.800 I can't be there. 0:10:44.400 --> 0:10:48.640 And that was me creating Elite Learners, Inc. And becoming 0:10:48.679 --> 0:10:49.400 an entrepreneur. 0:10:50.160 --> 0:10:53.480 Now when you pitch a family, hey I'm gonna go 0:10:53.600 --> 0:10:56.080 into Elite Learners or I don't know if you pitched it, 0:10:56.120 --> 0:11:01.840 but typically from that hospital, yeah, I had a black 0:11:01.880 --> 0:11:06.520 and white notebook and from the bed, they will go, 0:11:06.760 --> 0:11:07.440 you sick. 0:11:07.240 --> 0:11:10.040 Again, What are you going to do? What did the 0:11:10.160 --> 0:11:12.880 job say? What about the kids? 0:11:12.960 --> 0:11:13.160 You know? 0:11:13.200 --> 0:11:14.640 What did the principles say? 0:11:14.679 --> 0:11:18.400 And I'm like, so from the bed, it was a conversation. 0:11:18.720 --> 0:11:22.280 I am going to pivot and I'm going to find 0:11:22.320 --> 0:11:26.240 something that allows me to be a mom but also 0:11:26.679 --> 0:11:29.760 something that I can take care of myself and impact 0:11:30.120 --> 0:11:32.080 youth impact. 0:11:31.640 --> 0:11:33.960 Youth, and you need it. Being a momm you also 0:11:34.000 --> 0:11:37.200 need that like kind of unpredictable schedule because now you 0:11:37.240 --> 0:11:40.000 have you have you are juggling too things here, you're 0:11:40.040 --> 0:11:44.960 juggling sickle, which is in my opinion, its own monster. 0:11:45.559 --> 0:11:47.680 Then you have it because it's unpredictable. Then you have 0:11:47.760 --> 0:11:49.640 your child, which I'm a new mom, I get it. 0:11:49.720 --> 0:11:53.760 Like you're on call, You're on demand. Yes, you're on 0:11:54.080 --> 0:11:57.040 and as a mom, you're like even more wanted on 0:11:57.120 --> 0:11:59.920 demand as far as like the nurturing and the neediness. Right. 0:12:01.280 --> 0:12:03.400 But then you're like, Okay, now I'm gonna want to 0:12:03.440 --> 0:12:06.920 add this business to my life. What is the first 0:12:06.960 --> 0:12:10.800 steps you took when you decided to launch Elite Learners. 0:12:11.280 --> 0:12:14.839 My first step was to get the name. Okay, security name, 0:12:15.720 --> 0:12:19.120 security name. And the name came about because as I 0:12:19.240 --> 0:12:22.280 was explaining this vision I had, everyone would say, well. 0:12:22.120 --> 0:12:24.920 What are you gonna name it? I don't know, but 0:12:25.040 --> 0:12:29.640 whatever we do, whatever I do, it has to be elite. 0:12:30.760 --> 0:12:31.120 Oh. 0:12:31.240 --> 0:12:32.560 I like that. 0:12:32.559 --> 0:12:35.520 That was the conversation. Listen, I really like that if 0:12:35.559 --> 0:12:41.120 I am going to bring services to communities like mine, right, 0:12:41.280 --> 0:12:44.960 me being from Brownsville, Brooklyn, it's going to be elite. 0:12:45.400 --> 0:12:48.880 It's going to be the highest caliber of service. We 0:12:48.920 --> 0:12:51.240 are going to do everything. 0:12:50.880 --> 0:12:54.280 To the best of our ability. So we knew. I 0:12:54.360 --> 0:12:55.720 knew elite, elite? 0:12:55.840 --> 0:12:56.679 Was it? I like that? 0:12:56.880 --> 0:12:58.880 And then I had to figure out, how is this 0:12:58.920 --> 0:13:04.160 girl from Brownsville, Brownsville, Brooklyn tackle corporate America. You know 0:13:04.240 --> 0:13:06.800 what it's like to be outside and be in the 0:13:06.800 --> 0:13:10.360 community and hang out, but want to be influential. And 0:13:10.400 --> 0:13:11.880 I knew that I was going to be the voice 0:13:12.040 --> 0:13:14.840 of the young people that is, so what am I 0:13:14.880 --> 0:13:16.400 going to do? So I knew it was a lot 0:13:16.440 --> 0:13:18.560 of teaching involved, It's going to be a lot of 0:13:18.920 --> 0:13:20.280 learning experiences. 0:13:20.679 --> 0:13:22.600 So it came up elite learners. 0:13:22.240 --> 0:13:26.200 In Now, what was the initial need that you were like, 0:13:26.440 --> 0:13:29.440 is not being met that you saw where you had 0:13:29.480 --> 0:13:30.680 to create elite. 0:13:31.080 --> 0:13:36.120 School based programs that actually captured students' attention. 0:13:36.880 --> 0:13:39.120 You know, those programs that you can't wait to get to. 0:13:39.520 --> 0:13:42.720 You're in the class and you're like when it's because 0:13:42.760 --> 0:13:45.760 I got to get to that class. I was that 0:13:45.960 --> 0:13:49.000 person in the school. Right, you walk into lunch. 0:13:48.840 --> 0:13:52.600 Room, all of the kids run to you, They're excited 0:13:52.640 --> 0:13:55.559 to see you. You know, life. 0:13:56.960 --> 0:13:59.560 It's heavy for our kids that are going to school, right, 0:13:59.800 --> 0:14:01.960 and sometimes when you walk in those buildings, you want 0:14:01.960 --> 0:14:04.800 to know that there's someone that you can talk to, 0:14:04.880 --> 0:14:07.400 someone that's safe. So I knew that there was a 0:14:07.440 --> 0:14:11.240 need for programs, but not just regular programs, programs that 0:14:11.720 --> 0:14:17.440 gave hands on experience, programs that allow young people to 0:14:17.640 --> 0:14:23.320 talk their problems to their mentors, problem solve, mediate conflict, 0:14:23.360 --> 0:14:26.640 those type of programs, and then programs that had excellent, 0:14:27.240 --> 0:14:31.160 you know gear materials, you know, top of the line. 0:14:31.440 --> 0:14:33.400 So that was the first thing. And all of our 0:14:33.440 --> 0:14:38.680 programs is our mentorship through so it's mentorship through sports, 0:14:38.720 --> 0:14:42.800 mentorship through culinary and you know, that allows for our 0:14:42.840 --> 0:14:46.400 instructors to not only be instructors, but to be instructors 0:14:46.480 --> 0:14:48.360 and acting mentors to the students. 0:14:48.520 --> 0:14:52.760 I love that. Now, what were some of the tougher hats, 0:14:52.800 --> 0:14:55.520 Because if you're on the service side of a company, 0:14:56.160 --> 0:14:59.400 you're the service brider, you're the teacher, you're you know, 0:15:00.160 --> 0:15:06.160 the other side of entrepreneurship is typically sales, sales and marketing, Right, 0:15:06.320 --> 0:15:08.920 these are if you're on the service side, If you're 0:15:08.960 --> 0:15:11.640 like say the chef of the restaurant, you enjoy cooking 0:15:11.680 --> 0:15:13.880 the food. But you want but you have to step 0:15:13.920 --> 0:15:18.680 out of the comfort zone and you know, do all 0:15:18.720 --> 0:15:21.280 the other stuff, negotiate your leases or what have you. 0:15:22.080 --> 0:15:24.880 In your case, what was some of the hurdles that 0:15:24.920 --> 0:15:27.960 you would say you faced in getting out of your 0:15:28.000 --> 0:15:31.000 comfort zone? And what was out of your comfort zone 0:15:31.040 --> 0:15:31.280 to you? 0:15:33.040 --> 0:15:37.120 Out of my comfort zone was actually asking for what 0:15:37.680 --> 0:15:41.200 I needed in order to do the work. Right, So 0:15:41.280 --> 0:15:44.840 being able to present, to talk about my company, to 0:15:44.920 --> 0:15:49.640 talk about, you know, what resources are needed, to start 0:15:49.680 --> 0:15:51.479 to advocate for communities. 0:15:52.240 --> 0:15:53.760 All of that was foreign to me. 0:15:54.360 --> 0:15:58.680 Right, This is someone who want to do so many 0:15:58.720 --> 0:16:01.840 things but lived in a shell. So now I now 0:16:01.920 --> 0:16:04.200 have to break out of that shell because I got 0:16:04.200 --> 0:16:07.880 to be able to represent my business and represent you know, 0:16:07.960 --> 0:16:10.920 the vision and the mission that I see for young people. 0:16:11.160 --> 0:16:16.200 So definitely number one, I would say asking for funding, right, so. 0:16:16.160 --> 0:16:18.760 Trying to get and like what was that approach? How 0:16:18.760 --> 0:16:19.320 did it look? 0:16:19.720 --> 0:16:23.040 And so my first funder, I definitely would say the 0:16:23.040 --> 0:16:27.240 New York City Doe, right was education, the education now 0:16:27.320 --> 0:16:30.240 New York City public schools, but the principles in the 0:16:30.320 --> 0:16:34.800 areas I went back home, right, went back to my community. 0:16:35.040 --> 0:16:38.120 That's where I wanted to start, so definitely reaching out 0:16:38.160 --> 0:16:42.200 to those principles and allowing them to see my program 0:16:42.240 --> 0:16:44.320 and then deciding that they would want to work with 0:16:44.360 --> 0:16:45.160 me as a vendor. 0:16:45.760 --> 0:16:48.120 Was it hard to like name your price or did 0:16:48.160 --> 0:16:50.760 you try and do like a competitive scope. 0:16:51.120 --> 0:16:53.440 Yeah, it's it's it's hard because. 0:16:53.200 --> 0:16:54.640 You got to get them to take a chance on 0:16:54.640 --> 0:16:55.440 a brand new. 0:16:55.400 --> 0:16:58.160 Brand new and that's what And in the beginning it 0:16:58.320 --> 0:17:01.760 was a lot of volunteer work. 0:17:02.200 --> 0:17:02.840 It was a lot. 0:17:02.960 --> 0:17:06.959 I was not afraid to volunteer to show you know 0:17:07.080 --> 0:17:10.760 what I bring. And then you want to see the difference, right, 0:17:10.800 --> 0:17:12.560 You want to know that if you're working with the 0:17:12.680 --> 0:17:17.200 vendor that is working with some of our students that 0:17:17.640 --> 0:17:20.919 normally don't come to school or maybe late to school. Right, 0:17:20.960 --> 0:17:23.639 you want to know that after that work has begun, 0:17:23.720 --> 0:17:26.800 you see a difference, You see progress in the students 0:17:26.800 --> 0:17:28.560 that they're working with. So we did a lot of 0:17:28.640 --> 0:17:29.760 volunteer services. 0:17:30.280 --> 0:17:33.960 Now, when you do volunteer services, you're in for another 0:17:34.080 --> 0:17:37.840 tricky bit because you are providing for your child, you're 0:17:37.880 --> 0:17:41.480 providing for yourself, and you're providing for this brand new company. 0:17:41.680 --> 0:17:45.679 And volunteer doesn't exactly keep people on your team. And 0:17:45.720 --> 0:17:50.320 it also makes you a triple headed person with sickle 0:17:50.359 --> 0:17:51.160 cell respectively. 0:17:51.240 --> 0:17:54.119 So yes, and you know what that brings me back 0:17:54.359 --> 0:17:57.360 to this, right, It became a point in my business 0:17:57.760 --> 0:18:02.800 where I knew not having a store front was detrimental, Right. 0:18:03.280 --> 0:18:06.480 I didn't have a place that my young people could 0:18:06.480 --> 0:18:10.480 come outside of their school to work with the organization. 0:18:11.040 --> 0:18:14.040 And I wanted that place so bad that I stepped 0:18:14.040 --> 0:18:19.119 out and rented our first office, our first store front. 0:18:19.760 --> 0:18:24.240 And I kid you not, that first month I signed 0:18:24.240 --> 0:18:27.399 the lease. The day I signed the lease, I stood 0:18:27.400 --> 0:18:30.600 there and I looked around and it was a white box. 0:18:31.119 --> 0:18:33.960 You know when you buy a storefront, you know the 0:18:34.040 --> 0:18:37.119 term white box. I didn't know any of this, and 0:18:37.280 --> 0:18:39.159 I signed, got to keys and went in and it 0:18:39.240 --> 0:18:42.080 was literally a white box. So that means I had 0:18:42.119 --> 0:18:46.639 to do everything. And leaving there, I remember saying to myself, 0:18:47.359 --> 0:18:50.199 this is the time that I make the decision do 0:18:50.280 --> 0:18:53.200 I pay my rent at home or do I pay 0:18:53.240 --> 0:18:54.040 my rent. 0:18:54.040 --> 0:18:55.159 In the storefront. 0:18:56.000 --> 0:18:58.240 And I knew at that moment I was paying my 0:18:58.280 --> 0:19:00.760 rent in the store from of course, not my rant. 0:19:00.960 --> 0:19:04.919 Of course, what kind of logical entrepreneur would do it 0:19:04.920 --> 0:19:08.280 the other way? Right, so logic there, Yes. 0:19:08.200 --> 0:19:11.879 So I secured the next month's rent at the storefront, 0:19:11.920 --> 0:19:12.960 did not pay my rent? 0:19:13.240 --> 0:19:15.200 Oh you actually did forego your own rent? 0:19:15.320 --> 0:19:15.600 Yes? 0:19:15.960 --> 0:19:19.040 Oh, yes, what, yes, I didn't have anything. 0:19:19.280 --> 0:19:22.280 So but did you have a path on before you 0:19:22.359 --> 0:19:24.000 sign this lease, on how you're going to make the 0:19:24.040 --> 0:19:24.960 revenue to pay. 0:19:24.800 --> 0:19:25.520 For the lease? 0:19:25.320 --> 0:19:25.359 No? 0:19:26.280 --> 0:19:27.520 Oh, you're all faith No. 0:19:27.720 --> 0:19:31.040 I only I knew that it was an hindrance to 0:19:31.080 --> 0:19:35.359 my young people because school would dismiss at two twenty 0:19:36.119 --> 0:19:38.760 and if there's no after school program, and I wasn't 0:19:38.760 --> 0:19:41.400 a large enough vendor to be the after school program 0:19:41.440 --> 0:19:44.040 at that time, so that means that there's no place 0:19:44.040 --> 0:19:44.879 for the children to go. 0:19:45.240 --> 0:19:48.400 But they didn't when you're they didn't say, hey, even 0:19:48.400 --> 0:19:50.320 though we have an after school program in the school, 0:19:50.359 --> 0:19:53.600 will allow you this certain area. To know, my princes 0:19:53.880 --> 0:19:56.919 always wondered if schools would allow to My principal said, 0:19:57.400 --> 0:19:59.720 and it was very much appreciated. 0:19:59.760 --> 0:20:04.160 She said, you can use the space anytime during the day. 0:20:05.080 --> 0:20:08.840 But you know, unfortunately it's not open twenty four hours 0:20:08.840 --> 0:20:10.639 a day, seven days a week. It's not open on 0:20:10.680 --> 0:20:13.080 the weekends. And this is all I could offer you. 0:20:13.119 --> 0:20:15.200 And at that time, I said, you know what, I'm 0:20:15.240 --> 0:20:17.480 gonna take it because I got to start somewhere. So 0:20:17.520 --> 0:20:19.480 I had a little office and I had a little 0:20:19.480 --> 0:20:22.360 you know, computer setup during the day, but I had 0:20:22.400 --> 0:20:24.320 no I had no place to. 0:20:24.359 --> 0:20:25.440 Get to grow the business. 0:20:25.520 --> 0:20:28.520 So you didn't think that possibly trying I'm trying to 0:20:28.520 --> 0:20:31.159 play Devil's advocate here, you didn't think about those living 0:20:31.240 --> 0:20:33.560 work spaces. I don't know if they have those out here. 0:20:33.560 --> 0:20:35.320 I know in Kelly they do. They have like the 0:20:35.920 --> 0:20:38.000 you have that's on the bottom, and then you have the. 0:20:38.520 --> 0:20:42.240 At that time, I couldn't I knew I couldn't afford anything. 0:20:42.560 --> 0:20:44.080 And you had to be in a certain area, right. 0:20:44.040 --> 0:20:45.679 Yeah, I was in my area. Yeah it was. 0:20:45.920 --> 0:20:49.080 It was in the Brownsfelt section of Brooklyn. So I 0:20:49.400 --> 0:20:50.360 got those keys. 0:20:50.640 --> 0:20:52.600 Just so you guys know, just to fast forward a 0:20:52.640 --> 0:20:55.840 little bit, she has four locations now, right, Yes, four locations. 0:20:55.840 --> 0:20:59.080 So that's a huge leap of faith to skip rent on. 0:20:59.400 --> 0:21:03.320 How long did you have to kind of like balance 0:21:03.359 --> 0:21:05.120 the rent Dance Act? 0:21:05.240 --> 0:21:07.760 So I did that for two years? 0:21:08.400 --> 0:21:10.760 Two years? So what would you do, like play two 0:21:10.840 --> 0:21:12.760 months with from where was that? 0:21:13.040 --> 0:21:15.399