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Speaker 1: Hey, hey, ba fam, it's time for another Holla back Monday,

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Speaker 1: Woop woop. This week we're featuring a social justice advocate

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Speaker 1: and award winning author, none other than Christine Platt, also

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Speaker 1: known as the Afro Minimalist. Oh my god, she was

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Speaker 1: so amazing and disgorgeous. Learn why less means Liberation?

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Speaker 2: Did you hear that?

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Speaker 1: And check out her most reason book, The Afro Minimalist

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Speaker 1: Guide to Living with Less. Give it a listen.

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Speaker 2: Hey, hey, hey, we're back. We're black, We're brown and

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Speaker 2: ambitch young hey manjam come.

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Speaker 3: Through baritone hellower register. Well, we are praying that your

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Speaker 3: internet lets us do this episode, come on Optimum.

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Speaker 1: I just I don't know what to do, honestly, I

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Speaker 1: uh ba fam, if you because where I live in Newark,

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Speaker 1: they're literally the only game in town. And for some reason,

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Speaker 1: it's just been going in and out. I literally bought

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Speaker 1: a brand new router, a brand new modem, all the

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Speaker 1: things I've had tech come out three times, I've tweeted

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Speaker 1: I don't know what to do, you know, And.

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Speaker 3: This is a social justice issue. It is a humanitarian crisis.

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Speaker 2: It is a right issue.

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Speaker 4: We need our internet.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, I just you know, we need, especially now more

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Speaker 1: than ever we did our internet, So I'm honestly I

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Speaker 1: don't I'm not sure like what to do. I mean,

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Speaker 1: I'm gonna call them again and be like, uh war,

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Speaker 1: please somebody something, so we shall see. So how have

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Speaker 1: you been?

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Speaker 4: Oh, I've been great.

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Speaker 3: I just celebrated my five months of being a freelancer

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Speaker 3: being an entrepreneur, which is already I know. I was

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Speaker 3: doing the math and I was like, surely not. Five

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Speaker 3: months of having a human took a lot longer than

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Speaker 3: five months of being an entrepreneur.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, five whole months.

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Speaker 3: And I have a meeting with well, me and husby

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Speaker 3: have a session with my dear dear financial planner Helen

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Speaker 3: tomorrow too, and it's our first call.

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Speaker 4: Since the call we had.

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Speaker 3: When she was like, you should just go independent and

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Speaker 3: I said, you make it sound so easy and then

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Speaker 3: I did it. So it's kind of a touch base

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Speaker 3: and you know, I don't know what we're going to

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Speaker 3: talk about in particular, but she'll probably want to look

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Speaker 3: at my cash flow and how things are going, and.

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Speaker 4: I'm yeah, it's it's been.

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Speaker 3: It's been a good I kind of was like into

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Speaker 3: my feels last night about it because I feel like

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Speaker 3: I've done really damn well for five halfs in business.

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Speaker 5: Girl.

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Speaker 2: First of all, you were number one trending on CNBC. Okay, yeah,

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Speaker 2: I still got it.

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Speaker 4: A yeah, I was out of the Girl.

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Speaker 2: It's so crazy. My friend Cabrel texts me.

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Speaker 1: He was like, isn't this your friend, Mandy, She's on

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Speaker 1: my phone.

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Speaker 3: I was like, no, I feel like the little kid's

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Speaker 3: sister who goes to college after their big sister who

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Speaker 3: was like valedictorian.

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Speaker 4: Yeah.

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Speaker 3: It's been really freaking fantastic and I have Yeah, so

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Speaker 3: I'm excited to talk to Helen, and I've just been

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Speaker 3: kind of I'm kind of approaching my whole business kind

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Speaker 3: of quarterly, and my first quarter was like is this

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Speaker 3: even a thing? And it definitely is. So for the

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Speaker 3: last few months of this year, I'm actually trying to

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Speaker 3: slow slow down. I'm trying to take in less work

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Speaker 3: because it's been like just pouring in and actually focus

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Speaker 3: on investing time into something that hopefully will pay off.

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Speaker 4: But I have to really.

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Speaker 3: Spend the time to do it and then hopefully I

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Speaker 3: can launch it towards the end of the year. So

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Speaker 3: big things popping, but.

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Speaker 4: It's been a fun ride. What about you.

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Speaker 1: Honestly, it's been like it's been really good over here.

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Speaker 1: I mean we have been I've been making the transition

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Speaker 1: from life. You know, I don't know a personality brand.

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Speaker 1: I mean we as I've always had like a business

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Speaker 1: behind the scenes, but we had some real opportunities to

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Speaker 1: like quadruple business.

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Speaker 2: If we buckle down and do.

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Speaker 1: The necessary work. So like I'm we're totally overhauling the

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Speaker 1: Literature Academy. And as a result, if we do, like

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Speaker 1: we always do projections for the year, like we should

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Speaker 1: be you know, like potentially just under twenty million dollars

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Speaker 1: next year and then fifty in the next three years,

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Speaker 1: if we do what we're supposed to do. But none

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Speaker 1: of that is like instagrammables, you know what I mean,

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Speaker 1: Like I had to the transition for me has been

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Speaker 1: difficult in reminding myself like although you know, social media

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Speaker 1: and things can be fun, that I have to be

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Speaker 1: mindful that, you know, I want to put things in

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Speaker 1: place where you know, I all this work has been

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Speaker 1: for something, you know what I mean. So just making

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Speaker 1: those transitions, they are like a lot of behind the

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Speaker 1: scene things that have nothing to do with like you know,

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Speaker 1: external stuff that like we're really putting into place and

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Speaker 1: buckling down to be like a business, business business, and

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Speaker 1: so it's just exciting. Yeah, and so that's what's been happening.

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Speaker 1: It's just been a lot of We've been a lot

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Speaker 1: of growing up in business. Like so I can literally

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Speaker 1: feel like, oh, this is the next level for us.

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Speaker 3: So so yeah, but I know we have which is

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Speaker 3: that I just wanted to share. There's this quote that

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Speaker 3: we actually shared on our social from MICHAELA.

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Speaker 4: Coles.

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Speaker 3: She was the woman who just won an Emmy. I

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Speaker 3: think she was the first black woman or a black

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Speaker 3: person ever to win an Emmy for writing of a series.

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Speaker 3: She wrote the series This May Destroy You. And one

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Speaker 3: of her viral quotes from that acceptance speech was do

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Speaker 3: not be afraid to disappear from it, from us for

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Speaker 3: a while and see what comes to you in the silence.

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Speaker 4: And she really was speaking.

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Speaker 3: To like, get the f off social media and go

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Speaker 3: do the damn thing.

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Speaker 1: So I'm telling you what I tell you, Like that

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Speaker 1: that's six weeks away that I took and then consequently

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Speaker 1: not coming back to social media like full time. I

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Speaker 1: have not been really back. I took all the apps

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Speaker 1: off my phone. I only put it on when I

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Speaker 1: go live, and I take them off again and I

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Speaker 1: let the team do their postings. It has done more

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Speaker 1: for business for me than anything else. And so I

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Speaker 1: encourage people to take a moment. Don't get me wrong,

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Speaker 1: Like our engagement is not as high as it was,

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Speaker 1: but I had to tell my team today honestly, I

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Speaker 1: don't care because that doesn't pay the bills, you know

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Speaker 1: what I mean, Like, it doesn't not in a concrete way,

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Speaker 1: like what we're going to be able to do as

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Speaker 1: a result of the choices that we're making now. It

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Speaker 1: is transformative for my team, it is transformative for the

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Speaker 1: women that we serve. It's transformative for myself and my family.

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Speaker 1: It's transformative for our community. It's just like the things

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Speaker 1: that we're doing now because we have the space to

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Speaker 1: do it. I'm just excited about. It's just the next

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Speaker 1: phase of business, Like you know, we're officially going to

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Speaker 1: go from small to medium sized business to like a

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Speaker 1: business business. Like you know, we have the potential to

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Speaker 1: be nine figures, you know, if we focus, which we are.

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Speaker 1: And so yeah, don't be afraid to take step back.

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Speaker 1: Everything is not social medium, you know, once you learn

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Speaker 1: that you don't need the external applause. You know, then

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Speaker 1: you can navigate differently and navigate in a way that's

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Speaker 1: more meaningful.

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Speaker 3: Absolutely. Well, I'm excited for you. I know all the

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Speaker 3: hard work you're doing in the background. Well no I

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Speaker 3: don't because you keep it under wraps. But anyway, I

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Speaker 3: know you're out there working and walking and listening to

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Speaker 3: your audiobooks and getting the damn thing done.

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Speaker 1: Well, we have, speaking of books, we have an exciting

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Speaker 1: guest today.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, so you met our guest today, Christine Platt, at

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Speaker 3: a book signing, because you know, that's just how a

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Speaker 3: normal tuesday for you, signing your best selling book. But no,

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Speaker 3: I'm so excited because Christine Platt is our guest today

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Speaker 3: and she is called the Afro Minimalist, and her new

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Speaker 3: book is literally a blueprint for anyone looking to cut

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Speaker 3: back on the things that we are over consuming, you know,

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Speaker 3: letting pile up in our homes, in our spaces that

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Speaker 3: are just stifling us and stifling our growth. And she's

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Speaker 3: got some really fun gems to share.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, so you guys are gonna enjoy Christine.

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Speaker 3: Well, shall we take a little breaky break, and we'll

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Speaker 3: come back with our guest today, Christina, and definitely check

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Speaker 3: the show notes and you can find where to follow her,

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Speaker 3: where to get her book again, The Afrominimalist, and how

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Speaker 3: to catch up on all of her amazing advice.

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Speaker 2: We told you we were coming back and back.

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Speaker 1: With somebody amazing we have with us, Christine Platt aka

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Speaker 1: the Afro Minimalists. Okay, oh you didn't know black people

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Speaker 1: could be minimalists. Oh you know, yeah, everybody. Everybody doesn't

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Speaker 1: want the you know, the grandma filled house with the

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Speaker 1: plastic furniture and the chachkis everywhere. Some people, you know,

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Speaker 1: they thrive with lesson.

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Speaker 6: Yes.

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Speaker 1: So I just like I met Christine in person anyway

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Speaker 1: for the first time at Mahogany Books in was that

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Speaker 1: is National Harbor, Christine?

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Speaker 2: Is that DC? Or is that Maryland?

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Speaker 6: Technically Oxen Hill, Maryland, but you know we claim it

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Speaker 6: in DC.

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Speaker 1: So and so we met at this amazing black bookstore

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Speaker 1: called Mohockey Books. They were having a bookstore opening. Shout

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Speaker 1: out to Ramonda and your amazing husband. I just we

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Speaker 1: just really clicked and we just got to talk in

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Speaker 1: and I was like, you need to come on the podcast,

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Speaker 1: and yeah, you know.

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Speaker 6: I'm so happy to be here. Thank you both for

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Speaker 6: having me. I'm so excited.

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Speaker 3: Absolutely, I'm excited to meet you too. And I think

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Speaker 3: even just Tiffany when she came back from that book

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Speaker 3: signing that y'all did together, she was just gushing about you,

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Speaker 3: and then we couldn't stop talking about the connection between

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Speaker 3: your idea of afrominimalism and minimalism in general and how

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Speaker 3: it relates to finances. So I would love to just

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Speaker 3: have you describe or like define, what do you mean

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Speaker 3: by afrominimalism. And for those of you who haven't ever

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Speaker 3: seen Christine, she's literally like a minimalist with no afro,

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Speaker 3: just a delightful you have a perfectly shaped head for

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Speaker 3: the shaved dome.

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Speaker 4: Beautiful.

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Speaker 6: But tell us it's a teeny weeny afro. Okay, it's there,

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Speaker 6: micro friend, yes, microfro, minimalist fro.

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Speaker 7: Yeah it was.

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Speaker 6: It was wonderful meeting Tiffany in person at Mahogany Books,

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Speaker 6: and I think it's I just want to shout us

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Speaker 6: both out. We are both number one and number two

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Speaker 6: in sales at that store, so I think it speaks

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Speaker 6: volumes to you know, people's interest in finances and you

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Speaker 6: know their over consumption right now. Uh, Afro minimalism, it's

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Speaker 6: really just my approach to minimalism, which is a minimalist

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Speaker 6: lifestyle influenced by the African diaspora. I am a historian

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Speaker 6: and lawyer by trade, and you know, the history of

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Speaker 6: black folks is really important to me. I love the

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Speaker 6: beauty and culture of the African diaspor and so I

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Speaker 6: weave that into my approach to minimalism, which at the time.

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Speaker 6: Uh so, this is about five years ago when I

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Speaker 6: first like really honed in on this approach, it was

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Speaker 6: very unconventional, right. I think people think of minimalism number one,

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Speaker 6: it evokes this idea of scarcity and lack, right, But

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Speaker 6: even more than that, it's devoid of color, it's devoid

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Speaker 6: of texture, it's devoid of.

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Speaker 4: Culture, right showroom.

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Speaker 6: Yeah, Yeah, it's like super Scandinavian and we are like

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Speaker 6: not in most of us are not in, you know,

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Speaker 6: in a country where you know that particular aesthetic. The

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Speaker 6: reason it works for you know, for for Scandinavian folks

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Speaker 6: is because they don't get a lot of sunlight, and

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Speaker 6: so they need a lot of light colors, a lot

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Speaker 6: of white walls to reflect light.

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Speaker 2: Right.

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Speaker 6: But yeah, and so you know, mainstream minimalism has sort

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Speaker 6: of taken and on this aesthetic of you know, of

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Speaker 6: just being all white and barren, and I just really

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Speaker 6: wanted to change the conversation around that, and so and

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Speaker 6: so here I am the afrominimalist. I wrote a book

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Speaker 6: to try and encourage folks to live with less and

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Speaker 6: that you know, I saw so many benefits. And I

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Speaker 6: would say, like, right out the gate, the first benefit

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Speaker 6: that I saw where it was in my wallet, Right,

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Speaker 6: I was like, where's all this money coming from? Like, oh,

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Speaker 6: I'm not at the mall uh every weekend. And so yeah,

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Speaker 6: it's been very transformative for me and very exciting to

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Speaker 6: just see other people, you know, really embracing this and

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Speaker 6: really thinking about, you know, how can.

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Speaker 7: They live with less their way?

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Speaker 6: If the word minimalism, you know, if it does evoke

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Speaker 6: some negative feelings or you know, ideas of scarcity, you

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Speaker 6: don't have to be a minimalist. You can live with less,

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Speaker 6: you can be a more mindful consumer. There are so

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Speaker 6: many other ways to define this lifestyle that that isn't

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Speaker 6: so limiting for a lot of people.

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Speaker 1: So if I was somebody I'm listening, and I'm just like,

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Speaker 1: you're right. I probably never thought of myself a person

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Speaker 1: of color, you know, enjoying the minimalist lifestyle, you know,

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Speaker 1: because you know, I want some texture and I want

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Speaker 1: some color and some deep hues. So if I am like,

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Speaker 1: oh huh, aside from getting your book afrominimalist, okay, available everywhere?

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Speaker 1: Aside from getting your book, what's like the first thing

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Speaker 1: where I can start where it doesn't feel so overwhelming?

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Speaker 6: Yes, okay, So this is I'm so glad you asked

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Speaker 6: that question because so many people picked up the book

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Speaker 6: and they were like, I had my garbage bags ready,

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Speaker 6: I wasn't ready for the gentle dragging that happened. I

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Speaker 6: really encourage people to first learn about the psychology of

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Speaker 6: ownership before they even start to try and declutter. Right,

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Speaker 6: So this is where you hear so many people say,

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Speaker 6: I've tried this before and it didn't work. I've tried

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Speaker 6: this before and it didn't work. And that's because they

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Speaker 6: didn't get to the root causes of their over consumption.

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Speaker 1: Right.

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Speaker 6: So much of this is inner work right before you

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Speaker 6: do the outer work. And I know even when it

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Speaker 6: comes to finances that that's the same sort of approach

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Speaker 6: for me, Right, it's like why am I so afraid to,

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Speaker 6: you know, make this call or manage my money this

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Speaker 6: way or learn about this right, Like, there's usually some

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Speaker 6: root cause that is really the reason what I call

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Speaker 6: like the why behind the buy or the why behind

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Speaker 6: the spend? Right, Because if you don't do the inner work,

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Speaker 6: if you don't understand the psychology of ownership, specifically as

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Speaker 6: it relates to you and your spending habits, you're just

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Speaker 6: gonna declutter and find yourself back at square one. So

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Speaker 6: when I talk about the psychology of ownership, that means

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Speaker 6: first of all, understanding why you have so much more

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Speaker 6: than you need, and then secondly, nderstanding why it's so

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Speaker 6: hard to let go, right, because we all have attachments

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Speaker 6: to things and getting to the root cause of like

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Speaker 6: why am I so attached, you know.

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Speaker 7: To this piece? So that's where you can start.

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Speaker 3: You mentioned the diaspora, I mean, are like have you

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Speaker 3: found in your research or in your book? Do you

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Speaker 3: do you examine how? Because I mean I think anecdotally.

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Speaker 3: I just visited my aunt Brenda, and I don't the

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Speaker 3: things that she saves, I just don't know. I just

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Speaker 3: don't understand, I mean dusty old toys. And she had

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Speaker 3: like an old Barbie doll that was a cowboy from

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Speaker 3: maybe nineteen ninety seven or something like that. Anyway, and

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Speaker 3: it wasn't even a black barbie doll.

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Speaker 4: That was nothing.

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Speaker 3: But what is this this something that Black households or

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Speaker 3: African American households are just more inclined to hang on

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Speaker 3: to things?

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Speaker 4: Was it?

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Speaker 6: You know, you know made That's a good question. So

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Speaker 6: I think it's twofold.

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Speaker 7: Right.

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Speaker 6: So when we talk about people of the diaspora, particularly

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Speaker 6: particularly African Americans, right, so many of us are first

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Speaker 6: time everything, right, first time homeowners, first time six figure

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Speaker 6: income owners, first you know, first one in our you know,

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Speaker 6: in our in our family to have an opportunity to

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Speaker 6: own a business.

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Speaker 7: Right.

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Speaker 6: So many of us are first time so many things.

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Speaker 6: And what happens is that we don't have that sort

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Speaker 6: of generational knowledge and awareness that comes when you're not

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Speaker 6: first gen. Right. The second thing is like we just

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Speaker 6: have a completely different relationship with ownership. It's just a fact, right,

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Speaker 6: so many of us it is the first time we're

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Speaker 6: able to acquire a lot of things. And I find

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Speaker 6: that in particularly Black families, right, it really goes back

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Speaker 6: to our childhood. It really grows goes back to if

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Speaker 6: you grew up with scarcity, right, or if you grew

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Speaker 6: up you know, not being able to have certain things,

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Speaker 6: And a lot of those promises that we make to ourselves,

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Speaker 6: make to ourselves as children, we are very committed.

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Speaker 7: To as adults.

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Speaker 6: Right. One of the examples that I provide in the

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Speaker 6: book is actually my ex husband, who is a huge

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Speaker 6: sneaker head, and he shared how when he was in

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Speaker 6: high school, his family would not, you know, like most

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Speaker 6: black families, could not afford the first pair of Jordan's,

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Speaker 6: and instead his parents bought him a pair of knockoffs.

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Speaker 6: I did laugh, I'm not gonna lie because the silhouette

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Speaker 6: of Michael Jordan, there was another person like blocking Michael Jordan,

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Speaker 6: and I just thought about, like how horrible the teasing was.

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Speaker 6: He said, it was relentless, and he made a promise

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Speaker 6: to himself when he got older that he was going

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Speaker 6: to buy however many pairs of sneakers he wanted, and

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Speaker 6: he counted and like the majority, let's say there were

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Speaker 6: like sixty pairs, forty two.

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Speaker 7: Of them were Jordan's.

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Speaker 6: Right, So, like getting to that root, cause. And then

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Speaker 6: I also want people to think about Mandy the idea

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Speaker 6: that it's not just you know, we think shoes, we

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Speaker 6: think purses, we think handbags, but it impacts us in

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Speaker 6: so many different ways. My friend's husband when he washes

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Speaker 6: the dishes, he likes to use a lot of dishes

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Speaker 6: that like, the bubbles are overflowing out of the sink.

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Speaker 6: And I would, you know, if my friend would complain

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Speaker 6: to me, and I would be like the girl he

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Speaker 6: is washing the dishes, I don't understand.

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Speaker 7: Why you complaining about these bubbles.

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Speaker 6: And she would just say, like, ah, Christine is just

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Speaker 6: so annoying, and I just don't understand why he does it.

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Speaker 6: And I said, however, have you ever asked him? And

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Speaker 6: she asked him, and you know what. He grew up

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Speaker 6: in the South, very poor, was raised by his grandmother.

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Speaker 6: Basically everything they purchased came from the dollar store, including

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Speaker 6: dish soap, and even then he could only use one drop.

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Speaker 6: And he told her, now that he older and they

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Speaker 6: have the resources and means to buy whatever they want,

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Speaker 6: he buys the most expensive dish soap and he uses

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Speaker 6: as much as he wants, and he finally puts his bubbles.

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Speaker 3: I was going to guess that it was because you know,

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Speaker 3: if you're broke, you take that one little inch left

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Speaker 3: over of the dond dish soap and you add water.

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Speaker 3: You need a bunch of homes.

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Speaker 7: You do that?

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Speaker 6: I mean, why you don't. Oh my god, this is Tiffany.

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Speaker 7: Yo.

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Speaker 2: He hates it. He's always like, babe, we have soap.

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Speaker 6: I'm like, was just a little I know, you know

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Speaker 6: it is so you know, it is so funny, Tiffany.

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Speaker 6: I use a solid dish soap because of course minimalism,

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Speaker 6: you keep finding other ways, right, like you start with

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Speaker 6: your closet and then it transitions into every air of

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Speaker 6: your life. And even with the solid soap, it comes

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Speaker 6: in a little tin, you know, like there'll be some

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Speaker 6: water in there. And I'm like, oh, let me just

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Speaker 6: that's extra dish so.

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Speaker 7: Like, I don't I don't know what it is.

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Speaker 6: But you know, if I think back to my childhood,

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Speaker 6: you know, even if it wasn't dollar store dish soap,

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Speaker 6: the dish soap that we did use, it was like

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Speaker 6: for dishes it was bubble bath.

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Speaker 7: It was.

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Speaker 4: It wasn't bubble bath.

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Speaker 1: I give hand soap in the my husband, Hey, he said,

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Speaker 1: did you put the hand soap in the or the

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Speaker 1: dish shap in the in the in the the hand

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Speaker 1: like so if you go on my half bath, if

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Speaker 1: if I'm like, where's I will put? I will squeeze

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Speaker 1: the dawn this soap in the When I tell you, Superman.

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Speaker 3: Is this white black people were so ashy because we're

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Speaker 3: secretly using don dish.

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Speaker 2: Soap so or are you trying to have clean hands

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Speaker 2: or not?

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Speaker 4: Theoline?

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Speaker 5: You know what?

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Speaker 6: I love that we're having this conversation because we don't

404
00:20:44,400 --> 00:20:48,280
Speaker 6: think back to how our childhood and the things that

405
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Speaker 6: we you know, we're accustomed to, like Mandy saying like, no,

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Speaker 6: y'all didn't use just so Mandy, I'm telling.

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Speaker 7: The louse you it was.

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Speaker 6: It was it was bubble It was bubble bath, right,

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Speaker 6: And you know I am also of the generation and

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Speaker 6: you have to think just age wise, we're not that.

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Speaker 7: Far apart in age.

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Speaker 6: They still you know, like if there were four kids,

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Speaker 6: like no one was changing.

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Speaker 7: The bath water.

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Speaker 4: Mm hmmm hmm.

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Speaker 7: You see what I'm saying.

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Speaker 6: So like if you come from you know, that's sort

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Speaker 6: of even if it doesn't feel because it didn't feel

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Speaker 6: like scarcity when we were younger, it was just like, oh,

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Speaker 6: it's a bubble bath, right, But then you grow up

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Speaker 6: and you're like, oh, they make actual bubble baths.

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Speaker 3: So I didn't know, right, Like, you know, kind of

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Speaker 3: a jerk sometimes laughing at my aunt when she like

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Speaker 3: saves the wet paper towel after she wipes something up,

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Speaker 3: and she just like, girl, I.

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Speaker 2: Did not know.

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Speaker 1: We people threw away the foil pants because we had

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Speaker 1: to wash them out as kids, like you know, Thanksgiving,

429
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Speaker 1: Like we washed them out, and you use them until

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Speaker 1: they got to be too disfigured. And I'm like, so

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Speaker 1: dresses on me. My husband's on me washing it, and

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Speaker 1: he's like, why are you washing out the floor plants.

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Speaker 1: I'm like you these.

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Speaker 7: Are expensive, yeah, uses, yeah.

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Speaker 6: But you know what, Mandy, I love that you brought

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Speaker 6: that up about your aunt, because so much of this

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Speaker 6: is also generational, right, And so I like to tell

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Speaker 6: people too to think about not only what you grew

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Speaker 6: up experiencing, but thinking about what your parents experience. So,

440
00:22:20,040 --> 00:22:24,280
Speaker 6: for example, my mom was born after the Great Depression,

441
00:22:24,320 --> 00:22:27,320
Speaker 6: shortly after the Great Depression, so even though she didn't

442
00:22:27,320 --> 00:22:31,440
Speaker 6: experience food scarcity to the extent that you know, her

443
00:22:31,520 --> 00:22:34,920
Speaker 6: her family did, who were alive during that time. It

444
00:22:35,080 --> 00:22:39,040
Speaker 6: certainly impacted how they raised her. And so even though

445
00:22:39,080 --> 00:22:42,199
Speaker 6: I did not grow up with food and security, I

446
00:22:42,240 --> 00:22:46,679
Speaker 6: grew up feeling very, very obligated to clean my plate.

447
00:22:47,200 --> 00:22:51,240
Speaker 6: Right even today, even if I know good and well,

448
00:22:51,400 --> 00:22:53,159
Speaker 6: I'm not going to take those I'm not going to

449
00:22:53,200 --> 00:22:56,320
Speaker 6: eat those leftovers when I get home. I still I

450
00:22:56,359 --> 00:22:58,760
Speaker 6: can't throw it away, you know what I mean. I'm like,

451
00:22:58,800 --> 00:22:59,520
Speaker 6: who can eat this?

452
00:22:59,640 --> 00:23:00,640
Speaker 7: Who can? Right?

453
00:23:00,800 --> 00:23:05,760
Speaker 6: And so like thinking about generationally, right, Folks who were

454
00:23:05,760 --> 00:23:09,520
Speaker 6: born after the Great Depression or had family members you know,

455
00:23:09,560 --> 00:23:13,520
Speaker 6: who raise them shortly after that time, they are they

456
00:23:13,520 --> 00:23:17,760
Speaker 6: are real different when it comes to consumption. They are

457
00:23:17,840 --> 00:23:22,600
Speaker 6: either over consumers right because they grew up hearing stories

458
00:23:22,640 --> 00:23:24,639
Speaker 6: you never know what's going to happen, live for today

459
00:23:24,680 --> 00:23:29,560
Speaker 6: because tomorrow ain't promised, right, Or they are extreme quarters

460
00:23:30,040 --> 00:23:33,000
Speaker 6: they are reusing the paper towels. My mom doesn't even

461
00:23:33,080 --> 00:23:36,479
Speaker 6: drink caffeinated coffee if she is here, which, by the way,

462
00:23:36,520 --> 00:23:38,720
Speaker 6: I don't know why decaf is even a thing, but whatever,

463
00:23:42,640 --> 00:23:45,600
Speaker 6: But if she's here and I have just a little

464
00:23:45,600 --> 00:23:48,080
Speaker 6: bit of you know, and I go to, no, no, no,

465
00:23:48,160 --> 00:23:50,680
Speaker 6: don't throw that down the drain. I'm like, Mommy, you

466
00:23:50,720 --> 00:23:54,640
Speaker 6: don't even you know, I don't waste it, don't waste it, right,

467
00:23:54,920 --> 00:23:57,760
Speaker 6: So you also have to think generationally.

468
00:23:57,240 --> 00:23:58,600
Speaker 4: And be more empathetic to them.

469
00:23:58,600 --> 00:24:01,359
Speaker 3: And yeah, I can't make fun of my dad for

470
00:24:01,400 --> 00:24:03,879
Speaker 3: why he has a samurai sword and a popcorn machine

471
00:24:03,880 --> 00:24:06,280
Speaker 3: that doesn't work in his living room. I can't do

472
00:24:06,320 --> 00:24:06,760
Speaker 3: that anymore.

473
00:24:06,800 --> 00:24:07,560
Speaker 4: Is that what I'm saying.

474
00:24:07,560 --> 00:24:07,880
Speaker 6: I don't.

475
00:24:07,920 --> 00:24:09,600
Speaker 7: I don't think you should make fun and.

476
00:24:09,920 --> 00:24:10,920
Speaker 4: A part of my identity.

477
00:24:11,000 --> 00:24:13,360
Speaker 1: I don't think the big TV's on the little TV

478
00:24:13,480 --> 00:24:14,960
Speaker 1: because little TV doesn't work anymore.

479
00:24:14,960 --> 00:24:16,320
Speaker 2: Remember I'm back in the day. You have the big

480
00:24:16,400 --> 00:24:18,520
Speaker 2: TV on the little TV, the little bit TV. It

481
00:24:18,520 --> 00:24:19,880
Speaker 2: don't work no more. But we're not ready to throw

482
00:24:19,880 --> 00:24:21,639
Speaker 2: it out because you never know, you might fix it.

483
00:24:23,040 --> 00:24:25,760
Speaker 3: But that's it's funny to make fun of our elders.

484
00:24:25,800 --> 00:24:28,760
Speaker 3: But let's talk about the modern you know, millennials of

485
00:24:28,840 --> 00:24:31,680
Speaker 3: today or gen z. What are you finding because I imagine

486
00:24:31,640 --> 00:24:34,359
Speaker 3: you get stories from so many people and you mentioned

487
00:24:34,400 --> 00:24:36,080
Speaker 3: your ex's sneaker addiction.

488
00:24:38,160 --> 00:24:39,040
Speaker 4: I actually hoard.

489
00:24:39,200 --> 00:24:42,120
Speaker 3: I was just making a joke about hoard hoarding things

490
00:24:42,119 --> 00:24:43,760
Speaker 3: that I saved to my desktop. I just don't want

491
00:24:43,760 --> 00:24:46,320
Speaker 3: to delete them, and so my desktops cluttered. But like,

492
00:24:46,359 --> 00:24:48,960
Speaker 3: what are the modern ways you find, you know, our

493
00:24:49,000 --> 00:24:52,840
Speaker 3: generation is you're seeing these trends kind of manifest this

494
00:24:52,920 --> 00:24:55,480
Speaker 3: sense of scarcity and how it can potentially harm us.

495
00:24:55,800 --> 00:24:57,200
Speaker 7: Yeah, you know it again.

496
00:24:57,240 --> 00:24:59,840
Speaker 6: It also it goes two ways, right. I see a

497
00:24:59,880 --> 00:25:02,679
Speaker 6: lot lot of folks in your generation really not wanting

498
00:25:02,840 --> 00:25:06,920
Speaker 6: to repeat some of the decisions. And I'm trying trying

499
00:25:06,960 --> 00:25:09,040
Speaker 6: to be very mindful with language because I don't like

500
00:25:09,080 --> 00:25:12,959
Speaker 6: to call things mistakes or wrongdoings. Right. These are decisions

501
00:25:13,000 --> 00:25:16,679
Speaker 6: and choices that they experienced, you know, growing up that

502
00:25:16,760 --> 00:25:19,640
Speaker 6: they do not want to replicate, and so I see

503
00:25:19,640 --> 00:25:23,320
Speaker 6: them being very intentional not to do that. I also

504
00:25:23,440 --> 00:25:25,800
Speaker 6: see a lot of folks in your generation who are

505
00:25:25,840 --> 00:25:29,320
Speaker 6: also first gen, right, and so they are buying all

506
00:25:29,359 --> 00:25:33,119
Speaker 6: the things, and they are you know, really trying to

507
00:25:33,680 --> 00:25:36,640
Speaker 6: you know, subscribe to conspicuous consumption. I have to have

508
00:25:37,280 --> 00:25:39,560
Speaker 6: this thing that was in this Instagram ad or.

509
00:25:39,560 --> 00:25:42,400
Speaker 7: I have to have this because it is a status symbol. Right.

510
00:25:43,760 --> 00:25:47,199
Speaker 6: And then what I'm finding, you know, with some of

511
00:25:47,240 --> 00:25:50,720
Speaker 6: their parents and older folks is you know this idea

512
00:25:51,480 --> 00:25:54,679
Speaker 6: that hey, I didn't I wasn't even aware of my

513
00:25:55,200 --> 00:26:00,719
Speaker 6: consumption to that level. And I don't want my uh

514
00:26:00,800 --> 00:26:05,280
Speaker 6: you know, descendants, so your generation, Mandy, to have inherited clutter.

515
00:26:06,600 --> 00:26:08,199
Speaker 7: So I'm you know, and you with it.

516
00:26:08,240 --> 00:26:10,440
Speaker 3: In fact, I'm pretty sure the key to his storage

517
00:26:10,720 --> 00:26:12,879
Speaker 3: unit is in his will for me, and that is

518
00:26:12,920 --> 00:26:15,720
Speaker 3: my that is what I'm going to be bequeathed.

519
00:26:18,520 --> 00:26:19,600
Speaker 2: I would be but you know.

520
00:26:19,600 --> 00:26:22,440
Speaker 3: What, I am the heir to a storage a storage

521
00:26:22,440 --> 00:26:23,560
Speaker 3: facility in Atlanta?

522
00:26:23,720 --> 00:26:26,960
Speaker 2: Are you fancy? I hate it.

523
00:26:27,040 --> 00:26:30,520
Speaker 6: I hate it for you, Mandy, And honestly, like I wait,

524
00:26:31,440 --> 00:26:34,200
Speaker 6: I do encourage I do encourage folks in your generation

525
00:26:34,800 --> 00:26:39,320
Speaker 6: to have these conversations with their elders, right because right

526
00:26:39,359 --> 00:26:41,760
Speaker 6: now we can laugh about it. And I even think

527
00:26:41,800 --> 00:26:43,600
Speaker 6: of some of the things that I have encouraged my

528
00:26:43,680 --> 00:26:48,280
Speaker 6: mom to just gently let go. It's time to let go, right.

529
00:26:49,560 --> 00:26:51,800
Speaker 6: I know that it would be that much harder once

530
00:26:51,840 --> 00:26:54,440
Speaker 6: she has transitioned. Right. And so you have a lot

531
00:26:54,480 --> 00:26:58,359
Speaker 6: of people my generation, your generation, who also have an

532
00:26:58,359 --> 00:27:03,080
Speaker 6: inherited clutter, and that is even more problematic to do

533
00:27:03,160 --> 00:27:03,399
Speaker 6: with me.

534
00:27:03,440 --> 00:27:06,280
Speaker 3: He wants to talk about death and clutter in the

535
00:27:06,400 --> 00:27:08,200
Speaker 3: same insurance.

536
00:27:08,520 --> 00:27:11,160
Speaker 4: Listen, ma'am, with your parents.

537
00:27:11,280 --> 00:27:13,720
Speaker 3: Oh my god, talk about things I would get hung

538
00:27:13,800 --> 00:27:16,640
Speaker 3: up on so fast.

539
00:27:17,160 --> 00:27:20,000
Speaker 7: This is why Oh no, go ahead.

540
00:27:20,000 --> 00:27:21,399
Speaker 2: No no, no no, no, go ahead, go ahead, go ahead.

541
00:27:21,480 --> 00:27:23,479
Speaker 7: No. I was gonna say, this is why that we

542
00:27:24,040 --> 00:27:25,960
Speaker 7: thank you. This is why, though, we.

543
00:27:25,960 --> 00:27:30,119
Speaker 6: Have to have these conversations, because the first reaction is

544
00:27:30,160 --> 00:27:33,199
Speaker 6: exactly what your reaction is. Man. It's like, oh, I

545
00:27:33,280 --> 00:27:35,760
Speaker 6: want to talk about that. I don't want to get

546
00:27:35,760 --> 00:27:39,240
Speaker 6: cursed out. I don't want it, right, But then the

547
00:27:39,400 --> 00:27:45,200
Speaker 6: inevitable will happen, right, and we're like, where are these papers,

548
00:27:45,359 --> 00:27:47,879
Speaker 6: where is that? Who's going to take this? What do

549
00:27:47,920 --> 00:27:50,680
Speaker 6: we do with that? Right? And it's much more difficult

550
00:27:50,800 --> 00:27:54,119
Speaker 6: to do that when you're in such a state of

551
00:27:54,520 --> 00:27:56,400
Speaker 6: emotional vulnerability.

552
00:27:56,600 --> 00:27:56,800
Speaker 7: Right.

553
00:27:57,160 --> 00:27:59,119
Speaker 6: And so it's not to say to sit them down

554
00:27:59,160 --> 00:28:02,320
Speaker 6: at a coffee table and say, look, I'm not doing

555
00:28:02,320 --> 00:28:04,280
Speaker 6: this inherit to clutter with y'all. So we're about you

556
00:28:04,320 --> 00:28:06,440
Speaker 6: know what I mean. I'm not saying have that conversation

557
00:28:07,200 --> 00:28:10,600
Speaker 6: in that way, But what I'm saying is making sure

558
00:28:10,680 --> 00:28:13,400
Speaker 6: that the people in your family are very much aware

559
00:28:14,520 --> 00:28:17,119
Speaker 6: of your position on this, right. And even if you

560
00:28:17,200 --> 00:28:21,119
Speaker 6: have siblings, right, like, hey, you know dad is probably

561
00:28:21,119 --> 00:28:23,280
Speaker 6: gonna leave that storage unit. I just need y'all to

562
00:28:23,359 --> 00:28:27,480
Speaker 6: know I will not be taking anything out of there, right,

563
00:28:27,600 --> 00:28:30,080
Speaker 6: and so we need to you know, I just want

564
00:28:30,119 --> 00:28:31,440
Speaker 6: to give you all the heads up on that that

565
00:28:31,560 --> 00:28:33,240
Speaker 6: when the time comes.

566
00:28:33,080 --> 00:28:33,680
Speaker 7: We get right.

567
00:28:33,760 --> 00:28:37,120
Speaker 6: There are ways to sort of gently have these conversations

568
00:28:37,920 --> 00:28:41,320
Speaker 6: or at least start these conversations. And what I have

569
00:28:41,440 --> 00:28:43,480
Speaker 6: found is most people, you think there's going to be

570
00:28:43,480 --> 00:28:47,840
Speaker 6: a visceral reaction, and there's not. People are fully aware

571
00:28:48,080 --> 00:28:51,960
Speaker 6: of their unpreparedness. People are fully aware of their clutter,

572
00:28:52,360 --> 00:28:56,000
Speaker 6: people are fully aware of their poor finances. Right. It's

573
00:28:56,080 --> 00:29:02,880
Speaker 6: really having someone spark that spark that inspiration, right, And

574
00:29:02,920 --> 00:29:04,800
Speaker 6: I'm sure you all see that all the time, right,

575
00:29:04,840 --> 00:29:08,040
Speaker 6: People are like, oh, I didn't even know what to

576
00:29:08,080 --> 00:29:13,240
Speaker 6: do about savings until I found y'all. Right, the information

577
00:29:13,400 --> 00:29:16,479
Speaker 6: is out there, but it's hearing it from a source

578
00:29:16,520 --> 00:29:21,000
Speaker 6: that is respected, right, a loved one. But these conversations

579
00:29:21,080 --> 00:29:23,640
Speaker 6: are inevitably going to happen.

580
00:29:26,200 --> 00:29:27,960
Speaker 1: For someone who's on the edge of like, well, I

581
00:29:27,960 --> 00:29:30,440
Speaker 1: think I want to do this, but I want to

582
00:29:30,480 --> 00:29:33,800
Speaker 1: get more clarity on what are the benefits, right, especially

583
00:29:33,840 --> 00:29:38,920
Speaker 1: for diaspora to participate in minimalism, like aside from oh, okay,

584
00:29:39,400 --> 00:29:42,040
Speaker 1: there's less stuff in my house. But what truly, truly

585
00:29:42,080 --> 00:29:43,720
Speaker 1: are the benefits for us in particular?

586
00:29:44,280 --> 00:29:48,600
Speaker 6: Yeah, so, first, because I want to make sure that

587
00:29:48,640 --> 00:29:52,680
Speaker 6: people understand getting through that psychology of ownership piece is

588
00:29:52,760 --> 00:29:55,640
Speaker 6: like where you start right. And then I have a

589
00:29:55,720 --> 00:29:59,760
Speaker 6: four step approach that I think anyone can follow at

590
00:29:59,800 --> 00:30:03,040
Speaker 6: their own pace, which is step one acknowledging that you

591
00:30:03,040 --> 00:30:07,120
Speaker 6: have more than you need. Step two, which is forgiving yourself.

592
00:30:07,160 --> 00:30:11,320
Speaker 6: Forgiveness is also not really talked about when it comes

593
00:30:11,360 --> 00:30:14,160
Speaker 6: to this type of work. Part three is the letting go,

594
00:30:14,240 --> 00:30:16,320
Speaker 6: which is what we see on television. You can call

595
00:30:16,360 --> 00:30:18,880
Speaker 6: it decluttering, you can call it whatever you want. And

596
00:30:18,920 --> 00:30:22,400
Speaker 6: then part four is paying it forward right with those

597
00:30:22,440 --> 00:30:25,200
Speaker 6: things that no longer serve you. And I think one

598
00:30:25,240 --> 00:30:29,080
Speaker 6: of the biggest benefits for me has been having an

599
00:30:29,080 --> 00:30:33,240
Speaker 6: opportunity to pay it forward and be smarter with my resources.

600
00:30:33,400 --> 00:30:33,640
Speaker 7: Right.

601
00:30:34,840 --> 00:30:38,480
Speaker 6: For example, as you all know, my daughter is in college.

602
00:30:38,520 --> 00:30:42,560
Speaker 6: I'm super proud, and you know I was first jen.

603
00:30:42,680 --> 00:30:44,720
Speaker 6: I had a lot of student loan debt. It was

604
00:30:44,800 --> 00:30:49,880
Speaker 6: completely overwhelming. It is unbelievable to me that I am

605
00:30:49,920 --> 00:30:53,520
Speaker 6: able to pay her tuition, her room and board, everything,

606
00:30:54,240 --> 00:30:57,840
Speaker 6: So that she does not have student loan debt. Right,

607
00:30:58,600 --> 00:31:03,760
Speaker 6: that is huge, and that is the result of a

608
00:31:03,800 --> 00:31:07,959
Speaker 6: decision that I made five years ago, not ten years ago,

609
00:31:08,440 --> 00:31:13,680
Speaker 6: not twenty years ago, five years ago. Right, that means

610
00:31:14,480 --> 00:31:17,200
Speaker 6: what are the benefits going to look like in ten years?

611
00:31:17,520 --> 00:31:20,360
Speaker 6: But even more so, what are the long term benefits

612
00:31:20,640 --> 00:31:21,400
Speaker 6: for my daughter?

613
00:31:21,800 --> 00:31:22,000
Speaker 7: Right?

614
00:31:22,360 --> 00:31:26,200
Speaker 6: Of course, as you said, having less to clean is wonderful. Right,

615
00:31:27,440 --> 00:31:30,760
Speaker 6: having fewer choices to make in the morning about what

616
00:31:30,800 --> 00:31:34,080
Speaker 6: you're going to wear, because decision fatigue is real, Right, Like,

617
00:31:34,600 --> 00:31:40,000
Speaker 6: that's beneficial. Right, having resources to not only invest in

618
00:31:40,040 --> 00:31:43,560
Speaker 6: building generational wealth and invest in your children, but also

619
00:31:43,600 --> 00:31:47,320
Speaker 6: to invest in your community. I'll give you a quick example.

620
00:31:49,040 --> 00:31:52,200
Speaker 6: I have two very dear friends who are writers who

621
00:31:52,320 --> 00:31:55,640
Speaker 6: do a lot for our community, that do a lot

622
00:31:55,680 --> 00:31:59,880
Speaker 6: for our babies. Shout out to Mahogany Brown and Jason Reynolds.

623
00:32:00,240 --> 00:32:03,000
Speaker 2: And a poet.

624
00:32:03,920 --> 00:32:07,000
Speaker 6: She is Yes, I remember, yes, yes.

625
00:32:06,920 --> 00:32:07,479
Speaker 2: I used to go.

626
00:32:07,680 --> 00:32:11,920
Speaker 1: I was very I'd be at all the poetry shows

627
00:32:11,920 --> 00:32:13,680
Speaker 1: that she was one of my favorite poets.

628
00:32:13,960 --> 00:32:14,920
Speaker 7: Isn't she amazing?

629
00:32:15,040 --> 00:32:17,360
Speaker 6: She is still out here doing amazing things. She is

630
00:32:17,400 --> 00:32:19,800
Speaker 6: the poet in residence, the first poet in residence for

631
00:32:19,840 --> 00:32:24,440
Speaker 6: the Lincoln Center, and I literally have watched both of

632
00:32:24,480 --> 00:32:29,320
Speaker 6: them just like spread themselves than doing this work. And

633
00:32:29,440 --> 00:32:33,360
Speaker 6: there is a wonderful organization here in DC called Huru

634
00:32:33,520 --> 00:32:40,200
Speaker 6: Space which offers a weekend of rest and reset for

635
00:32:40,200 --> 00:32:42,959
Speaker 6: for folks of colors, for folks of color. And what

636
00:32:43,080 --> 00:32:48,800
Speaker 6: I did was give them both a stay, right, this

637
00:32:48,960 --> 00:32:52,640
Speaker 6: is what they need. And here is an opportunity for

638
00:32:52,680 --> 00:32:57,520
Speaker 6: me to you know, invest in this business, invest in

639
00:32:57,560 --> 00:33:01,480
Speaker 6: my friends and all. So this is like what would

640
00:33:01,480 --> 00:33:03,560
Speaker 6: I have done with that back five years ago? I

641
00:33:03,600 --> 00:33:06,080
Speaker 6: would have used that money to purchase a handbag. Here's

642
00:33:06,080 --> 00:33:09,959
Speaker 6: an opportunity for it to help three lives, right, And

643
00:33:10,000 --> 00:33:13,160
Speaker 6: so I think when we think of benefits, to also

644
00:33:13,320 --> 00:33:18,360
Speaker 6: think beyond ourselves, right, to think again, even beyond our

645
00:33:18,400 --> 00:33:22,040
Speaker 6: family and our loved ones, think about our community, right, Like,

646
00:33:22,120 --> 00:33:27,520
Speaker 6: there are so many like myriad benefits, y'all. And it

647
00:33:27,600 --> 00:33:31,240
Speaker 6: is a lifestyle that I really encourage people.

648
00:33:31,000 --> 00:33:34,360
Speaker 7: To considering and doing it your own way. Right.

649
00:33:34,480 --> 00:33:38,800
Speaker 6: Obviously, me as a now empty nester, my minimalism is

650
00:33:38,840 --> 00:33:41,600
Speaker 6: going to look totally different than Mandy's. My minimalism is

651
00:33:41,640 --> 00:33:44,920
Speaker 6: going to look totally different than Tiffany's. Right, But doing

652
00:33:44,960 --> 00:33:48,560
Speaker 6: it in a way that is beneficial to you and

653
00:33:48,640 --> 00:33:51,280
Speaker 6: your household and your long term goals.

654
00:33:52,000 --> 00:33:53,200
Speaker 4: Do I get a last question?

655
00:33:53,360 --> 00:33:53,680
Speaker 7: Yeah?

656
00:33:53,760 --> 00:33:58,400
Speaker 3: Yeah, my last question was going to be so for

657
00:33:58,560 --> 00:34:01,240
Speaker 3: me and for people listening. I think even last week

658
00:34:01,240 --> 00:34:03,600
Speaker 3: we had a guest on Deli Ane Boos who we

659
00:34:03,600 --> 00:34:06,760
Speaker 3: were talking about, uh, you know, online shopping and how

660
00:34:07,520 --> 00:34:09,920
Speaker 3: easy they make it for you to make these impulse

661
00:34:09,960 --> 00:34:12,879
Speaker 3: buying you know, decisions online. Now you save your credit card,

662
00:34:12,960 --> 00:34:14,560
Speaker 3: get your face ID. You don't even have to like

663
00:34:14,640 --> 00:34:16,920
Speaker 3: do anything, get off the couch to bank a purchase.

664
00:34:17,360 --> 00:34:20,279
Speaker 3: Do you have any rules of thumb or tips for

665
00:34:20,360 --> 00:34:23,160
Speaker 3: people on how if you were trying to get a

666
00:34:23,239 --> 00:34:28,680
Speaker 3: hold on unnecessary or overspending or over you know, consumption,

667
00:34:29,320 --> 00:34:32,080
Speaker 3: Any any tips on like here's the rule of thumb,

668
00:34:32,160 --> 00:34:34,040
Speaker 3: or here's a tip where you can you know, ask

669
00:34:34,080 --> 00:34:36,879
Speaker 3: yourself this before you purchase something, or try doing this

670
00:34:37,680 --> 00:34:41,560
Speaker 3: just to kind of come to grips with the constant

671
00:34:41,560 --> 00:34:42,239
Speaker 3: triggers we have.

672
00:34:42,800 --> 00:34:45,640
Speaker 6: Yeah, So I love like to ask that question because

673
00:34:45,680 --> 00:34:48,200
Speaker 6: I have a lot of mantras. I shared one with

674
00:34:48,239 --> 00:34:50,520
Speaker 6: you earlier, which is what's the why behind the by?

675
00:34:51,239 --> 00:34:54,960
Speaker 6: My other one though, is it's not a deal if

676
00:34:55,000 --> 00:34:58,319
Speaker 6: you don't need it and saying that, like when I

677
00:34:58,320 --> 00:35:00,200
Speaker 6: go to pick up something, when I go to it's

678
00:35:00,200 --> 00:35:03,040
Speaker 6: something in my cart, right, because it's usually we're enticed

679
00:35:03,040 --> 00:35:05,760
Speaker 6: by a sale or the idea that we're getting a bargain,

680
00:35:06,080 --> 00:35:07,839
Speaker 6: and I have to be like, it's not a deal

681
00:35:07,880 --> 00:35:11,600
Speaker 6: if you don't need it, Christine, you know, do not.

682
00:35:12,120 --> 00:35:15,279
Speaker 6: I don't care how it auto populates, unsafe all of

683
00:35:15,280 --> 00:35:18,880
Speaker 6: the card information. There have been so many times, especially

684
00:35:18,960 --> 00:35:20,799
Speaker 6: during the past year and a half because of the

685
00:35:20,880 --> 00:35:25,759
Speaker 6: pandemic we're all in. You know, it's some emotional vulnerability here,

686
00:35:25,800 --> 00:35:30,080
Speaker 6: which usually can can trigger some of our spending habits.

687
00:35:30,120 --> 00:35:32,359
Speaker 6: You know, there were times I would go to buy

688
00:35:32,360 --> 00:35:34,560
Speaker 6: something and because I would have to go to get

689
00:35:34,600 --> 00:35:37,319
Speaker 6: my wallet, I would be like, girl, you don't want this, right, Like,

690
00:35:38,120 --> 00:35:41,799
Speaker 6: it's really whatever systems you have to put in place to.

691
00:35:41,920 --> 00:35:44,880
Speaker 7: Pause, because it's usually that pause.

692
00:35:45,160 --> 00:35:49,719
Speaker 6: Right. You have to be very mindful of you know,

693
00:35:50,080 --> 00:35:54,359
Speaker 6: online it is very easy, as you said, right, unsubscribe,

694
00:35:54,600 --> 00:35:59,880
Speaker 6: unsubscribe from all of your favorite brands. And you know,

695
00:36:00,080 --> 00:36:03,440
Speaker 6: like you buy something an ambition, Ah, yes.

696
00:36:03,840 --> 00:36:05,400
Speaker 7: No, this is a favorite brand.

697
00:36:05,640 --> 00:36:08,600
Speaker 6: No, Like you know, you purchased something online and it

698
00:36:08,640 --> 00:36:11,080
Speaker 6: automatically saves your email and then all of a sudden,

699
00:36:11,120 --> 00:36:14,120
Speaker 6: the next thing you know, you're getting ads all the time, right,

700
00:36:14,239 --> 00:36:17,319
Speaker 6: Or here's a new sale and I you know, there's

701
00:36:17,360 --> 00:36:20,520
Speaker 6: always going to be a sale. I have never seen

702
00:36:20,600 --> 00:36:23,160
Speaker 6: so many. You know, a semi annual sale is only

703
00:36:23,200 --> 00:36:24,600
Speaker 6: supposed to happen twice a year.

704
00:36:25,680 --> 00:36:27,520
Speaker 2: Get up the semi.

705
00:36:29,480 --> 00:36:32,839
Speaker 6: Like y'all just had a semi annual sale last month, right,

706
00:36:33,000 --> 00:36:35,920
Speaker 6: So like this idea that you know, And again it

707
00:36:35,960 --> 00:36:38,400
Speaker 6: goes back to the psychology of ownership. We feel like

708
00:36:38,440 --> 00:36:40,680
Speaker 6: we're going to miss out. We feel like someone else

709
00:36:40,760 --> 00:36:44,120
Speaker 6: is going to get the deal. And when we when

710
00:36:44,120 --> 00:36:47,200
Speaker 6: we touch something, when we hold something, all of those

711
00:36:47,200 --> 00:36:51,160
Speaker 6: things start to trigger partial ownership and we become very

712
00:36:51,200 --> 00:36:54,239
Speaker 6: committed to wanting to have full ownership. So don't go

713
00:36:54,320 --> 00:36:58,120
Speaker 6: around touching stuff, Mandy, That's first thing, right, And when

714
00:36:58,160 --> 00:37:01,520
Speaker 6: it comes to what it comes to, you know, your

715
00:37:01,560 --> 00:37:05,080
Speaker 6: online spending, just try and put some systems in place

716
00:37:05,160 --> 00:37:08,759
Speaker 6: that make it harder, that make you pause before you

717
00:37:08,840 --> 00:37:11,200
Speaker 6: make that purchase and ask yourself, what's the wide Why

718
00:37:11,200 --> 00:37:12,120
Speaker 6: am I really buying this?

719
00:37:12,680 --> 00:37:16,719
Speaker 3: What's super sad pandemic? I lost my credit cards in

720
00:37:16,760 --> 00:37:18,000
Speaker 3: my wallet during the pandemic.

721
00:37:18,040 --> 00:37:20,359
Speaker 4: I didn't even need it. I didn't even need it.

722
00:37:20,280 --> 00:37:22,560
Speaker 3: Because everything we saved it was terrible.

723
00:37:22,560 --> 00:37:24,680
Speaker 4: Okay, I lied, though. I have one final final question.

724
00:37:25,760 --> 00:37:28,520
Speaker 3: How do you stop people from giving your kids stuff?

725
00:37:28,880 --> 00:37:32,759
Speaker 3: Because the problem like I literally have relatives who listen

726
00:37:32,760 --> 00:37:34,480
Speaker 3: to the show and I'm talking to you. They know

727
00:37:34,480 --> 00:37:37,400
Speaker 3: who I'm talking to. If you have friends who have kids,

728
00:37:37,400 --> 00:37:40,120
Speaker 3: they're just so happy to give you stuff that ends

729
00:37:40,160 --> 00:37:43,000
Speaker 3: up being you become their donation bin. And then now

730
00:37:43,080 --> 00:37:44,880
Speaker 3: I'm on fingure out doing with this stuff. Then I

731
00:37:44,920 --> 00:37:46,319
Speaker 3: don't do what I want, you.

732
00:37:46,320 --> 00:37:46,759
Speaker 7: Know what I mean?

733
00:37:47,160 --> 00:37:53,720
Speaker 6: And then it's gifts. Yes, go Mandy. No is your superpower? Right, Okay,

734
00:37:54,000 --> 00:37:55,759
Speaker 6: you have to just say no. And I you know,

735
00:37:55,800 --> 00:37:57,600
Speaker 6: I tell people all the time because like my kid

736
00:37:57,640 --> 00:37:59,200
Speaker 6: has so much stuff, and I'm like, do they have

737
00:37:59,280 --> 00:38:00,720
Speaker 6: a job I don't know about?

738
00:38:00,880 --> 00:38:01,759
Speaker 7: Right, Like this is.

739
00:38:01,680 --> 00:38:05,120
Speaker 6: Coming through you either you're buying it or you're allowing

740
00:38:05,160 --> 00:38:07,600
Speaker 6: it into their lives and they're completely overwhelmed with all

741
00:38:07,640 --> 00:38:08,280
Speaker 6: of these things.

742
00:38:08,360 --> 00:38:08,600
Speaker 7: Right.

743
00:38:09,760 --> 00:38:12,600
Speaker 6: You know, once you are firm on that, you have

744
00:38:12,640 --> 00:38:14,960
Speaker 6: to be real firm. Might take two or three times.

745
00:38:15,360 --> 00:38:18,920
Speaker 6: People will respect it, Your loved ones will respect it.

746
00:38:18,960 --> 00:38:21,520
Speaker 6: But if you're like, well, and then you still end

747
00:38:21,600 --> 00:38:23,799
Speaker 6: up taking stuff no one believes you.

748
00:38:23,920 --> 00:38:24,120
Speaker 7: Right.

749
00:38:24,640 --> 00:38:27,879
Speaker 6: So also when it comes to gifts, I think it's

750
00:38:27,920 --> 00:38:31,040
Speaker 6: really important to think about different ways that we can

751
00:38:31,080 --> 00:38:36,040
Speaker 6: celebrate those milestones like birthdays and holidays. Right, the only

752
00:38:36,239 --> 00:38:38,799
Speaker 6: birthday party that my daughter remembers and that she says

753
00:38:38,920 --> 00:38:42,520
Speaker 6: is her best birthday party ever in life was her

754
00:38:42,680 --> 00:38:47,760
Speaker 6: eighth birthday party. And I was just starting to think about,

755
00:38:47,920 --> 00:38:50,920
Speaker 6: you know, minimalism. We just had so much stuff. I

756
00:38:50,920 --> 00:38:54,040
Speaker 6: couldn't bear the idea of bringing another tiny little thing

757
00:38:54,239 --> 00:38:57,560
Speaker 6: in this house. And I remember saying, you know what,

758
00:38:58,280 --> 00:39:00,480
Speaker 6: instead of gifts, I'm just gonna have kids bring a

759
00:39:00,520 --> 00:39:03,560
Speaker 6: canned good and we'll just donate it to the food pantry.

760
00:39:04,520 --> 00:39:08,960
Speaker 6: I had this big elaborate moon bounce and carnival set

761
00:39:09,040 --> 00:39:12,080
Speaker 6: up in the backyard, and one can good was supposed

762
00:39:12,120 --> 00:39:15,319
Speaker 6: to be their price of admission. Mandy, do you know

763
00:39:15,480 --> 00:39:18,080
Speaker 6: the night before, in the morning of, I just started

764
00:39:18,080 --> 00:39:21,239
Speaker 6: getting all of these text messages from parents and they're like, what.

765
00:39:21,320 --> 00:39:22,080
Speaker 7: Is this again?

766
00:39:22,160 --> 00:39:23,799
Speaker 6: I thought we were just supposed to bring one can.

767
00:39:24,480 --> 00:39:28,640
Speaker 6: My kid is in here raiding the patry. They're making

768
00:39:28,719 --> 00:39:34,120
Speaker 6: us go to the grocery store. And they are just

769
00:39:34,320 --> 00:39:38,640
Speaker 6: naturally naturally giving, right, and we had tons of tons

770
00:39:38,640 --> 00:39:42,560
Speaker 6: of donations, So thinking about different ways and then lastly

771
00:39:43,520 --> 00:39:46,520
Speaker 6: encouraging your kids to let go and pay it forward.

772
00:39:47,000 --> 00:39:48,239
Speaker 7: Now, the one.

773
00:39:48,400 --> 00:39:52,960
Speaker 6: Caveat that I always say, do not look in that bag. Okay,

774
00:39:53,719 --> 00:39:57,440
Speaker 6: give them a bag. It's all in the approach. If

775
00:39:57,480 --> 00:39:59,239
Speaker 6: you go in there with the bag and you're like,

776
00:39:59,239 --> 00:40:01,160
Speaker 6: it's too much stuff here, get rid of some of

777
00:40:01,200 --> 00:40:04,600
Speaker 6: it now, it evokes a different reaction if you go

778
00:40:04,640 --> 00:40:06,879
Speaker 6: in there and say, wow, you know what, you are

779
00:40:07,040 --> 00:40:10,000
Speaker 6: really blessed. You have a lot of wonderful things. There

780
00:40:10,000 --> 00:40:13,439
Speaker 6: are so many kids in our community that don't. Can

781
00:40:13,480 --> 00:40:15,120
Speaker 6: you if I give you this bag, can you go

782
00:40:15,239 --> 00:40:18,360
Speaker 6: around and just you know, donate some things that you

783
00:40:18,400 --> 00:40:23,920
Speaker 6: think that they might love. Your feelings will be so

784
00:40:24,080 --> 00:40:27,880
Speaker 6: hurt when you realize all the things that your children

785
00:40:28,000 --> 00:40:34,200
Speaker 6: really don't want or need, right, and how willing that

786
00:40:34,280 --> 00:40:36,719
Speaker 6: they would be to give that to another child if

787
00:40:36,760 --> 00:40:38,240
Speaker 6: they knew that it would make them happy.

788
00:40:38,400 --> 00:40:42,240
Speaker 1: What my step daughter sold her she sold her American

789
00:40:42,280 --> 00:40:46,839
Speaker 1: girls doll for like five dollars a at. We had

790
00:40:46,840 --> 00:40:50,480
Speaker 1: like a like a garage stale, you know, I mean,

791
00:40:50,480 --> 00:40:52,600
Speaker 1: because you know those are like two three hundred dollars.

792
00:40:52,480 --> 00:40:54,719
Speaker 6: We did. We did that American girl dollar life. I

793
00:40:54,840 --> 00:40:57,600
Speaker 6: know that all lived a good life.

794
00:40:57,960 --> 00:41:01,520
Speaker 1: They're so expensive. And then to see that she was

795
00:41:01,520 --> 00:41:03,600
Speaker 1: so excited to do. We're gonna have a garage shell,

796
00:41:03,960 --> 00:41:06,560
Speaker 1: you know, Alyssa, just go in your things and.

797
00:41:06,160 --> 00:41:07,120
Speaker 2: Pull out what you don't want.

798
00:41:07,320 --> 00:41:10,000
Speaker 1: She just pull He looked, he was like she just

799
00:41:10,880 --> 00:41:14,080
Speaker 1: Raven like bye, yeah, he said, is that the baby

800
00:41:14,080 --> 00:41:16,880
Speaker 1: about your lesson five dollars?

801
00:41:16,920 --> 00:41:18,120
Speaker 2: I know? The pair who bought it.

802
00:41:18,160 --> 00:41:22,560
Speaker 4: Was like so, but it's sold on eBay for two hundred.

803
00:41:23,320 --> 00:41:26,920
Speaker 1: So it's just to your point, Christine, it's you. You know,

804
00:41:27,000 --> 00:41:29,160
Speaker 1: the stuff that we give our kids sometimes, you know,

805
00:41:29,280 --> 00:41:31,960
Speaker 1: we we have more of emotional attachment to giving them

806
00:41:32,000 --> 00:41:33,959
Speaker 1: things than they actually have and receiving those things.

807
00:41:34,000 --> 00:41:36,040
Speaker 2: So to be mind that, you know.

808
00:41:36,120 --> 00:41:39,920
Speaker 6: A lot of that is our our own unfulfilled childhood once. Right,

809
00:41:40,120 --> 00:41:44,440
Speaker 6: like my daughter had American that girl, oh that dollar

810
00:41:44,440 --> 00:41:46,960
Speaker 6: is a good life. It had a bed, it had clothes,

811
00:41:47,280 --> 00:41:50,759
Speaker 6: she played the violin. It had a violin right like,

812
00:41:50,840 --> 00:41:52,720
Speaker 6: it was out of it was out of control.

813
00:41:53,320 --> 00:41:56,279
Speaker 5: And I remember, you know, decluttering and going through all

814
00:41:56,280 --> 00:41:58,799
Speaker 5: these things, and I was like this is this is

815
00:41:58,840 --> 00:42:03,120
Speaker 5: the life that I want and my dolls to have, right,

816
00:42:03,480 --> 00:42:07,160
Speaker 5: So some of that stuff is us fulfilling our own

817
00:42:07,239 --> 00:42:08,640
Speaker 5: unfulfilled childhood once.

818
00:42:09,040 --> 00:42:11,279
Speaker 3: Yeah, I got to get better at saying no and

819
00:42:11,320 --> 00:42:13,399
Speaker 3: maybe don't do it the morning of Christmas when you're

820
00:42:13,400 --> 00:42:16,719
Speaker 3: stressed out and another package has been delivered and it's

821
00:42:16,719 --> 00:42:20,080
Speaker 3: a remote control driving car and you tell your father never,

822
00:42:20,280 --> 00:42:21,080
Speaker 3: no more toys and.

823
00:42:21,120 --> 00:42:21,840
Speaker 4: He hangs up on you.

824
00:42:21,920 --> 00:42:25,960
Speaker 6: Yeah, man, you need to get get that email that

825
00:42:26,120 --> 00:42:28,920
Speaker 6: no out, that email out ahead of them to say.

826
00:42:28,760 --> 00:42:32,400
Speaker 3: No in different languages. Now there's all these grandparents.

827
00:42:31,840 --> 00:42:35,239
Speaker 1: Well no in Spanish, it's still now, it's still that

828
00:42:35,320 --> 00:42:36,840
Speaker 1: you add a lot of words to it.

829
00:42:36,640 --> 00:42:39,440
Speaker 4: When mother in law Okay, but you know what.

830
00:42:39,480 --> 00:42:44,000
Speaker 6: Mandy, you can also like redirect them, right, so you

831
00:42:44,040 --> 00:42:47,600
Speaker 6: know what, he really does not need another remote control

832
00:42:47,680 --> 00:42:51,719
Speaker 6: car instead, what we're doing this year for Christmas is

833
00:42:52,400 --> 00:42:55,359
Speaker 6: fill in the blank or what I would also tell

834
00:42:55,400 --> 00:42:57,759
Speaker 6: people who would just be what I felt was like

835
00:42:57,920 --> 00:43:00,880
Speaker 6: not respecting boundaries. After certain times you say no, you're like,

836
00:43:01,120 --> 00:43:03,640
Speaker 6: I really don't want it, right, I would say, just

837
00:43:03,680 --> 00:43:05,520
Speaker 6: so you know, I mean, I told you we're trying

838
00:43:05,560 --> 00:43:08,120
Speaker 6: to live with less. We're not taking in all of

839
00:43:08,160 --> 00:43:12,040
Speaker 6: these toys. Are you comfortable with me donating this to

840
00:43:12,400 --> 00:43:13,799
Speaker 6: an organization.

841
00:43:14,840 --> 00:43:15,360
Speaker 7: In need?

842
00:43:15,600 --> 00:43:15,759
Speaker 1: Right?

843
00:43:15,840 --> 00:43:19,160
Speaker 6: So it's like that redirect too, right, So you got

844
00:43:19,239 --> 00:43:20,120
Speaker 6: some options, Mandy.

845
00:43:20,760 --> 00:43:23,960
Speaker 3: Yeah, I gotta brush up on my intermediary Spanish to

846
00:43:23,960 --> 00:43:27,239
Speaker 3: get to that level of conversation. But this has been

847
00:43:27,280 --> 00:43:31,879
Speaker 3: such a wonderful, wonderful conversation. Thank you so much, Christine.

848
00:43:31,440 --> 00:43:32,879
Speaker 7: Thank you both for having me.

849
00:43:33,000 --> 00:43:34,920
Speaker 1: Can you let folks know, like you know, what your

850
00:43:34,920 --> 00:43:36,480
Speaker 1: book is, where they can get it and where they

851
00:43:36,480 --> 00:43:37,200
Speaker 1: can continue.

852
00:43:37,360 --> 00:43:42,200
Speaker 6: Yes, yeah, so this is my book, The Afro Minimalist

853
00:43:42,239 --> 00:43:44,759
Speaker 6: Guide to Living with Less or I probably have eaten

854
00:43:44,840 --> 00:43:48,799
Speaker 6: something right there, but that's the book, and you can

855
00:43:48,840 --> 00:43:52,840
Speaker 6: find me online. I'm very active on Instagram, have a

856
00:43:52,920 --> 00:43:55,719
Speaker 6: you know, a wonderful community discussions there, and I am

857
00:43:55,800 --> 00:43:58,680
Speaker 6: at Afrominimalists and you can also find me on the

858
00:43:58,680 --> 00:44:00,359
Speaker 6: web under the same name.

859
00:44:00,880 --> 00:44:03,440
Speaker 3: Thank you well, thank you, thank you, thank you for

860
00:44:03,480 --> 00:44:07,960
Speaker 3: coming on. I love this conversation. Yes, I've you gave

861
00:44:07,960 --> 00:44:10,359
Speaker 3: me a lot to think about personally, so thank you.

862
00:44:10,320 --> 00:44:11,160
Speaker 4: For joining us.

863
00:44:11,280 --> 00:44:14,239
Speaker 3: All right, y'all got to go check out Christine Afronimi

864
00:44:14,520 --> 00:44:16,280
Speaker 3: and check our show notes for all her links.

865
00:44:16,440 --> 00:44:21,760
Speaker 1: Yes, thanks, Oh, my gosh, b a fan. Wasn't Christine awesome?

866
00:44:21,840 --> 00:44:24,120
Speaker 1: Doesn't it make you realize that you could be fabulous

867
00:44:24,160 --> 00:44:27,480
Speaker 1: with less? Well, if you want to make sure to

868
00:44:27,480 --> 00:44:29,919
Speaker 1: take down a trip down memory Lane with us every

869
00:44:29,960 --> 00:44:33,480
Speaker 1: single week and our other episodes, make sure to check

870
00:44:33,520 --> 00:44:36,920
Speaker 1: out Brian Ambition every Monday, every Wednesday, every Friday.

871
00:44:37,040 --> 00:44:39,800
Speaker 2: That's looseless, that's miracless, that's yearnest.

872
00:44:40,520 --> 00:44:42,680
Speaker 1: Mandy is rolling her eyes right now somewhere wherever she is,

873
00:44:42,719 --> 00:44:46,120
Speaker 1: because I speak tambien. By y'all,