1 00:00:00,560 --> 00:00:03,400 Speaker 1: My gas or gas are The co founders are the 2 00:00:03,960 --> 00:00:06,200 Speaker 1: Rowing group. They used to be in LC now there 3 00:00:06,280 --> 00:00:08,760 Speaker 1: it's called I'm gonna ask them about that and division 4 00:00:08,800 --> 00:00:11,640 Speaker 1: areas behind. One Stop Tax is the largest black owned 5 00:00:11,680 --> 00:00:15,320 Speaker 1: tax preparation service in America. Were more than one thousand 6 00:00:15,440 --> 00:00:19,040 Speaker 1: virtual locations nationwide and the creators. 7 00:00:18,560 --> 00:00:20,400 Speaker 2: Of the Black Tax Festival. 8 00:00:20,920 --> 00:00:24,320 Speaker 1: They have expanded their business portfolio into restaurants, real estate, 9 00:00:24,560 --> 00:00:25,520 Speaker 1: and hospitality. 10 00:00:26,000 --> 00:00:27,800 Speaker 3: Wow, we got a lot to talk about. 11 00:00:27,840 --> 00:00:30,440 Speaker 1: This is a money making conversation for real Please work 12 00:00:30,480 --> 00:00:32,280 Speaker 1: in the Money Making Conversation Masterclass. 13 00:00:32,840 --> 00:00:36,720 Speaker 3: Sharina and Muwbray Rowing. Thank you so much. We're glad 14 00:00:36,760 --> 00:00:37,160 Speaker 3: to be here. 15 00:00:37,320 --> 00:00:40,800 Speaker 1: So you guys are entrepreneurs, Yes, sir, I'm gonna start 16 00:00:40,800 --> 00:00:42,120 Speaker 1: with you. 17 00:00:42,200 --> 00:00:44,000 Speaker 3: What does entrepreneurship mean to you? 18 00:00:44,560 --> 00:00:47,360 Speaker 4: And so it means to me entrepreneurship being able to 19 00:00:47,360 --> 00:00:50,400 Speaker 4: set your own path. It means being a servant to 20 00:00:50,479 --> 00:00:54,000 Speaker 4: other people. And that's what I define entrepreneurship as finding 21 00:00:54,040 --> 00:00:56,880 Speaker 4: a service, finding how you can serve people, and then 22 00:00:56,920 --> 00:00:59,640 Speaker 4: you can ultimately build a business around around their service. 23 00:00:59,680 --> 00:01:01,320 Speaker 4: And so I just try to be better at that 24 00:01:01,320 --> 00:01:02,000 Speaker 4: than most people. 25 00:01:02,760 --> 00:01:02,880 Speaker 5: Now. 26 00:01:03,200 --> 00:01:08,760 Speaker 1: Seraina, when he says that building a business, yes, you 27 00:01:08,840 --> 00:01:09,600 Speaker 1: guys are partners. 28 00:01:11,319 --> 00:01:13,119 Speaker 2: Let's talk about that business first. 29 00:01:13,800 --> 00:01:14,520 Speaker 6: He's definitely. 30 00:01:15,080 --> 00:01:18,399 Speaker 1: I always feel that you gotta have a business to 31 00:01:18,560 --> 00:01:21,800 Speaker 1: expand the business, right, that's all scaling. So you guys 32 00:01:21,800 --> 00:01:24,720 Speaker 1: are scaling now, but in the early stage, what was 33 00:01:24,720 --> 00:01:25,959 Speaker 1: your vision for the business? 34 00:01:26,280 --> 00:01:29,520 Speaker 5: Well, Mowbray is our visionary. Mowbray is the big idea guy. 35 00:01:29,560 --> 00:01:32,720 Speaker 5: He always is coming up with the way. He's a 36 00:01:32,720 --> 00:01:35,280 Speaker 5: big idea guy. Right, He's always like, Babe, I got it. 37 00:01:35,600 --> 00:01:38,440 Speaker 5: And for me, I'm the implementation person. I'm going, Okay, 38 00:01:38,760 --> 00:01:40,679 Speaker 5: if we're going to go from A to Z, this 39 00:01:40,720 --> 00:01:42,520 Speaker 5: is the way we have to get there. And so 40 00:01:42,640 --> 00:01:46,399 Speaker 5: that's kind of how our dynamic dynamic has always somehow, somehow. 41 00:01:46,680 --> 00:01:50,200 Speaker 1: She complimented herself in that and that, like you, you 42 00:01:50,280 --> 00:01:52,000 Speaker 1: always got these ideas, but she got to come in 43 00:01:52,080 --> 00:01:52,640 Speaker 1: and clean up. 44 00:01:55,280 --> 00:01:56,480 Speaker 6: What it was. 45 00:01:58,200 --> 00:02:01,320 Speaker 3: I'm glad you said it. Say that, but. 46 00:02:01,360 --> 00:02:03,640 Speaker 1: That's a good thing because my wife does that to me. 47 00:02:04,400 --> 00:02:05,640 Speaker 1: And I would tell you, I don't want to listen 48 00:02:05,680 --> 00:02:08,600 Speaker 1: to her. She'll talk about Rachelle, you're just slearning your words. 49 00:02:08,600 --> 00:02:11,720 Speaker 1: You're talking too fast. I go whatever, but whatever, whatever, 50 00:02:11,919 --> 00:02:14,919 Speaker 1: And I'm taking notes. I'm taking notes I'm taking notes, 51 00:02:14,960 --> 00:02:18,160 Speaker 1: you know, not on here, but I'm taking notes. 52 00:02:17,919 --> 00:02:19,320 Speaker 3: How do you know? 53 00:02:19,360 --> 00:02:20,959 Speaker 4: I always tell the look, I know you're going to 54 00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:23,280 Speaker 4: figure out how to do it, but let me get 55 00:02:23,280 --> 00:02:25,840 Speaker 4: the vision out first, right, and then once I get you, 56 00:02:25,960 --> 00:02:27,080 Speaker 4: then start asking me questions. 57 00:02:27,080 --> 00:02:28,799 Speaker 3: But how you gonna do it? How is it gonna work? 58 00:02:28,919 --> 00:02:30,280 Speaker 3: I ain't thought about all their parts here. 59 00:02:30,560 --> 00:02:31,880 Speaker 4: I'm just trying to see if I want to do 60 00:02:31,960 --> 00:02:34,560 Speaker 4: it first, and so yeah, I kind of cast the vision, 61 00:02:34,760 --> 00:02:36,760 Speaker 4: make sure that there's something that I know we want 62 00:02:36,800 --> 00:02:39,080 Speaker 4: to do, and then we start figuring out the pieces 63 00:02:39,080 --> 00:02:41,320 Speaker 4: of it. She want to figure the pieces out before 64 00:02:41,320 --> 00:02:42,480 Speaker 4: we get the idea out first. 65 00:02:43,080 --> 00:02:43,280 Speaker 3: You know. 66 00:02:43,720 --> 00:02:45,239 Speaker 1: I agree with her, you know, because a lot of 67 00:02:45,240 --> 00:02:48,000 Speaker 1: people jump out there on faith. But I would say 68 00:02:48,120 --> 00:02:51,040 Speaker 1: that's cool, but please jump with a plane. That's right, 69 00:02:51,360 --> 00:02:53,920 Speaker 1: Please jump with a budget, because I would tell people 70 00:02:54,120 --> 00:02:56,320 Speaker 1: that when you start a business, there are three things. 71 00:02:56,320 --> 00:03:01,320 Speaker 1: You should have an accountant, lawyer, and if you have 72 00:03:01,440 --> 00:03:06,239 Speaker 1: employees HR those are and people want to cut corners 73 00:03:06,560 --> 00:03:10,320 Speaker 1: on all three of those. Now, being a person, Marlberick, 74 00:03:10,480 --> 00:03:15,480 Speaker 1: you know you're you're expanding along with SHARENA outside of taxes, 75 00:03:15,639 --> 00:03:20,040 Speaker 1: which means that you're picking up employees, real estate, restaurants. 76 00:03:20,040 --> 00:03:22,360 Speaker 1: We're gonna get into individuals and also gonna get to 77 00:03:22,360 --> 00:03:26,600 Speaker 1: the Black Tax Festival, which is another contractors and all 78 00:03:26,639 --> 00:03:28,800 Speaker 1: those things. And I know that I'm not looking at 79 00:03:28,880 --> 00:03:31,760 Speaker 1: just two people, y'all, not the two main operations. So 80 00:03:32,440 --> 00:03:35,560 Speaker 1: when I say the word accountant, I say the word 81 00:03:35,600 --> 00:03:39,720 Speaker 1: our CPA, our bookkeeper, I say the word legal, I 82 00:03:39,800 --> 00:03:40,760 Speaker 1: say the word HR. 83 00:03:41,240 --> 00:03:43,360 Speaker 3: What do you say back to me? You know, I say, 84 00:03:43,400 --> 00:03:44,800 Speaker 3: it's got to have it all. 85 00:03:45,360 --> 00:03:48,360 Speaker 4: And you know, you talk about scaling what we have 86 00:03:48,480 --> 00:03:51,040 Speaker 4: when we first started the business ms McDonald and what 87 00:03:51,160 --> 00:03:52,840 Speaker 4: we have to have now we have. Now we have 88 00:03:52,920 --> 00:03:55,840 Speaker 4: to have a new attorney. Now we need a new CPA. 89 00:03:56,000 --> 00:03:58,160 Speaker 4: Like the same thing that works at one million dollars, 90 00:03:58,200 --> 00:04:00,520 Speaker 4: it's not the same thing they work at ten million, fifteenth. 91 00:04:00,560 --> 00:04:04,200 Speaker 4: And every stage I didn't realize either. At every stage 92 00:04:04,240 --> 00:04:06,240 Speaker 4: we needed to kind of up the team a little bit. 93 00:04:06,800 --> 00:04:08,680 Speaker 4: And so yeah, and so we had to allow people 94 00:04:08,720 --> 00:04:10,880 Speaker 4: that you know, to even know more about certain things 95 00:04:10,880 --> 00:04:12,240 Speaker 4: that us to can kind of help us with some 96 00:04:12,520 --> 00:04:15,480 Speaker 4: in some of those arenas. We needed a big time attorney. 97 00:04:15,520 --> 00:04:17,920 Speaker 4: We had to get a different CPA as we grew 98 00:04:18,000 --> 00:04:20,799 Speaker 4: the business and stuff. So those have been key key things. 99 00:04:21,240 --> 00:04:24,160 Speaker 4: It's surrounding with a real quality team as a business 100 00:04:24,240 --> 00:04:26,560 Speaker 4: begins to scale, because it's hard to scale without it. 101 00:04:27,520 --> 00:04:30,360 Speaker 2: He's pretty calm and cool. He sharna talk to me 102 00:04:30,400 --> 00:04:30,960 Speaker 2: about your. 103 00:04:31,320 --> 00:04:32,039 Speaker 6: Oh my goodness. 104 00:04:32,040 --> 00:04:38,680 Speaker 5: So originally I was the HR, the attorney, right, it 105 00:04:38,720 --> 00:04:39,280 Speaker 5: was all me. 106 00:04:39,279 --> 00:04:41,200 Speaker 6: In the beginning. 107 00:04:41,240 --> 00:04:43,159 Speaker 5: Like you said, Esentially, you get to the point where 108 00:04:43,160 --> 00:04:46,159 Speaker 5: you realize, hey, we need professionals in here. And I 109 00:04:46,200 --> 00:04:48,719 Speaker 5: got to fire myself from some of these jobs, and 110 00:04:48,760 --> 00:04:50,599 Speaker 5: so that's what I started to do. It's like, hey, 111 00:04:50,720 --> 00:04:53,159 Speaker 5: you know, we need a team. And you know, over 112 00:04:53,200 --> 00:04:54,360 Speaker 5: the years that team. 113 00:04:54,320 --> 00:04:57,120 Speaker 2: He said years, talk about years. 114 00:04:57,240 --> 00:05:00,240 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, but when you really started being you know, 115 00:05:00,400 --> 00:05:01,880 Speaker 1: you all started with a party in too. 116 00:05:01,920 --> 00:05:03,120 Speaker 2: You got to start this the roots. 117 00:05:03,240 --> 00:05:04,760 Speaker 3: Yeah, when you start bringing people out. 118 00:05:04,880 --> 00:05:07,599 Speaker 2: What was that year that it clicked kicked in? 119 00:05:08,000 --> 00:05:11,120 Speaker 5: So we started doing taxes in twenty ten, okay, just 120 00:05:11,200 --> 00:05:13,760 Speaker 5: mom and pop motory and I. We had an office 121 00:05:13,800 --> 00:05:16,799 Speaker 5: in Memphis, Tennessee, and we were just you know, learning 122 00:05:16,839 --> 00:05:18,600 Speaker 5: how to do this industry. We didn't have a ton 123 00:05:18,680 --> 00:05:20,960 Speaker 5: of support, we didn't have a ton of training, but 124 00:05:21,040 --> 00:05:23,839 Speaker 5: we had a lot of drive, right, and so we 125 00:05:23,920 --> 00:05:26,400 Speaker 5: got to work put our heads down for a few years, 126 00:05:26,400 --> 00:05:27,920 Speaker 5: and the business was growing, but. 127 00:05:27,880 --> 00:05:29,000 Speaker 6: Not at the rate we wanted to. 128 00:05:29,040 --> 00:05:31,720 Speaker 5: We knew we wanted to scale, but we knew that 129 00:05:31,720 --> 00:05:33,599 Speaker 5: that wasn't going to be just us going out and 130 00:05:33,600 --> 00:05:34,600 Speaker 5: getting more customers. 131 00:05:34,800 --> 00:05:37,360 Speaker 6: So by twenty fifteen, we had the idea. 132 00:05:37,120 --> 00:05:40,320 Speaker 5: Of saying, hey, listen, it's not just us that want 133 00:05:40,400 --> 00:05:42,320 Speaker 5: to make a lot of money during the first part 134 00:05:42,320 --> 00:05:45,200 Speaker 5: of the year. Taxes is a different industry from a 135 00:05:45,279 --> 00:05:48,200 Speaker 5: lot of things we've been able to see, right, And 136 00:05:48,320 --> 00:05:50,960 Speaker 5: so when we found that concept, we said, what if 137 00:05:50,960 --> 00:05:52,960 Speaker 5: we put a system in place to show other people 138 00:05:52,960 --> 00:05:55,599 Speaker 5: how to do this, And so we started one Stop Taxes, 139 00:05:55,640 --> 00:05:59,080 Speaker 5: the franchise model. We started teaching people how to do taxes, 140 00:05:59,120 --> 00:06:02,040 Speaker 5: how to structure their companies so that they could be profitable, 141 00:06:02,200 --> 00:06:04,400 Speaker 5: how to find customers in their marketplace. 142 00:06:04,880 --> 00:06:07,320 Speaker 1: And it grew from there because we said a thousand 143 00:06:07,440 --> 00:06:11,039 Speaker 1: virtual locations. Yes, now now we're talking about you said 144 00:06:11,279 --> 00:06:14,840 Speaker 1: twenty ten, you said twenty fifteen. Were those were those 145 00:06:15,320 --> 00:06:18,479 Speaker 1: brick and mortar stores at the time. Yeah, okay, talk 146 00:06:18,480 --> 00:06:23,120 Speaker 1: about the brick and mortar financial model versus the virtual 147 00:06:23,240 --> 00:06:24,039 Speaker 1: financial model. 148 00:06:24,120 --> 00:06:25,080 Speaker 6: Oh, it's night and day. 149 00:06:25,320 --> 00:06:29,040 Speaker 5: Right Starting out, it was you know, paying all the 150 00:06:29,040 --> 00:06:32,160 Speaker 5: money out upfront, trying to figure out if the tax 151 00:06:32,160 --> 00:06:34,320 Speaker 5: season was going to be able to sustain you for 152 00:06:34,360 --> 00:06:35,200 Speaker 5: the rest of the year. 153 00:06:35,080 --> 00:06:38,560 Speaker 4: Right, right, Yeah, So those were things that's kind of difficult, 154 00:06:38,640 --> 00:06:41,239 Speaker 4: you know, trying to you know, you got a virtual 155 00:06:41,640 --> 00:06:43,680 Speaker 4: a brick and mortar business, right where you got three 156 00:06:43,720 --> 00:06:45,360 Speaker 4: months you got to make money, but you got to 157 00:06:45,360 --> 00:06:46,600 Speaker 4: pay these bills for the rest of the year. 158 00:06:47,240 --> 00:06:47,760 Speaker 3: So it's just. 159 00:06:49,960 --> 00:06:50,480 Speaker 1: Like that. 160 00:06:50,960 --> 00:06:53,159 Speaker 4: So it's hard to scale with that type of model, 161 00:06:53,160 --> 00:06:55,440 Speaker 4: and it's hard to teach someone else how to start 162 00:06:55,480 --> 00:06:57,920 Speaker 4: their model when it costs so much money out of pocket. Right, 163 00:06:58,000 --> 00:07:00,880 Speaker 4: And so that's where we came what a franchise franchiser? 164 00:07:01,000 --> 00:07:01,160 Speaker 3: Right? 165 00:07:01,279 --> 00:07:03,279 Speaker 4: But what if we can remove the doors and windows 166 00:07:03,320 --> 00:07:05,280 Speaker 4: and make it to where you can do everything online, 167 00:07:05,360 --> 00:07:06,479 Speaker 4: do it all from an app. 168 00:07:06,760 --> 00:07:08,600 Speaker 2: Now we're talking visionary talk now, right. 169 00:07:08,680 --> 00:07:10,880 Speaker 4: Right, because I'm thinking I'm talking about this before you 170 00:07:10,960 --> 00:07:12,440 Speaker 4: got apps, before people. 171 00:07:12,160 --> 00:07:13,920 Speaker 3: Got smart phones. This visionary talk. 172 00:07:13,840 --> 00:07:16,480 Speaker 4: Before people even trust taking pictures of their documents on 173 00:07:16,560 --> 00:07:17,120 Speaker 4: a cell phone. 174 00:07:18,080 --> 00:07:20,680 Speaker 2: Right, visionary talk come with are you crazy? 175 00:07:20,880 --> 00:07:22,360 Speaker 3: Right? What are you talking about? Yeah? 176 00:07:22,520 --> 00:07:25,640 Speaker 4: Ball, anybody nobody gonna take youay documents and sending stuff 177 00:07:25,640 --> 00:07:28,680 Speaker 4: in you andybody, I ain't sending my ID on them 178 00:07:28,680 --> 00:07:30,080 Speaker 4: stell phone anybody and nobody going. 179 00:07:30,640 --> 00:07:33,360 Speaker 3: You know what I mean? Posing no money right exactly. 180 00:07:33,080 --> 00:07:33,840 Speaker 2: Right the phone. 181 00:07:34,120 --> 00:07:35,720 Speaker 6: Nobody's gonna trust you right. 182 00:07:36,240 --> 00:07:38,160 Speaker 3: Before everybody started doing it. This sounds crazy. 183 00:07:38,920 --> 00:07:42,160 Speaker 1: Let's go to faith now's faith comes because because you know, 184 00:07:42,720 --> 00:07:46,160 Speaker 1: when you're a visionary, people tear it down. So where 185 00:07:46,160 --> 00:07:48,880 Speaker 1: did y'all go where they were tearing down when it 186 00:07:49,040 --> 00:07:51,600 Speaker 1: was called you crazy? When they would call it but 187 00:07:51,600 --> 00:07:52,480 Speaker 1: still borrow money for. 188 00:07:54,920 --> 00:07:55,240 Speaker 3: Somebody. 189 00:07:56,080 --> 00:07:57,920 Speaker 7: You don't want to miss an episode of Money Making 190 00:07:57,960 --> 00:08:02,240 Speaker 7: Conversations Masterclass, So right now follow a subscribe to Money 191 00:08:02,240 --> 00:08:03,520 Speaker 7: Making Conversations. 192 00:08:03,720 --> 00:08:07,000 Speaker 8: It's free and you can find it on the iHeartRadio app. 193 00:08:07,000 --> 00:08:10,960 Speaker 1: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 194 00:08:11,800 --> 00:08:12,880 Speaker 3: Please don't go anywhere. 195 00:08:13,080 --> 00:08:16,160 Speaker 8: We'll be right back with more Money Making Conversations Masterclass. 196 00:08:18,880 --> 00:08:21,880 Speaker 8: Welcome back to Money Making Conversations Master Class with me 197 00:08:22,040 --> 00:08:23,040 Speaker 8: for Sean McDonald. 198 00:08:24,240 --> 00:08:27,000 Speaker 4: Process one stop, one stop Texas went from brick and 199 00:08:27,080 --> 00:08:30,760 Speaker 4: mortar to virtual. Right, ok, mom and pop, let's talk 200 00:08:30,800 --> 00:08:35,520 Speaker 4: about twenty fifteen. You expanded, when did the virtual aspect? 201 00:08:35,600 --> 00:08:38,600 Speaker 1: Was that before more covid because COVID has been a 202 00:08:38,679 --> 00:08:42,719 Speaker 1: landmark of all conversations I've had with small entrepreneurs or 203 00:08:42,760 --> 00:08:46,560 Speaker 1: any business. Did you do it before COVID or after COVID. 204 00:08:46,640 --> 00:08:50,199 Speaker 4: So we started in twenty ten wanting to be virtual. 205 00:08:50,600 --> 00:08:53,040 Speaker 4: So even when we had the brick and mortar stores, 206 00:08:53,080 --> 00:08:55,800 Speaker 4: we always had a virtual component, okay, right, we always 207 00:08:55,840 --> 00:08:58,240 Speaker 4: had people other places singing. So it was kind of 208 00:08:58,559 --> 00:09:02,080 Speaker 4: slowly transitioning to a from twenty ten had the brick 209 00:09:02,120 --> 00:09:04,320 Speaker 4: and mortar locations, and then we realized we opened up 210 00:09:04,320 --> 00:09:07,160 Speaker 4: brick and later locations and people weren't coming in them. 211 00:09:07,440 --> 00:09:10,160 Speaker 4: This when I realized too about marketing just opening up 212 00:09:10,200 --> 00:09:12,880 Speaker 4: a store. People don't just come into a store because 213 00:09:12,880 --> 00:09:15,080 Speaker 4: you open it. And so we opened up brick and 214 00:09:15,120 --> 00:09:17,880 Speaker 4: mortar stores, no customers came in, right, And so we 215 00:09:17,960 --> 00:09:19,640 Speaker 4: was like, that ain't the way to go, babe. All 216 00:09:19,679 --> 00:09:22,360 Speaker 4: this costs, you know, customers, it's not it you know 217 00:09:22,400 --> 00:09:24,680 Speaker 4: what I mean, Son, that. 218 00:09:25,600 --> 00:09:29,160 Speaker 1: Was your clientele or minorities or so they have that 219 00:09:29,240 --> 00:09:33,400 Speaker 1: block mentality, you know, first quarter, don't worry about the 220 00:09:33,480 --> 00:09:36,240 Speaker 1: rest of the year, you know, especially, So that's a 221 00:09:36,280 --> 00:09:38,280 Speaker 1: problem too, right, So you have to deal with your 222 00:09:38,320 --> 00:09:43,439 Speaker 1: income being shuttered maybe eight months out of the year, right. 223 00:09:43,559 --> 00:09:46,720 Speaker 5: Right et absolutely really so again, tax season is a 224 00:09:46,840 --> 00:09:51,360 Speaker 5: very seasonal business. But again for us, as we started 225 00:09:51,360 --> 00:09:55,000 Speaker 5: to grow the franchises twenty fifteen, we started with a 226 00:09:55,000 --> 00:09:57,640 Speaker 5: few stores. By the time we got to twenty nineteen, 227 00:09:57,679 --> 00:10:02,040 Speaker 5: there were one thousand franchises in the system, and pre COVID, 228 00:10:02,840 --> 00:10:06,120 Speaker 5: you know, the world shuts down and we're already in place. 229 00:10:06,160 --> 00:10:08,560 Speaker 5: We already have all these stores that are primed and 230 00:10:08,600 --> 00:10:11,560 Speaker 5: ready everything, And so that just kind of changed the 231 00:10:11,600 --> 00:10:14,880 Speaker 5: game for us, and it helped so many families within 232 00:10:14,920 --> 00:10:18,640 Speaker 5: our ecosystem not have to have the same struggles as. 233 00:10:18,760 --> 00:10:21,400 Speaker 6: That everywhere experiencing virtual Yeah. 234 00:10:21,320 --> 00:10:25,480 Speaker 1: Virtual own became virtual right world became zoom world became 235 00:10:25,679 --> 00:10:27,880 Speaker 1: I don't mind looking at you talking about my business 236 00:10:28,280 --> 00:10:32,400 Speaker 1: over a small over a phone or or monitor. Now 237 00:10:32,640 --> 00:10:36,319 Speaker 1: you're talking about you have one thousand virtual locations. 238 00:10:37,000 --> 00:10:38,040 Speaker 2: How does that work? 239 00:10:38,360 --> 00:10:40,920 Speaker 4: So from the very beginning, we wanted to make it 240 00:10:40,960 --> 00:10:43,360 Speaker 4: to where people could be at home. I can sit 241 00:10:43,400 --> 00:10:45,760 Speaker 4: at home on my couch, get my taxes done, and 242 00:10:46,080 --> 00:10:48,480 Speaker 4: if Mr McDonald's my tax person, I can send him 243 00:10:48,480 --> 00:10:49,080 Speaker 4: my documents. 244 00:10:49,120 --> 00:10:51,480 Speaker 3: He can prepare them from the house. I can sign 245 00:10:51,559 --> 00:10:52,600 Speaker 3: from my house. 246 00:10:52,559 --> 00:10:55,000 Speaker 4: And neither one of us have to go anywhere, and 247 00:10:55,040 --> 00:10:57,040 Speaker 4: so we built out a platform that does just that. 248 00:10:57,240 --> 00:10:59,280 Speaker 4: I can take the pictures on my phone. I can 249 00:10:59,320 --> 00:11:02,040 Speaker 4: selecture aim in an app. The documents are going to 250 00:11:02,120 --> 00:11:04,680 Speaker 4: come to you. You can prepare them right there, send 251 00:11:04,679 --> 00:11:05,640 Speaker 4: it back for signature. 252 00:11:05,679 --> 00:11:06,400 Speaker 3: I can sign it. 253 00:11:06,559 --> 00:11:10,120 Speaker 4: My files is in my in my inbox, in the cloud, 254 00:11:10,400 --> 00:11:12,160 Speaker 4: and neither one of us has left home. 255 00:11:12,840 --> 00:11:15,000 Speaker 3: I got my cash advance in my pocket. 256 00:11:15,360 --> 00:11:19,200 Speaker 6: My stuff is done, tax refund deposit. 257 00:11:19,080 --> 00:11:22,760 Speaker 4: No waiting in line, no no driving in traffic, and 258 00:11:22,800 --> 00:11:23,880 Speaker 4: the const. 259 00:11:25,040 --> 00:11:30,520 Speaker 3: Oppressive because accounting is neither of your background, correct, right, 260 00:11:31,160 --> 00:11:31,640 Speaker 3: Not really? 261 00:11:32,120 --> 00:11:34,200 Speaker 4: I got a business degree. I took some accounting classes, 262 00:11:34,200 --> 00:11:34,800 Speaker 4: but I was terrible. 263 00:11:39,120 --> 00:11:40,920 Speaker 3: Okay, So we talked about a business model. 264 00:11:41,000 --> 00:11:43,600 Speaker 2: Exactly did you guys create it? 265 00:11:43,679 --> 00:11:48,160 Speaker 1: But from an advanced standpoint and it's from a standpoint of, 266 00:11:48,200 --> 00:11:51,400 Speaker 1: like they said, from personal experience, how could I make 267 00:11:51,440 --> 00:11:55,400 Speaker 1: it easier for me and then share it through a 268 00:11:55,400 --> 00:11:58,320 Speaker 1: business model? And that's why I, you know, I have 269 00:11:58,400 --> 00:12:00,839 Speaker 1: to commend that because that takes a. 270 00:12:00,800 --> 00:12:03,800 Speaker 2: Lot of goods. Yeah, talk to me. 271 00:12:04,320 --> 00:12:05,920 Speaker 4: Yeah, it took a lot of goods to be able 272 00:12:06,000 --> 00:12:08,600 Speaker 4: to give people something they never heard of before. Because 273 00:12:08,600 --> 00:12:10,800 Speaker 4: when you tell a person we own a virtual tax company. 274 00:12:10,800 --> 00:12:13,920 Speaker 4: They're like, what is a virtual tax book? Like, what 275 00:12:14,040 --> 00:12:14,880 Speaker 4: is it? Yes? 276 00:12:14,960 --> 00:12:17,160 Speaker 3: You know what I mean. People still, like I said, right, 277 00:12:18,360 --> 00:12:20,000 Speaker 3: heard it all, and I'm aware. 278 00:12:20,040 --> 00:12:23,080 Speaker 1: I'm kind of aware of it because you know, AI 279 00:12:23,400 --> 00:12:25,760 Speaker 1: apps and stuff like that. But especially when you two 280 00:12:25,840 --> 00:12:28,720 Speaker 1: guys would start, you know, they were just you know, hey, 281 00:12:29,000 --> 00:12:31,280 Speaker 1: social media was kind of still ramping. 282 00:12:31,120 --> 00:12:32,040 Speaker 3: Up, wrapping up. 283 00:12:32,120 --> 00:12:32,280 Speaker 2: Right. 284 00:12:32,920 --> 00:12:35,760 Speaker 4: Yeah, we started before social media, right, we started, So 285 00:12:35,880 --> 00:12:38,440 Speaker 4: we started where which is good though, because we know 286 00:12:38,520 --> 00:12:41,120 Speaker 4: belly to belly. These kids they don't know billy to 287 00:12:41,120 --> 00:12:43,640 Speaker 4: belly anymore. Right, even in the app world, even in 288 00:12:43,679 --> 00:12:46,400 Speaker 4: the AI world, you still got to go talk to people. 289 00:12:46,559 --> 00:12:49,000 Speaker 4: You still got to understand some belly to belly billy 290 00:12:49,080 --> 00:12:52,080 Speaker 4: relationships with people. And so we can teach people the 291 00:12:52,200 --> 00:12:54,040 Speaker 4: old school side of it, and we know all the 292 00:12:54,080 --> 00:12:56,040 Speaker 4: new school stuff and AI to tech and all this 293 00:12:56,080 --> 00:12:58,280 Speaker 4: stuff as well too, But in order to make it 294 00:12:58,320 --> 00:13:00,880 Speaker 4: really successful, you really got to be do all of it. 295 00:13:01,240 --> 00:13:03,040 Speaker 4: And so that's kind of how we hedged our bit. 296 00:13:03,200 --> 00:13:05,720 Speaker 4: We win and show people how the old school way 297 00:13:05,840 --> 00:13:07,680 Speaker 4: and the new school way, and then you put it 298 00:13:07,679 --> 00:13:10,240 Speaker 4: all into an app and a platform, and they just 299 00:13:10,280 --> 00:13:11,560 Speaker 4: took off COVID happen. 300 00:13:11,880 --> 00:13:14,120 Speaker 1: I'm speaking to the co founders of the Rowing Group, 301 00:13:14,360 --> 00:13:17,319 Speaker 1: the visionaries behind the one stop the largest black owned 302 00:13:17,320 --> 00:13:20,559 Speaker 1: tax preparation service in America with more than one thousand 303 00:13:20,640 --> 00:13:24,319 Speaker 1: virtual location These are franchises, Yes, sir, How does one 304 00:13:24,559 --> 00:13:25,280 Speaker 1: get involved? 305 00:13:25,480 --> 00:13:26,560 Speaker 2: How do they contact you? 306 00:13:27,120 --> 00:13:29,720 Speaker 5: We used to come from a network marketing background, you know, 307 00:13:29,760 --> 00:13:31,360 Speaker 5: when we were in our twenties. That was one of 308 00:13:31,400 --> 00:13:33,160 Speaker 5: the first businesses that we were in. So there were 309 00:13:33,160 --> 00:13:35,160 Speaker 5: a lot of things that we loved about that industry. 310 00:13:35,600 --> 00:13:38,400 Speaker 5: So when we created the platform, we created it with 311 00:13:38,520 --> 00:13:42,240 Speaker 5: that model in mind, and so we don't have any 312 00:13:42,280 --> 00:13:46,120 Speaker 5: startup costs to get going. We train for free, we 313 00:13:46,200 --> 00:13:49,000 Speaker 5: provide all of the tax software. We put people in 314 00:13:49,040 --> 00:13:51,560 Speaker 5: the system because we believe that if you truly take 315 00:13:51,640 --> 00:13:53,920 Speaker 5: what we're teaching you, you'll go out and you'll make 316 00:13:53,960 --> 00:13:56,000 Speaker 5: money and then we can split up on the back 317 00:13:56,120 --> 00:13:59,079 Speaker 5: end and you know, it's no problem. And so that 318 00:13:59,160 --> 00:14:01,240 Speaker 5: has really been one of the reasons that we've grown 319 00:14:01,280 --> 00:14:04,640 Speaker 5: so fast, is that we've lowered that barrier, that point 320 00:14:04,640 --> 00:14:07,640 Speaker 5: of entry barrier for most people so that they can say, hey, 321 00:14:07,800 --> 00:14:09,680 Speaker 5: if I have a lot of drive, but I haven't 322 00:14:09,679 --> 00:14:11,160 Speaker 5: found the thing that will work for me. 323 00:14:11,559 --> 00:14:12,400 Speaker 6: Maybe this is it. 324 00:14:12,800 --> 00:14:14,800 Speaker 5: And so once op taxes has been there for a 325 00:14:14,800 --> 00:14:16,160 Speaker 5: lot of people over the years. 326 00:14:16,400 --> 00:14:20,560 Speaker 4: Well, you know the websites absolutely one Stop Taxes dot com. 327 00:14:20,600 --> 00:14:21,080 Speaker 4: It's one to. 328 00:14:21,040 --> 00:14:22,600 Speaker 3: Stop Taxes dot com. Yes. 329 00:14:22,800 --> 00:14:24,880 Speaker 1: And when you go to that screen or go to 330 00:14:24,920 --> 00:14:27,880 Speaker 1: that website, what's the process what. 331 00:14:27,800 --> 00:14:28,360 Speaker 3: Do they click? 332 00:14:28,560 --> 00:14:29,920 Speaker 4: It's going to right in the middle of stage. It's 333 00:14:29,920 --> 00:14:32,240 Speaker 4: going to say build my business online. It's right as 334 00:14:32,240 --> 00:14:33,600 Speaker 4: soon as you go in the middle of the page, 335 00:14:33,680 --> 00:14:35,800 Speaker 4: right there, and you can get clicking on the about 336 00:14:35,800 --> 00:14:38,280 Speaker 4: if you want to just get more information. Our direct 337 00:14:38,280 --> 00:14:40,200 Speaker 4: phone numbers and everything is on there as well. Our 338 00:14:40,240 --> 00:14:42,840 Speaker 4: phone numbers are our Instagram and if you want to 339 00:14:42,880 --> 00:14:44,640 Speaker 4: just go in there and just sign up and get started, 340 00:14:44,640 --> 00:14:45,560 Speaker 4: you can do that as well too. 341 00:14:45,600 --> 00:14:47,360 Speaker 7: And it's like if you don't want to miss an 342 00:14:47,360 --> 00:14:51,320 Speaker 7: episode of Money Making Conversations Masterclass, So right now, follow 343 00:14:51,520 --> 00:14:54,000 Speaker 7: a subscribe to Money Making Conversations. 344 00:14:54,160 --> 00:14:55,840 Speaker 3: It's free and you can find. 345 00:14:55,600 --> 00:14:59,920 Speaker 8: It on the iHeartRadio app, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever 346 00:15:00,120 --> 00:15:01,119 Speaker 8: you get your podcasts. 347 00:15:02,200 --> 00:15:03,320 Speaker 2: Please don't go anywhere. 348 00:15:03,520 --> 00:15:06,560 Speaker 8: We'd be right back with more Money Making Conversations Masterclass. 349 00:15:09,320 --> 00:15:12,320 Speaker 8: Welcome back to Money Making Conversations master class with me 350 00:15:12,480 --> 00:15:13,560 Speaker 8: for Sean McDonald. 351 00:15:14,720 --> 00:15:17,520 Speaker 1: Now, when you started, you're an LLC, Yes, sir, now 352 00:15:17,560 --> 00:15:19,680 Speaker 1: you're an S group it's Court. 353 00:15:19,760 --> 00:15:20,440 Speaker 2: I apologize. 354 00:15:20,480 --> 00:15:24,000 Speaker 3: That's cool. Why did you shift? Well? Initially, yeah, well 355 00:15:24,000 --> 00:15:25,160 Speaker 3: initially it was just her and I. 356 00:15:25,320 --> 00:15:27,160 Speaker 4: So we didn't have any employees, we didn't have any 357 00:15:27,200 --> 00:15:29,440 Speaker 4: k on's, we didn't have anything that needed to flow 358 00:15:29,560 --> 00:15:32,320 Speaker 4: up to us or anything like that. And so as 359 00:15:32,320 --> 00:15:34,680 Speaker 4: we begin one business, you know, you know, just two 360 00:15:34,680 --> 00:15:37,400 Speaker 4: of us entrepreneurs. But as we began to have all 361 00:15:37,400 --> 00:15:40,720 Speaker 4: these other entities, Black Tax, Fitts, Marti Garard and Memphis, 362 00:15:40,760 --> 00:15:43,440 Speaker 4: the restaurants, multiple restaurant groups, and. 363 00:15:43,400 --> 00:15:45,080 Speaker 3: So then we have to start having k one. 364 00:15:46,760 --> 00:15:46,920 Speaker 1: Yeah. 365 00:15:46,960 --> 00:15:49,680 Speaker 4: Yeah, we got all these entities that we have, and 366 00:15:49,720 --> 00:15:51,760 Speaker 4: so the case we needed something where all this could 367 00:15:51,800 --> 00:15:54,080 Speaker 4: flow back up, and we had to change the whole structure. 368 00:15:54,560 --> 00:15:56,720 Speaker 3: And so there's all types of tax advantages when you 369 00:15:56,760 --> 00:15:58,040 Speaker 3: when you switch to es Court. 370 00:15:58,120 --> 00:16:00,240 Speaker 4: But when it was just us too, you know, we 371 00:16:00,280 --> 00:16:02,400 Speaker 4: know is just LLC in the beginning, right, and so 372 00:16:02,440 --> 00:16:03,320 Speaker 4: a lot of people, most. 373 00:16:03,200 --> 00:16:04,440 Speaker 3: People, let me give me a business. 374 00:16:04,720 --> 00:16:07,800 Speaker 4: LLC is better than nothing, right, But as a business group, 375 00:16:07,880 --> 00:16:09,920 Speaker 4: we have to also again have to change with. 376 00:16:09,840 --> 00:16:13,640 Speaker 2: It, you know, So how does one market a virtual. 377 00:16:13,400 --> 00:16:15,360 Speaker 6: Tax company virtually? 378 00:16:16,880 --> 00:16:19,160 Speaker 5: And so we teach people how to one tap into 379 00:16:19,240 --> 00:16:22,400 Speaker 5: their warm market, because we believe that, again, your customer 380 00:16:22,400 --> 00:16:25,360 Speaker 5: base should start out at least a little bit warm, 381 00:16:25,400 --> 00:16:28,120 Speaker 5: familiar people that want to support your business. So we 382 00:16:28,200 --> 00:16:31,000 Speaker 5: teach them how to approach that warm market. But then 383 00:16:31,040 --> 00:16:33,320 Speaker 5: we start teaching them how to go out and align 384 00:16:33,400 --> 00:16:35,200 Speaker 5: strategically with other people that. 385 00:16:35,080 --> 00:16:36,320 Speaker 6: Can send you more customers. 386 00:16:36,360 --> 00:16:38,400 Speaker 5: If you're in the tax industry, you have a lot 387 00:16:38,440 --> 00:16:43,000 Speaker 5: of different industries that can funnel and feed into that 388 00:16:43,080 --> 00:16:46,440 Speaker 5: customer base. And you can also help those customers or 389 00:16:46,480 --> 00:16:47,680 Speaker 5: those businesses. 390 00:16:47,240 --> 00:16:48,600 Speaker 6: As well with your customer base. 391 00:16:48,600 --> 00:16:50,880 Speaker 5: And so we teach people how to go strike up 392 00:16:51,520 --> 00:16:55,280 Speaker 5: partnerships with a dealership, a car dealership, or daycare or 393 00:16:55,800 --> 00:16:59,880 Speaker 5: an apartment complex and different places where people often come 394 00:17:00,240 --> 00:17:01,960 Speaker 5: at a certain time of year and say, hey, I 395 00:17:01,960 --> 00:17:03,040 Speaker 5: need a lump sum of money. 396 00:17:03,120 --> 00:17:05,320 Speaker 6: I need to be able to have a down payment for. 397 00:17:05,280 --> 00:17:08,000 Speaker 5: A car or moving expenses, and now we have a 398 00:17:08,040 --> 00:17:09,680 Speaker 5: resource to be able to get that to them. 399 00:17:10,000 --> 00:17:14,240 Speaker 1: So is there an onboarding process to get a virtual 400 00:17:14,359 --> 00:17:14,959 Speaker 1: one stop? 401 00:17:15,520 --> 00:17:18,840 Speaker 4: Yeah, So we built in this platform a whole learning 402 00:17:19,280 --> 00:17:21,720 Speaker 4: management system, so you actually go through all the different 403 00:17:21,720 --> 00:17:24,720 Speaker 4: steps from how to prepare taxes, how to get customers, 404 00:17:25,200 --> 00:17:26,760 Speaker 4: what do you do, how do you work the system? 405 00:17:26,800 --> 00:17:28,840 Speaker 4: So yeah, once you go through this complete training, then 406 00:17:28,880 --> 00:17:31,159 Speaker 4: it's all online at your own pace. Then we go 407 00:17:31,160 --> 00:17:33,919 Speaker 4: ahead to issue you out all the email addresses and 408 00:17:34,240 --> 00:17:36,439 Speaker 4: give you access to the software and we kind of 409 00:17:36,440 --> 00:17:38,359 Speaker 4: finish your your onboarding process. 410 00:17:38,400 --> 00:17:40,680 Speaker 2: Once you complete the training and orientation. 411 00:17:40,480 --> 00:17:42,439 Speaker 1: Let's go to something big. Like I said, we're not 412 00:17:42,440 --> 00:17:44,800 Speaker 1: gonna talk about the morticle. That's first time I hurt bart. Okay, 413 00:17:45,560 --> 00:17:50,160 Speaker 1: but Black Tax Vest Yeah, how many years? 414 00:17:50,520 --> 00:17:52,639 Speaker 6: So this is our tenth annual event. 415 00:17:52,840 --> 00:17:54,480 Speaker 2: Okay, why did it start? 416 00:17:54,760 --> 00:17:57,680 Speaker 1: And why was their need for the Black Tax Festival 417 00:17:57,800 --> 00:17:59,080 Speaker 1: which is in Atlanta, Georgia. 418 00:17:59,080 --> 00:18:01,879 Speaker 4: Collect right, So that we started it because we all 419 00:18:01,920 --> 00:18:04,040 Speaker 4: of our stories are virtual for the most part, and 420 00:18:04,080 --> 00:18:05,760 Speaker 4: so a lot of them, you know, they would sign 421 00:18:05,840 --> 00:18:08,520 Speaker 4: up virtually all across the country. We never met them before, 422 00:18:09,000 --> 00:18:11,880 Speaker 4: and so it was we needed something to bring everybody 423 00:18:11,920 --> 00:18:13,919 Speaker 4: together where we could be able to meet. We can 424 00:18:14,000 --> 00:18:16,120 Speaker 4: we can put our arms around and we can give 425 00:18:16,119 --> 00:18:18,240 Speaker 4: them recognition for what they've done and we get to 426 00:18:18,280 --> 00:18:19,119 Speaker 4: hear their stories. 427 00:18:19,440 --> 00:18:20,560 Speaker 3: And I'm telling you, well, you. 428 00:18:20,520 --> 00:18:22,640 Speaker 4: Hear some of these stories of where these people were 429 00:18:22,680 --> 00:18:25,639 Speaker 4: when they heard about this business and what has happened 430 00:18:25,640 --> 00:18:28,000 Speaker 4: in their life because of it. I mean, it just 431 00:18:28,080 --> 00:18:30,760 Speaker 4: melt you down. I mean, is it is an amazing thing. 432 00:18:30,800 --> 00:18:33,120 Speaker 4: And so once we started doing that, it just became 433 00:18:33,200 --> 00:18:34,840 Speaker 4: important for us to do it every year and it 434 00:18:34,880 --> 00:18:37,640 Speaker 4: just kept getting bigger. But now people push and work 435 00:18:37,720 --> 00:18:40,000 Speaker 4: hard because they want the recognition in Black taxes. 436 00:18:40,400 --> 00:18:42,719 Speaker 3: Right. You know, people don't get recognition on their jobs. Right. 437 00:18:42,720 --> 00:18:44,520 Speaker 4: You don't get home a lot of times right now 438 00:18:44,680 --> 00:18:47,439 Speaker 4: with the words recognition, how are you recognizing people? 439 00:18:47,560 --> 00:18:49,800 Speaker 3: So there's a whole award show that we do, right. 440 00:18:49,920 --> 00:18:55,120 Speaker 2: So it's a Black Tax Festival and there's an award show. 441 00:18:55,240 --> 00:18:58,720 Speaker 6: Yes, So two days is all conference content. We have 442 00:18:58,960 --> 00:19:01,040 Speaker 6: the Iris coming out to give updates. 443 00:19:01,080 --> 00:19:06,240 Speaker 5: We have so many different speakers coming to share business opportunities, 444 00:19:06,280 --> 00:19:08,880 Speaker 5: to share their secret sauce on how they've been able 445 00:19:08,880 --> 00:19:11,639 Speaker 5: to grow and scale their businesses. And so we curate 446 00:19:11,680 --> 00:19:13,639 Speaker 5: this room so that it can be a resource to 447 00:19:13,680 --> 00:19:16,520 Speaker 5: everyone that attends, whether you're in the tax industry or not. 448 00:19:17,080 --> 00:19:19,200 Speaker 5: If you're just an entrepreneur, this is a great room 449 00:19:19,240 --> 00:19:21,800 Speaker 5: for you to be in to just soak in the knowledge, 450 00:19:21,920 --> 00:19:24,720 Speaker 5: network with people on a high level and hopefully leave 451 00:19:24,760 --> 00:19:27,520 Speaker 5: with better than we found you. And so that's always 452 00:19:27,600 --> 00:19:28,560 Speaker 5: our goal at Black Taxs. 453 00:19:28,640 --> 00:19:30,800 Speaker 1: Okay, so if I'm looking for a tax person, I'm 454 00:19:30,880 --> 00:19:34,080 Speaker 1: looking for entrepreneurship, I'm looking for a bank law, I'm 455 00:19:34,119 --> 00:19:37,200 Speaker 1: looking for anybody that can help me at scale. Those 456 00:19:37,200 --> 00:19:38,399 Speaker 1: are the type people that's going to be at the 457 00:19:38,400 --> 00:19:40,760 Speaker 1: Black Tax verst. I was assuming that, but I think 458 00:19:40,800 --> 00:19:41,479 Speaker 1: that's the purpose. 459 00:19:41,520 --> 00:19:44,360 Speaker 4: Coreer sir, absolutely, yeah, and so yeah, we definitely want 460 00:19:44,359 --> 00:19:46,320 Speaker 4: to attract all those types of people, and like we're 461 00:19:46,320 --> 00:19:48,880 Speaker 4: bringing you out our bankers from Chase to be able 462 00:19:48,880 --> 00:19:50,600 Speaker 4: to talk to people about actually, how do. 463 00:19:50,560 --> 00:19:51,960 Speaker 3: You kind of banking you need? 464 00:19:52,040 --> 00:19:54,560 Speaker 4: Because one of the problems with us, and it just 465 00:19:54,600 --> 00:19:57,639 Speaker 4: pays me so much, but we are left out of 466 00:19:57,640 --> 00:20:00,159 Speaker 4: the rooms because we don't have the proper paperwork, we 467 00:20:00,160 --> 00:20:03,120 Speaker 4: don't have the proper financials, and so we're underserved, we're 468 00:20:03,200 --> 00:20:06,040 Speaker 4: under insured. And so we're going to bring out people 469 00:20:06,119 --> 00:20:08,320 Speaker 4: within these different alliances so we can start kind of 470 00:20:08,320 --> 00:20:10,920 Speaker 4: helping bridge some of this wealth gap. And so that's 471 00:20:10,960 --> 00:20:12,840 Speaker 4: a big part of Black Tax Fest because us, as 472 00:20:12,880 --> 00:20:15,960 Speaker 4: tax professionals, we're the ones that help bridge the gap. 473 00:20:16,000 --> 00:20:18,280 Speaker 4: Why because we're the ones do the tax returns for everybody. 474 00:20:18,920 --> 00:20:21,240 Speaker 3: What does that opening day look like? Walk me through 475 00:20:21,240 --> 00:20:21,720 Speaker 3: each day. 476 00:20:22,000 --> 00:20:24,720 Speaker 5: On Thursday, we'll start with what we call Breakfast with Bosses. 477 00:20:25,160 --> 00:20:30,520 Speaker 5: It's a networking breakfast with some of the amazing business 478 00:20:30,600 --> 00:20:32,800 Speaker 5: leaders that we've been able to meet here in the 479 00:20:33,200 --> 00:20:36,600 Speaker 5: Atlanta area. So Thursday and Friday is full of content 480 00:20:36,760 --> 00:20:40,679 Speaker 5: like that, activations, things that people can can go to, 481 00:20:40,720 --> 00:20:42,879 Speaker 5: breakout sessions, get workshops in how to. 482 00:20:42,960 --> 00:20:45,120 Speaker 3: Use AI and business these types of things. 483 00:20:45,119 --> 00:20:47,440 Speaker 4: So to your point of just all types of different 484 00:20:47,440 --> 00:20:49,560 Speaker 4: business owners, Like we talkt we go through how do 485 00:20:49,600 --> 00:20:51,679 Speaker 4: you really use AI in your business? How do you 486 00:20:51,760 --> 00:20:54,159 Speaker 4: regardless of the industry, Like how do you take it 487 00:20:54,200 --> 00:20:55,960 Speaker 4: and help you scale your business? Like how are you 488 00:20:56,119 --> 00:20:59,280 Speaker 4: using SEO to become an expert in your market right 489 00:20:59,280 --> 00:21:01,359 Speaker 4: and to come to the top for Google searches? And 490 00:21:01,400 --> 00:21:03,080 Speaker 4: so it's a lot of things. How you use in 491 00:21:03,119 --> 00:21:05,480 Speaker 4: business funding? What kind of bank accounts that you have 492 00:21:05,520 --> 00:21:08,760 Speaker 4: business financials? Like how do you really go get business 493 00:21:08,840 --> 00:21:11,240 Speaker 4: credit as an entrepreneur, Because there's a lot of things 494 00:21:11,240 --> 00:21:14,080 Speaker 4: floating around of what business credit looks like, which is 495 00:21:14,119 --> 00:21:15,560 Speaker 4: we access to funding which all of. 496 00:21:15,480 --> 00:21:18,439 Speaker 3: Our business owners need. But what do you really need? Right? 497 00:21:18,520 --> 00:21:20,680 Speaker 4: Do we know what a personal financial statement is? You 498 00:21:20,720 --> 00:21:23,960 Speaker 4: know the tax returns is needed, profit law statements that 499 00:21:23,960 --> 00:21:26,760 Speaker 4: you got to have. Like we start teaching us really 500 00:21:26,800 --> 00:21:29,480 Speaker 4: what's needed to go into these banks and go be bankable. 501 00:21:30,359 --> 00:21:32,199 Speaker 4: I think we start moving the needle. So that's what 502 00:21:32,240 --> 00:21:34,920 Speaker 4: we kind of do those first two days. Last day 503 00:21:34,920 --> 00:21:36,520 Speaker 4: we bring it off with the gala and we have 504 00:21:36,560 --> 00:21:38,760 Speaker 4: a little fun. We're gonna bring Rick Ross is gonna 505 00:21:38,760 --> 00:21:40,880 Speaker 4: be our keynote that day. Q Parker is gonna come 506 00:21:40,920 --> 00:21:45,160 Speaker 4: in and you gonna come in and do some QQ 507 00:21:45,320 --> 00:21:47,760 Speaker 4: did our wedding for us, one of my good one 508 00:21:48,000 --> 00:21:49,679 Speaker 4: of my good buddies, and he's gonna come you know, 509 00:21:50,400 --> 00:21:52,200 Speaker 4: bless us, you know, with some music, you know what 510 00:21:52,240 --> 00:21:56,639 Speaker 4: I mean. But yeah, yeah, So the last day is 511 00:21:56,680 --> 00:21:59,159 Speaker 4: the awards. We get recognition to all types of people. 512 00:21:59,240 --> 00:22:02,560 Speaker 1: You know, categories are there. How many awards are distributed 513 00:22:02,560 --> 00:22:04,240 Speaker 1: in one of the. 514 00:22:03,760 --> 00:22:07,120 Speaker 5: Eight categories of the Tax tight and Awards. So everything 515 00:22:07,240 --> 00:22:13,800 Speaker 5: from top Revenue extream to Marketing Guru and everything in between. 516 00:22:13,920 --> 00:22:16,760 Speaker 1: There's a thing I like about interviewing people who are 517 00:22:17,200 --> 00:22:20,080 Speaker 1: have a visionary approach to what you guys are doing 518 00:22:20,200 --> 00:22:23,080 Speaker 1: is that you're scaling outside the original plan. 519 00:22:23,560 --> 00:22:26,600 Speaker 3: You're also into real estate, you're also into restaurant. 520 00:22:27,160 --> 00:22:29,919 Speaker 4: Why right, So after the tax business got to a 521 00:22:29,960 --> 00:22:32,200 Speaker 4: place like we felt like it was time that where 522 00:22:32,200 --> 00:22:34,800 Speaker 4: we could start beginning to diversify, right, And then so 523 00:22:34,840 --> 00:22:37,119 Speaker 4: we started looking at different restaurants because we you know, 524 00:22:37,160 --> 00:22:39,520 Speaker 4: we love to travel, we love to you know, service 525 00:22:39,560 --> 00:22:42,320 Speaker 4: people provide great experiences with people. And so we bought 526 00:22:42,320 --> 00:22:45,280 Speaker 4: the fat Tuesdays they went off ready bring and well 527 00:22:45,640 --> 00:22:47,960 Speaker 4: that us you where. So we bought one and we 528 00:22:48,000 --> 00:22:51,080 Speaker 4: took it to Memphis, Tennessee. But we we purchased the 529 00:22:51,160 --> 00:22:54,280 Speaker 4: last franchise before they stopped franchising. Okay, so we bought 530 00:22:54,320 --> 00:22:57,080 Speaker 4: the rights to the Tennessee market. Shortly after that, two 531 00:22:57,160 --> 00:23:01,119 Speaker 4: chains in his group and Snoop started franchising Esco here lunchally. 532 00:23:01,440 --> 00:23:06,280 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, you bringing up so many days, Snoop, Snoop 533 00:23:06,520 --> 00:23:08,600 Speaker 1: be there, She's gonna be there. 534 00:23:08,960 --> 00:23:11,960 Speaker 4: And so yeah, Snoopy, two chain start franchising Esco. So boom, 535 00:23:11,960 --> 00:23:13,960 Speaker 4: we bought one of those, and then we took that 536 00:23:14,040 --> 00:23:16,440 Speaker 4: to Memphis as well too, and so again just kind 537 00:23:16,440 --> 00:23:18,880 Speaker 4: of going back there, giving back to our hometown. Even 538 00:23:18,920 --> 00:23:21,880 Speaker 4: though we live in Atlanta now, we still go back 539 00:23:21,880 --> 00:23:22,920 Speaker 4: there and we give back. 540 00:23:23,080 --> 00:23:28,280 Speaker 1: Well, the beauty of going back to a community customer 541 00:23:28,280 --> 00:23:32,800 Speaker 1: service business they don't normally have, knowing your market share, 542 00:23:33,040 --> 00:23:34,880 Speaker 1: being a big fish in a small pond. 543 00:23:34,800 --> 00:23:37,080 Speaker 3: All those things, all those things. 544 00:23:36,720 --> 00:23:40,080 Speaker 2: Marketing is cheaper, right. 545 00:23:40,080 --> 00:23:42,400 Speaker 3: The brandish cheaper Snoop couln't believe the right that we 546 00:23:42,400 --> 00:23:44,800 Speaker 3: was playing at right next to the fed exploring. 547 00:23:46,000 --> 00:23:49,639 Speaker 1: Right, because yeah, I know, right across the street is 548 00:23:49,680 --> 00:23:51,720 Speaker 1: like the hotels right across the street exactly where you 549 00:23:52,560 --> 00:23:53,080 Speaker 1: really all. 550 00:23:53,119 --> 00:23:54,120 Speaker 3: This is what you're paying. 551 00:23:54,240 --> 00:23:57,680 Speaker 1: And fed Ex's right there are constant floor of traffic 552 00:23:57,800 --> 00:23:58,720 Speaker 1: and you're right there. 553 00:23:58,640 --> 00:24:00,440 Speaker 3: And Atlanta you'll be five times Oh. 554 00:24:00,359 --> 00:24:04,040 Speaker 1: Yeah, absolutely, and let alone trying to advertise, let alone 555 00:24:04,119 --> 00:24:06,040 Speaker 1: insurance and all that good stuff. 556 00:24:06,080 --> 00:24:09,320 Speaker 2: So with that being said, what is the future for 557 00:24:09,400 --> 00:24:09,960 Speaker 2: your brand? 558 00:24:10,359 --> 00:24:14,280 Speaker 5: Oh goodness, so many things coming down the pipeline. We 559 00:24:14,560 --> 00:24:18,160 Speaker 5: have a few restaurants over in the Dominican Republic and 560 00:24:18,240 --> 00:24:20,080 Speaker 5: so we love being over there. 561 00:24:22,560 --> 00:24:25,160 Speaker 3: Yeah that's thing. 562 00:24:25,760 --> 00:24:29,480 Speaker 5: But yeah, we we have some restaurants over there, and 563 00:24:29,520 --> 00:24:31,919 Speaker 5: we bought a yacht over there to be able to 564 00:24:31,920 --> 00:24:35,520 Speaker 5: rent out for experiences to people as well. And so 565 00:24:36,960 --> 00:24:39,119 Speaker 5: you know, as we look at the next few years, 566 00:24:39,160 --> 00:24:40,680 Speaker 5: you know, we're trying to convince the kids. 567 00:24:40,720 --> 00:24:42,000 Speaker 6: Now, hey, you know, what do you. 568 00:24:41,920 --> 00:24:44,040 Speaker 5: Guys think about going and hanging over at the beach 569 00:24:44,080 --> 00:24:45,920 Speaker 5: for a little while for a few years. 570 00:24:46,520 --> 00:24:49,159 Speaker 6: But you know, who knows, who knows? Always moving on. 571 00:24:49,320 --> 00:24:53,879 Speaker 1: I've been I've been doing money by conversation match classes. 572 00:24:53,920 --> 00:24:57,280 Speaker 1: Twenty seventeen, first black couple ever came on Shall said 573 00:24:57,280 --> 00:24:59,760 Speaker 1: the word yacht. It just blew right past it like 574 00:24:59,800 --> 00:25:01,920 Speaker 1: they said it like because they've said it a lot. 575 00:25:03,880 --> 00:25:06,440 Speaker 1: They've said it, ball brids Sarena have said the word 576 00:25:06,520 --> 00:25:12,640 Speaker 1: yacht so much they just like saying pento, Okay, continue 577 00:25:12,640 --> 00:25:13,480 Speaker 1: with the stoat. 578 00:25:13,240 --> 00:25:15,200 Speaker 4: And so like now we're a place where we really 579 00:25:15,240 --> 00:25:18,199 Speaker 4: want to drill down into the restaurant scale. And so 580 00:25:18,240 --> 00:25:20,320 Speaker 4: as we scale, we want to kind of dig into 581 00:25:20,800 --> 00:25:24,040 Speaker 4: because their first restaurant, Esco Restaurant, I mean, I mean it, 582 00:25:24,440 --> 00:25:26,320 Speaker 4: we did a million dollars the first six weeks. 583 00:25:26,760 --> 00:25:28,320 Speaker 3: Congratulation opened up. 584 00:25:28,520 --> 00:25:30,480 Speaker 4: And so now I want to be able to see 585 00:25:30,480 --> 00:25:32,800 Speaker 4: how do we take these restaurants, what's when new concepts 586 00:25:32,840 --> 00:25:35,919 Speaker 4: can we get We're gonna finish developing all the restaurants 587 00:25:35,920 --> 00:25:38,320 Speaker 4: in front of the FedEx Form and so we'll own 588 00:25:38,359 --> 00:25:42,120 Speaker 4: that entire strip there of restaurants in funding fed ex Form. 589 00:25:42,280 --> 00:25:45,280 Speaker 4: There's three three total restaurants that we're gonna open there 590 00:25:45,320 --> 00:25:46,960 Speaker 4: in the next twelve months. 591 00:25:46,920 --> 00:25:50,480 Speaker 1: Before we go one stop taxes. How we reach out 592 00:25:50,520 --> 00:25:52,600 Speaker 1: on that, How we reach out for one stop taxes? 593 00:25:53,040 --> 00:25:55,640 Speaker 5: Start your own virtual franchise with one stop taxes at 594 00:25:55,640 --> 00:25:58,280 Speaker 5: one Stop Taxes dot com. You can give us a 595 00:25:58,320 --> 00:26:01,000 Speaker 5: call at eighty five two one to eight ninety three 596 00:26:01,040 --> 00:26:02,760 Speaker 5: if you have any questions. We have a great team 597 00:26:02,800 --> 00:26:04,320 Speaker 5: there to answer anything. Yet. 598 00:26:04,880 --> 00:26:07,000 Speaker 1: Congratulations and thank you for a lot of we to 599 00:26:07,040 --> 00:26:10,439 Speaker 1: have a great honist conversation and you're talk about your 600 00:26:10,440 --> 00:26:15,080 Speaker 1: business and realize that hey man, hard work, planning. 601 00:26:16,440 --> 00:26:17,800 Speaker 3: And love and. 602 00:26:17,760 --> 00:26:19,480 Speaker 2: Faith it's right can get you there. 603 00:26:19,560 --> 00:26:21,320 Speaker 3: Well, we thank you for having us. It's been awesome. 604 00:26:22,280 --> 00:26:24,399 Speaker 2: Thank you for coming on Money Making Conversations Masterclass. 605 00:26:24,440 --> 00:26:26,520 Speaker 3: Awesome. Thank you so much. It's a pleasure. Now. 606 00:26:26,520 --> 00:26:27,880 Speaker 1: If you want to be a guest on my show, 607 00:26:28,000 --> 00:26:33,000 Speaker 1: Money Making Conversation Masterclass, please visit our website Moneymakingconversations dot 608 00:26:33,000 --> 00:26:35,440 Speaker 1: com and click to be a guest button. If you're 609 00:26:35,440 --> 00:26:40,199 Speaker 1: a small business owner, entrepreneur, motivational speaker, influencer, a nonprofit. 610 00:26:40,320 --> 00:26:41,640 Speaker 2: I want you on my show.