1
00:00:03,640 --> 00:00:05,760
Speaker 1: What's up? Its way up. But Angela Yee, I'm Anzela

2
00:00:05,840 --> 00:00:08,840
Speaker 1: Yee and my Wealth Wednesday partner Stacy Tisdale is here.

3
00:00:09,080 --> 00:00:12,480
Speaker 2: Happy Wealth Wednesday everybody, and we are so excited. We

4
00:00:12,520 --> 00:00:15,360
Speaker 2: have a very special guest today, the one, the only,

5
00:00:15,480 --> 00:00:16,480
Speaker 2: Vanessa James.

6
00:00:16,560 --> 00:00:19,080
Speaker 3: Hi, everybody. I am so excited to be on this

7
00:00:19,239 --> 00:00:20,120
Speaker 3: program today.

8
00:00:20,160 --> 00:00:21,640
Speaker 1: See this is why she's good at what she does.

9
00:00:21,800 --> 00:00:24,800
Speaker 1: She already started it off right now, shows.

10
00:00:25,000 --> 00:00:27,480
Speaker 2: Media personality voiceovers. We could just kind of let you

11
00:00:28,480 --> 00:00:29,280
Speaker 2: run the show here.

12
00:00:29,320 --> 00:00:31,760
Speaker 4: You're doing a great job. Publisist Stacey do it.

13
00:00:33,680 --> 00:00:36,040
Speaker 1: But you know, Vanessa, you do have a background in

14
00:00:36,200 --> 00:00:39,000
Speaker 1: radio and in media. So let's talk about how you

15
00:00:39,040 --> 00:00:40,680
Speaker 1: got started and by the way, you can follow her

16
00:00:40,680 --> 00:00:41,840
Speaker 1: at Vanessa James Media.

17
00:00:42,159 --> 00:00:45,839
Speaker 4: Okay, thank you plug, thank you, thank by you for

18
00:00:45,880 --> 00:00:46,200
Speaker 4: the plug.

19
00:00:46,320 --> 00:00:48,920
Speaker 1: Let's start. Let's talk about your start in this media

20
00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:52,040
Speaker 1: business and how you were able to expand your brand.

21
00:00:52,479 --> 00:00:55,160
Speaker 3: Well, it started off much like you in radio and

22
00:00:55,400 --> 00:00:57,640
Speaker 3: radio for me started off in Tallahassee, where I'm at

23
00:00:57,680 --> 00:01:01,280
Speaker 3: doc Winter we know very well, and transition down to

24
00:01:01,360 --> 00:01:04,039
Speaker 3: South Florida and that's where I got my first programming

25
00:01:04,080 --> 00:01:06,560
Speaker 3: slash So on the air as well as music director.

26
00:01:06,600 --> 00:01:09,600
Speaker 4: I'm Trinny, so multiple jobs, all the jobs.

27
00:01:09,360 --> 00:01:11,920
Speaker 3: All a job, born in Trinidad, born in Trinidad, so

28
00:01:12,319 --> 00:01:14,479
Speaker 3: you know, I'm you know, serious about all the jobs.

29
00:01:14,520 --> 00:01:16,880
Speaker 4: But and then transitioned to being on the air.

30
00:01:16,959 --> 00:01:18,840
Speaker 3: So it was great back then to just kind of

31
00:01:18,840 --> 00:01:21,600
Speaker 3: figure out, Okay, well do I like programming more or

32
00:01:21,800 --> 00:01:24,560
Speaker 3: you know, being on the air more, doing promotions more.

33
00:01:24,600 --> 00:01:26,640
Speaker 4: And I realized I kind of like it all.

34
00:01:27,000 --> 00:01:29,399
Speaker 3: But you have to pick and radio, you know, in

35
00:01:29,480 --> 00:01:31,000
Speaker 3: order to be really great, you do have to pick

36
00:01:31,000 --> 00:01:31,400
Speaker 3: a lane.

37
00:01:31,480 --> 00:01:34,160
Speaker 1: Right, do you want to be a personality or do

38
00:01:34,200 --> 00:01:34,840
Speaker 1: you want to be a.

39
00:01:34,800 --> 00:01:40,720
Speaker 3: Program exactly exactly, So I picked programmer to start personality

40
00:01:40,720 --> 00:01:44,160
Speaker 3: and that really transitioned me into events in that whole space.

41
00:01:44,200 --> 00:01:46,520
Speaker 3: I love that in radio, especially if you are versatile,

42
00:01:46,560 --> 00:01:48,160
Speaker 3: you do get to play in lots of different spaces

43
00:01:48,160 --> 00:01:49,040
Speaker 3: and see what you like.

44
00:01:49,520 --> 00:01:50,400
Speaker 4: And that's what I did.

45
00:01:50,840 --> 00:01:53,160
Speaker 3: So in two thousand and nine when my station flipped

46
00:01:53,360 --> 00:01:55,840
Speaker 3: I'm sorry twenty ten, when my station flipped, I decided

47
00:01:55,840 --> 00:01:58,400
Speaker 3: I didn't want to go to another radio market and

48
00:01:58,440 --> 00:02:00,640
Speaker 3: I started Vanessa James Media. That's so I could pay

49
00:02:00,680 --> 00:02:02,440
Speaker 3: myself because I was doing a lot of freelance work

50
00:02:02,440 --> 00:02:04,520
Speaker 3: and clients would be like, can you send me an invoice?

51
00:02:04,560 --> 00:02:07,680
Speaker 4: I'm like, oh shit, let me figure out what we

52
00:02:07,680 --> 00:02:08,680
Speaker 4: get this company together.

53
00:02:09,040 --> 00:02:10,560
Speaker 3: And that's how we kind of get started with that,

54
00:02:10,600 --> 00:02:14,120
Speaker 3: and I transitioned into doing hosting and doing voice over

55
00:02:14,120 --> 00:02:16,120
Speaker 3: full time, and that's really hovingness of James Media was

56
00:02:16,120 --> 00:02:18,880
Speaker 3: born really out of necessity when people always.

57
00:02:18,520 --> 00:02:22,000
Speaker 1: Ask me this if they want to get into radio,

58
00:02:22,160 --> 00:02:25,120
Speaker 1: because people ask me all the time, and I know

59
00:02:25,200 --> 00:02:27,760
Speaker 1: they ask you as much. Point and things have really

60
00:02:27,840 --> 00:02:30,320
Speaker 1: changed a lot, though, What would you tell somebody who's

61
00:02:30,360 --> 00:02:32,440
Speaker 1: listening this, like, man, I've always wanted to get into

62
00:02:32,480 --> 00:02:34,680
Speaker 1: programming or I've always wanted to be on the radio.

63
00:02:35,360 --> 00:02:36,400
Speaker 4: I would definitely say this.

64
00:02:37,000 --> 00:02:40,320
Speaker 3: It's it's a shrinking business as we know, and I

65
00:02:40,320 --> 00:02:43,280
Speaker 3: think what's happened, especially with programming that I know a

66
00:02:43,280 --> 00:02:46,320
Speaker 3: lot of the program directors I know are programming multiple stations, three,

67
00:02:46,440 --> 00:02:49,200
Speaker 3: four or five stations right across the country, even though

68
00:02:49,200 --> 00:02:51,440
Speaker 3: they're in one market, working in one place. Same thing

69
00:02:51,440 --> 00:02:53,800
Speaker 3: with a lot of radio hosts too, They're they're hosting

70
00:02:53,800 --> 00:02:56,960
Speaker 3: in multiple markets as well. I would say, what's great

71
00:02:57,000 --> 00:02:59,480
Speaker 3: is you don't necessarily have to travel and hop around

72
00:02:59,600 --> 00:03:01,920
Speaker 3: right now, if you want a radio job, just know

73
00:03:02,000 --> 00:03:04,320
Speaker 3: that you do have to be very malleable. As Doc

74
00:03:04,360 --> 00:03:06,079
Speaker 3: would like to say, you always tell me that VI,

75
00:03:06,240 --> 00:03:08,600
Speaker 3: you gotta be malleable, So I say that to say

76
00:03:09,720 --> 00:03:12,600
Speaker 3: i'd stay okay. So in the market that you're in,

77
00:03:13,680 --> 00:03:16,519
Speaker 3: reach out to and find those program directors and hosts

78
00:03:16,520 --> 00:03:18,280
Speaker 3: that you like and see if you can shadow them,

79
00:03:18,440 --> 00:03:20,520
Speaker 3: you know, and see if the opportunities come that way.

80
00:03:20,560 --> 00:03:22,320
Speaker 3: Because a lot of the times that you know, when

81
00:03:22,320 --> 00:03:25,080
Speaker 3: people were on the come up for me, they were volunteers.

82
00:03:25,400 --> 00:03:27,080
Speaker 4: And now we can't have volunteers anymore in radio.

83
00:03:27,080 --> 00:03:30,640
Speaker 3: You have to be paid, but volunteers, interns and that

84
00:03:30,680 --> 00:03:32,320
Speaker 3: type of thing where you could really kind of shadow

85
00:03:32,320 --> 00:03:34,040
Speaker 3: somebody and see if it's even something that you like,

86
00:03:34,080 --> 00:03:36,360
Speaker 3: because behind the scenes it's a lot of work.

87
00:03:36,560 --> 00:03:39,000
Speaker 2: Look what you ended up doing. You started in a

88
00:03:39,120 --> 00:03:43,360
Speaker 2: corporation when entrepreneurial, but now you're not only doing media work,

89
00:03:43,360 --> 00:03:46,240
Speaker 2: you're doing events, you're doing coaching, you're doing.

90
00:03:46,040 --> 00:03:47,960
Speaker 4: What busy is that busy?

91
00:03:48,000 --> 00:03:48,040
Speaker 3: Go?

92
00:03:48,440 --> 00:03:50,280
Speaker 2: As I was just talking on my st about this,

93
00:03:50,320 --> 00:03:52,760
Speaker 2: he's interested in sports broadcasting. I'm like, you can't make

94
00:03:52,800 --> 00:03:55,880
Speaker 2: a living as a journalist anymore. You just can't do

95
00:03:55,960 --> 00:03:58,680
Speaker 2: it because the pricing structure like going into production. So

96
00:03:58,800 --> 00:04:01,640
Speaker 2: talk about how you are media of you know, you

97
00:04:01,720 --> 00:04:03,760
Speaker 2: do your voiceovers, but you've had to build a business

98
00:04:03,800 --> 00:04:04,240
Speaker 2: around it.

99
00:04:04,320 --> 00:04:07,400
Speaker 3: Oh yeah, absolutely so VJ Media, which I'm very proud

100
00:04:07,400 --> 00:04:09,800
Speaker 3: to celebrate it thirteen years as an election.

101
00:04:09,960 --> 00:04:12,320
Speaker 4: Wild it is. It's a big year.

102
00:04:12,560 --> 00:04:15,000
Speaker 1: This is a superstitious room to them, Yes it is.

103
00:04:15,120 --> 00:04:18,159
Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, yeah, it is a person Okay, thirteen But

104
00:04:18,279 --> 00:04:22,120
Speaker 3: I will say the way that I really transitioned and

105
00:04:22,640 --> 00:04:24,640
Speaker 3: looking back all this time, it's really kind of shown

106
00:04:24,720 --> 00:04:29,039
Speaker 3: me that versatility for me means again allowing yourself to

107
00:04:29,040 --> 00:04:32,640
Speaker 3: have those opportunities to explore all all the different assets.

108
00:04:32,680 --> 00:04:35,360
Speaker 3: And I'm so excited to be here on your well

109
00:04:35,440 --> 00:04:38,520
Speaker 3: show because I took the time also to save and

110
00:04:38,600 --> 00:04:41,160
Speaker 3: so because I saved money along the way, I didn't

111
00:04:41,200 --> 00:04:42,760
Speaker 3: just spend the money on all the Gucci bags and

112
00:04:42,800 --> 00:04:46,160
Speaker 3: all that stuff, I got a chance to be very versatile. Okay,

113
00:04:46,320 --> 00:04:48,040
Speaker 3: I need you in New York. Okay, cool, I'm gonna

114
00:04:48,040 --> 00:04:49,960
Speaker 3: fly up. I voice k to you here in New York.

115
00:04:50,600 --> 00:04:52,680
Speaker 3: If I needed to come up and see my you know, PD,

116
00:04:52,880 --> 00:04:54,599
Speaker 3: I'd come up. And it was a quick thing for

117
00:04:54,640 --> 00:04:56,240
Speaker 3: me because I had savings to be able to have

118
00:04:56,279 --> 00:04:59,919
Speaker 3: that versatility and flexibility to try things and decide Okay,

119
00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:03,560
Speaker 3: here's here's what, you know, the the journey I want

120
00:05:03,600 --> 00:05:05,880
Speaker 3: to take with my business. And I have that flexibility

121
00:05:05,880 --> 00:05:07,479
Speaker 3: because I had a little bit of money saved to

122
00:05:07,520 --> 00:05:09,560
Speaker 3: have that cushion to be able to be freak and

123
00:05:09,640 --> 00:05:11,200
Speaker 3: clear and try things.

124
00:05:11,040 --> 00:05:12,480
Speaker 4: Right and see how they flowed.

125
00:05:12,560 --> 00:05:15,559
Speaker 1: Sometimes you got to fly yourself, yeah, get things done.

126
00:05:15,640 --> 00:05:19,039
Speaker 3: You can't do six k to South Africa on your own,

127
00:05:19,320 --> 00:05:20,320
Speaker 3: on your own ax.

128
00:05:22,040 --> 00:05:27,839
Speaker 1: In all fairness, I was getting paid, and you have

129
00:05:27,920 --> 00:05:29,599
Speaker 1: to know what it is that you want to spend

130
00:05:29,760 --> 00:05:32,560
Speaker 1: your money on. Absolutely, you know, because for some people,

131
00:05:32,839 --> 00:05:35,320
Speaker 1: I'll stay Some people might be like, I don't care,

132
00:05:35,360 --> 00:05:38,080
Speaker 1: I'll stay at whatever hotel, but you know, okay, I

133
00:05:38,120 --> 00:05:40,320
Speaker 1: need to make sure, if anything, my hotel's got to

134
00:05:40,320 --> 00:05:43,520
Speaker 1: be nice, good restaurant, yes, clean, safe.

135
00:05:43,240 --> 00:05:45,720
Speaker 3: Yes, you know, especially traveling alone as a woman, those

136
00:05:45,760 --> 00:05:46,760
Speaker 3: are things that very yeah.

137
00:05:47,000 --> 00:05:50,160
Speaker 2: Yeah, talk a little bit more about that, the entrepreneurial

138
00:05:50,200 --> 00:05:54,360
Speaker 2: side and that saving side and kind of that financial foundation.

139
00:05:54,440 --> 00:05:55,440
Speaker 2: A lot of people don't.

140
00:05:55,520 --> 00:05:57,800
Speaker 3: I would love to talk about money, thank you. Let's

141
00:05:57,800 --> 00:06:01,800
Speaker 3: talk about money, shall we know? So me look entrepreneur. Okay,

142
00:06:01,960 --> 00:06:05,360
Speaker 3: entrepreneurial life is not easy. Is it is gonna get

143
00:06:05,400 --> 00:06:06,919
Speaker 3: you some bags? So you don't need to have some

144
00:06:06,960 --> 00:06:11,400
Speaker 3: good skincare and some sacrifice and a lot of sacrifice

145
00:06:11,440 --> 00:06:14,040
Speaker 3: and a lot of gumption because you are taking a

146
00:06:14,120 --> 00:06:15,080
Speaker 3: risk on yourself.

147
00:06:15,160 --> 00:06:17,360
Speaker 4: But I think what better person to take a risk

148
00:06:17,400 --> 00:06:17,800
Speaker 4: on than me?

149
00:06:18,800 --> 00:06:20,760
Speaker 3: And so for me, I really use it as an

150
00:06:20,760 --> 00:06:23,120
Speaker 3: opportunity to kind of get again, play in a lot

151
00:06:23,120 --> 00:06:25,359
Speaker 3: of different fields and see what is it that I

152
00:06:25,400 --> 00:06:26,920
Speaker 3: want to do and what do I want my legacy

153
00:06:26,920 --> 00:06:30,080
Speaker 3: and journey to be about, and so and and that

154
00:06:30,200 --> 00:06:33,520
Speaker 3: becomes something that you become really passionate about and constantly

155
00:06:33,520 --> 00:06:35,760
Speaker 3: trying new things, like right now, I'm in my event

156
00:06:35,839 --> 00:06:39,600
Speaker 3: season flow. So VJ Media, you know, is definitely becoming

157
00:06:39,600 --> 00:06:44,960
Speaker 3: a hub. It's not just necessarily voiceover on camera work hosting.

158
00:06:45,080 --> 00:06:48,360
Speaker 3: It's also throwing events and celebrating other women. It's also

159
00:06:48,400 --> 00:06:51,240
Speaker 3: celebrating my Caribbean community with my event food, wine and

160
00:06:51,279 --> 00:06:53,960
Speaker 3: fet It's it's having my hand, my Trinny hand and

161
00:06:54,000 --> 00:06:59,240
Speaker 3: lots of different buckets don't play so but yeah, and

162
00:06:59,240 --> 00:07:01,919
Speaker 3: and so I think that again because I have that

163
00:07:01,960 --> 00:07:04,600
Speaker 3: flexibility as an entrepreneur I'm able to kind of try

164
00:07:04,640 --> 00:07:06,880
Speaker 3: and say, hey, here are the things I love and

165
00:07:06,920 --> 00:07:08,520
Speaker 3: I want to continue to pursue, and here's the things

166
00:07:08,520 --> 00:07:11,560
Speaker 3: I don't really care about doing. And so for you know,

167
00:07:11,600 --> 00:07:14,920
Speaker 3: as that relates to radio, it's programming that I realized

168
00:07:15,200 --> 00:07:17,480
Speaker 3: because there's a lot of sometimes ties.

169
00:07:17,240 --> 00:07:19,160
Speaker 4: And holds on you, especially corporate radio.

170
00:07:19,520 --> 00:07:20,920
Speaker 3: As much as I loved it and that's where I

171
00:07:20,920 --> 00:07:25,040
Speaker 3: really earned my stripes, I did realize that I seasoned

172
00:07:25,120 --> 00:07:28,440
Speaker 3: out of that in terms of the shackles. Let's say

173
00:07:28,440 --> 00:07:30,560
Speaker 3: that sometimes it has on you in terms of how

174
00:07:30,640 --> 00:07:32,760
Speaker 3: much flexibility you have, Like I would always want to

175
00:07:32,760 --> 00:07:34,960
Speaker 3: put Soca artists on the air because I'm like, I

176
00:07:35,000 --> 00:07:37,000
Speaker 3: want to make sure and celebrate my people, I feel

177
00:07:37,040 --> 00:07:39,000
Speaker 3: you yes, and dance hall artists and stuff like that,

178
00:07:39,120 --> 00:07:41,680
Speaker 3: especially in the market like Miami, and so we'd have

179
00:07:41,720 --> 00:07:43,200
Speaker 3: that too little pocket hour.

180
00:07:43,040 --> 00:07:45,640
Speaker 4: On Sundays and that was it. Yeah.

181
00:07:45,680 --> 00:07:47,960
Speaker 3: And meanwhile, it's like fifty percent of the market is

182
00:07:48,000 --> 00:07:48,720
Speaker 3: some of the Caribbean.

183
00:07:48,840 --> 00:07:48,960
Speaker 2: Right.

184
00:07:49,320 --> 00:07:51,480
Speaker 1: It's so interesting that you say that, because part of

185
00:07:51,480 --> 00:07:53,280
Speaker 1: why I was like, I really wanted my own show

186
00:07:53,400 --> 00:07:55,600
Speaker 1: was to be able to have the ability to say

187
00:07:55,600 --> 00:07:57,840
Speaker 1: this is who I want to have on but then

188
00:07:57,880 --> 00:08:00,600
Speaker 1: you do also have to think what people are bonding

189
00:08:00,680 --> 00:08:03,400
Speaker 1: now too, So it is it is. It's a business, yeah,

190
00:08:03,440 --> 00:08:05,880
Speaker 1: and it's a business. I want to discuss how you

191
00:08:05,960 --> 00:08:09,680
Speaker 1: decided it was time for you to actually start your

192
00:08:09,680 --> 00:08:11,840
Speaker 1: own business, because that's scary for some people having the

193
00:08:11,880 --> 00:08:16,040
Speaker 1: security and safety of a paycheck and then realizing, Okay,

194
00:08:16,320 --> 00:08:18,120
Speaker 1: now I'm going to step out on my own. When

195
00:08:18,120 --> 00:08:19,600
Speaker 1: did you realize it was time?

196
00:08:19,920 --> 00:08:23,000
Speaker 3: Well, time was forced upon me when my station flipped, right,

197
00:08:23,080 --> 00:08:25,520
Speaker 3: so twenty ten June, I remember exactly what it was.

198
00:08:25,600 --> 00:08:27,240
Speaker 4: It flipped actually May.

199
00:08:27,640 --> 00:08:30,040
Speaker 3: And at that time I had the choice because I

200
00:08:30,080 --> 00:08:32,320
Speaker 3: had great relationships in the industry that I still have,

201
00:08:32,800 --> 00:08:34,880
Speaker 3: and so I got calls like, hey, VJ, we got

202
00:08:34,880 --> 00:08:36,920
Speaker 3: you in Chicago, you know, are you interested in coming

203
00:08:36,960 --> 00:08:39,240
Speaker 3: to New York? Are you with g Spin? Are you

204
00:08:39,280 --> 00:08:41,920
Speaker 3: interested in coming to South you know, San Francisco? And

205
00:08:41,960 --> 00:08:44,000
Speaker 3: at that time I had a choice. And for me,

206
00:08:45,000 --> 00:08:49,000
Speaker 3: I'm very rooted in my roots right and so for me,

207
00:08:49,120 --> 00:08:51,679
Speaker 3: so South Florida just felt like a natural fit. And

208
00:08:51,720 --> 00:08:53,360
Speaker 3: it was a hops and a hop and a skift

209
00:08:53,640 --> 00:08:55,120
Speaker 3: from the Caribbean. So if I wanted to take a

210
00:08:55,160 --> 00:08:57,760
Speaker 3: quick trip to Trinidad, or the Cayman Islands or Jamaica.

211
00:08:57,800 --> 00:09:00,000
Speaker 4: I could do that, but I love that I had

212
00:08:59,720 --> 00:09:00,280
Speaker 4: created so.

213
00:09:00,320 --> 00:09:03,600
Speaker 3: Much community there, and so it didn't feel like work

214
00:09:03,640 --> 00:09:05,760
Speaker 3: in terms of building things in South Florida, because it

215
00:09:05,800 --> 00:09:08,200
Speaker 3: was very much like building things with your people. And

216
00:09:08,240 --> 00:09:10,680
Speaker 3: that's what I realized, you know what. It was just

217
00:09:10,720 --> 00:09:13,040
Speaker 3: time to kind of step out and have faith on

218
00:09:13,160 --> 00:09:16,200
Speaker 3: me and not go take that secure radio job, which

219
00:09:16,240 --> 00:09:17,400
Speaker 3: was the same amount of money, but it was a

220
00:09:17,440 --> 00:09:19,440
Speaker 3: lateral move. And I'm like, San Francisco is like thirty

221
00:09:19,440 --> 00:09:22,040
Speaker 3: five a month for rent. It's gonna cost me a

222
00:09:22,080 --> 00:09:24,120
Speaker 3: lot to move there. And I had no roots there,

223
00:09:24,200 --> 00:09:26,320
Speaker 3: and so I would just tell people who are starting

224
00:09:26,360 --> 00:09:29,200
Speaker 3: in business, where are your roots firmly planted?

225
00:09:29,320 --> 00:09:30,640
Speaker 4: That's where you should spring from.

226
00:09:30,720 --> 00:09:32,360
Speaker 2: That's great advice, you know what I'm saying.

227
00:09:32,720 --> 00:09:35,400
Speaker 3: It's really easy to keep starting over and over and

228
00:09:35,480 --> 00:09:37,520
Speaker 3: over and over. But at the end of the day,

229
00:09:37,720 --> 00:09:40,520
Speaker 3: where do you feel like you're you're your most comfortable

230
00:09:40,559 --> 00:09:42,800
Speaker 3: self and you have a community of people that you

231
00:09:42,800 --> 00:09:44,880
Speaker 3: can call and reach on and say, hey, you know,

232
00:09:45,360 --> 00:09:47,960
Speaker 3: I'm launching this, you know, and and they're quick and

233
00:09:48,000 --> 00:09:50,080
Speaker 3: willing to support you because they know you and you've

234
00:09:50,080 --> 00:09:53,360
Speaker 3: spent time building with them. That's very important. So Miami

235
00:09:53,440 --> 00:09:55,640
Speaker 3: is that place for me. It feels like home. As

236
00:09:55,679 --> 00:09:57,440
Speaker 3: much as you know, people try to pull me to

237
00:09:57,480 --> 00:10:00,680
Speaker 3: different places, I realize that it's funny because I'll travel everywhere,

238
00:10:01,320 --> 00:10:03,320
Speaker 3: the most fabulous places, and as soon as I.

239
00:10:03,240 --> 00:10:09,080
Speaker 4: See that poor to Miami, you know, you know when

240
00:10:09,080 --> 00:10:11,079
Speaker 4: you feel it, you know, oh, that's awesome.

241
00:10:11,440 --> 00:10:15,040
Speaker 2: So through all of this, one of the many businesses

242
00:10:15,040 --> 00:10:17,679
Speaker 2: that sprung up is coaching women entrepreneurs. How did you

243
00:10:17,720 --> 00:10:19,160
Speaker 2: get so passionate about that?

244
00:10:19,480 --> 00:10:24,400
Speaker 3: I mean, I think coming from a rooted Caribbean household

245
00:10:24,440 --> 00:10:29,959
Speaker 3: that's very multifaceted. My mom's Indian, my dad's African and Venezuelan,

246
00:10:30,280 --> 00:10:32,840
Speaker 3: and having so many aunties and different people around me,

247
00:10:33,120 --> 00:10:36,760
Speaker 3: woman celebrating womanhood and celebrating togetherness was really is really

248
00:10:37,000 --> 00:10:39,520
Speaker 3: kind of who I am. It's not something I have

249
00:10:39,559 --> 00:10:41,040
Speaker 3: to force, it's not something I have to try to be.

250
00:10:41,480 --> 00:10:43,720
Speaker 3: And so with my business, I knew that I always

251
00:10:43,720 --> 00:10:46,520
Speaker 3: wanted to make sure and celebrate other women, and I

252
00:10:46,640 --> 00:10:49,199
Speaker 3: always make make sure and take a look and see

253
00:10:49,320 --> 00:10:51,800
Speaker 3: how is it. See, here's the thing about celebrating other people.

254
00:10:52,080 --> 00:10:53,880
Speaker 3: If it comes naturally to you, it doesn't feel like

255
00:10:53,920 --> 00:10:57,800
Speaker 3: work right, and so and I realized VJ Media, I

256
00:10:57,840 --> 00:10:59,800
Speaker 3: can't do it alone, nor do I want to. So

257
00:11:00,120 --> 00:11:03,920
Speaker 3: I created events like VJ Media Mixology and VJ Media's

258
00:11:03,960 --> 00:11:06,280
Speaker 3: Women of Impact in her every year in South Florida,

259
00:11:06,280 --> 00:11:07,400
Speaker 3: which you should definitely come to.

260
00:11:07,520 --> 00:11:08,760
Speaker 4: And I want to talk to about food, wine in.

261
00:11:08,720 --> 00:11:11,000
Speaker 3: Fact two because I should be there. You should be

262
00:11:11,000 --> 00:11:14,080
Speaker 3: there for that. Yeah. Really just giving a chance to

263
00:11:14,080 --> 00:11:16,320
Speaker 3: celebrate other women. And what I've realized in the last

264
00:11:16,400 --> 00:11:20,360
Speaker 3: ten years is celebrating other women really means growing your network,

265
00:11:20,400 --> 00:11:22,680
Speaker 3: growing your community. When you start to celebrate other people

266
00:11:22,679 --> 00:11:26,280
Speaker 3: and you're joyous about it, things just flow to you

267
00:11:26,720 --> 00:11:29,080
Speaker 3: and you're constantly having to go, hey, wait a minute,

268
00:11:29,320 --> 00:11:31,400
Speaker 3: this is fantastic. Oh you know what, it's it's not

269
00:11:31,440 --> 00:11:32,920
Speaker 3: a good fit for me. But I would love to

270
00:11:32,920 --> 00:11:35,040
Speaker 3: introduce you to Stacey. I would love to introduce you

271
00:11:35,480 --> 00:11:39,160
Speaker 3: to Angela. So that's you know again, I started to

272
00:11:39,160 --> 00:11:41,280
Speaker 3: do it and love it and now events it's it's

273
00:11:41,320 --> 00:11:44,320
Speaker 3: time again for VJ Media post pandemic to start doing

274
00:11:44,360 --> 00:11:46,480
Speaker 3: these events again. And our first ones coming up this May,

275
00:11:46,520 --> 00:11:49,840
Speaker 3: and it's a celebration of Caribbean women, Caribbean community, all

276
00:11:50,280 --> 00:11:52,000
Speaker 3: already in Miami there.

277
00:11:52,360 --> 00:11:56,520
Speaker 2: When you coach women female entrepreneurs, what are some of

278
00:11:56,520 --> 00:11:58,720
Speaker 2: the things that you're like, oh this again, Like what

279
00:11:58,760 --> 00:12:01,760
Speaker 2: do you think are some of the the things coming

280
00:12:01,840 --> 00:12:03,720
Speaker 2: up of things that repetitively come up?

281
00:12:03,760 --> 00:12:06,400
Speaker 3: Definitely the business part of things, like making sure they

282
00:12:06,400 --> 00:12:08,880
Speaker 3: have their business and their money in order, and making

283
00:12:08,880 --> 00:12:12,240
Speaker 3: sure that things are trademarked, making sure that they have

284
00:12:12,360 --> 00:12:15,720
Speaker 3: their It's not just about okay, so hey, j I

285
00:12:15,760 --> 00:12:18,000
Speaker 3: want to start a business. It's about okay, great, I'm

286
00:12:18,000 --> 00:12:20,480
Speaker 3: so excited for you. Let's talk about this blueprint of

287
00:12:20,520 --> 00:12:22,160
Speaker 3: your business. What does it look like, what does it

288
00:12:22,200 --> 00:12:24,040
Speaker 3: feel like? What do you want your business to feel

289
00:12:24,080 --> 00:12:26,080
Speaker 3: like to the world. Right, it's very important for things

290
00:12:26,080 --> 00:12:28,400
Speaker 3: to feel good once you get past that blueprint.

291
00:12:28,640 --> 00:12:30,280
Speaker 4: Now, let's firm things up. Sis.

292
00:12:30,320 --> 00:12:33,360
Speaker 3: Okay, let's make sure you have it llced or ES

293
00:12:33,400 --> 00:12:36,480
Speaker 3: Corporate Incorporated based on you know, your style of business.

294
00:12:36,600 --> 00:12:38,760
Speaker 3: Let's make sure you have a little bit of funding,

295
00:12:38,760 --> 00:12:40,679
Speaker 3: and if you don't, let's see where you can get

296
00:12:40,679 --> 00:12:43,720
Speaker 3: some grants locally to help you springboard. Right, Let's look

297
00:12:43,760 --> 00:12:45,840
Speaker 3: at the other women in your community and other people

298
00:12:45,840 --> 00:12:48,640
Speaker 3: in your community that you can lean on for graphics

299
00:12:48,760 --> 00:12:52,720
Speaker 3: or you know, production, or your website, because you can't

300
00:12:52,720 --> 00:12:54,959
Speaker 3: do it all alone now, right, So it's really about

301
00:12:54,960 --> 00:12:58,200
Speaker 3: how you create that network so that you can spring forward.

302
00:12:58,240 --> 00:13:01,160
Speaker 3: Because so often, especially for me, when I first started,

303
00:13:01,200 --> 00:13:05,440
Speaker 3: I was everything. I was the webmaster, the content, I

304
00:13:05,520 --> 00:13:08,199
Speaker 3: was the graphic designer doing the voiceovers all day.

305
00:13:08,360 --> 00:13:11,160
Speaker 4: Growing. No, it's not a good thing.

306
00:13:11,640 --> 00:13:14,199
Speaker 3: You wear yourself out, and also you wear your creativity

307
00:13:14,200 --> 00:13:15,880
Speaker 3: out when you do it and approach it that way.

308
00:13:16,040 --> 00:13:19,920
Speaker 1: Now, Vanessa, you also, by the way, talk a lot

309
00:13:19,960 --> 00:13:22,840
Speaker 1: about networking, and that's been really instrumental to you being

310
00:13:22,840 --> 00:13:24,920
Speaker 1: able to start your own business. Even before you were

311
00:13:24,960 --> 00:13:28,599
Speaker 1: starting your business, you had great relationships with people with clients.

312
00:13:29,080 --> 00:13:31,120
Speaker 1: So how did you figure out when it was time

313
00:13:31,160 --> 00:13:35,120
Speaker 1: for you to start your own company? Approaching these clients

314
00:13:35,120 --> 00:13:37,199
Speaker 1: and knowing the value of what it is that you're

315
00:13:37,240 --> 00:13:40,320
Speaker 1: bringing to the table, because I think those financial conversations,

316
00:13:40,640 --> 00:13:43,480
Speaker 1: initially for some people can be difficult to have, and

317
00:13:43,520 --> 00:13:47,560
Speaker 1: also knowing Okay, what is the price for this and

318
00:13:47,600 --> 00:13:50,120
Speaker 1: how do I properly price this? I remember, I'll give

319
00:13:50,120 --> 00:13:52,200
Speaker 1: you a perfect example. So baby Sam, we all know

320
00:13:52,280 --> 00:13:52,760
Speaker 1: and love her.

321
00:13:52,800 --> 00:13:53,760
Speaker 4: Oh yes, a girl.

322
00:13:55,920 --> 00:14:00,320
Speaker 3: So I used to voice a lot of RCA album releases, Usher,

323
00:14:00,400 --> 00:14:04,400
Speaker 3: Anthony Hamilton, A Keys, I mean a lot. Anything that

324
00:14:04,480 --> 00:14:06,520
Speaker 3: you knew would come out, they'd always send it my way.

325
00:14:07,200 --> 00:14:08,800
Speaker 3: And she would come to me and she would say,

326
00:14:09,240 --> 00:14:12,720
Speaker 3: like obviously knowing her from radio, well you're really good

327
00:14:12,760 --> 00:14:14,679
Speaker 3: at what you do. I want you to voice these

328
00:14:14,720 --> 00:14:16,800
Speaker 3: projects for me, and I would never know how to

329
00:14:16,840 --> 00:14:19,560
Speaker 3: price them. How do you price the Usher album release?

330
00:14:19,720 --> 00:14:20,960
Speaker 4: I don't know, you know what I mean.

331
00:14:20,960 --> 00:14:23,480
Speaker 3: It's taking me about an hour to do this work.

332
00:14:23,640 --> 00:14:26,440
Speaker 3: How do I price it? So that's when I realized

333
00:14:26,520 --> 00:14:29,320
Speaker 3: that was twenty and eleven, twenty twelve. Like BJ, you

334
00:14:29,320 --> 00:14:32,320
Speaker 3: got to just ask people and stop just assuming. Because

335
00:14:32,360 --> 00:14:35,840
Speaker 3: I was for a couple of those album releases underpricing

336
00:14:35,880 --> 00:14:38,920
Speaker 3: myself and other projects like that. I think when you

337
00:14:38,960 --> 00:14:41,720
Speaker 3: don't know, it's okay to say hey, I don't know

338
00:14:42,200 --> 00:14:44,520
Speaker 3: and reach out to different people in your community. At

339
00:14:44,520 --> 00:14:46,520
Speaker 3: that time, Juliet Jones and a couple of VJ here's

340
00:14:46,560 --> 00:14:48,360
Speaker 3: what you should be charging, you know what I'm saying.

341
00:14:48,920 --> 00:14:51,520
Speaker 3: So here's where this particular spot is going to run

342
00:14:51,560 --> 00:14:53,760
Speaker 3: in all these markets and television, radio, and this is

343
00:14:53,760 --> 00:14:56,720
Speaker 3: what the cost is as a business person that you

344
00:14:56,720 --> 00:14:59,560
Speaker 3: should be charging for this, so when you don't know

345
00:15:00,240 --> 00:15:02,920
Speaker 3: when it comes to pricing, especially as women reach out

346
00:15:02,920 --> 00:15:05,960
Speaker 3: to other people, reach out to strangers if you need to,

347
00:15:06,000 --> 00:15:07,880
Speaker 3: and I mean the power of social media is real.

348
00:15:08,240 --> 00:15:10,200
Speaker 4: To make sure you're asking those questions.

349
00:15:10,320 --> 00:15:14,720
Speaker 3: Yeah, absolutely, so that you make you know, make sure

350
00:15:14,720 --> 00:15:16,040
Speaker 3: you're pricing yourself appropriately.

351
00:15:16,400 --> 00:15:19,000
Speaker 2: So what is next for you? You have these events,

352
00:15:19,080 --> 00:15:21,600
Speaker 2: you have everything, wipe it back up, back up. And

353
00:15:22,080 --> 00:15:25,240
Speaker 2: one thing I want to unpack that you mentioned unpackaged, Stacy,

354
00:15:25,440 --> 00:15:29,960
Speaker 2: Let's unpack it. You mentioned local grants. Yeah, and that's

355
00:15:30,000 --> 00:15:32,880
Speaker 2: something so few people think about. Talk about that, preach

356
00:15:32,920 --> 00:15:34,120
Speaker 2: about it, preach about it.

357
00:15:34,160 --> 00:15:38,200
Speaker 3: Okay, So local grants are so important, especially women owned

358
00:15:38,400 --> 00:15:40,880
Speaker 3: businesses that are listening to the sound of my voice.

359
00:15:41,080 --> 00:15:44,040
Speaker 3: Whatever market you're in here in New York, suburbs of

360
00:15:44,080 --> 00:15:46,680
Speaker 3: New York, this is you know, a global show as well.

361
00:15:47,080 --> 00:15:49,200
Speaker 3: Think about all the different things that you do, and

362
00:15:49,560 --> 00:15:51,880
Speaker 3: especially if you're just getting started in your business, there

363
00:15:51,920 --> 00:15:55,200
Speaker 3: are companies that are looking to just give money away

364
00:15:55,200 --> 00:15:58,360
Speaker 3: because it's a write off for them, specifically in your city,

365
00:15:58,520 --> 00:16:01,560
Speaker 3: in your you know, in your area. And then also

366
00:16:01,640 --> 00:16:04,880
Speaker 3: local businesses that fund and support other women in the

367
00:16:04,920 --> 00:16:06,680
Speaker 3: form of grants. So what I would say to you

368
00:16:06,720 --> 00:16:10,640
Speaker 3: to do is google local grants for women in Miami

369
00:16:11,240 --> 00:16:13,760
Speaker 3: and see what pops up and take a look at those.

370
00:16:14,000 --> 00:16:16,320
Speaker 3: When I first was getting started, I had applied for two.

371
00:16:17,200 --> 00:16:17,600
Speaker 4: I got one.

372
00:16:17,600 --> 00:16:19,440
Speaker 3: I think it was like five thousand dollars, but I

373
00:16:19,520 --> 00:16:22,200
Speaker 3: use that five thousand dollars. And now the grant process

374
00:16:22,320 --> 00:16:24,200
Speaker 3: is very laborious, so you have to be prepared to

375
00:16:24,240 --> 00:16:26,560
Speaker 3: have all those documents to prove that your woman owned

376
00:16:26,600 --> 00:16:29,080
Speaker 3: at least fifty percent, and that you you know, if

377
00:16:29,080 --> 00:16:31,120
Speaker 3: you have employees or if it's just you, all those things.

378
00:16:31,240 --> 00:16:33,480
Speaker 3: You have to make sure all your ducks are the

379
00:16:33,480 --> 00:16:35,400
Speaker 3: blueprint I was talking about, make sure you have that

380
00:16:35,440 --> 00:16:38,040
Speaker 3: altogether first. But then you can apply, and you'd be

381
00:16:38,080 --> 00:16:40,880
Speaker 3: surprised how many businesses and how many resources there are

382
00:16:40,920 --> 00:16:42,480
Speaker 3: out there to help support other women.

383
00:16:42,720 --> 00:16:44,960
Speaker 1: Yeah, sometimes people don't apply for some of these guys

384
00:16:45,040 --> 00:16:47,480
Speaker 1: are so few that it makes it a lot easier

385
00:16:47,680 --> 00:16:50,840
Speaker 1: exactly for you to They're like, how come no one's applied, especially.

386
00:16:50,520 --> 00:16:53,080
Speaker 3: If you qualify you and you check all those boxes.

387
00:16:53,120 --> 00:16:53,920
Speaker 3: It's very important.

388
00:16:53,960 --> 00:16:57,600
Speaker 1: How has your business changed throughout the years, because when

389
00:16:57,640 --> 00:17:01,920
Speaker 1: you first started it back in what's it twenty ten,

390
00:17:02,040 --> 00:17:04,439
Speaker 1: it's different than where you are now. So what are

391
00:17:04,440 --> 00:17:06,320
Speaker 1: some things that you learned along the way. You talk

392
00:17:06,320 --> 00:17:09,720
Speaker 1: about being malleable, So discuss that as far as Vanessa

393
00:17:09,800 --> 00:17:12,000
Speaker 1: James Media and what you've learned you needed to add

394
00:17:12,040 --> 00:17:15,919
Speaker 1: to your business or maybe things that may have you know,

395
00:17:16,000 --> 00:17:18,280
Speaker 1: timing wise, maybe this isn't as important as this.

396
00:17:18,400 --> 00:17:21,040
Speaker 4: For me, for sure, I needed to add a staff.

397
00:17:21,600 --> 00:17:22,640
Speaker 4: I needed to add.

398
00:17:22,480 --> 00:17:26,520
Speaker 3: A team first and foremost, I needed to add a publicist.

399
00:17:27,000 --> 00:17:29,800
Speaker 3: I needed to add people that were creative, that could

400
00:17:29,840 --> 00:17:32,840
Speaker 3: think about things different than I was thinking about them. Again,

401
00:17:32,920 --> 00:17:36,360
Speaker 3: for me, VJ Media is is she's I say, she's now,

402
00:17:36,400 --> 00:17:38,560
Speaker 3: you know, in her teenage space because she's thirteen.

403
00:17:39,040 --> 00:17:41,199
Speaker 4: She's been through some things, some growing pains.

404
00:17:41,240 --> 00:17:43,359
Speaker 3: But now she's like ready, she's got the she's got

405
00:17:43,400 --> 00:17:45,600
Speaker 3: the mini blazer on, she's ready to rock, she's ready

406
00:17:45,600 --> 00:17:47,959
Speaker 3: to roar. The thing that I've learned is that not

407
00:17:48,000 --> 00:17:49,680
Speaker 3: only can I not do it alone, I don't want

408
00:17:49,680 --> 00:17:52,320
Speaker 3: to in order for me to grow and build it.

409
00:17:52,640 --> 00:17:55,119
Speaker 3: Like I remember, for quite some time, I would be like,

410
00:17:55,160 --> 00:17:57,679
Speaker 3: oh my god, I got to give this agent ten percent.

411
00:17:58,040 --> 00:17:59,600
Speaker 4: Now I'm like take the ten percent.

412
00:18:00,080 --> 00:18:01,720
Speaker 1: Do your job, Do your job.

413
00:18:02,080 --> 00:18:05,320
Speaker 3: Take the ten percent, and I will gladly keep working.

414
00:18:05,400 --> 00:18:08,679
Speaker 3: And because as I'm working, I'm polishing, I'm growing, I'm changing,

415
00:18:08,720 --> 00:18:12,000
Speaker 3: I'm you know, evolving as well. So to me, the

416
00:18:12,080 --> 00:18:14,119
Speaker 3: number one thing that I can I can tell somebody,

417
00:18:14,200 --> 00:18:18,119
Speaker 3: especially being in business for over a decade, is find people.

418
00:18:18,280 --> 00:18:20,280
Speaker 3: Find a team, even if it's just two to three

419
00:18:20,280 --> 00:18:23,000
Speaker 3: people that believe in you and that understand where you're

420
00:18:23,040 --> 00:18:26,320
Speaker 3: going and can grow and flourish with you. And don't

421
00:18:26,320 --> 00:18:28,880
Speaker 3: be afraid to pay them, pay people to help you. Yeah,

422
00:18:28,960 --> 00:18:30,959
Speaker 3: you know, because time is the one thing that and

423
00:18:31,000 --> 00:18:33,760
Speaker 3: the one asset I don't have. Like, literally, I'm planning

424
00:18:33,800 --> 00:18:34,560
Speaker 3: a food festival.

425
00:18:34,600 --> 00:18:36,520
Speaker 4: I'm in New York tonight, guys.

426
00:18:36,560 --> 00:18:38,960
Speaker 2: She's planning a food literally my.

427
00:18:38,920 --> 00:18:43,600
Speaker 3: Food online festival celebrating Caribbean chefs and artists and creative

428
00:18:43,840 --> 00:18:46,919
Speaker 3: of that. But no, but I wouldn't be able to

429
00:18:46,920 --> 00:18:48,520
Speaker 3: do that without a really good team and staff that

430
00:18:48,560 --> 00:18:50,679
Speaker 3: I know has things covered while I'm not there, you know.

431
00:18:50,800 --> 00:18:51,439
Speaker 4: So that's what I mean.

432
00:18:51,440 --> 00:18:54,320
Speaker 2: I'm going to ask you to give our audience free advice.

433
00:18:55,200 --> 00:18:56,360
Speaker 4: I would love to for this.

434
00:18:57,280 --> 00:19:02,399
Speaker 2: What you basically a business by creating content and using

435
00:19:02,400 --> 00:19:05,040
Speaker 2: that content to build your brand a lot of people

436
00:19:05,119 --> 00:19:07,800
Speaker 2: have to build their brands on social media, right, what

437
00:19:07,880 --> 00:19:09,840
Speaker 2: are some tips that you have for people on the

438
00:19:09,920 --> 00:19:13,160
Speaker 2: type of content they can be creating and using social

439
00:19:13,240 --> 00:19:15,880
Speaker 2: media for that brand building, get client purpose.

440
00:19:16,400 --> 00:19:18,560
Speaker 3: I think think about what it is that again you're

441
00:19:18,600 --> 00:19:20,760
Speaker 3: trying to put out in the world. What is because

442
00:19:20,800 --> 00:19:22,760
Speaker 3: at the end of the day, the content is leading

443
00:19:22,800 --> 00:19:25,080
Speaker 3: people back to a place. Is it that you have

444
00:19:25,119 --> 00:19:27,760
Speaker 3: a website of services that you're offering. Is it a

445
00:19:27,800 --> 00:19:30,760
Speaker 3: product that you're offering, So that content is really just

446
00:19:31,160 --> 00:19:32,560
Speaker 3: something that you're amplifying.

447
00:19:32,600 --> 00:19:34,400
Speaker 4: You're amplifying yourself as a business.

448
00:19:34,800 --> 00:19:36,560
Speaker 3: You know, for me, it's me as a as a

449
00:19:36,640 --> 00:19:40,600
Speaker 3: multimedia personality and bio actress first, right, and that's what

450
00:19:40,640 --> 00:19:42,360
Speaker 3: you see when you go to my social because that's

451
00:19:42,359 --> 00:19:45,280
Speaker 3: what I want to promote. But the end of the day,

452
00:19:45,440 --> 00:19:48,600
Speaker 3: think about social really is just a mirror of all

453
00:19:48,600 --> 00:19:49,960
Speaker 3: the different things that you're doing.

454
00:19:50,119 --> 00:19:51,359
Speaker 4: Right, it's your highlight reel.

455
00:19:51,400 --> 00:19:53,240
Speaker 3: Like I like to say, so at the end of

456
00:19:53,240 --> 00:19:56,159
Speaker 3: the day, make sure that if it's that you're business

457
00:19:56,280 --> 00:19:58,359
Speaker 3: excuse me, if it's that you are a business person,

458
00:19:58,400 --> 00:20:00,639
Speaker 3: make sure that it's reflecting and promote voting the business

459
00:20:00,680 --> 00:20:02,639
Speaker 3: services that you offer. Because so many people are on

460
00:20:02,680 --> 00:20:05,480
Speaker 3: social meet people and I'm like, wait, are you you

461
00:20:05,480 --> 00:20:06,720
Speaker 3: know it's business handle?

462
00:20:06,800 --> 00:20:09,560
Speaker 4: What do you offer? What can I purchase? You know

463
00:20:09,600 --> 00:20:10,120
Speaker 4: what I'm saying?

464
00:20:11,240 --> 00:20:14,680
Speaker 2: Totally you got that everybody? Yeah, I was free. People

465
00:20:14,720 --> 00:20:17,280
Speaker 2: pay her for that kind of a free tea free tree.

466
00:20:17,760 --> 00:20:19,960
Speaker 1: How do you work and collaborate with some of these

467
00:20:20,040 --> 00:20:23,000
Speaker 1: huge brands? Oh yeah, you've had as your clients.

468
00:20:23,359 --> 00:20:26,040
Speaker 3: So that's the one thing that's probably the number one

469
00:20:26,080 --> 00:20:27,560
Speaker 3: question that I get asked. Because I do work with

470
00:20:27,600 --> 00:20:29,320
Speaker 3: a lot of brands. I get asked all the time.

471
00:20:29,440 --> 00:20:30,880
Speaker 3: I'm sure you do all the time as well about

472
00:20:30,880 --> 00:20:35,359
Speaker 3: brand collaborations. So brands, especially if you're on social and

473
00:20:35,359 --> 00:20:38,200
Speaker 3: you're a social person and it's an asset that you're

474
00:20:38,240 --> 00:20:40,560
Speaker 3: offering a lot of times will come to you. And

475
00:20:40,600 --> 00:20:43,040
Speaker 3: so the reason I especially auto brands. I work with

476
00:20:43,080 --> 00:20:44,760
Speaker 3: quite a few auto brands, and they came to me

477
00:20:44,840 --> 00:20:46,720
Speaker 3: because in South Florida, I was one of the only

478
00:20:46,720 --> 00:20:49,439
Speaker 3: people that was cross promoting and celebrating other women and

479
00:20:49,480 --> 00:20:52,320
Speaker 3: bringing them together at events. So they're like, we want

480
00:20:52,320 --> 00:20:53,879
Speaker 3: to be where the women are because the women purchase

481
00:20:53,960 --> 00:20:56,919
Speaker 3: the cars, right, And so again, think about what it

482
00:20:56,960 --> 00:20:59,760
Speaker 3: is that you're offering reach out to brands, to their.

483
00:20:59,720 --> 00:21:02,560
Speaker 4: Multi cultural directors, to their agency.

484
00:21:02,680 --> 00:21:04,880
Speaker 2: That's where people should start with cultural.

485
00:21:05,400 --> 00:21:08,080
Speaker 3: Well, if you're a person of color, definitely yeah, or

486
00:21:08,080 --> 00:21:10,320
Speaker 3: if your general market then but you want to make

487
00:21:10,359 --> 00:21:11,800
Speaker 3: sure you're reaching out to the people that can make

488
00:21:11,840 --> 00:21:15,439
Speaker 3: decisions as it relates to that brand's dollars in the market,

489
00:21:15,480 --> 00:21:18,640
Speaker 3: that you're doing something right. So if it's that you're

490
00:21:18,680 --> 00:21:20,840
Speaker 3: listening to us and you're in New Jersey and you

491
00:21:20,840 --> 00:21:23,080
Speaker 3: want to put something together and you want support from

492
00:21:23,080 --> 00:21:25,840
Speaker 3: a brand, make sure that that makes sure you're reaching

493
00:21:25,840 --> 00:21:28,080
Speaker 3: out to the representative of the person in New Jersey

494
00:21:28,160 --> 00:21:30,119
Speaker 3: that can help assist you. And you can find this

495
00:21:30,200 --> 00:21:32,639
Speaker 3: on LinkedIn. You can find it on their socials. You

496
00:21:32,680 --> 00:21:34,720
Speaker 3: can find I mean, it's at the end of the day,

497
00:21:34,720 --> 00:21:35,840
Speaker 3: we're very interconnected.

498
00:21:35,880 --> 00:21:36,920
Speaker 4: If you pay attention and you.

499
00:21:36,920 --> 00:21:39,240
Speaker 1: Love it's such a valuable it is.

500
00:21:39,600 --> 00:21:43,919
Speaker 2: I've gotten so many jobs and speech, especially speaking engagements.

501
00:21:45,320 --> 00:21:47,639
Speaker 1: And that's why it's important. How your whole profile is

502
00:21:47,640 --> 00:21:50,480
Speaker 1: set up on there as well too, and you're responding.

503
00:21:50,200 --> 00:21:55,639
Speaker 4: Absolutely all the time. I'm so bad I'm.

504
00:21:59,440 --> 00:21:59,800
Speaker 1: LinkedIn.

505
00:22:00,040 --> 00:22:02,560
Speaker 4: Last time you posted was December.

506
00:22:02,800 --> 00:22:08,200
Speaker 2: Up here to keep us accountable exactly, exactly, personal, personal, exactly.

507
00:22:08,440 --> 00:22:10,200
Speaker 1: Well, I want to also make sure that people can

508
00:22:10,359 --> 00:22:12,480
Speaker 1: figure out how they can get involved with the food

509
00:22:12,560 --> 00:22:14,000
Speaker 1: and wine food wine.

510
00:22:14,000 --> 00:22:17,679
Speaker 3: Okay, can we have a moment because I as I

511
00:22:17,720 --> 00:22:19,720
Speaker 3: know that you are here to talk to me about me,

512
00:22:19,800 --> 00:22:21,800
Speaker 3: but can we have a moment to celebrate your love

513
00:22:21,960 --> 00:22:26,040
Speaker 3: for all things caribbeaness and soca and kess. My boyfriend

514
00:22:26,040 --> 00:22:29,560
Speaker 3: my side man, he has a boo. I have a boo,

515
00:22:29,640 --> 00:22:33,400
Speaker 3: but that is my whole side man. Okay, No, so

516
00:22:33,400 --> 00:22:36,439
Speaker 3: so I mean soca and So we are doing an

517
00:22:36,480 --> 00:22:39,159
Speaker 3: event VJ Media Productions. I'm so excited about it. We

518
00:22:39,200 --> 00:22:40,760
Speaker 3: did it in twenty nineteen. It was the first one.

519
00:22:40,760 --> 00:22:44,119
Speaker 3: It was really just a test to see, like, as

520
00:22:44,160 --> 00:22:46,320
Speaker 3: much as I love events, and you know, is there

521
00:22:46,320 --> 00:22:47,760
Speaker 3: a way I can kind of bring all the things

522
00:22:47,760 --> 00:22:50,159
Speaker 3: I love about my Caribbean community together in South Florida

523
00:22:50,200 --> 00:22:50,760
Speaker 3: and celebrate.

524
00:22:51,359 --> 00:22:52,400
Speaker 4: So we did food, wine, and fat.

525
00:22:52,480 --> 00:22:55,119
Speaker 3: We trademarked it, we coined it, we all all those things,

526
00:22:55,520 --> 00:22:58,000
Speaker 3: and then we put it together. Well five hundred people

527
00:22:58,000 --> 00:23:00,000
Speaker 3: showed up and they were like, this is amazing.

528
00:23:00,280 --> 00:23:00,840
Speaker 4: That's a nice.

529
00:23:00,920 --> 00:23:02,760
Speaker 1: Yes, that's a nice and I like the way, by

530
00:23:02,800 --> 00:23:05,480
Speaker 1: the way started it off. It wasn't like a huge no,

531
00:23:05,720 --> 00:23:07,640
Speaker 1: you let it see, like you said, a test.

532
00:23:07,560 --> 00:23:09,720
Speaker 4: Let's test, let's see how it does in the markets.

533
00:23:09,760 --> 00:23:10,280
Speaker 1: Throw it.

534
00:23:10,440 --> 00:23:14,440
Speaker 3: Yeah, and you know, ye, it's crazy because you would.

535
00:23:14,960 --> 00:23:18,080
Speaker 3: One thing I love about my Caribbean community. They love

536
00:23:18,280 --> 00:23:20,200
Speaker 3: not just to fet, but a fet with a purpose

537
00:23:20,560 --> 00:23:23,080
Speaker 3: is something that they take very personal too. So I

538
00:23:23,119 --> 00:23:25,199
Speaker 3: love that people are now coming together saying, hey, wait

539
00:23:25,240 --> 00:23:26,840
Speaker 3: a minute, I want my chef to be a part

540
00:23:26,840 --> 00:23:28,160
Speaker 3: of this. I want my wine to be a part

541
00:23:28,160 --> 00:23:30,000
Speaker 3: of this. I want you know, my chocolates to be

542
00:23:30,000 --> 00:23:31,720
Speaker 3: a part of this. It's it's amazing. So it's a

543
00:23:32,000 --> 00:23:34,199
Speaker 3: it's a it's a love language to my Caribbean community

544
00:23:34,240 --> 00:23:37,480
Speaker 3: here in South in South Florida and listening everywhere. And

545
00:23:37,560 --> 00:23:39,439
Speaker 3: it's food, wine and fed. It is happening Saturday, May

546
00:23:39,520 --> 00:23:41,480
Speaker 3: eighteenth in Miami. I would love for you to come

547
00:23:41,480 --> 00:23:42,400
Speaker 3: and take a line.

548
00:23:42,400 --> 00:23:44,320
Speaker 1: As as they go to sign up for all this

549
00:23:44,359 --> 00:23:45,120
Speaker 1: stuff food.

550
00:23:44,960 --> 00:23:47,919
Speaker 4: Wine, infed dot com Easy together.

551
00:23:48,200 --> 00:23:50,520
Speaker 1: Hello, we just had a whole business conversation.

552
00:23:51,480 --> 00:23:56,399
Speaker 2: Want dot com, Hell media, what's your website? Because all

553
00:23:56,480 --> 00:23:59,399
Speaker 2: Jamesmedia dot com That's what I was trying. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,

554
00:23:59,000 --> 00:24:03,160
Speaker 2: And that's for all things, Bja, we are all things, Vanessa,

555
00:24:03,240 --> 00:24:05,879
Speaker 2: thank you. We can't wait to come to all these yes.

556
00:24:07,119 --> 00:24:08,919
Speaker 1: One in fact, you know that's right up my alley.

557
00:24:09,000 --> 00:24:11,119
Speaker 4: Know I'm trying to get Chef JJ there because I

558
00:24:11,160 --> 00:24:12,000
Speaker 4: just saw you with him a.

559
00:24:13,080 --> 00:24:16,240
Speaker 1: Sob one yeah out there. And then I always do

560
00:24:16,320 --> 00:24:18,040
Speaker 1: the one here in New York as well, but you know,

561
00:24:18,040 --> 00:24:20,560
Speaker 1: not my Angela y Day, which is all celebrating Caribbean

562
00:24:20,600 --> 00:24:22,400
Speaker 1: cu I know as well.

563
00:24:22,880 --> 00:24:25,360
Speaker 3: I don't know about this Angela Day. I haven't been invited.

564
00:24:25,720 --> 00:24:27,760
Speaker 3: I haven't I haven't been But when is it? Because

565
00:24:27,760 --> 00:24:30,440
Speaker 3: I need to be there the actual day.

566
00:24:30,440 --> 00:24:32,240
Speaker 4: I know it's community driven, which is amazing.

567
00:24:32,600 --> 00:24:35,560
Speaker 1: Why that gave me my own day, which is August

568
00:24:35,720 --> 00:24:38,680
Speaker 1: twenty eighth. Okay, so there's a kind of floats around

569
00:24:38,720 --> 00:24:41,679
Speaker 1: depending on availability because it'll be at the Barclays in

570
00:24:41,760 --> 00:24:44,879
Speaker 1: the square in the front. But yes, my mother's Caribbean

571
00:24:45,680 --> 00:24:48,240
Speaker 1: from Montserrat, and it's also right around the West Indian

572
00:24:48,240 --> 00:24:50,600
Speaker 1: American Day Parade, so I kind of wanted that to

573
00:24:50,640 --> 00:24:54,679
Speaker 1: be a precursor, very family oriented. I'm from Brooklyn, you know,

574
00:24:54,720 --> 00:24:57,840
Speaker 1: Brooklyn is like a is little Caribbean here in New York,

575
00:24:58,240 --> 00:25:01,000
Speaker 1: and so that's the reason why that. And then you know,

576
00:25:01,119 --> 00:25:03,720
Speaker 1: celebrating my own culture too that I grew up, that

577
00:25:03,800 --> 00:25:05,720
Speaker 1: I grew up on as well. So that's why I'm

578
00:25:05,760 --> 00:25:07,919
Speaker 1: excited for that. Caribbean food is my number one favorite

579
00:25:07,920 --> 00:25:10,720
Speaker 1: type of food. Okay, so let's talk about it. Okayan

580
00:25:10,760 --> 00:25:15,160
Speaker 1: food and day turns tonight, Okay, and everybody, Caribbean does

581
00:25:15,160 --> 00:25:16,280
Speaker 1: not only mean to make in food.

582
00:25:16,359 --> 00:25:18,280
Speaker 4: No, it's just not right.

583
00:25:18,359 --> 00:25:22,800
Speaker 1: No, Okay, But you know Melissa from the Grill's Chiney

584
00:25:23,160 --> 00:25:25,480
Speaker 1: Dahlia used to own Tilly's. I feel like a lot

585
00:25:25,480 --> 00:25:28,119
Speaker 1: of my friends are trainning, yes, and so even my

586
00:25:28,160 --> 00:25:31,160
Speaker 1: makeup artist she's trainny. So a lot of the people

587
00:25:31,160 --> 00:25:33,800
Speaker 1: who are around me. So I will say, I do,

588
00:25:33,880 --> 00:25:34,440
Speaker 1: and you can't.

589
00:25:34,480 --> 00:25:35,280
Speaker 4: You can't get away from it.

590
00:25:35,320 --> 00:25:36,040
Speaker 1: I can't escape it.

591
00:25:36,080 --> 00:25:37,240
Speaker 4: Have you been to Carnival yet?

592
00:25:37,359 --> 00:25:40,840
Speaker 1: I have not. I'm actually going to Thomas. I'm going

593
00:25:40,880 --> 00:25:43,080
Speaker 1: to say, Thomas Carnival, You're gonna love it. I missed

594
00:25:43,080 --> 00:25:44,640
Speaker 1: Trinidad this year, but I love St.

595
00:25:44,680 --> 00:25:44,920
Speaker 2: Thomas.

596
00:25:44,920 --> 00:25:46,960
Speaker 1: I feel like next for Trinidad, you have to really

597
00:25:46,960 --> 00:25:47,760
Speaker 1: be ready.

598
00:25:47,960 --> 00:25:50,000
Speaker 3: Not only do you have to be ready, you have

599
00:25:50,040 --> 00:25:53,280
Speaker 3: to prepare yourself mentally, physically, and financially stacy because it's

600
00:25:53,280 --> 00:25:56,960
Speaker 3: an Investmentidad Cannibal is not for you to lord, meaning

601
00:25:57,400 --> 00:25:58,040
Speaker 3: you can't be.

602
00:25:58,200 --> 00:26:00,840
Speaker 4: Like half step in it. You gotta it's it's a commitment.

603
00:26:00,880 --> 00:26:02,960
Speaker 1: It's like the super Bowl of carnivals, right, you gotta

604
00:26:03,040 --> 00:26:04,320
Speaker 1: s like a month before.

605
00:26:04,440 --> 00:26:06,760
Speaker 3: You gotta get through the playoffs first, and you got

606
00:26:07,000 --> 00:26:10,359
Speaker 3: you gotta qualify before caval.

607
00:26:09,960 --> 00:26:13,400
Speaker 4: Yes, but yes, it's amazing. It'll change your life.

608
00:26:13,560 --> 00:26:15,680
Speaker 1: You're amazing, and we appreciate you for coming things.

609
00:26:15,680 --> 00:26:18,000
Speaker 2: You are just like a breath of fresh air. Thank you.

610
00:26:18,680 --> 00:26:21,199
Speaker 1: I'm so honored to be here, and even just for

611
00:26:21,320 --> 00:26:24,560
Speaker 1: you being in the business that I'm in, you know,

612
00:26:25,359 --> 00:26:27,200
Speaker 1: that is amazing to me, just to see how you've

613
00:26:27,200 --> 00:26:29,800
Speaker 1: managed to do that, because sometimes it is scary to

614
00:26:29,880 --> 00:26:33,199
Speaker 1: leave this safety net of having a day job. You know,

615
00:26:33,280 --> 00:26:34,800
Speaker 1: I try to do both, so I try to like

616
00:26:34,880 --> 00:26:38,040
Speaker 1: fund everything I have going on with my my day

617
00:26:38,119 --> 00:26:40,480
Speaker 1: job also, you know, because I do love what I do.

618
00:26:40,560 --> 00:26:43,159
Speaker 1: But I think that it's very admirable and commendable that

619
00:26:43,200 --> 00:26:45,680
Speaker 1: you have these great relationships here that have transferred over

620
00:26:46,240 --> 00:26:49,840
Speaker 1: to VJ Media also so that they already still are

621
00:26:49,880 --> 00:26:52,080
Speaker 1: going to be using you. Our clients of yours just

622
00:26:52,119 --> 00:26:53,800
Speaker 1: because of how you've sown those seeds.

623
00:26:54,320 --> 00:26:55,040
Speaker 4: Well, thank you.

624
00:26:55,320 --> 00:26:57,320
Speaker 1: That's an important thing for anybody right now who has

625
00:26:57,359 --> 00:26:59,680
Speaker 1: a nine to five that's trying to figure out starting

626
00:26:59,720 --> 00:27:02,320
Speaker 1: their own thing, start with that nine to nine and

627
00:27:02,359 --> 00:27:03,800
Speaker 1: see how they can become your client.

628
00:27:03,840 --> 00:27:06,399
Speaker 3: Absolutely, that's the first that's the first place I looked.

629
00:27:06,600 --> 00:27:07,080
Speaker 4: Mm hmmm.

630
00:27:07,560 --> 00:27:09,199
Speaker 1: That's why you can't mess up at work trying to

631
00:27:09,200 --> 00:27:10,080
Speaker 1: do Yes, I hustle too.

632
00:27:10,240 --> 00:27:13,560
Speaker 3: Yeah, come on, And that's why it's important to be

633
00:27:13,600 --> 00:27:15,399
Speaker 3: good to people, because they don't forget how you make

634
00:27:15,440 --> 00:27:15,879
Speaker 3: them feel.

635
00:27:15,920 --> 00:27:17,960
Speaker 2: I read I was listening to you get interviewed, and

636
00:27:17,960 --> 00:27:19,959
Speaker 2: you said your mother told you that treat the janitor

637
00:27:20,000 --> 00:27:21,120
Speaker 2: and the CEO.

638
00:27:20,760 --> 00:27:23,520
Speaker 4: The same, absolutely, with the same respect.

639
00:27:23,880 --> 00:27:27,119
Speaker 3: Yes, absolutely, don't treat them, don't sleep on the janitor,

640
00:27:27,160 --> 00:27:29,040
Speaker 3: don't treat them both bat no.

641
00:27:28,600 --> 00:27:30,840
Speaker 4: No, no, no, no which respect.

642
00:27:32,720 --> 00:27:35,159
Speaker 1: Well, thank you so much. We really appreciate you, and

643
00:27:35,200 --> 00:27:37,040
Speaker 1: we're looking forward to doing more with you in the future.

644
00:27:37,119 --> 00:27:40,000
Speaker 3: Same can't board, can't wait for all your events. Okay,

645
00:27:40,160 --> 00:27:41,879
Speaker 3: thank you Stacey, Thank you Angela for having me.

646
00:27:41,960 --> 00:27:42,399
Speaker 1: Of course,