WEBVTT - Winning On Your Own Terms ft.Kim Lewis 0:00:05.360 --> 0:00:09.720 Hey, hey, hey, we're black. 0:00:10.200 --> 0:00:16.040 We're black, We're brown. 0:00:16.760 --> 0:00:24.200 Am ambition ambition, ambition, ambition, ambition, and we're extra round in. 0:00:24.160 --> 0:00:27.080 The suit today because we have a guest. 0:00:27.320 --> 0:00:30.840 But before we hit the guest up, Mandy, you said 0:00:30.840 --> 0:00:34.400 you wouldn't talk briefly about Beyonce girl, And what a perfect. 0:00:34.000 --> 0:00:36.720 Time to bring what we have a guess on is 0:00:36.720 --> 0:00:40.120 we've been talking about her haircare business. But also I 0:00:40.560 --> 0:00:45.360 died the Internet was broken yesterday because first of all, 0:00:45.440 --> 0:00:48.159 I'm uncomfortable with how much Beyonce is talking to us 0:00:48.240 --> 0:00:52.040 right now, like just the she's producing like content and 0:00:52.080 --> 0:00:54.640 people are looking like we're all like, I think a 0:00:54.640 --> 0:00:57.280 little PTSD from the renaissance toward how much it costs 0:00:57.280 --> 0:00:58.880 and how it just like took over last year and 0:00:58.920 --> 0:01:02.280 we're all just like so many comments are like, not yet, Beyonce, 0:01:02.360 --> 0:01:04.600 I don't have any money, Please don't letnounce a tour. 0:01:05.040 --> 0:01:08.240 But yesterday she thought she would just set the record 0:01:08.280 --> 0:01:11.520 straight in the most hilarious way that she got inches 0:01:11.920 --> 0:01:14.160 inches for days, and you know, she launched her hair 0:01:14.240 --> 0:01:16.600 care brain and people started talking about, well she wears wigs, 0:01:16.640 --> 0:01:19.640 I guess, and I had no time to read any 0:01:19.840 --> 0:01:23.520 slander of Beyonce and her strands. But it was just 0:01:23.560 --> 0:01:26.920 so funny because she she posted a reel yesterday and 0:01:27.160 --> 0:01:29.800 parted her ways six ways from Sunday, like part in 0:01:29.880 --> 0:01:33.200 her hair so you can just see no tracks, no nothing, 0:01:33.440 --> 0:01:36.759 the inches are there, all natural, and it really broke 0:01:36.760 --> 0:01:40.119 the internet. I think it had over thirty million views. 0:01:39.920 --> 0:01:42.399 Being the craziest to me is that like girl we 0:01:42.520 --> 0:01:45.160 been knew what I knew because during the deathly child days, 0:01:45.160 --> 0:01:49.040 Beyonce the girl always had hair. It was never giving bald. 0:01:49.640 --> 0:01:51.880 It was giving protective styles for the girls that know that. No, 0:01:52.440 --> 0:01:54.880 it was giving protective styles. It was giving you're not 0:01:54.880 --> 0:01:56.880 going to put super heat on my hair. It was 0:01:56.920 --> 0:02:00.480 giving I do color. I'm always changing that life. You know, 0:02:00.480 --> 0:02:02.640 we're keeping the mothership where it needs to be. It 0:02:02.680 --> 0:02:05.160 was never giving balved, but it was giving hater to 0:02:05.200 --> 0:02:06.360 those of you who did not know. 0:02:06.680 --> 0:02:10.919 But now you know so, and stop asking questions about 0:02:10.960 --> 0:02:14.480 black women's hair, like just mind your business, like that 0:02:14.639 --> 0:02:15.960 is how I business. 0:02:16.160 --> 0:02:16.400 Mind. 0:02:16.560 --> 0:02:20.640 Remember that that's Will Smith. When he was on he 0:02:20.680 --> 0:02:22.760 was trying to teach and I think z Astley how 0:02:22.760 --> 0:02:24.720 to fight at school? Was it Will Smith trying to 0:02:24.760 --> 0:02:27.840 teach like like it was either Carlton or yeah. He 0:02:27.919 --> 0:02:29.519 was like just he said, actually first she had to 0:02:29.560 --> 0:02:31.280 tell them just mind your business. 0:02:31.639 --> 0:02:33.959 Just that was that where it comes from? Because I 0:02:34.200 --> 0:02:35.840 didn't hear, but I don't remember the reference. 0:02:36.000 --> 0:02:38.880 Yes, anyway, we have a guest in this dude today, 0:02:39.360 --> 0:02:40.400 Yes we do. 0:02:41.720 --> 0:02:42.640 We know as Kim. 0:02:43.000 --> 0:02:45.239 You're gonna know her as the CEO and co founder 0:02:45.280 --> 0:02:49.440 of carl Mix. She is successful, she is resilient, she 0:02:49.480 --> 0:02:52.160 has a strong work ethic, and she has the desire 0:02:52.200 --> 0:02:55.079 to always be teaching. All these are key key metrics 0:02:55.080 --> 0:02:58.960 for an amazing leader. Well, twenty fifteen, Kim, along with 0:02:59.000 --> 0:03:02.240 her husband and company co founder Tim, Look at that 0:03:02.320 --> 0:03:05.920 Kim and Tim, that's cute, launched curl Mix as a 0:03:06.040 --> 0:03:10.080 dey subscription box for natural hair care products. Okay, and 0:03:10.120 --> 0:03:14.840 within three years of switching gears to manufacturing, the company 0:03:14.919 --> 0:03:18.040 reached one million dollars in annual sales. First of all, 0:03:18.040 --> 0:03:20.000 we're going to pause there because I hope you understand 0:03:20.040 --> 0:03:23.200 the less than two percent of businesses ever make a 0:03:23.280 --> 0:03:26.600 million dollars. It's even less for women, even less for 0:03:27.040 --> 0:03:29.320 black and brown women. So it's like she's at that 0:03:30.360 --> 0:03:32.400 her percentage is like, what's your bank be paying out 0:03:32.400 --> 0:03:32.600 to you? 0:03:32.800 --> 0:03:36.400 Shade point zeros or zero one percent? But in a 0:03:36.400 --> 0:03:36.800 good way? 0:03:37.280 --> 0:03:37.520 Right? 0:03:37.840 --> 0:03:40.680 So I remember Kim because during an appearance on Shark 0:03:40.680 --> 0:03:44.480 Tank of twenty nineteen, she declined a four hundred thousand 0:03:44.480 --> 0:03:48.080 dollars deal, and the following year, curl Mix received a 0:03:48.240 --> 0:03:51.520 twelve million dollar valuation for a seed. 0:03:51.360 --> 0:03:52.000 Round of funding. 0:03:52.000 --> 0:03:53.280 That's what we talk about. 0:03:53.880 --> 0:03:57.160 Curl Mixes sales catapulted to six million dollars in annual 0:03:57.200 --> 0:04:00.800 revenue and they have earned over fifteen million and lifetime 0:04:00.920 --> 0:04:06.200 sales all online aka She's bad Okay. In twenty twenty, 0:04:06.360 --> 0:04:10.560 the Lewises were included in Forest Coveted thirty Under thirty list, 0:04:10.720 --> 0:04:14.560 and she was named among Crane's Chicago Businesses twenty and 0:04:14.600 --> 0:04:18.680 their twenties, along with landing on Oprah's Favorite Things list okay. 0:04:19.000 --> 0:04:21.839 Curl Mixed products have been featured in Essence on Essence, 0:04:21.839 --> 0:04:25.960 dot Combit dot Com, Like Enterprise, dot Com, Refinery, to 0:04:26.120 --> 0:04:28.800 name a few, and in twenty twenty one, curl Mix 0:04:29.080 --> 0:04:32.919 was listed at number ninety three on the Ink five 0:04:33.040 --> 0:04:34.920 thousand lists of Growing Companies. 0:04:35.200 --> 0:04:35.680 Amazing. 0:04:36.200 --> 0:04:39.240 The company continues to make headlines by offering shout us 0:04:39.240 --> 0:04:41.520 is a lot just so she's bad at me. 0:04:42.080 --> 0:04:42.960 You know I'm reading. 0:04:42.960 --> 0:04:46.800 I'm glad girl, I gotta get you a new bio too. 0:04:46.800 --> 0:04:48.480 I was like, this will sound a few years old. 0:04:48.520 --> 0:04:52.720 I'm like, but either way, kim Is just I mean 0:04:53.120 --> 0:04:54.880 some of you. If you saw you'd be like, oh, yes, 0:04:54.920 --> 0:04:55.599 I remember. 0:04:56.160 --> 0:04:58.920 She's got a Gorcia head to hair herself. So welcome 0:04:58.920 --> 0:04:59.960 to the studio, Kim. 0:05:01.320 --> 0:05:03.279 Thank you for having me. I'm such a fan. I 0:05:03.320 --> 0:05:04.920 have such a fan. You are so good at talking. 0:05:08.520 --> 0:05:10.200 I want to club, but I'm trying to be mindful 0:05:10.200 --> 0:05:12.080 of that. This is a listening podcast. 0:05:12.920 --> 0:05:15.320 Wait to y'all. So if you want to see the 0:05:15.400 --> 0:05:18.880 curls that kim Is has slay and is just providing 0:05:19.040 --> 0:05:21.200 us all the glory of today, go to YouTube check 0:05:21.200 --> 0:05:24.880 out Brown Ambition podcast. But it's so great to meet you, Kim. 0:05:24.920 --> 0:05:27.479 I haven't met you before, so it's it is lovely 0:05:27.640 --> 0:05:28.120 to meet you. 0:05:28.240 --> 0:05:30.720 Mandy. Yes, likewise, I love the big hair. I'm such 0:05:30.720 --> 0:05:32.559 a big hair fan and a lock fan. I almost 0:05:32.560 --> 0:05:34.640 got I almost got lot of s Tiffany, and then 0:05:34.640 --> 0:05:37.120 they said, no, ma'am, it's not in your contract. You 0:05:37.120 --> 0:05:38.119 can't change your hair. 0:05:39.839 --> 0:05:41.000 We what for real? 0:05:41.279 --> 0:05:42.000 No, I'm joking. 0:05:42.520 --> 0:05:45.080 Okay, I'm about to say because I was like the 0:05:45.160 --> 0:05:46.960 curl Act of twenty twenty four. 0:05:47.160 --> 0:05:50.159 That is so funny, right, No, I'm my own board 0:05:50.160 --> 0:05:52.279 of directors and I my boards on me. I cannot 0:05:52.839 --> 0:05:53.440 change my hair. 0:05:55.400 --> 0:05:56.280 It is the brand. 0:05:56.520 --> 0:05:59.360 Thank you, yes as well, we welcome you here. 0:05:59.400 --> 0:06:01.680 So Kim kind of sounds like the inception story, like 0:06:02.160 --> 0:06:04.440 you know, like what made you start? Like were you 0:06:04.520 --> 0:06:07.080 already married when you and your husband started it? And 0:06:07.120 --> 0:06:09.279 like I'd love some little background on how it was 0:06:09.320 --> 0:06:11.200 to be on It was Shark Tank. 0:06:11.080 --> 0:06:15.000 Right yeah yeah, yes, so so Chromix today. We help 0:06:15.040 --> 0:06:17.039 you master your curves in twenty one days. And so 0:06:17.320 --> 0:06:19.880 many women want this hairstyle. They want the hairstyle they 0:06:19.880 --> 0:06:22.920 can wear it to work, to their kids soccer game, 0:06:23.000 --> 0:06:25.520 to their date night, and they want to be natural, right, 0:06:25.600 --> 0:06:28.000 And so my customers typically a black Woe number forty. 0:06:28.200 --> 0:06:29.600 She doesn't really want to wear like a lot of 0:06:29.600 --> 0:06:31.840 synthetic things in her hair, but she also wants to 0:06:31.960 --> 0:06:33.359 have something she can do on her own. And I 0:06:33.400 --> 0:06:34.720 have to go to a stylus every time she needs 0:06:34.720 --> 0:06:37.800 to done. But we didn't start that way. We started 0:06:37.880 --> 0:06:39.440 to do it yourself box with curly hair like you 0:06:39.480 --> 0:06:41.480 mentioned some thing like blue apron, but for her hair. 0:06:41.520 --> 0:06:44.279 And then our flasuw jail was our number one selling product. 0:06:44.720 --> 0:06:47.080 And essentially we boil the seed jel. 0:06:47.320 --> 0:06:50.120 Oh do you a wonderful It's like a lightweight gel 0:06:50.240 --> 0:06:53.120 and it's basically we boil real flax seeds in our 0:06:53.120 --> 0:06:56.719 manufacturing facility and then we extract the gel gigi jael, 0:06:56.760 --> 0:06:59.520 and then we put it in a bottle. And people 0:06:59.520 --> 0:07:01.840 wouldn't do that for us early on, like no many. 0:07:01.880 --> 0:07:03.520 If we went to three manufacturers, they all said no. 0:07:04.080 --> 0:07:06.840 And so I was about seven months pregnant in my 0:07:06.920 --> 0:07:10.400 kitchen making thirty different We're fifty different batches of flax jail, 0:07:10.640 --> 0:07:12.480 and so we landed on one that do dot could scale. 0:07:12.920 --> 0:07:15.440 And then we launched our customers and sold hundreds of 0:07:15.440 --> 0:07:17.240 the amount of hours and I was like, oh, we 0:07:17.240 --> 0:07:19.520 should be doing this, and so we pivoted the business. 0:07:19.840 --> 0:07:23.920 I given birth that that December, and we pivoted in January. Yeah, 0:07:23.920 --> 0:07:27.040 I was a crazy person, my ma. It was in 0:07:27.120 --> 0:07:28.480 factory with me till like two three o'clock in the 0:07:28.480 --> 0:07:31.280 morning at like a couple of six weeks. You know, 0:07:31.480 --> 0:07:33.320 that's six weeks. It's gonna be like two months, you know. 0:07:33.400 --> 0:07:35.600 But still I worked like in the hospital after I 0:07:35.600 --> 0:07:37.960 actually gave birth. I am not proud of that. I 0:07:37.960 --> 0:07:39.720 am not promoting that. I am not telling you I 0:07:39.760 --> 0:07:42.600 would not do that again. Okay, I don't know that girl. 0:07:42.640 --> 0:07:46.800 That girl don't exist no more. But I was doing 0:07:46.800 --> 0:07:51.160 this back then. In that year, we pivoted the business 0:07:51.200 --> 0:07:54.080 and I thought we would fail. But that January we 0:07:54.080 --> 0:07:56.480 were doing like three thousand dollars. I think the next 0:07:56.480 --> 0:07:58.080 month we did eight thousand, and a month after that 0:07:58.160 --> 0:07:59.720 and I said, we just get to sixteen thousand, I'd 0:07:59.760 --> 0:08:01.480 be our bet month in business ended up doing like 0:08:01.480 --> 0:08:03.200 thirty thousand, and we had I spent a dollar on 0:08:03.200 --> 0:08:05.640 Facebook aheads and I was like, oh, this is what 0:08:05.680 --> 0:08:07.480 we should be doing. And so that year we stedued 0:08:07.520 --> 0:08:09.320 a million bucks. And that was the year we were 0:08:09.320 --> 0:08:11.240 actually filmed for Shark Tank, and then we appeared the 0:08:11.320 --> 0:08:13.840 year after and that's when we hit our first like 0:08:13.880 --> 0:08:16.360 five million revenue. We had gotten an investment from the 0:08:16.360 --> 0:08:18.720 former CEO of LinkedIn, Jeff Wiener from one point two 0:08:18.720 --> 0:08:23.160 MILI and some other partners, and then we crowdfunded. After 0:08:23.240 --> 0:08:27.000 that four point five million from about seven thousand customers, 0:08:27.080 --> 0:08:29.640 and that's when we hit our first ten million in revenue. 0:08:29.640 --> 0:08:31.440 And then we just launched an ulti beauty last year. 0:08:31.760 --> 0:08:33.640 So we waited about seven years to go into retail. 0:08:34.679 --> 0:08:37.560 Okay, hey, be a fan, We're going to take a 0:08:37.600 --> 0:08:44.360 quick break and we'll be right back. How is business 0:08:44.440 --> 0:08:47.200 now like? So kind of going back, it's been twenty 0:08:47.360 --> 0:08:50.040 almost ten years, right, you launched in twenty fifteen. 0:08:49.880 --> 0:08:52.840 Almost, but we pivoted in twenty eighteen. So those first 0:08:52.840 --> 0:08:56.440 three years, I didn't know what I was doing the business, 0:08:57.160 --> 0:08:59.640 you know it was It wasn't even like the same business. 0:09:00.280 --> 0:09:03.120 And that's incredible since twenty eighteen for sure. 0:09:03.400 --> 0:09:05.240 To be brave enough to make that pivot and to 0:09:05.240 --> 0:09:07.880 see where the marketplace when like say, oh hey people 0:09:07.920 --> 0:09:11.400 want this, You're not too tied to the original vision 0:09:11.440 --> 0:09:14.560 that you had to say let's pivot and let's change. 0:09:14.880 --> 0:09:17.160 And it was such a smart business. I feel like 0:09:17.200 --> 0:09:21.640 some businesses close themselves by not listening and not following 0:09:21.679 --> 0:09:24.120 the numbers. You know, I watch those shows. I love 0:09:24.160 --> 0:09:26.600 that show. My husband and I the prophet on CNBC 0:09:26.720 --> 0:09:28.559 with that guy was bald and goes to places and 0:09:28.559 --> 0:09:32.920 they're all, yeah, Flomonis and you know, it's a struggling business, 0:09:32.920 --> 0:09:35.480 and so many of them are in denial, like literally 0:09:35.520 --> 0:09:37.680 doing the same thing without being willing to change. So 0:09:37.720 --> 0:09:40.000 I just wanted to call that out. How brave and 0:09:40.120 --> 0:09:44.200 smart that was. But so now since twenty eighteen to now, 0:09:45.280 --> 0:09:46.960 how do you feel about how things are going now? 0:09:47.040 --> 0:09:48.720 And sort of I don't want to be the one 0:09:48.720 --> 0:09:51.200 who's like what's next and what's the next big thing 0:09:51.240 --> 0:09:53.640 on the But how is life now? You got two 0:09:53.880 --> 0:09:56.760 older kids, right, got you and your husband working together 0:09:56.800 --> 0:09:59.120 for so long? How is life? And how is business 0:09:59.160 --> 0:10:03.040 today versus you know when you guys started business? 0:10:03.240 --> 0:10:06.199 Is? Okay? This is a tough year. These last year. 0:10:06.320 --> 0:10:09.319 Last year was tough. We we did ten million of 0:10:09.320 --> 0:10:10.640 the year prior and then we went down to six 0:10:10.720 --> 0:10:13.120 last year out. 0:10:13.480 --> 0:10:15.480 I'm just telling because last year almost broke my soul. 0:10:15.600 --> 0:10:17.000 You won't fake my soul. 0:10:17.000 --> 0:10:20.760 Girl, girl, I had learned, you know. I that was 0:10:20.800 --> 0:10:23.520 like my first real recession as a business owner. And 0:10:23.559 --> 0:10:26.480 so now I'm like, I was just I want to 0:10:26.640 --> 0:10:29.280 stop to dinner with my homie last night, divine. I've 0:10:29.280 --> 0:10:31.160 been friends with this guy because I was twenty twelve 0:10:31.240 --> 0:10:33.559 years old. We bought the business owners and in twenty 0:10:33.559 --> 0:10:35.199 and one we would have to get it together. We 0:10:35.200 --> 0:10:36.719 was fighting over who was picking up the tab. It 0:10:36.840 --> 0:10:38.280 was like, you know, it was like no, sorry, you 0:10:38.280 --> 0:10:40.000 got the bill was like three hundred dollars, you know 0:10:40.000 --> 0:10:41.480 what I mean? There was so good. It was drinks. 0:10:41.600 --> 0:10:44.080 This is my homie, just like my brother. This time 0:10:44.200 --> 0:10:49.120 we both ordered a meal that was like under fifty bucks. 0:10:49.480 --> 0:10:50.440 I had one drink. 0:10:52.480 --> 0:10:54.040 I was like, we ain't got to do to go 0:10:54.120 --> 0:10:55.839 too crazy. Just give me a little burger. We don't 0:10:55.840 --> 0:10:59.760 need no oysters and I don't need that. No no dessert, 0:10:59.800 --> 0:11:05.680 no apps deserve You're trying to get swim. And I'm 0:11:05.800 --> 0:11:07.480 just like, I'm like, he was, like, he's telling me 0:11:07.520 --> 0:11:09.719 about all these investments. Right, he's invested I don't know, 0:11:10.280 --> 0:11:12.160 millions of dollars in lots of different places, but he 0:11:12.160 --> 0:11:14.200 has no liquid cash because he just put it in 0:11:14.240 --> 0:11:16.640 so many investments, which is good, but it's like you 0:11:16.720 --> 0:11:19.800 still need twenty percent liquid at least, you know. And 0:11:19.880 --> 0:11:22.079 so now he was just and I agree with him, 0:11:22.120 --> 0:11:24.000 same thing. And so now he's trying to divest in 0:11:24.040 --> 0:11:25.600 some of these things so he can get some liquid, 0:11:25.679 --> 0:11:28.800 you know, liquidity but anyway, that's just I don't know, 0:11:28.840 --> 0:11:31.360 it's it's tough out here, and so were the business 0:11:31.360 --> 0:11:33.560 is now we're in retail and so that's going well. 0:11:33.840 --> 0:11:35.880 So that's that's that's on the positive side. And then 0:11:35.880 --> 0:11:38.840 we just crowdfunded about one point five million from about a. 0:11:38.720 --> 0:11:39.800 Couple of customers. 0:11:39.840 --> 0:11:41.200 Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. 0:11:41.280 --> 0:11:41.880 Oh wow. 0:11:42.040 --> 0:11:43.920 And then we are working on we work with this 0:11:44.000 --> 0:11:47.160 foundation to move our factory to a more a newer 0:11:47.200 --> 0:11:51.440 facility Sana size, but like more affordable. But it's going 0:11:51.520 --> 0:11:52.880 to be like brands making new and we're partnering with 0:11:52.880 --> 0:11:55.240 the foundation. And then as far as like the business, 0:11:55.280 --> 0:11:58.880 what's next, I think really putting in that executive team 0:11:59.200 --> 0:12:01.480 to run the businsiness while I can be the face 0:12:01.840 --> 0:12:03.959 because right now, you know, the last two years I've 0:12:03.960 --> 0:12:06.760 been trying to do the face, the fundraising and running, 0:12:07.160 --> 0:12:08.720 and then my team has been doing the operations. But 0:12:08.760 --> 0:12:10.319 it's like I found out, the companies that are doing 0:12:10.320 --> 0:12:13.280 twenty thirty million to twenty to thirty forty million dollars, 0:12:13.320 --> 0:12:16.360 they have about four people who are basically off CEOs. 0:12:15.960 --> 0:12:17.120 Running the company. 0:12:17.080 --> 0:12:20.200 Yes, one person to face, one person's a fundraiser, one 0:12:20.200 --> 0:12:22.520 person running the business, and we have a makefactured for so, 0:12:22.520 --> 0:12:24.760 so one person you run that so and then you 0:12:24.840 --> 0:12:26.720 need a lot of money to do that. And I 0:12:26.760 --> 0:12:29.160 only raise one point five million of the five on 0:12:29.200 --> 0:12:31.120 the crowd fund, so I need to raise like another 0:12:31.160 --> 0:12:33.839 five to ten million dollars and so I'm trying to 0:12:33.840 --> 0:12:35.320 do that over the next ninety days. So I got 0:12:35.320 --> 0:12:37.000 the foundation to help with media, you'll probably be a 0:12:37.040 --> 0:12:39.079 few million, and then I'm going to reach out to 0:12:39.120 --> 0:12:41.880 some other folks who believe in the category and know 0:12:41.920 --> 0:12:43.840 what we're doing, they want to invest. So that's what 0:12:43.840 --> 0:12:47.000 I'm working on. And then as far as personally, my 0:12:47.040 --> 0:12:49.800 babies are good. They're four and six. Say have little boys, 0:12:50.800 --> 0:12:54.600 they love their mama. I'll do you. They're the best. 0:12:55.000 --> 0:13:00.400 Boys love their mamas. And as personally as me, I 0:13:00.480 --> 0:13:05.520 have been soul searching because I've been working for so 0:13:05.800 --> 0:13:08.679 long and I gave up so much. And I'm thirty 0:13:08.720 --> 0:13:10.880 two now, but I've been ch since i was twenty one, 0:13:11.760 --> 0:13:13.880 so and I was only able to do it because 0:13:13.880 --> 0:13:16.080 I was married, right, Like, there's certain privileges of being married. 0:13:16.120 --> 0:13:17.319 That was one of them. I could work on the 0:13:17.320 --> 0:13:19.320 business and not make anything, and he was making money. 0:13:20.000 --> 0:13:22.760 But in that, you know, we became parents young, We 0:13:22.800 --> 0:13:26.200 were founders young. We were taking care of our parents. 0:13:26.280 --> 0:13:28.480 You know, his mom has Alzheimer's and his dad passed away, 0:13:28.480 --> 0:13:31.640 and my mom is mortgaging. We're just taking care of everybody, 0:13:31.720 --> 0:13:34.440 you know. So we didn't really get to live, you know, 0:13:34.480 --> 0:13:37.800 a twenty something life. And I think we both are like, 0:13:37.840 --> 0:13:40.120 how do we live the twenty something life in our 0:13:40.120 --> 0:13:41.960 thirties or maybe not exactly the twenty something, but just 0:13:42.000 --> 0:13:44.920 that that individuality and that freedom that we didn't get before. 0:13:45.400 --> 0:13:47.520 So that's what I'm doing right now. 0:13:48.880 --> 0:13:51.679 That's that's so incredible. Okay, So I want to hear 0:13:51.679 --> 0:13:54.200 more about that. Have you guys been on your own 0:13:54.280 --> 0:13:56.520 journey in that way or like, are you what does 0:13:56.520 --> 0:13:58.880 that look like to be? It's almost better because at 0:13:58.960 --> 0:14:01.760 least now you got money, but also there's stakes, You 0:14:01.880 --> 0:14:05.480 got kids, you got a mortgage, so it's a little 0:14:05.480 --> 0:14:07.600 bit hard. You're never going to capture that freedom of 0:14:07.679 --> 0:14:10.240 like having the nothing to do and then figuring out 0:14:10.280 --> 0:14:12.160 what to do. But what is that like? Because I 0:14:12.160 --> 0:14:15.679 think I'm thirty six. I would love to have another 0:14:15.920 --> 0:14:17.960 stab at my twenties and see what I could play 0:14:18.000 --> 0:14:20.160 what I could do, So, yeah, what have you come 0:14:20.200 --> 0:14:20.840 up with so far? 0:14:20.960 --> 0:14:23.760 Maybe this is a good question. So I read it 0:14:23.800 --> 0:14:27.280 was after the pandemic in like twenty twenty one. I 0:14:27.320 --> 0:14:29.720 read Richard Rodgery as we shall be millionaires and. 0:14:29.720 --> 0:14:31.680 That's my homie. I just start her this weekend. 0:14:32.000 --> 0:14:34.360 I love her. And I read it and I cried, Yeah, 0:14:34.480 --> 0:14:36.600 this is actually had like fifteen thousand followers. Like, so 0:14:36.880 --> 0:14:38.960 it was like in the beginning and I crab and 0:14:39.040 --> 0:14:41.960 I read it because it was just talking about women's 0:14:41.960 --> 0:14:44.200 economic development and how we've been left out of society 0:14:44.720 --> 0:14:48.360 and it's just understanding that we have to be really 0:14:48.480 --> 0:14:52.120 like men contol our lives essentially, like we haven't. We 0:14:52.720 --> 0:14:54.600 grow up thinking you have to be married, you have 0:14:54.640 --> 0:14:57.160 to do all these things, and you never really consider 0:14:58.280 --> 0:15:01.240 you as an individual, right, and then somehow you're less 0:15:01.320 --> 0:15:03.480 valuable in society if you're not married, if you don't 0:15:03.520 --> 0:15:07.880 have these things. And so I was just AND's been 0:15:07.880 --> 0:15:09.480 a really good partner to me. So it's not like 0:15:10.320 --> 0:15:12.760 it's not like I'm like trying to escape him or 0:15:12.800 --> 0:15:15.240 anything like that, but it's more like, well, dang, like 0:15:15.600 --> 0:15:17.840 what do I like? What are my hobbies? 0:15:18.120 --> 0:15:18.400 You know? 0:15:18.800 --> 0:15:20.840 And I looked up and I didn't have any and 0:15:20.880 --> 0:15:23.800 I was like, oh my god, I want my own apartment. 0:15:24.000 --> 0:15:26.640 I was like, I love you, You're great, but like, 0:15:26.680 --> 0:15:28.440 I don't like the way our house looks. I want 0:15:28.480 --> 0:15:30.040 to see a viewer every morning when I wake up, 0:15:30.240 --> 0:15:33.600 you know. And I can't live in Cape Town right 0:15:33.600 --> 0:15:35.840 now because we have the business. So what's the next 0:15:35.880 --> 0:15:37.960 best thing? And I'm like a high rise in Atlanta? 0:15:38.360 --> 0:15:40.720 And typically people are like, well, why do you you know? 0:15:40.800 --> 0:15:43.080 There's like you you should be at home. You should 0:15:43.120 --> 0:15:45.480 be this is this is what your life should look like. 0:15:45.800 --> 0:15:48.160 A woman's not supposed to have her den, or have 0:15:48.240 --> 0:15:50.560 her space in the house or have her own place. 0:15:51.920 --> 0:15:54.040 And everyone looked at me sideways. All the men were like, 0:15:54.200 --> 0:15:57.040 he's okay with that, And I'm like, you know, and 0:15:57.040 --> 0:15:59.360 when you hear that, it's just like, you know, like, 0:16:00.480 --> 0:16:01.400 I'm a grown woman. 0:16:04.160 --> 0:16:04.640 What is it? 0:16:04.760 --> 0:16:04.880 So? 0:16:04.960 --> 0:16:07.160 Did you are you renting like an office space or 0:16:07.200 --> 0:16:08.480 do you have an apartment. 0:16:08.200 --> 0:16:10.400 Like I have much an apartment for my family like. 0:16:11.800 --> 0:16:14.640 You're doing like the Charlotte. The Charlotte moved from Sex 0:16:14.680 --> 0:16:17.840 and the City. Do you remember or no? Yeah, because 0:16:17.880 --> 0:16:20.720 she like moved into Carrie's apartment that was like her 0:16:20.760 --> 0:16:24.000 mama space, her quiet space. I didn't know I was 0:16:24.080 --> 0:16:27.520 so smart not just have a coworking like a workspace, 0:16:27.640 --> 0:16:29.480 but like a life, a zen den. I call it 0:16:29.520 --> 0:16:30.520 a zen den. You deserve. 0:16:30.720 --> 0:16:33.520 I love that because because I just want children, right 0:16:33.640 --> 0:16:37.640 so like and I didn't and I've been at home 0:16:37.640 --> 0:16:40.120 with my kids, you know, while still running the business 0:16:40.120 --> 0:16:41.920 for several years. And I don't regret that. I wouldn't 0:16:42.000 --> 0:16:44.200 change that. And I'm not saying I didn't I regret 0:16:44.240 --> 0:16:46.080 how I lived my when I said that at all either, 0:16:46.640 --> 0:16:49.280 But yeah, so you build a house that's comfortable for 0:16:49.400 --> 0:16:52.240 kids when you do that. Yeah, so it's not. 0:16:53.640 --> 0:16:54.240 Tell me nothing. 0:16:56.960 --> 0:17:01.080 This used to be my zen den, Kim, but I'm 0:17:00.360 --> 0:17:02.120 st in the background. 0:17:03.920 --> 0:17:06.280 It is and it's not mine. And my hair is 0:17:06.320 --> 0:17:07.879 so big because I got a lot of legos to 0:17:07.960 --> 0:17:13.560 hide on the phone another way that I have. But 0:17:13.600 --> 0:17:16.639 my space has shrunk so much, and however it was. 0:17:16.680 --> 0:17:19.080 It's temporary. But I'm really excited because I'm starting to 0:17:19.119 --> 0:17:21.600 take back the bathroom. And my house is small, okay, 0:17:21.680 --> 0:17:24.399 very small, sixty hundred square foot. It's it's puny, but 0:17:24.480 --> 0:17:27.480 so I'm making it I'm maximizing and anyway, we're putting 0:17:27.520 --> 0:17:29.360 the kids in one room together so that I can 0:17:29.400 --> 0:17:33.040 have an upstairs room again to myself. But I just 0:17:33.080 --> 0:17:34.480 think that's that's brilliant. 0:17:34.720 --> 0:17:35.040 Now. 0:17:35.520 --> 0:17:37.919 I also could see what people could have thoughts about that, 0:17:37.960 --> 0:17:40.080 but I'm also like, ah, none of their business, right, 0:17:40.760 --> 0:17:41.520 And let me. 0:17:41.480 --> 0:17:43.920 Ask you this, Kim, Like, I feel like so many 0:17:44.000 --> 0:17:47.600 of my entrepreneur friends are on the same journey of 0:17:47.720 --> 0:17:50.640 like those who've been doing it for like ten years 0:17:50.680 --> 0:17:54.120 plus around that they're in this soul searching component where it's. 0:17:53.960 --> 0:17:57.280 Like, okay, so here I am. 0:17:58.000 --> 0:17:59.760 You know, I've done all this work I've had, this 0:17:59.800 --> 0:18:02.560 says I guess, And so my sister and I call it. 0:18:02.600 --> 0:18:05.200 I am I'm happy. I guess that's what you call it. 0:18:05.280 --> 0:18:09.040 You're like, this is great. I guess you know. It's 0:18:09.119 --> 0:18:10.440 not like nervous. 0:18:10.200 --> 0:18:12.920