1 00:00:00,880 --> 00:00:04,920 Speaker 1: Afrotech Conference is back and return to as Town, Houston, Texas, 2 00:00:04,960 --> 00:00:07,880 Speaker 1: from October twenty seven through thirty first, twenty twenty five 3 00:00:08,119 --> 00:00:11,480 Speaker 1: at the George R. Brown Convention Center. For years, Afrotech 4 00:00:11,520 --> 00:00:15,400 Speaker 1: has been to go to experience for black tech innovators, founders, engineers, 5 00:00:15,520 --> 00:00:18,439 Speaker 1: creators and investors. In twenty twenty five is shaping up 6 00:00:18,480 --> 00:00:20,919 Speaker 1: to be the biggest year yet, though with forty to 7 00:00:20,960 --> 00:00:24,000 Speaker 1: ten he's expected. This year's conference will feature five days 8 00:00:24,000 --> 00:00:27,800 Speaker 1: of dynamic programming across six curator stages from discovery to 9 00:00:27,880 --> 00:00:30,920 Speaker 1: executive leadership. Join us to hear from industry leaders at 10 00:00:30,920 --> 00:00:34,360 Speaker 1: the forefront of change, learn from top ten engineers and designers, 11 00:00:34,400 --> 00:00:37,519 Speaker 1: and connect with recruiters from nearly two hundred companies. This year, 12 00:00:37,520 --> 00:00:40,760 Speaker 1: we're digging deeper into what's next with tracks exploring AI 13 00:00:40,800 --> 00:00:45,480 Speaker 1: and machine learning, mad tech and health equity, cybersecurity, climate tech, 14 00:00:45,600 --> 00:00:48,720 Speaker 1: and much more. Whether you're launching your first startup, pivoting 15 00:00:48,720 --> 00:00:51,240 Speaker 1: into a new role, or scaling as an execut there's 16 00:00:51,240 --> 00:00:53,920 Speaker 1: something here for you. Tickets and moving fast to keep 17 00:00:53,960 --> 00:00:57,880 Speaker 1: your spot out at Afrotech Conference. Dot com will lucas here, 18 00:00:58,000 --> 00:01:00,279 Speaker 1: Black Tech, Green money, so good to be with you 19 00:01:00,280 --> 00:01:02,760 Speaker 1: guys for another week, and I got a special guest today. 20 00:01:02,800 --> 00:01:04,679 Speaker 1: I've been looking forward to this. When we've been planning 21 00:01:04,720 --> 00:01:07,520 Speaker 1: this for like a month, it feels like and we 22 00:01:07,560 --> 00:01:08,679 Speaker 1: are finally here. 23 00:01:08,840 --> 00:01:10,040 Speaker 2: I am here with Omi. 24 00:01:09,840 --> 00:01:13,280 Speaker 1: Vel, who is the CEO of Black Girl Ventures. Has 25 00:01:13,319 --> 00:01:15,120 Speaker 1: funded hundreds of companies. 26 00:01:15,240 --> 00:01:16,480 Speaker 2: Last it looks like five to fifty. 27 00:01:16,520 --> 00:01:19,160 Speaker 1: It might be more than that by now five hundred 28 00:01:19,200 --> 00:01:23,840 Speaker 1: and fifty underresource companies and positively impacted over twenty thousand 29 00:01:24,000 --> 00:01:27,000 Speaker 1: entrepreneurs small business owners, and that number is growing. Also, 30 00:01:28,360 --> 00:01:33,000 Speaker 1: she's got a partnership with TikTok, continuing that commitment since 31 00:01:33,000 --> 00:01:34,920 Speaker 1: twenty twenty four, I think is when you guys started this, 32 00:01:35,000 --> 00:01:38,959 Speaker 1: they committed originally a million dollars to support black entrepreneurs 33 00:01:38,959 --> 00:01:42,840 Speaker 1: by launching the Sword Together, which is again continue from 34 00:01:42,880 --> 00:01:45,360 Speaker 1: twenty twenty four. And these are efforts to support black 35 00:01:45,480 --> 00:01:47,760 Speaker 1: entrepreneurs and we're going to talk a lot about that today. 36 00:01:48,160 --> 00:01:52,760 Speaker 1: It's a business accelerated program that you know, she's so 37 00:01:52,960 --> 00:01:57,560 Speaker 1: critical to, especially for black creators, black businesses, black entrepreneurs. So, 38 00:01:57,880 --> 00:01:59,200 Speaker 1: Owe Pelle, welcome to the show. 39 00:02:00,120 --> 00:02:01,960 Speaker 3: Thank you. I'm excited. 40 00:02:03,480 --> 00:02:04,560 Speaker 2: It's good to have you here. 41 00:02:04,760 --> 00:02:08,200 Speaker 1: So there's a quote I found from you where I 42 00:02:08,240 --> 00:02:09,680 Speaker 1: loved it, and I was like, I want to start 43 00:02:09,680 --> 00:02:12,120 Speaker 1: this conversation off from that. You said, a billion dollar 44 00:02:12,200 --> 00:02:17,519 Speaker 1: network equals a multimillion dollar company, and so I want 45 00:02:17,520 --> 00:02:19,639 Speaker 1: you to talk about, like where you got that concept 46 00:02:19,680 --> 00:02:23,600 Speaker 1: from and how do you like operationalize that concept until 47 00:02:23,680 --> 00:02:25,519 Speaker 1: like the decisions you make every day. 48 00:02:26,240 --> 00:02:30,520 Speaker 4: Yeah, So my book Originate, Motivate, and Innovate Seven Steps 49 00:02:30,520 --> 00:02:32,400 Speaker 4: for building a billion dollar Network, and get it on 50 00:02:32,480 --> 00:02:34,440 Speaker 4: Amazon bars and over wherever you bouy. 51 00:02:34,320 --> 00:02:38,520 Speaker 3: Books also the audible of you listening to books and 52 00:02:38,560 --> 00:02:42,600 Speaker 3: it is my voice. So here's the thing that I learned, right. 53 00:02:42,600 --> 00:02:44,800 Speaker 4: I think when we start businesses, we focus so much 54 00:02:44,880 --> 00:02:47,799 Speaker 4: on like, oh, I need to like get the product right. 55 00:02:47,880 --> 00:02:49,800 Speaker 4: I need to like, you know, figure out how this 56 00:02:49,919 --> 00:02:51,919 Speaker 4: product works and customers and things like that. 57 00:02:52,480 --> 00:02:55,960 Speaker 3: But when you hit a wall or when you. 58 00:02:56,680 --> 00:02:58,200 Speaker 4: Are just stuck in a place where you're trying to 59 00:02:58,240 --> 00:03:00,959 Speaker 4: understand like how to move, you got to have a network. 60 00:03:02,000 --> 00:03:05,600 Speaker 4: And I think like network also means like two different things. 61 00:03:05,639 --> 00:03:07,600 Speaker 4: Like you need your business network or people that you 62 00:03:07,639 --> 00:03:10,040 Speaker 4: can go ask questions of, but you also need to 63 00:03:10,080 --> 00:03:12,359 Speaker 4: have your like wellness network because if you want to 64 00:03:12,400 --> 00:03:14,000 Speaker 4: get closer to God become an entrepreneur. 65 00:03:14,120 --> 00:03:16,000 Speaker 2: That's a fact. That's a fact. 66 00:03:18,280 --> 00:03:21,880 Speaker 4: But I came up with what that brought to mind, 67 00:03:21,919 --> 00:03:25,600 Speaker 4: Like coming up with that quote was I realized the 68 00:03:25,639 --> 00:03:28,480 Speaker 4: real moment that I started rocking and rolling as an 69 00:03:28,600 --> 00:03:31,600 Speaker 4: entrepreneur really really bringing in impact and things like that 70 00:03:31,720 --> 00:03:35,480 Speaker 4: is when is when I connected my network to the 71 00:03:35,520 --> 00:03:38,160 Speaker 4: work that I'm doing by thinking about how can I 72 00:03:38,240 --> 00:03:40,920 Speaker 4: leverage you you want to have It's an asset. Your 73 00:03:40,920 --> 00:03:43,680 Speaker 4: network is an asset. Your ability to reach out and 74 00:03:43,800 --> 00:03:47,520 Speaker 4: use a free space, your ability to think about like 75 00:03:47,600 --> 00:03:50,520 Speaker 4: our connection to TikTok means that we can connect creators 76 00:03:50,520 --> 00:03:53,800 Speaker 4: to different things we can We can also do things 77 00:03:53,840 --> 00:03:58,119 Speaker 4: like figure out how to support even the platform. 78 00:03:58,440 --> 00:03:58,680 Speaker 3: You know. 79 00:03:58,840 --> 00:04:01,040 Speaker 4: It's sometimes the the biggest thing you can do is 80 00:04:01,080 --> 00:04:03,640 Speaker 4: not asking for the thing that's right in front of you. 81 00:04:04,120 --> 00:04:06,000 Speaker 4: It is thinking of what else do they have? What 82 00:04:06,040 --> 00:04:08,640 Speaker 4: else going to offer? What else is available? In how 83 00:04:08,640 --> 00:04:11,120 Speaker 4: you're going to grow your network. I think billion dollar, 84 00:04:11,560 --> 00:04:14,320 Speaker 4: billion dollar network means you got enough people there where 85 00:04:14,320 --> 00:04:16,880 Speaker 4: you can operate something as a multimillion dollar thing. It's 86 00:04:16,920 --> 00:04:19,280 Speaker 4: like you need that. You can get all the capital, 87 00:04:19,320 --> 00:04:21,200 Speaker 4: but when you hit a wall, you need a person. 88 00:04:21,480 --> 00:04:24,680 Speaker 1: Yeah, I would put this on thread a couple of 89 00:04:24,720 --> 00:04:27,920 Speaker 1: weeks ago. It's like I used to believe everybody should 90 00:04:27,960 --> 00:04:29,960 Speaker 1: start a business, and I was like, I don't understand 91 00:04:29,960 --> 00:04:32,039 Speaker 1: why anybody would go get a job, And I don't 92 00:04:32,040 --> 00:04:35,040 Speaker 1: believe that anymore because like this, doing this is like 93 00:04:35,720 --> 00:04:38,160 Speaker 1: it takes a special kind of person to wake up 94 00:04:38,200 --> 00:04:43,080 Speaker 1: to just drama every day, stress every day. You know, 95 00:04:43,440 --> 00:04:46,440 Speaker 1: there's no guarantee paycheck on Friday, Like you gotta go hunt, 96 00:04:46,480 --> 00:04:49,000 Speaker 1: you gotta go find that paycheck, and so like what 97 00:04:49,080 --> 00:04:52,080 Speaker 1: kind of people do you And I'm saying that you're 98 00:04:52,120 --> 00:04:54,200 Speaker 1: not saying that, but I'm sure there's some something in 99 00:04:54,240 --> 00:04:56,080 Speaker 1: that you can probably relate to. But I wonder, like 100 00:04:56,120 --> 00:04:59,239 Speaker 1: what kind of people do you think are best suited 101 00:04:59,240 --> 00:05:01,159 Speaker 1: for this? Like what is a makeup of a person 102 00:05:01,640 --> 00:05:03,400 Speaker 1: who is best suited for this journey? 103 00:05:04,200 --> 00:05:05,880 Speaker 3: Oh my goodness, that's such a good question. 104 00:05:07,760 --> 00:05:10,200 Speaker 4: But to your point around like insight on that, I 105 00:05:10,240 --> 00:05:13,320 Speaker 4: think that your people ask me all the time, when 106 00:05:13,320 --> 00:05:15,240 Speaker 4: should I quit my job? How do I know when 107 00:05:15,240 --> 00:05:16,720 Speaker 4: to put my job? How do I know when I 108 00:05:16,960 --> 00:05:19,040 Speaker 4: should I just jump off, jump off the cliff and 109 00:05:19,080 --> 00:05:21,400 Speaker 4: build you know, wild up? No, absolutely not, I do 110 00:05:21,560 --> 00:05:22,960 Speaker 4: not jump off anybody's cliff. 111 00:05:23,320 --> 00:05:24,560 Speaker 3: Do not try to build. 112 00:05:24,279 --> 00:05:31,479 Speaker 1: Any wings or gain wings. 113 00:05:29,360 --> 00:05:31,400 Speaker 3: None of that. You are not a parachute expert. Do 114 00:05:31,440 --> 00:05:31,800 Speaker 3: none of that. 115 00:05:32,600 --> 00:05:35,760 Speaker 4: But what you should consider I always tell them, I 116 00:05:35,800 --> 00:05:38,600 Speaker 4: don't know how resilient you are. I don't know if 117 00:05:38,600 --> 00:05:40,159 Speaker 4: you get down to the wire, if you're willing to 118 00:05:40,200 --> 00:05:43,680 Speaker 4: go donate blood. I don't know if you're willing to 119 00:05:43,800 --> 00:05:46,320 Speaker 4: like pawn everything in your house for what you believe. 120 00:05:46,839 --> 00:05:49,120 Speaker 3: I don't know if you're you see what I'm. 121 00:05:49,040 --> 00:05:50,520 Speaker 2: Saying, Like have you had my journal? 122 00:05:50,600 --> 00:05:56,400 Speaker 1: Like goodness, gazeus, Like. 123 00:05:55,440 --> 00:05:57,320 Speaker 3: I don't know what you're willing to do for this, 124 00:05:58,240 --> 00:05:59,320 Speaker 3: So I think that you know. 125 00:05:59,360 --> 00:06:00,760 Speaker 4: And there's a lot of I've been seeing a lot 126 00:06:00,760 --> 00:06:03,560 Speaker 4: of podcasts commentary because I'm also wellness practitioner, and there's 127 00:06:03,600 --> 00:06:06,320 Speaker 4: a lot of podcasts commentary out there right now around 128 00:06:06,320 --> 00:06:09,400 Speaker 4: how work life balance is BS, and like we don't 129 00:06:09,400 --> 00:06:12,480 Speaker 4: need work life balance. I don't think work life balance 130 00:06:12,520 --> 00:06:15,440 Speaker 4: is purely BS. But what I'll say is the concentration 131 00:06:15,520 --> 00:06:19,760 Speaker 4: has to be on work life integration, like how everything 132 00:06:19,880 --> 00:06:21,839 Speaker 4: is worth when what time it is? It is now, 133 00:06:21,920 --> 00:06:24,480 Speaker 4: it's time for me to be doing something. It's how 134 00:06:24,520 --> 00:06:27,280 Speaker 4: do you think even with my staff. When I hire people, 135 00:06:27,279 --> 00:06:29,680 Speaker 4: I tell them you can make a mistake, that's fine. 136 00:06:29,839 --> 00:06:33,440 Speaker 4: But if you're thinking it's off, you're gonna constantly make 137 00:06:33,440 --> 00:06:35,320 Speaker 4: the same mistakes over and over. So I would say, 138 00:06:35,600 --> 00:06:38,400 Speaker 4: just to break that down, culchability. 139 00:06:38,960 --> 00:06:43,880 Speaker 3: Your ability to be culchable. Resilience. How resilient are you? 140 00:06:44,040 --> 00:06:46,000 Speaker 3: What are you willing to do for what you believe in? 141 00:06:46,080 --> 00:06:46,960 Speaker 3: And I mean that by. 142 00:06:46,880 --> 00:06:50,720 Speaker 4: All legal means and safety needs necessary, But what are 143 00:06:50,720 --> 00:06:53,920 Speaker 4: you willing to do for what you believe in? I 144 00:06:53,960 --> 00:06:57,320 Speaker 4: don't know that right, Like, I can't desermine that that 145 00:06:57,880 --> 00:07:01,200 Speaker 4: your grind is kind of like the most predictable factor 146 00:07:02,520 --> 00:07:04,120 Speaker 4: that's a part of you building a business as part 147 00:07:04,120 --> 00:07:07,080 Speaker 4: of your entrepreneurial repertoire is going to be like I 148 00:07:07,080 --> 00:07:08,360 Speaker 4: don't know how far you're willing to go. 149 00:07:08,880 --> 00:07:11,280 Speaker 3: Some people really like to sleep on couches. Some people 150 00:07:11,320 --> 00:07:12,760 Speaker 3: are like like, nah, I can't do that. 151 00:07:14,280 --> 00:07:16,840 Speaker 4: So you got to know you. I think that's that's 152 00:07:16,880 --> 00:07:19,680 Speaker 4: the thing. Who are you exactly? And if you don't know, 153 00:07:19,720 --> 00:07:21,320 Speaker 4: you will find it out real quick. Will you try 154 00:07:21,320 --> 00:07:22,080 Speaker 4: to run a business? 155 00:07:22,160 --> 00:07:24,960 Speaker 1: Yeah, I'm gonna take that question one level deeper. 156 00:07:25,080 --> 00:07:25,440 Speaker 2: Is you know? 157 00:07:25,440 --> 00:07:28,120 Speaker 1: Because they're running it. No matter what you're doing, it's 158 00:07:28,120 --> 00:07:32,040 Speaker 1: gonna be hard, and especially in those early days especially, 159 00:07:32,160 --> 00:07:35,920 Speaker 1: And so at what point do you know it's hard. Yeah, 160 00:07:35,920 --> 00:07:37,760 Speaker 1: because it's supposed to be hard, But let me keep going, 161 00:07:37,920 --> 00:07:39,680 Speaker 1: or it's hard because I probably shouldn't be doing this. 162 00:07:40,800 --> 00:07:44,960 Speaker 4: I think the thing about strategy is time. Like strategy 163 00:07:45,000 --> 00:07:47,320 Speaker 4: is about time. So you can have like good ideas 164 00:07:47,440 --> 00:07:49,240 Speaker 4: you can have you say, I'm gonna you know, you 165 00:07:49,440 --> 00:07:51,400 Speaker 4: have a great to do list, but you're not being 166 00:07:51,440 --> 00:07:54,560 Speaker 4: strategic if you don't have time attached to it. So 167 00:07:54,800 --> 00:07:57,400 Speaker 4: when I started Black or Avengers, prior to this, I 168 00:07:57,440 --> 00:07:59,560 Speaker 4: had a T shirt company and I was doing that. 169 00:07:59,640 --> 00:08:02,000 Speaker 4: I was row and I worked myself out of poverty 170 00:08:02,040 --> 00:08:04,920 Speaker 4: with that TEACHHERT company. So backing up a scept to 171 00:08:04,960 --> 00:08:08,320 Speaker 4: my story, I'm I'm a computer scientist. I had great jobs, 172 00:08:08,360 --> 00:08:10,160 Speaker 4: but I had two children, have my first child when 173 00:08:10,200 --> 00:08:13,400 Speaker 4: I was seventeen, my second child when I was twenty one. Now, 174 00:08:13,440 --> 00:08:16,400 Speaker 4: I didn't grow up in any and the way I 175 00:08:16,400 --> 00:08:17,360 Speaker 4: grew up was very. 176 00:08:17,160 --> 00:08:19,360 Speaker 3: Middle of the most middle middle class. 177 00:08:19,720 --> 00:08:22,280 Speaker 4: But as an adult, because I now had these two kids, 178 00:08:22,440 --> 00:08:25,400 Speaker 4: went to school all of that, I ended up on 179 00:08:25,440 --> 00:08:28,360 Speaker 4: Section eight, ended up food stamps, government assistants, all of 180 00:08:28,360 --> 00:08:31,120 Speaker 4: that just to keep things going. America is not built 181 00:08:31,200 --> 00:08:33,400 Speaker 4: for a person, a single person with children. 182 00:08:33,440 --> 00:08:36,920 Speaker 3: That's just the reality. And so, but I had good jobs. 183 00:08:36,960 --> 00:08:39,280 Speaker 4: I was a Kay through Jove educator, I worked at 184 00:08:39,280 --> 00:08:42,000 Speaker 4: a patent trademark office, you know, things like that. But 185 00:08:42,040 --> 00:08:45,360 Speaker 4: I still couldn't afford to live. Entrepreneurship was really my 186 00:08:45,480 --> 00:08:48,120 Speaker 4: way out. I had gotten laid off twice. Me and 187 00:08:48,200 --> 00:08:50,160 Speaker 4: my fiance broke up. I realized I'm not going to 188 00:08:50,200 --> 00:08:53,480 Speaker 4: get married now, I have three children, and I'm not 189 00:08:53,520 --> 00:08:55,400 Speaker 4: going to go back to anywhere where anybody can ever 190 00:08:55,440 --> 00:08:57,880 Speaker 4: come to me and say I'm laying you off. But 191 00:08:58,760 --> 00:09:01,000 Speaker 4: you know, people can only see your actions, they don't 192 00:09:01,040 --> 00:09:01,800 Speaker 4: have your vision. 193 00:09:02,400 --> 00:09:03,440 Speaker 3: I knew who I was. 194 00:09:03,559 --> 00:09:05,800 Speaker 4: What it looked like on the outside was crazy, and 195 00:09:06,000 --> 00:09:07,800 Speaker 4: people like, what would you do? I build a TP 196 00:09:07,920 --> 00:09:09,800 Speaker 4: in my living room and rented it out on Airbnb. 197 00:09:10,080 --> 00:09:11,360 Speaker 3: People was like, what is she doing? 198 00:09:11,400 --> 00:09:13,760 Speaker 4: I said, I'm never going back to work for anyone 199 00:09:14,880 --> 00:09:16,240 Speaker 4: unless the conditions. 200 00:09:15,800 --> 00:09:17,599 Speaker 3: Make the most sense for me. But you won't be 201 00:09:17,640 --> 00:09:19,000 Speaker 3: able to come in and say you lay me off. 202 00:09:19,040 --> 00:09:23,280 Speaker 4: So in that case, I was looking at like, how 203 00:09:23,400 --> 00:09:27,959 Speaker 4: am I going to build with whatever I have, and 204 00:09:28,040 --> 00:09:30,040 Speaker 4: so I learned to print T shirts. I started a 205 00:09:30,080 --> 00:09:34,559 Speaker 4: T shirt line. It took off, We made Essence Magazine. 206 00:09:34,800 --> 00:09:37,960 Speaker 4: We traveled all up and down the East Coast vending 207 00:09:38,360 --> 00:09:40,360 Speaker 4: and I worked, and then I ended up getting deals 208 00:09:40,360 --> 00:09:42,959 Speaker 4: with like Google and Amazon. I worked myself off of poverty, 209 00:09:43,120 --> 00:09:45,120 Speaker 4: paid for my kids to go to school, like all 210 00:09:45,160 --> 00:09:48,559 Speaker 4: those kinds of things. And then Black or Adventures came 211 00:09:48,640 --> 00:09:50,960 Speaker 4: up for me because I need a community. I'm not 212 00:09:51,000 --> 00:09:52,520 Speaker 4: a pro. I didn't just want to be head down. 213 00:09:52,559 --> 00:09:56,440 Speaker 3: That never worked for me. But I had a contract 214 00:09:56,480 --> 00:09:56,920 Speaker 3: with Google. 215 00:09:56,960 --> 00:09:59,680 Speaker 4: So I was doing work with Google bringing in community, 216 00:09:59,720 --> 00:10:02,960 Speaker 4: training entrepreneurs, and I was starting up Black gir Avengers. 217 00:10:03,440 --> 00:10:06,440 Speaker 4: Blacker Advenuers wasn't bringing in as much money, so I said, 218 00:10:06,520 --> 00:10:08,559 Speaker 4: I gotta give it. I'm gonna give it three months. 219 00:10:09,000 --> 00:10:11,000 Speaker 4: I'm gonna give it all I got for three months. 220 00:10:11,040 --> 00:10:12,640 Speaker 4: If you don't take off for three months, I'm letting 221 00:10:12,640 --> 00:10:15,720 Speaker 4: it go. And I think it's important for people to 222 00:10:15,720 --> 00:10:19,240 Speaker 4: wrap time around what you're trying. Yeah, so you and 223 00:10:19,520 --> 00:10:22,439 Speaker 4: don't keep trying the same thing for the whole time, right, Like, 224 00:10:22,760 --> 00:10:25,000 Speaker 4: give yourself a time window. Okay, I'm gonna go at 225 00:10:25,040 --> 00:10:28,560 Speaker 4: this while I work. Hello, please be working while I 226 00:10:28,559 --> 00:10:30,520 Speaker 4: have some inncome coming in. I'm gonna go at this 227 00:10:31,120 --> 00:10:33,680 Speaker 4: as hard as I can for six months. 228 00:10:34,880 --> 00:10:36,960 Speaker 2: Yeah yeah, move it. 229 00:10:38,000 --> 00:10:38,160 Speaker 4: Yeah. 230 00:10:38,240 --> 00:10:39,560 Speaker 2: So I got to ask. 231 00:10:39,840 --> 00:10:42,880 Speaker 1: I'm formulating this question as I speaking, because you just 232 00:10:42,880 --> 00:10:45,280 Speaker 1: said a couple of things that I want to dig 233 00:10:45,320 --> 00:10:47,440 Speaker 1: deeper on. Like you talked about like you worked yourself 234 00:10:47,440 --> 00:10:50,160 Speaker 1: out of poverty by building this business, this T shirt line. 235 00:10:50,440 --> 00:10:52,240 Speaker 1: Then you talked about the work you do with Google 236 00:10:52,280 --> 00:10:55,679 Speaker 1: with training entrepreneurs, And my first thought was that on 237 00:10:55,880 --> 00:10:57,880 Speaker 1: me is different than the ow me that is now. 238 00:10:58,600 --> 00:11:04,640 Speaker 1: And what about that on me that was probably new 239 00:11:04,640 --> 00:11:06,280 Speaker 1: in business or hadn't been. 240 00:11:06,160 --> 00:11:09,800 Speaker 2: Wildly successful yet, says to Google. 241 00:11:10,200 --> 00:11:12,320 Speaker 1: I'm gonna go train entrepreneurs on your behalf. 242 00:11:14,720 --> 00:11:18,120 Speaker 3: This is you're good at this, you know, like not 243 00:11:18,200 --> 00:11:22,199 Speaker 3: everybody's good at it? Okay. 244 00:11:23,040 --> 00:11:27,680 Speaker 4: The interesting what's interesting about the difference between that only 245 00:11:27,760 --> 00:11:31,120 Speaker 4: and this on me is I was way more willing 246 00:11:31,240 --> 00:11:32,319 Speaker 4: to take more. 247 00:11:32,160 --> 00:11:34,120 Speaker 3: Risks right now. 248 00:11:34,240 --> 00:11:37,400 Speaker 4: I have so many partners, I have so many alliances. 249 00:11:37,640 --> 00:11:39,960 Speaker 4: You're not gonna catch me on anybody's social media talking 250 00:11:39,960 --> 00:11:43,120 Speaker 4: bad about anybody you know, and that and that's a 251 00:11:43,160 --> 00:11:45,439 Speaker 4: hard place to be in, right It's a privilege because 252 00:11:45,440 --> 00:11:48,160 Speaker 4: I get to I honestly have been blessed enough for 253 00:11:48,240 --> 00:11:50,920 Speaker 4: these brands to allow me to do the work I 254 00:11:50,960 --> 00:11:53,480 Speaker 4: feel like I want to do. That's a blessing. Not 255 00:11:53,600 --> 00:11:57,040 Speaker 4: everybody gets that. They're not dictating what I do. They say, 256 00:11:57,360 --> 00:12:00,720 Speaker 4: even with our relationship with TikTok, came to them to say, hey, 257 00:12:00,760 --> 00:12:03,600 Speaker 4: we like what you're doing. Let's talk. We started talking. 258 00:12:03,679 --> 00:12:05,160 Speaker 4: I said, look, this is what I want to do. 259 00:12:05,200 --> 00:12:07,439 Speaker 4: I want to put together a fund that would give 260 00:12:07,440 --> 00:12:10,240 Speaker 4: out marketing money to entrepreneurs because that's the one thing 261 00:12:10,240 --> 00:12:13,800 Speaker 4: that creators don't have, marketing dollars. They said, okay, I said, 262 00:12:13,800 --> 00:12:16,040 Speaker 4: I want to do storytelling around it. So we did 263 00:12:16,080 --> 00:12:19,120 Speaker 4: two seasons of a podcast called The weigh In Series, 264 00:12:19,679 --> 00:12:22,240 Speaker 4: and they also worked was We went through a TikTok 265 00:12:22,320 --> 00:12:24,840 Speaker 4: accelerator as well to learn how to use a platform 266 00:12:24,880 --> 00:12:28,200 Speaker 4: more so where that brands go through. So all of 267 00:12:28,200 --> 00:12:30,200 Speaker 4: these resources that came to me, I'm trying to learn 268 00:12:30,240 --> 00:12:32,080 Speaker 4: and give it back all the time. I'm trying to 269 00:12:32,120 --> 00:12:34,560 Speaker 4: like take what I got and give it back so 270 00:12:34,640 --> 00:12:37,920 Speaker 4: that me then didn't have anything. I had nothing to lose. 271 00:12:37,960 --> 00:12:40,320 Speaker 4: I had no money, I had no alliances. I was 272 00:12:40,360 --> 00:12:43,160 Speaker 4: like that mobile, I'm gonna do whatever. When I started 273 00:12:43,160 --> 00:12:46,600 Speaker 4: to work with Google, they were launching a brand new program, 274 00:12:46,880 --> 00:12:51,199 Speaker 4: and again network I was already a Google supplier, so. 275 00:12:51,200 --> 00:12:53,080 Speaker 3: I was already doing business with them. 276 00:12:53,520 --> 00:12:56,240 Speaker 4: The person I was doing business with them through said Hey, 277 00:12:56,240 --> 00:12:58,840 Speaker 4: we're starting this new program where we're going to train entrepreneurs. 278 00:12:59,200 --> 00:13:01,920 Speaker 3: We would love to have you're part of it. I said, Okay, 279 00:13:01,960 --> 00:13:03,040 Speaker 3: the parameters will loose. 280 00:13:03,120 --> 00:13:05,000 Speaker 4: Now what a program is now is way different than 281 00:13:05,040 --> 00:13:07,840 Speaker 4: when I started, because they still have a digital coaching program. 282 00:13:07,880 --> 00:13:10,559 Speaker 4: But it's different now if they in fact, if they 283 00:13:10,559 --> 00:13:15,360 Speaker 4: still have it. But again, I've been privileged enough, busted enough. 284 00:13:15,400 --> 00:13:18,000 Speaker 4: I'll say to work with partners who say here's what 285 00:13:18,040 --> 00:13:19,520 Speaker 4: we want, go do that. 286 00:13:20,720 --> 00:13:22,880 Speaker 3: At that moment, I got to create. 287 00:13:23,000 --> 00:13:24,640 Speaker 4: I got to think of how I wanted to do it, 288 00:13:25,040 --> 00:13:27,520 Speaker 4: and that was a space that honestly, working at Google 289 00:13:27,559 --> 00:13:28,520 Speaker 4: shifted a lot for me. 290 00:13:28,720 --> 00:13:31,120 Speaker 3: It taught me how to be a leader. It also 291 00:13:31,240 --> 00:13:31,640 Speaker 3: helped me. 292 00:13:31,920 --> 00:13:34,680 Speaker 4: They gave us access and privilege that our average contractors 293 00:13:34,720 --> 00:13:36,600 Speaker 4: didn't have. So I've been a Google officers all around 294 00:13:36,600 --> 00:13:39,840 Speaker 4: the world also just looking at the way they have 295 00:13:39,920 --> 00:13:41,640 Speaker 4: treated their employees, and I'm not here to I'm not 296 00:13:41,720 --> 00:13:44,200 Speaker 4: caving for Google, but I'm just saying that, like, it 297 00:13:44,320 --> 00:13:46,720 Speaker 4: taught me a lot to see this idea of like 298 00:13:46,880 --> 00:13:48,280 Speaker 4: we treat you well. 299 00:13:48,400 --> 00:13:53,120 Speaker 3: And you'll do the work well. We'll feed you, you. 300 00:13:53,080 --> 00:13:54,839 Speaker 4: Can take a nap, you can go for a swim, 301 00:13:54,880 --> 00:13:58,000 Speaker 4: you could. You know, whatever you get in the work done, 302 00:13:58,040 --> 00:14:00,840 Speaker 4: we're gonna get things done for you. And that helped 303 00:14:00,840 --> 00:14:01,880 Speaker 4: me adapt as a leaders. 304 00:14:01,920 --> 00:14:02,880 Speaker 3: I was like, who I. 305 00:14:02,840 --> 00:14:09,040 Speaker 1: Am now, diet You said something about one thing creators 306 00:14:09,400 --> 00:14:12,400 Speaker 1: and honestly small business owners don't have is marketing dollars. 307 00:14:13,080 --> 00:14:16,240 Speaker 1: And too often we get into business and we think 308 00:14:16,280 --> 00:14:20,560 Speaker 1: about every expense or investment except marketing dollars, advertising dollars. 309 00:14:20,920 --> 00:14:24,280 Speaker 1: And so can you talk about how important it is 310 00:14:24,360 --> 00:14:26,960 Speaker 1: number one to have the thinking that I need to 311 00:14:27,000 --> 00:14:30,480 Speaker 1: set aside resources to put my brand, my product, my 312 00:14:30,520 --> 00:14:34,720 Speaker 1: stuff in front of people and build awareness, and how 313 00:14:34,760 --> 00:14:36,920 Speaker 1: we get those resources to be able to do that 314 00:14:36,960 --> 00:14:41,080 Speaker 1: when we already have limited resources one hundred percent. 315 00:14:41,400 --> 00:14:43,080 Speaker 4: I mean, part of what I want to bring up 316 00:14:43,080 --> 00:14:46,920 Speaker 4: here is the power storytelling. That's really what is in 317 00:14:46,960 --> 00:14:51,400 Speaker 4: that that your business has to sell things, You have 318 00:14:51,520 --> 00:14:55,800 Speaker 4: to sell yourself, and you have to sell yourself, not 319 00:14:55,880 --> 00:14:59,120 Speaker 4: your soul, right, like you have to sell your product, 320 00:14:59,160 --> 00:15:02,080 Speaker 4: you have to sell yourself, but the story you're telling 321 00:15:02,160 --> 00:15:05,600 Speaker 4: and the way you position that store is everything. And 322 00:15:05,680 --> 00:15:07,960 Speaker 4: this is you know, with our the way we use 323 00:15:08,000 --> 00:15:10,960 Speaker 4: our TikTok is all about like, how do we help 324 00:15:11,000 --> 00:15:13,920 Speaker 4: these founders get positioned to tell the story. So if 325 00:15:13,920 --> 00:15:16,320 Speaker 4: you're local and you're like, I'm looking for that hair 326 00:15:16,360 --> 00:15:19,360 Speaker 4: braider or that skin caroline or that and you're like, hey, 327 00:15:19,640 --> 00:15:23,320 Speaker 4: or it's at the nearest variety store, go buy it. 328 00:15:23,440 --> 00:15:25,400 Speaker 4: So to a mass of a two hundred thousand dollars 329 00:15:25,440 --> 00:15:28,120 Speaker 4: over thirty million impressions, and working with TikTok, the way 330 00:15:28,160 --> 00:15:30,360 Speaker 4: that we work, it's all about how can we tell 331 00:15:30,400 --> 00:15:33,360 Speaker 4: the best stories so that people can get access and 332 00:15:33,400 --> 00:15:36,200 Speaker 4: so in terms of marketing dollars, that's when I realized 333 00:15:36,200 --> 00:15:38,240 Speaker 4: that people are missing. If I could go if I 334 00:15:38,560 --> 00:15:40,880 Speaker 4: were to go back to twenty sixteen, we're gonna be 335 00:15:40,920 --> 00:15:42,680 Speaker 4: ten next year. If I were to go back to 336 00:15:42,680 --> 00:15:45,960 Speaker 4: twenty sixteen and launch BDV all over again, I would 337 00:15:46,080 --> 00:15:48,920 Speaker 4: launch a impact report. I would watch some kind of 338 00:15:48,920 --> 00:15:51,600 Speaker 4: white paper, some kind of report, and then I would 339 00:15:51,640 --> 00:15:54,840 Speaker 4: go on a narrative tour and I would build the narrative. 340 00:15:54,960 --> 00:15:57,680 Speaker 4: First So what I did was I went into the 341 00:15:58,040 --> 00:16:01,920 Speaker 4: I went off of the stat one percent of black 342 00:16:01,920 --> 00:16:04,440 Speaker 4: and miron women are receiving venture capital, less than two 343 00:16:04,480 --> 00:16:06,520 Speaker 4: percent of women of receiving venture capital. And I was 344 00:16:06,560 --> 00:16:09,120 Speaker 4: looking at so much of that as problem. I'm a 345 00:16:09,160 --> 00:16:13,560 Speaker 4: solution problem, I'm a solution. But in the narrative of this, 346 00:16:13,640 --> 00:16:15,680 Speaker 4: all of all of this is what I learned over time, 347 00:16:15,720 --> 00:16:19,600 Speaker 4: which is we're talking about families. We're not talking about 348 00:16:19,600 --> 00:16:23,520 Speaker 4: some flippant just like, oh, a VC didn't give you funding. No, 349 00:16:23,640 --> 00:16:27,880 Speaker 4: we're talking about your ability to be economically sound. 350 00:16:28,600 --> 00:16:30,280 Speaker 3: And I experienced that firsthand. 351 00:16:30,280 --> 00:16:33,320 Speaker 4: It still didn't see that tie into a way later 352 00:16:33,480 --> 00:16:35,640 Speaker 4: where I was like, shoot, had it not been for 353 00:16:35,760 --> 00:16:37,600 Speaker 4: me starting a business, I wouldn't been and put my 354 00:16:37,680 --> 00:16:41,840 Speaker 4: kids through college by myself on a teacher salary. It's 355 00:16:41,880 --> 00:16:45,480 Speaker 4: just not a reality, you know. So I think that 356 00:16:45,880 --> 00:16:48,000 Speaker 4: in terms of like where I have developed over time, 357 00:16:48,080 --> 00:16:50,640 Speaker 4: what I've learned over time is like I wish that 358 00:16:50,640 --> 00:16:53,200 Speaker 4: I could get out to founders because sometimes founders can't hear. 359 00:16:54,400 --> 00:16:56,960 Speaker 3: Yeah, sometimes creators they can't hear. They're doing what they're doing. 360 00:16:57,000 --> 00:16:58,560 Speaker 3: They're in it, that's all they see that. 361 00:16:58,720 --> 00:17:00,520 Speaker 4: And I probably was like at some point I was 362 00:17:00,520 --> 00:17:02,640 Speaker 4: a hard headed teenager, you know what I mean. So 363 00:17:02,760 --> 00:17:04,520 Speaker 4: I mean they're not just better just saying that, like 364 00:17:04,600 --> 00:17:09,080 Speaker 4: the it's hard to hear, but if a narrative storytelling 365 00:17:09,280 --> 00:17:14,240 Speaker 4: position yourself, because I'm the kind of person that if 366 00:17:14,240 --> 00:17:16,240 Speaker 4: you if I'm on the list and they say, oh, 367 00:17:16,359 --> 00:17:20,600 Speaker 4: you only is the top one hundred people with glasses, honey, 368 00:17:20,880 --> 00:17:22,400 Speaker 4: you would have thought I was number one. 369 00:17:22,600 --> 00:17:26,600 Speaker 3: I was poking it. I'm the top person with glasses all. 370 00:17:26,640 --> 00:17:30,359 Speaker 4: You know, you got to really maximize everything you get 371 00:17:30,680 --> 00:17:32,520 Speaker 4: when you're in the early stages of entrepreneurship. 372 00:17:32,520 --> 00:17:33,720 Speaker 3: And I never let that go. 373 00:17:33,760 --> 00:17:36,960 Speaker 4: Which is why we are so well positioned with companies 374 00:17:36,960 --> 00:17:40,479 Speaker 4: like Nike or TikTok or pim Co is because that 375 00:17:40,600 --> 00:17:41,160 Speaker 4: narrative part. 376 00:17:41,160 --> 00:17:42,320 Speaker 3: I'm always focused on that. 377 00:17:43,359 --> 00:17:47,000 Speaker 1: So when you partner with a company slash brand like 378 00:17:47,040 --> 00:17:50,760 Speaker 1: a TikTok, and what are some of the things you 379 00:17:51,000 --> 00:17:55,000 Speaker 1: insist on, like non negotiable things that you know you authentic, 380 00:17:55,080 --> 00:17:58,840 Speaker 1: you comingto this authentically and they have things that they 381 00:17:58,840 --> 00:18:00,919 Speaker 1: are trying to achieve. Also, like, what are some of 382 00:18:00,920 --> 00:18:03,679 Speaker 1: the things that are like non negotiables for you and 383 00:18:03,800 --> 00:18:05,879 Speaker 1: that you insist on And where might you have had 384 00:18:05,880 --> 00:18:07,200 Speaker 1: to compromise if at all. 385 00:18:08,040 --> 00:18:09,160 Speaker 3: Yeah, that's a great question. 386 00:18:11,840 --> 00:18:15,760 Speaker 4: We live in this crazy economic time, so I think 387 00:18:15,840 --> 00:18:19,800 Speaker 4: that it's shifted in terms of what I have the 388 00:18:19,840 --> 00:18:21,840 Speaker 4: ability to insist on who we. 389 00:18:21,800 --> 00:18:23,360 Speaker 3: Serve and how we serve in a way. 390 00:18:24,560 --> 00:18:26,560 Speaker 4: And it's not that, you know, it's not the brands 391 00:18:26,560 --> 00:18:29,159 Speaker 4: that are saying that to me, right, It's more like 392 00:18:29,560 --> 00:18:32,919 Speaker 4: the landscape that we are living in that causes us 393 00:18:32,920 --> 00:18:36,320 Speaker 4: to have to shift. Right, the brands are still doing 394 00:18:36,359 --> 00:18:38,639 Speaker 4: the work, I'll be honest, I have not the brands 395 00:18:38,640 --> 00:18:40,000 Speaker 4: that we work with behind the scenes. 396 00:18:40,520 --> 00:18:41,919 Speaker 3: They still are doing the work. 397 00:18:42,680 --> 00:18:44,600 Speaker 4: It's just that again from that storytelling Pius and of 398 00:18:44,600 --> 00:18:46,440 Speaker 4: that narrative piece, we all got to be talking different 399 00:18:46,440 --> 00:18:49,080 Speaker 4: about it. So I would say that now I feel 400 00:18:49,080 --> 00:18:52,000 Speaker 4: like I have to compromise because of where we exist 401 00:18:52,440 --> 00:18:55,400 Speaker 4: the current landscape, not because of the brands. 402 00:18:55,480 --> 00:18:56,400 Speaker 3: I want to be clear on that. 403 00:18:57,119 --> 00:18:58,639 Speaker 4: I feel like I have to compromise with how I 404 00:18:58,640 --> 00:19:01,560 Speaker 4: want to refer to the audience that I serve, and 405 00:19:01,600 --> 00:19:04,119 Speaker 4: that pains me, if I'm being honest, it pains me. 406 00:19:04,560 --> 00:19:09,240 Speaker 3: I hate it. I don't want to do that, Like 407 00:19:09,280 --> 00:19:10,080 Speaker 3: I don't want to do that. 408 00:19:10,119 --> 00:19:12,080 Speaker 4: I want to loud and proud say black and brown 409 00:19:12,680 --> 00:19:15,119 Speaker 4: and not feel like I got to worry about being 410 00:19:15,160 --> 00:19:18,520 Speaker 4: sued or anything like that. We're just not living in 411 00:19:18,600 --> 00:19:22,240 Speaker 4: that kind of space right now. And so I so 412 00:19:22,920 --> 00:19:25,000 Speaker 4: I've been bullished on that though. I've been bullished that, like, 413 00:19:25,080 --> 00:19:26,600 Speaker 4: I want to serve who I want to serve the 414 00:19:26,640 --> 00:19:28,439 Speaker 4: way I want to serve them where I need to 415 00:19:28,480 --> 00:19:32,160 Speaker 4: serve them. I know I'm an entrepreneur. I serve entrepreneurs, 416 00:19:32,160 --> 00:19:34,199 Speaker 4: and I know exactly what I need to do. Just 417 00:19:35,359 --> 00:19:38,520 Speaker 4: fund us, tell us your wins. We will make the 418 00:19:38,520 --> 00:19:42,639 Speaker 4: winds happen for you, will make these winds mutual. In 419 00:19:42,720 --> 00:19:47,520 Speaker 4: terms of compromising, I can't say. I can't say I've had. 420 00:19:47,400 --> 00:19:48,760 Speaker 3: To make a lot of compromises. 421 00:19:48,840 --> 00:19:52,320 Speaker 4: I mean maybe sometimes I compromise on location, Like somebody, 422 00:19:52,720 --> 00:19:54,560 Speaker 4: you know, maybe a partner wants to go to a 423 00:19:54,600 --> 00:19:57,840 Speaker 4: city that I don't that I'm like, we could go 424 00:19:57,880 --> 00:19:59,440 Speaker 4: to that city, but it is the best city for 425 00:19:59,480 --> 00:19:59,919 Speaker 4: us to be in. 426 00:20:00,600 --> 00:20:02,240 Speaker 3: Sometimes I'm lifting a city for. 427 00:20:02,280 --> 00:20:04,480 Speaker 4: A partner, right so, and that's why they want me 428 00:20:04,520 --> 00:20:07,359 Speaker 4: to go there, because they're trying to lift the city themselves. 429 00:20:07,400 --> 00:20:09,639 Speaker 4: And so one of the things that we're good at 430 00:20:09,840 --> 00:20:11,720 Speaker 4: behind the scenes. This is something I want to share. 431 00:20:11,920 --> 00:20:16,640 Speaker 4: My entrepreneurship is reporting. Our reporting is a unique value 432 00:20:16,640 --> 00:20:18,560 Speaker 4: proposition for us in the ways that white people work 433 00:20:18,600 --> 00:20:21,159 Speaker 4: with us, because we really focus on how much impact 434 00:20:21,200 --> 00:20:22,520 Speaker 4: we can make and how we can report it to 435 00:20:22,560 --> 00:20:26,000 Speaker 4: you according to your wins. Yeah, you get money based 436 00:20:26,040 --> 00:20:29,240 Speaker 4: off of who needs a raise. If I can get 437 00:20:29,280 --> 00:20:30,720 Speaker 4: you a raise, I'm gonna get money. 438 00:20:32,440 --> 00:20:35,000 Speaker 2: So much sense. 439 00:20:36,040 --> 00:20:38,160 Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean like that. 440 00:20:37,680 --> 00:20:39,959 Speaker 4: That but a me ultimately, I haven't had to make 441 00:20:40,000 --> 00:20:43,040 Speaker 4: a lot of compromises. Like I said, I feel extremely 442 00:20:43,119 --> 00:20:46,119 Speaker 4: blessed that the partners who come to us say I 443 00:20:46,160 --> 00:20:48,960 Speaker 4: am authentic, this is who I am, And I'm like, hey, 444 00:20:49,000 --> 00:20:51,240 Speaker 4: we're going to do what we do and we want 445 00:20:51,280 --> 00:20:52,280 Speaker 4: you to rock with us. 446 00:20:52,520 --> 00:20:53,480 Speaker 3: And they haven't. 447 00:20:54,119 --> 00:20:56,400 Speaker 1: Yeah, So I want to go back to the point 448 00:20:56,440 --> 00:20:59,040 Speaker 1: you just made about you know, having to talk differently 449 00:20:59,320 --> 00:20:59,760 Speaker 1: about it. 450 00:21:00,119 --> 00:21:00,960 Speaker 2: This is like, this is. 451 00:21:00,920 --> 00:21:03,960 Speaker 1: So interesting to me because you know, I've also sat 452 00:21:04,040 --> 00:21:07,040 Speaker 1: in like seats to where you have impact and there 453 00:21:07,240 --> 00:21:10,200 Speaker 1: is a time to be vocal and also a time 454 00:21:10,240 --> 00:21:13,920 Speaker 1: to be quiet. And I wonder what your thoughts are 455 00:21:14,040 --> 00:21:21,400 Speaker 1: on is is the is the forced you know, discussion 456 00:21:21,880 --> 00:21:24,520 Speaker 1: that we have had to confine to a way of 457 00:21:24,560 --> 00:21:28,399 Speaker 1: speaking is that not? Can we see that as an opportunity? 458 00:21:28,440 --> 00:21:29,919 Speaker 2: And here's why. Here's what I mean by that. 459 00:21:29,960 --> 00:21:32,159 Speaker 1: It's because so when you're in a position of power 460 00:21:33,320 --> 00:21:37,280 Speaker 1: and it's not the time to be vocal, you can, Hey, 461 00:21:37,320 --> 00:21:39,440 Speaker 1: get through the door. I'm gonna hold this door open. 462 00:21:40,040 --> 00:21:42,320 Speaker 1: Just keep just get through the door. And yea, I'm 463 00:21:42,320 --> 00:21:44,480 Speaker 1: gonna get as many y'all through this door as possible, 464 00:21:45,000 --> 00:21:47,240 Speaker 1: and we're gonna let them do what they gotta do 465 00:21:47,320 --> 00:21:49,320 Speaker 1: over there. But as many y'all get through this door 466 00:21:49,359 --> 00:21:53,280 Speaker 1: while I'm gonna be quiet. Sometimes being too loud cause 467 00:21:53,359 --> 00:21:55,760 Speaker 1: too much attention to what you're trying to do. So 468 00:21:55,800 --> 00:21:58,280 Speaker 1: I just wonder what your thoughts are on how we 469 00:21:58,280 --> 00:21:59,360 Speaker 1: can think about it. 470 00:21:59,800 --> 00:22:01,360 Speaker 2: Can we shift our narrative. 471 00:22:01,040 --> 00:22:06,520 Speaker 1: The thinking about opportunity also and fighting speaking true to power? 472 00:22:07,560 --> 00:22:10,120 Speaker 1: But how do we see opportunity in this? I guess 473 00:22:10,160 --> 00:22:10,920 Speaker 1: it's the point I'm making. 474 00:22:11,960 --> 00:22:16,280 Speaker 4: Yeah, So it's interesting because some people don't like these answers. 475 00:22:16,560 --> 00:22:19,280 Speaker 4: So you ask the question that I feel like a 476 00:22:19,320 --> 00:22:21,720 Speaker 4: lot of people are like, no, be radical, no, be loud, 477 00:22:21,760 --> 00:22:24,280 Speaker 4: no always like but I think what I tell people 478 00:22:24,280 --> 00:22:26,320 Speaker 4: when you're moving in realms of power, there's a few 479 00:22:26,320 --> 00:22:30,640 Speaker 4: different principles. It's pleasing, appeasing, proving, and adapting. No matter 480 00:22:30,680 --> 00:22:33,600 Speaker 4: how much money people have, they're doing those things. They're 481 00:22:33,600 --> 00:22:37,080 Speaker 4: pleasing each other, they're appeasing each other, they're proving to 482 00:22:37,119 --> 00:22:38,200 Speaker 4: each other, and they're adapting. 483 00:22:38,359 --> 00:22:39,280 Speaker 3: So when people say like. 484 00:22:39,200 --> 00:22:41,560 Speaker 4: I don't got nothing, I don't care about not nor 485 00:22:41,600 --> 00:22:44,240 Speaker 4: I don't got nothing to prove, well you that person 486 00:22:44,280 --> 00:22:46,840 Speaker 4: doesn't have a lot of power because everybody in power 487 00:22:46,840 --> 00:22:47,600 Speaker 4: got something to prove. 488 00:22:47,920 --> 00:22:48,320 Speaker 3: I don't care. 489 00:22:48,359 --> 00:22:51,359 Speaker 4: From the biggest billionaire you know, to the smallest millionaire, 490 00:22:51,640 --> 00:22:53,760 Speaker 4: they all have something to prove. And it's just a 491 00:22:53,800 --> 00:22:56,800 Speaker 4: part of the game, right, So it doesn't always make 492 00:22:56,880 --> 00:22:58,880 Speaker 4: sense for you to speak up in a certain way 493 00:22:59,480 --> 00:23:01,720 Speaker 4: because you're gonna you're. 494 00:23:01,560 --> 00:23:03,240 Speaker 3: Gonna knock out one of those principles. 495 00:23:03,320 --> 00:23:05,560 Speaker 4: You're not gonna be it's gonna cause you impede on 496 00:23:05,600 --> 00:23:08,439 Speaker 4: your appeasing of someone that you need to appease for 497 00:23:08,520 --> 00:23:10,440 Speaker 4: you to be able to help your community. So it's 498 00:23:10,480 --> 00:23:14,520 Speaker 4: always like a dance and in sil enough to where 499 00:23:14,520 --> 00:23:17,680 Speaker 4: you're asking during the during the George Floyd when George 500 00:23:17,680 --> 00:23:21,760 Speaker 4: what was murdered and this big like worder fall moment. 501 00:23:22,760 --> 00:23:23,440 Speaker 3: We were not. 502 00:23:25,520 --> 00:23:30,359 Speaker 4: On social media running down like power to the people 503 00:23:30,480 --> 00:23:33,440 Speaker 4: kind of stats. Now we were addressing it, we were 504 00:23:33,440 --> 00:23:37,200 Speaker 4: saying what we were saying. We were, you know, supporting 505 00:23:37,200 --> 00:23:42,280 Speaker 4: people on the back end, but we were mindful of 506 00:23:42,320 --> 00:23:44,480 Speaker 4: what the narrative needed to because we knew this day 507 00:23:44,560 --> 00:23:48,440 Speaker 4: was coming, this day to where right now, this day 508 00:23:48,520 --> 00:23:52,480 Speaker 4: was inevitable. So it was like, we're not gonna not 509 00:23:52,680 --> 00:23:55,520 Speaker 4: stand for our people. So to your point, exactly what 510 00:23:55,600 --> 00:23:57,800 Speaker 4: the way you described it, that was my thought. 511 00:23:58,000 --> 00:23:58,600 Speaker 3: Let's get this. 512 00:23:58,600 --> 00:24:02,680 Speaker 4: Door open, let's hold it open, Let's pull as many 513 00:24:02,680 --> 00:24:05,400 Speaker 4: people through here as we can in this moment. Let's 514 00:24:05,400 --> 00:24:07,399 Speaker 4: get as much of this capital and give it away 515 00:24:07,960 --> 00:24:10,479 Speaker 4: like this, how much of this capital could be take 516 00:24:10,520 --> 00:24:11,040 Speaker 4: and giveaway. 517 00:24:11,359 --> 00:24:13,439 Speaker 3: That's literally what my thought was. 518 00:24:14,000 --> 00:24:16,280 Speaker 4: So I set up some system to be able to 519 00:24:16,480 --> 00:24:18,600 Speaker 4: have all the calls and the meetings and be able 520 00:24:18,600 --> 00:24:21,280 Speaker 4: to get to the capitol in quickly, and it we scaled 521 00:24:21,320 --> 00:24:25,679 Speaker 4: exponentially through that serving virtually because of a band in it, 522 00:24:25,960 --> 00:24:28,520 Speaker 4: but also the level of capital that we were able 523 00:24:28,520 --> 00:24:30,639 Speaker 4: to get in because I knew I had something. I 524 00:24:30,680 --> 00:24:33,880 Speaker 4: think another thing is that if you know you have something, 525 00:24:34,320 --> 00:24:36,080 Speaker 4: that is more of the reason for you to figure 526 00:24:36,080 --> 00:24:39,399 Speaker 4: out the dance because when you figure out the dance, 527 00:24:40,119 --> 00:24:41,960 Speaker 4: once you get in there, you know you got something. 528 00:24:42,160 --> 00:24:44,120 Speaker 4: All I needed was the money. I was already doing 529 00:24:44,160 --> 00:24:46,360 Speaker 4: the work. I knew I could impact people. I knew 530 00:24:46,359 --> 00:24:48,120 Speaker 4: I could put systems around getting the money out. 531 00:24:48,160 --> 00:24:48,680 Speaker 3: I knew that. 532 00:24:48,960 --> 00:24:52,479 Speaker 4: So it would have did a disservice to me and 533 00:24:52,600 --> 00:24:57,560 Speaker 4: my community had I taken a certain route of discussion. Now, 534 00:24:57,600 --> 00:24:59,639 Speaker 4: I host a serious XM show, and I'm very vocal 535 00:24:59,680 --> 00:25:03,080 Speaker 4: about what are protesting what I'm not. I'm very vocal 536 00:25:03,119 --> 00:25:06,280 Speaker 4: about politics in the ways that I think about it. 537 00:25:06,359 --> 00:25:10,800 Speaker 4: I'm very vocal about service to others, and I don't 538 00:25:10,840 --> 00:25:13,600 Speaker 4: back down and compromise other those on those things, but 539 00:25:13,640 --> 00:25:14,119 Speaker 4: I do. 540 00:25:14,000 --> 00:25:17,880 Speaker 3: Think about how I say them. Absolutely, I love that. 541 00:25:19,840 --> 00:25:23,200 Speaker 1: So you talked about how you knew you had something 542 00:25:23,359 --> 00:25:27,480 Speaker 1: in The people that you target are the people who 543 00:25:27,520 --> 00:25:29,800 Speaker 1: need or raise Those are the people that can create 544 00:25:29,840 --> 00:25:34,760 Speaker 1: these opportunities. How do you know who has the budgets? 545 00:25:34,840 --> 00:25:37,440 Speaker 1: Like when you go knock on the door, Let's pick 546 00:25:37,440 --> 00:25:40,280 Speaker 1: a company, TikTok, Nike, Google, the one is the one 547 00:25:40,320 --> 00:25:42,640 Speaker 1: that you partner. How do you know where to go? 548 00:25:43,119 --> 00:25:46,200 Speaker 1: I got something I know I can affect my community. 549 00:25:46,960 --> 00:25:49,200 Speaker 1: Somebody here needs a raise. How do you know who 550 00:25:49,200 --> 00:25:49,840 Speaker 1: got the budget? 551 00:25:50,600 --> 00:25:51,520 Speaker 3: Yeah, great question. 552 00:25:52,119 --> 00:25:56,280 Speaker 4: So from a non we're a nonprofit, So from a 553 00:25:56,320 --> 00:25:58,280 Speaker 4: nonprofit standpoint, there's. 554 00:25:58,080 --> 00:26:00,000 Speaker 3: Going to be a couple of roles that match up 555 00:26:00,080 --> 00:26:01,440 Speaker 3: with people who got a budget. 556 00:26:01,800 --> 00:26:07,240 Speaker 4: It's gonna be your CSR people, Corporate Social responsibility, your 557 00:26:07,359 --> 00:26:11,119 Speaker 4: impact people. So the impact side of things, which is 558 00:26:11,200 --> 00:26:13,480 Speaker 4: usually the philanthropic arms of the corporate regions. 559 00:26:14,560 --> 00:26:16,879 Speaker 3: There's also marketing. Always got the money. 560 00:26:17,800 --> 00:26:20,760 Speaker 4: By the way, like the marketing people, they always have 561 00:26:20,840 --> 00:26:23,560 Speaker 4: the budgets, but they're a little bit different to work with, 562 00:26:23,640 --> 00:26:25,280 Speaker 4: so you have to figure that out. Now, if it 563 00:26:25,280 --> 00:26:28,400 Speaker 4: comes in philanthropy, then you might be looking for program officers, 564 00:26:29,600 --> 00:26:32,000 Speaker 4: or you might be looking for people who. 565 00:26:33,280 --> 00:26:36,080 Speaker 3: Are launching something new. So sometimes I'm. 566 00:26:35,960 --> 00:26:39,440 Speaker 4: Looking for like who's like, who's launching a new thing, 567 00:26:39,880 --> 00:26:42,200 Speaker 4: and then who's ahead of that launch and what does 568 00:26:42,240 --> 00:26:43,760 Speaker 4: that look like and how does that align with our 569 00:26:44,160 --> 00:26:47,760 Speaker 4: with our with our entrepreneurs that we serve. I'm also 570 00:26:47,840 --> 00:26:49,600 Speaker 4: keeping my ear to the street, and this is where 571 00:26:49,600 --> 00:26:52,520 Speaker 4: your your this is where your network comes into play. 572 00:26:52,640 --> 00:26:55,080 Speaker 4: Now it's chilly enough, this this is a bit behind 573 00:26:55,119 --> 00:26:57,640 Speaker 4: the scenes that this question you're asking me right now, 574 00:26:57,640 --> 00:27:00,640 Speaker 4: because a lot of people try to figured this out. 575 00:27:01,760 --> 00:27:07,440 Speaker 4: We have worked networked our way through global affairs or 576 00:27:07,680 --> 00:27:10,400 Speaker 4: or political affairs, but that's because I was based in DC. 577 00:27:10,480 --> 00:27:12,600 Speaker 4: I'm in LA now, but I was based in DC. 578 00:27:13,320 --> 00:27:16,280 Speaker 4: And being based in DC, I would, you know, go 579 00:27:16,359 --> 00:27:19,000 Speaker 4: to Capitol Hill for different things, or because different companies 580 00:27:19,040 --> 00:27:22,320 Speaker 4: would we would go round tables things like that, or 581 00:27:22,480 --> 00:27:26,000 Speaker 4: I was in that ecosystem. So because so think about 582 00:27:26,440 --> 00:27:28,360 Speaker 4: one thing that people need to think about is your 583 00:27:28,400 --> 00:27:31,320 Speaker 4: proximity to what kind of thing in your local area. 584 00:27:31,640 --> 00:27:33,959 Speaker 4: Because I was in DC, my proximity to the government 585 00:27:34,040 --> 00:27:36,840 Speaker 4: was right there. Now, global affairs people don't directly have 586 00:27:36,920 --> 00:27:40,639 Speaker 4: a budget, but they know they know all the people 587 00:27:40,640 --> 00:27:41,600 Speaker 4: that got the budgets. 588 00:27:42,760 --> 00:27:44,160 Speaker 3: So that's how we got some of the. 589 00:27:44,119 --> 00:27:46,960 Speaker 4: Deals that we got because I was working my way 590 00:27:46,960 --> 00:27:52,440 Speaker 4: through some of that Capitol Hill network. Also, your trade 591 00:27:52,440 --> 00:27:55,520 Speaker 4: associations or things that you're a part of, things you're 592 00:27:55,600 --> 00:27:57,639 Speaker 4: membership of. I'm a member of a couple of different 593 00:27:57,640 --> 00:28:00,320 Speaker 4: things where I've gotten a couple different opportun It needs 594 00:28:00,320 --> 00:28:03,800 Speaker 4: to meet different people navigate their different things, I think. 595 00:28:04,000 --> 00:28:06,480 Speaker 4: But one of the hardest things as the entrepreneurs. 596 00:28:06,000 --> 00:28:07,960 Speaker 3: Really to know what you're looking for. 597 00:28:10,040 --> 00:28:12,360 Speaker 4: Once you land on that you can kind of navigate 598 00:28:12,400 --> 00:28:14,040 Speaker 4: your way to the person who's the head of it 599 00:28:14,720 --> 00:28:16,639 Speaker 4: or the person who's the assistant of the person. 600 00:28:16,680 --> 00:28:20,200 Speaker 3: Don't take anybody for granny, that's for sure. I don't. 601 00:28:20,600 --> 00:28:22,360 Speaker 4: I tell people all the time it was a janitor 602 00:28:22,640 --> 00:28:25,960 Speaker 4: that let Fantasia back into that American Idol in that 603 00:28:26,000 --> 00:28:29,880 Speaker 4: American Idol performance her initial time when she got selected. 604 00:28:30,160 --> 00:28:33,400 Speaker 4: Don't take anybody for Granny. I'm speaking to everybody from 605 00:28:33,400 --> 00:28:36,760 Speaker 4: the clean lady to the second like, whoever's the assistant. 606 00:28:37,200 --> 00:28:39,200 Speaker 4: All those people can get you where you need to go. 607 00:28:39,360 --> 00:28:41,479 Speaker 4: You just gotta be you gotta be a people person 608 00:28:42,480 --> 00:28:43,080 Speaker 4: so we. 609 00:28:43,160 --> 00:28:45,960 Speaker 1: Can Goodness, I ain't got to none of the questions 610 00:28:46,000 --> 00:28:48,160 Speaker 1: I had because you're saying so much that it's like 611 00:28:48,560 --> 00:28:50,520 Speaker 1: I want to go dero all these things you're saying. 612 00:28:50,560 --> 00:28:53,640 Speaker 1: Like you just said, you know, marketing always has the budget, 613 00:28:54,000 --> 00:28:56,920 Speaker 1: and I wonder, like what are we missing as small 614 00:28:56,960 --> 00:29:01,840 Speaker 1: business owners, because if these big companies, no marketing needs 615 00:29:01,840 --> 00:29:04,800 Speaker 1: the budget, they always delegating that budget. But we small 616 00:29:04,840 --> 00:29:07,400 Speaker 1: business are like marketing ain't never got the budget. We're 617 00:29:07,440 --> 00:29:10,240 Speaker 1: trying to, you know, always do something organically, always trying 618 00:29:10,240 --> 00:29:12,240 Speaker 1: to get it to go just hope they like share. 619 00:29:12,520 --> 00:29:16,280 Speaker 1: You know, we tweet whatever you know, organically, but we 620 00:29:16,520 --> 00:29:20,840 Speaker 1: starve marketing in our businesses. Like what are we missing 621 00:29:21,160 --> 00:29:22,280 Speaker 1: there with that thinking? 622 00:29:24,560 --> 00:29:29,160 Speaker 4: So I think again, as the person who's creating the business, 623 00:29:29,200 --> 00:29:31,840 Speaker 4: you have so many things on your mind. You're just trying. 624 00:29:31,880 --> 00:29:34,880 Speaker 4: You're thinking my product needs to be great. You're thinking 625 00:29:34,920 --> 00:29:36,880 Speaker 4: my software needs to be great. You're thinking my service 626 00:29:36,920 --> 00:29:39,880 Speaker 4: needs to be great. How many mediocre things do we know? 627 00:29:41,720 --> 00:29:44,240 Speaker 4: Like the little kid juice box. It's the worst invention. 628 00:29:45,320 --> 00:29:47,320 Speaker 4: Every time you put that straw, you're gonna get some 629 00:29:47,440 --> 00:29:50,520 Speaker 4: juice out it. Like it, then it barely straw barely 630 00:29:50,560 --> 00:29:53,200 Speaker 4: goes in. You know, it's just stop worrying so much 631 00:29:53,280 --> 00:29:56,480 Speaker 4: about having the perfect product of perfect service and just 632 00:29:56,640 --> 00:29:59,920 Speaker 4: find the person who likes to engage in imperfect things. 633 00:30:00,160 --> 00:30:03,320 Speaker 3: So well, that's the way to think about it. 634 00:30:03,440 --> 00:30:06,680 Speaker 4: There's so many of us who will be to be honest, 635 00:30:06,720 --> 00:30:09,400 Speaker 4: sometimes we're shooting for such a high bar and most 636 00:30:09,440 --> 00:30:11,280 Speaker 4: people in mediocre. I hate to say it, but like 637 00:30:11,320 --> 00:30:13,640 Speaker 4: most people are just like the average thing. And you know, 638 00:30:13,720 --> 00:30:15,959 Speaker 4: and that's okay, there's nothing wrong with that, But we 639 00:30:16,000 --> 00:30:18,360 Speaker 4: want like the perfect thing, the bigger thing, the batter thing, 640 00:30:18,400 --> 00:30:20,560 Speaker 4: and it's like, find you a market. 641 00:30:20,520 --> 00:30:23,040 Speaker 3: And just take the stronghold over it. 642 00:30:23,480 --> 00:30:27,920 Speaker 4: Like if you know people who got locks and you know, 643 00:30:27,960 --> 00:30:30,560 Speaker 4: and they go to church on Sundays and shoot, just 644 00:30:30,640 --> 00:30:33,520 Speaker 4: go market to them. Stop thinking you need the people 645 00:30:33,520 --> 00:30:36,040 Speaker 4: that got straight hair in locks and they go to 646 00:30:36,120 --> 00:30:39,120 Speaker 4: church on Saturday. Like, you got to get real specific. 647 00:30:39,200 --> 00:30:42,560 Speaker 4: I think what we're missing is specificity. We don't get specific, 648 00:30:42,600 --> 00:30:45,600 Speaker 4: we don't get particular, and we don't think about owning 649 00:30:45,640 --> 00:30:47,800 Speaker 4: the market that we can own. We think so broad 650 00:30:47,840 --> 00:30:50,560 Speaker 4: about owning every market. And I think it's the thing 651 00:30:50,600 --> 00:30:53,720 Speaker 4: where social media can be helpful. What platforms like TikTok 652 00:30:53,960 --> 00:30:55,880 Speaker 4: where you have the ability to kind of throw out 653 00:30:55,880 --> 00:30:59,400 Speaker 4: what you want and have people find you and run 654 00:30:59,440 --> 00:31:03,080 Speaker 4: ads TikTok shop people are making like a yeah, people 655 00:31:03,080 --> 00:31:06,840 Speaker 4: are making their annual salaries selling on TikTok shops. 656 00:31:07,240 --> 00:31:07,480 Speaker 3: Yeah. 657 00:31:08,040 --> 00:31:10,440 Speaker 4: So I think we have to dig into where the 658 00:31:10,520 --> 00:31:12,040 Speaker 4: platform support us. 659 00:31:13,360 --> 00:31:18,120 Speaker 1: Finally, there is over time with this TikTok you know, partnership. 660 00:31:18,200 --> 00:31:22,440 Speaker 1: How do you envision it evolving, you know, whether that's 661 00:31:23,240 --> 00:31:27,520 Speaker 1: a deeper platform integration for our creators and entrepreneurs, maybe 662 00:31:27,560 --> 00:31:31,719 Speaker 1: revenue sharing models just or you know, something like, what 663 00:31:31,720 --> 00:31:35,320 Speaker 1: do you imagine it looks like if you look out three, five, 664 00:31:35,480 --> 00:31:38,320 Speaker 1: ten years. 665 00:31:38,400 --> 00:31:41,280 Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean I think we imagine what it was 666 00:31:41,280 --> 00:31:42,920 Speaker 4: like for meeting them or whatever. 667 00:31:43,040 --> 00:31:46,640 Speaker 1: Partnership and hopefully what the partnership outcomes are, even if 668 00:31:46,640 --> 00:31:48,400 Speaker 1: it's not you know, BGV a TikTok. 669 00:31:49,360 --> 00:31:56,080 Speaker 4: Yeah, yeah, I think understanding that digital marketing equals economic empowerment, 670 00:31:56,920 --> 00:32:00,280 Speaker 4: and so I think I'm looking forward to the the 671 00:32:00,360 --> 00:32:03,760 Speaker 4: tools that they're developing to continue to drive awareness, booth sells, 672 00:32:04,160 --> 00:32:07,600 Speaker 4: connect people to new markets. I think that you know, 673 00:32:07,720 --> 00:32:11,000 Speaker 4: BGV is equipment people were practical skill skills. We're also 674 00:32:11,040 --> 00:32:13,960 Speaker 4: looking at store also focused on storytellering and things like that. 675 00:32:14,360 --> 00:32:18,040 Speaker 4: But I think that like one of the pieces of 676 00:32:18,040 --> 00:32:21,040 Speaker 4: TikTok that's really interesting to me is the ability the 677 00:32:21,080 --> 00:32:24,320 Speaker 4: live selling part. I think that like some of the 678 00:32:24,320 --> 00:32:27,040 Speaker 4: platforms are trying to do it, but they haven't been 679 00:32:27,040 --> 00:32:29,280 Speaker 4: able to nail it the way TikTok has it, Like 680 00:32:29,400 --> 00:32:32,240 Speaker 4: the way that the live selling connected to the TikTok 681 00:32:32,280 --> 00:32:34,400 Speaker 4: shop connected to you've been able to get like points 682 00:32:34,440 --> 00:32:38,600 Speaker 4: on screen connected to like so I'm looking I'm looking 683 00:32:38,640 --> 00:32:41,560 Speaker 4: to the evolution of that and how like even how 684 00:32:41,560 --> 00:32:46,720 Speaker 4: can we raise money for BGV, but support our brands, right, Like, Okay, 685 00:32:46,760 --> 00:32:48,280 Speaker 4: we have all these founders that have come through rest 686 00:32:48,360 --> 00:32:50,120 Speaker 4: with Bunds is a product. Some of them are telling 687 00:32:50,120 --> 00:32:52,440 Speaker 4: them TikTok shop. So I'm looking forward to ways that 688 00:32:52,600 --> 00:32:55,920 Speaker 4: we can do things like that more partnerships that are 689 00:32:56,280 --> 00:32:58,440 Speaker 4: with TikTok is a player and a partnership, but we're 690 00:32:58,440 --> 00:33:01,400 Speaker 4: working with the creators to really help them get assets, 691 00:33:01,520 --> 00:33:03,960 Speaker 4: help them get up to speed. So we did a 692 00:33:04,000 --> 00:33:07,520 Speaker 4: part of that program that you mentioned earlier that we 693 00:33:07,560 --> 00:33:10,000 Speaker 4: worked on was a part of helping people with TikTok shops. 694 00:33:10,000 --> 00:33:12,520 Speaker 4: So we pulled in hay Seanceques. She's like got over 695 00:33:12,520 --> 00:33:15,240 Speaker 4: a million followers. She was actually one of our founders 696 00:33:15,280 --> 00:33:17,960 Speaker 4: early on. We knew her way before this moment, so 697 00:33:18,000 --> 00:33:20,440 Speaker 4: I think we get to see people early. So I'm 698 00:33:20,480 --> 00:33:23,960 Speaker 4: looking forward to to partnerships like TikTok continuing to help 699 00:33:24,040 --> 00:33:28,040 Speaker 4: us support like the longevity of founders through live selling, 700 00:33:28,280 --> 00:33:31,920 Speaker 4: through continue with storytelling. Ways that storytelling can take place 701 00:33:31,960 --> 00:33:33,400 Speaker 4: that maybe we haven't thought of yet. 702 00:33:35,280 --> 00:33:38,000 Speaker 1: So yeah, yeah, actually that wasn't the last question. I like, 703 00:33:38,120 --> 00:33:41,000 Speaker 1: so this this is the last question. So the because 704 00:33:41,120 --> 00:33:44,400 Speaker 1: you renewed from twenty twenty four, we're in the you know, 705 00:33:44,480 --> 00:33:46,760 Speaker 1: we're in twenty twenty five now deep into twenty twenty five, 706 00:33:46,800 --> 00:33:49,640 Speaker 1: So where does the partnership like, where are we in 707 00:33:49,680 --> 00:33:53,200 Speaker 1: this twenty twenty five cycle of this partnership and what's 708 00:33:53,520 --> 00:33:54,600 Speaker 1: the what's the plan. 709 00:33:57,520 --> 00:34:01,280 Speaker 3: We are evolving? Okay, that's that we are coming back 710 00:34:01,320 --> 00:34:03,000 Speaker 3: to the table and thing and they're like, what makes sense? 711 00:34:03,120 --> 00:34:05,440 Speaker 4: Up next, we have I'm not exactly sure when this 712 00:34:05,480 --> 00:34:08,239 Speaker 4: will air, but we have a live fish competition that 713 00:34:08,280 --> 00:34:10,279 Speaker 4: we're doing. So we do a competition called pull Up 714 00:34:10,320 --> 00:34:12,800 Speaker 4: and Pitch. Pull Up and Pitch is tip is typically 715 00:34:13,719 --> 00:34:16,160 Speaker 4: a competition where we go into a city and anybody 716 00:34:16,160 --> 00:34:17,960 Speaker 4: in a city can literally pull up and pitch. You 717 00:34:18,000 --> 00:34:20,880 Speaker 4: got sixty seconds. There's three judges. You get a thumbs up, 718 00:34:20,880 --> 00:34:22,719 Speaker 4: thumbs down. You get one thumbs up, you get two 719 00:34:22,760 --> 00:34:24,600 Speaker 4: hundred dollars, you get two thumbs up, you get two 720 00:34:24,640 --> 00:34:26,400 Speaker 4: hundred and fifty dollars, you get three thumbs up, you 721 00:34:26,400 --> 00:34:28,960 Speaker 4: get five hundred dollars. You go to the next round 722 00:34:29,080 --> 00:34:31,160 Speaker 4: to pitch for up to ten thousand dollars have been 723 00:34:31,200 --> 00:34:33,759 Speaker 4: on with the partners at that time. We are going 724 00:34:33,800 --> 00:34:39,600 Speaker 4: to run that on TikTok and so in November November. 725 00:34:39,200 --> 00:34:41,080 Speaker 3: Eighteenth, I believe it is to be e Zach. 726 00:34:41,200 --> 00:34:43,320 Speaker 4: We're going to be running that and this will be 727 00:34:43,360 --> 00:34:45,239 Speaker 4: our first time experimenting with what it means to do 728 00:34:45,280 --> 00:34:48,640 Speaker 4: a live Fisch competition. We'll work with them to help 729 00:34:48,680 --> 00:34:50,759 Speaker 4: like get some application on a platform, so the live 730 00:34:50,840 --> 00:34:54,360 Speaker 4: goes bigger and we're gonna see, like what does it 731 00:34:54,400 --> 00:34:56,680 Speaker 4: look like to live stream and give out capital. I mean, 732 00:34:57,120 --> 00:34:58,880 Speaker 4: if we can make this work, I could see the 733 00:34:58,880 --> 00:35:02,560 Speaker 4: partnership involved into MA dollars evolving into what gap would 734 00:35:02,560 --> 00:35:06,800 Speaker 4: take tax shop shop shop, the you know, like shot 735 00:35:06,840 --> 00:35:09,720 Speaker 4: the competition kind of stuff is what we're looking forward to. 736 00:35:10,640 --> 00:35:14,720 Speaker 1: Afro Tech Conference is back and return to Eightstown, Houston, Texas, 737 00:35:14,719 --> 00:35:17,640 Speaker 1: from October twenty seventh through thirty first, twenty twenty five 738 00:35:17,960 --> 00:35:21,239 Speaker 1: the George R. Brown Convention Center. For years, afro Tech 739 00:35:21,239 --> 00:35:26,640 Speaker 1: has been the go to experience for black tech innovators, founders, engineers, creators, investors. 740 00:35:26,719 --> 00:35:28,440 Speaker 1: For twenty twenty five is shaping up to be the 741 00:35:28,440 --> 00:35:32,240 Speaker 1: biggest year yet though with fortyzery tendees expected. This year's 742 00:35:32,239 --> 00:35:35,480 Speaker 1: conference will feature five days of dynamic programming across six 743 00:35:35,560 --> 00:35:39,400 Speaker 1: curator stages from discovery to executive leadership. Join us to 744 00:35:39,400 --> 00:35:42,359 Speaker 1: hear from industry leaders at the forefront of change, learn 745 00:35:42,400 --> 00:35:45,120 Speaker 1: from top ten engineers and designers, and connect with recruiters 746 00:35:45,120 --> 00:35:48,080 Speaker 1: from nearly two hundred companies. This year, we're digging deeper 747 00:35:48,120 --> 00:35:51,400 Speaker 1: into what's next with tracks exploring AI and machine learning, 748 00:35:51,760 --> 00:35:56,160 Speaker 1: mad tech and health equity, cybersecurity, climate tech, and much more. 749 00:35:56,360 --> 00:35:59,160 Speaker 1: Whether you're mounting your first startup, pivoting into a new role, 750 00:35:59,400 --> 00:36:01,879 Speaker 1: or scaling out, that's an exec It's something here for you. 751 00:36:02,160 --> 00:36:04,359 Speaker 1: Take us and moving fast to keep your spot now 752 00:36:04,440 --> 00:36:07,719 Speaker 1: at afrotech Conference dot Com. Black Tech Green Money is 753 00:36:07,719 --> 00:36:10,480 Speaker 1: a production of Blavity afro Tech on the Black Effect 754 00:36:10,480 --> 00:36:13,280 Speaker 1: podcast Networking Night Hire Media, and it's produced by Morgan 755 00:36:13,320 --> 00:36:16,920 Speaker 1: Debonne and me Well Lucas, with the digital production support 756 00:36:16,920 --> 00:36:20,160 Speaker 1: by Kate McDonald, Sarah Ergan and Jada McGee. Special thank 757 00:36:20,160 --> 00:36:22,600 Speaker 1: you to Michael Davis and Lovebeach. Learn more about my 758 00:36:22,640 --> 00:36:25,880 Speaker 1: Guessing Other technis up is an Innovators at afrotech dot Com. 759 00:36:26,320 --> 00:36:27,960 Speaker 2: Video version of this episode will. 760 00:36:27,840 --> 00:36:30,040 Speaker 1: Drop to Black Tech Green Money on YouTube, So tap 761 00:36:30,080 --> 00:36:33,200 Speaker 1: it in. Enjoy your Black Tech Green Money. Shit us 762 00:36:33,200 --> 00:36:35,400 Speaker 1: to somebody go get your money. 763 00:36:36,000 --> 00:36:36,600 Speaker 2: Peace and love,