1 00:00:00,440 --> 00:00:03,239 Speaker 1: Welcome you all to another episode of Eating While Broke. 2 00:00:03,360 --> 00:00:05,680 Speaker 1: I'm your host, Colleen Wit and today we have special 3 00:00:05,680 --> 00:00:09,440 Speaker 1: guests Dante Lundie in the building, founder and owner of 4 00:00:09,800 --> 00:00:13,760 Speaker 1: Black Girl's Sunscreen. What do you have us eating today? Well? Hello, 5 00:00:13,800 --> 00:00:17,319 Speaker 1: thank you for having thank you for joining us. All Right, 6 00:00:17,360 --> 00:00:21,759 Speaker 1: so I'm gonna prepare for you all, or you my 7 00:00:21,840 --> 00:00:25,520 Speaker 1: favorite dish of all time, favorite dish, favorite dish of 8 00:00:25,560 --> 00:00:29,360 Speaker 1: all time. Um, hot dogs and beans or to some 9 00:00:30,280 --> 00:00:34,720 Speaker 1: beanies and wheenies and to others franks and beans. Franks 10 00:00:34,760 --> 00:00:38,159 Speaker 1: and beans. So it could be called three things, one 11 00:00:38,200 --> 00:00:42,240 Speaker 1: of three things to me different people, and it's your 12 00:00:42,360 --> 00:00:46,559 Speaker 1: favorite dish, like to date, all the foods you've had. Yeah, 13 00:00:46,840 --> 00:00:49,600 Speaker 1: because I'm not a cooker, and this is something that 14 00:00:50,720 --> 00:00:58,120 Speaker 1: I can easily prepare, it's affordable, and so I'm curious, 15 00:00:58,120 --> 00:01:01,279 Speaker 1: when was the last time you ate this? About a 16 00:01:01,280 --> 00:01:03,880 Speaker 1: month and a half ago? Okay, okay, was it like 17 00:01:03,920 --> 00:01:05,440 Speaker 1: the middle of the night or you were like, I'm 18 00:01:05,480 --> 00:01:09,960 Speaker 1: craving it? No, straight up dinner? Yeah, straight up dinner. Um. 19 00:01:10,440 --> 00:01:13,479 Speaker 1: I work a lot long hours, and um, I didn't 20 00:01:13,480 --> 00:01:16,520 Speaker 1: feel like, you know, spending money on delivery, and it 21 00:01:16,600 --> 00:01:19,160 Speaker 1: was something that I had in the fridge, and you 22 00:01:19,200 --> 00:01:22,280 Speaker 1: can't go wrong with beans not perishable in the in 23 00:01:22,319 --> 00:01:26,520 Speaker 1: the cabinet. You know, I used to live in South Florida, so, um, 24 00:01:26,560 --> 00:01:28,920 Speaker 1: we would have to prepare for hurricane season, so like 25 00:01:29,000 --> 00:01:32,160 Speaker 1: beans isn't essential, So I always have beans in the house. 26 00:01:32,360 --> 00:01:34,640 Speaker 1: But you're originally from New York and then you lived 27 00:01:34,640 --> 00:01:36,960 Speaker 1: in Florida and now you live in l A. That's right. 28 00:01:37,360 --> 00:01:39,720 Speaker 1: Quite a journey, right, Yeah. You you're a mover and 29 00:01:39,760 --> 00:01:42,520 Speaker 1: a shaker, a risk taker, a risk that's how I 30 00:01:42,560 --> 00:01:46,399 Speaker 1: see those moves. Yeah, yeah, you're a visionary too. I 31 00:01:46,520 --> 00:01:50,480 Speaker 1: like to consider myself as Yeah, that's amazing. So while 32 00:01:50,520 --> 00:01:53,680 Speaker 1: you prepare this dish, I gotta know how you go 33 00:01:53,880 --> 00:01:58,600 Speaker 1: from how you get to building black girls on the screen. 34 00:01:59,400 --> 00:02:01,800 Speaker 1: This wasn't a first venture, was it? As an entrepreneur? 35 00:02:02,160 --> 00:02:07,360 Speaker 1: It was? It was it was leaving upstate New York 36 00:02:07,520 --> 00:02:11,920 Speaker 1: right after college to South Florida, pursuing my graduate degree 37 00:02:11,960 --> 00:02:15,560 Speaker 1: in business, and um, being in the corporate space for 38 00:02:15,720 --> 00:02:19,080 Speaker 1: twelve or thirteen years, transitioning out and then saying, you 39 00:02:19,080 --> 00:02:21,680 Speaker 1: know what, I must continue on my life journey and 40 00:02:21,880 --> 00:02:24,520 Speaker 1: that meant coming to Los Angeles because that's always been 41 00:02:24,520 --> 00:02:28,520 Speaker 1: part of the plan. Um. While I got here, it 42 00:02:28,600 --> 00:02:32,160 Speaker 1: was it was interesting because you can drive down the 43 00:02:32,200 --> 00:02:35,960 Speaker 1: street whatever to three o'clock and see people having coffee, tea, 44 00:02:36,040 --> 00:02:38,079 Speaker 1: eating and just kind of like, what do they do? 45 00:02:39,320 --> 00:02:41,920 Speaker 1: Why are they not at work? How do they do 46 00:02:42,120 --> 00:02:46,359 Speaker 1: what they do and live in these houses? Right? There's 47 00:02:46,360 --> 00:02:49,680 Speaker 1: many different reasons, many different things. So it's kind of like, 48 00:02:49,760 --> 00:02:53,959 Speaker 1: all right, So while I transitioned out of the corporate space, 49 00:02:54,120 --> 00:02:56,480 Speaker 1: I had time on my hands because I moved here 50 00:02:56,480 --> 00:02:59,520 Speaker 1: with no job, no place to live. I just literally 51 00:02:59,520 --> 00:03:02,959 Speaker 1: got into my Twodor infinity with my my English bulldog, 52 00:03:03,040 --> 00:03:05,240 Speaker 1: and I drove to Los Angeles and I said, I'm 53 00:03:05,280 --> 00:03:07,600 Speaker 1: gonna find whatever I'm gonna do when I get there. 54 00:03:08,200 --> 00:03:09,720 Speaker 1: And I got here to stay with a friend for 55 00:03:09,960 --> 00:03:13,000 Speaker 1: legit two weeks, because that's the timeline I gave myself, 56 00:03:13,560 --> 00:03:16,920 Speaker 1: found an apartment and started hiking and doing lots of yoga, 57 00:03:17,240 --> 00:03:20,480 Speaker 1: and um, really appreciating the time that I had to 58 00:03:20,560 --> 00:03:25,560 Speaker 1: myself because I'm coming from like a really structured you know, 59 00:03:25,720 --> 00:03:28,880 Speaker 1: just time, right, Like most people are starting school at 60 00:03:28,919 --> 00:03:31,320 Speaker 1: the age of five, then you go to twelfth grade. 61 00:03:31,560 --> 00:03:33,160 Speaker 1: Some people go to college and some people don't. I 62 00:03:33,200 --> 00:03:35,560 Speaker 1: choose to go to college, right, another four years. Then 63 00:03:35,560 --> 00:03:38,400 Speaker 1: I did my graduate program two years. Right, so we're 64 00:03:38,400 --> 00:03:42,080 Speaker 1: on like whatever, eighteen years of school right. Then I 65 00:03:42,120 --> 00:03:44,800 Speaker 1: worked in corporate for twelve years, so waking up at 66 00:03:44,800 --> 00:03:47,520 Speaker 1: six o'clock in the morning and going till four or five. 67 00:03:47,640 --> 00:03:52,040 Speaker 1: I was also in extracurriculum activities such as whatever cheerlating track. 68 00:03:52,440 --> 00:03:56,440 Speaker 1: I played the violin. My first job was, um, I was. 69 00:03:57,280 --> 00:03:59,280 Speaker 1: I did a paper out. I was at fifteen years 70 00:03:59,280 --> 00:04:01,320 Speaker 1: old and I had to get a paper out because 71 00:04:01,560 --> 00:04:04,200 Speaker 1: I wanted my own things. So in the eighties and 72 00:04:04,240 --> 00:04:07,640 Speaker 1: the nineties, I'm aging myself here. Um. One of the 73 00:04:07,640 --> 00:04:10,840 Speaker 1: cool things was to have your own phone right in 74 00:04:10,920 --> 00:04:14,160 Speaker 1: your bedroom, in your bedroom that is not a cell phone, 75 00:04:14,520 --> 00:04:16,400 Speaker 1: like a phone that was like connected to the wall 76 00:04:17,040 --> 00:04:19,039 Speaker 1: right with the caller I d But in order for 77 00:04:19,080 --> 00:04:21,560 Speaker 1: me to get that that phone, I had to work 78 00:04:21,600 --> 00:04:24,320 Speaker 1: for it. Right. It wasn't attached to my my family's 79 00:04:24,360 --> 00:04:26,360 Speaker 1: phone line, like I had my own phone number as 80 00:04:26,360 --> 00:04:29,720 Speaker 1: a teenage girl. Oh that's a big deal, A huge deal. 81 00:04:29,920 --> 00:04:32,240 Speaker 1: So what are they like answering? You know, back in 82 00:04:32,279 --> 00:04:34,239 Speaker 1: the day, they would just you know, everyone would answer 83 00:04:34,240 --> 00:04:35,919 Speaker 1: phone hello, Hello, Hello, and you'll be like mom, my 84 00:04:35,960 --> 00:04:38,080 Speaker 1: got it like one of those and you're like, I'm 85 00:04:38,160 --> 00:04:39,640 Speaker 1: done with this. I'm dealing with it. And then your 86 00:04:39,680 --> 00:04:42,000 Speaker 1: parents were like, get you know, if you want a phone, 87 00:04:42,000 --> 00:04:45,600 Speaker 1: you better you gotta get a job, whether it's babysitting. Yeah, 88 00:04:45,640 --> 00:04:49,159 Speaker 1: but I was always um wanted to be like independent, 89 00:04:49,200 --> 00:04:52,479 Speaker 1: if you will. So first job, age of fifteen, And 90 00:04:52,480 --> 00:04:54,240 Speaker 1: I'm gonna circle back to how we got to Black 91 00:04:54,240 --> 00:04:57,120 Speaker 1: Girl's Sunsteen because all of these things that I'm sharing 92 00:04:57,120 --> 00:05:01,880 Speaker 1: with you is part of the journey, right, So, first 93 00:05:01,880 --> 00:05:03,400 Speaker 1: of all, having a job at the age of fifteen 94 00:05:03,520 --> 00:05:07,440 Speaker 1: is huge sacrifice, especially as as a teenager. And if 95 00:05:07,480 --> 00:05:09,599 Speaker 1: your job started at three o'clock in the morning, that 96 00:05:09,640 --> 00:05:12,720 Speaker 1: means you can't have sleepovers like that's important for teenagers, 97 00:05:12,800 --> 00:05:15,280 Speaker 1: especially teenage girls. But it also sounds like you're very 98 00:05:15,279 --> 00:05:19,000 Speaker 1: popular because you you needed this phone, so you're popular 99 00:05:19,080 --> 00:05:20,719 Speaker 1: giving up your right. I don't know how do you 100 00:05:20,760 --> 00:05:23,560 Speaker 1: define popular? Well, did you have a bunch of friends? No, 101 00:05:23,920 --> 00:05:26,400 Speaker 1: I like a few friends, but I was on cheer leading. 102 00:05:26,440 --> 00:05:30,320 Speaker 1: I don't know. Popular weird, that's weird. That term popular 103 00:05:30,440 --> 00:05:33,640 Speaker 1: was weird. But you did sacrifice, Yes, I did sacrifice. 104 00:05:33,680 --> 00:05:36,400 Speaker 1: I did sacrifice, like not being able to go to 105 00:05:36,400 --> 00:05:39,680 Speaker 1: those parties, not being able to sleep over and um 106 00:05:39,720 --> 00:05:43,039 Speaker 1: having to roll up papers in the rain and deliver them. 107 00:05:43,200 --> 00:05:46,040 Speaker 1: And then also like how do you get subscriptions to 108 00:05:46,600 --> 00:05:48,719 Speaker 1: how do you get new customers? So that's where the 109 00:05:48,760 --> 00:05:52,400 Speaker 1: salesmanship came in and that's how I learned. So anyway, 110 00:05:52,920 --> 00:05:57,880 Speaker 1: fast forward to being in Los Angeles. UM, I said, 111 00:05:57,920 --> 00:06:00,080 Speaker 1: you know what, I'm gonna take this time because I 112 00:06:00,080 --> 00:06:02,359 Speaker 1: didn't have a job, I didn't have anything I wanted 113 00:06:02,440 --> 00:06:05,080 Speaker 1: to do. But at this point, you quit Corporate America. 114 00:06:05,680 --> 00:06:09,479 Speaker 1: I'm just curious, what is your thought process when you're 115 00:06:09,560 --> 00:06:12,119 Speaker 1: deciding to quit, because it sounds like you're a clean slate. 116 00:06:12,120 --> 00:06:14,640 Speaker 1: You moved to l a clean slate, So what is 117 00:06:14,640 --> 00:06:17,640 Speaker 1: the triggering moment where you're like, I want to break. 118 00:06:18,839 --> 00:06:21,839 Speaker 1: I felt like I've done everything I needed to do 119 00:06:21,880 --> 00:06:26,320 Speaker 1: in Miami. I wanted to change the pace, different scenery. 120 00:06:26,839 --> 00:06:29,160 Speaker 1: It was time to go. I finished what I was doing, 121 00:06:29,600 --> 00:06:31,680 Speaker 1: And maybe I shouldn't even have stayed that long, right 122 00:06:31,680 --> 00:06:34,760 Speaker 1: because I went to Miami to do my masters and 123 00:06:34,800 --> 00:06:37,279 Speaker 1: I found a job, So it was just like okay, 124 00:06:37,320 --> 00:06:40,080 Speaker 1: like continue on the path. Like I still don't think 125 00:06:40,120 --> 00:06:44,640 Speaker 1: that Los Angeles is a final stop for me. Oh okay, okay, 126 00:06:44,720 --> 00:06:47,520 Speaker 1: the story is gonna get I'm just open and I'm 127 00:06:47,560 --> 00:06:50,279 Speaker 1: just open to to always expanding and building and trying 128 00:06:50,320 --> 00:06:52,920 Speaker 1: new things. But now, when you're moving to l A, 129 00:06:53,120 --> 00:06:57,400 Speaker 1: you're leaving stability at this point, so too, well, I'm 130 00:06:57,480 --> 00:07:00,400 Speaker 1: curious you're leaving stability, right, I don't if I'll be 131 00:07:00,440 --> 00:07:02,880 Speaker 1: leaving it. It was just like a piece, like a 132 00:07:03,000 --> 00:07:06,680 Speaker 1: like a like a stopping point. Um, so I can 133 00:07:06,720 --> 00:07:11,119 Speaker 1: always come back. Yeah. I go to New York very often. 134 00:07:11,120 --> 00:07:14,720 Speaker 1: I go to South Florida, Miami very often. M Yeah, 135 00:07:15,360 --> 00:07:17,280 Speaker 1: so I don't think I'm leaving anything behind. It was 136 00:07:17,320 --> 00:07:19,480 Speaker 1: just kind of like a touch point. Yeah. Yeah, I 137 00:07:19,560 --> 00:07:23,360 Speaker 1: made my mark, penetrated the market, you know, cultivated great relationships, 138 00:07:23,920 --> 00:07:27,400 Speaker 1: and built black Girl's suncreen here. So now what if 139 00:07:27,440 --> 00:07:30,880 Speaker 1: we have a team in Texas or a team anywhere 140 00:07:30,960 --> 00:07:34,600 Speaker 1: in the country. That's how I see that. Well, let's 141 00:07:34,640 --> 00:07:38,120 Speaker 1: start trying to whip up some of this dish. And 142 00:07:38,200 --> 00:07:42,080 Speaker 1: I'm imagining this dish only takes like five minutes. You're 143 00:07:42,120 --> 00:07:45,560 Speaker 1: just heating it or what how do you do this? All? Right, 144 00:07:46,160 --> 00:07:49,720 Speaker 1: so we have our boiling water. It's not boiling, So 145 00:07:49,800 --> 00:07:52,480 Speaker 1: let's turn this on. So I'm a non cooker, and 146 00:07:52,520 --> 00:07:54,360 Speaker 1: that's why this is one of my favorite dishes a 147 00:07:54,560 --> 00:07:59,080 Speaker 1: because I don't cook right, and it's just something really easy. Yes, 148 00:07:59,480 --> 00:08:01,520 Speaker 1: all right, so and watch how because it gets hot? 149 00:08:01,600 --> 00:08:04,280 Speaker 1: Yeah yeah. So we got um two pots, one of 150 00:08:04,400 --> 00:08:07,600 Speaker 1: them that will be boiling water and then the other 151 00:08:07,600 --> 00:08:10,920 Speaker 1: one where we're gonna put the beans. So um, early 152 00:08:10,960 --> 00:08:14,440 Speaker 1: eighties nineties dated we did not have like to flip, right, 153 00:08:14,520 --> 00:08:15,880 Speaker 1: So that's good that it's just kind of like a 154 00:08:15,920 --> 00:08:19,240 Speaker 1: regular like can just pop that open. There a lot 155 00:08:19,240 --> 00:08:22,680 Speaker 1: of juice, but will make you someone's gonna pour the 156 00:08:22,760 --> 00:08:29,160 Speaker 1: beans you Okay, I think this dish was less than 157 00:08:29,560 --> 00:08:32,280 Speaker 1: ten dollars. It was definitely less and I don't want 158 00:08:32,280 --> 00:08:36,360 Speaker 1: to say it was less than four dollars, uh, depending 159 00:08:36,400 --> 00:08:39,640 Speaker 1: on exactly I was gonna say, depending on my hot dogs, 160 00:08:39,679 --> 00:08:41,360 Speaker 1: Like I could have really came up. If I wanted 161 00:08:41,360 --> 00:08:43,640 Speaker 1: a dollar store, this would have been a two dollar mail. 162 00:08:43,960 --> 00:08:46,920 Speaker 1: So while those heat up, um, and I'll i'll help 163 00:08:47,080 --> 00:08:49,640 Speaker 1: keep a close eye. And the water has to boil 164 00:08:49,720 --> 00:08:53,440 Speaker 1: before you put the hot dogs in. Some people put 165 00:08:53,440 --> 00:08:56,040 Speaker 1: that dog in the water while boils. I would literally 166 00:08:56,040 --> 00:08:59,040 Speaker 1: watched my husband boil spaghetti and he put the spaghetti 167 00:08:59,080 --> 00:09:03,360 Speaker 1: in the water before the water boiled. And I've never 168 00:09:03,360 --> 00:09:06,600 Speaker 1: seen that done. Needless to say, it came out as spaghetti. 169 00:09:06,640 --> 00:09:09,000 Speaker 1: But I would never authorize that. So now I ask. 170 00:09:10,160 --> 00:09:12,800 Speaker 1: So I've been eating this meal since. UM. I can 171 00:09:12,840 --> 00:09:16,520 Speaker 1: remember as a little girl being from upstate New York. Newburgh. 172 00:09:17,240 --> 00:09:20,560 Speaker 1: UM is a place where you must leave if you 173 00:09:20,640 --> 00:09:23,720 Speaker 1: have any aspiration of being anything. You know. I grew 174 00:09:23,800 --> 00:09:27,200 Speaker 1: up in the early eighties, um, and that was like 175 00:09:27,320 --> 00:09:32,240 Speaker 1: the crack academic um. And um. There wasn't much happening 176 00:09:32,600 --> 00:09:35,319 Speaker 1: in Newburgh, so if you had like a decent job, 177 00:09:35,320 --> 00:09:38,120 Speaker 1: you would have to travel down to Manhattan, UM, take 178 00:09:38,160 --> 00:09:41,559 Speaker 1: the train and you know, find work. Um. So this 179 00:09:41,640 --> 00:09:44,440 Speaker 1: meal was very affordable for my family. I am the 180 00:09:44,480 --> 00:09:48,680 Speaker 1: oldest of six. Yep. That's also why you want another 181 00:09:48,679 --> 00:09:52,040 Speaker 1: phone line. Four. There were four of us in one 182 00:09:52,080 --> 00:09:55,599 Speaker 1: household and then the other two in another household. So 183 00:09:55,720 --> 00:09:58,400 Speaker 1: my parents, Um, we're both in the military. So I 184 00:09:58,440 --> 00:10:01,640 Speaker 1: was born in Fort Knox, Kentucky. My parents were only 185 00:10:01,640 --> 00:10:03,240 Speaker 1: married for one year and got divorce, but at we 186 00:10:03,280 --> 00:10:06,360 Speaker 1: stay they were married, and UM, I grew up on 187 00:10:06,400 --> 00:10:09,920 Speaker 1: my mom's side. But there are six of us, so anyway, 188 00:10:10,000 --> 00:10:12,280 Speaker 1: my mother had to feed you know, four of us 189 00:10:12,400 --> 00:10:16,600 Speaker 1: with not much means honestly, um, not that she was 190 00:10:16,640 --> 00:10:18,320 Speaker 1: a young mom. It was just kind of like she 191 00:10:18,360 --> 00:10:21,439 Speaker 1: had to do what she do what she could. Um, 192 00:10:21,480 --> 00:10:23,920 Speaker 1: and this was just our go to meal. Um. Hamburger 193 00:10:23,960 --> 00:10:27,960 Speaker 1: helper was another go to meal. UM. We also love 194 00:10:28,040 --> 00:10:31,680 Speaker 1: like grits and eggs, um and bacon for for breakfast. 195 00:10:31,679 --> 00:10:34,800 Speaker 1: I can't say that word. It's really bizarre, but I can't. 196 00:10:35,200 --> 00:10:37,520 Speaker 1: So um. You know, the thing is like I took 197 00:10:37,559 --> 00:10:39,960 Speaker 1: this meal all the way through college because it was 198 00:10:40,000 --> 00:10:43,319 Speaker 1: just something that reminded me of like being home and 199 00:10:43,360 --> 00:10:46,640 Speaker 1: like feeling safe and just affordable and good. Yeah, and 200 00:10:46,640 --> 00:10:49,560 Speaker 1: it didn't. It never gave you the instinct so like 201 00:10:50,000 --> 00:10:51,480 Speaker 1: you know, I know, on eating well broke, we call 202 00:10:51,520 --> 00:10:54,760 Speaker 1: these dishes like broke dishes, but you didn't ever feel like, oh, 203 00:10:54,800 --> 00:10:56,720 Speaker 1: I'm eating this broke dish. She felt like this was 204 00:10:56,760 --> 00:10:59,800 Speaker 1: like a homely this was your comfort meal per se. Yeah, 205 00:10:59,840 --> 00:11:04,080 Speaker 1: you know, broke is a perspective because um, although um, 206 00:11:04,120 --> 00:11:06,480 Speaker 1: we didn't have much when we were coming up, it 207 00:11:06,520 --> 00:11:10,400 Speaker 1: didn't feel like we didn't not have much compared to 208 00:11:10,600 --> 00:11:13,480 Speaker 1: you know, are my peers like people in my class, like, 209 00:11:13,960 --> 00:11:16,080 Speaker 1: you know, they might have new sneakers, you know whatever, 210 00:11:16,400 --> 00:11:18,719 Speaker 1: three or four times a year. My new sneakers might 211 00:11:18,760 --> 00:11:20,800 Speaker 1: just come like in the beginning of the year for 212 00:11:20,800 --> 00:11:24,960 Speaker 1: for school. So um. But my grandparents they taught us 213 00:11:24,960 --> 00:11:27,679 Speaker 1: to have pride, you know, to keep our things nice 214 00:11:27,679 --> 00:11:30,360 Speaker 1: and clean. Um. So it didn't feel like we were 215 00:11:30,559 --> 00:11:33,600 Speaker 1: you know, broke if you will. It just felt like 216 00:11:33,600 --> 00:11:36,320 Speaker 1: like this is what we have for the time being. 217 00:11:36,440 --> 00:11:40,480 Speaker 1: And broke is a mindset. Um. So if you're feeling like, hey, 218 00:11:40,520 --> 00:11:43,560 Speaker 1: I'm down and out, I don't I don't have any money, Um, 219 00:11:43,600 --> 00:11:46,280 Speaker 1: in my situation isn't going to change. I think that 220 00:11:46,280 --> 00:11:49,360 Speaker 1: that is that is the definition of broke. It's not 221 00:11:49,440 --> 00:11:53,360 Speaker 1: just monetary thing. So even today, like I choose to 222 00:11:53,360 --> 00:11:56,120 Speaker 1: eat this meal, but it is a choice. Yeah, it's 223 00:11:56,120 --> 00:11:58,280 Speaker 1: a choice. As it's definitely a choice because you have 224 00:11:58,360 --> 00:12:02,040 Speaker 1: black Girl sunscreen. And again this is all relative, right 225 00:12:02,080 --> 00:12:05,720 Speaker 1: because is I mean, are we the Muska of the world? 226 00:12:05,760 --> 00:12:09,560 Speaker 1: Are we the um what's this dude from Meta um 227 00:12:09,640 --> 00:12:13,160 Speaker 1: Zuckerberg's of the world, right, Like this is all relative 228 00:12:13,400 --> 00:12:18,599 Speaker 1: because that money and our money is we were broke. Yeah. 229 00:12:19,520 --> 00:12:21,240 Speaker 1: I was just on the phone call with someone today 230 00:12:21,280 --> 00:12:23,959 Speaker 1: and I no one judged me on this show, but 231 00:12:24,840 --> 00:12:27,040 Speaker 1: I've been going through my own personal But I said 232 00:12:27,040 --> 00:12:29,640 Speaker 1: something like, well, you know, a minimum in l A market, 233 00:12:29,679 --> 00:12:31,320 Speaker 1: I have to make like at least a hundred fifty 234 00:12:31,320 --> 00:12:32,520 Speaker 1: And the guys stopped me and he was like, a 235 00:12:32,640 --> 00:12:34,559 Speaker 1: hundred fifty thousand, and he started laughing. He was like, 236 00:12:34,600 --> 00:12:37,800 Speaker 1: you mean a hundred fifty million, and I said huh, 237 00:12:37,880 --> 00:12:40,440 Speaker 1: And then I said no, facts like you're right, Like, 238 00:12:40,520 --> 00:12:44,840 Speaker 1: why is my my parameter so low? Yo? Not even 239 00:12:44,840 --> 00:12:46,959 Speaker 1: one percent of the population of the United States makes 240 00:12:46,960 --> 00:12:50,600 Speaker 1: a hundred thousand dollars. But that's a real statue, that's 241 00:12:50,600 --> 00:12:54,520 Speaker 1: a real statu Yes, So again, it's all relative. It's 242 00:12:54,640 --> 00:12:57,079 Speaker 1: relative on where you live, you know, how you spend 243 00:12:57,080 --> 00:13:01,640 Speaker 1: your money. All of that six figures for a person 244 00:13:01,800 --> 00:13:04,960 Speaker 1: is is an accomplishment. Yeah, except for in l A. 245 00:13:05,080 --> 00:13:08,760 Speaker 1: It feels like because this is this is this is 246 00:13:08,840 --> 00:13:10,880 Speaker 1: La La ly and then you have to understand that, 247 00:13:11,440 --> 00:13:14,400 Speaker 1: and it's it's hard to remain ground it here because 248 00:13:14,440 --> 00:13:17,640 Speaker 1: when you drive around and you see t G wagons 249 00:13:18,320 --> 00:13:20,800 Speaker 1: and everyone has a test, You're like, oh shit, what 250 00:13:20,840 --> 00:13:22,719 Speaker 1: am I doing wrong? Am I doing something wrong? Or 251 00:13:22,720 --> 00:13:24,080 Speaker 1: what am I not doing right? And how do I 252 00:13:24,120 --> 00:13:27,640 Speaker 1: get that? It's all about your mindset. Though. Speaking of mindset, 253 00:13:27,640 --> 00:13:30,320 Speaker 1: I want to circle back to you at Corporate America. Yep, 254 00:13:30,880 --> 00:13:33,520 Speaker 1: you have a graduate degree. Clear, I'm gonna just assume 255 00:13:33,559 --> 00:13:37,040 Speaker 1: you're making great money, You're moving up the corporate ladder. 256 00:13:37,240 --> 00:13:40,640 Speaker 1: You decide you want to exit. What is the reason 257 00:13:40,679 --> 00:13:45,120 Speaker 1: you wanted to exit? Um? I felt like I learned 258 00:13:45,679 --> 00:13:49,679 Speaker 1: a lot from my corporate positions, and I felt like, um, 259 00:13:49,840 --> 00:13:52,079 Speaker 1: there was nothing more for me to do there. M 260 00:13:52,640 --> 00:13:56,520 Speaker 1: So she's adding sugar to the thing. I sure, I am. 261 00:13:56,559 --> 00:14:00,280 Speaker 1: We're gonna sweet it even more. A lot of then was. 262 00:14:00,440 --> 00:14:02,920 Speaker 1: And I used white sugar because that's what it was 263 00:14:03,000 --> 00:14:05,480 Speaker 1: in the eighties and not brown sugar. It wasn't brown. 264 00:14:05,679 --> 00:14:07,320 Speaker 1: It wasn't brown sugar. So now when you make it 265 00:14:07,360 --> 00:14:09,440 Speaker 1: to use brown sugar, do you still use white? Um? 266 00:14:09,480 --> 00:14:11,880 Speaker 1: I still use white. I use white sugar actually for everything, 267 00:14:11,920 --> 00:14:14,640 Speaker 1: and um, people on me like why are you using 268 00:14:14,720 --> 00:14:17,000 Speaker 1: And I did not have a wooden spoon. Also, I 269 00:14:17,000 --> 00:14:19,880 Speaker 1: would just probably shake it up or use a metal spoon. 270 00:14:20,320 --> 00:14:23,600 Speaker 1: It is what it is, right, Um. So you know, 271 00:14:24,280 --> 00:14:28,160 Speaker 1: transitioning out of corporate was a realization of Hey, like 272 00:14:28,320 --> 00:14:32,720 Speaker 1: I learned some valuable Um, I had some valuable takeaways 273 00:14:32,760 --> 00:14:35,520 Speaker 1: from from that position, and it helped me to where 274 00:14:35,520 --> 00:14:38,320 Speaker 1: I am today in terms of how to run my business, 275 00:14:38,320 --> 00:14:41,800 Speaker 1: how to establish different departments, how to hire, how to 276 00:14:41,840 --> 00:14:45,160 Speaker 1: build corporate culture. So it wasn't that, hey, I have 277 00:14:45,320 --> 00:14:48,200 Speaker 1: this awesome idea for a product, because that's that's just 278 00:14:48,280 --> 00:14:49,760 Speaker 1: one piece of it, but how do you run? How 279 00:14:49,760 --> 00:14:52,160 Speaker 1: do you run the business? So you were able to 280 00:14:52,200 --> 00:14:54,560 Speaker 1: get that experience. So it sounds like while you were there, 281 00:14:54,720 --> 00:14:57,840 Speaker 1: you looked at your job is more of almost like 282 00:14:57,880 --> 00:15:00,800 Speaker 1: another form of education. You are just trying to catch 283 00:15:00,840 --> 00:15:05,040 Speaker 1: a check. You were over there like observing absolutely and 284 00:15:05,200 --> 00:15:07,160 Speaker 1: um the space that I was in you had to 285 00:15:07,200 --> 00:15:09,840 Speaker 1: be a top performer. And what that meant was you 286 00:15:09,840 --> 00:15:12,360 Speaker 1: had to perform at a high level in all aspects. 287 00:15:12,360 --> 00:15:16,160 Speaker 1: So there was different like measurables, whether it's like customer 288 00:15:16,200 --> 00:15:20,480 Speaker 1: service or sales, or retaining employees, recruiting employees, you know, 289 00:15:20,520 --> 00:15:23,280 Speaker 1: gaining accounts. So if you were like in the top 290 00:15:23,320 --> 00:15:25,840 Speaker 1: of kind of like your class and like you would 291 00:15:25,880 --> 00:15:29,000 Speaker 1: always not advance, but you were doing well. But if 292 00:15:29,000 --> 00:15:30,600 Speaker 1: you were in the bottom of your job was in 293 00:15:30,680 --> 00:15:35,800 Speaker 1: jeopardy of getting termed. UM. So it taught me like 294 00:15:35,880 --> 00:15:38,520 Speaker 1: I was always competitive, but this is not a different 295 00:15:38,640 --> 00:15:41,600 Speaker 1: This is not a different level. Right. You're competing against whoever, 296 00:15:41,800 --> 00:15:46,040 Speaker 1: people you don't know, for money, for bragging, race, for promotability, 297 00:15:46,760 --> 00:15:49,560 Speaker 1: and um, I've just learned a lot from that space. 298 00:15:49,600 --> 00:15:52,560 Speaker 1: I have nothing bad to say about my corporate experience, 299 00:15:53,200 --> 00:15:56,120 Speaker 1: um at all. And again, like I wouldn't be here 300 00:15:56,560 --> 00:15:59,720 Speaker 1: if it wasn't for those things. Now, while it was 301 00:15:59,760 --> 00:16:05,240 Speaker 1: a corporate I also wasn't rolled into a pH d program. Um. 302 00:16:05,320 --> 00:16:08,000 Speaker 1: So one of my goals in life is to become 303 00:16:08,040 --> 00:16:13,360 Speaker 1: a doctor, a professor if you will. And I had 304 00:16:13,440 --> 00:16:17,200 Speaker 1: to transition out that as well because it was a 305 00:16:17,240 --> 00:16:21,280 Speaker 1: lot it was corporate PhD and then Black Girls sunscreen. 306 00:16:21,840 --> 00:16:24,520 Speaker 1: So you're working on a Black Girl sunscreen this whole time, Um, 307 00:16:24,600 --> 00:16:27,520 Speaker 1: not the whole time two thousands in fifteen SI. So 308 00:16:27,560 --> 00:16:31,240 Speaker 1: I transitioned out of the one job after like whatever 309 00:16:31,520 --> 00:16:34,320 Speaker 1: ten years, moved to Los Angeles and then I mean, 310 00:16:34,520 --> 00:16:37,240 Speaker 1: your money kind of runs out, of course. So I 311 00:16:37,440 --> 00:16:39,760 Speaker 1: didn't work for four months, best four months of my life. 312 00:16:39,800 --> 00:16:41,360 Speaker 1: And that's how I came up with the concept the 313 00:16:41,360 --> 00:16:44,400 Speaker 1: Black Girls Sunscreen because I had the freedom to let 314 00:16:44,440 --> 00:16:47,280 Speaker 1: my mind just run wild, right, So when people go 315 00:16:47,320 --> 00:16:49,600 Speaker 1: on vacation from their jobs, it's kind of like, oh, 316 00:16:49,680 --> 00:16:53,360 Speaker 1: all right, I have seven days off, great, like disconnect, 317 00:16:53,480 --> 00:16:56,160 Speaker 1: do whatever you want. But guess what on that if day, 318 00:16:56,480 --> 00:17:00,160 Speaker 1: you're back at work. So when you take time them 319 00:17:00,160 --> 00:17:03,040 Speaker 1: all four months, five months, there is no like, oh, shift, 320 00:17:03,040 --> 00:17:05,640 Speaker 1: I gotta go back. You're just doing whatever you do. 321 00:17:06,119 --> 00:17:08,439 Speaker 1: And I've never had that freedom before because I've been 322 00:17:08,480 --> 00:17:12,520 Speaker 1: so structured school, school work, you know what I mean. 323 00:17:12,600 --> 00:17:17,800 Speaker 1: Like up at six bed eleven twelve repeat, coming to 324 00:17:17,840 --> 00:17:19,919 Speaker 1: Los Angeles, who was like, la la la la la 325 00:17:20,320 --> 00:17:23,280 Speaker 1: la la la la la. Yeah, I don't have ship 326 00:17:23,320 --> 00:17:25,120 Speaker 1: to do today. I'm going to do yoga. I'm gonna 327 00:17:25,119 --> 00:17:29,320 Speaker 1: go to Balwa Hills and and take a hike. Um, 328 00:17:29,480 --> 00:17:34,320 Speaker 1: I'm gonna walk my dog. I'm gonna just be aimlessly like, oh, 329 00:17:34,520 --> 00:17:37,359 Speaker 1: buildings are pretty. And that's when I was able to 330 00:17:37,480 --> 00:17:39,480 Speaker 1: like just think of different ideas. I have a lot 331 00:17:39,520 --> 00:17:43,679 Speaker 1: of ideas always, and my friends would ask me like, hey, 332 00:17:43,920 --> 00:17:46,280 Speaker 1: we see here out in the sun pretty often, like 333 00:17:46,320 --> 00:17:49,320 Speaker 1: are you protecting your skin? And my my response was 334 00:17:49,359 --> 00:17:52,480 Speaker 1: like do you see the sun screens that on the market, 335 00:17:52,480 --> 00:17:55,480 Speaker 1: and do you see my complexion? And they're like, yeah, 336 00:17:55,880 --> 00:17:59,640 Speaker 1: but you should probably do something about that because you're 337 00:17:59,640 --> 00:18:02,320 Speaker 1: gonna be And they would say like, oh, let's go 338 00:18:02,320 --> 00:18:04,680 Speaker 1: to this rooftop party or let's go to the beach, 339 00:18:04,680 --> 00:18:08,320 Speaker 1: and I'm like, okay, so we need an umbrella or 340 00:18:08,440 --> 00:18:11,560 Speaker 1: I need it any because I'm not getting darker and 341 00:18:11,600 --> 00:18:13,760 Speaker 1: I don't want to burn. And that's what your friends 342 00:18:13,760 --> 00:18:16,879 Speaker 1: were saying. They would ask me put on sunscreen because 343 00:18:16,880 --> 00:18:19,919 Speaker 1: I have a very day, verst group of friends that 344 00:18:20,040 --> 00:18:23,119 Speaker 1: do wear sunscreen, right, and they're not all my complexion, 345 00:18:23,520 --> 00:18:27,200 Speaker 1: and I would be very hesitant, but Legit paid twenty 346 00:18:27,200 --> 00:18:29,399 Speaker 1: five dollars for an umbrella because I didn't want to 347 00:18:29,400 --> 00:18:33,080 Speaker 1: get darker, and that was my own security, Like I'm 348 00:18:33,119 --> 00:18:36,879 Speaker 1: a dark skinned woman, what does that mean to get darker? 349 00:18:37,160 --> 00:18:39,520 Speaker 1: And why don't I want to get darker? And that 350 00:18:39,520 --> 00:18:42,960 Speaker 1: that wasn't beautiful in society in two thousand and fifteen. No, 351 00:18:43,080 --> 00:18:45,919 Speaker 1: it wasn't, not, not at all. I don't know if 352 00:18:45,920 --> 00:18:49,159 Speaker 1: one hund dogar was enough for you. But you got 353 00:18:49,240 --> 00:18:52,320 Speaker 1: to cut this up in there, okay, And then we're 354 00:18:52,320 --> 00:18:54,680 Speaker 1: gonna add more sugar because I'm a sugar fanatic kind 355 00:18:54,680 --> 00:18:58,360 Speaker 1: of sugar. I'm a sugar person too. So you're you're 356 00:18:58,400 --> 00:19:01,240 Speaker 1: out there, your friends are like, hey, you know you 357 00:19:01,280 --> 00:19:05,160 Speaker 1: should be wearing sunscreen, and then you're doing all these 358 00:19:05,160 --> 00:19:07,680 Speaker 1: things to protect your skin, but you're not wearing sunscreen, 359 00:19:07,800 --> 00:19:11,360 Speaker 1: essentially negative. We didn't. So first, first off, black people 360 00:19:11,400 --> 00:19:15,399 Speaker 1: don't grow up with the words suntreen in their house. Um, 361 00:19:15,440 --> 00:19:19,320 Speaker 1: with the notion of wearing sunscreen. Most don't anyway, And um, 362 00:19:19,359 --> 00:19:24,320 Speaker 1: we have been taught that melanin is built into our skin. Yeah, 363 00:19:24,560 --> 00:19:28,920 Speaker 1: that melanine is our protector. It's our superpower. So why 364 00:19:28,920 --> 00:19:31,680 Speaker 1: are we taking away our superpower? Right? Like that's the 365 00:19:31,760 --> 00:19:35,639 Speaker 1: feedback today that we would get as a corporation, like 366 00:19:35,680 --> 00:19:38,040 Speaker 1: why are you doing this? Not so much anymore, they 367 00:19:38,119 --> 00:19:40,760 Speaker 1: still say it today. Of course, there's always gonna be 368 00:19:41,080 --> 00:19:42,800 Speaker 1: I'm not gonna lie. I was that girl that would 369 00:19:42,800 --> 00:19:44,600 Speaker 1: be like people be like, do you wear sunscreen? But 370 00:19:44,680 --> 00:19:49,040 Speaker 1: like I'm black? What what? But every once in a while, 371 00:19:50,160 --> 00:19:52,159 Speaker 1: like my nose would burn, you know, it would be 372 00:19:52,200 --> 00:19:54,800 Speaker 1: like every other year hit or miss I would get 373 00:19:54,800 --> 00:20:00,280 Speaker 1: a burn, but burn when my skin started appealing off. 374 00:20:01,040 --> 00:20:03,520 Speaker 1: So that means it was too late, right. So so 375 00:20:03,520 --> 00:20:06,720 Speaker 1: if that's another thing you got, you got sunburned, you 376 00:20:06,760 --> 00:20:08,639 Speaker 1: didn't know what was sunburn had on and then you know, 377 00:20:08,800 --> 00:20:10,800 Speaker 1: started to peel or whatever part of your body started 378 00:20:10,800 --> 00:20:13,480 Speaker 1: to peel, and you're like, oh, crap, I have to burn. 379 00:20:14,960 --> 00:20:16,879 Speaker 1: I had no idea it was possible. And that's the 380 00:20:16,960 --> 00:20:22,440 Speaker 1: disconnect between you know, professionals, industry, health care professionals, and 381 00:20:22,600 --> 00:20:26,000 Speaker 1: our population is that it's not caught until it's too late. 382 00:20:26,640 --> 00:20:30,280 Speaker 1: So that's why there hasn't been marketing or communication to 383 00:20:30,680 --> 00:20:34,640 Speaker 1: people of color because it's detected at later stages. Yes, 384 00:20:35,240 --> 00:20:38,040 Speaker 1: and then I did realize for the first time ever 385 00:20:38,080 --> 00:20:41,919 Speaker 1: in my life. Shout outs to Kidding's wife Asia, she 386 00:20:42,040 --> 00:20:44,280 Speaker 1: owns a uh smooth skin lounge, And I want to 387 00:20:44,280 --> 00:20:46,480 Speaker 1: get my first facial, and you know, I asked what 388 00:20:46,560 --> 00:20:49,560 Speaker 1: was your age? It was like a couple of weeks ago. 389 00:20:52,720 --> 00:20:55,359 Speaker 1: Seven seven. There's no judgment, but listen to that, and 390 00:20:55,400 --> 00:20:59,439 Speaker 1: you got your first facial at have you been to 391 00:20:59,480 --> 00:21:03,399 Speaker 1: the dermot oologist before? No? Okay, So this is an 392 00:21:03,400 --> 00:21:06,800 Speaker 1: issue within our community that people of color are not 393 00:21:06,880 --> 00:21:09,920 Speaker 1: going to the dermatologists. They're not having annual check ins 394 00:21:09,960 --> 00:21:12,679 Speaker 1: in terms of like full body skin. Right, We're not 395 00:21:12,720 --> 00:21:15,879 Speaker 1: taking care of our skin the same way of our lighters. 396 00:21:15,960 --> 00:21:18,560 Speaker 1: Can counterparts. And this is why Black Girls sun Screen 397 00:21:18,640 --> 00:21:21,159 Speaker 1: exists because we're here to talk about the y y 398 00:21:21,200 --> 00:21:24,720 Speaker 1: wise instead of the bye bye byes. So like, set 399 00:21:24,760 --> 00:21:30,680 Speaker 1: aside suncare, right, think about your skin, exfoliating, moisturizing, toning. 400 00:21:31,080 --> 00:21:32,680 Speaker 1: There's so many things that you need to take care of. 401 00:21:32,760 --> 00:21:36,000 Speaker 1: You look fantastic. Right, We're not gonna give you thirty seven. 402 00:21:36,000 --> 00:21:38,840 Speaker 1: We're gonna we're gonna we're gonna backwards aids you to 403 00:21:38,960 --> 00:21:42,920 Speaker 1: twenty seven. Right, because you do have melonated skin. Typically 404 00:21:42,960 --> 00:21:45,880 Speaker 1: our skin doesn't wrinkle, it will start to drop before anything. 405 00:21:46,359 --> 00:21:50,880 Speaker 1: But let's say you catch that pre and you're like, hey, 406 00:21:50,880 --> 00:21:53,400 Speaker 1: I got my skin care regiment, and then you're adding SPF, 407 00:21:53,640 --> 00:21:56,960 Speaker 1: you're gonna be fifty looking like your third five. Yeah. Well, 408 00:21:57,000 --> 00:21:59,480 Speaker 1: one of the things I realized at the when I 409 00:21:59,520 --> 00:22:02,600 Speaker 1: got the face so was the number one recommendation was 410 00:22:02,920 --> 00:22:05,600 Speaker 1: where sunscreen every day? And I was like every day, 411 00:22:05,760 --> 00:22:09,040 Speaker 1: they were like every day where sunscreen? And I was sure, 412 00:22:10,200 --> 00:22:11,919 Speaker 1: I'll do a little bit more sugar a little bit 413 00:22:12,000 --> 00:22:14,840 Speaker 1: so I can be like I can experience you. All right, Well, 414 00:22:14,880 --> 00:22:20,240 Speaker 1: here's my dish, here's what it looks like. Sugar topped delicious, 415 00:22:22,280 --> 00:22:25,520 Speaker 1: got it got it. Now, let's try it. It's gonna 416 00:22:25,520 --> 00:22:29,639 Speaker 1: taste like hot dog and beans, beanies and whenies. You 417 00:22:29,680 --> 00:22:31,960 Speaker 1: know what. I like it. I didn't even mix the sugar, 418 00:22:32,040 --> 00:22:35,360 Speaker 1: and I like the little pasty sugar frosting. I mean, 419 00:22:35,400 --> 00:22:37,320 Speaker 1: I don't know if you just would have fourk course boom, 420 00:22:37,320 --> 00:22:39,160 Speaker 1: but I'm gonna do it a four. Yeah, I'm doing 421 00:22:39,200 --> 00:22:42,760 Speaker 1: my work. It's delicious. M I love this dish. This 422 00:22:42,800 --> 00:22:46,000 Speaker 1: dish can't grow old. So that is a turkey hot 423 00:22:46,000 --> 00:22:48,800 Speaker 1: dog and I've never had a turkey hot dog ever. Um. 424 00:22:49,000 --> 00:22:54,600 Speaker 1: And also, turkey was not available in the eighties, so 425 00:22:54,600 --> 00:22:57,040 Speaker 1: it wasn't like turkey bacon, turkey hot dogs. It was 426 00:22:57,080 --> 00:23:00,199 Speaker 1: not turkey burgers. It was none of those things. Like so, 427 00:23:00,320 --> 00:23:12,080 Speaker 1: food has evolved, just like everything else. At thirty eight, 428 00:23:12,080 --> 00:23:15,199 Speaker 1: I'm just now realizing how important sunscreen is, which as 429 00:23:15,200 --> 00:23:20,000 Speaker 1: a testament, and I still occasionally make the joke that, hey, 430 00:23:20,040 --> 00:23:23,480 Speaker 1: I'm black, what do I need sunscreen for? So you 431 00:23:23,680 --> 00:23:27,520 Speaker 1: are facing this celemma, and I'm trying to corner you 432 00:23:27,560 --> 00:23:31,040 Speaker 1: into figuring out you face the cellamma, you realize that 433 00:23:31,280 --> 00:23:34,200 Speaker 1: when do you realize that there's a space that needs 434 00:23:34,240 --> 00:23:38,760 Speaker 1: filling or a problem that needs addressing. When does this 435 00:23:38,840 --> 00:23:44,640 Speaker 1: epiphany head? After hiking every single day and being beat 436 00:23:44,640 --> 00:23:48,040 Speaker 1: in the head of hey where sunscreen were? Sunscreen? Just 437 00:23:48,160 --> 00:23:51,760 Speaker 1: jumped on onto onto Google and putting keywords such as, 438 00:23:52,200 --> 00:23:54,879 Speaker 1: you know, sunscreen for Melania skin and sunscreen for black girl, 439 00:23:54,920 --> 00:23:58,320 Speaker 1: sunscreen for brown girls, sunscreen for dark complexions, and came 440 00:23:58,400 --> 00:24:01,480 Speaker 1: up just underwhelmed. Um. So there was nothing on the 441 00:24:01,520 --> 00:24:04,400 Speaker 1: market that spoke to me. Of course there are products 442 00:24:04,400 --> 00:24:09,080 Speaker 1: that say, hey, sunscreen for all, but like, it wouldn't 443 00:24:09,119 --> 00:24:12,479 Speaker 1: have worked. So then I had to decide if there 444 00:24:12,560 --> 00:24:16,080 Speaker 1: was something I can do about this white space there, 445 00:24:16,119 --> 00:24:18,639 Speaker 1: if there's something I can do about the information that 446 00:24:18,720 --> 00:24:21,240 Speaker 1: I just found that there's lack of information and a 447 00:24:21,320 --> 00:24:23,920 Speaker 1: lack of product. So I had to determine if I 448 00:24:23,960 --> 00:24:31,520 Speaker 1: had the resources, if I had the confidence. Now confidence 449 00:24:31,560 --> 00:24:36,480 Speaker 1: is a big one. You have an idea, you might 450 00:24:36,520 --> 00:24:39,560 Speaker 1: even have the resources, but like, are you bold enough 451 00:24:39,600 --> 00:24:44,280 Speaker 1: to do this and to name it black girl sunscreen? Um? So, 452 00:24:44,400 --> 00:24:48,280 Speaker 1: once I was able to decide and muster up the courage, 453 00:24:48,960 --> 00:24:50,920 Speaker 1: and I talked to a few people like like, hey, 454 00:24:51,040 --> 00:24:52,760 Speaker 1: what do you think about this? What do you think 455 00:24:52,800 --> 00:24:56,520 Speaker 1: about that? And everyone that just had good spirits and 456 00:24:56,520 --> 00:24:59,080 Speaker 1: good energy. Was like, yes, we had a few naysators, 457 00:24:59,160 --> 00:25:01,800 Speaker 1: even within my s goal. Um, I was like Okay, 458 00:25:01,840 --> 00:25:05,359 Speaker 1: I'm gonna do this and it was like lightning in 459 00:25:05,400 --> 00:25:09,320 Speaker 1: the bottle. So you decide. And then at this point, 460 00:25:09,320 --> 00:25:13,200 Speaker 1: had you gone to a dermatologist, had you get god facials? 461 00:25:13,200 --> 00:25:15,560 Speaker 1: I just want to know, like, okay, okay, So you 462 00:25:15,560 --> 00:25:19,320 Speaker 1: were doing this consistently and being asked all the time 463 00:25:19,560 --> 00:25:22,720 Speaker 1: whether you wear sunscreen. No, I wasn't asked to wear sunscreen. 464 00:25:23,000 --> 00:25:27,359 Speaker 1: Um in my first dermatologist appointment. So I am older 465 00:25:27,400 --> 00:25:32,600 Speaker 1: than you, right, Um, but you would never know, yeah, 466 00:25:32,680 --> 00:25:38,040 Speaker 1: you would not. You look amazing, Thank you. So my 467 00:25:38,119 --> 00:25:41,800 Speaker 1: first dermatologist visit was at the age of twenty five, 468 00:25:42,920 --> 00:25:45,680 Speaker 1: and um, it was just more of like, hey, here's 469 00:25:45,680 --> 00:25:48,240 Speaker 1: how to take care of your skin. SPF was never 470 00:25:48,280 --> 00:25:52,960 Speaker 1: recommended to me. Wow, it's the lack of education. And 471 00:25:53,000 --> 00:25:56,280 Speaker 1: I think studying of a brown skin skin dark skin. 472 00:25:57,760 --> 00:26:01,120 Speaker 1: That's interesting because especially coming from where I just had 473 00:26:01,480 --> 00:26:06,359 Speaker 1: a facial and they're like sps. But but this was yeah, 474 00:26:06,400 --> 00:26:09,439 Speaker 1: this was fifteen years ago. So I just used myself. Right, 475 00:26:09,840 --> 00:26:13,879 Speaker 1: that's amazing. So the conversation has transitioned right now, people 476 00:26:13,920 --> 00:26:18,200 Speaker 1: have started to incorporate it, uh, incorporate SPF into their language. 477 00:26:19,320 --> 00:26:24,120 Speaker 1: And it's also being received from the community. It's not like, no, 478 00:26:24,240 --> 00:26:27,920 Speaker 1: I'm not using this, women are asking about it now. 479 00:26:28,400 --> 00:26:31,760 Speaker 1: I'm I didn't do a lot of research into this, 480 00:26:31,800 --> 00:26:33,639 Speaker 1: but I would imagine you're the first to market when 481 00:26:33,680 --> 00:26:37,040 Speaker 1: it comes to black girls on screen targeted right. So 482 00:26:37,359 --> 00:26:40,480 Speaker 1: you're the first to market, which can be very scary 483 00:26:40,800 --> 00:26:45,920 Speaker 1: because you know, the question is is their market for this? Right? 484 00:26:46,000 --> 00:26:49,240 Speaker 1: That's the immediate question you met with. So how did 485 00:26:49,280 --> 00:26:52,920 Speaker 1: you discover whether the market was there? I mean quick 486 00:26:52,960 --> 00:26:58,479 Speaker 1: math um, So deciding who your total addressable market it's 487 00:26:58,520 --> 00:27:02,399 Speaker 1: called tam um. And you can do by you know, 488 00:27:02,440 --> 00:27:06,080 Speaker 1: figuring out the population of the United States, which is 489 00:27:06,240 --> 00:27:11,639 Speaker 1: fo million people, A lot of people, right, Um of 490 00:27:11,720 --> 00:27:13,720 Speaker 1: us are black. Fourteen percent of us are black, Right, 491 00:27:14,240 --> 00:27:17,439 Speaker 1: So that brings us down to about four million people. Okay, 492 00:27:17,520 --> 00:27:20,560 Speaker 1: black people. Then you say, all right, half of those 493 00:27:20,600 --> 00:27:25,400 Speaker 1: people are women. So now we're at twenty million potential customers. 494 00:27:25,760 --> 00:27:28,679 Speaker 1: How many of those customers do we need to be successful? 495 00:27:29,600 --> 00:27:32,680 Speaker 1: That's how I determined if this made sense or not 496 00:27:32,800 --> 00:27:37,359 Speaker 1: to go to marketing. But now you're also faced with 497 00:27:37,480 --> 00:27:40,800 Speaker 1: one other question, because yes, you have the market, but 498 00:27:40,920 --> 00:27:43,240 Speaker 1: the market has been sold a bad bill of goods, 499 00:27:43,359 --> 00:27:47,760 Speaker 1: right because through culturally we're taught oh we're melani. So 500 00:27:47,800 --> 00:27:52,000 Speaker 1: now you have this obstacle, right you have to overcome. 501 00:27:52,400 --> 00:27:54,680 Speaker 1: So what is your thought You're like, well, we're gonna 502 00:27:55,520 --> 00:27:59,040 Speaker 1: obviously the name was brilliant, but what was your thought 503 00:27:59,080 --> 00:28:03,880 Speaker 1: were not or not that was? Yeah? What was your 504 00:28:03,920 --> 00:28:07,280 Speaker 1: thought process though? Going Okay, we have this huge demo, 505 00:28:07,320 --> 00:28:10,200 Speaker 1: but this demo has been lied to four years, even 506 00:28:10,280 --> 00:28:12,600 Speaker 1: me myself. You know, you said you went to the 507 00:28:12,640 --> 00:28:17,160 Speaker 1: German college. They basically they didn't have the education to support. 508 00:28:17,640 --> 00:28:21,520 Speaker 1: So what was your like thought process going in like okay, 509 00:28:21,560 --> 00:28:23,800 Speaker 1: not not only do we have a product that's viable, 510 00:28:23,840 --> 00:28:26,400 Speaker 1: that has a market, but the market has now been 511 00:28:28,400 --> 00:28:32,240 Speaker 1: they have been misinformed. So how do you go? How 512 00:28:32,280 --> 00:28:35,199 Speaker 1: do you do you get what I'm trying to write, like, 513 00:28:35,400 --> 00:28:37,479 Speaker 1: how do we get over that? That obstacle? Um, it's 514 00:28:37,560 --> 00:28:40,000 Speaker 1: just something that we think about today, and you know, 515 00:28:40,040 --> 00:28:41,880 Speaker 1: it's all about the y y y not to buy 516 00:28:41,960 --> 00:28:44,080 Speaker 1: bye By and to educate and to get to the 517 00:28:44,440 --> 00:28:47,800 Speaker 1: to the folks that are at least open minded. That's 518 00:28:47,800 --> 00:28:50,240 Speaker 1: who we want to speak to. Not necessarily people that 519 00:28:50,240 --> 00:28:53,240 Speaker 1: are like f sunscreen, I don't need it. Our ancestors 520 00:28:53,320 --> 00:28:57,160 Speaker 1: never board. That's literally our biggest competitor. Literally, our biggest 521 00:28:57,160 --> 00:28:59,280 Speaker 1: competitor are people that like, hey, I don't want to 522 00:28:59,280 --> 00:29:02,640 Speaker 1: wear it. Not other sunscreen brands. Think about that, right, 523 00:29:04,080 --> 00:29:07,200 Speaker 1: I think that, um. Like, So, the number one obstacle 524 00:29:07,480 --> 00:29:11,960 Speaker 1: is the education of sun safety within black and brown 525 00:29:12,000 --> 00:29:19,520 Speaker 1: people period. So we are slowly chipping away. However, it's 526 00:29:19,600 --> 00:29:24,640 Speaker 1: taken more than just Black Girl Sunscreen too continue on 527 00:29:24,720 --> 00:29:28,680 Speaker 1: with the mission and mission and vision. We need other brands, 528 00:29:28,800 --> 00:29:32,920 Speaker 1: we need other advocates to hold hands on Hey, not 529 00:29:33,120 --> 00:29:37,320 Speaker 1: just black people and brown people, all people, because literally 530 00:29:37,400 --> 00:29:40,959 Speaker 1: this is a universal problem. It's not just within our community. 531 00:29:41,240 --> 00:29:45,320 Speaker 1: A lot of people don't wear sunscreen. Yeah, because because 532 00:29:45,360 --> 00:29:49,040 Speaker 1: we're well, it's because we forget. Yeah, we forget, and 533 00:29:49,120 --> 00:29:52,120 Speaker 1: we're also very miss informed. I would imagine why people 534 00:29:53,280 --> 00:29:57,200 Speaker 1: don't forget because they, like I said, the appealing and 535 00:29:57,240 --> 00:30:00,760 Speaker 1: the burns and the red or whatever. But with us, 536 00:30:00,800 --> 00:30:04,040 Speaker 1: because there's no there's not as much I would assume, 537 00:30:04,080 --> 00:30:11,080 Speaker 1: not as much burn the actual but they're also we're 538 00:30:11,120 --> 00:30:15,280 Speaker 1: also overlooking the huge thing of skin cancer. Right, Okay, 539 00:30:15,320 --> 00:30:19,640 Speaker 1: So I think the resounding message here is understanding the 540 00:30:19,720 --> 00:30:23,800 Speaker 1: journey that you're on, not taking nose as final answers. 541 00:30:23,920 --> 00:30:25,960 Speaker 1: And we are about five and a half years old, 542 00:30:26,440 --> 00:30:29,680 Speaker 1: and we've made a lot of traction because we are bold. 543 00:30:30,800 --> 00:30:34,080 Speaker 1: Our name is writing your face, and that was intentional. 544 00:30:34,520 --> 00:30:36,720 Speaker 1: I am proud to be a black woman. I am 545 00:30:36,760 --> 00:30:40,120 Speaker 1: proud UM to be who I am and to represent 546 00:30:40,840 --> 00:30:43,840 Speaker 1: UM a group of people. I don't speak for all, 547 00:30:43,880 --> 00:30:47,240 Speaker 1: but by by no means, but at least I understand 548 00:30:47,320 --> 00:30:51,040 Speaker 1: from the consumer perspective of what we could be looking 549 00:30:51,080 --> 00:30:54,720 Speaker 1: for in a sun screen product. So with that being said, 550 00:30:54,920 --> 00:30:59,360 Speaker 1: UM we secured our first major partnership in two thousand 551 00:30:59,440 --> 00:31:03,520 Speaker 1: and nineteen. UM we are the number one selling sunscreen 552 00:31:03,600 --> 00:31:09,720 Speaker 1: in that retailer. UM UM. I didn't say the name 553 00:31:09,880 --> 00:31:14,600 Speaker 1: until I'll leave it, but what I can say is that, UM. 554 00:31:14,600 --> 00:31:17,800 Speaker 1: You know, our distribution stems across the United States and 555 00:31:17,880 --> 00:31:24,640 Speaker 1: we're in about ten thousand stores and that's accumulation of Target, ALTA, UM, Walgreens, 556 00:31:24,680 --> 00:31:29,640 Speaker 1: and CBS. That's major distribution. Yeah. Yeah, and and scaling 557 00:31:29,840 --> 00:31:33,320 Speaker 1: and scaling meaning you know, just starting from a certain 558 00:31:33,440 --> 00:31:36,960 Speaker 1: number and continuing to climb UM, which means you need 559 00:31:37,000 --> 00:31:39,680 Speaker 1: the capital, which means you need the manpower, which means 560 00:31:39,720 --> 00:31:42,760 Speaker 1: that you need to be organized and um fulfill your 561 00:31:42,760 --> 00:31:46,000 Speaker 1: commitments to whoever it is that you know you're partnering with. 562 00:31:46,360 --> 00:31:50,240 Speaker 1: So there's a lot that I learned very quickly now 563 00:31:51,600 --> 00:31:53,720 Speaker 1: to grow your business from you know what we're talking 564 00:31:53,720 --> 00:31:58,760 Speaker 1: about capital. Um, So the capital piece of it is, uh, 565 00:31:59,200 --> 00:32:01,800 Speaker 1: it's interesting. I hate to use the race card in 566 00:32:01,840 --> 00:32:04,640 Speaker 1: the gender card, but but it's a real thing. Um. 567 00:32:04,680 --> 00:32:08,600 Speaker 1: You know, I could never have walked into a meeting 568 00:32:08,880 --> 00:32:13,080 Speaker 1: with an angel and Lester or a VC fund um 569 00:32:13,080 --> 00:32:16,720 Speaker 1: based off of like concept in a power point whereas 570 00:32:17,080 --> 00:32:20,240 Speaker 1: you know, tech and other folks can say like, hey, 571 00:32:20,280 --> 00:32:22,920 Speaker 1: this is my idea. You know this is a seed round, 572 00:32:23,000 --> 00:32:26,280 Speaker 1: meaning like you know, pre market and get millions of 573 00:32:26,320 --> 00:32:28,760 Speaker 1: dollars black Girls Sunscreen. We had to go in with 574 00:32:28,920 --> 00:32:34,120 Speaker 1: traction um sales numbers, but now you had to get 575 00:32:34,160 --> 00:32:36,479 Speaker 1: distribution to So did you get your distribution and your 576 00:32:36,480 --> 00:32:40,120 Speaker 1: sales numbers first before you actually raised capital? That's crazy? 577 00:32:40,360 --> 00:32:43,120 Speaker 1: So UM, I started Black Girl Sunscreen with like thirty 578 00:32:43,200 --> 00:32:46,920 Speaker 1: three thousand dollars fifty dollars something like that, and that 579 00:32:47,080 --> 00:32:50,560 Speaker 1: was your savings. That was my savings from working in corporate. 580 00:32:51,800 --> 00:32:55,280 Speaker 1: That was a hard journey now, which like because you 581 00:32:55,320 --> 00:32:59,120 Speaker 1: had to use your own capital. Then you built the business, 582 00:32:59,240 --> 00:33:01,840 Speaker 1: you sold, you got your distribution, you got your sales numbers, 583 00:33:01,880 --> 00:33:04,720 Speaker 1: then you went and you've got the capital. Then there's 584 00:33:05,080 --> 00:33:09,880 Speaker 1: plenty of businesses where it's the opposite, and we're still raised. 585 00:33:09,920 --> 00:33:12,640 Speaker 1: So we're going on our second round now to raise 586 00:33:12,680 --> 00:33:17,000 Speaker 1: double digit capital and it's still really hard lessons even 587 00:33:17,000 --> 00:33:18,920 Speaker 1: when all the distribution in sale. Let me tell you, 588 00:33:18,960 --> 00:33:21,239 Speaker 1: let me let me tell you something right now, So 589 00:33:21,280 --> 00:33:24,400 Speaker 1: the top sunscreen brands are like the generic market brands 590 00:33:24,520 --> 00:33:27,720 Speaker 1: right like we all know them that are in every store. 591 00:33:28,080 --> 00:33:32,680 Speaker 1: Black Girls Sunscreen has done an insane job of changing 592 00:33:32,680 --> 00:33:36,760 Speaker 1: the mindset on sun safety and how it's feud and 593 00:33:36,840 --> 00:33:40,320 Speaker 1: even wearing it on a day to day basis. So 594 00:33:40,400 --> 00:33:44,320 Speaker 1: we're coming in with velocity, meaning our cells through numbers 595 00:33:44,680 --> 00:33:47,240 Speaker 1: are like, wait, wait, how much do you sell in 596 00:33:47,280 --> 00:33:54,680 Speaker 1: these stores? And yes, people are they don't believe And 597 00:33:54,760 --> 00:33:57,680 Speaker 1: for me, if you don't believe in that's okay. We 598 00:33:57,840 --> 00:34:00,800 Speaker 1: don't need to be partners, right Like it's like you're 599 00:34:00,840 --> 00:34:03,480 Speaker 1: going out with with a person and they just kind 600 00:34:03,480 --> 00:34:07,840 Speaker 1: of like you, now, we're cool. That's insane out of 601 00:34:08,200 --> 00:34:10,799 Speaker 1: your entire journey with Black Girl Soundscame for the last 602 00:34:10,800 --> 00:34:12,360 Speaker 1: five and a half years, what would you say was 603 00:34:12,360 --> 00:34:16,080 Speaker 1: the hardest feet of your of your entire company. What 604 00:34:16,200 --> 00:34:18,319 Speaker 1: was like the hardest thing where you were like I 605 00:34:18,400 --> 00:34:21,040 Speaker 1: kind of want to quit, or I'm crazy, I'm crazy 606 00:34:21,040 --> 00:34:24,480 Speaker 1: and delusional. No, I don't think I'm crazy or delusional. 607 00:34:25,320 --> 00:34:29,400 Speaker 1: Um I canswer that out loud anyway, right, Well, no, 608 00:34:29,480 --> 00:34:31,560 Speaker 1: because I know as a business owner, like I always 609 00:34:31,600 --> 00:34:35,319 Speaker 1: feel like, oh Colleen, you're tripping, like you're you know, 610 00:34:35,320 --> 00:34:37,719 Speaker 1: maybe you're just crazy, you know, or you're delusional if 611 00:34:37,719 --> 00:34:40,279 Speaker 1: you think you can accomplish this. You've accomplished so many 612 00:34:40,280 --> 00:34:47,279 Speaker 1: amazing milestones that either you're Kanye West or you had 613 00:34:47,360 --> 00:34:54,680 Speaker 1: to have that point of maybe this is um. No, 614 00:34:55,120 --> 00:34:57,880 Speaker 1: I think that I was literally put on this planet 615 00:34:58,400 --> 00:35:02,600 Speaker 1: to make this impact, so um it is all worth 616 00:35:02,640 --> 00:35:05,279 Speaker 1: it to me. But there was never a moment that 617 00:35:05,360 --> 00:35:09,359 Speaker 1: was a little too challenging because you're scaling. No, there 618 00:35:09,400 --> 00:35:13,160 Speaker 1: was no part of the scaling part that was like no, um, 619 00:35:13,480 --> 00:35:17,440 Speaker 1: I think that I think that one of my really 620 00:35:17,640 --> 00:35:21,319 Speaker 1: um my best attributes are keeping composure. There have been 621 00:35:21,360 --> 00:35:22,799 Speaker 1: times where I just kind of want to throw a 622 00:35:22,800 --> 00:35:25,520 Speaker 1: candle against the wall, whether it's deciding on what partner 623 00:35:25,560 --> 00:35:27,960 Speaker 1: to bring on. UM. I mean there are there are 624 00:35:28,000 --> 00:35:31,160 Speaker 1: bad days. There are really bad, bad sheety days. When 625 00:35:31,160 --> 00:35:34,279 Speaker 1: I look at it in from a holistic approach, if 626 00:35:34,320 --> 00:35:36,279 Speaker 1: there's three d and sixty five days in the year, 627 00:35:36,800 --> 00:35:39,520 Speaker 1: and um, only five of them the bad are bad, 628 00:35:39,840 --> 00:35:42,960 Speaker 1: then this is totally worth it. So when when you 629 00:35:43,040 --> 00:35:45,640 Speaker 1: asked me like, hey, what's challenging, I would say currently 630 00:35:45,680 --> 00:35:49,440 Speaker 1: today is really like retaining talent within the company, because 631 00:35:49,440 --> 00:35:53,239 Speaker 1: there's like great resignation of just people just finding out 632 00:35:53,239 --> 00:35:55,520 Speaker 1: like hey, this is truly my passion and not being 633 00:35:55,560 --> 00:35:59,399 Speaker 1: here helping you grow the business or people pretending they 634 00:35:59,400 --> 00:36:02,200 Speaker 1: can do something really well and they can't, and it's 635 00:36:02,239 --> 00:36:03,960 Speaker 1: just kind of like, oh you don't find out until 636 00:36:04,320 --> 00:36:08,759 Speaker 1: you know a days in UM. But that's really the 637 00:36:09,080 --> 00:36:12,480 Speaker 1: challenges now. I think everything else is just really fun, 638 00:36:12,800 --> 00:36:15,960 Speaker 1: really fun. We celebrate, you know, um, all the small 639 00:36:15,960 --> 00:36:18,760 Speaker 1: winds to the big winds, but the small ones equal 640 00:36:19,239 --> 00:36:22,440 Speaker 1: the big ones. UM. I would say that, you know, 641 00:36:22,640 --> 00:36:26,480 Speaker 1: work life balance for me is non existent, um, because 642 00:36:27,560 --> 00:36:29,960 Speaker 1: Black Girls Sunscreen is is who I am and what 643 00:36:30,000 --> 00:36:36,920 Speaker 1: I'm doing. So I'm always thinking about different ideas, product innovation, um, marketing, Like, 644 00:36:37,000 --> 00:36:39,560 Speaker 1: I don't look at anything without a marketing hat. I 645 00:36:39,640 --> 00:36:42,879 Speaker 1: just can't. So when I'm driving, like looking at billboards, 646 00:36:43,000 --> 00:36:46,480 Speaker 1: bus stops, you know, car wraps, I'm just I look 647 00:36:46,480 --> 00:36:49,520 Speaker 1: at what people wear in terms of trends, like you 648 00:36:49,560 --> 00:36:52,120 Speaker 1: know what storeship black Girls sunscreen being it's it's black 649 00:36:52,200 --> 00:36:56,120 Speaker 1: where my mind is? So this is all fun? Yeah? 650 00:36:56,280 --> 00:36:59,480 Speaker 1: So you you're is it safe to say that your 651 00:36:59,600 --> 00:37:06,080 Speaker 1: last vacation was the four months before Black Girls on screen? Uh? 652 00:37:06,239 --> 00:37:08,680 Speaker 1: So I like to do work trips and then a 653 00:37:08,680 --> 00:37:11,120 Speaker 1: little bit of play on the back end of a 654 00:37:11,160 --> 00:37:15,879 Speaker 1: work trip. Okay, but I will have my laptop. I'm accessible, 655 00:37:16,520 --> 00:37:20,040 Speaker 1: So there is no just like disconnect. No, we're we're 656 00:37:20,040 --> 00:37:24,400 Speaker 1: too popping to like just be like I'm out of here. Yeah, 657 00:37:25,360 --> 00:37:28,520 Speaker 1: I love it. I love it. So where do you 658 00:37:28,560 --> 00:37:33,120 Speaker 1: see yourself five years from now? And I feel like 659 00:37:33,120 --> 00:37:35,759 Speaker 1: you've shifted the culture, You've shifted the discussion. So you've 660 00:37:35,800 --> 00:37:38,920 Speaker 1: already done like an amazing job because people are talking 661 00:37:38,960 --> 00:37:45,080 Speaker 1: about screen. Um, just just continuing to play on all 662 00:37:45,120 --> 00:37:49,760 Speaker 1: the piece press podcasts people, Right, but within black Coat, Sunscreen, 663 00:37:49,800 --> 00:37:52,200 Speaker 1: not necessarily in the gritty the nitty gritty of it all, 664 00:37:52,560 --> 00:37:54,600 Speaker 1: in the weeds of it all, but more of like 665 00:37:54,680 --> 00:37:58,480 Speaker 1: you know, higher higher, higher level if you will, okay, 666 00:37:59,000 --> 00:38:01,560 Speaker 1: and then what if vice would you give to an 667 00:38:01,680 --> 00:38:06,719 Speaker 1: entrepreneur that has a similar background from you? What is 668 00:38:06,760 --> 00:38:11,880 Speaker 1: similar meaning I like what I like about you, and 669 00:38:12,200 --> 00:38:14,520 Speaker 1: not knocking any of our other guests, but I like 670 00:38:14,680 --> 00:38:18,279 Speaker 1: that you come here. You are very educated, and you 671 00:38:18,280 --> 00:38:20,279 Speaker 1: know you went to school for a lot a lot 672 00:38:20,640 --> 00:38:25,640 Speaker 1: a long, long long time, and so you have you're 673 00:38:25,680 --> 00:38:28,520 Speaker 1: not dropping out of school and selling stuff out the 674 00:38:28,520 --> 00:38:31,680 Speaker 1: trunk of your car. You have a very diverse But 675 00:38:31,760 --> 00:38:35,440 Speaker 1: I would have if if I couldn't sell sunscreen on 676 00:38:35,600 --> 00:38:38,279 Speaker 1: Black Girl Sunscreen dot Com, I would have totally put 677 00:38:38,280 --> 00:38:39,920 Speaker 1: the sunscreen in my book bag and gone down to 678 00:38:40,000 --> 00:38:41,960 Speaker 1: South Beach and sold the ship out of my book bag. 679 00:38:43,120 --> 00:38:44,719 Speaker 1: You have to do what you need to do in 680 00:38:44,840 --> 00:38:48,359 Speaker 1: order for it to work, right. It just so happened that, 681 00:38:48,719 --> 00:38:51,279 Speaker 1: you know, our s c o ing on on on 682 00:38:51,360 --> 00:38:54,360 Speaker 1: the web was strong. You know, people were writing articles, 683 00:38:54,400 --> 00:38:56,840 Speaker 1: people were writing reviews, and that's how we got discovered. 684 00:38:57,239 --> 00:39:01,160 Speaker 1: So currently like it's from it's it is fantastic that 685 00:39:01,440 --> 00:39:03,520 Speaker 1: we don't actually have to ask a retailer to be 686 00:39:03,600 --> 00:39:06,520 Speaker 1: in their store. They're coming to us, but that's because 687 00:39:06,560 --> 00:39:09,400 Speaker 1: we make so much joys that you you can't avoid us. 688 00:39:09,840 --> 00:39:15,080 Speaker 1: We're also like revitalizing the suncare um departments in a 689 00:39:15,080 --> 00:39:16,879 Speaker 1: couple of these stories because they're just kind of old 690 00:39:16,880 --> 00:39:19,520 Speaker 1: and crusty. Like it's the same brands. So we're bringing 691 00:39:19,560 --> 00:39:23,759 Speaker 1: a different five as well as a different consumer. Right 692 00:39:23,760 --> 00:39:26,120 Speaker 1: because black people did not go down the sun aisle 693 00:39:26,239 --> 00:39:30,480 Speaker 1: of any store before ever, So when you say, like, hey, 694 00:39:30,560 --> 00:39:34,200 Speaker 1: you didn't start with selling um, you know, the product 695 00:39:34,200 --> 00:39:36,719 Speaker 1: out of your trunk, how I did start with with 696 00:39:36,880 --> 00:39:40,680 Speaker 1: just Shante alone picking up her first palette of sunscreen, 697 00:39:40,840 --> 00:39:44,200 Speaker 1: which is five thousand units, packing it into an suv. 698 00:39:44,640 --> 00:39:46,959 Speaker 1: At this time, I lived in Miami in a high rise. 699 00:39:47,280 --> 00:39:52,200 Speaker 1: I unloaded it. It took forty bell card trips up 700 00:39:52,200 --> 00:39:55,319 Speaker 1: and down to my loft apartment. I unloaded it into 701 00:39:55,400 --> 00:39:59,800 Speaker 1: my second bathroom, into the bathtub, impacked every damn order myself. 702 00:40:00,280 --> 00:40:02,840 Speaker 1: So you you had your website, you built it, or 703 00:40:02,920 --> 00:40:04,880 Speaker 1: you I didn't build it. That was one thing that 704 00:40:04,960 --> 00:40:08,680 Speaker 1: I do encourage any person that is starting this is 705 00:40:08,800 --> 00:40:11,440 Speaker 1: to probably bring in somebody for web deb That was 706 00:40:11,600 --> 00:40:15,360 Speaker 1: my forte and wis dot com was not around, right. So, 707 00:40:15,640 --> 00:40:18,400 Speaker 1: um so in terms of like the hustle, the greediness, 708 00:40:18,440 --> 00:40:21,879 Speaker 1: the scrappiness, that I had to have all of that 709 00:40:22,239 --> 00:40:24,520 Speaker 1: before I where I am today. I do have a 710 00:40:24,520 --> 00:40:28,520 Speaker 1: team of fifty, right, but in two thousand in sixteen, 711 00:40:28,760 --> 00:40:31,120 Speaker 1: I didn't have the resources. So I had to do 712 00:40:31,200 --> 00:40:33,200 Speaker 1: everything that I possibly could. I was Black Girls sn 713 00:40:33,239 --> 00:40:35,480 Speaker 1: screens first model. Did I want to be the model? No? 714 00:40:35,640 --> 00:40:39,919 Speaker 1: I didn't, but but I had to. Yeah, but that's 715 00:40:39,960 --> 00:40:42,279 Speaker 1: not I'm not the face of the brand. Right. So 716 00:40:42,320 --> 00:40:44,080 Speaker 1: when it came to email marketing, like I had to 717 00:40:44,120 --> 00:40:46,760 Speaker 1: make the emails like I had to, I was writing 718 00:40:46,800 --> 00:40:49,440 Speaker 1: handwritting notes to all the consumers. We had to go 719 00:40:49,480 --> 00:40:53,240 Speaker 1: away from that because it's just it's it's high volume. Um. 720 00:40:53,280 --> 00:40:56,560 Speaker 1: But yeah, like my hustle maybe a little bit different 721 00:40:56,560 --> 00:40:59,600 Speaker 1: than selling CDs out of a trunk, but my hustle 722 00:40:59,760 --> 00:41:03,600 Speaker 1: is it's still a hustle. And I did not start 723 00:41:03,640 --> 00:41:07,000 Speaker 1: off with being able and fortunate to hire a team 724 00:41:07,040 --> 00:41:10,200 Speaker 1: to go, hey, you know what, here's a turn case, 725 00:41:10,320 --> 00:41:15,080 Speaker 1: turnkey solution. I designed the logo, I did market research 726 00:41:15,120 --> 00:41:23,319 Speaker 1: on what colors UM were highly desirable, what symbolized luxury UM. 727 00:41:23,360 --> 00:41:26,759 Speaker 1: I did the research on hey, like, this is how 728 00:41:26,760 --> 00:41:30,040 Speaker 1: many people we need to make to make money. I 729 00:41:30,080 --> 00:41:33,759 Speaker 1: did the research on Okay, so price points, right, what 730 00:41:33,960 --> 00:41:36,600 Speaker 1: is a comfortable price point for this type of product 731 00:41:36,680 --> 00:41:39,279 Speaker 1: where people feel like, okay, like I'm cool with it, 732 00:41:39,280 --> 00:41:42,600 Speaker 1: doesn't feel like I'm overspilding. Black Girl sent Screen is 733 00:41:42,920 --> 00:41:45,719 Speaker 1: a brand for the for the people, right, like it's 734 00:41:46,360 --> 00:41:49,000 Speaker 1: it's relative, but the price is relative in terms of 735 00:41:49,120 --> 00:41:51,680 Speaker 1: affordable now, but we feel like it's affordable. So there 736 00:41:51,680 --> 00:41:53,560 Speaker 1: were a lot of things that Shanta and I'm speaking 737 00:41:53,600 --> 00:41:56,120 Speaker 1: in third person because sometimes I don't believe it's me, 738 00:41:56,400 --> 00:42:01,120 Speaker 1: but yes, Shanta had to do so much to get 739 00:42:01,160 --> 00:42:03,960 Speaker 1: where I am. I love it today when the black 740 00:42:04,000 --> 00:42:09,399 Speaker 1: lives matter, when that whole during the pandemic happened, what 741 00:42:09,440 --> 00:42:12,759 Speaker 1: did that do for your sales? Okay, So in the 742 00:42:12,800 --> 00:42:15,960 Speaker 1: beginning of the pandemic, I was in South Africa and 743 00:42:16,440 --> 00:42:20,520 Speaker 1: we were pitching to um department stores in an s 744 00:42:20,600 --> 00:42:23,920 Speaker 1: A and every single meeting got canceled. And also like 745 00:42:24,000 --> 00:42:26,680 Speaker 1: ship um do I come back to the States because 746 00:42:26,840 --> 00:42:30,280 Speaker 1: I heard it was just like pandemonium in South Africa. 747 00:42:30,320 --> 00:42:32,880 Speaker 1: I hadn't hit the same way yet, and so I 748 00:42:32,880 --> 00:42:34,759 Speaker 1: stayed a few days and then I caught a flight 749 00:42:34,800 --> 00:42:36,680 Speaker 1: back and it was only seven people on my flight 750 00:42:36,719 --> 00:42:39,919 Speaker 1: from South Africa to the States. Yeah, because you could 751 00:42:39,920 --> 00:42:42,920 Speaker 1: only why you can only fly if you were an 752 00:42:42,920 --> 00:42:48,000 Speaker 1: American citizen. And anyway, I got back and um, the 753 00:42:48,320 --> 00:42:52,640 Speaker 1: tone from our partner, our retail partner, was hey, you know, UM, 754 00:42:52,640 --> 00:42:55,040 Speaker 1: we're probably not going to be ordering too much more 755 00:42:55,120 --> 00:42:59,759 Speaker 1: from you because, um, right now we're essentials or at 756 00:42:59,760 --> 00:43:02,600 Speaker 1: the four front. So essentials were you know, toilet paper, dish, 757 00:43:02,640 --> 00:43:06,520 Speaker 1: so whatever, they were like, okay, like totally get it. Um. 758 00:43:06,600 --> 00:43:09,239 Speaker 1: And then we just had to re strategize, Um, how 759 00:43:09,280 --> 00:43:12,400 Speaker 1: do we become an essential? And because folks were working 760 00:43:12,440 --> 00:43:19,160 Speaker 1: from home, um, parents were schooling UM from home, we said, hey, 761 00:43:20,000 --> 00:43:23,000 Speaker 1: what about when you go for a walk, you gotta 762 00:43:23,040 --> 00:43:26,120 Speaker 1: lader up and you're standing bout your window. You know 763 00:43:26,239 --> 00:43:30,480 Speaker 1: mom's dads that are um having their kids do recess 764 00:43:30,920 --> 00:43:33,080 Speaker 1: in the front yard or the backyard, you gotta you 765 00:43:33,120 --> 00:43:36,200 Speaker 1: gotta put on your sunscreen. So we were able to 766 00:43:36,400 --> 00:43:39,799 Speaker 1: SUFFI to SUFFI from from that messaging, right, So that's 767 00:43:39,880 --> 00:43:42,520 Speaker 1: one aspect of it. And then of course Bill m 768 00:43:42,640 --> 00:43:46,640 Speaker 1: brought attention and awareness not just from black people but 769 00:43:46,800 --> 00:43:50,839 Speaker 1: from our lighter skin partners right now. For for them, 770 00:43:50,920 --> 00:43:53,440 Speaker 1: it was more about like retaining them, like how do 771 00:43:53,440 --> 00:43:57,279 Speaker 1: you keep them focused on your brand because it's kinda wait, 772 00:43:57,320 --> 00:44:00,800 Speaker 1: it's dissolved, right, And and that's why even so Covid, 773 00:44:00,840 --> 00:44:03,680 Speaker 1: I don't think you know was the was part of 774 00:44:03,719 --> 00:44:06,200 Speaker 1: the demise of some brands. But even if you got 775 00:44:06,200 --> 00:44:08,480 Speaker 1: that attention, how do you keep up with those sales? 776 00:44:08,840 --> 00:44:12,040 Speaker 1: So like you can't even really include that in your 777 00:44:12,040 --> 00:44:17,759 Speaker 1: balance sheet. It's false. The numbers are false because it's inflated. Yeah, right, 778 00:44:18,360 --> 00:44:20,000 Speaker 1: all of a sudden, people want to be your ally, 779 00:44:20,040 --> 00:44:22,240 Speaker 1: they want to be your friends, so they're going to support, 780 00:44:22,360 --> 00:44:24,799 Speaker 1: but they don't come back, got it, right, So you 781 00:44:24,840 --> 00:44:28,440 Speaker 1: can't really compare your numbers to one. You gotta do 782 00:44:28,480 --> 00:44:32,479 Speaker 1: like one to like nineteen yeah. Yeah, So so Black 783 00:44:32,520 --> 00:44:36,359 Speaker 1: Lives Matter the movement really really catapulted um Black Girls 784 00:44:36,400 --> 00:44:38,040 Speaker 1: sunscreen in terms of what waren is. But we were 785 00:44:38,080 --> 00:44:42,279 Speaker 1: able to keep it up, thankfully, Yeah, thankfully, And well 786 00:44:42,480 --> 00:44:44,720 Speaker 1: you have a great product, and it was just about 787 00:44:44,800 --> 00:44:48,799 Speaker 1: letting people know about it. I love your background, I 788 00:44:48,880 --> 00:44:52,560 Speaker 1: love everything you stand for. You worked your butt off 789 00:44:52,600 --> 00:44:55,919 Speaker 1: to be really and still do right and they'll still 790 00:44:55,960 --> 00:44:57,799 Speaker 1: do I love that. And I don't know if the 791 00:44:57,840 --> 00:45:00,879 Speaker 1: listeners actually heard that pivot they're like and they said, okay, 792 00:45:00,880 --> 00:45:02,960 Speaker 1: we're looking for essential. You were like, okay, well how 793 00:45:03,000 --> 00:45:06,080 Speaker 1: can we be essential? Like it wasn't like, oh, well 794 00:45:06,200 --> 00:45:08,080 Speaker 1: that's I guess that's it, you know. I was like, no, 795 00:45:08,200 --> 00:45:11,720 Speaker 1: we're gonna pivot. We're gonna change our marketing approach and 796 00:45:11,719 --> 00:45:15,560 Speaker 1: and resell. And that that probably comes from also you 797 00:45:15,760 --> 00:45:18,640 Speaker 1: learning sales from a very young age. So sunscreen is 798 00:45:18,760 --> 00:45:22,000 Speaker 1: over the counter drug. So um, don't know if you know, 799 00:45:22,080 --> 00:45:25,239 Speaker 1: but you can bring a six out sunscreen and t 800 00:45:25,440 --> 00:45:28,920 Speaker 1: s a. I'm a I'm an avid traveler, so um, 801 00:45:28,960 --> 00:45:31,279 Speaker 1: you know, with our formulations and stuff, you can't just 802 00:45:31,320 --> 00:45:33,360 Speaker 1: like make it at home and put it on the 803 00:45:33,400 --> 00:45:36,920 Speaker 1: shelves like it has to go through rigors testing. Wow. 804 00:45:37,960 --> 00:45:41,600 Speaker 1: So we're sold on like hospital websites right because it's 805 00:45:42,239 --> 00:45:45,480 Speaker 1: a preventive measure for for for cancer. Right. And I'm 806 00:45:45,480 --> 00:45:48,359 Speaker 1: not talking about that because it's a scary thing. We're 807 00:45:48,400 --> 00:45:52,000 Speaker 1: not here, too scary to wear sunscreen at hall. And 808 00:45:52,120 --> 00:45:55,239 Speaker 1: also melanoma cases are very low within you know, the 809 00:45:55,280 --> 00:45:57,960 Speaker 1: black and brown community. We talked about, hey where so 810 00:45:58,040 --> 00:46:00,879 Speaker 1: you don't get somewhere and and then on because excite, Hey, 811 00:46:01,080 --> 00:46:03,800 Speaker 1: we want to prevent premature aging. Women want to maintain 812 00:46:03,840 --> 00:46:07,759 Speaker 1: their youth. That's how I got a facial right, premature 813 00:46:07,800 --> 00:46:11,440 Speaker 1: aging filines and then hyper pigmentation, and that's what we're 814 00:46:11,440 --> 00:46:13,799 Speaker 1: really running with. We try to stay away from, Hey, 815 00:46:14,120 --> 00:46:16,399 Speaker 1: you're gonna get melanoma died like we don't. We don't 816 00:46:16,400 --> 00:46:20,120 Speaker 1: want to talk about that. Of course, Well, I'm so 817 00:46:20,200 --> 00:46:23,480 Speaker 1: excited for you to come and feed me. You ate 818 00:46:23,520 --> 00:46:25,000 Speaker 1: it all? I ate it all, of course I did. 819 00:46:25,040 --> 00:46:28,240 Speaker 1: I loved it. I loved it, okay, and I loved 820 00:46:28,400 --> 00:46:32,239 Speaker 1: What would you have made? I think about this all 821 00:46:32,280 --> 00:46:34,680 Speaker 1: the time. I'm saving it for an episode, but I 822 00:46:34,719 --> 00:46:36,879 Speaker 1: have been thinking all week. I think my dish would 823 00:46:36,920 --> 00:46:43,360 Speaker 1: be in cornmeal porridge. That sounds complicated, you know what. 824 00:46:43,440 --> 00:46:44,759 Speaker 1: I don't know how to make it. I'd have to 825 00:46:44,760 --> 00:46:46,759 Speaker 1: call my mom. But my mom used to make it. 826 00:46:46,800 --> 00:46:48,160 Speaker 1: I used to love it when I was a kid, 827 00:46:48,920 --> 00:46:51,600 Speaker 1: and I'm pretty sure it was broke dish. I don't 828 00:46:51,640 --> 00:46:55,799 Speaker 1: think i've had pordge. It's like it reminds it's like 829 00:46:55,840 --> 00:47:01,360 Speaker 1: a Grits but not Brits. It's it's like Grit's cousin smoother. 830 00:47:02,719 --> 00:47:05,000 Speaker 1: You know, I'm not a real big fan of Gress. 831 00:47:05,040 --> 00:47:07,600 Speaker 1: I didn't know about this yellow right it's yellow, yeah, 832 00:47:07,960 --> 00:47:10,120 Speaker 1: And you could add sugar and then the sugar has 833 00:47:10,160 --> 00:47:13,480 Speaker 1: like a little syrupy look on the top. It's bomb okay, 834 00:47:13,560 --> 00:47:15,560 Speaker 1: and then you just get that first layer so it 835 00:47:15,600 --> 00:47:19,040 Speaker 1: on burn yourself. But UM, thank you so much for 836 00:47:19,040 --> 00:47:23,920 Speaker 1: coming out, Sante, and for all our listeners. If you 837 00:47:24,000 --> 00:47:28,319 Speaker 1: are trying to get black girls sunscreen, where can they 838 00:47:28,400 --> 00:47:30,839 Speaker 1: get it? How can they reach out? And if you're 839 00:47:30,840 --> 00:47:36,200 Speaker 1: an investor, you may wanna halla, Um, how can they 840 00:47:36,239 --> 00:47:38,160 Speaker 1: all get it? How can people get ahold of you 841 00:47:38,320 --> 00:47:42,160 Speaker 1: and get ahold of the product hold of me? So 842 00:47:42,840 --> 00:47:48,319 Speaker 1: Seante does do mentoring sessions, UM complimentary and you would 843 00:47:48,320 --> 00:47:52,040 Speaker 1: send a note to contact that black Girl Sunscreen dot com. 844 00:47:52,120 --> 00:47:54,239 Speaker 1: And the reason why I'm sharing that is because UM, 845 00:47:54,320 --> 00:47:58,000 Speaker 1: coming up on this journey or in this journey, UM, 846 00:47:58,040 --> 00:48:00,560 Speaker 1: I didn't have anyone to talk to ask questions, to 847 00:48:01,520 --> 00:48:05,319 Speaker 1: bounce ideas off of. And UM I allocate you know, 848 00:48:05,360 --> 00:48:08,640 Speaker 1: twenty to thirty minutes every Tuesday and Thursday to someone 849 00:48:08,719 --> 00:48:11,799 Speaker 1: that jumped in the inboxes, like, hey, I just want 850 00:48:11,800 --> 00:48:15,120 Speaker 1: to talk to Shante about whatever. And my assistant does 851 00:48:15,160 --> 00:48:18,800 Speaker 1: oversee that that scheduling process. UM, but so many folks 852 00:48:18,960 --> 00:48:22,480 Speaker 1: UM take advantage of it. And sometimes it's just more 853 00:48:22,480 --> 00:48:26,200 Speaker 1: about like validation if they're on the right track and UM, 854 00:48:26,280 --> 00:48:28,880 Speaker 1: you know, do they are their ideas good? What? What 855 00:48:28,960 --> 00:48:31,520 Speaker 1: do they if they're what they're doing is good? UM. 856 00:48:31,560 --> 00:48:34,520 Speaker 1: So that's how you can actually reach me personally. I'm 857 00:48:34,560 --> 00:48:39,239 Speaker 1: pretty accessible, UM assensible excuse me. And then in terms 858 00:48:39,239 --> 00:48:41,200 Speaker 1: of the product, I mean, we're nationwide, so you can 859 00:48:41,239 --> 00:48:44,440 Speaker 1: find us in you know, one of four stores which 860 00:48:44,560 --> 00:48:50,360 Speaker 1: is UM Target Autumn, UH, Walgreens and CBS UM. And 861 00:48:50,400 --> 00:48:53,280 Speaker 1: then of course, UM black girl sent to being dot com. 862 00:48:53,360 --> 00:48:56,000 Speaker 1: And then UM, what we really really value is our 863 00:48:56,040 --> 00:48:59,520 Speaker 1: special TV tail partners, and those UM folks consist of 864 00:48:59,680 --> 00:49:04,280 Speaker 1: you're like local Astetian salons and other UM dot coms 865 00:49:04,320 --> 00:49:08,360 Speaker 1: that speak to UM, brown and black women. Awesome. I 866 00:49:08,360 --> 00:49:13,560 Speaker 1: can't believe you. Mentor that's amazing. I won't be in 867 00:49:13,600 --> 00:49:20,120 Speaker 1: the inbox real quickly. UM, that's amazing. You know. I 868 00:49:20,160 --> 00:49:23,600 Speaker 1: think people say things too and they're not like about 869 00:49:23,719 --> 00:49:26,840 Speaker 1: the action and we're about the action. Have black girls 870 00:49:26,880 --> 00:49:30,480 Speaker 1: on screen? I like that. I like that? All right, Well, 871 00:49:30,520 --> 00:49:33,000 Speaker 1: thank you so much for coming on Eating wall Broke 872 00:49:33,080 --> 00:49:38,760 Speaker 1: and sharing your franks and beans and wig and beans 873 00:49:38,800 --> 00:49:44,880 Speaker 1: with sugar. All right, he said by For more Eating 874 00:49:44,880 --> 00:49:47,440 Speaker 1: wall Broke from I Heart Radio and The Black Effect, 875 00:49:47,600 --> 00:49:50,760 Speaker 1: visit the I Heart Radio app, Apple podcast, or wherever 876 00:49:50,800 --> 00:49:54,160 Speaker 1: you listen to your favorite shows,