1 00:00:01,200 --> 00:00:04,080 Speaker 1: What did you do when your business first crossed a 2 00:00:04,120 --> 00:00:06,040 Speaker 1: million dollar mark? Like did you go to the ATM 3 00:00:06,080 --> 00:00:08,680 Speaker 1: and prounter receipt? Like what was that experience like for you? 4 00:00:08,880 --> 00:00:12,360 Speaker 2: I think my first big deposit, it was kind of 5 00:00:12,400 --> 00:00:14,560 Speaker 2: like I sat back because I had been holding on to, 6 00:00:14,720 --> 00:00:17,760 Speaker 2: like my ninety k year job, and I was just like, 7 00:00:18,160 --> 00:00:20,400 Speaker 2: I can't leave this job, Like I need my insurance, 8 00:00:20,400 --> 00:00:22,760 Speaker 2: I need my all my things. And so when you 9 00:00:22,800 --> 00:00:25,240 Speaker 2: get a check that's like two or three times your salary, 10 00:00:26,000 --> 00:00:28,240 Speaker 2: it's almost like this is what I was hiding from, 11 00:00:28,400 --> 00:00:30,880 Speaker 2: Like you couldn't believe that you were like shackled to 12 00:00:30,920 --> 00:00:32,800 Speaker 2: a desk because you were holding on to that. So 13 00:00:33,320 --> 00:00:35,080 Speaker 2: I think for me, it was just such an affirmation 14 00:00:35,320 --> 00:00:38,720 Speaker 2: of all that came from these hands, this mine, like 15 00:00:38,840 --> 00:00:39,560 Speaker 2: I did this. 16 00:00:48,640 --> 00:00:51,040 Speaker 1: Hey, everybody, welcome to another episode of Button Nomics. I'm 17 00:00:51,080 --> 00:00:53,640 Speaker 1: your host, Brandon Butler, found in CEO of Butter atl 18 00:00:53,760 --> 00:00:56,520 Speaker 1: and today we have a very very special guest, the 19 00:00:56,560 --> 00:00:59,040 Speaker 1: one the only, Miss Melissa A. 20 00:00:59,320 --> 00:01:02,320 Speaker 3: Mitchell of A Creations. But listen, how you doing today? 21 00:01:02,800 --> 00:01:05,520 Speaker 2: I'm doing wonderful, good good. 22 00:01:05,760 --> 00:01:07,960 Speaker 1: Now, well listen, look you over here taking over the 23 00:01:08,000 --> 00:01:10,120 Speaker 1: world right like you just got back from space. 24 00:01:10,200 --> 00:01:11,720 Speaker 3: How was that whole experience for you? 25 00:01:12,920 --> 00:01:15,360 Speaker 2: That was like I always called the black Girl homecoming. 26 00:01:16,000 --> 00:01:18,479 Speaker 2: It's it's perfectly settled in the middle of the years. 27 00:01:18,600 --> 00:01:20,800 Speaker 2: So it's kind of like you work up to it 28 00:01:20,840 --> 00:01:22,679 Speaker 2: and then you work away from it. So it's almost 29 00:01:22,680 --> 00:01:24,800 Speaker 2: like my personal new year for the brand, almost my 30 00:01:24,800 --> 00:01:27,679 Speaker 2: fiscal year. And so it's just really good to put 31 00:01:27,680 --> 00:01:31,199 Speaker 2: a face with all the likes, the comments, the love 32 00:01:31,280 --> 00:01:33,080 Speaker 2: that you get and you get to see it in person. 33 00:01:33,120 --> 00:01:35,000 Speaker 2: It's like, you know, what, I'm doing something right. So 34 00:01:35,040 --> 00:01:37,800 Speaker 2: it's always kind of like my barometer for like keep going. 35 00:01:38,000 --> 00:01:40,360 Speaker 2: You know you're successful. This works, it doesn't work, and 36 00:01:40,400 --> 00:01:42,840 Speaker 2: so it just really it's really good for my business 37 00:01:42,840 --> 00:01:43,560 Speaker 2: self esteem. 38 00:01:44,360 --> 00:01:46,039 Speaker 1: Now you said to you said two of my favorite 39 00:01:46,040 --> 00:01:47,920 Speaker 1: words right there, fiscal year. But we'll come back to 40 00:01:47,960 --> 00:01:50,320 Speaker 1: that in just a second, because you know that the 41 00:01:50,360 --> 00:01:52,880 Speaker 1: business is always important. But you know what I want 42 00:01:52,880 --> 00:01:54,600 Speaker 1: to know is, let's let's just get right into it. 43 00:01:55,040 --> 00:01:58,160 Speaker 1: What did you do when your business first crossed the 44 00:01:58,200 --> 00:01:59,840 Speaker 1: million dollar mark? Like did you go to the at 45 00:02:00,240 --> 00:02:02,760 Speaker 1: Prounter receipt? Like, what was that experience like for you? 46 00:02:02,920 --> 00:02:06,440 Speaker 2: I think my first big deposit it was kind of 47 00:02:06,440 --> 00:02:08,520 Speaker 2: like I sat back because I had been holding on 48 00:02:08,600 --> 00:02:11,440 Speaker 2: to like my ninety k year job, and I was 49 00:02:11,520 --> 00:02:13,840 Speaker 2: just like, I can't leave this job. Like I need 50 00:02:13,880 --> 00:02:15,880 Speaker 2: my insurance, I need my all my things. And so 51 00:02:16,520 --> 00:02:18,320 Speaker 2: when you get a check that's like two or three 52 00:02:18,320 --> 00:02:21,480 Speaker 2: times your salary, it's almost like this is what I 53 00:02:21,520 --> 00:02:23,839 Speaker 2: was hiding from, Like you couldn't believe that you were 54 00:02:23,880 --> 00:02:26,280 Speaker 2: like shackled to a desk because you were holding on 55 00:02:26,320 --> 00:02:28,280 Speaker 2: to that. So I think for me it was just 56 00:02:28,280 --> 00:02:31,359 Speaker 2: such an affirmation of all that came from these hands, 57 00:02:31,960 --> 00:02:35,000 Speaker 2: this mine, like I did this right. And I think 58 00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:37,800 Speaker 2: at some point money no longer becomes like the goal 59 00:02:38,520 --> 00:02:41,480 Speaker 2: is those feelings. It's the you know, call your mom 60 00:02:41,520 --> 00:02:44,000 Speaker 2: and say pick out a car. It's let's go on 61 00:02:44,040 --> 00:02:46,480 Speaker 2: a trip on a Tuesday because you find a flight deal. 62 00:02:46,880 --> 00:02:49,120 Speaker 2: It's the freedom of getting your time back and you know, 63 00:02:49,160 --> 00:02:52,639 Speaker 2: on on Thursday afternoon, talk to your friends on a podcast, 64 00:02:52,639 --> 00:02:54,160 Speaker 2: and I have to take off your job. So I 65 00:02:54,160 --> 00:02:58,520 Speaker 2: think the freedom that came with it's the freedom of choosing, 66 00:02:58,680 --> 00:03:01,680 Speaker 2: the freedom of deciding and just just showing up and 67 00:03:01,720 --> 00:03:04,760 Speaker 2: just being myself. That that feeling was all of that, 68 00:03:04,760 --> 00:03:06,840 Speaker 2: that that dot dot dot in my account. I was like, 69 00:03:06,919 --> 00:03:09,800 Speaker 2: this is in my account where my name with ABO Creations. 70 00:03:09,800 --> 00:03:12,760 Speaker 2: I was like, WHOA. So I think once I got 71 00:03:12,760 --> 00:03:15,200 Speaker 2: past that, it was like once you do it, once, 72 00:03:15,760 --> 00:03:17,840 Speaker 2: you got to keep doing it. So that was the 73 00:03:17,880 --> 00:03:20,079 Speaker 2: additional presson that came with. You know that big check 74 00:03:20,120 --> 00:03:21,160 Speaker 2: that came into the account. 75 00:03:21,440 --> 00:03:23,120 Speaker 1: But but did you go to the ATM and print 76 00:03:23,120 --> 00:03:24,320 Speaker 1: it out? Through a lot of people, I know when 77 00:03:24,320 --> 00:03:26,120 Speaker 1: they get that and that check, kids, you just you 78 00:03:26,240 --> 00:03:28,440 Speaker 1: just refreshed them on the computer screen movie. 79 00:03:29,000 --> 00:03:31,679 Speaker 2: I spring shot my Wells Fargo. I sprain shot it 80 00:03:31,720 --> 00:03:33,360 Speaker 2: and I emailed it to myself like don't forget. 81 00:03:34,080 --> 00:03:36,960 Speaker 3: Oh that's a moment right there. Yeah, that's because. 82 00:03:36,720 --> 00:03:38,240 Speaker 2: I used to I don't know if you heard, if 83 00:03:38,240 --> 00:03:41,720 Speaker 2: you watched The Secret the movie, The Secret well the documentary, 84 00:03:42,080 --> 00:03:44,280 Speaker 2: And so I used to print out those blank checks 85 00:03:44,280 --> 00:03:46,400 Speaker 2: and write checks to myself like, oh, like how Jim 86 00:03:46,440 --> 00:03:48,840 Speaker 2: Carrey had that blank two million dollar check? And so 87 00:03:48,920 --> 00:03:50,680 Speaker 2: I had like one hundred k check in my fake 88 00:03:50,800 --> 00:03:52,320 Speaker 2: like my wile like a fake check, and so I 89 00:03:52,360 --> 00:03:54,640 Speaker 2: was like why I finally passed the amount that I 90 00:03:54,640 --> 00:03:58,240 Speaker 2: wrote down. So it was just like a It really 91 00:03:58,240 --> 00:04:00,240 Speaker 2: felt like an out of body experience because you work 92 00:04:00,320 --> 00:04:02,880 Speaker 2: so hard and you finally reach that goal that seems 93 00:04:02,920 --> 00:04:05,600 Speaker 2: so far away. Now it's like, oh, minion, now it's 94 00:04:05,600 --> 00:04:07,800 Speaker 2: two million. You know, you talking six seven figures. It's 95 00:04:07,800 --> 00:04:09,720 Speaker 2: nothing now on you need these conversations. I did that 96 00:04:09,760 --> 00:04:13,160 Speaker 2: next question. So I definitely don't forget to remember those 97 00:04:13,200 --> 00:04:15,600 Speaker 2: moments because it's so easy to like get caught up 98 00:04:15,600 --> 00:04:18,320 Speaker 2: in like succeeding that you forget when you first started. 99 00:04:18,839 --> 00:04:19,039 Speaker 3: Yeah. 100 00:04:19,120 --> 00:04:21,440 Speaker 1: Yeah, so he's like, once everything starts happening, you're all 101 00:04:21,600 --> 00:04:22,719 Speaker 1: kind of on to the next one, but you do 102 00:04:22,720 --> 00:04:24,400 Speaker 1: got to kind of celebrate the winds along the way, 103 00:04:24,520 --> 00:04:27,400 Speaker 1: right yep. Now, let me ask, now, how did you 104 00:04:27,440 --> 00:04:29,800 Speaker 1: come up with the name ABO Creations? Like what's the 105 00:04:29,839 --> 00:04:30,680 Speaker 1: background on that? 106 00:04:31,000 --> 00:04:33,640 Speaker 2: So when I first started in twenty really, I started 107 00:04:33,640 --> 00:04:37,040 Speaker 2: in twenty thirteen. I started making earrings because I couldn't 108 00:04:37,080 --> 00:04:39,400 Speaker 2: find earrings that matched my swag. I wanted some hot 109 00:04:39,440 --> 00:04:40,839 Speaker 2: pink with orange. I was like, why are they not 110 00:04:40,839 --> 00:04:44,159 Speaker 2: making earrings? So I just started painting on pieces of wood. 111 00:04:44,360 --> 00:04:48,520 Speaker 2: And so fast forward to twenty fourteen Snowstorm. I said, 112 00:04:48,520 --> 00:04:51,039 Speaker 2: I gotta give this a name, like it needs something 113 00:04:51,080 --> 00:04:53,839 Speaker 2: on it. And so I always know you know, just 114 00:04:53,880 --> 00:04:57,279 Speaker 2: with businesses. The letter A is the first alphabet, first 115 00:04:57,360 --> 00:04:59,720 Speaker 2: letter of the alphabet, so I wanted an A name. 116 00:05:00,520 --> 00:05:03,320 Speaker 2: And my middle name is Ayisha, so that's an A name. 117 00:05:03,360 --> 00:05:05,440 Speaker 2: So I was trying to find something with A. And 118 00:05:05,480 --> 00:05:07,159 Speaker 2: so when I went to look up what the meaning 119 00:05:07,200 --> 00:05:10,359 Speaker 2: of melissa is, which means honeybee in arab and Greek, 120 00:05:11,040 --> 00:05:14,320 Speaker 2: I said, hmm, what's another word that means honeybee? And 121 00:05:14,440 --> 00:05:17,480 Speaker 2: ABL came up and it's abay in French at bell. 122 00:05:17,839 --> 00:05:21,880 Speaker 2: You know, it's pronounced differently with different cultures, but Abl 123 00:05:22,200 --> 00:05:25,520 Speaker 2: also meant honeybee in French, and I was like, ooh, 124 00:05:26,320 --> 00:05:28,840 Speaker 2: this is it. And I never wanted to say abo 125 00:05:29,040 --> 00:05:32,279 Speaker 2: art abo ear rings, Abriel accessories. I was like creations 126 00:05:32,279 --> 00:05:35,960 Speaker 2: because I'm always picking up wood and molding it. So 127 00:05:36,200 --> 00:05:38,159 Speaker 2: when I came up with the name, it just sucked. 128 00:05:38,600 --> 00:05:41,760 Speaker 2: And it was like the sky was the limit. And 129 00:05:41,440 --> 00:05:44,200 Speaker 2: the story behind the honey bee my dad was studying 130 00:05:45,200 --> 00:05:48,920 Speaker 2: the productivity of bees, and bees technically aren't supposed to 131 00:05:48,920 --> 00:05:52,000 Speaker 2: be able to fly because they got big old butts, 132 00:05:52,320 --> 00:05:55,799 Speaker 2: so ergonomically bees can't fly, and so there they defy 133 00:05:55,880 --> 00:05:57,960 Speaker 2: the odds no matter what they're up against, and so 134 00:05:58,480 --> 00:06:00,440 Speaker 2: even it's me coming into the world as a black woman, 135 00:06:00,480 --> 00:06:03,599 Speaker 2: as an artist, you know, short little feisty thing for Miami, 136 00:06:03,640 --> 00:06:06,479 Speaker 2: trying to make waves. I'm always against the odds. I'm 137 00:06:06,520 --> 00:06:09,400 Speaker 2: always exception to the rule. And so I figured it 138 00:06:09,480 --> 00:06:11,360 Speaker 2: just stuck and it just it just become a part 139 00:06:11,360 --> 00:06:12,880 Speaker 2: of my my personality at this point. 140 00:06:13,400 --> 00:06:15,159 Speaker 1: Yeah, man, Miami is a big part of your story. 141 00:06:15,200 --> 00:06:16,560 Speaker 1: You know, tell me how did you end up? How'd 142 00:06:16,560 --> 00:06:17,400 Speaker 1: you end up in Atlanta. 143 00:06:18,440 --> 00:06:21,160 Speaker 2: It's funny. I grew up gon and raised in Miami, 144 00:06:21,279 --> 00:06:24,880 Speaker 2: but Atlanta was always like my in my mind, like 145 00:06:24,920 --> 00:06:27,039 Speaker 2: the the the Mecca, Like I had to make my 146 00:06:27,080 --> 00:06:30,080 Speaker 2: pilgrimage to Atlanta. I went to Florida, A and m I 147 00:06:30,120 --> 00:06:31,960 Speaker 2: had a lot of cool friends in Atlanta. Club was 148 00:06:32,000 --> 00:06:34,080 Speaker 2: like the Club and I was on the hills of 149 00:06:34,120 --> 00:06:38,080 Speaker 2: Freaknek in Atlanta Classic and so Atlanta just represented like 150 00:06:38,120 --> 00:06:43,120 Speaker 2: black freedom, like black flyness, black coolness, and I said, 151 00:06:43,120 --> 00:06:45,360 Speaker 2: I want to be cool. So I wanted to move 152 00:06:45,440 --> 00:06:49,960 Speaker 2: to Atlanta, work for Coca Cola. Driver a yellow BMW, 153 00:06:50,160 --> 00:06:53,000 Speaker 2: had two point five kids, a dog that named like, uh, 154 00:06:53,520 --> 00:06:56,320 Speaker 2: like Malcolm Martin. Malcolm. You know some real black dogs, 155 00:06:57,000 --> 00:07:02,120 Speaker 2: real black dogs, and none of that happened, except I 156 00:07:02,120 --> 00:07:05,279 Speaker 2: did move to Atlanta. I ended up doing event planning 157 00:07:05,279 --> 00:07:08,400 Speaker 2: for Coca Cola. I didn't get a yellow BMW. I 158 00:07:08,480 --> 00:07:10,800 Speaker 2: ended up getting a Cadillac and some other things. But 159 00:07:11,440 --> 00:07:14,800 Speaker 2: I think Atlanta just represented a place where I could 160 00:07:14,880 --> 00:07:16,880 Speaker 2: just be and I could look to my left and 161 00:07:16,920 --> 00:07:20,120 Speaker 2: right and people just being too. And it's just interesting 162 00:07:20,160 --> 00:07:22,120 Speaker 2: that ten years after I moved here, then I became 163 00:07:22,160 --> 00:07:24,040 Speaker 2: an entrepreneur. So it was almost like God was like 164 00:07:24,080 --> 00:07:26,840 Speaker 2: setting up these bricks to like prepare me for this 165 00:07:26,960 --> 00:07:29,800 Speaker 2: escalation of being an entrepreneur. And here I am. Now 166 00:07:30,320 --> 00:07:33,240 Speaker 2: what I was craving and gravitating towards was setting me 167 00:07:33,320 --> 00:07:35,400 Speaker 2: up for a lifetime of you know, entrepreneurship. 168 00:07:35,840 --> 00:07:38,120 Speaker 1: Yeah no, No, you were sidure at Coke and you're 169 00:07:38,120 --> 00:07:39,600 Speaker 1: working as an event planner, But like, were you're doing 170 00:07:39,720 --> 00:07:41,640 Speaker 1: art before? Is art and something you've always kind of 171 00:07:41,640 --> 00:07:43,120 Speaker 1: worked on? Or how did you just how did you 172 00:07:43,160 --> 00:07:44,240 Speaker 1: all of a sudden get into. 173 00:07:44,160 --> 00:07:49,520 Speaker 2: That My form of art was hot pink or aqua lipstick. 174 00:07:49,600 --> 00:07:52,360 Speaker 2: I was on Steve Harvey, so my lincensed to sent 175 00:07:52,440 --> 00:07:54,920 Speaker 2: me over to get a makeover, like you might need to, 176 00:07:55,000 --> 00:07:56,840 Speaker 2: you know, tone it down. A bit. Steve was like, 177 00:07:57,080 --> 00:07:58,480 Speaker 2: so you just gonna do this for the rest of 178 00:07:58,520 --> 00:08:00,120 Speaker 2: your life. I was like, yeah, I think so. Oh. 179 00:08:00,720 --> 00:08:03,200 Speaker 2: And so I've always been one of those like out 180 00:08:03,240 --> 00:08:04,560 Speaker 2: of the buck, you tell me where all black? To 181 00:08:04,560 --> 00:08:05,840 Speaker 2: an event? I'm like, can we wear a little bit 182 00:08:05,880 --> 00:08:07,280 Speaker 2: of pink? Can we just wear a little of this? 183 00:08:07,400 --> 00:08:10,120 Speaker 2: So I was always a rubble without a cause. And 184 00:08:10,120 --> 00:08:13,560 Speaker 2: that infamous Snowstone twenty fourteen, I was like, I gotta 185 00:08:13,560 --> 00:08:16,640 Speaker 2: find something to do. This cannot be work, sleep, repeat 186 00:08:16,720 --> 00:08:19,480 Speaker 2: every day. And when I found that box of old 187 00:08:19,680 --> 00:08:22,520 Speaker 2: art supplies, I said, you know, I'm just gonna give 188 00:08:22,560 --> 00:08:25,559 Speaker 2: a shot and I put it on social People started 189 00:08:25,600 --> 00:08:27,600 Speaker 2: buying it and it became a thing. And that's when 190 00:08:27,640 --> 00:08:29,560 Speaker 2: I hurried, Literally, I had to hurry up and put 191 00:08:29,600 --> 00:08:34,320 Speaker 2: abol creations on my trademark and get MYLLC like that night. 192 00:08:34,600 --> 00:08:36,320 Speaker 2: Immediately I was like, this might be bigger than what 193 00:08:36,360 --> 00:08:38,040 Speaker 2: I thought. And it took off. 194 00:08:38,360 --> 00:08:39,720 Speaker 1: So what was it like as you start to kind 195 00:08:39,720 --> 00:08:41,400 Speaker 1: of transition out of that corporate job and to be 196 00:08:41,440 --> 00:08:44,360 Speaker 1: in full time you know, you talked about having insurance 197 00:08:44,400 --> 00:08:46,440 Speaker 1: and all those kind of the things that make you comfortable, right, Like, 198 00:08:46,480 --> 00:08:49,600 Speaker 1: what was that transition like, you know, what was your decision? 199 00:08:50,040 --> 00:08:51,640 Speaker 1: How that whole thing kind of come together. 200 00:08:52,880 --> 00:08:56,439 Speaker 2: I was working full time up until twenty twenty one. 201 00:08:57,480 --> 00:08:59,959 Speaker 2: I quit. It was January twenty ninth. I never forget it. 202 00:09:00,120 --> 00:09:02,839 Speaker 2: And my one of my colleagues is just talking a 203 00:09:02,880 --> 00:09:06,120 Speaker 2: little spicy. And at this time, I had had billboards, 204 00:09:06,200 --> 00:09:08,520 Speaker 2: I had commercials, but nobody really knew at my job 205 00:09:08,640 --> 00:09:11,120 Speaker 2: who I was. So I always would come in like 206 00:09:11,160 --> 00:09:13,040 Speaker 2: my little glasses on. I was a little it nerd. 207 00:09:13,080 --> 00:09:14,920 Speaker 2: So people were like, oh, that can't be Melissa. She 208 00:09:14,960 --> 00:09:16,600 Speaker 2: doesn't wear head wraps because I'm like in a fro. 209 00:09:17,280 --> 00:09:19,000 Speaker 2: And so I literally was feeling like I was a 210 00:09:19,080 --> 00:09:22,200 Speaker 2: superwoman where I would have an artistic kate and then 211 00:09:22,240 --> 00:09:23,840 Speaker 2: I go back put on my little button up outfit. 212 00:09:23,880 --> 00:09:26,360 Speaker 2: So nobody really knew who I was. And so it 213 00:09:26,480 --> 00:09:29,240 Speaker 2: was on like a Friday, I had an eyebrow appointment 214 00:09:29,280 --> 00:09:30,640 Speaker 2: and she's like, well, I need you to log on 215 00:09:30,679 --> 00:09:32,600 Speaker 2: at like five o'clock. I was like on a Friday 216 00:09:33,000 --> 00:09:35,280 Speaker 2: and were working from home and it's a pandemic. You 217 00:09:35,320 --> 00:09:37,440 Speaker 2: want me to sit at home some more? And it 218 00:09:37,480 --> 00:09:40,200 Speaker 2: was just something came over and said it's time. I 219 00:09:40,320 --> 00:09:44,720 Speaker 2: was like time, and I felt God says, trust me, 220 00:09:45,240 --> 00:09:46,920 Speaker 2: And I told God I would give him a year. 221 00:09:47,200 --> 00:09:48,640 Speaker 2: I said, God, I'll give you a year of being 222 00:09:48,640 --> 00:09:51,560 Speaker 2: an artist full time. We'll see what happens, and if not, 223 00:09:51,640 --> 00:09:53,280 Speaker 2: I'll go back. And God was like, you can always 224 00:09:53,320 --> 00:09:55,600 Speaker 2: go back to a job. It may not be the 225 00:09:55,640 --> 00:09:57,640 Speaker 2: exact job or the exact pay, but I could find 226 00:09:57,679 --> 00:10:01,360 Speaker 2: somewhere to work. And so it was on that January 227 00:10:01,400 --> 00:10:03,840 Speaker 2: twenty ninth I quit. My last day was February eleventh. 228 00:10:03,880 --> 00:10:08,000 Speaker 2: Everything's in eleventh. I quit that day, and within three 229 00:10:08,080 --> 00:10:11,520 Speaker 2: or four weeks I manifested a deal with Peloton and 230 00:10:11,559 --> 00:10:16,040 Speaker 2: then foot Locker Hennessy Hennessy I won a grant. So 231 00:10:16,080 --> 00:10:18,080 Speaker 2: it was like God was like, you were a hold 232 00:10:18,120 --> 00:10:20,720 Speaker 2: up baby girl. All of this was on the edge 233 00:10:21,320 --> 00:10:23,920 Speaker 2: waiting for you. It was you that was on the edge. 234 00:10:23,960 --> 00:10:28,360 Speaker 2: And so now that I'm here, I'm like, whoa this is? 235 00:10:28,480 --> 00:10:29,600 Speaker 2: This is waiting on me this. 236 00:10:29,600 --> 00:10:32,600 Speaker 1: Whole time, and that's interesting, right, Like, so you didn't 237 00:10:32,640 --> 00:10:35,080 Speaker 1: you weren't like planning to necessarily leave, or you weren't 238 00:10:35,120 --> 00:10:37,080 Speaker 1: you know, saving up with the idea that I'm getting 239 00:10:37,120 --> 00:10:38,840 Speaker 1: getting out of here. You just it kind of came 240 00:10:38,880 --> 00:10:40,959 Speaker 1: over you one day and you put in your two 241 00:10:41,000 --> 00:10:42,600 Speaker 1: weeks and kind of started moving. 242 00:10:43,280 --> 00:10:46,160 Speaker 2: Yeah. I think during the pandemic when I saw how 243 00:10:46,200 --> 00:10:49,760 Speaker 2: easily life could just be taken away, and you watched 244 00:10:49,760 --> 00:10:53,040 Speaker 2: like brilliant minds get you know, attacked by this disease, 245 00:10:53,120 --> 00:10:55,600 Speaker 2: and that was it. Like I didn't want my obituary 246 00:10:55,640 --> 00:10:57,360 Speaker 2: to say and she worked at dot dot dot. 247 00:10:57,600 --> 00:10:58,080 Speaker 3: Yeah. 248 00:10:58,120 --> 00:11:01,480 Speaker 2: I wanted it to be the brilliant artist, the fearless woman, 249 00:11:01,640 --> 00:11:04,120 Speaker 2: And so I think I was just thinking about if 250 00:11:04,160 --> 00:11:06,720 Speaker 2: this is my last year on Earth, how would I 251 00:11:06,720 --> 00:11:10,000 Speaker 2: want that to look. And I think that really pushed 252 00:11:10,040 --> 00:11:12,440 Speaker 2: me really over the ledge and that just made me 253 00:11:12,480 --> 00:11:15,240 Speaker 2: so fearless. Like I had quite a bit of money 254 00:11:15,240 --> 00:11:17,760 Speaker 2: saved because I just signed some big deals. But I 255 00:11:17,760 --> 00:11:20,160 Speaker 2: think after I released the need to like make money, 256 00:11:20,440 --> 00:11:22,440 Speaker 2: it started coming to me like in droves. 257 00:11:22,760 --> 00:11:23,000 Speaker 3: Yeah. 258 00:11:23,080 --> 00:11:25,920 Speaker 1: Yeah, So what was kind of the big breakthrough moment then? 259 00:11:25,960 --> 00:11:28,040 Speaker 1: Like you mentioned some deals, like the deals you were 260 00:11:28,040 --> 00:11:30,120 Speaker 1: talking about, then I know the whole thing. But Spanks happened, 261 00:11:30,120 --> 00:11:31,400 Speaker 1: Like what do you kind of look at as that 262 00:11:31,600 --> 00:11:34,000 Speaker 1: moment that like everything really changed. 263 00:11:35,200 --> 00:11:37,720 Speaker 2: It's funny I got the Spanks deal. That was another 264 00:11:38,440 --> 00:11:42,560 Speaker 2: crazy moment. I applied for Spanks. The competition in my 265 00:11:42,720 --> 00:11:46,360 Speaker 2: computer crashed and I'm like, well did my application go through? 266 00:11:46,400 --> 00:11:48,760 Speaker 2: Like what happened? And then my sister applied herson go through. 267 00:11:49,000 --> 00:11:51,760 Speaker 2: I was like, okay, not meant to be. I'm too bright, 268 00:11:51,840 --> 00:11:53,840 Speaker 2: I'm doing too much. And so I left it alone. 269 00:11:54,120 --> 00:11:56,280 Speaker 2: But then I get a DM two weeks later. Hey, 270 00:11:56,880 --> 00:11:59,000 Speaker 2: we're trying to get in contact with Melissa Mitchell. Do 271 00:11:59,040 --> 00:12:01,640 Speaker 2: you know her? I'm like, girl, this me, this Melissam. 272 00:12:02,360 --> 00:12:06,240 Speaker 2: And that was in twenty eighteen, twenty eighteen, twenty nineteen, 273 00:12:06,880 --> 00:12:09,120 Speaker 2: and I want to say, that's like the beginning. So 274 00:12:09,240 --> 00:12:12,320 Speaker 2: I founded ABL in twenty fourteen, but twenty nineteen was 275 00:12:12,360 --> 00:12:15,200 Speaker 2: like my my real Like okay, I'm doing this for real, 276 00:12:15,280 --> 00:12:18,240 Speaker 2: like a real business. And I think when Sarah Blakely 277 00:12:18,280 --> 00:12:20,560 Speaker 2: walked in and she said she saw so much of 278 00:12:20,600 --> 00:12:22,880 Speaker 2: herself in me, and I'm like, girl, you making a 279 00:12:22,880 --> 00:12:25,240 Speaker 2: billion dollars you you know it means? She's like no, 280 00:12:25,360 --> 00:12:29,680 Speaker 2: like you're a creative fearlessness, like you don't care. You're like, 281 00:12:30,000 --> 00:12:32,720 Speaker 2: She's like, I made panties. I made panties were crotches. 282 00:12:32,760 --> 00:12:34,440 Speaker 2: She's like, and I got a patent for it. I'm like, well, 283 00:12:34,440 --> 00:12:37,040 Speaker 2: I guess you're right, and so I think being affirmed 284 00:12:37,040 --> 00:12:39,120 Speaker 2: by some of my she rows, you know, and seeing 285 00:12:39,120 --> 00:12:41,440 Speaker 2: people that like fall in love instantly with the brand, 286 00:12:42,160 --> 00:12:44,439 Speaker 2: those moments make me know that this is bigger than 287 00:12:44,480 --> 00:12:45,840 Speaker 2: just me painting on a canvas. 288 00:12:46,480 --> 00:12:46,760 Speaker 3: Yeah. 289 00:12:46,920 --> 00:12:49,120 Speaker 1: Now, when you're working with all these brands, I'm sure 290 00:12:49,200 --> 00:12:50,920 Speaker 1: you know a lot of people probably getting intimidated, and 291 00:12:50,960 --> 00:12:53,000 Speaker 1: I know you probably had a big learning curve. But 292 00:12:53,080 --> 00:12:55,240 Speaker 1: like when you work with these brands, especially from an 293 00:12:55,320 --> 00:12:57,760 Speaker 1: art standpoint, like, how do you make sure that it 294 00:12:57,840 --> 00:13:00,000 Speaker 1: feels authentic? It feels like it's something that you want 295 00:13:00,120 --> 00:13:01,440 Speaker 1: to do and it doesn't get you know, a lot 296 00:13:01,520 --> 00:13:03,200 Speaker 1: of times when you work with these big companies, it's 297 00:13:03,200 --> 00:13:05,280 Speaker 1: easy for stuff to get watered down. Lots of people 298 00:13:05,320 --> 00:13:07,720 Speaker 1: have ideas, lots of people get sit around and get 299 00:13:07,760 --> 00:13:10,400 Speaker 1: paid to just throw around ideas that don't even go anywhere. Right, So, 300 00:13:10,480 --> 00:13:12,760 Speaker 1: like you, how did you kind of learn to fight 301 00:13:12,840 --> 00:13:14,800 Speaker 1: for your vision to make sure that always came through? 302 00:13:16,000 --> 00:13:18,719 Speaker 2: Well, I think it goes back to relationships, and it's 303 00:13:18,760 --> 00:13:21,520 Speaker 2: not always become besties with your new clients, but it's 304 00:13:21,559 --> 00:13:25,360 Speaker 2: just understanding what the companies, like, what their goal is 305 00:13:25,400 --> 00:13:28,959 Speaker 2: with the campaign. Like when I did the mural for 306 00:13:29,320 --> 00:13:32,040 Speaker 2: Super Bowl with Pepsi. It's like, we just want you 307 00:13:32,080 --> 00:13:33,960 Speaker 2: to do whatever you want, like what's your favorite song? 308 00:13:34,000 --> 00:13:35,880 Speaker 2: And of course Outcasts is one of my favorite groups 309 00:13:35,920 --> 00:13:37,760 Speaker 2: and they let me pay homage to that. So it's 310 00:13:37,800 --> 00:13:41,719 Speaker 2: really having open conversations and asking like what do y'all 311 00:13:41,720 --> 00:13:43,200 Speaker 2: want to do with this? Like is this gonna be it? 312 00:13:43,240 --> 00:13:44,640 Speaker 2: Like we're gonna be friends after this or is this 313 00:13:44,720 --> 00:13:47,560 Speaker 2: a one vam land vam And so I'm always like, 314 00:13:47,600 --> 00:13:50,240 Speaker 2: how can we keep the relationship going? And I always 315 00:13:50,280 --> 00:13:52,160 Speaker 2: ask how can I bring a friend on? Like when 316 00:13:52,160 --> 00:13:55,640 Speaker 2: I did my Sphinks commercial, I hire my friends to 317 00:13:55,679 --> 00:13:58,520 Speaker 2: help produce it. You know, am I allowed to hire out? 318 00:13:59,040 --> 00:14:01,640 Speaker 2: Is their creative really for me to you know, add 319 00:14:01,640 --> 00:14:04,040 Speaker 2: some of this? Like when I speak at different events, 320 00:14:04,520 --> 00:14:07,120 Speaker 2: I say, you know, you may pay me five thousand, 321 00:14:07,200 --> 00:14:09,760 Speaker 2: but for six thousand, I'll give you art for the 322 00:14:09,800 --> 00:14:12,480 Speaker 2: whole camp, for the whole you know, conference, and then 323 00:14:12,520 --> 00:14:15,800 Speaker 2: now I'm embedded into the conference. So finding creative ways 324 00:14:15,880 --> 00:14:19,560 Speaker 2: to leave a mark without being too obnoxious, but also 325 00:14:19,640 --> 00:14:21,760 Speaker 2: being open to say these are my goals as an artist. 326 00:14:22,200 --> 00:14:24,600 Speaker 2: This is what I hope to accomplish, you know, Is 327 00:14:24,600 --> 00:14:26,280 Speaker 2: that something that you're all open to and just having 328 00:14:26,280 --> 00:14:29,040 Speaker 2: a conversation because many times they don't think about the 329 00:14:29,040 --> 00:14:32,080 Speaker 2: things you're asking because they're so in an office mindset 330 00:14:32,160 --> 00:14:34,680 Speaker 2: every day. They don't even know what you're thinking to 331 00:14:34,680 --> 00:14:36,440 Speaker 2: bring to the table that it's even like, oh, that 332 00:14:36,560 --> 00:14:38,920 Speaker 2: is a possibility, we could do that. So just asking 333 00:14:38,960 --> 00:14:40,760 Speaker 2: big questions, I think that has helped me kind of 334 00:14:40,760 --> 00:14:43,800 Speaker 2: preserve my personality in all of my campaigns. Why I 335 00:14:43,800 --> 00:14:47,320 Speaker 2: don't feel like I'm being like, you know, being looked 336 00:14:47,360 --> 00:14:49,280 Speaker 2: over my ideas and stuff. 337 00:14:49,520 --> 00:14:52,040 Speaker 1: Yeah, I would always tell people like, being smart is 338 00:14:52,400 --> 00:14:54,920 Speaker 1: knowing the right mix of asking really smart questions and 339 00:14:54,960 --> 00:14:57,320 Speaker 1: really stupid questions so you can kind of get the 340 00:14:57,360 --> 00:14:59,000 Speaker 1: stuff out the way too, because sometimes you're like, I 341 00:14:59,040 --> 00:15:00,720 Speaker 1: just need to ask this question, and you know, I 342 00:15:00,760 --> 00:15:03,240 Speaker 1: apologize if y'all think you already know the answers, but 343 00:15:03,240 --> 00:15:05,160 Speaker 1: I'm asked this really stupid question right here, just so 344 00:15:05,200 --> 00:15:07,800 Speaker 1: we're all on the same page. But having that right balance, 345 00:15:07,880 --> 00:15:10,200 Speaker 1: right of knowing you know when to step in, when 346 00:15:10,200 --> 00:15:11,640 Speaker 1: to kind of ask things and make sure you kind 347 00:15:11,640 --> 00:15:13,240 Speaker 1: of get what you want because if not, you're just 348 00:15:13,320 --> 00:15:15,240 Speaker 1: gonna get what they give you. And that's not always gonna, 349 00:15:15,280 --> 00:15:17,080 Speaker 1: you know, tie back to what you're trying to accomplish, 350 00:15:17,160 --> 00:15:22,800 Speaker 1: right exactly, So you're going you're running, I'm guessing that 351 00:15:22,880 --> 00:15:25,200 Speaker 1: obviously you have a team now, you know that's you've 352 00:15:25,240 --> 00:15:27,320 Speaker 1: got people that are helping you out doing things. But like, 353 00:15:27,360 --> 00:15:29,520 Speaker 1: when it comes to building the team, like, how do 354 00:15:29,560 --> 00:15:31,320 Speaker 1: you find those right people that can kind of help 355 00:15:31,360 --> 00:15:32,800 Speaker 1: you take your business to the next level? 356 00:15:32,880 --> 00:15:33,040 Speaker 3: Right? 357 00:15:33,080 --> 00:15:34,520 Speaker 1: Like, I know you a lot of times when we 358 00:15:34,560 --> 00:15:36,240 Speaker 1: build things, we start off with our friends and kind 359 00:15:36,240 --> 00:15:39,080 Speaker 1: of whoever will help us, and sometimes we outgrow that, 360 00:15:39,240 --> 00:15:41,080 Speaker 1: you know, sometimes they're not the right people, right, And 361 00:15:41,120 --> 00:15:43,400 Speaker 1: so like, how did you kind of go through finding 362 00:15:43,400 --> 00:15:45,240 Speaker 1: the right people to kind of help support you and 363 00:15:45,280 --> 00:15:46,840 Speaker 1: your vision and your values. 364 00:15:48,040 --> 00:15:50,720 Speaker 2: Well, it's funny that you say friends and family, because 365 00:15:50,920 --> 00:15:52,760 Speaker 2: I feel like when I got my calling to be 366 00:15:52,800 --> 00:15:55,480 Speaker 2: an artist. You know, one of my closest friends he 367 00:15:55,560 --> 00:15:59,880 Speaker 2: became a photographer overnight. My sister was dipping into the publicist. 368 00:16:00,400 --> 00:16:02,840 Speaker 2: My other sister who's now a huge comedian, she was 369 00:16:02,960 --> 00:16:06,120 Speaker 2: really good at learning social Another girlfriend of mine had 370 00:16:06,200 --> 00:16:08,360 Speaker 2: run all the local boutiques, so she knew how to 371 00:16:08,360 --> 00:16:13,240 Speaker 2: do inventory. My recent hire, she's like my brand consultant. 372 00:16:13,680 --> 00:16:15,680 Speaker 2: She does that full time, and like she worked at 373 00:16:15,680 --> 00:16:19,160 Speaker 2: like big, big TV station. So it's funny because I've 374 00:16:19,200 --> 00:16:21,480 Speaker 2: never had to hire anybody. They just kind of sat around. 375 00:16:21,480 --> 00:16:23,440 Speaker 2: It's like, what you doing tomorrow? What you doing today? 376 00:16:23,440 --> 00:16:25,000 Speaker 2: After that? Well, she can you just come me for 377 00:16:25,080 --> 00:16:26,840 Speaker 2: ust of the week. So my friend that came during 378 00:16:26,960 --> 00:16:29,240 Speaker 2: Essence Festival, I said, I just need you to come 379 00:16:29,280 --> 00:16:31,480 Speaker 2: with me. I don't know what role or capacity, and 380 00:16:31,520 --> 00:16:33,400 Speaker 2: she ended up being my everything, you know, like my 381 00:16:33,440 --> 00:16:37,000 Speaker 2: assistant slash production, slash this. So I think for me, 382 00:16:37,640 --> 00:16:41,920 Speaker 2: because I am an artist, I'm very spiritual and very 383 00:16:42,800 --> 00:16:45,960 Speaker 2: just very just. I use so much discretion and so 384 00:16:46,000 --> 00:16:48,040 Speaker 2: much spiritual intuition when it comes to people, and I 385 00:16:48,040 --> 00:16:50,720 Speaker 2: know it's not the best thing for you know, CEOs, 386 00:16:50,760 --> 00:16:53,880 Speaker 2: But I think my spiritual life is so in tune 387 00:16:54,600 --> 00:16:57,400 Speaker 2: that I'm like, God, I need to manifest an interview. 388 00:16:57,520 --> 00:16:59,280 Speaker 2: I need like I'm just so weird, like I'll talk 389 00:16:59,320 --> 00:17:01,160 Speaker 2: out all that. God. I need to find me a man, 390 00:17:01,360 --> 00:17:02,880 Speaker 2: I need to find me a car. I need to 391 00:17:03,040 --> 00:17:05,399 Speaker 2: like I just yelled out and God was literally And 392 00:17:05,400 --> 00:17:07,159 Speaker 2: that's why people say the world is my oyster and 393 00:17:07,600 --> 00:17:11,160 Speaker 2: my paint brush on my canvas. I literally say God, 394 00:17:11,200 --> 00:17:13,200 Speaker 2: I need somebody for New Orleans. And she's like, oh, yeah, 395 00:17:13,240 --> 00:17:14,880 Speaker 2: I'm from New Orleans. I was say, wait a minute, 396 00:17:15,119 --> 00:17:16,600 Speaker 2: she said, yeah, you can just ship everything to my 397 00:17:16,640 --> 00:17:20,280 Speaker 2: mom's house. I'm like, kayle, are you serious? And literally, 398 00:17:20,440 --> 00:17:22,760 Speaker 2: within a week the things I was stressing over the 399 00:17:22,880 --> 00:17:25,119 Speaker 2: right two people came in my life and made the answer. 400 00:17:25,200 --> 00:17:28,800 Speaker 2: So my hiring process is very like me and God 401 00:17:28,880 --> 00:17:31,679 Speaker 2: making like the executive decisions on the sideline. And you know, 402 00:17:31,720 --> 00:17:34,240 Speaker 2: and I mean I have interns. When I go speak 403 00:17:34,280 --> 00:17:36,800 Speaker 2: to different schools, it's always like one or two students 404 00:17:36,840 --> 00:17:38,920 Speaker 2: that you see yourself in. You're like, I really gotta 405 00:17:39,040 --> 00:17:41,359 Speaker 2: I gotta help this girl. And they just become a 406 00:17:41,359 --> 00:17:43,840 Speaker 2: part of the family. And now they're like my daughter 407 00:17:43,960 --> 00:17:47,080 Speaker 2: slash kids slash niece. They just become a part of 408 00:17:47,080 --> 00:17:49,919 Speaker 2: the brand. But I just think it's very serendipitous for 409 00:17:50,000 --> 00:17:52,000 Speaker 2: me because I don't really want to have a team. 410 00:17:52,040 --> 00:17:53,960 Speaker 2: I want to have a family, because I think when 411 00:17:54,000 --> 00:17:56,920 Speaker 2: you have family, they take it on like something personal, 412 00:17:57,040 --> 00:17:59,120 Speaker 2: like this is my brand too, like I want this 413 00:17:59,160 --> 00:18:00,879 Speaker 2: to win. Kind of how when you see other people 414 00:18:01,080 --> 00:18:03,240 Speaker 2: like is that your boss or is not your friend? 415 00:18:03,640 --> 00:18:06,359 Speaker 2: You know? But when it gets down to the business 416 00:18:06,359 --> 00:18:07,880 Speaker 2: of it. I do have people that I don't even talk, 417 00:18:07,920 --> 00:18:09,960 Speaker 2: like my artists that I work with that puts all 418 00:18:09,960 --> 00:18:12,920 Speaker 2: my sketches together that I come up with. She's in Bangladesh. 419 00:18:13,200 --> 00:18:15,480 Speaker 2: I have somebody that's in California that I'm we'll ever 420 00:18:15,520 --> 00:18:17,720 Speaker 2: have to talk and to Littila's about the fabric. My 421 00:18:17,800 --> 00:18:20,680 Speaker 2: girl in China if I email her. It's all business. 422 00:18:20,680 --> 00:18:22,560 Speaker 2: So you have people that you have that very you know, 423 00:18:23,080 --> 00:18:25,320 Speaker 2: strict thick line of business where there's other people that 424 00:18:25,359 --> 00:18:27,600 Speaker 2: I do with every day that's like my homegirl, my 425 00:18:27,640 --> 00:18:28,600 Speaker 2: homeboy or their family. 426 00:18:29,080 --> 00:18:30,000 Speaker 3: Yeah, that's interesting too. 427 00:18:30,040 --> 00:18:32,040 Speaker 1: I mean, especially with the international team, how do you 428 00:18:32,119 --> 00:18:34,080 Speaker 1: find those kind of people in resources and kind of that. 429 00:18:34,119 --> 00:18:35,679 Speaker 1: I'm like, you know, how do you find people in 430 00:18:35,720 --> 00:18:38,359 Speaker 1: Bangladesh and all over the world kind of because again 431 00:18:38,440 --> 00:18:39,879 Speaker 1: the beauty of the internet too is like you can 432 00:18:39,960 --> 00:18:42,119 Speaker 1: you can build a world class team from anywhere. So 433 00:18:42,880 --> 00:18:44,000 Speaker 1: you know, how did you kind of go through the 434 00:18:44,000 --> 00:18:44,720 Speaker 1: steps of building that. 435 00:18:45,520 --> 00:18:47,879 Speaker 2: I'm a question asker. If I know you having some 436 00:18:47,920 --> 00:18:49,399 Speaker 2: good T shirt, I'm like, Branda, where you get those 437 00:18:49,400 --> 00:18:52,600 Speaker 2: shirts made at? Who's your person? And so thank God 438 00:18:52,680 --> 00:18:55,080 Speaker 2: again these friends that I've that I've had in the 439 00:18:55,119 --> 00:18:57,159 Speaker 2: fashion world. I have very few friends that I trust, 440 00:18:57,240 --> 00:19:00,240 Speaker 2: like with my real questions. One of my girlfriends said, Hey, 441 00:19:00,280 --> 00:19:03,359 Speaker 2: she's my she's my tech pack designer. Call her. She 442 00:19:03,400 --> 00:19:05,960 Speaker 2: only charges X y Z. Now she's our tech pack. 443 00:19:06,080 --> 00:19:09,040 Speaker 2: So she's somebody. She's been trusted, she's already paid her. 444 00:19:09,200 --> 00:19:11,679 Speaker 2: So it's really all about asking your parents and your 445 00:19:11,720 --> 00:19:14,200 Speaker 2: network who they use, because they may save you ten 446 00:19:14,280 --> 00:19:17,480 Speaker 2: years and ten thousand dollars trying to get samples. And 447 00:19:17,520 --> 00:19:20,159 Speaker 2: I'm an Alibiba queen. I would get on this type. 448 00:19:20,400 --> 00:19:23,639 Speaker 2: I need head reps made in ten days, and I 449 00:19:23,640 --> 00:19:27,000 Speaker 2: would go through all thirty inquiries looking at every single thing, 450 00:19:27,280 --> 00:19:30,560 Speaker 2: and I found the perfect you know, storm of a team, 451 00:19:30,680 --> 00:19:31,800 Speaker 2: and then they're making it happen. 452 00:19:32,119 --> 00:19:45,160 Speaker 3: Oh that's s dope, that's s dope. We're still talking 453 00:19:45,160 --> 00:19:46,000 Speaker 3: about business now. 454 00:19:46,040 --> 00:19:48,720 Speaker 1: So and you talk about how, you know, you're artists, 455 00:19:48,760 --> 00:19:50,760 Speaker 1: you're doing all these other kind of things, Like I 456 00:19:50,840 --> 00:19:53,280 Speaker 1: understand how you can potentially price products, but like how 457 00:19:53,280 --> 00:19:55,359 Speaker 1: do you price your art? Like how do you price 458 00:19:55,400 --> 00:19:57,880 Speaker 1: those kind of projects? What's your process? You know, how 459 00:19:57,880 --> 00:19:58,639 Speaker 1: do you kind of go through that. 460 00:20:00,119 --> 00:20:02,600 Speaker 2: I always promise myself to go up a couple one 461 00:20:02,640 --> 00:20:06,520 Speaker 2: hundred dollars per year, because my name is worth more 462 00:20:06,640 --> 00:20:09,560 Speaker 2: so to speak, And it just depends on how long 463 00:20:09,600 --> 00:20:13,360 Speaker 2: it took me, the relationship I have with the new collector. 464 00:20:13,400 --> 00:20:15,119 Speaker 2: If there's something that I really want to own, the 465 00:20:15,119 --> 00:20:17,760 Speaker 2: piece of artwork, I'll work within their budget no less 466 00:20:17,760 --> 00:20:20,520 Speaker 2: than twenty five hundred dollars. And I don't want somebody 467 00:20:20,560 --> 00:20:21,960 Speaker 2: to just want some art for their house, like I 468 00:20:22,000 --> 00:20:24,080 Speaker 2: want them to be a part of my story. I 469 00:20:24,160 --> 00:20:26,800 Speaker 2: always remember my mentor telling me the story at Boskaya 470 00:20:26,960 --> 00:20:29,560 Speaker 2: when he first came to Atlanta for a random show 471 00:20:29,600 --> 00:20:32,560 Speaker 2: at Clark Atlanta and he was selling pieces for like 472 00:20:32,600 --> 00:20:34,800 Speaker 2: one hundred to two hundred dollars, and there was like 473 00:20:34,880 --> 00:20:37,479 Speaker 2: one professor that believed in his work and bought it. 474 00:20:37,880 --> 00:20:40,480 Speaker 2: And now that one piece is worth like two million dollars. 475 00:20:40,760 --> 00:20:43,080 Speaker 2: And so I always think of myself as the next 476 00:20:43,119 --> 00:20:45,920 Speaker 2: big thing in art. And I'm like, if I blow up, 477 00:20:46,400 --> 00:20:48,960 Speaker 2: would I trust this person with a million dollar lottery ticket? 478 00:20:49,600 --> 00:20:51,479 Speaker 2: But I trust what they wouldn't, you know, not in 479 00:20:51,520 --> 00:20:53,359 Speaker 2: so many words where they would sloot out my work, 480 00:20:53,680 --> 00:20:57,320 Speaker 2: you know. And so my collectors are now extended pieces 481 00:20:57,359 --> 00:20:59,280 Speaker 2: of the family, Like, oh, I have a Melissa Mitrick 482 00:20:59,320 --> 00:21:02,280 Speaker 2: my back. You know. Now they're owning part of the brand. 483 00:21:02,280 --> 00:21:06,720 Speaker 2: And so for me, pricing is always tricky because it's like, okay, 484 00:21:06,760 --> 00:21:08,560 Speaker 2: it costs, because really, if you look down to a 485 00:21:08,600 --> 00:21:12,280 Speaker 2: canvas cost as cheap as five bucks, paint costs at 486 00:21:12,320 --> 00:21:15,240 Speaker 2: least as five bucks, you know, frame maybe a hundred. 487 00:21:15,359 --> 00:21:19,120 Speaker 2: So it's really about the experience, the collector aspect of it, 488 00:21:19,720 --> 00:21:22,480 Speaker 2: relationship building and do you want this person to be 489 00:21:22,480 --> 00:21:24,760 Speaker 2: a part of your history. And I think that's my 490 00:21:25,280 --> 00:21:28,280 Speaker 2: biggest like marker. So I'm like, listen, you can't pay 491 00:21:28,280 --> 00:21:30,360 Speaker 2: me no less twenty five hundred dollars. You don't feel right. 492 00:21:30,480 --> 00:21:33,439 Speaker 2: And so me selling something for one hundred dollars at 493 00:21:33,440 --> 00:21:35,520 Speaker 2: this point in my career would just be like charity 494 00:21:35,560 --> 00:21:37,159 Speaker 2: where I'd rather give it away than sell for one 495 00:21:37,240 --> 00:21:38,960 Speaker 2: hundred dollars because that just don't make no sense. 496 00:21:39,520 --> 00:21:40,080 Speaker 3: No, I feel you. 497 00:21:40,119 --> 00:21:43,119 Speaker 1: I feel you now now to the outside world. You know, 498 00:21:43,200 --> 00:21:45,439 Speaker 1: I'm sure it's like, man, you can't stop winning. They 499 00:21:45,480 --> 00:21:47,520 Speaker 1: seeing you all over the place. You know, you're doing 500 00:21:47,560 --> 00:21:50,720 Speaker 1: everything on all these stages. But look, everybody deals with 501 00:21:50,800 --> 00:21:53,000 Speaker 1: challenges and setbacks, and I'm sure you've got some that 502 00:21:53,000 --> 00:21:55,159 Speaker 1: you've kind of dealt with too, like what are some 503 00:21:55,200 --> 00:21:56,520 Speaker 1: of those that you've kind of had to fight your 504 00:21:56,520 --> 00:21:58,359 Speaker 1: way through? And more importantly, like how do you kind 505 00:21:58,400 --> 00:21:59,880 Speaker 1: of stay motivated when those things happen. 506 00:22:01,240 --> 00:22:04,000 Speaker 2: I mean, just as a woman, you deal with health challenges. 507 00:22:04,080 --> 00:22:07,359 Speaker 2: You know, of a certain age now, so it's like 508 00:22:07,359 --> 00:22:09,359 Speaker 2: you have to go slower, like I can't pick up 509 00:22:09,400 --> 00:22:11,639 Speaker 2: things fast as I used to, you know, trying to 510 00:22:11,680 --> 00:22:14,000 Speaker 2: start a family, So you're thinking about your health, but 511 00:22:14,000 --> 00:22:17,440 Speaker 2: you're also thinking about your legacy. So I think for me, challenging, 512 00:22:18,320 --> 00:22:21,840 Speaker 2: challenging moments always gonna come. Like even when I was 513 00:22:21,880 --> 00:22:24,960 Speaker 2: trying to prepare for Essence Festival, my head wraps were 514 00:22:25,000 --> 00:22:29,480 Speaker 2: stuck in Chicago, and I'm leaving Wednesday to go to 515 00:22:29,640 --> 00:22:32,280 Speaker 2: New Orleans. So I'm pacing the floor trying to come 516 00:22:32,320 --> 00:22:34,120 Speaker 2: up with a plan B and C because the whole 517 00:22:34,160 --> 00:22:37,199 Speaker 2: event is around me giving out head wraps. Luckily, my 518 00:22:37,240 --> 00:22:40,160 Speaker 2: good old girl Bonnie in China's probably not a real name, 519 00:22:40,320 --> 00:22:44,120 Speaker 2: Bonnie and China. She's calling going off in her language 520 00:22:44,160 --> 00:22:50,080 Speaker 2: to DHL. I'm going off in Atlanta, Oh, DHL. So 521 00:22:50,119 --> 00:22:52,760 Speaker 2: we're all letting them have it. But it's like every 522 00:22:52,880 --> 00:22:54,879 Speaker 2: challenge and I have to keep going back to just 523 00:22:54,960 --> 00:22:58,360 Speaker 2: having that spiritual relationship, Like it brings me to tears 524 00:22:58,440 --> 00:23:01,000 Speaker 2: how much God has like came in a clutch for 525 00:23:01,119 --> 00:23:03,359 Speaker 2: my brand, Like I get emotional like thinking about I 526 00:23:03,400 --> 00:23:05,879 Speaker 2: almost didn't have anything I needed for Asence festival and 527 00:23:05,920 --> 00:23:09,240 Speaker 2: God was like watch this. And so even on my 528 00:23:09,320 --> 00:23:12,359 Speaker 2: toughest moments as a business on my faith has kept 529 00:23:12,359 --> 00:23:16,880 Speaker 2: me so grounded and just being successful. No matter how 530 00:23:16,920 --> 00:23:18,760 Speaker 2: big I get, I will talk about God. I don't 531 00:23:18,760 --> 00:23:22,119 Speaker 2: care to the President, to whoever, Like I'm always like 532 00:23:22,200 --> 00:23:25,639 Speaker 2: God did, like without a doubt, God made it happen. 533 00:23:26,359 --> 00:23:28,960 Speaker 1: What's one of those moments I remember? For example, I 534 00:23:29,000 --> 00:23:31,320 Speaker 1: was working with a client one time on a project 535 00:23:31,359 --> 00:23:33,280 Speaker 1: and I went out of town right and I told 536 00:23:33,320 --> 00:23:36,280 Speaker 1: my team, I said, look, we did the work. All 537 00:23:36,359 --> 00:23:39,280 Speaker 1: y'all have to do is I have the envelope sitting 538 00:23:39,320 --> 00:23:43,080 Speaker 1: on my desk. It's already got postage on it. Literally 539 00:23:43,359 --> 00:23:45,600 Speaker 1: just go take it to the post office. And I 540 00:23:45,600 --> 00:23:49,000 Speaker 1: went on vacation for a week. I come back that 541 00:23:49,160 --> 00:23:52,520 Speaker 1: Monday morning, fresh off vacation the good mood. Guess what 542 00:23:52,600 --> 00:23:55,639 Speaker 1: the package is still sitting on my desk and it 543 00:23:55,720 --> 00:23:58,960 Speaker 1: had to be in North Carolina. By one pm that 544 00:23:59,119 --> 00:24:02,320 Speaker 1: same day. So I nicely, first of all, I cussed 545 00:24:02,359 --> 00:24:05,000 Speaker 1: out my team. Then I nicely went on to Delta 546 00:24:05,040 --> 00:24:08,960 Speaker 1: dot com, found a ticket in North Carolina, drove from 547 00:24:09,000 --> 00:24:13,520 Speaker 1: work to the airport, personally, flew to North Carolina, rented 548 00:24:13,560 --> 00:24:15,440 Speaker 1: out a car. I told the lady car but I said, 549 00:24:15,440 --> 00:24:17,040 Speaker 1: I'll be back in thirty minutes. Because I don't even 550 00:24:17,040 --> 00:24:18,880 Speaker 1: think they had uber where I was at. I said, 551 00:24:18,880 --> 00:24:20,560 Speaker 1: I'll be right back. I just seed this car for 552 00:24:20,560 --> 00:24:24,080 Speaker 1: like an hour, drove it, handed into the client, came back, 553 00:24:24,119 --> 00:24:26,200 Speaker 1: called a flight home, and was back home by five o'clock. 554 00:24:26,280 --> 00:24:28,560 Speaker 1: Now that was just a moment when those stories are there, Like, 555 00:24:28,560 --> 00:24:30,080 Speaker 1: do you have any kind of moments like that where 556 00:24:30,080 --> 00:24:31,600 Speaker 1: you just had to kind of do something and kind 557 00:24:31,600 --> 00:24:33,320 Speaker 1: of go above and beyond and make something happen. 558 00:24:34,440 --> 00:24:36,920 Speaker 2: Oh god, it's so many of them I think about. 559 00:24:36,920 --> 00:24:39,359 Speaker 2: I just had a recent order for head wraps with 560 00:24:39,480 --> 00:24:43,320 Speaker 2: my local vendor. It was all the wrong material, she said, 561 00:24:43,320 --> 00:24:45,199 Speaker 2: All I thought it, So it's a certain material that 562 00:24:45,240 --> 00:24:47,280 Speaker 2: I have to use for the head wraps. So let's say, 563 00:24:47,359 --> 00:24:49,639 Speaker 2: is one point five is the way? But it was 564 00:24:49,680 --> 00:24:51,960 Speaker 2: like one point nine, I said, So you want me 565 00:24:52,000 --> 00:24:53,960 Speaker 2: to have a brick on my head and get this 566 00:24:54,080 --> 00:24:57,479 Speaker 2: out to these people. She had to redo three thousand 567 00:24:57,520 --> 00:25:00,280 Speaker 2: dollars worth of head wraps. I had to re after 568 00:25:00,320 --> 00:25:03,240 Speaker 2: them all and then hand delivering might nothing happen, And 569 00:25:03,359 --> 00:25:07,639 Speaker 2: that's happened more than once. And just the stress of 570 00:25:07,800 --> 00:25:10,080 Speaker 2: trying it because you're you're in it right, like you 571 00:25:10,119 --> 00:25:12,480 Speaker 2: can't see the silver lining. I'm so covered up my 572 00:25:12,560 --> 00:25:15,760 Speaker 2: head wraps, i can't see it. And yes, it ended 573 00:25:15,800 --> 00:25:18,080 Speaker 2: up working out, but it's like, how do I circumvent 574 00:25:18,840 --> 00:25:21,080 Speaker 2: this from happening again? And you talk about a team. 575 00:25:21,680 --> 00:25:25,040 Speaker 2: I no longer could let one company or one manufacturer 576 00:25:25,080 --> 00:25:27,560 Speaker 2: hold the destiny of my entire brand. So now I 577 00:25:27,560 --> 00:25:30,080 Speaker 2: have three. Yeah, So if she can't get it done 578 00:25:30,119 --> 00:25:34,320 Speaker 2: here in Snailville, if Bonnie can't get it done in China, 579 00:25:34,720 --> 00:25:37,000 Speaker 2: I got somebody in California's my plan C and D. 580 00:25:37,320 --> 00:25:40,320 Speaker 2: And so it just every time that happens. I never 581 00:25:40,400 --> 00:25:42,840 Speaker 2: let one person hold the fate of my company, Like 582 00:25:43,440 --> 00:25:45,879 Speaker 2: you cannot be the person my assistant can't be the 583 00:25:45,880 --> 00:25:47,800 Speaker 2: one that helps me get a check to foot locker 584 00:25:47,880 --> 00:25:49,800 Speaker 2: or whoever I'm working with, And then that's the whole 585 00:25:49,840 --> 00:25:52,840 Speaker 2: detriment of the past ten years I worked on I'm 586 00:25:52,840 --> 00:25:55,280 Speaker 2: giving it to an intern. You know, my whole is 587 00:25:55,560 --> 00:25:56,639 Speaker 2: in the hands of one person. 588 00:25:57,840 --> 00:26:01,280 Speaker 3: Yeah, no, I completely understand that, completely understand that. Now. 589 00:26:02,119 --> 00:26:04,359 Speaker 1: You know I'm a content creator also, you know we 590 00:26:04,760 --> 00:26:06,760 Speaker 1: run Butter, We do lots of stuff around the city, 591 00:26:06,800 --> 00:26:09,359 Speaker 1: and you know, you with your art standpoint. But one 592 00:26:09,400 --> 00:26:11,240 Speaker 1: of the things I kind of run into challenges sometime 593 00:26:11,359 --> 00:26:14,160 Speaker 1: is just you know, being you know, inspiration and being inspired, right, 594 00:26:14,240 --> 00:26:16,879 Speaker 1: and you know your designs are so unique, you know, 595 00:26:16,920 --> 00:26:18,919 Speaker 1: where do you find inspiration? And also kind of how 596 00:26:18,920 --> 00:26:20,680 Speaker 1: do you deal with those moments where you're not necessarily 597 00:26:20,680 --> 00:26:21,560 Speaker 1: feeling that creative. 598 00:26:22,960 --> 00:26:25,400 Speaker 2: I've been dealing with that late. I haven't painted painted. 599 00:26:25,960 --> 00:26:27,679 Speaker 2: I painted a piece last week for a client, but 600 00:26:27,760 --> 00:26:31,880 Speaker 2: before that, I haven't had the desire to paint. I've 601 00:26:31,920 --> 00:26:37,040 Speaker 2: been so head down in creating moments to support the brand. 602 00:26:38,119 --> 00:26:41,240 Speaker 2: Traveling really does it for me. Massages. I'll go get 603 00:26:41,240 --> 00:26:43,440 Speaker 2: a massage just to like literally because I can't use 604 00:26:43,440 --> 00:26:46,040 Speaker 2: my phone or the massage table, so it's like I 605 00:26:46,280 --> 00:26:48,159 Speaker 2: got to just shut it off. Sometimes the noise is 606 00:26:48,200 --> 00:26:52,320 Speaker 2: too loud. I look at mail art. I love Neil Art. 607 00:26:53,320 --> 00:26:59,639 Speaker 2: Graffiti in the city. A furniture architecture documentaries on other painters, 608 00:26:59,680 --> 00:27:03,240 Speaker 2: like I love to Christian Lubertin's his documentary about why 609 00:27:03,240 --> 00:27:05,520 Speaker 2: he got started. So sometime when I remember my why, 610 00:27:06,000 --> 00:27:08,120 Speaker 2: like okay, God, give me give me something. I need 611 00:27:08,119 --> 00:27:10,520 Speaker 2: my water, I need to make it happen. So sometime 612 00:27:10,600 --> 00:27:12,120 Speaker 2: I just got to like sit still a room why 613 00:27:12,119 --> 00:27:14,080 Speaker 2: I started, or I'll go and look it up some 614 00:27:14,119 --> 00:27:15,639 Speaker 2: of my old work, Like I was like, okay, now 615 00:27:15,640 --> 00:27:17,040 Speaker 2: what did I do? How did I even do this? 616 00:27:17,119 --> 00:27:18,840 Speaker 2: So I'm like, I'm going back to my old work. 617 00:27:18,920 --> 00:27:24,199 Speaker 2: So it's a combination of remembering my purpose, letting somebody 618 00:27:24,200 --> 00:27:26,800 Speaker 2: else his purpose remind me of my purpose, and just 619 00:27:26,880 --> 00:27:30,040 Speaker 2: honestly just getting getting quiet and letting God like give 620 00:27:30,080 --> 00:27:30,720 Speaker 2: me a download. 621 00:27:31,560 --> 00:27:33,160 Speaker 3: No, that's good. I mean, yeah, you gotta you gotta 622 00:27:33,160 --> 00:27:33,959 Speaker 3: find those moments. 623 00:27:34,000 --> 00:27:34,159 Speaker 2: You know. 624 00:27:34,359 --> 00:27:37,919 Speaker 1: I remember there was a time when I was running 625 00:27:37,920 --> 00:27:40,560 Speaker 1: a business and it was extremely stressful, Like anytime my 626 00:27:40,560 --> 00:27:43,399 Speaker 1: phone would ring, I'd have a little minor anxiety attack, 627 00:27:43,440 --> 00:27:45,359 Speaker 1: and even if I would go on vacation, I had 628 00:27:45,359 --> 00:27:47,199 Speaker 1: to like lock my phone in the safe just to 629 00:27:47,200 --> 00:27:48,800 Speaker 1: get away from it for a while. So, you know, 630 00:27:48,840 --> 00:27:51,000 Speaker 1: you got to find those moments as an entrepreneur just 631 00:27:51,560 --> 00:27:53,439 Speaker 1: you know, find some peace and do whatever it kind 632 00:27:53,480 --> 00:27:55,159 Speaker 1: of takes to help you reset and get back on 633 00:27:55,760 --> 00:27:58,720 Speaker 1: you know, back on focus. You know, so completely been there, 634 00:27:59,119 --> 00:28:02,000 Speaker 1: how was living in it? Kind of specifically inspired kind 635 00:28:02,000 --> 00:28:03,600 Speaker 1: of you know, your art and your business and what 636 00:28:03,680 --> 00:28:05,000 Speaker 1: you do, Like I know a lot of that comes 637 00:28:05,040 --> 00:28:08,040 Speaker 1: from you know, South Florida and your background and everything else, 638 00:28:08,080 --> 00:28:10,440 Speaker 1: but like, you know what kind of flavored Atlanta put 639 00:28:10,440 --> 00:28:10,840 Speaker 1: on all that? 640 00:28:11,800 --> 00:28:18,000 Speaker 2: Oh, I mean Atlanta influences everything. Plug. Yeah. I think 641 00:28:18,080 --> 00:28:21,400 Speaker 2: for me being around so many other go getters, nobody 642 00:28:21,440 --> 00:28:23,080 Speaker 2: is just a regular nine to five or here, and 643 00:28:23,119 --> 00:28:27,280 Speaker 2: that is so inspirational to me. Nobody is settling with 644 00:28:27,520 --> 00:28:30,199 Speaker 2: just what they've been given. It's so many people that 645 00:28:30,200 --> 00:28:32,320 Speaker 2: are going out there and getting it. I remember sitting 646 00:28:32,359 --> 00:28:34,280 Speaker 2: I think we were at the salon and I was 647 00:28:34,320 --> 00:28:36,840 Speaker 2: talking to about styles about something random girls saying I'm 648 00:28:36,880 --> 00:28:39,680 Speaker 2: sorry I was eavesdropping, but my brother does this, he 649 00:28:39,720 --> 00:28:42,240 Speaker 2: can help you do that. I'm just like you being nosy, 650 00:28:42,280 --> 00:28:44,600 Speaker 2: but thank you, you know. And then it turned into 651 00:28:44,640 --> 00:28:47,080 Speaker 2: a relationship where like her brother helped me do this, 652 00:28:47,680 --> 00:28:50,200 Speaker 2: the brothers sisters cut like it turned into a whole 653 00:28:50,280 --> 00:28:53,680 Speaker 2: like literally a whole business team just from a whisper 654 00:28:53,720 --> 00:28:56,880 Speaker 2: to my stylence. And so Atlanta is a place where 655 00:28:57,000 --> 00:29:00,320 Speaker 2: literally dreams come true. And we say that cliche. But 656 00:29:00,400 --> 00:29:03,080 Speaker 2: even how we became friends, it was like I kept 657 00:29:03,080 --> 00:29:05,480 Speaker 2: seeing you, you kept seeing me. We kept talking a lot, 658 00:29:05,600 --> 00:29:08,040 Speaker 2: like I think that's my friend. We're friends. I don't 659 00:29:08,040 --> 00:29:10,680 Speaker 2: know what it happened. We're friends now. And it's not 660 00:29:10,720 --> 00:29:12,720 Speaker 2: only that we're friends. We're like, how can I get 661 00:29:12,720 --> 00:29:15,840 Speaker 2: my friend an opportunity? How can I put my friend's 662 00:29:15,920 --> 00:29:19,040 Speaker 2: brand on? Even the earrings that I wear, I had 663 00:29:19,080 --> 00:29:21,240 Speaker 2: never met the design of these earrings. We just talked 664 00:29:21,280 --> 00:29:23,840 Speaker 2: on social, but it matched so much to my esthatic. 665 00:29:23,880 --> 00:29:25,400 Speaker 2: I was like, we gotta be friends because you obviously 666 00:29:25,440 --> 00:29:27,480 Speaker 2: talking to God like me. And then now I have 667 00:29:27,600 --> 00:29:30,840 Speaker 2: so many sisters in creativity that I couldn't find in Atlanta. 668 00:29:31,400 --> 00:29:33,840 Speaker 2: Now I'm finding them on social. So it's like, I 669 00:29:33,840 --> 00:29:35,600 Speaker 2: think being in Atlanta makes you feel less. We here 670 00:29:35,680 --> 00:29:38,120 Speaker 2: knows so much. We like I'm just asking, see, like 671 00:29:38,200 --> 00:29:39,880 Speaker 2: you want to hang out, you want to work on 672 00:29:39,920 --> 00:29:42,640 Speaker 2: this project? Meet, shoot, let's shoot your shot. And we 673 00:29:42,680 --> 00:29:44,960 Speaker 2: don't just shoot our shots here, we do it. Yeah, 674 00:29:45,000 --> 00:29:48,040 Speaker 2: You're like, I want to do a forum on black creativity, 675 00:29:48,120 --> 00:29:50,320 Speaker 2: the status of it. Shoot, I'm gonna run out of 676 00:29:50,320 --> 00:29:52,440 Speaker 2: the gathering spot. We're gonna have it on Friday. I'm 677 00:29:52,480 --> 00:29:54,360 Speaker 2: like this week, like, yeah, it was an ideal on Monday. 678 00:29:54,440 --> 00:29:57,480 Speaker 2: By Friday, you got a location, you got a caterer, 679 00:29:57,840 --> 00:30:00,240 Speaker 2: you got people on your panel, you got people give 680 00:30:00,280 --> 00:30:02,400 Speaker 2: our liquor. I was like, you just came up this 681 00:30:02,480 --> 00:30:03,960 Speaker 2: last week. You're like, yeah, it's can you do it? 682 00:30:04,040 --> 00:30:06,320 Speaker 2: Yes or not? I'm like, shoot, I'm in. And we 683 00:30:06,360 --> 00:30:08,000 Speaker 2: always say we're in because we know if one of 684 00:30:08,040 --> 00:30:10,440 Speaker 2: us call each other, it's legit and we've done the work, 685 00:30:10,880 --> 00:30:14,280 Speaker 2: and it's literally like okay, overnight success because we all 686 00:30:14,320 --> 00:30:16,200 Speaker 2: trust each other and we're like we're here to like 687 00:30:16,480 --> 00:30:18,880 Speaker 2: what do you need help with? Like I'm never too 688 00:30:18,880 --> 00:30:21,640 Speaker 2: big to be like Brandon, what do you need help with? 689 00:30:21,720 --> 00:30:23,360 Speaker 2: Like I could be literally be on the stage given 690 00:30:23,400 --> 00:30:25,960 Speaker 2: a keynote for X y Z, But if I see 691 00:30:25,960 --> 00:30:27,440 Speaker 2: you or none of like, oh Brandon, give me my 692 00:30:27,480 --> 00:30:29,600 Speaker 2: ear piece, I gotta see what he wants. And that's 693 00:30:29,640 --> 00:30:32,880 Speaker 2: just how we choose our relationship. So Atlanta, I mean, 694 00:30:32,960 --> 00:30:34,640 Speaker 2: I don't even know where else I could live. Like 695 00:30:34,680 --> 00:30:36,640 Speaker 2: I'm having a problem, Like when I date other people 696 00:30:36,760 --> 00:30:40,040 Speaker 2: Like so movie Tantlanta? What are you thinking? So is 697 00:30:40,040 --> 00:30:43,280 Speaker 2: that not an option? Or yeah, this may not work 698 00:30:43,360 --> 00:30:44,600 Speaker 2: because you gotta come to Atlanta. 699 00:30:45,080 --> 00:30:46,920 Speaker 1: Yeah, that's that's the crazy thing, right, Like you out 700 00:30:46,920 --> 00:30:48,640 Speaker 1: here long enough, you start thinking like where would I 701 00:30:48,640 --> 00:30:53,160 Speaker 1: actually go from here? And it's it's something I've been 702 00:30:53,160 --> 00:30:55,040 Speaker 1: thinking about for years, Like if I ever left Atlanta, 703 00:30:55,080 --> 00:30:55,680 Speaker 1: where would I go? 704 00:30:55,760 --> 00:31:00,360 Speaker 3: And you know, Africa, I don't know, it's. 705 00:31:00,240 --> 00:31:02,120 Speaker 2: Gotta be a hard it's a hard sale to get 706 00:31:02,200 --> 00:31:03,440 Speaker 2: us to leave here. Like we got a lot of 707 00:31:03,440 --> 00:31:05,400 Speaker 2: good relationships in Atlanta and they. 708 00:31:05,360 --> 00:31:08,720 Speaker 1: Just work absolutely. So what you got coming up? I 709 00:31:08,760 --> 00:31:10,720 Speaker 1: know you got some big projects coming up? You know 710 00:31:10,800 --> 00:31:13,800 Speaker 1: some things you're excited about, Like what you're looking forward to. 711 00:31:14,160 --> 00:31:16,880 Speaker 2: I have a big collection coming out with She and 712 00:31:17,200 --> 00:31:19,160 Speaker 2: shn She and how do y'all want to pronounce it? 713 00:31:19,720 --> 00:31:22,480 Speaker 2: That's coming out in the month on top of August. 714 00:31:22,920 --> 00:31:25,240 Speaker 2: I have a natural hair show I'm traveling to in 715 00:31:25,240 --> 00:31:30,920 Speaker 2: Mississippi also in the July, preparing for homecoming season. I 716 00:31:30,920 --> 00:31:34,400 Speaker 2: have a huge project I'm working out with a company 717 00:31:34,440 --> 00:31:38,200 Speaker 2: called Wakatti Hair and I'm choosing the next the next 718 00:31:38,240 --> 00:31:42,160 Speaker 2: great big artist that's coming out of HBCUs got it 719 00:31:42,280 --> 00:31:44,480 Speaker 2: so much, and a couple of other big things that 720 00:31:44,520 --> 00:31:48,000 Speaker 2: are brewing. Yeah, But I think for me, I try 721 00:31:48,040 --> 00:31:50,400 Speaker 2: not to get caught up in my wins and I 722 00:31:50,440 --> 00:31:52,560 Speaker 2: try not to cad up in my next because now 723 00:31:52,600 --> 00:31:55,320 Speaker 2: it's so important. So I literally was like, when I 724 00:31:55,320 --> 00:31:56,840 Speaker 2: get off the phone here, I'm going to try to 725 00:31:56,880 --> 00:31:58,240 Speaker 2: just sit still in what happened. 726 00:31:58,240 --> 00:32:00,160 Speaker 3: In essence, Yeah, as. 727 00:32:00,080 --> 00:32:01,440 Speaker 2: Soon as you finished one big thing, you're like, hey, 728 00:32:01,440 --> 00:32:03,680 Speaker 2: what's next. You're like, well, it just it was yesterday. 729 00:32:04,160 --> 00:32:07,720 Speaker 2: Let me let me talk about yesterday, you know. So 730 00:32:08,120 --> 00:32:11,080 Speaker 2: it's such a struggle too because we're such planners and doers. 731 00:32:11,680 --> 00:32:15,000 Speaker 2: It's like, we had that amazing we had that amazing 732 00:32:15,000 --> 00:32:16,480 Speaker 2: forum just a few months ago, and it's like it 733 00:32:16,480 --> 00:32:19,320 Speaker 2: felt like that was two years ago. That was this year, 734 00:32:19,360 --> 00:32:20,680 Speaker 2: And I'm like, dangn not cause I was looking at 735 00:32:20,680 --> 00:32:22,520 Speaker 2: the pictures for this, I'm like, dang, that was this year, 736 00:32:23,320 --> 00:32:25,120 Speaker 2: you know. And so I have to. I have to. 737 00:32:25,240 --> 00:32:27,600 Speaker 2: It's a personal thing for me to like, Melissa, slow down, 738 00:32:27,720 --> 00:32:31,160 Speaker 2: like you've done a lot, like don't beat yourself up. 739 00:32:31,200 --> 00:32:33,120 Speaker 2: So I think, like I get in tears. I'm a 740 00:32:33,200 --> 00:32:35,800 Speaker 2: cry baby when I think about all I've done, but 741 00:32:35,840 --> 00:32:38,080 Speaker 2: I have to make myself sitting it long enough so 742 00:32:38,120 --> 00:32:41,200 Speaker 2: I don't forget how good that felt when I accomplished 743 00:32:41,200 --> 00:32:43,120 Speaker 2: what I did last week at Essence Fest, you know, 744 00:32:43,240 --> 00:32:47,000 Speaker 2: and like what I did earlier this year with Truist. 745 00:32:47,040 --> 00:32:49,080 Speaker 2: I was a headliner for that, so there meant so 746 00:32:49,120 --> 00:32:52,160 Speaker 2: many wins that get buried about what's next. So I 747 00:32:52,200 --> 00:32:54,600 Speaker 2: have to like make sure I get props to what 748 00:32:54,680 --> 00:32:56,800 Speaker 2: I was able to do already while I get prepared 749 00:32:56,840 --> 00:32:57,600 Speaker 2: for the next. 750 00:32:57,840 --> 00:32:59,640 Speaker 3: Yeah you got to again. If not, you're just kinda 751 00:32:59,680 --> 00:33:01,920 Speaker 3: run thing to think. You don't you don't really get a. 752 00:33:01,920 --> 00:33:03,200 Speaker 1: Chance, like you said, sit in it and kind of 753 00:33:03,200 --> 00:33:05,880 Speaker 1: appreciate it, Like, yeah, that event that we did, you know, 754 00:33:05,920 --> 00:33:08,320 Speaker 1: that was back in what February of this year, and 755 00:33:08,600 --> 00:33:11,080 Speaker 1: I mean the year is kind of flying by, and yeah, 756 00:33:11,080 --> 00:33:12,880 Speaker 1: you need those moments to just be like, oh I 757 00:33:12,920 --> 00:33:13,360 Speaker 1: did that. 758 00:33:13,360 --> 00:33:13,880 Speaker 3: That was dope. 759 00:33:13,920 --> 00:33:16,240 Speaker 1: These people came out and supported you know. It's really 760 00:33:16,280 --> 00:33:18,280 Speaker 1: important to kind of just you know, not just be 761 00:33:18,400 --> 00:33:20,480 Speaker 1: on to the next thing every time, you know, accomplish 762 00:33:20,480 --> 00:33:23,000 Speaker 1: something right, but really kind of sit in and think 763 00:33:23,040 --> 00:33:25,840 Speaker 1: about it and get feedback on it. All kind of matters, 764 00:33:25,840 --> 00:33:27,520 Speaker 1: so you're not just you know, burning yourself out and 765 00:33:27,600 --> 00:33:30,440 Speaker 1: just keeping going non stop. This hustle cultur will get 766 00:33:30,480 --> 00:33:31,120 Speaker 1: you if you lit it. 767 00:33:31,120 --> 00:33:34,520 Speaker 2: You know, I'm telling you. 768 00:33:33,440 --> 00:33:35,640 Speaker 1: Now, let me ask you this now. I know you're 769 00:33:35,640 --> 00:33:37,960 Speaker 1: doing all this art, you're crushing it, You're doing everything. 770 00:33:38,000 --> 00:33:40,960 Speaker 1: But if money wasn't an object, if you were doing whatever, like, 771 00:33:41,000 --> 00:33:41,760 Speaker 1: would you still. 772 00:33:41,520 --> 00:33:43,440 Speaker 3: Be doing this? If money wasn't an object, Like, what 773 00:33:43,480 --> 00:33:44,200 Speaker 3: would you be doing? 774 00:33:45,440 --> 00:33:47,360 Speaker 2: I always say this, it's just like a people would 775 00:33:47,360 --> 00:33:49,760 Speaker 2: never believe this. I would love to be a farmer. 776 00:33:51,240 --> 00:33:54,480 Speaker 2: I would love to raise like exotic flowers and palm 777 00:33:54,560 --> 00:33:58,520 Speaker 2: trees because I love watching the process of like I mean, 778 00:33:58,520 --> 00:34:01,400 Speaker 2: you've seen a seed, like the seed is so little 779 00:34:01,480 --> 00:34:03,960 Speaker 2: and for what comes from a seed, it's like mind blowing. 780 00:34:04,000 --> 00:34:06,160 Speaker 2: I'm like, I did this from a seed, and so 781 00:34:06,200 --> 00:34:08,719 Speaker 2: I have a gorgeous garden now. But just watching how 782 00:34:08,840 --> 00:34:12,040 Speaker 2: you rely on the weather, you rely on the sun, 783 00:34:12,160 --> 00:34:14,319 Speaker 2: you rely on like the calendar. So I think for 784 00:34:14,440 --> 00:34:18,279 Speaker 2: me aar be a farmer. Another thing I want to 785 00:34:18,360 --> 00:34:20,080 Speaker 2: do too is and I might actually do this in 786 00:34:20,120 --> 00:34:23,840 Speaker 2: real life, is just travel to different hospitals and do 787 00:34:23,960 --> 00:34:27,760 Speaker 2: hospital makeovers because I feel like when our dad passed away, 788 00:34:28,080 --> 00:34:30,279 Speaker 2: all I remember are white walls, like it was so 789 00:34:30,560 --> 00:34:34,040 Speaker 2: like daunting, like that hallway ye going to check the 790 00:34:34,080 --> 00:34:36,359 Speaker 2: sea if he was gonna make it. You know, when 791 00:34:36,400 --> 00:34:38,200 Speaker 2: you're just there, it's just such a it feels like 792 00:34:38,200 --> 00:34:39,960 Speaker 2: it's encroaching on you. So I would love to do 793 00:34:40,040 --> 00:34:43,560 Speaker 2: makeovers for like hospice sinners, so like the last thing 794 00:34:43,600 --> 00:34:46,200 Speaker 2: people see when they pass away are like bright colors, 795 00:34:46,200 --> 00:34:48,080 Speaker 2: Like they don't see the white light going towards the 796 00:34:48,080 --> 00:34:50,040 Speaker 2: white light, Like, how do we know it's not colorful 797 00:34:50,040 --> 00:34:50,719 Speaker 2: when you go to heaven? 798 00:34:51,400 --> 00:34:51,800 Speaker 3: Yeah? 799 00:34:52,040 --> 00:34:54,680 Speaker 2: No, So I would love to like an RV tour 800 00:34:54,719 --> 00:34:57,120 Speaker 2: where we like literally go like it almost like with 801 00:34:57,160 --> 00:34:59,439 Speaker 2: the Extreme makeovers, where you like pull a curtain back 802 00:34:59,480 --> 00:35:02,319 Speaker 2: and it's like a beautiful hospital room and so when 803 00:35:02,320 --> 00:35:05,040 Speaker 2: you get sick, you get put in this room and 804 00:35:05,080 --> 00:35:07,200 Speaker 2: it has like music, it has art, and it's like 805 00:35:07,239 --> 00:35:09,200 Speaker 2: a whole experience. So I would love to do that 806 00:35:10,040 --> 00:35:12,719 Speaker 2: for different hospitals, or even go to people's homes where 807 00:35:12,719 --> 00:35:15,799 Speaker 2: they're like passing away and remake their rooms as they're dying. 808 00:35:16,560 --> 00:35:19,799 Speaker 1: I see a TV show in your future as you're 809 00:35:19,840 --> 00:35:22,160 Speaker 1: going around traveling around the country, and I can't wait 810 00:35:22,200 --> 00:35:25,040 Speaker 1: to watch it. It's gonna be amazing and just seeing 811 00:35:25,040 --> 00:35:27,839 Speaker 1: how that's going to impact people. So before we get 812 00:35:27,840 --> 00:35:29,799 Speaker 1: out of here, one last just question for you is 813 00:35:30,320 --> 00:35:32,480 Speaker 1: what what what one piece of advice, like, what's your 814 00:35:32,480 --> 00:35:34,520 Speaker 1: one second advice that you would give to you know, 815 00:35:34,520 --> 00:35:36,880 Speaker 1: an aspired an entrepreneur or artists that's kind of that 816 00:35:36,960 --> 00:35:38,800 Speaker 1: wants to build something. Maybe they're kind of scared to 817 00:35:38,840 --> 00:35:41,120 Speaker 1: take that leap, scared to you know, step out of 818 00:35:41,160 --> 00:35:43,080 Speaker 1: corporate that comfortability and kind of. 819 00:35:43,000 --> 00:35:44,720 Speaker 3: Do their own thing. Like, what's that piece of advice 820 00:35:44,760 --> 00:35:45,400 Speaker 3: you'd give them. 821 00:35:46,680 --> 00:35:50,160 Speaker 2: Don't be afraid of speaking your voice. Your language was 822 00:35:50,200 --> 00:35:53,040 Speaker 2: given to you for a reason, and when your blessings 823 00:35:53,040 --> 00:35:55,799 Speaker 2: come down, it's gonna come to exactly who you are, 824 00:35:55,920 --> 00:35:58,120 Speaker 2: not to who you pretend to be. And I find 825 00:35:58,160 --> 00:36:00,560 Speaker 2: I find a lot of artists trying to become mogulation 826 00:36:00,680 --> 00:36:03,520 Speaker 2: of who they study and who they you know, inspire 827 00:36:03,640 --> 00:36:06,400 Speaker 2: to be, and they forget that, Yes, it's great to 828 00:36:06,440 --> 00:36:09,680 Speaker 2: be inspired by the Brandons and Melissa's, but the Connie's, 829 00:36:09,800 --> 00:36:13,080 Speaker 2: the Ramses. Whoever you were given is a very specific 830 00:36:13,160 --> 00:36:16,840 Speaker 2: DNA attached to that blessing. And so don't be afraid 831 00:36:16,840 --> 00:36:19,759 Speaker 2: to be yourself, even if it feels lonely even it 832 00:36:19,760 --> 00:36:24,120 Speaker 2: feels misunderstood. Eventually you'll get paid to be you and 833 00:36:24,320 --> 00:36:26,440 Speaker 2: everybody will want to know your story. So don't be 834 00:36:26,480 --> 00:36:28,800 Speaker 2: afraid to speak fully and loudly in your voice. 835 00:36:29,320 --> 00:36:31,040 Speaker 3: Let me tell you something. There's nothing like getting paid 836 00:36:31,080 --> 00:36:35,480 Speaker 3: to be yourself. It is a beautiful, beautiful yes, yes, 837 00:36:35,719 --> 00:36:37,839 Speaker 3: you know, like they always say, be yourself. Everybody else 838 00:36:37,920 --> 00:36:41,239 Speaker 3: is taken, so the world will adjust. 839 00:36:42,600 --> 00:36:44,640 Speaker 1: Well, Yo, Melissa, thank you so much for coming on. 840 00:36:44,719 --> 00:36:46,560 Speaker 1: Before we get out of here, please tell everybody how 841 00:36:46,600 --> 00:36:48,400 Speaker 1: they can find you, How can they support you? How 842 00:36:48,400 --> 00:36:50,240 Speaker 1: can they go buy some stuff? 843 00:36:50,360 --> 00:36:50,480 Speaker 2: Like? 844 00:36:50,560 --> 00:36:50,719 Speaker 3: You know? 845 00:36:52,440 --> 00:36:55,680 Speaker 2: Up, I'm easily to be. I'm easy to be Google. 846 00:36:55,920 --> 00:36:58,720 Speaker 2: I say that very humbly after ten years of working. 847 00:36:59,040 --> 00:37:02,520 Speaker 2: But it's Melissa at dot com. It's my website, my 848 00:37:02,680 --> 00:37:05,080 Speaker 2: Instagram where I'm always right on the way. It's either 849 00:37:05,120 --> 00:37:08,359 Speaker 2: colorful Ideas, it's ABO Creations and that's a B E. 850 00:37:08,480 --> 00:37:11,319 Speaker 2: I L L E Creations and yeah, you can find 851 00:37:11,360 --> 00:37:13,319 Speaker 2: me in those three different ways. I'm always around, I'm 852 00:37:13,320 --> 00:37:15,680 Speaker 2: always rounding my mouth me. 853 00:37:15,680 --> 00:37:17,719 Speaker 1: Lissa, thank you so much for being on the podcast, 854 00:37:17,760 --> 00:37:20,040 Speaker 1: and thank you again for always being supportive and being 855 00:37:20,040 --> 00:37:22,360 Speaker 1: there whenever I've needed your help. You know, one of 856 00:37:22,440 --> 00:37:24,360 Speaker 1: your biggest fans right here, and I can't wait to 857 00:37:24,360 --> 00:37:27,399 Speaker 1: see you know what amazing stuff you got coming up next. 858 00:37:27,680 --> 00:37:30,600 Speaker 2: Thank you so much. I'm grateful and I'm really excited 859 00:37:30,600 --> 00:37:32,600 Speaker 2: about the impact that this will have. Also, I know 860 00:37:32,680 --> 00:37:36,120 Speaker 2: that people will be changed, transform and encouraged to do 861 00:37:36,160 --> 00:37:36,560 Speaker 2: some more. 862 00:37:37,560 --> 00:37:40,120 Speaker 3: Well, thank you pouring back into me. I appreciate it 863 00:37:40,360 --> 00:37:41,239 Speaker 3: right back here to you. 864 00:37:41,280 --> 00:37:44,600 Speaker 2: Look you poured that's and that's Atlanta. Like you're like, 865 00:37:44,640 --> 00:37:46,279 Speaker 2: what's up? Shot? And now what's up? Like we're gonna 866 00:37:46,280 --> 00:37:49,719 Speaker 2: be doing the Spider Man. We're gonna be giving it 867 00:37:49,800 --> 00:37:51,560 Speaker 2: right back to each other. And I love that about us. 868 00:37:51,600 --> 00:37:54,719 Speaker 2: So thank you for including me, for seeing me and 869 00:37:54,719 --> 00:37:56,920 Speaker 2: giving me opportunities like I don't take it for granted. 870 00:37:57,239 --> 00:37:58,680 Speaker 3: Absolutely well, thank y'all. 871 00:37:58,719 --> 00:38:03,920 Speaker 1: That's the pod to for the next one. You've been 872 00:38:03,960 --> 00:38:06,720 Speaker 1: listening to button Nomics and I'm your host, Brandon Butler. 873 00:38:06,880 --> 00:38:09,000 Speaker 1: Comments feedback. Want to be a part of the show, 874 00:38:09,200 --> 00:38:12,640 Speaker 1: send us an email today at hello at butterdomics dot com. 875 00:38:12,719 --> 00:38:16,000 Speaker 1: Butter Nomics is produced in Atlanta, Georgia at iHeartMedia by Ramsey, 876 00:38:16,280 --> 00:38:18,880 Speaker 1: with marketing and support from Queen and Nike. Music provided 877 00:38:18,920 --> 00:38:21,960 Speaker 1: by mister Hanky if you haven't already hit that subscribe 878 00:38:21,960 --> 00:38:24,279 Speaker 1: button and never missed an episode, and be sure to 879 00:38:24,280 --> 00:38:26,799 Speaker 1: follow us on all our social platforms at butter dot 880 00:38:26,840 --> 00:38:30,320 Speaker 1: at L. Listen to button Nomics on the iHeartRadio app, 881 00:38:30,400 --> 00:38:33,000 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.