1 00:00:00,840 --> 00:00:03,520 Speaker 1: Welcome to Money Making Conversations. I am your host, ra 2 00:00:03,560 --> 00:00:06,760 Speaker 1: Sean McDonald. It is important to understand that everybody travels 3 00:00:06,760 --> 00:00:09,400 Speaker 1: a different path to success. That is because your brand 4 00:00:09,480 --> 00:00:12,200 Speaker 1: is different, the challenges you face in your life are different. 5 00:00:12,280 --> 00:00:15,000 Speaker 1: So stop reading other people's success stories and start writing 6 00:00:15,040 --> 00:00:18,159 Speaker 1: your own. My Money Making Conversation interviews will encourage you 7 00:00:18,200 --> 00:00:20,600 Speaker 1: to leave with your gifts and never use age as 8 00:00:20,600 --> 00:00:23,600 Speaker 1: an excuse when playing in your goals. My next guest 9 00:00:23,680 --> 00:00:26,720 Speaker 1: never thought she'd become an entrepreneur, but once she had 10 00:00:26,760 --> 00:00:29,360 Speaker 1: an idea, she put together playing together and set a 11 00:00:29,400 --> 00:00:32,240 Speaker 1: budget and went forward. She never she has never looked back. 12 00:00:32,920 --> 00:00:37,400 Speaker 1: My guests invented the Prima fabric, which is antibacterial sweat 13 00:00:37,520 --> 00:00:40,879 Speaker 1: don't smell fabric. She launched a sale which I had 14 00:00:40,880 --> 00:00:42,159 Speaker 1: to be a part of. We're gonna talk about that 15 00:00:42,200 --> 00:00:44,040 Speaker 1: in the middle of our interview. She likened to sell 16 00:00:44,159 --> 00:00:47,519 Speaker 1: lifestyle in August twenty and eighteen with men's and men 17 00:00:47,640 --> 00:00:52,080 Speaker 1: and women's shirts made out of this preparatory fabric. She 18 00:00:52,200 --> 00:00:54,920 Speaker 1: always she basically, she always knew there wouldn't gonna be 19 00:00:55,000 --> 00:00:57,360 Speaker 1: more applications for the fabric, but you always want to 20 00:00:57,400 --> 00:00:59,440 Speaker 1: launch with jewelry that original line. Day. You always want 21 00:00:59,480 --> 00:01:01,160 Speaker 1: to put your world work into the idea. Make sure 22 00:01:01,200 --> 00:01:03,360 Speaker 1: that don't just jump out there. I got a thousand ideas. 23 00:01:03,680 --> 00:01:06,080 Speaker 1: She focused on that one idea. And when you're the 24 00:01:06,160 --> 00:01:10,679 Speaker 1: pandemic hit man, old man, did she pivot? Her company 25 00:01:10,760 --> 00:01:14,720 Speaker 1: has sold with four hundred thousand facial mass during the pandemic. 26 00:01:14,959 --> 00:01:17,479 Speaker 1: She's only show to talk about her making that right 27 00:01:17,600 --> 00:01:21,000 Speaker 1: business decision at the right time, doing the pandemic and 28 00:01:21,080 --> 00:01:24,240 Speaker 1: before the pandemic, please work with the money making conversations. 29 00:01:24,280 --> 00:01:26,560 Speaker 1: My different I call it different. I've been known this seen. 30 00:01:26,720 --> 00:01:28,959 Speaker 1: I remember when I say I'm a one of those. 31 00:01:29,280 --> 00:01:36,240 Speaker 1: I remember when friends, Okay, please work on Megan Edding, Sean, 32 00:01:36,640 --> 00:01:38,840 Speaker 1: thank you, thank you. We over you're smiling. You're right. 33 00:01:38,880 --> 00:01:42,800 Speaker 1: I mean we are friends. And yeah, when I first 34 00:01:42,880 --> 00:01:46,479 Speaker 1: officially met you for the first business competition I ever entered, 35 00:01:46,560 --> 00:01:49,800 Speaker 1: and a friendship was born pretty much that day. Absolutely, 36 00:01:49,800 --> 00:01:51,600 Speaker 1: and you want it, by the way, let's go. Let's 37 00:01:51,600 --> 00:01:53,360 Speaker 1: go and add the other part of that. I believe 38 00:01:53,400 --> 00:01:56,040 Speaker 1: they the winning first Pride was like what ten thousand 39 00:01:56,080 --> 00:01:58,560 Speaker 1: dollars something like that. It was ten thousand dollars. Yeah, 40 00:01:58,600 --> 00:02:01,720 Speaker 1: we want Mayor Turner Housing do business competition here in Houston, 41 00:02:01,800 --> 00:02:05,240 Speaker 1: and I want Houston's best new product and sans favorite 42 00:02:05,320 --> 00:02:08,440 Speaker 1: and ten thousand dollars, which Lord knows I needed. Well, 43 00:02:08,520 --> 00:02:10,400 Speaker 1: we all need money, and we all need money to 44 00:02:10,440 --> 00:02:13,600 Speaker 1: start a business. And what when you wanted what was 45 00:02:13,639 --> 00:02:15,920 Speaker 1: your first thought? Because you get in the competition, there's 46 00:02:15,960 --> 00:02:18,519 Speaker 1: a while. I have a good idea. What was the 47 00:02:18,560 --> 00:02:22,720 Speaker 1: whole process of preparing for that competition as we evolved 48 00:02:22,800 --> 00:02:27,040 Speaker 1: to move involved into as you are now a multi 49 00:02:27,160 --> 00:02:31,919 Speaker 1: tiered business. That is really uh. I guess one could 50 00:02:31,919 --> 00:02:35,440 Speaker 1: say saw the facial mass market before a lot of 51 00:02:35,480 --> 00:02:37,639 Speaker 1: people saw the facial mass market because it is a 52 00:02:37,680 --> 00:02:40,720 Speaker 1: global industry now. But you stepped in with a private 53 00:02:40,880 --> 00:02:43,840 Speaker 1: fabrige that that works now and also feel makes people 54 00:02:43,880 --> 00:02:46,000 Speaker 1: feel safe now as well. But let's talk about it. 55 00:02:46,040 --> 00:02:48,880 Speaker 1: In the beginning of twenty seventeen, you endered this contest 56 00:02:49,040 --> 00:02:51,440 Speaker 1: first five or ten thousand dollars. I was hosting it 57 00:02:51,880 --> 00:02:54,760 Speaker 1: Mayris Invester Turner was tired to had other people who 58 00:02:54,800 --> 00:02:58,440 Speaker 1: were success stories as judges on the panel talk about 59 00:02:58,480 --> 00:03:01,560 Speaker 1: that whole experience. Yeah, it was wild. Well that's that 60 00:03:02,000 --> 00:03:06,040 Speaker 1: new business competition in twenty seventeen. Um, I my fabric 61 00:03:06,160 --> 00:03:07,840 Speaker 1: wasn't even like I didn't even submit it to get 62 00:03:07,880 --> 00:03:10,840 Speaker 1: patented yet. I was still in the design phase, like 63 00:03:10,919 --> 00:03:12,919 Speaker 1: working on it for about a year. But I saw, 64 00:03:13,040 --> 00:03:15,200 Speaker 1: you know, let's go into this competition, because not only 65 00:03:15,240 --> 00:03:17,359 Speaker 1: is there a competition which I love to win, you 66 00:03:17,440 --> 00:03:19,840 Speaker 1: actually learn a lot. I've never owned a business before, 67 00:03:19,880 --> 00:03:22,000 Speaker 1: so you have to attend, you know, all these classes 68 00:03:22,160 --> 00:03:24,600 Speaker 1: every two weeks um. You have to apply to get 69 00:03:24,600 --> 00:03:27,519 Speaker 1: into the competition, and so the learning experience of just 70 00:03:27,600 --> 00:03:29,880 Speaker 1: how to start your own company was amazing and just 71 00:03:30,000 --> 00:03:33,679 Speaker 1: obviously the connections that I made. Uh, but it's interesting 72 00:03:33,760 --> 00:03:36,200 Speaker 1: that was the first one I ever entered. And the 73 00:03:36,400 --> 00:03:40,800 Speaker 1: word that I really started carrying around after that competition 74 00:03:41,000 --> 00:03:44,920 Speaker 1: was confidence. Because all my close circle, my friends, my family, 75 00:03:45,040 --> 00:03:47,000 Speaker 1: you know, people that I know have made great idea, 76 00:03:47,120 --> 00:03:49,120 Speaker 1: great idea, but this was the panel of people I 77 00:03:49,200 --> 00:03:51,640 Speaker 1: didn't even know that shows me his first place for 78 00:03:51,720 --> 00:03:54,240 Speaker 1: my products. So I thought, Okay, I'm onto something. And 79 00:03:54,320 --> 00:03:57,400 Speaker 1: that's when like I was really like confident after that, 80 00:03:57,560 --> 00:03:59,520 Speaker 1: just keep going for it. Well, you know the thing 81 00:03:59,600 --> 00:04:01,760 Speaker 1: about it this that I can remember, I was the judge. 82 00:04:01,800 --> 00:04:03,440 Speaker 1: I was not judged. I was one of the hosts 83 00:04:03,480 --> 00:04:05,800 Speaker 1: and I got to see everybody's presentation, so I wasn't 84 00:04:05,840 --> 00:04:09,680 Speaker 1: surprised that you want because you were you were introducing 85 00:04:09,720 --> 00:04:13,800 Speaker 1: the concept. Uh there was. I felt ahead of his time. 86 00:04:14,040 --> 00:04:16,720 Speaker 1: Who doesn't who doesn't tweat and too go wow and 87 00:04:16,880 --> 00:04:19,800 Speaker 1: lift up their arm and go that's pretty bad. I 88 00:04:19,839 --> 00:04:22,640 Speaker 1: don't want anybody hugging me today. And and you were 89 00:04:22,720 --> 00:04:26,239 Speaker 1: introducing the fabric that I felt people needed and people 90 00:04:26,720 --> 00:04:29,960 Speaker 1: would wear. And so fast forward from seventeen then you 91 00:04:30,160 --> 00:04:34,240 Speaker 1: launched Ineen. You actually launched your product and the name 92 00:04:34,360 --> 00:04:36,000 Speaker 1: was a Selle. How did you come up with the 93 00:04:36,080 --> 00:04:39,360 Speaker 1: name of sale? A C C E L A C 94 00:04:39,520 --> 00:04:42,280 Speaker 1: C E L L right L A C C E 95 00:04:42,560 --> 00:04:44,760 Speaker 1: L and then lifestyle and yeah it comes from So 96 00:04:45,080 --> 00:04:48,040 Speaker 1: chemistry is my background. And my husband he's not like 97 00:04:48,279 --> 00:04:50,719 Speaker 1: legally part of the business, but he's married, so we're married. 98 00:04:50,800 --> 00:04:55,160 Speaker 1: Therefore kind of part. I'm carrying the cloth and come 99 00:04:55,160 --> 00:04:59,320 Speaker 1: out in the video news. Yeah, that was, yeah exactly. 100 00:05:00,400 --> 00:05:02,600 Speaker 1: Let's just say he's not on the LLC, but he's definitely, 101 00:05:02,680 --> 00:05:05,120 Speaker 1: you know, part of the team. Um, but so he 102 00:05:05,200 --> 00:05:07,680 Speaker 1: majored in physics, that's his background. Literally, were just sitting 103 00:05:07,720 --> 00:05:09,440 Speaker 1: on the couch and I wanted to think of a 104 00:05:09,520 --> 00:05:11,560 Speaker 1: word to name the company that definitely had like a 105 00:05:11,720 --> 00:05:15,560 Speaker 1: science kind of science feel, because of course it is prepared, 106 00:05:15,760 --> 00:05:18,240 Speaker 1: proprietary fabric, but I also wanted to be a word 107 00:05:18,320 --> 00:05:21,960 Speaker 1: that was positive, like a positive, empowering, empowering feel as well. 108 00:05:22,480 --> 00:05:25,039 Speaker 1: So we just and this didn't just happened to one night. Basically, 109 00:05:25,080 --> 00:05:28,120 Speaker 1: you know, wrote out eighty words roughly and kind of 110 00:05:28,160 --> 00:05:31,479 Speaker 1: went through them. And Excel was short for the word accelerates, 111 00:05:31,520 --> 00:05:33,400 Speaker 1: So accelerate is obviously, like you know, kind of like 112 00:05:33,480 --> 00:05:37,120 Speaker 1: a physics science word, and then um short to excel 113 00:05:37,279 --> 00:05:39,920 Speaker 1: and just like accelerate your life, your health, your happiness, 114 00:05:40,000 --> 00:05:43,080 Speaker 1: giving back, you know, all that positive stuff is what 115 00:05:43,200 --> 00:05:46,240 Speaker 1: the word Excel represents. And it really because I remember 116 00:05:46,279 --> 00:05:48,200 Speaker 1: that when it was launched. I remember I was part 117 00:05:48,279 --> 00:05:52,120 Speaker 1: of your low brain trust. You had little quote ideas, 118 00:05:52,600 --> 00:05:54,560 Speaker 1: what do you think about this? What about what do 119 00:05:54,600 --> 00:05:56,760 Speaker 1: you think about this? And I throw back ideas, and 120 00:05:57,279 --> 00:05:59,000 Speaker 1: you know, because that's what you have to do. You 121 00:05:59,080 --> 00:06:02,240 Speaker 1: can't be the smartest person in the room, and and 122 00:06:02,400 --> 00:06:04,400 Speaker 1: you have to have people who are not trying to 123 00:06:04,480 --> 00:06:07,000 Speaker 1: invest that I try to. If I give you the idea, 124 00:06:07,080 --> 00:06:09,280 Speaker 1: you're only five percent or you'll be a hundred dollars. 125 00:06:09,279 --> 00:06:11,200 Speaker 1: You have to have people just believe in you so 126 00:06:11,400 --> 00:06:14,320 Speaker 1: much they're willing to help you out. And that's or 127 00:06:14,480 --> 00:06:18,640 Speaker 1: mentors that are professionals who understand the value of relationships 128 00:06:18,720 --> 00:06:22,039 Speaker 1: and partnerships. That that's nothing has nothing to do with equity. 129 00:06:22,320 --> 00:06:24,920 Speaker 1: It's about supporting someone. So you have a very strong 130 00:06:25,000 --> 00:06:29,200 Speaker 1: support group. Tell us about it. I do. I I say, like, 131 00:06:29,400 --> 00:06:32,160 Speaker 1: I've you know, excelled, been successful, and I worked my 132 00:06:32,240 --> 00:06:35,119 Speaker 1: butt off, but I also know what my skill sets 133 00:06:35,200 --> 00:06:37,440 Speaker 1: are and are not, and I am super blessed and 134 00:06:37,480 --> 00:06:39,280 Speaker 1: we're suing. You're part of that circle. I mean, like 135 00:06:40,000 --> 00:06:42,600 Speaker 1: the amount of people that I never knew before I 136 00:06:42,640 --> 00:06:45,680 Speaker 1: started this entrepreneurial journey that have since come forward, you know, 137 00:06:45,760 --> 00:06:47,640 Speaker 1: and that I just met on this journey that have 138 00:06:47,960 --> 00:06:51,240 Speaker 1: given me advice and you know, their expertise, and you know, 139 00:06:51,320 --> 00:06:53,000 Speaker 1: some of this kind of hard to hear, but that 140 00:06:53,200 --> 00:06:55,960 Speaker 1: those people I want to listen to. UM, it's just 141 00:06:56,160 --> 00:06:59,760 Speaker 1: been unbelievable. The relationships that I have formed, both on 142 00:06:59,839 --> 00:07:02,400 Speaker 1: our friendship level and on a business level with just 143 00:07:02,480 --> 00:07:04,840 Speaker 1: people with these awesome expertise is that I don't have, 144 00:07:05,040 --> 00:07:07,839 Speaker 1: and they've just been willing to share and tell us 145 00:07:07,880 --> 00:07:11,240 Speaker 1: about about your the padnit product that you brought to 146 00:07:11,360 --> 00:07:14,480 Speaker 1: the just to the stage. I want to make sure 147 00:07:14,520 --> 00:07:16,480 Speaker 1: before we get into the mass, let's talk about that 148 00:07:16,600 --> 00:07:20,360 Speaker 1: product that you pad Yeah, actually point how I was 149 00:07:20,360 --> 00:07:22,280 Speaker 1: going to lead into the mass. So basically, my husband 150 00:07:22,280 --> 00:07:25,080 Speaker 1: and I we got married five years ago. He's into fitness. 151 00:07:25,160 --> 00:07:27,960 Speaker 1: We've always been into fitness. I live in Houston. Everyone's 152 00:07:27,960 --> 00:07:29,920 Speaker 1: sweating all the time, even in the dead of winter, 153 00:07:30,080 --> 00:07:33,040 Speaker 1: as you know. And so we got married. I'm like, man, 154 00:07:33,360 --> 00:07:35,640 Speaker 1: started doing his laundry. You know, not that I don't 155 00:07:35,640 --> 00:07:37,560 Speaker 1: do all the quote unquote wifely duties, but I was 156 00:07:37,600 --> 00:07:39,880 Speaker 1: doing his laundry. Mind you, he does, he does. He 157 00:07:40,000 --> 00:07:42,240 Speaker 1: does his own now put that out there. But um, 158 00:07:42,480 --> 00:07:45,440 Speaker 1: and I was like, man, I'm like, these workout closed 159 00:07:45,520 --> 00:07:48,320 Speaker 1: still stink. And I have brothers back home in Rhode Islands. 160 00:07:48,400 --> 00:07:50,160 Speaker 1: We all kind of know that smell like when the 161 00:07:50,280 --> 00:07:53,120 Speaker 1: when that kind of musty, mildewy like bo smell that 162 00:07:53,160 --> 00:07:55,280 Speaker 1: you just can't seem to wash out. And so I 163 00:07:55,320 --> 00:07:57,520 Speaker 1: never thought I'd be an entrepreneur, but you know, chemistry 164 00:07:57,560 --> 00:07:59,520 Speaker 1: is my background, and so I just kind of put 165 00:07:59,640 --> 00:08:02,120 Speaker 1: my sign it's hat back on and started figuring out 166 00:08:02,320 --> 00:08:05,280 Speaker 1: why you're clothes stink is, to make a long story short, 167 00:08:05,360 --> 00:08:08,360 Speaker 1: your clothes stink because bacteria gets trapped in the fabric. 168 00:08:08,760 --> 00:08:11,920 Speaker 1: So I was launching my company last year, basically I 169 00:08:12,040 --> 00:08:13,560 Speaker 1: was like, all right, you sweat as much as you 170 00:08:13,640 --> 00:08:16,920 Speaker 1: want and it won't smell and it's anti bacterial, and 171 00:08:17,000 --> 00:08:19,840 Speaker 1: it's funny. No one and I tried in marketing, and 172 00:08:19,840 --> 00:08:21,320 Speaker 1: I'm putting it out there. I'm like, you know, I'm 173 00:08:21,320 --> 00:08:23,120 Speaker 1: just gonna focus on the you know, the sweat don't 174 00:08:23,200 --> 00:08:26,120 Speaker 1: smell because the anti bacterial. I'm not doing a good job, 175 00:08:26,640 --> 00:08:29,400 Speaker 1: you know, getting that out there on what that really means. 176 00:08:29,440 --> 00:08:32,439 Speaker 1: It's actually disgusting that your clothes are holding onto bacteria, 177 00:08:32,720 --> 00:08:34,800 Speaker 1: but no one really seems to care about that aspect 178 00:08:35,480 --> 00:08:45,599 Speaker 1: until March. Much of he is the key for me 179 00:08:45,840 --> 00:08:50,240 Speaker 1: and my relationship with Megan. I'm watching TV. I live 180 00:08:50,280 --> 00:08:51,760 Speaker 1: in Houston. I tell people that a long time. I 181 00:08:51,800 --> 00:08:54,800 Speaker 1: also live in Atlanta, and so I'm watching the local 182 00:08:54,880 --> 00:08:57,760 Speaker 1: news and there is a commercial and I tell my 183 00:08:58,240 --> 00:09:01,520 Speaker 1: I know her, I know her. That's that's Megan on 184 00:09:01,559 --> 00:09:06,880 Speaker 1: my money main confessation And they're discussing how you was 185 00:09:07,040 --> 00:09:11,719 Speaker 1: now suddenly going to manufacture or mask a need. And 186 00:09:12,040 --> 00:09:14,840 Speaker 1: I believe I text you as a girl, you're owning 187 00:09:14,920 --> 00:09:17,599 Speaker 1: something you're about to blow up. First of all, you 188 00:09:17,679 --> 00:09:21,079 Speaker 1: were magnetic. You know, you're man, You're just amazing. During 189 00:09:21,120 --> 00:09:23,400 Speaker 1: the interview, you you know, you know how to articulate 190 00:09:24,360 --> 00:09:26,839 Speaker 1: in a very comfortable manner who you are and what 191 00:09:26,960 --> 00:09:29,720 Speaker 1: you're trying to do. You have a high degree of sincerity. 192 00:09:30,080 --> 00:09:32,840 Speaker 1: All those qualities make sense when you're trying to launch 193 00:09:33,440 --> 00:09:37,000 Speaker 1: a new product, especially when people didn't really understand the 194 00:09:37,080 --> 00:09:39,160 Speaker 1: need to wear a mask because White House was sending 195 00:09:39,200 --> 00:09:42,199 Speaker 1: out mixed signals and Texas you know, you know, we're 196 00:09:42,200 --> 00:09:44,240 Speaker 1: in the don't mess with Texas state where they can 197 00:09:44,320 --> 00:09:46,240 Speaker 1: get mad if you're tell them what to do. And 198 00:09:46,360 --> 00:09:49,599 Speaker 1: then so, but you said I'm gonna do this? What 199 00:09:50,120 --> 00:09:52,920 Speaker 1: what what triggered you? What? What? What triggered you? And 200 00:09:53,000 --> 00:09:54,800 Speaker 1: what triggered you to do it? Right? Because there was 201 00:09:54,840 --> 00:09:57,120 Speaker 1: some other people who tried to do the mask thing. 202 00:09:57,240 --> 00:09:59,559 Speaker 1: They ship stuff out there and then people already in 203 00:09:59,640 --> 00:10:02,599 Speaker 1: fifteen mask and then the out they sold out. What 204 00:10:02,760 --> 00:10:05,600 Speaker 1: made you make a full commitment to it? Let's talk. 205 00:10:06,160 --> 00:10:08,560 Speaker 1: You know I'm gonna I wasn't a hundred cent. Sure 206 00:10:08,559 --> 00:10:10,760 Speaker 1: it was gonna work, but it just it felt right. 207 00:10:10,800 --> 00:10:13,160 Speaker 1: I prayed about it. I mean basically, March twentie was 208 00:10:13,200 --> 00:10:15,360 Speaker 1: a Friday. I woke up just like any other day. 209 00:10:15,360 --> 00:10:16,920 Speaker 1: I go to my couch, you know, working from home 210 00:10:16,960 --> 00:10:19,319 Speaker 1: at the time, started working in my consultant in New Jersey. 211 00:10:19,400 --> 00:10:21,760 Speaker 1: She's like, hey, Meg, Um, you know she's up in 212 00:10:22,080 --> 00:10:23,720 Speaker 1: the Point, you know, Jersey in New York with her 213 00:10:24,200 --> 00:10:26,960 Speaker 1: hard She's like, yeah, She's like Meg, She's like healthcare 214 00:10:27,000 --> 00:10:28,839 Speaker 1: workers and her sisters a nurse, and she's like, healthcare 215 00:10:28,880 --> 00:10:31,439 Speaker 1: workers are running out of face masks. What about turning 216 00:10:31,440 --> 00:10:35,400 Speaker 1: your prema fabric into face masks? And immediately when she 217 00:10:35,559 --> 00:10:38,000 Speaker 1: said I remember the feeling. Immediately when she said it, 218 00:10:38,080 --> 00:10:41,199 Speaker 1: I'm like, holy you know what. You know, it was 219 00:10:41,240 --> 00:10:43,679 Speaker 1: always important to me to have this fabric source that 220 00:10:43,760 --> 00:10:45,360 Speaker 1: made here in the States. So I had a bunch 221 00:10:45,400 --> 00:10:47,000 Speaker 1: of fabric here in Houston. I had a bunch of 222 00:10:47,040 --> 00:10:49,320 Speaker 1: fabric out in my factory in l A. I knew 223 00:10:49,400 --> 00:10:52,199 Speaker 1: nothing about a pattern for a face mask, but I figured, like, okay, 224 00:10:52,240 --> 00:10:54,839 Speaker 1: we can figure it out. So I just kind of 225 00:10:54,880 --> 00:10:57,280 Speaker 1: went balls to the wall because it felt right. And 226 00:10:57,400 --> 00:11:00,440 Speaker 1: within twenty four hours, we had a prototype. I had 227 00:11:00,480 --> 00:11:03,199 Speaker 1: twenty five local sewers lined up in Houston because I 228 00:11:03,200 --> 00:11:06,400 Speaker 1: already had fabric here. Uh. And then Monday morning, like 229 00:11:06,480 --> 00:11:08,640 Speaker 1: three days later, I went to all the hospitals in 230 00:11:08,679 --> 00:11:12,000 Speaker 1: the Houston Medical Center and dropped off samples of our 231 00:11:12,120 --> 00:11:16,839 Speaker 1: masks and then crick crickets. I'm telling you, crickets for 232 00:11:17,000 --> 00:11:19,400 Speaker 1: like four days. Um, none of them. I thought the 233 00:11:19,400 --> 00:11:21,520 Speaker 1: hospitals gonna be so excited, which they were excited, but 234 00:11:21,600 --> 00:11:23,840 Speaker 1: no one was like placing an order. So I told 235 00:11:23,880 --> 00:11:25,880 Speaker 1: all my local sewers and like, hey, don't start sewing 236 00:11:25,920 --> 00:11:27,840 Speaker 1: anything yet, because as a business owner, the last thing 237 00:11:27,880 --> 00:11:29,960 Speaker 1: you want to have is inventory. You know that there 238 00:11:30,040 --> 00:11:31,640 Speaker 1: might have been a fluke about mass, and like, we're 239 00:11:31,640 --> 00:11:35,000 Speaker 1: gonna sit on this fabric until somebody places a large order. 240 00:11:35,720 --> 00:11:39,400 Speaker 1: And fast forward to like four am Thursday morning. No 241 00:11:39,480 --> 00:11:42,240 Speaker 1: one has placed an order yet. I tell you, something 242 00:11:42,360 --> 00:11:43,960 Speaker 1: woke me up in the middle of the night at 243 00:11:44,000 --> 00:11:46,599 Speaker 1: four am. And I call it God. People call it 244 00:11:46,640 --> 00:11:50,520 Speaker 1: whatever they want, and all it said is start making masks. 245 00:11:51,040 --> 00:11:53,560 Speaker 1: And I woke up that morning leading over my husband said, 246 00:11:53,920 --> 00:11:55,800 Speaker 1: I know we haven't gotten order yet, but I just 247 00:11:55,880 --> 00:11:57,920 Speaker 1: heard from God to start making masks. So we're starting 248 00:11:57,960 --> 00:12:00,439 Speaker 1: making mask today. He's like, you sure. I'm like one, 249 00:12:00,520 --> 00:12:02,440 Speaker 1: I told my mom, I told my team, like Megan, 250 00:12:02,559 --> 00:12:04,800 Speaker 1: you sure. It was just a big inventory investment, you 251 00:12:04,880 --> 00:12:06,760 Speaker 1: know whatever. I'm like, now we're doing it. It was 252 00:12:06,800 --> 00:12:10,079 Speaker 1: crystal clear. The next day we got an order for 253 00:12:10,240 --> 00:12:13,560 Speaker 1: nine thousand mass from Houston Methodist and fourteen thousand mass 254 00:12:13,640 --> 00:12:17,280 Speaker 1: from a local company. And after that it was just 255 00:12:18,080 --> 00:12:20,760 Speaker 1: it was we just we just scaled quickly. And I 256 00:12:20,840 --> 00:12:22,760 Speaker 1: think I think you reached out. I reached out to you, 257 00:12:22,960 --> 00:12:26,720 Speaker 1: and then I dropped your mask, uh in my newsletter. 258 00:12:27,800 --> 00:12:30,360 Speaker 1: Well you did. Yeah, I went out to ninety thousand 259 00:12:30,480 --> 00:12:33,439 Speaker 1: of my fan club members and then you and you 260 00:12:33,480 --> 00:12:36,319 Speaker 1: were so excited you put it into your LinkedIn feed. 261 00:12:37,360 --> 00:12:40,280 Speaker 1: I did, I did? I yeah. I mean I love Rashaan. 262 00:12:40,360 --> 00:12:42,480 Speaker 1: I love supporting you, says day one. And you support 263 00:12:42,559 --> 00:12:44,839 Speaker 1: you know, we just support each other. I mean, you know, 264 00:12:44,880 --> 00:12:47,240 Speaker 1: in our community, and we believe that, you know, everyone 265 00:12:47,360 --> 00:12:49,880 Speaker 1: can be successful and you've got to like support them, 266 00:12:49,920 --> 00:12:52,000 Speaker 1: and yeah, I just go for it. But yeah, and 267 00:12:52,080 --> 00:12:54,480 Speaker 1: it's funny that picture that you posted. So of course 268 00:12:54,520 --> 00:12:57,839 Speaker 1: it's happened so quickly, and everyone's quarantined So that picture 269 00:12:57,960 --> 00:13:00,199 Speaker 1: was taken in my bedroom with my husband, did a 270 00:13:00,280 --> 00:13:02,160 Speaker 1: selfie and then kind of like try to like make 271 00:13:02,240 --> 00:13:04,679 Speaker 1: it fancy or whatever, but it's funny. I you just 272 00:13:04,800 --> 00:13:07,440 Speaker 1: make it work absolutely, and that's what that's the nature 273 00:13:07,480 --> 00:13:09,959 Speaker 1: of what being an entrepreneur. But the thing about it 274 00:13:10,120 --> 00:13:12,400 Speaker 1: is that this is what I love about you in general. 275 00:13:12,440 --> 00:13:14,880 Speaker 1: I just love your personality. Anytime I can just text 276 00:13:14,920 --> 00:13:16,959 Speaker 1: you something like I said when I saw your TV, 277 00:13:17,040 --> 00:13:19,840 Speaker 1: I went, girl, you're about to blow up. This is amazing. 278 00:13:20,520 --> 00:13:23,480 Speaker 1: You're better get ready, I hope. So I said, no, 279 00:13:23,960 --> 00:13:26,600 Speaker 1: don't worry about it, You're about the ride. I'm a promoter. 280 00:13:26,679 --> 00:13:28,760 Speaker 1: I know when I see greatness. I know when I 281 00:13:28,840 --> 00:13:33,000 Speaker 1: see something that feels good, it feels needy to sincerity 282 00:13:33,400 --> 00:13:36,040 Speaker 1: and everything was just timing itself just right. But the 283 00:13:36,160 --> 00:13:39,199 Speaker 1: key in this conversation was that Rashard I was based 284 00:13:39,240 --> 00:13:43,240 Speaker 1: in Houston. The information I got to move forward came 285 00:13:43,320 --> 00:13:46,360 Speaker 1: from another part of the country, in the New York, 286 00:13:46,480 --> 00:13:49,280 Speaker 1: New Jersey area. If you was waiting to make a 287 00:13:49,400 --> 00:13:52,480 Speaker 1: decision in New in Houston, that may have never happened, 288 00:13:52,880 --> 00:13:57,040 Speaker 1: but you followed the information source and the information source said, hey, 289 00:13:57,400 --> 00:14:00,640 Speaker 1: it might not be bad. As it is, well you 290 00:14:00,720 --> 00:14:03,200 Speaker 1: think it is, but in New York we're on fire 291 00:14:03,360 --> 00:14:08,160 Speaker 1: with COVID running out of everything, mass ventilators, everything. And 292 00:14:08,320 --> 00:14:11,559 Speaker 1: then you had to follow up on your willingness to 293 00:14:11,600 --> 00:14:15,559 Speaker 1: trust yourself. That's when you woke up and said, I 294 00:14:15,920 --> 00:14:19,200 Speaker 1: feel the time is right. And then it was. It 295 00:14:19,280 --> 00:14:20,760 Speaker 1: just took off when you when you use when you 296 00:14:20,840 --> 00:14:22,520 Speaker 1: say the word took off one day. That's why when 297 00:14:22,560 --> 00:14:24,520 Speaker 1: I sent there, when I when you sent me that order, 298 00:14:24,560 --> 00:14:26,440 Speaker 1: I just told my staff, I said, make up some 299 00:14:26,520 --> 00:14:28,840 Speaker 1: type of make up, some type of ad. Let's put 300 00:14:28,880 --> 00:14:31,200 Speaker 1: it in the newsletter. Make it look good. And it 301 00:14:31,320 --> 00:14:32,880 Speaker 1: was the most click It was at the bottom of 302 00:14:32,920 --> 00:14:35,400 Speaker 1: the newsletter. It was and my newsletters alone, if anybody's 303 00:14:35,440 --> 00:14:40,520 Speaker 1: registered for money making Conversation dot com, the fanclia, and 304 00:14:40,640 --> 00:14:43,760 Speaker 1: and she was at the bottom, not because I wanted 305 00:14:43,800 --> 00:14:45,680 Speaker 1: to put it at the bottom. She was the most 306 00:14:45,760 --> 00:14:49,880 Speaker 1: clicked item in the newsletter, the most clicked item in 307 00:14:49,920 --> 00:14:52,040 Speaker 1: the newsletter. And so that let me know right there, 308 00:14:52,200 --> 00:14:54,600 Speaker 1: when she's on the something, she's at the bottom at 309 00:14:54,600 --> 00:14:57,320 Speaker 1: the newsletter. And people are gonna way down there because 310 00:14:57,320 --> 00:14:58,920 Speaker 1: of the good content. But when they get down there, 311 00:14:58,960 --> 00:15:04,000 Speaker 1: they go why out click click, click, and then you 312 00:15:04,040 --> 00:15:06,840 Speaker 1: start different packages and and I remember I said, you 313 00:15:06,880 --> 00:15:08,880 Speaker 1: need to put some logos or something when we show. 314 00:15:09,680 --> 00:15:11,520 Speaker 1: Let me try to. I gotta let me, let me 315 00:15:11,600 --> 00:15:16,160 Speaker 1: work on this problem, let me get the mask. Well start, 316 00:15:16,800 --> 00:15:19,000 Speaker 1: we just shut up, shut up. And then you came 317 00:15:19,040 --> 00:15:22,120 Speaker 1: back with Shawn, I got the logo, I got the kids. 318 00:15:23,080 --> 00:15:25,960 Speaker 1: We got the logo, We got the kids. The last Friday, 319 00:15:26,120 --> 00:15:30,160 Speaker 1: one hundred thousand, literally fifty thousand, fifty thousand black labels 320 00:15:30,200 --> 00:15:32,760 Speaker 1: showed up for us to go onto our masks. Wow. 321 00:15:33,160 --> 00:15:35,360 Speaker 1: So now now this is such a journey. Now, one 322 00:15:35,400 --> 00:15:37,360 Speaker 1: of the questions that how do you go from selling 323 00:15:37,440 --> 00:15:39,840 Speaker 1: T shirts and tank tops to sell them over four 324 00:15:39,920 --> 00:15:43,840 Speaker 1: hundred thousand face masks and being on contract with the Marines, 325 00:15:44,360 --> 00:15:48,120 Speaker 1: US Navy and Navy seals. Tell us about that. You know, 326 00:15:48,320 --> 00:15:51,600 Speaker 1: the protest was actually the exact same. So, because I'd 327 00:15:51,600 --> 00:15:53,720 Speaker 1: already gone through the process from making a T shirt 328 00:15:53,840 --> 00:15:57,000 Speaker 1: and the patterns and you know, sewing and understanding you 329 00:15:57,080 --> 00:15:59,920 Speaker 1: know enough to be dangerous with all that, actually creating 330 00:16:00,000 --> 00:16:05,080 Speaker 1: a mask wasn't that difficult? Um, the one word that 331 00:16:05,200 --> 00:16:07,640 Speaker 1: I have and how does this happen? How does this happened? 332 00:16:07,680 --> 00:16:12,000 Speaker 1: You know, is relationships, literally relationships like the new like 333 00:16:12,680 --> 00:16:14,880 Speaker 1: over a hundred thousand of our mass have been already 334 00:16:14,920 --> 00:16:17,240 Speaker 1: sold and shipped to the Marines, the Navy Seals in 335 00:16:17,240 --> 00:16:20,040 Speaker 1: the Navy, and now we're actually working on custom clothing 336 00:16:20,200 --> 00:16:22,520 Speaker 1: for the Navy Seals using my fabrics because of this. 337 00:16:23,160 --> 00:16:25,200 Speaker 1: And the only way that happened is I'm on some 338 00:16:25,720 --> 00:16:28,560 Speaker 1: business group here in Houston, and one of the ladies 339 00:16:28,600 --> 00:16:31,960 Speaker 1: in the groups super nice. She volunteers her time and 340 00:16:32,120 --> 00:16:35,440 Speaker 1: mentors people in the military, I mean, And so she 341 00:16:35,560 --> 00:16:37,520 Speaker 1: hit me up, like, you know, weeks three of Corona, 342 00:16:37,560 --> 00:16:39,400 Speaker 1: and she said, Hey, a buddy of mine and the 343 00:16:39,520 --> 00:16:42,160 Speaker 1: Navy supply chain guy looking for face masks. They can't 344 00:16:42,200 --> 00:16:44,560 Speaker 1: find any. Can you take care of them? And I'm like, well, 345 00:16:44,720 --> 00:16:45,840 Speaker 1: you know, let me know. And at this point I 346 00:16:45,880 --> 00:16:48,960 Speaker 1: don't I don't need shipped out like twenty masks. And 347 00:16:49,080 --> 00:16:51,360 Speaker 1: he's like, yes, we need fifty thousand face masks in 348 00:16:51,400 --> 00:16:53,280 Speaker 1: the next seven days. I'm like, okay, let me make 349 00:16:53,320 --> 00:16:55,600 Speaker 1: some phone calls. So I had fifty thousand face masks 350 00:16:55,840 --> 00:16:58,360 Speaker 1: shipped to him in the next six days. Um, And 351 00:16:58,440 --> 00:17:00,920 Speaker 1: then that just spread like wild you know fire throughout 352 00:17:00,960 --> 00:17:03,640 Speaker 1: the military. And that's how we got the other contracts. Um. 353 00:17:04,280 --> 00:17:07,200 Speaker 1: But yeah, now we're talking about you know, isolation gowns, gloves, 354 00:17:07,280 --> 00:17:09,760 Speaker 1: like all sorts of ppe that the military just can't 355 00:17:09,760 --> 00:17:11,960 Speaker 1: seem to get. But because I was able to deliver 356 00:17:12,040 --> 00:17:15,200 Speaker 1: and deliver early in quality products for the mass early on, 357 00:17:15,359 --> 00:17:19,480 Speaker 1: now m I put from the door, it's been nuts. 358 00:17:19,960 --> 00:17:25,359 Speaker 1: It's I'm even talking about I'm like, yeah, you know, okay, 359 00:17:25,800 --> 00:17:28,720 Speaker 1: I'm amazed you're talking to me today during this interview. 360 00:17:28,800 --> 00:17:32,520 Speaker 1: I know, I feel blessed that I'm actually allowed being 361 00:17:32,560 --> 00:17:36,439 Speaker 1: allowed to hear your story. So it's always a pleasure 362 00:17:36,480 --> 00:17:38,480 Speaker 1: talking to when you know, when you guys reached out 363 00:17:38,480 --> 00:17:41,480 Speaker 1: and I'm like, heck, yeah, let's get it on the calendar. Yes, please, 364 00:17:41,680 --> 00:17:45,400 Speaker 1: thank you. And so just so, now, what makes your 365 00:17:45,600 --> 00:17:48,640 Speaker 1: mass work? We have a lot of competition out there. 366 00:17:48,880 --> 00:17:51,680 Speaker 1: Where do you feel makes your mask work? And and 367 00:17:51,840 --> 00:17:54,320 Speaker 1: why do you because you now you have for children, 368 00:17:54,400 --> 00:17:57,080 Speaker 1: you have masks for children, So there's a difference between 369 00:17:57,080 --> 00:17:59,359 Speaker 1: a mask for an adult and a mask for a child. 370 00:18:00,160 --> 00:18:03,200 Speaker 1: So yeah, what what where do people come back to 371 00:18:03,280 --> 00:18:06,960 Speaker 1: you to say about your mask? Breathable? It's funny. So 372 00:18:07,040 --> 00:18:10,840 Speaker 1: antibacterials the reason people are really buying it just because 373 00:18:10,880 --> 00:18:13,680 Speaker 1: it is a cleaner fabric. But then the feedback that 374 00:18:13,760 --> 00:18:17,040 Speaker 1: I'm getting that compared to other masks, is breathable. A 375 00:18:17,200 --> 00:18:20,040 Speaker 1: lot of masks out there today, especially in the summertime, 376 00:18:20,160 --> 00:18:21,720 Speaker 1: or if you're a teachering it to wear a mask 377 00:18:21,840 --> 00:18:24,000 Speaker 1: all day, or if you're at work, it's just not 378 00:18:24,240 --> 00:18:27,080 Speaker 1: breathable and your face gets really hot and sways. So 379 00:18:27,160 --> 00:18:30,639 Speaker 1: not only are anti bacterial, um even after you wash it, 380 00:18:30,760 --> 00:18:33,040 Speaker 1: you know, it's reusable, even after you wash it a 381 00:18:33,160 --> 00:18:37,000 Speaker 1: hundred times, it's still anti bacterial. No bacterial is going 382 00:18:37,040 --> 00:18:39,680 Speaker 1: to get in that fabric, so it's clean, it protects 383 00:18:39,720 --> 00:18:41,880 Speaker 1: you from corona as long as you're wearing the mask, 384 00:18:42,040 --> 00:18:45,320 Speaker 1: and then breathable. Um. We started with adult mass, as 385 00:18:45,400 --> 00:18:47,320 Speaker 1: you know, and then people kept reaching out for kids, 386 00:18:47,880 --> 00:18:50,080 Speaker 1: and I just thought, oh, you know, if if there's 387 00:18:50,080 --> 00:18:53,080 Speaker 1: a consumer there that the credit cards working, I'll create anything, 388 00:18:53,160 --> 00:18:55,199 Speaker 1: and as long as it's more with my morals and ethics. 389 00:18:55,520 --> 00:18:58,120 Speaker 1: So we then, you know, we then launched some kids 390 00:18:58,200 --> 00:19:03,280 Speaker 1: mass and yeah, it's just a cleaner, safer option than 391 00:19:03,359 --> 00:19:05,600 Speaker 1: a lot of masks that are out there today. You know, 392 00:19:05,800 --> 00:19:07,359 Speaker 1: you know, because you know I always go to your 393 00:19:07,800 --> 00:19:09,480 Speaker 1: probably a couple of times a month. I always go 394 00:19:09,480 --> 00:19:12,400 Speaker 1: to your timeline just to see what good you're doing 395 00:19:12,480 --> 00:19:15,000 Speaker 1: in the community, because that's what I really do love 396 00:19:15,080 --> 00:19:18,760 Speaker 1: about you, Megan, is that you get back and you 397 00:19:18,840 --> 00:19:21,480 Speaker 1: know your success is not something to translate into a 398 00:19:21,600 --> 00:19:24,360 Speaker 1: selfish option of how much I can do for myself. 399 00:19:24,840 --> 00:19:26,919 Speaker 1: But I've seen you donate mask and I don't want 400 00:19:26,920 --> 00:19:28,639 Speaker 1: to give what your story tell us something good that 401 00:19:29,119 --> 00:19:32,320 Speaker 1: being successful, being able to pivot in the pandemic and 402 00:19:32,720 --> 00:19:36,040 Speaker 1: sale masks. You've not forgotten about helping other people. Tell 403 00:19:36,119 --> 00:19:38,600 Speaker 1: us about that side of you. Yeah, thank you. I 404 00:19:38,640 --> 00:19:40,320 Speaker 1: mean it's and that's the thing, like you know, to 405 00:19:40,400 --> 00:19:42,959 Speaker 1: grow us a business and then it's successful, I mean 406 00:19:43,040 --> 00:19:45,800 Speaker 1: whatever someone deemed that successful and then be able to 407 00:19:45,880 --> 00:19:48,200 Speaker 1: get back on a greater scale. That's the stuff that 408 00:19:48,240 --> 00:19:51,080 Speaker 1: gets me going. Um, I love it. So I let's 409 00:19:51,080 --> 00:19:55,119 Speaker 1: say we've donated thousands of masks to homeless shelters, to hospitals, 410 00:19:56,000 --> 00:19:58,800 Speaker 1: um to police. Basically what I did is, at the time, 411 00:19:58,840 --> 00:20:00,600 Speaker 1: I had eight people. I've more now, but there were 412 00:20:00,640 --> 00:20:02,920 Speaker 1: eight people working for me full time, and so I 413 00:20:02,960 --> 00:20:05,119 Speaker 1: gave them all like a whole week. I had them 414 00:20:05,200 --> 00:20:09,280 Speaker 1: individually patched pack every single mask, and then they were 415 00:20:09,400 --> 00:20:12,159 Speaker 1: tasked over the next few days to choose any nonprofit 416 00:20:12,240 --> 00:20:14,200 Speaker 1: they wanted to give those masks too. I said, but 417 00:20:14,320 --> 00:20:17,520 Speaker 1: the key is it has to be someone that could 418 00:20:17,720 --> 00:20:19,680 Speaker 1: really use it. I mean like this could be like 419 00:20:19,800 --> 00:20:22,480 Speaker 1: life changing for their industry, for their health, et cetera. 420 00:20:23,000 --> 00:20:25,159 Speaker 1: So to see people, you know, and I empowered them 421 00:20:25,240 --> 00:20:27,159 Speaker 1: my team to go out. I didn't just tell them like, yo, 422 00:20:27,280 --> 00:20:29,159 Speaker 1: here's a nonprofit I want to donate to. I did 423 00:20:29,240 --> 00:20:31,600 Speaker 1: my own, but it was wonderful to see the team 424 00:20:31,680 --> 00:20:33,680 Speaker 1: build it, like like empowered them to go out and 425 00:20:33,760 --> 00:20:37,240 Speaker 1: give back. Um. I started a scholarship on born and raised. 426 00:20:37,280 --> 00:20:40,440 Speaker 1: As you know Rhode Island, it's very small town. And 427 00:20:40,640 --> 00:20:42,679 Speaker 1: I remember when I was in high school, I got 428 00:20:42,760 --> 00:20:46,000 Speaker 1: a like a CVS scholarship for five hundred bucks, and 429 00:20:46,080 --> 00:20:48,200 Speaker 1: I'll never forget it. It was like it was like 430 00:20:48,240 --> 00:20:50,280 Speaker 1: I want a million dollars, like five hundred bucks on 431 00:20:50,400 --> 00:20:54,160 Speaker 1: like holy smokes. And so I formed to Excel Lifestyle 432 00:20:54,600 --> 00:20:58,320 Speaker 1: Scholarships that I'll do every year. Um God willing forred 433 00:20:58,359 --> 00:21:01,600 Speaker 1: Bucks for a young female to Bucks for young male. 434 00:21:02,080 --> 00:21:04,280 Speaker 1: And the two stipulations are they have to be going 435 00:21:04,359 --> 00:21:07,800 Speaker 1: to school for something in the science, maths, technology, or engineering, 436 00:21:08,280 --> 00:21:10,760 Speaker 1: and they have to have a passion for giving back. 437 00:21:11,119 --> 00:21:13,359 Speaker 1: So it was really cool that, uh, you know, this 438 00:21:13,440 --> 00:21:16,200 Speaker 1: is the first year able to give a scholarship to 439 00:21:16,400 --> 00:21:18,800 Speaker 1: to you know, deserving you know, young adults, and you know, 440 00:21:19,200 --> 00:21:21,680 Speaker 1: just to see how that made them, you know feel 441 00:21:21,760 --> 00:21:24,639 Speaker 1: and hopefully lessen their stress level as they go into college. Well, 442 00:21:24,720 --> 00:21:27,399 Speaker 1: we know, I have an endowment at the University of Houston, 443 00:21:27,520 --> 00:21:32,680 Speaker 1: and I know that eight hundred dollars. It's cool, but 444 00:21:32,800 --> 00:21:35,080 Speaker 1: it really doesn't do anything for you. You know, when 445 00:21:35,119 --> 00:21:37,440 Speaker 1: you start getting into that number that you're trying to do. 446 00:21:37,960 --> 00:21:40,040 Speaker 1: It makes a difference for a student enough. And I'm 447 00:21:40,080 --> 00:21:43,520 Speaker 1: not slamming anybody. I'm just saying that every little bit helps. 448 00:21:43,600 --> 00:21:46,040 Speaker 1: Let's let's put it down with and uh and for 449 00:21:46,160 --> 00:21:49,160 Speaker 1: you to take your time and remember and uh coming 450 00:21:49,200 --> 00:21:52,359 Speaker 1: from that big old state of Ryalan, Yeah, it's right. 451 00:21:52,680 --> 00:21:54,840 Speaker 1: You know when when you think about it, you know 452 00:21:55,160 --> 00:21:58,119 Speaker 1: because uh, the University of Virginia that's when you went 453 00:21:58,160 --> 00:22:02,200 Speaker 1: to college there, right, that is in chemistry was your 454 00:22:02,240 --> 00:22:06,240 Speaker 1: degree plant And so you go to Houston and you're 455 00:22:06,240 --> 00:22:08,920 Speaker 1: living down there, you just every day nine to five 456 00:22:09,000 --> 00:22:12,639 Speaker 1: person never even thought about being an entrepreneur, and now 457 00:22:12,880 --> 00:22:15,320 Speaker 1: you are a not on an entrepreneur, but you are 458 00:22:15,320 --> 00:22:23,240 Speaker 1: an empowered female entrepreneur. Your leader responsibility comes with that. Megan, two, 459 00:22:24,800 --> 00:22:28,520 Speaker 1: that's a good question. What responsibility. So there's a responsibility 460 00:22:28,560 --> 00:22:31,040 Speaker 1: I put on myself, and then there's probably the perceived 461 00:22:31,119 --> 00:22:35,320 Speaker 1: responsibility that I am expecting from the culture and community 462 00:22:35,400 --> 00:22:38,840 Speaker 1: or whatever. So I would say the biggest responsibility that 463 00:22:39,359 --> 00:22:42,119 Speaker 1: I've ever been asked that question before. Good question, Rashan, 464 00:22:43,080 --> 00:22:45,359 Speaker 1: And I gotta make sure that what I gotta make 465 00:22:45,440 --> 00:22:48,320 Speaker 1: sure the biggest responsible is probably you know, besides business, 466 00:22:48,359 --> 00:22:50,480 Speaker 1: you know, make sure the cash flows their inventory dot 467 00:22:50,560 --> 00:22:53,840 Speaker 1: dot dot on a Gooble perspective, the biggest responsibility I 468 00:22:54,000 --> 00:22:56,760 Speaker 1: have is that what I'm out there saying I'm trying 469 00:22:56,800 --> 00:22:59,480 Speaker 1: to do with my company to empower, to motivate, to 470 00:22:59,680 --> 00:23:01,879 Speaker 1: encourag rerigon no matter what the product is I'm selling, 471 00:23:02,600 --> 00:23:04,720 Speaker 1: is that everyone on my team feels that, and that 472 00:23:04,840 --> 00:23:07,719 Speaker 1: my that the customers and the community of my company 473 00:23:07,840 --> 00:23:10,600 Speaker 1: feel that as well. So people can say things all 474 00:23:10,680 --> 00:23:12,879 Speaker 1: day long like I have a company that's you know, 475 00:23:13,000 --> 00:23:15,840 Speaker 1: doing good to the community and positive and uplifting, But 476 00:23:15,920 --> 00:23:19,000 Speaker 1: I don't live that life on a daily basis. And 477 00:23:19,119 --> 00:23:22,040 Speaker 1: that's the way my team and I project our mission 478 00:23:22,080 --> 00:23:24,080 Speaker 1: of our company. That that I'm not doing my job. 479 00:23:24,200 --> 00:23:26,040 Speaker 1: I say, that's the biggest responsibility that I put on 480 00:23:26,119 --> 00:23:31,040 Speaker 1: myself period. And the reason I say that because the 481 00:23:31,160 --> 00:23:33,359 Speaker 1: reason I say that because you know, as as a 482 00:23:34,480 --> 00:23:37,000 Speaker 1: we live in the era of disbelief. No, that's not true. 483 00:23:37,040 --> 00:23:40,040 Speaker 1: She can do that. You know, attractive person, You're small, 484 00:23:40,119 --> 00:23:42,520 Speaker 1: and some people tend to want to believe. You know, 485 00:23:42,760 --> 00:23:45,320 Speaker 1: so people who look a certain way can accomplish certain things. 486 00:23:46,160 --> 00:23:49,760 Speaker 1: And you're doing it. You're doing it. You're the own way. 487 00:23:49,840 --> 00:23:52,600 Speaker 1: You still putting family first, you deal putting God first. 488 00:23:52,680 --> 00:23:55,600 Speaker 1: You still have a clear understandable community. Be responsible to 489 00:23:55,640 --> 00:23:58,840 Speaker 1: the community is important you. I'm speaking to Megan eating. 490 00:23:59,160 --> 00:24:02,440 Speaker 1: She has an increase dible fabric sweat, don't smell fabric. 491 00:24:02,520 --> 00:24:04,840 Speaker 1: That is uh. I'd like to say, turn the face 492 00:24:05,160 --> 00:24:07,520 Speaker 1: facial mass business upside down because you're one of the 493 00:24:07,600 --> 00:24:10,800 Speaker 1: first independent. Like I said, the big corporations are in 494 00:24:10,880 --> 00:24:14,920 Speaker 1: it now. Okay, Nike, anybody who's they're all out there. 495 00:24:14,960 --> 00:24:17,760 Speaker 1: You see you see commercials on TV. You go your 496 00:24:17,800 --> 00:24:20,000 Speaker 1: ads in the TV. But I call you an independent. 497 00:24:20,080 --> 00:24:24,040 Speaker 1: You wanted the people or a local independent who's competing 498 00:24:24,119 --> 00:24:28,399 Speaker 1: with these big boys who have commercials of programmatic social 499 00:24:28,440 --> 00:24:32,720 Speaker 1: media ads, ads on TV, print ads, so you expect 500 00:24:32,800 --> 00:24:35,760 Speaker 1: them to win with that, you know. And it's really 501 00:24:35,840 --> 00:24:39,399 Speaker 1: funny because you came in the athletic field. What you 502 00:24:39,520 --> 00:24:42,560 Speaker 1: already knew that that lifestyle where it was going to 503 00:24:42,640 --> 00:24:46,520 Speaker 1: be competitive, and you came in basically behind because they 504 00:24:46,600 --> 00:24:48,680 Speaker 1: all got the shells field. They already out in the 505 00:24:48,760 --> 00:24:50,960 Speaker 1: front of the woldline you're trying to tell everybody, So 506 00:24:51,320 --> 00:24:54,680 Speaker 1: you were, uh, the pandemic allowed you to pivot into 507 00:24:54,720 --> 00:24:59,480 Speaker 1: an industry where your tenacity, your hard work, your innovative 508 00:24:59,520 --> 00:25:02,280 Speaker 1: thought pro us kind of started at the same time. 509 00:25:02,880 --> 00:25:05,440 Speaker 1: So it really gave you a feeling that you can compete, 510 00:25:05,520 --> 00:25:07,760 Speaker 1: not saying you weren't competing when you was out there 511 00:25:07,800 --> 00:25:10,159 Speaker 1: with the lifestyle, but being able to start out at 512 00:25:10,200 --> 00:25:12,200 Speaker 1: the gate and everybody said go at the same time, 513 00:25:12,640 --> 00:25:15,720 Speaker 1: it really gave you an opportunity, opportunity to really show 514 00:25:16,119 --> 00:25:19,479 Speaker 1: your skiffs, your the God gave you correct you are 515 00:25:19,560 --> 00:25:21,720 Speaker 1: exactly right, And so I always like, Mega, how did 516 00:25:21,720 --> 00:25:23,399 Speaker 1: you get some stuff with the mask? You know, because 517 00:25:23,640 --> 00:25:26,600 Speaker 1: you know the bunch of things timing because and I 518 00:25:26,760 --> 00:25:29,920 Speaker 1: remember saying, like the first month of the pandemic, Okay, 519 00:25:30,160 --> 00:25:32,800 Speaker 1: if I can already be on the contract with military 520 00:25:32,960 --> 00:25:35,440 Speaker 1: and you know how like Houston Methods now purchased forty 521 00:25:35,520 --> 00:25:38,040 Speaker 1: four thousand, If I can do this, why are the 522 00:25:38,160 --> 00:25:40,440 Speaker 1: other companies doing this that have the supply chain? Like, 523 00:25:40,520 --> 00:25:42,520 Speaker 1: why aren't they doing it? And then I kind of 524 00:25:42,560 --> 00:25:45,159 Speaker 1: stopped asking myself that question and said, well, they're not 525 00:25:45,280 --> 00:25:47,440 Speaker 1: doing it. That's all that matters. And so because I 526 00:25:47,600 --> 00:25:49,960 Speaker 1: came out of the gate first, and you know, media, 527 00:25:50,160 --> 00:25:53,680 Speaker 1: t V, etcetera. Picks that story up. That's why we 528 00:25:53,760 --> 00:25:55,800 Speaker 1: just came out first and kind of step the groundwork. 529 00:25:55,880 --> 00:25:59,200 Speaker 1: And then we started to see other companies trickling in, etcetera, etcetera. 530 00:25:59,200 --> 00:26:01,640 Speaker 1: And you know, now every one was making a faith mask. Um. 531 00:26:02,080 --> 00:26:04,560 Speaker 1: But one of the benefits, and I tell everybody this 532 00:26:04,800 --> 00:26:07,200 Speaker 1: is that you know, we had an idea and we 533 00:26:07,320 --> 00:26:08,800 Speaker 1: just took a risk. You know, I didn't make a 534 00:26:08,920 --> 00:26:11,959 Speaker 1: hundred thousand faith mask hoping for a buyer. I mean, 535 00:26:12,160 --> 00:26:14,640 Speaker 1: for the most part, I I had buyers way before 536 00:26:14,640 --> 00:26:18,240 Speaker 1: I even I could fulfill the orders. I just I 537 00:26:18,359 --> 00:26:20,399 Speaker 1: took the risk. I took the risk and put myself 538 00:26:20,440 --> 00:26:22,879 Speaker 1: out there. And and that's why I tell everyone to 539 00:26:22,960 --> 00:26:24,480 Speaker 1: do I don't wait around for someone else to do it, 540 00:26:24,520 --> 00:26:26,440 Speaker 1: because that's gonna be too late. Like, just put it 541 00:26:26,520 --> 00:26:27,679 Speaker 1: out there. You don't have to put it out there 542 00:26:27,680 --> 00:26:30,760 Speaker 1: in a huge fashion, but just put something out there, 543 00:26:31,280 --> 00:26:33,320 Speaker 1: um and then just go for it because a huge 544 00:26:33,359 --> 00:26:35,160 Speaker 1: benefit is because we came out of the gate first. 545 00:26:35,560 --> 00:26:38,680 Speaker 1: And that's really important that you were courageous enough. And 546 00:26:39,160 --> 00:26:42,040 Speaker 1: you know, I always tell people being an entrepreneur and 547 00:26:42,119 --> 00:26:44,359 Speaker 1: being you can't be afraid of making a mistake. You 548 00:26:44,440 --> 00:26:47,320 Speaker 1: can't be afraid of waking up. Sometimes a lot of 549 00:26:47,320 --> 00:26:50,760 Speaker 1: people fear, fear failure. And this is one of those 550 00:26:50,920 --> 00:26:53,960 Speaker 1: really unique moments where you know, the perfect storm where 551 00:26:54,240 --> 00:26:55,680 Speaker 1: you want to know something. I'm gonna go for it 552 00:26:55,720 --> 00:26:59,720 Speaker 1: because I write instinct makes sense, and especially with your 553 00:26:59,800 --> 00:27:03,360 Speaker 1: man ask because it's important because now used to see 554 00:27:03,400 --> 00:27:05,440 Speaker 1: people you know, they mask, they take the mask of, 555 00:27:05,560 --> 00:27:07,440 Speaker 1: especially on news now to keep the mask on. So 556 00:27:07,520 --> 00:27:10,480 Speaker 1: it's important where I've learned how to be able to 557 00:27:10,640 --> 00:27:14,280 Speaker 1: talk with a mask on, because that's the lifestyle that 558 00:27:14,400 --> 00:27:17,679 Speaker 1: we are going to live in. Because Dr Anthony Faucci 559 00:27:17,840 --> 00:27:21,440 Speaker 1: stated COVID nineteen is not going anywhere. If you expect 560 00:27:21,480 --> 00:27:23,879 Speaker 1: to be hugging people you don't know, high five and 561 00:27:23,920 --> 00:27:26,440 Speaker 1: people you don't know, dapping people you don't know in 562 00:27:27,280 --> 00:27:30,320 Speaker 1: one or two, that's not gonna happen. The way we 563 00:27:30,480 --> 00:27:33,280 Speaker 1: have lived, our lives will never be the same. So 564 00:27:33,520 --> 00:27:36,119 Speaker 1: you are at the at the at the stage of 565 00:27:36,200 --> 00:27:38,879 Speaker 1: an industry. I feel it's not going anywhere. It's just 566 00:27:39,200 --> 00:27:40,879 Speaker 1: how long. How do you build it? And how do 567 00:27:40,960 --> 00:27:42,840 Speaker 1: you hold on to it? How do you hold on 568 00:27:42,960 --> 00:27:46,399 Speaker 1: to it and maintain and sustain growth in this and this? 569 00:27:46,680 --> 00:27:52,200 Speaker 1: I guess we'll just say this growing facial mass industry. Sure, 570 00:27:52,200 --> 00:27:54,720 Speaker 1: I mean you you gotta always keep it fresh. I said, 571 00:27:54,720 --> 00:27:57,119 Speaker 1: I have a creative session with my team tomorrow. So 572 00:27:57,280 --> 00:27:59,280 Speaker 1: right now, as far as adult mask, you've only been 573 00:27:59,320 --> 00:28:01,520 Speaker 1: doing black and light. So we're, you know, coming into 574 00:28:01,560 --> 00:28:04,399 Speaker 1: the holidays, Halloween, We're gonna start offering some graphics on 575 00:28:04,520 --> 00:28:08,560 Speaker 1: the adults. Um yeah, and we gotta always stay fresh. 576 00:28:08,640 --> 00:28:12,879 Speaker 1: So I'm I'm branching even outside of face masks, getting 577 00:28:12,920 --> 00:28:17,199 Speaker 1: into isolation gowns and other you know, hot needed ppe items. 578 00:28:17,240 --> 00:28:19,920 Speaker 1: So the way to like stay the way to stay 579 00:28:20,000 --> 00:28:22,600 Speaker 1: relevant is just always have and you know this from 580 00:28:22,640 --> 00:28:25,560 Speaker 1: your background. Is just have material that people want to 581 00:28:25,640 --> 00:28:28,679 Speaker 1: see and products that people want to buy. So masks 582 00:28:28,720 --> 00:28:31,000 Speaker 1: are one thing, and that's definitely getting more of a 583 00:28:31,040 --> 00:28:33,640 Speaker 1: crowded space, you know, full disclosure, Like now everyone's selling 584 00:28:33,680 --> 00:28:36,119 Speaker 1: a mask. So because my foot is already in the 585 00:28:36,200 --> 00:28:40,560 Speaker 1: door with some universities, the military hospitals, I'm now creating 586 00:28:40,600 --> 00:28:43,640 Speaker 1: other products UM that I know they needed want and 587 00:28:43,960 --> 00:28:46,760 Speaker 1: uh so we're started. I started another company UM called 588 00:28:46,840 --> 00:28:50,160 Speaker 1: excel Protects where we're getting a purchase order this week 589 00:28:50,240 --> 00:28:53,160 Speaker 1: for thirty tho isolation gowns from a huge hospital system 590 00:28:53,240 --> 00:28:56,160 Speaker 1: up in the Dallas area. And I just filed for 591 00:28:56,200 --> 00:28:59,480 Speaker 1: that design patent last Friday, So it's now patent pending 592 00:28:59,520 --> 00:29:02,920 Speaker 1: for my new isolation gown design until we're getting into 593 00:29:02,960 --> 00:29:05,920 Speaker 1: gowns as well. Always do not be afraid to pivot, 594 00:29:06,000 --> 00:29:08,360 Speaker 1: not be afraid to sail, um if it feels right, 595 00:29:08,440 --> 00:29:11,800 Speaker 1: to keep doing it. My dear, she's my friend May 596 00:29:11,960 --> 00:29:14,360 Speaker 1: in seventeen. I always I would like to say she's 597 00:29:14,440 --> 00:29:17,720 Speaker 1: my first you know you are started money making conversations 598 00:29:17,760 --> 00:29:20,160 Speaker 1: in May of twenty seventeen. She was one of my 599 00:29:20,320 --> 00:29:22,600 Speaker 1: first guests on my show in the fall of that year, 600 00:29:23,000 --> 00:29:25,040 Speaker 1: and I just love the growth of my show at 601 00:29:25,080 --> 00:29:27,360 Speaker 1: my Brain and watching the growth of her brand and 602 00:29:27,720 --> 00:29:30,640 Speaker 1: watching the pivot, and uh, you know, I have to 603 00:29:30,680 --> 00:29:32,600 Speaker 1: say this honest. I love you to death, Megan It, 604 00:29:32,760 --> 00:29:36,280 Speaker 1: and I appreciate you, and I will support you and 605 00:29:37,320 --> 00:29:39,320 Speaker 1: always send me links. I will support you on my 606 00:29:39,440 --> 00:29:42,760 Speaker 1: social media. I will support you on my podcast and 607 00:29:42,840 --> 00:29:46,440 Speaker 1: my syndicated radio show in my newsletter. I believe in 608 00:29:46,560 --> 00:29:49,520 Speaker 1: you and don't change and keep winning it because you're very, 609 00:29:49,720 --> 00:29:53,360 Speaker 1: very very special and your testament to hard work and 610 00:29:53,480 --> 00:29:56,360 Speaker 1: also trust in your natural interstinct because that's how you win. 611 00:29:56,440 --> 00:29:58,360 Speaker 1: You have to one day wake up and go it's 612 00:29:58,400 --> 00:30:02,720 Speaker 1: on me. I believe in me, let's move forward. That's right. 613 00:30:03,000 --> 00:30:04,720 Speaker 1: And if you don't, if you don't believe in yourself 614 00:30:04,760 --> 00:30:06,680 Speaker 1: a hundred percent, like just chance, I don't know. I 615 00:30:06,760 --> 00:30:09,240 Speaker 1: say to myself confidence, confidence, confidence, I actually say that 616 00:30:09,320 --> 00:30:11,840 Speaker 1: out loud. I mean, no one is a hundred percent confident. 617 00:30:11,920 --> 00:30:14,320 Speaker 1: We all have times where we're like, you know, feeling 618 00:30:14,320 --> 00:30:16,800 Speaker 1: a little insecure for whatever. But you've got to coach 619 00:30:16,840 --> 00:30:19,840 Speaker 1: yourself just pushed through it. And Rashwan, I love you too. 620 00:30:20,320 --> 00:30:22,280 Speaker 1: I mean you're one of my biggest supporters. I'm one 621 00:30:22,320 --> 00:30:27,719 Speaker 1: of your biggest supporters. You've clearly blown up. I mean 622 00:30:27,800 --> 00:30:30,120 Speaker 1: you're like all over the world. I heart radio, like 623 00:30:30,200 --> 00:30:33,400 Speaker 1: you're everywhere. So whatever I can do is continue supporting you. 624 00:30:33,520 --> 00:30:35,720 Speaker 1: You know, I'll do well. We know when those October 625 00:30:35,800 --> 00:30:37,959 Speaker 1: masks come out. Let Roshan know, so I can put 626 00:30:38,000 --> 00:30:39,960 Speaker 1: it on on social media and we can keep winning 627 00:30:40,040 --> 00:30:43,800 Speaker 1: together as friends. All right, keep winning? Thank you? All right? 628 00:30:43,840 --> 00:30:45,720 Speaker 1: Tell your husband h and tell the family hat down 629 00:30:45,760 --> 00:30:48,160 Speaker 1: there now, Tell them I've support you and believing everything 630 00:30:48,240 --> 00:30:50,840 Speaker 1: you guys are doing that and keep giving good service 631 00:30:50,920 --> 00:30:54,880 Speaker 1: to the community. Okay, Megan, thank you, Rashan. Okay, I 632 00:30:54,880 --> 00:30:56,959 Speaker 1: appreciate you. By If you want to hear money more 633 00:30:57,040 --> 00:30:59,680 Speaker 1: money Making Conversations interviews, please go to Money Making Conversation 634 00:30:59,760 --> 00:31:02,320 Speaker 1: dot H. I'm Wishey McDonald. I'll be your host.