1
00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:03,080
Speaker 1: Listening makes us smarter, more connected people. It makes us

2
00:00:03,080 --> 00:00:06,240
Speaker 1: better partners, parents, and leaders, and there's no better place

3
00:00:06,280 --> 00:00:09,280
Speaker 1: to start listening than Audible. Audible is where so many

4
00:00:09,320 --> 00:00:12,600
Speaker 1: inspiring voices and compelling stories open listeners up to new

5
00:00:12,640 --> 00:00:15,760
Speaker 1: experiences in ways of thinking. Audible members now get more

6
00:00:15,800 --> 00:00:18,880
Speaker 1: than ever before. Members choose three titles every month, one

7
00:00:18,880 --> 00:00:22,000
Speaker 1: audiobook plus two Audible originals that you can't hear anywhere else.

8
00:00:22,320 --> 00:00:24,760
Speaker 1: Members also have unlimited access to more than a hundred

9
00:00:24,840 --> 00:00:29,280
Speaker 1: audio guided fitness and meditation programs. Audible delivers best sellers, business,

10
00:00:29,320 --> 00:00:33,360
Speaker 1: self improvement memoirs, and more, all professionally narrated by actors, authors,

11
00:00:33,360 --> 00:00:37,400
Speaker 1: and motivational superstars like Rachel Hollis, David Goggins, and Mel Robbins.

12
00:00:37,479 --> 00:00:39,879
Speaker 1: Audible members can also get free access to the New

13
00:00:39,960 --> 00:00:43,000
Speaker 1: York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post delivered daily

14
00:00:43,040 --> 00:00:45,479
Speaker 1: to the Audible app. With a convenient app, members can

15
00:00:45,520 --> 00:00:48,640
Speaker 1: access Audible any time at the gym, while commuting or

16
00:00:48,680 --> 00:00:51,040
Speaker 1: on the go, and on any device will always pick

17
00:00:51,200 --> 00:00:54,160
Speaker 1: right back up where you left off. Audible also offers

18
00:00:54,160 --> 00:00:56,920
Speaker 1: free and easy audiobook exchanges. Credits you can roll over

19
00:00:56,960 --> 00:00:59,680
Speaker 1: for a year in a library you keep forever, even

20
00:00:59,680 --> 00:01:02,320
Speaker 1: if you cancel. Explore all the ways listening on Audible

21
00:01:02,360 --> 00:01:06,360
Speaker 1: can help improve mind, body and soul with entertainment, information

22
00:01:06,600 --> 00:01:08,800
Speaker 1: and inspiration. You can get titles from your favorite I

23
00:01:08,880 --> 00:01:12,000
Speaker 1: Heeart talent such as Chelsea Handler, Danny Shapiro, Charlemagne the God,

24
00:01:12,080 --> 00:01:14,399
Speaker 1: and Bobby Bones on Audible. Start listening now with a

25
00:01:14,440 --> 00:01:17,360
Speaker 1: thirty day Audible trial and your first audiobook plus two

26
00:01:17,360 --> 00:01:20,880
Speaker 1: Audible originals are free. Visit audible dot com, slash I

27
00:01:21,040 --> 00:01:24,280
Speaker 1: heart or text I Heeart to five hundred, five hundred.

28
00:01:24,760 --> 00:01:28,000
Speaker 1: Now my next guest. I saw him last Thursday. I

29
00:01:28,080 --> 00:01:31,120
Speaker 1: was in d C. He's being celebrated and you should

30
00:01:31,160 --> 00:01:33,400
Speaker 1: celebrate this young man. I have on the phone right

31
00:01:33,440 --> 00:01:36,920
Speaker 1: here because I'm telling you the reaction and the uplift

32
00:01:37,080 --> 00:01:39,640
Speaker 1: and we're going to talk about that to him, it's

33
00:01:39,680 --> 00:01:43,920
Speaker 1: been amazing. He's the CEO and executive chairman of Sundown Brands,

34
00:01:44,280 --> 00:01:50,320
Speaker 1: founder and chairman of Essence Ventures Essence Ventures, which includes

35
00:01:51,840 --> 00:01:58,720
Speaker 1: Essence Magazine and Essence Festival. Please welcome to money making Conversations. Richie, Loeu, Dennis,

36
00:02:01,200 --> 00:02:04,880
Speaker 1: good morning. How you doing that, sir? I am fantastic

37
00:02:04,920 --> 00:02:07,400
Speaker 1: in yourself. Great. I know you now. I saw you

38
00:02:07,560 --> 00:02:11,880
Speaker 1: last week and I just gotta say this. I was

39
00:02:11,880 --> 00:02:15,720
Speaker 1: sitting in the audience, the audience that was dominant with females.

40
00:02:16,720 --> 00:02:19,440
Speaker 1: It was being put on by Sheila Eldridge, and of

41
00:02:19,480 --> 00:02:23,600
Speaker 1: course we also was being honored was Michell E. Banks,

42
00:02:24,360 --> 00:02:28,040
Speaker 1: who's the president of Essence Magazine. When you come in

43
00:02:28,080 --> 00:02:35,480
Speaker 1: a room like that, rich emotionally think, you know, people

44
00:02:35,520 --> 00:02:39,880
Speaker 1: are so proud that a black person has repurchased Essence

45
00:02:39,919 --> 00:02:46,960
Speaker 1: Magazine and Essence Festival. What responsibility that comes with that? Well,

46
00:02:47,000 --> 00:02:51,000
Speaker 1: you know, the responsibilities that come with that are are

47
00:02:51,080 --> 00:02:55,880
Speaker 1: are actually um challenges that I think we all live

48
00:02:56,000 --> 00:03:00,800
Speaker 1: with day and day out. They just become more elevated, right. UM.

49
00:03:00,840 --> 00:03:04,720
Speaker 1: I think that the biggest challenge is that we are, um,

50
00:03:05,040 --> 00:03:10,320
Speaker 1: we are in a battle for our culture, right in

51
00:03:10,400 --> 00:03:14,520
Speaker 1: a in a battle to um own our narrative, in

52
00:03:14,600 --> 00:03:21,200
Speaker 1: a battle to establish um ourselves as as entrepreneurs and

53
00:03:21,400 --> 00:03:27,120
Speaker 1: as business leaders and inasmuch as anybody else UH can

54
00:03:27,160 --> 00:03:31,520
Speaker 1: be considered a business leader. So you know, those those pressures,

55
00:03:31,520 --> 00:03:36,280
Speaker 1: those challenges, those responsibilities I think we all UH facing

56
00:03:36,480 --> 00:03:41,200
Speaker 1: day and day out. UM, But they become elevated when um,

57
00:03:41,240 --> 00:03:43,320
Speaker 1: you know, when you do it on a national stage.

58
00:03:43,360 --> 00:03:45,800
Speaker 1: And so now what we've got to do is make

59
00:03:45,800 --> 00:03:50,440
Speaker 1: sure that we're delivering for our culture, delivering for our people,

60
00:03:50,760 --> 00:03:54,640
Speaker 1: and providing a pathway so that our youth can see,

61
00:03:54,960 --> 00:03:58,960
Speaker 1: can see how this journey to is theirs. It was interesting.

62
00:03:59,200 --> 00:04:01,000
Speaker 1: What my biggest take away from you is that you

63
00:04:01,080 --> 00:04:05,120
Speaker 1: willing to share your real community. Guy. It's about the community,

64
00:04:05,200 --> 00:04:08,680
Speaker 1: is about family, is about paying it forward. What did that?

65
00:04:08,720 --> 00:04:13,120
Speaker 1: What did that? What did those values come from? You know,

66
00:04:13,480 --> 00:04:17,320
Speaker 1: I was raised by a single mother, UM, and she

67
00:04:17,520 --> 00:04:20,760
Speaker 1: was raised by a single mother. And you know, I

68
00:04:20,920 --> 00:04:25,680
Speaker 1: had the good fortune of watching my mother and my grandmother,

69
00:04:26,440 --> 00:04:31,160
Speaker 1: UM use the communities that we lived in to raise us,

70
00:04:31,920 --> 00:04:36,480
Speaker 1: leverage the communities that we come from, to ground us

71
00:04:36,520 --> 00:04:40,000
Speaker 1: in culture. The ground is in ethics, the ground is

72
00:04:40,680 --> 00:04:44,320
Speaker 1: in mission, and the groundess and purpose. And so that

73
00:04:44,480 --> 00:04:47,440
Speaker 1: was ingrained with me from a very early age. And

74
00:04:47,480 --> 00:04:51,000
Speaker 1: I was able to see how as a community, how

75
00:04:51,080 --> 00:04:54,839
Speaker 1: investing in ourselves, in in in partnering with each other

76
00:04:54,880 --> 00:04:58,320
Speaker 1: and giving each other opportunities, and I think most importantly

77
00:04:58,320 --> 00:05:02,000
Speaker 1: in trusting each other. Yes, Um, she was able to

78
00:05:02,080 --> 00:05:05,159
Speaker 1: do things with us, UM that she would not have

79
00:05:05,200 --> 00:05:09,280
Speaker 1: been able to do on her own. Now, and UM,

80
00:05:09,839 --> 00:05:11,760
Speaker 1: I'm sorry, go ahead now, it was really because it

81
00:05:11,800 --> 00:05:13,840
Speaker 1: was it was really amazing in the room because when

82
00:05:13,839 --> 00:05:16,440
Speaker 1: you said, you know you were raised by a single mom,

83
00:05:16,480 --> 00:05:19,840
Speaker 1: it was like applause just broke out. Yes, you know it,

84
00:05:20,279 --> 00:05:23,520
Speaker 1: you know you you you're you're delivering so many slices

85
00:05:23,560 --> 00:05:26,160
Speaker 1: of life and so many levels of uplift for so

86
00:05:26,200 --> 00:05:30,200
Speaker 1: many women that that's what it was like. I'm telling

87
00:05:30,200 --> 00:05:33,600
Speaker 1: you a man, watching you command that room and watching

88
00:05:33,640 --> 00:05:39,040
Speaker 1: people look at you, it's really you. You've got something

89
00:05:39,120 --> 00:05:44,240
Speaker 1: special happening around you. I'm sure you're aware of that. Correct. Yeah, Well,

90
00:05:44,279 --> 00:05:47,800
Speaker 1: you know the thing is, it's not UM you know

91
00:05:48,560 --> 00:05:54,240
Speaker 1: now Fortunately UM many people get to get to experience

92
00:05:54,320 --> 00:05:57,840
Speaker 1: it because, as I said, it's it's much more known,

93
00:05:58,080 --> 00:06:00,560
Speaker 1: right what we're doing now we've been doing the same

94
00:06:00,600 --> 00:06:10,400
Speaker 1: thing for you know, seven years. So what does guy

95
00:06:10,440 --> 00:06:15,440
Speaker 1: come from? Exactly? You know? Uh, the what we now

96
00:06:15,520 --> 00:06:20,160
Speaker 1: have the good fortune of it is scale, right and

97
00:06:20,160 --> 00:06:24,240
Speaker 1: and and visibility and in a platform you know that

98
00:06:24,279 --> 00:06:27,200
Speaker 1: we can now that we can now share this from

99
00:06:27,320 --> 00:06:31,320
Speaker 1: UM and an audience that is now UM engaged and

100
00:06:31,640 --> 00:06:37,280
Speaker 1: and and and is acknowledging uh, the journey that we're

101
00:06:37,320 --> 00:06:40,200
Speaker 1: on and so now our job is to is to

102
00:06:40,360 --> 00:06:43,400
Speaker 1: bring more and more people into this journey and to

103
00:06:43,680 --> 00:06:46,440
Speaker 1: and to spread the message so that so that they

104
00:06:46,480 --> 00:06:49,239
Speaker 1: too can can figure out what their role is. Because

105
00:06:49,480 --> 00:06:51,880
Speaker 1: there's a role here for all of us, right and

106
00:06:51,880 --> 00:06:53,840
Speaker 1: and and and not only is there a role for

107
00:06:53,880 --> 00:06:56,200
Speaker 1: all of us, we all must play a role. You know,

108
00:06:56,360 --> 00:06:58,960
Speaker 1: you're playing a role. I'm playing a role. We all

109
00:06:59,040 --> 00:07:01,600
Speaker 1: must play a role because as if we don't do that,

110
00:07:01,680 --> 00:07:04,480
Speaker 1: then where we care as a community. If we play

111
00:07:04,480 --> 00:07:06,719
Speaker 1: a role, and if we step up and and and

112
00:07:06,720 --> 00:07:10,320
Speaker 1: and and shoulder the responsibilities for each other, then we

113
00:07:10,440 --> 00:07:13,480
Speaker 1: now have an opportunity to go out and compete and

114
00:07:13,600 --> 00:07:16,520
Speaker 1: to win and to use each other to create this

115
00:07:16,640 --> 00:07:21,160
Speaker 1: ecosystem that will allow us to win. Right now, we're

116
00:07:21,200 --> 00:07:23,880
Speaker 1: all doing it independently. We've got to do it collective work.

117
00:07:24,080 --> 00:07:26,920
Speaker 1: You know. It's really time and everything. Because I get

118
00:07:26,920 --> 00:07:30,280
Speaker 1: the weekly I get I'm on the essence uh mailer,

119
00:07:30,600 --> 00:07:33,120
Speaker 1: I get the emails and updates and all that stuff,

120
00:07:33,320 --> 00:07:37,360
Speaker 1: and when and when when you purchased it, it was

121
00:07:37,440 --> 00:07:39,840
Speaker 1: like it had people. It felt like the the email

122
00:07:39,960 --> 00:07:42,720
Speaker 1: was dancing and celebrate, you know, like it email was

123
00:07:42,760 --> 00:07:47,760
Speaker 1: like yeah, yeah, yeah, we're back, We're back, We're back,

124
00:07:48,040 --> 00:07:51,280
Speaker 1: We're black, We're black. You know, it was like really

125
00:07:51,560 --> 00:07:54,200
Speaker 1: it really was, and in time and everything, did you

126
00:07:54,280 --> 00:07:56,520
Speaker 1: come right on to that black path? Or run? You

127
00:07:56,560 --> 00:07:58,560
Speaker 1: know what I'm saying. And I know that's a lot

128
00:07:58,640 --> 00:08:00,920
Speaker 1: of you know, police, it's used that we have out

129
00:08:00,920 --> 00:08:03,760
Speaker 1: the industry that we're trying to deal with. We were protesting,

130
00:08:04,120 --> 00:08:06,560
Speaker 1: but to see to celebrate what you guys are doing,

131
00:08:06,600 --> 00:08:09,760
Speaker 1: to see that we can achieve this level of success

132
00:08:09,800 --> 00:08:13,520
Speaker 1: and positivity. Nor you have this strong digital presence with

133
00:08:13,640 --> 00:08:17,200
Speaker 1: essence Nor you got you know this over one point

134
00:08:17,240 --> 00:08:21,480
Speaker 1: six million I believe monthly subscribers to the magazine, that platform,

135
00:08:21,560 --> 00:08:24,920
Speaker 1: the social media platform. You have arrived in a in

136
00:08:24,960 --> 00:08:27,360
Speaker 1: a place that I'm sure to kind of did it

137
00:08:27,480 --> 00:08:30,160
Speaker 1: take you back? The reaction because everything that you know,

138
00:08:30,240 --> 00:08:33,839
Speaker 1: what you were buying, but the emotional uplift to this,

139
00:08:34,280 --> 00:08:37,520
Speaker 1: to this country and to the to the female populace

140
00:08:37,800 --> 00:08:40,720
Speaker 1: was amazing. Man. I have to say that I didn't

141
00:08:40,720 --> 00:08:42,920
Speaker 1: expect it when it When you made the deal, I

142
00:08:43,000 --> 00:08:45,959
Speaker 1: was impressed. I said, go for it, but the but

143
00:08:46,160 --> 00:08:50,839
Speaker 1: the emotional reaction has been amazing. Sir. Yeah, I think

144
00:08:51,120 --> 00:08:55,480
Speaker 1: I think you know you're you can never you can

145
00:08:55,520 --> 00:09:01,120
Speaker 1: never underestimate them the power of freedom, right, and the

146
00:09:01,200 --> 00:09:05,240
Speaker 1: power of liberation. And that's what that's what we saw

147
00:09:05,400 --> 00:09:11,559
Speaker 1: and that's what we experienced. We saw. We saw women celebrating, um,

148
00:09:11,640 --> 00:09:17,079
Speaker 1: their voices being liberated, their platform being liberated. They're they're

149
00:09:17,440 --> 00:09:23,440
Speaker 1: um uh, they're calling now um being front and center

150
00:09:23,720 --> 00:09:27,120
Speaker 1: by them and for them, and so you know, yeah,

151
00:09:27,160 --> 00:09:31,240
Speaker 1: it was it was really really exciting, and I think, yeah,

152
00:09:31,360 --> 00:09:33,520
Speaker 1: thank you, and I think, but I think what's important

153
00:09:33,520 --> 00:09:36,760
Speaker 1: now is that we don't stop at the celebration there

154
00:09:36,800 --> 00:09:40,200
Speaker 1: you go, right, you know, the felt the celebration was

155
00:09:40,280 --> 00:09:44,160
Speaker 1: just was just the ticket for admissions. And then I

156
00:09:44,200 --> 00:09:46,080
Speaker 1: got there from you though you you're not a guy.

157
00:09:46,160 --> 00:09:48,600
Speaker 1: You know, you're not a celebrator. You know, you're like, Okay,

158
00:09:48,920 --> 00:09:51,880
Speaker 1: let's okay, let's put down the champagne glasses. We got

159
00:09:51,880 --> 00:09:54,800
Speaker 1: work to do, exactly a lot of work to do

160
00:09:54,840 --> 00:09:58,800
Speaker 1: it because a visionary I know, we're about to run

161
00:09:58,800 --> 00:10:00,720
Speaker 1: down town this first bird. But I want to mention

162
00:10:00,760 --> 00:10:03,520
Speaker 1: the fact that Sundown you have four brands, that you

163
00:10:03,600 --> 00:10:07,199
Speaker 1: are the CEO or the Sundown Sun Sun Dial brand,

164
00:10:07,240 --> 00:10:10,960
Speaker 1: which is Shade Marsha Nubian Heritage Madam C. J. Walker

165
00:10:11,320 --> 00:10:16,440
Speaker 1: and as that Nicaeo, Makael Heritage, and these are brands

166
00:10:16,520 --> 00:10:19,080
Speaker 1: that that you are are right Like you said, I

167
00:10:19,120 --> 00:10:20,920
Speaker 1: don't know how they talk me to keep running this

168
00:10:21,000 --> 00:10:24,720
Speaker 1: company but because but but that's your vision though. I

169
00:10:24,760 --> 00:10:27,839
Speaker 1: know why you're still there because it's like you know,

170
00:10:28,120 --> 00:10:32,199
Speaker 1: you have, you know exactly the vision, how they emotionally

171
00:10:32,240 --> 00:10:34,920
Speaker 1: touch people and watching you communicate, that's why I'm so

172
00:10:34,960 --> 00:10:37,199
Speaker 1: happy before the interview I got to see you live

173
00:10:37,640 --> 00:10:40,600
Speaker 1: because you are I'm just gonna keep complimenting you, my friend.

174
00:10:40,960 --> 00:10:45,840
Speaker 1: You are a special special talent man. You understand the

175
00:10:45,920 --> 00:10:49,320
Speaker 1: value of community. Of community, you're the understand the value

176
00:10:49,360 --> 00:10:51,440
Speaker 1: of unity. And when we come back, I want you

177
00:10:51,480 --> 00:10:55,200
Speaker 1: to talk about that one hundred million dollar UH fund

178
00:10:55,280 --> 00:10:58,960
Speaker 1: for for women to enter into entrepreneurship and the growth

179
00:10:59,000 --> 00:11:01,960
Speaker 1: from sixteen thous and women to two hundred thousand that

180
00:11:02,040 --> 00:11:05,400
Speaker 1: you talked about the d C because they're going nowhere.

181
00:11:06,520 --> 00:11:11,600
Speaker 1: He's amazing. Hi, Welcome back to Money Making Conversations. I'm

182
00:11:11,640 --> 00:11:13,760
Speaker 1: your host, Ram Sean McDonald on the phone, got the

183
00:11:13,800 --> 00:11:18,360
Speaker 1: CEO and executive chairman of Sundown Brands, the founder and

184
00:11:18,480 --> 00:11:24,120
Speaker 1: chairman of ess Ventures, which includes Essence magazine and Essence Festival.

185
00:11:24,720 --> 00:11:28,480
Speaker 1: Are you still there? Mr Dennis? Right here? Good? Before

186
00:11:28,240 --> 00:11:29,920
Speaker 1: I Before I go into first I want to talk

187
00:11:29,920 --> 00:11:32,040
Speaker 1: about a couple of things. They really caught my eye,

188
00:11:32,679 --> 00:11:34,839
Speaker 1: my ear when I was watching you speak in d C.

189
00:11:35,360 --> 00:11:38,880
Speaker 1: It was a program called New Voices for Women of

190
00:11:39,000 --> 00:11:43,680
Speaker 1: Entrepreneurship Opportunities for women of color. Can you expound on that. Yeah.

191
00:11:43,880 --> 00:11:47,120
Speaker 1: So one of the one of the things that leave

192
00:11:47,520 --> 00:11:51,080
Speaker 1: UM found this we've been building UH the Sun Dial

193
00:11:51,160 --> 00:11:54,719
Speaker 1: business has been and you know this as well as

194
00:11:54,720 --> 00:11:58,439
Speaker 1: probably every single one of your listeners, the challenges that

195
00:11:58,520 --> 00:12:03,840
Speaker 1: we have as entrepreneurs of color in raising capital and

196
00:12:03,960 --> 00:12:08,680
Speaker 1: the disparity within which UM we have access to capital.

197
00:12:09,160 --> 00:12:13,319
Speaker 1: And so as we've become more and more UM, as

198
00:12:13,360 --> 00:12:15,560
Speaker 1: we've grown more and more and they become more and

199
00:12:15,559 --> 00:12:19,440
Speaker 1: more successful, our model has been what we call community commerce,

200
00:12:19,480 --> 00:12:24,160
Speaker 1: and that is reinvesting your profits where you make your profits.

201
00:12:24,280 --> 00:12:27,520
Speaker 1: So we make our profits in in in in UH

202
00:12:27,679 --> 00:12:31,600
Speaker 1: in black communities around the globe. And so what we

203
00:12:31,760 --> 00:12:36,200
Speaker 1: do is we invest back in those communities. UH with

204
00:12:36,200 --> 00:12:39,480
Speaker 1: with with with with the profits that we make and

205
00:12:39,520 --> 00:12:45,120
Speaker 1: so UM understanding the challenges of building a business, UH

206
00:12:45,320 --> 00:12:49,200
Speaker 1: just being an entrepreneur than understanding the challenges of being

207
00:12:49,400 --> 00:12:54,000
Speaker 1: a black entrepreneurs and understanding the challenges that go beyond that,

208
00:12:54,080 --> 00:12:58,000
Speaker 1: for for for women of color entrepreneurs who have even

209
00:12:58,120 --> 00:13:03,080
Speaker 1: less access to capital. Um, we decided that we would

210
00:13:03,280 --> 00:13:06,679
Speaker 1: we would put a fund together. UM. Partners with the

211
00:13:06,800 --> 00:13:09,360
Speaker 1: Unity are on this. Put a fund together. I'm a

212
00:13:09,400 --> 00:13:13,440
Speaker 1: million dollars fund to invest in women of color entrepreneurs

213
00:13:13,480 --> 00:13:17,480
Speaker 1: because we're never going to have the economic stability that

214
00:13:17,559 --> 00:13:20,120
Speaker 1: we need in our communities when the women in our

215
00:13:20,200 --> 00:13:24,480
Speaker 1: communities aren't economically independent now, and so we want to

216
00:13:24,760 --> 00:13:26,600
Speaker 1: I'm sorry. And then when I would say that the

217
00:13:26,600 --> 00:13:28,680
Speaker 1: first thing that people gonna go it's just gonna be

218
00:13:28,679 --> 00:13:31,880
Speaker 1: a shock tank type participation. How does one and it

219
00:13:31,960 --> 00:13:34,680
Speaker 1: maybe early in the stage of conversation here, how would

220
00:13:34,720 --> 00:13:41,199
Speaker 1: one be able to become a participant? Yeah, so um,

221
00:13:41,240 --> 00:13:44,160
Speaker 1: it is early. Um. But what we're now doing is

222
00:13:44,160 --> 00:13:49,800
Speaker 1: saying go to the New Voices Fund, the New Voices

223
00:13:49,880 --> 00:13:55,560
Speaker 1: Fund dot com and you can submit your information there. Um.

224
00:13:55,760 --> 00:13:59,920
Speaker 1: We're gathering that information now. People are submitting their idea

225
00:14:00,280 --> 00:14:06,160
Speaker 1: business plans there. Um. Uh there their pitstet and then

226
00:14:06,400 --> 00:14:11,079
Speaker 1: those men get reviewed. Um. We have not officially um,

227
00:14:11,280 --> 00:14:14,720
Speaker 1: launched the launched yet, but it's good to to to

228
00:14:14,880 --> 00:14:18,320
Speaker 1: get uh your information and ahead of time, UM, and

229
00:14:18,360 --> 00:14:22,080
Speaker 1: then we'll start evaluating those and reaching out UM to

230
00:14:22,240 --> 00:14:26,760
Speaker 1: those to those that have presented plans that are interesting.

231
00:14:27,120 --> 00:14:31,960
Speaker 1: You know, our key focus is is your business UM

232
00:14:31,960 --> 00:14:36,120
Speaker 1: going to be a profitable business? Right UM? And then

233
00:14:36,760 --> 00:14:39,920
Speaker 1: so you start there, but also what is this contribution

234
00:14:40,000 --> 00:14:43,000
Speaker 1: back to our communities? What is this contribution back to

235
00:14:43,040 --> 00:14:48,000
Speaker 1: our society as it moving how's the moving us forward? Right?

236
00:14:48,080 --> 00:14:51,240
Speaker 1: Because it's not just about being able to create a

237
00:14:51,240 --> 00:14:55,120
Speaker 1: business that enriches oneself. It's about being able to create

238
00:14:55,160 --> 00:14:58,840
Speaker 1: a business and enriches our community. And so that's that's

239
00:14:58,920 --> 00:15:04,440
Speaker 1: the leminary criteria that we're that we're evaluating UM and

240
00:15:04,600 --> 00:15:09,280
Speaker 1: you know, it's amazing to see just how many talented

241
00:15:10,120 --> 00:15:14,680
Speaker 1: UM UH women of color entrepreneurs there are out there

242
00:15:14,720 --> 00:15:18,040
Speaker 1: when incredible businesses they're running, UM and to be in

243
00:15:18,040 --> 00:15:21,200
Speaker 1: a position to help them alleviate some of the some

244
00:15:21,280 --> 00:15:23,760
Speaker 1: of the challenges because for us, it's not just about

245
00:15:23,760 --> 00:15:26,680
Speaker 1: providing capital. I mean, we all know that capital is important,

246
00:15:26,960 --> 00:15:31,880
Speaker 1: but equally important is access access to market, to access

247
00:15:31,920 --> 00:15:35,720
Speaker 1: to business information. You know, Richard, That's why That's why

248
00:15:35,760 --> 00:15:38,160
Speaker 1: I created money making conversations, you know, because in the

249
00:15:38,200 --> 00:15:40,840
Speaker 1: fact that it's about information, and you're so right, you know,

250
00:15:40,840 --> 00:15:45,760
Speaker 1: I'm information, you money because I'm trying to just pret marriage.

251
00:15:45,840 --> 00:15:48,480
Speaker 1: It's great, because trying to connect the dots. Because but

252
00:15:48,560 --> 00:15:50,840
Speaker 1: I don't want to have happened this time around. It's

253
00:15:50,880 --> 00:15:54,280
Speaker 1: for the the African American community or the community of

254
00:15:54,320 --> 00:15:56,440
Speaker 1: color to be left out. You know, we've been We've

255
00:15:56,440 --> 00:15:59,640
Speaker 1: been left out of Silicon valid you know, supposedly, we've

256
00:15:59,640 --> 00:16:02,920
Speaker 1: been left out of technology. Supposedly. Now we have a

257
00:16:03,440 --> 00:16:05,960
Speaker 1: very powerful eighteen to thirty or four. They call it

258
00:16:06,000 --> 00:16:09,920
Speaker 1: the entrepreneurship generation. And I realized that if I don't,

259
00:16:10,000 --> 00:16:12,960
Speaker 1: it's my responsibility at this point in life to like

260
00:16:13,000 --> 00:16:15,320
Speaker 1: you said, what do you get back? What is your legacy?

261
00:16:15,480 --> 00:16:17,920
Speaker 1: My legacy is to get back and to educate. And

262
00:16:17,960 --> 00:16:20,520
Speaker 1: to have you on this show is important because you're

263
00:16:20,560 --> 00:16:23,280
Speaker 1: doing exactly what I need in my life right now.

264
00:16:23,680 --> 00:16:25,760
Speaker 1: When I when I when this goes out on hbc

265
00:16:25,920 --> 00:16:29,080
Speaker 1: U campuses, when it goes out on our Alreadio podcast,

266
00:16:29,480 --> 00:16:31,200
Speaker 1: I want to let you know that I am a

267
00:16:31,240 --> 00:16:34,280
Speaker 1: soldier in your calls. So we just keep in the loop.

268
00:16:34,520 --> 00:16:35,880
Speaker 1: You know if you have banners that need to be

269
00:16:35,920 --> 00:16:38,880
Speaker 1: posted of over seven hundred thousands of social media follows

270
00:16:38,880 --> 00:16:41,040
Speaker 1: on Facebook, you know, you know I have a fan

271
00:16:41,120 --> 00:16:44,760
Speaker 1: club or a quarter a million. I have no problem

272
00:16:44,800 --> 00:16:47,880
Speaker 1: trying to get this information out because it's important to

273
00:16:48,000 --> 00:16:53,280
Speaker 1: have information that nobody knows about. It's not information at all, exactly,

274
00:16:54,680 --> 00:16:56,520
Speaker 1: and that's why you gotta keep winning. Now, let's bring

275
00:16:56,560 --> 00:16:58,840
Speaker 1: down a little information about some of that you told me.

276
00:16:59,760 --> 00:17:01,560
Speaker 1: I like he was talking to me personally and d C,

277
00:17:01,720 --> 00:17:06,040
Speaker 1: I'm sorry, but you were talking about growing the community

278
00:17:06,600 --> 00:17:10,399
Speaker 1: in Africa. You know, the above their poverty line. You know,

279
00:17:10,840 --> 00:17:13,719
Speaker 1: what is the goal there? And and we all know

280
00:17:13,840 --> 00:17:16,560
Speaker 1: that you have a poverty line living below that, that's

281
00:17:16,600 --> 00:17:19,159
Speaker 1: my name living. So what is the mission there? And

282
00:17:19,359 --> 00:17:22,359
Speaker 1: what is the plan that we're talked about? The voting?

283
00:17:22,480 --> 00:17:25,359
Speaker 1: The new voices program here that you you developing with

284
00:17:25,359 --> 00:17:27,719
Speaker 1: a hundred million is at the early stages. But you

285
00:17:27,760 --> 00:17:30,920
Speaker 1: can't go to the website and start feeling out your applications.

286
00:17:31,080 --> 00:17:36,720
Speaker 1: What about this new this program that you're developing over there. Yeah.

287
00:17:36,760 --> 00:17:40,120
Speaker 1: So so, as I said earlier, our business model is

288
00:17:40,480 --> 00:17:43,879
Speaker 1: called community commerce, right, and it's the philosophy that you

289
00:17:44,000 --> 00:17:48,000
Speaker 1: invest your process where you make your profits are are

290
00:17:48,880 --> 00:17:51,080
Speaker 1: one of our you know, shape better is a big,

291
00:17:51,119 --> 00:17:54,280
Speaker 1: big part of our of our brand is the brand

292
00:17:55,040 --> 00:18:00,920
Speaker 1: and uh it is it is harvested by a very

293
00:18:01,000 --> 00:18:04,040
Speaker 1: very poor women in Africa. And so when we started

294
00:18:04,080 --> 00:18:08,600
Speaker 1: this this this um this business UM my grandmother was

295
00:18:08,640 --> 00:18:13,439
Speaker 1: one of those women um uh that was harvesting local

296
00:18:13,480 --> 00:18:17,080
Speaker 1: produce and turning them into the products. And so what

297
00:18:17,119 --> 00:18:19,240
Speaker 1: we wanted to do is to move women like my

298
00:18:19,320 --> 00:18:22,919
Speaker 1: grandmother up the value change so that they're not just

299
00:18:23,040 --> 00:18:26,840
Speaker 1: gathering nuts and selling nuts for pennies um, but that

300
00:18:26,880 --> 00:18:30,680
Speaker 1: they're actually able to create products out of that that

301
00:18:30,880 --> 00:18:34,120
Speaker 1: can sell out a higher dollar value, which then helped

302
00:18:34,160 --> 00:18:39,439
Speaker 1: them right rise above the um the poverty cycles that

303
00:18:39,520 --> 00:18:42,360
Speaker 1: persist in those in those communities. And by the way,

304
00:18:42,840 --> 00:18:45,840
Speaker 1: um I always want to point out to people that

305
00:18:46,200 --> 00:18:51,240
Speaker 1: even though we live in the wealthiest country on the planet,

306
00:18:51,920 --> 00:18:56,760
Speaker 1: there are still there are still millions of young children

307
00:18:56,800 --> 00:18:59,400
Speaker 1: in this country that go to bed hungry every night

308
00:19:00,000 --> 00:19:03,840
Speaker 1: of the school hungry every day. Right, So, so poverty

309
00:19:04,040 --> 00:19:09,119
Speaker 1: is not limited to um to Africa alone. In our communities,

310
00:19:09,200 --> 00:19:13,120
Speaker 1: we have poverty right here and so so that we're

311
00:19:13,160 --> 00:19:17,439
Speaker 1: trying to solve those problems holistically with the New Voice

312
00:19:17,480 --> 00:19:22,119
Speaker 1: is fund to create uh generational wealth or women of

313
00:19:22,240 --> 00:19:25,920
Speaker 1: color here. But then also with UM with our community

314
00:19:25,960 --> 00:19:30,600
Speaker 1: commerce programs in Africa to provide those women an opportunity

315
00:19:30,760 --> 00:19:34,720
Speaker 1: to create value added products that we can then sell

316
00:19:34,880 --> 00:19:39,480
Speaker 1: here and reinvest back into them so that they too

317
00:19:39,520 --> 00:19:42,560
Speaker 1: can rise above poverty. So what we now have is

318
00:19:42,600 --> 00:19:46,800
Speaker 1: about sixteen thousand women that are currently impacted by this

319
00:19:47,240 --> 00:19:49,840
Speaker 1: by this effort, and we're looking to scale that to

320
00:19:49,960 --> 00:19:56,359
Speaker 1: two hundred thousand over the next year. Yeah, two hundred thousand. Um,

321
00:19:56,359 --> 00:19:58,480
Speaker 1: thank you man, thank you. But you know, it's also

322
00:19:58,520 --> 00:20:01,560
Speaker 1: congratulations to your listener. They're the ones that buy our products.

323
00:20:01,560 --> 00:20:04,840
Speaker 1: They're the ones that enable us to make these investments,

324
00:20:04,880 --> 00:20:07,359
Speaker 1: and they're the ones that I think you need to

325
00:20:07,440 --> 00:20:11,800
Speaker 1: hold other companies accountable so that they're investing their profits

326
00:20:11,840 --> 00:20:14,400
Speaker 1: back where they're making their profits right, and they're making

327
00:20:14,400 --> 00:20:18,080
Speaker 1: their profits in our community. So UM. So that's that's

328
00:20:18,200 --> 00:20:22,399
Speaker 1: that's what the Community Commerce program is. Amazing. Thing about

329
00:20:22,400 --> 00:20:25,919
Speaker 1: this rich is that you keep everything as a team.

330
00:20:26,000 --> 00:20:28,720
Speaker 1: You know, you know, I make a product, you buy

331
00:20:28,800 --> 00:20:32,560
Speaker 1: the product, I reinvest. That's a team effort exactly. That's

332
00:20:32,600 --> 00:20:35,439
Speaker 1: that's a three sixty plan and that's why you win. Eat.

333
00:20:35,800 --> 00:20:37,480
Speaker 1: You know you you got a three sixty plan with

334
00:20:37,600 --> 00:20:40,960
Speaker 1: Ess magazine. You got the three six plan with Ess Festival,

335
00:20:41,000 --> 00:20:44,119
Speaker 1: with five thousand people attend that every year. You know

336
00:20:44,440 --> 00:20:47,359
Speaker 1: you have a three sixty plan with Sundal Brands. You

337
00:20:47,440 --> 00:20:49,399
Speaker 1: keep giving back. Man, I want to thank you for

338
00:20:49,400 --> 00:20:53,280
Speaker 1: coming on my show. Well, thank thank you for having it.

339
00:20:53,640 --> 00:20:55,359
Speaker 1: And we have to stay in touch, Rich, We gotta

340
00:20:55,359 --> 00:20:57,600
Speaker 1: stay in touch. But man, do it. Let's do it. Man.

341
00:20:57,800 --> 00:21:00,320
Speaker 1: Listening It makes us a smarter, more connected people. It

342
00:21:00,400 --> 00:21:03,359
Speaker 1: makes us better partners, parents, and leaders. And there's no

343
00:21:03,400 --> 00:21:06,400
Speaker 1: better place to start listening than Audible. Audible is where

344
00:21:06,440 --> 00:21:09,960
Speaker 1: so many inspiring voices and compelling stories open listeners up

345
00:21:09,960 --> 00:21:12,920
Speaker 1: to new experiences in ways of thinking. Audible members now

346
00:21:13,040 --> 00:21:16,200
Speaker 1: get more than ever before. Members choose three titles every month,

347
00:21:16,359 --> 00:21:19,000
Speaker 1: one audiobook plus two audible originals that you can't hear

348
00:21:19,000 --> 00:21:21,919
Speaker 1: anywhere else. Members also have unlimited access to more than

349
00:21:21,960 --> 00:21:25,719
Speaker 1: a hundred audio guided fitness and meditation programs. Audible delivers

350
00:21:25,760 --> 00:21:29,679
Speaker 1: best sellers, business, self improvement memoirs, and more, all professionally

351
00:21:29,760 --> 00:21:33,040
Speaker 1: narrated by actors, authors, and motivational superstars like Rachel Hollis,

352
00:21:33,240 --> 00:21:36,520
Speaker 1: David Goggins, and Mel Robbins. Audible members can also get

353
00:21:36,560 --> 00:21:38,879
Speaker 1: free access to the New York Times, Wall Street Journal,

354
00:21:38,920 --> 00:21:41,720
Speaker 1: and Washington Post delivered daily to the Audible app. With

355
00:21:41,760 --> 00:21:44,760
Speaker 1: a convenient app, members can access Audible any time at

356
00:21:44,760 --> 00:21:47,199
Speaker 1: the gym, while commuting or on the go, and on

357
00:21:47,240 --> 00:21:49,800
Speaker 1: any device will always pick right back up where you

358
00:21:49,960 --> 00:21:53,440
Speaker 1: left off. Audible also offers free and easy audiobook exchanges.

359
00:21:53,560 --> 00:21:55,240
Speaker 1: Credits you can roll over for a year in a

360
00:21:55,320 --> 00:21:58,639
Speaker 1: library you keep forever even if you cancel. Explore all

361
00:21:58,680 --> 00:22:01,800
Speaker 1: the ways listening on Audible can help improve mind, body,

362
00:22:01,840 --> 00:22:05,479
Speaker 1: and soul. With entertainment information and inspiration. You can get

363
00:22:05,520 --> 00:22:07,920
Speaker 1: titles from your favorite I Heeart talent such as Chelsea Handler,

364
00:22:07,960 --> 00:22:11,040
Speaker 1: Danny Shapiro, Charlemagne the God, and Bobby Bones on Audible.

365
00:22:11,080 --> 00:22:13,480
Speaker 1: Start listening now with a thirty day Audible trial and

366
00:22:13,520 --> 00:22:16,840
Speaker 1: your first audiobook plus two Audible originals are free. Visit

367
00:22:16,880 --> 00:22:19,880
Speaker 1: audible dot com, slash I heart or text I Heeart

368
00:22:19,960 --> 00:22:21,920
Speaker 1: to five hundred five hundred