It's time for the b a q a A, the b a q a what you say, the b a q a man day, the b a q a tip and a the b a q a a. So we're doing b a qa today SAMs Mandy because you know she got this cold or whatever. But that's okay because I'm here and we have someone in stud o. But remember Brian and Bishen, question and answer. It's all about you have questions. We have some answers. But we are not your attorney. We're not your mama, we're not your financializing.
We're just two smart brown girls who have some answers for you.
Okay.
And so if you'd like to be on the ba qa two a's, if you'd like to actually be in studio digitally, of course, you can go to Brin and Vision podcast on our on our Instagram, leave us a voice note, or you can always go to Bronavision podcast dot com and and you know, write us a message.
Okay. So in study today we have Mayoki. Did I say it right? San Florence?
Right?
Okay? Miaoke, thank you that.
So she's got a really good question about some business. So Mike, Wh's got to ask a question We'll first tell us a little about yourself, then ask you a question that we can get this party started.
Okay, Okay. So my name is Mayoki Saint Florence. I am a Jersey native. I live in what I like to call the Tri City area, Nork, Irvington, and Eastern I don't know, that's my stopping ground where I was born and raised. Okay, and I have spent the past five plus years of my career working with youth in our area. I've done work in some charter school systems as well as for the Trio upper Bound program that
was in existence at Seaton Hall University. I am a two time graduate of Seaton Hall University.
Okay, I want you know I graduates to set that.
I got my.
Master's Okay, got my master's in public administration. And I'm currently in the space of being un an employed, but very inspired.
I love it and having.
That time to kind of slow down, reset myself refocused. I came up with a business plan and the name of my business is Focused Foundation for our Communities Undeniable Success. So I'm in the space of really trying to get clarity on which way to go when starting when doing a startup, particularly whether I should go the LLC side or the five or one C three side, So the pros and cons of both.
Okay, first of all, my okay, first of all, I did not know girl that she was as the scotty girl like myself.
Okay, because y'all.
Know, I live in newer right next to you, right, I see, I'm in northist. I actually was at the breakfast that was held by the superintendent last month. Oh when I was there, yeah there, Yes, I didn't get to see you because I had to run out really early. So this moment right here is full circle for me. Oh this is a hive in that moment. But I'm having this one on one dialogue with.
That awesome yes, the superintendent. He is also like a neighbor of mine as well as the insistent superintendent.
Shout out to you a Roger and Maria. But no, this is this is really full circle. This is awesome.
So yes, I love to see a that on Jersey Native and also too, where you are, Mayoki is where I was when I started the Bunjanista. I was unemployed but inspired, and I was literally asking myself the same thing. Should I have a nonprofit or should I start a business, because well, first tell me why, Like why why were you thinking about starting a nonprofit? Like what is the what's the motivation behind potentially having a business that's a nonprofit?
So the motivation behind it is doing work that literally serves the community, and I think, I think my heart has always been one of service and giving back to others, and I've always done that from a space of not wanting anything in return. So the heart or the focus, the mission of that business is we advocate for black and brown people, helping them find their voice and bring
wholeness to our communities. So looking at the mission and the vision statement of my particular organization, my mind was going to five oh one seed three route in terms of how I would be connecting to the community. But then I also came up with a few programs that I would like to run underneath that umbrella, which had me kind of battling between the two LLC versus CIBO one Seed three.
And I figured that because saying when I started the Bundanista, I said, I want to be of service to my community. And I was working in Newark at a childcare center in the Southward, which.
You already know that's the roughest ward and a.
Lot of the parents used to come to me and ask me for financial help, and I said, I wanted to do something that would serve this community, my black and brown community. And so I thought at the time, I thought I would continue being a teacher and I would just start this nonprofit on the side. And I did a little bit of research and I found the
thing that why I chose. So I'm going to share some pros and cons, but one of them the so a pro of having a nonprofit is that you're likely to get You're more likely to get funding, you know, and especially where you are in this like Tri City area, that there are a lot of nonprofits to partner with because partnership is the name of the game when you're a nonprofit, and they do so like well in this area that I have seen, you know that, And so
there's funding opportunities, especially you are a black woman, and so there are if you're registered as a as a small business, a woman owned business, a black owned business, these things will also help you to attract the funding necessary, you know, for success. You know, and when you're a nonprofit, people are very clear about the mission being community focused. So some of these are some of the pros of
having a nonprofit. Now, a huge con for me for having a nonprofit was I could start a nonprofit and I could be voted out.
I said, oh wait a minute, that board is something else. Girl. Okay, I'll say because at the beginning, you're like.
Whatever, your board's gonna be your family and friends, right, defin what everybody does in the beginning, and you know they're not gonna do all that. But as you grow, which we always want to have a mindset of well what does it look like five ten years from now? And the board is not family and friends. These are community both based folks. Whatever you're essentially a nonprofit is not really your business, right, it really belongs to the people.
Which as long as you're okay with that, okay. But for me, it didn't sit right with me that if I built something that maybe one day I could be replaced. You know, I was just like, I just wasn't interested in that. And I said, well, well, how do I build something that's for the community and still have ownership
over my thing? And what I realized is that, you know, you can do that with a mission statement, with your mission and so I the way the budget NESTA was initially like the business model, which is still basically build the same business model, which is that I charged the partners.
But not the community.
So one of my first partners was the United Way of Now it's the United Way of like I guess like like a greater like Northern New Jersey, but at the time it was like Essex County or New Work or whatever. One of my first partners was the Unadded Way, and the United Way used to pay me, and then I would go out to the community and I would say, hey, every Tuesday, I had free money classes. I use social media,
you know, I use word of mouth. And it started off as five people, and then the next Coport was twenty, and the next Cohorse fifty, the next Cohurk was like one hundred, you know, and so I still got to navigate to the community of what felt like a nonprofit, but I got to you know, like maintain my ownership, and I still you.
Know, found ways to get quote unquote funding, you know.
And so so for me, creating this LLC sole proprietorship was the the right move because it like maybe a set and initially having it be a five p' one C three. That's what for those who don't know, that's the that's the tax kind of like code for nonprofit. So initially, you know, that was like, you know, that might have been a good idea, but now that the budget says fifteen years old, it might be a nightmare now because I might be fighting for my life and my company because all that I put in.
Someone could vote me out, you know, And so yeah, so it would just it would.
It's really up to you to decide how you want it to go. But with an LLC, even if you're not a nonprofit, it doesn't mean that you still can't quote unquote get funding.
You know, there's ways to also partner with nonprofit.
So for example, the reason why the United Way had that money is because they are a nonprofit. Banks, by law have to set aside, I believe, five percent of their profit for the communities that they're in, or at least in Newark. That's how it goes, right, So there are banks in Newark who are like, we got all this money, we have to give it away. What reputable
nonprofit they can't we give this money to? And the United Way is very reputable, and it's like you know, so many years old and they do a lot of great work. So they gave money to the United Way and said do something financial in the community. And the United Way said, we should have financial classes and if you take these classes, if you made a certain amount of money, they would basically almost pay you to come to class.
You know. They were like they used to have.
They used to have a ford that was called an IDA program, an Individual Development Account where they would match you up to five hundred dollars.
They would match you for every dollar you put in.
They would give you three, you know, so if you put in five hundred dollars by the end of the program, you got back two thousand that you could use to buy a home, start a business, or go to school.
And so that money, that two thousand came from the bank.
Now, the bank is not going to give it to the Budgetista because I was for profit, but they gave it to the United Way, and the United Way was able to share some of that in paying me to teach the class.
Do you see what I mean?
So there's still ways to be super community focused and oriented with a and maintain you know, the status of your company and not charge the you know, like not charge the end user of your product or service, you know, because also too, you have to understand that lots of nonprofits don't do the work. They facilitate the work to be done. So they're looking for a Mayoki to say, hey, we heard you're doing this great work.
We want to pay.
You with the money we've received and funding to do that work in the community on our behalf.
Do you see what I mean?
While you while you're speaking of that, right, what comes to my mind is differentiation, right, And I think this is something that you do really well, knowing the community that we're from, that we live in, knowing all the programs right that we have that are active just right now, what would you say is something I could do or anybody?
Right?
What are tips for differentiating yourself from other programs that may be doing something similar to what you're doing?
So you'd be surprised how many people ain't doing work? Okay, Mayoka, let me tell you, like for real, Like you might think to yourself like, oh gosh, there's ten people. I promise you, if there's ten, there's probably one that is consistent. Like people always ask how did you get to do this? Because I do what I said, I'm gonna do literally in this space, in any space, very few people consistently
show up. Like, for example, me and Mandy have been doing Brown Ambition for like the last six or seven years. Think about how many podcasts that you like that you listen to. You're like, what happened they stop taping. We've been six or seven years, barely missed a week, just by by the nature of the fact that we are here every single week. That's why we're a top business podcast.
Just showing up, so one literally just showing up. Hold that thought before we continue, let's go to break, because you know, we got more to talk about.
Showing up.
So one of the ways I differentiated myself, for example, with the United Way, is so I used to come early. So I would teach this class every Tuesday, and say class started at like five. I got there four thirty to set up, sometimes even four because I would.
Spend my laptop to do some work.
So I got there early to set up, and I actually set up like I brought.
I went to the Dollar store. I used some of the money they gave me, went to the dollar store.
I got notebooks, I got pens for free from the bank I used to like, girl, I ain't paying with these pens.
Pens.
I got folders, and I literally you would come in because there I used to be a school teacher, and the whole classroom is set up, especially that first day, beautifully.
So that was huge to them, you know.
Then I started, like, in the beginning, I just was teaching, and then someone said, I would really love if I can see like the numbers and things you're going over. So I created a power point, so one two pivoting with the information to deliver more. So the next cohort, I had my power point and then someone said, you know, it'd be.
Really great if we had some homework.
So I started to, like, you know, every after every class, give them a little homework to bring in the next class. So every time I got a suggestion that was very helpful, I made a.
Move on it. Too many people are slow to do anything about it, you know, you.
Know, and I asked for feedback and pivoted that way, and I tracked my success. This is going to be so important for you. Like, so in the beginning I had everyone. I didn't do this in the very very for cohort, but I learned this later because I think the United Way asked me like, oh, how are people doing?
And I'm like, oh, really, well, girl, that data.
So literally, I created a survey. In the beginning, do you have a credit you know? Do you know what your credit score is? What is it? And by the end, girl, at the end, they did the survey again and five percent. We saw a movement in budgeting and say that it was incredible. So that data is going to help set you apart. Because a lot of people are really good at cooking. It doesn't mean that you're a chef. You know, it's the refinement that makes you a chef. It's the survey.
It's the coming early and staying late, you know, it's the answering question. And then something else I did was I created a Facebook group for the people who were in my classes so I can extend it. Then in that way, wasn't paying me for that, but I wanted to extend the lesson so if you have questions, you could ask them here.
But as a result, it helped to grow my business overall.
So I over delivered always, I mean, I delivered excellence. I mean that's just my motto that if you're going to do it, do it right, you know, And so that's you don't actually have to do all these bells and whistles.
Just consistently showing up and doing a good job.
Literally, you will knock out ninety nine percent of any sort of competition that you think you might have, you know, and then also too, consider something else that would help is consider partnering, because oftentimes, you know, let's just say that someone is something super similar and then that way might have three hundred thousand dollars set aside. It's like, well, girl, let's do it together and approach them and say, hey,
we're two separate organizations. We deliver this, but we can serve more people together, and they're like, ooh bet, you know the contract goes to you.
And that was just actually going to be my next question right making that first ask, And I think you hit it right on the head, right partnering knowing that I know I have a lot enough contacts in my community where I can reach out to build those partnerships, to gain contracts, to work collaborative, collaboratively right in the efforts that I'm trying to get started while trying to build my own business. So yeah, I think that that you have confirmed for me that I am on the
right path. I think all the information you just gave me are things that I have been doing. But I literally was just seeking somebody to say, yes, you got it, like yess, that's it, Yes, this keep going.
I well, yes, it's the confirmation today. I love that.
That's exactly what I was looking for. And it's exactly what I've been praying for. Right I pray and I said, I just need clarity. I just need an answer, Like just give me answer, y'ah wagh and I'll be good.
So this is, well, here's your I call your God nod you know. That's that's what I call them when you're.
Like, wait, you might want and God be like, yes you are girl, by giving you like a little bit of encouragement.
Yep, this is a big old God nod.
And I'll just say this is that like you know that, like you should tattoo that this on your notebook or whatever. That consistency will beat intensity any day. So people think like, Okay, I'm going to work out today, I'm gonna run three miles. You run three miles is one day and never hit the track again. But a person who literally just walks every day. That consistent walking every day is going to do more for your body than that three miles in one day, So it's go ahead.
That's crazy because whenever I pitch myself like who I am to people and the work that I'm doing, I pitch to them the three pillars that I stand on, love, relatability, and consistency. Right, if I show up like that every single day, if I show up in a loving man, if I show up being relatable to the community that I'm serving, and if I show up for them consistently, that for me has proven my success. That for me
has been the path that I've walk. It's been kind of the measure I've used to determine whether or not I'm successful. So consistency, I'm telling you, the confirmation god not is just a part of me, like one of the pillars that I stand on in the work that I do.
Can I give you one last piece of advice?
Uh huh? Please?
So so many people, especially women, especially black women.
I knew when you said nonprofit.
I knew why because so many of us navigate from a heart of service. I want you to break the connection that service equals brokeness.
That you Mioki I.
Give you permission to make money, to make money for your business, to make money for yourself, to make money for yourself, to make money for yourself, to make money for yourself.
Receive it, yes, Because.
In the beginning, even when I made I used to give it all the way I overpaid everyone.
I felt guilty. It's enough.
I give you permission to make money for yourself, a lot of money for yourself, for your family, for your legacy. It does not take away from the work you do for the community. It does not take away from your heart and your kindness and your humility.
It does not. I give you permission to do so.
I don't want you, know, like you to think that like and somehow growing wealth for yourself takes away from anyone else.
If anything, you.
Add to the ability to serve and give even more, because there are little brown babies that you gonna look after that someone else might not think of. But because you got money, you got them.
You know.
There are there are maybe politicians that you back because you're like, I love the work they do that everybody else is like no, But because you got money, you got them.
You know.
It might be your siblings, your mama, your dad, that needs something and you're like, oh, my goodness. But because you got money, you got them, you know what I mean. Like, it took me a long time to break past. My biggest barrier was myself because I felt guilty about making money.
I don't anymore.
Because I know that from the wealth I get for my overflow.
Exactly, you know.
And blessed to be a blessing, that's what That's.
One of my things you said, that's one of my that's one of my saying we are blessed to be lessing.
And I'm this right now on your podcast because just a few days ago, I said to myself, Miyoki, you're going to be a millionaire and it's going to be okay, Like you're going to be the first to do it, and there's nothing.
Wrong with that, and I'm nothing wrong with that.
I'm holding onto that because I am, just like you said, right I'm giving my self permission right now, yes and live abundantly, Yes, serve, and to serve abundantly abundantly. The way to do that is to have the resources so that I can meet the needs of the people.
I literally got chills when I tell you from one black girl millionaire to one future black girl millionaire.
You got this and I got you. Thank you, You're welcome. Gotta send love love love Well. I hope y'all enjoyed, you know.
So, if you want to be on a podcast, if you want to ask a business question, career question, a money question, you know, go to Brown and Vision podcast on Instagram and send us a voice note, or you know, go to Brownimision podcast dot com and click ask anything and come on into the studio.
We'd love to have you. And so until next time, by y'all. Bye, Hey ba fan. We could not do this show without your support or the support of our team behind the scenes. The Brown and Mission podcast is produced by Cumulus Podcast Network. It's edited by the wonderful Emani Crosby and produced by Tanya Bustos. Dennis Stimplinsky is our
In house tech guru, and I am Bandy Woodrid Santos your co host, and I will see y'all next week.