Creating a Supportive Environment for Women

Hey, hey, hey, we're back. We're black, we're brown, and ambition, ambition and this ambition. I did you know, Mandy you did?

Something's up with the riverside today. So if the podcast sounds funky wonky, like, I don't know to because you disappeared for like half a second, but I heard, I hear you. I see you pretty in pink.

You think, But.

That's the days when it was just audio, to be honest.

Yeah, because it's just video.

There's always something, there's always something. Well, I just dragged myself home from the airport. I am fresh off Delta flight two seven thirty nine.

From I was.

I saw my dad. Oh lord, So the good stuff, the positive stuff is that I saw my dad. He's healthy, he's doing well. He's back to his he's been back to his self for a few months now. But like he's back to driving me crazy. And I had to like really remind myself, like remember when you were afraid you're going to lose him? And he just prayed he's still here to annoy me. But no, we had a we actually had I we we would like, go on, we're too similar to my dad and I. We both

You know.

My dad likes to call random cousins and uncles and then he's like here, made to move, say hello, and then I gotta like talk to them and hear about the last time they saw me. And it's cute. It's a nice rhythm to it. It was a really pleasant visit. And I also did Finn con.

Tell us about the Finn of the Cohn.

Or origin story. Finkong was lovely. I mean it was in Atlanta, so I had to go.

I had missed.

Yeah, I had missed last year's New Orleans because my dad was sick and all this stuff was happening. It's always a good time. I mean for me, it's just like it's a it's like a high school reunion, college reunionsy vibe and it genuinely is so nice just to get to squeeze your people that you only see on the internet. So at one point, who was at yan Nelly? Miss be helpful? Yan Nelly incredible, She's been on the

Like, why am I getting emotional?

People are so sweet.

I'm not gonna lie with Jelly. Yeah.

I mean it's always gonna give you a little bit of fomo when you see people that you know that you like hanging out.

I can see that. If I'm not banned for life, I mean I'm not a post. You're so not.

I'm telling you you would just need a disguise if you wanted to not be bothered. That's all because everyone.

All my it's all the faith and personal finance. And I saw Rachel my homie there, you know, we saw Chris Popcorn finance.

Mark your what is it your better wallet? Better wallet? Of course it is day Mark.

Don't worry, the best of the wallet.

I saw the old wallet. Elias, Oh, I forget her her?

Is it Elias Lily?

Lily?

Yeah, I thought it was Lily. Is it Elias her full name?

I don't know.

I think so that's the homie Akak financial stylist.

Yes, there was just so many.

I just saw everybody's posts and I don't know. Plus and two, I love, like, you know, the behind the scenes, the you know, the brown version of of what happens at Finnkin.

That's where I was really following.

So I loved all that, to see all the meetups, all the hangouts, all the connections. It's honestly, I mean, aside from like you know, we're not going to dredge of old, but aside from what happened before, quite honestly, ben Kind was always a good time. There was never the issue, you know, like, I love meeting people. I always thought that they had really great breakout sessions like moving keynotes, you know.

I just you know, yeah, that was never the issue.

So I think it genuinely is one of the and it's become increasingly well, let me finish a sentence for once. I think it is one of the best conferences for the audience that it wants to serve like you will go and you will leave with gems and lots of gems, and the vibe is very good and collegial, ten out

Yes, in New Orleans.

I was like, I need my Sandy, I need my Tiffy, I need my Tanya, I need my my Marsha. Yeah, but maybe one day, maybe one day we can get back together, get the game back together. At fin Con, even if it's just for you know, literally you just walk into the lobby and you have a party.

I mean, it's like that's the thing, Linnette. You know, it just yeah, it just was like it just looked like such a great time. And I was like, Mandy.

Omo, well, you know, I am in my neuro divergent era and not I don't know what to I'm not really embracing any particular labels or whatnot. But I'm in my era of like accepting the fact that I process things really differently, and I gave myself so much grace. You know, go for a couple hours, leave, get your you know, recharge time. But even when you're there, it's hard because everyone wants you to go here and there, and there's different events and they're like open bar and

I love Old black Man. Old black Man. They don't give a what.

Okay, that's a nice van. It had like all the chargers, including the new USBC charger in the seat. It was really nice. I was like, I need to get me a mini van. Is that how you guys drive around? Just comfortable and spacious.

I knew that black Man would do whatever.

When Darrell's fortieth birthday, there was an ambulance outside.

That's, oh my god, everybody's okay.

One of his homeboys girl lights on. I came to get a plate. It was like, now, I'm a don't worry, mister real, I'm gonna leave in a minute. I just came to get place sy my homie.

What's that?

I was like, sir, I could just go out there and go stay.

That's what, you know what. It reminds me of his Regina King from How Stella Got Her grew back when like Regina King her sister in that movie Angela bas his sister. She's an emt or something, and I think she does pull up in her her ambulance at a cookout or something like that. I love us, I do. I got to go see the station you dropped me off. Yeah, it was it was a great It was a great little trip. And I literally just landed today. So gosh, I feel like I've been in a little in Leana bubble.

Know, I'm not gonna lie. Why you know, I'm taking November off because that is just real. I'm also gonna take it off from social media. I said, I'm not the laugh of luxury. Healthy almost took me out. I was beating every article, every post, every in my heart like literally my blood pressure was through the roof. And I said, I can stay informed without infecting myself with

I'm so happy.

I got like my ballot thing in the mail and it was like I never voted early before. Oh you know, just like yeah, because honestly, it's never usually busy or anything like that. But I said, you know what, I'm going for a walk today the place where I'm voting. It was like maybe like a twenty minute walk away, and I'm like, it was beautiful right outside the park.

And when I got there, I had seen a line earlier.

When I got there, you know, there's always this, you know, at the voting stations, always older black ladies that just be.

Like they do it every year, I mean every year, baby, right, And they were just like, I mean, I mean literally average atta girls, seventy five, average age Okay, they said, the young one of sixty five, the average average ade.

I have met one of those.

No, no, I said, the average age of them ladies who like age. Girl, everybody's in a walker. I loved it.

And they were I said, has it been busy? They're like from sun up to sundown? Baby, we had a moment's rest and I just love it.

And if munchkins from duncan.

Party and orange and so chopolic Canada to be exact and so but basically, you know, the women there, they had done this year after year. They were like, We've never seen this much early registrate early voting turnout. So that was a really interesting kind of you know, like oh really, they're like, yeah, this has been amazing, you know.

So yeah, you know, one lady was like, I love it.

I love it. You know, of course you know that I'm telling you just I love voting in general. You know, I'm not trying to get in trouble. But yeah, it was just so it was I was so glad because I'm not gonna lie on election day.

I plan to be hunkered down with my uber eats.

And what's your plan? We all need a plan.

No, I said, I'm not actually watching because I was watching minute day by day. No, I am going to have like a series of videos of movies I want to watch and books I want to read, and I'm just going to like try to like, you know, I'm telling that all my folks.

I don't don't call me with moment but like when it's done, it's done.

But I don't want to Like I was watching moment by moment alby my heart rate was just racing. I'm not doing that this year. I can't take it.

The only thing I do want to stay tuned for is I hope they're going to do a live feet of Kamala's watch party because I hear it's going to be at Howard. That's still the case. Yeah, so if that happens. But I mean, the beauty of having kids. I'm trying to think what I have planned that day. It's like it's just going to be a day. I'm

I want about that.

I love that. Can we just squeeze my babies. It's been five days since I've.

Squeezed my babies. I won't understand what's happening. Do they understand election? They did? I talk about that in school.

No big natural disasters like weather is a big thing now. Like Rio's kind of understanding hurricanes and all that. He was very sad and concerned for the people of Florida and the Gulf Coast the election. He understands voting, I think, But I don't know. If I asked him who the president was, I don't know if he'd say Biden.

Amelia had a meltdown the other day. I was like, what's happening.

She was like, I'm like a full fledged meltdown. She's like, we're like why are you? Why are you upset?

She's like, you know why? Like and I was just like wait what? And so, so they're learning about voting in school.

Yeah, and you know, and I remember that when you're like, you know, you voted, so that way you can learn, you know.

But of course they're not telling the kids who to vote for.

But she said one of her friends told her about the bad man and we can all guess who that is and if he wins, all the bad things he's going to do. So she was having like she's really hyper sensitive to and so what do you even say?

I was like, wait what? And she was just like, you know why he can't win.

I was like, oh my god, I don't even know what to say. I was just like, well, Mimi, you're going to be able to vote when you get bigger, and there's going to be so many other elections and you know. But she was like almost inconsolable. I'm like, what the hell does this friend say say to you?

Yeah?

At first I thought, did you learn about it?

She's like No, I learned about voting in school, and then you know, you vote for the president, you vote for this person. But you know that her friend told her that a very bad man that wants to be the president, he's going to do very bad things. And she was really scared about what those things. You know, she couldn't tell you articulate the specific things, just bad.

Everything is bad. And that's well.

I think that is the appropriate emotional reaction we should all be having. And I couldn't think of a better synopsis of the stakes. It's a bad man who wants to do bad things, and if he wins, he's going to do bad things. Okay, Like no line is detected, Mimi, buckle up.

I know.

Up, darling, you're learning a good civic lesson today. Also, Mufasa dies.

Roman's like what up?

So I was like, oh my god, it's like in the election of eighteen ninety eight. But yeah, man, yeah, I just tell the children at all costs.

But are you worried about like, you know, any sort of physical like any sort of like out you know what I mean? Like I am worried about violence.

I'm worried about Coretta and Sylvia and Harold at the polls. I'm worried about my neighbor Paulette, who's working the polls up. And you'd be surprised that you get forty five minutes north of Manhattan and it is quite concerned about here. Lots of Trump signs, especially where one of my girlfriends lives. Oh my days by where Remy goes to daycare. Lots of Drump and not just Trump yard signs, like yeah, I thought.

Put up a literally he had his Trump signed up since you know, he lost like in a window, and I guess I was like, oh, he finally took it down, like it because Newark is very black. And then I saw that he had flagpoles installed installed which chronically enough, by a group of clearly migrant workers.

I was I wanted to take a picture of me.

I mean they were having their lunch on his front lawn, clearly migrant workers. I mean, obviously he must have hired whoever, and this is who they hired. I'm like, sir, and they put up this truck. I was like, not a flagpole. I don't do you know what it takes to put a flagpole, not like these little no, no, no digging.

The thing concrete.

I mean, he's flying his flag loud and proud in one of the blackest neighborhoods in the country, and we're just like, okay.

I mean, shout out to democracy in the First Amendment. He can do that. But for me and my nervous I am, I'm really just turning to our community. I'm

Yeah, I just yeah, it's a lot, and it's okay to opt out of the worst of it, and just to do enough to stand for you are allowed to do that. You don't actually actually have to roll around on the muck of it. For those of you who don't have the capacity, you know, there are ways to stand form there. There are like you know, you can read like you know, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, things that are not quite a salacious just so you're informed, but not like rolling around in the monk of it.

I think myself, Oh my god, this live is so freaking beautiful. It's like a frea.

Consumer star, you know, because they're like perfectly designed. And I think to myself, I might be the only person in the world that we'll all see this leaf. And this leaf has decided to be beautiful anyway. And what a lesson that, you know, we can shine whether we're going to get seen or not. And then doctor Green reminded me that, like you're shining and it's critically important because you are part.

Of a collective.

Imagine if all the leaves were like, well, I'm not going to be seen. I'm not going to change this beautiful color in the northeast. But think about the collective like cocophony of like what the leaves look like when they've all changed colors. That we are all individually so important and connected. And I know we like to think of them over there and these people were there and that no, no, no, no, Like there is a collective consciousness that we all are part.

Of, and to harm one is to harm all.

Think about how we collectively felt when COVID happened. I didn't know anybody in Paris, but I felt them because I was feeling the same thing.

We all had to set down somewhere.

You know, think about how we collectively felt when you know, those planes hit on nine to eleven. There was this collective consciousness that here in the United States, we were like, what the hell that we collectively felt? And so we just be best to remember that, like you can't do harm to one without harming yourself. You know that there

It's collectively important. So I just think about that a lot, Like I wonder iful I ever get to a place of civility where we're not like, you know, like it's it's like me against you and somebody gotta lose, you know.

I think that's no. I do feel like there are a lot of people who do feel that way, but they're not often on cable news. And I think if you put down the phone like you said you're doing, and like not not tune in and not be immersed in the in the entertainment, the spectacle of it all. I think just regular people down at the pole Sylvia being like, just vote, glad you're here. You know, here's a munch can enjoy. It's a little stale be here's since four am, but here's a munchkin. You know, have

This is it.

We'll see y'all next Wednesday. On the other side.

You on the other side.

Okay, let's talk about something that cheers us up. All right, Okay, you brought the leaf thing? Anything else?

Not the leaf thing?

We talked about last time? We talked about their house warming, because that was such a beautiful warming.

Did we talk about it? Because did I just talked to you about it?

I don't remember. Didn't we record last week? I do not recall.

Oh no, you know what we had?

NFL star Brandon Copeland.

Oh that's right.

Well, I want to say that I had a housewarming and Mandy and her amazing husband came.

It was so great to see them both out and be out.

I thought about Rigi today because I was like, oh, I need to buy a new dishwasher.

You know who I should ask me because you know he is like.

Yo. I remember last time he was like my best buddy because we were both buying appliance at the same time, like your household of my, and I'd be like, you're like, well, and you can read a book about im, like put them on the phone. So and I have to say all of the choices that he hate me help me make with my appliances. I mean it's been what six years now, I mean a plus plus and not not an issue. So I'm like Evka, So I might just buy the same diswatch for I bought last time that

Nanny was like when I said, this is my boyfriend rooting for you.

Nandy and her husband was there, my sister's, my niece, my nephew. But it was just such an amazing, like twenty five plus people, delicious food from our fave Nisha, and the next day. I never understood why people called it a housewarming until I woke up the next day and the house felt different.

It was warmed with love. Honestly, I was like, oh, this is why it went from this beautiful kind of cold place, not literally cold, but you know, a mostly cold place to like, it felt so beautifully warm in here, and you guys left so much love behind, and I just was so grateful for that.

I just was like, all right, I'm gonna be intentional with having other warming activities here, and so I'm just really grateful for that.

Yeah, and I mean it's blank canvas. I think for any new homeowner or like moving into a new space, especially when it is that immaculate and designed within an inch of its life for beauty and aliens, I feel the same way. I want to like rough it around the edges a little bit. I mean, not your place, because it's very nice, but you know, get little Yeah, I like the idea, but just having the kids run around,

Daddy too much.

It's like, where's my little school wish? But we're doing our oh so one thing bringing me joey is we're doing our Halloween block party this week and I took charge over it because it can got it can get a little political in our neighborhood between the the the elders and the young'uns and myself being on the young inside and like it can get a little Yeah, there's a lot there's it can be a little political and a little dramatic. And I just told the girls this year,

I love that.

So we'll just focus on those happy.

What about a little bit of like business shade. So are you familiar with Darius Cooks?

Wait?

No, okay, so I know you're familiar food with Tabitha Brown.

Oh yeah, of course.

Right.

We didn't talk about this because I was like, we usually don't like dabble in the shades. But so Darius Cooks is like I would say, he's a food influencer. He's also like a cook. He's had some restaurants, but he's always in some mess. You know, some people actually relish in the mess of it all. He loves to talk badly about people.

He's on the wrapping chef is because that's my favorite.

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, not even close. So anyway, we all know Auntie Tab. I don't like to call her Aunti Tab because we the same age, so we all know Tab cousin Tab. And so he did this video saying that he believed that her Target deal was was unwise.

Did you hear about this?

Oh lord?

And so he was like, this is a really unwise deal and that she could have made way more money if she created her own line of things. And some of the numbers he was spitting out of was like, are these just just made up numbers?

He was saying it was really crazy.

And you know, it's one thing to kind of like talk about business and kind of this esoteric sense, but he was calling her like a fool. She's a fool, he just kept saying, over and over. He basically was like, here's the thing about his numbers. He said, So, let's just say cousin Tab made ten million dollars from this target deal where she put her face on certain things or whatever.

He said.

If she created like a potline for herself, let's just say pots, because that's what he does, and she sold them for like forty bucks a pot or whatever with her However, many three four million followers. If two three million of them bought the pots, she would make one hundred and fifty million dollars some crazy number. And I was like, now here's the thing, Darius is. He might be done, but he's not stupid. He's in business man to me, it like, and there were people in the

Be she'd be marketing and herself girl.

Creating the pot on top of the ten thousand other things that cousins have does, and then you'd have to pay for the warehouse and all the other things.

So that forty dollars dollars or whatever you'd make poor pot.

Might go down to five dollars and then the stress of running that business. Also, the assumption that you have four million followers and two million will buy a pot. That's crazy because the conversion rate of social media on the high end, you're looking at about two or three percent. If you're lucky actually purchasing a product. Typically you have

So it's like giving creepy old guy at the gym telling you, yeah, giving you advice you didn't ask for when like trying to give some own biles tips, yeah, because he don't recognize her. Or there was that one that viral video of like the pro golfer the woman golfer who went to like one of those you know, the things where people can golf, regulars regulars can golf, and a guy came over and tried to give her advice and she's like, I don't know, some kind of

Yeah.

Well, I mean it's embarrassing for him. We're giving oxygen to his name, which I guess is what he wanted. But let me just say Tab tab tab tab time tab target.

I mean cap speaking tab.

She's she's been in like movies now, TV shows, and you know she's not just out here tap.

You know, cousin Tab has a whole team.

I just thought it was just important to be like here, people are going to have opinions always and oftentimes they don't have access to what you are capable of doing.

And like, who showed him the contract?

I mean nobody did nobody? Did you know? And so all that you're.

Guessing that she's making, you don't know she makes front end and back end, you.

Know, all that you're guessing that she's making.

I just thought that, like, you know, it bears to be said that, like child, it's okay to sit down and mind your business, you know, but I get it.

His business is to be salacious.

Is it?

Because it doesn't he just cook well, you would think.

But the truth matter is I think when things get quiet, he likes to do things like this will talk about him.

But I think he thought.

I don't think he realized how many people would be angry on her behalf because normally his audience is very loyal, even when he does shenanigans.

But they said this is where.

We draw the line a cousin tab and so I just thought that was like and I was like, okay, you know, you got the attention that you were looking for, but even bigger, just for those of you who have businesses that you might find yourself on the receiving end of unsolicited advice from people who have no idea.

You know, family members who are like, oh, you know what you need to do. This is when someone tells me that, I'm like, you do it. If it's so easy, it will make you a million dollars. Oh, don't give it to me. Go ahead and do that million dollar idea because.

It's never and I made foods and eat a sandwich and you go viral on that, I mean, and then become a multi billion million dollar brand exactly an Emmy Award winning children's.

Prim because it's so easy.

So if you're out here grinding and doing your thing and people are giving you unsolicited advices, you have the wherewithal to say thank you so much. But you know, I'm actually not taking advice right now. If you think need to learn their black owned business, or I mean mine their black owned.

Business, mind your black owned business, well Black Enterprise has written about it, so that y'all don't have to go digging and giving him clicks. Give them clicks instead. While I always here, though, do you remember Christopher John Rogers, He had the line with Target speaking of targets. Yes, I have a made Yeah, me too, and I always get tons of compliments on it. He's going, he's uh, he's partnering with the Little Guys again. He's doing a collection with Jake Crew.

So I saw all that.

It sold out already, girl, please really within thirty minute. I mean, his stuff is amazing. It's just he's known for his color. And I don't know if everything has sold out, but the girl is. You know, the fashion girls were eating it up, and so we love when the black designer gets there.

Just do I mean? I want to be a fashion girly. Oh and doctor phil And Dorsa's trumpl well ripping his letter off my wall. It's email that I printed out. All right, let's go take a break, okay.

And now it's time to booster a break or booster break, booster break?

Are you gonna boost? Is your going to break? What you're gonna do, what you're gonna take? Le la la la la.

Anyway you wanna go first or second.

I'll go first. I'm gonna do a break. Let me make sure I get the title right, because someone.

Brought gift because I gotta, I gotta, I gotta boost some positive.

Yeah, let's let's get something positive. So I mean, I'm gonna break the fact that someone. Uh So I did a little meet up while I was in Atlanta of Mandy Money Make and then couple of Yeah. It was really cute and also just brand ambition fans. There was like one who's like, can I come? And I was like yeah, And so this woman called Stacy she came. And Stacy had just founded this organization called Shift Her, which focuses on Black women's reproductive health and especially on

And yeah, there's that.

There's that documentary that's making the rounds. There's a former anchor.

Oh, I forget her name.

I don't want to say wrong, she's got like I want to say, uh solanad No. I feel like she's Middle Eastern something with the tee tap. But it's like it's like really making the rounds. Like, let me see if I can find her, because it's a I've heard people are having really good like.

You know, it's just such a great what is her name? Darn it?

Oh, I'm so sorry, lady, but I wanted to like she Yeah, so she she's been having like honestly, like her channel has been such a great channel.

M factor. Oh, Tamsen Fadal, yes, is that her?

Okay, So she used to be an news anchor. And then she's like, all these things were happening, no one was gonna explain what it was. Turns out it was perrymnopause and menopause. And she's like, and you know who's doing a lot of talks about it now?

To Halle Berry, Oh great, like yeah, yeah, you know we've seen Oprah and Gail and all that. I love. I love that we're talking about it more about the end. I'm I don't know, I'm curious to hear what your experience has been to But the whole Perry of it all, Tad is one of the people that it is like, she's real, She's so real about it, and it just kind of it just takes the oxygen out of that idea that it's like something to be ashamed about or

I'll say that so far it's probably I mean now that I think about, like I used to be so good at sleeping at night, and then I wasn't.

So it could have been that, you know, like they soud, I know, you know it's so crazy because I was asleep on me. Just give me a pillow.

I don't even need a bit of a pillow and a flat surface. But then I even now I have a hard time staying asleep. I will say, like my psycho is is still really regular. That's why I had not thought about it. I always just associated metopause you don't get your period, and I was like, well I'm still getting it, so.

But even still things like.

Oh, I don't know if I send it to I need to because sorry, you know men listening, not sorry you god daughters.

Is you man to a woman that.

Even the color of your period will kind of indicate what's happening. So for example, they were like, if you women, who will know this, if you kind of get that brick red brownish pre post period, which I was getting, that sometimes shows that you have low progesterone. That's why I wasn't able to have a baby. But I was

But like sometimes she said.

Girl, women, be like that last bit of boom boom on your way out, she said, because your body's like hold on, we're about to talk. Were about to close up shop. Let me let me sell some of these last goods in here, she said. The oldest woman that she ever delivered a baby for fifty two and she said. The lady was like, is this real? So she said,

And I was like, okay, because you know, up until now, I was like, well, I can't you know, it is what it is.

And she said, you know, I don't know where you are as far as wanting to give birth, but just be mindful that you know, it's not off the table, you know.

And it just was just like okay, So.

Yeah, I mean other than that, I don't know, Like I don't the truth in matter is I might be experiencing penny perimenopause sensens and I just don't know that's what it was. I just was like, I'm stressed, I'm not sleeping, not realizing that that might be a symptom because.

I'm like, well, my cycle is regular. I'm like, that's not the only symptom.

Yeah, that's what we need to know about the sleeping thing and the itchy ears and yeah, yeah there's tons. So that's a good place to start. So the documentary. I just looked it up on PBS for anyone who's interested. It's called The M Factor, Shutting the Silence on Menopause. And then doctor Shepherd's book is called The M or Generation M Living Well at the Time of Perry Perrymenopause and Menopause. So let's educate ourselves, yes, because she's coming for.

Us all if you're blessed enough to be here's long well, I'm gonna do just a quick booth. I had always mentioned that twenty twenty three was like kind of a hard dear business. I was like down forty percent in my most profitable business, which is the literature Academy, and the budget needs to just broke even.

So I mean, like NET, maybe we just paid our bills. So this year was much better.

Still, you know, not kaboom, but you know we were We were better than NET and we had strong profits and so but what the what the down year taught me was it was time for me to get additional leadership help. So I've got leaders leaders on my team. But I realized that more and more what I'm really good at and what I'm not good at, and I'm

Like I'm gonna like, I am really good at bringing money to the table.

But I really have a hard time. I mean, I'm a good enough leader in that, you know, like I build really great community and.

On team, great culture.

People feel like they have autonomy all that stuff, But if you were to ask me day to day, I have a hard time wrapping my mind around creating structure.

And so I decided that I was gonna get a co CEO.

So I could just do the parts that I'm really good at and then someone else who is very structured can do that. And so I had this business coach that I had for the last five or six years.

His name is de Besh, and.

I didn't I had been looking Zion something.

Well yeah, well Zion was the coach. So they co coached. They had a team of coaches. Yeah, some Zions who I met originally, But Devest was one of his co coaches and he's the one that, like the team really clicked with the most during that time period.

And then he continued to coach me afterward, Okay, gotcha, okay.

And so so yeah, I know him for a while, but I was like, Zion's not gonna want to co CEO. And my friend's like, well, why don't you ask? You never know because he I'm not the only CEO he was coaching. He's a CEO coach, so he had a bunch of clients. I'm like, yeah, but he has a whole business. Girl, he's busy, and she's like, just ask because I had been looking and it had not been going well. And you know, I already knew how great

So I was like, this is gonna sound crazy, but I'm looking for co CEO. I know you're busy with your own business. And he said, actually, it's not crazy. I believe Zion has either two or three kids. He's married, and he's like, honestly, his kids are not like big kids, you know, they're young.

He's like, I'm wanting to kind of just settle down basically because of CEO. Because Zion will fly out and go to a meeting with you. That's what kind of coach he is, Like, I had a big old meeting in the city. He flew from he and lives in Canada. He flew from Canada to meet me, to have the meeting with me. So you could just have to imagine, you know, how not to put your business out there. Zion not Zorion, sorry the best, but you can imagine

Be the budgeties STA because I love the energy, the intention and the integrity with which you run that business. You know, since I've been here for like six years just watching and seeing how the team navigates, and so we have been testing it out. You know, I know.

How's it going and why specifically co CEO and not like COO or chief strategy officer or something like that. I'm just curious.

Because I really wanted eventually, I want to like literally do none of the strategy stuff, like because as a CEO, there are parts that I still have to be responsible for and ideally, you know, maybe one day I won't even be CEO. I don't know, And so this is like a gentle like can you come in and run the back end of the business. Like we just had like such an amazing call our team. We have a team call every.

Monday, and all the ideas.

Like I'm the type. We have all these ideas floating in the air. We talked through them, but we didn't have some sort of document. He created this amazing document where we could see like what the next what the the end of the year looks like? Like who's responsible for what we went through? When do you think you'll have this done? Because usually we walk through these things, but there's no visual and now everyone kind of got

Like, let me go out.

If you give me the freedom, I will bring back so much money to the table. I speak on a conference, a panel or whatever. People say, I want to work with you, we work it out, then I can drop it off with the team and then the best you create, you know, a plan to navigate and work through what does it actually look like the delivery of the thing that I just you know, I helped to pull in.

I was like, wait what, So I had to.

Yeah, So I didn't want to make that same mistake again, So I said, you know, I you know, I could tell they're nervous, but I think they realized now, oh, it really is co Tiffany is still here. She's just doing her tifany stuff, but she's really good at and so also too, I let them know. If the vote says then it's no girl, we will figure out something else.

So they're going to vote on whether or not Divush is going to be he knows, he's well aware.

So they will vote, and but I want them to vote, and whether it's yes or no, I want them to share why, because either way we want to get feedback like, yeah, you were really great, but you didn't communicate as well about this or whatever that is.

And so isn't pretty unusual to let like staff vote on the seat. Absolutely, it's like a board on the high mountain top.

Is but we never navigated that way because here's the thing. In the end, unhappy people work unhappily, and I don't want that to like, I want that like you know that we're all on board. I've always I always operate the company from a place of transparency. Everyone sees the numbers, everyone sees our income, everyone sees our and because then I don't have to, then people can work with integrity because they know that I do. And I want people to know that I actually do care what you think.

It is really important to me to know how the team.

Whether you're in customer support, hyper part time contract worker, you know, or you are like lead of you know, all things community here at the Budgetista, everyone's vote counts, and I want to know how you feel and that you get to do it anonymously so you don't have to worry. And then we get to share our feedback with him. And if the answer is yes, great, and it's not that we keep looking.

Yes. But I'm excited about it. I mean so far, I mean there's not you know, I'm checking in with everyone like, how do you really feel? What about this? You know, is there anything he could be doing better?

And he's really open to that feedback too, because he said, Tiffany, I don't want to work anywhere where people don't want me here, so you know, I don't want to be forced on anyone, which made me feel really good.

So yeah, I feel really good about it.

I feel like the direction that the business is going in it's exactly what I'm wanting for myself as Tiffany, not myself as the Budgetista, which is, I want to have a business where I get to show up fully in the ways that I enjoy, but not stand in the way for the things that need to be done. And so if I can have someone do those things and then I can do the parts that I enjoy. Then I feel like we're rocking and rolling.

I'm excited to hear what happened.

I know of this end of January, that's when we get to vote, like.

And you know, it's not like there's been First of all, they were aware of him before, and then now you're having the transition period.

I think that's great.

I think, you know, there's no way to come out on the other side and for someone to say, you know, this was a raster decision and it's going to be really really well thought through, and I think that kind of transparency is so necessary. And yeah, I'm excited. I'm excited for.

You and.

For the Unicorn squad. Yeah, reminds me of one of my I only went to a couple talks at Finncom, but you know, our buddy just spreed from minority mindset.

No he wasn't there, Oh yeah, he was there. Think I love him.

I think he's spoken a few times at finn Con, but this year I got to see him. He's so cool. His style, I don't know.

I know he's just a fly ist.

I love just free. If we haven't done a Holibag episode to his his interview, we should but he had such a good talk on his you know, the fit. He's like how to fail and how he's failed trying to you know, move from a personal a personality based business to a business that is like a personality leveraged business.

Oh that's good, because that's what I'm trying to do. Oh yeah, I think is.

What everybody wants to do. But he Yeah, he gave a really good talk and just kind of talked through how he had minority mindset the YouTube channel, and then he wanted to do a blog and then that was like a five hundred thousand dollars fail, and then they pivoted to do is really successful newsletter instead, and it was great, And I think those like this is what it really is. You know, you're you're building a business

Over here struggling.

But you're right, that's exactly what I'm trying to do. I'm not trying to erase Tiffany from the bunjanista. I am the budgetista, but it's not I don't want to be personality based, but leverage, like use my base, use my whatever. But I can't touch every little piece of it. I'm actually not good at all the things I love that.

Running a little too hard.

No, no, no, And honestly, the thing is, I don't mind the mirror because I know that it's true. You know, it does to make me feel bad, it's not a condemnation of my character. I can recognize, oh my gosh, without me, this person could do this. And I can recognize like because I'll hear it, like, you know, people.

On the team like, oh so, what's happening? What are we doing?

It's just and I'm just like, I know, I'm holding y'all back as far as it relates to like, I'm not that organized and my mind just doesn't work that way. And instead of trying to force myself into that position, it's like, I hear you, let me go find someone that can help us with that. And so the team is like tifany is listening.

Of course they're like, well, we love you. I get it.

You know, two things can be true that you think I'm great because I'm so nice and blah blah blah. But also I know that I'm causing a little like turmoil because you're not really sure what you should be working on in one in one order. And so like you know, I'm teaching, I also want to teach the team it is okay to acknowledge the places where you have shortcomings. And it doesn't mean that something's wrong with me. It means like that's just not my gift. That's okay,

Very analytical. They're like, yeah, spread sheet, bring it over. Yeah so I love that.

Oh well, good for them, good for you. And I mean, while you're on your break in November, the brand will still be making money, right, like it's to be running yep, And that is a huge accomplishment in and of itself. So yeah, all right then I guess i'll see you in December.

Well see November two, just because you know, just that's Tiffany and Mandy.

Yeah all right, ba fam, don't forget to leave us a review and go to Brandimission podcast dot com and click the survey link at the top. We've got like one hundred and fifty response womar and I am reading them all and and oh yeah, I'm doing the same thing you're doing. TIF, like give me your feedback. Let's let's let's build the new era of Brown Ambition together. Okay,