Ep. 183 — Tips to Talk Your Way Into a Pay Increase

Hey, hey, hey, we're back.

We're back. We're Brown Ambition.

Well, shimmy now, you know, I feel like I want to do a little that's a little show tunes. You know.

We used to think about we used to think about getting someone to sing our jingle, but like, why hire some professional.

When you can have me? Okay, get into it.

Hey guys, it's Mandy. Welcome to another week of Brown Ambition where we talk over each other in the intro nailing it? Nailing it? So you survived the heat wave?

Yes, and I had. I went to Dorty Park yesterday. I had a good time though park.

Mm hmm, what's that?

Oh you never heard?

Dorney Park is like it's like, I guess, like a Great Adventure ish kind of place they have, well except for this one. I don't know if Great Adventure has a water park, but Dorney Park has a water park and then like a regular amusement park park. But it's in Pennsylvania right where Pennsylvania kind of like Meet to Jersey.

I guess.

It was about like an hour and a half ride from Newark and we had a good time. Took Superman, Supergirl, a friend of mine, Rihanna. It was her husband's fortieth birthday. So all weekend they did like fun things like the beach on Saturday, which I was like, absolutely not not in that heat.

Then they had like.

They even went to like a theme park in that heat.

I know, I was gonna stay home, but I am the queen of not going anywhere and then complaining about how boring my life is.

And so I woke up on Sunday because I already told her I wasn't going.

I woke up on Sunday and I was like, Tiffany, this is these you pray for things like this, like hey, to be invited to go places, to have something to do, get out, And so.

I got up.

Superman looked at me like half fun. I was like, oh no, sir, you two are going. But we honestly had such a good.

Time, Like even though it was really hot, we had a good time.

But I will say this, so if you're not familiar, are you familiar with the fast past?

Manny, Yeah, yeah, I used to go to six Flags in my day m hm.

And so the fast pass is just like basically they sell a limited amount and it just means like that line is like it could be anywhere from a little bit faster or literally like maybe next to no one in that line.

And when I tell you.

There were rides that we rode on five times before I saw people in line were still waiting.

I'm so mad and staring at you guys like that.

As we ran up and down, up and down, and I felt so bad.

But I thought to myself, like, honestly, because I never was really wanted to get a fast past before, I'm like, I'll just wait.

But it really like we.

Must have gone on like twenty rides versus maybe the five we would have gotten to in that period of time, so it's just worth it. It was an extra I think I found a group pound or something like that. It was like an extra fifty bucks, but it was so per person, but it was so so, so so worth it.

No, I'm all for that. I remember I took Husban for the very you know, he's one of those New Yorkers who never went to the Empire State Building or done any of the you know, New York stuff. So one night or one day after work, I surprised him going to the to the Empire State Building and I sprung for the express pass, which seemed in my mind, Like it's like it was like one hundred dollars and I've been up there before.

I know.

You just it's so crowded that you don't even want to spend more than like twenty minutes up there. And I was like, am I really going to spend one hundred dollars like all this express pass for both of us? And I did it, and it was so satisfying to like see the throngs of people on a Friday night waiting and waiting and just get to like breeze on by.

Yeah, how does that work with you know, because I've been to the Empire State, Like is there like a different different there's.

A different line, there's a different elevator, and it's you just like the people we had to. I felt the heat coming at me from the people and the crowd, like what are they doing? They're not following the protocol and like express pass. But it's so worth it because like you're the time, It's about your time. How valuable is your time? Okay? And I one hundred percent agree, especially in like that heat at a theme park, which can be a really miserable experience.

Yes, And it really was to be able to jump in the water right away.

And it's so funny because Superman is still not used to like doing like stuff like that. So the first time we got like express pass at Universal Studios, he was like facetiming his boys to like brag like you'll see me.

I was like, I need. It was fun because you could tell.

He's like I never could afford to go to confusing parts as a kid, and like you know, he was just like this is like my shallhad all over. But when I tell you he was excited, I'm like, if you call one more person to show them that you're at the friend of.

The line, get into it, my dude. I'm like, I think your friend is fine.

Haven't yelled been to Harry Potter World. I haven't even been there yet. I don't know how this is.

One in California and in Florida. Honestly, both are tremendously amazing.

I don't understand how that is not my life. I think because I've been waiting on my sister and my brother to get there act together. But now it's like there's always something. Now there's a baby, it's just like ruining everything. I guess I'll go in twenty twenty one. Anyway, Yeah, that's definitely worth the money. So fun. I did the

He is very morbid, very sad. My dad would say morose and melancholy.

And then Collie. But it was good. I mean, the effects like it looked like the Planet Earth documentary but with voices and songs, you know, like the effects were so realistic, so realistic and beautiful. And of course, you know Beyonce and all that. I didn't think. I thought for a second she'd be too distracting with her voice, like her Texas because I've never heard Beyonce not have a Texas Beyonce voice, and she kind of kind of did.

You know, Beyonce, Hey, Simba, what you doing there? Simba? You need to come Home. You're like beehive, I love Beyonce. Don't come sing say.

My name Simba.

Oh no, that's good.

See so you haven't downloaded the entire album her soundtrack yet.

I had been jammy, okay, no, Spotify is my I have a Spotify whatever Apple not application. I have Spotify, and so I've been jamming. I'm like, look at this love letter to Africa. Yes, I'm like, wait a minute now. I honestly I'm in love with it.

She did good right, like very respectful of the culture. And I will say that about the movie. It's very you know, you think about it now and you're like, Matthew Broderick, this is the Lion, like Jonathan Taylor Thomas was the baby what like all these white actors. But it makes so much sense now this cast but way more diverse. And to have Beyonce curate the not even just curate, like do the entire soundtrack, it seems like, Okay, they righted some wrongs with this version. And uh yeah,

Yeah, wowing girl.

That should be like our theme song if we wouldn't get sued for it.

We would she would come for us park Wood Entertainment would be like and give me your entire life. Yeah, so good for Beyonce. Hope you guys enjoyed the movie if you.

Saw it, Yeah, Beyond Beyond, we love, We love Beyonce.

If you didn't see The Lion King, did you watch so the Remember when Serena was like she was in Wimbledon. Was it Wimbledon? I don't really know much about tennis, but anyway, this most recent big tournament in London she was in. And then it's like like guys were like on Twitter, sting went viral where guys were or some study or survey or something people were saying that a bunch of regular guys were convinced that they could score a point on Serena.

Oh my god.

And I don't know if this I saw this on Twitter today. I don't know if this was before this contravert this like stupid survey came out or she did it in answer to it. But it is the best two minutes ever. It's like Serena against like five white guys, like regular dudes, like in dad shorts and like baseball, you know, backwards baseball caps and stuff, and just like her get like annihilating them. It's so good. Yes, it's amazing.

I mean, I mean, well that's just men in general. They just swear. I think I could. I think I could be Serena sir. Her service over to two hundred of miles per hour.

Now, and part of me, I like didn't want her to rise to it. And again, I don't know if she did this. I don't know if this already existed. I don't think. I don't think it existed before I would have seen it. But anyway, like part of me is like, no, Serena, like you're too good to like come down to that level. I prove you don't have

Yeah.

First of all, her daughter is so adorable. It just gives me life when she posts her. And I just love the way her daughter mistreats her dog quake way.

I follow, I mean.

What, I love her sense of humor.

I love how little EPs she gives how how clearly I love her husband is with her.

It's just it's not easy.

And she said that she's like, you know, I get attacked all the time, and yet somehow she's carved out like this happy life for herself.

I can't imagine a day in day out.

Yes, you have people who are telling you or your amazing, but you have a lot of people who are telling you, you know, not not just regular people, but the sport that you love actively works against you. I can't imagine how much how much that must hurt, you know.

And she continues to like her poise and like that press interview that she gave at a certain I think she was knocked out at Wimbledon. Again, not sure if that's what it's called. I'm pretty sure it's what it's called. Okay, thanks, you know that that reporter asked her if something along the lines of does the criticism around you fighting for

Yeah, And I was like, you better step on some ring now.

And I just love her interview voice it's just like so no nonsense, like she's not she's not like yelling at people. She's not. She's just like statement effect, this is who I am. And she's so grounded in herself. And you have to be to have to have that kind of career where it's that much pressure.

Yes, honestly, but if you see how I remember when when they were kids then in Saince Arena, how much their father used to really pour and pump them with confidence, and you see how adamant he was. People said like it was it was arrogance, but it wasn't. I remember an interview where was interviewing Bnus and Venus was like, I'm gonna you know, I'm gonna beat her. I think I'm a better player. And the interview me and while Venus had to be like thirteen fourteen, and the interview.

Were you could tell took exception.

It was like challenging her, but not in a way of like oh you sure, as if you're talking to it this is a child. He was being disrespectful because I guess black little girl who cares. Father jumps in and is like, I'm sorry, what part of this is a child, don't you understand. Well, no, no, no, no, that's a child that you're speaking to. Why shouldn't she feel confident in herself? You're wanting her not to feel confident? That is your aim here.

I loved it.

I said, if you don't step in, dad, You know, they all called him so crazy, but look what crazy raised. He wasn't crazy. He was adamant that his daughters deserved. He was adamant that his daughters were worthy. And thank god that he did that.

Because look at what the sport tried to do to them.

And if it wasn't for him, and I'm sure her family's saying that you are you are everything that you could possibly be, then they wouldn't be here.

Yeah. Has he written a parentine book? Because I'll read it over. I would like to know how to do that.

Yeah, right, it's hard.

I think it was. Was it? It was either Maya Angelo. It was either her book or Ayana Bonzan And she said, deal, I think me it was my Angelo. She said she didn't have any money or anything to give her son. The only thing she could give him was confidence. So she boosted him as much up as much as he could because she could, Because she said she knew that life was going to try to knock him down over and over.

But then also, how do you keep him alive for the first six months? Anybody have any tips? Let me know, thank you, just trying to get to the first six months.

From what I just understand.

They just said, you know that it's a lot the first couple of months, but then after a while you get into a groove, you know, but you know, especially as the first time, this is just what I've heard, Like, you know that, don't expect for it not to be a lot that but and it's okay because you're not crazy that that's just it's a lot, because one, you.

Still have like pregnancy hormones pumping through your veins.

This is a brand new being that literally was not here before and is now here that the bay is also like what the hell is going on?

Right?

How do I breathe? How do I eat?

Yes?

And it was so funny because like it was crazy when I went to go visit my sister in Chicago.

Meanwhile, her husband is a whole doctor. You would have thought they were both fifteen.

Year olds, like with like he was like they were just like if it wasn't for my sister Carol, who has the two little ones.

She came and got their whole life together. They were like, oh my god, thank you so much. They're like, we didn't know.

She's like that bottle the nipple there are nipple holes, and that bottle the hole is too big. That's what the baby is gasping, yes, basically, and like just like.

You know, I mean, I'm gonna drown my baby.

So one thing that what I have heard is helpful is that if you know anyone who's had a child within a year, because they're still fresh, you know, like if someone had to hit a three or four then they've forgotten. But anybody who's had a child within a year is gonna be really helpful to you.

And my all my girlfriends who have because I have a lot of girlfriends who on their second kid by now, but like young kid and they have already been So my friend shout out to my friend Sarah, who told me she's just gonna look at my registry and just fix it. I was like, thank you, because I don't know this is no, you don't need this, you need this.

Yeah.

So, and I had brunch with a friend who's also she's pregnant too, and just like just having those conversations. So and I've heard from some from some listeners since the show aired last week. Thank you guys so much for all your messages. They were so sweet, so sweet. And some of you guys are pregnant too, and some of you guys have kids. So any tips, any books.

I was not a homework. Dude, what I was a trouble maker.

I mean as much as a Nigerian child can be a trouble maker, because you know, there's only but so much that your parents will allow.

But I was not.

When I look at a supergirl, I don't know. I tell Superman all the time, you lucked out. That girl comes home homework usually done at school, she gets great grades, she doesn't get in trouble at school.

I'm like, who are you? Because I was not that child?

And yet it's okay if your child is not that child, because look at me now, I'm decent.

That's true. There's all kinds of people who like turned into jillionaires or you know, invent different you know, amazing inventions, or start companies who weren't good in school. So that's right. I need more realistic advice like that. Correct remind me how crazy you were, because look at you now.

I'm not gonna lie.

My parents are like yo, every other week. That's where my dad calls me. He says, I can't believe it. I can't believe.

I'm like that.

IM like they're like, we tried everything. I mean, you said no to everything, and look at you now. I'm like, I know, Daddy, it's been five years.

Now, just evens an economic crisis is what they were missing.

But I just say all that to say that, just I mean love trumps everything, and I think more than anything, kids just want to know that their love. They want time, they want energy, and they want love and the other stuff.

You'll figure out. You already have that part, you know.

Yeah, how do you balance the dog love with the human love? What about Molly? Is she gonna feel neglected anyway? Anyway? But thank you guys for your kind messages. I'm getting excited, man. Halfway point, I can't wait for my baby moon is coming up. Two weeks in Portugal. Two weeks in Portugal. Yes, it's our last big vacation before our lives changed forever. So I'm very excited. Don't worry. We'll still have shows

Now it's time for y'all to ask us some questions. These are the questions, well, you guys always ask amazing questions. We're getting more and more, but we love even more questions questions about money, your career, life. Me and Mandy are full of advice and we don't.

Know what to say. We don't know, so keep those questions going.

And you'll be like, well, thanks, appreciate it. You can send us questions, hit us up by email, Brand Ambition Podcast at gmail dot com, or for those of you who are constantly on Instagram like I am, you can hit us up at Brand Ambition Podcast on Instagram. And I love how people just say hey Mandy. Now they just know it's me. It is me, Hey Mandy.

I hear them later. I'm here too.

We might couldn't have people reading them for us. No, it's me. Thank you for all your good questions. So let's take this one hit home for me. Because if those of you who maybe are working in jobs right now where you're having your midyear reviews, lucky enough to have a midyear review, it's a cool thing that companies can do versus just having the one big annual review. So if you're having your midyear or you're coming up on a review, this is a good question from listener

Use that good one.

And I almost wish sometimes people just did that because I don't you know, I don't think it's happened to me, but not like not from someone who's already been working here for a while. Definitely during negotiations in the beginning, it's happened they've got two job offers. They're toy in between. Oh, this company b offered me ten k more, can you match it? And we've that's worked. We've definitely done that.

Ooh, that's good.

But like, if you're already in the job, sometimes the best way to show your value is to get an offer from someone else, a competitor. And if you're you just have to hope that you have to do it in the right way to where you're not you know, burning a bridge or creating like creating any like resentment from your managers or whatever. But do it in a way just to show your value and see if they can beat it and get your answer, you know, and if they say no, maybe you want to take that

Might be able to close it. Yeah, that gap, they might be able.

To close it if it's truly a market gap or if you you know, we're able to get a competing offer and show that you're worth more.

And just be mind because I as an employer, well we do. We do adjustments because I feel like we're not quite where I want to be as far as paying market rate because we still are I still we still are really I guess in the eyes of the government.

Whatever, we still are a small business. And so we're getting much better than we're getting.

Closer and closer because I don't know, if you guys remember earlier in the year, I said, we set a goal for my team to get the average employee to one hundred thousand dollars a year, to one of our audacious goals, and.

We're on track to hit that next year.

So the average employee meaning that maybe part time customer support is twenty five thousand hours, so twenty five thousand dollars a year.

But then maybe if you're on the.

Lead team, meaning one of the executives, maybe you make you know, one fifty two hundred thousand. But then so that's what I mean by average employees, So not that everyone's making one hundred thousand no matter what you do.

And so we're we're we know we're getting.

Better at it, and so what we do is because we're kind of that we're growing in that way. I every six months, well we try to do it every quarter, but it depends on how well the quarter has been. But every six months or so, we make an adjustment where let's just say, I think, like I don't know, maybe like a starting customer support, like if it was just brand new you, maybe you did an internship with us.

This is like you know, we're just starting to pay you.

Maybe it starts at fifteen, but we'll adjust up and say, okay, now everyone that comes in now starts at eighteen, and so if you're at fifteen, you're automatically bumped to eighteen, even though it's not based up pounds salary or not based upon merit or anything like that. It's just the company has adjusted up and we're working to our audacious goal to we kind of hit where I feel like a fair market value for works rendered across the border.

So that's one thing.

And then two Yes, if somebody came to me from my team who said, you know who I thought was killing it and they were like, cause we've given raises, Like I mean, I mean I'm unique in that, well not me, but this is unique in that with small businesses, there's a lot more flexibility than like a larger business. But I remember there was somebody on our team who was like, Hey, Tiffany, I'm really you know, I love

We have a grid where it's like you can you know what color you are? You don't.

You can guess what the color other people are, but you know what color you are, and it'll say like green. You know, the range for mid level green is you know, I don't know, you know, thirty to forty thousand dollars. Let's just say so you kind of know where you are. And so I looked and I was like, you know what, pink has not gotten an adjustment in a while.

So I adjusted that.

Whole that whole color for anyone who was pink senior level, mid level, entry level pink.

I adjusted it up to accommodate.

And I was like, you know what, it was time anyway, So because she can, you know, she didn't ask me for a raise, but I didn't want. I didn't want to lose somebody who was amazing as a result of like you know, child care was going to be an issue, and so it was a significant race. So, like I said, we're a smaller company, so I mean, as we get bigger, I might not be able to make moves like that, but for now we can. So you just never know

That again, you never know unless you ask.

Because I'm saying that if she didn't ask, I mean didn't just help her.

It helped everybody who was at her level. They were like, wait what.

Okay, this is awesome and so yeah, when you have really good people, you know, people tend to want to I don't want to train anyone.

New I say that again. Yes it's such a pain and don't make us do it.

Yes, so if you are, but like here's the thing. If you're so so, and I'm sure you're not. I'm sure you're killing it. But if you're so so, I'm like, well girl, I can train somebody to be.

So so, you know, but I back it up with good work.

Yes, if you are amazing what I mean like, I'm going to go as high as I can that I can actually afford to do. Like if but it's like, well i'd like two hundred thousand, I'm like, well girl, I mean that would be awesome, but the company can't afford that, you know, So I you know, I adjust based upon like how much like i'd reach out to our CFO.

What are we able to do? What are we able to sustain.

So typically, if we didn't have a quarter that could sustain a raise, we'll do a bonus. Because a bonus, I know, we say pretty robustly. So I'm like, okay with the bonus, it's one time, here's your money. I don't have to worry about sustaining. Like, if you get a raise, I have to pay you that indefinitely. And so there are ways that are kind of around, like you know, when it comes to like when I'm wanting to kind of show appreciation to the team.

But but yeah, like I said.

If you're killing it, people are going to want to keep you and they'll do as much as they can in order to do so.

Yeah, one hundred thousand percent. But again, like seven k is not the biggest of gaps, and maybe it's a gap that maybe they could close halfway now and the rest of the way next year. But get your facts together, you know, do your own research, see what and if you've really got intel, you know, share that with them. If you feel confident and comfortable and make your case at the right at the right time, you know, preferably after you've just like nailed a certain project or you know,

Yes. I was about to say, Chah, pay that car.

Pay that car off. It's going to feel so satisfying when you do, and it's probably a much lower balance than your mortgage.

Yes, and honestly to its just yeah, you'll be. And that's why I don't necessarily subscribe to the well ideally, and I guess if you want to technically like pay off your debt, yes, hitting the debt with the highest interest rate, because that's the more expensive debt. That is,

But first of all, one you've got great interest rate.

So you're not someone who's like, I've got one credit card and it's a thirty percent interest rate, and I've got another credit card and it's like a five percent interest rate.

Which one should I do?

I'm like, girl, go for the five percent, you know that, bro for the thirty Obviously pay that down first, because that's super expensive debt. You know, you're you're choosing between you know, Granny Smith apples and Macintosh apples.

Are they're the same. No, I don't think so.

Oh no, I don't want the green ones. No, we don't have the same. No, they hurt my te's no two sours.

Sorry, guys got it talking to the background, I'm like you hear the thund dirty quite please, Like, Jess, could you try to down taping my podcast tanks?

So yeah, no, I'm just proud of you for those interest rates. Kill it.

Yeah, that's amazing.

Yeah.

All I would add to that is just think about, like if it is true, you know, if you were to pay off your mortgage and you know, which takes probably what thirty years, if you just got a house, if you were to pay it off shore. Then you could put that mortgage payment towards your car note. But that's decades away. Are you even going to be in

I've had, like my two cars.

The first one I bought was fifty five hundred dollars and I bought it it was like two years old. Well, and the second one, I was like, look at Jesus, someone hit the first one, some kid, and then I use the money from that to get the second one, which is four thousand. That's how much they gave me the insurance company. So really it was like, na, I didn't come out of pocket for the second and then my final car that I have now in cash as well, because I just couldn't see myself with a card. No,

Yeah, one hundred percent, and think about what you can do with that car payment when you paid off your debt, you know, maybe you can put that into your retirement. I would even say, like this is the fun part when you're choosing do I pay off my mortgage or do I say for you know, investing or something like that, And that's where you can really see how much you have to gain by you know, putting that into your four one K or into like an IRA and what

Yes, because I wouldn't put that cardinale into the house because you're you're interested at four perc. I'm assuming it's fixed so you can make more in the market, meaning that let's just say you can on average make seven percent a year, and then you'd be saving four percent with the house, so you could make more in the market than you would be saving by paying off the mortgage.

Yes, ma'am. All right, thank you guys for your questions. Again. Hit us up Brandabisson Podcast on Instagram or by email Brandambition Podcast at gmail dot com.

So are you gotta booth? Oh yeah, I gotta break? Ask me why I'm like doing like a body roll, like while I'm standing.

I don't know what's wrong with me, but I can't speak without my whole body movements.

Oh you kind of boos and I'm snapping.

To you had your Weedy's today? Or so there's the there's God again with the thunder.

Not just that, but like literally there's like five cars going off because you know the thunder can't help, but like set off everyone's car along.

This is this is very like an ominous like dark Moody episode, but you're doing jazz hands, so we're keeping it light.

So since we're keeping a light, I'm actually going to boost.

What are you gonna do?

I got a boost today?

Okay, you're gonna go party? When to go second?

Sure, I'll go first? Why not? So I'm gonna boost myself because after I don't know five six, seven, eleven years. I finally got my butt into therapy finally, and not just any therapist, nothing like bringing a new tiny human into the world that you don't want to screw up, but to give you all the motivation you need to finally get your button therapy. So I found a specialist who works with new and family, yeah, family psychology and like paranatal therapy, who can help you just plan for all,

Yay. Yeah, I can't imagine how it's just a lot.

I mean, I see so many new moms and it's just just like remember when Drina first had my godson.

She was like just in shock, like wait what.

Like even like the day she was like on her phone like I gotta set off this email. I'm like, a baby's here, the baby is coming, you know, because it was like so surreal like she was like, even when you're holding the baby, she's like, who's this again, you know, you know, you go to sleep and you're like, have a baby.

Oh my gosh, Okay, it's real.

So it's but it's also awesome, Like I love to see how my sister is with like her kids and how much they like, I mean, just the love that you see like in a kid's as when they look at their.

Mom or dad.

It's just like I love to see like how much you're just like, like how much Amelia looks at Carol and she just like like even when she picks her from school, she does the same thing many and I'm like, oh my god, that's my little sister, Carol, And like now she's like the sun, moon and stars to someone.

You know.

I want to do that, but not a crazy, psycho, stressed out version of that, which is what I feel like I might be if I don't get my shit together.

No, that's awesome though, So yeah, I'm glad that you're doing.

One of the reasons I'm doing it now and not once the kid comes is because I've talked to moms and they have said things like I don't have time, and I feel like, if I don't instill the habit now when I have time, I'm certainly not gonna like want to do it once. I have a tiny human

You know, that's good, and I'm glad that you're doing that for yourself. That's important.

So I'm gonna actually do two quick boosts, so boos number one. I'm super excited. I finally found a financial planner.

Her name is Angelie.

She was actually like it was crazy because I interviewed, as you guys know, like fifteen well I don't know if I shared if I interviewed like fifteen people, and I actually wrote like I wrote like a manifesto of sorts. It was like five pages of like what I wanted a planet, the goals I wanted to reach where we stood financially, and everybody who I interviewed I sent it to them ahead of time, like I made a Google

Her name is Angelie.

So it was so crazy that three people suggested her and I was like, oh okay, and so I ended up and I was like, we'll see. I ended up and actually came down to your helen this woman named Amy, who was amazing and Angelie. I loved Amy but she really only did personal finance and she didn't really infuse business. Because I needed somebody who would also be able to

Saying, you know, who'll be great with you? Helen or Angelie? You know?

Are they all on the x Y Planning Network?

No, this is just like I literally just posted in the finicon group and elevate our black and Brown money group. So I posted all over and like I you know, I interviewed everyone that was like what about me? So it was about fifteen to like sixteen seventeen people, and so for like their name to come up over and over, I was like, wow, Helen, are you out here doing something good?

Girl?

But like I said, I ended up choosing Angelie, So it's because she just I felt like her skill set suited really what I was looking for, and so Superman and I have our first like meeting with her tomorrow. So I'm so excited because I finally feel like like, because I'm like both anal and and just I don't want to say lazy. I have a hard time making a move without like check check, double.

Check, check check, doumble talk check when.

It comes to finances, and so I need someone to be like, today, make the transfer. You can put that aside, or you can buy that thing, or you know, like so instead I put everything in super Safety just because I've been through so much post recession, so I really needed someone who could like okay and say, Tiffany, you don't need as much money and savings, Like if something happened that needed as much money, you have a lot more more trouble on your hands than like paying for it.

And so I'm just excited.

So that's one that I'll share kind of like my journey with my financial plan. This is my first financial plan that I've actually played paid like a lump sum fee versus like them managing my portfolio. Because there's two ways that typically financial plans can get paid.

You kind of pay them hourly.

For this is I pay her every quarter and then I or you can pay someone gets paid like based upon how much one of the yours is you're managing. I actually requested that she doesn't manage my money. Then it said I will manage, and I just manage based upon her advice, because I've just been through too much where somebody manages my money, they fall off the places of the earth. Then I have to switch all my accounts over to something new again, and I don't want

Mandy. She is so freaking adorable.

I was just thinking about this book today actually, and I was gonna ask you about it. Yeah weird, but yeah, yes, And.

Then I have been secretly working on it. I don't know, it's just like it's been like my baby I have.

I've not stopped.

It's not like like it's been like years in the making, because honestly, I have gone through like so many different illustrators. They just weren't right. I finally found out a publisher she was. She's amazing, and I really wanted to own because sometimes you go with the publisher, they like own the rights.

I really wanted to publish her where it.

Was like almost half self publishing that I own everything, but then half publisher where they give you the support of like you know, of making sure you have distribution for your book, because I really didn't want to like self publish self published.

But honestly, I'm gonna send this you right now, Mandra she is freaking adorable.

This is the cover And don't mind the like the like the words.

On it, because it's not going to look like that, but the cover is gonna look like that.

She is so adorable. I wanted her to be chocolate like me. I wanted her to have hair like mine.

She is. I just sent texted to you.

That's gonna say. Where am I looking at my own slack of myne email?

Am I no? No Texas okay, uh huh.

And I'm just really proud of it because the book itself is really well written, just because I'm working on it forever. But it's my introduction to introducing kids to what I call pre financial education, so like the basis of like a community, giving, sharing, selflessness, like things that give you the strong foundation that you need, uh for personal finance later. And I want this to be a series. And so Molly m a l I. Because I was like, y'all gonna get this African name.

Yeah, of course I named my dog Molly. And I'm thinking it's like, you know, the white girl version first, but.

Then you know who told me, you know Tanya Oh I forget band Court. So Tanya Vancourt has this awesome company called goal Setter, where it like lets kids like earn money for doing like good things and then it like saves them, saves them money for kids. And so Tanya Vancourt, I was sharing my book with her and I told her, oh, her name, the little girl's name is Molly, and She's like, oh my god, m a l I. One of my daughters her name her her

So because it was the white girl version of Molly, and I thought, how did I miss that?

And so yes, m a l I because I want them to be in this undercurrent of although it's just a book about a little girl, I wanted to also teach this like undercurrent of like of like how Dora, although it's about a little girl, Dora speaks Spanish, so you're learning diversity as well as the book itself, you know what I mean.

So yeah, I love it.

So cute, isn't it so adorable? One little chubby cheeks.

So cute. I love the hair.

So when does it come out? So January tenth, Oh perfect, yep. So that's so it comes out in the beginning of the year. Like I said, it's fully written. Illustrations are about ninety percent done. I just printed it out at Staples because I have to go through, like picture by picture to make sure that everything's like in alignment. But yeah, my illustrated Jazz McDaniel has been amazing. My creative director,

I wanted her hair to be like how mine was, was like a cotton ball, you know. I wanted little girls who looked like me and who looked.

Like Supergirl when they were growing up to also have someone to look at on the shelf, you know. And I feel like there wasn't enough of that, and that the messaging was, well, that's not as cute or as pretty as someone who looks a little bit more mixed, which I want girls to realize that no matter what you look like, there's.

Beauty in it all. So I'm just excited that got a chunky, little, dark skinned girl with cotton ball hair.

You know that it's like learning about like so the premise of this first book is the core value is learning that things are not as important as people. So it's her birthday, she gets a little greedy, gets more and more excited that it's her birthday versus like the people people that have come.

To see her. At some point she puts the gifts above everyone else.

They all go outside to enjoy, and when it's time to boil her candles, she looks around. She realizes she's in the house by herself, because she's kind of pushed everyone away. And then she quickly realizes, yes, she quickly realizes that that more it's not really more stuff, it's really more hugs, more kisses, more family.

And she packs.

Out because like you get to see her gifts as she accumulates them. She packs some of the things that she has extra of and she donates them, and so it's just a really great And then at the back, I have a lesson plan for parents, extended questions so you can really lean into the story with your reader. So that's like the teacher in me. So if you're someone who's like, I don't why I teach my child not to be so selfish.

So you're like, well, here's a great book.

To teach them lesson. And so it rhymes too, Mandy, It's so cute. There's my favorite.

Well did you write it?

Yeah, I wrote it. I wrote it, and.

So it's like a poem.

Well no, it's just I mean, I guess, but it's it's it rhymed without feeling like I don't know how to say rhymes. Yes, no, it's just like so there is kind of like a course ish where there's a part where it goes each time a new guest comes to the door, more, says Molly, more and more and more. And you see. What I love is that you get to count. So there's like a point where she's getting all these gifts.

It's like two cats.

Three dogs, a burden, a bat, three fish, three I don't know, three doors, something and a cat. So like it rhymes, but kids actually get to count because you see the picture and you're like, oh, I see the three cats, I see the six dogs. Because if you know money and math, the counting is as a core is a core tenant to learning financial education because you're counting money eventually. So I just really try to think of all the components that a three to six year old would.

Need counting matching even rhyming.

I don't think people understand that rhyming is a precursor to math and financial education because rhyming is keeping on beat, and when you're keeping on beat, your matching and matching is a component to math. And so I just was really intentional about intentional even though it's like this cute story, it's really intentional that it's teaching your kids in like seven different ways.

You know, Yeah, I can't wait. Okay, so save me a copy. Of course, it's signed please.

Yes to the new Baby. Of course, I'm really excited. Honestly, you know, you just feel like this is my passion project. So you just feel like you know something that you're working on for no other reason other than it's just this thing in you you want to express. So you know, it would be awesome if it becomes this huge success. But just to see it done, I mean, just to print it at Staples and have the woman who printed it out say.

This is amazing. Is it on shelves?

She wanted to buy it for her daughter, and that's what I wanted to She was a a Hispanic young woman. She was like, I love the fact that she's so chocolate. My daughter is chocolate. I would love this book, and I just was like, yes, that's what I'm wanting. I'm wanting all little girls to be able to enjoy it, but I want especially brown ambition girls to feel a special kindred spirit with it.

She's stinking cute. I love it, can't wait. Congratulations. And you're self publishing right?

No, So I've used a publisher called wyse Ink and so it's run by a woman, which I love, a woman owned and operated and she's a It's a hybrid where I get to keep all of my all of my rights and stuff.

But they help with distribution.

Oh nice. So is it going to be in like bookstores? Mm hmm.

That's what I like about it, but without the fact that, like, you know, they own anything, because I was like, really big to me. I didn't want the like you know, I want to be able to one day hopefully you'll see this so on Nickelodeon or Disney or whatever.

But I want to own Molly Moore because I don't. I don't want it to.

I want to be able to decide what the story is like. I don't want her to become stereotypical anything right.

That makes sense. I can't wait to meet her. Thank you all of them. Give me a subscription to all the series. Awesome, Well this was the show.

Yes, and now it's time to say goodbye to all a family.

B r r own mbish. I swear I know how to spell most days.

Wow, that was actually one of the better times you've tried to spell brown ambitions.

Yeah, are we brown? Yes, it's been awesome. I can't wait to see your baby bow.

You know it's I do have a bump. I was telling Tiffany, don't tell pregnant ladies they don't have a bump. Yes we do, damn it, because when you say I don't have a bump, it makes me feel like you think I always look this way. Oh, like I've had ten burritos. How dare you? How dare are you? Yeah? Man, it's coming along. Baby's kicking already. I can feel it squirming in there. It's very creepy. All kicks you all

Oh my gosh. Yeah, you're literally growing alike. Isn't that crazy? What women can do?

It is mother nature just happening. Yeah, I yes, And to shout out to the listener who told me about her her two obsession with YouTube videos on childbirth. I have watched additional ones. I've heard Netflix has its own documentary section on child labor. I will be copying some of those.

Videos as well.

I want all the gore. I want to know every possible outcome.

Are you doing moss classes?

I guess I have to.

I don't know.

There's definitely like pre there's definitely like I was, Yes, my hospital offers actually if you're if you're thinking about having a kid. I didn't realize how many programs hospitals offer, like I get I've been doing prenatal yoga at my hospital and yeah, and they have tons of classes for new parents. I think when we get back from the baby moon, that's kind of like the halfway point. I mean, I'm halfway now, but I think when we get back,

And why now he's like you good, He's.

Like cool, we get to go to Shakeshack again. This is great.

I love that