It's time for it. The b a qa A to b a qa what you say? The b a qa man day, the b a qa with.
Tippin a the b a qa A. We're super excited because today.
In the ba Qa we have an amazing brown girl guest.
If you listen to her show on Wednesday, you would know that already. Go back and listen. Her name is Hala Taha.
She is dubbed the podcast Princess and is the host of Young and Profiting, the app podcast frequently ranked as number one in business and entrepreneurship on podcasts across all apps right. Halla is also the founder and CEO of y app Media, a business podcast network with an award winning social media and podcast marketing agency for top podcasters, celebrities and CEOs. She is well known for her engaged following
and influence on LinkedIn and Okay. Young and Profiting podcast is a top one hundred podcasts globally and howa has interviewed stars study guests like Matthew Mcconaughean, Alex Hormos, hormosy Child but we all know Deepoko, Okay, Damon John of Seth Garden, and countless others. Her show was recognized as a twenty twenty two webbyana Ree and Howa has been featured in publications like Enterprise Bounder and The New York Times.
She is an expert on networking, marketing, social media, personal branding, side hustles, entrepreneurship, and podcasting. So we welcome Holler to the stew Alla.
Hey, you guys are so much fun, happy to be here.
So because we have Holland the stew Right Me and Mandy, we're actually gonna have her help answer some questions from y'all today.
You want to go first, you wanna go to second.
I want to go first. I want to go Okay, me me me, me me I Andhala, thank you so much for giving us so much of your time. It's been amazing listening to you and I fully you know. If you're listening to the show, run and go follow her on LinkedIn and get all of her LinkedIn tips and tune into Wednesday show because she drops some gems.
But because you are such a savvy entrepreneur and you have such a fascinating career journey, I would like to start with a career question from listener Ashley, who hit us up on ig By the way, you can also submit your questions. Hit us up Brown Ambition Podcast on the gram, slide into our DMS and you could be answered on the show. All right, Ashley says, I am a teacher on FMLA leave for the year while I
am home on unpaid leave. Because don't get it twisted just because you have the leave in America, it's unpaid. I'm full time taking care of my newborn. I have lots of times on my hand. I have lots of time on my hands now, which I'm using to start an education consulting business. I want to advertise the business to my network, but I haven't told my boss about my endeavor. What is my obligation legally and morally to
tell my boss about my new business. I have not made any money from it yet, but I wonder if that matters, and if so, at what point in my business success should I communicate about my side biz with my boss. I wonder if telling my boss will make them think I'm not committed to my job and make them take adverse action against me, even if they can't legally fire me.
Appreciate any advice.
Okay, that's a good one, so I'd say Number one is check your employee contract. Check your employee contract, see if there's anything that says that you cannot compete in the same space as you're in. Because she said she wants to do education consulting and she's a teacher. If she told me she's selling shoes, I'd be like, go
post everyone on social media right now. But because it's in a similar space, she has to see if there's a compete clause, a noncompete clause, I believe, and she's got to make sure that she's allowed to do something like that in the same niche.
It doesn't.
It sounds like she still can. It sounds like even though it's in education, it's something different.
Would you guys better.
Be having teachers signed noncomputer way do you pay them?
Please?
Yeah? I was a teacher for ten years and that typically wasn't. I will say there's a little more. Although teachers are like a professional job, it's not bounded, but typically by the same corporate constraints.
I agree.
I think there's a big chance that you're allowed to do whatever sort of second job, side hustle, whatever you want to call it. I think you're most likely allowed.
Right.
The other thing I'd say, which I say to anybody who asks. There's a lot of people who have this fear about posting while they're still employed, and I always tell them, your social media is an asset that you need to invest in, and it's a transferable asset that you're allowed to take with you from job to job to job to job. So I always tell people, don't post about your current job, and don't leverage your current job on your social media profile. That should be for
your own business, for your own personal brand. Do not let a company tell you that you need to post about their stuff on your profile. It should be about you, your skills, your brand, your business on your profile. And then that's an asset you take with you from place to place, and you just need to set that boundary with your employer right that that is your asset. I would say it's up to her if she wants to let her boss know. Depending on the demeanor of your boss.
If your boss is following you on social media and you feel like they're actually going to see it, you may want to just be like, hey, you know, fully focus on my job. This is what I'm doing at night and on the weekends. I've prioritized my time in these ways, you have nothing to worry about. But you know I need to generate more income. As you know as a teacher, I make X y Z. I want to make this much this year, and this is the
path towards it while working here. And so I think just having like a civil conversation with your boss and saying like, these are the reasons why, this is how I'm going to prioritize work. And then you've got to show up and do your job well at work so that there's no issue.
Right.
But other than that, I would say, like post on social media as soon as possible, start building your brand, start learning the platforms. It's going to take a year or two to get a community that's actually going to start buying from you, So it's like you better start now and build that up.
That's my advice and focus on I would say easily when I talk to people about posting a LinkedIn, they're like, what do I post? Just if you were getting into education consulting, I mean, what kind of advice would you give as a consultant, and like, what are the buckets of you know, information and guidance that you feel like your audience is looking for and then just start talking
about that. That's going to hopefully, in my mind, especially if use the right keywords and target the right people, it's going to reach the kind of people who could become customers.
Yeah, one of the first things I would tell you to do is try to find people in your niche that are doing a great job on LinkedIn. And I call these people profiles, so they're either competitors or there are people who have a following that you want, and then you can look at their profiles for inspiration of the content that you're going to write. But then even better, you can start to proactively invite people who are engaging
on their content. So anybody who recently liked and commented on that lookalike profile, you'd want to invite those people to your networks so those people will start seeing your content as well and hopefully engage and take viral action.
Yeah, and I wouldn't be so scared because truefully, teachers are the queens of second jobs. Like I used to tutor, I used to babysit, I used to you know what I mean, And like tutoring is not it's I'm so teaching outside of school and I have not found like teachers, I feel like are giving a lot of leeway. I never know because sometimes you might have a hater ball, so the hatter, principal, hater superintendent.
You never know.
But as far as legally and morally, especially the moral part, girl like, no, you are always able to make additional income for yourself as long as to how it's point, it's not. It doesn't breach the contract that you have.
Also to one last thing is maybe is there anybody at your school or neighboring school whatever that does some teacher has a side job, you know, and just asking, like, you know, was there any pushback something I should look out for, you know, the secretary or whatever, who who's the hater up amongst us? To make sure you just look out for them, so that way, you know, you give them the heads up. So but I'll be other than that, it's Ashley.
Right, that's what it works. May actually, girl, go ahead and get your coin.
I love that you be ambitious. Yeah, take it, take it and go to the moon with it. Is how I feel. Yes, as being a teacher, there is finite access to salary. I'm proud of you. And yes, when you have a newborn. It is boring, af, so I'm proud of you for taking that time. They don't get hard until like six months plus. Something falling. All right, Okay, let's take a quick breaking break and we'll be right back with more b a QA. In this time, it is Tiffany's turn to read did you see mentor question?
We're back? Go ahead, s many no, please, I closed the tabs.
I couldn't see her.
Face and we are back.
So this question comes from not necessarily from our mail bag, but something that I could ask all the time because I do mentor, especially young women, especially young women of color and business.
But people ask me all the time one can you mentor me? Tiffany?
And then two, you know, how do I find a mentor? And so how I had one? It's like a two part question. Do you have any mentors? You don't have to name names, but how did you connect with them? And how would you suggest that people go out, whether it's professionally they have.
A career or in business they're looking for a mentor.
I do have two mentors. So I have a business mentor who's Heather Monahan. She's actually my first client, and I have a podcast mentor. Who's Jordan Harbinger, Right, So I'll give you guys the story of how I got Jordan to become my mentor. I basically willed him to become my mentor. His mentor and mentees have a mutually beneficial, benefiting relationship. That's the keys to actually add value to the person who you want to mentor you, because you
need to essentially be deserving of that mentor. So Jordan Harbinger, when I was first starting out podcasting, I was a nobody compared to him. So this was let's say three years ago, two years into my podcast journey. I was like doing really well, climbing up there, but I was nowhere near how popular my podcast is now and so on. Like now me and Jordan literally like rank next to each other. Right, But when I was first starting out, first thing I did was invite him to my show.
He said yes, so I got to meet him there, and then I kept in touch with him, and I remember I would always DM him little tips. I'd be like, hey, have you tried promoting your show on castbox? I just did it. Here's the information I got, Like, this is how much subscribers I got. And I knew he was into media buying, so I would give him little tips. I'd be like, hey, I just tried player FM, and
I would just always give him little tips. Then when I started getting press, like I got on the cover of Podcast magazine and they asked me, like, who's your favorite podcaster, I put Jordan Harbinger and head them on hand and everybody I wanted as a mentor, and then i'd send them a note like, hey, I featured you in this article that I was just featured in. I hope it gives you some visibility, like here's the article.
Right then, I remember Jordan reached out to me about like a year into me basically like just sending him tips. Following up with him, and he was like, hey, Hala, my producer's sick and I think you're really good at this kind of stuff, Like can you help me with some new ad copy? And at this point I had a social media agency. I would be charging for this kind of stuff, but of course I didn't charge him. I was just like, yeah, send it to me, happy to help. Then I personally wrote ad copy for him,
sent it back. He's like, this is awesome. I'm going to use it. Thank you so much. Let's hop on a call. Let me see how I can help you. All of a sudden, Jordan Harbinger became my mentor, got added to my Slack channel.
We talk every day.
He taught me so much about how to grow my show. He taught me so much about how to get advertising, sponsor, all the things I didn't know because I basically had reached the level I could by googling, and I needed an actual expert to ask questions because I was like, there's so many gaps that I need help with, and you're one of the only people I know who knows more than me and has been doing this for longer than me. And so then he became my mentor, and
it's like again a mutually beneficial relationship. I help him, he helps me, and so on. Heather Mom hands very similar. She came on my podcast and then she kept reaching out to me that she wanted to be my client. I kept rejecting her and saying I couldn't help her. She was my first social media client, and then I would take meetings with her on the weekends and try to teach her how to video edit, teach her how
to do social media, and help her. She eventually became my social media client and she gets it for a lot a heavily discounted price, and so I basically just do her social for free, and she's like out there advocating for me, always giving me advice if I ever have a problem. She like, like she's a person that I can bounce off of that has been where I already want to be and knows how to help navigate me or like I don't have like my parents aren't in business, Like I don't have anybody else to ask
these questions too, you know. So it's like I go to Heather for that kind of business advice. And again it's because I help her on a daily basis, so she helps me back.
So if somebody is wanting a mentor, they're listening, they're like, oh my gosh, I don't know what I bring to the table. How can I help someone? Like where can they start? If they're like I need guidance? But how do I show that quote unquote I'm ready for a mentor?
And how do I find that?
I mean I would start off with interning, for if you really have zero skills to help somebody, I would start off as an intern and say, like, reach out to somebody who you want to be, you want as a mentor, and offer that you'll dedicate like a couple hours a day or whatever amount of hours per week fifteen hours a week in free services as their intern
and just shadow them and learn from them. I think the best way, honestly though, is to offer some sort of skill or just helpful advice and keeping in touch with somebody and being helpful I think goes a long way. So again, like even if it was just like sharing an article to someone like, hey, like, I know you're
interested in the next whizzie. I found this and it was really interesting, but actually make sure it's interesting, right, do you enough work where you are deserving of having a conversation with that mentor, which means that you might
need to start with podcasts first, start with reading books. First, get yourself to a certain level where you feel like you have reached the peak of what you could learn on your own, and then reach out to an expert because you have that foundation, because no expert wants to spend time with someone who hasn't done enough.
Work for herself.
Yes, thank you for making that point.
Yes, I was literally gonna say the same of the game.
Yes, because I was talking to a friend of mine, Ryan Leslie. He's like Grammy Award winning and producer.
He used to do that. So he did that song with Cassie like and waiting for you.
Remember that well, you know how because you were found in the seven. So anyway, Ryan's entrepreneur now and investor or whatever. So he did like he did something for my mentees. He taught a class for them, and afterwards we were chatting and you know, people always ask, oh, let me know what I can do for you, and I was like, actually, Ryan, specific, specific, specific, this is
what I'm this is what I've done thus far. I'm shifting the Budgetissa in a different direction, and here's what I've done thus far over the last year or so. But there's this one small piece that I can't quite close the gap because I'm not really sure. But I've done all this other work. And he said, first of all, let me commend you for asking for a specific thing. He said, because typically people will be like, put me on. That's like the worst thing you can say, because.
What does that mean?
And also too illustrating that you've done all of this work ahead of time. And you're not looking for me to run your business, but to close that little gap. I think that's the number one thing you can do in attracting a mentor is have.
Done some work.
People want to know that they're getting on a moving train. If I invest in you, that that seat is going to grow, not going to pester there because you're not going to do anything with it totally.
And like, so, for example, we're big podcasters, right If an upcoming podcaster reaches out to me and it's like I want you to be my mentor, I'll usually say, like, you can just shadow me for three months and help me, and ninety nine percent of the time they don't.
Do it exactly.
And Okay, Like I gave you an opportunity to literally work with somebody who probably knows more than ninety nine percent of people in the podcasting industry. You would literally be able to make so much money off the skills that I would teach you in these three months. But you didn't want you didn't want to take that time, Then I don't want to be your mentor, you know
what I mean. So for me, it's like if you don't want to basically intern for me, I'm not going to mentor you because I just feel like that's the level of dedication that i'd want, because I know the value that I would give them, right other than like you know, joining my mastermind or something where you get it in a group. Right, if you want one on one coaching, try to entern for the person.
Yeah, also to people just want to put yet they want to see that you're willing because I have in the beginning spend a lot of time hours, two hours, three hours on the phone, only for the person to come back two weeks later. I take my mind. So I'm doing this now and I'm like, no, you're going to do.
You just think to yourself.
But I'm realizing because there's no skin in the game. Plus, people don't understand that bigger than me giving you this tip, it's like, are you going to be able to Because if you can't do something as relatively low level, as far as as interning for someone, meaning like you don't have to run her company or anything like that, but interning, then when you actually have the business itself and it requires more of you, you're not equipped to do the more.
Because if you can't do the less, it's an indicator to your mentor that you actually won't be able to see it through anyway, you know. So people want to pour into people who they know this is fertile ground and this person is going to grow this seed that I've given them, versus like, can you do the best for me? So, yeah, I know that was really great, MANDI have you do you have any mentors.
Mandy everyone in the Mandy money Maker community. I stopped doing one on one coaching with anyone who's not in the community, and that has changed my whole I mean, my whole reality and then my whole sanity because it limits my time. And it also like you have to pay to be a Mandy money Maker, you have to invest in yourself and in this community. And it's part course,
but it's also live coaching every couple of weeks. But also you get me in a Slack channel all day and I check my slacks and I pay attention to people who engage with the community. And if you're engaging and you're sharing in like you're sharing with your Mandy money Maker sisters, you know, insights or support. I'm absolutely gonna answer your DM you know, at ten pm when you're like, I've got an offer on the table, they want an answer by Friday. Can you help me, you know,
review it. I'm like absolutely, where's my like, where's my red pen because I'll print it out and comb through it for you. So that of course matters. And I so I consider all the many money makers my mentees, and yeah, that's where I'm focusing now what I would love to do because I love little girls and like at that like young girl stage. I'm I'm working on a partnership with a Westchester a nonprofit called Girls Inc.
And I'm hoping to start doing like some workshops with them. Yeah, just to mentor like little girls and build their confidence and career choices, negotiating all of it.
I love what you said about sort of like building that social capital that that like if if somebody's sharing your stuff or are supporting you or being an extra helpful person in the community. I couldn't agree more. The more social capital you build with someone, the bigger you
can make your ask later on. So I think building that social capital with with whoever you want your mentor to be, whether that's you know, commenting on their stuff, featuring them in anything you can, I think that goes a long way.
Absolutely hopefully that was helpful b AQA listeners.
Like we said before, honestly, if you have not listened to Wednesday's show with Holla, please do because not only do we go over some she's just a prolific businesswoman, but Holla's one hundred percent Palestinian, and she really was able to give us insights about, you know, her her experience as a Palestinian woman living here in the United States with family very much in Palestine, and what that's
like for her and what that's like for them. So I think i'd just be really helpful to take a listen. So yeah, So, as you know, we do our baqua every Friday, but if you want us to answer your questions, you can go over to brannibisionpodcast dot com, Brandibispodcasts at gmail dot com. You can email us, slide into our dms on Instagram, Brand Ambition Podcasts, and the BA podcast on Twitter or x so whatever they're calling it.
Either way, you know how.
To find us ask your questions because we love it answering them.
Maybe not x ye until next week, y'all.
Bye, Thank you so much, Alla, Thanks guys,