Introducing... The BA Fam Roundtable!

Hey, b a fan, Welcome, It's twenty twenty five. I don't know what it is about twenty twenty five, but it just smells like money. It just smells like money and possibilities. And I could not be more excited about

Do you like the sound of his voice?

Like? Do you want to hear from him?

I don't know.

We're gonna test it out.

I don't know Chris.

I don't know if we care. I don't know. I don't know if we want the male perspective. But we'll find out. We'll see how we feel.

We'll find out.

But we have two incredible, incredible co hosts. Today. We got Ya Nellies Finale, Miss be Helpful, and we have Chris Browning of Popcorn Finance and my brother from another mother And welcome to Brown Ambition, y'all. Happy New Year, Happy New Year.

I'm really happy you haven't changed because you were insulted me last year and now I insulted me in twenty twenty five. I appreciate it.

And will continue.

It's my love language. Yan Ellen. You'll know that I love you a lot. No I won't mess with you on lle She's just too You're too perfect.

Oh don't guess me up now, All right.

Twenty twenty five is here. How are y'all feeling? How is the holiday?

It was good?

I had like some I don't know, I just feel like I had so much going on, and I forced myself to really take the break. Like I was not checking emails, I was not looking. I was like, nope, I'm I know, because you didn't respond to mine until.

Like imun til yesterday.

Because I was like, you know what, I'm really not going to do it like I promised myself and I didn't.

I didn't.

I did a little posting on social media, but that was it. I was like, I'm not checking emails, I'm not taking phone calls, I'm not dropping on zoom. And it was just so nice, you know, because like that's what the break is supposed to be.

But we be pushing ourselves.

I do.

I push myself to what work work all the time. I feel like if I'm resting, I'm not being productive.

And I did not fall for that trap.

I was really arresting and I was a little sick, but I got recovered through it.

Pretty quickly.

So I feel like I'm glad that I'm like bouncing back now that I had the chance to actually rest.

I'm happy for you because y'all are going to get to know y'all, Nelly. But you're such a burst of sunshine and like energy, and I just and when I meet people like you, I'm like, ooh, I hope she plugs herself in and like really recharges, because it's not easy to be that.

It's not but I.

Gotta say, you know what I gotta say. People ask me all the time, like, girl, what do you do? Like do you drink coffee? And I don't. I don't drink coffee. I genuinely just wake up in the morning with so much freaking energy and like excitement for the day. And it's funny because my boyfriend is extremely introverted and quiet and calm, and so he wakes up in the morning and he's just like I need like how.

Does he dive minutes?

And I'll wake up and I'm like, Babe, I gotta tell you about this crazy dream I just had.

Oh my goodness.

He's like, I just need five minutes, five minutes please, And I'm.

Like, no, I gotta tell you right now.

Otherwise ever forget So we're it's like total opposites in that way.

But no, girl, my energy is always on one hundred.

Yeah, but you do need some time to get back to yourself and like recharge. And for those who may not be familiar with you, Nelly, you've been You've both been guests on the show before, but ya, NELLI remind them, remind BA fan quickly, like who you are and what your POV is in the work that you do with.

Personal finance of course.

So I mean, I'm honored first of all to be on here with y'all, both because I've been watching y'all four years in love y'all.

But I started a YouTube channel in twenty fifteen, so.

Ten whole years ago now, just as like a little hobby thing. Like on the side, I was really not happy at my job, my full time job that I had, and so YouTube was just like an outlet for me to like go home and have fun and like you know, put myself out there.

So I was on a debt repayment journey.

I paid off twenty thousand dollars of credit card debt. I was a teacher at the time, I transitioned my career over to financial education and became a full time financial educator, working with a nonprofit that basically promotes financial literacy in schools and specifically trying to get every high school in America to guarantee to make sure that every single student gets access to a full semester course about personal finance before they graduate.

And so yeah, I continue to do that.

I'm in a part time role now, so on the side of that, I'm doing Misbe Helpful as well, which is my social media platform brand and speaking. And then of course, in twenty twenty three, I published my book Mind Your Money, which was like a massive project.

Mandy.

I know you're to think of it now, you're in the think of it now, but I'm really glad it's over and just yeah, excited to be pushing that out and making sure that people have relatable voices to hear talking about money and all things finance.

And you're just living like the Dinks life, dual income, no kids in Miami. Yeah, they're both so hot, like you and your husband are just like, it's just so pretty there.

I don't get me up now.

I know you don't need any guess, but I know.

Let me give you a figure. Yeah, and your background.

You're from New York though, right, I'm.

From Brooklyn originally, Yep.

I spent my whole life in Brooklyn, and then I spent four using Providence for college.

Oh man, I guess I'll let this dude talk.

I mean, I don't have to. It's just like I'm listening to a podcast where I get to be on camera for some reason. You know, it's okay.

No, I truly like, I love your bud. How's it going? Popcorn? I really do. I'm a fan.

Honestly forgot I was on the show. I was like, man, this is a really good episode.

Tell the folks about popcorn finance and what all you do that's so important in this world.

I do joke off popcorn finance as short form podcast. I've been doing it for about seven years, Nellie. I didn't know. I've I've been watching Ellie and do all the amazing stuff for so long. I didn't know that you've been doing it for ten years on YouTube. That's a long time.

Hopefully one day I'll bet twenty two. We needed the youth vote.

When I started, just a baby when you started. But I know, I started the show just for fun. It was like kind of like you, and I was like, you know, I kind of wanted to do want to try it out. I was like, at do this podcast thing, Say how it works out. I did the first episodes in the front seat of my car on my phone, this with a notebook on my lunch breaks, and I just organically kept growing and I decided to keep doing even though I want to quit a bunch of times.

I love how different we all are. So I'm suburban mom trying not to be in this with my cheering yan Nellie, your partnered in Miami. And then Chris, are you single? Pringle? What's going on in your life? What's your home life situation like.

My homeland situation. I knew, I knew it. I knew it. I've been I've been waiting for this day because I was like, Maddie's gonna jump right into She's gonna give me three and a half seconds to act like she's not gonna ask me this question.

If I'm gonna have a dude in the dude, let me just go ahead and answer. Asked the question. Be a fan wants to know. I was like, your beard connects, You're not terribly unfortunate to look at and you are a nice dude. So just let the ladies know what's going on.

I am well, I was was married for a long time. Uh single as of last year. Maddie Maddie that she didn't know my story. She knows what's going I haven't talked to you a.

Couple of weeks, things could change.

She has my whole story.

It's a situation in your love life.

But I did recently start seeing someone for her and.

Then for I wasna say, don't say her name yet.

No, no, no, no. She was like, don't say my name. She's like, she's like, you know, she's like, I need people coming for me. Just you can just get me to this, give me to.

This way way way, way, way, way way. I don't know if we're like I don't know if it's like one of the boy band people, like when Harry Style starts dating someone in his fans like attack the other person. I don't think this is like no, I just want to bring you down to earth.

Oh no no no, I didn't say this.

These are not my work, right, she said it. She said I got your back. She said it not you.

She here's the ba fam. I don't know, no, no, no, no.

She In general, she was like, she was like, you know, because she's a very private person, she's not really on social media like that. So I was like, I get it's like, look, no one's gonna care, no one cares about me like that. You'll be fine. But she was like it's fine. You don't feel you don't have to, so I'll call her b for now. Just keep for sure be uh. It's very new, been a couple of months dating, but it's been nice. It's been a really great person.

I'm glad that I had enough time being single Chris's friend and like being aware of it to give you all kinds of funny, useless dating advice and tease you about it. But now that you're boot up, all right, it's fine. The man taken for now, y'all. Okay, so what's your superpower? So, y'all, Nelly, Chris, you know, I'm the negotiation queen. Tiffany was always our business batty. Now I'm kind of holding up that we're all business batties here. But like, what do you love talking about? What's your

So for me, it's really much like it's very very much rooted in the beginner stuff around money, you know, like I target younger professional so like you're fresh out of college and you're just starting to wrap your mind around money. You don't have a budget, you probably have some debt, you need to repay. You are just trying to figure out what the heck is a credit score and what is yours? You know, just like I'm a

And then now I'm a.

Teacher, I'm at the front of the classroom and I still don't see any financial literacy in the curriculum. When the hell is this going to change? So yeah, I mean I would say those are my two things, like coming in intro very much like Guide to Money one on one, and then also financial education in schools.

Awesome, all right, Chris?

Who I say?

For me?

I think the thing that I feel like I handle well that I do the best is I really like learning about really complicated things and then trying my best to break it down, to make it as simple as possible. I think there's too many people who like to sound real smart by using a bunch of big words, make stuff sound so complicated you get no idea what they're talking about. And to me, that just helps nobody. Like, I don't care if anyone thinks that I'm the smartest

That you love to just like you're just like that guy at the cookout where it's like Jesus Christ, here comes Curtsey. I'm talking about insurance policies. What's your thing?

Well, hope we're not insurance.

Both, No, it's not insurance policies. I hope I'm not that person. Don't get me started on topalking about like the insurance.

People who love insurance, Like, yeah, no.

What did you just say say in your voice to men voice?

What was it?

I was like Federal Reserve on the Federal Reserve. That's I love talking about like reading about it, talking about it interest rates.

So like more economic and how that affects your personal finances.

Oh yeah, because it's fascinating. It's so broad and it's so complicated. Its ridiculously complicated. But when I can find a little piece and I understand it, I love just like just digging into and talking about it more.

That is such a good segue for one of the first things I wanted to talk about, which is Beyonce Bowl. Did you guys watch the Beyonce halftime?

Who did not watch it? And why not? That's what I want to know.

How many times have you watched it? Because I like to prescribe myself twice a day. That's what I'm getting ready and like once when the kids come home because they like it.

I haven't watched it that many times, but I've definitely seen at least two times full and then so many clips and replays on social media that I feel like I don't seen it ten times at this point now because of all the little clips on social But honestly, she killed it.

It was amazing.

I could watch it ten times and be fine. I would have no problems watching it twice a day, like it was amazing. She's so incredible and like if anybody does not believe she is the best entrepreneur and entrepreneurial performer of our time. Like your bucket, you're tripping, go take a break posted down somewhere.

And why it was so crisp. I was like, this is putting every Super Bowl halftime show I seen to shame. I was like, this is a random game in the middle of the year on Netflix, and I was like, this is eight K or something that was like the blew everything else out of the water.

I could not tell you who played the game.

I couldn't tell you.

I was as I knew that it.

Was in Texas. I knew that, but we were my family.

It was Christmas Day because usually a lot of Latin American countries you celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve, so my family CELEBRATESYNA. But they're so many of us, so like I have so many siblings, Like trying to get everybody together on the day of the holiday is it's not gonna work right with other schedules. So we always say, like celebrate the actual holiday, now out with like your husbands, your wife, your kids, your partners, and then on Christmas

Goes, oh his life, they have says on and I drop everything. I dropped stuff on the.

Table, just ran over to the other room, and everybody quiets down and we're just like stuck to the screen, like this was so amazing.

Everybody, Yes, oh my goodness.

And then afterwards, when you see the clips on social you get to see them behind the scenes, the working of it. Yeah, and then it's just even oh my goodness, Like now I'm even more in awe because I saw her like walking ahead, go get her little water, take her at quick break, and then jump right back in and the back behind the scenes stuff, I mean talk about like art and genius Like that was just so brilliant.

I love watching those behind the scenes clips.

Chris, your thoughts.

The greatest live performer of all time? I mean, she might be up to I mean, I guess you put Michael Jackson up there. Of course you guys are, but I mean to be that perfect and crisp, like, no, she's walking up and now to me, when ever someone's walking downstairs on the performance, I'm always like, oh, but

You're not yup. I couldn't put the way that I was, like, I can't write this book, you know, and like I'm gonna do this challenge that I wanted to launch at the beginning of the year. I'm gonna get that shit done because she just makes you it's just magical. Thanks God. She's just like the antidote I feel like to women of color, just like black women, especially just a walking, living, breathing love letter.

Yes, and it's true. You know, even I talk to students a lot about Beyonce as an entrepreneur because people love to talk about, oh but the singing and the dancing and da da da, and it's like, listen, don't sleep on the fact that she took that Beachella performance and turned it into a from a four million dollar performance, which people were like shocked that was so low for her. She usually charges way more than that for a live performance.

To Netflix for sixty million dollars.

So, you know, if people don't understand the entrepreneurial stuff happening behind and of course she has a team and she has her people, and it's not like she's doing this.

All by herself.

But still for somebody to say anything that about that is just to me.

I just I don't understand, like it's to.

Me, See Mandy, I'm gonnake you Fela, because I'm gonna give a complimence that you've been insulting me all day, but we're not trying. When I see Mandy, right, you have such a great mind, right, because there's so many people who are talented, like you said, like Beyonce very talent, obviously extremely talented, Mandy very talented, but they also have the mind to turn that into something.

Right.

I've seen so many people who are good at something who is just a gift. They enjoy it, people enjoy, but it's like they don't have that ability to turn that into something. And I think that's what separates Beyonce from a lot of other people. And Maddy, when I see you, you are always thinking about something. You always got something to turn it in your mind. You always got an idea, and that's what separates.

You from.

Good.

For my dad, honestly, I had to come to Jesus moment where I'm like I am my father and my father was a used car salesman. He is a great salesman. And he's also like he repels traditional work, like he

Anyone, No, go for it, Chris, I want to hear yours.

Oh well, you gonna be disappointed by manswer. I was going to say I'm not really great at making resolutions because I feel like I make them, and by February I already forgot whatever it was I said I was gonna do.

So you don't have accountability, but I think.

I did start doing like an accountability group with a couple of friends where we'll get together and we'll talk on a monthly basis some things that we want to accomplish, and then we'll meet and we'll work together, like on a zoom call for a couple of hours every week, just to kind of make sure we're all doing something, kind of check in with each other because I need that if someone doesn't ask me if I'm doing what I said I was going to do, I'm probably not going to do it.

So I like, just two people write nothing crazy, Yeah, very small.

Two people, very informal. We get in, we chat a little bit like this. It's a good way to keep saying contact with friends too. But then also we work together and it kind of makes us all feel motivated because when you see somebody else working, it makes you want to do something like, well, I don't want to be left behind. And we actually have a meeting next week.

I think as a guy like I want more guys to be finding that community for themselves. Like I don't know if that's something that just like comes, Are you just more of a connector like that? Because I just feel like older, especially when you're older as a man, and I'm not trying to speak for an entire gender

I remember Mandy asked me this when I came and help you in Tiffany with the Brown Ambition Live show last year. Game what you were like, Chris, I hear, men are really lonely.

I'm like, what did I say that that sounds like?

And I was like, I guess, but I will say it's sad, Chris. I was just talking to someone because these two people do the accountability thing with their women. So and I've told.

Them, okay, okay, men, you do have a lot of girlfriends. I said, that was pretty suss.

Yeah, look, I got an equal divide. I think it's probably fifty to fifty men and women who are friends who are friends with But what I find is that men with the friendships I have with man now, like long ones I've known since i was like really young, even these people I've known for decades, A lot of times you it stays very surface level, like you you you talk about like what you're doing in the moment, maybe with sports, maybe a movie like It's You don't

Well, we can't be telling everybody, all the men out there to go get some more friends who are girls because of the girlfriends and wives, like some people are not cool.

Oh no, no, right, no, go to therapy.

Yeah yeah, they're very involved, dude. But I just I

Yeah, you gotta. I try to do with my friends. I try to like push them to talk about some things every now and then, just to just to get them, make them a little uncomfortable and out for what's really going on in their head. And oftentimes they're receptive to it. It's just that we don't We're not. It's not ingrained in us to have I have with those type of conversations are initiated with each other.

Well, maybe don't start talking about the FED so much and then open appability.

I'll try. It's hard though, all.

Ryan, Ellie, what about you boo? And it's cool if you have nothing, like if you're just like, I don't know, it's another year. We're not doing that, No, you know what.

I I was looking at my net worth and I was like, do I want to set a networth goal? I'm so I there was an article written about me. Oh, I think, I want to say it was maybe like twenty eighteen around there.

I don't know you I'll.

Pull it up if you want, but it was it was from It was an article that talked about like my net worth. I was in my twenties and I had like fifty thousand dollars of savings. Now at that time that was huge because my brokeass. I mean, I come from a family where like if you have five hundred dollars you rich. So to have fifty thousand dollars that was all mine, like and it was all liquid, like it was just my cash savings, like I had done such a good job of like just saving up

Like a big deal to me.

And then like I want to say, like three years later or like, yeah, it was around like you have to COVI, so like twenty twenty one ish, So maybe three four years after that article came out, I looked at my networks and it was over five hundred K, and I was like, WHOA, Like three four years ago I had to pull together all my statements to show evidence to this article, to the people from this article that I had fifty K. And now just three four years later, we're ten x my network And that was

But I didn't necessarily set a goal to do that.

I was just like I was really on my game when it came to like my investments and maxing out this account and that account. Like I was really not necessarily frugal, but I was really intentional with my lifestyle so that I could put as much money towards my investment accounts. And of course we've had a good run of the stock market for the past couple of years, so that has definitely helped.

But so that was a huge accomplishment.

Now this year, I looked at it again and I'm like, I really want to set a net worth goal.

Now.

The reason why I don't really want to do it is because I feel like, if I do it, I'm going to I want to want to share it, right, and I want to talk about my goals and stuff, but I'm not sure I want to share like if slash when I crossed that million dollars, Like I don't know, because you know how this tiktoks back.

I'm a thirty five year old millionaire.

You really don't have to something about the internet, especially like being a financial creator makes you feel like you got to put all your business out there all the.

Time, sane, and that's the pressure I felt like I was.

I feel this.

Pressure like I I'm wanting or I feel like I'm wanting to post content about you know, when I hit my million, when I'm so close, I'm here and there's where I am in relation and like, but do I really want to do that because there's some you know, some bad apples and bad players, and I'm like, don't really want everybody having.

Access to that information about me.

So that's been more on my headspace more so, like do I really need to set a goal around my financial network?

Can I just like keep tracking it the way.

I have been and like when I hit my goal, kind of have my own celebration and not put it out there on blast for everybody. But I mean, I everybody already knows I crossed the half a million dollar.

Mark, so there's that.

But you know, again, it just feels to me like we all work so hard for the million or the millions, and it's like I'm thinking now that maybe it doesn't make sense for me to go so public with that on my platform into like cause it doesn't really matter.

Yeah, I mean it's definitely like a building authority and trust, right, so you can show like proof of concept. But I get what you're saying, and I think I think as creators there are no rules. I think you just do whatever you feel comfortable doing. And everyone's an individual. And that's where I need to stop. Like when I go on Instagram or TikTok, I find that I just feel worse or I'll start to feel like bad or just like a general like malaise kind of descends upon me

I love that I love that, Nat.

See, that's what I struggle with. I'm always like, well, I don't know if I'm gonna be able to do this the way I want it to be done, or oh it could be better. I think we could be all worst critics. And I'm a horrible critic for myself, and that's my struggle. But I need to hear that because yeah, you're really self critical. Oh it's ridiculous, it's pretty bad. Again, I'm going to vote for therapy, get in there and work on that stuff.

But yeah, when it comes to your business, do you find yourself like, what do you what do you like? What do you picking on yourself for?

Oh? It's always like for me, I have too high standards for some reason of what I think what I do should look like, like I'm I'm a full on production company or something like, Oh, it's got to look a certain way. It's got to be I got to go through several iterations of a script to really nail it down. Oh, this was an interesting It was more like I'm over before I even attempt to make it, I've already shot it down because it's this the amount of time I would need to get this to be

And even tho I've been doing, critiquet you old critique it, like your critiquing is fine. Let's look, we all need to look at our work and give it a fair critique. Like all right, let me be real, like this could be a little better. But a little better is different from I need to do this here or this they're they're they're like it's too.

Much, you know.

And and for me, at least, I needed that that quote. If I see it every day, it lives with me.

It sticks with me.

It's in my mind, like you know, perfect is the enemy of done. I'm never gonna get it done. And not only that, I want to get it done. I want it to exist like I want it to exist and I want other people to experience it.

So I'm gonna give that to you, Chris. That's my gift for you.

Yeah, buddy, thank you. You got to put some stuff out there. What's your YouTube channels? The popcorn finance it is? It is looking because I know people's all right, that's right. I think that you have like yeah, I think that

That's true me because the hardest part is that like starting from something blank, right, Like you open up that note on your phone or doctma on your computer and you look at it and it's just completely nothing there, and you're.

Like, don't you feel this was something good? Do you use it? Am? I like telling you something you already know?

Or I do it from time to time, But then then I feel like I feel guilty. I'm like, no, no, no, I should have done this from scratch. But you're right, like it's like I'm not having it do the whole thing. I'm just getting some ideas, getting something to get me.

Going interest, So you feel like you should do it from scratch, like if you don't suffer and you don't like really like, yes, I feel that way about my book for sure?

Were no chat gpt over here for that I wish I hadt when I was when I was writing my book, there were some parts of my book where like, there's gonna be parts where naturally, obviously you're gonna get stuck. And the thing to me about it is, if you have integrity, you obviously care that.

You've wrote it.

But the way I like to use it is to just get ideas going. It's not to say write this for me. It's to say, I have this idea that I'm thinking, and I'm explain it to you, and then I want you to, like, you know, break it down a.

Little bit more, hash it out a little bit more, and then I'll be.

Like, oh, I'll read it and I'm like, oh, I guess we think about this other thing that's gonna be so good, and then I'll go back to write the certain exactly. To me, it's more so like just throwing ideas at the wall is not necessarily having the.

The robot do the typing for you. And I do think that that's the problem.

When people think of it, they think of it as like it's going to do it for.

Me, and you're right, it's like we're not copy pa.

I mean, yeah, it's like this is not a college paper, but you're trying to hit a certain number of word count and you're just trying to do whatever, like this is a project that you really care about, and sometimes you just get stuck. And so if you could just get some ideas going to, you know, get you to the next thing that that strikes inspiration. That That's kind of how I've been using it. But when I'm looking for information I'm obsessed with perplexity dot ai right now.

I don't know.

Oh it's my gift to you, Mandy Boom. Here we go to so perplexity dot ai.

You can just type it into the web browser search bar, and it's instead of like pushing sponsored polls kind of like how Google Chrome does, or like how Google Results will pop up. Instead, it'll give you the source of all the information that it's pulling and immediately give you like the information. The other thing, too, is chagypt will sometimes just make shit up like hey this is this is and it's like not a real study or that's not true.

And when we tried to use chat Gipt for the Q and A trivia at the Brown Ambition Live show, and it was just give me wrong answers. They were like famous black celebrities from the nineties and all kinds of stuff.

It was not just it makes things up.

So for me, if I want idea generation, if I want creativity kind of stuff, I'll go to chagypt like, hey, thoughts ideas like I want I want to come up with an acronym and I want it to rhyme with this and stuff like that.

But if I'm looking for research for information for facts, I go I don't use for that. I use Perplexity DII for that.

That is the best search engine I've used. It's like, I guess that's where I'm using the ACT because yeah, that's because Google was frustrating me as always. I'm like, unless I type redd it in my search, I'm not getting a good answer most of the time.

That's wild to me.

I feel like one thing too, is that we don't notice that we're at the like inflection point where like at the brink of something major it's about to shift of like how much more powerful AI is about to get?

Like we think chagbt is so impressive and.

Haven't we been there forever?

Now wait wait till it learns to speed run faster than the cheetah. Like this thing is about to take off, and I just I feel like we don't think people are not ready for it. So I've been trying to kind of beat tent Toos down, like try to get in there and find out what are all the AI tools? You know, Like when I'm doing video editing stuff, I use descript, which allows you to just like erase a sentence and it will do the edit in the video for you so you don't have to necessarily edit.

It also puts captions on videos. It's really great. And I've also been playing around with in you. I mean, you have to be like in a.

Discord chat for this, but there's one that you can get images And of course I'm blanking on the name of it now is it mid Journey, mad Journey.

Back up here?

Such techies? No? I love that Also because I like to be I like to make money and I'm not traditionally employed, none of us is none of us.

I like to make money.

Yeah, I really do. One thing you should know about me Mandy, money is.

I like it.

I'm not always great at it, but I do enjoy it. And by the way, Chris, I've made over a thousand dollars since yesterday because I just did a thing and put the challenge up and started to offer it too, so you know what, and I'm perfecting it as I go. And anyway, I'm just saying, so make your little YouTube video, sir. And I wasn't gonna charge. Nakaela told me to charge. She was like, good, I wasn't gonna and I was like, wait, why am I not? It's so funny?

Yeah, why not?

But that's you know, Mandy.

When people talk about, oh, build the thing and put it out there, yeah, it reminds me of the conversation around integrity and plagiarism, right, like, we feel like we can't do this thing. As I started to like connect with more people at FINCN and other creative conferences and like, see what other people are doing.

They all doing this.

They are all selling something that doesn't exist yet and then they're building it and like but at least they're putting it out.

There to see if there's interest.

And an example of this was back when Tesla was like putting cars up on the website and telling people to pre buy it and pre under them when the.

Cars didn't exist, and you give them one thousand dollars for a spot in line, right.

And it's like, first of all, the thing doesn't even exist yet, and people were paying twenty thirty thousand dollars to hold a spot to get access to a vehicle that was not in.

Existence yet, And so why don't we feel that we can do these things?

Like you know, so to me, I feel like we hold ourselves back by saying like, oh no, but I'm too but I have too much integrity and I have too much this and that. It's like, no, as long as the product is coming and you do a really bang up damn job and you deliver and you know, you work your ass off, Like, I don't see why we kind of keep ourselves in a box of like, oh,

In that way. Well in the AI conversation, cause I want to get back to that because workers are beginning to We've seen this in Hollywood we've seen this like doc worker strike that's coming up. There are like people are worried about AI taking their jobs, and I think it's completely valid. I think you should have been worried a year or two ago, and now you for sure

I agree with you.

I feel like you you can't fear that it's going to come for your job and that you're going to lose everything and let that like trap you almost like you're gonna You're just gonna be trapped, right, and it's going to fester, and it's negative. And the only positive spin on this is, well, I guess we could argue

Yeah, you should have.

I think the people who know how to do the work already, like Chris, you have so much knowledge and we have knowledge, we have so much value to add and when we leverage these tools, we're only going to get better at what we do. I really do, and it's just going to help us scale and grow. And I think the people who are who don't have the value and they're expecting the bots to create the knowledge base and the experience and the nuance like good luck.

For twenty The brief is explanation would be, so, you know, they've had a few meaties recently. They're raising interest rates, right, so they did another quarter point.

Your boys get more nasily when you started talking about.

It, so technically push my classifle. So actually, when we're looking at what the fans are doing now, so basically they're kind of taking things slow now, right, Like the economy, it's this weird thing right, because I think as regular people it didn't feel like the economy is great. But for corporations and the money they're making, everything's going great. They're doing fine. Everything's looking looking as it should.

Thanks, you're still ten bucks of curtain, right, you know.

It's just about disorder to makes last time I got to go get Yeah, it's expensive, and so it looks like things are kind of settling, But inflation isn't kind of going down at this pace that it kind of was before it was starting to settle down, and it's looking like it's kind of like at a holding point. So we're what it's looking like in twenty twenty five. The Federal Reserve is probably going to still lower interest

You know.

We got some changes coming to the White House. We got a lot of weird stuff going on.

So right now I'm disassociated from January twentieth.

I don't think about it the same way.

I don't. I'm trying to think about it being January sixth, sixth today, just disassociate for my own mental health. But you're right, so just looking I'm looking at mortgage rates this year, I don't think I feel like the vibe is we're not going back to like those two percent rates like me like I have from the pandom. Yeah, but like I need to get out.

No, no, no, you stay in that tiny house, girl, because you ain't gonna get that two percent for a little while longer. Because at the end of the day, like I was talking to this woman who lives in California, so slightly different real estate market out there, but the one single reason why she was able to retire early is because she never upgraded her home, no matter how much pressure she felt.

Now, yeah, you're so right.

You only had one kid.

She only had one kid, and a lot of her friends had multiple A lot of people had multiple kids, and that's a valid, legit thing. But we had a conversation on the phone and she was like, girl, let me tell you the only reason right now that I'm not working and I'm okay is because we didn't fall to that pressure of like increase. We could always do it later, but the more you push it off, the better. And it's a huge piece of your well building ability.

You're so right. We get so much pressure from friends from my family, they complain. I'm just like, when did we stop being grateful for this home that we have? Like when you're right on, Ellie. And it's that mindset that is why my finances have been you know, like down to them. And it's like I lost track of I was so good about keeping lifestyle inflation at Bay when I was we got two cars. Now I said I would never have a two car household and one of them is not paid off, and I don't like it.

And now you're talking about getting a bigger house.

Oh I know with what money? Yes, it's so true, and I wanted to have more kids. Make it make sense, girl, that a ticket.

One of my emotional stuff is the emotional stuff, and it's for me. I constantly try to push myself back to like rational decision making. Don't let is it the emotions trying to make this decision or is it going to be my rational brain making the decision? Because of course, like in my mind, I could go do this, this and that. It's like, but why would I do that? I'm literally setting myself back financially just a stunt on a or to be able to make my family happy instead of making myself happy.

And so just you know, you know what you're what you're supposed to be doing, and what you have you know, and me to do?

Hear that? Yeah, And everybody, family, friends, they love spending your money for you. They love telling you what you should be doing. It's going to cost you more money. And with no, they're not going to come help you out after you've spent that money. They're just like, oh, well, you know, just makes does someone else save a little bit better? It's spend less money? Like no, no, no, I was in a better spite before I took your advice? Why what did you do this to me? Part?

And they don't. And also taking advice from people or like looking to other people to see what they're doing. I was even talking to an entrepreneur today who was saying how a friend told her she's making all her money from affiliate revenue, and so she wants to like pivot to affiliate and I'm like, well, maybe that's true, but also that's pretty financially risky because all of her

I needed that little I'm just giving gifts all left and right right.

Also, you are one, so.

Thank you.

You know, love is real. Okay, let's let's do brown boost brown break, So just to remind y'all be a fan. Brown boost is something that I kind of ask that we reflect on, something that we really are excited about. It could be a new AI tool that's saving our lives, could be the fact that we crossed over the million dollar net worth mark even though we're going to keep

Okay, now this is not sponsored or anyway. I do not get paid by these people, at least not yet.

Maybe one day.

But we don't own a home mit Jamil and I'm my partner. We've been together for a very long time and we're very happy long term relationship.

We're healthy.

We just don't necessarily we see ourselves as homeowners in that lifestyle. We really love like apartment complex living where we can go outside by the shared amenities and see other people and be like, hey, I what's up, and like there's always people out and around. So we like like the condo apartment type of lifestyle. But we also don't want to own a condo apartment in Miami because jos are insane. So we're just like, you know what,

Look into some of these. I have the built one.

There's others, but built like it's l LT Yeah, built rewards credit card.

We use it to pay the rent.

And you know, the big concern I had was a lot of times the companies will ard you like two or three percent fee for using a credit card to pay one.

They have figured out a hack for that.

So when you when I log into the credit card portal, it actually shows a bank account digits, so I copy them from their enter it into my rent payment portal and it acts like ACCH account clearinghouse, So it's acts like it's transferring the money to an account, but it charges it to the credit card.

So whatever whatever backdoor.

Magic they're doing essentially acts as a credit card transaction, but they're using I think they have their they're partnering with Wells Fargo Bank to do this, but they basically use the bank as a way to clear the money

So we're going to take a free trip this year because of the points on this card. So that is my little brown boost.

Why is this making me nervous?

Though?

What's the down? What's the pitfall?

Now fall? The piffole is if you don't pay it on time. Now you're paying all the trust fees.

On the credit card. Okay, so it is like your credit card with fees. Okay, okay, yeah, it's.

The same exact Arrangement's just that you're able to use the card if you don't pay any interest fees and you pay on time all the time. It just it it's the same exact thing as if you pay your rent from your bank account, but you just got to be on top of it.

So you know, please don't go in a credit card debt for your rent because you're you not do that. Live somewhere.

Do not do that, because then not only is your rent paid so they're good, but now your credit is horrible. So if you ever choose to go to another apartment, you're not going to be able to go. So definitely only do this if you're the type of person who always pays it on time every month. But if you're paying your rent on time every month out your bank account, then all you're doing is putting one extra step in the middle and paying the card instead of the rent

Yeah, okay, fair, Yeah that was good. I've heard. I've heard a lot of good things about that that card. I don't know why I never even tried it, but I think the only thing I heard is that they are bleeding money because obviously they're giving a lot of points and yeah, making any money back from you on it. But hey, while they're giving all you.

Heard it from here, you heard it from me.

Now you did that have something that's so good for consumers? It's like you're going to go out of business. Capitalism.

I think they're probably going to start lowering those points and rewards things and maybe making it like a new customer offers to show that the you know, you don't get grind fathered into though, but the point is, you know earlier you get in and benefit from it.

It's just like any other rewards card. Try and get the benefits you can.

M M all right, Chris, what's up? What you got?

Okay? So for me, my boost is I'm moving to San Francisco. And Ellie was talking about this almost moving there. Yeah, I've been thinking about this for a couple of years now. I've always loved the city I live in. I live in the LA area, so I'm like just a little bit outside of LA. I don't live in La proper because I'm not trying to be in all that traffic, but all that money, paying all that raving money. I don't need all that. So i decided to move to

Two years is too long to think about. I'm glad you're finally just doing it.

I know that's a long time over things.

That's what I do.

I'm going to say, thinking myselthing for years and then and I might not even do it after thinking about it.

I got to make a decision this month, like I can be playing with those year long decisions.

So long time I was mulling that thing over, I would go up. I would go got friends up there, so I would go every you know, I'll probably go three, four or five times a year up there and visit. And this past year or twenty twenty four now I went for two like standed trips. I was there for three weeks and I did six week a little trip up there, and I was like, let me just see stuff.

It's like put a ring on it. Damn, we're doing here? What are what are we?

Chris?

What is it? What are we doing here?

Are you coming? Are you going to stay?

I had commitment issuans with the city. I was like, I just don't want to make the wrong decision. What if LA was really the right one?

All back, it's right the It's not going to be off the map.

I know, I know, but I was like, I was like, I want to just check because like all my families here, I have a niece, my niece, she's three years old. I love being around her. And that was probably the hardest part. I heard my brother and my sister in law, but I love hanging out with them. My parents are getting older, so I was like, I want to leave this area, a place I've lived Southern California my whole life, born and raised out of here. But I just I

That is so exciting.

I love a fresh new and fresh new year, fresh new move.

You got all this fresh new energy.

I love that.

And you got a new San Francisco girlfriend too, right.

Yeah, that's where I had to tell my friends. I was like, I was planning to move before I met her. That wasn't my man moving jail.

So you were. But I think that's so beautiful, and I mean, listen, like you're doing something really courageous. You know, you did a long, long marriage and like you went through that grieving process, you got into therapy. Like I give you a lot of shit because I love you, but I just think I just want to give you

Yes, and just like you went to s F five times last year, you can go to LA five times and living and.

It's just order to do it living and reverb But are.

You just doing a flipp and yes, you just reversing it.

You're not like erasing it from your life. You're just saying, oh, I want the ratio to be reversed. I want to be there more and here when I want, and you can always go.

That's true. I appreciate all this, like say all those good words. I'm feeling all this energy because because even Mandy looks to make many feel bad again because she's was insult to me a lot at the beginning. She was so supportive as when I was yeah, Mandy, you've been hating on me and being so mean to me. But you're also you were so supportive, so kind. We talked about this a few times. Mandy came down to l A and we went on a hike where we almost fell. The fact, almost fell off an edge a

Your sweight, glands do not belong in l A. You need to be in some temperate climates, buddy.

I was, let me tell you, swinging like cool by the time that was over. But yeah, Mandy was so supportive. She shall share so many stories about you. I feel like you have no problem being courageous and stepping out there and trying new things. And I'm the exact opposite. And I'm like, hold up, let me make a spreadsheet and let me put you the options.

We see that. We see that now.

Yes, I'm excited. Thank you for the encouragement. I appreciate it. I'm really excited for this next pace here.

We can't wait to visit.

You. So many great people.

Yes, also have to say burners off. There's a lot of good people and that stuff. It can be like a good little tech hoods.

I'll get us in each corner of the country. Yeah, yeah, oh well, this was so fun. First episode of Brown Ambition for the year. I can't believe it. I feel the need to be like Tiffany, I love you, I miss you. But yeah, Nelly and Chris, I can't thank you so much has been I really look forward to it, and I was worried I wasn't going to have that same level of like giddy, Oh I get to go talk to my friend, but still provide value to the audience.

I'm going to.

Just real quick Google, I actually did just become an affiliate partner and I chase them down because I love this AI tool so much. It's called teal t e a L It's a AI resume, and I love this LinkedIn profile tool that and it actually has so much more than just that, but it'll help you, like take the It drives me nuts when people don't apply for a job because their resume isn't perfect. I feel like that's you, Chris, but like over but it's not as

Get with that.

We'll workshop that I'll ask one of the bots for some ideas. How about that fact?

Thank you all, Embrace the bots. Thank you Mandy.

This was so lovely