Surviving (And Thriving) Through a Pandemic w/Double Dutch Aerobics

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Welcome Black Mandy, Happy Grand Ambition Wednesday.

I know, first of all, I'm feeling not as black as usual because we have guests they're coming on today that know how to do a thing that I never learned, but you learned it. I'm jealous of you.

Does this mean I get to keep my black card temporary?

Okay?

Y'are always trying to come from my black card. You cannot have it. You cannot have it as sot as people meet my dad though they're.

Like yeah, no. Honestly, I was like, oh, Mandy's black Black. I love your father. But he was like, I remember Mandy, she just loved her some French frog. I said, that is a black father right there.

I don't let the name and the Midwestern accent whatever fool you, Okay from this, I'm from Atlanta anyway. Yeah, in today's episode is lit. I'm so excited. I don't and we've already talked to the couple. They're amazing, Yes, and we are so excited to introduce you to all. This show is also really special because we don't typically have small business owners on the show really talking about building their business, let alone how they weathered the storm

So I don't know how to double dutch, but these two people do, along with Mandy, and they're all leos, which I was like, Okay, it's a lot. Yes, it was a lot, but it was awesome. So we are interviewing today Michelle Clark and Sean Clark. Michelle Clark is a double Dutch world champion. She's been double dutching since she was four years old. And I believe she said she's one like she does like street double dutch, but she all so does like technical skill double dutch, which

I thought I knew how to double dutch, but now I'm sweating. I did not know that was the thing. You could become a world champion in you know, I just thought I had to be you know, let's Tosha down the street from me. But yeah, Sewn and Michelle

Have we told the about the new Luke Magie? And I are basically mardls y'all about to get into it, Martles, So I want you to take a look currently at our Brown ambition. Like I guess you can go on a logo photo arn't work for Brown ABISSI in the podcast.

Yes, we'll call it art because Tanetta did do her thing. You know, it's twenty fifteen art. Yes, but we have grown, we haven't had changed, yes.

And we have age like fine wine if I do say so myself, and I do say so myself. So we went back to Tanetta, our sister girl, amazing photographer who did our first picture, and we were like, we'd like some updated pictures and I'm not gonna lie me and Maddie looks so good.

We look so we look so I don't know, just just ah like shiny, glittery, glowing, happy, like fulfilled and just like they say, what you know, with age comes wisdom. And I think in our eyes six years ago we're like this podcast thing, you know, let's just figure this out. Yes, but now we know we showed up as you know, brown ambition. The show has been such a passion project for both of us. And then he brought her full beautiful head of hair.

I was like, yes, Mandy, every follicle, every follicle stood two attention, shot up. Its feel so cute and so like, I just I'm excited for you guys to see, you know, when we roll out these.

Pictures and so yeah, it'll be exciting. That's our kind of like our collective Brown Boost because we really want you guys to get into this episode and so enjoy.

Absolutely without further ado, let's take a quick break and we will be right back with our conversation with Sean and Michelle from Double Dutch Aerobics. And don't forget to go to the show notes because they have links on links on links where you guys can find out all about how to attend one of their classes in the Atlanta area, how to become a Double Dutch certified instructor yourselves so you can have your own Double Dutch biz

I remember what was the year that? What was the Girl Trek year? What year was?

Because you know, because I was nineteen, Yep, it was it was right out Angel.

So I met Shawanna Michelle in Colorado at the Girl Trek conference. Girl Trek is this awesome nonprofit that just it helps black women get moving. To say they have energy is to say water is wet. And I just remember being like, what they people that you never think would double I mean, they had people out there eighty black white age. Now I didn't grow I don't know

Okay, now that was twenty years ago. I'm so excited about y'all's business. I think Tiffany knew y'all first. I think I might have slid into y'all's DMS or likewise, but we were, we were chatting on IG and y'all know I'm from Atlanta and double dutch is just such a nostalgic activity for me, you know. When I was a little girl, that was just you know, we were latchkey kids in the neighborhood with our bikes and a couple of pairs of jump ropes and you could not tell us nothing.

We had the.

Best time, you know, with like the littlest amount of equipment, and I just loved the concept of this business. But as fun as it is and how you know, all the energy and enthusiasm that y'all bring to you know, bringing fitness to the Atlanta area, it's also been a pandemonium as a pandemic the last year. Right, how have y'all been impacted as a business? You know, where was your business at when the pandemic hit? Kind of set the scene for us. Yeah, where were you at right

Slapped us in the face.

It's very scary for us.

It was very scary. So it was February.

It was February.

Well first, we've been in business for seven years, right, And it's funny because twenty twenty it was our best year, Like it was starting off amazing.

Michelle and I we were like, oh, we finally.

Hit those were going to the top.

Yes, New Year's Resolution time, I mean not as it.

Was becoming our biggest year for sure as a business.

So so in the beginning, you know, we were booking a lot of events for the summer. So we were booked for the summer because we also do so outside of teaching our normal classes, we do events like girl Track and essence fests and prisons. We teach at federal prisons across the country. We do tours, we do you know, we do a lot of things, and everything was booked. We had our certification weekend that was sold out. It sold out in like two weeks.

So what certification weekend is where we certify instructors to teach our program in their city or their state. Right, so we were completely sold out and it sold out what in like five days. It was like we're fast, yeah, yeah, And that was in February. We had complete the South and it was going to be in April. Yes, and we hadn't done one in a year because we had a little human and so we had took a year off. We took a year off from certification, not from work.

Yeah, we were in a groove and then.

Well, y'all, y'all here, and then the world said stop wait a minute. And at first we were like, you ain't. I don't care about no pandem and you're not going to stop us.

We're still doing it. We were still still going. You know, right, let's just keep going.

Keep going, stop us until they put us to like lock the doors. You tell us that you cannot leave your house until.

Keisha Land's bottom shows up at the door, to get till Keisha Land's bottom shows up in person at the door.

Door. I was like what, I was devastated. I was devastated because.

What did it mean for y'all financially? Like paint the picture, I mean, did y'all have reserves? We talk a lot about, you know, personal financial rainy day funds, but for small business owners, I mean, seven years in is still early. How were you guys financially?

So we we we had a we had a little we had a little little reserves, a smitch sitch, but you know we had to eventually we had to get alan.

Yeah, that got us through it.

And then during the pandemic, I learned the stock market, so it was actually a blessing because you know, everything was shut down. I had nothing else to do, and at the time during the pandemic, it was actually the best time to invest. So that actually helped us out a lot, you know, investing in the stock market. I would literally like study every day. Yeah, I study every day. And so we we we we, we did okay with that. That that got us through.

That was helping us.

And then out here in Atlanta they opened that kind of early. So like when did they shut us down in March and the beginning of March, so by like the middle of May, we start.

We started. We started class again outside outside because.

The studios that we were renting were completely closed and the schools where we were working, everything was completely closed, as you know. So we started classes every Saturday nine am. And God was on our side. It didn't rain one Saturday that entire the high summer from May till September. It didn't rain one time at our time Monday and every Saturday. So we were pushing it. So we had

So.

I was doing lives once a week, and so I started to coach women for money. And then I was also selling my ebook. So we just started to like, we've.

Just you know, I suffered from I suffered from vibor.

So we started just dive into that more. And that's also another passion of mine, so that, you know, you just start to to push. I also started to in terms of mentality, Shawn's a little better than me. I was. I was like, oh my god, this is it, This is it. Life is over, you know, like it's over. And so I had to get out of that because I was sean someone we know passed away. It started to get more real, you know what I mean.

And I think I think that was the biggest part for me. So, you know, we you know, we lost a lot of money. We weren't making money obviously, because we're in the fitness business. We were we were selling more ropes and and then okay, so I'm all over.

Let me go back.

First of all, I gotta I gotta shout out our double Dutch community. So like we have so during for we have memberships, so we have lifetime members, we have yearly memberships, we have monthly membership. Our lifetime members stuck it out. They came to class every week. They were supporting us, they were bringing people to class, so they were really really helping us. So I just want to

Because our classes did very well outside during the pandemic, which was like, oh okay.

It was probably it sounds like the it sounds like dang. I wish I had been in Atlanta to weather that's out because what I mean, it probably just helps you meet the endorphins alone, but also just is there anything more joyful right and double Dutch to be doing outdoors during a pandemic.

It's like for that moment everything was okay and that time being, you know what I mean.

And then second to that, I think most importantly like oh, like I was saying before, So we were losing a lot. But what was really important to me, like I said before, was our health.

Right.

So you know, I'm worried about my mother in New York, my sister, like my brother, all of them have pre existing ILK conditions. And so I started a Zoom Fitness class online and it was really just family and friends because in my mind I'm getting emotional hold let me, let me calm down. In my mind, I had to

So and then Sean and I will work it out like crazy, because at first you're like, oh, first sure, upset, it's so many emotions happened. First, upset that everything is shut down. Then you're like, okay, well I have to be home. Let me take advantage of being home. And so I was doing what to a day workout. We were having the kids when it was my turn to work out, you know, thank god for YouTube. Put the kids on YouTube to work out downstairs. Then we will

I don't know.

The motivation went away. And then we started to hear about people dying, and it's like, my mom, I just I just felt down.

It was just one after the other.

It was just one after the other. It was like, oh my god, this is is this the end of the world? Wait a minute, is this how happened?

You know, like like you know how your grandma said it's the last day. It's always it's always the last days. When they get old, you're like, well, why I couldn't do the last days when you were five? You're talking about the last days now? But like, if we if we dial back, a little bit came. I mean for those who are not familiar with double double Dutch aerobics, like what how what? Like what made you say this is what I want to do? Like because it's such

Okay, So I went to acting school. I did musical theater, so I you known of musical theater people. We do waitressing and bartending and we teach. I was a spin teacher, so I was teaching everything in the world. I told everything you could imagine. I can't even swim, but I

Yeah, we literally started the next week. Literally.

Now what were you doing at the time, oh, Sean. Yeah, What was Sean doing while he was telling you to start a business?

Well, I owned a film company. So I was a videographer and editor.

So my best friend and I we started making movies when we were like eighteen and nineteen. We would do like one hour shorts and you know, we you know, we just for years we were doing it. And so I went from filming movies into like film doing like corporate events.

And weddings and things of that nature.

And then I moved from that and I started a teleprompter company, so I was prompting. I was doing like television shows, and I worked with like Michelle Obama Beyonce like excuse, let me tell you, gool.

Let me tell you now. So I mean I did it. I did it for ten years.

So I worked with literally anybody you can think of, I probably worked with them. And so I was doing that for a while and then, like you know, I've always been like an entrepreneur that was young you know, my my family and now we opened a record store. When I was twenty years old. You know, we had a record label. It was the nineties, you know, we had a record label. We managed groups. I started promoting part parties when I was eighteen.

And actually how I met Sean was he was I was bartending and he made a movie called this thing called Love. And I was like, oh, they made a movie by themselves. That's dope. So I'm trying to get me to buy it. But I don't buy stuff at work because that's kind of productive.

You came in with like the box of DVDs to sell your movie.

I love it.

So my best friend I at the time, I worked for the Border Bed briefly, and my best friend I my best friend and I we literally quit our jobs.

We made this movie, put the did the DVDs.

We went out, we went out in the streets and we were selling them and we did very well out in the streets, out in those streets. And so my friend invited me to this event she was having. She was like, you know, Sean, come on out, you know you can promote your movie. And I was like, back, I'm coming. So when I got there, my best friend and I we both had on the same shirts.

And wrong people with the same shirt like, what's you'll be in the same shirt for I was like, it looks a little crazy, you know what I'm saying. So I wanted to read his shirt. So I asked him to come over and read his shirt. And he doesn't drink, so I wasn't selling him a drink, right, So he he said I could have the movie only if I promised to give my honest review. And so, being a theater major at the time, and I was in circling the square, I thought I have to watch it, and

And then every day literally been talking every single day.

So how long How many years ago is that?

That was twelve years ago?

Wow?

Look at him and completely tell the saints.

But getting back in the way. So he was my boyfriend, ave Pa. He was still doing, he was doing. He was an entrepreneur at the time. I was teaching spend. I was bought. I was doing everything that theater people do right, and so he saw that I was good.

Yeah.

So so that I did was to get the business off the ground, get it rolling, and then I would jump out like no pun intended.

But what happened. What happened was I started enjoying it.

Because it's like, so if you ever took one of our classes, it's bigger than double Dutch. So it's like, like I said, we build communities in here, it's like we're trying to build like little love pockets around the world.

Like when you come to our class, there's no judgment.

You know, it's high energy, it's all love, and that's what people get, you know. So I started enjoying that because that's like, that's my ultimate goal in life, you know, Like, I know it sounds corny, but to change the world through love.

I know it's corny, but I get a chance to do that here.

And then couple with the fact that I get to be with my wife twenty four hours a day. He likes me, which is done Like that doesn't work for a lot of people, I guess, but that's that's really the biggest thing Michelle and I have in common is that we like to be around each other all the time. Like we like to be around each other all the time. And this gives us the opportunity to do that. Because when I was younger, you know, I always knew I

And then the classes, the classes were going really well. And then after we got married in twenty thirteen, we both we didn't really have a conversation, but we both were like, Okay, well we'll be gone because we're not staying here exactly. We knew we didn't want to be in New York anymore. So our members when we decided to move, first it was La Then we decided to move to Atlanta, and so our members were like, well where are you going? And so like like what are

We got to do well before that. So so that was October.

So before that, the summer was ending, right and I was like, you know, Michelle, obviously it's you know, it's gonna get cold. We can't continue to have classes. We need a studio. The thing was, how do we get a.

Studio and how does the bank account?

And because the way our bank account is said, I don't know, I don't know if that's gonna work, but you don't, you know, It's it's like we always say, you don't have to know the how, you just got to know what you want.

And so I went online every single day.

I was online for hours, right hours, looking at places. I was like, okay, this, you know, because for us, a studio is very specific. You know, we need we need a lot, we need super high ceilings.

We need, you know, the space to be a certain side.

It's like it's just a whole lot because and then the floors, we can't turn on any floor, so it's just it's a whole lot.

And while he's looking for the studio, mind you, this is what I learned after being with him for twelve years. We call Sean the visionary. Sometimes he sees things and I'm like, what the mother, what are you talking about? How we gonna get a studio? What are you talking about? But I learned being his partner, not to do that anymore because some of the things he sees has come into fruition. Even when I didn't believe, right, just let me go, let me go.

Put me in.

Coach's writing in my diary like my husband is crazy. But bab I got you back like a jacket. You're looking at a studio. Okay, we're gonna get it. So we're gonna get it.

So we actually looked at maybe two other studios before this one actually went around the corner from where we are now. And then I came to this studio that we're at now by myself. The minute I walked in, I said, oh, this is it, and Michelle is gonna like it.

Now.

That's very important because Michelle and I we don't agree on a lot of things.

No, we don't.

I mean we we agree on a lot. We agree on most things, but there are there are things like a studio.

And he's still a leo, so he's stubborn.

Yeah, but with both leos.

So I know he didn't. You know, he's like, he said, you tried it, because we're both the same, right.

So I walked into the studio. I was like, Oh, Michelle is gonna love it. I literally, I drove home, picked up, I called that s Michelle. I found the studio. I know you're gonna like it. Here's the price, this is what it is. I'm coming to get you. I got Michelle. She walked into the studio.

She was like, that's it. We're both like immediately.

And here's here's where faith comes in. Because after doing the medicine, sometimes meditations and journalis helps you see the clear picture. Like if you're still living, there's always hoping, you know what I mean, And sometime if you let things get you down, you'll start to lose that perspective. So you gotta straighten yourself out. So I was starting to have faith again, you know what I mean. And so we looked at the studio. We met the landlord,

We literally have the best lamb and he.

Was like, what's your name? Did he ask? I don't even know, like you guys. Yeah, It's like, okay, well we like you, all right, let's sign the papers.

He didn't look at any financial no, no financials.

Is this when you guys did that? I know you did a kickstartunu oh.

Yeah, wend oh we're about to mention that.

Wait a minute, old inspired.

By Molly Moore because I was like, listen a bunch of honing And I even asked you I had d m D and asked you were like, because I knew you staid you don't do nothing by the fly, you know, you.

Know, I had study for like three months before.

When you said that, I was like, Sean we have to like, well, because Sean didn't want to do a kicks.

Well, the thing was so my cousin he's a filmmaker and he he does like gofund mes all the time.

And I thought about it, but I was like, nah, I can't do it. I don't. I don't have it in me to ask people. I can't. I can't.

I can't do it. And there's nothing wrong with me. But it's it's nothing. I'm sorry, there's nothing wrong with it. It's just that with anything in life, I always try to find a way to figure it out. Like I'm like, all right, if we don't have it, let me figure out a way to do it.

But that was the way to do it.

And this is where his wife comes in. His wife said, all right, Dade, okay, you got to you got to be a little more realistic. Let's ask our community. You know what I mean, A pandemic happened. It's not like we were irresponsible, you know what I mean. Like, it's it's.

Different now, just to just to jump in really quick, it's hurt y'all. Y'all are like a conversational double Dutch. And I was just like when when am I supposed to anyway. But y'all mention, So the kickstarter, y'all did this to raise money for the business.

Yeah?

Is that right?

Okay? Already wait has a question I have.

I so I want to know about the kickstarter, but I also want to know we're y'all able to get any of the government fundings. I know there was so much drama and confusion for small business owners around the paycheck Protection Program and the Economic Disaster Relief program. Did any of that come in handy for y'all or was it immediately that y'all knew you had to, you know, do a kickstarter to get money your own way.

We filled out every of those yo, Michelle, check this out? Oh check this out?

Yo?

No, no, no, no, not you guys, No no, no, really okay, any of them and we filled out how.

Many you did the work? I did the work?

God, we didn't get none of them. So we had gotten the space and he everything worked out, the paperwork, Everything was perfect. But mind, it was just a space, right, so we needed we needed more to make the space double Dutch aerobics, you know what I mean. And so that's when at first Sean was saying no, and I was like, let's let's do this, and finally he said yes, and then to me, he put together the best video. I thought it was fabulous, so no, it was good.

I watched a thousand videos.

How long should it be? How much you asked for? We looked at zillions of zillions of kickstarter campaigns.

Like what shouldn't be in it? You know what you.

Should put in your bio? It took us. We pulled all nighters. Yes, we pulled all nighters doing it. And then we put it up and we prayed, and we send it out to our We send it out to people, and it was very emotional because overwhelming. He didn't expect as much love as we got, and it was like, oh, people really care about us.

I mean I mean like, oh my god, I mean even the people who never met us before ever enlightened, right, they were donating to our kickstarter and I was just it really was emotional.

It really was emotional at that moment.

Especially it sounds like Sean, you had a little bit of trouble getting over having to ask for help in the first place. Yeah, just I relate to that in a big way. And I think it's that moment when you you're you're just afraid that it might it might not happen, and it's it's it must be humbling when you finally get that, when you see that you will get it in return. You know what you've been giving for so long.

So what was it?

What was the outcome? Did you guys make?

Man?

I know you made it, but like much more than you asked for?

What was we doubles?

Yes?

Yes, ten? So you initially we asked for ten and then what happened?

Twenty thousand?

Yeah, we got twenty I think it was twenty one thousand over twenty one one.

Four hundred dollars. I'm on the Patriot now from two hundred and eighty five two hundred and eighty five backers. That's awesome.

That was so much.

So that gave you the money that you needed to put up the big mirror, get the ropes, like, yeah, all this stuff, okay, Yes, and the mirrors are not those mirrors are not cheap.

I was looking for lie.

I was looking just for like.

A tiny one for my little peloton, you know, nook and uh yeah, it was thousands of dollars.

And now yes, And what's so fun is so we opened in September and we weren't going to wait, so we did the studio because hello, the pandemic still knocked us out right, So we started with the studio white, and we used to say, so, this is where the mirror is gonna be.

Yeah, we would tell we would tell our students that face the imaginary mirror.

And so what's so fun is that they got to watch us grow from like a white studio to what the studio is now and it's still and it's still growing. Like we just got our nice little bitch was so cute, y'all. You know, the studio was painting. Now, we got the words up, we got signs, we got our desks, you know what I mean. So it's fun because when they come and they're like, oh, so they get to actually watch us and process just.

To watch, like, you know, new people come in and they're blown away by the studio. They really love the studio because outside of teaching our classes, we rent out our studio.

That's to other people. They love this studio, they love it, and.

So and that and that, and that's important to us because I felt like we had a responsibility. You know, you guys gave us twenty one thousand dollars. Right, No, this is going to be the best studio in Atlanta.

Yes, you know, because trusted you.

Yes, I mean, let me ask this, what is the what is your like ten twenty year plan, like what you know, what's your big bull dream for Double Dutch Robus. What can you see it becoming?

Well, so they're a couple of things, right, we definitely want other studios in other cities. So we already have the cities in mind that we that we want, yeah, you know Double Dutcherobics like you know, Chicago and DC. And then also to grow out, like to certify more people across the country.

So that Double Dutch Robus is accessible in every state. So it's not just you don't have to travel to get to us, right or to get to a Double Dutch Robics class. It's like as available as spind classes, Okay, or you know what I mean.

Yeah, yeah, so just really create like as far as like certification too, I just wanted to add that Double Dutch Aerobics is a formatic class, right, so it's kind of like uh Bill grim yoga with the twenty six twenty six postures. So there's like eleven steps to our program. Yes, that we do every single day, every single class. And

And it's funny, you know, this whole subject was like how did we survive on our pandemic? And we're still recovering from the pandemic right right, so where but it feels like the other side is is we're on the you know, we're getting over the hump, you know what I mean. And now it's like when I think about when I was thinking, oh my god, this is over, I think the thing that got us through is that

And then also just simply getting through a pandemic. Being a fitness brand makes you a whole lot stronger, so everything else seems like a breeze. I mean, you got through a pandemic, and then you know, at the top of the year, Michelle gets a commercial.

Right, oh, I did that on my this meditation again, so matter because I'd be like, I told you we bringing magic, right, where.

Can we find this meditation? It's like, you know, what's them prayer to get you around?

So abundance meditation. The first time we did it, we got a random call. First shown said, no, we're supposed to a favor for We're supposed to a favor for somebody. My mother. He was like, miche, I don't know if we could film it yet, right, we're supposed to film some audition video. We was like, okay, we'll film it. We filmed. We didn't know what it was for.

We had no idea, idea.

Then they're like, you're chosen. Wait, chosen for what? What do you mean chosen for what?

They just like we didn't We didn't know what it was for.

Then they were like, we gotta fly you to New York. I said, I'm not bringing these to heres to New York.

I'm tired.

We're not going to So then they said, okay, well we'll come to you.

Well, okay, what and you still don't know who's coming?

And we still don't know.

This is the question.

Sorry, no, no, we didn't know who comes you. So when you said we're not going to New York, they still didn't tell you who was coming. No, like what it was for.

Okay, wow, okay.

Because we had to we have we have a four well he was three at the time for three year old and.

Uh, did you see like that were production?

If you when you when you auditioned it for like television shows and movies, you never really know like the real title of the movie because they probably don't even have it yet.

But so yeah, that's that, that's what was happening.

That's what was happening.

You didn't know what we were auditioning.

What we were auditioning for, and so they said, we'll come to you. So I'm gonna say, Okay, well, we gotta deal. And then we didn't find out who it was a couple of days before the shoot, uh huh. And so what happened was called it was called meal time conversations. Uh. Bill Gates was interviewing families to see how they were over meal time. So we ended up

So it was with bi you had like virtual dinner with Bill Gates.

No, No, we filmed. They filmed and it was for their their foundation like it was they did. It was really interesting families around the world.

So we represented the United States, we represented wow, okay, uh huh.

And so they had yeah, they have people, you know, from families from other countries and everybody told their story, you know, from the pandemic, from the the pandemic.

Yes, is this your the Walker and Clark families?

Yes, yes, cute.

Okay, you know I'm here on the Googles, just in the background, getting on the links ready. Well, just to round out the conversation, I wanted to just from my you know, listening to y'all story, it's so inspirational and I think so universal. You know, not everybody owns a double Dutch studio. Sounds like y'all are the only ones, but everybody, you know, if you're still standing today, you had to make it through the pandemic in some way

Well, I think I think it was.

It was even before the pandemic, we knew the potential of the business. I think that's what made us so excited in the beginning because we were like, oh, we could do this.

We could Oh, we could teach the school programs and you know, summer camps. Oh man, we could do team building events, we could do corporate events.

Like we just kept going and going, and there were so many possibilities.

And then even during.

Class, like after class, people will come to us with ideas, right, they're like, you know what, you guys should that happens all the time. And when you talk about like stream of revenue, right, it's like this, it's a good problem. But there's so many different avenues we can take with double Dutch aerobics.

And we even started two things we also did this year we got pregnant. I don't know how that happened, but we got pregnant number three.

Yeah, wow, Oh my goodness, congratulations, Thank you.

So we actually got uh commercial the Apple commercial. Another source. Now, something that we do too is so you ever see big long lines and people they're not doing anything, but it's just on their phones. So Sludy began was having a what was it. It wasn't a grand opening, it was an event. They were given out free Yeah, someone sponsored her and they were giving out free burgers during the pandemic to everybody. So all you had to do

Yeah, so yeah, I mean and so yeah, just just going back to basically, we knew before the potential busines business had yes, and so when it was time to activate it, right you know, i e. The pandemic, we were like, all right, so now we could do this. Oh we can't we can't teach out. I mean, we can't teach at an event, but we could sell ropes because people at home, you know, we could sell I mean the ropes were flying off the shelf.

Yes, you know. So it was like, all right, let me learn the stock market.

Like we just we just I don't know, we just knew what we can do, and we just, like I said, we just activated it.

That's what you know, That's what we did.

And then also something that Sean and I do, we're constantly looking for inspiration. Like even Tiffany, I always watch your lives and you're you're you're so inspirational or just how even like I was just telling my mother how you said you had to go back home and you were in your middle middle school room and you were like, this is not you know what I mean, I have more money when I was in middle school, meaning even

I don't know you said it, so it's it's it's the person.

It's like, if you took all the Bill Gates money today, he would make a billion dollars again next month, Yes, because he just he can do it.

Same thing with tip.

You know, if if if if we, if we took all your money today right right right.

To it, don't make it today.

You you now have the tools to get it right back to you. It's yeah, Michelle and I we talk about that. We talk about this all the time. Actually it's you, it's the person, and it's not right. So that's why I was biggest. My biggest thing is it's not only the meditation, but it's making sure that.

While bad things happen, I still have to be up, you know what I mean.

Right, because you can't you can't control the events that happened in your life. You can and control the way you deal with it. And so that's that's the biggest out of it, That's what you're saying.

It's being resourceful so that we can The reason why we can make double ut your role bits successful is because our goal is to become resourceful, you know what I mean. The reason the reason you can make budgeting, so you know what I mean, the budgetista, is because you are a resourceful person. And so once you are resourceful, you can turn almost anything you love into success. You understand.

Yeah, yeah, I always think that, Like, like the weekend before last, I told my sister come drive with me through some of these fancy neighborhoods where every house is a million dollars plus. I said, because within five years I'll be in one of these. And you know, I mean, like I could be in one now, but I don't want a mortgage. I'm talking about in it, like here's

Meaning like if.

A's were being given, why don't you have one? The only explanation that you could have for not getting an A when someone else is able to get an A is that person must have two heads, therefore two brains. Therefore, okay, she got you on that. But so I drive, I drive through those neighborhoods because I am resetting my expectation of like, yo, there's not one house here, two houses.

YouTube you know right now?

Yes, Like you know, you know people have successful businesses. You know, people have podcasts at work and you know, so there are folks that have figured it out. And so I'm so glad that you came on today because it's I think it's important for our audience to hear that there are so many ways to express success in business. I mean, I'm sure people thought a business based upon double Dutch, how's that going to work? And now you're

Four? Five?

Four child? Cheez? You know, like because I know people like, well I got a baby, okay, you know, it is possible to do those things. IM not gonna say it's easy, because I know it's not easy.

No, you know, we're talking about.

Possible I'm talking about possible but not easy. But yeah, so we just want to thank you for, like you know, illustrating like even the hard like you still here to join you guys's voice. I love that that, like you know, these lessons taught you some valuable lessons that you learn to be resourceful, just like as you said, Michelle, and you learn that like to pivot. I think that was

And that's consistency. I just want to stay warm. Thing. Just as a reminder, is there when we first started, we had empty classes and Sean would look at me and be like because I'd be like, maybe it's not going to work.

And I would be like, isn't this amazing? Isn't this an amazing idea.

This is gonna work because the thing is, I realized that it's not because we didn't have a good idea. It's just we're not promoting it right. So we just have to fix it.

I was going to call that illustrating your Oprah.

Yeah, but for real, when I used to like, is it a good idea, yeah, I would be No.

I was like, no, no, this is a good idea. If someone doesn't want to pay me, I have not illustrated my opera. Meaning if Oprah, if we got a call right now and Oprah said, I will do a one on one with y'all, but I need ten thousand dollars. You have ten ten hours to come up with it, we will come up with that money so fast because we're like child is Oprah. Because Oprah's value is so clear that we will find the funds. And so if someone's not willing to pay me just yet, I have

And that's okay, Yes it is, Yes, that's right, Yes, you know exactly.

Just got to figure it out. How do you make it that your value is so clear that people will find the funds just to have you in the room because.

It took took it took them a little while to respect us.

I got cursed out charging people for double Dutch. This man cursed me out. He wanted us to come out to his event. Oh he cursed me out. What is that I'm taking advantage? I said, certain, you could have ropes there. I didn't say you couldn't have. If you want me to physically show up and show my expertise, If you want me and my husband to show up her specific time and date and to literally do what we do, you have to pay us. I didn't exclude

And I was Michelle was a little bothered by him. I was crying after I got out there. But but but I was upset that she was upset. I was thinking, why why are you letting this stranger get you so upset? We know, we know our worst, our wors, we know our value, and that's it.

It's like you think Kevin Hard to come and tell jokes, but your cousin can tell jokes at the party, stopped jokes. If you want Kevin Hart to come and tell you jokes.

But the thing is, though, like like I get it, I get why.

Because you know, double Dutch has been free for one hundred years. You know, people you.

Know, stop the telephone truck, got the wires, you know, and jumped outside to the till the street lights came on.

I get it.

But I'm a world champion.

But the thing is, when Michelle and I come to your event, if there's a million people at your event, a million people will be jumping, which is different, you know. So it's like we because we could teach anybody how to jump. So that's the thing. So like if you know, if you want our expertise, then you have to pay us. But it's it was really simple for me. I couldn't even understand why she was so because it's.

Hard because you know, you feel you don't want you feel like, wow, am I what does that say about me? We know we tend to internal why with people, but it's not. It just means I'm okay now because I you know, it took me a while too, because Mitchelle, I would have cried like, oh my goodness, am I right? Because mean if they could google budget and I said, well then why don't they like even now what it took me? A girl, it's like year twelve for me.

Did you think that was that?

Did you think that was gonna come for nothing? So yeah, but we can talk for everybody, Mandy, any any final things you want to see with our Yes, this is.

Just thank you. Yeah, thirty minutes ago, I bought the Ropes website. I can't wait, and I'm gonna go. I didn't even not I didn't even know double dutch was a thing you could become a world champion in. So yeah, it's a sport.

I love it.

Yeah. So thank y'all, Thank you, thank you so much for sharing your story and sharing your energy and your your truth because y'all were honest about the ups and downs, and we appreciate that. I think our I hope our audience loves this conversation as much as as much as I did.

I thank you, Oh, thank you. People.

Find y'all ware. Now, where's the best place to find everything people need to know about Double Dutch.

Find on Instagram, Double Dutch Arobics, Facebook, Double Dutch your Arobics. If you forget everything, you can google Double Dutch Aerobics and find us everywhere.

I got that SEO game on point.

Yeah, very good to know.

Yes, well, thank y'all so so much. We can't wait to hear more from Double Dutch Aerobics. Thank y'all, Sean and Michelle for joining us.

Thank you appreciate it, Thank you.

It's amazing. I feel so warm and fuzzy.

And now weak back for a booster breaker, booster booster break. I always feel like I'm, like, you know, doing I don't know, like an orchestra, like you know, I feel pretty.

Really good jazz. You know, you never know. It kind of sounds like it's not all gonna go together, but somehow you just tie together at the end. Yes, six years of listening to your little jingles.

I love so a'll we gonna well, I know, we both agree we're gonna do a boost.

We're only boosting today. Ye, no breaks allowed, and they've got to be a small biz boost. So this is a special in light of our small business themed episode today. And again, wasn't that interview with Shawn and Michelle amazing? I already bought their ropes. They were only like twenty bucks. I got the ropes. I cannot wait. I think I can still double Dutch. We'll find out. But I love that conversation and I.

Want to do this often enough.

But let's I wanted to highlight minority owned businesses, just a couple that we find inspirational right now and use our boost to kind of highlight the work that they're doing. So I got to shout out my little brother real quick, Alex. I know you're listening, my little brother who is a multi hyphen it and you know, I ever really know what it is that he's got going on. He's always got something going on. He's a property owner. The man just bought land in Atlanta to build a house on.

I love it. Yes, well, my boost is going to be a gentleman. Really, it's a family. But his name in particular is caer Gains. That's k I E R g A I n e S. And that's his Instagram as well. But he is a husband, a girl, dad,

N E s.

If you're not following him already. He doesn't just talk about therapy for for for men, but I especially think because the way he talks about therapy and and actually helps you with solutions, you know, this might be the first time your guy ever heard about someone talking about you know, hey, like he used, for example, it was on his ig earlier. He used Martin and Gina a fight that they were having on Martin you know, the show, and he used it to explain what he calls, oh

I love it all right. Well, and we'll put the link to both those businesses in our show notes. If y'all have any businesses that y'all think will be worth highlighting, or just want to share the story of how you have dealt with the pandemic the past year as a small business owner. There's people who've just launched businesses during the pandemic because you know, they need to be scrappy and find a way to put food on the table. And those stories are so inspiring and we'd love to

Yeah, we would all really well.

Happy Brand Ambition, a very happy Brown Ambition Wednesday, to you, miss Tiffany.

And to you as well.

All right, we will see y'all next week

Al right, next week