Hey, hey, Hey, we're back. We're black, We're brown. Ambition, ambition, am buddy, Mandy. I'm having a hell out of my work.
It's only Monday, so it's literally like four hours into the work week.
This is this is gonna be the complain of episode, so I might as well start on June tenth week.
How did you?
How are you?
Girl? Well, I have to remember this time to say Happy Juneteenth because it's going to be Wednesday when we air this show. It's a federal holiday, and I am so happy. The ancestors are pleased. However, the children are going to be home, so it's my my precious, my precious workday is fucked. But husband is also going to be home, so I'm just like m be super bad. But yes, Happy Juneteenth and to all who celebrate. I feel like this coming weekend, I live in Greenberg, which
is don't put that in the show. People already kind of know. I live in a town in yeah, north of a little bit north of Manhattan and the Burbs that is like historically black and has a lot of like cultural significance, and they are doing a Juneteenth celebration on this coming weekends. I might do that well, you know.
I live in blackly black black black NewYork, so you do. So I'm sure there's going to be a just.
Walk out the door and say hello. I know, like it shouldn't. We don't need to perform. That's why I feel like a Juneteenth does not have to be about performative, like you know whatever. But for me, it's not like a Father's Day, like okay, my Father's Day, Mother's Day kind of like I enjoy them to a certain extent, but also I'm just like, why are we putting this pressure on ourselves around this like random Sunday, you know, as a Hallmark card industry or whatever invented it and
all that. But Juneteenth, I just like, like, let's just be kind and celebrate each other. I love that. We need it to not be in February for fucking once, you know what I mean. So I'm happy we got like a little June. If the Pride, if the LGBTQA plus community will allow us to steal one day of Pride month, happy pride as well to everybody who celebrates. But yeah, I just you know, I just came out of group therapy, so I'm.
Like, how was that is that your first session.
Now I've been doing group therapy the hour before the podcast. It's kind of not the most idea. It's fine, but I'm just like in the group therapy, like turning my camera off so I can put some concealer on, get ready for the show. It's been Yeah, I'm really glad that I have it. I honestly think individual therapy and group therapy at the same time. I am like, this is a good recipe for me per se.
I love that.
And for randomly Amy Poehler, who I just her to do an interview and she said that she you know Amy Poehler from Parks and Rack, and yeah, She's like, I'm an individual and group therapy and I was like, let me do uh And I'm in two groups, so I got Monday and Thursday. Anyway. Yeah, it's been actually really a difficult few days. But I feel a lot
better than I did before group therapy. I got a little weep beatering it, but I don't know, I feel what is it about hearing a little bit of like a drama, corporate drama and seeing your face It just brought me back a little bit. Thank God for this show.
Is this a dress? Our shirt.
This is a dress. This dress is like the best investment I've ever got, like a you want Bridgerton, but this is like giving thank you. I'm like, it's giving, it's giving. Regency Bridgerton Season three. I don't I know you don't watch it, but for the girls?
Are you crazy? I watched all I'm currently it. Yes, Tiffany, watch all of all the Bridgeton's. Tell me that I didn't get into Queen Charlotte, but now I loved all the seasons.
Oh did I not know that? What I could have been texting you? Oh my god, I'm so excited.
I was. I said I did not want the whole split up. I said no, no, I waited until all the episodes dropped, and now I'm on the episode three. I said, yeah, you won't get me, Shanda, I will not be Yes.
Well, then I would love to hear your take. So you're not even you haven't done the back half? Okay, Tiffany, Oh my god, you think you know someone? You think a girl like that's my girl. I was like, I'm not going to text her because she's like it doesn't even watch TV.
I made I did time for Bridgeton. I actually really enjoy it. It's like a nice little.
It's so good. Yeah, people are giving what we can talk about. The people are giving a lot of shit to the black couple, the Mandraches. Do you know Alice and Will who owned the bar, the club and the.
Baron.
Yeah, so it's really hard to just I miss the days when I could escape into a sh show and just think about the show. Now you have, I know so much about how shows get made, the screenwriters, the showrunners. You know about Shonda, she's a celebrity, the casting choices, the casting dramas, who's put in different roles? And why
do they bring some characters forward? And like why is friend us good not around for the first two seasons and now they were, like all the backworkings start to like fog up your mind, and like I know that they listen. There was not a featured prominent black couple in the show that aims to be so inclusive. There's a lot of like, listen, we know Shonda loves the swirl, and as a product of swirling, I too, I too
enjoy it. Okay, However, I understand the importance of having like a real, non toxic, healthy black couple and I see the showrunners trying to lift them up, but the Internet's trying to tear them down about fast forward and through them.
No, I don't. There's just people are just so aggy, so I don't you know, No, I look so cute. Yeah they are. And I love the fact that she's out here like, okay jewels and I love right she.
Was like, oh my lady's clothes suck, but the jewelry can stay.
I love that for them. State farm agents are small business owners too, so they know how to help you choose personalized policies that figure needs, like a good neighbor. State farm is there? Talk to your local agent today? Can I complain now? Okay? Yes, So I mean it's nothing major me. I mean, I mean the in the grand scheme of things. So if you notice the background looks empty, right, yeah, you would think. So I was
supposed to move last week, which was a big deal. Yes, moving out of announce it right here, Yes that Joel and I have into my condo. Girl, I'm still here.
Okay, but there's no stuff behind you.
Yeah. So but if I look at them right there is So I hire this company called Piece of Cake Moving. It was not a piece of cake. It was a piece of rock, a piece of coal, a piece of coal, a piece of Yes. So I will say this that the two guys were nice, two Hispanic guys, young. They were really nice, but it was very clear that they were like not equipped a few things.
One, you know, you have only two for that big old house. Okay, everything, I'm sure scortage?
How much everything is? Two people? Two people? And they he said, oh my goodness, he said, thank goodness, I brought extra box. I had only brought ten ten boxes to move. Who were packing you up? Yes, they were packing me up? And so he had only twenty five boxes. I had to go to home Deepot myself.
I was gonna say, they better go to home depot.
Yeah, no, no I went because he was like, this is basically like I guess based upon whatever you tell piece of Cake, they tell them here's how many boxes. Because he was telling me basically that you know, I guess their contractors and like piece of Cake charges them for the boxes, you know, like you know that way they know, I guess you bring back what you don't use, so they know how many boxes you actually like moved,
you know. Anyway, and so it was just and they were like, I said, really nice, Thak, I here nine am. I can only move into my condo between nine am to five pm because they want you to basically keep the elevator free, you know. And so I was like okay. So by four I was like, yo, we're not done, and I said, we have to go. And I only live around the corner. So I was like, we have to go because I have to at least start moving in by like for something, or they're not going to
let me. And now we have this truck you know, that's piled to the you know high with all the stuff. So you know, we we we started to move in and some dude on the on the air. I wish I would have seen him on the So we have two elevators. We have a service elevator, which is an obvious service elevator because it's the old school with the gate, and then we have a regular elevator. So they're on the service elevator moving me in and he said. One of the guys was like, you know, are we allowed
to use this elevator. I was like yeah, he said, because this guy got on and he said, you're using the elevator. You're not supposed to be using this elevator, YadA, YadA, YadA. And he was like, but this is the service elevator. I say yes, and he's wrong. It's the there's a front elevator that's clearly like a regular elevator. And I was like, don't even worry about him. And then like, you're supposed to be done by five. Of course I
wasn't done until like five forty five. And my one of my friends who's in the building, she's like, girl, are you about to get in trouble because last time I wasn't done until nine pm. And I got a little nasty email for management. I was like, girl, anybody will tell girl four fifty girl that man on the elevator could not wait to tell my black dad. First of all, I was gonna be petty, but I said, tivity. First of all, you is kind of wrong because you
were you know, not meaning like I was. You know, I was there longer than I anticipated.
So it's just that you can't be moving stuff. You can be in your building. You own the play.
Yeah, yeah exactly. And so they wrote me. So management wrote me at five poin fifty three meanwhile, I have until five, five fifty three or four, I mean four fifty three. So I looked at the email. So I didn't see obviously until much later. But the email said, hey, Tiffany, you know got to complain that you're using that you that you held up both elevators, which is not true because the all the elevator is too small even to
move into, so that's not true. And then too that you that you were moved, that you were moving in past time. I thought you said you were going to come this morning, because that's what they had told me, that they'd be done by the morning. I said, hey, you know, management, like they did tell me they were gonna be done by the morning. They weren't. Obviously, I was cognizant of the time, I said, let me not cop to nothing in this email. I was cognizant of
the time, you know. And it took certainly took a little longer than I thought. I said, I didn't use both elevators. And also I wanted to say, girl, it is four fifty three. I can't possibly be pastime. It ain't passed the time when you said this email. But I said, I wasn't sure if I was going down that hill. Since I was late, I said, let me.
Leave it like Tiffany, we're leaving. We're leaving a little bit early today. But now we got to respond to this evening.
That's exactly what it was. It was giving girl, I'm out at five, so I'm not for a second. But so I wrote her back and wrote her that she ain't right back yet, so I'm sure she Here's the thing, I get it that ain't don't care, she don't live here. She's just responding, you know, whenever somebody complains. And so I was telling my friend in the building and she was like, girl, you gotta get these people streaked. That's what I tell to the neighbors are the movers. The neighbors.
She said, you gotta get these because every once in a while, somebody here thinks they can play with you, so you gotta let them know you're not the one or the two.
I was like, okay, okay, listen. Nothing makes you want to be a recluse more than neighbors. Sometimes it's just.
I said, like you're in eighth grade.
We have the most toxic, petty neighbor who's retired and she literally is a window twitcher. I leave my house, I go talk to my friend across the street, and you see the curtains twitch, and I'm just like, there she is again. She will wait for the smallest thing. She has a bone to pick with my neighbor across
the street because she's a white woman. And this is an older black woman, like the elder of the town, who really is suspicious of the new blood, including myself, including me, because I'm no better even though I'm black, I'm still young. I got like a you know, racially ambiguous children, like where am I from? I'm not from this anyway. And she has complained on them for the grasses too high. Meanwhile, we don't have an h OA.
There's no rules. There are town ordinances, but she makes sure she enforces them just because she's a concerned citizen, you know. So the grass is too high. She made her cut down a baby tree because the baby tree was blocking the a baby pine tree. It was so cute anyway, because it was blocking the corner that she does not even drive down anyway. Neighbors man, Yeah, I mean, I here's the thing.
For the most part, in the building, everybody's been I know exactly who it was. I said, I know it's you, Tom, that's not his name, but you know, but I knew exactly who it was because they were like, is it okay because the man's I said, what man? They're like these white man. I was like, So I was just like, yes, anyway, if you're listening to which I know you're not, I could use that elevator.
Does Tom know that he lives in Newark?
I mean so honestly, like I said, for the most part, I mean, the place, it looks absolutely stunning and the buildings really, I.
Know, the pictures you sent, Oh my goodness, you haven't even seen like I mean, it's just like, you know, the neighbor's actually really nice.
So you know, that's like my only one little grip. I mean, I was more so there was not a piece of cake, because honestly, they didn't I'm still here. We had such short time. They couldn't move my bed, they couldn't move Alyssa's bed, they couldn't move my chair, like like the half the house. And it's just so now I'm like, I'm wearing a gym shirt because this is all like, you know, this is the only the clothes I have here. So I'm like kind of like in limbo, so I do have to ask for our audience.
I really need a one of those people called professional home organizers, someone that could come in and like put away my clothes. So I do have the bussing is a woman who owned my place before put in these systems called Alpha e L like alpha systems. Yes, so every closet has those, including my master closset. So but I need someone to come in. It's not so much to hang up my clothes. I know do that obviously, but I want like someone to like, you know, like
to because she had her own system. She had like you know, so I want someone to come in and be like, Okay, we can use these shoes, but we need like these polls or whatever, you know, like basically to reorganize a classic Oh.
Yeah, oh yeah, that's a good use of money.
I know. And so like I'm excited. So if you know, like a home organizer, that's just because here's the thing. I don't want to I mean, I know I can do it, but I know that it's going to be raggedy. And then when I don't have a system a place, that's when I get messy. You know, I'm like a preschooler. You have to label every area of the classroom and I'll put the blocks away, but you just got to tell me where's the block area? And so yeah, I'm
honestly I'm looking for someone. I started to call around, but you know I'm in New Jersey. So anybody in that area and just slide into my DMS on the budgetista, you know, just yeah, message me, yeah, just because honestly, I'm really.
Let them really well, because that is such one of the jobs where you could really be shitty at it and like it can be like a side hustle. I just feel like I'm like, get those home edit girls. Yes, once you're on GMA all the time.
I really think that I would really like is someone who has a company, not just a one off like this is not a task rabbit. I would love for someone who's like, oh, this is my company. I have two or three women that work with me. That's really the vibe I'm going for. So there's one woman like I reached out to and I was like, girl, at these prices, I could buy a new condo, are you guys.
No, it's not going to be cheap. I imagine, like what's the budget, Like, what do you think you're gonna have?
I don't even know. But she told me between I think she's one fugeen an hour, and I'm like, I don't know.
Yeah, I feel like a few thousand dollars.
Yeah, but I mean the thing is it and that's just she's like for phase two and here's the thing. I expected to pay a few thousand, but the way she's breaking it down, I'm like, I'm not paying ten thousand dollars to close away because the way, you know, like I just not you know, Like so I don't you know, I don't know. My budget is under five I guess, but the way the way she's telling me, it's going to take so long, I'm like, girl, this is gonna be like I said, I'm not paying someone
ten thousand hous clothes away. I will just live in a mess.
Yeah, I like a flat rate.
Don't let me to house, give me a flat rate. I don't mind. If she would have told me here's five boom boom, I would have paid it. But like this hourly and it's probably gonna take this and that's just phase one and that that girl. Yeah, yeah, so I'm gonna see if I can, because I really actually did like her, and because she's a small business woman, own business, and I am I'm gonna say, can you give me a this morning? Yeah?
Exactly, so you know an interior designer in Jersey, not your girl, but another one, and I'll ask if she knows any.
Yes, please, but yeah, just that's it. Piece of cake was.
Yeah. We did get a comment from a mom who's like, this episode was marked safe for children or whatever the rating is, but it was it should have been marked E And I was like, I don't know, you know your kids will be fine.
Right have these babies don't even know what we're talking about.
The way that I try to sneak in a little like I'll see song in the car, Like I tried to play a little cowboy card the other day. River Dance came on and I was like, this beat is great. First of all, Remy, oh my god, Remy loves music. I'm like, is he gonna be a dancer? Is he gonna be an artist or some kind? Is he gonna be in Broadway? Am I gonna finally get to be a Broadway stage mom? But he loves a beat, like oh, his little body just can't he can't help. But he's
got a claps. He starts to try to sing. Oh my god, I'm like, is this what Beyonce did when she was a baby?
Am?
I like? Is it the next prints? Anyway? But yeah, I played river dance and it's like, pounce on that shit. Dann pounds no hands and is it pounds or bounce? I don't know, but yeah, and I but Rio, Oh my god, he is. He's becoming. He like gets so quiet when music is on or grown ups are talking. The little turkey is listening. Yes, he is listening to everything. Now, I'm like, are you the c I A like, are
you like shush? I can't talk an and you know, I don't want him to learn Spanish because that's become our secret language. But how are we gonna talk? Should have pout the neighbors?
I don't know what does Measey told me that she saw you at the event, and so what was that event? She said, okay, sidebars. She was like this how she described She's like Mandy had the most adorable child. I head full of curls with her. I was like, that's all a little rio.
Yeah. So oh man, and your sister saw me like raggedy as hell. So I Reo graduated kindergarten or pre k on Friday and we had his graduation and they were like so generous to the parents. They were like, here you go, we're releasing your child early. You may take them home.
Thanks.
My publisher Legacy Lit, who I'm writing my book with. It was founded by Krishawn Trautman. She needs all the flowers because these publishing houses are massive, right, and they all have these imprints, and each imprint is run by a publisher who's basically a person who's in charge of like which books are we going to bid on? How much money are we going to you know, which authors are we going to go after? And Legacy Lit was
founded in twenty twenty. We all know that this was the year of like, let's right the wrongs in corporate America and put all these diversity initiatives. So I think a lot of folks probably thought, we're, you know, are looking to the publishing industry as well as every other industry to be like it's been four years, how committed are you to the cause? Are you going to pull back? But if anything, Legacy Lit because of Krishan's leadership and
her vision has just become, you know, enormously successful. She's had a New York Times bestseller, Like, she's publishing all these incredible books, including Mine to Come. And she partnered with this woman owned bookstore in Brooklyn called green Light, which is such an exquisite, beautiful store. And she hosted like a panel for Juneteenth, like a Juneteenth celebration, and it was catered by Al Roker's daughter, Courtney, because she's
also a Legacy Lit author. And they were a few Legacy Lit authors who have recent books out and they each read an excerpt from their books. And I think Tracy, Tracy and Krishan know each other.
Yes, because I forget they met via like another publicist introduced them or whatever, and then you know, Coshan trying to sign me, and then they just became cool. Now they're like, you know, they're like they're they're colleague friends, so they support each other like they have actually working meetings. She loves Croissan.
They seem like, yeah, they seem like a vibe. And your sister, I forgot. I'm like, she's so tall and statue esque and stunning, and I brought But the reason I brought up Rio is because I brought him with me. That was like a really convoluted way of telling that story. I brought him with me on the train. I was like, we're going to take the train to the city. You want to come. He was so excited until we were like, we did the Metro North. That was cool for him.
Then we get on the four train from Harlem one twenty fifth and you got to go all the way to Brooklyn. Y'all, it's a ride. Oh, it's expressed, but it's not that expressed. And halfway through he's like, Okay, let's go back home. And I was like, oh baby, it's the journey, not the destination. And then we got off the train torrential downpour, torrential downpour, no umbrella, and I wear dressed for summer sandals, like shorts. Oh my god.
So I was like, but good thing. Rio and I kind of like he loves a little mischief and I love a little mischief. Enrique and Remy would not have been having that, but me and Rio were like, it's an adventure. How big can you jump over this puddle? Not that big? Because he got his shoes soaking wet and we showed up to the bookstore looking like two
drowned rats. But it was a real fun event and I'm really glad that I went on my way to go because I love being a part of this publisher and just everything Krishan and her associate editor, Amina, who really championed me. She was like, Krishan, I know me and she's from Brown and Vish and you need to like what's been on this book. So thank you to Amina really for advocating. But what an incredible Yeah, what an incredible woman, and her legacy literally needs to live on.
So I was happy to go, Oh that's great.
Honestly, I love that. And like so when you I was doing a little key key with a friend of mine who owns who has access to this this back end portal called book scan. Have you heard a book scan before?
Through you? Yeah, it's like where the analytics come through.
Right, yeah, well only only physical books, so anytime basically book scan is literally just that. Anytime a book of scani literally a physical book of scan, then it's a it's a pop. I mean, obviously book scan, I'm sure they missed some things, but even whether it's Amazon, you know, it doesn't matter, like any book that scanned it like aggregates to this program and it's just a great like if you obviously, like I'm sure Kashan has access or if maybe you are like a publicist to like publishers
or whatever or to authors. So it doesn't really make sense cause it's like four thousand dollars a year, so it doesn't make sense for like the average just to look at your well friend of mine has it and I didn't know. So we was like Kei King, and she's like, tip me, you know, I don't think you want to how well your book did. I'm like, no, I know it did good. She's like, no, I find
to show you. And so we were putting in so she put in my you know, my book, and I was like, okay, so I know when I look at the Penguin behind the scenes, because if you have a Publis show, you get to see your numbers only only. So I sold just under three hundred thousand books, but that's in total. It says like physical books, audiobooks, Kindle, you know, like these digital books. I said, okay, about three hundred thousand, and so she said, let's look at
and I knew that. On the penguin side, it shows me about fifty percent of your book sold our physical books. So when she showed me, she's like, look, you sold one hundred and forty two Since your book came out, you sold one hundred and forty two thousand copies, which that tracks based upon what you know. I see her penguin. So then I was like, let's can we see what can we see?
Ricocheted my ear. I have never mastered the pop.
I was like, can we see what the other girl I like to see? No, I was like, look, honestly, well, I mean honestly, the girls are to compare, but I wanted to see mostly really I wanted to see because the thing is, there are some books the marketing side looks so great, but I wanted to see how did it translate for sales. Because what she was trying to
show me, my friend was trying to show me. She said that she's concerned because black and brown books are not selling like they ought to, and it's not it means that they're going to give less and less money to black and brown authors, you know. So she was showing me, like, look at this person that she pulled up like I say, like a Ryan Holliday. I was like, oh wow, you know. And then she was like, but then let's pull up somebody comparable in the space for
black and brown. And she's like, look, I'm like, oh wow, you know. So I was one number that I was really surprised at is that I'm trying to think I should say her name. I mean, she she did great, but it made me realize just because I was wondering, I'm like, why is Penguins me like that girl? Anybody else I'll give books. So I was just share because she's awesome. We all love Miss Tabitha Brown me you want me a Tabitha the same age, but you know, we all call her Auntie tab.
I'm on the show Tabatha.
So Tabitha Tabitha is amazing. So she sold. So her book came out the same year as Mind twenty twenty one. This is just physical books. I'm sure her audio.
Memoir Feeding the Soul or yes, something about yeah.
So the very first book the yellow cover and it said since twenty twenty one, this how many books were scanned, about one hundred and seventy five thousand copies. And I was like, which is amazing, but since you know, since twenty twenty one, I've sold one hundred and forty two thousand, I could not believe that was even in the same
arena as Taba. I mean, Jabeth brid Is ginormous and lovely was like, that is why you're you're your publisher is sweating you, she said, Tiffany, because you're putting up Tabatha numbers. But I bet you they didn't give you Tabath the money.
I was like, Oh, where's your line at Target?
What to say?
Where's your line at you know? And Brandon's strong, baby strong, you know.
So it just was just like these are these It was just such a good eye opening, you know. So it was like, you know, not shade obviously, because those are huge numbers. I didn't know that my numbers compared. Honestly. I just say all that to say that I just assumed that like you here and I'm here, and that you know, but no, So I just say all that to say.
That I love that your friend gave you. I teached you a little bit about it, but that you know, that kind of information is power, and like you said, it's gate cap, it's kept not I mean, it's available if you got four g's to drop on it. But if you're not an industry insider, how would you know that would I'm similar, Yeah, it's similar for anyone who
wants to know their value. Like, you don't know until you compare, and it's such a you know, and until you see your comparable people in the market and how they're doing, and then you can like, cause.
Girl, like I'm here, and some of the girls get like because you know, Like, I mean, I had a I had a I had a good first book deal, but like, if I'm being candid, my second book deal wasn't reflective of the sales that I made. Like, well, I didn't get I didn't sign a second book because I refused. I was like this, this new number, Remember we talked about the number. The new number wasn't it
was too close to the old number. And I mean at the time, I didn't know what I did what I did in comparison to other people, but I knew that I had done relatively well, and I was like, girl, this looked like the same as what you gave me the first time. It's not too far off. And so knowing now in comparison to like what the what's happening
in the industry. They really, I mean I knew they kind of tried it, but I realized, oh, they super tried it because I'm like, not me having some of the numbers this table thing, and you're giving me like
old Tiffany, you know, money. So anyway, like I'm not ready to write because I know they'd be listening, Hey girl, I'm out, but I'm not ready to write another book now, even though they're they be swayny, but I'll sweat me too because here's the thing about me, Like I'm gonna go with the money calls, just so we're clear, because I know you listen to hey girl, because I know they're still talking about out the book marketing that my
team and I did Forget Her with money. You know, I didn't do the same for Maidehole because I was heavily in grief and even still Madehole has done very well. It's sold in total about twenty two or twenty five thousand copies since it came out in November, and about seventeen thousand that was in book Scan because that's the physical So Maide Whole is mostly selling physical because it's a work book. Yeah, so that's really great for like,
you know, first few months out or whatever. So I just say all that to say that my now that I know my numbers now is when I do want to write another book, we're negotiating differently, and if not you somebody will pay me because you want top of the brown numbers. Oh okay, well I bring that to the Z book. What'd you give to coolha? So yeah, I just like it was just such a really great eye opener and another one that was kind of like not shocking, but you know we all love for meat.
His so his book I Will Teach You to Be which his first iteration came out in two thousand and nine, and they stopped selling it toy nineteen because they have the New Iteration. So from two thousand and twenty nineteen he sold about one one seventy five. I just assumed for me had sold, yes, well just physical books, remember just physical books. But now you know his new book the New Iteration, because he had a version two it had because of his obviously, Netflix has blowed him out
of the water. I mean the Meat was already tremendous, but Netflix took his notoriety to another level. That book has sold over six hundred and fifty thousand of just the physical book, which makes sense. But I would have thought I will teach you to be rich that first one. I don't know.
I was like, I know millions, I don't know.
I don't know in that ten years. So it just I just say all that to say so when you see someone has sold two thousand and five thousand, ten thousand, those are big numbers, because I mean, because this is a ten years man, I think. And so I just share all that because a friend of mine was like, oh, I only sold sixty thousand copies. I'm like, girl, I don't. Don't you putting up numbers like sixty.
I mean that's where the comparison is painful.
Yes, yes, it's so.
Hard because you you know, it's such a balance. And I see because friends of mine have, like a lot of friends have come before me, and their books came out this year or coming out soon, and it's I see them do this dance between wanting to have high expectations because you deserve to shoot for the stars, but then also wanting to be okay with not reaching whatever level you think is the benchmark that you want to reach, whether it's getting on a certain list we all know
the one, or like selling a certain number of copies. My friend Julie is a children's book author and she's the most freaking I mean not children's I mean she always is announcing a new book, and she has several that are just like beautiful books, award winning children's books. She's amazing. And I think I asked her, like because her most recent one, The Truth about Dragons, has got so much acclaim and that on so many lists. If you have a kid, go grab it. And I asked her, like, oh,
how many copies did you sell? And she looked at me like I had five heads kind of. And it's different because it's not nonfiction, right, She's on a business. She works in the industry as well. She has a full time job and she's writing. But she was like, oh, no, no, I don't. I don't look at that ever, I don't. That's not it's not even in her like something about it with her. I don't know if this is like other authors as well, But she does not even think
about it, doesn't even care. And she's like, and I think what she said at the time, I don't want to put words in her mouth. I could just text her and see. But I think we said at the time was something along the lines of like, it's just it's not the past. She wants to go down to start thinking about the numbers, and you know, and and because she has her full time job, she's okay to do this. I mean, she still makes you know, healthy advances.
We did talk about that, but as far as numbers go, she just hasn't been focused on it.
Yes, I guess, you know. And here's the thing, especially, I think with children's boks, I wrote, I was shocked to see book Scan had Molly Moore on there. I was like, how you got I didn't know my Molly Moore numbers. To your point, I had never check it because well that's because I wrote Molly Moore for the Joy, you know. I was like, so, I mean I knew we did the Kickstart or whatever, and Molly Moore told about fifteen hundred copies. I was like, okay, but I
had never ever checked. And I got to see the one we budget, and I never my Amazon sales. I never knew because I don't know if the Amazon makes it readily available. So the one we budget my very first book that came out twenty eleven that sold like twenty two thousand copies. I guess since it came out, I was like, oh, these are nice numbers to know, gik of money. I was stalking it, but I wanted to see the work that we did, how did it translate?
And also to all those other ones those were self published, I was like, girl, For me, the numbers means that I can attract more money as far as like a contract, you know. But for me the other books that I self published were just like no, I want, I want to get it out there. But I never to Juli's point,
I had never checked those numbers. I mean, it was interesting to see, but you know, and I'm so glad I know my numbers because it now means that when it's time to like, you know, go back to the drawing board or to promote myself again, I know I can say, well, here's the thing. I saw the the press release that such as such got this seven figure contract. I looked up her numbers. I sold more than her. You see what I mean? Now I can have that kind of conversation when it comes to like that.
So yes, more informed and goes yes, yeah, yeah, I mean, and as a I'm just so glad to know that I have like seen your journey of course, and I mean you've been so generous but like sharing. But for me, as I'm writing this book, those doubts start to come in and it's like, you know, it's like everyone has doubts, right, it's impossible to escape them. But the doubts say, what are you saying that's so different? And what do you
have to offer? Like there's I go to the library and there's like shelves of books and I have checked them all out, and I'm like, oh, look, this has been written. That's been written. There's a brand new book that came out called Negotiating While Black that I just picked up that came out this year or last year. Anyway, However, my mind, I just have to like put it on sticky notes literally on my laptop and like, O rend me. When I'm writing, it's like just envision, just envision your audience.
Just keep thinking about the woman that you're writing for, and what is she doing right now. She's not at the library reading these books. She's at work, feeling undervalued, feeling underpaid, feeling overlooked, feeling like she's token if she is getting opportunities as a black woman and feeling like how does she leverage those opportunities without falling victim to like the naivete that can come with being the token of like oh they love me, I'm protected and like,
oh shit, no, I'm actually not. Like that's what I have to keep thinking about, and like if I like just talking myself through it, it's just about the woman I'm writing for. And if and like to think about one hundred thousand, like you're like one hundred thousand or one thousand, like one thousand people women just picking up my book, adding to Kart, opening the pages, touching them like highlighting. I want you to tear this book up, y'all.
Circle like that is like okay, that's why you're doing it at the end of the day, and it's just yeah, it's a journey.
It is.
It's a journey.
And the numbers are bigger than you think. Like I said, like you sell a thousand books, it said thousand people. If right now, thousand people are in your front lawn holding your book up, you'd be like, oh my god, what's going on? Like yeah, I don't want to give ourselves enough and honestly too, Like I said, the numbers are not for the most part, as much as we think, you know, like it certainly, of course, you know you look at Michelle Obama, You're like, oh, yeah, but how
many of us are Michelle Shit? You know what I mean. So that's what I'm saying. But the numbers that we think are that the people we know are doing No, it's Mischelle Obama doing those numbers, not you know, not the person that you would think, not the person you're like, oh my gosh, it's not Tabitha. I mean, I love her, obviously, it's it's not re Meet. It's not it's it's one or two people that are doing that and then everyone else it's kind of like somewhere in the middle, which
is fine and so reaching their people exactly. So it was just, yeah, it was nice to have a little you know, if you ever want to know. She was like, girl, just text me, Like, girl, you can look up this. It was really interesting to be like because you know, you see people talk a lot, they talk big, big talk. And she said, see I said, okay, girl, now we start to get paidy let me get off this line.
Like Tiffy is calling again. Okay, search bar ready all right, sorry, let's take it quick, yes, oh after, yes, good twin, let's say break and come back. We haven't done brown booster breaking a long time. Okay, I'm a booths. I feel like that I was.
I was negative earlier, not.
Even that it happened to you. You're the victim, all right, B right, B B right, B see youson being a fan.
And we're back and black at it, and I'm you're gonna boost a break and now it's time there we go. Boost up, break up, boost up, break up, boost up? Break Are you gonna boost? Are you gonna break? What you're gonna do? What you're going to Oh sidebar, I'm getting more men recognizing me.
I didn't know where that sentence was gonna go. Get one.
Like I was in Jersey City walking and there was this guy. He looked black, but he sounded like he was speaking Arabic to his friend. And so it was like three men, but they were sounded like they were speaking Arabic like that, you know, like it's a really beautiful language and distinct, and so they were talking to each other, but they look black like they looked like, like to get black. So I don't know. Anyway, he like,
I was with my two sisters. He looked at me and he said at first he asked if there was a bench. Jersey City is very walkable. He asked if we were gonna sit. He said, y'all gonna cool out on this bench and I was like, no, no, you can have it. And he said, wait, are you budget, Lisa? I said I am. He was like, sis, I love you yo, and I just was like, thank you so much.
And that's a handful of men that's been happening more and more because you know, usually a woman will be like, oh my god, I love you and their boyfriend is like, who's that lady. Yeah, So I don't know.
I love you know, I'm not surprised at all. I think you have universal appeal.
I love that the men's is coming out. We love that you guys are you know, getting on financial track. So that was really fun. So if you listen to the podcast, it was really you know, it was I was dogging in ice cream, so I didn't want to stop me. When I say dog I was inhaling it. There's this place called Tompico tom something in Jersey City. They have a pound cake ice cream girl.
Oh I love pound cake? What is that? Perfect?
It is? Why is nobody else doing this? It's so good? So when I tell you, I was, I mean I was deeply so he said. I was like, it's like.
The old school, is it? The old school ice cream store on the corner? Like yeah, literally, I lived in Jersey City.
Yes, so called Delicio Soul, So anyway, I haven't been there, you know. So I was. I was making love to the ice cream, so I couldn't focus. I was like, I so, but I kept I kept the moving because.
She's so real.
Yo.
You see her. She had ice cream come out of her mouth. She's so down with the people.
That's not my booze. My boos is real quick, is am I? For the first time ever, I finally got a contract with the City of Newark to teach financial education to the babies. Not babies, but yes, I mean so, I am. So. I wrote a financial literacy curriculum based upon giging with mass and it's a it's a four week class, it's daily. It's during the summer. I think it starts July to August first, and it's from eight thirty am to eleven thirty am, and you just have
to be a Newark High school student. It's totally free, totally school.
Okay.
Yeah, And so if you wanted to, like, there's my flyers all over the place. But if you wanted to sign up, go to Get Good with Money n PS and as a Newark PS and public school, Getka with Money nps dot com. Register. Like I said, totally free. Class starts next week, so everybody's going to get a book. There's five high schools where we actually teach it, so I'm going to come because it's five high school so I can't read all of it, so I'm going to go in like and you know, and go. But we're hiring.
What I love too is that we're hiring New York teachers to teach it. And then yes, we're so annoying. I'm so excited because we get to well how.
I felt like when you announced your book deal, I'm like, what did you do that? Just being back all the time, it's just amazing.
We've been working so hard on it, and I'm so excited because the kids get my book made whole because I feel like the workbook is more appropriate for high school students. We're also secretly working with a let me keep it light, with an electronic company, if you will, to try to get the kids electronics. I'll just say that because we're still like working on it, trying to get a bank account. Right, Yeah, so I'm what I am.
I bought tablets for each classroom too, and we're gonna wraple them off at the end to the kids who are there. But I'm trying to get each kid, quite honestly, a computer. Okay, so we're talking with somebody that's like, tell me more, and then even like a sneaker company reached out to us by maybe getting them back to school sneakers, you know, one of the ones that the girls the kids be liking. And I have so many guest speakers, Like what I really wanted was like dope
newer graduates like Cabra. You know that's why, bestie. But you know Cabro was born and raised in Newark, has a successful family business, so he's going to be like, you know, like a guest speaker because I want kids to see, Oh you from where I'm from. You want
to say high school? And I did you know? So I'm just really excited, like and I'm hoping that it goes well so that way, I want to you know, I want to do it in the fall because I y'all know, for those of you who've been listening for a while, that I worked really hard with the my assembly woman at the time, she's now Senator Angela McKnight to get the Budget Needs To law passed, which made financial education mandatory for middle school students in New Jersey,
not just Newark, all of New Jersey. And because New Jersey already has a law for high school students, and so I've been wanting to, like, so I get this law passed, but I'm not teaching anything in the city where I live and where I was born, and so yeah, there's still some spots open. So if you got a kid, you know, a kid in Newark that they just have to be in high school, it's totally free. There's five
different locations. I think it's like Weekway Central if you're from York, you know, go to get good with Money. And as a Newark PS and public s as in school get gos money NPS dot com. We're gonna put that in the show notes too. But yeah, I'm just really proud of it. Like I get to like do something for like these babies right here.
You know that is so incredible. I'm so proud of you.
Thank you.
And it's just the you know, you've been a teacher for so many years you still do teach, but like this is so it just feels very like full circle. Yes it does. I know they're not like toddlers, but you know these are little budding young adults are going into college. Oh my gun, I know that's I'm just like, I don't know, I don't know what to say. I'm speechless a little bit. But that's just really incredible. So great. Okay, let me see. My boost is going to be about
my really good friend. Her name is Jessica. I should say the honorable Jessica because she is a whole ass federal and and somehow this little ragamuffin is her friend. And I get to go. I'm going today to an investige, which is basically like a real fancy event we had. She had a brunch yesterday because so many of her family and friends from across country. When I tell you this woman her family and friends, she has friends from elementary school, every stage of life, I'm just like, how
am I in this orbit? She's so smart. I mean, she's just so special. She was appointed by President Biden for this judge ship a couple of years ago. It took a long ass time to actually get her. Yeah, she had to go through all these confirmation hearings and it took a really long time. And I remember just meeting her and she was going through it, and she was so calm about the whole thing and so level.
And I don't know how she coped, because to have people who don't know anything about you trying to keep your you know, your destiny from them if you've worked so hard for But she got it. She got in. She's been there for a year, and I've never been to an event like this, and I'm just trying not I'm like, I'm gonna I'm wearing a nice dress. I'm going to try to like represent her well not embarrassed myself.
And you know, in the wake of Katanji Brown Jackson's come from to the Supreme Court, it's just nice to see that the the intention of like appointing more women of color to these judge ships, judge ships. I said that yesterday to an attorney one of her many illustrious friends, and I was like, does that sound stupid? I don't know what I'm talking about judges, judge jobs. It's just great because I think Jessica is definitely an indication that you know, they're they're moving a little bit more in
the right direction. But I'm excited to celebrate her. And yeah, that's that's the boost. Is she is she? No, she's forty something, wow, yeah, but still young girl. Yeah. I was talking to when she used to work for the
Attorney General Latish. Oh sorry, I almost said Tish, like I know her personally, I don't Jessica calls her Tish, so Latitia James anyway, and uh, one of her former colleagues who's there works for like a very fancy law firm, was telling me about how Jessica is probably the first judge to have an after party because a lot of them are just so old and crustal. But we don't have a time, got the babysitter coming. Yeah, So I'm
just yeah, I'm really really excited. And I just am like, shout out to me for rolling my window down in the daycare parking lot and being like black lady, Hi, let's be friends.
I love that.
Yeah, no, that's not awesome.
Well, we congratulate you and salute you, misjudge Jessica.
Yes, the honorable honorable honorable Jessica. Do you get a judge? I don't know what to get her? Tip? Do you have any ideas?
I gavel? I don't know.
I was so dorky. I was like, can you show me your robes? And she showed me that the website.
Where I know that is.
I was like, are you gonna doily? Like RBG? Are we doing a doily? She's like, Mandy, I mean I texted her about I shouldn't be talking about this. I text her things and I'm like, you probably shouldn't answer that. Nevermind, I don't know what just it. Don't say anything. Let's talk about nothing something else, like shit. I don't know how to be a judge's friend, but I do know how to be a friend.
Mandy, you are a let's talk about Bridgerton? Are gonna talk about Richison?
She is a Fridgie fan, which is I'm like, yes, let me talk about that. I don't know how people watch Bridgerton in groups, because I can't. It's a personal experience.
It is because I mean, I'm not gonna lie. I have to rewind. Sometimes I'm like I didn't see that again and again and against girl.
You don't even have you even finished episode four?
No, I just you know my face excited for you when she like ate the cupcake and she like looked at her and he was like, I rewinded that, so it us.
I was like, that's just wait a second, you rewhelmed that scene.
Oh I love I love the subtle scene.
So I f you're out how it's spoiled for you.
Not that she brings the top tons out, but I just yeah.
But no, but before oh girl, the season episode four, Get you a drink, Get you a nice cup of tea and a nice cozy blanket, Get that weighted blanket, you know, like cozy up and get ready to hit that rewind button.
Sorry, ladies whose kids are watching their cart Okay, Oh it's so good.
I'm gonna be on No No real quick. I want to say I'm gonna be onto Black Girls one rose to talk about Bridgerton tomorrow, Tiff, if you're free at three pm, I feel like you should pull up because they are also going to come on Brown Ambition. But I literally invited myself on their show, and I was like, yeah, Tiffy doesn't care. You should come if I have time. Yeah, we'll see, we'll see, all right.
Be a fan, Yes, we love you. Leave us reviews so we can read them next week, next time, and please share this episode. You know it was good. Okay, don't play yourself, she said, bye,