Throwback Episode: Toughening Up

Happy, Happy holidays, Brown Ambition Fam, it's mandra here. As you guys know, Tiff and I are taking a little break before the new year, but we've still got you covered with some of our favorite Brown Ambition moments from twenty twenty one. All throughout this month, we're looking back at memorable conversations and breaking down the most important lessons we've learned this year. We can't thank you enough for sticking by us in what has become one of our

Hey Hey, Hey, we're back. We're black, We're brown, and its.

Jean, which I could see me like when I get the hands going. It's giving Auntie realness.

Yes, And I was just gonna say, you are extra chocolatey today. I'm seeing like the monochrome lip happening. You're kind of blurry, but I feel like you have a little bit of bronze a on your eyelid. I don't know.

I woke up like this. I have not even washed my face today.

This is oh, shut up, I take it back, but you look gorgeous.

I mean I put a hit on it. I was like, did you watch your face today? To be I'm like, you know what I did not.

I woke up and I took off my acne patch at the last minute, so I was like, they're probably going to be able to see it. That's where I'm at today. Happy random vision Wednesday. How are you a mandra I am a little frazzled, but I'm doing good. I finally, finally, well, I don't even know if I can say finally. It wasn't like something that I was thinking about for a long time, but all of a sudden, I just had this epiphany last week. It's time for an admin. It's time for an assistant.

And not like you like you're gonna say it's time for the percolator.

You're like, it's time for the time for It's not a percolator, it's acolator.

No, it's the percolator. You're showing your age. You're so young. So the original song is time for the percolator.

So now they change to the tculator whatever they talk now literally the original song is the percolator.

And it's like some of your dance to it right now, like.

It's that slide, like you know, you gotta do the it's time for the percolate, like side to side and then you got to do your footwork like it's got the.

Thing you got me just say, okay, young blood, let me take you aside and teach you something because.

I was, and it shows.

This is why you need people of all different you know, ages and backgrounds, because look how much more educated I am.

That you know that you will not embarrass yourself at the at the next family function.

I hope not.

I hope not. Lord No, I'm a little I'm a little frazzled, but I I finally I found a wonderful young woman to help me and be my admin. And could not have been I'd been at a better time, because it seems like everything has been a little whack a doodle the past week, starting with the fact that somehow I managed to book so I'm going to Atlanta for a thing, and I managed to book two flights to Atlanta. So one day two weeks ago, I was like, okay, I finally got details. I'm going to book this flight.

Wow.

Yeah, So yeah, I would say, so here's some here's some unsolicited admin advice.

Give it to me, because I know you've been through them girls one or two or three or seven definitely for my team was like is it you?

I'm like, is not me. I've had a lot of really awesome trauma.

But no, But what I've would I learned with admins one it actually like whatever, like give her like a general name because it's unlikely that Rocks will be with you for like the next twenty years. You know, you just never know it's possible, but you never know. So you know, my admin's name is her real name is Rose. But y'all have ever emailed me professionally or otherwise, it's always Michelle.

Whether I've had admin's name.

Sylvia, Leah, Roseanne, Rose, Talatha, little Candice. I've just had so many different admins and but either way, in the inox d Molly Vicky Thomas, about three kims.

Like all write dmx no but for real.

So so that's always a good idea because it just helps us like with continuity, like you know, as your brand grows.

So that's one.

Yes, yeah, And honestly, I mean, just like honestly, open communication is always key, I believe just this is just in general with like teams and whatever. What I've gotten really like good at is like I want my admin to think what would Tiffany do? So in the beginning, you know, we talk all the time. As I'm giving her instruction, I like to give her the backstory. So I'm like, so, for example, I'm like, you know, let's just say something for a brand ambition that you've emailed me.

And actually why not let him?

I'm like, just like, hey girl, anyway, be very scary and that you're afraid of me.

So so I just think that like yeah, with admins, well with anyone anyway, but especially admins, like you know, giving them kind of like I call it the soap opera, Like you know, you're like, okay, so this is my favorite show.

So that's Marcus.

So Marcus really likes Vanessa, but Vanessa is not luck Marcus, because it really helps to make like wiser, more holistic choices when I'm not as you know, as present.

And so that was it, honestly.

But honestly, don't be afraid too because it doesn't take It took me a long time to realize.

It doesn't take a whole day to recognize sunshine.

Where I've had admins that weren't a fit and kept them for a year and drowned instead. So now I'm like, no, you know, like there was an admin that we had recently, and three days in I was like, yeah, this is not a fit. And then within a week I was like, you know, we wish you well, but this is not a fit. I'm not doing that anymore where I'm gonna suffer for a year when something's not a fit. They

Rose, you are my left hand.

Like You're like you might, you know, if Oprah emails me, you'll see it before I do, so, like you know, like ADMIN sounds like too small or worting compass.

I'm stress like, do you want to be on watch when Oprah emails? Tiffany be like how does email work?

Because we get some cool stuff that comes through, and I'm like, you know, so it's exciting, you know because some of the people like ADMIN that seems like beneath me and I'm like, no, sis, like, oh yes, it's so critically important.

Yeah, I mean you can come up executive assistant, whatever you want to call it, human roll of duct tape. Just fix all the things, you know what I mean, all the teams. Yes, know that, Thank you, thank you. I think that for me, I learned I made a lot of mistakes running a team and building a team and working with assistants in the past. And one of the biggest mistakes that I made was not being able to particulate what I needed. And I actually still do

I mean I did that.

I make sure she creates while she's there, like an s op, right, a scope of work, like what like we got it.

She's about that business. I had one over the weekend. Yeah, thats no, that's excellent.

I'm telling you. We have we have Loom calls.

I don't know if you guys use Loom, not calls, but like Loom is like these recordings that we do now. So it's like to actually show someone and then you click. It's like some latrea like our like our tech manager on our team kind of like got us used to that.

It's so helped because I'm not techie.

So like if I'm like trying to figure out how to do a thing, we have like you know, these sets of videos like here's how you upload to da da da, Here's how you you know, use whatever like tool or resource. And it's just so helpful, those short videos.

I'm like, oh, that's how you use it. Yeah, oh that's cute design.

Here for the website, Shirley uses loom.

Yes, oh yeah, yes, that's why. That's why. No, but that's great having help. Having help is so good. You sent me like an Instagram post speaking of which, can we.

Talk about it? Yes?

Ken?

Why didn't we have to?

Now?

I know you're not on ig like you used to be, but did you were you aware of it before I sent you this?

Oh? And so did it blow up?

Okay, it blew up on this person's page. So this is and I actually shared it on our stories just to get some quick feedback from our audience. Because so this is a post that Tamika D. Mallory posted. And if you have ever heard of the Women's March that happened in twenty seventeen after the inauguration of He who must not be named, Tamika was one of the founders of that march, and she has become you got over a million followers on Instagram she's become a huge social

I saw.

This just pop into my feed, this post that she put up, and I will I will read it to you guys too. But my gut reaction was something about this does not set right with me. But before we get into it, because it is, you know, she's been getting into it. It has over four thousand comments on her own page, and it's starting to make the rounds on other black influencer pages. But before we get into it,

I will leave it there, and then she liked so she did an updated post just so you know, like I guess the next post she said she double out yes, when I read a post that says I don't know who needs to hear this? And then I read the post and it doesn't apply to me, I move on. I don't tell the person who's post to get they are they are wrong about something they feel is important.

Could it be that it hit you deep.

Now here's the thing. Here's what I say. Right, you are free to post whatever you want, but also people are free to respond unless you turned off comments. Right and then two. I don't know, girl, because I have been on both sides. We're definitely there's times when I've just been straight lazy, you know. And there's times when I'm overwhelmed. Not because I'm actually overworked. I'm overwhelmed because

I think she just missed the mark.

I mean, I get what she's saying, because certainly, you know, there are definitely times when it's like, you know, if you really could do a little bit more, or you could step up. But to say here's the thing, I would have just it would have hit better if it was like sometimes we've all been lazy and we need to get organized, wake up. But to say you're not overwhelmed, it's like you're making a judgment. You don't know that someone's not overwhelmed. You know, you don't know the cause

This is a thing, and this is why I'm kind of like Tiffany, you were right to get off IG because this is the danger of being an IG and putting yourself You're scrolling through social media land minds is how I feel it, and you don't know when you're gonna hit one. And I know because as someone who who deals with anxiety, and not even I will fully, there's a spectrum of anxiety, and I am on the

It's that you.

Can write down a list step one through ten, and if step one is put on your shoes, they are still paralyzed, you know, and everything is overwhelming and laying on the couch or taking a walk or doing whatever, you know, putting their head under a pillow that seems like the what their body needs at that time.

And I just think I still timed right, like there's never a good time, right, but meaning like especially now, especially now, are we gonna act like there's not collective trauma that we're all dealing with.

And we've seen people die.

In mass right, scared to go outside, like run, you know, running to get your mask every single time, worrying about your elderly parents or your grandma.

You know.

Now kids are getting the delta variant and dying. I saw a four year old just died. We didn't just have like these terrible storm systems that passed through. So I'm just saying, like, literally, there is a collective trauma that we are experiencing worldwide. You know, this is not good times, you know, the nineties, when the when the when the economy is doing good worldwide. No, there is a collective trauma that we are experiencing as a human race period.

Right.

There's no corner of the world that has not been experiencing some form of trauma as relates to what's happened with COVID, And so I just feel like, although it's never a good time, it's actually ill timed because sometimes people don't even know that they're experiencing trauma. Like literally, I won't know that like something is going on until like Superman will be like you all right, and I'm like, yeah, why, He's like, this is your third nap today.

I'm like it is, you know, And I'm like, well.

Like I'll just be sitting on a cap and I can't even keep my eyes open, and I'm like, but you slept last night, Tiffany, and I'm not.

I'm weary, but not physically tired.

Yeah, I just think, like I hear you says, but well, then you have to hear us too, like not as.

Saying it, and remember that your words have so much power. How could she forget?

How can you forget?

You can't help but be dificainst that energy. And there's plenty of people who were like, yeah, I mean, they're thanking her for saying it. And I do think that people read this and they were like yop. But I also I don't. I don't think this is that much different, and maybe I should think before I say this. I'm trying to think really fast. But remember Rachel Hollis when she came out and she said, do you think I'm trying to.

Be relatable relatable?

Yes? Was Harriet Tubman relatable Da da da da da? Now her, it's it's very different. Rachel Hollis is white da da da, you know, and she has that whole series called girl dot dot Dot, which is you know, I think, culturally appropriating, like a phrase that black women started.

Girl, Like laziness is not Sometimes laziness is actually the symptom.

To a greater issue. Isn't that what white people have been calling Black people for so long? Or like wanting to think that we're just lazy? Yes, why are you complaining? Don't be a victim? Wow, it's like internalized racism, internalized patriarchy, internalize all the things that are manifesting themselves, and that if.

You would just do this, Like I have a friend that created something and it was stolen from him.

He's a black creator.

It was stolen for him, and I'm like, you know all the things they say, Well, if you just worked hard, he did. He built something that was unique and brought it to market connected with an advisor.

The advisor knew wealthier folks, gave them.

Back room access to the thing that he built, so they were their engineers were able to recreate it, was able to raise one hundred million dollars for their project off his black back.

And you'd be like, oh, well, maybe went to school.

He went to Harvard. I'm sorry, he went to Harvard. So all the things you can check off all the lists, you can build something, you can work really hard, you can go to Harvard. You could do all those things, and someone can still come in and take from you and create.

Wealth from them for themselves off of you.

Hello, hello Elvis Presley, Hello all the TikTokers that take all the dances from all the brown babies on TikTok you know, and so like that is not something new. So I hate when people say that, well, if black people just work harder, I'm like, you're kidding, right, you know, because that's not really what's happening. You know, it's possible to work hard and still be taken from and still be stolen from. I mean, it's happened to me, and then what do you do?

Then? How much hard am I supposed to work?

I can't make miracles happen, you know, It's just like, yeah, I mean so to see that, especially in the landscape that we're in now, that's why, like I said, you guys to do it's best for you. I am a much best place than I was before. When I tell you what, right before this, I wasn't laid out for a nap. I was like mm hmm, and I have a vacation planned in two weeks. And then I have a yes, I'm going, so me and me and I

Let's go for three days. So just book a quick three days.

Jont mid midweek to like Niagara Falls, and then for my birthday and Hawaii for a week.

Okay, a little gym and pam office moment. I don't know if you watch the Office, No, I don't, but some of us are not millennials and it shows.

I know.

So, but yeah, Hawaii for my birthday.

And I just told myself every other month I'm gonna because literally I have Fridays off, so I can leave Friday to Sunday, you know, bring a friend. I have so many points, so I just told myself I'm prioritizing the things that bring me joy, reading books. Y'all know, I take my daily walks. You know, I take my nap if I need it. You know, I was just talking to my puplicist Tracy. The Days shout out to you, Tracy, I should connect her with Your friend's name is Marisol Marisa.

You know you have Mariice's resume and I already connected you to her, so all you gotta do.

It's just.

No, I should connect she just busy.

Let her get her.

No, I mean just to connect them to together, just to like, you know, just I think.

It's just they would get on great. Yeah, Tracy is at her own little pr empire two yes.

And so I no, I just think that, Like so she was saying today, She's like, you know, you don't have You're not doing that much press anymore. And I'm like, no, you know, because I've I've drawn a boundary of like it's not that serious unless I'm really like rolling out a big project. So to me that you have to do what's right for you for me social media, you know, Like I don't know, and you know, I don't see myself coming back where I was before, you know, creating

Capitalism, they create this. I mean, I think, well, I mean, I just want to stay on this topic for a little bit because I we're kind of segueing into what it means to be even just a business owner or to go out on your own. And I think like you've always been really good about realistic entrepreneur stories and

I love it so much. Yeah.

I was already kind of doing it before, but now I don't have to fee guilty about it.

Because you're the boss, you know, And to see my boss say, oh, that's why it's me.

Yes, just that now, and yes, and I flexible working arrangements now that you can work remote, I think it is wonderful. And hopefully yes, and take those naps during the day. And I would literally, even when I was nine to five, like schedule an hour and you know, I have my nap, my moon pod down, my little nap zone. I would take a nap unapologetically around three o'clock because it's like, what am I going to do?

Because what you learn is this is that if you maximize the time that you are working, you actually don't have to work as much. So I've learned that, like, for example, if I was if I was writing, like when I was writing getg Go with Money, right, there were times when I was like, oh, Tiffany, I got to push through, and I'd be like, well, what does it do? Because I promise you, whatever this tired work thing is, you're gonna have to rewrite this section because

So that's what I've really learned.

It's almost like my own circadian rhythm as it relates to work, not just not just sleep. Right, So I learned that when I'm on it, I'm like, oh, okay, juices are flowing. I might flow for three days straight, and so I'll really go hard because I know that, like, you know, Saturday, Sunday or Monday or sometimes I just

A little bit more frantic.

I'm not even gonna lie, Like there's no way to get around that in the beginning because you don't even.

Know what you're doing just yet.

You know, you're still figuring it out, but still really trying to carve out space, you know, Whereas now I don't need to work frantically literally at all.

Like I'm like, girl, what do I pay these people for?

I pay I pay the people to for franticness you know, and I pay them well and so I it yo, cause Tracy will come over and like like work for my house and like literally it should be like you're just on the couch under a blanket. I'm like, girl, I'm listening to to my new business book. I'm reading this book now called Bill to Sell and it's so great and I'm like, I am working. I'm just working in my my favorite target night dress and my headphones.

It's just like this what a self made CEO can look like.

Girl, And honestarily, when I tell you what you do that I promise you the After my six weeks, the level of just like excitement and traces that you've been on one I have been. That break recharged me so fully. It took my idea from like this is eight figures to pitching it and people telling me like when it's ready, this is nine figures. You let me know, And I'm like, really, you know, like that taking time and giving yourself space

We're so excited to have Michelle and Sean Clark from Double Dutch Aerobics from Atlanta in the house with us. Thank you so much for joining Brown.

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

What year was?

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

So I met Seana 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 do. I mean, they had people out there eighty black white age. Now I didn't grow I don't know how to double dutch. I felt that was like my shame. I moved away from my black neighborhood just just one year too late before they was teaching her, and so I was like, I can't do it.

You're like you can. So yes, Mandy knows how to double Dutch. So I'm jealous of her.

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 pairs of jump ropes and you could not tell

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 were going to the top.

We're going to the top.

Yes, New Year's Resolution time.

I mean that is super Bowl, right, it was becoming our biggest year sure, yes, 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 but 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 super fast.

Yeah, yeah, And that was in February. We had completely sold out fast, 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. So this was our year back into certification. And the fact that it sold out so fast, it's like we were finding our group.

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, but you're not gonna stop us.

We still doing it. We were still still going.

You know, it's the New York, right, Let's just keep going, keep going until they stop us.

Until like put us to like lock the doors, tell us that you cannot leave your house right until.

Keisha lance Bottom shows up at the door to get till Keisha Land's Bottom shows up in person at the 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 had a we had a little we had a little little reserves, Smitch, but you know we had to eventually we had to get a loan.

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, yep. So that actually helped us out a lot, you know, investing in the stock market. I would literally like study every day. Yeah, I'd study every day. And so 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 highest summer from May till September. It didn't rain one time at our time Monday and every Saturday. So we were pushing it.

I know, I bought one.

I said, you know, I suffered from from I suffered from five.

So we started to 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, Sean'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 selling more ropes. And then okay, so I'm all over there.

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

So it's all love, you know, 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 than 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 be, 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 condition. 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. So 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, right, And so I was doing what to a day workout? Yes, we were having the kids when it was my turn to workout, you know, thank god for YouTube. Put the kids on YouTube to work out downstairs. Then we will

So now I don't want to work.

Out no more. Now I'm suppressed. Now I'm eating like a crazy person. 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?

Like you know, like like you know, how your grandma said, it's the last lace.

It's always it's.

Always the last days. When they get old, You're like, well, why 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 a unique business, I would love to know some of the origin story.

Okay, So I went to acting school. I did musical theater, so I you know, nine of music 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,

Yeah, we literally started the next week.

And 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 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 Obama, Beyonce likes let me tell you, 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 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 I'm kind of productive.

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

I love it.

So my best friend at the time, I worked for the Border Bed briefly, and my best friend, 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 saw grown people with the same shirt, Like, what's 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. 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

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 tall.

The Saints, but getting back in the bay. So he was my boyfriend. 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 the idea 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 it's high energy, it's all of and that's what people get,

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

So this this gave but this gave me the opportunity.

I was like, oh wow, we could like be together and build and rock out and you know, like show the world with love is like and you know, like this is this is 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,

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

So before that, the summer was ending, 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 because.

The way our bank account is, I don't know, I don't know if that's gonna work.

But you don't, you know.

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 are 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 the Jackie 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 we're both Leo's so I.

Know she didn't know, he said, 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 a 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 medicale 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 got to 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

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

Is this when you guys did that? I know you did a kickstart because I canute.

Oh yeah, we're gonna oh, we're about to mention that. Wait a minute, old, look we.

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

Yeah, 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 kickstock Well.

The thing was so my cousin he's a filmmaker and he does like go fund me 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 it's stuff talking about it. There's nothing wrong with me, but it's it's nothing. I'm sorry, it'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 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, babe, okay, you got to you got to be a little more realistic, less 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 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 change?

So the kickstarter, y'all did this to raise money for the business.

Yeah?

Is that right?

Okay?

So ready 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.

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, any of them and we filled out how many you? Oh my 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 you, it was just a space. So we needed we needed more to make the space double Dutch aerobics,

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 one, what should what shouldn't be in it? You know what you.

Should put in your bio? It took us. We pulled all nighters. 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 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 in light 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 I mean, I know you made it, but like much more than you asked for?

What was we doubles?

Yes?

Yeah, so you initially we asked for ten and then what happened twenty? Yeah, we got twenty I think it was twenty one thousand over twenty one twenty one.

Four hundred dollars. I'm on the page right now.

From two hundred and eighty five.

If two and eighty five beckers. 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 all this stuff.

Okay, yes, and.

The mirrors are not those mirrors are not cheap.

I was looking for one.

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 yes, And what's so fun is so we opened in September and we weren't gonna 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 us 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. So it's 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, yes, oh you got that. So they get to actually watch us and just the 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 smart 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. No, this is going to be the best studio in Atlanta.

Yes, you know, because.

People 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 Dutcho.

But what can you see it becoming?

Well, so there are 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, you know, Double Cherobics, like you know, Chicago and DC. And then also to to grow out, like to to certify more people across the country.

So that Double Dutch robis 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 arobics class. It's like as available as spin classes 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 billgrim 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 so that's what we teach in our certification. And so basically, like Michelle said, if you're in DC, the class is going to be exactly like the class in New York or Atlanta or Detroit, you know some of the places where we want Double 't Aerobics to be. And so that's the goal to to certify more people.

And it's funny, you know, this whole subject was like how did we survivedurund our pandemic and we're still recovering from the pandemic. 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 we kept

And then also just simply getting through a pandemic being a fitness brand makes you a whole lot stronger, right, 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.

Then this meditation again, so he gets matter because I'd be like I told you to bringing magic right.

Where where can we find this meditation, It's like they know what's the cra prayer to get you a run?

So zpop Chopra's abundance meditation comes at you sow. The first time we did it, we got a random call. First, Seawan said, no, we're supposed to a favor for We're supposed to a favor for somebody. He was like, mich, 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.

What idea? Then they're like, you're chosen, wait, chosen for? What what do you mean 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'm not bringing these to here to New York. I'm tired. We're not going to So then they said, okay, well we'll come to you.

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

And we still don't know.

Is the question? Sorry?

No, no, no, we didn't know who coming.

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, because we had to we have we have a fort well he was three at the time for three year old and uh.

You see like that were production if you if when you when you're 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 yet.

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

That's what was happen.

You didn't know what we were auditioning.

What we were auditioning for, and so they said, we'll come to you. So it was okay, well, we gotta deal. And then we didn't find out who it was a couple of days before the shoot. 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 having a meal with

It was with 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 the families around the world.

So we represented the United States, we represented wow here uh huh. And so they had Yeah, they have people, you know, from families from other countries, and everybody told their story.

Yeah, you know, from the pandemic, from the pandemic.

Yes, is this y'all 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. It sound 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 after 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.

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 maybe.

Number three yeah, wow, oh my goodness, congratulations.

Thank you. So we actually got uh commercial, the Apple commercial. That was 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 Slutty 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 given out free burgers during the pandemic to everybody. So

Yeah, so yeah, I mean and so yeah, just just going back to basically, we knew before the potential businessiness had yes, and so when it was time to activate it, right, you know, I eat 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 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 do know you said it. So 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 TIV. You know, if if we if we took all your money today right right right now, don't make it.

Don't make her.

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 the mortality, 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, 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 part of it. That's 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 night, 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. Yeah, 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

He said, Ah, so does she have two heads?

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 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 house. There's like fifty houses in just this one neighborhood, and then another fifty another neighborhood another, meaning yo, there are people who make enough to make this life happen? What about you? What's so special about them?

Why not you do they have two heads? No? No, they figured it out. Now you got to do that to your children. They'd be like, Sean Junior is gonna be like, I gotta b a b.

Would anybody get a do that have two head?

For?

It's a very African thing to say, But I say that to say that basically that you are human. Therefore what is accessible to one human is there is great potential for it to also be accessible to you. And we all understand that there are limitations and racism and and and sexism, and we know that, but you know, we also know that people find a way. And if one person has found a way, that is that is cause for for celebration because that means the way has been found.

Ye you know you too can have access to that.

So once you start to understand that, then there's nothing I mean, we're not talking about. You go into the moon for the first time. Those people have to figure it out from scratch. You know, we're not talking about that like when people say, oh, I don't know how to invest. I'm like, you know, people don't figured it out and wrote books and do YouTube videos about.

It 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

Four?

Five four child? Cheez?

You know, like cause I know people are like, well, I got a baby, Okay, you know it is possible to do those things.

I'm 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 learned to be resourceful, just like as you said, Michelle, and you learned that like to pivot.

I think that was a huge lesson learned here.

And you learn to also that if you really believe in your idea, you'll find a way and it doesn't mean that you might not take a step back.

And also too, you learn to ask for help.

Yeah, and so all those things combined, you know, and consistency and not giving up, you know, resulting where you are now and now that we're coming out on the other side, it's only bigger, bigger and better for y'all.

So I'm excited for.

Y'all, 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, no, I was like, no, no, this is a good idea. If someone doesn't want to pay me, I have not illustrated my Oprah. Meaning if Oprah, if we've 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.

Che 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 not illustrated my value, and definitely that they will find the funds because now I've illustrated my oprah. So when I tell somebody, oh no, no, no, my keynote is forty thousand, they find the funds, you know.

And so I think that.

Too, because it's very easy to say, well, my idea is not good or it's not the right market or time. You know, it's likely you just have not illustrated your open and that's.

Okay, yes it is, 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 fund 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 can have ropes there. I didn't say you couldn't have rope if you want me to physically show up and show my expertise. If you want me and my husband to show up for a specific time and date and to literally do

And I was Michelle was a little bothered by him, 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 worst, we know our value, and.

That's It's like you think Kevin Hard to come and tell jokes, but jokes at the party stops. 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 stopped 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, right 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 because.

It's hard because you know, you feel you don't want to feel like, wow, am I what if that say about me?

You know, we tend to internal life 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 budgeting, I said, well then why don't they like even now what? It took me a whild girl, It's like year twelve for me. I not bothered.

I'm sorry.

When someone hits me back and says that's too expensive, I'm like, oh, okay, okay for you because I just got paid that last week. But okay, and that's okay. And here's the thing. I give a lot away for free.

You could.

I do lives, I have social posts, we've got emails, We've got you can. You can partake in all the free because I do believe in, you know, providing service to my community.

But no if you're wanting, you know.

A specific service that I charged for, that's what the cost. And if you don't have the budget, and that's okay, it just me you have to find somebody that fits within that budget. Because it's so funny when you know, when you first start, nobody wants to you know, like nobody wants to take you on the moment you blow up.

Now you want to you want to pay me.

The first starting budget, like you you called me for a reason, right, you know, you hit me up because you saw the New York Times best SELLI 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, say go, I bought the ropes. 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 and so yeah, it's a sport. I love that. 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

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 Aerobics, Facebook, Double Dutch Aerobics. If you forget everything, you can google Double Dutch Aerobics and find us everywhere.

I got that SEO game on point. 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 really appreciate it.

Thank you amazing. I feel so warm and fuzzy. Happy holidays. BA fan, thank you for joining us as we looked back at some of our favorite Brown Ambition conversations from the past year. Check back in with as soon as we take on a brand new year and bring you everything you need to know so you can take control of your financial and professional future on your own terms.