October 24, 2024 • 25 mins
In this episode of Butternomics, host Brandon Butler sits down with Rechelle Dennis, the dynamic founder of Girls United, to explore how she built the movement into a powerful cultural force. Rechelle shares her journey from gymnast to media leader, her experiences with leadership, and how Girls United has become a platform that empowers and uplifts the next generation of young Black women. Tune in to hear about the challenges of brand-building, the importance of community, and how Rechelle is redefining what it means to lead with purpose in today’s digital age.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
We don't look for a follower account for me. That
is something that is really outdated, right. Follower count is
not also a great indicator of the value that you
bring for me. It's again how much value you bring
to our audience. Is our audience going to walk away
with something? Also? What is your unique perspective in point
of view? There's a whole bunch of influencers. There's a
(00:21):
surplus of influencers that how are you standing out? What
is something that's unique that you bring.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Here?
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Everybody, Welcome to another episode of Button Nomics. I'm your host,
Brandon Butler, founder and CEO of Butter atl And today
we have a very very special guest with us, Miss
Rachelle Dennis, the founder of Essence. Gu gu stands for
Girls United. Rachelle, how you doing today?
Speaker 1 (00:46):
I'm good? How are you.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
Fills any better? I'd be you, he said, So, how's
everything going in your world?
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Good?
Speaker 1 (00:54):
You know, we just wrapped up Girls United Summit or
Disruptor Summit. So it's been great, you know to see
all of the hard work and truition all the team
were for all the late nights and see everything come
to life and just foreig into our community and we
were able to.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
Yeah, it was an amazing experience. So tell me, like,
how did that get started?
Speaker 1 (01:13):
Yeah? So funny enough, what really started Girls United was
us coming together in the Essence office and Essence being
around for fifty years, it's been about how do we
now talk to the next generation of young women that.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
Deserved what Essence was for our aunts, for our grandmothers,
for our moms, and a lot of the youth and
the organization that were either fresh out of college and
in their first job or there.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
Right in trying to figure out what the stuffs of
their life were. We just came together and we're like,
let's figure out how we speak to this audience. And
Girls as United was born.
Speaker 3 (01:50):
Absolutely. Now, I always love the story of how brands
are born. When that all you had, that conversation, kind
of had that meeting. How does you come up with
a name like Girls United? Did it just kind of
jumped out? Is that the kind of the overarching essence
of what you want to do is bring people together?
Like from the very beginning, how did y'all even start that?
Speaker 1 (02:06):
The way that the name even came together was really
based off of a partnership that we did with All
to Beauty, where five girls were selected to do a
makeup colluction that was sold an alta then they got
ten thousand dollars in scholarship money. So it really to
us spoke to the ethos of what we were trying
to accomplish and what we were trying to most importantly
(02:26):
accomplish together and really uniting what we see as being
the next audience, a group of girls that you know,
are coming together and making their wildest dreams come true together.
Speaker 3 (02:39):
Yeah. Absolutely, And the theme for Girls United was is
next Era? Is that correct? Like? How do you come
up with that theme? And what does next Era mean
to you all?
Speaker 1 (02:47):
Yeah? And so I challenge my team every single day
to really understand that whatever theme or whatever you know,
we are going by tagline, that it really speaks to
this audience and really just by you know, saying next era,
it really represents what you're stepping into. You know, what
is the next form of you? What's the higher elevation
(03:09):
of you? And so that's kind of what next Era
really spoke to us about. And all of us are
entering a new era, whether it be with family, whether
it be with friends, whether it be in your career,
whether it be in work, So it was really important
for us to highlight and emphasize that.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
Yeah. Now, one of the things we talk about on
betteron Nomics is, you know people that are you know,
leveraging culture to help build brands and amazing businesses. For
a brand like you know, essence to you, how do
y'all kind of authentically tap into culture to help do
relevant things to your audience to kind of connect with
the people that you want to connect with.
Speaker 1 (03:41):
Yeah, I think anything as as I know that you
as you've been building betteron Nomics, it's been important for
us to really just keep an ear on the ground
and not really operate from the mindset or the aspect
that everything is just internal. It's really about speaking to
our audience, connecting with them, whether that be on soul,
whether that be in person, whether that be on our
(04:03):
digital platforms, and really understanding what they're gravitating towards what
they're most importantly looking for, you know, what they need,
and making sure that we're super serving them in that
way and that we're really talking to them and really
able to get into experience and get into their shoes
about what's going on in their world. So that's been
very important for us, and that's something that we always
(04:25):
need with and we don't ever make a decision based
off of what we think. We in a lot of
ways treat it as what what do you learn in it?
What is it? The scientific method, hypothesis, all that fun stuff.
A control group, an experimental group, and that's how we
like to look at anything and how we solve problems
(04:47):
and make sure that our audience is well taken care of.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
Yeah, you got to be honest, though, I do think that,
you know, having a brand that's been around for fifty
years like Essence, probably gives you a few you know
a little bit of heads up on and things, and
the kind of you know, helps you get an advantage
like how do you tap into the learnings and the
history and the you know, the authenticity of Essence over
the years to help launch this new thing.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
And so tapping into it has been something that has
as much as it's been helpful, I think it's also
been something that has also been a challenge because you're
also expanding the mindset and the reach of you know
what this organization has been so focused on for so long,
and that's been right serving black women. But as you know,
as we all know, is that black women are also multifaceted.
(05:32):
We're not monolithic. And also, with this new generation coming
up and with gen Z, technology has now brought us
to a place where we're more connected than ever. We're
more in the know than ever, We're more in touch
with places and things all around the world more than ever.
And so, you know, I think it's been for us
(05:52):
really understanding how Essence has operated four fifty years being
just a publication, but then understanding that this new generation
everything is very digital, everything is social media driven, everything
is very online, and so you know, using elements that
Essence has utilized, like text, like print, but also leveraging
(06:15):
different things like social media and in real life connections
IRL to really make sure that we're getting to this audience.
So it's been a challenge, you know, but it's been
something that has really helped us and we've just been
able to use to our advantage.
Speaker 3 (06:30):
Yeah. Now, Essence is a family business. For you, you
know that that's the family. I'm sure you've learned a
lot over the years. You know, you've seen, you know,
how your father has run the business and how he's
kind of grown it into this and this is this huge,
amazing brand over the years. But like being so close
and kind of seeing how these things have run, how's
that influenced how you've run, you know, the brand of
a Girls United.
Speaker 1 (06:51):
Yeah, I think it's been a whole bunch of different experiences.
You know, from a young age being in a family business,
and no matter what that business is, whether it's in beauty,
whether it's in media, it's always been something to really
or you really take a lot of key learnings from
because essentially right brand building is very similar in a
(07:14):
lot of these different industries. No matter what you do,
it's all about how you make people feel. It's also
about making sure that you're producing the best product possible
for your audience or for whoever it is that you are,
you know, trying to capture. I will even say that
a lot of my experiences and how I run Girls
United and how I run the brand has been really
(07:34):
fueled by my background and gymnastics, and you know, just
the leadership capabilities that you have to take on, the
discipline that you have to take on, the responsibilities that
you have to take on with competing at such a
high level. So all of those different experiences have impacted
the way that I lead and push the brand forward.
Speaker 3 (08:05):
Now, how does that translate Again, you were a gymnast
for years, You've practiced that at the highest levels, you know,
how how do you think those lessons kind of translate
into leadership and run into business.
Speaker 1 (08:16):
Yeah, and those are really key things that I think
have been really important. And as we talk about right
athletes making the transition from sports, because you can't be
an athlete forever, and that's always been something that's been
drilled in me. You can't be an athlete forever. You
cannot continue to compete sometimes at as high of a
level as you do, especially in a sport like gymnastics.
(08:40):
So what it really has contributed to me is the discipline,
It's the focus, it's you know, even being and understanding
that you're not always going to be on top, you know,
competing against also the best in the world, Like I've
competed against some own biles at a young age. You know,
I've competed against a lot of amazing gymnasts. And because
(09:01):
you know, I didn't go to the Olympics, does not
mean that that was a failure or doesn't mean that
that was something that or the highest level that I
didn't accomplish. That means that just that's something that I
can now use and I'm able to now bring to
whatever is that I do next, and that happens to
be the world of business, in the world of media.
(09:21):
So you know, I think that's what it really has
taught me is to really just keep your head down
and really to be focused on essentially what your goal
is and work backwards from there.
Speaker 3 (09:31):
Now I got to ask, because I don't I think
you the only person I know this going hit the
hit against folks like some mobiles. What specifically did you
compete in?
Speaker 4 (09:38):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (09:38):
So I competed in all four events. So throughout school,
throughout high school, throughout middle school, elementary school, you compete
all of the events, and then when you get to
colleges when you're able to kind of choose where you
want to compete or you know your best and your
strongest events. So I competed all for so for bars,
(10:01):
vault up until college, and then I really focused on
bars floor.
Speaker 3 (10:06):
And being okay. So you know that that's the that's
the hard stuff right there. You know, I've seen the Olympics,
I've seen how everybody moves around. I've seen all that
stuff going. You think you're kind of you know, juggling
or balancing the same stuff now as you're running Girls
United or you know which which one is harder?
Speaker 1 (10:21):
Is?
Speaker 3 (10:21):
Is gymnastics harder? Is running? And building a brand harder
to you?
Speaker 2 (10:26):
Oooh?
Speaker 1 (10:26):
So you know, I think about this all the time.
And what's so crazy is that I think doing gymnastics
is much harder. The reason being it's it's not only
just a mental sport. It's very it's actually much more
mental than people think. But it's a physical sport and
a lot of times the physical is driven by the
mental rather than vice versa. And so I would say
(10:47):
that definitely gymnastics is much harder. You're also putting your
body through a lot. I don't think anybody competes feeling
one hundred percent or having their body feel one hundred percent,
Whereas you know, I think with work, although you might
not feel one hundred percent, I think there's better ways
that you can fake it, But gymnastics not so much,
because you will you will probably not have a great day.
(11:11):
And there's been a lot of face plants in my life.
Speaker 3 (11:15):
Now you know, I was an athlete too. Definitely wasn't
as good as you. I can already tell it. I
wasn't in gymnastics. I played baseball. But I would always
have a song that I would listen to when if
I got in the zone, or even when I do
certain business stuff, you know, when I have a meeting
or a big presentation, I like to kind of listen
to a song. What's your ready to get in the
zone song? Like what's your track?
Speaker 1 (11:35):
Okay, So at one point it was Lose Yourself. I
think that is like, hands down, one of the greatest
competitive songs that you can have in your headphones before
you go out to a competition. And then I think
it would probably be some Future. I think Future definitely
really gets you pumped up and hyped up to go
out and just really accomplish whatever it is that you're
(11:57):
trying to accomplish.
Speaker 3 (11:58):
Okay, so now we know, you know, before you ready
to walk into that meeting. Now you turn a little future.
I do the same thing. Look I turned on some
Future before I walk into somebody's meeting. Some of these conversations,
it gets the energy going, gets you each your ready
to go in there and perform right at your highest level.
We all need that kind of stuff. That's what the
culture does for us exactly.
Speaker 1 (12:15):
March Madness.
Speaker 3 (12:17):
Oh you know, I was telling somebody the other day,
you know, my birthday is March first, and I said,
you know what, I feel like that song is for me.
So I always played March Madness on March first.
Speaker 1 (12:25):
Shout at the future, definitely shout out to the future,
because that is that is going down in history books
as I think the greatest song of all time.
Speaker 3 (12:33):
Oh see, you know whatever, should I knew you? I
knew you was witted. That's what I'm talking about. That's
what I'm talking about now. As you as you've been building,
you know, Girls United, would have been some just like
moments where you kind of took a step back and said, wow,
this is an amazing moment. Have it just been any
kind of you know, greatest hits or just moments it
really made you, you know, just excited about what was
kind of happening, but also what the future starting to
(12:54):
look like.
Speaker 1 (12:55):
Yeah, I think anytime we're on the ground, anytime not
you know, we're in summon and we actually get to
interact with our audience. Most importantly, what they walk away
with everything that we do and anything that we continue
to do is always we want to make sure that
we're providing value to our audience so that they're walking
away with something. So I would say it's a lot
of times, even the people that are on our stages,
(13:17):
it's their first big moment on a stage, it's their
first panel, or it's their first time moderating something, and
so being able to give that opportunity to young people
is to me, really what we do it for and
what I do it for. And giving them the ability
to see something in themselves and have other people see
that with them has been what I look forward to
(13:40):
every single time. And giving them the ability to have
the access to whether it be the speed mentors, or
whether it be the workshops, or whether it be the
people that they just happen to run into the room with,
that for me is what really lets me know that
this is what we're doing is worth it. And even
from a big level, right like some of the the
talent that we have on our stage, a lot of
(14:02):
them go viral afterwards, right or a lot of them
sign record deals after So that has been something that
has always been one of the main focuses for me
and what I really love because for me, that's like, Wow,
we were able to help them in the journey and
help them enter into their next era.
Speaker 3 (14:19):
Yeah, and when it comes to you know, those people
that you all partner with from an influencer standpoint or
however they're involved in the organization, Like, what are some
of the things y'all look for for people to know
that it's not just about how many followers you have, right,
It's about impact.
Speaker 1 (14:32):
I love that you asked that question because this is
something that I think we always deal with all the time.
Everybody wants to be on the stages, everybody wants to
moderate or be on a panel, and we don't look
for follower account. For me, that is something that is
really outdated, right, Follower account is not also a great
indicator of the value that you bring. For me, it's
(14:55):
again how much value you bring to our audience. Is
our audience going to walk away with thing? Also, what
is your unique perspective in point of view? There's a
whole bunch of influencers as a surplus of influencers that
how are you standing out? What is something that's unique
that you bring? Also, how are you connecting with us
year round. You know, being a digital platform, we have
(15:17):
so much that's going on. We also do so much,
whether it be on our site, whether it be on
social So it's also how do you continue to engage
with us. We get these all these requests and we
have to pick out and shovel through all of them.
So again, right, like, what what is it that you're
bringing to the table, But most importantly, what is it
that you're bringing for our audience and the value that
you're bringing for them?
Speaker 3 (15:38):
Yeah? I love that. I mean I go to a
lot of events, a lot of panels, a lot of festivals,
and I think sometimes we lean in a little bit
too heavy on the motivational stuff. Yeah, and that was
one of the things I really appreciated about this event
is that the people that you all had up there
were kind of speaking on a very tactical level too.
I think, you know, to be able to kind of
technically say like I did this, or you should do that,
(15:58):
or these are the steps in value that people always
kind of get. Is that something that you all intentionally
try to make sure that those you know, people that
come on and be a part of it, you know,
communicate to the audiences.
Speaker 1 (16:07):
Yeah, that's exactly what we do. And any time we're
going through okay, what are the talking points we always
think of it? What do we want our audience to
walk away from? If this girl is here and she
wants to be an influencer or she's figuring out what
she wants to do, whether it be in beauty influencing
or in life in general, what is she going to
walk away from? And what is this talent going to
(16:29):
give her? Are they going to be able to give
her what we want her to walk away from? But
most importantly, are we giving her what she needs? And
that's what I think is important. I think people forget that, Like,
stage moments aren't just about getting up there and talking
about yourself. It's all about who's sitting in there, who's
learning from you, and how are you making sure that
they can you know, hopefully become or be on the
(16:51):
panel or be on the stage the following year and
years to come.
Speaker 3 (17:06):
Now, when it comes to some of the other brands,
like the brands that you partner with, you know, in
the different organizations that get involved, how do you make
sure that those align with the culture that you're trying
to build as well as the goals for Girls United.
Speaker 1 (17:18):
Yeah, partners are super important, right. They make the world
go around because they're helping bring the dollars to make
sure that events like this happen. And what we look
for in partners, and what we are very explicit with
our partners in is that this is about our community.
You know, you can't just come in and say, oh,
I just want to target young black girls but not
(17:38):
actually provide for them. And so we really challenge them
and we make sure that they're coming in and they're
showing up in a way that is authentic to this
audience that's unique and also is going to give them
the tools that they're asking for and the resources that
they're asking for, Which is why speed Mentoring is one
of my favorite segments, is because you're giving these young
(18:00):
girls access to somebody that they would not normally have
access to. We've had a couple of you know, big
partners and their recruiting agencies or their recruiting talent or
the recruiting employees come and mentor these girls and speed mentoring,
and so that's what we really looked for in a partner,
Somebody that is willing and is able to again just
(18:23):
be authentic and provide as much of value. And I
know I keep on saying value, but value is so important,
especially because this audience doesn't really receive that from partners
or from the world as a whole.
Speaker 3 (18:36):
Yeah, you know, I had a funny moment. I was
sitting down because I you know, I'm old, so I
had to sit down for a second. I was sitting
I didn't know I was in the speed mentoring section,
and a line started for him, and then somebody mentioned that,
oh that's Brandon from butter atl And like all of
a sudden, I was like speed mentoring. I was like,
oh no, no, I'm just I'm just here. You got
I got mobbed a little bit, so, you know, but
(18:58):
I think I gave him some good advice. But I'll
I've very quickly got the way and let the real
mentors get in. But just saying, you know, if y'all
need somebody, I've always do.
Speaker 1 (19:06):
Yes, we do, Trusman. We are always looking for mentors always.
Speaker 3 (19:11):
Have you Have you had any mentors that have specifically
like really helped you or kind of jump out over
the years.
Speaker 1 (19:15):
Yeah, I would say that I've had a lot, and
I think mentors willso in different ways in different areas.
So I think definitely what's been super helpful throughout the
years has been obviously having a great family. You know,
my dad has definitely served as a as a mentor.
Also a lot of like my coaches, have served as mentors.
(19:36):
And also I think there's peer to peer mentors that
is something that we don't talk about. I think a
great quote is when Isa Ray talks about, you know,
networking also across and networking with your peers, and that
has also been something that has been very helpful as well.
You know, I'm lucky to live in a city like
New York, and I'm able to be in cities like Atlanta,
(19:58):
you know, in LA and I think that peer to
peer mentorship has also been helpful as well. And kind
of going through it together.
Speaker 2 (20:05):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (20:06):
And look, speaking of going through it, I mean building
a business and the brand is tough. And one thing
I like to kind of ask people is, you know,
how has your leadership style changed since you've been you know,
running this brand and like taking all these new challenges.
Speaker 2 (20:18):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (20:19):
I think my leadership style has always evolved. I think
with just learnings, I think the way that you become
a better leader is also by learning, and also it's
like understanding when you became a leader. I think that
there was a very definitive moment for me where I
realized I was a leader and it wasn't just in
you know, in work in the worksphere. And for me,
(20:41):
that was a very vivid moment because I think at
that at that time and in that second.
Speaker 4 (20:46):
I realized that my life was about leadership and being
that and being the best that I can be in
that and also most importantly the sacrifices that come with that,
because people always think that being a leader is only
about the great things, but they're also taking responsibility when
things aren't going great, and that has really been for me.
Speaker 1 (21:09):
You know, understanding throughout time is going through the hardships
and that's when you find out more about your leadership style.
So I always go back to that moment of when
I realized I was a leader and I accepted that
I was a leader and all that came with it.
And so anytime you know, things are getting rough or
things are getting tough, you know, I kind of reflect
(21:30):
back on that moment because for me, that was a
moment of you know, me being very prideful in that
and me really accepting it. And I think that's how
my leadership style has really changed, is just through the
learning lessons, through the ups, through the downs, but also
as I navigate life and get to meet other leaders
and pull what I like from other leaders and also
(21:52):
understand what I don't like from other leaders, and you
know that there's a lot of leaders that are sometimes
not the best leaders or can lead in a better way. Also, history,
history is a I'm a huge history nerd, So I
mean when you look at just history throughout right, you
look at like Napoleon, you look at all our presidents.
I think it's also about understanding as well people before
(22:16):
you and around you, and being a student of that.
Speaker 3 (22:20):
Yeah, I mean, there's nothing new under the sun. I
always tell people, you know, experience is one of the
best teachers. It's just the one you don't like a
lot of times, especially when you're going through the experience. Yeah,
but on the flip side, you're like, you know what,
I actually learned something from that, so I guess it
was good. Look, this has been an amazing conversation. Before
we got out here, I just want to ask, like,
what's the piece of advice that you would give to,
(22:41):
you know, young women dealing with things like imposter syndrome
while also trying to navigate this idea of like culture
and business and building something for themselves.
Speaker 1 (22:49):
Yeah, I think imposter syndrome. I think one realizing that
everybody has imposter syndrome, that has been something that is
even eye opening for me, as you know, I navigate life,
as I navigate the industry, as I also you have
the exposure to you know, whether it be leaders, whether
it be you know, artists, whether it be people that
you think they have it all together, they really don't.
(23:11):
And I think that's very helpful, and that everybody is
going through that and everybody's going through that journey. And
as you deal with imposter syndrome, I think it's important
to remind yourself of what your goals are, but most
importantly being grounded in your values who you are, what
you are, and what you represent, and keeping your mind
on that and keeping your eyes set on that. Nothing
(23:32):
can deter you from what you're trying to achieve in
your goals if you just are maniacal and focusing on that.
Speaker 3 (23:40):
Absolutely, Rachelle, this has been the amazing conversation thank you
so much for joining the pot Before we get out
of here, how can people find out more about you know,
Girls United and support the mission that you all are
working on.
Speaker 1 (23:51):
Yeah, so you guys can follow Girls United on us
since gu underscore, that's where we post a lot about
what's going on. You know, they're in the brand also
just from culture entrepreneurship overall. And then also you know,
you can keep up with me. I do my best
to make sure that I also reach out to everybody
(24:12):
if anybody has any questions about Girls United, about the
media space, you know, I just really try to make
myself as available as possible.
Speaker 3 (24:20):
That's amazing. Well, Rachelle, congratulations on everything that you've built
and are building. Congratulations on another successful event and we
really appreciate you joining the button Nomics podcast and that's
the pod.
Speaker 1 (24:31):
Thank you for having me.
Speaker 3 (24:33):
Thank you you've been listening to buttter Nomics and I'm
your host, Brandon Butler. Comments feedback. Want to be a
part of the show, send us an email today at
hello at butterdomics dot com. Butter Nomics is produced in Atlanta,
Georgia at iHeartMedia by Ramsey, with marketing support from Queen
and naked music provided by mister Hanky. If you haven't already,
hit that subscribe button and never missed an episode, and
(24:55):
be sure to follow us on all our social platforms
at butter dot atl to put Anomics on the iHeartRadio app,
Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
We don't look for a follower account for me. That
is something that is really outdated, right. Follower count is
not also a great indicator of the value that you
bring for me. It's again how much value you bring
to our audience. Is our audience going to walk away
with something? Also? What is your unique perspective in point
of view? There's a whole bunch of influencers. There's a
(00:21):
surplus of influencers that how are you standing out? What
is something that's unique that you bring.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Here?
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Everybody, Welcome to another episode of Button Nomics. I'm your host,
Brandon Butler, founder and CEO of Butter atl And today
we have a very very special guest with us, Miss
Rachelle Dennis, the founder of Essence. Gu gu stands for
Girls United. Rachelle, how you doing today?
Speaker 1 (00:46):
I'm good? How are you.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
Fills any better? I'd be you, he said, So, how's
everything going in your world?
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Good?
Speaker 1 (00:54):
You know, we just wrapped up Girls United Summit or
Disruptor Summit. So it's been great, you know to see
all of the hard work and truition all the team
were for all the late nights and see everything come
to life and just foreig into our community and we
were able to.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
Yeah, it was an amazing experience. So tell me, like,
how did that get started?
Speaker 1 (01:13):
Yeah? So funny enough, what really started Girls United was
us coming together in the Essence office and Essence being
around for fifty years, it's been about how do we
now talk to the next generation of young women that.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
Deserved what Essence was for our aunts, for our grandmothers,
for our moms, and a lot of the youth and
the organization that were either fresh out of college and
in their first job or there.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
Right in trying to figure out what the stuffs of
their life were. We just came together and we're like,
let's figure out how we speak to this audience. And
Girls as United was born.
Speaker 3 (01:50):
Absolutely. Now, I always love the story of how brands
are born. When that all you had, that conversation, kind
of had that meeting. How does you come up with
a name like Girls United? Did it just kind of
jumped out? Is that the kind of the overarching essence
of what you want to do is bring people together?
Like from the very beginning, how did y'all even start that?
Speaker 1 (02:06):
The way that the name even came together was really
based off of a partnership that we did with All
to Beauty, where five girls were selected to do a
makeup colluction that was sold an alta then they got
ten thousand dollars in scholarship money. So it really to
us spoke to the ethos of what we were trying
to accomplish and what we were trying to most importantly
(02:26):
accomplish together and really uniting what we see as being
the next audience, a group of girls that you know,
are coming together and making their wildest dreams come true together.
Speaker 3 (02:39):
Yeah. Absolutely, And the theme for Girls United was is
next Era? Is that correct? Like? How do you come
up with that theme? And what does next Era mean
to you all?
Speaker 1 (02:47):
Yeah? And so I challenge my team every single day
to really understand that whatever theme or whatever you know,
we are going by tagline, that it really speaks to
this audience and really just by you know, saying next era,
it really represents what you're stepping into. You know, what
is the next form of you? What's the higher elevation
(03:09):
of you? And so that's kind of what next Era
really spoke to us about. And all of us are
entering a new era, whether it be with family, whether
it be with friends, whether it be in your career,
whether it be in work, So it was really important
for us to highlight and emphasize that.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
Yeah. Now, one of the things we talk about on
betteron Nomics is, you know people that are you know,
leveraging culture to help build brands and amazing businesses. For
a brand like you know, essence to you, how do
y'all kind of authentically tap into culture to help do
relevant things to your audience to kind of connect with
the people that you want to connect with.
Speaker 1 (03:41):
Yeah, I think anything as as I know that you
as you've been building betteron Nomics, it's been important for
us to really just keep an ear on the ground
and not really operate from the mindset or the aspect
that everything is just internal. It's really about speaking to
our audience, connecting with them, whether that be on soul,
whether that be in person, whether that be on our
(04:03):
digital platforms, and really understanding what they're gravitating towards what
they're most importantly looking for, you know, what they need,
and making sure that we're super serving them in that
way and that we're really talking to them and really
able to get into experience and get into their shoes
about what's going on in their world. So that's been
very important for us, and that's something that we always
(04:25):
need with and we don't ever make a decision based
off of what we think. We in a lot of
ways treat it as what what do you learn in it?
What is it? The scientific method, hypothesis, all that fun stuff.
A control group, an experimental group, and that's how we
like to look at anything and how we solve problems
(04:47):
and make sure that our audience is well taken care of.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
Yeah, you got to be honest, though, I do think that,
you know, having a brand that's been around for fifty
years like Essence, probably gives you a few you know
a little bit of heads up on and things, and
the kind of you know, helps you get an advantage
like how do you tap into the learnings and the
history and the you know, the authenticity of Essence over
the years to help launch this new thing.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
And so tapping into it has been something that has
as much as it's been helpful, I think it's also
been something that has also been a challenge because you're
also expanding the mindset and the reach of you know
what this organization has been so focused on for so long,
and that's been right serving black women. But as you know,
as we all know, is that black women are also multifaceted.
(05:32):
We're not monolithic. And also, with this new generation coming
up and with gen Z, technology has now brought us
to a place where we're more connected than ever. We're
more in the know than ever, We're more in touch
with places and things all around the world more than ever.
And so, you know, I think it's been for us
(05:52):
really understanding how Essence has operated four fifty years being
just a publication, but then understanding that this new generation
everything is very digital, everything is social media driven, everything
is very online, and so you know, using elements that
Essence has utilized, like text, like print, but also leveraging
(06:15):
different things like social media and in real life connections
IRL to really make sure that we're getting to this audience.
So it's been a challenge, you know, but it's been
something that has really helped us and we've just been
able to use to our advantage.
Speaker 3 (06:30):
Yeah. Now, Essence is a family business. For you, you
know that that's the family. I'm sure you've learned a
lot over the years. You know, you've seen, you know,
how your father has run the business and how he's
kind of grown it into this and this is this huge,
amazing brand over the years. But like being so close
and kind of seeing how these things have run, how's
that influenced how you've run, you know, the brand of
a Girls United.
Speaker 1 (06:51):
Yeah, I think it's been a whole bunch of different experiences.
You know, from a young age being in a family business,
and no matter what that business is, whether it's in beauty,
whether it's in media, it's always been something to really
or you really take a lot of key learnings from
because essentially right brand building is very similar in a
(07:14):
lot of these different industries. No matter what you do,
it's all about how you make people feel. It's also
about making sure that you're producing the best product possible
for your audience or for whoever it is that you are,
you know, trying to capture. I will even say that
a lot of my experiences and how I run Girls
United and how I run the brand has been really
(07:34):
fueled by my background and gymnastics, and you know, just
the leadership capabilities that you have to take on, the
discipline that you have to take on, the responsibilities that
you have to take on with competing at such a
high level. So all of those different experiences have impacted
the way that I lead and push the brand forward.
Speaker 3 (08:05):
Now, how does that translate Again, you were a gymnast
for years, You've practiced that at the highest levels, you know,
how how do you think those lessons kind of translate
into leadership and run into business.
Speaker 1 (08:16):
Yeah, and those are really key things that I think
have been really important. And as we talk about right
athletes making the transition from sports, because you can't be
an athlete forever, and that's always been something that's been
drilled in me. You can't be an athlete forever. You
cannot continue to compete sometimes at as high of a
level as you do, especially in a sport like gymnastics.
(08:40):
So what it really has contributed to me is the discipline,
It's the focus, it's you know, even being and understanding
that you're not always going to be on top, you know,
competing against also the best in the world, Like I've
competed against some own biles at a young age. You know,
I've competed against a lot of amazing gymnasts. And because
(09:01):
you know, I didn't go to the Olympics, does not
mean that that was a failure or doesn't mean that
that was something that or the highest level that I
didn't accomplish. That means that just that's something that I
can now use and I'm able to now bring to
whatever is that I do next, and that happens to
be the world of business, in the world of media.
(09:21):
So you know, I think that's what it really has
taught me is to really just keep your head down
and really to be focused on essentially what your goal
is and work backwards from there.
Speaker 3 (09:31):
Now I got to ask, because I don't I think
you the only person I know this going hit the
hit against folks like some mobiles. What specifically did you
compete in?
Speaker 4 (09:38):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (09:38):
So I competed in all four events. So throughout school,
throughout high school, throughout middle school, elementary school, you compete
all of the events, and then when you get to
colleges when you're able to kind of choose where you
want to compete or you know your best and your
strongest events. So I competed all for so for bars,
(10:01):
vault up until college, and then I really focused on
bars floor.
Speaker 3 (10:06):
And being okay. So you know that that's the that's
the hard stuff right there. You know, I've seen the Olympics,
I've seen how everybody moves around. I've seen all that
stuff going. You think you're kind of you know, juggling
or balancing the same stuff now as you're running Girls
United or you know which which one is harder?
Speaker 1 (10:21):
Is?
Speaker 3 (10:21):
Is gymnastics harder? Is running? And building a brand harder
to you?
Speaker 2 (10:26):
Oooh?
Speaker 1 (10:26):
So you know, I think about this all the time.
And what's so crazy is that I think doing gymnastics
is much harder. The reason being it's it's not only
just a mental sport. It's very it's actually much more
mental than people think. But it's a physical sport and
a lot of times the physical is driven by the
mental rather than vice versa. And so I would say
(10:47):
that definitely gymnastics is much harder. You're also putting your
body through a lot. I don't think anybody competes feeling
one hundred percent or having their body feel one hundred percent,
Whereas you know, I think with work, although you might
not feel one hundred percent, I think there's better ways
that you can fake it, But gymnastics not so much,
because you will you will probably not have a great day.
(11:11):
And there's been a lot of face plants in my life.
Speaker 3 (11:15):
Now you know, I was an athlete too. Definitely wasn't
as good as you. I can already tell it. I
wasn't in gymnastics. I played baseball. But I would always
have a song that I would listen to when if
I got in the zone, or even when I do
certain business stuff, you know, when I have a meeting
or a big presentation, I like to kind of listen
to a song. What's your ready to get in the
zone song? Like what's your track?
Speaker 1 (11:35):
Okay, So at one point it was Lose Yourself. I
think that is like, hands down, one of the greatest
competitive songs that you can have in your headphones before
you go out to a competition. And then I think
it would probably be some Future. I think Future definitely
really gets you pumped up and hyped up to go
out and just really accomplish whatever it is that you're
(11:57):
trying to accomplish.
Speaker 3 (11:58):
Okay, so now we know, you know, before you ready
to walk into that meeting. Now you turn a little future.
I do the same thing. Look I turned on some
Future before I walk into somebody's meeting. Some of these conversations,
it gets the energy going, gets you each your ready
to go in there and perform right at your highest level.
We all need that kind of stuff. That's what the
culture does for us exactly.
Speaker 1 (12:15):
March Madness.
Speaker 3 (12:17):
Oh you know, I was telling somebody the other day,
you know, my birthday is March first, and I said,
you know what, I feel like that song is for me.
So I always played March Madness on March first.
Speaker 1 (12:25):
Shout at the future, definitely shout out to the future,
because that is that is going down in history books
as I think the greatest song of all time.
Speaker 3 (12:33):
Oh see, you know whatever, should I knew you? I
knew you was witted. That's what I'm talking about. That's
what I'm talking about now. As you as you've been building,
you know, Girls United, would have been some just like
moments where you kind of took a step back and said, wow,
this is an amazing moment. Have it just been any
kind of you know, greatest hits or just moments it
really made you, you know, just excited about what was
kind of happening, but also what the future starting to
(12:54):
look like.
Speaker 1 (12:55):
Yeah, I think anytime we're on the ground, anytime not
you know, we're in summon and we actually get to
interact with our audience. Most importantly, what they walk away
with everything that we do and anything that we continue
to do is always we want to make sure that
we're providing value to our audience so that they're walking
away with something. So I would say it's a lot
of times, even the people that are on our stages,
(13:17):
it's their first big moment on a stage, it's their
first panel, or it's their first time moderating something, and
so being able to give that opportunity to young people
is to me, really what we do it for and
what I do it for. And giving them the ability
to see something in themselves and have other people see
that with them has been what I look forward to
(13:40):
every single time. And giving them the ability to have
the access to whether it be the speed mentors, or
whether it be the workshops, or whether it be the
people that they just happen to run into the room with,
that for me is what really lets me know that
this is what we're doing is worth it. And even
from a big level, right like some of the the
talent that we have on our stage, a lot of
(14:02):
them go viral afterwards, right or a lot of them
sign record deals after So that has been something that
has always been one of the main focuses for me
and what I really love because for me, that's like, Wow,
we were able to help them in the journey and
help them enter into their next era.
Speaker 3 (14:19):
Yeah, and when it comes to you know, those people
that you all partner with from an influencer standpoint or
however they're involved in the organization, Like, what are some
of the things y'all look for for people to know
that it's not just about how many followers you have, right,
It's about impact.
Speaker 1 (14:32):
I love that you asked that question because this is
something that I think we always deal with all the time.
Everybody wants to be on the stages, everybody wants to
moderate or be on a panel, and we don't look
for follower account. For me, that is something that is
really outdated, right, Follower account is not also a great
indicator of the value that you bring. For me, it's
(14:55):
again how much value you bring to our audience. Is
our audience going to walk away with thing? Also, what
is your unique perspective in point of view? There's a
whole bunch of influencers as a surplus of influencers that
how are you standing out? What is something that's unique
that you bring? Also, how are you connecting with us
year round. You know, being a digital platform, we have
(15:17):
so much that's going on. We also do so much,
whether it be on our site, whether it be on
social So it's also how do you continue to engage
with us. We get these all these requests and we
have to pick out and shovel through all of them.
So again, right, like, what what is it that you're
bringing to the table, But most importantly, what is it
that you're bringing for our audience and the value that
you're bringing for them?
Speaker 3 (15:38):
Yeah? I love that. I mean I go to a
lot of events, a lot of panels, a lot of festivals,
and I think sometimes we lean in a little bit
too heavy on the motivational stuff. Yeah, and that was
one of the things I really appreciated about this event
is that the people that you all had up there
were kind of speaking on a very tactical level too.
I think, you know, to be able to kind of
technically say like I did this, or you should do that,
(15:58):
or these are the steps in value that people always
kind of get. Is that something that you all intentionally
try to make sure that those you know, people that
come on and be a part of it, you know,
communicate to the audiences.
Speaker 1 (16:07):
Yeah, that's exactly what we do. And any time we're
going through okay, what are the talking points we always
think of it? What do we want our audience to
walk away from? If this girl is here and she
wants to be an influencer or she's figuring out what
she wants to do, whether it be in beauty influencing
or in life in general, what is she going to
walk away from? And what is this talent going to
(16:29):
give her? Are they going to be able to give
her what we want her to walk away from? But
most importantly, are we giving her what she needs? And
that's what I think is important. I think people forget that, Like,
stage moments aren't just about getting up there and talking
about yourself. It's all about who's sitting in there, who's
learning from you, and how are you making sure that
they can you know, hopefully become or be on the
(16:51):
panel or be on the stage the following year and
years to come.
Speaker 3 (17:06):
Now, when it comes to some of the other brands,
like the brands that you partner with, you know, in
the different organizations that get involved, how do you make
sure that those align with the culture that you're trying
to build as well as the goals for Girls United.
Speaker 1 (17:18):
Yeah, partners are super important, right. They make the world
go around because they're helping bring the dollars to make
sure that events like this happen. And what we look
for in partners, and what we are very explicit with
our partners in is that this is about our community.
You know, you can't just come in and say, oh,
I just want to target young black girls but not
(17:38):
actually provide for them. And so we really challenge them
and we make sure that they're coming in and they're
showing up in a way that is authentic to this
audience that's unique and also is going to give them
the tools that they're asking for and the resources that
they're asking for, Which is why speed Mentoring is one
of my favorite segments, is because you're giving these young
(18:00):
girls access to somebody that they would not normally have
access to. We've had a couple of you know, big
partners and their recruiting agencies or their recruiting talent or
the recruiting employees come and mentor these girls and speed mentoring,
and so that's what we really looked for in a partner,
Somebody that is willing and is able to again just
(18:23):
be authentic and provide as much of value. And I
know I keep on saying value, but value is so important,
especially because this audience doesn't really receive that from partners
or from the world as a whole.
Speaker 3 (18:36):
Yeah, you know, I had a funny moment. I was
sitting down because I you know, I'm old, so I
had to sit down for a second. I was sitting
I didn't know I was in the speed mentoring section,
and a line started for him, and then somebody mentioned that,
oh that's Brandon from butter atl And like all of
a sudden, I was like speed mentoring. I was like,
oh no, no, I'm just I'm just here. You got
I got mobbed a little bit, so, you know, but
(18:58):
I think I gave him some good advice. But I'll
I've very quickly got the way and let the real
mentors get in. But just saying, you know, if y'all
need somebody, I've always do.
Speaker 1 (19:06):
Yes, we do, Trusman. We are always looking for mentors always.
Speaker 3 (19:11):
Have you Have you had any mentors that have specifically
like really helped you or kind of jump out over
the years.
Speaker 1 (19:15):
Yeah, I would say that I've had a lot, and
I think mentors willso in different ways in different areas.
So I think definitely what's been super helpful throughout the
years has been obviously having a great family. You know,
my dad has definitely served as a as a mentor.
Also a lot of like my coaches, have served as mentors.
(19:36):
And also I think there's peer to peer mentors that
is something that we don't talk about. I think a
great quote is when Isa Ray talks about, you know,
networking also across and networking with your peers, and that
has also been something that has been very helpful as well.
You know, I'm lucky to live in a city like
New York, and I'm able to be in cities like Atlanta,
(19:58):
you know, in LA and I think that peer to
peer mentorship has also been helpful as well. And kind
of going through it together.
Speaker 2 (20:05):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (20:06):
And look, speaking of going through it, I mean building
a business and the brand is tough. And one thing
I like to kind of ask people is, you know,
how has your leadership style changed since you've been you know,
running this brand and like taking all these new challenges.
Speaker 2 (20:18):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (20:19):
I think my leadership style has always evolved. I think
with just learnings, I think the way that you become
a better leader is also by learning, and also it's
like understanding when you became a leader. I think that
there was a very definitive moment for me where I
realized I was a leader and it wasn't just in
you know, in work in the worksphere. And for me,
(20:41):
that was a very vivid moment because I think at
that at that time and in that second.
Speaker 4 (20:46):
I realized that my life was about leadership and being
that and being the best that I can be in
that and also most importantly the sacrifices that come with that,
because people always think that being a leader is only
about the great things, but they're also taking responsibility when
things aren't going great, and that has really been for me.
Speaker 1 (21:09):
You know, understanding throughout time is going through the hardships
and that's when you find out more about your leadership style.
So I always go back to that moment of when
I realized I was a leader and I accepted that
I was a leader and all that came with it.
And so anytime you know, things are getting rough or
things are getting tough, you know, I kind of reflect
(21:30):
back on that moment because for me, that was a
moment of you know, me being very prideful in that
and me really accepting it. And I think that's how
my leadership style has really changed, is just through the
learning lessons, through the ups, through the downs, but also
as I navigate life and get to meet other leaders
and pull what I like from other leaders and also
(21:52):
understand what I don't like from other leaders, and you
know that there's a lot of leaders that are sometimes
not the best leaders or can lead in a better way. Also, history,
history is a I'm a huge history nerd, So I
mean when you look at just history throughout right, you
look at like Napoleon, you look at all our presidents.
I think it's also about understanding as well people before
(22:16):
you and around you, and being a student of that.
Speaker 3 (22:20):
Yeah, I mean, there's nothing new under the sun. I
always tell people, you know, experience is one of the
best teachers. It's just the one you don't like a
lot of times, especially when you're going through the experience. Yeah,
but on the flip side, you're like, you know what,
I actually learned something from that, so I guess it
was good. Look, this has been an amazing conversation. Before
we got out here, I just want to ask, like,
what's the piece of advice that you would give to,
(22:41):
you know, young women dealing with things like imposter syndrome
while also trying to navigate this idea of like culture
and business and building something for themselves.
Speaker 1 (22:49):
Yeah, I think imposter syndrome. I think one realizing that
everybody has imposter syndrome, that has been something that is
even eye opening for me, as you know, I navigate life,
as I navigate the industry, as I also you have
the exposure to you know, whether it be leaders, whether
it be you know, artists, whether it be people that
you think they have it all together, they really don't.
(23:11):
And I think that's very helpful, and that everybody is
going through that and everybody's going through that journey. And
as you deal with imposter syndrome, I think it's important
to remind yourself of what your goals are, but most
importantly being grounded in your values who you are, what
you are, and what you represent, and keeping your mind
on that and keeping your eyes set on that. Nothing
(23:32):
can deter you from what you're trying to achieve in
your goals if you just are maniacal and focusing on that.
Speaker 3 (23:40):
Absolutely, Rachelle, this has been the amazing conversation thank you
so much for joining the pot Before we get out
of here, how can people find out more about you know,
Girls United and support the mission that you all are
working on.
Speaker 1 (23:51):
Yeah, so you guys can follow Girls United on us
since gu underscore, that's where we post a lot about
what's going on. You know, they're in the brand also
just from culture entrepreneurship overall. And then also you know,
you can keep up with me. I do my best
to make sure that I also reach out to everybody
(24:12):
if anybody has any questions about Girls United, about the
media space, you know, I just really try to make
myself as available as possible.
Speaker 3 (24:20):
That's amazing. Well, Rachelle, congratulations on everything that you've built
and are building. Congratulations on another successful event and we
really appreciate you joining the button Nomics podcast and that's
the pod.
Speaker 1 (24:31):
Thank you for having me.
Speaker 3 (24:33):
Thank you you've been listening to buttter Nomics and I'm
your host, Brandon Butler. Comments feedback. Want to be a
part of the show, send us an email today at
hello at butterdomics dot com. Butter Nomics is produced in Atlanta,
Georgia at iHeartMedia by Ramsey, with marketing support from Queen
and naked music provided by mister Hanky. If you haven't already,
hit that subscribe button and never missed an episode, and
(24:55):
be sure to follow us on all our social platforms
at butter dot atl to put Anomics on the iHeartRadio app,
Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Host
Brandon Butler
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