June 30, 2020 • 29 mins
Towanda Braxton is known to the world as an internationally acclaimed singer, actress, entrepreneur, and executive television producer—best known for her current role as the star of WEtv's hit series, Braxton Family Values. The tight-knit Braxton sisters, Grammy-winning artist Toni Braxton, Traci, Towanda, Trina, and Tamar, and their headstrong mother share an inside look at their lives and the drama of family chaos. She is on the show to discuss her acting career and her new Ladybug Skincare - a new cosmetic line. The products are created for all skin types and give the user a youthful, natural, and refreshing glow. Please welcome to Money Making Conversations Towanda Braxton.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
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(01:04):
Hi I'm Rashan McDonald. I'm your host of Money Making Conversations.
Each Money Making Conversation Conversation talk show is about entrepreneurship
and entertainment. I provide the consumer and business owner access
to celebrities, CEOs, entrepreneurs, and interest decision makers. I recognize
that we all have different definitions of success. For some,
it's a sizeable paycheck. Mine is helping people wake up
(01:25):
and inspiring them to accomplish their goals and live their
very best life. These are my passion and that's what
I'm going to do for you. I want you to
stop tripping over small challenges and prepare to rise above
the bigger obstacles that life will present to you. The
Money Making Conversation interviews provide relatable information to the listening
about career and financial planning, entrepreneurship, motivation, leadership and overcoming
(01:46):
the odds, and how you should live a balanced life.
My next guest is known to the world as an
internationally acclaimed singer, actress, entrepreneur, and executive television producer, best
known for her current role as the start of we
TVs hit series Braxton Family Values. She's also an entrepreneur
of Ladybug Skincare new cosmetic line. That's where I really
(02:08):
got on the show. She's an entrepreneur of y'all. The
products are created for all skin types and gives the
user a young, natural and refreshing glow. Please work with
the money making conversation, my friend. To wind up, Braxton,
thank you for having you. Know, Tonta, I want to
just tell you, thank you for doing the show. And
the first time I want I was sitting in a
(02:29):
screening room and uh, it was a Misguided Behavior movie
makes I was screening that movie with a good friend
of my Sharon Thomlinson. It's a very good friend of mine.
Pray for her every day. And uh and so and
I said, who's that? Who's that? She says, Because I
don't look at reality shows all the time, I said, Now,
(02:49):
I formerly managed Steve Harvey, and I remember you guys
came into our studios in Atlanta and we interviewed you
guys as a group. We had all stacked up, some
of y'all in from all on the back road. So
I met you then, Okay, and so if I have
a little physical history of meeting you, and I go,
she said. I told her that I know. I told her,
(03:11):
just an acting debut, you need me on the stage
doing your things out there. So so you talk about that,
that's a love that I saw in you, a skill
I saw in you that surprised me. And and you know,
I'm a guy always looking for new talent, always looking
for different ways to to bring people to the forefront
(03:31):
of their their dreams. That's all I'm assuming acting, there's
a dream of yours. Talk about that the whole acting background,
because you get caught up in that reality the world
and people think that's all you want to do, that's
all you can't do because you're already known as a
notable singer. We'll just talking about the love for acting
to wander. Okay. So like back in the day when
I was a child, I used to always be in
(03:55):
all the elementary school plays. And then when I got
to junior high school, I was in all the plays then. Um,
and then you know, I always made sure I went
I didn't go against the grain when they came to
my family because singing with the family's business. Um. So
when when I went to college, I, UM, we did
(04:16):
what we said university. You talk about that so um,
and we did off Broadway show called String Girls, and
I played Larrell Um and this was in Maryland. And
(04:37):
then the director was also a professor at Howard University
UM and he was also a personal friend of the families.
And he never knew that I really wanted to act.
So when you know, he as the director, he always
called me by my character named Laurel. Did you did
you take any acting classes? And I was like, no, sir,
I never took any. He was like, are you kiddingly?
(04:59):
And I was like, sir. And all the actors that
he had in the play outside of me and my
sisters were from Howard University UM, and they were just
amaze that I never took any classes. He was like,
you have a raw talent. He said, Um, I want
to give you a theater scholarship at Howard University. And
I didn't take it. I turned it down because for one,
(05:23):
like I said, I was in the family's business. In
the family's businesses singing, although my passion and my love
was acting. Always you have a talent for thank you,
thank you, thank you. So I went ahead and did
the family thing. You know, we me, Tamar and Trina
signed with Air Airs. I'm sorry, I'm Atlantic Records. And
(05:45):
we tried. We we toured with muth of vans Ross
in al sitter Tony. So, I mean we had some
moderate success eat the overseas. Um. But I still really
wanted to act, so I took some I started taking
some acting class um in Atlanta. I mean, I was
really trying to own into my craft. Um. And then
(06:06):
I was accepted into a Leie Straussburg acting classes in
l A. Um, you can act okay when you arrest
that dude right there for a person and that right.
So I was really I was so excited that I
(06:28):
was a depted into that school. So I'm a good
friend of mine. He's like a brother, He's like one
of my male best friends in the business. Carl Payne.
He said yes, he said, come on see I got
this movie. I want you to be in this movie.
And um, I was like cool. And then and then
what I love about having friends like like Carl is
(06:50):
he didn't just have me in the movie just because
I was his friends, you know what I mean. I
had to I mean I had to work towards you know,
because but may being his friend and he was just
doing it as my friend. He would have made me
in the laite and he was like, no, this is
what you're gonna do. So he gave me a part
in the movie. Um. When I earned a part in
(07:10):
the movie, you get the time, right, earned, right? I
earned a part in the movie. And I was so
super super happy. Um, that was my That was the
first time that I've really got my feet wet um
as being an actor in the in the movie. When
I when I always talk about people on the show
(07:31):
about entertainment entrepreneurship, and I always tell people to value
and the importance of relationships. Okay, and this is this
is what I speak of when I say relationships because again,
you know we were talented, well get you so far?
I would tell relationships will keep you in the game. Okay. Yeah,
and this is what you could talk about the value
relationship not only just the opportunity you got with you know,
(07:53):
calling this movie, but also in the industry overall. How
to help you having been having a relation you shaver
having talent and extending you and giving you a career
in this business. Absolutely yes, So you know what, it's
one thing about just having the the um, I guess
the gift of where whether it's singing, act and producing
(08:16):
is one thing. Just to have that gift of being
able to do those things is another thing of how
you perceive yourself in front of individuals. And I always
say that the sto the toes that you step on
today may be connected to the ask you have to
kiss tomorrow. So you have to be extremely careful how
(08:36):
you treat people. You just have to, you know, I
know in in in the entertainment industry, people get on
your nerves. Everybody isn't always on the up and up
and people there are a lot of users, not just
an entertainment industry but across the board in the world. Um,
So you have to be careful. Um and you have
to be shocked as well. So it's very important to
(09:00):
maintain relationships. Just be nice to people. It doesn't take nothing,
just to smile and just to say thank you, um
and and those things will take you a long way.
Like um and it took me to another situation where
I've been. I'm very close friends with Terry Vaughan and
Cast Figgers, who who's an incredible writer. She's written Yes,
(09:23):
Yes and she and and Terry is she's an incredible
or phenomenal actor and she's a phenomenal director. Um so
I was able. I was able to um have an
opportunity to be in another movie and it was a
Christmas movie with David and Tammela. Man keep bragging. Really
(09:51):
embraced in the fact that this is something that I love.
So I get excited about you know. I mean I
talked about my music and I talked about singing with
my family, but I mean that's like second nature. That's
like greeting, you know, and that's something that was the
family's business, which is important, which is important, It's so important,
(10:11):
and that's why that's that's why I wanted to bring
that out because a lot of a lot of times
people they want to just label you on what they
know about you. And when I try to get money
making conversations allow my guests to have a conversation and
also to talk about the things that excite them because
like you know, I got my degree in mathematics, I
want to work for I bel it's just like you say,
you know, you know, family business singing, but that doesn't
(10:33):
necessarily Man, I was going to be working at ibing
for the rest of my life. So now you know,
it's time to explore what makes me happy, what motivates
me to get out of bed, and you have to
take rest. They're no, they're no guarantees. Now it's guarantee
you go on that stage and hit a note not
to wander. There's no guarantee you I'm saying. You know
(10:55):
what I'm saying. Nothing, that's a that's a gift, But
a gift doesn't necessarily mean that's your passion, right, you
got to speak on that. That's that's why I brought
you on the show. You didn't know why he was
coming on this show. You said, Okay, I hear by Rashi.
They got me schedule for this show. Money make comes in.
I'm gonna make this phone call and see what's going on.
(11:17):
You know, just the promotion. But I can't tell everybody
but your story, your story of a motivation and story
about following your truths. And that's where it all. It
is about your truths. But you know, when the business
making money, so we're do some things to make money
to pay the bills. But remember, in the end, before
you die, before you before you give up hope, at
(11:39):
least try to participating what you really wanted to do.
And so so when I saw you a miss guy
to behavior, I started smile as I said, yeah, I
remember she came with Steve Harvey. She I had a
booked on our show and that the first time I
mentioned it was a casual meeting. And then to see
you there because because to me, reality shows it what
(11:59):
they all their their reality. You know what I'm saying
there there some of the ways are improvised and some
of them over arched. I'm not saying your show, but
something in general and so so. But that's not acting.
And so when I say a naturally talented person skilled
look comfortable, because I know the difficultures of acting. When
I look at acting, I go wow. I really appreciate
(12:21):
people who can translate words because I did to come
to come from Jamie Foxx, the Parkers, such the Suster.
So I've seen my words come to life a lot, right,
and so to see you do that to want to
don't stop, please, don't stop. Thank you, thank you, thank
you for saying that. Thank you. You'll be right back
(12:42):
on the Lady, I'm gonna go to this break. We're
gonna go to this break. I gotta talk about your
entrepreneur career and also just talk about you though, what
did you gain and the lessons you learned of doing
a reality series and things like that. But just this
to the standpoint of its just a career, because we
all know that's a stepping stone and you to bigger
steps and higher steps on that ladder. We'll be right
(13:03):
back with our friend now too. I call him a
friend that because she know who she was calling. Sean
McDonald's all boy, Okay, be right back. It's finally here,
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E R dot ai. This is Rashan McDonald and you're
listening to money making conversations. I'm interviewing one of the
(15:16):
you know, stars of the series of Braxton Family Values.
But also she's an entrepreneur. But I did in order
to have a path to success, you've got to create
a resume. We talked about in the first half about
her love for acting. We got excited and we joked about.
We talked about relationships, but more importantly it's about family.
And she's also as an HBCU. She went to HBCU
(15:37):
school Booie State and I always talk I would like
to stop the show for a minute because I'm an advocate.
I did not go to an hbc U, but that
doesn't stop me from being an advocate and promoting HBCU
is because of the fact that the contributions that they
bring to us that a lot of people don't recognize
on the regular basis. Please tell us about attending HBCU.
(15:57):
Why you recommend you know, individual used to go to
Black and White male female to go to HBCUs. Well,
you know what, first of all, um, when I was
growing up and I went to in my secondary schools,
it was predominantly white. And I have to say it that, Um,
I know this is gonna sound bad to say, but culturally, um,
(16:20):
it was a cultural shock for me to even go
to Boois State University because I saw so many of
my people. But I think it's so important, um, for
us to embrace HBCUs, to support hbc USED, because that's
how we learn. We learned from other individuals, that's in
our own culture, you know. And that I learned so
(16:42):
much stuff that I didn't learn when I was in
school because of course they don't teach everything. And you
know your secondary schools. I mean I learned about the
isis paper. I learned. I mean, I just started reading
stuff I had no idea about, um, and then just
culturally read blas. Black people were party different we speak differently,
(17:02):
we support differently. And I just think that that's so
important to go to an HBCU and I pledged. I'm
a data and I'm a sick a sweetheart. Yeah nine member, Okay,
you're talking to man right now, right, so right, I
(17:24):
think we're going for and then and then the reason
that I even pledged data UM is because I went
to this UM. I went to this nonprofit dinner and
I had no idea that was sponsored by the Bloom
White family, that Nickolasburg and m Mayor Barry was there.
(17:44):
I mean, there was so many prominent people there because
I'm from the DNB area, UM and the dinner was
NBC and baby Face despot. You just went because of
baby Face was performing. I got tickets, you know, and
he get to the table. So baby Face was performing.
After seven was there, Cavan and um Eldar there was performing.
And then they started talking about a lot of a
(18:05):
lot of men with high pitched voices were performing. That's
all talking about or you know how Lasky kids in
the board of Babies and all of that. And I
had no idea that the Blue and White Family was
connected to those organizations. And I was like wow. And
(18:25):
I'm not a person who really brags about everything that
I do or you know, I don't always want to
paddle my back for supporting or helping someone, and that
was more of my personality. So I was like, oh
my god, I want to join the organization. And I
became Zeta and a single sweetheart. Congratulations. I always tell people,
you know, when I talk about hbc obcus across the
(18:47):
country and the only a role of the African American student,
and despite constitute only three percent for your colleges in
the country, HBC used produced eight of the black judges,
of the black lawyers, of the black doctors, of the
black engineers, of the black members of converenation, percent of
(19:08):
all black STEM graduates, and of the black CEOs in America.
That is why I needed to hear your story of Towanda,
because it's in that mix that we need to keep
telling people when every year talking about we need to
why we funding h b c us, Do you know
how you have to? What else do we have? Really? Um?
(19:28):
And then another thing is I don't agree with like
some of these acus, like why are they falling apart?
Why are they falling by the wayside? Because even Boi
State University, who was the first teacher's college in Maryland
might add black, sorry, the first black now it is
under the University of Maryland system, and I'm like, how
(19:48):
did it happens? Right? Well, you know I think that
that's why I'm really promoting, and I got some things
on the work said, I'm gonna be announcing in the
month of August just to shine more light. And it's
like anything you know, you don't know about Ohio State,
you don't know a boy Marylands because people's promoted and
this brand has to be promoted and signed the light
of success. Like those numbers that I'm talking about, they
(20:11):
need to be shinned on a regular basis, not only
just the African Americans, but to the world and people go, really,
what kind of education that they're doing over there, education
that your kids can go to, your kids can go
through because it's a it's the it's HBCUs are tied
to diversity, and that's something that a lot of people
don't admit to happening. And so and so in twenty
(20:32):
eleven when when they was like a really strategized campaign
to try to diminish the accomplishments of HBCUs and hurt HBCUs.
And so my motivation now is like, okay with Sean,
you know this is what you do. You're marking in
brain and so whenever I have a fantastic person who's
attending an HPCU like you, I always just like carve
(20:54):
out a moment in the show. Do you think you're
tap dance ball? Come on, do you think they're th
HBC moment? What's sure about to do with that? I'm
gonna set aside my time for h B C U
S and it's gonna get bigg to wander now that
I know, Now that I know, blue and white, blue white,
you can. You can be here from your boy. But
(21:15):
before we get out here, I'll be remiss. What I
if I don't talk about your entrepreneurship and if let's
let's let's talk about first of all, um, you know
we talked about acting. Now we're gonna talk about Ladybug skincare. Yeah,
let's let's let's set to to Wanda's deemed itself as
responsible for you know, okay, acne, dull skin and other
(21:36):
skin impurities. It's a new cosmetic cosmetic line. What inspired
you to do this? Because you're naturally attractive, You got
good skin, like they said, God gave it to you. Okay,
I didn't have to work hard. You're the women that
don't have to work hard for our face. Okay, wake
our face all good? Okay, But everybody not like you
okay to Wanda, exactly exact free. Um. You know, I've
(22:02):
always been a person who didn't really drink water. I
don't like drinking. Oh my god, bless your heart. It
tastes like askering to But I always wanted my skin
to look amazing. Um. So I met with Miss Charlotte Wilson,
who is the skin god. Like she's incredible with skin,
(22:22):
like she does Porsche skin. She does. Um, Um, what'sn't
a black China skin who's entire skin is impaccable. Um,
she does Lisa Ray skin. Her skin is like most
tallest uh Cynthia Billy. I mean she does everybody's skin.
And then I met up with Miss Charlotte and I
was like, I want my skin to look like like
(22:45):
I don't have any makeup and I don't want to
wear makeup like that anymore. And she was like, I
got you. Um, and she was like, to Wanta, do
you have good skin? Because all, like I said, I've
always been into skin, and I have skin and be
like most women when you go to when you see
a woman who has beautiful skin, you all is compliment her, like,
oh my god, just skin, it's beautiful. Um. So she
said let's do a line together. And I was like,
(23:06):
oh my god. I felt so honored that she was
willing to do a line with me, because, like I said,
she's a skin guy. Like that's amazing. Everybody wants to
do a line with Miss Charlotte. Um so Um. She
sent me some samples of different soaps and different combinations
of things, and um, we we came up with um
Ages Timeless. So it's a it's an anti aging um
(23:29):
skin care line. And I'm I'm a woman of a
particular age. Now I'm past forty. So I used to
have I used to I used to look like a
panda bear, like without bake up. I used to have
dark circles gonna make my eyes. And I thought it
was because I wasn't ctricular enough water, wasn't get enough rest.
But it was because my pigmentation and a little of
(23:51):
it is that her freditary. So my dad used to
have it. When he started using the Ladybug skin here,
he doesn't have dark circles anymore. That's my curse right there,
dark circle, you're telling me telling i'n get mad at
you because you're buying. I'm gonna gonna make purchase I'm
gonna make a purchase. You say that ladybugs can't care,
(24:15):
can give rid the dark circles, dark circles, Okay, okay,
I'm sorry. Circles and and and then it get rid
of some of the fine lines and wrinkles, doesn't around
your eyes. That happens after you become a particular age
um and then it were you and nat and it
restores and it takes away a layer of the dead
skin that you've been carrying around for so long that
you did not know that you were carrying around because
(24:37):
you you know, you were exfoliating, but you weren't exfoliating
properly with the right ingredients. Again, the lady bucks can't
here is all natural? Yeah, because you know I used mirror.
I used mirror, and you know when I used you know,
so you know, and that's expensive. Okay, So it's not
a portion of it. It's not a question of money
with me. It's right getting the right product that that
(24:57):
you know, just kind of hold back some days. I
gets just hold back some days off my face. That's all.
I was just trying to hold back some days. That's
all you want, Okay, And you're telling me I'm talking
to the queen. Ladybugs came there. I just talking just
we're gonna do. First of all, I'm gonna make an order.
But but I got to get the word out. I'm
not saying you don't have the word. Okay. I do
(25:18):
news every Friday, goes out at nine a m. Every
Friday to ninety thousand of my fans. Every every Friday,
Like last week, I had Yolanda Adams Huskin loads and
Venus and Venus Williams her beauty line. I had Kelly Rowlands,
and I had Erica Campbell her wig line in there.
(25:38):
So every four every week I feature four you know,
it's free. First of all, it's free. Let me just
lay and I feature four entrepreneurs. That's for my shots
about you know, entrepreneurship and entertainment and so and so.
I thought it would be cool to put you know,
friends of mine, other people I didn't know. But your
product is worth being it's the story being told out there.
And so if you can get to me banner and
(26:02):
a in a link or whatever you want to drive
it to, if you want to do, if you want
to say, or whatever you want to do, I would
put it in my newsletter. No charge has never been
a charge. It's not tied to a charge because Ladybugs
can't care. First of all, has me as a customer
right now. Okay, we'll just change them to wander. I
want them foolish people. Okay, when I like something, okay,
(26:25):
I my wife forgot. Well, we just stop buying stuff. Hey,
I like what I like? Okay, it's gonna love it.
I'm telling you, I have so many success stories and
it makes me smile because that's just doing your skin.
That's one thing that you can take by yourself and
(26:45):
what you're being the largest organ of your body and
it just happens to be on the outside of your body.
Why not make that one organ beautiful? You know, I'm
so excited about Ladybugs skint care. Um, I use it,
my family uses it. Tmarus it, you know, and you
already know Tamar the type person. Let me think the
(27:06):
country behind everybody don't know how country. Well, I'm gonna
just tell you this to one. You owe me a banner.
You got me as a customer album. I just want to,
first of all, thank you for coming on my show.
Because everybody's doing my show. I feel so blessed that
I get a person like you on my show and
other talent that's coming on my show and hearing about
(27:30):
my brand and hearing how I want to just tell
that story, but but also promote their brands and promote
what they're doing with their life. Besides the story that
everybody knows you have an open bank. You are an
HBCU grant, You are a member of the Divine None,
You are an entrepreneur, lady books, Think Care, and more importantly,
(27:52):
you are an actress. And thank you for coming on
my show with to one to Braxton. Thank you for
having you amazing. I mean, you know what that means.
But you gotta give me that better, gotta give me
that links I take care of I will. I'm a
call to make sure he send it to you. I
(28:13):
appreciate you. Stay safe now, Okay, thank you you too.
Thank you. If you want to hear more episodes of
Money Making Conversations, please go to Money Making Conversation dot com.
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(28:35):
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(01:04):
Hi I'm Rashan McDonald. I'm your host of Money Making Conversations.
Each Money Making Conversation Conversation talk show is about entrepreneurship
and entertainment. I provide the consumer and business owner access
to celebrities, CEOs, entrepreneurs, and interest decision makers. I recognize
that we all have different definitions of success. For some,
it's a sizeable paycheck. Mine is helping people wake up
(01:25):
and inspiring them to accomplish their goals and live their
very best life. These are my passion and that's what
I'm going to do for you. I want you to
stop tripping over small challenges and prepare to rise above
the bigger obstacles that life will present to you. The
Money Making Conversation interviews provide relatable information to the listening
about career and financial planning, entrepreneurship, motivation, leadership and overcoming
(01:46):
the odds, and how you should live a balanced life.
My next guest is known to the world as an
internationally acclaimed singer, actress, entrepreneur, and executive television producer, best
known for her current role as the start of we
TVs hit series Braxton Family Values. She's also an entrepreneur
of Ladybug Skincare new cosmetic line. That's where I really
(02:08):
got on the show. She's an entrepreneur of y'all. The
products are created for all skin types and gives the
user a young, natural and refreshing glow. Please work with
the money making conversation, my friend. To wind up, Braxton,
thank you for having you. Know, Tonta, I want to
just tell you, thank you for doing the show. And
the first time I want I was sitting in a
(02:29):
screening room and uh, it was a Misguided Behavior movie
makes I was screening that movie with a good friend
of my Sharon Thomlinson. It's a very good friend of mine.
Pray for her every day. And uh and so and
I said, who's that? Who's that? She says, Because I
don't look at reality shows all the time, I said, Now,
(02:49):
I formerly managed Steve Harvey, and I remember you guys
came into our studios in Atlanta and we interviewed you
guys as a group. We had all stacked up, some
of y'all in from all on the back road. So
I met you then, Okay, and so if I have
a little physical history of meeting you, and I go,
she said. I told her that I know. I told her,
(03:11):
just an acting debut, you need me on the stage
doing your things out there. So so you talk about that,
that's a love that I saw in you, a skill
I saw in you that surprised me. And and you know,
I'm a guy always looking for new talent, always looking
for different ways to to bring people to the forefront
(03:31):
of their their dreams. That's all I'm assuming acting, there's
a dream of yours. Talk about that the whole acting background,
because you get caught up in that reality the world
and people think that's all you want to do, that's
all you can't do because you're already known as a
notable singer. We'll just talking about the love for acting
to wander. Okay. So like back in the day when
I was a child, I used to always be in
(03:55):
all the elementary school plays. And then when I got
to junior high school, I was in all the plays then. Um,
and then you know, I always made sure I went
I didn't go against the grain when they came to
my family because singing with the family's business. Um. So
when when I went to college, I, UM, we did
(04:16):
what we said university. You talk about that so um,
and we did off Broadway show called String Girls, and
I played Larrell Um and this was in Maryland. And
(04:37):
then the director was also a professor at Howard University
UM and he was also a personal friend of the families.
And he never knew that I really wanted to act.
So when you know, he as the director, he always
called me by my character named Laurel. Did you did
you take any acting classes? And I was like, no, sir,
I never took any. He was like, are you kiddingly?
(04:59):
And I was like, sir. And all the actors that
he had in the play outside of me and my
sisters were from Howard University UM, and they were just
amaze that I never took any classes. He was like,
you have a raw talent. He said, Um, I want
to give you a theater scholarship at Howard University. And
I didn't take it. I turned it down because for one,
(05:23):
like I said, I was in the family's business. In
the family's businesses singing, although my passion and my love
was acting. Always you have a talent for thank you,
thank you, thank you. So I went ahead and did
the family thing. You know, we me, Tamar and Trina
signed with Air Airs. I'm sorry, I'm Atlantic Records. And
(05:45):
we tried. We we toured with muth of vans Ross
in al sitter Tony. So, I mean we had some
moderate success eat the overseas. Um. But I still really
wanted to act, so I took some I started taking
some acting class um in Atlanta. I mean, I was
really trying to own into my craft. Um. And then
(06:06):
I was accepted into a Leie Straussburg acting classes in
l A. Um, you can act okay when you arrest
that dude right there for a person and that right.
So I was really I was so excited that I
(06:28):
was a depted into that school. So I'm a good
friend of mine. He's like a brother, He's like one
of my male best friends in the business. Carl Payne.
He said yes, he said, come on see I got
this movie. I want you to be in this movie.
And um, I was like cool. And then and then
what I love about having friends like like Carl is
(06:50):
he didn't just have me in the movie just because
I was his friends, you know what I mean. I
had to I mean I had to work towards you know,
because but may being his friend and he was just
doing it as my friend. He would have made me
in the laite and he was like, no, this is
what you're gonna do. So he gave me a part
in the movie. Um. When I earned a part in
(07:10):
the movie, you get the time, right, earned, right? I
earned a part in the movie. And I was so
super super happy. Um, that was my That was the
first time that I've really got my feet wet um
as being an actor in the in the movie. When
I when I always talk about people on the show
(07:31):
about entertainment entrepreneurship, and I always tell people to value
and the importance of relationships. Okay, and this is this
is what I speak of when I say relationships because again,
you know we were talented, well get you so far?
I would tell relationships will keep you in the game. Okay. Yeah,
and this is what you could talk about the value
relationship not only just the opportunity you got with you know,
(07:53):
calling this movie, but also in the industry overall. How
to help you having been having a relation you shaver
having talent and extending you and giving you a career
in this business. Absolutely yes, So you know what, it's
one thing about just having the the um, I guess
the gift of where whether it's singing, act and producing
(08:16):
is one thing. Just to have that gift of being
able to do those things is another thing of how
you perceive yourself in front of individuals. And I always
say that the sto the toes that you step on
today may be connected to the ask you have to
kiss tomorrow. So you have to be extremely careful how
(08:36):
you treat people. You just have to, you know, I
know in in in the entertainment industry, people get on
your nerves. Everybody isn't always on the up and up
and people there are a lot of users, not just
an entertainment industry but across the board in the world. Um,
So you have to be careful. Um and you have
to be shocked as well. So it's very important to
(09:00):
maintain relationships. Just be nice to people. It doesn't take nothing,
just to smile and just to say thank you, um
and and those things will take you a long way.
Like um and it took me to another situation where
I've been. I'm very close friends with Terry Vaughan and
Cast Figgers, who who's an incredible writer. She's written Yes,
(09:23):
Yes and she and and Terry is she's an incredible
or phenomenal actor and she's a phenomenal director. Um so
I was able. I was able to um have an
opportunity to be in another movie and it was a
Christmas movie with David and Tammela. Man keep bragging. Really
(09:51):
embraced in the fact that this is something that I love.
So I get excited about you know. I mean I
talked about my music and I talked about singing with
my family, but I mean that's like second nature. That's
like greeting, you know, and that's something that was the
family's business, which is important, which is important, It's so important,
(10:11):
and that's why that's that's why I wanted to bring
that out because a lot of a lot of times
people they want to just label you on what they
know about you. And when I try to get money
making conversations allow my guests to have a conversation and
also to talk about the things that excite them because
like you know, I got my degree in mathematics, I
want to work for I bel it's just like you say,
you know, you know, family business singing, but that doesn't
(10:33):
necessarily Man, I was going to be working at ibing
for the rest of my life. So now you know,
it's time to explore what makes me happy, what motivates
me to get out of bed, and you have to
take rest. They're no, they're no guarantees. Now it's guarantee
you go on that stage and hit a note not
to wander. There's no guarantee you I'm saying. You know
(10:55):
what I'm saying. Nothing, that's a that's a gift, But
a gift doesn't necessarily mean that's your passion, right, you
got to speak on that. That's that's why I brought
you on the show. You didn't know why he was
coming on this show. You said, Okay, I hear by Rashi.
They got me schedule for this show. Money make comes in.
I'm gonna make this phone call and see what's going on.
(11:17):
You know, just the promotion. But I can't tell everybody
but your story, your story of a motivation and story
about following your truths. And that's where it all. It
is about your truths. But you know, when the business
making money, so we're do some things to make money
to pay the bills. But remember, in the end, before
you die, before you before you give up hope, at
(11:39):
least try to participating what you really wanted to do.
And so so when I saw you a miss guy
to behavior, I started smile as I said, yeah, I
remember she came with Steve Harvey. She I had a
booked on our show and that the first time I
mentioned it was a casual meeting. And then to see
you there because because to me, reality shows it what
(11:59):
they all their their reality. You know what I'm saying
there there some of the ways are improvised and some
of them over arched. I'm not saying your show, but
something in general and so so. But that's not acting.
And so when I say a naturally talented person skilled
look comfortable, because I know the difficultures of acting. When
I look at acting, I go wow. I really appreciate
(12:21):
people who can translate words because I did to come
to come from Jamie Foxx, the Parkers, such the Suster.
So I've seen my words come to life a lot, right,
and so to see you do that to want to
don't stop, please, don't stop. Thank you, thank you, thank
you for saying that. Thank you. You'll be right back
(12:42):
on the Lady, I'm gonna go to this break. We're
gonna go to this break. I gotta talk about your
entrepreneur career and also just talk about you though, what
did you gain and the lessons you learned of doing
a reality series and things like that. But just this
to the standpoint of its just a career, because we
all know that's a stepping stone and you to bigger
steps and higher steps on that ladder. We'll be right
(13:03):
back with our friend now too. I call him a
friend that because she know who she was calling. Sean
McDonald's all boy, Okay, be right back. It's finally here,
the season of celebration. And no matter how you celebrate
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(13:26):
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favorite active wear from top brands like Nike, Adidas, and
(13:48):
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app for free auto dot ai. That's O T T
E R dot ai. This is Rashan McDonald and you're
listening to money making conversations. I'm interviewing one of the
(15:16):
you know, stars of the series of Braxton Family Values.
But also she's an entrepreneur. But I did in order
to have a path to success, you've got to create
a resume. We talked about in the first half about
her love for acting. We got excited and we joked about.
We talked about relationships, but more importantly it's about family.
And she's also as an HBCU. She went to HBCU
(15:37):
school Booie State and I always talk I would like
to stop the show for a minute because I'm an advocate.
I did not go to an hbc U, but that
doesn't stop me from being an advocate and promoting HBCU
is because of the fact that the contributions that they
bring to us that a lot of people don't recognize
on the regular basis. Please tell us about attending HBCU.
(15:57):
Why you recommend you know, individual used to go to
Black and White male female to go to HBCUs. Well,
you know what, first of all, um, when I was
growing up and I went to in my secondary schools,
it was predominantly white. And I have to say it that, Um,
I know this is gonna sound bad to say, but culturally, um,
(16:20):
it was a cultural shock for me to even go
to Boois State University because I saw so many of
my people. But I think it's so important, um, for
us to embrace HBCUs, to support hbc USED, because that's
how we learn. We learned from other individuals, that's in
our own culture, you know. And that I learned so
(16:42):
much stuff that I didn't learn when I was in
school because of course they don't teach everything. And you
know your secondary schools. I mean I learned about the
isis paper. I learned. I mean, I just started reading
stuff I had no idea about, um, and then just
culturally read blas. Black people were party different we speak differently,
(17:02):
we support differently. And I just think that that's so
important to go to an HBCU and I pledged. I'm
a data and I'm a sick a sweetheart. Yeah nine member, Okay,
you're talking to man right now, right, so right, I
(17:24):
think we're going for and then and then the reason
that I even pledged data UM is because I went
to this UM. I went to this nonprofit dinner and
I had no idea that was sponsored by the Bloom
White family, that Nickolasburg and m Mayor Barry was there.
(17:44):
I mean, there was so many prominent people there because
I'm from the DNB area, UM and the dinner was
NBC and baby Face despot. You just went because of
baby Face was performing. I got tickets, you know, and
he get to the table. So baby Face was performing.
After seven was there, Cavan and um Eldar there was performing.
And then they started talking about a lot of a
(18:05):
lot of men with high pitched voices were performing. That's
all talking about or you know how Lasky kids in
the board of Babies and all of that. And I
had no idea that the Blue and White Family was
connected to those organizations. And I was like wow. And
(18:25):
I'm not a person who really brags about everything that
I do or you know, I don't always want to
paddle my back for supporting or helping someone, and that
was more of my personality. So I was like, oh
my god, I want to join the organization. And I
became Zeta and a single sweetheart. Congratulations. I always tell people,
you know, when I talk about hbc obcus across the
(18:47):
country and the only a role of the African American student,
and despite constitute only three percent for your colleges in
the country, HBC used produced eight of the black judges,
of the black lawyers, of the black doctors, of the
black engineers, of the black members of converenation, percent of
(19:08):
all black STEM graduates, and of the black CEOs in America.
That is why I needed to hear your story of Towanda,
because it's in that mix that we need to keep
telling people when every year talking about we need to
why we funding h b c us, Do you know
how you have to? What else do we have? Really? Um?
(19:28):
And then another thing is I don't agree with like
some of these acus, like why are they falling apart?
Why are they falling by the wayside? Because even Boi
State University, who was the first teacher's college in Maryland
might add black, sorry, the first black now it is
under the University of Maryland system, and I'm like, how
(19:48):
did it happens? Right? Well, you know I think that
that's why I'm really promoting, and I got some things
on the work said, I'm gonna be announcing in the
month of August just to shine more light. And it's
like anything you know, you don't know about Ohio State,
you don't know a boy Marylands because people's promoted and
this brand has to be promoted and signed the light
of success. Like those numbers that I'm talking about, they
(20:11):
need to be shinned on a regular basis, not only
just the African Americans, but to the world and people go, really,
what kind of education that they're doing over there, education
that your kids can go to, your kids can go
through because it's a it's the it's HBCUs are tied
to diversity, and that's something that a lot of people
don't admit to happening. And so and so in twenty
(20:32):
eleven when when they was like a really strategized campaign
to try to diminish the accomplishments of HBCUs and hurt HBCUs.
And so my motivation now is like, okay with Sean,
you know this is what you do. You're marking in
brain and so whenever I have a fantastic person who's
attending an HPCU like you, I always just like carve
(20:54):
out a moment in the show. Do you think you're
tap dance ball? Come on, do you think they're th
HBC moment? What's sure about to do with that? I'm
gonna set aside my time for h B C U
S and it's gonna get bigg to wander now that
I know, Now that I know, blue and white, blue white,
you can. You can be here from your boy. But
(21:15):
before we get out here, I'll be remiss. What I
if I don't talk about your entrepreneurship and if let's
let's let's talk about first of all, um, you know
we talked about acting. Now we're gonna talk about Ladybug skincare. Yeah,
let's let's let's set to to Wanda's deemed itself as
responsible for you know, okay, acne, dull skin and other
(21:36):
skin impurities. It's a new cosmetic cosmetic line. What inspired
you to do this? Because you're naturally attractive, You got
good skin, like they said, God gave it to you. Okay,
I didn't have to work hard. You're the women that
don't have to work hard for our face. Okay, wake
our face all good? Okay, But everybody not like you
okay to Wanda, exactly exact free. Um. You know, I've
(22:02):
always been a person who didn't really drink water. I
don't like drinking. Oh my god, bless your heart. It
tastes like askering to But I always wanted my skin
to look amazing. Um. So I met with Miss Charlotte Wilson,
who is the skin god. Like she's incredible with skin,
(22:22):
like she does Porsche skin. She does. Um, Um, what'sn't
a black China skin who's entire skin is impaccable. Um,
she does Lisa Ray skin. Her skin is like most
tallest uh Cynthia Billy. I mean she does everybody's skin.
And then I met up with Miss Charlotte and I
was like, I want my skin to look like like
(22:45):
I don't have any makeup and I don't want to
wear makeup like that anymore. And she was like, I
got you. Um, and she was like, to Wanta, do
you have good skin? Because all, like I said, I've
always been into skin, and I have skin and be
like most women when you go to when you see
a woman who has beautiful skin, you all is compliment her, like,
oh my god, just skin, it's beautiful. Um. So she
said let's do a line together. And I was like,
(23:06):
oh my god. I felt so honored that she was
willing to do a line with me, because, like I said,
she's a skin guy. Like that's amazing. Everybody wants to
do a line with Miss Charlotte. Um so Um. She
sent me some samples of different soaps and different combinations
of things, and um, we we came up with um
Ages Timeless. So it's a it's an anti aging um
(23:29):
skin care line. And I'm I'm a woman of a
particular age. Now I'm past forty. So I used to
have I used to I used to look like a
panda bear, like without bake up. I used to have
dark circles gonna make my eyes. And I thought it
was because I wasn't ctricular enough water, wasn't get enough rest.
But it was because my pigmentation and a little of
(23:51):
it is that her freditary. So my dad used to
have it. When he started using the Ladybug skin here,
he doesn't have dark circles anymore. That's my curse right there,
dark circle, you're telling me telling i'n get mad at
you because you're buying. I'm gonna gonna make purchase I'm
gonna make a purchase. You say that ladybugs can't care,
(24:15):
can give rid the dark circles, dark circles, Okay, okay,
I'm sorry. Circles and and and then it get rid
of some of the fine lines and wrinkles, doesn't around
your eyes. That happens after you become a particular age
um and then it were you and nat and it
restores and it takes away a layer of the dead
skin that you've been carrying around for so long that
you did not know that you were carrying around because
(24:37):
you you know, you were exfoliating, but you weren't exfoliating
properly with the right ingredients. Again, the lady bucks can't
here is all natural? Yeah, because you know I used mirror.
I used mirror, and you know when I used you know,
so you know, and that's expensive. Okay, So it's not
a portion of it. It's not a question of money
with me. It's right getting the right product that that
(24:57):
you know, just kind of hold back some days. I
gets just hold back some days off my face. That's all.
I was just trying to hold back some days. That's
all you want, Okay, And you're telling me I'm talking
to the queen. Ladybugs came there. I just talking just
we're gonna do. First of all, I'm gonna make an order.
But but I got to get the word out. I'm
not saying you don't have the word. Okay. I do
(25:18):
news every Friday, goes out at nine a m. Every
Friday to ninety thousand of my fans. Every every Friday,
Like last week, I had Yolanda Adams Huskin loads and
Venus and Venus Williams her beauty line. I had Kelly Rowlands,
and I had Erica Campbell her wig line in there.
(25:38):
So every four every week I feature four you know,
it's free. First of all, it's free. Let me just
lay and I feature four entrepreneurs. That's for my shots
about you know, entrepreneurship and entertainment and so and so.
I thought it would be cool to put you know,
friends of mine, other people I didn't know. But your
product is worth being it's the story being told out there.
And so if you can get to me banner and
(26:02):
a in a link or whatever you want to drive
it to, if you want to do, if you want
to say, or whatever you want to do, I would
put it in my newsletter. No charge has never been
a charge. It's not tied to a charge because Ladybugs
can't care. First of all, has me as a customer
right now. Okay, we'll just change them to wander. I
want them foolish people. Okay, when I like something, okay,
(26:25):
I my wife forgot. Well, we just stop buying stuff. Hey,
I like what I like? Okay, it's gonna love it.
I'm telling you, I have so many success stories and
it makes me smile because that's just doing your skin.
That's one thing that you can take by yourself and
(26:45):
what you're being the largest organ of your body and
it just happens to be on the outside of your body.
Why not make that one organ beautiful? You know, I'm
so excited about Ladybugs skint care. Um, I use it,
my family uses it. Tmarus it, you know, and you
already know Tamar the type person. Let me think the
(27:06):
country behind everybody don't know how country. Well, I'm gonna
just tell you this to one. You owe me a banner.
You got me as a customer album. I just want to,
first of all, thank you for coming on my show.
Because everybody's doing my show. I feel so blessed that
I get a person like you on my show and
other talent that's coming on my show and hearing about
(27:30):
my brand and hearing how I want to just tell
that story, but but also promote their brands and promote
what they're doing with their life. Besides the story that
everybody knows you have an open bank. You are an
HBCU grant, You are a member of the Divine None,
You are an entrepreneur, lady books, Think Care, and more importantly,
(27:52):
you are an actress. And thank you for coming on
my show with to one to Braxton. Thank you for
having you amazing. I mean, you know what that means.
But you gotta give me that better, gotta give me
that links I take care of I will. I'm a
call to make sure he send it to you. I
(28:13):
appreciate you. Stay safe now, Okay, thank you you too.
Thank you. If you want to hear more episodes of
Money Making Conversations, please go to Money Making Conversation dot com.
I'm with Sean McDonald in this season of Giving Coals
has gifts for all your loved ones. For those who
like to keep it cozy, find fleeces, sweaters, loungeware, blankets
and throws, or support minority owned or founded brands by
(28:35):
giving gifts from Human Nation and Shame Moisture and in
the spirit of giving, Coals Cares is donating eight million
dollars to local nonprofits nationwide. Give with all your heart
this season with great gifts from Coals or coals dot com.
Still living in manually taking notes, there is a better
way to start the new year with auto dot ai
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automatically get meeting notes. Auto dot ai works for virtual
meetings like Zoom, Micro off Teams, and Google Meet. Sign
up on the web for free or download in the
app stores. Atter dot ai, that's O T T E
R dot ai. Sticky notes, email alerts a string around
your finger. They're just not big enough. So here's a
big reminder from the California Lottery Tomorrow's Mega Millions jack potts,
(29:16):
which three million play out. Please play responsible. You must
be eighteen years older to purchase Blair Pion
Host
Rushion McDonald
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