July 22, 2025 • 40 mins
Before she founded Black Girl Sunscreen and got her brand on the shelves of 20,000 stores, Shontay Lundy quit her corporate job without a plan—just savings, vision, and belief. Rodney sits down with Shontay to talk about walking away from the golden handcuffs, building a category-defining brand from scratch, and what it really means to lead with confidence and care in an unforgiving industry.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's Rodney Williams, co founder of The Wealth Break. Listen.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
I know firsthand that building wealth can feel like everyone's
playing a game you never got the rules for good
information usually locked behind paywalls full of fine print, or
shared in conversations we're never invited to. That's exactly why
we created The Wealth Break. It's way more than a podcast.
(00:24):
It's a whole platform dedicated to making wealth building transparent,
real and accessible to everyone. Want the inside stories, the
secrets successful people actually use, and those exclusive gems you
won't find anywhere else. It's all here. Tap into our
growing community. Soak up those insights and get clear, actionable
(00:46):
strategies you can apply right now. No secrets, no gatekeepers,
just real talk for real wealth. Don't let anyone keep
you from getting with yours. Visit the wealthbreak dot com
today and start changing the game for yourself.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
Welcome to the Wealth Break.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
This is where we unlock stories of financial success, pushing,
breaking down odds, being yourself and enduring it in a
way which we hope closes the wealth gap. Hello everyone,
I'm Rodney Williams, co founder and president at the Wealth Break,
(01:42):
and I'm so excited to be here. Today with an
incredible guest, an incredible leader and beauty and wellness and
all things women. I think I look up to you
since I met you, So I'm really excited that you're
here and inspired. But we have shante you honestly because
you have a background that starts well before Black Girl Sunscreen. Sure,
(02:07):
and I would love for you to introduce yourself and
talk a little bit about your back.
Speaker 3 (02:11):
Now. Well, hello everyone.
Speaker 4 (02:12):
My name is Chante Lundy, creator and founder of Black
Girl Sunscreen. You just said some really nice words, and
I can't believe that you said that you look up
to me. When I met you a few years ago
on set, you were so reserved and like, yeah, yeah,
I'm Ronnie, like all right, so that's not even like
what you gave off like when we met and even
(02:35):
like over the years, you still come across so reserved,
Like I could text.
Speaker 3 (02:39):
You, you ain't even texting me back.
Speaker 4 (02:40):
I'm like, I'm texting this man just to like get
some business combo to build. And it's just interesting how
you say that you look up to me, But this
is the energy that I get.
Speaker 1 (02:52):
You should see how I talk about you behind your back.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
That's really Yes, yeah, I think that's the real test, right, okay,
because there's so many things that's someone could be going
on at a particular moment in time that makes them
not show up as themselves. And I think I'm a
bad example of that of someone who I show up
in different environments.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
I'm just not myself, So never wont to apologize for that.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
But yes, I actually first heard about you well before
I met you from a good friend of mine, Keenan.
And why I was so impressed is because I think
it is difficult to come from big corporate and do
it on your own.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
And then do it well and then like thrive in it.
You always seem so graciously.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
Thriving in it, and I know how hard it is,
so to do it with grace is a specific skill
that I am always impressed by.
Speaker 1 (03:46):
So that's what I mean. Okay.
Speaker 4 (03:47):
So yes, coming from a corporate space, and yes, having
to do things with grace is because that's how I
was taught but my grandparents to always just have pride
in everything, even if you have nothing or things are hard.
So what I do believe is it is important for
how people do speak about you behind your back, So
thank you for that. So just an intro like, I
(04:11):
don't know. I'm from upstate New York, Neuburgh by the
way of Southern Florida. So I did my undergrad in
New York. I did my masters down in Miami, worked
corporate for ten years, transitioned out of corporate, drove to
Los Angeles in my little two door car with no job,
(04:32):
no apartment. Had a friend who was letting me stay
with her for two weeks. That's what I gave myself
to find an apartment. Yeah, because you know what.
Speaker 3 (04:40):
It's like to stay with a friend, terrible, awful.
Speaker 4 (04:43):
You know, you got to just be respectful. You know,
maybe washing Disher here too. You know, people be having
man's and stuff like I didn't want to be there,
but also I wanted my own space. So anyway, came
to Los Angeles because that was the next thing for
the business. I felt like Black Girl's Sunscreen had really
(05:03):
penetrated the market in Miami, so coming over to LA
was like, Okay, bigger community, more black women founders because
I'd know mall in Miami, and just more opportunity.
Speaker 3 (05:18):
You know what.
Speaker 4 (05:20):
This isn't how the story goes because the first time
I moved to Los Angeles, I didn't have Black Girl's sunscreen.
I was just transitioning out of corporate. Yeah, no job,
no nothing. What so wait, I got to bring that
back because I moved to Miami and came back to
LA for a second time.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
That's what happened.
Speaker 4 (05:40):
Yeah, So in twenty sixteen, transitioned out of corporate, moved here,
no job, no nothing, and I did nothing.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
I hiked, I did yoga, walk my dog.
Speaker 4 (05:51):
And I tell founders or just people that need a break,
to do this because if your mind isn't able to
just decompress, And he said, how do you think about
whatever the next biggest thing or the next smallest thing
that can be the next biggest thing. So if I
didn't have the four years of doing nothing, I wouldn't
(06:11):
have thought at black girl sun screen or four months.
Excuse me, I was like four years, four months, so
four months off of my savings, four months at eating
at whatever restaurant I wanted to do, waking up at
noon and not being under a strict regiment. And what
I mean by a strict regiment is elementary school, middle school,
high school, college grad working at a corporate job, like
(06:33):
you know how many years that is is waking up at.
Speaker 3 (06:35):
Six o'clock in the morning.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
It's tough.
Speaker 4 (06:37):
Yeah, yeah, So when I came out of corporate, I
was just like, Okay, I'm tired. Some people don't have
that ability to take four months off, but I had
some savings. I spent it all, so I had to
go back to work.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
I can't wait to take my little break. I have
a break coming out, y'all, and I were going to
take it. I don't know completely privately Europe.
Speaker 3 (06:57):
Okay, what country in Europe?
Speaker 2 (06:59):
I haven't gotten that far. Probably a few, definitely, I'm
going to start, probably in portable.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
How many fits you're bringing? Did you know I have
your fit?
Speaker 1 (07:06):
I only travel with a carry on.
Speaker 3 (07:08):
That's a lot.
Speaker 1 (07:09):
That's enough. And if I don't got it, I get it.
Speaker 3 (07:11):
I don't believe you.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
I swear I only travel with it.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
I have rules, mainly because I've had my luggage broken
into and my shoes taken, and also my luggage get
lost all the time. It's like my luggage is the
favorite luggage that even it doesn't matter the priority, it
doesn't matter nothing.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
It gets lost.
Speaker 4 (07:26):
So you only take pictures in the fits like one time,
and then you rewear them and don't take pictures. Maybe
tell us the see, Maybe tell us to see.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
First of all, I got the world's largest two carry
on stack. Right, it's like the equivalent of two rollers,
but one is a book bag and one is a
an actual luggage.
Speaker 1 (07:46):
I can fit easily.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
I can travel with about three to six pairs of shoes.
Speaker 3 (07:53):
Okay, that's a lot, all right.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
And then it's basically always two colors. Absolutely, it's like
a dark color palette and was a light color palette.
That's all I got. And I have a you know,
there's two to three pairs of pants. There's a ton
of shirts. Yeah, okay, and there's a two jacket. Guys,
do that honestly. I'll get through a two week trip easy.
And then I also I will pack it all up.
(08:15):
I commend you send it to FedEx. And then I
would buy me something.
Speaker 1 (08:21):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (08:22):
So there's there's a secret.
Speaker 1 (08:23):
There's a secret if I got any Yeah.
Speaker 4 (08:26):
So with the break that afforded me just to kind
of I wouldn't say, like redefine who I was, because
I already knew that I had a strong work ethic.
I already knew that I could find a job if
I needed to, but was that I wouldn't say my calling,
but was that what I wanted to do? And you know,
LA is like a facade because you're driving around, You're
(08:49):
seeing people maybe have coffee, eat lunch at random times
of the thing, like these people don't work, right. You
see these expensive cars dirty as heck? Wait, you got
this car, I'm gon keep it clean. These sneakers not clean.
But that's like a sheet kind of like how people dress. Right, No,
but the mentality coming from a corporate America is like, well,
(09:09):
how do you get there? But also not really understanding
that this is big entertainment, so people's hours are kind
of wonky, the days could be kind of wonky, and
I was like, how can I do that? And instead
of working this seven to seven where I just came
out of. So that was an aspiration of mine.
Speaker 1 (09:28):
Did the idea? Were you iterating ideas during that time period?
Speaker 4 (09:32):
So after hiking, my friends would ask me like, hey,
why don't you wear sunscreen? And I'm like, well, do
you see my complexion? There's nothing that's going to rub
in where I'm not looking silly. And then also around
that time, Black Girl Magic like had just started like
twenty fifteen, twenty sixteen, and it felt like black women
(09:53):
had a boost of confidence. But going backwards in my childhood,
you know, I wasn't considered pretty because it's my complexion,
being a deeper skinned woman. So it was like I
would hide when I would go outside into like a
barbecue or something. So I'm looking for like an awning,
or I wouldn't go to a pool party if there wasn't,
you know, shade. But when I came here, I just
(10:14):
embraced my complexion, so I was okay with getting darker,
hence the fact of not wanting to use sunscreen. But
that's the misconception. Sunscreen does not prevent you from getting darker, right,
it just prevents burn. With all of that, I just
jumped on the internet to see if there was something that,
you know, could help while I was in the sun,
(10:34):
and didn't come up with anything. So I had to
ask myself some questions, some hard questions. The first one was,
well other black women were this sunscreen? Do they wear sunscreen?
The second one was do I have the resources? And
then the third one was do I have the confidence?
And once all three of those questions were answered, it
(10:55):
was like Okay, what are the next steps? So who
did I ask for validation?
Speaker 3 (10:59):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (10:59):
How did you go about answering those questions?
Speaker 4 (11:01):
I just asked like people around me, I got more
yeses and nose, but the nose were haters. I don't
need validation and a lot of things that I do.
It was more of an analytical standpoint of what is
the total adjustable market?
Speaker 1 (11:14):
Right?
Speaker 4 (11:15):
Are black people? And at the time it was black people.
It wasn't people of color? Are black people purchasing sunscreen?
And if not, how many do I need to be successful?
Speaker 3 (11:27):
Okay?
Speaker 4 (11:27):
That was the question for what other black women were.
The second one was do I have the resources?
Speaker 3 (11:33):
Now?
Speaker 4 (11:33):
I told you that I came here and was blowing
money like a fire, hiright, rip, But I still had
some left. So I was like, Okay, I can set
aside X amount of dollars, which was thirty three thousand dollars,
and I could put a down payment on a home
or start this business. So I started the business and
(11:53):
I was really the first investor of my idea.
Speaker 1 (11:57):
Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (11:58):
And then the third question was do I have the confidence? Listen,
I got big confidence, but small confidence at the same time,
and the confidence was like, how do I stand somebody
and look at them in the face and say I've
created a sunscreen for black people, and then take me
seriously a regular person, a manufacturer, a partner. That's the
confidence that I'm talking about.
Speaker 1 (12:19):
Was that the idea when you left corporate.
Speaker 2 (12:22):
You know, it was a combination of for me, I'm
not feeling happy or feeling caged.
Speaker 1 (12:28):
What was your feeling? You know what, I'm gonna do
something different, belief over fear, Belief over fear.
Speaker 4 (12:35):
Yeah, believe over fear. So I remember my last dage
at my corporate gig. They were fine, but when you
realize that there are certain people at the top and
there's no way you can get there because you don't
have the last name, what are you doing there to
continue to make maybe ten percent of this salary that
you're currently at. I learned a lot from my corporate
(12:58):
experience in value, to be honest, But it came to
a point was like I did everything I could do,
and it's time for me to do something different. But
I believed in myself. I wasn't afraid to be like hey,
and by the way, like today's my last day. It
wasn't even no two week Nope, I ed you a
two week notice.
Speaker 3 (13:18):
You did not no well behavior.
Speaker 4 (13:22):
But that comes over time though, right, That comes over
you questioning is this the best space for me? That
comes from the minutia, right, like why you work there,
or almost might even being proud of where you work. Right, Yeah,
it comes from you know, how do you see yourself
out growing or do you see yourself like this isn't
(13:42):
the best home for me? Do you see yourself being
valued my complexion and gender?
Speaker 3 (13:47):
Was it valued? I can't say it was.
Speaker 1 (13:50):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
I think my biggest challenge with certain jobs that you
end up and is that you're there for the wrong reasons.
You know, you're not being your authentic self, not really happy.
You maybe not connect with the company's purpose. But maybe
it's some logo that someone else told you that is
important to someone else, and maybe it gives you security.
Speaker 1 (14:10):
But at the same time, I think my.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
Whole thing was like it should feel something a little
bit different than work. It should feel your job. My
job doesn't feel like work. The stress of it feels
more like the work. The burden of it feels like
the work. But the actual work that I do is
like a dream come true.
Speaker 3 (14:30):
Good for you.
Speaker 4 (14:34):
I won't even tell you about the work that I do.
I just think that this is where I'm supposed to
be right now for the last nine years. But I
needed those opportunities. Honestly. Without that corporate experience, I would
not be able to leave my team, right because it's
one thing to have a product, yeah, to think about
a product, right, it's twofold, But to lead an organization
(14:57):
is something completely different. And I wouldn't have that experience
if A I didn't have my MBA, but b have
the hands.
Speaker 2 (15:04):
On for viewers who may not understand the magnitude I
think your business.
Speaker 1 (15:12):
Can you give a breath of magnitude?
Speaker 4 (15:15):
We are the first on screen to talk to broad
and black women, but not just broad and black women,
but broad and black people. And you know, I don't
actually think that we get the credit that we deserve.
Eight years ago, the bigger brands, legacy brands weren't talking
to our demographic at all. So the bigger brands weren't
talking to the demographic. Healthcare professionals, whether dermatologists, estheticians, media
(15:41):
marketing wasn't talking to us. It was hey, y'all black,
you don't burn you don't need this, so we're now
focusing on the lighter skin complexion.
Speaker 3 (15:51):
You already know who it is.
Speaker 4 (15:53):
When Black Girl Suns freen came on the scene, it was, oh,
this is provocative, Oh this is delicious. Oh this is
language that we couldn't really use before. I'll give you
an example, the word ashy. I don't know about you.
If somebody don Black called you ashy, are you offended?
One don't just say, for the purpose of the conversation,
(16:14):
how you feel it? Maybe not today, but I don't know.
Four years ago somebody was like, you ashy, and look
at you talking about this you ashy?
Speaker 1 (16:23):
Yeah I would have something today, of course.
Speaker 3 (16:26):
Okay.
Speaker 4 (16:27):
But if they say, hey, would you like some moisturizer? Great,
different but same yeah okay. So what the big brands
did was, I wouldn't say borrowed, but used our vernacular
for when it came to advertising, and they saw that
we created a market of our own that they never
(16:47):
tapped into. So Black Girl's Sunscreen is beyond just selling sunscreen.
We literally are the pioneers of a new lane for
the entire industry of suns. And that's the magnitude of
the business worrying about I don't know, fifteen to twenty
thousand doors across the United States. We don't talk about
(17:08):
it too much, but in our community, it's kind of like, well,
you know, you're not real, only you're on in retail
because they think that it's being cooked in the kitchen
or investment or whatever that is. Right, So when we
first got our first retail placement, it was like, oh,
you guys are serious, and then that retailer was like
tethered to Black Girls sunscreen for a really long time.
(17:29):
The magnitude of the organization is that we've created something
that can't be a race from the books. So seventy
percent of Americans, all Americans, not any particular race, don't
wear sunscreen because the narrative is still vacation, you know, pool, beach,
outdoor activities as opposed to really focusing on maintaining our youth,
(17:52):
the fine lines, the hyperbagmentation, even like rosetia, things like that.
So people are still not like, hey, I should put
this on on a day to day basis.
Speaker 1 (18:03):
Yeah, I mean it was something I had to learn.
Speaker 2 (18:05):
I got I got a scar, and I was looking
at how to limit my scar from darkening and they
were like, oh, you just need you have Yeah, and well,
you know I think I was like, so I should
be doing this across the board. I have other areas
where I mean I want blemishes to you know, turn
into like darker problems.
Speaker 3 (18:23):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (18:24):
So, our buyer, who had a really deep conversation with
last month, told us the reason why she brought us
into the retailer was a she was kicking and streaming
for the bigger brands to do something different and they
just refused. Second, she said, I knew that there was
not going to be a black woman in this buying
(18:45):
chair again, and I wanted to give you a chance.
And I appreciate that. First of all, I appreciate her
because you know, the people in those shares don't really
understand how they can impact a founder she or brands
you know, path Yeah, yeah, yeah, And I thought it
was a big deal because you know, they're understanding like
(19:07):
what the trends are and what's happening in their industry
and not just performing to a P and L.
Speaker 1 (19:14):
Yeah or kudos, congratulations, thank you.
Speaker 2 (19:36):
Code switch because I got Sante from shamously Sante.
Speaker 1 (19:39):
Yes, Okay, you know what I have a problem with
what is it.
Speaker 2 (19:43):
I have a problem with black cultures, scrutiny on black culture.
You know, whether it's most recently it's going on with
essence or you say it with founders, you say it
with other people, you say it, we're just so quick
to crucify people who look like ourselves, and I have
(20:03):
a problem with it.
Speaker 4 (20:04):
So with that, the voices, the negative voices, the ones
that are bashing, the ones that are hating, are way
louder than the supporters. It makes me wonder what is
the intent, right, what is the intent behind not speaking
up for individuals or brands that you support? And why
are those people trying to harm you?
Speaker 2 (20:28):
Right?
Speaker 1 (20:29):
Like?
Speaker 4 (20:29):
Is it because they truly had a bad experience, That's
one thing, But are they trying to ruin you? Like,
think about that. Are they trying to end your business?
It feels that way, It is that way, But the
question is why.
Speaker 1 (20:44):
Yeah, I don't have the answer.
Speaker 3 (20:46):
You have a problem with it, though, I have a.
Speaker 1 (20:48):
Big problem with it.
Speaker 2 (20:49):
I think it's because it kind of goes back to
like the crabs in a barrel. I think it goes
back to you know, slavery and certain folks where in the.
Speaker 1 (20:59):
House, in certain we're not.
Speaker 2 (21:01):
I think it goes back to favoritism and the competition,
and that type of mentality was actually, you know, instilled
on us, I think in our community, not necessarily organically,
and we haven't learned how to shake it. And other ethnicities,
(21:21):
it's the complete opposite, or it's very different the way
they treat people that is part of their community. They
just have a lot more grace, they have a lot
more understanding for the community. They are hyper scrutinized anything
that's not a part of them, And I always wonder
why we haven't learned that.
Speaker 1 (21:41):
That's how you elevate your community.
Speaker 2 (21:43):
You elevate your community by showing grace and consideration and
understanding and progress and positivity. You do not elevate by
being the biggest credit.
Speaker 4 (21:53):
Somebody in the same care space made a mistake, okay,
just kind of launched a product didn't work on women
of color. She apology and they forgave her in that
one post. Black old sunscreen doesn't have that luxury if
we post anything with AI, forget about it. Forget about it.
(22:14):
We're getting dragged. Why haven't you used black models? Why
don't you do this? If you can't use real people,
then we can't trust your skincare products, like, yeah, we
get it from all angles, Rodney. And the question is
why because hold on the same competitor, right, yeah, use
AI all day.
Speaker 3 (22:34):
Right.
Speaker 4 (22:35):
They can make jokes on things and it's literally just
a joke or hey, let me understand where the company
is coming from. I don't like to cry victim a lot.
It's like okay, we heard that, and sometimes the feedback
is constructive.
Speaker 3 (22:48):
It really just depends. But I can't speak for you.
Speaker 4 (22:52):
I'm dealing with this my entire life where it feels
like my boxing gloves are of all the time. So
what do you think about the Essence? Do you think
they went too hard on essence? Do you think there's
some validity that's not speaking to Black American culture?
Speaker 3 (23:06):
Like what are your thoughts? Do you think they should
have brought in the CEO?
Speaker 2 (23:09):
And what the truth? Of course, the truth is the
black culture and community. We should be absolutely kind and
graceful for that essence to be alive and to be thriving,
because what you don't know is that it almost died
many many times. We don't have the luxury to nitpick
that organization because that organization is the largest festival ever. Now,
(23:34):
what do you do with your crown jewel? You give
them feedback, but you love them.
Speaker 4 (23:39):
But the criticism is right, Why can't black people culture
just have something for them? Why do we have to
be accepted of every other?
Speaker 2 (23:50):
I don't think there's a concept that they have to
be everything to everyone.
Speaker 1 (23:55):
I don't see that for someone who've been in the essence.
Speaker 2 (23:58):
At this point six or seven years in Row, right,
no one's talking about the fact that they introduced an
entire segment called the Global Black Economic Form that is
designed to talk about the political aspects, the economic aspects,
the business aspects.
Speaker 1 (24:13):
It doesn't go viral.
Speaker 2 (24:14):
No one talks about the Global Black Economic Forum, but
they introduced that to be much more than a music festival.
There's an entire track for LGBTQ. I mean, they have
been doing that for years. So when you talk about
maybe the introduction of some elements that are tailored to
Africa or others, and you want to be hyper critical,
(24:35):
I think you're being You're being flagrant, like you're.
Speaker 4 (24:39):
Saying the negative voices are louder than the positive voices,
and it's really unfortunate and I hate the fact that,
you know, the CEO, who's been not active for a
while is even brought into the conversation. And I also
feel like there's a lot of criticism from folks that
can't do the job.
Speaker 2 (24:57):
Yeah, you know CEO. I think she's an incredible woman.
And the saddest part about that is that like she
can take a leave of absence, she can rest.
Speaker 4 (25:07):
So do you think that that came because of the
heels of participation of the red folks?
Speaker 2 (25:13):
And I think it was self inflicted by the same
folks who thought Target was a target.
Speaker 1 (25:19):
I just think it's misguided.
Speaker 2 (25:21):
And the reason why we started talking about this podcast
and actually said, you know what, We're gonna start talking
about wealth and changing that dynamic and telling the true
stories because as founders, people that are really in it.
I was tired of entertainers talking about something that I do.
Speaker 3 (25:38):
Listen, that's the code switch right there.
Speaker 1 (25:40):
Yeah, And I was just tired of it.
Speaker 2 (25:41):
You don't know, and you're jumping to conclusions, and you're
rolling a bunch of people up, and you're attacking things
without making sense to tell Black people, So don't go
to target, right what that equated to? Its just about
two percent dropping sales for Target. I'm gonna be honest.
Target doesn't care. But black people that two percent over
(26:03):
indexes and black products that are there with black founders,
black employees, black communities. So those products are down twenty
thirty forty percent.
Speaker 3 (26:13):
Black O sunscreen is down.
Speaker 2 (26:15):
So think about those people you listen to that said
to do that.
Speaker 1 (26:20):
Were they educated?
Speaker 2 (26:21):
Were they aware of the impact that it was going
to have on the products you love and support? And no,
it was not subsidized with you going to Amazon. What
happened is you couldn't get those products. That's an example
of a very very bad strategy to prove a point.
Speaker 1 (26:37):
Most interesting thing that I learned.
Speaker 2 (26:40):
As critical as our community can be, it's also they
have very very short memories.
Speaker 4 (26:45):
What I take from your story and even my story,
it really does test your strength and the fact that
you're still sitting here we're talking. Like I said, I'm
showing up in Lepard dress, dead in the middle of
our sun season and back you know, so much money
for a growing business. It shows resilience, right, And I
don't believe resilience can be taught. Resilience is from withinside.
Speaker 2 (27:09):
I'm so purposely passionate about closing the wealth got and
I systematically understand how it needs to get done. If
you're not thinking about closing that gap and being more
financially inclusive, we have nothing to talk about. I don't
(27:30):
think as a politician, as a leader, I don't care
about the press release. So what it looks like. It's
what it is and what it isn't. It's numbers, it's
black and white, it's night and day. I always say
like I have a code I got right or wrong.
I don't care about nothing else. I tell people right
or wrong with me? Is right or wrong. I think
(27:53):
I got to focus on the motive that I think
is going to make the biggest impact.
Speaker 3 (27:56):
I only have one line on it.
Speaker 4 (27:58):
I've never been in a situation where an administration has
been impactful on my personal and professional life. What inequalities
do you face in your space based off of how
you show up?
Speaker 1 (28:14):
That's a good one.
Speaker 2 (28:15):
I remember being a Howard and it was a Goman
Sachs executive and at the time I had locks, and
he goes, you're gonna have to cut your hair to
ever work for me. Right, that's the group who built
our financial system. It is a group that is all
about who has deposits, and.
Speaker 1 (28:36):
They don't care about anyone who don't.
Speaker 2 (28:38):
And they build products of people that look like themselves,
and that means rich, okay over everything, and rich has
a certain look that has been defined. They do certain things,
they go certain places, they talk a certain way, they
approach life a certain way, And yeah, I don't fit
that mode, nor do I ever want to. And I think, honestly,
(29:01):
some of the adversity that I've gone through the resilience,
all it does is like feed into my authenticity. The
times periods what I would hold back and be more reserved. Lately,
I'm more like no yesterday, No, I'm you know, I'm
you know, I got to pick and choose.
Speaker 3 (29:19):
I got something for you.
Speaker 4 (29:21):
You move like the G and lasagna real g's MoU
silence right, you move a very different way.
Speaker 3 (29:28):
So what do you think your reputation is.
Speaker 2 (29:30):
I think there's two reputations that I probably have, and
it's the people who know me and people who don't.
To people who don't know me, I'm definitely probably like cold, short, direct.
Speaker 1 (29:43):
Maybe awkward, own it own it self centered.
Speaker 2 (29:47):
Yeah, I think that's how the group would define me
if you don't know me. I think if you know me,
I think it's kind, it's emotional, it's passionate, aggressive. I'm
actually a little bit comfortable with both those narratives, because
at some point, if you are not comfortable with something narrative,
(30:08):
I'm gonna be too focused on.
Speaker 1 (30:09):
Trying to address that.
Speaker 2 (30:10):
That part of being authentic is it's okay, what is
schante without.
Speaker 3 (30:17):
What we know?
Speaker 4 (30:19):
In the house, my hair is always in some rollers, always,
I wear glasses straight up nerd. My vision is a
negative like six, so that means my lenses are like
really really thick, like I can't even get certain glasses
because my vision is so bad. So extremely like comfortable, creative.
(30:41):
This is in the house of people don't know this.
You would never seemulate this because you wouldn't even think
that is two different people. And when I transform, people
were like, oh, is that you? And it's like, yeah,
that's me. I was on a call with a buyer
and she's like, you know, remember you're talking to you know,
midwestern women, and I was just like, okay, so what
(31:05):
does that mean? Wow, maybe your personally I could be
like bubbly and you know, we think you should have
a little bit more fun, and I'm like, well, in
what space is it safe for black women to have fun?
And they just paused. Because in every space I show up,
I have to be buttoned up, have my things together,
an agenda, and if the agenda doesn't go through, I
(31:27):
have to follow up, follow up, follow up, and follow up.
So behind the scenes, I am extremely assertive and don't
I don't take no. I find a way to get
what I need period. I also, I'm a dog mom
of five, which is insane. I should have listened to
(31:48):
whoever told me not to. And that's another thing about Chante.
I don't really listen to people that much. I'm also
very generous, so you know, you might hear rhetoric like
oh things didn't work out out or this person treated
me this way, and it's just like, wait a second,
I'm pretty sure you took advantage of all the benefits,
whether it's an anniversary gift, for birthday gift or trips
(32:10):
and whatever. And the reason why I do that is
because that's how I would want it to be treated
as an employee or in a pre existent life. So
being generous, I don't think that people really understand that
about me and I try to problem solve. So if
you're like Chanta, I'm moving and I'm like Ronnie, I
got you. I know you're new to the city. I'm
(32:32):
going to help you. I genuinely mean that, like you're
not gonna call my phone and I'm just like ghosting you.
I'm going to help you. If I say I'm gonna
make the connect, I'm gonna make the connect. Because you
knowice people that do that. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, I
know this person da da da. You hit him up
at an email silence, right, So that's who Chante is.
I look in the mirror every day and I feel
(32:52):
like I'm still my twelve year old self, and that's
like a really cool thing because I see my face
as a twelve year old young girl and I don't
know overplay what contributions I've made to this space and
even to the employees that I have. So that's why
am I am also very private on the things that
really matter to me because I have to be so
(33:14):
extroverted when it comes to the business and who I
show of ass.
Speaker 2 (33:19):
At one point in time, I think that you could
separate your social media life from your business and you
could kind of be a ghost, like no one knows
who you are.
Speaker 1 (33:34):
I think that is no longer true.
Speaker 4 (33:38):
Yeah, because the trend is if folks aren't following the founder,
then the brand is dead. I don't believe that that
trend is going to last forever, just like this trend
is new. Okay, So some people have done it well
where they've been behind the scenes, and some people do
it well in front of the scenes. If you ask me,
I prefer to be behind the scenes and let the
brand speak for self, the products speak for itself. Although
(34:01):
I appear as an extrovert, I am not. But what
with Black Girls Sunscreen has always been like, hey, I
don't need to be a dark skinned, slim woman to
wear sunscreen or Black Girls sunscreen, And I feel like
that's what founders sometimes give off. It's like you have
to almost aspire to the aesthetics of the founder or
(34:22):
their lifestyle, and that's not what I want.
Speaker 1 (34:25):
Where we got to go into our favorite trivia section.
Speaker 3 (34:29):
Lord, don't ask me anything crazy to me.
Speaker 1 (34:32):
You've had to have this in the buyer conversation.
Speaker 3 (34:35):
I just don't want to feel my team, my community. Okay,
don't judge me.
Speaker 1 (34:38):
It's three questions. So you got to get them all right?
Speaker 3 (34:40):
What I only have three questions?
Speaker 1 (34:43):
You only have three questions?
Speaker 3 (34:44):
Okay?
Speaker 1 (34:45):
True or false? Melanine means we don't need sunscreen? False?
Good shot?
Speaker 3 (34:51):
Okay? Good? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (34:53):
John looking like is this correct? Next question?
Speaker 2 (34:58):
What's are the following is true about melanoma and black communities. A.
Black people are less likely to get melanoma and less
likely to die from it. B melanoma is always easy
to detect on darker skin. C. Black people are more
likely to be diagnosed at the later stages of melanoma.
(35:20):
D melanoma is not a concern for people with.
Speaker 4 (35:24):
Melanin So can we go back to A because I
need to understand how that's word it. But D is
definitely a correct one. But A is a contender.
Speaker 1 (35:34):
I don't even know what melanoma.
Speaker 4 (35:35):
It's a form of skin cancer. But read A again,
y'all tripping me up?
Speaker 2 (35:40):
Okay, question again? Which are the following is true about
melanoma and black communities. Black people are less likely to
get melanoma and less likely to die from it.
Speaker 3 (35:49):
Okay, So the answers D.
Speaker 2 (35:51):
D is melanoma is not a concern for people with melanin.
I'm going to repeat no more.
Speaker 4 (35:55):
Yeah, go ahead, yeah, yeah, yeah no.
Speaker 2 (36:00):
Black people are more likely to be diagnosed at later
stages of melano Oh was that or that's what?
Speaker 3 (36:06):
C Thank you?
Speaker 1 (36:08):
That was a little worthy, Yeah, a little bit, a
little complicated. They try to trick you.
Speaker 3 (36:11):
Oh it's okay, we got it though.
Speaker 2 (36:13):
Last one, which vitamin is commonly found in sunscreen for
skin protective properties?
Speaker 1 (36:19):
Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin K.
Speaker 3 (36:24):
What's vitamin K?
Speaker 1 (36:26):
I don't know a cap of vitamin What is K?
I think that I don't. I think there's no such
thing as a vitamin K.
Speaker 3 (36:32):
I think it's vitamin E.
Speaker 1 (36:33):
That's correct.
Speaker 2 (36:35):
Last question, and I think that you created a generational
company and it started with thirty three thousand dollars that
you saw the foresight to do something with. How important
is it to save for your future? How's important for
you to better yourself?
Speaker 4 (36:53):
Oh my gosh, this is such a bad question for me.
You know why why I'm a spender?
Speaker 1 (36:59):
But you say, then today is fine? All right?
Speaker 3 (37:03):
If I had to, I'll do it all over again.
Speaker 4 (37:06):
I'll reinvest into a startup with the thirty three thousand
dollars all over again. I would sell all of my
belongings that I know are valuable all over again. I
would do it all over again. Rodney Today, what does
it mean to save? So I don't live above my means?
So I do have like whatever my mortgage is over here,
(37:28):
I have saving accounts here, I have other accounts set
up right, So I do believe that's important in case
from emergency, but also longevity and hey, you know what,
here's a trust estate planning for my future, right, because
it gets very complicated if something weren't to happen. So
I'm already on that from a people standpoint, And I
(37:50):
know that's not where you're really going with it, but
for me, like, there are people in black Out Sunscreen
that are so important to me in the business, so
I'm investing in them and making sure I understand what
motivates It's not just about monetary right, because I want
them to rock with me into whatever that end is.
The people that love me, right, making sure that I'm
(38:10):
prioritizing them with my time because time is very limited,
and then vocalizing like, hey, here's what I want to
happen if something were to happen. So it's kind of
like a full circle in terms of like how I'm
thinking about my future and it's actually about the people
around me, not my resources.
Speaker 2 (38:33):
As we end the Wealth Break, what's next for you?
What's your message to our viewers?
Speaker 4 (38:39):
You know, honestly, this has been the hardest seven months
of my entire career at Black O Sunscreen. We've been
in business for nine years, and I'm sitting here with
a friend of mine, Rodney B. Williams, and I appreciate
every opportunity that I can get to talk about the
(39:00):
your name and what's next for Black Girls Sunscreen is
right because this is a challenge for us. This is
the first time that we do have to do something
different than just be black. Right, Being black isn't enough anymore.
So my advice to anyone is be true to who
(39:21):
you are. Try not to have your head on swivel,
because if you do, you may lose who you are
and start your catering to things that just didn't exist.
So don't second out what you originally thought. That's my advice.
Speaker 1 (39:38):
Thank you so much. Welcome, It's been a pleasure, so
happy to have you.
Speaker 2 (39:43):
This is Wealth Break. Thank you, thanks for listening. Everyone.
The hosts of The Wealth Break are Me, Rodney Williams,
and Travis Holloway. If you want to stay connected, follow
us at the Wealth Break on all platforms, and be
sure to visit the wealthbreak dot com for additional resources
(40:05):
to help you on your journey to building wealth. Our
executive producers are Ryan Marx and Malik Soaka, with Meredith
Barnes as our supervising producer.
Speaker 1 (40:15):
Catch you next time on the Wealth Break
It's Rodney Williams, co founder of The Wealth Break. Listen.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
I know firsthand that building wealth can feel like everyone's
playing a game you never got the rules for good
information usually locked behind paywalls full of fine print, or
shared in conversations we're never invited to. That's exactly why
we created The Wealth Break. It's way more than a podcast.
(00:24):
It's a whole platform dedicated to making wealth building transparent,
real and accessible to everyone. Want the inside stories, the
secrets successful people actually use, and those exclusive gems you
won't find anywhere else. It's all here. Tap into our
growing community. Soak up those insights and get clear, actionable
(00:46):
strategies you can apply right now. No secrets, no gatekeepers,
just real talk for real wealth. Don't let anyone keep
you from getting with yours. Visit the wealthbreak dot com
today and start changing the game for yourself.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
Welcome to the Wealth Break.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
This is where we unlock stories of financial success, pushing,
breaking down odds, being yourself and enduring it in a
way which we hope closes the wealth gap. Hello everyone,
I'm Rodney Williams, co founder and president at the Wealth Break,
(01:42):
and I'm so excited to be here. Today with an
incredible guest, an incredible leader and beauty and wellness and
all things women. I think I look up to you
since I met you, So I'm really excited that you're
here and inspired. But we have shante you honestly because
you have a background that starts well before Black Girl Sunscreen. Sure,
(02:07):
and I would love for you to introduce yourself and
talk a little bit about your back.
Speaker 3 (02:11):
Now. Well, hello everyone.
Speaker 4 (02:12):
My name is Chante Lundy, creator and founder of Black
Girl Sunscreen. You just said some really nice words, and
I can't believe that you said that you look up
to me. When I met you a few years ago
on set, you were so reserved and like, yeah, yeah,
I'm Ronnie, like all right, so that's not even like
what you gave off like when we met and even
(02:35):
like over the years, you still come across so reserved,
Like I could text.
Speaker 3 (02:39):
You, you ain't even texting me back.
Speaker 4 (02:40):
I'm like, I'm texting this man just to like get
some business combo to build. And it's just interesting how
you say that you look up to me, But this
is the energy that I get.
Speaker 1 (02:52):
You should see how I talk about you behind your back.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
That's really Yes, yeah, I think that's the real test, right, okay,
because there's so many things that's someone could be going
on at a particular moment in time that makes them
not show up as themselves. And I think I'm a
bad example of that of someone who I show up
in different environments.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
I'm just not myself, So never wont to apologize for that.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
But yes, I actually first heard about you well before
I met you from a good friend of mine, Keenan.
And why I was so impressed is because I think
it is difficult to come from big corporate and do
it on your own.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
And then do it well and then like thrive in it.
You always seem so graciously.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
Thriving in it, and I know how hard it is,
so to do it with grace is a specific skill
that I am always impressed by.
Speaker 1 (03:46):
So that's what I mean. Okay.
Speaker 4 (03:47):
So yes, coming from a corporate space, and yes, having
to do things with grace is because that's how I
was taught but my grandparents to always just have pride
in everything, even if you have nothing or things are hard.
So what I do believe is it is important for
how people do speak about you behind your back, So
thank you for that. So just an intro like, I
(04:11):
don't know. I'm from upstate New York, Neuburgh by the
way of Southern Florida. So I did my undergrad in
New York. I did my masters down in Miami, worked
corporate for ten years, transitioned out of corporate, drove to
Los Angeles in my little two door car with no job,
(04:32):
no apartment. Had a friend who was letting me stay
with her for two weeks. That's what I gave myself
to find an apartment. Yeah, because you know what.
Speaker 3 (04:40):
It's like to stay with a friend, terrible, awful.
Speaker 4 (04:43):
You know, you got to just be respectful. You know,
maybe washing Disher here too. You know, people be having
man's and stuff like I didn't want to be there,
but also I wanted my own space. So anyway, came
to Los Angeles because that was the next thing for
the business. I felt like Black Girl's Sunscreen had really
(05:03):
penetrated the market in Miami, so coming over to LA
was like, Okay, bigger community, more black women founders because
I'd know mall in Miami, and just more opportunity.
Speaker 3 (05:18):
You know what.
Speaker 4 (05:20):
This isn't how the story goes because the first time
I moved to Los Angeles, I didn't have Black Girl's sunscreen.
I was just transitioning out of corporate. Yeah, no job,
no nothing. What so wait, I got to bring that
back because I moved to Miami and came back to
LA for a second time.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
That's what happened.
Speaker 4 (05:40):
Yeah, So in twenty sixteen, transitioned out of corporate, moved here,
no job, no nothing, and I did nothing.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
I hiked, I did yoga, walk my dog.
Speaker 4 (05:51):
And I tell founders or just people that need a break,
to do this because if your mind isn't able to
just decompress, And he said, how do you think about
whatever the next biggest thing or the next smallest thing
that can be the next biggest thing. So if I
didn't have the four years of doing nothing, I wouldn't
(06:11):
have thought at black girl sun screen or four months.
Excuse me, I was like four years, four months, so
four months off of my savings, four months at eating
at whatever restaurant I wanted to do, waking up at
noon and not being under a strict regiment. And what
I mean by a strict regiment is elementary school, middle school,
high school, college grad working at a corporate job, like
(06:33):
you know how many years that is is waking up at.
Speaker 3 (06:35):
Six o'clock in the morning.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
It's tough.
Speaker 4 (06:37):
Yeah, yeah, So when I came out of corporate, I
was just like, Okay, I'm tired. Some people don't have
that ability to take four months off, but I had
some savings. I spent it all, so I had to
go back to work.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
I can't wait to take my little break. I have
a break coming out, y'all, and I were going to
take it. I don't know completely privately Europe.
Speaker 3 (06:57):
Okay, what country in Europe?
Speaker 2 (06:59):
I haven't gotten that far. Probably a few, definitely, I'm
going to start, probably in portable.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
How many fits you're bringing? Did you know I have
your fit?
Speaker 1 (07:06):
I only travel with a carry on.
Speaker 3 (07:08):
That's a lot.
Speaker 1 (07:09):
That's enough. And if I don't got it, I get it.
Speaker 3 (07:11):
I don't believe you.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
I swear I only travel with it.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
I have rules, mainly because I've had my luggage broken
into and my shoes taken, and also my luggage get
lost all the time. It's like my luggage is the
favorite luggage that even it doesn't matter the priority, it
doesn't matter nothing.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
It gets lost.
Speaker 4 (07:26):
So you only take pictures in the fits like one time,
and then you rewear them and don't take pictures. Maybe
tell us the see, Maybe tell us to see.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
First of all, I got the world's largest two carry
on stack. Right, it's like the equivalent of two rollers,
but one is a book bag and one is a
an actual luggage.
Speaker 1 (07:46):
I can fit easily.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
I can travel with about three to six pairs of shoes.
Speaker 3 (07:53):
Okay, that's a lot, all right.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
And then it's basically always two colors. Absolutely, it's like
a dark color palette and was a light color palette.
That's all I got. And I have a you know,
there's two to three pairs of pants. There's a ton
of shirts. Yeah, okay, and there's a two jacket. Guys,
do that honestly. I'll get through a two week trip easy.
And then I also I will pack it all up.
(08:15):
I commend you send it to FedEx. And then I
would buy me something.
Speaker 1 (08:21):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (08:22):
So there's there's a secret.
Speaker 1 (08:23):
There's a secret if I got any Yeah.
Speaker 4 (08:26):
So with the break that afforded me just to kind
of I wouldn't say, like redefine who I was, because
I already knew that I had a strong work ethic.
I already knew that I could find a job if
I needed to, but was that I wouldn't say my calling,
but was that what I wanted to do? And you know,
LA is like a facade because you're driving around, You're
(08:49):
seeing people maybe have coffee, eat lunch at random times
of the thing, like these people don't work, right. You
see these expensive cars dirty as heck? Wait, you got
this car, I'm gon keep it clean. These sneakers not clean.
But that's like a sheet kind of like how people dress. Right, No,
but the mentality coming from a corporate America is like, well,
(09:09):
how do you get there? But also not really understanding
that this is big entertainment, so people's hours are kind
of wonky, the days could be kind of wonky, and
I was like, how can I do that? And instead
of working this seven to seven where I just came
out of. So that was an aspiration of mine.
Speaker 1 (09:28):
Did the idea? Were you iterating ideas during that time period?
Speaker 4 (09:32):
So after hiking, my friends would ask me like, hey,
why don't you wear sunscreen? And I'm like, well, do
you see my complexion? There's nothing that's going to rub
in where I'm not looking silly. And then also around
that time, Black Girl Magic like had just started like
twenty fifteen, twenty sixteen, and it felt like black women
(09:53):
had a boost of confidence. But going backwards in my childhood,
you know, I wasn't considered pretty because it's my complexion,
being a deeper skinned woman. So it was like I
would hide when I would go outside into like a
barbecue or something. So I'm looking for like an awning,
or I wouldn't go to a pool party if there wasn't,
you know, shade. But when I came here, I just
(10:14):
embraced my complexion, so I was okay with getting darker,
hence the fact of not wanting to use sunscreen. But
that's the misconception. Sunscreen does not prevent you from getting darker, right,
it just prevents burn. With all of that, I just
jumped on the internet to see if there was something that,
you know, could help while I was in the sun,
(10:34):
and didn't come up with anything. So I had to
ask myself some questions, some hard questions. The first one was,
well other black women were this sunscreen? Do they wear sunscreen?
The second one was do I have the resources? And
then the third one was do I have the confidence?
And once all three of those questions were answered, it
(10:55):
was like Okay, what are the next steps? So who
did I ask for validation?
Speaker 3 (10:59):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (10:59):
How did you go about answering those questions?
Speaker 4 (11:01):
I just asked like people around me, I got more
yeses and nose, but the nose were haters. I don't
need validation and a lot of things that I do.
It was more of an analytical standpoint of what is
the total adjustable market?
Speaker 1 (11:14):
Right?
Speaker 4 (11:15):
Are black people? And at the time it was black people.
It wasn't people of color? Are black people purchasing sunscreen?
And if not, how many do I need to be successful?
Speaker 3 (11:27):
Okay?
Speaker 4 (11:27):
That was the question for what other black women were.
The second one was do I have the resources?
Speaker 3 (11:33):
Now?
Speaker 4 (11:33):
I told you that I came here and was blowing
money like a fire, hiright, rip, But I still had
some left. So I was like, Okay, I can set
aside X amount of dollars, which was thirty three thousand dollars,
and I could put a down payment on a home
or start this business. So I started the business and
(11:53):
I was really the first investor of my idea.
Speaker 1 (11:57):
Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (11:58):
And then the third question was do I have the confidence? Listen,
I got big confidence, but small confidence at the same time,
and the confidence was like, how do I stand somebody
and look at them in the face and say I've
created a sunscreen for black people, and then take me
seriously a regular person, a manufacturer, a partner. That's the
confidence that I'm talking about.
Speaker 1 (12:19):
Was that the idea when you left corporate.
Speaker 2 (12:22):
You know, it was a combination of for me, I'm
not feeling happy or feeling caged.
Speaker 1 (12:28):
What was your feeling? You know what, I'm gonna do
something different, belief over fear, Belief over fear.
Speaker 4 (12:35):
Yeah, believe over fear. So I remember my last dage
at my corporate gig. They were fine, but when you
realize that there are certain people at the top and
there's no way you can get there because you don't
have the last name, what are you doing there to
continue to make maybe ten percent of this salary that
you're currently at. I learned a lot from my corporate
(12:58):
experience in value, to be honest, But it came to
a point was like I did everything I could do,
and it's time for me to do something different. But
I believed in myself. I wasn't afraid to be like hey,
and by the way, like today's my last day. It
wasn't even no two week Nope, I ed you a
two week notice.
Speaker 3 (13:18):
You did not no well behavior.
Speaker 4 (13:22):
But that comes over time though, right, That comes over
you questioning is this the best space for me? That
comes from the minutia, right, like why you work there,
or almost might even being proud of where you work. Right, Yeah,
it comes from you know, how do you see yourself
out growing or do you see yourself like this isn't
(13:42):
the best home for me? Do you see yourself being
valued my complexion and gender?
Speaker 3 (13:47):
Was it valued? I can't say it was.
Speaker 1 (13:50):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
I think my biggest challenge with certain jobs that you
end up and is that you're there for the wrong reasons.
You know, you're not being your authentic self, not really happy.
You maybe not connect with the company's purpose. But maybe
it's some logo that someone else told you that is
important to someone else, and maybe it gives you security.
Speaker 1 (14:10):
But at the same time, I think my.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
Whole thing was like it should feel something a little
bit different than work. It should feel your job. My
job doesn't feel like work. The stress of it feels
more like the work. The burden of it feels like
the work. But the actual work that I do is
like a dream come true.
Speaker 3 (14:30):
Good for you.
Speaker 4 (14:34):
I won't even tell you about the work that I do.
I just think that this is where I'm supposed to
be right now for the last nine years. But I
needed those opportunities. Honestly. Without that corporate experience, I would
not be able to leave my team, right because it's
one thing to have a product, yeah, to think about
a product, right, it's twofold, But to lead an organization
(14:57):
is something completely different. And I wouldn't have that experience
if A I didn't have my MBA, but b have
the hands.
Speaker 2 (15:04):
On for viewers who may not understand the magnitude I
think your business.
Speaker 1 (15:12):
Can you give a breath of magnitude?
Speaker 4 (15:15):
We are the first on screen to talk to broad
and black women, but not just broad and black women,
but broad and black people. And you know, I don't
actually think that we get the credit that we deserve.
Eight years ago, the bigger brands, legacy brands weren't talking
to our demographic at all. So the bigger brands weren't
talking to the demographic. Healthcare professionals, whether dermatologists, estheticians, media
(15:41):
marketing wasn't talking to us. It was hey, y'all black,
you don't burn you don't need this, so we're now
focusing on the lighter skin complexion.
Speaker 3 (15:51):
You already know who it is.
Speaker 4 (15:53):
When Black Girl Suns freen came on the scene, it was, oh,
this is provocative, Oh this is delicious. Oh this is
language that we couldn't really use before. I'll give you
an example, the word ashy. I don't know about you.
If somebody don Black called you ashy, are you offended?
One don't just say, for the purpose of the conversation,
(16:14):
how you feel it? Maybe not today, but I don't know.
Four years ago somebody was like, you ashy, and look
at you talking about this you ashy?
Speaker 1 (16:23):
Yeah I would have something today, of course.
Speaker 3 (16:26):
Okay.
Speaker 4 (16:27):
But if they say, hey, would you like some moisturizer? Great,
different but same yeah okay. So what the big brands
did was, I wouldn't say borrowed, but used our vernacular
for when it came to advertising, and they saw that
we created a market of our own that they never
(16:47):
tapped into. So Black Girl's Sunscreen is beyond just selling sunscreen.
We literally are the pioneers of a new lane for
the entire industry of suns. And that's the magnitude of
the business worrying about I don't know, fifteen to twenty
thousand doors across the United States. We don't talk about
(17:08):
it too much, but in our community, it's kind of like, well,
you know, you're not real, only you're on in retail
because they think that it's being cooked in the kitchen
or investment or whatever that is. Right, So when we
first got our first retail placement, it was like, oh,
you guys are serious, and then that retailer was like
tethered to Black Girls sunscreen for a really long time.
(17:29):
The magnitude of the organization is that we've created something
that can't be a race from the books. So seventy
percent of Americans, all Americans, not any particular race, don't
wear sunscreen because the narrative is still vacation, you know, pool, beach,
outdoor activities as opposed to really focusing on maintaining our youth,
(17:52):
the fine lines, the hyperbagmentation, even like rosetia, things like that.
So people are still not like, hey, I should put
this on on a day to day basis.
Speaker 1 (18:03):
Yeah, I mean it was something I had to learn.
Speaker 2 (18:05):
I got I got a scar, and I was looking
at how to limit my scar from darkening and they
were like, oh, you just need you have Yeah, and well,
you know I think I was like, so I should
be doing this across the board. I have other areas
where I mean I want blemishes to you know, turn
into like darker problems.
Speaker 3 (18:23):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (18:24):
So, our buyer, who had a really deep conversation with
last month, told us the reason why she brought us
into the retailer was a she was kicking and streaming
for the bigger brands to do something different and they
just refused. Second, she said, I knew that there was
not going to be a black woman in this buying
(18:45):
chair again, and I wanted to give you a chance.
And I appreciate that. First of all, I appreciate her
because you know, the people in those shares don't really
understand how they can impact a founder she or brands
you know, path Yeah, yeah, yeah, And I thought it
was a big deal because you know, they're understanding like
(19:07):
what the trends are and what's happening in their industry
and not just performing to a P and L.
Speaker 1 (19:14):
Yeah or kudos, congratulations, thank you.
Speaker 2 (19:36):
Code switch because I got Sante from shamously Sante.
Speaker 1 (19:39):
Yes, Okay, you know what I have a problem with
what is it.
Speaker 2 (19:43):
I have a problem with black cultures, scrutiny on black culture.
You know, whether it's most recently it's going on with
essence or you say it with founders, you say it
with other people, you say it, we're just so quick
to crucify people who look like ourselves, and I have
(20:03):
a problem with it.
Speaker 4 (20:04):
So with that, the voices, the negative voices, the ones
that are bashing, the ones that are hating, are way
louder than the supporters. It makes me wonder what is
the intent, right, what is the intent behind not speaking
up for individuals or brands that you support? And why
are those people trying to harm you?
Speaker 2 (20:28):
Right?
Speaker 1 (20:29):
Like?
Speaker 4 (20:29):
Is it because they truly had a bad experience, That's
one thing, But are they trying to ruin you? Like,
think about that. Are they trying to end your business?
It feels that way, It is that way, But the
question is why.
Speaker 1 (20:44):
Yeah, I don't have the answer.
Speaker 3 (20:46):
You have a problem with it, though, I have a.
Speaker 1 (20:48):
Big problem with it.
Speaker 2 (20:49):
I think it's because it kind of goes back to
like the crabs in a barrel. I think it goes
back to you know, slavery and certain folks where in the.
Speaker 1 (20:59):
House, in certain we're not.
Speaker 2 (21:01):
I think it goes back to favoritism and the competition,
and that type of mentality was actually, you know, instilled
on us, I think in our community, not necessarily organically,
and we haven't learned how to shake it. And other ethnicities,
(21:21):
it's the complete opposite, or it's very different the way
they treat people that is part of their community. They
just have a lot more grace, they have a lot
more understanding for the community. They are hyper scrutinized anything
that's not a part of them, And I always wonder
why we haven't learned that.
Speaker 1 (21:41):
That's how you elevate your community.
Speaker 2 (21:43):
You elevate your community by showing grace and consideration and
understanding and progress and positivity. You do not elevate by
being the biggest credit.
Speaker 4 (21:53):
Somebody in the same care space made a mistake, okay,
just kind of launched a product didn't work on women
of color. She apology and they forgave her in that
one post. Black old sunscreen doesn't have that luxury if
we post anything with AI, forget about it. Forget about it.
(22:14):
We're getting dragged. Why haven't you used black models? Why
don't you do this? If you can't use real people,
then we can't trust your skincare products, like, yeah, we
get it from all angles, Rodney. And the question is
why because hold on the same competitor, right, yeah, use
AI all day.
Speaker 3 (22:34):
Right.
Speaker 4 (22:35):
They can make jokes on things and it's literally just
a joke or hey, let me understand where the company
is coming from. I don't like to cry victim a lot.
It's like okay, we heard that, and sometimes the feedback
is constructive.
Speaker 3 (22:48):
It really just depends. But I can't speak for you.
Speaker 4 (22:52):
I'm dealing with this my entire life where it feels
like my boxing gloves are of all the time. So
what do you think about the Essence? Do you think
they went too hard on essence? Do you think there's
some validity that's not speaking to Black American culture?
Speaker 3 (23:06):
Like what are your thoughts? Do you think they should
have brought in the CEO?
Speaker 2 (23:09):
And what the truth? Of course, the truth is the
black culture and community. We should be absolutely kind and
graceful for that essence to be alive and to be thriving,
because what you don't know is that it almost died
many many times. We don't have the luxury to nitpick
that organization because that organization is the largest festival ever. Now,
(23:34):
what do you do with your crown jewel? You give
them feedback, but you love them.
Speaker 4 (23:39):
But the criticism is right, Why can't black people culture
just have something for them? Why do we have to
be accepted of every other?
Speaker 2 (23:50):
I don't think there's a concept that they have to
be everything to everyone.
Speaker 1 (23:55):
I don't see that for someone who've been in the essence.
Speaker 2 (23:58):
At this point six or seven years in Row, right,
no one's talking about the fact that they introduced an
entire segment called the Global Black Economic Form that is
designed to talk about the political aspects, the economic aspects,
the business aspects.
Speaker 1 (24:13):
It doesn't go viral.
Speaker 2 (24:14):
No one talks about the Global Black Economic Forum, but
they introduced that to be much more than a music festival.
There's an entire track for LGBTQ. I mean, they have
been doing that for years. So when you talk about
maybe the introduction of some elements that are tailored to
Africa or others, and you want to be hyper critical,
(24:35):
I think you're being You're being flagrant, like you're.
Speaker 4 (24:39):
Saying the negative voices are louder than the positive voices,
and it's really unfortunate and I hate the fact that,
you know, the CEO, who's been not active for a
while is even brought into the conversation. And I also
feel like there's a lot of criticism from folks that
can't do the job.
Speaker 2 (24:57):
Yeah, you know CEO. I think she's an incredible woman.
And the saddest part about that is that like she
can take a leave of absence, she can rest.
Speaker 4 (25:07):
So do you think that that came because of the
heels of participation of the red folks?
Speaker 2 (25:13):
And I think it was self inflicted by the same
folks who thought Target was a target.
Speaker 1 (25:19):
I just think it's misguided.
Speaker 2 (25:21):
And the reason why we started talking about this podcast
and actually said, you know what, We're gonna start talking
about wealth and changing that dynamic and telling the true
stories because as founders, people that are really in it.
I was tired of entertainers talking about something that I do.
Speaker 3 (25:38):
Listen, that's the code switch right there.
Speaker 1 (25:40):
Yeah, And I was just tired of it.
Speaker 2 (25:41):
You don't know, and you're jumping to conclusions, and you're
rolling a bunch of people up, and you're attacking things
without making sense to tell Black people, So don't go
to target, right what that equated to? Its just about
two percent dropping sales for Target. I'm gonna be honest.
Target doesn't care. But black people that two percent over
(26:03):
indexes and black products that are there with black founders,
black employees, black communities. So those products are down twenty
thirty forty percent.
Speaker 3 (26:13):
Black O sunscreen is down.
Speaker 2 (26:15):
So think about those people you listen to that said
to do that.
Speaker 1 (26:20):
Were they educated?
Speaker 2 (26:21):
Were they aware of the impact that it was going
to have on the products you love and support? And no,
it was not subsidized with you going to Amazon. What
happened is you couldn't get those products. That's an example
of a very very bad strategy to prove a point.
Speaker 1 (26:37):
Most interesting thing that I learned.
Speaker 2 (26:40):
As critical as our community can be, it's also they
have very very short memories.
Speaker 4 (26:45):
What I take from your story and even my story,
it really does test your strength and the fact that
you're still sitting here we're talking. Like I said, I'm
showing up in Lepard dress, dead in the middle of
our sun season and back you know, so much money
for a growing business. It shows resilience, right, And I
don't believe resilience can be taught. Resilience is from withinside.
Speaker 2 (27:09):
I'm so purposely passionate about closing the wealth got and
I systematically understand how it needs to get done. If
you're not thinking about closing that gap and being more
financially inclusive, we have nothing to talk about. I don't
(27:30):
think as a politician, as a leader, I don't care
about the press release. So what it looks like. It's
what it is and what it isn't. It's numbers, it's
black and white, it's night and day. I always say
like I have a code I got right or wrong.
I don't care about nothing else. I tell people right
or wrong with me? Is right or wrong. I think
(27:53):
I got to focus on the motive that I think
is going to make the biggest impact.
Speaker 3 (27:56):
I only have one line on it.
Speaker 4 (27:58):
I've never been in a situation where an administration has
been impactful on my personal and professional life. What inequalities
do you face in your space based off of how
you show up?
Speaker 1 (28:14):
That's a good one.
Speaker 2 (28:15):
I remember being a Howard and it was a Goman
Sachs executive and at the time I had locks, and
he goes, you're gonna have to cut your hair to
ever work for me. Right, that's the group who built
our financial system. It is a group that is all
about who has deposits, and.
Speaker 1 (28:36):
They don't care about anyone who don't.
Speaker 2 (28:38):
And they build products of people that look like themselves,
and that means rich, okay over everything, and rich has
a certain look that has been defined. They do certain things,
they go certain places, they talk a certain way, they
approach life a certain way, And yeah, I don't fit
that mode, nor do I ever want to. And I think, honestly,
(29:01):
some of the adversity that I've gone through the resilience,
all it does is like feed into my authenticity. The
times periods what I would hold back and be more reserved. Lately,
I'm more like no yesterday, No, I'm you know, I'm
you know, I got to pick and choose.
Speaker 3 (29:19):
I got something for you.
Speaker 4 (29:21):
You move like the G and lasagna real g's MoU
silence right, you move a very different way.
Speaker 3 (29:28):
So what do you think your reputation is.
Speaker 2 (29:30):
I think there's two reputations that I probably have, and
it's the people who know me and people who don't.
To people who don't know me, I'm definitely probably like cold, short, direct.
Speaker 1 (29:43):
Maybe awkward, own it own it self centered.
Speaker 2 (29:47):
Yeah, I think that's how the group would define me
if you don't know me. I think if you know me,
I think it's kind, it's emotional, it's passionate, aggressive. I'm
actually a little bit comfortable with both those narratives, because
at some point, if you are not comfortable with something narrative,
(30:08):
I'm gonna be too focused on.
Speaker 1 (30:09):
Trying to address that.
Speaker 2 (30:10):
That part of being authentic is it's okay, what is
schante without.
Speaker 3 (30:17):
What we know?
Speaker 4 (30:19):
In the house, my hair is always in some rollers, always,
I wear glasses straight up nerd. My vision is a
negative like six, so that means my lenses are like
really really thick, like I can't even get certain glasses
because my vision is so bad. So extremely like comfortable, creative.
(30:41):
This is in the house of people don't know this.
You would never seemulate this because you wouldn't even think
that is two different people. And when I transform, people
were like, oh, is that you? And it's like, yeah,
that's me. I was on a call with a buyer
and she's like, you know, remember you're talking to you know,
midwestern women, and I was just like, okay, so what
(31:05):
does that mean? Wow, maybe your personally I could be
like bubbly and you know, we think you should have
a little bit more fun, and I'm like, well, in
what space is it safe for black women to have fun?
And they just paused. Because in every space I show up,
I have to be buttoned up, have my things together,
an agenda, and if the agenda doesn't go through, I
(31:27):
have to follow up, follow up, follow up, and follow up.
So behind the scenes, I am extremely assertive and don't
I don't take no. I find a way to get
what I need period. I also, I'm a dog mom
of five, which is insane. I should have listened to
(31:48):
whoever told me not to. And that's another thing about Chante.
I don't really listen to people that much. I'm also
very generous, so you know, you might hear rhetoric like
oh things didn't work out out or this person treated
me this way, and it's just like, wait a second,
I'm pretty sure you took advantage of all the benefits,
whether it's an anniversary gift, for birthday gift or trips
(32:10):
and whatever. And the reason why I do that is
because that's how I would want it to be treated
as an employee or in a pre existent life. So
being generous, I don't think that people really understand that
about me and I try to problem solve. So if
you're like Chanta, I'm moving and I'm like Ronnie, I
got you. I know you're new to the city. I'm
(32:32):
going to help you. I genuinely mean that, like you're
not gonna call my phone and I'm just like ghosting you.
I'm going to help you. If I say I'm gonna
make the connect, I'm gonna make the connect. Because you
knowice people that do that. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, I
know this person da da da. You hit him up
at an email silence, right, So that's who Chante is.
I look in the mirror every day and I feel
(32:52):
like I'm still my twelve year old self, and that's
like a really cool thing because I see my face
as a twelve year old young girl and I don't
know overplay what contributions I've made to this space and
even to the employees that I have. So that's why
am I am also very private on the things that
really matter to me because I have to be so
(33:14):
extroverted when it comes to the business and who I
show of ass.
Speaker 2 (33:19):
At one point in time, I think that you could
separate your social media life from your business and you
could kind of be a ghost, like no one knows
who you are.
Speaker 1 (33:34):
I think that is no longer true.
Speaker 4 (33:38):
Yeah, because the trend is if folks aren't following the founder,
then the brand is dead. I don't believe that that
trend is going to last forever, just like this trend
is new. Okay, So some people have done it well
where they've been behind the scenes, and some people do
it well in front of the scenes. If you ask me,
I prefer to be behind the scenes and let the
brand speak for self, the products speak for itself. Although
(34:01):
I appear as an extrovert, I am not. But what
with Black Girls Sunscreen has always been like, hey, I
don't need to be a dark skinned, slim woman to
wear sunscreen or Black Girls sunscreen, And I feel like
that's what founders sometimes give off. It's like you have
to almost aspire to the aesthetics of the founder or
(34:22):
their lifestyle, and that's not what I want.
Speaker 1 (34:25):
Where we got to go into our favorite trivia section.
Speaker 3 (34:29):
Lord, don't ask me anything crazy to me.
Speaker 1 (34:32):
You've had to have this in the buyer conversation.
Speaker 3 (34:35):
I just don't want to feel my team, my community. Okay,
don't judge me.
Speaker 1 (34:38):
It's three questions. So you got to get them all right?
Speaker 3 (34:40):
What I only have three questions?
Speaker 1 (34:43):
You only have three questions?
Speaker 3 (34:44):
Okay?
Speaker 1 (34:45):
True or false? Melanine means we don't need sunscreen? False?
Good shot?
Speaker 3 (34:51):
Okay? Good? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (34:53):
John looking like is this correct? Next question?
Speaker 2 (34:58):
What's are the following is true about melanoma and black communities. A.
Black people are less likely to get melanoma and less
likely to die from it. B melanoma is always easy
to detect on darker skin. C. Black people are more
likely to be diagnosed at the later stages of melanoma.
(35:20):
D melanoma is not a concern for people with.
Speaker 4 (35:24):
Melanin So can we go back to A because I
need to understand how that's word it. But D is
definitely a correct one. But A is a contender.
Speaker 1 (35:34):
I don't even know what melanoma.
Speaker 4 (35:35):
It's a form of skin cancer. But read A again,
y'all tripping me up?
Speaker 2 (35:40):
Okay, question again? Which are the following is true about
melanoma and black communities. Black people are less likely to
get melanoma and less likely to die from it.
Speaker 3 (35:49):
Okay, So the answers D.
Speaker 2 (35:51):
D is melanoma is not a concern for people with melanin.
I'm going to repeat no more.
Speaker 4 (35:55):
Yeah, go ahead, yeah, yeah, yeah no.
Speaker 2 (36:00):
Black people are more likely to be diagnosed at later
stages of melano Oh was that or that's what?
Speaker 3 (36:06):
C Thank you?
Speaker 1 (36:08):
That was a little worthy, Yeah, a little bit, a
little complicated. They try to trick you.
Speaker 3 (36:11):
Oh it's okay, we got it though.
Speaker 2 (36:13):
Last one, which vitamin is commonly found in sunscreen for
skin protective properties?
Speaker 1 (36:19):
Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin K.
Speaker 3 (36:24):
What's vitamin K?
Speaker 1 (36:26):
I don't know a cap of vitamin What is K?
I think that I don't. I think there's no such
thing as a vitamin K.
Speaker 3 (36:32):
I think it's vitamin E.
Speaker 1 (36:33):
That's correct.
Speaker 2 (36:35):
Last question, and I think that you created a generational
company and it started with thirty three thousand dollars that
you saw the foresight to do something with. How important
is it to save for your future? How's important for
you to better yourself?
Speaker 4 (36:53):
Oh my gosh, this is such a bad question for me.
You know why why I'm a spender?
Speaker 1 (36:59):
But you say, then today is fine? All right?
Speaker 3 (37:03):
If I had to, I'll do it all over again.
Speaker 4 (37:06):
I'll reinvest into a startup with the thirty three thousand
dollars all over again. I would sell all of my
belongings that I know are valuable all over again. I
would do it all over again. Rodney Today, what does
it mean to save? So I don't live above my means?
So I do have like whatever my mortgage is over here,
(37:28):
I have saving accounts here, I have other accounts set
up right, So I do believe that's important in case
from emergency, but also longevity and hey, you know what,
here's a trust estate planning for my future, right, because
it gets very complicated if something weren't to happen. So
I'm already on that from a people standpoint, And I
(37:50):
know that's not where you're really going with it, but
for me, like, there are people in black Out Sunscreen
that are so important to me in the business, so
I'm investing in them and making sure I understand what
motivates It's not just about monetary right, because I want
them to rock with me into whatever that end is.
The people that love me, right, making sure that I'm
(38:10):
prioritizing them with my time because time is very limited,
and then vocalizing like, hey, here's what I want to
happen if something were to happen. So it's kind of
like a full circle in terms of like how I'm
thinking about my future and it's actually about the people
around me, not my resources.
Speaker 2 (38:33):
As we end the Wealth Break, what's next for you?
What's your message to our viewers?
Speaker 4 (38:39):
You know, honestly, this has been the hardest seven months
of my entire career at Black O Sunscreen. We've been
in business for nine years, and I'm sitting here with
a friend of mine, Rodney B. Williams, and I appreciate
every opportunity that I can get to talk about the
(39:00):
your name and what's next for Black Girls Sunscreen is
right because this is a challenge for us. This is
the first time that we do have to do something
different than just be black. Right, Being black isn't enough anymore.
So my advice to anyone is be true to who
(39:21):
you are. Try not to have your head on swivel,
because if you do, you may lose who you are
and start your catering to things that just didn't exist.
So don't second out what you originally thought. That's my advice.
Speaker 1 (39:38):
Thank you so much. Welcome, It's been a pleasure, so
happy to have you.
Speaker 2 (39:43):
This is Wealth Break. Thank you, thanks for listening. Everyone.
The hosts of The Wealth Break are Me, Rodney Williams,
and Travis Holloway. If you want to stay connected, follow
us at the Wealth Break on all platforms, and be
sure to visit the wealthbreak dot com for additional resources
(40:05):
to help you on your journey to building wealth. Our
executive producers are Ryan Marx and Malik Soaka, with Meredith
Barnes as our supervising producer.
Speaker 1 (40:15):
Catch you next time on the Wealth Break
Popular Podcasts
NFL Daily with Gregg Rosenthal
Gregg Rosenthal and a rotating crew of elite NFL Media co-hosts, including Patrick Claybon, Colleen Wolfe, Steve Wyche, Nick Shook and Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic get you caught up daily on all the NFL news and analysis you need to be smarter and funnier than your friends.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com