Vanessa James On Acquiring Local Grants, Advises Business Owners To Connect With Their Roots + More
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
What's up? Its way up. But Angela Yee, I'm Anzela
Yee and my Wealth Wednesday partner Stacy Tisdale is here.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Happy Wealth Wednesday everybody, and we are so excited. We
have a very special guest today, the one, the only,
Vanessa James.
Speaker 3 (00:16):
Hi, everybody. I am so excited to be on this
program today.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
See this is why she's good at what she does.
She already started it off right now, shows.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Media personality voiceovers. We could just kind of let you
run the show here.
Speaker 4 (00:29):
You're doing a great job. Publisist Stacey do it.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
But you know, Vanessa, you do have a background in
radio and in media. So let's talk about how you
got started and by the way, you can follow her
at Vanessa James Media.
Speaker 4 (00:42):
Okay, thank you plug, thank you, thank by you for
the plug.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
Let's start. Let's talk about your start in this media
business and how you were able to expand your brand.
Speaker 3 (00:52):
Well, it started off much like you in radio and
radio for me started off in Tallahassee, where I'm at
doc Winter we know very well, and transition down to
South Florida and that's where I got my first programming
slash So on the air as well as music director.
Speaker 4 (01:06):
I'm Trinny, so multiple jobs, all the jobs.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
All a job, born in Trinidad, born in Trinidad, so
you know, I'm you know, serious about all the jobs.
Speaker 4 (01:14):
But and then transitioned to being on the air.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
So it was great back then to just kind of
figure out, Okay, well do I like programming more or
you know, being on the air more, doing promotions more.
Speaker 4 (01:24):
And I realized I kind of like it all.
Speaker 3 (01:27):
But you have to pick and radio, you know, in
order to be really great, you do have to pick
a lane.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
Right, do you want to be a personality or do
you want to be a.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
Program exactly exactly, So I picked programmer to start personality
and that really transitioned me into events in that whole space.
I love that in radio, especially if you are versatile,
you do get to play in lots of different spaces
and see what you like.
Speaker 4 (01:49):
And that's what I did.
Speaker 3 (01:50):
So in two thousand and nine when my station flipped
I'm sorry twenty ten, when my station flipped, I decided
I didn't want to go to another radio market and
I started Vanessa James Media. That's so I could pay
myself because I was doing a lot of freelance work
and clients would be like, can you send me an invoice?
Speaker 4 (02:04):
I'm like, oh shit, let me figure out what we
get this company together.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
And that's how we kind of get started with that,
and I transitioned into doing hosting and doing voice over
full time, and that's really hovingness of James Media was
born really out of necessity when people always.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
Ask me this if they want to get into radio,
because people ask me all the time, and I know
they ask you as much. Point and things have really
changed a lot, though, What would you tell somebody who's
listening this, like, man, I've always wanted to get into
programming or I've always wanted to be on the radio.
Speaker 4 (02:35):
I would definitely say this.
Speaker 3 (02:37):
It's it's a shrinking business as we know, and I
think what's happened, especially with programming that I know a
lot of the program directors I know are programming multiple stations, three,
four or five stations right across the country, even though
they're in one market, working in one place. Same thing
with a lot of radio hosts too, They're they're hosting
in multiple markets as well. I would say, what's great
is you don't necessarily have to travel and hop around
(02:59):
right now, if you want a radio job, just know
that you do have to be very malleable. As Doc
would like to say, you always tell me that VI,
you gotta be malleable, So I say that to say
i'd stay okay. So in the market that you're in,
reach out to and find those program directors and hosts
that you like and see if you can shadow them,
you know, and see if the opportunities come that way.
(03:20):
Because a lot of the times that you know, when
people were on the come up for me, they were volunteers.
Speaker 4 (03:25):
And now we can't have volunteers anymore in radio.
Speaker 3 (03:27):
You have to be paid, but volunteers, interns and that
type of thing where you could really kind of shadow
somebody and see if it's even something that you like,
because behind the scenes it's a lot of work.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
Look what you ended up doing. You started in a
corporation when entrepreneurial, but now you're not only doing media work,
you're doing events, you're doing coaching, you're doing.
Speaker 4 (03:46):
What busy is that busy?
Speaker 3 (03:48):
Go?
Speaker 2 (03:48):
As I was just talking on my st about this,
he's interested in sports broadcasting. I'm like, you can't make
a living as a journalist anymore. You just can't do
it because the pricing structure like going into production. So
talk about how you are media of you know, you
do your voiceovers, but you've had to build a business
around it.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
Oh yeah, absolutely so VJ Media, which I'm very proud
to celebrate it thirteen years as an election.
Speaker 4 (04:09):
Wild it is. It's a big year.
Speaker 1 (04:12):
This is a superstitious room to them, Yes it is.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, it is a person Okay, thirteen But
I will say the way that I really transitioned and
looking back all this time, it's really kind of shown
me that versatility for me means again allowing yourself to
have those opportunities to explore all all the different assets.
And I'm so excited to be here on your well
(04:35):
show because I took the time also to save and
so because I saved money along the way, I didn't
just spend the money on all the Gucci bags and
all that stuff, I got a chance to be very versatile. Okay,
I need you in New York. Okay, cool, I'm gonna
fly up. I voice k to you here in New York.
If I needed to come up and see my you know, PD,
I'd come up. And it was a quick thing for
me because I had savings to be able to have
(04:56):
that versatility and flexibility to try things and decide Okay,
here's here's what, you know, the the journey I want
to take with my business. And I have that flexibility
because I had a little bit of money saved to
have that cushion to be able to be freak and
clear and try things.
Speaker 4 (05:11):
Right and see how they flowed.
Speaker 1 (05:12):
Sometimes you got to fly yourself, yeah, get things done.
Speaker 3 (05:15):
You can't do six k to South Africa on your own,
on your own ax.
Speaker 1 (05:22):
In all fairness, I was getting paid, and you have
to know what it is that you want to spend
your money on. Absolutely, you know, because for some people,
I'll stay Some people might be like, I don't care,
I'll stay at whatever hotel, but you know, okay, I
need to make sure, if anything, my hotel's got to
be nice, good restaurant, yes, clean, safe.
Speaker 3 (05:43):
Yes, you know, especially traveling alone as a woman, those
are things that very yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
Yeah, talk a little bit more about that, the entrepreneurial
side and that saving side and kind of that financial foundation.
A lot of people don't.
Speaker 3 (05:55):
I would love to talk about money, thank you. Let's
talk about money, shall we know? So me look entrepreneur. Okay,
entrepreneurial life is not easy. Is it is gonna get
you some bags? So you don't need to have some
good skincare and some sacrifice and a lot of sacrifice
and a lot of gumption because you are taking a
risk on yourself.
Speaker 4 (06:15):
But I think what better person to take a risk
on than me?
Speaker 3 (06:18):
And so for me, I really use it as an
opportunity to kind of get again, play in a lot
of different fields and see what is it that I
want to do and what do I want my legacy
and journey to be about, and so and and that
becomes something that you become really passionate about and constantly
trying new things, like right now, I'm in my event
season flow. So VJ Media, you know, is definitely becoming
(06:39):
a hub. It's not just necessarily voiceover on camera work hosting.
It's also throwing events and celebrating other women. It's also
celebrating my Caribbean community with my event food, wine and
fet It's it's having my hand, my Trinny hand and
lots of different buckets don't play so but yeah, and
and so I think that again because I have that
(07:01):
flexibility as an entrepreneur I'm able to kind of try
and say, hey, here are the things I love and
I want to continue to pursue, and here's the things
I don't really care about doing. And so for you know,
as that relates to radio, it's programming that I realized
because there's a lot of sometimes ties.
Speaker 4 (07:17):
And holds on you, especially corporate radio.
Speaker 3 (07:19):
As much as I loved it and that's where I
really earned my stripes, I did realize that I seasoned
out of that in terms of the shackles. Let's say
that sometimes it has on you in terms of how
much flexibility you have, Like I would always want to
put Soca artists on the air because I'm like, I
want to make sure and celebrate my people, I feel
you yes, and dance hall artists and stuff like that,
especially in the market like Miami, and so we'd have
(07:41):
that too little pocket hour.
Speaker 4 (07:43):
On Sundays and that was it. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (07:45):
And meanwhile, it's like fifty percent of the market is
some of the Caribbean.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
Right.
Speaker 1 (07:49):
It's so interesting that you say that, because part of
why I was like, I really wanted my own show
was to be able to have the ability to say
this is who I want to have on but then
you do also have to think what people are bonding
now too, So it is it is. It's a business, yeah,
and it's a business. I want to discuss how you
decided it was time for you to actually start your
(08:09):
own business, because that's scary for some people having the
security and safety of a paycheck and then realizing, Okay,
now I'm going to step out on my own. When
did you realize it was time?
Speaker 3 (08:19):
Well, time was forced upon me when my station flipped, right,
so twenty ten June, I remember exactly what it was.
Speaker 4 (08:25):
It flipped actually May.
Speaker 3 (08:27):
And at that time I had the choice because I
had great relationships in the industry that I still have,
and so I got calls like, hey, VJ, we got
you in Chicago, you know, are you interested in coming
to New York? Are you with g Spin? Are you
interested in coming to South you know, San Francisco? And
at that time I had a choice. And for me,
I'm very rooted in my roots right and so for me,
(08:49):
so South Florida just felt like a natural fit. And
it was a hops and a hop and a skift
from the Caribbean. So if I wanted to take a
quick trip to Trinidad, or the Cayman Islands or Jamaica.
Speaker 4 (08:57):
I could do that, but I love that I had
created so.
Speaker 3 (09:00):
Much community there, and so it didn't feel like work
in terms of building things in South Florida, because it
was very much like building things with your people. And
that's what I realized, you know what. It was just
time to kind of step out and have faith on
me and not go take that secure radio job, which
was the same amount of money, but it was a
lateral move. And I'm like, San Francisco is like thirty
five a month for rent. It's gonna cost me a
(09:22):
lot to move there. And I had no roots there,
and so I would just tell people who are starting
in business, where are your roots firmly planted?
Speaker 4 (09:29):
That's where you should spring from.
Speaker 2 (09:30):
That's great advice, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (09:32):
It's really easy to keep starting over and over and
over and over. But at the end of the day,
where do you feel like you're you're your most comfortable
self and you have a community of people that you
can call and reach on and say, hey, you know,
I'm launching this, you know, and and they're quick and
willing to support you because they know you and you've
spent time building with them. That's very important. So Miami
(09:53):
is that place for me. It feels like home. As
much as you know, people try to pull me to
different places, I realize that it's funny because I'll travel everywhere,
the most fabulous places, and as soon as I.
Speaker 4 (10:03):
See that poor to Miami, you know, you know when
you feel it, you know, oh, that's awesome.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
So through all of this, one of the many businesses
that sprung up is coaching women entrepreneurs. How did you
get so passionate about that?
Speaker 3 (10:19):
I mean, I think coming from a rooted Caribbean household
that's very multifaceted. My mom's Indian, my dad's African and Venezuelan,
and having so many aunties and different people around me,
woman celebrating womanhood and celebrating togetherness was really is really
kind of who I am. It's not something I have
(10:39):
to force, it's not something I have to try to be.
And so with my business, I knew that I always
wanted to make sure and celebrate other women, and I
always make make sure and take a look and see
how is it. See, here's the thing about celebrating other people.
If it comes naturally to you, it doesn't feel like
work right, and so and I realized VJ Media, I
can't do it alone, nor do I want to. So
(11:00):
I created events like VJ Media Mixology and VJ Media's
Women of Impact in her every year in South Florida,
which you should definitely come to.
Speaker 4 (11:07):
And I want to talk to about food, wine in.
Speaker 3 (11:08):
Fact two because I should be there. You should be
there for that. Yeah. Really just giving a chance to
celebrate other women. And what I've realized in the last
ten years is celebrating other women really means growing your network,
growing your community. When you start to celebrate other people
and you're joyous about it, things just flow to you
and you're constantly having to go, hey, wait a minute,
(11:29):
this is fantastic. Oh you know what, it's it's not
a good fit for me. But I would love to
introduce you to Stacey. I would love to introduce you
to Angela. So that's you know again, I started to
do it and love it and now events it's it's
time again for VJ Media post pandemic to start doing
these events again. And our first ones coming up this May,
and it's a celebration of Caribbean women, Caribbean community, all
(11:50):
already in Miami there.
Speaker 2 (11:52):
When you coach women female entrepreneurs, what are some of
the things that you're like, oh this again, Like what
do you think are some of the the things coming
up of things that repetitively come up?
Speaker 3 (12:03):
Definitely the business part of things, like making sure they
have their business and their money in order, and making
sure that things are trademarked, making sure that they have
their It's not just about okay, so hey, j I
want to start a business. It's about okay, great, I'm
so excited for you. Let's talk about this blueprint of
your business. What does it look like, what does it
feel like? What do you want your business to feel
(12:24):
like to the world. Right, it's very important for things
to feel good once you get past that blueprint.
Speaker 4 (12:28):
Now, let's firm things up. Sis.
Speaker 3 (12:30):
Okay, let's make sure you have it llced or ES
Corporate Incorporated based on you know, your style of business.
Let's make sure you have a little bit of funding,
and if you don't, let's see where you can get
some grants locally to help you springboard. Right, Let's look
at the other women in your community and other people
in your community that you can lean on for graphics
or you know, production, or your website, because you can't
(12:52):
do it all alone now, right, So it's really about
how you create that network so that you can spring forward.
Because so often, especially for me, when I first started,
I was everything. I was the webmaster, the content, I
was the graphic designer doing the voiceovers all day.
Speaker 4 (13:08):
Growing. No, it's not a good thing.
Speaker 3 (13:11):
You wear yourself out, and also you wear your creativity
out when you do it and approach it that way.
Speaker 1 (13:16):
Now, Vanessa, you also, by the way, talk a lot
about networking, and that's been really instrumental to you being
able to start your own business. Even before you were
starting your business, you had great relationships with people with clients.
So how did you figure out when it was time
for you to start your own company? Approaching these clients
and knowing the value of what it is that you're
(13:37):
bringing to the table, because I think those financial conversations,
initially for some people can be difficult to have, and
also knowing Okay, what is the price for this and
how do I properly price this? I remember, I'll give
you a perfect example. So baby Sam, we all know
and love her.
Speaker 4 (13:52):
Oh yes, a girl.
Speaker 3 (13:55):
So I used to voice a lot of RCA album releases, Usher,
Anthony Hamilton, A Keys, I mean a lot. Anything that
you knew would come out, they'd always send it my way.
And she would come to me and she would say,
like obviously knowing her from radio, well you're really good
at what you do. I want you to voice these
projects for me, and I would never know how to
(14:16):
price them. How do you price the Usher album release?
Speaker 4 (14:19):
I don't know, you know what I mean.
Speaker 3 (14:20):
It's taking me about an hour to do this work.
How do I price it? So that's when I realized
that was twenty and eleven, twenty twelve. Like BJ, you
got to just ask people and stop just assuming. Because
I was for a couple of those album releases underpricing
myself and other projects like that. I think when you
don't know, it's okay to say hey, I don't know
(14:42):
and reach out to different people in your community. At
that time, Juliet Jones and a couple of VJ here's
what you should be charging, you know what I'm saying.
So here's where this particular spot is going to run
in all these markets and television, radio, and this is
what the cost is as a business person that you
should be charging for this, so when you don't know
when it comes to pricing, especially as women reach out
(15:02):
to other people, reach out to strangers if you need to,
and I mean the power of social media is real.
Speaker 4 (15:08):
To make sure you're asking those questions.
Speaker 3 (15:10):
Yeah, absolutely, so that you make you know, make sure
you're pricing yourself appropriately.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
So what is next for you? You have these events,
you have everything, wipe it back up, back up. And
one thing I want to unpack that you mentioned unpackaged, Stacy,
Let's unpack it. You mentioned local grants. Yeah, and that's
something so few people think about. Talk about that, preach
about it, preach about it.
Speaker 3 (15:34):
Okay, So local grants are so important, especially women owned
businesses that are listening to the sound of my voice.
Whatever market you're in here in New York, suburbs of
New York, this is you know, a global show as well.
Think about all the different things that you do, and
especially if you're just getting started in your business, there
are companies that are looking to just give money away
(15:55):
because it's a write off for them, specifically in your city,
in your you know, in your area. And then also
local businesses that fund and support other women in the
form of grants. So what I would say to you
to do is google local grants for women in Miami
and see what pops up and take a look at those.
When I first was getting started, I had applied for two.
Speaker 4 (16:17):
I got one.
Speaker 3 (16:17):
I think it was like five thousand dollars, but I
use that five thousand dollars. And now the grant process
is very laborious, so you have to be prepared to
have all those documents to prove that your woman owned
at least fifty percent, and that you you know, if
you have employees or if it's just you, all those things.
You have to make sure all your ducks are the
blueprint I was talking about, make sure you have that
altogether first. But then you can apply, and you'd be
(16:38):
surprised how many businesses and how many resources there are
out there to help support other women.
Speaker 1 (16:42):
Yeah, sometimes people don't apply for some of these guys
are so few that it makes it a lot easier
exactly for you to They're like, how come no one's applied, especially.
Speaker 3 (16:50):
If you qualify you and you check all those boxes.
It's very important.
Speaker 1 (16:53):
How has your business changed throughout the years, because when
you first started it back in what's it twenty ten,
it's different than where you are now. So what are
some things that you learned along the way. You talk
about being malleable, So discuss that as far as Vanessa
James Media and what you've learned you needed to add
to your business or maybe things that may have you know,
(17:16):
timing wise, maybe this isn't as important as this.
Speaker 4 (17:18):
For me, for sure, I needed to add a staff.
I needed to add.
Speaker 3 (17:22):
A team first and foremost, I needed to add a publicist.
I needed to add people that were creative, that could
think about things different than I was thinking about them. Again,
for me, VJ Media is is she's I say, she's now,
you know, in her teenage space because she's thirteen.
Speaker 4 (17:39):
She's been through some things, some growing pains.
Speaker 3 (17:41):
But now she's like ready, she's got the she's got
the mini blazer on, she's ready to rock, she's ready
to roar. The thing that I've learned is that not
only can I not do it alone, I don't want
to in order for me to grow and build it.
Like I remember, for quite some time, I would be like,
oh my god, I got to give this agent ten percent.
Speaker 4 (17:58):
Now I'm like take the ten percent.
Speaker 1 (18:00):
Do your job, Do your job.
Speaker 3 (18:02):
Take the ten percent, and I will gladly keep working.
And because as I'm working, I'm polishing, I'm growing, I'm changing,
I'm you know, evolving as well. So to me, the
number one thing that I can I can tell somebody,
especially being in business for over a decade, is find people.
Find a team, even if it's just two to three
people that believe in you and that understand where you're
(18:23):
going and can grow and flourish with you. And don't
be afraid to pay them, pay people to help you. Yeah,
you know, because time is the one thing that and
the one asset I don't have. Like, literally, I'm planning
a food festival.
Speaker 4 (18:34):
I'm in New York tonight, guys.
Speaker 2 (18:36):
She's planning a food literally my.
Speaker 3 (18:38):
Food online festival celebrating Caribbean chefs and artists and creative
of that. But no, but I wouldn't be able to
do that without a really good team and staff that
I know has things covered while I'm not there, you know.
Speaker 4 (18:50):
So that's what I mean.
Speaker 2 (18:51):
I'm going to ask you to give our audience free advice.
Speaker 4 (18:55):
I would love to for this.
Speaker 2 (18:57):
What you basically a business by creating content and using
that content to build your brand a lot of people
have to build their brands on social media, right, what
are some tips that you have for people on the
type of content they can be creating and using social
media for that brand building, get client purpose.
Speaker 3 (19:16):
I think think about what it is that again you're
trying to put out in the world. What is because
at the end of the day, the content is leading
people back to a place. Is it that you have
a website of services that you're offering. Is it a
product that you're offering, So that content is really just
something that you're amplifying.
Speaker 4 (19:32):
You're amplifying yourself as a business.
Speaker 3 (19:34):
You know, for me, it's me as a as a
multimedia personality and bio actress first, right, and that's what
you see when you go to my social because that's
what I want to promote. But the end of the day,
think about social really is just a mirror of all
the different things that you're doing.
Speaker 4 (19:50):
Right, it's your highlight reel.
Speaker 3 (19:51):
Like I like to say, so at the end of
the day, make sure that if it's that you're business
excuse me, if it's that you are a business person,
make sure that it's reflecting and promote voting the business
services that you offer. Because so many people are on
social meet people and I'm like, wait, are you you
know it's business handle?
Speaker 4 (20:06):
What do you offer? What can I purchase? You know
what I'm saying?
Speaker 2 (20:11):
Totally you got that everybody? Yeah, I was free. People
pay her for that kind of a free tea free tree.
Speaker 1 (20:17):
How do you work and collaborate with some of these
huge brands? Oh yeah, you've had as your clients.
Speaker 3 (20:23):
So that's the one thing that's probably the number one
question that I get asked. Because I do work with
a lot of brands. I get asked all the time.
I'm sure you do all the time as well about
brand collaborations. So brands, especially if you're on social and
you're a social person and it's an asset that you're
offering a lot of times will come to you. And
so the reason I especially auto brands. I work with
quite a few auto brands, and they came to me
(20:44):
because in South Florida, I was one of the only
people that was cross promoting and celebrating other women and
bringing them together at events. So they're like, we want
to be where the women are because the women purchase
the cars, right, And so again, think about what it
is that you're offering reach out to brands, to their.
Speaker 4 (20:59):
Multi cultural directors, to their agency.
Speaker 2 (21:02):
That's where people should start with cultural.
Speaker 3 (21:05):
Well, if you're a person of color, definitely yeah, or
if your general market then but you want to make
sure you're reaching out to the people that can make
decisions as it relates to that brand's dollars in the market,
that you're doing something right. So if it's that you're
listening to us and you're in New Jersey and you
want to put something together and you want support from
a brand, make sure that that makes sure you're reaching
(21:25):
out to the representative of the person in New Jersey
that can help assist you. And you can find this
on LinkedIn. You can find it on their socials. You
can find I mean, it's at the end of the day,
we're very interconnected.
Speaker 4 (21:35):
If you pay attention and you.
Speaker 1 (21:36):
Love it's such a valuable it is.
Speaker 2 (21:39):
I've gotten so many jobs and speech, especially speaking engagements.
Speaker 1 (21:45):
And that's why it's important. How your whole profile is
set up on there as well too, and you're responding.
Speaker 4 (21:50):
Absolutely all the time. I'm so bad I'm.
Speaker 1 (21:59):
LinkedIn.
Speaker 4 (22:00):
Last time you posted was December.
Speaker 2 (22:02):
Up here to keep us accountable exactly, exactly, personal, personal, exactly.
Speaker 1 (22:08):
Well, I want to also make sure that people can
figure out how they can get involved with the food
and wine food wine.
Speaker 3 (22:14):
Okay, can we have a moment because I as I
know that you are here to talk to me about me,
but can we have a moment to celebrate your love
for all things caribbeaness and soca and kess. My boyfriend
my side man, he has a boo. I have a boo,
but that is my whole side man. Okay, No, so
so I mean soca and So we are doing an
(22:36):
event VJ Media Productions. I'm so excited about it. We
did it in twenty nineteen. It was the first one.
It was really just a test to see, like, as
much as I love events, and you know, is there
a way I can kind of bring all the things
I love about my Caribbean community together in South Florida
and celebrate.
Speaker 4 (22:51):
So we did food, wine, and fat.
Speaker 3 (22:52):
We trademarked it, we coined it, we all all those things,
and then we put it together. Well five hundred people
showed up and they were like, this is amazing.
Speaker 4 (23:00):
That's a nice.
Speaker 1 (23:00):
Yes, that's a nice and I like the way, by
the way started it off. It wasn't like a huge no,
you let it see, like you said, a test.
Speaker 4 (23:07):
Let's test, let's see how it does in the markets.
Speaker 1 (23:09):
Throw it.
Speaker 3 (23:10):
Yeah, and you know, ye, it's crazy because you would.
One thing I love about my Caribbean community. They love
not just to fet, but a fet with a purpose
is something that they take very personal too. So I
love that people are now coming together saying, hey, wait
a minute, I want my chef to be a part
of this. I want my wine to be a part
of this. I want you know, my chocolates to be
a part of this. It's it's amazing. So it's a
(23:32):
it's a it's a love language to my Caribbean community
here in South in South Florida and listening everywhere. And
it's food, wine and fed. It is happening Saturday, May
eighteenth in Miami. I would love for you to come
and take a line.
Speaker 1 (23:42):
As as they go to sign up for all this
stuff food.
Speaker 4 (23:44):
Wine, infed dot com Easy together.
Speaker 1 (23:48):
Hello, we just had a whole business conversation.
Speaker 2 (23:51):
Want dot com, Hell media, what's your website? Because all
Jamesmedia dot com That's what I was trying. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,
And that's for all things, Bja, we are all things, Vanessa,
thank you. We can't wait to come to all these yes.
Speaker 1 (24:07):
One in fact, you know that's right up my alley.
Speaker 4 (24:09):
Know I'm trying to get Chef JJ there because I
just saw you with him a.
Speaker 1 (24:13):
Sob one yeah out there. And then I always do
the one here in New York as well, but you know,
not my Angela y Day, which is all celebrating Caribbean
cu I know as well.
Speaker 3 (24:22):
I don't know about this Angela Day. I haven't been invited.
I haven't I haven't been But when is it? Because
I need to be there the actual day.
Speaker 4 (24:30):
I know it's community driven, which is amazing.
Speaker 1 (24:32):
Why that gave me my own day, which is August
twenty eighth. Okay, so there's a kind of floats around
depending on availability because it'll be at the Barclays in
the square in the front. But yes, my mother's Caribbean
from Montserrat, and it's also right around the West Indian
American Day Parade, so I kind of wanted that to
be a precursor, very family oriented. I'm from Brooklyn, you know,
(24:54):
Brooklyn is like a is little Caribbean here in New York,
and so that's the reason why that. And then you know,
celebrating my own culture too that I grew up, that
I grew up on as well. So that's why I'm
excited for that. Caribbean food is my number one favorite
type of food. Okay, so let's talk about it. Okayan
food and day turns tonight, Okay, and everybody, Caribbean does
(25:15):
not only mean to make in food.
Speaker 4 (25:16):
No, it's just not right.
Speaker 1 (25:18):
No, Okay, But you know Melissa from the Grill's Chiney
Dahlia used to own Tilly's. I feel like a lot
of my friends are trainning, yes, and so even my
makeup artist she's trainny. So a lot of the people
who are around me. So I will say, I do,
and you can't.
Speaker 4 (25:34):
You can't get away from it.
Speaker 1 (25:35):
I can't escape it.
Speaker 4 (25:36):
Have you been to Carnival yet?
Speaker 1 (25:37):
I have not. I'm actually going to Thomas. I'm going
to say, Thomas Carnival, You're gonna love it. I missed
Trinidad this year, but I love St.
Speaker 2 (25:44):
Thomas.
Speaker 1 (25:44):
I feel like next for Trinidad, you have to really
be ready.
Speaker 3 (25:47):
Not only do you have to be ready, you have
to prepare yourself mentally, physically, and financially stacy because it's
an Investmentidad Cannibal is not for you to lord, meaning
you can't be.
Speaker 4 (25:58):
Like half step in it. You gotta it's it's a commitment.
Speaker 1 (26:00):
It's like the super Bowl of carnivals, right, you gotta
s like a month before.
Speaker 3 (26:04):
You gotta get through the playoffs first, and you got
you gotta qualify before caval.
Speaker 4 (26:09):
Yes, but yes, it's amazing. It'll change your life.
Speaker 1 (26:13):
You're amazing, and we appreciate you for coming things.
Speaker 2 (26:15):
You are just like a breath of fresh air. Thank you.
Speaker 1 (26:18):
I'm so honored to be here, and even just for
you being in the business that I'm in, you know,
that is amazing to me, just to see how you've
managed to do that, because sometimes it is scary to
leave this safety net of having a day job. You know,
I try to do both, so I try to like
fund everything I have going on with my my day
job also, you know, because I do love what I do.
(26:40):
But I think that it's very admirable and commendable that
you have these great relationships here that have transferred over
to VJ Media also so that they already still are
going to be using you. Our clients of yours just
because of how you've sown those seeds.
Speaker 4 (26:54):
Well, thank you.
Speaker 1 (26:55):
That's an important thing for anybody right now who has
a nine to five that's trying to figure out starting
their own thing, start with that nine to nine and
see how they can become your client.
Speaker 3 (27:03):
Absolutely, that's the first that's the first place I looked.
Speaker 4 (27:06):
Mm hmmm.
Speaker 1 (27:07):
That's why you can't mess up at work trying to
do Yes, I hustle too.
Speaker 3 (27:10):
Yeah, come on, And that's why it's important to be
good to people, because they don't forget how you make
them feel.
Speaker 2 (27:15):
I read I was listening to you get interviewed, and
you said your mother told you that treat the janitor
and the CEO.
Speaker 4 (27:20):
The same, absolutely, with the same respect.
Speaker 3 (27:23):
Yes, absolutely, don't treat them, don't sleep on the janitor,
don't treat them both bat no.
Speaker 4 (27:28):
No, no, no, no which respect.
Speaker 1 (27:32):
Well, thank you so much. We really appreciate you, and
we're looking forward to doing more with you in the future.
Speaker 3 (27:37):
Same can't board, can't wait for all your events. Okay,
thank you Stacey, Thank you Angela for having me.
Speaker 1 (27:41):
Of course,
What's up? Its way up. But Angela Yee, I'm Anzela
Yee and my Wealth Wednesday partner Stacy Tisdale is here.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Happy Wealth Wednesday everybody, and we are so excited. We
have a very special guest today, the one, the only,
Vanessa James.
Speaker 3 (00:16):
Hi, everybody. I am so excited to be on this
program today.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
See this is why she's good at what she does.
She already started it off right now, shows.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Media personality voiceovers. We could just kind of let you
run the show here.
Speaker 4 (00:29):
You're doing a great job. Publisist Stacey do it.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
But you know, Vanessa, you do have a background in
radio and in media. So let's talk about how you
got started and by the way, you can follow her
at Vanessa James Media.
Speaker 4 (00:42):
Okay, thank you plug, thank you, thank by you for
the plug.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
Let's start. Let's talk about your start in this media
business and how you were able to expand your brand.
Speaker 3 (00:52):
Well, it started off much like you in radio and
radio for me started off in Tallahassee, where I'm at
doc Winter we know very well, and transition down to
South Florida and that's where I got my first programming
slash So on the air as well as music director.
Speaker 4 (01:06):
I'm Trinny, so multiple jobs, all the jobs.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
All a job, born in Trinidad, born in Trinidad, so
you know, I'm you know, serious about all the jobs.
Speaker 4 (01:14):
But and then transitioned to being on the air.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
So it was great back then to just kind of
figure out, Okay, well do I like programming more or
you know, being on the air more, doing promotions more.
Speaker 4 (01:24):
And I realized I kind of like it all.
Speaker 3 (01:27):
But you have to pick and radio, you know, in
order to be really great, you do have to pick
a lane.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
Right, do you want to be a personality or do
you want to be a.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
Program exactly exactly, So I picked programmer to start personality
and that really transitioned me into events in that whole space.
I love that in radio, especially if you are versatile,
you do get to play in lots of different spaces
and see what you like.
Speaker 4 (01:49):
And that's what I did.
Speaker 3 (01:50):
So in two thousand and nine when my station flipped
I'm sorry twenty ten, when my station flipped, I decided
I didn't want to go to another radio market and
I started Vanessa James Media. That's so I could pay
myself because I was doing a lot of freelance work
and clients would be like, can you send me an invoice?
Speaker 4 (02:04):
I'm like, oh shit, let me figure out what we
get this company together.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
And that's how we kind of get started with that,
and I transitioned into doing hosting and doing voice over
full time, and that's really hovingness of James Media was
born really out of necessity when people always.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
Ask me this if they want to get into radio,
because people ask me all the time, and I know
they ask you as much. Point and things have really
changed a lot, though, What would you tell somebody who's
listening this, like, man, I've always wanted to get into
programming or I've always wanted to be on the radio.
Speaker 4 (02:35):
I would definitely say this.
Speaker 3 (02:37):
It's it's a shrinking business as we know, and I
think what's happened, especially with programming that I know a
lot of the program directors I know are programming multiple stations, three,
four or five stations right across the country, even though
they're in one market, working in one place. Same thing
with a lot of radio hosts too, They're they're hosting
in multiple markets as well. I would say, what's great
is you don't necessarily have to travel and hop around
(02:59):
right now, if you want a radio job, just know
that you do have to be very malleable. As Doc
would like to say, you always tell me that VI,
you gotta be malleable, So I say that to say
i'd stay okay. So in the market that you're in,
reach out to and find those program directors and hosts
that you like and see if you can shadow them,
you know, and see if the opportunities come that way.
(03:20):
Because a lot of the times that you know, when
people were on the come up for me, they were volunteers.
Speaker 4 (03:25):
And now we can't have volunteers anymore in radio.
Speaker 3 (03:27):
You have to be paid, but volunteers, interns and that
type of thing where you could really kind of shadow
somebody and see if it's even something that you like,
because behind the scenes it's a lot of work.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
Look what you ended up doing. You started in a
corporation when entrepreneurial, but now you're not only doing media work,
you're doing events, you're doing coaching, you're doing.
Speaker 4 (03:46):
What busy is that busy?
Speaker 3 (03:48):
Go?
Speaker 2 (03:48):
As I was just talking on my st about this,
he's interested in sports broadcasting. I'm like, you can't make
a living as a journalist anymore. You just can't do
it because the pricing structure like going into production. So
talk about how you are media of you know, you
do your voiceovers, but you've had to build a business
around it.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
Oh yeah, absolutely so VJ Media, which I'm very proud
to celebrate it thirteen years as an election.
Speaker 4 (04:09):
Wild it is. It's a big year.
Speaker 1 (04:12):
This is a superstitious room to them, Yes it is.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, it is a person Okay, thirteen But
I will say the way that I really transitioned and
looking back all this time, it's really kind of shown
me that versatility for me means again allowing yourself to
have those opportunities to explore all all the different assets.
And I'm so excited to be here on your well
(04:35):
show because I took the time also to save and
so because I saved money along the way, I didn't
just spend the money on all the Gucci bags and
all that stuff, I got a chance to be very versatile. Okay,
I need you in New York. Okay, cool, I'm gonna
fly up. I voice k to you here in New York.
If I needed to come up and see my you know, PD,
I'd come up. And it was a quick thing for
me because I had savings to be able to have
(04:56):
that versatility and flexibility to try things and decide Okay,
here's here's what, you know, the the journey I want
to take with my business. And I have that flexibility
because I had a little bit of money saved to
have that cushion to be able to be freak and
clear and try things.
Speaker 4 (05:11):
Right and see how they flowed.
Speaker 1 (05:12):
Sometimes you got to fly yourself, yeah, get things done.
Speaker 3 (05:15):
You can't do six k to South Africa on your own,
on your own ax.
Speaker 1 (05:22):
In all fairness, I was getting paid, and you have
to know what it is that you want to spend
your money on. Absolutely, you know, because for some people,
I'll stay Some people might be like, I don't care,
I'll stay at whatever hotel, but you know, okay, I
need to make sure, if anything, my hotel's got to
be nice, good restaurant, yes, clean, safe.
Speaker 3 (05:43):
Yes, you know, especially traveling alone as a woman, those
are things that very yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
Yeah, talk a little bit more about that, the entrepreneurial
side and that saving side and kind of that financial foundation.
A lot of people don't.
Speaker 3 (05:55):
I would love to talk about money, thank you. Let's
talk about money, shall we know? So me look entrepreneur. Okay,
entrepreneurial life is not easy. Is it is gonna get
you some bags? So you don't need to have some
good skincare and some sacrifice and a lot of sacrifice
and a lot of gumption because you are taking a
risk on yourself.
Speaker 4 (06:15):
But I think what better person to take a risk
on than me?
Speaker 3 (06:18):
And so for me, I really use it as an
opportunity to kind of get again, play in a lot
of different fields and see what is it that I
want to do and what do I want my legacy
and journey to be about, and so and and that
becomes something that you become really passionate about and constantly
trying new things, like right now, I'm in my event
season flow. So VJ Media, you know, is definitely becoming
(06:39):
a hub. It's not just necessarily voiceover on camera work hosting.
It's also throwing events and celebrating other women. It's also
celebrating my Caribbean community with my event food, wine and
fet It's it's having my hand, my Trinny hand and
lots of different buckets don't play so but yeah, and
and so I think that again because I have that
(07:01):
flexibility as an entrepreneur I'm able to kind of try
and say, hey, here are the things I love and
I want to continue to pursue, and here's the things
I don't really care about doing. And so for you know,
as that relates to radio, it's programming that I realized
because there's a lot of sometimes ties.
Speaker 4 (07:17):
And holds on you, especially corporate radio.
Speaker 3 (07:19):
As much as I loved it and that's where I
really earned my stripes, I did realize that I seasoned
out of that in terms of the shackles. Let's say
that sometimes it has on you in terms of how
much flexibility you have, Like I would always want to
put Soca artists on the air because I'm like, I
want to make sure and celebrate my people, I feel
you yes, and dance hall artists and stuff like that,
especially in the market like Miami, and so we'd have
(07:41):
that too little pocket hour.
Speaker 4 (07:43):
On Sundays and that was it. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (07:45):
And meanwhile, it's like fifty percent of the market is
some of the Caribbean.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
Right.
Speaker 1 (07:49):
It's so interesting that you say that, because part of
why I was like, I really wanted my own show
was to be able to have the ability to say
this is who I want to have on but then
you do also have to think what people are bonding
now too, So it is it is. It's a business, yeah,
and it's a business. I want to discuss how you
decided it was time for you to actually start your
(08:09):
own business, because that's scary for some people having the
security and safety of a paycheck and then realizing, Okay,
now I'm going to step out on my own. When
did you realize it was time?
Speaker 3 (08:19):
Well, time was forced upon me when my station flipped, right,
so twenty ten June, I remember exactly what it was.
Speaker 4 (08:25):
It flipped actually May.
Speaker 3 (08:27):
And at that time I had the choice because I
had great relationships in the industry that I still have,
and so I got calls like, hey, VJ, we got
you in Chicago, you know, are you interested in coming
to New York? Are you with g Spin? Are you
interested in coming to South you know, San Francisco? And
at that time I had a choice. And for me,
I'm very rooted in my roots right and so for me,
(08:49):
so South Florida just felt like a natural fit. And
it was a hops and a hop and a skift
from the Caribbean. So if I wanted to take a
quick trip to Trinidad, or the Cayman Islands or Jamaica.
Speaker 4 (08:57):
I could do that, but I love that I had
created so.
Speaker 3 (09:00):
Much community there, and so it didn't feel like work
in terms of building things in South Florida, because it
was very much like building things with your people. And
that's what I realized, you know what. It was just
time to kind of step out and have faith on
me and not go take that secure radio job, which
was the same amount of money, but it was a
lateral move. And I'm like, San Francisco is like thirty
five a month for rent. It's gonna cost me a
(09:22):
lot to move there. And I had no roots there,
and so I would just tell people who are starting
in business, where are your roots firmly planted?
Speaker 4 (09:29):
That's where you should spring from.
Speaker 2 (09:30):
That's great advice, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (09:32):
It's really easy to keep starting over and over and
over and over. But at the end of the day,
where do you feel like you're you're your most comfortable
self and you have a community of people that you
can call and reach on and say, hey, you know,
I'm launching this, you know, and and they're quick and
willing to support you because they know you and you've
spent time building with them. That's very important. So Miami
(09:53):
is that place for me. It feels like home. As
much as you know, people try to pull me to
different places, I realize that it's funny because I'll travel everywhere,
the most fabulous places, and as soon as I.
Speaker 4 (10:03):
See that poor to Miami, you know, you know when
you feel it, you know, oh, that's awesome.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
So through all of this, one of the many businesses
that sprung up is coaching women entrepreneurs. How did you
get so passionate about that?
Speaker 3 (10:19):
I mean, I think coming from a rooted Caribbean household
that's very multifaceted. My mom's Indian, my dad's African and Venezuelan,
and having so many aunties and different people around me,
woman celebrating womanhood and celebrating togetherness was really is really
kind of who I am. It's not something I have
(10:39):
to force, it's not something I have to try to be.
And so with my business, I knew that I always
wanted to make sure and celebrate other women, and I
always make make sure and take a look and see
how is it. See, here's the thing about celebrating other people.
If it comes naturally to you, it doesn't feel like
work right, and so and I realized VJ Media, I
can't do it alone, nor do I want to. So
(11:00):
I created events like VJ Media Mixology and VJ Media's
Women of Impact in her every year in South Florida,
which you should definitely come to.
Speaker 4 (11:07):
And I want to talk to about food, wine in.
Speaker 3 (11:08):
Fact two because I should be there. You should be
there for that. Yeah. Really just giving a chance to
celebrate other women. And what I've realized in the last
ten years is celebrating other women really means growing your network,
growing your community. When you start to celebrate other people
and you're joyous about it, things just flow to you
and you're constantly having to go, hey, wait a minute,
(11:29):
this is fantastic. Oh you know what, it's it's not
a good fit for me. But I would love to
introduce you to Stacey. I would love to introduce you
to Angela. So that's you know again, I started to
do it and love it and now events it's it's
time again for VJ Media post pandemic to start doing
these events again. And our first ones coming up this May,
and it's a celebration of Caribbean women, Caribbean community, all
(11:50):
already in Miami there.
Speaker 2 (11:52):
When you coach women female entrepreneurs, what are some of
the things that you're like, oh this again, Like what
do you think are some of the the things coming
up of things that repetitively come up?
Speaker 3 (12:03):
Definitely the business part of things, like making sure they
have their business and their money in order, and making
sure that things are trademarked, making sure that they have
their It's not just about okay, so hey, j I
want to start a business. It's about okay, great, I'm
so excited for you. Let's talk about this blueprint of
your business. What does it look like, what does it
feel like? What do you want your business to feel
(12:24):
like to the world. Right, it's very important for things
to feel good once you get past that blueprint.
Speaker 4 (12:28):
Now, let's firm things up. Sis.
Speaker 3 (12:30):
Okay, let's make sure you have it llced or ES
Corporate Incorporated based on you know, your style of business.
Let's make sure you have a little bit of funding,
and if you don't, let's see where you can get
some grants locally to help you springboard. Right, Let's look
at the other women in your community and other people
in your community that you can lean on for graphics
or you know, production, or your website, because you can't
(12:52):
do it all alone now, right, So it's really about
how you create that network so that you can spring forward.
Because so often, especially for me, when I first started,
I was everything. I was the webmaster, the content, I
was the graphic designer doing the voiceovers all day.
Speaker 4 (13:08):
Growing. No, it's not a good thing.
Speaker 3 (13:11):
You wear yourself out, and also you wear your creativity
out when you do it and approach it that way.
Speaker 1 (13:16):
Now, Vanessa, you also, by the way, talk a lot
about networking, and that's been really instrumental to you being
able to start your own business. Even before you were
starting your business, you had great relationships with people with clients.
So how did you figure out when it was time
for you to start your own company? Approaching these clients
and knowing the value of what it is that you're
(13:37):
bringing to the table, because I think those financial conversations,
initially for some people can be difficult to have, and
also knowing Okay, what is the price for this and
how do I properly price this? I remember, I'll give
you a perfect example. So baby Sam, we all know
and love her.
Speaker 4 (13:52):
Oh yes, a girl.
Speaker 3 (13:55):
So I used to voice a lot of RCA album releases, Usher,
Anthony Hamilton, A Keys, I mean a lot. Anything that
you knew would come out, they'd always send it my way.
And she would come to me and she would say,
like obviously knowing her from radio, well you're really good
at what you do. I want you to voice these
projects for me, and I would never know how to
(14:16):
price them. How do you price the Usher album release?
Speaker 4 (14:19):
I don't know, you know what I mean.
Speaker 3 (14:20):
It's taking me about an hour to do this work.
How do I price it? So that's when I realized
that was twenty and eleven, twenty twelve. Like BJ, you
got to just ask people and stop just assuming. Because
I was for a couple of those album releases underpricing
myself and other projects like that. I think when you
don't know, it's okay to say hey, I don't know
(14:42):
and reach out to different people in your community. At
that time, Juliet Jones and a couple of VJ here's
what you should be charging, you know what I'm saying.
So here's where this particular spot is going to run
in all these markets and television, radio, and this is
what the cost is as a business person that you
should be charging for this, so when you don't know
when it comes to pricing, especially as women reach out
(15:02):
to other people, reach out to strangers if you need to,
and I mean the power of social media is real.
Speaker 4 (15:08):
To make sure you're asking those questions.
Speaker 3 (15:10):
Yeah, absolutely, so that you make you know, make sure
you're pricing yourself appropriately.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
So what is next for you? You have these events,
you have everything, wipe it back up, back up. And
one thing I want to unpack that you mentioned unpackaged, Stacy,
Let's unpack it. You mentioned local grants. Yeah, and that's
something so few people think about. Talk about that, preach
about it, preach about it.
Speaker 3 (15:34):
Okay, So local grants are so important, especially women owned
businesses that are listening to the sound of my voice.
Whatever market you're in here in New York, suburbs of
New York, this is you know, a global show as well.
Think about all the different things that you do, and
especially if you're just getting started in your business, there
are companies that are looking to just give money away
(15:55):
because it's a write off for them, specifically in your city,
in your you know, in your area. And then also
local businesses that fund and support other women in the
form of grants. So what I would say to you
to do is google local grants for women in Miami
and see what pops up and take a look at those.
When I first was getting started, I had applied for two.
Speaker 4 (16:17):
I got one.
Speaker 3 (16:17):
I think it was like five thousand dollars, but I
use that five thousand dollars. And now the grant process
is very laborious, so you have to be prepared to
have all those documents to prove that your woman owned
at least fifty percent, and that you you know, if
you have employees or if it's just you, all those things.
You have to make sure all your ducks are the
blueprint I was talking about, make sure you have that
altogether first. But then you can apply, and you'd be
(16:38):
surprised how many businesses and how many resources there are
out there to help support other women.
Speaker 1 (16:42):
Yeah, sometimes people don't apply for some of these guys
are so few that it makes it a lot easier
exactly for you to They're like, how come no one's applied, especially.
Speaker 3 (16:50):
If you qualify you and you check all those boxes.
It's very important.
Speaker 1 (16:53):
How has your business changed throughout the years, because when
you first started it back in what's it twenty ten,
it's different than where you are now. So what are
some things that you learned along the way. You talk
about being malleable, So discuss that as far as Vanessa
James Media and what you've learned you needed to add
to your business or maybe things that may have you know,
(17:16):
timing wise, maybe this isn't as important as this.
Speaker 4 (17:18):
For me, for sure, I needed to add a staff.
I needed to add.
Speaker 3 (17:22):
A team first and foremost, I needed to add a publicist.
I needed to add people that were creative, that could
think about things different than I was thinking about them. Again,
for me, VJ Media is is she's I say, she's now,
you know, in her teenage space because she's thirteen.
Speaker 4 (17:39):
She's been through some things, some growing pains.
Speaker 3 (17:41):
But now she's like ready, she's got the she's got
the mini blazer on, she's ready to rock, she's ready
to roar. The thing that I've learned is that not
only can I not do it alone, I don't want
to in order for me to grow and build it.
Like I remember, for quite some time, I would be like,
oh my god, I got to give this agent ten percent.
Speaker 4 (17:58):
Now I'm like take the ten percent.
Speaker 1 (18:00):
Do your job, Do your job.
Speaker 3 (18:02):
Take the ten percent, and I will gladly keep working.
And because as I'm working, I'm polishing, I'm growing, I'm changing,
I'm you know, evolving as well. So to me, the
number one thing that I can I can tell somebody,
especially being in business for over a decade, is find people.
Find a team, even if it's just two to three
people that believe in you and that understand where you're
(18:23):
going and can grow and flourish with you. And don't
be afraid to pay them, pay people to help you. Yeah,
you know, because time is the one thing that and
the one asset I don't have. Like, literally, I'm planning
a food festival.
Speaker 4 (18:34):
I'm in New York tonight, guys.
Speaker 2 (18:36):
She's planning a food literally my.
Speaker 3 (18:38):
Food online festival celebrating Caribbean chefs and artists and creative
of that. But no, but I wouldn't be able to
do that without a really good team and staff that
I know has things covered while I'm not there, you know.
Speaker 4 (18:50):
So that's what I mean.
Speaker 2 (18:51):
I'm going to ask you to give our audience free advice.
Speaker 4 (18:55):
I would love to for this.
Speaker 2 (18:57):
What you basically a business by creating content and using
that content to build your brand a lot of people
have to build their brands on social media, right, what
are some tips that you have for people on the
type of content they can be creating and using social
media for that brand building, get client purpose.
Speaker 3 (19:16):
I think think about what it is that again you're
trying to put out in the world. What is because
at the end of the day, the content is leading
people back to a place. Is it that you have
a website of services that you're offering. Is it a
product that you're offering, So that content is really just
something that you're amplifying.
Speaker 4 (19:32):
You're amplifying yourself as a business.
Speaker 3 (19:34):
You know, for me, it's me as a as a
multimedia personality and bio actress first, right, and that's what
you see when you go to my social because that's
what I want to promote. But the end of the day,
think about social really is just a mirror of all
the different things that you're doing.
Speaker 4 (19:50):
Right, it's your highlight reel.
Speaker 3 (19:51):
Like I like to say, so at the end of
the day, make sure that if it's that you're business
excuse me, if it's that you are a business person,
make sure that it's reflecting and promote voting the business
services that you offer. Because so many people are on
social meet people and I'm like, wait, are you you
know it's business handle?
Speaker 4 (20:06):
What do you offer? What can I purchase? You know
what I'm saying?
Speaker 2 (20:11):
Totally you got that everybody? Yeah, I was free. People
pay her for that kind of a free tea free tree.
Speaker 1 (20:17):
How do you work and collaborate with some of these
huge brands? Oh yeah, you've had as your clients.
Speaker 3 (20:23):
So that's the one thing that's probably the number one
question that I get asked. Because I do work with
a lot of brands. I get asked all the time.
I'm sure you do all the time as well about
brand collaborations. So brands, especially if you're on social and
you're a social person and it's an asset that you're
offering a lot of times will come to you. And
so the reason I especially auto brands. I work with
quite a few auto brands, and they came to me
(20:44):
because in South Florida, I was one of the only
people that was cross promoting and celebrating other women and
bringing them together at events. So they're like, we want
to be where the women are because the women purchase
the cars, right, And so again, think about what it
is that you're offering reach out to brands, to their.
Speaker 4 (20:59):
Multi cultural directors, to their agency.
Speaker 2 (21:02):
That's where people should start with cultural.
Speaker 3 (21:05):
Well, if you're a person of color, definitely yeah, or
if your general market then but you want to make
sure you're reaching out to the people that can make
decisions as it relates to that brand's dollars in the market,
that you're doing something right. So if it's that you're
listening to us and you're in New Jersey and you
want to put something together and you want support from
a brand, make sure that that makes sure you're reaching
(21:25):
out to the representative of the person in New Jersey
that can help assist you. And you can find this
on LinkedIn. You can find it on their socials. You
can find I mean, it's at the end of the day,
we're very interconnected.
Speaker 4 (21:35):
If you pay attention and you.
Speaker 1 (21:36):
Love it's such a valuable it is.
Speaker 2 (21:39):
I've gotten so many jobs and speech, especially speaking engagements.
Speaker 1 (21:45):
And that's why it's important. How your whole profile is
set up on there as well too, and you're responding.
Speaker 4 (21:50):
Absolutely all the time. I'm so bad I'm.
Speaker 1 (21:59):
LinkedIn.
Speaker 4 (22:00):
Last time you posted was December.
Speaker 2 (22:02):
Up here to keep us accountable exactly, exactly, personal, personal, exactly.
Speaker 1 (22:08):
Well, I want to also make sure that people can
figure out how they can get involved with the food
and wine food wine.
Speaker 3 (22:14):
Okay, can we have a moment because I as I
know that you are here to talk to me about me,
but can we have a moment to celebrate your love
for all things caribbeaness and soca and kess. My boyfriend
my side man, he has a boo. I have a boo,
but that is my whole side man. Okay, No, so
so I mean soca and So we are doing an
(22:36):
event VJ Media Productions. I'm so excited about it. We
did it in twenty nineteen. It was the first one.
It was really just a test to see, like, as
much as I love events, and you know, is there
a way I can kind of bring all the things
I love about my Caribbean community together in South Florida
and celebrate.
Speaker 4 (22:51):
So we did food, wine, and fat.
Speaker 3 (22:52):
We trademarked it, we coined it, we all all those things,
and then we put it together. Well five hundred people
showed up and they were like, this is amazing.
Speaker 4 (23:00):
That's a nice.
Speaker 1 (23:00):
Yes, that's a nice and I like the way, by
the way started it off. It wasn't like a huge no,
you let it see, like you said, a test.
Speaker 4 (23:07):
Let's test, let's see how it does in the markets.
Speaker 1 (23:09):
Throw it.
Speaker 3 (23:10):
Yeah, and you know, ye, it's crazy because you would.
One thing I love about my Caribbean community. They love
not just to fet, but a fet with a purpose
is something that they take very personal too. So I
love that people are now coming together saying, hey, wait
a minute, I want my chef to be a part
of this. I want my wine to be a part
of this. I want you know, my chocolates to be
a part of this. It's it's amazing. So it's a
(23:32):
it's a it's a love language to my Caribbean community
here in South in South Florida and listening everywhere. And
it's food, wine and fed. It is happening Saturday, May
eighteenth in Miami. I would love for you to come
and take a line.
Speaker 1 (23:42):
As as they go to sign up for all this
stuff food.
Speaker 4 (23:44):
Wine, infed dot com Easy together.
Speaker 1 (23:48):
Hello, we just had a whole business conversation.
Speaker 2 (23:51):
Want dot com, Hell media, what's your website? Because all
Jamesmedia dot com That's what I was trying. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,
And that's for all things, Bja, we are all things, Vanessa,
thank you. We can't wait to come to all these yes.
Speaker 1 (24:07):
One in fact, you know that's right up my alley.
Speaker 4 (24:09):
Know I'm trying to get Chef JJ there because I
just saw you with him a.
Speaker 1 (24:13):
Sob one yeah out there. And then I always do
the one here in New York as well, but you know,
not my Angela y Day, which is all celebrating Caribbean
cu I know as well.
Speaker 3 (24:22):
I don't know about this Angela Day. I haven't been invited.
I haven't I haven't been But when is it? Because
I need to be there the actual day.
Speaker 4 (24:30):
I know it's community driven, which is amazing.
Speaker 1 (24:32):
Why that gave me my own day, which is August
twenty eighth. Okay, so there's a kind of floats around
depending on availability because it'll be at the Barclays in
the square in the front. But yes, my mother's Caribbean
from Montserrat, and it's also right around the West Indian
American Day Parade, so I kind of wanted that to
be a precursor, very family oriented. I'm from Brooklyn, you know,
(24:54):
Brooklyn is like a is little Caribbean here in New York,
and so that's the reason why that. And then you know,
celebrating my own culture too that I grew up, that
I grew up on as well. So that's why I'm
excited for that. Caribbean food is my number one favorite
type of food. Okay, so let's talk about it. Okayan
food and day turns tonight, Okay, and everybody, Caribbean does
(25:15):
not only mean to make in food.
Speaker 4 (25:16):
No, it's just not right.
Speaker 1 (25:18):
No, Okay, But you know Melissa from the Grill's Chiney
Dahlia used to own Tilly's. I feel like a lot
of my friends are trainning, yes, and so even my
makeup artist she's trainny. So a lot of the people
who are around me. So I will say, I do,
and you can't.
Speaker 4 (25:34):
You can't get away from it.
Speaker 1 (25:35):
I can't escape it.
Speaker 4 (25:36):
Have you been to Carnival yet?
Speaker 1 (25:37):
I have not. I'm actually going to Thomas. I'm going
to say, Thomas Carnival, You're gonna love it. I missed
Trinidad this year, but I love St.
Speaker 2 (25:44):
Thomas.
Speaker 1 (25:44):
I feel like next for Trinidad, you have to really
be ready.
Speaker 3 (25:47):
Not only do you have to be ready, you have
to prepare yourself mentally, physically, and financially stacy because it's
an Investmentidad Cannibal is not for you to lord, meaning
you can't be.
Speaker 4 (25:58):
Like half step in it. You gotta it's it's a commitment.
Speaker 1 (26:00):
It's like the super Bowl of carnivals, right, you gotta
s like a month before.
Speaker 3 (26:04):
You gotta get through the playoffs first, and you got
you gotta qualify before caval.
Speaker 4 (26:09):
Yes, but yes, it's amazing. It'll change your life.
Speaker 1 (26:13):
You're amazing, and we appreciate you for coming things.
Speaker 2 (26:15):
You are just like a breath of fresh air. Thank you.
Speaker 1 (26:18):
I'm so honored to be here, and even just for
you being in the business that I'm in, you know,
that is amazing to me, just to see how you've
managed to do that, because sometimes it is scary to
leave this safety net of having a day job. You know,
I try to do both, so I try to like
fund everything I have going on with my my day
job also, you know, because I do love what I do.
(26:40):
But I think that it's very admirable and commendable that
you have these great relationships here that have transferred over
to VJ Media also so that they already still are
going to be using you. Our clients of yours just
because of how you've sown those seeds.
Speaker 4 (26:54):
Well, thank you.
Speaker 1 (26:55):
That's an important thing for anybody right now who has
a nine to five that's trying to figure out starting
their own thing, start with that nine to nine and
see how they can become your client.
Speaker 3 (27:03):
Absolutely, that's the first that's the first place I looked.
Speaker 4 (27:06):
Mm hmmm.
Speaker 1 (27:07):
That's why you can't mess up at work trying to
do Yes, I hustle too.
Speaker 3 (27:10):
Yeah, come on, And that's why it's important to be
good to people, because they don't forget how you make
them feel.
Speaker 2 (27:15):
I read I was listening to you get interviewed, and
you said your mother told you that treat the janitor
and the CEO.
Speaker 4 (27:20):
The same, absolutely, with the same respect.
Speaker 3 (27:23):
Yes, absolutely, don't treat them, don't sleep on the janitor,
don't treat them both bat no.
Speaker 4 (27:28):
No, no, no, no which respect.
Speaker 1 (27:32):
Well, thank you so much. We really appreciate you, and
we're looking forward to doing more with you in the future.
Speaker 3 (27:37):
Same can't board, can't wait for all your events. Okay,
thank you Stacey, Thank you Angela for having me.
Speaker 1 (27:41):
Of course,
Way Up With Angela Yee News
Host
Angela Yee
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