Two-time Emmy and three-time NAACP Image Award-winning television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Crystal Victoria.
🎯 Purpose of the Interview
The interview aims to:
- Showcase Crystal Victoria’s work in youth entrepreneurship through her nonprofit Target Evolution, Inc.
- Promote the Teen Biz Box, a hands-on business starter kit for kids.
- Inspire parents, educators, and community leaders to support alternative career paths for youth.
- Share Crystal’s personal journey from juvenile detention to becoming an author and entrepreneur.
🔑 Key Takeaways 1. Empowering Youth Through Entrepreneurship
- Target Evolution trains youth ages 8 to 18 to earn money and gain real-world experience.
- Programs include retail and culinary entrepreneurship, with plans to expand nationally starting in Dallas and Houston.
2. Teen Biz Box: A Practical Solution
- A $100 kit that includes everything a child needs to start a small business.
- Three product options: Friendship Bracelets, Craft Notebooks, and Ceramic Coasters.
- Kids can earn up to \$150–\$200 per box by selling customized products.
3. Alternative Pathways Matter
- Not all kids are tech-focused or college-bound.
- Entrepreneurship teaches soft skills like communication, customer service, and resilience.
- Victoria emphasizes the importance of in-person interaction over purely digital business models.
4. Personal Story of Redemption
- Crystal shares her background of being in and out of juvenile detention.
- Entrepreneurship gave her purpose and a way out of street life.
- Her journey is a testament to the power of second chances and vision-driven leadership.
5. Preparing for the Future of Work
- With AI and automation changing job markets, reskilling and adaptability are key.
- Entrepreneurship offers a mindset shift that prepares youth for career transitions every 3–5 years.
🗣️ Notable Quotes
-
On youth entrepreneurship:
“An app will never replace food and eating. We need programs for culinary and hospitality entrepreneurs.” -
On her personal journey:
“I didn’t have a Teen Biz Box. I had trouble. But I prayed to God: ‘Give me something to do with this story.’” -
On accessibility:
“Some kids don’t have bootstraps to pull themselves up. Let’s slide down the ladder and help them climb.” -
On the Teen Biz Box:
“Before you spend $1,000 on your kid’s business idea, give them a box. If they sell everything, maybe they’re serious.” -
On preparing for the future:
“Long gone are the days of one career for life. Learning, unlearning, and reskilling is the new normal.”
📦 Teen Biz Box Highlights
- Contents: Product inventory, art supplies, business cards, signage, and educational materials
- Website: TeenBizBox.com
- Target Age: 8–18
- Goal: Teach entrepreneurship, communication, and self-reliance
#SHMS #STRAW #BEST
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):
Hi, I'm Rashan McDonald host this weekly Money Making Conversation
Masterclass show. The interviews and information that this show provides
all for everyone. It's time to start reading other people's
success stories and start living your own. If you want
to be a guest on my show, please visit our website,
Moneymakingconversations dot com and click to be a guest button.
If you're a small business owner, entrepreneur, motivational speaker, influencer,
(00:23):
or nonprofit now let's be our next guest. My guest
is an award winning entrepreneur, author, and founder of Target
Evolution INCH, a five O one C three nonprofit organization
established in twenty eleven.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
That organization trains.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
Youth ages eight eight through eighteen to earn money and
gain real world experience through their signature teen Biz products
and programs, which also includes retail and culinary entrepreneurship education models.
Please welcome to Money Making Conversation Masterclass. Crystal Victoria. How
you doing, Crystal, I'm doing well. Thanks for as I
(00:59):
saw culinary, I know that, what does that mean? I
got the team biz? But I heard culinary? You know,
I kind of like to burn a little bit in
the kitchen yeah, talking about what you're doing there.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
Sure, So essentially what our organization does is we're advancing
youth entrepreneurship. We're not just doing it and having another
youth entrepreneurship program.
Speaker 4 (01:17):
We are taking this to next level for our kids.
Speaker 3 (01:19):
So as a result, we have done some very innovative things,
one of which includes having a retail space where kids
can actually sell their own products. But because you asked
about culinary, one of the things that we recently added
this summer was a culinary program because in the past
we hadn't really had to focus on kids that serve
(01:39):
food and sell food or baked cookies, have drinks.
Speaker 4 (01:43):
So I said, how can we incorporate that?
Speaker 3 (01:44):
So we have actually designed a floor plan and we
are working with a mall owner to build this new
space that is not only a retail store our Team
Been shop, but also as the Team Biz kitchen, so
that we can have somebody like you come in and
do great recipes and show these kids how to cook
and they can make money from their creation quick and easy.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
Now where would this be located.
Speaker 3 (02:08):
So we would be in the Dallas area. Okay, the
mall partner we work with owns one hundred and sixty
shop in malls nationwide. So we're coming to a city
you near you, but we are starting in the Dallas
and Houston markets first and then we will be expanding
this to more cities as it comes.
Speaker 1 (02:25):
Well, it's really great that you're telling me this because
of the fact that you know food and I grew
up with six sis, sister and two brothers, and so
food was important to everybody. And that's small and that
big family. But you know, my father was the only
person that worked. So what inspired the culinary because we
want to get the team bits. When I saw culinary,
you know, it hit my heart, you know, cooking and
(02:46):
how I use it for relaxation and it inspires a.
Speaker 2 (02:50):
Lot of people. And I posted on my social media.
Speaker 4 (02:52):
Right, so you know one of the things that I
was thinking about.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
I've been researching youth entrepreneurship education and how to create
these different programs, how they're done in different areas from
California to around the world globally for over fourteen years.
And you know, with the conversation about entrepreneurship typically go
they dig into tech startup stuff like that, which you're great,
(03:16):
But let me tell you something that an app will
never replace broly and that is, an app will never
replace food in us eating.
Speaker 4 (03:26):
Right. And so when we talk about entrepreneurship.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
Education also has to include a small business element has
to also include self employment because every kid doesn't necessarily
start a business with the goal of solving a problem.
Sometimes people just do it for extra money or you
know that type of thing. So it's important that we
include these things, these alternative pathways that include kitchen and
restaurants for our culinary hospitality entrepreneurs. Right, where are the
(03:54):
entrepreneurship programs that help people in those types of fields?
Speaker 5 (03:59):
Right?
Speaker 1 (03:59):
You said age eight through eighteen to eighteen? Now are
you prepared students? Are people who participate Are youth who
participate in your programs to be employers or employees?
Speaker 3 (04:11):
Well, you know what, that's a great question, and let
me answer that and the answer directly and them to
give you an answer with a spend. So we are
training them to be employers and to be leaders.
Speaker 5 (04:24):
Right.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
But what we had found is that through our years
of research, decades of research now doing this, is that
some of our biggest success stories aren't entrepreneurs. These kids
are qualified and trained to lead in whatever they decide
to do, and how they're using entrepreneurship and combining that
(04:45):
with higher education degrees. How they're doing that and being
entrepreneurs and growing within companies is really amazing, And I
think it's just as much of a success story as
the kid that may have pitched on chart Tank. You know,
we really are seeing a lot of kids, like I said,
trained to lead and become great employees if they don't
(05:07):
like entrepreneurship. And it's really easy not to like entrepreneurship,
you know what I mean.
Speaker 4 (05:13):
Do we want them all too?
Speaker 2 (05:14):
Sure?
Speaker 3 (05:14):
But we also want to make sure that we are
training great human beings right right and at the foundational level,
given them the soft skills they need to succeed, those skills,
those entrepreneurial skills that transfer to any industry, any career,
whether you're an employer or an employee.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
Well, you know, the confidence and the passion that you
speak with. Where did it come from or where is
it coming from?
Speaker 4 (05:40):
Where is it coming from? Well, so here's what's fun.
Speaker 3 (05:43):
About the youth that we serve in my specific target
audience right not in the Dallas yes, right in.
Speaker 4 (05:49):
The Dallas area.
Speaker 3 (05:50):
When we look at these like I said, these kids,
these non tech kids, I'll say sometimes even disengaged kids,
kids that aren't working are in school.
Speaker 4 (06:00):
That was my story. I was in and out of
juvenile in and out of trouble.
Speaker 3 (06:04):
And let's just say I didn't have a teen biz box,
but I picked up something to sell I had, you know,
I got my hustle on. But well, also it's funny,
you know, I like, I like to make money Roland,
but you know, these days, I like to do it
the right way.
Speaker 4 (06:19):
And I think that.
Speaker 3 (06:21):
Our kids that ended up doing we'll say these these
alternative things to make money. I don't think it's a
reflection of character and who they are. I think it
comes from not from being creative and curious and not
having a product to sell, not.
Speaker 4 (06:36):
Seeing a way out.
Speaker 3 (06:37):
You know, people always are talking about, you know, used
in the next generation should pull themselves up by their bootstraps. Right,
how about we just slide down the ladder right and
let them climb up. You know, we want to have
a meritocracy conversation. Let's talk about building ladders, all right,
and and and stop worrying about you know, some kids
don't have bootstraps to pull them up by themselves up
(06:58):
by But if we slide down, we can slide down books.
We can slide down a box, you know, climb up
using these little pieces until you get there.
Speaker 2 (07:07):
Wow, that's very powerful. What's your educational background?
Speaker 3 (07:11):
So I'm actually published off there, eight books, and this
organization speaks to my story. You know, this is what
I needed when I was a kid, and because I
didn't have something like this and what I've created, I
ended up in a team, is right, Yes, the box,
the books, I end up in a lot of trouble.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
And so will you say trouble the brakes. That's a
very I'm not asking for police records. I'm just joking
when I say that.
Speaker 1 (07:40):
But you know people use the word trouble and it
layers to a different levels. But in the course and
inspired you to be pointed in insurrection eight books you've
written and so be very articulate, very confident.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
But you always look at people who do these things.
You're not driven.
Speaker 1 (08:00):
You're not really there for the money, and you want
to make money because money enables you to fulfill your
dream and this is your dream and your passion.
Speaker 3 (08:07):
Correct, yes, definitely a passion. I would say, you know,
it's funny. When I think about the dream, what I
share with people is this is a vision that guy
gave me.
Speaker 4 (08:18):
I don't think. I don't know that.
Speaker 3 (08:21):
You know, it necessarily came from me wanting to, you know,
pursue a dream. I wanted something to do because I
was in and out of so much trouble and I
didn't have a purpose or anything to do. And so
my prayer to God was give me something to do
with this story. I have no clue what to do
with it. I have no clue I ended up with it.
But what am I supposed to do with this now?
And whatever direction you point me in, I'm gonna walk
(08:44):
because we don't have any other options unless I want
to continue getting in and out of trouble, you know,
and living this very challenging life that I didn't have to.
You know, I've always loved reading, always loved books. I
did go to college at University of Texas at Arlington.
I've been to el Central College. But you know, the
(09:04):
passion behind this really comes from the story of me
navigating street life.
Speaker 4 (09:09):
It wasn't fun, it wasn't easy to get out of.
Speaker 3 (09:12):
I don't recommend ten out of ten do not recommend
zero out of ten, zero out of ten do not recommend.
Speaker 4 (09:18):
And getting out is very challenging.
Speaker 3 (09:20):
And you know, if we can just prevent kids from
going that direction, sometimes it's not going to look like college,
you know, traditional career path, which is why alternatives are necessary.
So I'm passionate about creating those alternatives because I didn't
have any, and I ended up going an alternative direction.
Speaker 4 (09:39):
And there wasn't tourist team biz which.
Speaker 1 (09:43):
Survey books yes, which means that when you were sitting
there and people are you know, I guess you're the
group that surrounded you.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
You know, when did you start making that shift?
Speaker 1 (09:53):
Was it the people that came into your life or
a light bulb or faith?
Speaker 2 (09:58):
What shift you right path?
Speaker 3 (10:01):
So you know, I there was a couple of influences
that I had. My best friend heard senior junior senior
year in college when to start a business. At the time,
like I said, I was, you know, halfway failing for
lack of a better word, which I like to reframe
as I like to look at as learning lessons and
(10:21):
overcoming obstacles, right, but I wasn't doing much and she
wanted to start a business, and I'm like Okay, well
I want to help, and you know, we she did
a coffee shop at University of North Texas at Dallas
in the in the lobby area.
Speaker 4 (10:38):
I helped to run it.
Speaker 3 (10:38):
We got a lot, I got a lot of experience,
and we're from that business to in other words, and
we did a business brokerage firm. So that really taught
me the mechanics about understanding how people exit and how
it's better to structure your business for the exit at
the beginning, but understanding some of those core principles that
come into play once people are navigating the sale of
(10:59):
their bus business. And so you know that my best
friend combined with there was one family growing up that
my grandmother introduced me to that was entrepreneurs and they
were the only examples that I had. But I still
didn't make the connection because entrepreneurship is a big word
if you I probably I don't know that I connected
(11:20):
the dots to small business anything back then. But it
wasn't in our face. It wasn't pop culture. We didn't
have social media. And I was really privileged to be
taken out of my community and put into this wealthier household.
Really see the effects and the long term impact of entrepreneurship,
even without knowing that's how they got there, you know,
I mean I started asking questions like, well, how did
(11:41):
they get this money? My father will work hard and
we don't live like this, right, so what are they
doing that we're not doing?
Speaker 4 (11:48):
And I started asking that question.
Speaker 3 (11:50):
And although, like I said, I went some alternative ways
to give answer, my point is that you know, our
kids are creative and curious like that too, and I
believe that it is again more and that we make
sure these things are available. So when that question asked,
when that little spark ignites, there's a solution. You know,
there's no shortage of pitch competition and children business fairs
(12:12):
and all of that kind of stuff.
Speaker 4 (12:13):
That's great, and those are the type of things that
spark that curiosity. Right.
Speaker 3 (12:18):
So so that's you know, just some about why we
you know, why I do this?
Speaker 4 (12:25):
Where's my passion?
Speaker 1 (12:25):
You know, it's really incredible just watching you, you know,
because of the way that there's a there's a stream
of thought, you know, like there are people are gifted
at communicating, you know, like rappers they could just wrap
off their dome, you know, poets, you know, and you
seem to be a person that's articulating this this wealth
of information tied to passion, tied to a plan of action. Now,
(12:49):
let's talk about the plan of action which is sitting
before us the teen Bis Box.
Speaker 2 (12:53):
Talk to us about that.
Speaker 4 (12:54):
Sure.
Speaker 3 (12:55):
So teen Biz Box is an all in one small
business startup kit for kids.
Speaker 4 (13:00):
We have three different boxes to choose from.
Speaker 3 (13:03):
They have friendship bracelets, ceramic coasters, or craft notebooks.
Speaker 2 (13:08):
So, my entrepreneur, yes, that's the product.
Speaker 4 (13:11):
Yes, that's the product that deside the products.
Speaker 3 (13:14):
So the products and the box includes products like some
product Ivatari that they can customize and the art supplies. Okay,
so permanent markers, stencils, stickers, you know, stuff like that's
in the box. Then they have this product that they
can customize for their customers. The stencils are like alphabet stencils.
So if you come up to them, they can design.
Speaker 2 (13:35):
Do you basically little franchise, Yeah.
Speaker 4 (13:37):
They could create their own little bit.
Speaker 3 (13:38):
They could you know, sell your product with your initial
on it and your favorite color, right as well as
the friendship bracelet is it's cool. If anybody loves Taylor Swift,
then those friendship bracelets, you know them making those since
the beginning of sign so all of the products in
the box, kids can sell for up to ten dollars
each and make up to one hundred and fifty dollars
with the box.
Speaker 4 (13:58):
With the box that have a signing it and everything,
they don't need to go buy anys.
Speaker 2 (14:02):
To the boxes. What they are one hundred dollars okay,
and the kid can make up to one hundred.
Speaker 3 (14:06):
They can make up to one hundred and fifty and
continue the process. It comes with our workbooks so that
they can get some education. It comes with online classes,
but more importantly, it comes with the ability for them
to han create a product that they can sell to
you like that right, simple, easy, accessible, small business okay.
(14:27):
And there are a lot of fun to play with.
I say that in class. We've actually done them in
classrooms in group settings.
Speaker 4 (14:34):
I have more fun with this stuff than the kids.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
I know, which is beautiful because you know, if you
build a car, you want to drive it, okay, And
if you don't have fun driving, you're on a car
while you build a car. And so that's what I'm saying,
is that what I'm seeing, and I hope people are
hearing when they hear this interview is that there's a
lot of passion, there's a lot of love for this,
and there's a lot of time and patience been put
into it because the whole concept of a entrepreneur. I'm
(15:01):
sure you got a lot of pushback on us, say
that didn't make any sense, right.
Speaker 4 (15:04):
Well, I would. The blackape back hasn't been that it
doesn't make sense.
Speaker 3 (15:09):
It's about the pushback, is I guess, been a disconnect
between when we should offer this information and when they
should learn these skills, and when they should they're young,
let them be a kid.
Speaker 4 (15:18):
Yeah, but they're in front of screens.
Speaker 3 (15:20):
And while unfortunately nowadays being a kid means being inenuated
with technology, Okay, we human and human interaction is still important.
Let's pull them away from the screen for just a second,
give them a different kind of toay, make them go
outside and talk to people, all right, so and use
this box to do so. So, you know, that's the
I think the importance is is. It isn't just about
(15:43):
teaching them entrepreneurship. It's about teaching the communication skills, right,
something that's missing. It's about social emotional skills, resilience, grit,
you know, customer service, how to listen, right, because in
order to sell anything, you've got to do what listening
your customers. So all these little things that we fussed
the kids for doing, not doing, and for not knowing,
(16:04):
especially when they are they beginning to transition through high
school into college and career employees, or they don't listen
and they don't do that. Well, you know, if we
just started them off with these kind of little things
like this early, then they may have built those habits
and we may not be struggling so hard as a
society to get them to do them and build them.
Speaker 2 (16:23):
Don't go anywhere.
Speaker 6 (16:25):
We will be right back with more insights from Money
Making Conversations master Class. Welcome back to Money Making Conversation
Master Class with me Rashaun McDonald.
Speaker 2 (16:37):
Well, you know when I listened to you.
Speaker 1 (16:39):
You know, growing up, my father gave me a lawmoar
or custom grad right, that was an entrepreneurship. I didn't
understand that. I thought I was just out there cutting
graands and being mad. But they gave me money from
their services. Okay, So I used to I used to
sell newspapers, you know, I was just selling newspaper. Never clicked,
like you said, I didn't click in my head that
was actually being a bit this person because I got
(17:01):
a product, I sold the product, and I gave them
my difference and kept the profits from my difference at
my expenses. And so when I think about we always
laughed lemonade stands. Yes, you know how many times people
talk about lemonade stands. You go outside and come outside
a grocery store, the kids telling you candy.
Speaker 2 (17:20):
That's an entrepreneur, correct.
Speaker 4 (17:22):
Yeah, girl, scout cookies, you know. And I love lemonade.
But I'm like, look, we can only do so much lemonade.
Speaker 5 (17:28):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (17:29):
There are some things that kids can sell, and I
actually study this that again that are not going to
be replaced with technology all that easy. They're going to
always be fun for people to buy and collect. You
can collect coasters, you can collect friendship races. If a
million kids are selling them everybody, it's not doesn't it's
not considered oversaturation, right, Like, we.
Speaker 4 (17:50):
Can have as many of these as we want. It
might get upsetsive.
Speaker 2 (17:54):
This is a national We talked about this.
Speaker 3 (17:58):
This is a national platform. And again and I love
the fact that it's no mess, no glue, no baking.
So let me let me just give you a scenario,
because this is this box that even creating the box
was a solution to another problem and we ended up
having which was funny, and I was determined to solve it.
But imagine a parent coming into and like I said,
(18:19):
we have retail stores and top mall. So parent comes
into the store. They see these kids making money, and
my kids make money. We're talking three to five hundred
dollars a month. I got a kid that made one
thousand dollars in three hours in our store and.
Speaker 4 (18:32):
She I mean, look, and the mall got behind us.
Speaker 3 (18:35):
We watched her little marketing campaign behind her book signing,
and this baby girl had a line out the door,
down the hallway for two hours straight. We'd never seen
nothing like it that so, oh god, we were onto something.
Speaker 4 (18:47):
But anywo parents.
Speaker 3 (18:48):
Would see that, right, And although those results are not typical,
just a disclaimer right before.
Speaker 4 (18:55):
It can happen.
Speaker 3 (18:57):
It can opportunity, It can happen, you know, I said,
I'm disclaimer and results are not typical, but it can happen.
Speaker 4 (19:04):
But oftentimes when a a.
Speaker 3 (19:05):
Parent wants their kid and our store in our spaces,
you know, they go like extreme. Sometimes the ideas get
really extravaaate extreme. So we're talking about spending a couple
thousand dollars on this kid wanted to start a business,
and I'm gonna say this this week.
Speaker 4 (19:23):
Kids change their minds.
Speaker 3 (19:24):
So unfortunately, we would have parents that go, you know,
kid says, oh, I want to be in the store,
I want to make money, and the parent goes okay,
and they go through all of this stuff and help
the kids start a business, and the kids next week's like,
I don't.
Speaker 4 (19:36):
Want to do it any more.
Speaker 3 (19:37):
It's hard, and so now mom's out of a thousand
dollars trying to put them through Team Biscamp.
Speaker 4 (19:44):
And I said, no, we got to We've got to
make a simpler solution for this, right.
Speaker 3 (19:48):
So that's why we originally created the box, because we
knew that kids want to sell their products in our store,
and when parents go to where kid goes to, the.
Speaker 4 (19:57):
Parents say I want to start a business.
Speaker 3 (19:58):
I wanted to prevented mom from her eyes getting crossed
and stressing out and wanting to go spend a thousand
dollars making their T shirts and stuff. Look, buy them
a box handed to them one hundred dollars.
Speaker 2 (20:12):
It's a hundred dollars thousand, but there's dollars for the box.
Speaker 5 (20:15):
Do not.
Speaker 3 (20:16):
And I love kids, and I love great ideas, but
before they have the habits that are necessary to success,
before we really know if they want to start a business.
Speaker 4 (20:27):
Buy these boxes first.
Speaker 3 (20:28):
Go give them a box, hand it to the kids,
say have a nice day. Tell me how that works
out for you, and if they sell everything.
Speaker 4 (20:35):
In it, then maybe we'll start taking you seriously.
Speaker 3 (20:37):
Well maybe maybe they do got some entrepreneurial skills, but
if not, you haven't spent a thousand dollars for them
to quit next week.
Speaker 4 (20:43):
And we've solved multiple problems.
Speaker 3 (20:45):
They got the education and training they need, they made
a little money, they experimented with it. They may come
back to it at some point in life or they
may not. But that being said, they have some really
experience with it. And again we saved the whole family
time and money.
Speaker 1 (20:58):
Okay, Chris, before I go further, let me just recap
to everybody who's talking, because she is fantastic. She's the
award winning entrepreneur, author and founder of Target Evolution as
a five o' one c three nonprofit organization established in
twenty eleven that trains youth ages eight through eighteen to
(21:19):
earn money and gain real world experience. That's what you
were just talking about through their signature teen Biz products
and program. Now I see three boxes. Say I say
the word three because we're taping this. Now, explain to
us the difference in each box. Right here, you have
a team box start a business, start a business, and
(21:39):
the one that says coasters, one says bracelets, and one
says notebooks.
Speaker 3 (21:43):
Right, So that is they are distinguished by the product
that's inside. Okay, okay, So you can get the bracelet
box and it comes with brower bands, threads to make
friendship bracelets, everything.
Speaker 2 (21:54):
So so they're Pacific. So they're three different boxes.
Speaker 4 (21:58):
Three different boxes specific to one product.
Speaker 2 (22:00):
Okay, cool, Okay, So you either.
Speaker 3 (22:01):
Get coasters, you get craft notebooks, or you get you
get the friendship bracelests. Now, if they want to get
creative and buy all three, knock yourself out at the.
Speaker 1 (22:10):
More box because I'm a creative guy, you know. So
the bracelets. Okay, my kid, let's get beyond the lemonade stand.
You don't want to do the girls cookies. You just
want your child to be busy where you're busy, busy,
and they being busy, they can finally make some money.
Speaker 2 (22:28):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (22:29):
And this is a that could be shipped to New York,
could be shipped to Texas, can be shipped to Georgia.
Speaker 3 (22:33):
Used anywhere rural communities where maybe electricity not in electricity,
but internet connectivity is.
Speaker 4 (22:39):
An issue, you know what I mean. You don't need
the internet to do the box.
Speaker 3 (22:42):
They all can get a box to go outside, have
their little career, their little children business fair in the yard.
Speaker 2 (22:49):
And so at a festival or church event. Yes, okay, cool.
Now let's look at the bracelets. Okay, and when you
open up the box for the bracelet, you open.
Speaker 4 (22:59):
Up the box and we have a nice little buck
right there. There's a getting started guide.
Speaker 3 (23:04):
This is so nice that has tells and gives them
directions about what they should do to get started. Then
there is yes, it's got instructions as well as videos
they can look at to go, you know, do YouTube
territorials on how to put the bracelet together.
Speaker 4 (23:22):
So that's the bracelets.
Speaker 3 (23:23):
It also comes with an app and a free team
bus work but digital version for the parents. We actually
give the parent guides away free. They're about to be
free for all parents. So parents, if you're watching and
you're trying to figure out.
Speaker 2 (23:35):
How to help your kids start at bags.
Speaker 3 (23:39):
Yes, so these are actually gift bags for customers. So
the kids has, like I said, everything they need to
start selling tomorrows in the box.
Speaker 4 (23:48):
They've got bags, They've got.
Speaker 3 (23:50):
Business cards, business card templates where they can write out
what their business name is and leave somebody their contact info. Okay,
Then they have, like I said, the stencils where they
can get creative. There's a sign in here for them
to create a little sign for their business where they
can set it up with an easel. Right, So they
(24:12):
have stencils to design, they have permanent markers, all of
the art supplies that they need.
Speaker 4 (24:17):
There to create.
Speaker 3 (24:18):
Then here's the actual product inventory that includes rubber bands
for the different colors, rubber band bracelets, and then there
is embroidery thread and I can pull those out. There's
embroidery thread for those who want to do the embroidery
friendship bracelets, so they get some of these. So all
(24:39):
of this is in the box and again they can
Usually this is the most the box that makes the
most money the kids. They end up usually making.
Speaker 4 (24:47):
Two hundred dollars more off of this box, off of
all the bracelets and.
Speaker 3 (24:50):
All different colors and stuff that they can customize it
for their customers.
Speaker 4 (24:53):
So you go to them and say, hey, I want
a blue, green and yellow bracelet. They can make you one.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
Beauty of the diversity of your campaigns, you know, yeah,
you know, which means that you're not trying to pitch
just African American community, not trying to pitch your pitching
to everybody.
Speaker 3 (25:09):
Everybody, child, any child, everybody. Come get a box, just
getting the started guides, checklists.
Speaker 2 (25:15):
Let's go to the coasters, you know, leave that there.
You know, I feel like I'm open today.
Speaker 4 (25:20):
Yes, I know right.
Speaker 3 (25:22):
Coaster box have ceramic coasters in them, along with all
the art supplies we just mentioned. But instead of bracelets,
they have cunsters.
Speaker 2 (25:30):
And I like to be patient here. You still you
still have the markers.
Speaker 5 (25:35):
They still have the markers, They still have the business cards, stickers,
and your bags and easel comes in there with the
art supplies and.
Speaker 4 (25:47):
Oh god, where's my coasters?
Speaker 3 (25:51):
So this actually comes with ceramic coasters. They're white like
chop ceramics. So there's circle I believe they're like two
inch and their square this.
Speaker 2 (26:01):
Is for the coaster that's the coaster box.
Speaker 4 (26:03):
Yes, so those and it also comes with.
Speaker 2 (26:07):
How can they what website?
Speaker 3 (26:09):
What's the name of the website teenbiz biz box dot com.
Speaker 4 (26:12):
Okay, go to teen bis box is going to.
Speaker 3 (26:13):
Take you to our website and directly to the box
to the site where you can buy the boxes and
choose which one you want as well as buy the bucks.
Speaker 2 (26:22):
Okay, I measure this because you said eight to eighteen.
Speaker 1 (26:25):
Yep, Okay, that's a different that's a range because you know,
when you eight, you frobably got your parents or guard
is more involved in that process. When you start getting
a teenager, you become more I want to do this.
I see the vision a lot more clearer. And then eighteen,
how do you look at how do you treat each
each benchmark of age when you're out there selling your
(26:47):
brand and who you're targeting at that moment.
Speaker 4 (26:49):
I love that question.
Speaker 3 (26:50):
So primarily our sweet spot, our average age is fifteen. Okay,
that is the average age of kids that come. When
they come in a little older, that's fine too, but
we find that they want to do, you know, different
unique products, so we actually have an app right that
they can go online and create anything that they want
to sell, kind of like set up, like if anybody
has heard of custom ink or Vista print, like they
(27:13):
can create merch Here's the thing, though, I still suggest
them being in a physical environment actually ordering inventory. Because
when we talk about online businesses and you know the question,
and then just to add to your earlier question, you
asked about pushback, A lot of times people are like, well,
why don't we just do online store and online products,
(27:36):
And it's like, yeah, that's great. If you want kids
to learn digital marketing, right, a different skill set. Okay,
so what kids learn with a product, what they learn
by being in person and having something to interact with people,
is they learn communication skills. If they did go online
(27:57):
and they order a product that they sell on social media,
and the skill that's most important to them is digital marketing,
I understanding pay to ads and all that.
Speaker 4 (28:05):
Do we teach that? Is it important?
Speaker 5 (28:07):
Yes?
Speaker 4 (28:07):
Is it the most important?
Speaker 5 (28:08):
Though?
Speaker 4 (28:09):
Is it where we want to start? Really?
Speaker 3 (28:10):
No?
Speaker 4 (28:11):
But is it there? Yeah? It's available all right.
Speaker 3 (28:13):
So kids have that option, But we still say that
even if you go online and create some order some
of it. So that you can go in person and
build those communication skills that are going to make you
so well.
Speaker 2 (28:25):
The big walk away when I'm listening to you is communication.
Speaker 1 (28:28):
Yes, And like you said, one of the things that
really stuck with me early on in my interview when
you were saying, Rashan, whether the entrepreneur or employee, you're
trying to build good people. You're trying to find good
people and then show them a vision that they may
not get in a book, because like I said, there
was a disconnect for you. It was a disconnect for me.
(28:48):
Okay when I despite my high scholarly ways in high school,
when I got out of high school, I became aforelve
driver because that's what I wanted.
Speaker 2 (28:56):
I didn't even see the vision of my talent.
Speaker 1 (28:58):
And what this becomes is an inspirational point of showing
kids a different side and also maybe connect the dots
a lot faster for opportunities.
Speaker 2 (29:08):
Correct.
Speaker 3 (29:08):
Absolutely, I think when we have you know, creative and
curious kids, we need more alternative pathways. Another thing that
I'm very concerned about, and I think everyone is, is
when we talk about how AI and technology and the
future of work is changing. Okay, at that point, it
(29:30):
becomes even more important that kids that we have alternative
career paths for kids because learning, unlearning and reskilling is
going to be the new normal.
Speaker 4 (29:42):
It's no longer longer the long gone.
Speaker 3 (29:44):
Are the days where you go to college and that
degree carries you the rest of your life, right right, Okay,
long gone on the days that you may stay with
the same employee of thirty years.
Speaker 2 (29:53):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (29:54):
The new normal is going to be a job and
career transition about every three to five years, and so
being prepared for that and being prepared to navigate and
manage life without a job in the in between is crucial.
And those are entrepreneurial skills, but they're not about problem solving.
It's about a mindset shift. It's about really self employment
(30:15):
at that phase. And someone may choose to experiment with
entrepreneurship here and there as their life shifts, as they
grow and navigate this new future of work, as AI
takes jobs. Right, and we may accidentally find ourselves in
a situation where we don't have a job when these
things happen to our kids, not if, but when they
(30:38):
happen because we have this program here, because of this organization,
they will be fine managing that time.
Speaker 4 (30:45):
Right, So I feel like this is my Noah's Arc moment.
Speaker 2 (30:49):
You chanswered, you know again, tell us on the website again.
Speaker 4 (30:53):
Yes, so get a box, get a box by box,
donate a box. Okay for those that are thinking about it,
donate some boxes to your school district teenbiz box dot com.
Speaker 1 (31:03):
Christa Victoria from the Dallas area by You're fantastic, and
thank you for coming on Money Making Conversation Masterclass.
Speaker 2 (31:11):
Really really fantastic.
Speaker 3 (31:12):
I appreciate it. Thank you so much for this opportunity.
This has been a great conversation. And I hope that
not only you know where we all, that you were
blessed by it, that so many people learned about. You know,
there's there's gonna be a way. The future is gonna
be fine. Our kids are gonna be fine. We're gonna
have alternative career paths, and it starts with programs and
(31:32):
organizations like what I've built with Target Evolution. There are
people like me out here that care and we are
coming up with solutions. I know that there are political
issues and we all are worried about five hundred things,
but just let's just sure this one thing is taken
care of and to make sure and.
Speaker 4 (31:47):
Everybody to buy a box, donate a box, sponsor box.
Speaker 2 (31:51):
Thank you, Thank you.
Speaker 6 (31:52):
This has been Money Making Conversation Masterclass with me Rashaun McDonald,
thanks to our guess and our audience. Visit Moneymaking Conversations
dot com to listen or register to be a guest
on my show.
Speaker 2 (32:05):
Keep leading with your gifts, keep winning,
Hi, I'm Rashan McDonald host this weekly Money Making Conversation
Masterclass show. The interviews and information that this show provides
all for everyone. It's time to start reading other people's
success stories and start living your own. If you want
to be a guest on my show, please visit our website,
Moneymakingconversations dot com and click to be a guest button.
If you're a small business owner, entrepreneur, motivational speaker, influencer,
(00:23):
or nonprofit now let's be our next guest. My guest
is an award winning entrepreneur, author, and founder of Target
Evolution INCH, a five O one C three nonprofit organization
established in twenty eleven.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
That organization trains.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
Youth ages eight eight through eighteen to earn money and
gain real world experience through their signature teen Biz products
and programs, which also includes retail and culinary entrepreneurship education models.
Please welcome to Money Making Conversation Masterclass. Crystal Victoria. How
you doing, Crystal, I'm doing well. Thanks for as I
(00:59):
saw culinary, I know that, what does that mean? I
got the team biz? But I heard culinary? You know,
I kind of like to burn a little bit in
the kitchen yeah, talking about what you're doing there.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
Sure, So essentially what our organization does is we're advancing
youth entrepreneurship. We're not just doing it and having another
youth entrepreneurship program.
Speaker 4 (01:17):
We are taking this to next level for our kids.
Speaker 3 (01:19):
So as a result, we have done some very innovative things,
one of which includes having a retail space where kids
can actually sell their own products. But because you asked
about culinary, one of the things that we recently added
this summer was a culinary program because in the past
we hadn't really had to focus on kids that serve
(01:39):
food and sell food or baked cookies, have drinks.
Speaker 4 (01:43):
So I said, how can we incorporate that?
Speaker 3 (01:44):
So we have actually designed a floor plan and we
are working with a mall owner to build this new
space that is not only a retail store our Team
Been shop, but also as the Team Biz kitchen, so
that we can have somebody like you come in and
do great recipes and show these kids how to cook
and they can make money from their creation quick and easy.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
Now where would this be located.
Speaker 3 (02:08):
So we would be in the Dallas area. Okay, the
mall partner we work with owns one hundred and sixty
shop in malls nationwide. So we're coming to a city
you near you, but we are starting in the Dallas
and Houston markets first and then we will be expanding
this to more cities as it comes.
Speaker 1 (02:25):
Well, it's really great that you're telling me this because
of the fact that you know food and I grew
up with six sis, sister and two brothers, and so
food was important to everybody. And that's small and that
big family. But you know, my father was the only
person that worked. So what inspired the culinary because we
want to get the team bits. When I saw culinary,
you know, it hit my heart, you know, cooking and
(02:46):
how I use it for relaxation and it inspires a.
Speaker 2 (02:50):
Lot of people. And I posted on my social media.
Speaker 4 (02:52):
Right, so you know one of the things that I
was thinking about.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
I've been researching youth entrepreneurship education and how to create
these different programs, how they're done in different areas from
California to around the world globally for over fourteen years.
And you know, with the conversation about entrepreneurship typically go
they dig into tech startup stuff like that, which you're great,
(03:16):
But let me tell you something that an app will
never replace broly and that is, an app will never
replace food in us eating.
Speaker 4 (03:26):
Right. And so when we talk about entrepreneurship.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
Education also has to include a small business element has
to also include self employment because every kid doesn't necessarily
start a business with the goal of solving a problem.
Sometimes people just do it for extra money or you
know that type of thing. So it's important that we
include these things, these alternative pathways that include kitchen and
restaurants for our culinary hospitality entrepreneurs. Right, where are the
(03:54):
entrepreneurship programs that help people in those types of fields?
Speaker 5 (03:59):
Right?
Speaker 1 (03:59):
You said age eight through eighteen to eighteen? Now are
you prepared students? Are people who participate Are youth who
participate in your programs to be employers or employees?
Speaker 3 (04:11):
Well, you know what, that's a great question, and let
me answer that and the answer directly and them to
give you an answer with a spend. So we are
training them to be employers and to be leaders.
Speaker 5 (04:24):
Right.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
But what we had found is that through our years
of research, decades of research now doing this, is that
some of our biggest success stories aren't entrepreneurs. These kids
are qualified and trained to lead in whatever they decide
to do, and how they're using entrepreneurship and combining that
(04:45):
with higher education degrees. How they're doing that and being
entrepreneurs and growing within companies is really amazing, And I
think it's just as much of a success story as
the kid that may have pitched on chart Tank. You know,
we really are seeing a lot of kids, like I said,
trained to lead and become great employees if they don't
(05:07):
like entrepreneurship. And it's really easy not to like entrepreneurship,
you know what I mean.
Speaker 4 (05:13):
Do we want them all too?
Speaker 2 (05:14):
Sure?
Speaker 3 (05:14):
But we also want to make sure that we are
training great human beings right right and at the foundational level,
given them the soft skills they need to succeed, those skills,
those entrepreneurial skills that transfer to any industry, any career,
whether you're an employer or an employee.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
Well, you know, the confidence and the passion that you
speak with. Where did it come from or where is
it coming from?
Speaker 4 (05:40):
Where is it coming from? Well, so here's what's fun.
Speaker 3 (05:43):
About the youth that we serve in my specific target
audience right not in the Dallas yes, right in.
Speaker 4 (05:49):
The Dallas area.
Speaker 3 (05:50):
When we look at these like I said, these kids,
these non tech kids, I'll say sometimes even disengaged kids,
kids that aren't working are in school.
Speaker 4 (06:00):
That was my story. I was in and out of
juvenile in and out of trouble.
Speaker 3 (06:04):
And let's just say I didn't have a teen biz box,
but I picked up something to sell I had, you know,
I got my hustle on. But well, also it's funny,
you know, I like, I like to make money Roland,
but you know, these days, I like to do it
the right way.
Speaker 4 (06:19):
And I think that.
Speaker 3 (06:21):
Our kids that ended up doing we'll say these these
alternative things to make money. I don't think it's a
reflection of character and who they are. I think it
comes from not from being creative and curious and not
having a product to sell, not.
Speaker 4 (06:36):
Seeing a way out.
Speaker 3 (06:37):
You know, people always are talking about, you know, used
in the next generation should pull themselves up by their bootstraps. Right,
how about we just slide down the ladder right and
let them climb up. You know, we want to have
a meritocracy conversation. Let's talk about building ladders, all right,
and and and stop worrying about you know, some kids
don't have bootstraps to pull them up by themselves up
(06:58):
by But if we slide down, we can slide down books.
We can slide down a box, you know, climb up
using these little pieces until you get there.
Speaker 2 (07:07):
Wow, that's very powerful. What's your educational background?
Speaker 3 (07:11):
So I'm actually published off there, eight books, and this
organization speaks to my story. You know, this is what
I needed when I was a kid, and because I
didn't have something like this and what I've created, I
ended up in a team, is right, Yes, the box,
the books, I end up in a lot of trouble.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
And so will you say trouble the brakes. That's a
very I'm not asking for police records. I'm just joking
when I say that.
Speaker 1 (07:40):
But you know people use the word trouble and it
layers to a different levels. But in the course and
inspired you to be pointed in insurrection eight books you've
written and so be very articulate, very confident.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
But you always look at people who do these things.
You're not driven.
Speaker 1 (08:00):
You're not really there for the money, and you want
to make money because money enables you to fulfill your
dream and this is your dream and your passion.
Speaker 3 (08:07):
Correct, yes, definitely a passion. I would say, you know,
it's funny. When I think about the dream, what I
share with people is this is a vision that guy
gave me.
Speaker 4 (08:18):
I don't think. I don't know that.
Speaker 3 (08:21):
You know, it necessarily came from me wanting to, you know,
pursue a dream. I wanted something to do because I
was in and out of so much trouble and I
didn't have a purpose or anything to do. And so
my prayer to God was give me something to do
with this story. I have no clue what to do
with it. I have no clue I ended up with it.
But what am I supposed to do with this now?
And whatever direction you point me in, I'm gonna walk
(08:44):
because we don't have any other options unless I want
to continue getting in and out of trouble, you know,
and living this very challenging life that I didn't have to.
You know, I've always loved reading, always loved books. I
did go to college at University of Texas at Arlington.
I've been to el Central College. But you know, the
(09:04):
passion behind this really comes from the story of me
navigating street life.
Speaker 4 (09:09):
It wasn't fun, it wasn't easy to get out of.
Speaker 3 (09:12):
I don't recommend ten out of ten do not recommend
zero out of ten, zero out of ten do not recommend.
Speaker 4 (09:18):
And getting out is very challenging.
Speaker 3 (09:20):
And you know, if we can just prevent kids from
going that direction, sometimes it's not going to look like college,
you know, traditional career path, which is why alternatives are necessary.
So I'm passionate about creating those alternatives because I didn't
have any, and I ended up going an alternative direction.
Speaker 4 (09:39):
And there wasn't tourist team biz which.
Speaker 1 (09:43):
Survey books yes, which means that when you were sitting
there and people are you know, I guess you're the
group that surrounded you.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
You know, when did you start making that shift?
Speaker 1 (09:53):
Was it the people that came into your life or
a light bulb or faith?
Speaker 2 (09:58):
What shift you right path?
Speaker 3 (10:01):
So you know, I there was a couple of influences
that I had. My best friend heard senior junior senior
year in college when to start a business. At the time,
like I said, I was, you know, halfway failing for
lack of a better word, which I like to reframe
as I like to look at as learning lessons and
(10:21):
overcoming obstacles, right, but I wasn't doing much and she
wanted to start a business, and I'm like Okay, well
I want to help, and you know, we she did
a coffee shop at University of North Texas at Dallas
in the in the lobby area.
Speaker 4 (10:38):
I helped to run it.
Speaker 3 (10:38):
We got a lot, I got a lot of experience,
and we're from that business to in other words, and
we did a business brokerage firm. So that really taught
me the mechanics about understanding how people exit and how
it's better to structure your business for the exit at
the beginning, but understanding some of those core principles that
come into play once people are navigating the sale of
(10:59):
their bus business. And so you know that my best
friend combined with there was one family growing up that
my grandmother introduced me to that was entrepreneurs and they
were the only examples that I had. But I still
didn't make the connection because entrepreneurship is a big word
if you I probably I don't know that I connected
(11:20):
the dots to small business anything back then. But it
wasn't in our face. It wasn't pop culture. We didn't
have social media. And I was really privileged to be
taken out of my community and put into this wealthier household.
Really see the effects and the long term impact of entrepreneurship,
even without knowing that's how they got there, you know,
I mean I started asking questions like, well, how did
(11:41):
they get this money? My father will work hard and
we don't live like this, right, so what are they
doing that we're not doing?
Speaker 4 (11:48):
And I started asking that question.
Speaker 3 (11:50):
And although, like I said, I went some alternative ways
to give answer, my point is that you know, our
kids are creative and curious like that too, and I
believe that it is again more and that we make
sure these things are available. So when that question asked,
when that little spark ignites, there's a solution. You know,
there's no shortage of pitch competition and children business fairs
(12:12):
and all of that kind of stuff.
Speaker 4 (12:13):
That's great, and those are the type of things that
spark that curiosity. Right.
Speaker 3 (12:18):
So so that's you know, just some about why we
you know, why I do this?
Speaker 4 (12:25):
Where's my passion?
Speaker 1 (12:25):
You know, it's really incredible just watching you, you know,
because of the way that there's a there's a stream
of thought, you know, like there are people are gifted
at communicating, you know, like rappers they could just wrap
off their dome, you know, poets, you know, and you
seem to be a person that's articulating this this wealth
of information tied to passion, tied to a plan of action. Now,
(12:49):
let's talk about the plan of action which is sitting
before us the teen Bis Box.
Speaker 2 (12:53):
Talk to us about that.
Speaker 4 (12:54):
Sure.
Speaker 3 (12:55):
So teen Biz Box is an all in one small
business startup kit for kids.
Speaker 4 (13:00):
We have three different boxes to choose from.
Speaker 3 (13:03):
They have friendship bracelets, ceramic coasters, or craft notebooks.
Speaker 2 (13:08):
So, my entrepreneur, yes, that's the product.
Speaker 4 (13:11):
Yes, that's the product that deside the products.
Speaker 3 (13:14):
So the products and the box includes products like some
product Ivatari that they can customize and the art supplies. Okay,
so permanent markers, stencils, stickers, you know, stuff like that's
in the box. Then they have this product that they
can customize for their customers. The stencils are like alphabet stencils.
So if you come up to them, they can design.
Speaker 2 (13:35):
Do you basically little franchise, Yeah.
Speaker 4 (13:37):
They could create their own little bit.
Speaker 3 (13:38):
They could you know, sell your product with your initial
on it and your favorite color, right as well as
the friendship bracelet is it's cool. If anybody loves Taylor Swift,
then those friendship bracelets, you know them making those since
the beginning of sign so all of the products in
the box, kids can sell for up to ten dollars
each and make up to one hundred and fifty dollars
with the box.
Speaker 4 (13:58):
With the box that have a signing it and everything,
they don't need to go buy anys.
Speaker 2 (14:02):
To the boxes. What they are one hundred dollars okay,
and the kid can make up to one hundred.
Speaker 3 (14:06):
They can make up to one hundred and fifty and
continue the process. It comes with our workbooks so that
they can get some education. It comes with online classes,
but more importantly, it comes with the ability for them
to han create a product that they can sell to
you like that right, simple, easy, accessible, small business okay.
(14:27):
And there are a lot of fun to play with.
I say that in class. We've actually done them in
classrooms in group settings.
Speaker 4 (14:34):
I have more fun with this stuff than the kids.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
I know, which is beautiful because you know, if you
build a car, you want to drive it, okay, And
if you don't have fun driving, you're on a car
while you build a car. And so that's what I'm saying,
is that what I'm seeing, and I hope people are
hearing when they hear this interview is that there's a
lot of passion, there's a lot of love for this,
and there's a lot of time and patience been put
into it because the whole concept of a entrepreneur. I'm
(15:01):
sure you got a lot of pushback on us, say
that didn't make any sense, right.
Speaker 4 (15:04):
Well, I would. The blackape back hasn't been that it
doesn't make sense.
Speaker 3 (15:09):
It's about the pushback, is I guess, been a disconnect
between when we should offer this information and when they
should learn these skills, and when they should they're young,
let them be a kid.
Speaker 4 (15:18):
Yeah, but they're in front of screens.
Speaker 3 (15:20):
And while unfortunately nowadays being a kid means being inenuated
with technology, Okay, we human and human interaction is still important.
Let's pull them away from the screen for just a second,
give them a different kind of toay, make them go
outside and talk to people, all right, so and use
this box to do so. So, you know, that's the
I think the importance is is. It isn't just about
(15:43):
teaching them entrepreneurship. It's about teaching the communication skills, right,
something that's missing. It's about social emotional skills, resilience, grit,
you know, customer service, how to listen, right, because in
order to sell anything, you've got to do what listening
your customers. So all these little things that we fussed
the kids for doing, not doing, and for not knowing,
(16:04):
especially when they are they beginning to transition through high
school into college and career employees, or they don't listen
and they don't do that. Well, you know, if we
just started them off with these kind of little things
like this early, then they may have built those habits
and we may not be struggling so hard as a
society to get them to do them and build them.
Speaker 2 (16:23):
Don't go anywhere.
Speaker 6 (16:25):
We will be right back with more insights from Money
Making Conversations master Class. Welcome back to Money Making Conversation
Master Class with me Rashaun McDonald.
Speaker 2 (16:37):
Well, you know when I listened to you.
Speaker 1 (16:39):
You know, growing up, my father gave me a lawmoar
or custom grad right, that was an entrepreneurship. I didn't
understand that. I thought I was just out there cutting
graands and being mad. But they gave me money from
their services. Okay, So I used to I used to
sell newspapers, you know, I was just selling newspaper. Never clicked,
like you said, I didn't click in my head that
was actually being a bit this person because I got
(17:01):
a product, I sold the product, and I gave them
my difference and kept the profits from my difference at
my expenses. And so when I think about we always
laughed lemonade stands. Yes, you know how many times people
talk about lemonade stands. You go outside and come outside
a grocery store, the kids telling you candy.
Speaker 2 (17:20):
That's an entrepreneur, correct.
Speaker 4 (17:22):
Yeah, girl, scout cookies, you know. And I love lemonade.
But I'm like, look, we can only do so much lemonade.
Speaker 5 (17:28):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (17:29):
There are some things that kids can sell, and I
actually study this that again that are not going to
be replaced with technology all that easy. They're going to
always be fun for people to buy and collect. You
can collect coasters, you can collect friendship races. If a
million kids are selling them everybody, it's not doesn't it's
not considered oversaturation, right, Like, we.
Speaker 4 (17:50):
Can have as many of these as we want. It
might get upsetsive.
Speaker 2 (17:54):
This is a national We talked about this.
Speaker 3 (17:58):
This is a national platform. And again and I love
the fact that it's no mess, no glue, no baking.
So let me let me just give you a scenario,
because this is this box that even creating the box
was a solution to another problem and we ended up
having which was funny, and I was determined to solve it.
But imagine a parent coming into and like I said,
(18:19):
we have retail stores and top mall. So parent comes
into the store. They see these kids making money, and
my kids make money. We're talking three to five hundred
dollars a month. I got a kid that made one
thousand dollars in three hours in our store and.
Speaker 4 (18:32):
She I mean, look, and the mall got behind us.
Speaker 3 (18:35):
We watched her little marketing campaign behind her book signing,
and this baby girl had a line out the door,
down the hallway for two hours straight. We'd never seen
nothing like it that so, oh god, we were onto something.
Speaker 4 (18:47):
But anywo parents.
Speaker 3 (18:48):
Would see that, right, And although those results are not typical,
just a disclaimer right before.
Speaker 4 (18:55):
It can happen.
Speaker 3 (18:57):
It can opportunity, It can happen, you know, I said,
I'm disclaimer and results are not typical, but it can happen.
Speaker 4 (19:04):
But oftentimes when a a.
Speaker 3 (19:05):
Parent wants their kid and our store in our spaces,
you know, they go like extreme. Sometimes the ideas get
really extravaaate extreme. So we're talking about spending a couple
thousand dollars on this kid wanted to start a business,
and I'm gonna say this this week.
Speaker 4 (19:23):
Kids change their minds.
Speaker 3 (19:24):
So unfortunately, we would have parents that go, you know,
kid says, oh, I want to be in the store,
I want to make money, and the parent goes okay,
and they go through all of this stuff and help
the kids start a business, and the kids next week's like,
I don't.
Speaker 4 (19:36):
Want to do it any more.
Speaker 3 (19:37):
It's hard, and so now mom's out of a thousand
dollars trying to put them through Team Biscamp.
Speaker 4 (19:44):
And I said, no, we got to We've got to
make a simpler solution for this, right.
Speaker 3 (19:48):
So that's why we originally created the box, because we
knew that kids want to sell their products in our store,
and when parents go to where kid goes to, the.
Speaker 4 (19:57):
Parents say I want to start a business.
Speaker 3 (19:58):
I wanted to prevented mom from her eyes getting crossed
and stressing out and wanting to go spend a thousand
dollars making their T shirts and stuff. Look, buy them
a box handed to them one hundred dollars.
Speaker 2 (20:12):
It's a hundred dollars thousand, but there's dollars for the box.
Speaker 5 (20:15):
Do not.
Speaker 3 (20:16):
And I love kids, and I love great ideas, but
before they have the habits that are necessary to success,
before we really know if they want to start a business.
Speaker 4 (20:27):
Buy these boxes first.
Speaker 3 (20:28):
Go give them a box, hand it to the kids,
say have a nice day. Tell me how that works
out for you, and if they sell everything.
Speaker 4 (20:35):
In it, then maybe we'll start taking you seriously.
Speaker 3 (20:37):
Well maybe maybe they do got some entrepreneurial skills, but
if not, you haven't spent a thousand dollars for them
to quit next week.
Speaker 4 (20:43):
And we've solved multiple problems.
Speaker 3 (20:45):
They got the education and training they need, they made
a little money, they experimented with it. They may come
back to it at some point in life or they
may not. But that being said, they have some really
experience with it. And again we saved the whole family
time and money.
Speaker 1 (20:58):
Okay, Chris, before I go further, let me just recap
to everybody who's talking, because she is fantastic. She's the
award winning entrepreneur, author and founder of Target Evolution as
a five o' one c three nonprofit organization established in
twenty eleven that trains youth ages eight through eighteen to
(21:19):
earn money and gain real world experience. That's what you
were just talking about through their signature teen Biz products
and program. Now I see three boxes. Say I say
the word three because we're taping this. Now, explain to
us the difference in each box. Right here, you have
a team box start a business, start a business, and
(21:39):
the one that says coasters, one says bracelets, and one
says notebooks.
Speaker 3 (21:43):
Right, So that is they are distinguished by the product
that's inside. Okay, okay, So you can get the bracelet
box and it comes with brower bands, threads to make
friendship bracelets, everything.
Speaker 2 (21:54):
So so they're Pacific. So they're three different boxes.
Speaker 4 (21:58):
Three different boxes specific to one product.
Speaker 2 (22:00):
Okay, cool, Okay, So you either.
Speaker 3 (22:01):
Get coasters, you get craft notebooks, or you get you
get the friendship bracelests. Now, if they want to get
creative and buy all three, knock yourself out at the.
Speaker 1 (22:10):
More box because I'm a creative guy, you know. So
the bracelets. Okay, my kid, let's get beyond the lemonade stand.
You don't want to do the girls cookies. You just
want your child to be busy where you're busy, busy,
and they being busy, they can finally make some money.
Speaker 2 (22:28):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (22:29):
And this is a that could be shipped to New York,
could be shipped to Texas, can be shipped to Georgia.
Speaker 3 (22:33):
Used anywhere rural communities where maybe electricity not in electricity,
but internet connectivity is.
Speaker 4 (22:39):
An issue, you know what I mean. You don't need
the internet to do the box.
Speaker 3 (22:42):
They all can get a box to go outside, have
their little career, their little children business fair in the yard.
Speaker 2 (22:49):
And so at a festival or church event. Yes, okay, cool.
Now let's look at the bracelets. Okay, and when you
open up the box for the bracelet, you open.
Speaker 4 (22:59):
Up the box and we have a nice little buck
right there. There's a getting started guide.
Speaker 3 (23:04):
This is so nice that has tells and gives them
directions about what they should do to get started. Then
there is yes, it's got instructions as well as videos
they can look at to go, you know, do YouTube
territorials on how to put the bracelet together.
Speaker 4 (23:22):
So that's the bracelets.
Speaker 3 (23:23):
It also comes with an app and a free team
bus work but digital version for the parents. We actually
give the parent guides away free. They're about to be
free for all parents. So parents, if you're watching and
you're trying to figure out.
Speaker 2 (23:35):
How to help your kids start at bags.
Speaker 3 (23:39):
Yes, so these are actually gift bags for customers. So
the kids has, like I said, everything they need to
start selling tomorrows in the box.
Speaker 4 (23:48):
They've got bags, They've got.
Speaker 3 (23:50):
Business cards, business card templates where they can write out
what their business name is and leave somebody their contact info. Okay,
Then they have, like I said, the stencils where they
can get creative. There's a sign in here for them
to create a little sign for their business where they
can set it up with an easel. Right, So they
(24:12):
have stencils to design, they have permanent markers, all of
the art supplies that they need.
Speaker 4 (24:17):
There to create.
Speaker 3 (24:18):
Then here's the actual product inventory that includes rubber bands
for the different colors, rubber band bracelets, and then there
is embroidery thread and I can pull those out. There's
embroidery thread for those who want to do the embroidery
friendship bracelets, so they get some of these. So all
(24:39):
of this is in the box and again they can
Usually this is the most the box that makes the
most money the kids. They end up usually making.
Speaker 4 (24:47):
Two hundred dollars more off of this box, off of
all the bracelets and.
Speaker 3 (24:50):
All different colors and stuff that they can customize it
for their customers.
Speaker 4 (24:53):
So you go to them and say, hey, I want
a blue, green and yellow bracelet. They can make you one.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
Beauty of the diversity of your campaigns, you know, yeah,
you know, which means that you're not trying to pitch
just African American community, not trying to pitch your pitching
to everybody.
Speaker 3 (25:09):
Everybody, child, any child, everybody. Come get a box, just
getting the started guides, checklists.
Speaker 2 (25:15):
Let's go to the coasters, you know, leave that there.
You know, I feel like I'm open today.
Speaker 4 (25:20):
Yes, I know right.
Speaker 3 (25:22):
Coaster box have ceramic coasters in them, along with all
the art supplies we just mentioned. But instead of bracelets,
they have cunsters.
Speaker 2 (25:30):
And I like to be patient here. You still you
still have the markers.
Speaker 5 (25:35):
They still have the markers, They still have the business cards, stickers,
and your bags and easel comes in there with the
art supplies and.
Speaker 4 (25:47):
Oh god, where's my coasters?
Speaker 3 (25:51):
So this actually comes with ceramic coasters. They're white like
chop ceramics. So there's circle I believe they're like two
inch and their square this.
Speaker 2 (26:01):
Is for the coaster that's the coaster box.
Speaker 4 (26:03):
Yes, so those and it also comes with.
Speaker 2 (26:07):
How can they what website?
Speaker 3 (26:09):
What's the name of the website teenbiz biz box dot com.
Speaker 4 (26:12):
Okay, go to teen bis box is going to.
Speaker 3 (26:13):
Take you to our website and directly to the box
to the site where you can buy the boxes and
choose which one you want as well as buy the bucks.
Speaker 2 (26:22):
Okay, I measure this because you said eight to eighteen.
Speaker 1 (26:25):
Yep, Okay, that's a different that's a range because you know,
when you eight, you frobably got your parents or guard
is more involved in that process. When you start getting
a teenager, you become more I want to do this.
I see the vision a lot more clearer. And then eighteen,
how do you look at how do you treat each
each benchmark of age when you're out there selling your
(26:47):
brand and who you're targeting at that moment.
Speaker 4 (26:49):
I love that question.
Speaker 3 (26:50):
So primarily our sweet spot, our average age is fifteen. Okay,
that is the average age of kids that come. When
they come in a little older, that's fine too, but
we find that they want to do, you know, different
unique products, so we actually have an app right that
they can go online and create anything that they want
to sell, kind of like set up, like if anybody
has heard of custom ink or Vista print, like they
(27:13):
can create merch Here's the thing, though, I still suggest
them being in a physical environment actually ordering inventory. Because
when we talk about online businesses and you know the question,
and then just to add to your earlier question, you
asked about pushback, A lot of times people are like, well,
why don't we just do online store and online products,
(27:36):
And it's like, yeah, that's great. If you want kids
to learn digital marketing, right, a different skill set. Okay,
so what kids learn with a product, what they learn
by being in person and having something to interact with people,
is they learn communication skills. If they did go online
(27:57):
and they order a product that they sell on social media,
and the skill that's most important to them is digital marketing,
I understanding pay to ads and all that.
Speaker 4 (28:05):
Do we teach that? Is it important?
Speaker 5 (28:07):
Yes?
Speaker 4 (28:07):
Is it the most important?
Speaker 5 (28:08):
Though?
Speaker 4 (28:09):
Is it where we want to start? Really?
Speaker 3 (28:10):
No?
Speaker 4 (28:11):
But is it there? Yeah? It's available all right.
Speaker 3 (28:13):
So kids have that option, But we still say that
even if you go online and create some order some
of it. So that you can go in person and
build those communication skills that are going to make you
so well.
Speaker 2 (28:25):
The big walk away when I'm listening to you is communication.
Speaker 1 (28:28):
Yes, And like you said, one of the things that
really stuck with me early on in my interview when
you were saying, Rashan, whether the entrepreneur or employee, you're
trying to build good people. You're trying to find good
people and then show them a vision that they may
not get in a book, because like I said, there
was a disconnect for you. It was a disconnect for me.
(28:48):
Okay when I despite my high scholarly ways in high school,
when I got out of high school, I became aforelve
driver because that's what I wanted.
Speaker 2 (28:56):
I didn't even see the vision of my talent.
Speaker 1 (28:58):
And what this becomes is an inspirational point of showing
kids a different side and also maybe connect the dots
a lot faster for opportunities.
Speaker 2 (29:08):
Correct.
Speaker 3 (29:08):
Absolutely, I think when we have you know, creative and
curious kids, we need more alternative pathways. Another thing that
I'm very concerned about, and I think everyone is, is
when we talk about how AI and technology and the
future of work is changing. Okay, at that point, it
(29:30):
becomes even more important that kids that we have alternative
career paths for kids because learning, unlearning and reskilling is
going to be the new normal.
Speaker 4 (29:42):
It's no longer longer the long gone.
Speaker 3 (29:44):
Are the days where you go to college and that
degree carries you the rest of your life, right right, Okay,
long gone on the days that you may stay with
the same employee of thirty years.
Speaker 2 (29:53):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (29:54):
The new normal is going to be a job and
career transition about every three to five years, and so
being prepared for that and being prepared to navigate and
manage life without a job in the in between is crucial.
And those are entrepreneurial skills, but they're not about problem solving.
It's about a mindset shift. It's about really self employment
(30:15):
at that phase. And someone may choose to experiment with
entrepreneurship here and there as their life shifts, as they
grow and navigate this new future of work, as AI
takes jobs. Right, and we may accidentally find ourselves in
a situation where we don't have a job when these
things happen to our kids, not if, but when they
(30:38):
happen because we have this program here, because of this organization,
they will be fine managing that time.
Speaker 4 (30:45):
Right, So I feel like this is my Noah's Arc moment.
Speaker 2 (30:49):
You chanswered, you know again, tell us on the website again.
Speaker 4 (30:53):
Yes, so get a box, get a box by box,
donate a box. Okay for those that are thinking about it,
donate some boxes to your school district teenbiz box dot com.
Speaker 1 (31:03):
Christa Victoria from the Dallas area by You're fantastic, and
thank you for coming on Money Making Conversation Masterclass.
Speaker 2 (31:11):
Really really fantastic.
Speaker 3 (31:12):
I appreciate it. Thank you so much for this opportunity.
This has been a great conversation. And I hope that
not only you know where we all, that you were
blessed by it, that so many people learned about. You know,
there's there's gonna be a way. The future is gonna
be fine. Our kids are gonna be fine. We're gonna
have alternative career paths, and it starts with programs and
(31:32):
organizations like what I've built with Target Evolution. There are
people like me out here that care and we are
coming up with solutions. I know that there are political
issues and we all are worried about five hundred things,
but just let's just sure this one thing is taken
care of and to make sure and.
Speaker 4 (31:47):
Everybody to buy a box, donate a box, sponsor box.
Speaker 2 (31:51):
Thank you, Thank you.
Speaker 6 (31:52):
This has been Money Making Conversation Masterclass with me Rashaun McDonald,
thanks to our guess and our audience. Visit Moneymaking Conversations
dot com to listen or register to be a guest
on my show.
Speaker 2 (32:05):
Keep leading with your gifts, keep winning,
Popular Podcasts
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.