Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed April Showers.
My next guest is the Founder of Afro Unicorn, the first black woman-owned fully licensed character brand in major retail with over 20 million in total sales. Her groundbreaking brand celebrates diversity and empowers women and children of color, inspiring countless individuals to embrace their uniqueness and potential. Please welcome to Money Making Conversations Master Class April Showers.
Talking Points/Questions *
1. Afro Unicorn®️, a brand designed to represent the uniqueness of women and children of color in a truly diverse and inclusive fashion.
2. You started your entrepreneurial journey at the age of 19, what inspired you to become an entrepreneur?
3. You’ve created a brand that celebrates diversity and empowers women and children of color, what has your experience been like as a female entrepreneur?
4. You made history as the first black, woman-owned, fully-licensed character brand in major retailers, how did this happen?
5. You’ve been nicknamed “unicorn” for your ability to run multiple successful businesses while being a devoted single mother, what does being a “unicorn” mean to you?
6. As a single mother of two, how do you find the balance between your personal life and Afro Unicorn?
7. How has your use of social media helped create buzz for Afro Unicorn? What is your philosophy and strategy for social media that has garnered you success on multiple platforms?
8. You’ve had support from celebrities such as Tiffany Haddish, Sherri Shepherd, Alicia Keys, and Oprah Winfrey since the launch of Afro Unicorn, how has this impacted your brand?
9. Afro Unicorn has over 25 product categories, including books, bedding, hair care, party supplies and 45 licensee partners worldwide. Can you talk more about your current products?
10. What's next for Afro Unicorn?
#BEST
#STRAW
#SHMS
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
Welcome to the show. I am Rashwan McDonald, the host
of Money Making Conversations Masterclass, where we encourage people to
stop reading other people's success stories and start planning their own.
Listen up as I interview entrepreneurs from around the country,
talk to celebrities and ask them how they are running
their companies, and speak with god profits who are making
(00:25):
a difference in their local communities. Now, sit back and
listen as we unlock the secrets to their success on
Money Making Conversations Masterclass. Hi, I'm Rashan McDonald, our host
is weekly money Making Conversation Masterclass show. The interviews and
information that this show provides are for everyone. It's time
to stop reading other people's success stories and start living
(00:46):
your own. My next guest is the founder afro Unicon,
the first black woman owned, fully licensed character brand in
major retail with sales over twenty million. How groundmaking brand
celebrate diversity and empowers women and children of color, inspiring
countless individuals to embrace their uniqueness and potential. Please work
(01:08):
with the Money Making Conversations Master Class. April Showers, April,
thank you for coming on Money Making Conversations Master Colors.
How are you doing.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
I am living the dream. How about you?
Speaker 1 (01:18):
You know, when I was reading this intro when he
says inspires countless individuals to embrace their uniqueness and potential,
extrapolat or expound on that for me, please, Well.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
After Unicorn was created because of who I am, I'm
a serial entrepreneur, and I don't know, we'll probably get
into the story later about how it was actually a creator.
I can say it now because it all ties in
when you.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
Talk now the flow of the conversation.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
Okay, So I am a licensed insurance agent. I was
a licensed real estate broker. Single mama to amazing young
black boys, one who I just dropped off to LSU
a few weeks ago and the other one's in high
school now. But back in twenty nineteen, a friend kept
telling me I was a unicorn over and over again,
and so finally I asked them, why do you keep
(02:06):
calling me that? He said, Well, because you're running the businesses,
you're raising the boys, you're a unicorn. And I said, Cortias,
I am a woman. That is what we do. He's like, no, April,
you do it at an extraordinary level. Trust me. I
date these women in LA and you are a unicorn,
like you do it at an extraordinary level. So I
didn't know much about unicorns.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
I kind of was.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
Tom boyish and I was a boy mom. So I
had to go look them up and I saw that
they were unique, they were mystical, and I said, I'm
definitely unique. I'm all things black girl magic. And so
I started to use the emoji of the unicorn and
my phone over and over again, not with text or
have any copy. And then one day I looked at
it and I said, doesn't it represent who I am? Like,
(02:50):
I don't see myself in this unicorn. So then I
went to find one that looked like me, and I couldn't.
So at that point I was like, I'm going to
create an avatar for me. In creating it, I saw
the potential of wow, wait a minute, it's probably a
lot of women out there that felt what I was feeling,
(03:12):
that was probably dealing with some type of imposterum syndrome
or something, didn't know that they were unique or didn't
know that they had these qualities to be a unicorn.
So I then wanted to create a movement to find
other women entrepreneurs or those that wanted to join me
on this entrepreneurship journey and give them an avatar to
(03:33):
represent who they were. So when we launched after Unicorn
on the platform on social media, I really was targeting
business owners and I would specify on my page out
they will wear my shirt, and I would say, meet
Latricia Leatricia owns this business. She works nine to five
(03:53):
two she does this, this, this is what makes her unique,
divine in magical. Be sure to follow her business and
patriotize her business. And then the movement started.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
We've already told you got two boys. One you just
dropped off l A s U. How are you balancing
all this?
Speaker 2 (04:10):
I am managing it.
Speaker 1 (04:13):
The word balance and manages, not that you manage.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
Because this is the thing. I don't believe that men
get asked that question. No one asked jay Z how
does he balance being a father and work?
Speaker 1 (04:28):
Okay, hmm. I have not insulted you with the word balance.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
No, no, no, But because to me, balance is even Wait, right,
I gotta get fifty here and fifty here to equal
one hundred. I gotta be a mom one undred percent
of the time. I got to be a business owner
one hundred percent of the time. So I can't balance either.
(04:53):
I have to manage those. So I give whatever I'm
in it. I'm given. All my kids are in school
right now, so I know I'm full CEO mold right now.
Once I go get my babies out of school, my
sister knows all my calls stop at two thirty, so
when I can get them home, they're a little older now,
so I get them situated, make sure they've eaten, and
(05:14):
if I want to put on that sea hat, or
if I want to go out on a date, or
do whatever I can.
Speaker 1 (05:20):
So you're out there dancing, you out there dating. You
just lid that little bad boy up in there, and
now you know the dating scene. You're business woman, you know,
you're motivator, you are a licensed you know I will
say what you can't do, and I'll be insulting right there,
because what you have not done is limit who you
could be and what you can achieve.
Speaker 3 (05:42):
Now.
Speaker 1 (05:42):
So in twenty and eighteen, friend of yours started calling
your unicorn. Okay, twenty twenty, we all know that's an
ad little period when you start talking into COVID and
it starts changing our whole outlooking perspective. And then after
that it's when you started kind of like a galvanizing
people in the Unicorn movement.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
Oh, the movement started all day one. May twenty nineteen
is when the brand launched. Right May seventeenth, my son
went into the hospital May twentieth. Sorry, my son in
the hospital May tenth. I was reluctant to launch the
brand while my son was in the hospital, not knowing
he will be there for twenty days. With all the
encouragement from the people around me, I launched the brand
(06:25):
while he was in the hospital. When he got out
twenty days, my uncle died of a massive heart attack.
I got the call seventeen hours later. His eldest brother,
my second uncle, died of a of pneumonia. We got
a double funeral the following week. Then after that, six
months later, broke my grandmother's heart. She got spiraled down,
(06:48):
she died, and then a month later we were in
a global pandemic. But back all that up, I have
this mindset of all gas, no breaks. The marathon continues.
I'm from Los Angeles. Nipsey Hustle had just passed away.
Back in March. I had a pre launch a birth
(07:08):
birthday of After Unicorn with these women on April twenty eighth,
and I told them, look, I'm building something where we're
going to support each other and the marathon's going to continue.
That was before all this tragedy was getting ready to
happen in my life. But I had already poured in
these women to say, this is what we're building. We're
building this movement. So what they did is that they
pushed this movement with me, and so I the movement.
(07:32):
I just want to be very clear. The movement started
when we launched after Unicorn tifty had us jumped on
board in July, Alicia Keys jumped on board, Cherry Shepper
on it. And when I say jumped on board, I
would go on their comments and I would comment and say,
I mean, I'll go on a post and I would
comment and say, hey, have you ever seen after Unicorn?
Before I created a brand of women of color who
(07:54):
hustled follow the movement, and so they would click over
on my page. They would see what we were doing,
how I was highlighting other women, and they were like, oh,
this is something I could rock with. And it's been
organic like that from the beginning. We came out the
gates with the flags going it literally was a marathon.
It was a whole race happening.
Speaker 3 (08:16):
Please don't go anywhere. We'll be right back with more
money Making Conversations Masterclass. Welcome back to the Money Making
Conversations Masterclass hosted by Rashaan McDonald. Money Making Conversations Masterclass
(08:37):
continues online at Moneymakingconversations dot com and follow money Making
Conversations Masterclass on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
I love it. I love the fact that you know
is unique. But it was it galvanized people, and that
galvil because people always ask me about marketing and they
always ask them about angle and branding. That you were
able to captivate people based on an idea of motivation, uplift.
(09:11):
We could do this together, you know, want all be
all dad thought process. Where did they come from?
Speaker 2 (09:19):
I would say it was definitely instilled from me, from
my parents, my mom and my dad and my uncles.
So it was very heartbreaking when those two uncles passed away.
My grandmother, my family, my family. My name is April Showers,
so I was purposely named April Showers and I wasn't
as a real singer. I mean, I think I'm a
great dancer, but it's like this girl was destined to
(09:42):
be something that.
Speaker 1 (09:43):
I think, why you think you're a great dancer that
you don't throw that out on my show and say
you think you a great because you put the word
thank you a great dancer and you put the word
great and think together.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
Okay and stop. I'm a great dancer and everybody know
it except except my kids.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
There you go. I was wonder who was judging You
think it's the kids. That's right. I've been there. I've
been there. Because that will throw doubt in you. Your
kids will you are great. You're a great motivator, You're
a great entrepreneur. Now when it comes to your dancing,
that's when your kids put that little doubt in your mind. Yeah,
which is always good. You need to be humbled by somebody.
Speaker 2 (10:21):
Yeah, they definitely humble me.
Speaker 1 (10:23):
Now, the whole concept of because this is a video interview,
but it's gonna be in for audio, I'm seeing all
these great different unicorns in the background. You have a
unicorn T shirt that you're wearing. Talk about the development
of the of these concepts.
Speaker 2 (10:39):
So one of the first things you said on the
intro is I'm the first black woman to have a
fully licensed character Brandon major retail. It is a mouthful
and most people, ninety nine point nine percent of the
world will be like, what the heck does that mean?
So I'm basically missus Walt Disney. I am the creator
(11:01):
of a character brand like Mickey Mouse, like the Star
Wars characters, Elmo, Sesame Street. I am the creator. The
products of Afri Unicorn sit on the shelves next to
those legacy iconic brands. So the way that I got
(11:24):
into is a lot of people think I'm sitting here
manufacturing all these products that have this huge warehouse as
a licensee. I do not have license or I do
not have any inventory. What I have as partners that
helped me manufacture these products. So in twenty twenty twenty
(11:48):
one August, because of the movement, there was a video
that went viral of a little girl wearing an afric
Unicorn shirt. Somebody who walked by her and said, I
love your hair. With all the confidence in the world.
She said, thanks, thank you, It's an afro. Everyone shared
it on all platforms, from Tina Knowles, Beyonce's mom, and
then Oprah Daily shared it, and then Oprah Daily shared it.
(12:11):
The comments were flooded with that's afric Unicorn's baby, That's
Africanuncorn's shirt. And then a buyer at Walmart saw it.
A buyer Walmart saw the comments, looked up after Unicorn
and said, I think this is something we want to
bring into our stores as a licensed character. So she
reached out to me, sent an email and said, Afri
(12:33):
Unicorn ex Walmart collaboration, would you consider bringing in Afro
Unicorn into party supplies?
Speaker 1 (12:42):
Okay, okay, okay. Where were you at emotionally now, because
I'm assuming that you had trademarked afro Unicorn, right, Okay,
so you knew to do dilages on that end and
then but when you were putting this on social media,
was the marketing or the product aspect of taking this
to store branding anywhere in your mind prior to Walmart
(13:05):
contacting you?
Speaker 2 (13:07):
So the thought process in my mind, I talk a
lot about visualization and seeing things before they happen, but
not always trying to figure out all the details of it.
The thought process I had met in April of twenty
nineteen was the African and Korna is going to be
a household name in the worldwide brand. I used to
say it all the time, so I knew that eventually
(13:33):
it was going to get out to the world. But
like the rest of the world ninety eight ninety nine
percent of the world, I didn't know about licensing. I
thought that I have to sell Afro Unicorn to like
a Hasburrow, or at one point I thought I had
to sell it to Diddy. I'm not I mean seriously,
I just thought I was going to have to sell
it to somebody who knew how to get it into
(13:58):
mass retail. I didn't think because I didn't know. You
only know what you know, So I didn't know that
the little girl from south central Los Angeles could be
the person to still sit in the C suite and
get it out to be a household name and a
worldwide brand. But I always knew it would be I
(14:19):
just didn't know how well.
Speaker 1 (14:20):
This is impressive because of the fact that you know,
there's so many clients and so many people in this
business want to get in worldmart, and the big fear
is being able to handle the requests. Now you're the
licensing business. You clearly explained to as Rashall, I'm not
making anything. I don't have a warehouse storing product. I
(14:42):
licensed my brand through other people walk us through that step.
Speaker 2 (14:49):
When the buyer at Walmart reached out to me and
we set up the first call, she told me that
she wanted me to meet with two other licensees. At
the time, I just didn't say that that language. She
just told me the name of the two companies that
I can potentially interview to see if I wanted them
to create the party supply line. Because at this point
(15:10):
I think now, I think she already knew I'm bringing
this in to Walmart, and we just got to figure
out who was going to help us bring it in
and the how. The way that it works is that,
like number one, you have to trademark. So because I knew,
oh yes, the first thing that I did before I
(15:37):
started out for Unicorn was to get it registered or
at least apply to get the trademark registered. Because I knew,
based off of previous businesses that I run, that I
wanted to build this one to sell. Read a lot
of books about it, and I knew that I wanted
to build it to sell. So the first thing I
(15:58):
did was make sure I got to registered. Second thing
I did was make sure I had an accountant. I
had no money, but I wanted her to count all
the pennies and make sure they was all there because
I have a fear of going to prison and I
didn't want to do that. So I knew. I knew
that it was going to be big, and so before
(16:19):
it got too big, I need to make sure all
the ducks were in order. So I trademarked, I made
sure that I had the right accountant, and then I
got an attorney on board. But I do have a
little tip we could insert right here. I went through
legal Zoom originally to get my trademark. The problem is
(16:42):
legal Zoom cannot respond. Only an attorney can respond if
they come back with some questions. So you should just
always start with the attorney. To start with the trademark
attorney because they are required to respond to whatever they submitted.
So that's what the that I learned through this journey
because I had to get a lot of classes, a
(17:03):
lot of trademarks along the way.
Speaker 1 (17:06):
But again, you're doing it the right way because again,
you know, you put together a business model, a business plan,
you shut I needed legal Bam check that out, re shot.
I needed a bookkeeper, slash a County. Check that out,
because when it starts happening, you don't want to be scrambling,
and so many people start scrambling. But you sit down
(17:27):
and and it's so so much of a vision of
Walmart just called me, I need to get my act together. No,
it was before Walmart.
Speaker 2 (17:36):
No, because that's where people mess up. Because I have
a saying, if you stay ready, you ain't got to
get ready. I took it from sugar Free. No, if
Walmart would have called me, I would have missed the opportunity.
If I didn't already have my stuff trademark, if I
didn't already have an accounting in place, if I didn't
already have an attorney that I knew, I would have
(17:59):
missed opportunity. I would have been trying to scramble and
grab and do all of this, and I would have
missed opportunity. So no, day one, you brought up something
that triggered me, and I forgot before even all of this.
While I was waiting for the trademark, I went out
on upwork and found someone to help me write a
business plan. I gave her the idea of what I had,
(18:25):
and then she did all the research to tell me,
who were my competitors, what were my strengths, what was
my weaknesses, what were the threats, what were the opportunities?
Like laid it all out for me, so I had
a clear direction going in mind. You no money made,
nothing happening, but I knew in order to build a
(18:46):
successful business, I needed all of this on the foundation.
Speaker 1 (18:51):
I love the fact that when I sit down and
talk about it, because I just had a big beating
conversation with a bankrupt and you used tod reshine it.
If you're come into my office and you don't have
a business plan, that's going to be a real short
conversation because that means that you have not sat down
and got a clear grasp of understanding of what you're
(19:11):
trying to do. You just out there operating. No hope this,
I hope this happened. I hope when the open these
doors is going to happen. A business plan, he says,
is the driver's license to start in your business. And
that's why I hop it in front of people all
the time, because, like you said, it triggered you in
your conversation. But that was the number one thing that
(19:32):
really gave you the confidence to be able to get
the accountant, the confidence to be able to get the
attorney because you knew exactly where you were going.
Speaker 2 (19:41):
Correct, correct, absolutely.
Speaker 1 (19:44):
Now let's look at that. Now, got the Walmart mentor
two potential license sees your license, So you're license a
licenre and there's a license see right? Yes, okay, cool?
They had two of them for you. How did you
make it? This on which one you wanted to go with?
Speaker 2 (20:01):
I would win both they both sold.
Speaker 1 (20:03):
Yeah, how did they work?
Speaker 2 (20:06):
Well? One handle just like the paper goods sols, plates, napkins,
and then the other one could do plates and napkins
as well. But then they also did all the accessories.
And when we dropped party, this buyer, I love her
to death. Her name I can't. I'm not gonna say
her name, but I love her. I'm gonna call her BC.
(20:27):
She she basically brought me into all these categories. So
I was going into party, but I had a bouncy ball,
I had plush and party. I had a hair bowing party.
I have fake nails and party. I have rings and party.
So you're thinking toys cosmetics. These are all different category
(20:49):
hair accessories that she put in the party section. So
once you see it, then you know the opportunity that
can grow further. So I brought them both on because
one had, you know, could do the paper that I wanted.
This other company because they could do those other accessories.
(21:10):
But then it led to so many categories and the
first nine and twelve months I had over forty five licensees.
Speaker 1 (21:20):
Well, okay, not to do you know you've been calling,
you know going, You jumped on that. Your brand became
Afro Unicorn. Social media influences, celebrity influences took note of
what you were trying to do. Now it's time that
you're hide in an accountant, you hide their lawyer. The
lawyer's handling all your contracts with the licensees. Nine, the
(21:42):
money starts to come in. How do you track the money?
Speaker 2 (21:47):
How do I attrack the money?
Speaker 1 (21:48):
Well, track the money with your account and how does
that work?
Speaker 2 (21:52):
She does every month she closes out the book, she
reconciles everything. She does a profit and law and every
single month I get a we do a review. I
ended up hiring an agency to collect the royalty payments. Yeah,
so they collected and which was good because I get
(22:14):
a percentage of the royalty. Means a percentage of sales. Right,
But then I also pay the agency, but I get
to less in my liability because the agency's collecting the money,
so they're getting their money off the top. So then
I get like less of that, whatever that percentage is,
(22:35):
whether it's ten to twenty percent, I'm getting less of that.
So now I'm not that the tax liability is not
as great as it would have been at one hundred
and then me paying them so, And it also just
helps to keep track of everything that is happening. And
they keep an accounting record too, of each licensee, how
much the pos were, what's my percentage and how much
(22:58):
is due to me?
Speaker 1 (23:00):
Wow, let's talk about you as an individual. You know,
I will tell you I'm impressed. I'm impressed with your story.
It's not a lucky story. It's a planning store. And
that's why I like about it, because you know, you
you sit around somebody to tell you an idea and
then you go along the way. But everything was a
business plan out there was a thought procesland out. Now
(23:23):
in your bio, they said age of nineteen you knew
you wanted to be an entrepreneur.
Speaker 2 (23:28):
Yeah, age of nineteen is when I actually went into
gear with it. But I knew I was going to
be a business owner at fourteen years old, the age of.
Speaker 1 (23:36):
How how just how how just asking? You know, I
thought I was gonna be a basketball player. I thought
I was gonna be a football player. You know, an entrepreneur,
young African American girl. Where they were your parents entrepreneurs,
where you where you had mentors, you saw they were entrepreneurs.
What sparked that trigger point in your head to say entrepreneurship,
business owner, small business owner at fourteen and you eventually
(24:00):
purshoot it at ninety.
Speaker 2 (24:03):
It was subconsciously. Both of my parents worked for the state.
They had they government jobs. I just discovered this in
the last year that my father, though used to hustle
aze a mechanic on the side. So every Saturday morning
cars were filled up down our long driveway.
Speaker 1 (24:20):
Yoh, he was shade treated mechanic.
Speaker 2 (24:23):
Yes. I didn't realize that. So doing multiple interviews, I
was like, no, my parents weren't entrepreneurs, this and that.
But I thought about it, I'm like, no, Daddy used
to have those cars lined up every single Saturday. So
the entrepreneurial spirit was there. I guess it's also because
my dad was also that guy throughout my life, like
(24:43):
you sure, you don't want to get a government job,
You gotta got your pinshit, you gotta have this. So
I kind of didn't even look at him as being
that guy because he was always trying to make sure
I had some type of security. But when I think
about it, I think it was there. The also one
thing my mother did, and hopefully my foundation will mirror this,
(25:06):
my mother made sure that I experienced life out of
South central Los Angeles. Lifestyle matters for you to be
able to visualize and to see there's other opportunities out there.
So I don't care if we were going out to eat,
going to the movies, we were being Beverly Hills, Palisades,
(25:27):
Rolling Hills. My mom kept me in Culver City. She
always kept me out of the inter city. So at
a young age, I realized that the way to make
that kind of money, to afford that type of house,
or to live in that type of neighborhood was to
be your own boss.
Speaker 1 (25:46):
Wow April shouts Wow fro Unicorn April Beautiful name by
the way as over twenty five product categories, including books, bedding, haircare, poise,
supplies and forty five five licensed partners world wide. Does
that scare you?
Speaker 2 (26:06):
It motivates me.
Speaker 1 (26:09):
Now because all you want to do was just get domestic.
Speaker 2 (26:13):
No, I say, if you're Grumba, be a household named
the worldwide brand from day one.
Speaker 1 (26:17):
You just too much for me. Achriol. You know, you know,
let me ask you this now, because you're a special
Now I could see why your friend called you a unicorn.
You know, because people like you that come into my
life and I and some people might say, well, show
you're a visionary, but I don't see that because I'm
just grinding you know what I'm saying. But you're unique
because you've done things. Because I've had businesses, I didn't
(26:40):
have to lawyer up front, I didn't have to account upfront.
I was just happy to be in business. So I
made the mistakes that you sought not to make the mistakes.
I understand trademarking the fact that worldwide that you can
go to London, England, or go to Canada, or you
can go to Australia, or you can go to Brazil,
you go to Mexico and you could probably see your products.
Speaker 2 (27:02):
Correct, it's coming. We have the capabilities to get it there,
but it's coming. So we're in Canada right now, but
we were working to get I want to get into
the continent of Africa first.
Speaker 1 (27:15):
Wow, and that's impressive. So what's next for Afro Unicorn April.
Speaker 2 (27:20):
Next is content. So we just dropped the Miss April ol.
We dropped the trailer for the Miss April's Crown and Bookstore.
Speaker 1 (27:30):
We are that, as you said, Miss April Crown.
Speaker 2 (27:36):
Crown okay and bookstore.
Speaker 1 (27:39):
Okay, explain that to me.
Speaker 2 (27:41):
So it's the show is based off of the character
of Miss April, who has this Crown shop and affirmation
shop with a magical mirror, an affirming mirror and her
best the magical who is a unicorn puppet and Magical
has a glow where Magical can see into the future
(28:01):
of how your story ends. In this community, I have
four young entrepreneurs, young little girls between the ages of
seven and ten, who own their own businesses. One has
a bakery, there's a beauty salon, a furnt of your shop,
and a fashion store. Problems come up in business, so
(28:23):
when they're dealing with their customers and things come up,
they come to Miss April to get affirmed. Well, first
to tell miss April the problem. Then miss April tells
them we have to get into the right mindset. Let's
go to the affirmation era. The affirmation mirror then affirms
to them what they need to know for the day.
They're like, okay, I get the affirmation, but I don't
see how this is gonna work out because I got this, this, this, this, this.
(28:46):
The Magical comes with her globe and Magical's like, well,
I see it working out perfectly for you. Clearly you
see this working out. And they're like, what, that's me
and that's how it's gonna work out. And they're like, okay, well,
let me go back to my shop and let me
just keep on my journey knowing that I know the
end is going to work out. So in the end,
it works out. They come back to the shop, they
(29:08):
tell me a Magical, Magical, miss April, it worked out.
We know it would, and we crown them.
Speaker 1 (29:14):
That's beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. Now that's in the works now,
production work.
Speaker 2 (29:19):
It's in pre production. Now. We just dropped the trailer,
but it's in pre production. Okay, we'll production there.
Speaker 1 (29:25):
We see that show? Where will we see that show?
Speaker 2 (29:28):
So right now is going to be available on YouTube.
But so funny we dropped the trailer and people are
already messaging me saying, why are you taking this to YouTube?
Why is there anyone buying it? I'm like, well, let's talk,
let's have a conversation.
Speaker 1 (29:40):
Right right. Well, you know, oblation because of independent programing,
YouTube streaming and all that, you can't you don't have
to wait on anybody. And you've already shown what your
brand that you just put it out there. You have
control of it. You put it out there and let
the general public set the markers of excitement. That's what happened.
You put it out there. You just be in April,
(30:02):
which I love about you just be in April. Now
that that is a motivating quality that I think that
naturally comes across with your personality. Natural comes across when
the ideas come to you, when people come to you
for advice, what are some of the things or is
it a couple of things or is the motivating tools
you immediately give them?
Speaker 2 (30:23):
April I subscribe to a book called The Secret The
Game of Life and How to play it? The who
not How? I believe in asking for what you want
and then believing that you're going to receive it, but
(30:44):
have a clear focus on what the end result looks like.
And then you don't worry about how it's going to happen.
You just laser being on how the end is going
to be. I was just made aware, which I gotta
read this story of mister Walt Disney since I brought
him up before. He his company was going down several times,
(31:13):
but he already knew how big it was going to be.
So the other part was just semantics. It's like, Okay,
we's got it. I mean, it's gonna connect the dots,
so it's gonna figure it out. But I already know
that Walt Disney is gonna be the largest brand in
the world. He never once doubted to say. I don't
think this is gonna work out. I'm back in the red.
(31:34):
I just need to pull out real entrepreneurs like me,
real moguls like me, people who are going to change
the game, change the universe, leave a legacy. They don't quit.
So I tell my fellow entrepreneurs, you gotta show up
every day. You gotta be consistent, and you have to
(31:54):
be willing not to quit. Because I'm afraid of quitting
before it terrifies me to know that I was just
about to turn the corner before Walmart called me, to
know I was just about to turn the corner before
I got this call. I just got to keep turning
(32:14):
these corners to see what's behind them.
Speaker 1 (32:17):
I love it. I love it Afro you the Corner
brand designed to represent the uniqueness of women and children
of color that's truly diverse and inclusive. Fashion April Showers.
You know, I always do these shows, and the blessing
is I always learn something from them. I've learned motivation
from you. I've learned keep the faith. I've learned that
(32:41):
don't be intimidated when you look around that corner, because
all you see is opportunity, April. That's all you see,
and you want to look around that corner. A lot
of people fear. You've also told me that when tragedy
or dark moments happened, don't stop understand and the importance
of respecting that moment, dealing with that moment, but don't
(33:04):
let that sidetrack you from the mission. And that's why
we're on this call today, is that you have exemplified
every quality that I like to talk about on Money
Making Conversation Masterclass. And I always tell people to leave
with your gifts. You're not only leaving with your gifts.
You promote them. And you're not only promoting them, but
(33:24):
you're sharing them, and you are managing your life. You're
a great dancer. You're out there on a social scene.
You drop your ball off at LSU Go Tigers and
guess what, I got one mode You're gonna get right.
And my friend afro Unicorn, Now when I walk in
this door, I know you are the first black licenseee
(33:47):
in a major retail market. Congratulations.
Speaker 2 (33:50):
Thank you for having me. Can I tell them where
to find me?
Speaker 1 (33:53):
Just ma'am?
Speaker 2 (33:53):
Do you think you can find me at got April
Showers on social media? I am April Showers. Is my
website at Afrinicorn, Undersquare Official and afrinacorn dot com. Thank
you so much for having me.
Speaker 1 (34:08):
This has been another edition of Moneymaking Conversation Masterclass hosted
by me Rushaun McDonald. Thank you to our guests on
the show today and thank you o listening to the
audience now. If you want to listen to any episode,
I want to be a guest on the show. Visit
Moneymakingconversations dot com. Our social media handle is Moneymaking Conversation.
Join us next week and remember to always leave with
(34:30):
your gifts. Keep winning.
Welcome to the show. I am Rashwan McDonald, the host
of Money Making Conversations Masterclass, where we encourage people to
stop reading other people's success stories and start planning their own.
Listen up as I interview entrepreneurs from around the country,
talk to celebrities and ask them how they are running
their companies, and speak with god profits who are making
(00:25):
a difference in their local communities. Now, sit back and
listen as we unlock the secrets to their success on
Money Making Conversations Masterclass. Hi, I'm Rashan McDonald, our host
is weekly money Making Conversation Masterclass show. The interviews and
information that this show provides are for everyone. It's time
to stop reading other people's success stories and start living
(00:46):
your own. My next guest is the founder afro Unicon,
the first black woman owned, fully licensed character brand in
major retail with sales over twenty million. How groundmaking brand
celebrate diversity and empowers women and children of color, inspiring
countless individuals to embrace their uniqueness and potential. Please work
(01:08):
with the Money Making Conversations Master Class. April Showers, April,
thank you for coming on Money Making Conversations Master Colors.
How are you doing.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
I am living the dream. How about you?
Speaker 1 (01:18):
You know, when I was reading this intro when he
says inspires countless individuals to embrace their uniqueness and potential,
extrapolat or expound on that for me, please, Well.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
After Unicorn was created because of who I am, I'm
a serial entrepreneur, and I don't know, we'll probably get
into the story later about how it was actually a creator.
I can say it now because it all ties in
when you.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
Talk now the flow of the conversation.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
Okay, So I am a licensed insurance agent. I was
a licensed real estate broker. Single mama to amazing young
black boys, one who I just dropped off to LSU
a few weeks ago and the other one's in high
school now. But back in twenty nineteen, a friend kept
telling me I was a unicorn over and over again,
and so finally I asked them, why do you keep
(02:06):
calling me that? He said, Well, because you're running the businesses,
you're raising the boys, you're a unicorn. And I said, Cortias,
I am a woman. That is what we do. He's like, no, April,
you do it at an extraordinary level. Trust me. I
date these women in LA and you are a unicorn,
like you do it at an extraordinary level. So I
didn't know much about unicorns.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
I kind of was.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
Tom boyish and I was a boy mom. So I
had to go look them up and I saw that
they were unique, they were mystical, and I said, I'm
definitely unique. I'm all things black girl magic. And so
I started to use the emoji of the unicorn and
my phone over and over again, not with text or
have any copy. And then one day I looked at
it and I said, doesn't it represent who I am? Like,
(02:50):
I don't see myself in this unicorn. So then I
went to find one that looked like me, and I couldn't.
So at that point I was like, I'm going to
create an avatar for me. In creating it, I saw
the potential of wow, wait a minute, it's probably a
lot of women out there that felt what I was feeling,
(03:12):
that was probably dealing with some type of imposterum syndrome
or something, didn't know that they were unique or didn't
know that they had these qualities to be a unicorn.
So I then wanted to create a movement to find
other women entrepreneurs or those that wanted to join me
on this entrepreneurship journey and give them an avatar to
(03:33):
represent who they were. So when we launched after Unicorn
on the platform on social media, I really was targeting
business owners and I would specify on my page out
they will wear my shirt, and I would say, meet
Latricia Leatricia owns this business. She works nine to five
(03:53):
two she does this, this, this is what makes her unique,
divine in magical. Be sure to follow her business and
patriotize her business. And then the movement started.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
We've already told you got two boys. One you just
dropped off l A s U. How are you balancing
all this?
Speaker 2 (04:10):
I am managing it.
Speaker 1 (04:13):
The word balance and manages, not that you manage.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
Because this is the thing. I don't believe that men
get asked that question. No one asked jay Z how
does he balance being a father and work?
Speaker 1 (04:28):
Okay, hmm. I have not insulted you with the word balance.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
No, no, no, But because to me, balance is even Wait, right,
I gotta get fifty here and fifty here to equal
one hundred. I gotta be a mom one undred percent
of the time. I got to be a business owner
one hundred percent of the time. So I can't balance either.
(04:53):
I have to manage those. So I give whatever I'm
in it. I'm given. All my kids are in school
right now, so I know I'm full CEO mold right now.
Once I go get my babies out of school, my
sister knows all my calls stop at two thirty, so
when I can get them home, they're a little older now,
so I get them situated, make sure they've eaten, and
(05:14):
if I want to put on that sea hat, or
if I want to go out on a date, or
do whatever I can.
Speaker 1 (05:20):
So you're out there dancing, you out there dating. You
just lid that little bad boy up in there, and
now you know the dating scene. You're business woman, you know,
you're motivator, you are a licensed you know I will
say what you can't do, and I'll be insulting right there,
because what you have not done is limit who you
could be and what you can achieve.
Speaker 3 (05:42):
Now.
Speaker 1 (05:42):
So in twenty and eighteen, friend of yours started calling
your unicorn. Okay, twenty twenty, we all know that's an
ad little period when you start talking into COVID and
it starts changing our whole outlooking perspective. And then after
that it's when you started kind of like a galvanizing
people in the Unicorn movement.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
Oh, the movement started all day one. May twenty nineteen
is when the brand launched. Right May seventeenth, my son
went into the hospital May twentieth. Sorry, my son in
the hospital May tenth. I was reluctant to launch the
brand while my son was in the hospital, not knowing
he will be there for twenty days. With all the
encouragement from the people around me, I launched the brand
(06:25):
while he was in the hospital. When he got out
twenty days, my uncle died of a massive heart attack.
I got the call seventeen hours later. His eldest brother,
my second uncle, died of a of pneumonia. We got
a double funeral the following week. Then after that, six
months later, broke my grandmother's heart. She got spiraled down,
(06:48):
she died, and then a month later we were in
a global pandemic. But back all that up, I have
this mindset of all gas, no breaks. The marathon continues.
I'm from Los Angeles. Nipsey Hustle had just passed away.
Back in March. I had a pre launch a birth
(07:08):
birthday of After Unicorn with these women on April twenty eighth,
and I told them, look, I'm building something where we're
going to support each other and the marathon's going to continue.
That was before all this tragedy was getting ready to
happen in my life. But I had already poured in
these women to say, this is what we're building. We're
building this movement. So what they did is that they
pushed this movement with me, and so I the movement.
(07:32):
I just want to be very clear. The movement started
when we launched after Unicorn tifty had us jumped on
board in July, Alicia Keys jumped on board, Cherry Shepper
on it. And when I say jumped on board, I
would go on their comments and I would comment and say,
I mean, I'll go on a post and I would
comment and say, hey, have you ever seen after Unicorn?
Before I created a brand of women of color who
(07:54):
hustled follow the movement, and so they would click over
on my page. They would see what we were doing,
how I was highlighting other women, and they were like, oh,
this is something I could rock with. And it's been
organic like that from the beginning. We came out the
gates with the flags going it literally was a marathon.
It was a whole race happening.
Speaker 3 (08:16):
Please don't go anywhere. We'll be right back with more
money Making Conversations Masterclass. Welcome back to the Money Making
Conversations Masterclass hosted by Rashaan McDonald. Money Making Conversations Masterclass
(08:37):
continues online at Moneymakingconversations dot com and follow money Making
Conversations Masterclass on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
I love it. I love the fact that you know
is unique. But it was it galvanized people, and that
galvil because people always ask me about marketing and they
always ask them about angle and branding. That you were
able to captivate people based on an idea of motivation, uplift.
(09:11):
We could do this together, you know, want all be
all dad thought process. Where did they come from?
Speaker 2 (09:19):
I would say it was definitely instilled from me, from
my parents, my mom and my dad and my uncles.
So it was very heartbreaking when those two uncles passed away.
My grandmother, my family, my family. My name is April Showers,
so I was purposely named April Showers and I wasn't
as a real singer. I mean, I think I'm a
great dancer, but it's like this girl was destined to
(09:42):
be something that.
Speaker 1 (09:43):
I think, why you think you're a great dancer that
you don't throw that out on my show and say
you think you a great because you put the word
thank you a great dancer and you put the word
great and think together.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
Okay and stop. I'm a great dancer and everybody know
it except except my kids.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
There you go. I was wonder who was judging You
think it's the kids. That's right. I've been there. I've
been there. Because that will throw doubt in you. Your
kids will you are great. You're a great motivator, You're
a great entrepreneur. Now when it comes to your dancing,
that's when your kids put that little doubt in your mind. Yeah,
which is always good. You need to be humbled by somebody.
Speaker 2 (10:21):
Yeah, they definitely humble me.
Speaker 1 (10:23):
Now, the whole concept of because this is a video interview,
but it's gonna be in for audio, I'm seeing all
these great different unicorns in the background. You have a
unicorn T shirt that you're wearing. Talk about the development
of the of these concepts.
Speaker 2 (10:39):
So one of the first things you said on the
intro is I'm the first black woman to have a
fully licensed character Brandon major retail. It is a mouthful
and most people, ninety nine point nine percent of the
world will be like, what the heck does that mean?
So I'm basically missus Walt Disney. I am the creator
(11:01):
of a character brand like Mickey Mouse, like the Star
Wars characters, Elmo, Sesame Street. I am the creator. The
products of Afri Unicorn sit on the shelves next to
those legacy iconic brands. So the way that I got
(11:24):
into is a lot of people think I'm sitting here
manufacturing all these products that have this huge warehouse as
a licensee. I do not have license or I do
not have any inventory. What I have as partners that
helped me manufacture these products. So in twenty twenty twenty
(11:48):
one August, because of the movement, there was a video
that went viral of a little girl wearing an afric
Unicorn shirt. Somebody who walked by her and said, I
love your hair. With all the confidence in the world.
She said, thanks, thank you, It's an afro. Everyone shared
it on all platforms, from Tina Knowles, Beyonce's mom, and
then Oprah Daily shared it, and then Oprah Daily shared it.
(12:11):
The comments were flooded with that's afric Unicorn's baby, That's
Africanuncorn's shirt. And then a buyer at Walmart saw it.
A buyer Walmart saw the comments, looked up after Unicorn
and said, I think this is something we want to
bring into our stores as a licensed character. So she
reached out to me, sent an email and said, Afri
(12:33):
Unicorn ex Walmart collaboration, would you consider bringing in Afro
Unicorn into party supplies?
Speaker 1 (12:42):
Okay, okay, okay. Where were you at emotionally now, because
I'm assuming that you had trademarked afro Unicorn, right, Okay,
so you knew to do dilages on that end and
then but when you were putting this on social media,
was the marketing or the product aspect of taking this
to store branding anywhere in your mind prior to Walmart
(13:05):
contacting you?
Speaker 2 (13:07):
So the thought process in my mind, I talk a
lot about visualization and seeing things before they happen, but
not always trying to figure out all the details of it.
The thought process I had met in April of twenty
nineteen was the African and Korna is going to be
a household name in the worldwide brand. I used to
say it all the time, so I knew that eventually
(13:33):
it was going to get out to the world. But
like the rest of the world ninety eight ninety nine
percent of the world, I didn't know about licensing. I
thought that I have to sell Afro Unicorn to like
a Hasburrow, or at one point I thought I had
to sell it to Diddy. I'm not I mean seriously,
I just thought I was going to have to sell
it to somebody who knew how to get it into
(13:58):
mass retail. I didn't think because I didn't know. You
only know what you know, So I didn't know that
the little girl from south central Los Angeles could be
the person to still sit in the C suite and
get it out to be a household name and a
worldwide brand. But I always knew it would be I
(14:19):
just didn't know how well.
Speaker 1 (14:20):
This is impressive because of the fact that you know,
there's so many clients and so many people in this
business want to get in worldmart, and the big fear
is being able to handle the requests. Now you're the
licensing business. You clearly explained to as Rashall, I'm not
making anything. I don't have a warehouse storing product. I
(14:42):
licensed my brand through other people walk us through that step.
Speaker 2 (14:49):
When the buyer at Walmart reached out to me and
we set up the first call, she told me that
she wanted me to meet with two other licensees. At
the time, I just didn't say that that language. She
just told me the name of the two companies that
I can potentially interview to see if I wanted them
to create the party supply line. Because at this point
(15:10):
I think now, I think she already knew I'm bringing
this in to Walmart, and we just got to figure
out who was going to help us bring it in
and the how. The way that it works is that,
like number one, you have to trademark. So because I knew,
oh yes, the first thing that I did before I
(15:37):
started out for Unicorn was to get it registered or
at least apply to get the trademark registered. Because I knew,
based off of previous businesses that I run, that I
wanted to build this one to sell. Read a lot
of books about it, and I knew that I wanted
to build it to sell. So the first thing I
(15:58):
did was make sure I got to registered. Second thing
I did was make sure I had an accountant. I
had no money, but I wanted her to count all
the pennies and make sure they was all there because
I have a fear of going to prison and I
didn't want to do that. So I knew. I knew
that it was going to be big, and so before
(16:19):
it got too big, I need to make sure all
the ducks were in order. So I trademarked, I made
sure that I had the right accountant, and then I
got an attorney on board. But I do have a
little tip we could insert right here. I went through
legal Zoom originally to get my trademark. The problem is
(16:42):
legal Zoom cannot respond. Only an attorney can respond if
they come back with some questions. So you should just
always start with the attorney. To start with the trademark
attorney because they are required to respond to whatever they submitted.
So that's what the that I learned through this journey
because I had to get a lot of classes, a
(17:03):
lot of trademarks along the way.
Speaker 1 (17:06):
But again, you're doing it the right way because again,
you know, you put together a business model, a business plan,
you shut I needed legal Bam check that out, re shot.
I needed a bookkeeper, slash a County. Check that out,
because when it starts happening, you don't want to be scrambling,
and so many people start scrambling. But you sit down
(17:27):
and and it's so so much of a vision of
Walmart just called me, I need to get my act together. No,
it was before Walmart.
Speaker 2 (17:36):
No, because that's where people mess up. Because I have
a saying, if you stay ready, you ain't got to
get ready. I took it from sugar Free. No, if
Walmart would have called me, I would have missed the opportunity.
If I didn't already have my stuff trademark, if I
didn't already have an accounting in place, if I didn't
already have an attorney that I knew, I would have
(17:59):
missed opportunity. I would have been trying to scramble and
grab and do all of this, and I would have
missed opportunity. So no, day one, you brought up something
that triggered me, and I forgot before even all of this.
While I was waiting for the trademark, I went out
on upwork and found someone to help me write a
business plan. I gave her the idea of what I had,
(18:25):
and then she did all the research to tell me,
who were my competitors, what were my strengths, what was
my weaknesses, what were the threats, what were the opportunities?
Like laid it all out for me, so I had
a clear direction going in mind. You no money made,
nothing happening, but I knew in order to build a
(18:46):
successful business, I needed all of this on the foundation.
Speaker 1 (18:51):
I love the fact that when I sit down and
talk about it, because I just had a big beating
conversation with a bankrupt and you used tod reshine it.
If you're come into my office and you don't have
a business plan, that's going to be a real short
conversation because that means that you have not sat down
and got a clear grasp of understanding of what you're
(19:11):
trying to do. You just out there operating. No hope this,
I hope this happened. I hope when the open these
doors is going to happen. A business plan, he says,
is the driver's license to start in your business. And
that's why I hop it in front of people all
the time, because, like you said, it triggered you in
your conversation. But that was the number one thing that
(19:32):
really gave you the confidence to be able to get
the accountant, the confidence to be able to get the
attorney because you knew exactly where you were going.
Speaker 2 (19:41):
Correct, correct, absolutely.
Speaker 1 (19:44):
Now let's look at that. Now, got the Walmart mentor
two potential license sees your license, So you're license a
licenre and there's a license see right? Yes, okay, cool?
They had two of them for you. How did you
make it? This on which one you wanted to go with?
Speaker 2 (20:01):
I would win both they both sold.
Speaker 1 (20:03):
Yeah, how did they work?
Speaker 2 (20:06):
Well? One handle just like the paper goods sols, plates, napkins,
and then the other one could do plates and napkins
as well. But then they also did all the accessories.
And when we dropped party, this buyer, I love her
to death. Her name I can't. I'm not gonna say
her name, but I love her. I'm gonna call her BC.
(20:27):
She she basically brought me into all these categories. So
I was going into party, but I had a bouncy ball,
I had plush and party. I had a hair bowing party.
I have fake nails and party. I have rings and party.
So you're thinking toys cosmetics. These are all different category
(20:49):
hair accessories that she put in the party section. So
once you see it, then you know the opportunity that
can grow further. So I brought them both on because
one had, you know, could do the paper that I wanted.
This other company because they could do those other accessories.
(21:10):
But then it led to so many categories and the
first nine and twelve months I had over forty five licensees.
Speaker 1 (21:20):
Well, okay, not to do you know you've been calling,
you know going, You jumped on that. Your brand became
Afro Unicorn. Social media influences, celebrity influences took note of
what you were trying to do. Now it's time that
you're hide in an accountant, you hide their lawyer. The
lawyer's handling all your contracts with the licensees. Nine, the
(21:42):
money starts to come in. How do you track the money?
Speaker 2 (21:47):
How do I attrack the money?
Speaker 1 (21:48):
Well, track the money with your account and how does
that work?
Speaker 2 (21:52):
She does every month she closes out the book, she
reconciles everything. She does a profit and law and every
single month I get a we do a review. I
ended up hiring an agency to collect the royalty payments. Yeah,
so they collected and which was good because I get
(22:14):
a percentage of the royalty. Means a percentage of sales. Right,
But then I also pay the agency, but I get
to less in my liability because the agency's collecting the money,
so they're getting their money off the top. So then
I get like less of that, whatever that percentage is,
(22:35):
whether it's ten to twenty percent, I'm getting less of that.
So now I'm not that the tax liability is not
as great as it would have been at one hundred
and then me paying them so, And it also just
helps to keep track of everything that is happening. And
they keep an accounting record too, of each licensee, how
much the pos were, what's my percentage and how much
(22:58):
is due to me?
Speaker 1 (23:00):
Wow, let's talk about you as an individual. You know,
I will tell you I'm impressed. I'm impressed with your story.
It's not a lucky story. It's a planning store. And
that's why I like about it, because you know, you
you sit around somebody to tell you an idea and
then you go along the way. But everything was a
business plan out there was a thought procesland out. Now
(23:23):
in your bio, they said age of nineteen you knew
you wanted to be an entrepreneur.
Speaker 2 (23:28):
Yeah, age of nineteen is when I actually went into
gear with it. But I knew I was going to
be a business owner at fourteen years old, the age of.
Speaker 1 (23:36):
How how just how how just asking? You know, I
thought I was gonna be a basketball player. I thought
I was gonna be a football player. You know, an entrepreneur,
young African American girl. Where they were your parents entrepreneurs,
where you where you had mentors, you saw they were entrepreneurs.
What sparked that trigger point in your head to say entrepreneurship,
business owner, small business owner at fourteen and you eventually
(24:00):
purshoot it at ninety.
Speaker 2 (24:03):
It was subconsciously. Both of my parents worked for the state.
They had they government jobs. I just discovered this in
the last year that my father, though used to hustle
aze a mechanic on the side. So every Saturday morning
cars were filled up down our long driveway.
Speaker 1 (24:20):
Yoh, he was shade treated mechanic.
Speaker 2 (24:23):
Yes. I didn't realize that. So doing multiple interviews, I
was like, no, my parents weren't entrepreneurs, this and that.
But I thought about it, I'm like, no, Daddy used
to have those cars lined up every single Saturday. So
the entrepreneurial spirit was there. I guess it's also because
my dad was also that guy throughout my life, like
(24:43):
you sure, you don't want to get a government job,
You gotta got your pinshit, you gotta have this. So
I kind of didn't even look at him as being
that guy because he was always trying to make sure
I had some type of security. But when I think
about it, I think it was there. The also one
thing my mother did, and hopefully my foundation will mirror this,
(25:06):
my mother made sure that I experienced life out of
South central Los Angeles. Lifestyle matters for you to be
able to visualize and to see there's other opportunities out there.
So I don't care if we were going out to eat,
going to the movies, we were being Beverly Hills, Palisades,
(25:27):
Rolling Hills. My mom kept me in Culver City. She
always kept me out of the inter city. So at
a young age, I realized that the way to make
that kind of money, to afford that type of house,
or to live in that type of neighborhood was to
be your own boss.
Speaker 1 (25:46):
Wow April shouts Wow fro Unicorn April Beautiful name by
the way as over twenty five product categories, including books, bedding, haircare, poise,
supplies and forty five five licensed partners world wide. Does
that scare you?
Speaker 2 (26:06):
It motivates me.
Speaker 1 (26:09):
Now because all you want to do was just get domestic.
Speaker 2 (26:13):
No, I say, if you're Grumba, be a household named
the worldwide brand from day one.
Speaker 1 (26:17):
You just too much for me. Achriol. You know, you know,
let me ask you this now, because you're a special
Now I could see why your friend called you a unicorn.
You know, because people like you that come into my
life and I and some people might say, well, show
you're a visionary, but I don't see that because I'm
just grinding you know what I'm saying. But you're unique
because you've done things. Because I've had businesses, I didn't
(26:40):
have to lawyer up front, I didn't have to account upfront.
I was just happy to be in business. So I
made the mistakes that you sought not to make the mistakes.
I understand trademarking the fact that worldwide that you can
go to London, England, or go to Canada, or you
can go to Australia, or you can go to Brazil,
you go to Mexico and you could probably see your products.
Speaker 2 (27:02):
Correct, it's coming. We have the capabilities to get it there,
but it's coming. So we're in Canada right now, but
we were working to get I want to get into
the continent of Africa first.
Speaker 1 (27:15):
Wow, and that's impressive. So what's next for Afro Unicorn April.
Speaker 2 (27:20):
Next is content. So we just dropped the Miss April ol.
We dropped the trailer for the Miss April's Crown and Bookstore.
Speaker 1 (27:30):
We are that, as you said, Miss April Crown.
Speaker 2 (27:36):
Crown okay and bookstore.
Speaker 1 (27:39):
Okay, explain that to me.
Speaker 2 (27:41):
So it's the show is based off of the character
of Miss April, who has this Crown shop and affirmation
shop with a magical mirror, an affirming mirror and her
best the magical who is a unicorn puppet and Magical
has a glow where Magical can see into the future
(28:01):
of how your story ends. In this community, I have
four young entrepreneurs, young little girls between the ages of
seven and ten, who own their own businesses. One has
a bakery, there's a beauty salon, a furnt of your shop,
and a fashion store. Problems come up in business, so
(28:23):
when they're dealing with their customers and things come up,
they come to Miss April to get affirmed. Well, first
to tell miss April the problem. Then miss April tells
them we have to get into the right mindset. Let's
go to the affirmation era. The affirmation mirror then affirms
to them what they need to know for the day.
They're like, okay, I get the affirmation, but I don't
see how this is gonna work out because I got this, this, this, this, this.
(28:46):
The Magical comes with her globe and Magical's like, well,
I see it working out perfectly for you. Clearly you
see this working out. And they're like, what, that's me
and that's how it's gonna work out. And they're like, okay, well,
let me go back to my shop and let me
just keep on my journey knowing that I know the
end is going to work out. So in the end,
it works out. They come back to the shop, they
(29:08):
tell me a Magical, Magical, miss April, it worked out.
We know it would, and we crown them.
Speaker 1 (29:14):
That's beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. Now that's in the works now,
production work.
Speaker 2 (29:19):
It's in pre production. Now. We just dropped the trailer,
but it's in pre production. Okay, we'll production there.
Speaker 1 (29:25):
We see that show? Where will we see that show?
Speaker 2 (29:28):
So right now is going to be available on YouTube.
But so funny we dropped the trailer and people are
already messaging me saying, why are you taking this to YouTube?
Why is there anyone buying it? I'm like, well, let's talk,
let's have a conversation.
Speaker 1 (29:40):
Right right. Well, you know, oblation because of independent programing,
YouTube streaming and all that, you can't you don't have
to wait on anybody. And you've already shown what your
brand that you just put it out there. You have
control of it. You put it out there and let
the general public set the markers of excitement. That's what happened.
You put it out there. You just be in April,
(30:02):
which I love about you just be in April. Now
that that is a motivating quality that I think that
naturally comes across with your personality. Natural comes across when
the ideas come to you, when people come to you
for advice, what are some of the things or is
it a couple of things or is the motivating tools
you immediately give them?
Speaker 2 (30:23):
April I subscribe to a book called The Secret The
Game of Life and How to play it? The who
not How? I believe in asking for what you want
and then believing that you're going to receive it, but
(30:44):
have a clear focus on what the end result looks like.
And then you don't worry about how it's going to happen.
You just laser being on how the end is going
to be. I was just made aware, which I gotta
read this story of mister Walt Disney since I brought
him up before. He his company was going down several times,
(31:13):
but he already knew how big it was going to be.
So the other part was just semantics. It's like, Okay,
we's got it. I mean, it's gonna connect the dots,
so it's gonna figure it out. But I already know
that Walt Disney is gonna be the largest brand in
the world. He never once doubted to say. I don't
think this is gonna work out. I'm back in the red.
(31:34):
I just need to pull out real entrepreneurs like me,
real moguls like me, people who are going to change
the game, change the universe, leave a legacy. They don't quit.
So I tell my fellow entrepreneurs, you gotta show up
every day. You gotta be consistent, and you have to
(31:54):
be willing not to quit. Because I'm afraid of quitting
before it terrifies me to know that I was just
about to turn the corner before Walmart called me, to
know I was just about to turn the corner before
I got this call. I just got to keep turning
(32:14):
these corners to see what's behind them.
Speaker 1 (32:17):
I love it. I love it Afro you the Corner
brand designed to represent the uniqueness of women and children
of color that's truly diverse and inclusive. Fashion April Showers.
You know, I always do these shows, and the blessing
is I always learn something from them. I've learned motivation
from you. I've learned keep the faith. I've learned that
(32:41):
don't be intimidated when you look around that corner, because
all you see is opportunity, April. That's all you see,
and you want to look around that corner. A lot
of people fear. You've also told me that when tragedy
or dark moments happened, don't stop understand and the importance
of respecting that moment, dealing with that moment, but don't
(33:04):
let that sidetrack you from the mission. And that's why
we're on this call today, is that you have exemplified
every quality that I like to talk about on Money
Making Conversation Masterclass. And I always tell people to leave
with your gifts. You're not only leaving with your gifts.
You promote them. And you're not only promoting them, but
(33:24):
you're sharing them, and you are managing your life. You're
a great dancer. You're out there on a social scene.
You drop your ball off at LSU Go Tigers and
guess what, I got one mode You're gonna get right.
And my friend afro Unicorn, Now when I walk in
this door, I know you are the first black licenseee
(33:47):
in a major retail market. Congratulations.
Speaker 2 (33:50):
Thank you for having me. Can I tell them where
to find me?
Speaker 1 (33:53):
Just ma'am?
Speaker 2 (33:53):
Do you think you can find me at got April
Showers on social media? I am April Showers. Is my
website at Afrinicorn, Undersquare Official and afrinacorn dot com. Thank
you so much for having me.
Speaker 1 (34:08):
This has been another edition of Moneymaking Conversation Masterclass hosted
by me Rushaun McDonald. Thank you to our guests on
the show today and thank you o listening to the
audience now. If you want to listen to any episode,
I want to be a guest on the show. Visit
Moneymakingconversations dot com. Our social media handle is Moneymaking Conversation.
Join us next week and remember to always leave with
(34:30):
your gifts. Keep winning.
The Steve Harvey Morning Show News
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Thomas "Nephew Tommy" Miles
Kier "Junior" Spates
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