Brilliantly Black Podcast EP 63 – She Is Undefeated Inc.

Erica Howard of She Is Undefeated Inc. is all about educating, uplifting and serving the community!

Founded in 2018, She Is Undefeated Inc. is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing access to resources that empower and uplift individuals in our community - strongly committed to ending world hunger and poverty through financial literacy programs, community outreach and more.

Find out how to get involved in this amazing nonprofit by visiting She Is Undefeated Inc.!

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Putting the spotlight on Chicago Lands growingblack businesses. iHeart Media Chicago presents the
Brilliantly Black Podcast. Here's our host, Jasmine Bennett. Hello everyone, welcome
back today. I'm here with EricaHoward of She Is Undefeated Ink. How
are you today? I'm wow?How are you? Yes? Undefeated?

(00:22):
As you should be, as Ishould, as we all should. Absolutely,
So let's get into the backstory.Off, She Is Undefeated, tell
me more about how it came tobe. Okay, So our organization just
actually turned five on the twenty seventhof November, so glad birthday to us.
Prior to becoming an organization, thework that I'm doing now I did

(00:43):
since I was young. My momhad me volunteering and like shelters and things
like that. So those kind ofvalues were instilled in me. And then
as I got older, just lifeand things that I experienced myself. I
told myself once I was in anyform of position, I wanted to turn
into the resource that I wish Ihad, And that's kind of how She

(01:04):
Is Undefeated came about. The organizationname was actually going to be She Is
because I wanted to leave it openfor just different words to be you know,
at it at the end, butit wasn't available when I get all
my paperwork, and then a friendof mine was like, she is undefeated.
I'm like, that is so powerfuland it is just we've been rocking

(01:26):
and rolling with it and I loveit amazing. What is the mission statement
of She's undefeated? So we areOur mission statement is to educate, uplift,
and serve the inner city communities.I love that because especially the uplift,
because you do a lot of communityoutreach work, but once you do
the work, there's no rapport beingbuilt. So we pride ourselves on building

(01:49):
that relationship with the people that wehelp and then educate. That's important.
Financial literacy is one of the thingsthat we teach in our organization, going
back to the communities, teaching financialliteracies and hope of money management, things
like that. We wanted all ofthat in our mins statement just so people
know every time you hear she isundefeated, you know we're educating, uplifting

(02:12):
and we're also serving the community.We need that, yes, absolutely,
And it's morely one way, heavyon the uplifting part, heavy on the
uplifting parts. Chicago's tough. Youknow, Chicago is really tough. The
society we're living in now. It'sjust I'm kind of scared to even raise
my kids. It's nothing like I'mused to. It's getting worse. But

(02:34):
that's why there's always going to bea group of people like me, you
know, taking that time out buildinga relationship with the youth. Even adults,
you know, sometimes they need thatrelationship. So yeah, that's why
we're here. That's beautiful. CanI just say thank you on behalf of
Chicago and everybody that you're helping.It's a beautiful things, serious problem.
That's why I'm here. Okay,so when you first started, she's undefeated,

(02:57):
Like, what kind of challenges didyou go through? Whether like and
some self doubt, doubt from otherpeople, all of them, everything,
every challenge, you know what,believe it or not. The support never
came from those closest to me.I do think that they felt like this
was a hobby of mine because itcame all of a sudden. So the

(03:19):
challenges were all I knew no onethat had a nonprofit organization, So there
were so many eras I was makingfrom my taxes to articles being found and
getting my exemption because I'm literally,although I know so many business owners,
there was no one else that Ihad a relationship with that was in my
lane. So there was every trialand era, and then those people who

(03:40):
did have the resources and could putme in position, I just feel like
they just didn't have that faith inme and the support wasn't there. So
I kind of faced every challenge.Every year I'm learning like, oh,
last year, if I would havedid this, I would have saved thousands,
and oh if I, you know, build my business and this and

(04:00):
the other. So I taught myselfactually, wow, yeah taught Yeah,
we have to do that sometimes.Yes, I did, and I taught
myself. But it makes me appreciateit more. It makes me I'm prouder,
you know, to say, like, literally, she is undefeated.
I figured it out, I didit, and I still make mistakes,
but it's my baby, so I'llwork at it. Yeah. What kind

(04:26):
of advice would you have for someonethat is wanting to start a nonprofit but
just like you, in the beginning, they don't know like where to start
and don't have a clue. Googleis your friend, Okay, don't search
research networking. I got on eventbright and I would just Google free networking
events, and I will go andmeet with other like minded people that didn't

(04:48):
mind sharing information, and I wouldshare what I knew and they would share
what they knew. You have tostep outside of whatever you know and whoever
you know and meet new people becausethose new people are not afraid to share
information. They don't view you ascompetition. Their mindset is just different.
So I would tell them Google's yourfriend. But also step aside from everyone

(05:11):
that you know and prepare yourself tobuild relationships with new people. And it's
scary, it's so scary. Yeah, yeah, but it's something you have
to do. Absolutely, you there'sno other way. You know, if
I stayed in my bubble, there'sno way I would have the success that
I've had over the last five years. This year alone, my first largest
grant came from a maintenance company.I would have never thought that, you

(05:35):
know, nothing about my organization isrelevant to janitorial services. But it was
who I knew that I met whilenetworking, and they put me in position
and they spoke highly about the organization, and that's how that relationship came about.
Yeah, that's how it goes.These new people. Please just putting

(05:57):
yourself out there in general is likeit's tough and it's scary, especially I
can only imagine for business owners.I can only imagine. But as you
said, it's just something that's reallyessential. Absolutely, you have to do
it. You have to There isno other way if you have an amazing
so to backtrap. I do havean amazing support system, you know.
It's just those that you feel inmy situation that are the closest to me

(06:21):
that I thought, Oh, thisperson's gonna believe in me so much and
they're gonna go above and beyond forme, and I didn't receive that,
and it's like, okay, well, if this is the closest person to
me, I don't even want tosit and wait to see if anyone else
would disappointment. I just want togo out, branch out because it was
my passion. I really wanted todo it. So yeah, exactly.

(06:42):
And speaking of passion, what isyour favorite part of She's Undefeated? Oh
my god, My favorite part,I would say is a little bit of
the outreach and the empowerment. Soright now we have a program with Chicago
Public Schools where we're meeting at certainschools I'm with a group of girls,
twenty five girls per school, andwe're giving in beauty and hygiene products their

(07:03):
low income students. So the timethat I meet with them is my favorite.
You know, I go dress,relax, just so that they can
see someone like them, you know, can have their own business, can
come back and help girls. LikeI said, I wanted to be the
resource that I needed. And althoughI didn't need hygiene products, I'm the

(07:25):
oldest, you know, I didn'thave that big sister. I couldn't have
that conversation. So when I saybe that resource, I go back and
you know, I can talk tothem about the boys or the at home
traumas or things like that. Sothe name of that program is called Remaina
Undefeated. So the Remainna Undefeated programis actually my favorite part about the entire
organization because it's so personable. Yeah, it's like kids and well tweens,

(07:49):
teenagers, they all need that guidancethat holy absolutely and sometimes believe it or
not, it's the ones with thehardest shell that needs the most help.
And I pride myself in getting themto kind of let their guard down to
build their relationship because those are theones who needed the most. They're just
scared or you know, they triedbefore and it didn't work out in their

(08:11):
favors. So the older you get, you realized, like why certain kids
and teenagers act the way they absolutely, absolutely and that's just from experience.
Absolutely, there's always a reason.Yes, So you talked about your support
system. How did you go aboutgetting like a good team behind you?

(08:31):
You know that is so crazy thatyou would say at first it was a
real struggle. I would bring differentpeople on and they'll say, oh,
I'm interested and I want to dothis, but then they would lack and
they would fall off, and Iwould get so frustrated, and I just
was thinking, like, oh Godreally wants me to do this myself because
I can't find someone with the sameexact passion as me. You know,

(08:54):
this is my baby, and theylove me and they believe in what I'm
doing, but this is not theirbaby, so they'll be committed for a
while, but then it's like theywill fall off and I would get so
frustrated. But I was able tokind of build a support system by meeting
those new people, and then Idid have to kind of do a comparing

(09:16):
contrast of those that I felt bestfit my organization, and I was able
to find a great board, agood assistant. So those things just kind
of making a hard decision to youknow you benefit or although I know you
want to support, I can seeyou falling off and be a little flaky.

(09:37):
I love you, but no.So it took a lot of hard
decisions. But I have it now. Good. Yeah, that's what we
like to hear. Yeah, soa work life balance. I know you
mentioned that you have some little ones. Yes, so how have you been
managing that? I am managing it. You're doing it, but the best
way I can manage. So inmy home, it's my spouse, he

(10:01):
has his home, but he's alwaysin my home. My two kids,
and then my bonus baby. Andso it's like I'm still in Corporate America
until the end of this year.I'll be retiring to work solely for she
is undefeated. Yes, we'd loveto hear it, thank you. And
then my spouse and I we havea construction company, so those two things

(10:22):
will be my balance. So onceI leave Corporate America and then I come
home and it's like, okay,then I'm the spouse and I mom and
I'm maid. So it's a lot. But what I realize is I have
to do it, you know.But what I am strong headed about I
take my time. So Saturday ismy self care day. They cannot bother

(10:43):
me on a Saturday if it's nota fire. Even if it's a fire,
I'm not a fireman, call someoneelse. So, you know,
I pride myself on taking my mentalhealth days because I can't. I'm not
good to anyone if I'm not allthere myself. So I just make it
work. And then my honey's amazing. He we're a team, you know.

(11:05):
So it's it's an equal balance.A lot of business owners have said
that, you know, it's theyneed like self care. They're just like,
we need that one day a weekor several hours, you know,
every day wherever we can fit itin unapologetically, Like you cannot feel bad
for taking time for yourself. AndI tell people, like even on the
plane and they tell you to putyour mask on first. If you're exhausted,

(11:28):
you cannot pour into anyone, youknow, And literally that Saturday can
consist of me literally in the bedall day. Do not bother me.
Please just give me that day becauseyou have me six days a week,
you know, and don't don't botherme, and that's that on that that's

(11:48):
just that. Yeah, exactly,So switching gears a little bit. So
maybe like the social media part thatis like huge in businesses and brands.
It's huge, Facebook, Twitter,and Instagram, Like it's constantly these trends
you have to keep up with orthings are always changing, the algorithms,
so right, just too much?Where's that came from? Now? Too

(12:11):
much? So how do how doyou like go about following trends or keeping
up with them or you know,do you post like on a schedule?
Do you like pre plan things right? All those things I should do right?
I don't. My sister who's youngerthan me, she assists me with
my social media presence. It shouldbe better, It could be better.

(12:33):
It's not that good because it's likeI'm so hands on. So if there's
a flyer or event, it's like, I'm gonna post that event, but
behind the scenes, I'm all overthe place. I get so much negative
feedback because I could feed a villageof two thousand people. My phone's nowhere

(12:54):
near I don't, you know,because that's a personable thing, and I
love what I do, so I'mnot here to kind of capture that,
which has hurt me. You know, there's been companies that it's like,
well, we want to give youmoney, but we have to see that
the work that you're doing. SoI'm trying to get better with the social
media. I can't TikTok. I'mnot a sex soccer, but my sister

(13:18):
housed to me. She keeps mecreative and all of that. But I
haven't with the trans yet. That'son my twenty twenty four list. No,
it's a lot like that's something thatyou constantly have to like learn every
day, and I'm so hands on. It's like that. Literally, we
just had a cold drive on theeighteenth and we distributed so many coats and

(13:39):
we gave them Thanksgiving meals. Ifyou were to look on my Instagram,
you would they like it didn't happen. And I have to get better with
that because I do have the footageand I'll update my website, but it's
just like, oh my god,this is so personable. If I was
here with my kids getting a coat, what I want a camera and it's

(14:00):
what I want people, and Istruggle really with that. So that part
of the organization. I really Idon't really post that often. And I
tell people, you know, ifyou if you want to see it come
out, you know, volunteer.But imagine already being in this place in
your life. You know you're genuinelyhere because you need these things, and
there's someone like, we'll get thisand get that. I'm still struggling.

(14:24):
It's okay, learn process. It'sgoing to be a fight with me.
Okay. So now, Eric,I want to ask you my favorite question
tax on this pod so brilliantly black. What does that mean to you?
Oh gosh, it's like similar toshe is and it's so strong to me.
It means to have knowledge, tobe unapologetic, you know, to
standing your truth, to be awareof who you are and what's going on

(14:48):
in the society. I'm open tolearn. So when I hear that,
I get all of that from that. The name is is just powerful.
When I told you that before wecame on life, this is dope.
I get all of that from Yeah. Oh I love to hear it.
Love to hear it. Okay,yes, So any final words of advice

(15:09):
for someone that was thinking of startinga nonprofit or just want to get involved
with yours absolutely. If you're interestedin getting started, please do. It
is hard. If it's easy,you're doing it wrong and that's from experience.
Please do Chicago. We need allthe help possible. I'm one of
those people. I'm not afraid tohelp people that are trying to go in

(15:33):
the same line as me. Startthe nonprofit. To find out more about
she has Undefeated. Our website iswww dot she is Undefeated dot com.
Instagram is as she is undefeated inFacebook as well as she is Undefeated.
I'm gonna start posting more the websiteabsolutely you can. It's always current,

(15:54):
always has everything we have going on. Amazing, Erica, thank you so
much for joining me today. Youare a light and we really do appreciate
all the work you're doing. Thankyou for allowing us this platform. Honestly,
so grateful anytime, so happy you'rehere. Thank you. Thanks for
listening to The Brilliantly Black podcast producedby Jasmine Bennett and Ryan Link. Executive

(16:15):
produced by Eco Robinson and Derek Brown. If you're a black business and would
like to be featured, register yourbusiness or service now at one oh three
five kissfm dot com. Slash BrilliantThe Brilliantly Black Podcast is a production of
iHeartMedia Chicago,