Sisterhood, Side Hustles & Soul Work Ft. Jamila Souffrant, Shaina McGregor & Imani Manning

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Hey, ba fam, it's your girl, Mandy Money. Welcome back
to another episode of the show. This is a special one.
This is one that's probably been a couple of years
in the making, at least a year in the making.
Ever since the day that I realized Jamila Suffrant, friend
of the show, host of the Journey to Launch podcast,
author of Your Journey to Financial Freedom book, that she

(00:24):
is just one of three incredible powerhouse sisters. And I
was like, I have to get you and your sister's
on Brown ambition. We have to talk about this sisterhood.
We have to talk about y'all's journey as sisters, as entrepreneurs,
as all the things. And she said yes. They all
said yes, and we made it work. All three of

(00:46):
the sisters showed up. We have Jamila Suffrant, of course,
we also have her little sister, Shana McGregor, and the
third sister, Ivanni Manning. Each of these women is carving
out their own incredible path and together they are reading
of finding what resilience, entrepreneurship and family support look like. Jamila,
who is the big sister of the trio, is a

(01:07):
financial freedom expert. As I mentioned, she's the author of
Your journey to financial freedom. She's inspired people everywhere to
dream bigger than their cubicle and take control of their money.
While Shana is the creative genius. She's a professional dancer
who's turned wellness coach and is now building her brand
inward Space while pursuing her master's in social work. And

(01:29):
Imani listen, it's hard because we don't have smellvision. I
can't put you back at the event where Jamila had
her book launch, where I tasted Imani's food for the
first time, but it's so good. Imani is a culinary
queen who's serving up gourmet meals for kids while running
her own catering business. We're going to talk about their journeys,

(01:50):
how they've overcome challenges, how they've embraced pivots and supported
each other along the way, from financial wins to career shifts,
and lessons in giving yourself grace. This conversation is packed
with wisdom that you don't want to miss. So grab
your coffee, glass of wine, grab a basket of laundry,
whatever y'all do on your own time when you're listening

(02:11):
to the show. That's your business, not my business. Okay,
but let's dive on in. Hey, hey va, fam, I
am your host, Mandy Woodrif Santos. Welcome back to the
Brown Table at Brown Ambition. I am thrilled to get

(02:31):
these ladies back together. I feel like I have brought
back like Destiny's child, you know, like in a way
and like three powerful women who started all together, grew
up together and have launched their own successful careers. And Jamila,
you sort of started it all. So I'll introduce you first,
or you know her because she has been a multi

(02:52):
time guest on Brown Ambition. We love Jamila, author of
Journey to Launch, also the same names of her podcast
she's been doing since twenty seventeen.

Speaker 2 (03:03):
Wait, so, Mandy, the book is your Journey to Financial
Freedom and the podcast is Journey to Launch.

Speaker 1 (03:09):
And now why did you do that? Why didn't you
just it's more like your fault than my fault, is
what I feel like. But Okay, the book is.

Speaker 3 (03:19):
Right behind me to financial freedom, and.

Speaker 1 (03:22):
This is true, but I can only see a little corner. Okay, Okay,
I took a risk and I failed. It's fine. Be
a family loves it. That's fine, all right. Your Journey
to Financial Freedom, which has been out for you just
had your year celebration, right, your year anniversary in December?

Speaker 3 (03:38):
Yeah, yes, a little bit over a year now.

Speaker 1 (03:40):
Yeah, she got a toddler book. But I know how
hard you worked on that, and I'm so proud of you.
But Journey to Launch the podcast where you talk about
how to find your financial freedom and how to Yeah,
you talk about your your guak, was it your glack budget.

Speaker 3 (03:56):
Black levels, your block levels? You want to live Yep.

Speaker 1 (03:59):
It's such a great book. Like if you are someone
who like maybe you even have a base level of
financial knowledge, but you want to retire early, you want
to figure out how to find your own financial freedom.
Love that book. But it wasn't until your book launch
that I put the connections together that Shane McGregor is
your sister. Shane and I had met at a separate event,

(04:21):
but that's when I started to see like these were
not just like, oh this is my little sister. You
were the MC for the book launch. You did a
fantastic job. I was like, is she also famous? Like
I don't understand. Then I started talking to you about
your background. You come from a dance background, a life coach,
you have a life you had a life coach practice.

(04:42):
I'm going to get an update now because I know
in this original interview that y'all did together on Janila's podcast,
you talked about launching that you had just started, and
I'm excited to get the lowdown on that. And then
at the same event, you just can smell like the
just like I mean, it's not a huge venue, but

(05:02):
like you can look straight to the back and I
just see this gorgeous spread of food and this is
not a crue de tey. This ain't like some ranch
dip and a chip and some cucumber slices. This was delicious.
You had some seafood there, there was all I like,
my proteins, the most amazing food. And then I'm like,
who made this food? Jamila just casually says, oh, my sister,

(05:25):
I'm Annie. She's just like, I don't know a Micheline
Award winning chef.

Speaker 4 (05:32):
Yes, no, keep it.

Speaker 1 (05:40):
And then I didn't have as much time to talk
to you, but I just left that event thinking like, well, damn,
these three women from the same family are all incredible
in their own right. And that's when I started to
think about having all on the show. But for whatever reason,
it took me this long to finally make it happen.
But welcome. What do I call you? What's your family name?
You have a family name? What's y'all's? Like?

Speaker 3 (06:02):
I mean, we.

Speaker 2 (06:03):
Can, we can go through our family tree a bit,
but you can just I don't know, I know thinks.

Speaker 1 (06:08):
You can get messy. Okay, I got some that are no
longer steps like, it's fine.

Speaker 5 (06:16):
Let's she here the maid up name that you came
up with. You look like you have one, Mandy. Mandy
looks like she had one. Yeah, she looked.

Speaker 4 (06:26):
Like she have one in the but she just don't
want to say it.

Speaker 1 (06:29):
And what would the band be called? The band? It's
got to have three in it, the Triple Threat, the
Triple threat sisters, the Triple Threats. Yeah, I like that,
all right, Jamila, I want to start with you tell
me the story of your journey to financial freedom and

(06:51):
building your podcast. And when did you like suck your
sisters into this life of entrepreneurship. Where how has that been?
Because my siblings don't listen to me at all, so.

Speaker 2 (07:00):
I'm well, you know they listen when Yeah? No, So okay,
I think we should go first to the family tree
and then we'll quickly go to like my backstory, because
I do want to highlight them and all the amazing
things they're doing. But and so let's see, Shana and
I share the same mom. That's how we're sisters, and
so it's just the two of us for my mom.

(07:21):
Then I'mani and I share the same dad. And it's
so funny because I'mani. I was you know, I always
forget how many siblings we know of, So.

Speaker 3 (07:30):
I was writing, how.

Speaker 2 (07:34):
Right, So I, Bonnie and I have the same dad,
and but all of us together, there are seven of
us that we know of that share the same dad.
And so that's kind of like how we're all siblings.
And then the way we work as a family though,
Imani and Shana are just their siblings just but you know,
that's how we work as a family. So they're sisters too.
And I'm the second oldest of my dad. In general,

(07:55):
I'm just the biggest sister. I'm the big sister to everyone.

Speaker 1 (07:59):
Okay, I never really enough there now.

Speaker 3 (08:03):
Yeah, I'm big sis.

Speaker 1 (08:04):
You know.

Speaker 2 (08:04):
I was born on the beautiful island of Jamaica, and
I came here to the United States, to New York,
specifically when I was just under two years old. And
so ultimately, I think what was amazing about growing up
and kind of having the Jamaican background and roots is
that because my father, if you didn't figure out yet,
was Jamaican and he was in Jamaica. Most of my

(08:24):
siblings from him were all in Jamaica, and so I
used to go back every summer and spend summers there,
and that's how I met my siblings. And luckily, even
though my father wasn't that involved in my life, my
mom and his family were very close, so she would
be able to send me and that's kind of how
I got this connection with my father's side of the
family and my siblings where it really feels like we

(08:45):
grew up together because I saw them every summer, like
I was the big sister who was in America that
came down and all this stuff. And then Shane and I,
of course we were just in New York together with
my mom. But ultimately I was always like independent, wanted
to live life on my own terms. And then you know,
life happens where you realize you need to work to

(09:05):
get money. And as a chew Jamaican, I started working
from the age of fourteen and have been working ever
since and did all the right things, went to college,
bought a condo when I was pretty young, right out
of college, got a full time job. But ultimately I
know why That's not what I wanted to do for
the rest of my life. I wanted freedom. And it
wasn't until my early thirties that I said to myself,

(09:25):
on this long commute to work to this cubicle that
I did not enjoy or love. I needed something different,
and it prompted me to search for ways to quit
my job find financial freedom, and I found podcasts blogs
talking about financial independence. Was like, how can I get
on that train?

Speaker 3 (09:41):
How can I learn more?

Speaker 2 (09:42):
And I started to learn over the years, eventually started
my own blog and podcasts Journey to Launch, where I
was documenting how I was going to quit my job
and retire early, which eventually led to me quitting my
job early, writing a book that hopefully is helping people
do the same think about their life, life bigger than
the car and the cubicle, about what they really want.

(10:04):
And that's kind of like where I am today. And
then with my sisters, they can tell you about their journey,
but honestly, I think they've always also been entrepreneurs at
heart and free spirits, so it doesn't surprise me that
they're in the fields that they're in.

Speaker 1 (10:17):
I love it. Can y'all tell me as as Jamila
is telling her story, because y'all are little sisters. What
was it like? And y'all have such different perspectives? Imani,
you're watching this happen from Jamaica, Shana, you're here next
to her. What was your impression? Were you like, I
don't know what's going on with Jamila, Like she don't
quit her job. I don't know what's going on. Were
you worried? Was it like, oh yeah, I always knew?

(10:38):
What was that like for y'all?

Speaker 4 (10:41):
I'll happen.

Speaker 6 (10:42):
I think I'm really up.

Speaker 7 (10:44):
Jamilla and I have an age graph that over ten
years now. I feel like we're best the buds were
growing up, She's like, who is this little girl in that?

Speaker 6 (10:53):
I'm trying to live my best life. So I feel
like growing up.

Speaker 7 (10:57):
She was always I'm gonna to her O Lord a
little bit, but she was always like a role model
to me. I saw her as a really cool older
sister that was just doing incredible things.

Speaker 6 (11:07):
I wasn't surprised before her job because she told us
she follows.

Speaker 7 (11:10):
She was like starting to fall asleep on a wheel
while she was pregnant, and we were like, Okay, I
think some changes need to be like your safety is
that probably shouldn't happened. But you know, our family was
always money conscious. So I feel like the reason why
peoplere like you listened to your older sister. I mean,

(11:31):
granted she went to college, graduated, and bought a Yes,
I'm listening. What did she do and how could I
do exactly that rented? She took the perfect route. I
took a very creative route, so it was strikingly different.
But there was something that she did that worked. And
I think virgamilla that a lot of us used in

(11:51):
different ways as a discipline, and I feel like that
discipline and motivation can take you anywhere. And I saw
that she was so focused, and it also saw that
she was willing to take risk. It's not easy to
have a really cushioning corporate job and then decide to
leave because you are excited about something and you're allowing
yourself to pivot. So I think I saw that and

(12:12):
I've been able to take parts of that in my
own journey of being able to take risk but also
knowing when to be patient and to delay gratification, and
then also knowing when it's time to pivot. And I've
taken pieces of those into my own.

Speaker 6 (12:28):
Journey as well.

Speaker 1 (12:30):
What about you, Aimani, Yeah, thanks for sharing that. Shana.

Speaker 5 (12:33):
Yeah, I mean, I think me and Shana we have
the same view, but just from a different angle, like
and even being in Jamaica, I think he was probably
ten times more exciting at Shana because you and Shamaica,
you're growing up in the country and your sister and
at the time she was doing that gymnastics stuff, so

(12:53):
she will flip for us.

Speaker 4 (12:54):
And we will think it was fool. Yeah.

Speaker 6 (12:57):
We think it was the.

Speaker 1 (13:00):
One of those kids who is like and now welcome
to the Jamila Show. Yeah.

Speaker 2 (13:06):
I did gymnastic so when I was younger. So when
I go to Jamaica, they were.

Speaker 3 (13:09):
Like, do a cartwel.

Speaker 5 (13:15):
So, so yeah, I would say like from then it
was much more like it was like star quality, like
you know what. Yeah, even one time I wanted to
cart wheel two. I'm gonna do something cartwheel two. So
I think she always like I don't think sometimes she
purposely knowing that she's set in the tone for everybody,

(13:36):
but it comes so unnatural. So it's so easy that
Shana said, like, why wouldn't you listen? Why would not
not take an answer?

Speaker 4 (13:44):
Advice?

Speaker 5 (13:45):
And it's like it's right in front of me. So
she's always been that it's not new. It's I don't
think it's new to us.

Speaker 1 (13:52):
Not that's so nice to hear. I mean, so, I
guess y'all don't have that jealous sibling bone like I
did because I was an older sister and my little
brother always nipping at my heels and I'm like, no,
I'm gonna do that. There's a bit of like competitiveness,
but you know, I've worked through that in therapy. I'm
glad that you guys are really happy for your sists,

(14:12):
but i'mani Shana. Y'all developed, like Shana, your career in dance,
it didn't go the way that you planned. I mean,
you were like a real dancer, professional dancer. You thought
you would like work for a company, potentially Alvin Ailey
or something like that. So but the last time y'all spoke,
you were like you had made peace with that and
you had seen what this new chapter could hold for you.

(14:35):
So what did that At the time a few years
ago you were launching your life coaching business and maybe
some other side hustles. I'm not sure, but can you
catch us up.

Speaker 6 (14:44):
Yes, I'm still dancing, so I think right now, I just.

Speaker 7 (14:50):
Really talk it up to you and I talk to
people about how exciting it is to be more my
passionate and that it's okay to go after these different
parts of ourselves and you don't have to put your
self in a box. You may not do the thing
the way you thought you were going to do it,
and every season you're not going to do everything one
hundred percent.

Speaker 6 (15:07):
But there's ways to enforce everything.

Speaker 7 (15:10):
So this past weekend I actually flew to Detroit with
Ali to teach with the Aley Experience, and I was
a teacher.

Speaker 6 (15:17):
So Aley has a lot of different parts to it.

Speaker 7 (15:19):
When you think of Ali, everyone immediately thinks of Alvin
Ali American Dance Theater, which is the company, but there's
also the Aley extension, which mister Ali always believed that
dance was for the people and should be brought back
to the people. So they have parts of the organization
that's really heavy in teaching and education. So I would
say that I both dance and I do the wellness part,

(15:39):
which wellness is inclusive and somatic and dance. In terms
of dance, I've been performing, so I decided to really
base around project based work and do projects that speak
to me. So it's not as full time as a
company that I'm going to be with all the time,
but if there are projects that I can perform with
throughout the year, then I'll do that. Along with that,
I've been teaching and choreographing a bit more so the

(16:02):
teaching side is what brought me to Detroit with the
Alien experience, and I also have shows that are premiering
this weekend because I've been choreographing on the Extension Dancers
for the last eight weeks and that has been very exciting.
Like when my younger self, I wanted to dance and
I wanted to tour, and now I'm touring as an instructor,
so you just don't know what that can look like

(16:22):
when you're younger. And then I'm still doing the coaching.
I've given it a name and I called my wellness
community and brand Inwards Space, and it's just really designed
to help people slow down, reconnect with themselves, and to
live lives of joy and intention.

Speaker 6 (16:36):
But along with that, I decided to go back to school,
so I'm.

Speaker 7 (16:39):
Getting my masses of social work because I wanted to
add therapy.

Speaker 6 (16:43):
To my services as well, alongside coaching.

Speaker 7 (16:46):
I think coaching is absolutely wonderful, and there's a space
for therapy and coaching. So the power of pivot and
allowing yourself to expand there's been a lot of shifts
since the last episode. I listened to it right before this,
and I was like.

Speaker 1 (17:01):
What did you think? Were you like? Oh, man, she
didn't even know what.

Speaker 7 (17:07):
I was proud of myself, and I think I've done
so much work to not only think about the points
where I didn't do enough, but also to look at
something and be like, wow, look at that version of myself.

Speaker 6 (17:17):
I'm so proud. She was so ambitious, so hungry.

Speaker 7 (17:21):
I mean, she was talking about being a millionaire by thirty.

Speaker 6 (17:30):
What I thought about is that we.

Speaker 7 (17:33):
Don't always know how to different versions of ourselves lead
up to what we're doing now. And I think every
chapter of my twenties has prepared me for this version
of my late twenties that's doing all the things that
I'm really excited about. But I needed to go through
all of those distant versions.

Speaker 6 (17:48):
So when people see me.

Speaker 7 (17:49):
Speak now, they're like, wow, how are you to show
up in this way? Is because I was a finish
disruptive for so many years. I'm a dance teacher, I'm
a choreographer. I did my first pan last week or
a couple of weeks ago on a woman in Wellness panel.
All of those versions of me were able to make
me stand the place I am now. So I was

(18:09):
very excited and proud of myself watching that back.

Speaker 2 (18:12):
Yeah, and I start, Mandy, I just have to step
in because I just want to big up and highlight
some of Shane's accomplishments. If you listen to the first
or my on my podcast, you know this, but just
in case this is your first time. So Shana went
to the famed LaGuardia High School. I mean, this is
like a big deal, like right to audition to get in.

(18:35):
It's fame, right, the musical or the show was based
on that high school. But then she went to fordom
through and for college and the album Ali program, Right,
that's where you you graduated from? So yeah, yes, and
she she mentioned she does this work with Aley, but she.

Speaker 3 (18:54):
Was also mentioned in New York Times recently right for.

Speaker 6 (18:59):
Yes, what.

Speaker 7 (19:02):
They were doing like a day a day in the
life and once people take my class.

Speaker 6 (19:06):
So I teach twice a week at the Alien Extension.

Speaker 7 (19:08):
I teach contemporary classes, and I will say, once people
take my class, once they're hooked, because it's not just
about movement, it's about the space I create. And I
think we all need a space to underwind, to feel,
and dance is such an incredible place to do that.
And as we get older, we create so much more
shame around our bodies, about trying new things, around being

(19:28):
around people who maybe are strangers. So I try to
create a safe space in my classes for people to
just explore and express themselves.

Speaker 3 (19:36):
See yeah, I just wanted to make sure we said that.

Speaker 1 (19:38):
Yes, are you says the energy Yes? All right, da fan,
We're going to take a quick break more with my
conversation with the Triple threat Sistas. Jamilus tu Front, Shana McGregor,
and I'mani Manning. Let me return. It's Mandy Money and

(20:01):
we are back. Let's get back to the conversation with
the Triple threat Sisters. Themselves, Jamila Imani and Shana, because yeah,
I mean that's so I do know that sibling relationships.
I'm fortunate to have two siblings that I am super
close with, a younger brother and an older sister, And

(20:23):
I think all the time how lucky we are, and
not that we didn't work for it, because I think
we had over the course of our childhoods and early like,
we had so many opportunities to just be like, hmm,
now I'm gonna go like figure myself out other places.
But we came back to each other again and again,
and we've been through so much and there's just nothing
like a sibling, like you really see someone through so

(20:46):
many stages of life and then you get to see
there and like, you know what little baby Shana look like,
probably because you were like ten when she was born.
You're like, girl, I used to wipe your butt and
now you're out here.

Speaker 2 (20:56):
Fun fact, I've never changed a diaper. I literally was
that sister, Like, who is this little kid?

Speaker 1 (21:03):
You're like, man, the way I make my five year
old fetch me diapers and wipes all that, he's not
actually doing it, but I will make him. I will
see how long I can sit on the couch without moving.
How many parents are run for me? I love it
just the good vibes. Okay, So i'mani your food. Have

(21:23):
I mentioned how delicious it is? And I only had
that one experience, But I am that kind of person.
Food holds a lot of memory for me, and I
believe like at my wedding, I wanted the food to
be so delicious, And to this day, they still talk
about my wedding, but the food. I think that's why
they remember it the same way I remember your book
events so vividly. I think the food is tied to that.

(21:44):
So can you just to like give you your flowers?
Can you talk about your journey, because it's not easy
to make a career out of cooking, especially when you
are wanting to move to a different country. So catch
me up on what the past few years have been
like for you building this career.

Speaker 4 (22:02):
The past few years.

Speaker 5 (22:03):
So now I'm I work in the educational system where
I still cook, but I get to, you know, acknowledge
and be around kids, and that's something that I've always
wanted to do. Like how can I like pair food
with being around kids? And I feel like I got
locked up and I'm in a great job right now

(22:25):
that where we give kids like restaurants style quality food
and you know, kids will give us your their most
honest opinion.

Speaker 4 (22:35):
The kid won't lie to you about the food. And
I will tell you.

Speaker 5 (22:39):
That feeding kids might be a little bit harder than adults.

Speaker 1 (22:46):
It is, oh yeah, for sure.

Speaker 5 (22:48):
Yeah, And I feel like it helps you to It
helps you grow in a way which people be.

Speaker 4 (22:57):
Like sometimes it's hard to understand, but you can.

Speaker 5 (23:00):
Make addition, feel like you don't did your best, and
a kid would look at you and be like, chef
our money. They're saying it, like what, But then you
realize that kids. I feel like kids hold you to
a higher accountability than grown ups.

Speaker 4 (23:19):
So if you give them a quality.

Speaker 5 (23:21):
Food Monday, they want it Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. There
is no excuse because they don't know the dynamic of
a kitchen. So you're giving them excuse is like, yeah,
they're not trying to hear that. So I feel like
I kind of locked up on pairing something that I
really like, which is cooking. And I've always had a

(23:43):
love for kids, but they don't want to be a teacher.
So now I'm kind of I feel like I'm just
in a good spot with it.

Speaker 1 (23:49):
So yeah, that is such a green flag for a
human when they say they love kids because of course
they're the best.

Speaker 4 (23:57):
And also I was I mean, I mean, not to
cut you. You could say that a lot when you
don't have kids, say your own. So I think that's why.

Speaker 1 (24:05):
Yeah, oh no, I have them and I still like
them shockingly enough. So wait, talk about because my friend
worked for a nonprofit what was it something about a
rabbit or something in New York and it was gore
made lunches for school. Is that similar to what you're
doing now?

Speaker 4 (24:21):
Yes? Similar Oh similarly.

Speaker 1 (24:24):
So how does that work? Because like I'm just talking about,
I had the square pizza when I was growing up.
You had your fruit cocktail, dry hamburgers, like that was
my vibe.

Speaker 5 (24:33):
But I think I think what our main goal is
is just trying to have kids understand food a little
bit more, because I feel like when you understand food,
you tend to eat better. Like most kids. You you
have kids that are shockingly.

Speaker 4 (24:51):
Like they don't know what a broccoli is, so.

Speaker 5 (24:54):
You you're you're feeding and teaching at the same time.
And then like kids like my cafeteria sometime, Like I
could would be like, Chef, I don't want vegis, and
I'd be like, hey, try it and make you see
better for real, and they go eat it.

Speaker 4 (25:10):
Oh it make it hair grow like stuff like that.

Speaker 5 (25:12):
Just like just educate on them about like certain stuff.
It is like a good feeling while doing the same
quality of cooking that I enjoy to do, Like the
level of cooking is not dropping, but I get to
dabble in a little different environment, which.

Speaker 1 (25:29):
Is pretty cool. Customers every day, So do you work
at one school or do you serve many schools?

Speaker 5 (25:34):
So yeah, so now I serve like three schools, so
three outside schools and then on in house school. So
like even yesterday their menu was I think they had teriokey, chicken, garlic, rice,
and spicy broccoli. Like those are the stuff that the
kids they get on their menu.

Speaker 1 (25:55):
So yeah, deliver to work from home moms, right, and.

Speaker 5 (26:00):
To my kids school so they can know that might
be a business venture, you know, just.

Speaker 1 (26:06):
To get food made for your family for a minute
when you're working on my bed.

Speaker 2 (26:10):
A couple of years ago, we did high We had
someone who would just bake us or make us be
bulk meals for the week.

Speaker 3 (26:16):
But I want my money to also share.

Speaker 2 (26:17):
So I know you do that that's like your main thing,
but you also still use.

Speaker 5 (26:21):
And yeah, I still do my catering on the side
and as straight I would saying like with me, like
I've grant myself that space to feel like balancing.

Speaker 4 (26:33):
Boat working and just the too.

Speaker 5 (26:36):
I work for a black owned company, So what I
do is I look at the company that I work
at and like, you know, put pointers towards my own
business because I am a black owned business too while
working for a black owned business, so you know, it
helps to balance out boat gigs. Like I have a
catering coming up for like two hundred people, so you know,

(26:58):
I do a little on and off here and there,
and it still keeps me in tune with my dishes
because I'm not changing the quality of cooking.

Speaker 4 (27:07):
So from gourmet right into gourmet.

Speaker 1 (27:11):
And correct me if I'm wrong. But like in restaurant business,
because I've watched the bear, so like I'm an expert now,
and you work so late, like you're there from like
four pm and you'll be there like maybe even earlier,
but like super late. So does the school environment give
you better hours, like are you able to?

Speaker 4 (27:28):
I mean, so that was part of the reason why
I took the job. It was so the job.

Speaker 5 (27:35):
Still allows me to find time to not neglect my business,
but still learning more stuff at the same time.

Speaker 4 (27:42):
So it's a win win situation.

Speaker 5 (27:44):
You're making an income and I'm learning and it's fine
tuning me for my side gigs. So that was honestly
one of the main reason.

Speaker 4 (27:53):
Why I took the job working there of the.

Speaker 1 (27:55):
Hours, I love that, and I mean for you too,
Shanea and Jamila, like, just to acknowledge that. I mean,
there has been times in the past year when I've
been like, should I be on LinkedIn looking for one
of these good like ninety five? Because I'm talking about
stability is I mean, even though no job, I don't
believe any job is stable. They can all obviously what

(28:17):
we're going through right now, even the government ain't good
government jobs anymore. But I think that's so wise, and
you're right. I think if we just have realistic pictures
of what entrepreneurship can look like in this country, we
need more of that, right Jamila.

Speaker 3 (28:31):
Like, yeah, listen, I'm with you, Mandy.

Speaker 2 (28:34):
I mean, I feel like For me, I love my
freedom and flexibility my goal. You know, I never thought
that I wanted I never wanted to take over the
world with journey to launch or my business. It's not
that I have big aspirations because you guys who know me, no,
I dream big and I want things. But I think
from the stage and place I am in my life,
especially my kids' ages, like, I'm happy with where I am,

(28:57):
but more stability would be great, right, And being an entrepreneur,
you just don't know when things are coming in and
it's a lot of eat what you kill, and there's
no boss. So even though I hated having a boss
and hated someone telling me what to do, sometimes when
someone told you what to do, it alleviated the responsibility
of having to figure things out. And so I would say,

(29:18):
while I love being an entrepreneur and I do think
that it's a great vehicle to have the time freedom
that we want, it adds a lot more pressure and
stress when you need income to kind of live the
life you want live the guac lifestyle that I talk about,
because you know, if I didn't want to maybe spend
as much money, I could just chill and be okay.
But I do want to do certain things with my

(29:39):
kids and live this life, and so income is a requirement.
And I think one of the things that I have,
you know, grown to just accept over time, is that
no matter where you are, whether you're listening to this
or watching and you're an entrepreneur or you have a
stable job, the other side always looks a little appealing
for the benefits of the other side, But then when

(30:00):
you're on the other side, you're looking at it like, hey,
I kind of want that too, And so I love
especially for OURMANI which is why I'm so proud of
her too for finding the stability because for so long
she didn't have like she didn't have like a stable
she can get benefits, and stability is that she's able
to have that and have time to pursue her entrepreneurial
things where and Shana's same thing. I know she's working

(30:22):
towards more stability, but she's also still able to pursue
her you know, passions and all the things that she
can do.

Speaker 3 (30:30):
So I just I think talking about entrepreneurship and.

Speaker 2 (30:33):
Being real about it is important because it's not just
all you know, free time and doing nothing like there
is a lot that goes into it that people need
to be aware of before they make the leap.

Speaker 1 (30:43):
All right, ba fam, We're going to take a quick
break more with my conversation with the Triple Threat sisters
jamilas tou Front, Shana McGregor, and I'mani Manning when we return.
All right, ba fam, it's Mandy Money and we are back.
Let's get back to the conversation with the Triple Threat
sisters themselves, Jamila, Imani and Shana one hundred percent. My

(31:08):
little brother actually is a filmmaker and he works nine
to five as head of sales for AI software company,
and he always jokes with me where he's like, yeah, Mandy,
I just did what you did. But I decided I
wanted to like have a house and more like I
wanted to be able to afford things. Where I sort
of had that starving artist's mentality as I was a
writer journalist and then I did have a stable career,

(31:32):
but then when I went entrepreneur, I was like, all right,
let's go.

Speaker 7 (31:35):
I stopped even using that. I was like, Okay, I
don't want to call myself a starving artist.

Speaker 6 (31:40):
But that means that sometimes you have to.

Speaker 7 (31:41):
Make choices and this is one of the biggest choices
why I decided to go back to school. I was like,
I want more stability as I think and think about
my thirties and the life I want to live, the
freedom of the flexibility. Maybe I do want to have
a stable job alone with everything else, or just build
a career for myself so that I can do the

(32:03):
things that I want to do. And that's what really
propelled me.

Speaker 6 (32:05):
To go back to school.

Speaker 7 (32:07):
Also to see dance more than just performing, but to
bring in the teaching and the choreographing, which can give you.

Speaker 6 (32:13):
More opportunities and more money.

Speaker 7 (32:15):
I remember I choreographed for the Daily School last summer
and when they sent me the check, I was like, oh, okay,
so choreographic as we're tied, got it. So I think
it's giving yourself opportunity and permission to expand.

Speaker 6 (32:31):
And my younger self was like, I'm not a choreographer,
and I.

Speaker 7 (32:33):
Think we put ourselves in boxes so easily because we
think if I do that, then I'm no longer this
and what did you could do this and that? So
I think it was giving myself opportunity to go back
to school. When I tell people that They're.

Speaker 6 (32:46):
Like, oh, you'r MFA, and I'm like, no, I'm getting
my maths and social work.

Speaker 7 (32:50):
And that does mean that for these next two years
things look a little different. But once I graduately, I
already know, Okay, this is the career path that I
have for myself. I am in grad school full time.
I'm at an unpaid internship, so I know that things
are going to look a little different during this time period,
but it's just this season, and I'm setting myself up
so that this next season brings the stability. But I

(33:11):
have a flexibility now to do all the different things
that by the time I graduate, I have my well
this community.

Speaker 6 (33:17):
Set up, so maybe that becomes my private practice. And
I already have these people who are following.

Speaker 7 (33:22):
Me in this way, who once I open up this thing,
are ready to go. So it's like the different building blocks, yeah, right,
studying it with no experience doing it exactly.

Speaker 6 (33:33):
It's funny you bring that up. I think I recently
did a panel and we spoke about imposter syndrome, and.

Speaker 7 (33:38):
I think so many of us you hear this phrase
again and again and again, and.

Speaker 6 (33:42):
You start to use it over your life.

Speaker 7 (33:43):
Oh, I have imposts syndrome, and I'm like, you don't
have impocess syndrome. You're just experiencing self doubt. You may
be nervous, you may be anxious, but you're not a fraud.
Like impocessism literally implies that you are a fraud. The
more you tell yourself that, the more you minimize yourself.

Speaker 6 (33:58):
And you don't even believe that you're wor of entering
these rooms.

Speaker 7 (34:01):
And yes, when I got my life coaching certification and
I'm twenty four years old and I'm working with people
in their thirties, forties, fifties, you have to believe that
you're worthy of being there and that I have something
to share that they can benefit from. And it does
take confidence, but that's where the experience and education comes in.

Speaker 6 (34:19):
So like, yeah, I can sit with you.

Speaker 7 (34:21):
You may be twenty years my senior, but I truly
believe that I have something to offer you. Same thing
now in my internship where I am working as a
case manager right now, but then my next year will
be more clinical and I may have clients in their
sixties and I'm like, I know I can still speak
to you even though I might look like I'm twelve
I'm not, and I trust myself and I know what

(34:41):
I have to offer.

Speaker 6 (34:43):
I think as women that confidence is so important.

Speaker 7 (34:46):
Because we take ourselves out of situations too often, and
this administration is already trying to do that.

Speaker 6 (34:51):
We can't do that before they do.

Speaker 1 (34:55):
I want to, like let that sit for a minute.
I'm really excited for you too. I feel like dance
is so therapeutic. I'm not a trained dancer, but when
I need to release something, I'll just I will spin
around this house. I will plea at. I don't plea
because I don't know what that is technically, I'll just
play at.

Speaker 3 (35:11):
I'll do whatever.

Speaker 1 (35:13):
Like it just and if you can and it and
it just makes it makes perfect sense to me, you know,
And you can use it with kids and all ages.
And to have like a dance studio that ties in
the mental health and like breathwork, and I think that's
really exciting.

Speaker 7 (35:30):
Because we're so used to breathing so shallowly in our
chest and I try to get people to be more
deeply into their diaphragm.

Speaker 6 (35:36):
And it makes me.

Speaker 1 (35:37):
Trying to look skinny on camera, you know, like I
don't want to.

Speaker 4 (35:43):
And I think the.

Speaker 7 (35:46):
And I'm like, oh, it's from dance, it's from how
you carry yourself how you know, But the two mess
so beautifully.

Speaker 1 (35:53):
Yeah, I think Imani and I both need like some
trapped massages because I do the same thing. I'm like,
I just.

Speaker 6 (36:00):
Think, I'm like, open up the shoulder blade, deep bread.

Speaker 4 (36:04):
This is the kitchen on my back right now. This
is the kitchen.

Speaker 1 (36:06):
Like you know, that's the weight of like five hundred
six year olds on your back, probably no.

Speaker 4 (36:11):
More like eight hundred eight hundred.

Speaker 1 (36:14):
Yeah, And what are the ages you didn't mention?

Speaker 5 (36:17):
From first first kindergarten to a do the account that
I'm on now it goes up to I think sixth grade.

Speaker 1 (36:27):
Okay, yeah, okay, yeah, Well I want to get your take.
Can you talk a bit about that and how you are, yeah,
how you're approaching like the vision you have for your
life and how it may be different.

Speaker 5 (36:39):
I mean recently what I've started doing that I'm finding
out this work and I start giving myself grace. Like
you know, sometimes we set like time periods for our success,
and if the time period run out, we just you're
not successful, You're a loser. Like I stop doing that,
Like I stop, like just celebrate in my very small

(37:03):
wins because then it just it gives you that energy
to be like, all right, next win now, then the
next win Like not because it's small doesn't mean it
doesn't deserve a celebration. So I think I've been giving
myself a lot of grace and just like just every
little celebration, just take it one step at a time

(37:24):
and just know that, hey, even if you're in a
moment right now where you feel like Because sometimes I
think I was having this conversation with Jamila earlier, like
I mentioned like sometimes people have like writer's block, I
feel like sometimes it's okay, like for me to have
like a little bit of entrepreneurship block doesn't mean that
I still don't want to.

Speaker 4 (37:45):
Find this big restaurant or this.

Speaker 5 (37:48):
But sometimes I feel like we move faster than our brain.

Speaker 4 (37:52):
Is trying to align us to move.

Speaker 5 (37:55):
And if I'm moving faster than my brain, the plan
is not going to work out because we're not on
this same page. And I think now I'm just even
if it doesn't look like a win to somebody on
the outside, if I'm happy and I'm giving myself a round,
I could have a party for myself with my celebration
and I know that like this is it. So I

(38:15):
think when I started to do that, my clarity for
what I really want got wider, got clearer, Like it's
not a whole bond, because sometimes I feel like we
got a whole bunch of jumble dreams and we're not
following like that.

Speaker 4 (38:30):
Pat.

Speaker 5 (38:31):
So I feel like since I took the step back
start giving myself some grace, it's getting clearer, like I
could be like it's like I'm seeing the one, than
the two, than the three. Before it was just like
all the numbers, but it wasn't in specific order. So
now I am I'm just trying to and again watching
some machine and so I've been watching that.

Speaker 4 (38:52):
Inwards space stuff. It's like and I think that's something
that you you have to give yourself grace.

Speaker 5 (38:58):
Like I've been cooking strongly for probably over a good
twenty seven years, and within my career, I never start seeing.

Speaker 1 (39:09):
Like seven years old. All of you guys are like
twenty five.

Speaker 4 (39:12):
Thank you, that's a nice compliment. I didn't. I didn't
think I start like ripping and seeing the rewards that
I deserve until probably like a good.

Speaker 5 (39:26):
Fifteen years imagine how long I've been cooking, putting my
all in. It really takes like you and go back
to saying like just finding something that you naturally love
to do, Like, yes, I want money to pay my bills. Yes,
I want to do this. But do I actually love
being in the kitchen.

Speaker 4 (39:45):
Yes. So when I have these moments and stuff.

Speaker 5 (39:49):
Is not going good or money is, it doesn't stop
me from wanting to be that same bright visionary in
the kitchen because I'm not really leading with money, even
though that's what I want, I'm.

Speaker 4 (40:02):
Not leading with it.

Speaker 5 (40:03):
I got to the point where I literally start listening
to my body.

Speaker 4 (40:07):
I never did it.

Speaker 5 (40:08):
So if my mind is telling me, hey, money, slow down,
don't take that catering, I won't take it.

Speaker 1 (40:15):
And I won't have to because.

Speaker 4 (40:17):
And I won't feel bad about it. And I feel like.

Speaker 5 (40:20):
The fact that I'm in the position to decline the catering,
that's the win, because I'm not saying, like, you know,
it's not rich are We're not at the final goal
where we want to be.

Speaker 4 (40:34):
But I've been learning to be okay with just pausing,
like I just pause.

Speaker 1 (40:42):
And what was it like, Well, I want to yeah,
a little breathwork. Now, I'm just I'm really curious because
your life experience is so different to your sister's a
bit because you know, you grew up mostly in Jamaica.
You've been here for how long? You said? Ten years?

Speaker 4 (40:57):
Yeah? Probably sometimes I'll be forgetting.

Speaker 1 (41:00):
I was telling her before y'all got on that she
chose the wrong ten years. But hey, if you watch
some of this, I'm curious with this conversation about immigration
all of that, like, how what is it like for
you coming here and building in life? Did you already
have some like status here? Have you had to build it?

Speaker 5 (41:16):
I mean the good thing about this, which a lot
of people don't know, like my story is like the
opposite of Jamila. So I was born in New York
and I was raised in Jamaica. So I lived in
Jamaica for years with social security. I had that in Jamaica,

(41:37):
but I just didn't. I didn't came back to America
until I probably was like nineteen, like somewhere around that age.
So I already I was a citizen, so it was
easier for me to travel.

Speaker 4 (41:48):
So thank god I didn't have to go through that far.

Speaker 1 (41:51):
Yes, interesting, Okay, And now Jamila that story you tell
about your mom and she had to move here without you,
and then yeah, I went back and got you.

Speaker 3 (42:00):
Yeah, I mean, so my mom. She my grandfather at
the time.

Speaker 2 (42:05):
He's passed away since, but he had only filed for her,
didn't know I was even around.

Speaker 3 (42:09):
That's how involved he was in her life. And when
he came to tell her.

Speaker 2 (42:13):
He was like, oh, like, who's this baby, because I
only have papers for you to go to the States.
And so she did have to make a really difficult choice,
but not unlike many parents and people do make and
have made to get their families here, like they leave
family behind. And so she left me as a baby
with my grandmother. And then things were simpler back then

(42:34):
and apparently easier quote unquote, you know, like things.

Speaker 3 (42:37):
Were faster to get through the system.

Speaker 2 (42:39):
So you know, they quickly filed for me, and then
I don't know, I've forgot how long it took, but
a few months later, maybe it was like twelve months.

Speaker 3 (42:47):
I was I got my papers.

Speaker 2 (42:49):
I was able to come up with my grandmother and
my uncle to the States to be reunited with my mom.
And you know, I feel very privileged. I think that's
one of the things so we have other siblings. Imani
and I do our dad that we're not privileged to
have been born in the United States. And I say
that because it did provide a lot more opportunities, whether

(43:09):
it was me being able to have citizenship.

Speaker 3 (43:11):
So early or Imani being born with citizenship.

Speaker 2 (43:15):
You know, I have a lot of all my siblings
are talented, I believe, I think they're amazing and they
are doing great within their own right. But I also
know that, you know, there's just there's opportunity here, and
if they were able to come here, they could probably
you know, expand and have more security.

Speaker 3 (43:32):
And so I never take that for granted.

Speaker 2 (43:34):
It's actually something that I was I was aware of
growing up that I did have siblings in Jamaica, and
I did feel a responsibility.

Speaker 1 (43:42):
Yeah, it's really beautiful. That's some big siss energy right there.
I wanted to ask about just to clarify something and
just like to underline this point. Right now, we're at
a stage where the government wants to end birthright citizenship.
So Imani, like if it had been now when you
were born here, Like, I mean, it's not officially like

(44:02):
a policy change, but it's crazy to think someone as
talented as you might have been withheld from having that
opportunity if things were a bit different.

Speaker 5 (44:13):
And you know what's crazy is just say, if it
were to happen, I think I have the mentality that
I have now is I'm gonna be great regardless of
here I'm at, Jamaica, America.

Speaker 4 (44:30):
That's just how I look at it now.

Speaker 5 (44:32):
And I mean, I am grateful that I had the
opportunity to just buy a ticket and come to America.

Speaker 4 (44:38):
A lot of people don't have that.

Speaker 5 (44:40):
So but I mean, as I said, the mentality that
I have now, it could be Jamaica wherever, I'm still
gonna be that shining star.

Speaker 4 (44:49):
Imani like, it doesn't matter.

Speaker 1 (44:52):
Yes, I think that goes for it. We gotta. I
feel like we're at a time now where America's losing
and shine and I'm like, good, humble her, humble her.
I want every other We need other countries like to
to There are so many shining stars obviously outside of here,
and I'm just glad we're lucky to have you. But
I would come find you if you were like I'm
going to Paris, I'd be like, cool, I will be

(45:13):
coming and I'll go to your restaurant or wherever. So
let's talk about money for a sec because, Jamila, when
you have them on, originally y'all had been talking about
I think Roth I raise y'all had opened, Shana was
trying to get him, you know, started investing. If you
don't mind, what do you? How do you think we
should do it?

Speaker 4 (45:31):
Jamila?

Speaker 1 (45:32):
And just like what kind of financial update do we need?

Speaker 2 (45:35):
So I think it'd be maybe just a quick quick
background you kind of said a lot, but I want
to maybe talk.

Speaker 3 (45:40):
About just as you know, Mandy, you talk about money.

Speaker 2 (45:44):
You have friends, real friends and family in real life,
right who maybe listen, maybe don't listen to your stuff
and other people who don't know you at all, and
then like listen and take your advice. And why I
do think they take my advice? I still think they're
you know, they have their own priorities and things that
they want to do, and so I feel like for
the longest I was telling them like invest like I

(46:06):
don't care how little it is open a roth Iray,
especially because of both of them at that time were
even I think had less stability with income, and so
I knew that it wasn't going to be easy. But
I felt like, okay, you could do something right, and
so I was just just inspiring them hopefully to do that.
And so I think at that last episode they started
to or what like, they had started to do that.

(46:28):
And you know, I continue to tell them, but I
try not to give two big sis energy where like
I am making it seem like they're failing if they don't.
But I am like, kid, if you have a question,
you can always call me. And I remember the one
time Imiani like she did, she had put money into her.

Speaker 3 (46:44):
Wrath diray and then she did look at it like
forgot all about it.

Speaker 2 (46:47):
And then she looked at it like a year or
two later and she saw it the value increased.

Speaker 3 (46:52):
And she was like, wait, you were right.

Speaker 2 (46:54):
I'm like, yes, I was, and I am and she
I Mini was actually recently on my podcast because we
had a whole She came over not about money, she
was just hanging out with us, and then but money
started to come up, and I asked her, you know,
about her debt and credit card debt and her rath
that array, and so I actually recorded that conversation. That's
when she was on the podcast about her updates because

(47:16):
she did do some amazing things that she can share
and I'm sure Shanea can share about following through with
their financial goals, because even though I know that there's
a little bit of instability and they're still working on,
especially Shana, establishing themselves with their career, is that this
is they're still fairly young, and time is of the essence,
and so when they are a little bit older, I

(47:37):
want them to know like this is, you know, you
set yourself up to have even more stability for your
future self and so let's not let's not just like
let that time squander away. Let's you know, do the
right things to put you in a great place in
the future.

Speaker 1 (47:52):
Yes, ma'am so.

Speaker 2 (47:55):
Imani, do you want to talk about what you did,
like with your finances that you feel next?

Speaker 5 (48:02):
Yeah, I think when we was on the podcast, you know,
we were talking and I went ahead and I cleared
my whole entire credit card deal, like just one time.
And again, let's let's let's point this out, the fact
that I am in a position to do that.

Speaker 4 (48:22):
It's a celebration moment. Let's let's celebrate that. And I
think I should have called you and give you the
update to me.

Speaker 6 (48:30):
But yeah, the credit score went how many points?

Speaker 1 (48:34):
It was probably like fifty.

Speaker 4 (48:36):
No, I think I went up.

Speaker 5 (48:37):
No, I think it was like I went up like
sixty two points or something like that.

Speaker 4 (48:42):
Yeah, that will do it.

Speaker 1 (48:45):
Do you mind saying how much you paid off?

Speaker 5 (48:48):
Yeah? It was five thousand, four hundred dollars.

Speaker 1 (48:53):
Girl, that is not even that much. I thought you're
gonna be like fifty seven.

Speaker 4 (48:56):
America credit card for me, for me, five thousand on
a credit card.

Speaker 6 (49:04):
Yes, I mean.

Speaker 4 (49:08):
Like over budget too.

Speaker 3 (49:10):
That's over budget, especially when she had the money.

Speaker 2 (49:14):
I have a friend who actually also took my advice
and actually paid off her credit card. Like they have
the money, because but they just don't want they like
I screwed the credit card company, Like they think that
they're doing something to the credit card company.

Speaker 3 (49:25):
By not paying.

Speaker 4 (49:26):
No, I just didn't want to let.

Speaker 3 (49:28):
Right, had that. I get that. I get that you
want to hold onto the cash.

Speaker 2 (49:31):
You never know, right, But she had enough to where
she still had a buffer, So I said, you know,
it's better you paid off.

Speaker 3 (49:37):
But yes, the fact that like she.

Speaker 2 (49:39):
Was able to do that in one setting just shows
you how much she built up herself financially.

Speaker 3 (49:44):
So prout of that.

Speaker 1 (49:46):
Yes, yes, And I will just say I hope that
five thousand continues being way too much debt because it
You just I'm just so used to hearing like fifteen
twenty thirty five, you know, fifty thous the card dead,
and in this country, I just feel like it's so easy,
and I mean, like we're taking on so much more
debt now.

Speaker 8 (50:07):
But kudos that thing for me, Like especially again, like
having a sister like Jamia, like why I take like.

Speaker 5 (50:18):
The financial advice very serious from her, right and I can.
I don't use nothing on my credit card that I
don't have to pay right away.

Speaker 4 (50:30):
So if I can't pay it, I'm not spending it.

Speaker 5 (50:33):
And that's that's how I treat my credit card like,
even though they keep secretly increasing the.

Speaker 4 (50:39):
Amount, I'm not paying attention to that. I just pay.
I just spend what I could pay back right away.

Speaker 1 (50:46):
Yeah, amazing, all right, Shanea, you're the baby of the family.
What you got going on? You said you're under thirty
or not thirty yet.

Speaker 7 (50:54):
No, I am twenty eight. I turned twenty nine in August.

Speaker 1 (50:58):
You guys are so gifted. I just it's insane, all right.

Speaker 7 (51:04):
But go ahead, which is insane listening to the episode
when I said I was twenty four and I was like, yeah,
I know. I think COVID really shift shifted our agents
like I don't even mid twenties feels like a blurb
because of COVID that like I went in early beginning,
I left late and I was like waiting Because of

(51:27):
my discipline, I had saved up so that I was
able to have a little bit of a buffer in
this time period of not working as much. And I
think that's why the discipline is so important one because
besides student loan.

Speaker 6 (51:40):
Debt, I don't have credit card debt.

Speaker 7 (51:43):
And I think I've been having more candid conversations with
friends and you would be surprised.

Speaker 6 (51:48):
Maybe you're right. People have a lot of credit card debt.
So for me, even though I'm not in a period where.

Speaker 7 (51:54):
I'm able to save and invest as much as I
would like to, and I'm honest about that, I am
really grateful that I don't have the debt because I'm
able to manage my money in a way where I'm like, Okay,
this is why.

Speaker 6 (52:05):
I am now.

Speaker 7 (52:06):
And I realized at the end of the day, sometimes
you can save and invest as much as you want
is an income issue. So if you're able to increase that,
then you're able to have a lot more gap to
paper things you want. So my biggest thing right now
is don't live above your means. And then you talk
to people on the inside and you realize the way
you have five six figure or four or five figure debt,

(52:27):
and then you're like, wow, okay, we need to have
more honest.

Speaker 6 (52:29):
Conversation because this is really happening. And I feel like
you have to keep up with people.

Speaker 7 (52:35):
But it's better to live within your means than it
means that you're not accumulating time.

Speaker 2 (52:40):
Yeah, And I want to say too, like knowing the
season of life you're in is so important and it
doesn't matter your age can play a factor, but meaning yes,
whether you're building and the building your career phase and
investing in yourself, right, there are sometimes we're going to
be investing in education, we are just going to be
making it because there's other ways in which you're spending

(53:00):
our time, energy and money outside of investing in a
retirement account.

Speaker 1 (53:05):
Right.

Speaker 3 (53:05):
And so I just feel like you can't measure your.

Speaker 2 (53:10):
Points of life that you're in with other people when
you have no clue of all inputs and factors that
make their life their life, whether that they have kids,
they're taking care of someone else in their family, you know,
they're changing careers, like their income. Income is obviously like
the driving factor to accomplishing a lot of the financial.

Speaker 3 (53:31):
Goals that we have.

Speaker 2 (53:32):
It's the thing, right. Obviously expenses are important, but it's
really income. So if you're in a low income season.

Speaker 1 (53:38):
Yeah, and I mean, I mean sorry not am MAIGHTI Shane,
I feel like in that career path as a coach
and therapists, like your life experiences and the fact that
you've shown that you have you've done the things that
you're going to encourage your clients to do, And I
think that makes me a stronger coach, And I feel
like it makes you a stronger coach and right avolently.

Speaker 6 (53:56):
And I know that things are a given take. If
I wanted to go to corporate.

Speaker 7 (54:00):
Route, I might have been in a different place right now.
But would I have been awarded the flexibility and the
joy and the different things that I have now?

Speaker 6 (54:07):
Who knows?

Speaker 7 (54:08):
So in knowing that there's so many different paths that
you can take, or I could have stayed up. That's
in this job and probably continue to excel in it.
But I had to check in with my gut and
realize that I was no longer happy there. So I
had to make a shit. So sometimes you may be
able to get the income you desire, but then when
you lay your head or you lay down, and now
you realize that, oh but I'm not really fulfilled. And

(54:30):
some people don't mind that. Like that's why you have
to check in with yourself. Some people say a job
is a job. It pays the bills. It doesn't have
to make me happy. That's fine. Some people don't operate
like that. You just have to know what season you're
in and what you prioritize.

Speaker 1 (54:44):
Well, I wish I could just be a part of
a sister circle for longer, but we gotta stop, We
gotta end, but we got to wrap up. I want
to wrap up by a first asking y'all, Shane and Moni,
where can we find y'all? What inste handles you want
to plug? Imani? How are we going to book you
for catering? Even though you might say no and we

(55:05):
love that for you. I wanting to go first.

Speaker 5 (55:09):
You can find me my Instagram handle is at the
yard chef forty five.

Speaker 4 (55:15):
The yard is just a shortening. That's how we say Jamaica,
yat chef.

Speaker 1 (55:19):
Where is it yachd a chef?

Speaker 4 (55:20):
In my head, no, yard is in like instead a
yard as in y A R D. It's a yard
as in the pot Ona y A A D. So
it's y A A D c h E F underscore
forty five.

Speaker 1 (55:36):
All right, we'll put that in the show notes. Perfect, perfect,
And you want us to book for your DMS.

Speaker 4 (55:41):
You don't have a yes, yes, yes, yes directly the DMS.

Speaker 7 (55:45):
So you can find me on Instagram and also on
TikTok at Shana dot McGregor so my first name dot
my last name.

Speaker 6 (55:53):
You can also find.

Speaker 7 (55:54):
My wellness community and brand inward Space at inward dot
space on Insta. I also have a website Shane McGregor
dot com. At the top of the year, I created
a free breathwork program. It's a seven day nervous system
recharge is seven days of pre recorded videos. So you
can find that on my website. There's a little announcement
of bar the top to sign up if especially they're

(56:17):
like eighteen to fifteen minutes, so they're not long, and
it's a wonderful way to get to introduce to my brand.

Speaker 2 (56:23):
So my book, Your Journey to Financial Freedom, you can
buy it anywhere books are sold. You can also go
to your Journey to Financialfreedom dot com. I'm also doing
something I'm pretty cool that I think is cool. I
created discussion guides around the book so you can start
your own book club, whether it's by yourself, with family
or friends.

Speaker 3 (56:41):
And these discussion guides give.

Speaker 2 (56:42):
You prompts, takeaways, really allow you to take what you're
learning in the book and really encourage you to implement
what you're learning. So you can go to Journey to
Launch dot com Slash book Club to get more information
about that, or again you can go to your Journey
to Financialfreedom dot com calm that's the direct book site.
And then of course wherever you listen to this podcast,

(57:04):
you can check out Journey to Launch podcast. And I'm
on social media at Journey to Launch and at Jamila
sou Front.

Speaker 1 (57:11):
The brands are strong, all right, Well, I'll make myself
an honorary sister and y'all's little it'll be a qua,
It'll be We'll come up with a new band name.

Speaker 3 (57:23):
And it was for them at one point. That's yeah,
And they started out as well.

Speaker 1 (57:26):
Who's going to be the one that got kicked out?
Like I don't want to put that as usual.

Speaker 3 (57:30):
Well we all know who Beyonce is. I got the Beyonce.

Speaker 1 (57:32):
Hey we don't know? Oh, oh we do. Then there's
Michelle and who's cuddly because they're both they're both equally fantastic.

Speaker 6 (57:44):
Is this shoes? Shoes got to be our own?

Speaker 5 (57:46):
Because then, yeah, I mean, I'm just glad to be
I'm just glad to be part of the group.

Speaker 4 (57:51):
I ain't go I'm just here.

Speaker 1 (57:53):
You're Michelle, thank you? All right?

Speaker 6 (58:05):
Thank you?

Speaker 1 (58:06):
Oh you want to end with a deep ros Okay, yeah,
yeah my five year so yeah, I need that.

Speaker 2 (58:16):
I'm going to be kicking picking my kids up. Your
money is coming with me. She's in my house recording
this upstairs. We're going to pick the kids up. So
we need some we need some peace before we get them.

Speaker 7 (58:25):
Okay, everyone just sit up tall, ground your sibos into
your seat, open up.

Speaker 6 (58:31):
Your collar bones, close your eyes.

Speaker 7 (58:33):
Down, and if you would like, place your hands over
your stomach. You know, we just cultivated so much energy
during this podcast episode bringing ourselves, bringing our voices together.
Take a deep in hell and filling up your belly
as if it was a balloon, passing your belly button.

Speaker 6 (58:49):
In towards your hands, and then a big exhale out.
Let's take that two.

Speaker 7 (58:58):
More times in hell and in your belly to in blade,
dropping your shoulder blades down as you extail, pressing your
belly went back towards your hands. Now this last one,
feel your lips in hell and l through your nose
in hell in and a big exhale out.

Speaker 6 (59:22):
We can flutter her eyes open.

Speaker 7 (59:32):
I'm gonna call you after this, all right, girl, Look,
it's important.

Speaker 1 (59:37):
You gotta go to her website and get the course,
and I mean get the little eighteen.

Speaker 7 (59:43):
Yeah you little so much stress in our bodies. It's
so important outlets to release.

Speaker 1 (59:47):
Yeah yeah, chef, I MONI what's going on back there?
I want my I want my I want my crumbrulet.
And you'll you'll they'll be like, you'll be like, I'm sorry,
I'm just censoring myself. You little maniacs. Leave me alone,
all right, y'all are amazing, Thank you to me.

Speaker 4 (01:00:06):
It happens

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Mandi Woodruff-Santos

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