August 18, 2025 • 34 mins
Founder & Editor-In-Chief of World Bride Magazine, Myrdith Leon-McCormick details her journey transitioning from the corporate world to celebrity manicurist working with the likes of Stanley Tucci, and Edie Falco, to launching her own global bridal magazine, all while being a mom to three children. World Bride Magazine is recognized as the premier destination for multi-cultural, multi-racial, and inclusive wedding information and content. Myrdith is a trailblazer, a brand and marketing expert, and true mompreneur who champions hard work, style, creativity, travel, and business.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey, it's your girl, Nancy Redd.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
And this is season four of Mompreneurs, where we celebrate
beautiful black entrepreneurs who are also amazing moms. Now, every
week I'm chatting with my guests about how they're killing
it simultaneously as a business.
Speaker 3 (00:12):
Model and as a mom.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
We're listening to their inspiring journeys and incredible advice. Now,
staying in business for a few years is hard, but
a few decades that's impressive.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
I love a long term mompreneur, and our.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Next guest has been in business for over three decades,
from an og celebrity manicurist to founder and publisher of
World Bridal magazine, and now as a grand mompreneur, she's
founded a branding firm and so much more. We are
so delighted to have Meredith Leon McCormack. Thank you so
much for being here with us.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
Meredith, it is my honor, my honor, thank you.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
You have been evolving your business and growing your business savvy.
And you're such a good role model because to have
a business that you're able to maintain over decades is
super impressive. But before we get too far into the
business side of things, let's get a little personal Who
in your life puts the mom in mompreneur.
Speaker 4 (01:11):
My son, oldest son, Damore Marris, Damore Ashhin Morris, Chanelle
Ashley Morris, and greg John Gregory my son. But Chanew,
my daughter is married and she has made me a grandmother,
a proud grandmother.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
Amazing.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
So this is very wonderful. Does entrepreneurship run in the family.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
Absolutely it does.
Speaker 4 (01:38):
And it's so funny because when they were younger, they
were like, I don't want to work as hard as
you do.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
And now they each have their own ventures.
Speaker 5 (01:46):
One of the things that is important is having representation, right,
like seeing what a business actually looks like when.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
It's being run, like all the hard work. So you
were their role model? Who who inspired you?
Speaker 2 (02:01):
What what gave you the inspiration to become an entrepreneur?
Speaker 3 (02:05):
I honestly have to say it was my mother subconsciously.
Speaker 4 (02:09):
You know, my mom and dad were always together, but
it was always on and off.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
Just life was a little bit kind of tough. They were.
They both came from Haiti. I'm from Haiti.
Speaker 4 (02:21):
We were born in Haiti, and so watching my mom
go to hair school, but she couldn't stay because my
younger sister was ill, she had heart murmurs, she had
asthmas or her health wasn't always the best.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
So my mom would put that down.
Speaker 4 (02:36):
Then she would when things were she thought things were
moving and getting better.
Speaker 3 (02:41):
She went to secretarial arts.
Speaker 4 (02:43):
And she couldn't do that because just different challenges that
happened in life.
Speaker 3 (02:47):
And so I.
Speaker 4 (02:48):
Watched my mom, in my opinion, give up all her
career path choices that she probably wanted to do, and
but yet she maintained a clean household. We ate every
single day, We were well dressed. I want to say,
we were decently behaved. But so I really honestly have
(03:11):
to say it has to be my mom. She taught
me the art of self sacrifice for your family, your children.
She still cares for my dad and she's a minister
as well, So she honestly, I have to say, she's
probably my biggest hero supporter fan.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
I love that and seeing her it just pushed you
to go after your dreams.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
And the first entrepreneurial venture for you was nails.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
Now, when you hear this now, people were just kind
of like, well, you know, everyone's doing nails. Was this
the case back when you became a celebrity manicurist.
Speaker 3 (03:49):
Absolutely not if people don't know, if they do the research.
Speaker 4 (03:54):
It was the Asian community that was every nail salon
was owned by in certain communities, I should say by
an Asian person, and they would be in all our communities,
in black communities. But there was also the Russian community,
and that's where I learned my lessons. I learned how
(04:15):
to be a manicurist from a Russian woman.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
And then on my way to pick up my.
Speaker 4 (04:23):
Certificate after completing the course, I saw this amazing salon
and great painting. It was of a black woman with
her hair adorned. But then I saw this woman braiding
hair in the window, and I saw this other woman
cutting hair, and so I stopped and I asked them
and I'm like, hey, are you guys looking for a manicures?
(04:47):
And they said, we actually are, and they gave me
a shot and a few I think months or year later,
editor Diane Hendy came man who's always getting her hair braided,
got a manicure and pedicure, wrote an article about us
(05:08):
and said that.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
It was the one the best experience that she had.
Speaker 4 (05:12):
I had the bold courage to ask her, Hey, can
I you know, are you looking for No? Can I
advertise in your magazine? She says, honey, it's very expensive,
you will not be able to afford it. But I
am looking for a manicurist on set. Would you like
to do? And I was like, absolu lot like I
(05:32):
didn't know what that meant.
Speaker 3 (05:35):
But that was just the beginning.
Speaker 4 (05:38):
And then at that point, I think there was only
three black manicurists that I was aware of, and that
became the catalyst for me.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
That's amazing, And it must have been such an exciting
thing to go from just being a girl trying to
get her nails certificate and have a little hustle that
she could do to being into this very exciting and
fancy world and turning that into a business. How did
this all morph from just one off opportunity to being
(06:13):
what you used to kind of spearhead all the rest
of your businesses over the next three decades.
Speaker 4 (06:18):
So my background was corporate, so I was in the
finance world, So I was working at Crudential Security, Tia Craft, Savignette.
Speaker 3 (06:30):
My last corporate job was.
Speaker 4 (06:32):
At Merrill Lynch and when nine to eleven happened, I
remember saying you know, praying, and then talking to my
then second husband and said, listen, if I'm going to die,
I don't want to be on my deathbed wishing that
I did something that I could.
Speaker 3 (06:51):
So I'd like to explore this. He's like, go ahead.
Speaker 4 (06:55):
And by then I already had three kids. He had
two kids, so there was five of us, you know,
and we literally I put poured everything into it and
I said, hey, I'm going to try it. And I
tried it, and I'm you know, I made an honest
effort in it. I had a nail salon, I opened
(07:15):
up a bridal salon. You did everything that you had
to because you were now a freelancer. The checks would
were not consistent they you work today, It'll take you
thirty sixty ninety one hundred and twenty days to get paid.
Speaker 3 (07:31):
So there was ways that you had to.
Speaker 4 (07:33):
So thank god I did have a husband that had
a job.
Speaker 3 (07:37):
He continued to work at Mary Lynch.
Speaker 4 (07:38):
Because we both worked there, and I was able to
do that, you know.
Speaker 3 (07:44):
And to fulfill my dreams and to start it.
Speaker 4 (07:47):
It wasn't easy at all at all, and being a mom,
and I think it's interesting back in that era, in
the early nineties to late nineties, late early two thousands.
I never told anybody that I had children because I
was afraid that they wouldn't hire me or they would
(08:08):
think that I wouldn't show up for the jobs, you know,
So a lot of them didn't know. I think it
was my second, third, third second agency, Jump Management. Deerdred
that I opened up to her and I told her
that I am a mother of three children and sometimes
(08:35):
I might not be able to take a job, and
then she bear with me. But I never turned down
a job, so it has it. I just wanted to
prepare her just in case I couldn't, and so we
had a system. This was before cell phones, so it
was interesting. She would call me. I would call her
at the end of the day to see if there
was anything for the next day, and then I would
(08:57):
call her first thing in the morning and I dropped
the kids off, and then when I would get home,
I would call her again and said did anything come
in after being between me dropping the kids off from school?
And this woman literally spearheaded my career. So it was
Bradley Curry Management, Jump Management. Then it was I think
(09:19):
it was a Ford Modeling Ford Modeling Agency had just
opened up their talent side and then I closed my
career at Factory Downtown, you know, so I had fnominal
support that they eventually were like whatever.
Speaker 3 (09:38):
I remember.
Speaker 4 (09:38):
We had a photo shoot to do and it was
I forgot the name of the photographer that was working
on it. He was shooting a book, a coffee table
book about hands and he needed a manicures and he
said it was with Stanley Tucci and Edie Falcon and
it came in so late.
Speaker 3 (09:55):
And that was when I had my youngest son, John,
and I was like, I don't have a babysitter.
Speaker 4 (10:01):
She says, hold on, if we have to, you'll drop
the baby off to me. I'll watch the baby and
then you go and do the job. It's an in
and out job. And she calls me back and says, hey,
the photographer said, bring the baby, He'll watch the baby.
Speaker 3 (10:16):
You know it's going to be in between whatever. I
should have taken this picture.
Speaker 4 (10:22):
A Stanley Tucci was rolling around within the floor with
my son, you know what I'm saying. So that's one
of the fond memories of that I can joyfully say
about my career that people were willing to work with you.
Speaker 3 (10:36):
I was just.
Speaker 4 (10:37):
Afraid that it wouldn't have been that easy, but I've
been blessed.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
That's incredible. I love that, and it's a great example
of when you're true to yourself and you're.
Speaker 5 (10:46):
Open and honest, the right people get it. And I
wish you had a picture of your baby, Stanley Tucci.
Speaker 2 (10:54):
I think that's phenomenal. And you mentioned you closed out
that career. What made you transition from bridal store nails,
salon celebrity nails into your next iterations Because I think
one of the things that people.
Speaker 5 (11:06):
Think when they think of an entrepreneur is.
Speaker 2 (11:08):
Okay, well, if this fails or if this doesn't work
out to my liking, I just not meant to do this.
I'm just you know, I got one business idea and
that's it.
Speaker 1 (11:16):
But that's not the way this works.
Speaker 4 (11:18):
I knew I always wanted to be in fashion always.
That was always my thing. I just started off a
different way. But I'm so glad I started off in
business because it helped me to build my success for
my business because I knew what to do, so for me,
the transitions will happen because of necessity. You know, the
(11:43):
best inventions come from necessity. So I knew I wanted
to be home with my children.
Speaker 3 (11:51):
I knew it had to be flexible.
Speaker 4 (11:53):
So when I started to have children, I transitioned not
to a full time job that were permanent, but I
went into temp agencies and I started to tempting because
I can choose whether or not I can stay or
take an assignment and still get really good money. So
(12:15):
for me, it's about understanding that you need to pivot
if you want your dreams to work, if you want
to survive, if you want to live, if you want
to thrive. So I think any career path anyone takes,
it's about understanding.
Speaker 3 (12:28):
That you should pivot. I don't.
Speaker 4 (12:31):
I have this sign that my assistant sent me, and
it says failure and opportunities. Failure is crossed out because
what society has labeled as failure is really an opportunity
for you to either.
Speaker 3 (12:47):
Learn a lesson, teach a lesson, or shift years. It's
not that something went wrong.
Speaker 4 (12:55):
It probably just wasn't for you, or the timing was
off or something, or you brought in the wrong people,
or you share the wrong your dreams with the wrong
people or something, and then you needed to be it
to be tweeked, you know what I'm saying, And that's
how I looked at it. So doing the transitions everything
that I did, and believe you mean, people clowned me
(13:17):
and they were like, oh my god, you're.
Speaker 3 (13:19):
All over the place. You're doing too much, You're doing this,
And I'm like, wait, am I crazy? What's wrong? Yes?
I am crazy? But I accept that. For why is
it that everybody has this problem with.
Speaker 4 (13:30):
Me pursuing my dreams and doing all these things? And
I just chalk it up to being you're too afraid
to try your own dreams, so you need to project
your fears unto me and you want to maybe not
(13:50):
intentionally make me feel bad, but it does hurt, and
then it makes you doubt yourself. But then I'm of
the the mindset of oh you told me no, Oh
you said I can't do it, watch me, I'll be back,
you know.
Speaker 3 (14:07):
That kind of spirit. You know, I don't know if
it's that Haitian revolution in me.
Speaker 5 (14:11):
That's not gonna say like immigrants get it done as
they you know, it's just like you're just like And
I think that's a really important thing because a lot
of times people in particular with children.
Speaker 1 (14:21):
People think, well, you just need.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
To have more stable situation, you need to focus on
your family. But in some ways people don't realize that
that's what you're doing. You're building a business for them
to have so that you're not just left out in
the cold. Because one of the interesting things about being
a manicurist is that's just if you. You're the one
that's doing the work, so you can't pass that on.
(14:44):
But when we transform from manicurists to magazines, that's something
that has more legs and that you've been working with
for quite some time.
Speaker 3 (14:52):
That was the transition. I always loved writing.
Speaker 4 (14:55):
I was more of a creative writer, and being on
set is what enabled me to transition into writing. And
I remember asking some of the editors how come there's
no black models.
Speaker 3 (15:08):
Why don't you have any black models? And they're like oh.
Speaker 4 (15:12):
Then they were like, oh, but she's black, and I'm like,
she's Latina.
Speaker 3 (15:16):
Ask her she thinks you black?
Speaker 4 (15:19):
You know?
Speaker 3 (15:19):
Ask her?
Speaker 4 (15:20):
You know?
Speaker 3 (15:20):
You hear that I know black. I know black.
Speaker 4 (15:22):
So I was like, now we need to It was
very important that we see we see ourselves in order
to achieve certain things, and I think things translate better
when you see yourself. You know, if I'm trying to
get everybody, I can't only have one picture of one person.
(15:45):
So for me, I asked the question too many and
I think it was as a joke. The young lady
said it to me and she said, well, you asked
too many questions.
Speaker 3 (15:55):
I think you should start your own magazine.
Speaker 4 (15:57):
I'm like, I will, And I did did it as
a joke, and you know, just trying to see if
I could do it, and again being in the right
place at the right time, with the right people. I
asked all my friends that were makeup artists, photographers and
everything else that we used to test. There was a
period of it in time where we all tested together.
Speaker 3 (16:16):
You know, I have a creative idea. Let's go do
a shoot together.
Speaker 4 (16:19):
We all get together on a Saturday, spend all day
pull clothes, hair, makeup, styling. I'm talking about with Chuck Amos,
Michael Brandt, I'm working with the biggest icons, and we
were all just testing, you know, stylists, just coming up
with creative stuff, and all of a sudden I see
(16:39):
it and I'm like, I can do this. But it
was my bridal salon when people would come in and
they would say, oh I brought I thought this was good.
I want this item. I want this item. What do
you think do you carry this? And that's when I said, hey,
if everybody and then photographers and different people were coming
to me and and giving me their cards to promote
(17:02):
their businesses in my salon, I was like, hmm, but
I'm spending thousands of dollars to be in Martha Stuart,
we Wedding, Elegant, bride in style, weddings, all these and
I'm spending thousands. And I said, let me do some
research and see how much it would cost me to
(17:23):
put together a booklet a magazine to start, you know,
to give out the information. I use it as a
marketing tool and that's the marketing part of me. And
I did it, and I did the first issue. And
when I did the first issue, literally I had over
forty thousand requests, you know, from doing events, you know,
(17:46):
saying hey, we'd like to get a copy.
Speaker 3 (17:48):
Oh, we'd like to get a copy. Oh, we'd love
to get it. And I'm like, this is not a
real magazine. It was just when the internet just started.
That's amazing.
Speaker 5 (17:56):
So you got emails yes, oh, my gosh, and this
is back when it wasn't like Gmail, you had.
Speaker 4 (18:03):
Individually clique yep, it was I think it was Yahoo
or something one of those. And then I even had
a MySpace page and all of this stuff.
Speaker 3 (18:16):
And I was just willing to try anything.
Speaker 4 (18:18):
Because I had to fill in my checks because they
would take thirty sixty ninety days to get paid, so
I had to fill something. And then I was giving
tips to brides that were coming into my store. I
was going to the bridal shows, I was going to events.
So I was like, hey, I can just give out information.
(18:38):
And then it gave birth to the magazine. And so
every time somebody would come into my store or I
had friends that were coming into the store, I would
give them ten copies of the magazine and tell them
to take it with them to whatever country or state
they were in.
Speaker 3 (18:56):
And that's how the word started.
Speaker 4 (18:58):
Then we got it into two hundred and forty seven
bookstores because we got it into Barnes and Nobles. Wow.
Speaker 3 (19:04):
You know, because I worked with another small.
Speaker 4 (19:08):
Magazine owner, you know, an independent magazine owner, you know,
George Connelson. He owned I forget the name. I think
it was Latina something it's gonna come to me. But
he did it, and he's like, oh, let.
Speaker 3 (19:21):
Me introduce you to this.
Speaker 4 (19:22):
And then his magazine distributor marketing person, Domingo, He's like, oh,
I'll get you into Barnes and Nobles.
Speaker 3 (19:32):
I'll get you into these.
Speaker 4 (19:33):
I got myself into smaller bookstores, but they got me
into Barnes and Nobles.
Speaker 3 (19:38):
You know, So again.
Speaker 4 (19:40):
Being blessed with good people and surrounding yourself with the
right people that have the share the share the same
vision as you.
Speaker 3 (19:47):
I think that's really what I didn't do this on
my own. You know the concept and mine.
Speaker 2 (19:53):
The concept is yourge, but it's a group effort. And
also the concept has to keep evolving because when we
hear this right, it's like we all are nostalgic for
the magazine racket Barnes and Nobles, and most of us
no longer to live near a Barnes and Noble. Most
magazines and bookstores are shuttered.
Speaker 1 (20:10):
But not world.
Speaker 5 (20:11):
Brad, you pivot, You are continuing to make moves with this.
You changed your business model. What is your advice for
other people who love what.
Speaker 2 (20:23):
They do but the world is no longer a fan
of brick and mortar is no longer feasible to make
money with paper products A lot of times.
Speaker 1 (20:32):
How did you make these transitions?
Speaker 4 (20:38):
I figure I'm still making the transitions because every after
every issue is done, I swear to you, I'm like,
this is the last issue I've had.
Speaker 1 (20:46):
And how many issues do you publish a year?
Speaker 3 (20:48):
Four? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (20:51):
And what and and and and why do you Why
are you disgruntled after you've published the issue?
Speaker 1 (20:57):
Why do you think I can't do this again?
Speaker 3 (21:00):
No, I'm disgruntled while I'm doing it.
Speaker 1 (21:04):
But then the baby is born and you're like.
Speaker 3 (21:05):
Oh, I love, I can't wait till the next issue. Guys,
what do you think let's do?
Speaker 4 (21:11):
And that's why I was having my call with Dubai,
you know, before our call, and I was like, they
were like, so we like to pitch you a Middle
Eastern issue and can you come to Dubai bah Rain, Oman, Qatar, Saudi?
Speaker 3 (21:27):
And I'm like, when do you want me there?
Speaker 1 (21:30):
What a dream?
Speaker 5 (21:31):
What an incredible opportunity just for a girl from Haiti
who's just trying to get some nails going and then
hustles that into a shop, hustles that into a brittle shop,
hustles that into a magazine out of spite, and now
you are making it as a magazine in the year
of our lower twenty twenty five, and not only making it,
(21:53):
but being asked to travel the world.
Speaker 4 (21:55):
And and that that is what keeps me grounded and
humble and helps me to stop whining and complaining about
how difficult.
Speaker 3 (22:08):
It is to live your dreams.
Speaker 4 (22:11):
Because I'm on somebody's plane, on somebody's dime with my publication.
Somebody finds value in it in five six seven star hotels,
eating great food, meeting extraordinary people, meeting like minded people,
being respected, And I only go to places that I'm respected, appreciated.
(22:33):
I'm not pushing myself into anybody's house that does not
want me to be there. See you later. I got
somewhere else to be. I'm not forcing myself onto you.
But now, if you're talking about a public space and
you're talking about you know, public funding, Now that's where
I don't take.
Speaker 3 (22:49):
No for an answer. That I'm like, well, if.
Speaker 4 (22:52):
You're saying that you're inclusive, then what's the difference between
my inclusiveivity and between yours? You know, So I ask questions,
you know, as to it's not that I'm trying to
make a political statement. It's just I need clarity if
you tell me you don't like me, because I just
don't like you.
Speaker 3 (23:14):
Okay, I get it.
Speaker 4 (23:15):
I annoy you. You know you don't like the color.
You don't like the color of my blonde hair.
Speaker 3 (23:20):
That's fine.
Speaker 4 (23:20):
But when Utah start talking, no, it's not raise, it's
not your agenda. But I see everything else that looks
I'm like, wait, either I'm foolish or you're lying, So
which one is it. So I don't mind questioning people,
but I do respect and understand that this is your house.
(23:41):
I have no right to go into your house and
shift furniture and move without your permission and without your invitation.
So that's why I started World Ride magazine. I don't
need to ask permission. I didn't want to ask permission
to put a black woman on the cover, to put
a man on a cover, you know, to put a
wedding planner on the cover.
Speaker 3 (24:02):
I chose to do it. To put a plus sized,
curvy woman on the cover. You know. I don't want
to ask permission because it's mine.
Speaker 4 (24:10):
But I'm very much aware that I do not live
in a community by myself. I live in a diverse community,
and I have to remember who my audience is and
who am I targeting to be able to accurately give
proper information that's going to be useful. But I am
also aware that I'm in business, so there are rules
(24:33):
and regulations that have to be followed. Now, if you
just want to be an artist and you open up
your own gallery and put all your magazine in your
own space, go right ahead into it. But when you
start going into public spaces and going into other demographics
like in the Middle East, my content has to be
specifically geared towards them that it's not offensive, you know.
(24:54):
So I'm not here to change their perspective of anything,
but I'm here as a journal list to document it
to the global audience that is reading my publication or
can become readers of my publication.
Speaker 5 (25:09):
And so you can do all this travel now that
your kids are grown out of the house. It's the
evolution is the perfect timing because you have the space
for people listening to this who are very enthusiastic about
what you've accomplished, and you know, have ideas of their
own to create a magazine or a platform.
Speaker 1 (25:31):
What is your advice to them, Where would you begin now, because.
Speaker 2 (25:36):
Unfortunately cannot begin with a mass space page and the
Yahoo ha ha ha, which you know, but you can
still begin small, like what is your advice to people
who come to you and say, hey, I want I
want information? Do you suggest first and foremost that they
get into founding and publishing their own media.
Speaker 4 (25:55):
Absolutely, I do want to go back to a segment
that you made about space and everything else. And my
kids are grown, No, my kids were, we're not even
well well, my kids were very young when I started this,
like four, six and eight years old.
Speaker 1 (26:17):
Those are the baby time, those are the needia times.
Speaker 3 (26:19):
Those where yeah.
Speaker 4 (26:20):
And so for me again, I think it's my Haitian roots,
and I know there's other cultures that are the same way.
They make children a part of the family business. So
I gave my children responsibility. So by the time they
got to they.
Speaker 3 (26:36):
Can walk to school and come back home.
Speaker 4 (26:39):
And they started to ask for more money, and they
wanted to have cell phones, you know, thirteen years old.
Speaker 3 (26:45):
I told them I don't give.
Speaker 4 (26:47):
Money away, but I can you can work for me
and I will pay you. So if you want anything
outside of my responsibility to feed you, put clothes on
your back, and to keep you safe.
Speaker 3 (27:00):
If you want extra stuff, you're gonna have to work
for it. So they worked for me.
Speaker 4 (27:04):
So after school, my children would come home, would come home,
change your clothes, have their snack, change your clothes, and
they had to be at work at the bridal salon
at four o'clock.
Speaker 3 (27:18):
If they were late, they were docked. And oh yeah, no,
I'm teaching them business.
Speaker 4 (27:23):
And then they each had responsibility receptionists, stocker, marketing person
to help me with the marketing, and you know, clean
janitor do janitorial. So all of my kids had jobs
and positions so that they understood, or they would do delivery.
Hey can you take the magazine to so and so
(27:46):
down the block? Can you drop it off the store?
Can you whatever, So that my children knew the value
that nothing came easy and it wasn't free. And so
when and I did that specifically because I never wanted
to res a having children and I didn't want to
be that parent that said, well, I sacrifice everything for
you to you know, my career. I was like, no,
(28:08):
I'm not going to sacrifice my career. You could be
a part of it, so you could learn a lesson,
and then you can choose which direction you want to go.
Because if I'm happy, I'm going to make you ecteded.
So let mommy be happy doing what she loves and
I will provide for you, and then when it's your turn,
(28:28):
I will foster your dreams as well. So for me,
my children, my family were always a part of it
of my business. That was very important to me, very
and it's still very important to me. So I recommend
for people to get your family involved in whatever it
is that you want to do. If that's your dream,
(28:52):
talk to them about include them and help them, but
don't depend on them.
Speaker 3 (28:56):
That's where we start to fold.
Speaker 4 (28:58):
The minute I'm like, hey, I need you delibery mom,
I'm busy mom.
Speaker 3 (29:02):
I'm I'm like what, I'm your mom? And I was like,
you know what, You're right? I love that.
Speaker 1 (29:08):
I think that's so important.
Speaker 5 (29:09):
I love would you say if I'm happy, I can
make you a static That is such a statement to
live by. And the thing that makes you happy isn't
just worldwide, but also you now have a branding firm.
When did the branding firm start and how does that
incorporate in your mom and Grandma entpreneurship.
Speaker 4 (29:32):
So that started because while I was a celebrity manicurist
and in the later stages when I was making the
transition to exit out of the nail industry.
Speaker 3 (29:44):
The last editorial.
Speaker 4 (29:46):
That I did was with Vogue and an Annie Leibowitz, so.
Speaker 3 (29:51):
American Vogue, I should say. I was like, I made it.
I'm leaving while I'm hot, and I was like out,
you know.
Speaker 4 (30:01):
So I did that, and then and people.
Speaker 3 (30:06):
Started to ask me and mind you I was doing.
Speaker 4 (30:10):
I was doing New York Bridle Fast, I was doing
New York Fashion Week, Miami Swim, London, Paris Fashion Week
as a manicurist. So I was sponsoring shows as a
nail and having a nail team. And then when I
started doing Miami Swim, I now became a producer.
Speaker 3 (30:29):
That's how MLM represents.
Speaker 4 (30:31):
Because people started to ask me, can you put me
in touch with this person, put me in touch with
that person, put me in touch with this person. And
I was like, Okay, wonderful, but I'm gonna be really
honest and frank, and it might be a sensitive thing,
but I rather be honest.
Speaker 3 (30:46):
What I don't mind sharing anything I have you know.
Speaker 4 (30:50):
My girl Tays will tell you the reason why she
and I get along so well is because we share
each other's resources. It's like, hey, I have this, you
have that. You know with this? Hey, can I recommend
you to that? That's always been my nature and I
feel like that's her nature as well.
Speaker 5 (31:07):
And for people listening, that is my wonderful producer of
the show and I who is this random persons bringing up?
Speaker 1 (31:15):
That's my incredible producer. She's the best.
Speaker 5 (31:17):
And she brought your incredibleness to my attention, and I
think that's exactly right.
Speaker 1 (31:23):
I think that's what this show is about.
Speaker 2 (31:25):
It's about recognizing we are not We are all in
this together and it's really important. Now, look, our time
is almost up, but before you go, I have to
make sure that you participate in my favorite segment called
Mompreneur's Manifestation, where every week I ask each of our guests,
what are you trying to make happen for the future
(31:45):
and how can we help bring it into the future
for you.
Speaker 3 (31:47):
I'm trying to.
Speaker 4 (31:50):
Mentor the next generation of publishers and writers, storytellers. I
believe we should be telling our own stories as people
of color. Stop leaving it to other people to celebrate us,
you know, like we did our own legacy ball, Legacy
Ball of Harlem the same day of the met Gala,
(32:11):
because I had to. I wanted Harlem, where I started
the magazine, to know that they were loved and they
were celebrating their They're celebrating their one hundred centennial of
the Harlem Renaissance. So for me, it's important that we
passed the torch to someone else and stop trying to
hoard it to yourself. You can't take it with you
(32:34):
when you're gone, and the museums are filled with treasures
that the Egyptians thought that they could take through their
next life and it's not It hasn't gone anywhere. So
I want us to be sure to help other people.
So I want the support that I would love to
get is support other business.
Speaker 3 (32:53):
You know, pick up the magazine, download the magazine.
Speaker 4 (32:56):
Share it, like it, you know the way I share it,
and like what you do, because we need each other.
It's not a one man show. Success is not limited
to one person in that one space. And when companies
like JP, Morgan and Chase got together, we can do
the same thing.
Speaker 3 (33:15):
So wealthy people know how to collaborate.
Speaker 4 (33:18):
We should learn to do the same thing as smaller
business and figure out how do we share this space.
Speaker 3 (33:24):
There's enough for everyone.
Speaker 2 (33:26):
I love that and I love you. You're absolutely amazing.
You had to tell everyone where they can find you,
your magazine, your branding business, and where they can download
and like and share.
Speaker 4 (33:38):
Just like you said, it's Worldwide Magazine dot com and
it's MLM represent and we're on Instagram, Facebook.
Speaker 3 (33:46):
Those are our two biggest things.
Speaker 4 (33:48):
We're just starting to develop TikTok and a website.
Speaker 3 (33:53):
Please go to our website.
Speaker 4 (33:54):
That's really important, and definitely subscribe to our YouTube channel.
Speaker 3 (33:58):
We're developing that even more and more.
Speaker 4 (34:00):
And request for the magazine and we will be happy
to mail you copies of it. We're looking for new
countries to get into, so if you're in a different
country and you want us to be their senate invitation,
we might just crash your wedding.
Speaker 1 (34:17):
I love it.
Speaker 4 (34:17):
And what's the eurl again, Worldbridemagazine dot com.
Speaker 1 (34:23):
Okay, Worldbridemagazine dot com. You heard it.
Speaker 2 (34:26):
Thank you so much for being here with us. You
are a gem, and thank you all for listening to
and watching morepreneurs as a reminder of brand new episode
goes live each Monday on Urban one podcast Network, Apple Podcasts, Spotify,
or wherever you get your podcasts. Visit urbanwepodcast dot com
to learn more. That's Urban the number one podcast dot com.
Hey, it's your girl, Nancy Redd.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
And this is season four of Mompreneurs, where we celebrate
beautiful black entrepreneurs who are also amazing moms. Now, every
week I'm chatting with my guests about how they're killing
it simultaneously as a business.
Speaker 3 (00:12):
Model and as a mom.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
We're listening to their inspiring journeys and incredible advice. Now,
staying in business for a few years is hard, but
a few decades that's impressive.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
I love a long term mompreneur, and our.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Next guest has been in business for over three decades,
from an og celebrity manicurist to founder and publisher of
World Bridal magazine, and now as a grand mompreneur, she's
founded a branding firm and so much more. We are
so delighted to have Meredith Leon McCormack. Thank you so
much for being here with us.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
Meredith, it is my honor, my honor, thank you.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
You have been evolving your business and growing your business savvy.
And you're such a good role model because to have
a business that you're able to maintain over decades is
super impressive. But before we get too far into the
business side of things, let's get a little personal Who
in your life puts the mom in mompreneur.
Speaker 4 (01:11):
My son, oldest son, Damore Marris, Damore Ashhin Morris, Chanelle
Ashley Morris, and greg John Gregory my son. But Chanew,
my daughter is married and she has made me a grandmother,
a proud grandmother.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
Amazing.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
So this is very wonderful. Does entrepreneurship run in the family.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
Absolutely it does.
Speaker 4 (01:38):
And it's so funny because when they were younger, they
were like, I don't want to work as hard as
you do.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
And now they each have their own ventures.
Speaker 5 (01:46):
One of the things that is important is having representation, right,
like seeing what a business actually looks like when.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
It's being run, like all the hard work. So you
were their role model? Who who inspired you?
Speaker 2 (02:01):
What what gave you the inspiration to become an entrepreneur?
Speaker 3 (02:05):
I honestly have to say it was my mother subconsciously.
Speaker 4 (02:09):
You know, my mom and dad were always together, but
it was always on and off.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
Just life was a little bit kind of tough. They were.
They both came from Haiti. I'm from Haiti.
Speaker 4 (02:21):
We were born in Haiti, and so watching my mom
go to hair school, but she couldn't stay because my
younger sister was ill, she had heart murmurs, she had
asthmas or her health wasn't always the best.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
So my mom would put that down.
Speaker 4 (02:36):
Then she would when things were she thought things were
moving and getting better.
Speaker 3 (02:41):
She went to secretarial arts.
Speaker 4 (02:43):
And she couldn't do that because just different challenges that
happened in life.
Speaker 3 (02:47):
And so I.
Speaker 4 (02:48):
Watched my mom, in my opinion, give up all her
career path choices that she probably wanted to do, and
but yet she maintained a clean household. We ate every
single day, We were well dressed. I want to say,
we were decently behaved. But so I really honestly have
(03:11):
to say it has to be my mom. She taught
me the art of self sacrifice for your family, your children.
She still cares for my dad and she's a minister
as well, So she honestly, I have to say, she's
probably my biggest hero supporter fan.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
I love that and seeing her it just pushed you
to go after your dreams.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
And the first entrepreneurial venture for you was nails.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
Now, when you hear this now, people were just kind
of like, well, you know, everyone's doing nails. Was this
the case back when you became a celebrity manicurist.
Speaker 3 (03:49):
Absolutely not if people don't know, if they do the research.
Speaker 4 (03:54):
It was the Asian community that was every nail salon
was owned by in certain communities, I should say by
an Asian person, and they would be in all our communities,
in black communities. But there was also the Russian community,
and that's where I learned my lessons. I learned how
(04:15):
to be a manicurist from a Russian woman.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
And then on my way to pick up my.
Speaker 4 (04:23):
Certificate after completing the course, I saw this amazing salon
and great painting. It was of a black woman with
her hair adorned. But then I saw this woman braiding
hair in the window, and I saw this other woman
cutting hair, and so I stopped and I asked them
and I'm like, hey, are you guys looking for a manicures?
(04:47):
And they said, we actually are, and they gave me
a shot and a few I think months or year later,
editor Diane Hendy came man who's always getting her hair braided,
got a manicure and pedicure, wrote an article about us
(05:08):
and said that.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
It was the one the best experience that she had.
Speaker 4 (05:12):
I had the bold courage to ask her, Hey, can
I you know, are you looking for No? Can I
advertise in your magazine? She says, honey, it's very expensive,
you will not be able to afford it. But I
am looking for a manicurist on set. Would you like
to do? And I was like, absolu lot like I
(05:32):
didn't know what that meant.
Speaker 3 (05:35):
But that was just the beginning.
Speaker 4 (05:38):
And then at that point, I think there was only
three black manicurists that I was aware of, and that
became the catalyst for me.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
That's amazing, And it must have been such an exciting
thing to go from just being a girl trying to
get her nails certificate and have a little hustle that
she could do to being into this very exciting and
fancy world and turning that into a business. How did
this all morph from just one off opportunity to being
(06:13):
what you used to kind of spearhead all the rest
of your businesses over the next three decades.
Speaker 4 (06:18):
So my background was corporate, so I was in the
finance world, So I was working at Crudential Security, Tia Craft, Savignette.
Speaker 3 (06:30):
My last corporate job was.
Speaker 4 (06:32):
At Merrill Lynch and when nine to eleven happened, I
remember saying you know, praying, and then talking to my
then second husband and said, listen, if I'm going to die,
I don't want to be on my deathbed wishing that
I did something that I could.
Speaker 3 (06:51):
So I'd like to explore this. He's like, go ahead.
Speaker 4 (06:55):
And by then I already had three kids. He had
two kids, so there was five of us, you know,
and we literally I put poured everything into it and
I said, hey, I'm going to try it. And I
tried it, and I'm you know, I made an honest
effort in it. I had a nail salon, I opened
(07:15):
up a bridal salon. You did everything that you had
to because you were now a freelancer. The checks would
were not consistent they you work today, It'll take you
thirty sixty ninety one hundred and twenty days to get paid.
Speaker 3 (07:31):
So there was ways that you had to.
Speaker 4 (07:33):
So thank god I did have a husband that had
a job.
Speaker 3 (07:37):
He continued to work at Mary Lynch.
Speaker 4 (07:38):
Because we both worked there, and I was able to
do that, you know.
Speaker 3 (07:44):
And to fulfill my dreams and to start it.
Speaker 4 (07:47):
It wasn't easy at all at all, and being a mom,
and I think it's interesting back in that era, in
the early nineties to late nineties, late early two thousands.
I never told anybody that I had children because I
was afraid that they wouldn't hire me or they would
(08:08):
think that I wouldn't show up for the jobs, you know,
So a lot of them didn't know. I think it
was my second, third, third second agency, Jump Management. Deerdred
that I opened up to her and I told her
that I am a mother of three children and sometimes
(08:35):
I might not be able to take a job, and
then she bear with me. But I never turned down
a job, so it has it. I just wanted to
prepare her just in case I couldn't, and so we
had a system. This was before cell phones, so it
was interesting. She would call me. I would call her
at the end of the day to see if there
was anything for the next day, and then I would
(08:57):
call her first thing in the morning and I dropped
the kids off, and then when I would get home,
I would call her again and said did anything come
in after being between me dropping the kids off from school?
And this woman literally spearheaded my career. So it was
Bradley Curry Management, Jump Management. Then it was I think
(09:19):
it was a Ford Modeling Ford Modeling Agency had just
opened up their talent side and then I closed my
career at Factory Downtown, you know, so I had fnominal
support that they eventually were like whatever.
Speaker 3 (09:38):
I remember.
Speaker 4 (09:38):
We had a photo shoot to do and it was
I forgot the name of the photographer that was working
on it. He was shooting a book, a coffee table
book about hands and he needed a manicures and he
said it was with Stanley Tucci and Edie Falcon and
it came in so late.
Speaker 3 (09:55):
And that was when I had my youngest son, John,
and I was like, I don't have a babysitter.
Speaker 4 (10:01):
She says, hold on, if we have to, you'll drop
the baby off to me. I'll watch the baby and
then you go and do the job. It's an in
and out job. And she calls me back and says, hey,
the photographer said, bring the baby, He'll watch the baby.
Speaker 3 (10:16):
You know it's going to be in between whatever. I
should have taken this picture.
Speaker 4 (10:22):
A Stanley Tucci was rolling around within the floor with
my son, you know what I'm saying. So that's one
of the fond memories of that I can joyfully say
about my career that people were willing to work with you.
Speaker 3 (10:36):
I was just.
Speaker 4 (10:37):
Afraid that it wouldn't have been that easy, but I've
been blessed.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
That's incredible. I love that, and it's a great example
of when you're true to yourself and you're.
Speaker 5 (10:46):
Open and honest, the right people get it. And I
wish you had a picture of your baby, Stanley Tucci.
Speaker 2 (10:54):
I think that's phenomenal. And you mentioned you closed out
that career. What made you transition from bridal store nails,
salon celebrity nails into your next iterations Because I think
one of the things that people.
Speaker 5 (11:06):
Think when they think of an entrepreneur is.
Speaker 2 (11:08):
Okay, well, if this fails or if this doesn't work
out to my liking, I just not meant to do this.
I'm just you know, I got one business idea and
that's it.
Speaker 1 (11:16):
But that's not the way this works.
Speaker 4 (11:18):
I knew I always wanted to be in fashion always.
That was always my thing. I just started off a
different way. But I'm so glad I started off in
business because it helped me to build my success for
my business because I knew what to do, so for me,
the transitions will happen because of necessity. You know, the
(11:43):
best inventions come from necessity. So I knew I wanted
to be home with my children.
Speaker 3 (11:51):
I knew it had to be flexible.
Speaker 4 (11:53):
So when I started to have children, I transitioned not
to a full time job that were permanent, but I
went into temp agencies and I started to tempting because
I can choose whether or not I can stay or
take an assignment and still get really good money. So
(12:15):
for me, it's about understanding that you need to pivot
if you want your dreams to work, if you want
to survive, if you want to live, if you want
to thrive. So I think any career path anyone takes,
it's about understanding.
Speaker 3 (12:28):
That you should pivot. I don't.
Speaker 4 (12:31):
I have this sign that my assistant sent me, and
it says failure and opportunities. Failure is crossed out because
what society has labeled as failure is really an opportunity
for you to either.
Speaker 3 (12:47):
Learn a lesson, teach a lesson, or shift years. It's
not that something went wrong.
Speaker 4 (12:55):
It probably just wasn't for you, or the timing was
off or something, or you brought in the wrong people,
or you share the wrong your dreams with the wrong
people or something, and then you needed to be it
to be tweeked, you know what I'm saying, And that's
how I looked at it. So doing the transitions everything
that I did, and believe you mean, people clowned me
(13:17):
and they were like, oh my god, you're.
Speaker 3 (13:19):
All over the place. You're doing too much, You're doing this,
And I'm like, wait, am I crazy? What's wrong? Yes?
I am crazy? But I accept that. For why is
it that everybody has this problem with.
Speaker 4 (13:30):
Me pursuing my dreams and doing all these things? And
I just chalk it up to being you're too afraid
to try your own dreams, so you need to project
your fears unto me and you want to maybe not
(13:50):
intentionally make me feel bad, but it does hurt, and
then it makes you doubt yourself. But then I'm of
the the mindset of oh you told me no, Oh
you said I can't do it, watch me, I'll be back,
you know.
Speaker 3 (14:07):
That kind of spirit. You know, I don't know if
it's that Haitian revolution in me.
Speaker 5 (14:11):
That's not gonna say like immigrants get it done as
they you know, it's just like you're just like And
I think that's a really important thing because a lot
of times people in particular with children.
Speaker 1 (14:21):
People think, well, you just need.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
To have more stable situation, you need to focus on
your family. But in some ways people don't realize that
that's what you're doing. You're building a business for them
to have so that you're not just left out in
the cold. Because one of the interesting things about being
a manicurist is that's just if you. You're the one
that's doing the work, so you can't pass that on.
(14:44):
But when we transform from manicurists to magazines, that's something
that has more legs and that you've been working with
for quite some time.
Speaker 3 (14:52):
That was the transition. I always loved writing.
Speaker 4 (14:55):
I was more of a creative writer, and being on
set is what enabled me to transition into writing. And
I remember asking some of the editors how come there's
no black models.
Speaker 3 (15:08):
Why don't you have any black models? And they're like oh.
Speaker 4 (15:12):
Then they were like, oh, but she's black, and I'm like,
she's Latina.
Speaker 3 (15:16):
Ask her she thinks you black?
Speaker 4 (15:19):
You know?
Speaker 3 (15:19):
Ask her?
Speaker 4 (15:20):
You know?
Speaker 3 (15:20):
You hear that I know black. I know black.
Speaker 4 (15:22):
So I was like, now we need to It was
very important that we see we see ourselves in order
to achieve certain things, and I think things translate better
when you see yourself. You know, if I'm trying to
get everybody, I can't only have one picture of one person.
(15:45):
So for me, I asked the question too many and
I think it was as a joke. The young lady
said it to me and she said, well, you asked
too many questions.
Speaker 3 (15:55):
I think you should start your own magazine.
Speaker 4 (15:57):
I'm like, I will, And I did did it as
a joke, and you know, just trying to see if
I could do it, and again being in the right
place at the right time, with the right people. I
asked all my friends that were makeup artists, photographers and
everything else that we used to test. There was a
period of it in time where we all tested together.
Speaker 3 (16:16):
You know, I have a creative idea. Let's go do
a shoot together.
Speaker 4 (16:19):
We all get together on a Saturday, spend all day
pull clothes, hair, makeup, styling. I'm talking about with Chuck Amos,
Michael Brandt, I'm working with the biggest icons, and we
were all just testing, you know, stylists, just coming up
with creative stuff, and all of a sudden I see
(16:39):
it and I'm like, I can do this. But it
was my bridal salon when people would come in and
they would say, oh I brought I thought this was good.
I want this item. I want this item. What do
you think do you carry this? And that's when I said, hey,
if everybody and then photographers and different people were coming
to me and and giving me their cards to promote
(17:02):
their businesses in my salon, I was like, hmm, but
I'm spending thousands of dollars to be in Martha Stuart,
we Wedding, Elegant, bride in style, weddings, all these and
I'm spending thousands. And I said, let me do some
research and see how much it would cost me to
(17:23):
put together a booklet a magazine to start, you know,
to give out the information. I use it as a
marketing tool and that's the marketing part of me. And
I did it, and I did the first issue. And
when I did the first issue, literally I had over
forty thousand requests, you know, from doing events, you know,
(17:46):
saying hey, we'd like to get a copy.
Speaker 3 (17:48):
Oh, we'd like to get a copy. Oh, we'd love
to get it. And I'm like, this is not a
real magazine. It was just when the internet just started.
That's amazing.
Speaker 5 (17:56):
So you got emails yes, oh, my gosh, and this
is back when it wasn't like Gmail, you had.
Speaker 4 (18:03):
Individually clique yep, it was I think it was Yahoo
or something one of those. And then I even had
a MySpace page and all of this stuff.
Speaker 3 (18:16):
And I was just willing to try anything.
Speaker 4 (18:18):
Because I had to fill in my checks because they
would take thirty sixty ninety days to get paid, so
I had to fill something. And then I was giving
tips to brides that were coming into my store. I
was going to the bridal shows, I was going to events.
So I was like, hey, I can just give out information.
(18:38):
And then it gave birth to the magazine. And so
every time somebody would come into my store or I
had friends that were coming into the store, I would
give them ten copies of the magazine and tell them
to take it with them to whatever country or state
they were in.
Speaker 3 (18:56):
And that's how the word started.
Speaker 4 (18:58):
Then we got it into two hundred and forty seven
bookstores because we got it into Barnes and Nobles. Wow.
Speaker 3 (19:04):
You know, because I worked with another small.
Speaker 4 (19:08):
Magazine owner, you know, an independent magazine owner, you know,
George Connelson. He owned I forget the name. I think
it was Latina something it's gonna come to me. But
he did it, and he's like, oh, let.
Speaker 3 (19:21):
Me introduce you to this.
Speaker 4 (19:22):
And then his magazine distributor marketing person, Domingo, He's like, oh,
I'll get you into Barnes and Nobles.
Speaker 3 (19:32):
I'll get you into these.
Speaker 4 (19:33):
I got myself into smaller bookstores, but they got me
into Barnes and Nobles.
Speaker 3 (19:38):
You know, So again.
Speaker 4 (19:40):
Being blessed with good people and surrounding yourself with the
right people that have the share the share the same
vision as you.
Speaker 3 (19:47):
I think that's really what I didn't do this on
my own. You know the concept and mine.
Speaker 2 (19:53):
The concept is yourge, but it's a group effort. And
also the concept has to keep evolving because when we
hear this right, it's like we all are nostalgic for
the magazine racket Barnes and Nobles, and most of us
no longer to live near a Barnes and Noble. Most
magazines and bookstores are shuttered.
Speaker 1 (20:10):
But not world.
Speaker 5 (20:11):
Brad, you pivot, You are continuing to make moves with this.
You changed your business model. What is your advice for
other people who love what.
Speaker 2 (20:23):
They do but the world is no longer a fan
of brick and mortar is no longer feasible to make
money with paper products A lot of times.
Speaker 1 (20:32):
How did you make these transitions?
Speaker 4 (20:38):
I figure I'm still making the transitions because every after
every issue is done, I swear to you, I'm like,
this is the last issue I've had.
Speaker 1 (20:46):
And how many issues do you publish a year?
Speaker 3 (20:48):
Four? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (20:51):
And what and and and and why do you Why
are you disgruntled after you've published the issue?
Speaker 1 (20:57):
Why do you think I can't do this again?
Speaker 3 (21:00):
No, I'm disgruntled while I'm doing it.
Speaker 1 (21:04):
But then the baby is born and you're like.
Speaker 3 (21:05):
Oh, I love, I can't wait till the next issue. Guys,
what do you think let's do?
Speaker 4 (21:11):
And that's why I was having my call with Dubai,
you know, before our call, and I was like, they
were like, so we like to pitch you a Middle
Eastern issue and can you come to Dubai bah Rain, Oman, Qatar, Saudi?
Speaker 3 (21:27):
And I'm like, when do you want me there?
Speaker 1 (21:30):
What a dream?
Speaker 5 (21:31):
What an incredible opportunity just for a girl from Haiti
who's just trying to get some nails going and then
hustles that into a shop, hustles that into a brittle shop,
hustles that into a magazine out of spite, and now
you are making it as a magazine in the year
of our lower twenty twenty five, and not only making it,
(21:53):
but being asked to travel the world.
Speaker 4 (21:55):
And and that that is what keeps me grounded and
humble and helps me to stop whining and complaining about
how difficult.
Speaker 3 (22:08):
It is to live your dreams.
Speaker 4 (22:11):
Because I'm on somebody's plane, on somebody's dime with my publication.
Somebody finds value in it in five six seven star hotels,
eating great food, meeting extraordinary people, meeting like minded people,
being respected, And I only go to places that I'm respected, appreciated.
(22:33):
I'm not pushing myself into anybody's house that does not
want me to be there. See you later. I got
somewhere else to be. I'm not forcing myself onto you.
But now, if you're talking about a public space and
you're talking about you know, public funding, Now that's where
I don't take.
Speaker 3 (22:49):
No for an answer. That I'm like, well, if.
Speaker 4 (22:52):
You're saying that you're inclusive, then what's the difference between
my inclusiveivity and between yours? You know, So I ask questions,
you know, as to it's not that I'm trying to
make a political statement. It's just I need clarity if
you tell me you don't like me, because I just
don't like you.
Speaker 3 (23:14):
Okay, I get it.
Speaker 4 (23:15):
I annoy you. You know you don't like the color.
You don't like the color of my blonde hair.
Speaker 3 (23:20):
That's fine.
Speaker 4 (23:20):
But when Utah start talking, no, it's not raise, it's
not your agenda. But I see everything else that looks
I'm like, wait, either I'm foolish or you're lying, So
which one is it. So I don't mind questioning people,
but I do respect and understand that this is your house.
(23:41):
I have no right to go into your house and
shift furniture and move without your permission and without your invitation.
So that's why I started World Ride magazine. I don't
need to ask permission. I didn't want to ask permission
to put a black woman on the cover, to put
a man on a cover, you know, to put a
wedding planner on the cover.
Speaker 3 (24:02):
I chose to do it. To put a plus sized,
curvy woman on the cover. You know. I don't want
to ask permission because it's mine.
Speaker 4 (24:10):
But I'm very much aware that I do not live
in a community by myself. I live in a diverse community,
and I have to remember who my audience is and
who am I targeting to be able to accurately give
proper information that's going to be useful. But I am
also aware that I'm in business, so there are rules
(24:33):
and regulations that have to be followed. Now, if you
just want to be an artist and you open up
your own gallery and put all your magazine in your
own space, go right ahead into it. But when you
start going into public spaces and going into other demographics
like in the Middle East, my content has to be
specifically geared towards them that it's not offensive, you know.
(24:54):
So I'm not here to change their perspective of anything,
but I'm here as a journal list to document it
to the global audience that is reading my publication or
can become readers of my publication.
Speaker 5 (25:09):
And so you can do all this travel now that
your kids are grown out of the house. It's the
evolution is the perfect timing because you have the space
for people listening to this who are very enthusiastic about
what you've accomplished, and you know, have ideas of their
own to create a magazine or a platform.
Speaker 1 (25:31):
What is your advice to them, Where would you begin now, because.
Speaker 2 (25:36):
Unfortunately cannot begin with a mass space page and the
Yahoo ha ha ha, which you know, but you can
still begin small, like what is your advice to people
who come to you and say, hey, I want I
want information? Do you suggest first and foremost that they
get into founding and publishing their own media.
Speaker 4 (25:55):
Absolutely, I do want to go back to a segment
that you made about space and everything else. And my
kids are grown, No, my kids were, we're not even
well well, my kids were very young when I started this,
like four, six and eight years old.
Speaker 1 (26:17):
Those are the baby time, those are the needia times.
Speaker 3 (26:19):
Those where yeah.
Speaker 4 (26:20):
And so for me again, I think it's my Haitian roots,
and I know there's other cultures that are the same way.
They make children a part of the family business. So
I gave my children responsibility. So by the time they
got to they.
Speaker 3 (26:36):
Can walk to school and come back home.
Speaker 4 (26:39):
And they started to ask for more money, and they
wanted to have cell phones, you know, thirteen years old.
Speaker 3 (26:45):
I told them I don't give.
Speaker 4 (26:47):
Money away, but I can you can work for me
and I will pay you. So if you want anything
outside of my responsibility to feed you, put clothes on
your back, and to keep you safe.
Speaker 3 (27:00):
If you want extra stuff, you're gonna have to work
for it. So they worked for me.
Speaker 4 (27:04):
So after school, my children would come home, would come home,
change your clothes, have their snack, change your clothes, and
they had to be at work at the bridal salon
at four o'clock.
Speaker 3 (27:18):
If they were late, they were docked. And oh yeah, no,
I'm teaching them business.
Speaker 4 (27:23):
And then they each had responsibility receptionists, stocker, marketing person
to help me with the marketing, and you know, clean
janitor do janitorial. So all of my kids had jobs
and positions so that they understood, or they would do delivery.
Hey can you take the magazine to so and so
(27:46):
down the block? Can you drop it off the store?
Can you whatever, So that my children knew the value
that nothing came easy and it wasn't free. And so
when and I did that specifically because I never wanted
to res a having children and I didn't want to
be that parent that said, well, I sacrifice everything for
you to you know, my career. I was like, no,
(28:08):
I'm not going to sacrifice my career. You could be
a part of it, so you could learn a lesson,
and then you can choose which direction you want to go.
Because if I'm happy, I'm going to make you ecteded.
So let mommy be happy doing what she loves and
I will provide for you, and then when it's your turn,
(28:28):
I will foster your dreams as well. So for me,
my children, my family were always a part of it
of my business. That was very important to me, very
and it's still very important to me. So I recommend
for people to get your family involved in whatever it
is that you want to do. If that's your dream,
(28:52):
talk to them about include them and help them, but
don't depend on them.
Speaker 3 (28:56):
That's where we start to fold.
Speaker 4 (28:58):
The minute I'm like, hey, I need you delibery mom,
I'm busy mom.
Speaker 3 (29:02):
I'm I'm like what, I'm your mom? And I was like,
you know what, You're right? I love that.
Speaker 1 (29:08):
I think that's so important.
Speaker 5 (29:09):
I love would you say if I'm happy, I can
make you a static That is such a statement to
live by. And the thing that makes you happy isn't
just worldwide, but also you now have a branding firm.
When did the branding firm start and how does that
incorporate in your mom and Grandma entpreneurship.
Speaker 4 (29:32):
So that started because while I was a celebrity manicurist
and in the later stages when I was making the
transition to exit out of the nail industry.
Speaker 3 (29:44):
The last editorial.
Speaker 4 (29:46):
That I did was with Vogue and an Annie Leibowitz, so.
Speaker 3 (29:51):
American Vogue, I should say. I was like, I made it.
I'm leaving while I'm hot, and I was like out,
you know.
Speaker 4 (30:01):
So I did that, and then and people.
Speaker 3 (30:06):
Started to ask me and mind you I was doing.
Speaker 4 (30:10):
I was doing New York Bridle Fast, I was doing
New York Fashion Week, Miami Swim, London, Paris Fashion Week
as a manicurist. So I was sponsoring shows as a
nail and having a nail team. And then when I
started doing Miami Swim, I now became a producer.
Speaker 3 (30:29):
That's how MLM represents.
Speaker 4 (30:31):
Because people started to ask me, can you put me
in touch with this person, put me in touch with
that person, put me in touch with this person. And
I was like, Okay, wonderful, but I'm gonna be really
honest and frank, and it might be a sensitive thing,
but I rather be honest.
Speaker 3 (30:46):
What I don't mind sharing anything I have you know.
Speaker 4 (30:50):
My girl Tays will tell you the reason why she
and I get along so well is because we share
each other's resources. It's like, hey, I have this, you
have that. You know with this? Hey, can I recommend
you to that? That's always been my nature and I
feel like that's her nature as well.
Speaker 5 (31:07):
And for people listening, that is my wonderful producer of
the show and I who is this random persons bringing up?
Speaker 1 (31:15):
That's my incredible producer. She's the best.
Speaker 5 (31:17):
And she brought your incredibleness to my attention, and I
think that's exactly right.
Speaker 1 (31:23):
I think that's what this show is about.
Speaker 2 (31:25):
It's about recognizing we are not We are all in
this together and it's really important. Now, look, our time
is almost up, but before you go, I have to
make sure that you participate in my favorite segment called
Mompreneur's Manifestation, where every week I ask each of our guests,
what are you trying to make happen for the future
(31:45):
and how can we help bring it into the future
for you.
Speaker 3 (31:47):
I'm trying to.
Speaker 4 (31:50):
Mentor the next generation of publishers and writers, storytellers. I
believe we should be telling our own stories as people
of color. Stop leaving it to other people to celebrate us,
you know, like we did our own legacy ball, Legacy
Ball of Harlem the same day of the met Gala,
(32:11):
because I had to. I wanted Harlem, where I started
the magazine, to know that they were loved and they
were celebrating their They're celebrating their one hundred centennial of
the Harlem Renaissance. So for me, it's important that we
passed the torch to someone else and stop trying to
hoard it to yourself. You can't take it with you
(32:34):
when you're gone, and the museums are filled with treasures
that the Egyptians thought that they could take through their
next life and it's not It hasn't gone anywhere. So
I want us to be sure to help other people.
So I want the support that I would love to
get is support other business.
Speaker 3 (32:53):
You know, pick up the magazine, download the magazine.
Speaker 4 (32:56):
Share it, like it, you know the way I share it,
and like what you do, because we need each other.
It's not a one man show. Success is not limited
to one person in that one space. And when companies
like JP, Morgan and Chase got together, we can do
the same thing.
Speaker 3 (33:15):
So wealthy people know how to collaborate.
Speaker 4 (33:18):
We should learn to do the same thing as smaller
business and figure out how do we share this space.
Speaker 3 (33:24):
There's enough for everyone.
Speaker 2 (33:26):
I love that and I love you. You're absolutely amazing.
You had to tell everyone where they can find you,
your magazine, your branding business, and where they can download
and like and share.
Speaker 4 (33:38):
Just like you said, it's Worldwide Magazine dot com and
it's MLM represent and we're on Instagram, Facebook.
Speaker 3 (33:46):
Those are our two biggest things.
Speaker 4 (33:48):
We're just starting to develop TikTok and a website.
Speaker 3 (33:53):
Please go to our website.
Speaker 4 (33:54):
That's really important, and definitely subscribe to our YouTube channel.
Speaker 3 (33:58):
We're developing that even more and more.
Speaker 4 (34:00):
And request for the magazine and we will be happy
to mail you copies of it. We're looking for new
countries to get into, so if you're in a different
country and you want us to be their senate invitation,
we might just crash your wedding.
Speaker 1 (34:17):
I love it.
Speaker 4 (34:17):
And what's the eurl again, Worldbridemagazine dot com.
Speaker 1 (34:23):
Okay, Worldbridemagazine dot com. You heard it.
Speaker 2 (34:26):
Thank you so much for being here with us. You
are a gem, and thank you all for listening to
and watching morepreneurs as a reminder of brand new episode
goes live each Monday on Urban one podcast Network, Apple Podcasts, Spotify,
or wherever you get your podcasts. Visit urbanwepodcast dot com
to learn more. That's Urban the number one podcast dot com.
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