Honey & Hustle

Kasem Rodriguez Mohsen is one of the co-founders of Equilibrium Ventures, a venture capital fund based in Winston-Salem, NC. Venture capital isn't typically a space where minority founders are successful, and not all funders have been entrepreneurs themselves. I was super interested in Kasem's perspective on business funding, as he's been a serial entrepreneur who's had 3 exits (aka sold his businesses). This intimate conversation ...

Shannon Healy is the founder and owner of Alley Twenty Six, a staple cocktail bar in downtown Durham. This James Beard Award nominee and restaurant owner shared his journey to creating and sustaining this bar from day 1 to now. We talked about how the bar got its name, the evolution of the food and alcohol scene in downtown Durham, and his North Star – investing in educating his customers and employees while selfishly creating some...

In this special financial roundtable episode of Honey & Hustle, I am joined by Andrea Inoken and Corey Barbour to discuss grant funding and securing commercial loans. While offering free money to businesses, grants can be highly competitive. Entrepreneurs should align their business with organizations that match their industry or geographical location to enhance their chances of securing grants successfully. Grants also often c...

In this episode with Henry Woodbridge, founder of the Mapt app, we discuss nontraditional paths to education for high school seniors. We dive into the challenges of college decision-making and the importance of informed choices. This ed-tech founder is creating software solutions to empower students navigating the college admissions and scholarship application processes. By offering tools for self-reflection, campus exploration, an...

In this episode of Honey and Hustle, I speak with Deshawn Brown, co-founder of Coworks, an app that powers coworking spaces. We discuss how coworking spaces can facilitate business growth and the importance of in-person collaboration. Deshawn shares his own experiences as a coworking space member and highlights the pain points that led to the creation of Coworks. Tune in to learn more about the benefits of coworking and how it can ...

In this episode of Honey & Hustle, I interview Taylor Adams, the founder of Scrapped Productions. We discuss the importance of maintaining creative integrity while pivoting your niche or purpose. Taylor shares his journey from working in the athletic department at North Carolina State University to starting his own production company. The conversation also touches on the term "content creator" and its implications. We argue tha...

Changing things up a bit today with a solo episode! I'm sharing 12 ways you can grow your creative business this year. These are strategies, habits, and tactics that I use in my own business and that can prove helpful across different creative and entrepreneurial disciplines.

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In this episode of Honey and Hustle, I speak with Stephanie Reed, the founder of Aspire2Higher. Stephanie shares how she is bringing together hip-hop, higher education, and lasting career change. The conversation explores the importance of diversity and inclusion in the workforce and how Stephanie's business helps people connect their passions and values to their careers. Tune in to learn more about this innovative approach to care...

Chisa Pennix-Brown is the founder of Lady Bizness and Give It to the People. We talked about the origin of the name Lady Bizness (it's probably what you think), how she separated her business persona from her personal brand, and how she started Give it to the People with her husband. Between laughs, I got to hear about her approach to forming genuine connections and relationships. She's a speaker, event curator, and author who brou...

In this episode, I speak with serial entrepreneur Angela Salamanca about her journey of starting businesses as an immigrant. Learn how Angela turned her labor of love into a legacy of inclusion with ventures like Gallo Pelon, Centro, and Ex-Voto. Discover how necessity drives creativity, leading many immigrants to entrepreneurship out of a need for financial stability. Angela emphasizes the importance of inclusivity, community buil...

In this episode of Honey and Hustle, I interview Ryan O'Donnell, co-founder of EmployUs, a company that has since been acquired by Hireology. Ryan shares his experience of selling his company and provides insights on how others can do the same. Ryan shares how he had to relinquish control and trust a larger team after the acquisition. Listeners will learn valuable insights on selling a company and the great things (and challenges) ...

As a first-generation college graduate, keynote speaker, podcaster, and founder of multiple businesses, Dr. Evingerlean Blakney shared her incredible journey of becoming a serial entrepreneur.

We delved into the unique challenges faced by first-generation college students, particularly at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs). Dr. Blakney opened up about her personal experie...

In this insightful episode of Honey and Hustle, I had the pleasure of speaking with Ed Ross, the founder of Core AI. Our conversation delved into the nuances of authentic leadership and the transformative power of effective communication in the workplace. Ed emphasized that time does not equate to experience or expertise, and that individuals should be encouraged to lead in areas where they excel.

We explored the importance of stor...

In this episode of the podcast, I sit down with Nish Evans, the founder of Lennox & Grae. Nish is a real estate investor and general contractor who is shaping Durham's skyline one building at a time. Nish shares her journey from banking to venture capital to real estate development, highlighting the importance of curiosity and being open to new opportunities. She discusses the strategic planning behind her projects, including t...

In this episode of Honey and Hustle, I'm joined by Charles Inoken, the co-founder of Cadence Cash. We discuss the connection between equity and access to business capital. Charles shares his journey in finance and how he realized the importance of equal access to capital for education, health, and ownership.

Cadence Cash provides access to experts who can offer guidance on topics such as creating financial statements, developing a ...

In this special bonus episode of the Honey & Hustle podcast, Dane Cardiel, the founder of GoodTape and a member of the Gumball team shares his perspective on community fractures in podcasting and discusses the importance of innovation in marketing efforts. We recorded this episode at Resonate Podcast Festival, the perfect backdrop for this conversation about podcasting and podcast monetization. We delve into the importance of u...

It’s not often I get to record a conversation with a friend just because, but I’m happy I recorded this one with Flo Lumsden. Maybe you’ve heard of her? She’s the founder of Chorus Studios and co-host of the Why Raleigh? Podcast. We talked about:

• creating branded B2B podcasts
• some of our favorite video podcasts
• digital tools and platforms we’re using and playing around with

And probably a lot more because we were just rel...

In this special recap episode, we cover the highlights of Honey & Hustle's biggest season yet. With 44 interviews, the podcast crosses the 100-episode milestone and garners over 10,000 combined views and streams. Angela shares her personal journey as a host, discusses the season's recurring themes like entrepreneurship, team leadership, and mental health, and teases what to expect in the upcoming Season 4.

Key Takeaways:

In this special highlight episode, we share some of our favorite moments and lessons learned from season three of Honey & Hustle. The episode features impactful nonprofits, funny moments, duos, athletes, artists and creators, food entrepreneurs, book authors, and mentors.

Our guests discussed topics like the advantages of running startups under a nonprofit umbrella, the challenges and rewards of transitioning from sports to lif...