March 13, 2025 • 57 mins
On episode 2 of the More for Me and You Podcast we welcome the CEO and Founder of AfroUnicorn April Showers. We get the chance to hear about her journey, how she keeps things magical, and what the future holds for her company. Then we break down a documentary playing for free on Mometu that sparked her interest, Testimonies of Faith: Humble Journeys. Lock in and get ready to be magical.
Episode Features:
- Intro
- Interview with April Showers
- Small Business Shoutout: Demi Lauren Studios
- This or That?
- Podcast Promotion: No Film School
- Movie Review: Testimonies of Faith Humble Journey's
Follow us on Instagram or TikTok for BTS footage @mometupodcast & do not forget to download the Mometu app and watch movies for free today.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey everyone, welcome back to the More For Me and you
podcast, and on today's episodewe welcome guest April Showers.
She's the CEO of Afro Unicornand later on we actually talk
about a film that she chosethat's playing for free on
Momitu, the Testimonies of FaithHumble Journeys.
So if you want to learn how tobe magical, let's go jump into
(00:22):
the pod.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Yeah, that's right.
Jump into the pod morning ifyou hustle, high hustle.
You can never waste a moment.
That's more for me and you.
That's more for me and you.
That's more for me and you.
That's more for me and you.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
Let's go we met in can such a crazy place like
we're so close to each other.
I'm in orange county here in la.
It's just like crazy that wedid not meet beforehand.
And of course we meet at arandom party in Cannes, like so
wild.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
And mentioning that I always run into you.
Yes, there.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
Like I mean every turn, it was like every single
turn, you and Alpha, like it wasjust like up the stairs,
there's April Go to the party.
There's April, like it was ever.
Like here's an elevator, aprilcomes out of it.
It just, it was so wild.
It was so meant to be for us tomeet, so I'm so glad that we
did and so glad that it led usto be here.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
It was magical it was magical.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
There was only something else that was magical.
I think we'll get into that alittle bit later.
But, april so glad to have youhere, get to talk with you.
I would personally because Iwe've talked a lot about
business and we've talked abouta lot about just Afro Unicorn
and its current journey I'd liketo get to know a little bit
more about you.
So I mean, who is April Showers?
(01:54):
Where did she come from?
Like, tell us a little bitabout how you grew up and how
you became the person you aretoday born and raised here in
Los Angeles, south, southCentral, 89th and Westerns, my
hometown.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
I have two parents, so people first off they always
want to know April Showers, isthat your real name?
1,000%.
My father is Herman Showers, soHerman and Carlette had April
Showers in the early 80s.
Let's just call it 80.
I don't care about my age.
Um well, I just I just turned40.
(02:28):
Oh wow, I just had my birthdaythis past sunday happy birthday
thank you, you don't need tosend me a song so I I grew up
with my mom and my dad in southla and I attended um local
schools in englewood and la andthen I got into the magnet
program.
I don't know if you were fromLos Angeles or from the area but
(02:50):
we have this thing called themagnet program, which allowed
you to go to schools outside ofyour area.
And I actually went to schoolout here in Hollywood.
I went to Bancroft Junior HighSchool.
Of course it's a middle schoolnow, but I was in performing
arts.
I've always been a dancer verycool.
Speaker 1 (03:06):
I did not know that about you.
Yeah, what kind of dance didyou do?
Ballet, tap, jazz, modern, allof it yeah, so one day, dancing
with the stars is gonna have tocome calling it has to happen at
some point.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
But I have to get you know my levels up.
But yeah, eventually they willcall me.
I didn't think about that.
I'll go ahead and I'll put thaton the list.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
One thing I know about you is that you have a
vision board and you puteverything your little mind puts
like just it's crazy how muchyou've done and it's always on
your vision board and you I lovethat you talk a lot about that
within your journey.
Yeah, about About just thingsthat are like, no, I'm going to
do this and people are like,well, are you sure You're like
it's on my vision board, Likeit's going?
Speaker 3 (03:49):
to happen, right, if I wrote it down Some things,
though, and we'll talk about itlater, but it's like, until I
can really see it I'm kind oflike iffy about it, but if I
could see it it's a go greenlights everywhere awesome going
(04:11):
back to your childhood,obviously getting going to
medical school dancer.
Speaker 1 (04:14):
What came about from there?
Speaker 3 (04:15):
and I went to LA County High School for the Arts
and I was not your normalteenager, your normal high
schooler.
I was very active in the cityof Los Angeles.
I was not your normal teenager,your normal high schooler.
I was very active in the cityof Los Angeles.
I was the first youthcommissioner under Mayor Richard
Reardon where we establishedChildren's, youth and Families
(04:36):
Commission and I also had a talkshow, la Youth Speaks Out.
I had 46 absents on my senioryear because I was doing
official city business.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
I wish I could have that much absence from school,
but it was excused so it was allapproved.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
It was all approved.
I was named, at the age of 14,15, the youngest youth activist
in the city of Los Angeles bythe LA Times.
Speaker 1 (05:04):
That's amazing.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
I've been doing this for a long time.
Speaker 1 (05:06):
That is so incredible , so okay, so okay, that's his
place.
Speaker 3 (05:10):
What's?
Speaker 1 (05:10):
the next?
What's the next piece?
Speaker 3 (05:11):
Oh my gosh.
So that's just the.
I'm telling you like the typeof child that I was.
Like I, my father, just heturned 87 in october and he goes
to work every day and wow, somy, I had an older father.
So I grew up with motown and zzhills, down home blues my first
(05:33):
song at the age of two that Iwas seeing.
So I had a very um old soul,and I'm saying all this because
it matters to the way I move inmy life.
I lived on 89th and Western, butmy mother made sure I stayed
outside of the area, like evenmy schools.
I went to school in Hollywoodand I went to high school at Cal
(05:55):
State, la, and even on theweekends when we wanted to go
eat we were out in Beverly Hillsor PV or she just always kept
me outside of my inner city.
Yeah, and it helped mevisualize.
So I remember we would takedrives.
We would like take PCH toMalibu or PCH the other way, and
(06:17):
I always wanted to have a houseon the hill with the ocean on
the other side of me.
Speaker 1 (06:22):
And that vision came true, Of course.
So that's just.
That's really cool.
It's a very unique story andI've heard it before from other
people like making sure that youare taken out of what could
potentially keep you away, yourenvironment.
Yeah, because there's a lot ofpeople that are unfortunate.
They don't get to leave wherethey are right and they stay
(06:44):
there, and then obviously theydon't have the dreams and
visions come true and come tolife.
Because kids do dream, nomatter where they are, and I
love that you're doing that withyour company, so let's kind of
jump into that a little bit.
Speaker 3 (07:02):
Unless there's any more steps in the way that I'm
not missing there, just that.
I had an entrepreneurial spiritat a very young age, like I was
in real estate and I have aninsurance agency.
And then this unicorn businesscame about.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
And that came around.
About what time?
When did you start kind ofdreaming of Afro Unicorn as a
business, or even just as anidea, as a character?
Speaker 3 (07:22):
As an idea, it was 2018, because a friend kept
referring to me as a unicorn.
But he had been calling me aunicorn for a couple of years
and then, finally, one day, Ijust said, cortez, why do you
keep calling me a unicorn?
He said, well, because, april,you're raising your boys.
I'm a single mom with twoamazing boys.
One just went off to LSU.
(07:43):
Single mom with two amazingboys, one just went off to lsu
and the other one is in highschool where he's getting his um
, aa and his diploma at the sametime.
so I have very two smart youngmen and I have my insurance
agency going on I think 13 or 14years this year, and then I was
(08:03):
a licensed real estate brokerand so it's like April, you're
doing unicorn stuff and I'm like, but what does that even?
Speaker 1 (08:09):
mean.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
He's like well, because you're managing
everything.
I'm like, yeah, I'm a woman,that's what we do.
Speaker 1 (08:14):
He goes no.
Speaker 3 (08:15):
April, but you do it at an extraordinary level.
You are a unicorn.
I didn't know much aboutunicorns so I went to Google
them.
I saw that they were unique,they were mystical.
I'm like I'm definitely unique,I'm all things black girl magic
, and so I said, okay, I'm theunicorn, this is going to be my
little avatar.
(08:36):
I would just put the unicornemoji to represent who I was.
And then, after a period oftime, I just kept looking at the
unicorn.
I'm like it doesn't resonatewith me, like this little
unicorn on our iPhones does notlook like me and all the
(08:57):
goodness that I say that I am, Idon't see it in this unicorn.
So I went back to Google to gofind a unicorn that looked like
me.
There was nothing there.
I was like okay, so here's theopportunity for me to create
this Now as we know it, afrounicorn.
I reached out to my cousin itwas all via text, and he's an
(09:20):
artist and I was telling himlike, hey, I, I have this idea.
I want her to be called AfroUnicorn, I need her to have
curly hair, she has to have acrown, jewels in her crown, I
want her to have eyeshadow, Iwant her to have earrings.
And it was so opposite becauseI went from not knowing nothing
about unicorns to now, I'm like,telling people exactly how I
(09:41):
want this unicorn to look.
And after several weeks, hegave me some drawings and I
started to pick the ones that Iwanted.
And then, as he started to addcolor to them, they were all in
different shades and I looked atit and I go, wait a minute,
this is like this could bebigger than me, like I was
(10:06):
looking for an avatar for myself.
But I'm pretty sure there areother people who have felt or
feel we suffer sometimes fromimposter syndrome, not believing
that we really can, notbelieving that we really are
unicorns, as my friend called mefor two years and I kept
(10:28):
ignoring him.
So I said I want to find mytribe.
I feel like someone else isgoing to resonate with these
unicorns.
So in my mind I said I want tocreate a movement, I want to
give them their avatar to letthem know who they are, and I
(10:51):
was looking for womenentrepreneurs.
That was the start afro unicorntogether, my cousin and the guy
that I was working with kepttelling me april, I think, kids
like unicorns.
I think you should include kids.
I'm like what, what, what dothey do?
(11:12):
Yeah, I mean are they raisingkids?
Do they have businesses?
Are they unicorns?
Speaker 1 (11:18):
no, it makes sense.
I mean, you can grow growing uplike knowing about my little
pony and you know, becausethat's my the first thing that
goes in my head is like magicalponies.
Speaker 3 (11:25):
I was shira he man go , go, go.
What was it?
Speaker 2 (11:30):
lion, lion um it's uh thundercats, thank you for that
Preaching it girl.
Speaker 3 (11:43):
But yeah, so I was, although I was a dancer I'm not
I wasn't a girly girl, so Iwasn't.
I didn't.
I've never seen my Little Ponyever till this day, so I did not
know that unicorns was a kidthing, yep, and it was the way
that I was introduced to them,because this grown man was
(12:05):
calling this grown woman aunicorn, so I was like I'm not
doing the kids.
And then my marketer at thetime his name is Ronnell he sent
me a mock up image of a littlechocolate black girl with an
afro puff on the top of her headwith her hands open, and she
had my unicorn on her shirt andI was like okay I see it, I'm
(12:31):
sold.
Speaker 1 (12:31):
We have the kids.
Speaker 3 (12:32):
But I wasn't that sold.
I was like we're gonna callthem afro unicorns in training
like I still felt like they hadto thought.
Speaker 1 (12:38):
It was just like it was still you it was a women's
movement.
Speaker 3 (12:42):
I invited 25 women to my home who are either
entrepreneurs or who I knew thatwanted to get into
entrepreneurship.
If they had products, Ipurchased their items.
For the other women that werein the room, I had a
videographer come in to ask acouple of questions.
What would you tell youryounger selves when you hear
what does Black Girl Magic meanto you?
And when you hear the wordsAfro Unicorn, what does black
(13:03):
girl magic mean to you?
And when you hear the wordsafro-unicorn, what does that
mean?
It was kind of like my.
Now I know it was called a casestudy, so I got their live
reactions.
I had written bios on all ofthem, didn't ask them any
questions.
These were people that I knew,so I wanted to find out, when I
was telling them, what I thoughtmade them unique, divine and
(13:24):
magical, and I was building thisplatform to where women could
support other women.
And eventually I wanted to havethese conferences and we can
find out the different businessopportunities that were out
there.
Speaker 1 (13:39):
And that, honestly, would have been incredible, like
that alone would have beenincredible just within the
business world.
It's going to happen too, andit will.
Yeah, I'm so glad that it itwent the route it did, like when
you're explaining the emoji.
First of all, like most peoplethat have just an emoji idea,
would be very short-sighted andbe like uh okay, I want to
submit this to bitmoji orwhoever and get my own.
(14:03):
you know, afro unicorn maderight, just so I can use it and
have it not even as like anapple emoji, but just as
something you can use you cansearch it and you can always
create bitmojis.
That's pretty easy.
I'm so glad that you didn'tjust do that and you created
this whole and then it turnedinto multiple shades because,
honestly, emojis have like allthe people are different shades
(14:24):
of color, right.
So it's like it's good to getthat across the spectrum.
You took it a whole further,but it's actually the spectrum
fits your niche too right andthat's lovely, like all shades
of color yeah and to have thatnow represent into um little
girls being inspired like orinspired to, yeah, just be
strong, independent dreamers,thinkers.
Speaker 3 (14:47):
So the way that the way that it launched was on
brand, to make sure you have abrand.
As always, I feel like brandsshould have a movement behind it
, like there should be somebuilt-in dna and so, no matter
which direction you're going,you can always get back to the
core of it.
So at that event, the womensaid, oh, what's your instagram
(15:11):
account?
I was like, huh, I didn't haveinstagram.
I was.
Speaker 1 (15:17):
You didn't use it personally either had a facebook
okay, not for this yeah Ireally wasn't on.
Speaker 3 (15:23):
I remember the first time my girlfriend called me.
She was like oh my gosh, chrisBrown just broke up with such
and such and they're going backand forth and I'm like they're
doing this where, she's like onInstagram, they're talking.
I'm like, wait, wait.
So you mean like the celebrityis talking to another celebrity
and they're messaging andeveryone sees it.
Yeah, she's like.
Yes, I'm like that is weird.
(15:45):
So now, I was so far removedfrom it that makes sense.
Speaker 1 (15:49):
I mean we're we're kind of the facebook generation.
I mean, yeah, I when I was incollege, that's when facebook
kind of took off.
Speaker 3 (15:56):
Yeah, I was myspace and then yeah, oh yeah of course
.
Speaker 1 (15:59):
Yeah, we all had myspace, but I mean, facebook
was like the first, like whereit was a little more interactive
, right, and you had to be.
You had to have a dot edu emailat the time when I signed up
for.
Speaker 2 (16:09):
Facebook just to date myself, I mean.
Speaker 1 (16:11):
I already dated myself.
I said I was just turned 40.
So, um, but you had to havethat.
And then it expanded into whatit is today, which is crazy.
Speaker 3 (16:18):
Instagram went from being just about pictures to
being a whole social network Tocelebrities having arguments
which I'm still like.
Wow, that's how theycommunicate through Instagram.
Speaker 1 (16:30):
So you got an Instagram.
Speaker 3 (16:31):
So I got well.
I didn't just, maybe you didn'tjust get it, but I didn't just
get the Instagram, I had asetback my son that was, April
28th was the date that I birthedAfro Unicorn, meaning I gave my
idea and my vision to a groupof people right.
And then the launch day for thee-commerce site, because I did
say we're going to launch aT-shirt, like I'm going to sell
(16:52):
these T-shirts.
It's going to represent who youguys are and you can wear them
to my conferences at some point.
My son ends up going into thehospital.
On May 11th, may 12th, he hadbeen having complications to
where he couldn't keep anythingdown and a couple of days had
gone by and I'm just one ofthose busy single moms where I'm
like you're going to be okay,but he was not okay.
(17:14):
We had to get the paramedicsand they had to take him off and
we were in the hospital for 20days.
Speaker 1 (17:20):
Wow, how old was he at that time?
Eight, okay, I have athree-year-old and he's sick at
home and he like there weremoments where I like, are you
breathing?
Speaker 3 (17:27):
like so I totally like, yeah, now I understand
about being a parent, like trulyin the midst of a kid being
sick, that's, that's wild to beat a hospital for three weeks
and his his life pace level,which was supposed to be under
200.
We were at 17 000 when wechecked in.
Did you what I said?
Speaker 1 (17:44):
You're supposed to be under 200.
Speaker 3 (17:46):
We were at 17,000.
So he was very crucial and Iwasn't going to move forward
with launching Afro Unicornbecause then I had this other
child who could not stay in thehospital with me.
So I'm like, okay, so who'sgoing to watch him?
It was a crazy situation.
Three people in three differentinstances came in and said
(18:07):
April, you need I know you havethis business that you're going
to launch.
You need to launch thisbusiness.
Like all the forces are tryingto stop you, but God wants you
to do this.
I'm like, oh, I think it's justfood poisoning.
But by the third time, the thirdperson that came in through the
hospital door and was like'regonna launch that business.
When you say you're gonnalaunch it, I was like, okay, god
, I see you, I'm gonna launchthis business.
I had to figure it out.
(18:29):
So I end up hiring an assistantwhile I was in the hospital.
Like they came to the hospitalto get interviewed, mm-hmm.
And it was just God protectingme because I had to trust this
person, even with my child,because I had to get him to and
from school and go to downtownand get my inventory and do all
the things.
And, yeah, we launched on May17th.
I want to talk about Instagram,because I learned Instagram in
(18:51):
the hospital.
Speaker 1 (18:53):
You had some time.
I had time on my hand.
Speaker 3 (18:55):
I had time on my hand , I mastered it.
I mastered, I found out how tofind my audience.
I learned about hashtagstrategies and where did you
learn about it?
Speaker 1 (19:09):
where did you do your research?
Or did you use reddit?
Speaker 3 (19:11):
did you use nothing just just doing it yeah, I just
did it and I saw like thehashtag.
So I clicked on the hashtag andthen I saw that there were
multiple posts and I'm like,okay, well, let me see if my hat
let me look for black unicornthat's probably what they call
themselves.
So let me look for womenentrepreneur hashtag and then I
will go on their comments and Iwould say, hey, have you ever
seen an afro unicorn before?
(19:32):
I created a brand of women ofcolor who hustle, follow the
movement, and if you alreadyconsider yourself part of that,
crew you're like okay, hermessage just resonated with me.
Let me go click over to her page.
Oh my gosh there's unicorns thatlook like me.
I have to follow her and I needone of these shirts, because I
took the pictures from the 25women I had at the event and I
(19:53):
posted them all on my page and Italked about what made them
unique, divine and magical.
I would say, hey, you know,check out Tiana.
She works at whatever businessnine to five, but then she has
her own traveling notary companyand this is why you should
support her and this is whatmakes her unique, divine and
magical.
Make sure you tap in.
And so people saw that I wasgenuinely supporting them and so
(20:16):
they just got on the wave andthe movement and they're like
let me go grab my shirt.
And that was in May.
I did skip some steps and Ithink it's important because
when I launched in May 17th,when I got home May 30th with my
son, may 31st, my unclefavorite uncle died of a massive
heart attack.
Seventeen hours later, my otheruncle died of pneumonia.
(20:37):
We had a double funeral thefollowing week in Louisiana.
I knew it was going to break mygrandmother's heart.
It did.
She died six months later.
A month after that, we were ina global pandemic.
And the entire time I had thisNipsey had died like right a
month before I launched, and soI was just like the marathon
continues all gas, no brakes.
(20:58):
Clearly something big is goingto happen if all of this um bad
things keep coming to me.
Like something good is comingand it's trying to prevent me
from moving.
So I got to stay focused and Igot to keep moving.
So when we launched in May, byJune, by July, Tiffany Haddish
(21:19):
was rocking and supporting thebrand, Alicia Keys, Sherri
Shepherd, and it was all organicand it still is very much
organic, yeah.
So we just started thismovement and then COVID was a
blessing.
People were at home bored,bored in the house, bored and
wanting to tickety-tock away.
Speaker 1 (21:40):
I did so many things that I normally would never do.
Speaker 3 (21:43):
And what better way to throw on a unicorn shirt and
show us your new dance moves?
Speaker 1 (21:48):
Yep.
Speaker 3 (21:48):
And, interesting enough, you mentioned Dancing
with the Stars.
So Phaedra was on there last,maybe a season ago.
She did a TikTok during COVIDand then, when she was on
Dancing with the Stars, she usedit as her practice shirt.
Speaker 1 (22:05):
So cool.
Three or four years later, socool.
Speaker 3 (22:08):
And did another TikTok.
Speaker 1 (22:09):
So your shirt's already been on Dancing with the
Stars.
My shirt has been on Dancingwith the Stars, so cool, yeah.
Speaker 3 (22:14):
And so then a viral video came about of a little
girl wearing an Afro Unicornshirt.
She was outside taking picturesand someone said I love your
hair.
She said thank you, it's anAfro.
And then that video went veryviral and it got all the way up
to Oprah daily.
And then Walmart sent me amessage and asked me would I
(22:34):
consider bringing in Afrounicorn um through party
supplies?
And then it made me the firstblack woman to have a fully
licensed character brand inmajor retail.
Speaker 1 (22:44):
Can we just get like some, just some claps for that,
good Lord, thank you, um.
I've heard parts of thesestories before and so it's so
cool to just hear everything,like all the gaps being filled
out, to where it is today.
Very proud of you.
Thank you For not just keepingit so small.
It could have just been just athing for April, a thing that
(23:08):
you just kept to yourself, andthere's going to be so many
people, so many children andeventually, businesswomen, who
are going to be inspired by thisbrand.
Speaker 3 (23:15):
Not eventually businesswomen.
It started with thebusinesswomen.
Speaker 1 (23:19):
Well, it started with you, but then you took it back
to the kids.
But then I was saying like nowyou're going to, it's going to
even Everybody's being.
Speaker 3 (23:25):
Now the men are being .
I have a story about men toookay.
Speaker 1 (23:28):
Now the men are being okay, so everyone's being
inspired.
By afro unicorn yeah, I'minspired, yeah, and I'm not even
afro unicorn myself but, um.
I will take the originalunicorn um yep so why can't you
take afro unicorn?
I mean I need to get a little.
No, you don't.
You get a tan, nope.
Speaker 3 (23:49):
We've never had a problem wearing Cinderella, snow
White or any other characters.
Speaker 1 (23:54):
That's true.
Okay, you've just changed mymind Buying a sweatshirt
tomorrow, thank you, or tonight.
Speaker 3 (24:01):
You have one.
Speaker 1 (24:02):
I don't.
Speaker 3 (24:03):
You did order one.
Speaker 1 (24:05):
I was going to order one.
Speaker 3 (24:06):
I thought you did.
Speaker 1 (24:07):
I was close, but I never pulled the trigger, so now
he needs to pull the trigger,y'all and I don't know why I
didn't, but I had it in a cartand, for whatever reason, I'm
sure my wife asked me to dosomething probably a honeydew
and got sidetracked.
But I did have it in the cartand I was asking you because I
was asking about differentcolors of different ones you may
be releasing in the future ornot.
(24:27):
So, I don't know what happened,but you'll have an order soon.
Okay.
Promise you Sounds good, so Iknow where Afro Unicorn is today
.
What is in the near future?
Speaker 3 (24:41):
Animation.
Speaker 1 (24:43):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (24:44):
Live theatrical shows , live experiences.
I have a world called afronia.
So I said all roads lead toafronia.
Very cool, so getting to theultimate goal is some type of
amusement park.
Speaker 1 (25:02):
So all roads are we gonna have afro unicorn on ice?
Yeah, that's what it's not.
Speaker 3 (25:06):
It's not on I but like literally talking about a
broad show, right.
Speaker 1 (25:10):
Yeah, that is so cool .
Speaker 3 (25:12):
A touring show.
Speaker 1 (25:13):
Wow, and is that going to be tailored towards
like?
What audience is that?
Speaker 3 (25:17):
It's going to be like your blippy type show Amazing.
Speaker 1 (25:20):
Yeah, well, I'm very proud of you, thank you, and I'm
so glad to have met you.
I'm so glad that our pathscrossed, so glad to have met you
, I'm so glad that our pathscrossed.
And, yeah, just thank you forsharing about your journey.
Being a small business isdifficult and that's why each
episode we've chosen to shoutout a different small business.
This week we've chosen DemiLauren Studios, located in
(25:41):
downtown LA.
Now, on my 40th birthday, wehad a family friendly fun day
here at Demi Lauren Studios.
It's kind of a paint-and-siptype experience and you can BYOB
, which is kind of nice.
So the next time you're lookingfor a fun time with your family
and you're in downtown LA, makesure you visit Demi Lauren
(26:02):
Studios.
Ms April, yes, would you liketo play a little game called
this or that?
Speaker 3 (26:06):
This or that, let's get it.
Speaker 1 (26:08):
So this or that, it's actually sponsored by a company
called coastline traveladvisors.
So if you're looking foranywhere to go in the world,
whether it be can or anywhere inthe united states, anywhere in
the world, go to coastlinetravelcom and you can uh get
help with your travel needs.
But the uh this or that.
I'm just going to throw out 20questions to you.
Uh, some of them are fun andplayful, some of them get a
(26:29):
little deeper and stronger, anduh yeah, so let's have some fun
let's get it uh, as I ask all ofour guests, tacos or pizza?
Speaker 3 (26:36):
tacos.
Speaker 1 (26:37):
I'm from la very, very true, uh, sunrise or sunset
um sunrise sunrise.
I'm a sunset person, maybe justbecause I don't like mornings,
yeah.
Speaker 3 (26:51):
I'm up at 4.
Speaker 1 (26:52):
Sunrise it is Chewing gums or Mints.
See, I like mints in the car,but I'm more of a chewing gum
person.
When I like workout, move toHawaii or Florida.
Speaker 3 (27:07):
Who's going to Florida, hawaii?
Are you serious Right now?
Speaker 1 (27:12):
Some people don't like being isolated on an island
Five hours from the mainland.
Speaker 3 (27:18):
Next question.
Speaker 1 (27:21):
Read the book or watch the movie.
Speaker 3 (27:24):
I like to watch the movie.
Speaker 1 (27:26):
Me too.
Speaker 3 (27:26):
I like to listen to my books, so I like to watch the
movie.
Speaker 1 (27:30):
Sauce on the side or sauce on top.
Speaker 3 (27:33):
I to have both, but I'm gonna go sauce on the on
both on top, on top bonusquestion what do you use for
your fries?
Speaker 1 (27:41):
ketchup ketchup, I'm a ranch person.
Okay, uh, rescue a kitten orrescue a puppy who's gonna?
Take care of it afterwards.
It's more of your.
Are you a dog person, catperson?
No, I'm not an animal person.
Speaker 3 (27:57):
I'm scared the cat's going to scratch me, so I'll get
the pup.
Speaker 1 (28:00):
Get the puppy, Small puppy though.
Speaker 3 (28:03):
Okay, I got the puppy .
Speaker 1 (28:04):
Yep, and we can make Afro-unicorn dog costumes yeah,
we've been working on that.
Oh, that would be lovely.
Always hungry or always tired.
Speaker 3 (28:19):
I'm always tired because I'm up at 4 in the
morning.
Speaker 1 (28:22):
And you're always grinding with your business.
You're traveling everywhere allthe time too.
It's really hard to get you inone place, so I'm glad you were
able to come here, always feelunderstood or always feel
appreciated.
Speaker 3 (28:36):
I feel ooh, always feel understood or appreciated.
Speaker 1 (28:42):
Yeah, one of the two.
Dang, I feel, or which onewould you prefer?
Speaker 3 (28:45):
Maybe not what you feel, but yeah, I would prefer
to be appreciated.
Speaker 1 (28:48):
Before appreciated.
Why appreciated versusunderstood?
Speaker 3 (28:53):
Because understanding can only go so far, and then,
when you don't, then you nolonger understand.
Speaker 1 (29:01):
Always tell the truth .
Speaker 3 (29:03):
Always tell the truth .
Speaker 1 (29:04):
Or know when people are lying.
Speaker 3 (29:05):
Oh, I'm a cancer.
I know when you're lying.
Speaker 1 (29:08):
Always tell the truth .
You already know the other one.
In a typical day, would youlike more time or more energy?
Um, more energy, not the time.
No, uh, are you a coffee personor tea person?
That's not on the card, but I'mjust nope.
Do you need it?
No, just natural energy.
(29:28):
Unlimited knowledge orunlimited creativity?
Unlimited creativity good, umand I say good just because
that's like, that's what I wouldsay uh, sleep in a luxury hotel
or sleep under the stars aluxury hotel.
I don't like bugs never be ableto show emotions or never be
(29:50):
able to hide them.
Speaker 3 (29:53):
I'm a cancer, so I want the first one, which is
never going to happen.
Speaker 1 (29:58):
Loud neighbors or noisy.
It says loud neighbors or noisyneighbors.
I didn't write this one.
Speaker 3 (30:04):
It must be the nosy.
I'll take nosy neighbors.
Speaker 1 (30:06):
Oh, nosy neighbors.
Yes, I was like I didn't writethis one.
Speaker 3 (30:09):
Yeah, I want the nosy neighbors.
Speaker 1 (30:11):
Nosy Neighbors.
Speaker 3 (30:11):
Yes, I was like I didn't write this one.
Yeah, I want the Nosy.
Speaker 1 (30:14):
Neighbors, nosy Neighbors.
She's the neighborhood Pleasant, the what is?
Speaker 3 (30:15):
it Neighborhood Watch .
Yep, that's what I grew upunder.
Speaker 1 (30:17):
This is a fun one for you.
Glass Half Full or Glass HalfEmpty?
Speaker 3 (30:21):
Glass Half Full.
Speaker 1 (30:34):
So you know, with the bright side of, uh, afro
unicorn the movie, or afrounicorn the musical, um, the
movie's coming, the movie iscoming.
You heard it here.
Um, maybe not first, but youheard it here.
Have lunch with aretha franklinor diana ross aretha franklin?
Speaker 3 (30:47):
yeah, for sure.
Speaker 1 (30:48):
I don't know why I thought about that I didn't even
know about your old soulcomment.
That was actually perfect Hosta TV show or be on a TV show.
Speaker 3 (30:57):
I'm getting ready to host one very soon.
Speaker 1 (31:00):
What do you not do?
And this is pretty deep herethough.
Relaunch Afro Unicorn, knowingwhat you know, or stay the
course.
Relaunch Afro Unicorn, knowingwhat you know, or stay the
course.
Speaker 3 (31:14):
I have to stay the course because the opportunities
that I received wouldn'tprobably come if I went
traditional yeah, yeah, andhearing about your journey,
especially with the TikTok shirtand all that stuff with perfect
.
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (31:30):
But thanks for playing this or that, again
sponsored by Coastline Travel.
You ever looking to go toanywhere in the world?
Coastlinetravelcom and find anadvisor for you?
Promoting your podcast is hardand that's why each week we've
chosen to promote a differentpodcast we think you'll enjoy.
This week we've chosen no FilmSchool.
This podcast talks aboutbecoming a filmmaker with you
(31:53):
guessed it not going to filmschool.
So if you're interested in that, make sure you check out their
website at no film schoolcom tolearn more and with that we'll
see in the pod.
Welcome back, uh, miss April.
It has been phenomenal, uh, toget to know you, but also to
hear those fun answers.
I hope you had a good timeplaying that game, um, but I did
(32:14):
task you with something beforewe came here was to go onto the
Momi2 app and to look throughall the different movies and
shows and everything we have.
We have over 10,000 titles tochoose from.
You picked a film from 2007called Testimonies of Faith
Humble Journeys, and it's adocumentary made by Wendy
(32:36):
Wheaton.
Speaker 2 (32:38):
Testimonies of Faith Humble Journeys, hosted by Wendy
Wheaton reaches beyond theaverage interview.
Speaker 1 (32:45):
There's a time when God is carrying us, and then
there's a time when he wants ourfaith to be increased.
Speaker 2 (32:52):
And shares the personal stories of the stars.
I practice the presence of Godall day, every day.
For the past couple of yearsI've had a few tests, but you
know God will not put anythingon you that you can't bear.
We get up close and revealtheir testimonies.
Speaker 3 (33:08):
We've sang all our lives, but never in a million
years would I have imagined thatwe would be singing here at
this level.
Whatever's going to happen, isgoing to happen anyway, but it's
being able to get through it,their tribulations.
Speaker 2 (33:21):
No matter what trial may come to your life, don't
give up on your praise.
Don't stop praising God andtheir triumphs, testimonies of
faith.
Always believe in yourself andtheir triumphs, testimonies of
Faith.
Always believe in yourself andremember YCDA.
That stands for you can doanything, as long as it's
positive, you can do it.
Speaker 1 (33:37):
Testimonies of Faith Humble Journeys.
Why did you choose that film?
Speaker 3 (33:42):
We're going through a lot right now in this country
as a business owner as a smallblack business owner as well
under attack, and sometimes youjust want to have a little bit
of hope, and so if I have towatch television or a movie, I'm
constantly on my phone seeingDoomsday.
(34:03):
I wanted to see something thatwas uplifting and it was very
uplifting.
Speaker 1 (34:08):
Yeah, the 2007 documentary.
It was very uplifting.
Yeah, um, the 2007 documentarywas, uh, it was, it was
different to watch becauseobviously it was it was shot in
sd, so it's uh, if people aregonna go watch it, which I
highly encourage people to do,uh, just know that the, the
quality is not gonna be quite2025.
It's a the, the quality cameraand then the audio and stuff was
a little different.
(34:29):
It was a little uh, I'm notsaying I'm not gonna say rough,
but it was.
Speaker 3 (34:32):
It was just different to look through because you
it's so funny you say thatbecause it took me a long time
to get used to hd television.
Really, like a long time yeah, Ifelt like I was moving.
Like I'm like, why is thecamera shaky?
Like so I didn't even reallypay, like because that's my
comfortable place.
I'm old school, I told you thatearlier, so it took me I would
(34:54):
go to people's homes.
They had these big HDtelevisions.
I'm like this looks weird.
It looks like it's shot withyour camcorder, but now I don't
see the difference.
But, clearly you're the guy, soyou saw it.
Speaker 1 (35:07):
I watched too many movies, but, yeah, when you're
watching something that was madein 2007, but on uh and not not
a high quality camera in 2007that was then put up onto a 75
inch flat screen, it's a littlelittle different, um, but
because it's an uplifting film,we are not going to talk
negatively about things.
(35:27):
Uh, we will move on to thepositive.
Um, but I was, I was so happythat you chose this film, um
that we got a chance to hearfrom some celebrities which we
we don't typically hear, likerawness from celebrities
sometimes, and I think that's soimportant to hear, like the
rawness of people's stories,which we just got to hear yours,
um.
(35:48):
But what was your, what wasyour favorite story throughout
this documentary?
It was only 45 minutes.
It was an easy watch.
Speaker 3 (35:56):
Yeah, I had an interesting take on all of it,
because my brain knew it was2007, so I wanted to do the.
Where are they now?
Speaker 1 (36:10):
Unfortunately, yes, okay.
Speaker 3 (36:11):
And the reason why it's because a lot of them spoke
.
I love Della Reese's story.
I love Touched by an Angel.
I grew up watching that with myfather and she had her own
angelic experience as a child.
So hearing that story was great.
Kenny Lattimore, who wastalking about at the time his
(36:32):
wife Shante Moore, and justthinking about where I was
during that time and Shante'sgot a man that was a song that
was out.
But then I went to Wikipedia tosee what happened with life and
I saw like they're on theirwell at least one is on their
third marriage now and then itjust made me just realize like
look, if you're not turningchapters pages, you're not
(36:57):
living.
And some people aren't livingthat were in a documentary
either, like Teddy Pendergrass.
Speaker 1 (37:01):
Yep 2010,.
I believe.
Speaker 3 (37:03):
Yeah, and so it just made me just appreciate every
moment in life, like today couldbe good, tomorrow may not be as
great, but you still haveanother day, the pages are still
being turned and your story isstill being written.
But when I even just listeningto and I think what's the lady's
(37:26):
name?
I can't.
She was a big churchy lady andso she was married four times.
So it's just like, hey, we'renot going to always be perfect,
we're not going to always get itright, and we just got to keep,
keep on living.
Speaker 1 (37:40):
Yeah, um, yeah.
The first thing I did was thesame thing.
Because there was so manypeople I was like some of them,
I Some of them.
I didn't know who they were.
Like, I'll be honest, alJarreau.
I did not know who Al Jarreauwas.
Okay, I just didn't grow upwith him, but most of the other
names I know.
But then, looking up and likeoh okay, she passed away in 2017
(38:01):
.
Okay, he passed away in 2017.
And he passed away in 2010.
I was like, please stop doingthis.
Like hopefully this is not thetrend and Please stop doing this
.
Like, hopefully this is not thetrend and luckily, the rest of
the people in the documentaryare still living and enjoy that.
But yeah, it was so interestingto hear their takes on just
(38:22):
life in general.
What would you say is like anuplifting moment or uplifting
message to people listening tothis?
Like, what would you um say if,if wendy was in my chair and
talking to you?
Speaker 3 (38:35):
um, just that.
You know you have to staypositive.
I'm learning that a lot.
So I'm doing a lot of reading,a lot of meditation, a lot of
positive talking, and I'mlearning that you are what you
say.
There's life and death and thepower of the tongue, and
(38:56):
whatever you focus on is what'sgoing to happen in your life.
And I don't know if you everheard of the Secret.
Wow, you got to tap into theSecret, the Secret.
Speaker 1 (39:07):
Can you tell me about the Secret oh?
Speaker 3 (39:09):
most definitely.
Is it a secret, or can you meabout the secret?
Speaker 1 (39:10):
oh, most definitely.
Is it a secret or can you?
Speaker 3 (39:12):
um no, it's not a secret, it's not like fight club
.
Speaker 1 (39:14):
We don't talk about fight club.
Speaker 3 (39:16):
Like we can actually talk about the secret no, no, we
could talk about the secret,but in the secret just talks
about how you manifest.
You can manifest whatever lifethat you want for yourself.
Right and example if you sayI'm always late or I'm gonna be
late, oh my gosh, traffic isgonna like the moment you step
(39:36):
out the house, everything goesbad, like you catch the train
because the universe only hearsthat you want to be late what
you're manifesting for that?
it doesn't know the difference.
So if you're always complainingabout your bills, the universe
is here as you say, OK, let mekeep putting them into
situations where they have morebills, because wherever your
(39:56):
focus is, that's what you willattract to yourself the bills.
But you think about how moneycomes to you with speed and how
all your bills are paid and howyou're going to be on time, Like
say those things versus sayingthese Speaking things into
(40:19):
existence.
Speaker 1 (40:21):
I love that.
Speaker 3 (40:21):
And being very careful on where you allow your
thoughts and concentration, andwe're human.
That's the one thing I lovedabout watching it and then going
to see their stories, becausesometimes, when you get up here
and you have these interviews,you really want to just make
yourself look perfect.
And you know, I went throughthe trials and tribulations and
(40:43):
I got it right and now me and mywife are loving each other.
You're like, okay, and untilyou're not, yeah, so um it just.
I just like the fact that Iknow that we all have those
moments where we have moments ofdoubt, but then it's like, okay
, are you going to give theenergy to the doubt?
(41:05):
Are we going to give our energyto the solution?
Speaker 1 (41:07):
I love that.
Speaker 3 (41:09):
So I'm choosing, even in this crazy hectic time that
we're in, I'm choosing to givemy direction to the solution.
I'm always trying to figure outhow we're going to solve this
problem.
Speaker 1 (41:23):
I love that.
I'm a very big proponent ofthat as well.
I didn't know about the Secret,but now I do.
Speaker 3 (41:29):
So thank you for sharing that.
You got to tap into the Secret.
Thank you for sharing that withme.
You have to watch the Game ofLife and how to play it.
I mean read the Game of Lifeand how to play it.
Speaker 1 (41:34):
I love that.
I'm a very positive person andmy wife sometimes doesn't like
that I am.
When there's moments of likesomething goes wrong, my first
inclination is always like, okay, we got to figure it out.
Okay, what are we going to doto fix it?
What are we going to do?
And she's like, can you justtake a moment and just be in it
first before you try to move on?
(41:55):
But I just can't do that.
Sometimes it's so hard for me.
I just always push forward.
Speaker 3 (42:00):
That's a blessing.
I have to train myself.
Speaker 1 (42:02):
It's very hard.
Speaker 3 (42:03):
Because I'm a natural warrior.
I mean, I talked earlier aboutme being cancer and like that's
one of our traits, that we arenatural warriors.
But then I learned a scriptureand it talked about worrying and
then I said oh, I'm not goingto, that's not going to be my
focus point anymore.
I can't focus on worrying now,not to say that I don't worry,
(42:25):
but I just can't put my focusthere.
Speaker 1 (42:27):
Yeah, I'm the same way, like yeah, I worry about a
lot of things.
Being a focus there yeah, I'mthe same way like, yeah, I, I
worry about a lot of things.
Being a father is you worry allthe time?
You wake up at two in themorning you look at the in the
little camera and you're like,okay, is he the monitor?
And you're just like, is hebreathing?
Do I need to go in there andcheck?
Just want to make sure?
And yeah, so I worry all thetime.
But yeah, you have to keep thatfocus, that mindset, just
moving forward and and thingswill work out.
(42:48):
Um, john woodenen is a big quotefor me and I always mess it up
how to say it, but it's the bestthings work out for the people
who make the best of the waythings work out.
Speaker 3 (42:57):
Oh, you got to send that to me.
Speaker 1 (42:58):
I will it's in his book.
Say it one more time the bestthings happen to people that
make the best of the way thingsturn out.
Ooh, yep, and he's a very verywise man.
Mm-hmm, but so I've kept thatwith me and then I wasn't going
to make this a faithconversation.
(43:19):
My favorite scripture, which Iactually have on my arm in
Chichewa so it's actually in thelanguage from Malawi it says as
water reflects a face, so aman's heart reflects the man,
and I always want to make surethat people are being real,
being honest, being themselves,and that's a big piece of being
that positive kind of outlook onlife, or having that positive
(43:42):
outlook on life.
For sure.
So I love that Wendy did getinto a segment and I will ask
you that same question Um, whois your guardian angel?
Speaker 3 (43:54):
I thought it was a lovely question.
Um my, my grandmother.
Speaker 1 (43:58):
Tell us about it.
Speaker 3 (43:59):
Um, my grandmother lived in Louisiana, northeast
Louisiana.
I spent almost every summerwith her until I was about 14
years old.
Like I was born July 20th.
I was there by July 30th like Iwas on a plane yeah, only like
a week and she just always her,my grandfather.
(44:23):
They understood me a lot andshe was my everything Like.
If there was ever issues orproblems with my mom or my
parents, I'll call her.
I come get your daughter.
It was a lot of that growing upas a teenager, but my, my
grandmother she was.
She taught me how to cook and Ilearned how to clean from her
(44:49):
and I just learned a lot ofthings.
And I remember when I wasmarried and it just was not
working and I didn't want todisappoint my grandmother
because my grandmother came outto the wedding and I'm like she
came out because I didn't wantto get married at the wedding.
I was ready to go, but I'm like, well, grandmother's here, we
got to do it.
So I did it because grandmotherwas there.
And then I just remember hertelling me if he's not beating
(45:12):
on you, he's not cheating on you, then he's a good man.
Speaker 1 (45:15):
I'm like.
Speaker 3 (45:17):
And then one day she called me.
I was on my way to my office inLong Beach and she's like
poo-poo, that's what she used tocall me.
Poo-poo.
I was thinking and I just wantyou to be happy and whatever
happy looks like for you.
And I didn't call her and tellher hey, I'm thinking about
getting a divorce or anything,just in that moment she just she
(45:38):
had something to hit her soshe's definitely my, she's my
guardian angel.
When she was here on earth anddefinitely being gone, and I
talked to her, like I'm saying Ialways, always say, well, what,
what, what would grandmothersay?
Speaker 1 (45:51):
Yeah, I'm very, I'm very blessed that, um, a lot of
the closer people in my life arestill with me, and I don't know
what that feels like, orhaven't experienced that yet.
Um, actually, my my grandmothersadly just passed away
yesterday morning, um, but Ididn't really be in touch with
her much.
My uh, she's on the East coast,so didn't really have the chance
in touch with her much.
(46:12):
My, uh, she's on the east coast, so didn't have the chance to
talk with her much, but um, butthat's amazing, like I and I was
thinking about the question Idon't know who my guardian angel
is, because I just I don't know, I haven't gone through that
right.
So like my first inclinationwas like, oh, it's my wife, but
she's, but she's still here,she's still next to me, she's
beside me, and so, like um I did, there was one person that did
(46:32):
answer with someone that um wasalive, and then another person
mentioned um, is that god istheir guardian angel?
Speaker 3 (46:41):
yeah, so I have a lot of angels.
I see angel numbers all daylong.
Right now, I'm tough on the 222, which is all about
partnerships.
Okay, which is clearly what'shappening for me right now.
I'm connecting with a lot ofpeople and I see 444, which is
all is well.
I don't care what's happeningin the middle.
If I have a moment, I'll lookdown or I'll look somewhere, and
(47:04):
then it will just be there.
So I'm like, okay, my angelsare all around me.
Speaker 1 (47:10):
Let's see what time it is.
Oh, it's 151,.
So it's not too too late.
Speaker 3 (47:14):
Oh no, it's not, and it has to be for me, like my mom
would sometimes send me numbers.
I'm like it doesn't work likethat Mommy, like I have to see
it for myself.
But I always get a reminder,like I always get a reminder
that my angels are watching overme and people don't really
think about angels like that andI'm like, well, when did they
(47:35):
disappear?
Because they were allthroughout the bible.
So, yeah, I didn't rememberwhen they said we wiped out all
the angels of the earth.
So angels are very real and Ithink that's why I loved um
touched by an, the show thatDella Reese was in.
I remember me having anencounter here in Hollywood.
(47:56):
I was in junior high school,around the corner at Bancroft,
and after school, before dancepractice, we would go grab
something to eat and I rememberbeing across at the burger stand
and I was short like somechange.
And it was a homeless guy acrossthe street yelled my name and
said April, and he said I haveit.
(48:17):
And this person gave me exactlywhat I needed.
That's wild, it's very wild, itwas very wild.
Speaker 1 (48:26):
They had no idea.
I'd never seen the person.
Never seen him again.
How long ago was this?
Speaker 3 (48:30):
In 1992.
Speaker 1 (48:32):
93.
Like I've never seen the personever seen when was how long ago
was this?
In 1992, 93.
So this was well before anyonesaw april showers on instagram.
That's crazy yep, yep.
Speaker 3 (48:41):
So I mean we.
It says we entertain angelsunaware.
Speaker 1 (48:45):
So you have to be, just kind to everyone you
encounter, because you neverknow when you're entertaining an
angel well, I'm very happy thatyou chose this film um, very
happy that wendy decided to makeit.
Uh, I think it's just, it's abeautiful little touch of uh, a
show that that our app needs um,because I think every platform
needs some uplifting um contentyes so I'm very happy you chose
(49:08):
that of all the other film I'msure you saw.
You saw a few other films onmomi too.
Speaker 3 (49:14):
Um, what were some other films that kind of well
you have a lot of films, filmsand titles that I'm like, okay,
I gotta go back and and watchthis, because I didn't know that
this person had this movie out,or I love that there were new
faces.
We're always.
I remember there was a time inHollywood where you would just
see the same actors over andover and, over and over again,
(49:36):
and so it's good to see a lot ofthe independent films, but even
you have some of the big ones.
A lot of the big ones are onthere as well.
So I just like the fact thatyou had a big, diverse library
of content, and so I can't waitto dive in.
And when I'm having those daysI want to just disengage with
(49:56):
the circus show and the crazyworld that we live in and just
go into fantasy, just get awayyeah, like, like, like a little
unicorn unplug for a moment.
Speaker 1 (50:05):
Yeah, um, no, I appreciate you saying that,
because we do have a verydiverse and eclectic mix of
content, um, and it is nice tosee some of these actors, um,
even some of them, which are inum, like vivica a fox we had a
holiday film that she, she, hadcameoed in and it's just like
something I've never seen, neverheard of, right like
(50:27):
christopher lloyd.
Um, it was in it's in a filmatBuilder, and it's just like this
little indie film that never,never even known before before
we actually brought it on toMoMe too.
So it is nice to kind of findthose little gems here and there
, and I'm so glad that you chosethis film.
Thank you for doing so, causeit's just, it's something I
(50:49):
needed too.
Speaker 3 (50:51):
Yeah, can I ask you a question?
Of course, what made you?
Speaker 1 (50:54):
I'll put on all you can put on the host cap um, tell
us how and why did you start?
momi too.
Yes, um, momi too.
It was actually kind of a acovet thing too, where it was
just one of those um sit downconversations, because time kind
of slowed down a bit right andwe were noticing that there was
(51:16):
a lot of people just ingestingcontent.
So there was just a moment wherewe said what kind of content is
maybe not being seen enough?
That's not really shown in thelimelight, because what happened
was people weren't able to goto theaters, right, so a lot of
those films that were going toget released ended up getting
(51:37):
released in streaming, and so wejust said, well, there's,
there's a lot of films that arekind of getting put on the back
burner, that aren't getting thelove and getting the
opportunities, and so that kindof it kind of where we got like
the idea from Mommy 2.
And then the name actuallymeans more for me and you.
Oh, okay, and so it's moreopportunities for filmmakers.
(51:58):
The me is actually us inbetween the two, so the me is us
sitting on the couch, kind of,with you because we actually
hand curate all of the contentthat you see.
So we don't use algorithms, wedon't use things that will
predict what a person thinksthey need to watch, like,
there's a lot of times wherepeople they just don't know what
(52:19):
they want to watch, or they getonto an app and they're just
like man, I've seen everything.
There's because the algorithmhas only presented what they're
seeing, and so we just wanted todo something different and
expose people to content thatthey never knew existed, never
knew they loved.
And then the two being you inLatin and being a little more
(52:41):
universal was the person in thechair, the person that was
actually using the app, and wewanted to give more
opportunities for the two, orthe you, to experience that
content.
And so that's kind of thebeginning stages of what momi2
started, as it then developedinto becoming more about, um,
independent filmmakers andhelping them get a start
(53:04):
somewhere.
Um, because a lot of otherplatforms, when they get a film
put on there, um, they'll justbe on there.
They don't have marketingdollars, they don't have this
opportunity that a lot of bigbudget films do, and so we
partner with them to bring on afilm, say exclusively for 90
(53:24):
days or so, and give them alittle love on social media
podcasts, movie reviews, thingslike that to then bring a little
bit more light to their film,and so that kind of trickled in
and then eventually turned intohow can we help the next
generation of filmmakers, and westarted a film festival for
college students, and so we'regoing into our third year this
(53:45):
year.
Last year we had 69 filmsrepresented from 38 different
colleges and universities and wewill now be hopefully growing
that this year and making iteven bigger, but giving these
students an opportunity not justto make a film or be part of
another film festival, but toactually be on a streaming
service, to have their films beseen by more and more people and
(54:06):
hopefully, even if it justgives one student a year, the
next opportunity for them to belike um, to make their next film
or get connected with the nextperson that that will lead them
down, you know, hopefully be asuccessful filmmaker.
We're doing everything right.
At that point we're very happywith what we're doing.
Um, or we will be happy withwhat we're doing.
Last year we actually had afilmmaker from ringling college
(54:29):
win this award called theproducer's pick, and I'm very
excited about this.
But he actually gets to develophis short film as more of a
proof of concept and we'redeveloping it into a feature
film and he gets to direct it aswell.
Wow and so that's another thingthat we're building off of to
hopefully utilize the app toalso make an impact in these
(54:51):
filmmakers' lives.
Speaker 3 (54:52):
I love it.
I love it.
Speaker 1 (54:52):
utilize the app to also make an impact in these
filmmakers lives.
Yeah, so, continually goingback to the, the root of the
name of more for me and you, um,we're doing that with the app,
we're doing that with thefilmmakers and the film festival
and hopefully with this podcastas well.
So giving opportunities formore opportunities not that you
need them, but moreopportunities for Afro Unicorn
(55:13):
to just even if it inspires oneadditional person.
That's what we're here to do.
Speaker 3 (55:19):
So any last thoughts as far as we're on here, no, I
just appreciate you having me, Iappreciate you breaking down
the meaning, the why behind thebusiness.
Because that's important asbusiness owners, just don't just
do it just to do it Like therehas to be a reason of why we're
doing the.
Because that's important asbusiness owners, just don't just
do it just to do it Like therehas to be a reason of why we're
doing the things that we'redoing and hopefully it's led by
(55:39):
impacting others and definitelythat's what you're doing, that's
what I'm doing and that's howreason why the universe keeps
bringing us together and canAbsolutely.
Speaker 1 (55:48):
Um, for those that don't know as much about Afro
Unicorn, that have made it thisfar in the episode, where can we
find Afro Unicorn?
Speaker 3 (55:57):
You can find Afro Unicorn at Afro Unicorn dot com
and most of your major retailers.
Follow me please.
I got April showers whereyou'll be inspired over and over
again, so follow me there onInstagram and Instagram
Afrounicorns.
Afriunicorn underscore official.
Speaker 1 (56:15):
Love it.
Speaker 3 (56:16):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (56:16):
Thank you, and thank you so much for being here,
taking the time.
I know you're a very, very busywoman, so really appreciate you
just coming down into the podand sharing your life, sharing
about who you are and how yougot to the point of creating
Afriunicorn.
And thank you for choosing amovie that's just so inspiring.
Speaker 3 (56:34):
Thank you for having me.
Speaker 1 (56:36):
Thanks for spending your time with us today on the
More For Me and you podcast.
If you've made it to the end,we appreciate you.
Now go do us a quick favor.
Please like, comment and sharethis episode and, before you go,
don't forget to subscribe soyou never miss an episode with
the incredible guests we havecoming up.
You, so you never miss anepisode with the incredible
guests we have coming up.
You can also follow us at atMoMeTooPodcast, on Instagram and
(56:56):
on TikTok.
Oh and for your next movienight, check out the MoMeToo app
.
It's free and packed withamazing movies and shows you've
probably never seen.
Until next time, take care,stay safe and we'll see you in
the pod.
Hey everyone, welcome back to the More For Me and you
podcast, and on today's episodewe welcome guest April Showers.
She's the CEO of Afro Unicornand later on we actually talk
about a film that she chosethat's playing for free on
Momitu, the Testimonies of FaithHumble Journeys.
So if you want to learn how tobe magical, let's go jump into
(00:22):
the pod.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Yeah, that's right.
Jump into the pod morning ifyou hustle, high hustle.
You can never waste a moment.
That's more for me and you.
That's more for me and you.
That's more for me and you.
That's more for me and you.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
Let's go we met in can such a crazy place like
we're so close to each other.
I'm in orange county here in la.
It's just like crazy that wedid not meet beforehand.
And of course we meet at arandom party in Cannes, like so
wild.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
And mentioning that I always run into you.
Yes, there.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
Like I mean every turn, it was like every single
turn, you and Alpha, like it wasjust like up the stairs,
there's April Go to the party.
There's April, like it was ever.
Like here's an elevator, aprilcomes out of it.
It just, it was so wild.
It was so meant to be for us tomeet, so I'm so glad that we
did and so glad that it led usto be here.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
It was magical it was magical.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
There was only something else that was magical.
I think we'll get into that alittle bit later.
But, april so glad to have youhere, get to talk with you.
I would personally because Iwe've talked a lot about
business and we've talked abouta lot about just Afro Unicorn
and its current journey I'd liketo get to know a little bit
more about you.
So I mean, who is April Showers?
(01:54):
Where did she come from?
Like, tell us a little bitabout how you grew up and how
you became the person you aretoday born and raised here in
Los Angeles, south, southCentral, 89th and Westerns, my
hometown.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
I have two parents, so people first off they always
want to know April Showers, isthat your real name?
1,000%.
My father is Herman Showers, soHerman and Carlette had April
Showers in the early 80s.
Let's just call it 80.
I don't care about my age.
Um well, I just I just turned40.
(02:28):
Oh wow, I just had my birthdaythis past sunday happy birthday
thank you, you don't need tosend me a song so I I grew up
with my mom and my dad in southla and I attended um local
schools in englewood and la andthen I got into the magnet
program.
I don't know if you were fromLos Angeles or from the area but
(02:50):
we have this thing called themagnet program, which allowed
you to go to schools outside ofyour area.
And I actually went to schoolout here in Hollywood.
I went to Bancroft Junior HighSchool.
Of course it's a middle schoolnow, but I was in performing
arts.
I've always been a dancer verycool.
Speaker 1 (03:06):
I did not know that about you.
Yeah, what kind of dance didyou do?
Ballet, tap, jazz, modern, allof it yeah, so one day, dancing
with the stars is gonna have tocome calling it has to happen at
some point.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
But I have to get you know my levels up.
But yeah, eventually they willcall me.
I didn't think about that.
I'll go ahead and I'll put thaton the list.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
One thing I know about you is that you have a
vision board and you puteverything your little mind puts
like just it's crazy how muchyou've done and it's always on
your vision board and you I lovethat you talk a lot about that
within your journey.
Yeah, about About just thingsthat are like, no, I'm going to
do this and people are like,well, are you sure You're like
it's on my vision board, Likeit's going?
Speaker 3 (03:49):
to happen, right, if I wrote it down Some things,
though, and we'll talk about itlater, but it's like, until I
can really see it I'm kind oflike iffy about it, but if I
could see it it's a go greenlights everywhere awesome going
(04:11):
back to your childhood,obviously getting going to
medical school dancer.
Speaker 1 (04:14):
What came about from there?
Speaker 3 (04:15):
and I went to LA County High School for the Arts
and I was not your normalteenager, your normal high
schooler.
I was very active in the cityof Los Angeles.
I was not your normal teenager,your normal high schooler.
I was very active in the cityof Los Angeles.
I was the first youthcommissioner under Mayor Richard
Reardon where we establishedChildren's, youth and Families
(04:36):
Commission and I also had a talkshow, la Youth Speaks Out.
I had 46 absents on my senioryear because I was doing
official city business.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
I wish I could have that much absence from school,
but it was excused so it was allapproved.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
It was all approved.
I was named, at the age of 14,15, the youngest youth activist
in the city of Los Angeles bythe LA Times.
Speaker 1 (05:04):
That's amazing.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
I've been doing this for a long time.
Speaker 1 (05:06):
That is so incredible , so okay, so okay, that's his
place.
Speaker 3 (05:10):
What's?
Speaker 1 (05:10):
the next?
What's the next piece?
Speaker 3 (05:11):
Oh my gosh.
So that's just the.
I'm telling you like the typeof child that I was.
Like I, my father, just heturned 87 in october and he goes
to work every day and wow, somy, I had an older father.
So I grew up with motown and zzhills, down home blues my first
(05:33):
song at the age of two that Iwas seeing.
So I had a very um old soul,and I'm saying all this because
it matters to the way I move inmy life.
I lived on 89th and Western, butmy mother made sure I stayed
outside of the area, like evenmy schools.
I went to school in Hollywoodand I went to high school at Cal
(05:55):
State, la, and even on theweekends when we wanted to go
eat we were out in Beverly Hillsor PV or she just always kept
me outside of my inner city.
Yeah, and it helped mevisualize.
So I remember we would takedrives.
We would like take PCH toMalibu or PCH the other way, and
(06:17):
I always wanted to have a houseon the hill with the ocean on
the other side of me.
Speaker 1 (06:22):
And that vision came true, Of course.
So that's just.
That's really cool.
It's a very unique story andI've heard it before from other
people like making sure that youare taken out of what could
potentially keep you away, yourenvironment.
Yeah, because there's a lot ofpeople that are unfortunate.
They don't get to leave wherethey are right and they stay
(06:44):
there, and then obviously theydon't have the dreams and
visions come true and come tolife.
Because kids do dream, nomatter where they are, and I
love that you're doing that withyour company, so let's kind of
jump into that a little bit.
Speaker 3 (07:02):
Unless there's any more steps in the way that I'm
not missing there, just that.
I had an entrepreneurial spiritat a very young age, like I was
in real estate and I have aninsurance agency.
And then this unicorn businesscame about.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
And that came around.
About what time?
When did you start kind ofdreaming of Afro Unicorn as a
business, or even just as anidea, as a character?
Speaker 3 (07:22):
As an idea, it was 2018, because a friend kept
referring to me as a unicorn.
But he had been calling me aunicorn for a couple of years
and then, finally, one day, Ijust said, cortez, why do you
keep calling me a unicorn?
He said, well, because, april,you're raising your boys.
I'm a single mom with twoamazing boys.
One just went off to LSU.
(07:43):
Single mom with two amazingboys, one just went off to lsu
and the other one is in highschool where he's getting his um
, aa and his diploma at the sametime.
so I have very two smart youngmen and I have my insurance
agency going on I think 13 or 14years this year, and then I was
(08:03):
a licensed real estate brokerand so it's like April, you're
doing unicorn stuff and I'm like, but what does that even?
Speaker 1 (08:09):
mean.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
He's like well, because you're managing
everything.
I'm like, yeah, I'm a woman,that's what we do.
Speaker 1 (08:14):
He goes no.
Speaker 3 (08:15):
April, but you do it at an extraordinary level.
You are a unicorn.
I didn't know much aboutunicorns so I went to Google
them.
I saw that they were unique,they were mystical.
I'm like I'm definitely unique,I'm all things black girl magic
, and so I said, okay, I'm theunicorn, this is going to be my
little avatar.
(08:36):
I would just put the unicornemoji to represent who I was.
And then, after a period oftime, I just kept looking at the
unicorn.
I'm like it doesn't resonatewith me, like this little
unicorn on our iPhones does notlook like me and all the
(08:57):
goodness that I say that I am, Idon't see it in this unicorn.
So I went back to Google to gofind a unicorn that looked like
me.
There was nothing there.
I was like okay, so here's theopportunity for me to create
this Now as we know it, afrounicorn.
I reached out to my cousin itwas all via text, and he's an
(09:20):
artist and I was telling himlike, hey, I, I have this idea.
I want her to be called AfroUnicorn, I need her to have
curly hair, she has to have acrown, jewels in her crown, I
want her to have eyeshadow, Iwant her to have earrings.
And it was so opposite becauseI went from not knowing nothing
about unicorns to now, I'm like,telling people exactly how I
(09:41):
want this unicorn to look.
And after several weeks, hegave me some drawings and I
started to pick the ones that Iwanted.
And then, as he started to addcolor to them, they were all in
different shades and I looked atit and I go, wait a minute,
this is like this could bebigger than me, like I was
(10:06):
looking for an avatar for myself.
But I'm pretty sure there areother people who have felt or
feel we suffer sometimes fromimposter syndrome, not believing
that we really can, notbelieving that we really are
unicorns, as my friend called mefor two years and I kept
(10:28):
ignoring him.
So I said I want to find mytribe.
I feel like someone else isgoing to resonate with these
unicorns.
So in my mind I said I want tocreate a movement, I want to
give them their avatar to letthem know who they are, and I
(10:51):
was looking for womenentrepreneurs.
That was the start afro unicorntogether, my cousin and the guy
that I was working with kepttelling me april, I think, kids
like unicorns.
I think you should include kids.
I'm like what, what, what dothey do?
(11:12):
Yeah, I mean are they raisingkids?
Do they have businesses?
Are they unicorns?
Speaker 1 (11:18):
no, it makes sense.
I mean, you can grow growing uplike knowing about my little
pony and you know, becausethat's my the first thing that
goes in my head is like magicalponies.
Speaker 3 (11:25):
I was shira he man go , go, go.
What was it?
Speaker 2 (11:30):
lion, lion um it's uh thundercats, thank you for that
Preaching it girl.
Speaker 3 (11:43):
But yeah, so I was, although I was a dancer I'm not
I wasn't a girly girl, so Iwasn't.
I didn't.
I've never seen my Little Ponyever till this day, so I did not
know that unicorns was a kidthing, yep, and it was the way
that I was introduced to them,because this grown man was
(12:05):
calling this grown woman aunicorn, so I was like I'm not
doing the kids.
And then my marketer at thetime his name is Ronnell he sent
me a mock up image of a littlechocolate black girl with an
afro puff on the top of her headwith her hands open, and she
had my unicorn on her shirt andI was like okay I see it, I'm
(12:31):
sold.
Speaker 1 (12:31):
We have the kids.
Speaker 3 (12:32):
But I wasn't that sold.
I was like we're gonna callthem afro unicorns in training
like I still felt like they hadto thought.
Speaker 1 (12:38):
It was just like it was still you it was a women's
movement.
Speaker 3 (12:42):
I invited 25 women to my home who are either
entrepreneurs or who I knew thatwanted to get into
entrepreneurship.
If they had products, Ipurchased their items.
For the other women that werein the room, I had a
videographer come in to ask acouple of questions.
What would you tell youryounger selves when you hear
what does Black Girl Magic meanto you?
And when you hear the wordsAfro Unicorn, what does black
(13:03):
girl magic mean to you?
And when you hear the wordsafro-unicorn, what does that
mean?
It was kind of like my.
Now I know it was called a casestudy, so I got their live
reactions.
I had written bios on all ofthem, didn't ask them any
questions.
These were people that I knew,so I wanted to find out, when I
was telling them, what I thoughtmade them unique, divine and
(13:24):
magical, and I was building thisplatform to where women could
support other women.
And eventually I wanted to havethese conferences and we can
find out the different businessopportunities that were out
there.
Speaker 1 (13:39):
And that, honestly, would have been incredible, like
that alone would have beenincredible just within the
business world.
It's going to happen too, andit will.
Yeah, I'm so glad that it itwent the route it did, like when
you're explaining the emoji.
First of all, like most peoplethat have just an emoji idea,
would be very short-sighted andbe like uh okay, I want to
submit this to bitmoji orwhoever and get my own.
(14:03):
you know, afro unicorn maderight, just so I can use it and
have it not even as like anapple emoji, but just as
something you can use you cansearch it and you can always
create bitmojis.
That's pretty easy.
I'm so glad that you didn'tjust do that and you created
this whole and then it turnedinto multiple shades because,
honestly, emojis have like allthe people are different shades
(14:24):
of color, right.
So it's like it's good to getthat across the spectrum.
You took it a whole further,but it's actually the spectrum
fits your niche too right andthat's lovely, like all shades
of color yeah and to have thatnow represent into um little
girls being inspired like orinspired to, yeah, just be
strong, independent dreamers,thinkers.
Speaker 3 (14:47):
So the way that the way that it launched was on
brand, to make sure you have abrand.
As always, I feel like brandsshould have a movement behind it
, like there should be somebuilt-in dna and so, no matter
which direction you're going,you can always get back to the
core of it.
So at that event, the womensaid, oh, what's your instagram
(15:11):
account?
I was like, huh, I didn't haveinstagram.
I was.
Speaker 1 (15:17):
You didn't use it personally either had a facebook
okay, not for this yeah Ireally wasn't on.
Speaker 3 (15:23):
I remember the first time my girlfriend called me.
She was like oh my gosh, chrisBrown just broke up with such
and such and they're going backand forth and I'm like they're
doing this where, she's like onInstagram, they're talking.
I'm like, wait, wait.
So you mean like the celebrityis talking to another celebrity
and they're messaging andeveryone sees it.
Yeah, she's like.
Yes, I'm like that is weird.
(15:45):
So now, I was so far removedfrom it that makes sense.
Speaker 1 (15:49):
I mean we're we're kind of the facebook generation.
I mean, yeah, I when I was incollege, that's when facebook
kind of took off.
Speaker 3 (15:56):
Yeah, I was myspace and then yeah, oh yeah of course
.
Speaker 1 (15:59):
Yeah, we all had myspace, but I mean, facebook
was like the first, like whereit was a little more interactive
, right, and you had to be.
You had to have a dot edu emailat the time when I signed up
for.
Speaker 2 (16:09):
Facebook just to date myself, I mean.
Speaker 1 (16:11):
I already dated myself.
I said I was just turned 40.
So, um, but you had to havethat.
And then it expanded into whatit is today, which is crazy.
Speaker 3 (16:18):
Instagram went from being just about pictures to
being a whole social network Tocelebrities having arguments
which I'm still like.
Wow, that's how theycommunicate through Instagram.
Speaker 1 (16:30):
So you got an Instagram.
Speaker 3 (16:31):
So I got well.
I didn't just, maybe you didn'tjust get it, but I didn't just
get the Instagram, I had asetback my son that was, April
28th was the date that I birthedAfro Unicorn, meaning I gave my
idea and my vision to a groupof people right.
And then the launch day for thee-commerce site, because I did
say we're going to launch aT-shirt, like I'm going to sell
(16:52):
these T-shirts.
It's going to represent who youguys are and you can wear them
to my conferences at some point.
My son ends up going into thehospital.
On May 11th, may 12th, he hadbeen having complications to
where he couldn't keep anythingdown and a couple of days had
gone by and I'm just one ofthose busy single moms where I'm
like you're going to be okay,but he was not okay.
(17:14):
We had to get the paramedicsand they had to take him off and
we were in the hospital for 20days.
Speaker 1 (17:20):
Wow, how old was he at that time?
Eight, okay, I have athree-year-old and he's sick at
home and he like there weremoments where I like, are you
breathing?
Speaker 3 (17:27):
like so I totally like, yeah, now I understand
about being a parent, like trulyin the midst of a kid being
sick, that's, that's wild to beat a hospital for three weeks
and his his life pace level,which was supposed to be under
200.
We were at 17 000 when wechecked in.
Did you what I said?
Speaker 1 (17:44):
You're supposed to be under 200.
Speaker 3 (17:46):
We were at 17,000.
So he was very crucial and Iwasn't going to move forward
with launching Afro Unicornbecause then I had this other
child who could not stay in thehospital with me.
So I'm like, okay, so who'sgoing to watch him?
It was a crazy situation.
Three people in three differentinstances came in and said
(18:07):
April, you need I know you havethis business that you're going
to launch.
You need to launch thisbusiness.
Like all the forces are tryingto stop you, but God wants you
to do this.
I'm like, oh, I think it's justfood poisoning.
But by the third time, the thirdperson that came in through the
hospital door and was like'regonna launch that business.
When you say you're gonnalaunch it, I was like, okay, god
, I see you, I'm gonna launchthis business.
I had to figure it out.
(18:29):
So I end up hiring an assistantwhile I was in the hospital.
Like they came to the hospitalto get interviewed, mm-hmm.
And it was just God protectingme because I had to trust this
person, even with my child,because I had to get him to and
from school and go to downtownand get my inventory and do all
the things.
And, yeah, we launched on May17th.
I want to talk about Instagram,because I learned Instagram in
(18:51):
the hospital.
Speaker 1 (18:53):
You had some time.
I had time on my hand.
Speaker 3 (18:55):
I had time on my hand , I mastered it.
I mastered, I found out how tofind my audience.
I learned about hashtagstrategies and where did you
learn about it?
Speaker 1 (19:09):
where did you do your research?
Or did you use reddit?
Speaker 3 (19:11):
did you use nothing just just doing it yeah, I just
did it and I saw like thehashtag.
So I clicked on the hashtag andthen I saw that there were
multiple posts and I'm like,okay, well, let me see if my hat
let me look for black unicornthat's probably what they call
themselves.
So let me look for womenentrepreneur hashtag and then I
will go on their comments and Iwould say, hey, have you ever
seen an afro unicorn before?
(19:32):
I created a brand of women ofcolor who hustle, follow the
movement, and if you alreadyconsider yourself part of that,
crew you're like okay, hermessage just resonated with me.
Let me go click over to her page.
Oh my gosh there's unicorns thatlook like me.
I have to follow her and I needone of these shirts, because I
took the pictures from the 25women I had at the event and I
(19:53):
posted them all on my page and Italked about what made them
unique, divine and magical.
I would say, hey, you know,check out Tiana.
She works at whatever businessnine to five, but then she has
her own traveling notary companyand this is why you should
support her and this is whatmakes her unique, divine and
magical.
Make sure you tap in.
And so people saw that I wasgenuinely supporting them and so
(20:16):
they just got on the wave andthe movement and they're like
let me go grab my shirt.
And that was in May.
I did skip some steps and Ithink it's important because
when I launched in May 17th,when I got home May 30th with my
son, may 31st, my unclefavorite uncle died of a massive
heart attack.
Seventeen hours later, my otheruncle died of pneumonia.
(20:37):
We had a double funeral thefollowing week in Louisiana.
I knew it was going to break mygrandmother's heart.
It did.
She died six months later.
A month after that, we were ina global pandemic.
And the entire time I had thisNipsey had died like right a
month before I launched, and soI was just like the marathon
continues all gas, no brakes.
(20:58):
Clearly something big is goingto happen if all of this um bad
things keep coming to me.
Like something good is comingand it's trying to prevent me
from moving.
So I got to stay focused and Igot to keep moving.
So when we launched in May, byJune, by July, Tiffany Haddish
(21:19):
was rocking and supporting thebrand, Alicia Keys, Sherri
Shepherd, and it was all organicand it still is very much
organic, yeah.
So we just started thismovement and then COVID was a
blessing.
People were at home bored,bored in the house, bored and
wanting to tickety-tock away.
Speaker 1 (21:40):
I did so many things that I normally would never do.
Speaker 3 (21:43):
And what better way to throw on a unicorn shirt and
show us your new dance moves?
Speaker 1 (21:48):
Yep.
Speaker 3 (21:48):
And, interesting enough, you mentioned Dancing
with the Stars.
So Phaedra was on there last,maybe a season ago.
She did a TikTok during COVIDand then, when she was on
Dancing with the Stars, she usedit as her practice shirt.
Speaker 1 (22:05):
So cool.
Three or four years later, socool.
Speaker 3 (22:08):
And did another TikTok.
Speaker 1 (22:09):
So your shirt's already been on Dancing with the
Stars.
My shirt has been on Dancingwith the Stars, so cool, yeah.
Speaker 3 (22:14):
And so then a viral video came about of a little
girl wearing an Afro Unicornshirt.
She was outside taking picturesand someone said I love your
hair.
She said thank you, it's anAfro.
And then that video went veryviral and it got all the way up
to Oprah daily.
And then Walmart sent me amessage and asked me would I
(22:34):
consider bringing in Afrounicorn um through party
supplies?
And then it made me the firstblack woman to have a fully
licensed character brand inmajor retail.
Speaker 1 (22:44):
Can we just get like some, just some claps for that,
good Lord, thank you, um.
I've heard parts of thesestories before and so it's so
cool to just hear everything,like all the gaps being filled
out, to where it is today.
Very proud of you.
Thank you For not just keepingit so small.
It could have just been just athing for April, a thing that
(23:08):
you just kept to yourself, andthere's going to be so many
people, so many children andeventually, businesswomen, who
are going to be inspired by thisbrand.
Speaker 3 (23:15):
Not eventually businesswomen.
It started with thebusinesswomen.
Speaker 1 (23:19):
Well, it started with you, but then you took it back
to the kids.
But then I was saying like nowyou're going to, it's going to
even Everybody's being.
Speaker 3 (23:25):
Now the men are being .
I have a story about men toookay.
Speaker 1 (23:28):
Now the men are being okay, so everyone's being
inspired.
By afro unicorn yeah, I'minspired, yeah, and I'm not even
afro unicorn myself but, um.
I will take the originalunicorn um yep so why can't you
take afro unicorn?
I mean I need to get a little.
No, you don't.
You get a tan, nope.
Speaker 3 (23:49):
We've never had a problem wearing Cinderella, snow
White or any other characters.
Speaker 1 (23:54):
That's true.
Okay, you've just changed mymind Buying a sweatshirt
tomorrow, thank you, or tonight.
Speaker 3 (24:01):
You have one.
Speaker 1 (24:02):
I don't.
Speaker 3 (24:03):
You did order one.
Speaker 1 (24:05):
I was going to order one.
Speaker 3 (24:06):
I thought you did.
Speaker 1 (24:07):
I was close, but I never pulled the trigger, so now
he needs to pull the trigger,y'all and I don't know why I
didn't, but I had it in a cartand, for whatever reason, I'm
sure my wife asked me to dosomething probably a honeydew
and got sidetracked.
But I did have it in the cartand I was asking you because I
was asking about differentcolors of different ones you may
be releasing in the future ornot.
(24:27):
So, I don't know what happened,but you'll have an order soon.
Okay.
Promise you Sounds good, so Iknow where Afro Unicorn is today
.
What is in the near future?
Speaker 3 (24:41):
Animation.
Speaker 1 (24:43):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (24:44):
Live theatrical shows , live experiences.
I have a world called afronia.
So I said all roads lead toafronia.
Very cool, so getting to theultimate goal is some type of
amusement park.
Speaker 1 (25:02):
So all roads are we gonna have afro unicorn on ice?
Yeah, that's what it's not.
Speaker 3 (25:06):
It's not on I but like literally talking about a
broad show, right.
Speaker 1 (25:10):
Yeah, that is so cool .
Speaker 3 (25:12):
A touring show.
Speaker 1 (25:13):
Wow, and is that going to be tailored towards
like?
What audience is that?
Speaker 3 (25:17):
It's going to be like your blippy type show Amazing.
Speaker 1 (25:20):
Yeah, well, I'm very proud of you, thank you, and I'm
so glad to have met you.
I'm so glad that our pathscrossed, so glad to have met you
, I'm so glad that our pathscrossed.
And, yeah, just thank you forsharing about your journey.
Being a small business isdifficult and that's why each
episode we've chosen to shoutout a different small business.
This week we've chosen DemiLauren Studios, located in
(25:41):
downtown LA.
Now, on my 40th birthday, wehad a family friendly fun day
here at Demi Lauren Studios.
It's kind of a paint-and-siptype experience and you can BYOB
, which is kind of nice.
So the next time you're lookingfor a fun time with your family
and you're in downtown LA, makesure you visit Demi Lauren
(26:02):
Studios.
Ms April, yes, would you liketo play a little game called
this or that?
Speaker 3 (26:06):
This or that, let's get it.
Speaker 1 (26:08):
So this or that, it's actually sponsored by a company
called coastline traveladvisors.
So if you're looking foranywhere to go in the world,
whether it be can or anywhere inthe united states, anywhere in
the world, go to coastlinetravelcom and you can uh get
help with your travel needs.
But the uh this or that.
I'm just going to throw out 20questions to you.
Uh, some of them are fun andplayful, some of them get a
(26:29):
little deeper and stronger, anduh yeah, so let's have some fun
let's get it uh, as I ask all ofour guests, tacos or pizza?
Speaker 3 (26:36):
tacos.
Speaker 1 (26:37):
I'm from la very, very true, uh, sunrise or sunset
um sunrise sunrise.
I'm a sunset person, maybe justbecause I don't like mornings,
yeah.
Speaker 3 (26:51):
I'm up at 4.
Speaker 1 (26:52):
Sunrise it is Chewing gums or Mints.
See, I like mints in the car,but I'm more of a chewing gum
person.
When I like workout, move toHawaii or Florida.
Speaker 3 (27:07):
Who's going to Florida, hawaii?
Are you serious Right now?
Speaker 1 (27:12):
Some people don't like being isolated on an island
Five hours from the mainland.
Speaker 3 (27:18):
Next question.
Speaker 1 (27:21):
Read the book or watch the movie.
Speaker 3 (27:24):
I like to watch the movie.
Speaker 1 (27:26):
Me too.
Speaker 3 (27:26):
I like to listen to my books, so I like to watch the
movie.
Speaker 1 (27:30):
Sauce on the side or sauce on top.
Speaker 3 (27:33):
I to have both, but I'm gonna go sauce on the on
both on top, on top bonusquestion what do you use for
your fries?
Speaker 1 (27:41):
ketchup ketchup, I'm a ranch person.
Okay, uh, rescue a kitten orrescue a puppy who's gonna?
Take care of it afterwards.
It's more of your.
Are you a dog person, catperson?
No, I'm not an animal person.
Speaker 3 (27:57):
I'm scared the cat's going to scratch me, so I'll get
the pup.
Speaker 1 (28:00):
Get the puppy, Small puppy though.
Speaker 3 (28:03):
Okay, I got the puppy .
Speaker 1 (28:04):
Yep, and we can make Afro-unicorn dog costumes yeah,
we've been working on that.
Oh, that would be lovely.
Always hungry or always tired.
Speaker 3 (28:19):
I'm always tired because I'm up at 4 in the
morning.
Speaker 1 (28:22):
And you're always grinding with your business.
You're traveling everywhere allthe time too.
It's really hard to get you inone place, so I'm glad you were
able to come here, always feelunderstood or always feel
appreciated.
Speaker 3 (28:36):
I feel ooh, always feel understood or appreciated.
Speaker 1 (28:42):
Yeah, one of the two.
Dang, I feel, or which onewould you prefer?
Speaker 3 (28:45):
Maybe not what you feel, but yeah, I would prefer
to be appreciated.
Speaker 1 (28:48):
Before appreciated.
Why appreciated versusunderstood?
Speaker 3 (28:53):
Because understanding can only go so far, and then,
when you don't, then you nolonger understand.
Speaker 1 (29:01):
Always tell the truth .
Speaker 3 (29:03):
Always tell the truth .
Speaker 1 (29:04):
Or know when people are lying.
Speaker 3 (29:05):
Oh, I'm a cancer.
I know when you're lying.
Speaker 1 (29:08):
Always tell the truth .
You already know the other one.
In a typical day, would youlike more time or more energy?
Um, more energy, not the time.
No, uh, are you a coffee personor tea person?
That's not on the card, but I'mjust nope.
Do you need it?
No, just natural energy.
(29:28):
Unlimited knowledge orunlimited creativity?
Unlimited creativity good, umand I say good just because
that's like, that's what I wouldsay uh, sleep in a luxury hotel
or sleep under the stars aluxury hotel.
I don't like bugs never be ableto show emotions or never be
(29:50):
able to hide them.
Speaker 3 (29:53):
I'm a cancer, so I want the first one, which is
never going to happen.
Speaker 1 (29:58):
Loud neighbors or noisy.
It says loud neighbors or noisyneighbors.
I didn't write this one.
Speaker 3 (30:04):
It must be the nosy.
I'll take nosy neighbors.
Speaker 1 (30:06):
Oh, nosy neighbors.
Yes, I was like I didn't writethis one.
Speaker 3 (30:09):
Yeah, I want the nosy neighbors.
Speaker 1 (30:11):
Nosy Neighbors.
Speaker 3 (30:11):
Yes, I was like I didn't write this one.
Yeah, I want the Nosy.
Speaker 1 (30:14):
Neighbors, nosy Neighbors.
She's the neighborhood Pleasant, the what is?
Speaker 3 (30:15):
it Neighborhood Watch .
Yep, that's what I grew upunder.
Speaker 1 (30:17):
This is a fun one for you.
Glass Half Full or Glass HalfEmpty?
Speaker 3 (30:21):
Glass Half Full.
Speaker 1 (30:34):
So you know, with the bright side of, uh, afro
unicorn the movie, or afrounicorn the musical, um, the
movie's coming, the movie iscoming.
You heard it here.
Um, maybe not first, but youheard it here.
Have lunch with aretha franklinor diana ross aretha franklin?
Speaker 3 (30:47):
yeah, for sure.
Speaker 1 (30:48):
I don't know why I thought about that I didn't even
know about your old soulcomment.
That was actually perfect Hosta TV show or be on a TV show.
Speaker 3 (30:57):
I'm getting ready to host one very soon.
Speaker 1 (31:00):
What do you not do?
And this is pretty deep herethough.
Relaunch Afro Unicorn, knowingwhat you know, or stay the
course.
Relaunch Afro Unicorn, knowingwhat you know, or stay the
course.
Speaker 3 (31:14):
I have to stay the course because the opportunities
that I received wouldn'tprobably come if I went
traditional yeah, yeah, andhearing about your journey,
especially with the TikTok shirtand all that stuff with perfect
.
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (31:30):
But thanks for playing this or that, again
sponsored by Coastline Travel.
You ever looking to go toanywhere in the world?
Coastlinetravelcom and find anadvisor for you?
Promoting your podcast is hardand that's why each week we've
chosen to promote a differentpodcast we think you'll enjoy.
This week we've chosen no FilmSchool.
This podcast talks aboutbecoming a filmmaker with you
(31:53):
guessed it not going to filmschool.
So if you're interested in that, make sure you check out their
website at no film schoolcom tolearn more and with that we'll
see in the pod.
Welcome back, uh, miss April.
It has been phenomenal, uh, toget to know you, but also to
hear those fun answers.
I hope you had a good timeplaying that game, um, but I did
(32:14):
task you with something beforewe came here was to go onto the
Momi2 app and to look throughall the different movies and
shows and everything we have.
We have over 10,000 titles tochoose from.
You picked a film from 2007called Testimonies of Faith
Humble Journeys, and it's adocumentary made by Wendy
(32:36):
Wheaton.
Speaker 2 (32:38):
Testimonies of Faith Humble Journeys, hosted by Wendy
Wheaton reaches beyond theaverage interview.
Speaker 1 (32:45):
There's a time when God is carrying us, and then
there's a time when he wants ourfaith to be increased.
Speaker 2 (32:52):
And shares the personal stories of the stars.
I practice the presence of Godall day, every day.
For the past couple of yearsI've had a few tests, but you
know God will not put anythingon you that you can't bear.
We get up close and revealtheir testimonies.
Speaker 3 (33:08):
We've sang all our lives, but never in a million
years would I have imagined thatwe would be singing here at
this level.
Whatever's going to happen, isgoing to happen anyway, but it's
being able to get through it,their tribulations.
Speaker 2 (33:21):
No matter what trial may come to your life, don't
give up on your praise.
Don't stop praising God andtheir triumphs, testimonies of
faith.
Always believe in yourself andtheir triumphs, testimonies of
Faith.
Always believe in yourself andremember YCDA.
That stands for you can doanything, as long as it's
positive, you can do it.
Speaker 1 (33:37):
Testimonies of Faith Humble Journeys.
Why did you choose that film?
Speaker 3 (33:42):
We're going through a lot right now in this country
as a business owner as a smallblack business owner as well
under attack, and sometimes youjust want to have a little bit
of hope, and so if I have towatch television or a movie, I'm
constantly on my phone seeingDoomsday.
(34:03):
I wanted to see something thatwas uplifting and it was very
uplifting.
Speaker 1 (34:08):
Yeah, the 2007 documentary.
It was very uplifting.
Yeah, um, the 2007 documentarywas, uh, it was, it was
different to watch becauseobviously it was it was shot in
sd, so it's uh, if people aregonna go watch it, which I
highly encourage people to do,uh, just know that the, the
quality is not gonna be quite2025.
It's a the, the quality cameraand then the audio and stuff was
a little different.
(34:29):
It was a little uh, I'm notsaying I'm not gonna say rough,
but it was.
Speaker 3 (34:32):
It was just different to look through because you
it's so funny you say thatbecause it took me a long time
to get used to hd television.
Really, like a long time yeah, Ifelt like I was moving.
Like I'm like, why is thecamera shaky?
Like so I didn't even reallypay, like because that's my
comfortable place.
I'm old school, I told you thatearlier, so it took me I would
(34:54):
go to people's homes.
They had these big HDtelevisions.
I'm like this looks weird.
It looks like it's shot withyour camcorder, but now I don't
see the difference.
But, clearly you're the guy, soyou saw it.
Speaker 1 (35:07):
I watched too many movies, but, yeah, when you're
watching something that was madein 2007, but on uh and not not
a high quality camera in 2007that was then put up onto a 75
inch flat screen, it's a littlelittle different, um, but
because it's an uplifting film,we are not going to talk
negatively about things.
(35:27):
Uh, we will move on to thepositive.
Um, but I was, I was so happythat you chose this film, um
that we got a chance to hearfrom some celebrities which we
we don't typically hear, likerawness from celebrities
sometimes, and I think that's soimportant to hear, like the
rawness of people's stories,which we just got to hear yours,
um.
(35:48):
But what was your, what wasyour favorite story throughout
this documentary?
It was only 45 minutes.
It was an easy watch.
Speaker 3 (35:56):
Yeah, I had an interesting take on all of it,
because my brain knew it was2007, so I wanted to do the.
Where are they now?
Speaker 1 (36:10):
Unfortunately, yes, okay.
Speaker 3 (36:11):
And the reason why it's because a lot of them spoke
.
I love Della Reese's story.
I love Touched by an Angel.
I grew up watching that with myfather and she had her own
angelic experience as a child.
So hearing that story was great.
Kenny Lattimore, who wastalking about at the time his
(36:32):
wife Shante Moore, and justthinking about where I was
during that time and Shante'sgot a man that was a song that
was out.
But then I went to Wikipedia tosee what happened with life and
I saw like they're on theirwell at least one is on their
third marriage now and then itjust made me just realize like
look, if you're not turningchapters pages, you're not
(36:57):
living.
And some people aren't livingthat were in a documentary
either, like Teddy Pendergrass.
Speaker 1 (37:01):
Yep 2010,.
I believe.
Speaker 3 (37:03):
Yeah, and so it just made me just appreciate every
moment in life, like today couldbe good, tomorrow may not be as
great, but you still haveanother day, the pages are still
being turned and your story isstill being written.
But when I even just listeningto and I think what's the lady's
(37:26):
name?
I can't.
She was a big churchy lady andso she was married four times.
So it's just like, hey, we'renot going to always be perfect,
we're not going to always get itright, and we just got to keep,
keep on living.
Speaker 1 (37:40):
Yeah, um, yeah.
The first thing I did was thesame thing.
Because there was so manypeople I was like some of them,
I Some of them.
I didn't know who they were.
Like, I'll be honest, alJarreau.
I did not know who Al Jarreauwas.
Okay, I just didn't grow upwith him, but most of the other
names I know.
But then, looking up and likeoh okay, she passed away in 2017
(38:01):
.
Okay, he passed away in 2017.
And he passed away in 2010.
I was like, please stop doingthis.
Like hopefully this is not thetrend and Please stop doing this
.
Like, hopefully this is not thetrend and luckily, the rest of
the people in the documentaryare still living and enjoy that.
But yeah, it was so interestingto hear their takes on just
(38:22):
life in general.
What would you say is like anuplifting moment or uplifting
message to people listening tothis?
Like, what would you um say if,if wendy was in my chair and
talking to you?
Speaker 3 (38:35):
um, just that.
You know you have to staypositive.
I'm learning that a lot.
So I'm doing a lot of reading,a lot of meditation, a lot of
positive talking, and I'mlearning that you are what you
say.
There's life and death and thepower of the tongue, and
(38:56):
whatever you focus on is what'sgoing to happen in your life.
And I don't know if you everheard of the Secret.
Wow, you got to tap into theSecret, the Secret.
Speaker 1 (39:07):
Can you tell me about the Secret oh?
Speaker 3 (39:09):
most definitely.
Is it a secret, or can you meabout the secret?
Speaker 1 (39:10):
oh, most definitely.
Is it a secret or can you?
Speaker 3 (39:12):
um no, it's not a secret, it's not like fight club
.
Speaker 1 (39:14):
We don't talk about fight club.
Speaker 3 (39:16):
Like we can actually talk about the secret no, no, we
could talk about the secret,but in the secret just talks
about how you manifest.
You can manifest whatever lifethat you want for yourself.
Right and example if you sayI'm always late or I'm gonna be
late, oh my gosh, traffic isgonna like the moment you step
(39:36):
out the house, everything goesbad, like you catch the train
because the universe only hearsthat you want to be late what
you're manifesting for that?
it doesn't know the difference.
So if you're always complainingabout your bills, the universe
is here as you say, OK, let mekeep putting them into
situations where they have morebills, because wherever your
(39:56):
focus is, that's what you willattract to yourself the bills.
But you think about how moneycomes to you with speed and how
all your bills are paid and howyou're going to be on time, Like
say those things versus sayingthese Speaking things into
(40:19):
existence.
Speaker 1 (40:21):
I love that.
Speaker 3 (40:21):
And being very careful on where you allow your
thoughts and concentration, andwe're human.
That's the one thing I lovedabout watching it and then going
to see their stories, becausesometimes, when you get up here
and you have these interviews,you really want to just make
yourself look perfect.
And you know, I went throughthe trials and tribulations and
(40:43):
I got it right and now me and mywife are loving each other.
You're like, okay, and untilyou're not, yeah, so um it just.
I just like the fact that Iknow that we all have those
moments where we have moments ofdoubt, but then it's like, okay
, are you going to give theenergy to the doubt?
(41:05):
Are we going to give our energyto the solution?
Speaker 1 (41:07):
I love that.
Speaker 3 (41:09):
So I'm choosing, even in this crazy hectic time that
we're in, I'm choosing to givemy direction to the solution.
I'm always trying to figure outhow we're going to solve this
problem.
Speaker 1 (41:23):
I love that.
I'm a very big proponent ofthat as well.
I didn't know about the Secret,but now I do.
Speaker 3 (41:29):
So thank you for sharing that.
You got to tap into the Secret.
Thank you for sharing that withme.
You have to watch the Game ofLife and how to play it.
I mean read the Game of Lifeand how to play it.
Speaker 1 (41:34):
I love that.
I'm a very positive person andmy wife sometimes doesn't like
that I am.
When there's moments of likesomething goes wrong, my first
inclination is always like, okay, we got to figure it out.
Okay, what are we going to doto fix it?
What are we going to do?
And she's like, can you justtake a moment and just be in it
first before you try to move on?
(41:55):
But I just can't do that.
Sometimes it's so hard for me.
I just always push forward.
Speaker 3 (42:00):
That's a blessing.
I have to train myself.
Speaker 1 (42:02):
It's very hard.
Speaker 3 (42:03):
Because I'm a natural warrior.
I mean, I talked earlier aboutme being cancer and like that's
one of our traits, that we arenatural warriors.
But then I learned a scriptureand it talked about worrying and
then I said oh, I'm not goingto, that's not going to be my
focus point anymore.
I can't focus on worrying now,not to say that I don't worry,
(42:25):
but I just can't put my focusthere.
Speaker 1 (42:27):
Yeah, I'm the same way, like yeah, I worry about a
lot of things.
Being a focus there yeah, I'mthe same way like, yeah, I, I
worry about a lot of things.
Being a father is you worry allthe time?
You wake up at two in themorning you look at the in the
little camera and you're like,okay, is he the monitor?
And you're just like, is hebreathing?
Do I need to go in there andcheck?
Just want to make sure?
And yeah, so I worry all thetime.
But yeah, you have to keep thatfocus, that mindset, just
moving forward and and thingswill work out.
(42:48):
Um, john woodenen is a big quotefor me and I always mess it up
how to say it, but it's the bestthings work out for the people
who make the best of the waythings work out.
Speaker 3 (42:57):
Oh, you got to send that to me.
Speaker 1 (42:58):
I will it's in his book.
Say it one more time the bestthings happen to people that
make the best of the way thingsturn out.
Ooh, yep, and he's a very verywise man.
Mm-hmm, but so I've kept thatwith me and then I wasn't going
to make this a faithconversation.
(43:19):
My favorite scripture, which Iactually have on my arm in
Chichewa so it's actually in thelanguage from Malawi it says as
water reflects a face, so aman's heart reflects the man,
and I always want to make surethat people are being real,
being honest, being themselves,and that's a big piece of being
that positive kind of outlook onlife, or having that positive
(43:42):
outlook on life.
For sure.
So I love that Wendy did getinto a segment and I will ask
you that same question Um, whois your guardian angel?
Speaker 3 (43:54):
I thought it was a lovely question.
Um my, my grandmother.
Speaker 1 (43:58):
Tell us about it.
Speaker 3 (43:59):
Um, my grandmother lived in Louisiana, northeast
Louisiana.
I spent almost every summerwith her until I was about 14
years old.
Like I was born July 20th.
I was there by July 30th like Iwas on a plane yeah, only like
a week and she just always her,my grandfather.
(44:23):
They understood me a lot andshe was my everything Like.
If there was ever issues orproblems with my mom or my
parents, I'll call her.
I come get your daughter.
It was a lot of that growing upas a teenager, but my, my
grandmother she was.
She taught me how to cook and Ilearned how to clean from her
(44:49):
and I just learned a lot ofthings.
And I remember when I wasmarried and it just was not
working and I didn't want todisappoint my grandmother
because my grandmother came outto the wedding and I'm like she
came out because I didn't wantto get married at the wedding.
I was ready to go, but I'm like, well, grandmother's here, we
got to do it.
So I did it because grandmotherwas there.
And then I just remember hertelling me if he's not beating
(45:12):
on you, he's not cheating on you, then he's a good man.
Speaker 1 (45:15):
I'm like.
Speaker 3 (45:17):
And then one day she called me.
I was on my way to my office inLong Beach and she's like
poo-poo, that's what she used tocall me.
Poo-poo.
I was thinking and I just wantyou to be happy and whatever
happy looks like for you.
And I didn't call her and tellher hey, I'm thinking about
getting a divorce or anything,just in that moment she just she
(45:38):
had something to hit her soshe's definitely my, she's my
guardian angel.
When she was here on earth anddefinitely being gone, and I
talked to her, like I'm saying Ialways, always say, well, what,
what, what would grandmothersay?
Speaker 1 (45:51):
Yeah, I'm very, I'm very blessed that, um, a lot of
the closer people in my life arestill with me, and I don't know
what that feels like, orhaven't experienced that yet.
Um, actually, my my grandmothersadly just passed away
yesterday morning, um, but Ididn't really be in touch with
her much.
My uh, she's on the East coast,so didn't really have the chance
in touch with her much.
(46:12):
My, uh, she's on the east coast, so didn't have the chance to
talk with her much, but um, butthat's amazing, like I and I was
thinking about the question Idon't know who my guardian angel
is, because I just I don't know, I haven't gone through that
right.
So like my first inclinationwas like, oh, it's my wife, but
she's, but she's still here,she's still next to me, she's
beside me, and so, like um I did, there was one person that did
(46:32):
answer with someone that um wasalive, and then another person
mentioned um, is that god istheir guardian angel?
Speaker 3 (46:41):
yeah, so I have a lot of angels.
I see angel numbers all daylong.
Right now, I'm tough on the 222, which is all about
partnerships.
Okay, which is clearly what'shappening for me right now.
I'm connecting with a lot ofpeople and I see 444, which is
all is well.
I don't care what's happeningin the middle.
If I have a moment, I'll lookdown or I'll look somewhere, and
(47:04):
then it will just be there.
So I'm like, okay, my angelsare all around me.
Speaker 1 (47:10):
Let's see what time it is.
Oh, it's 151,.
So it's not too too late.
Speaker 3 (47:14):
Oh no, it's not, and it has to be for me, like my mom
would sometimes send me numbers.
I'm like it doesn't work likethat Mommy, like I have to see
it for myself.
But I always get a reminder,like I always get a reminder
that my angels are watching overme and people don't really
think about angels like that andI'm like, well, when did they
(47:35):
disappear?
Because they were allthroughout the bible.
So, yeah, I didn't rememberwhen they said we wiped out all
the angels of the earth.
So angels are very real and Ithink that's why I loved um
touched by an, the show thatDella Reese was in.
I remember me having anencounter here in Hollywood.
(47:56):
I was in junior high school,around the corner at Bancroft,
and after school, before dancepractice, we would go grab
something to eat and I rememberbeing across at the burger stand
and I was short like somechange.
And it was a homeless guy acrossthe street yelled my name and
said April, and he said I haveit.
(48:17):
And this person gave me exactlywhat I needed.
That's wild, it's very wild, itwas very wild.
Speaker 1 (48:26):
They had no idea.
I'd never seen the person.
Never seen him again.
How long ago was this?
Speaker 3 (48:30):
In 1992.
Speaker 1 (48:32):
93.
Like I've never seen the personever seen when was how long ago
was this?
In 1992, 93.
So this was well before anyonesaw april showers on instagram.
That's crazy yep, yep.
Speaker 3 (48:41):
So I mean we.
It says we entertain angelsunaware.
Speaker 1 (48:45):
So you have to be, just kind to everyone you
encounter, because you neverknow when you're entertaining an
angel well, I'm very happy thatyou chose this film um, very
happy that wendy decided to makeit.
Uh, I think it's just, it's abeautiful little touch of uh, a
show that that our app needs um,because I think every platform
needs some uplifting um contentyes so I'm very happy you chose
(49:08):
that of all the other film I'msure you saw.
You saw a few other films onmomi too.
Speaker 3 (49:14):
Um, what were some other films that kind of well
you have a lot of films, filmsand titles that I'm like, okay,
I gotta go back and and watchthis, because I didn't know that
this person had this movie out,or I love that there were new
faces.
We're always.
I remember there was a time inHollywood where you would just
see the same actors over andover and, over and over again,
(49:36):
and so it's good to see a lot ofthe independent films, but even
you have some of the big ones.
A lot of the big ones are onthere as well.
So I just like the fact thatyou had a big, diverse library
of content, and so I can't waitto dive in.
And when I'm having those daysI want to just disengage with
(49:56):
the circus show and the crazyworld that we live in and just
go into fantasy, just get awayyeah, like, like, like a little
unicorn unplug for a moment.
Speaker 1 (50:05):
Yeah, um, no, I appreciate you saying that,
because we do have a verydiverse and eclectic mix of
content, um, and it is nice tosee some of these actors, um,
even some of them, which are inum, like vivica a fox we had a
holiday film that she, she, hadcameoed in and it's just like
something I've never seen, neverheard of, right like
(50:27):
christopher lloyd.
Um, it was in it's in a filmatBuilder, and it's just like this
little indie film that never,never even known before before
we actually brought it on toMoMe too.
So it is nice to kind of findthose little gems here and there
, and I'm so glad that you chosethis film.
Thank you for doing so, causeit's just, it's something I
(50:49):
needed too.
Speaker 3 (50:51):
Yeah, can I ask you a question?
Of course, what made you?
Speaker 1 (50:54):
I'll put on all you can put on the host cap um, tell
us how and why did you start?
momi too.
Yes, um, momi too.
It was actually kind of a acovet thing too, where it was
just one of those um sit downconversations, because time kind
of slowed down a bit right andwe were noticing that there was
(51:16):
a lot of people just ingestingcontent.
So there was just a moment wherewe said what kind of content is
maybe not being seen enough?
That's not really shown in thelimelight, because what happened
was people weren't able to goto theaters, right, so a lot of
those films that were going toget released ended up getting
(51:37):
released in streaming, and so wejust said, well, there's,
there's a lot of films that arekind of getting put on the back
burner, that aren't getting thelove and getting the
opportunities, and so that kindof it kind of where we got like
the idea from Mommy 2.
And then the name actuallymeans more for me and you.
Oh, okay, and so it's moreopportunities for filmmakers.
(51:58):
The me is actually us inbetween the two, so the me is us
sitting on the couch, kind of,with you because we actually
hand curate all of the contentthat you see.
So we don't use algorithms, wedon't use things that will
predict what a person thinksthey need to watch, like,
there's a lot of times wherepeople they just don't know what
(52:19):
they want to watch, or they getonto an app and they're just
like man, I've seen everything.
There's because the algorithmhas only presented what they're
seeing, and so we just wanted todo something different and
expose people to content thatthey never knew existed, never
knew they loved.
And then the two being you inLatin and being a little more
(52:41):
universal was the person in thechair, the person that was
actually using the app, and wewanted to give more
opportunities for the two, orthe you, to experience that
content.
And so that's kind of thebeginning stages of what momi2
started, as it then developedinto becoming more about, um,
independent filmmakers andhelping them get a start
(53:04):
somewhere.
Um, because a lot of otherplatforms, when they get a film
put on there, um, they'll justbe on there.
They don't have marketingdollars, they don't have this
opportunity that a lot of bigbudget films do, and so we
partner with them to bring on afilm, say exclusively for 90
(53:24):
days or so, and give them alittle love on social media
podcasts, movie reviews, thingslike that to then bring a little
bit more light to their film,and so that kind of trickled in
and then eventually turned intohow can we help the next
generation of filmmakers, and westarted a film festival for
college students, and so we'regoing into our third year this
(53:45):
year.
Last year we had 69 filmsrepresented from 38 different
colleges and universities and wewill now be hopefully growing
that this year and making iteven bigger, but giving these
students an opportunity not justto make a film or be part of
another film festival, but toactually be on a streaming
service, to have their films beseen by more and more people and
(54:06):
hopefully, even if it justgives one student a year, the
next opportunity for them to belike um, to make their next film
or get connected with the nextperson that that will lead them
down, you know, hopefully be asuccessful filmmaker.
We're doing everything right.
At that point we're very happywith what we're doing.
Um, or we will be happy withwhat we're doing.
Last year we actually had afilmmaker from ringling college
(54:29):
win this award called theproducer's pick, and I'm very
excited about this.
But he actually gets to develophis short film as more of a
proof of concept and we'redeveloping it into a feature
film and he gets to direct it aswell.
Wow and so that's another thingthat we're building off of to
hopefully utilize the app toalso make an impact in these
(54:51):
filmmakers' lives.
Speaker 3 (54:52):
I love it.
I love it.
Speaker 1 (54:52):
utilize the app to also make an impact in these
filmmakers lives.
Yeah, so, continually goingback to the, the root of the
name of more for me and you, um,we're doing that with the app,
we're doing that with thefilmmakers and the film festival
and hopefully with this podcastas well.
So giving opportunities formore opportunities not that you
need them, but moreopportunities for Afro Unicorn
(55:13):
to just even if it inspires oneadditional person.
That's what we're here to do.
Speaker 3 (55:19):
So any last thoughts as far as we're on here, no, I
just appreciate you having me, Iappreciate you breaking down
the meaning, the why behind thebusiness.
Because that's important asbusiness owners, just don't just
do it just to do it Like therehas to be a reason of why we're
doing the.
Because that's important asbusiness owners, just don't just
do it just to do it Like therehas to be a reason of why we're
doing the things that we'redoing and hopefully it's led by
(55:39):
impacting others and definitelythat's what you're doing, that's
what I'm doing and that's howreason why the universe keeps
bringing us together and canAbsolutely.
Speaker 1 (55:48):
Um, for those that don't know as much about Afro
Unicorn, that have made it thisfar in the episode, where can we
find Afro Unicorn?
Speaker 3 (55:57):
You can find Afro Unicorn at Afro Unicorn dot com
and most of your major retailers.
Follow me please.
I got April showers whereyou'll be inspired over and over
again, so follow me there onInstagram and Instagram
Afrounicorns.
Afriunicorn underscore official.
Speaker 1 (56:15):
Love it.
Speaker 3 (56:16):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (56:16):
Thank you, and thank you so much for being here,
taking the time.
I know you're a very, very busywoman, so really appreciate you
just coming down into the podand sharing your life, sharing
about who you are and how yougot to the point of creating
Afriunicorn.
And thank you for choosing amovie that's just so inspiring.
Speaker 3 (56:34):
Thank you for having me.
Speaker 1 (56:36):
Thanks for spending your time with us today on the
More For Me and you podcast.
If you've made it to the end,we appreciate you.
Now go do us a quick favor.
Please like, comment and sharethis episode and, before you go,
don't forget to subscribe soyou never miss an episode with
the incredible guests we havecoming up.
You, so you never miss anepisode with the incredible
guests we have coming up.
You can also follow us at atMoMeTooPodcast, on Instagram and
(56:56):
on TikTok.
Oh and for your next movienight, check out the MoMeToo app
.
It's free and packed withamazing movies and shows you've
probably never seen.
Until next time, take care,stay safe and we'll see you in
the pod.
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