August 5, 2025 • 20 mins
The Peace & Prosperity Podcast is a bi-weekly conversation with Jason Phillips, LCSW, licensed therapist and confidence expert in Raleigh, NC, discussing all things related to self-love and self-confidence, and how we can improve ourselves personally and professionally.
Ever felt like giving up on your biggest dream? You’re not alone—and this episode gets real about the emotional highs and lows of entrepreneurship. Our guest, Venus Austin, a successful business owner juggling a thriving brand and a 9-to-5, opens up about burnout, self-doubt, and the moments she almost quit. What keeps her going? Faith, a supportive partner, and a deeper purpose rooted in legacy—not ego.
We also dive into the pressures of running a product-based business, the mental toll of always being “on,” and the balance between hustle and self-care. If you’re building something meaningful, this conversation will remind you why you started—and give you the fuel to keep going.
To stay connected with Jason and learn about coaching, connect with Jason on social media:
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jphillipsmsw/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/jphillipsmsw
Visit Jason's website for a consultation:
Website -https://www.jasonlphillips.com
To book Jason to speak to your team or organization:
https://peaceprosperitycoaching.hbportal.co/public/660d8068c9d2d600253b215b/1-Inquiry
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
As a confidence expert, confidence coach, I work
with people all the time on notquitting on themselves in
various aspects of their life,so you're helping a lot of
people just with being authenticand transparent.
I would say for me, you know,our entrepreneurship journeys
are very different too, becauseI'm a service based business, so
when it comes to products, it'sa whole different ball game.
(00:23):
As far as, like, inventory,it's because it's so.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Uh, it's like intimate entrepreneurship is
super in this.
It's well.
For me it's been like.
Even though Alfred is a part ofit, it's lonely.
It's a very intimate, like, eventhough Alfred is a part of it,
it's lonely, it's very intimate.
It's very intimate Like a lotof self-reflection.
I mean you deal with failureand like you only have yourself.
(00:53):
So it's like, baby, if you canmake it through entrepreneurship
, you a strong mofo.
That's how I feel.
It's different than likemessing up a project at work.
At work, it's like you.
It's more personal.
Speaker 1 (01:07):
Because I guess it's like you're invested in it, yep,
yep.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
And it's like for me, blank is literally.
Blank is a physicalmanifestation of me that other
people get to buy into.
So it's with customers.
If customers don't likesomething or they are rude and
mean, I take that verypersonally.
I shouldn't.
That's why, oh, absolutely yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
So we talking about entrepreneurship, and it is a
journey.
You've been an entrepreneur forhow many years?
Speaker 2 (01:35):
That's a tricky question.
So I started off blogging,which is it got my feet wet in
entrepreneurship, probably in2011, maybe two, two, 2009, like
when I launched my YouTubechannel and then.
So that was kind of like apseudo or freelancer
entrepreneurship.
So I would say hardcore, likeserious, was like five years ago
(01:59):
with Blink.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
What's been the hardest part about it?
Speaker 2 (02:03):
Oh gosh, I think I would say the confidence, and
it's weird because I considermyself a very confident person
in general.
Entrepreneurship has humbled mea lot and it's made me have to
confront certain things that Ididn't even know existed within
me, and it's made me a betterperson, I would say.
(02:25):
But I would say it's definitelyput up a mirror and made me
kind of see myself.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
I don't think people always think about how
confidence and entrepreneurshipgo together.
People probably equate anybodywho's an entrepreneur to just
being automatically confidentbecause you're stepping out
there doing your own thing.
But you know, I'm'm anentrepreneur too.
There's a lot of ups and downswith that.
One month you can make a dollar, next month you can make a
hundred, you can make a thousand, 10,000, whatever.
(02:51):
It's like a rollercoaster, itcan be.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
And for the most part I mean you talk to anybody.
It is it's a rollercoaster.
I was having a conversationwith somebody who I like I've
seen her grow her business forthe last 10 years and I like I
was like I've been involved in alittle bit just on the
sidelines and personally withher and her business and she's
like big, like she's inNordstrom, all these different
(03:16):
things, and I was talking to her.
I was like, oh my god, likewhen, when is it just gonna be
like comfortable, like, or whenare you not gonna just like have
moments of like I want to quitRight?
And she's like, oh, it willnever go away.
And I was like she was like yougot to be comfortable with it.
She was like just this week.
I was like, why am I doing this?
And she's successful.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
How close have you came to quitting?
Speaker 2 (03:39):
Oh gosh, like so, alfred.
So my husband is very he's partof the reason why I haven't
really because I'll talk to himand like I'm like, I'm done, I'm
out the game, cause, like whyam I doing this to myself, you
know, I mean he's like you can't, you can't.
This is what you, you're madefor this.
Like you can't, you can't do it, you too, you too far in.
(03:59):
So I've come close, but outsideof him also, god God, probably
even more so than Alfred.
I like not to go through allthe conversations, obviously,
but like I'll be sitting therelike God, what?
Like I can literally come homeand watch the housewives yes, I
could do that and not thinkabout nothing else.
Like I don't want, like I'mtired, and then something will
(04:24):
happen big, with blank, and it'slike it like I'm tired, and
then something will happen bigwith blank and it's like.
It's like I'm happy, like thankyou, but then it's like golly
the size, like so I can't.
Speaker 1 (04:34):
Was it like a certain moment that led you sometime
Like a certain customer, acertain month, like what was the
situation where you're like youknow what?
Speaker 2 (04:43):
I might be done.
I hate to.
I feel so like cause.
I don't want to sound negative,but it's just moments.
Throughout the journey I can't.
It's not one moment, it's so.
I've.
I've been on a verge ofquitting blank several times
through the five years.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
Yeah, no, I appreciate you being real
because, you know, as aconfidence expert, confidence
coach, I work with people allthe time on not quitting on
themselves in various aspects oftheir life, so you're helping a
lot of people just with beingauthentic and transparent.
I will say for me, you know,our entrepreneurship journeys
are very different too, becauseI'm a service-based business, so
(05:20):
when it comes to products, it'sa whole different ball game as
far as, like, inventory andproduct sales, I mean just
customer feedback.
Now, of course, I get customerfeedback too, but it is
different.
Speaker 2 (05:34):
Yeah, I mean people.
I've had people who, becausesomething didn't fit them right,
get mad at the, the clothes andso then they are negative to
the company.
Now the whole company is trashbecause they couldn't fit into
the item.
That, like that, has happened inthe last week and a half oh,
wow so yeah, it's, it's, it'spart of it, it's part of the
(05:58):
like, especially if you'reproduct based.
You, you're going to have thatBecause you know, like what we
talk about with confidence andstyle.
Sometimes the right outfit willhumble you and it can make you
feel good or it might humble you.
Right, you know, and so insteadof people being mature or, you
know, comfortable, confident tosay it's not the dress.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
It's not the medium or the small, or the eight or
the ten.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
It's me and it's fine that that garment is not for me
, but it doesn't mean the wholecompany is trash.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
I guess maybe you should start tricking people
with your sizes.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
You know companies do that, like Chico's they like,
have like.
So they don't have the realsizes.
They have like one, two orthree's they like, have like.
So they don't have the realsizes, they have like one, two
or three, but they're.
They translate to like a largersize because of that.
So there's a lot of psychology,like mental, with style,
fashion and clothes.
Speaker 1 (06:56):
So when it comes to starting.
Well, I won't even say becauseyou never quit, you never you
got close.
Say, cause you never quit younever.
You got close to it but younever quit.
And you talked about yourhusband.
God, like entrepreneurship, islonely.
So the thing about it nobodycan really hold you accountable
but you.
So if you do decide, you knowwhat I'm done.
You don't have to turn in likea two week notice.
(07:18):
I mean you could just literallyshut down your website, your
supply team and all of that andbe done.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (07:23):
I think that's the part where it takes a lot of
discipline too.
So, like what's your routinefor staying disciplined?
Speaker 2 (07:31):
To be honest with you , I think it's on the verge of
maybe being unhealthy a littlebit.
I am like, especially right nowin this season, like right now
we're under a soft rebrand, soin behind the scenes.
So if you go to blank now, youwon't really see it, if you.
But if you follow us likeclosely over the years, you're
probably like, well, what arethey doing?
Because something's different.
(07:51):
So we're going through thatrebrand and so I'm, I'm locked
in, like I'm.
Speaker 1 (08:06):
So if, like, we went to Dallas last week for my
birthday and I was like OK,tonight we on my birthday, we
gonna be loose Right, but I waslike I get back to the hotel I
have to focus.
Speaker 2 (08:11):
I got to lock in and so yeah, I, I'm always on.
I'm always thinking about it.
I'm right now I'm thinkingabout when I got to go back.
I'm always thinking about it.
Right now, I'm thinking aboutwhen I got to go back home.
Speaker 1 (08:23):
So one of the reasons why like seriously.
I do love collaborating withyou is because I know it's going
to be 100 percent effort onboth ends and I know you don't
collab with just any andeverybody.
But like your work ethic is ishigh, so it is kind of even for
me like talking to you.
It's hard to see that you wouldeven consider quitting because
your work ethic is like it'sthrough the roof like you go ham
(08:45):
it's part.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
I think it's because of detroit, though, like we're
from, so we're from detroit, andlike we're just hustlers.
So for me, I what kind of getsme back on my square outside of
my husband?
God is kind of like talking tomyself like v you, now you know
you don't want to do nothing.
Quit it, like stop.
(09:08):
Like lean in you now you.
You then got mad at thiscustomer, or you're mad because
sales aren't where they'resupposed to be, because I think
I told you this in december 2022.
I don't know what happened.
We went, came off of our likeone of our top months in 2022,
in November, killed it, like tothe point where I was like OK,
like I'm seeing some things Ican do.
(09:30):
And then December came.
It was like hello, anyone there, like what happened?
Hello, and that, like I said,that that kind of ebb and flow
it can rock you, especially ifit happens at certain moments.
So for me I have to like checkin with me and say, are you
responding to like, is this likesomething that you don't really
(09:53):
want to do, or are youresponding to a circumstance?
Speaker 1 (09:56):
So I'm going to go kind of deeper on it.
So I know Blank is a part ofyou.
That's a part of who Venus isat your core.
What is the purpose and thevision or mission behind Blank?
Speaker 2 (10:10):
I'm a girl's girl.
I love women.
I love being around powerfulwomen, confident women Genuinely
I get off on that.
Women like genuinely I I I getoff on that, like I, literally I
I.
It's something to see a womanlike really lean into her
passion and what she wants to doand like she owns it, like
(10:31):
thinking about someone thateveryone knows rihanna oh, like
I like her, her I'm just like,yes, that that their
quintessential, blank woman likedon't care about what people
think might have moments verytransparent when she's not
feeling the best, but will stilllean in and get it done like
confidence and quotes and thingslike that to build women up and
(10:53):
to really have them check inwith their with themselves and
their confidence and beingsecure and going after what they
always wanted to do in thislife so it's still I'm still
stuck on that you thought aboutquitting because but seriously
(11:16):
because in the front scene youare still always consistent,
especially because you know wewe chop it up like.
Speaker 1 (11:23):
You've dedicated a lot of your energy to blank
wardrobe and that social mediapresence and not necessarily imv
meal, so you've been very, veryconsistent too.
Is that not accurate?
Yeah, I feel like this is themost consistent I've seen you in
ever this is bigger, it'sbigger than me, like seriously,
(11:44):
like I'm not, I'm congratulatingyou.
You know like consistent yeahlike every time I open up my
social media I'm like dang,another sale or another drop,
different looks.
What goes into all of that?
Speaker 2 (11:55):
like the actual work or like the.
How am I consistent?
Speaker 1 (11:59):
both like the consistency and the mindset
behind being that consistent so,mindset wise, like I, I'm a,
I'm a workaholic.
Speaker 2 (12:07):
I had to come to terms with that a couple of
months ago.
I was like I love working, Igenuinely like it, I love it
that and I'm competitive withmyself.
So if I noticed there's acertain weakness in myself, it's
like, literally, you could talkto Alfred.
I'm like you get it together,what are you doing?
Get back in the game like, gettogether.
(12:27):
So for me to quit on somethingI know that love is admitting to
losing, I can't do that, can'tlose.
Speaker 1 (12:34):
And you a Gemini too, right Cause I know Gemini is.
You know, Tupac, y'all justwork.
The work ethic is definitelythere, plus the creativity and
the authenticity.
So that's a crazy combination.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
Yeah, and so I can't.
For me, the consistency is moreabout.
And then, like, for me Igenuinely feel like Blank is
bigger than me, like I wastalking to the lady that I was
telling you about with thesuccessful business or whatnot,
and I was telling her about thekind of thoughts of quitting and
whatnot, and she was like youcan't, it's beyond you.
Now.
Speaker 1 (13:10):
She's like I see what you're doing, you can't do it
now.
You in there and I feel that,like I can't, as a service-based
business or a product-basedbusiness, is there a particular
moment or situation that standsout where you were able to help
a customer or a family orsomebody and that, just like
that moment, sticks with you.
Speaker 2 (13:24):
There's a couple where customers will write me
either personally or in their,in the comments or in the DMs or
whatnot, and they're like man,I wore this outfit and I felt so
good, Like I like I know Ikilled it.
Thank you, Like, and I'm like OK, great.
Or even like on my personalpage where on my YouTube, I've
(13:45):
done like some talks aboutentrepreneurship and whatnot and
I have people give me commentsabout like oh my God, like I'm
starting my own boutique andlike you know, I saw your video
on pop-up shops and like now I'mhaving my own pop-up shop this
week and I'm like so nervous.
But I feel like I have a listnow looking at your video, Like
I feel like I'm gonna be good,so that.
(14:10):
And then I did a talk at auniversity here in their
business school, and to see thatwas the first time in person
like where I can feel the energyof people, like looking at me
and they're hanging on everyword, and then afterwards people
coming up to me like oh my God,like I feel so empowered by
hearing your story and likewatching you, like talk about
your business and I'm like yeah,it's dope, and you have a nine
(14:33):
to five at the same time and youhave a husband and a family.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
Like, how do you, how do you juggle it?
Speaker 2 (14:39):
I don't, I don't, I'm , probably not like I'm, I'm,
I'm.
Listen, this is something I'mgoing through in the moment is
being more present.
Like I told you, I'm, I'm lockedin, so it helps when people
like my mom, my brother, willsay you need to come to the
barbecue like come on come on,it's okay to come out to the
(15:00):
barbecue and you know I'm I'mreally leaning into that like,
take time out for yourself,because you'll be a better
person, a better, a betterbusiness person by taking time
out.
So it is a work in progress.
Speaker 1 (15:13):
So what would you say ?
I guess we kind of wrap thingsup, but what would you say to
the person who is strugglingwith the consistency?
Because I think your problem,it sounds like, is having
balance for more self A lot ofpeople have the problem of they
don't have that type of workethic.
So how would you speak tosomebody who is trying to stay
(15:35):
as consistent as you have overthese past number of years, or
even get out, have a nine tofive, or if they're just a
strict entrepreneur, but theycan't be as consistent, where
would you say they should start?
Speaker 2 (15:46):
The why.
Like why are you doing it?
Like for me, my why it has.
Like literally has nothing todo with me.
Like my why is about my futurechildren.
If that's my journey, you know,my parents, my brother, my
husband.
So that's what gets me up in themorning is I know I have to do
(16:07):
this thing because of them andthat, and then also the people
that I mentioned before.
The people are watching me andfor whatever reason, they are
inspired, like even at my nineto five being a leader there, I
can't stop.
So you got to get to your whyLike and my why is about other,
really other people feeling goodor getting inspired by what I
(16:28):
do.
Speaker 1 (16:29):
I guess yeah, because I remember a couple years ago I
asked you.
I was like you know, I don'tknow if you remember we were
driving to, I think, hattie B'sand I'm like are you going to
open it up for men or justdifferent?
Speaker 2 (16:39):
You would like kind of like respectfully know, like
this is where we going not now,like I'm also a realist like I
gotta nail the women's part downfirst and and people have been
asking for men's stuff that'swhy we launched the, the
signature jogging suit, which isunisex, um, and the t-shirts
and whatnot to kind of like fillthat gap.
(17:00):
But I want to really get solidwith the women's and then move
into the other spaces lastquestion what made you continue
to do the youtube?
Speaker 1 (17:11):
because I know that's where you, that's where you
started too right.
And then you, you double downon it now kind of child on the
youtube shorts?
Speaker 2 (17:19):
yeah, I, because I, actually we so alfred and I were
my husband.
We're talking about this.
I it's a hobby and I realizedand this might sound sad I don't
have any hobbies.
That, or I don't.
I haven't tapped back into myhobbies.
And YouTube is a hobby for me.
I, when I started it that'swhat it was when I was in grad
school, before it was reallypopular and I was into makeup
(17:43):
and I was just like, okay, likelet me record, and it was fun to
me, like I enjoyed researching,like how to edit and like the
camera equipment and like beinga creative director, like I
thoroughly enjoy that as a hobby.
And so for me now I'm like okay, let's get back into this as a
hobby.
Speaker 1 (18:03):
So it helps you balance it all out it does.
Speaker 2 (18:05):
It's still connected, so I still get.
I don't feel guilty when I'mnot.
Speaker 1 (18:09):
You know what I'm saying, but it's a it's a hobby
and I appreciate you one, justlike our friendship, you know
collaboration.
I asked you to do this.
You got the dope podcast studioslash crib already set up.
Speaker 2 (18:22):
That's all.
That's mr austin, that's alfredaustin.
Speaker 1 (18:25):
I don't have nothing to do, and then just the
preparation and thoughtfulnessthat you put into everything you
do.
And, alfred, like he, we spentprobably about an hour or more
just like talking about thespecifics.
So, like your, your work ethic,his work ethic, creativity I
mean, it's a dope combination.
So yeah no.
Speaker 2 (18:45):
I appreciate you.
You know we we go way backright, no, carol, your wife
that's my girl, okay, umconnected through that and now
we have our friendship throughwork, which is, and then also
also just in general, comingfrom the same area, and just
that mutual understanding.
Speaker 1 (19:03):
So likewise yeah, seven mile and woodward seven
mile and john are look, and youalready know it's a rough place
it is a rough place, yeah allright, y'all.
Well, we done wrapped up anotherdope episode of the peace and
prosperity podcast.
So make sure you like share,subscribe and follow ven Venus
on all platforms to peace.
(19:25):
Thank you all for listening toanother episode of the peace and
prosperity podcast.
Again, if you are feeling like,hey, I'm experiencing high
functioning anxiety, don't beatyourself up about it.
(19:46):
It is OK.
We all experience anxiety fromtime to time and I gave you a
couple of things that you can doon your own, but don't hesitate
to reach out to a professionalto better manage what you're
going through.
Okay, and lastly, make sure, ifyou have not like, share,
subscribe to the podcast andsend this out to a friend, and
if you want to hear certainepisodes or have certain
(20:10):
conversations, let me know.
You can shoot me a DM or justleave a review and I will
definitely follow up.
All right, y'all be blessedPeace.
As a confidence expert, confidence coach, I work
with people all the time on notquitting on themselves in
various aspects of their life,so you're helping a lot of
people just with being authenticand transparent.
I would say for me, you know,our entrepreneurship journeys
are very different too, becauseI'm a service based business, so
when it comes to products, it'sa whole different ball game.
(00:23):
As far as, like, inventory,it's because it's so.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Uh, it's like intimate entrepreneurship is
super in this.
It's well.
For me it's been like.
Even though Alfred is a part ofit, it's lonely.
It's a very intimate, like, eventhough Alfred is a part of it,
it's lonely, it's very intimate.
It's very intimate Like a lotof self-reflection.
I mean you deal with failureand like you only have yourself.
(00:53):
So it's like, baby, if you canmake it through entrepreneurship
, you a strong mofo.
That's how I feel.
It's different than likemessing up a project at work.
At work, it's like you.
It's more personal.
Speaker 1 (01:07):
Because I guess it's like you're invested in it, yep,
yep.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
And it's like for me, blank is literally.
Blank is a physicalmanifestation of me that other
people get to buy into.
So it's with customers.
If customers don't likesomething or they are rude and
mean, I take that verypersonally.
I shouldn't.
That's why, oh, absolutely yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
So we talking about entrepreneurship, and it is a
journey.
You've been an entrepreneur forhow many years?
Speaker 2 (01:35):
That's a tricky question.
So I started off blogging,which is it got my feet wet in
entrepreneurship, probably in2011, maybe two, two, 2009, like
when I launched my YouTubechannel and then.
So that was kind of like apseudo or freelancer
entrepreneurship.
So I would say hardcore, likeserious, was like five years ago
(01:59):
with Blink.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
What's been the hardest part about it?
Speaker 2 (02:03):
Oh gosh, I think I would say the confidence, and
it's weird because I considermyself a very confident person
in general.
Entrepreneurship has humbled mea lot and it's made me have to
confront certain things that Ididn't even know existed within
me, and it's made me a betterperson, I would say.
(02:25):
But I would say it's definitelyput up a mirror and made me
kind of see myself.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
I don't think people always think about how
confidence and entrepreneurshipgo together.
People probably equate anybodywho's an entrepreneur to just
being automatically confidentbecause you're stepping out
there doing your own thing.
But you know, I'm'm anentrepreneur too.
There's a lot of ups and downswith that.
One month you can make a dollar, next month you can make a
hundred, you can make a thousand, 10,000, whatever.
(02:51):
It's like a rollercoaster, itcan be.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
And for the most part I mean you talk to anybody.
It is it's a rollercoaster.
I was having a conversationwith somebody who I like I've
seen her grow her business forthe last 10 years and I like I
was like I've been involved in alittle bit just on the
sidelines and personally withher and her business and she's
like big, like she's inNordstrom, all these different
(03:16):
things, and I was talking to her.
I was like, oh my god, likewhen, when is it just gonna be
like comfortable, like, or whenare you not gonna just like have
moments of like I want to quitRight?
And she's like, oh, it willnever go away.
And I was like she was like yougot to be comfortable with it.
She was like just this week.
I was like, why am I doing this?
And she's successful.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
How close have you came to quitting?
Speaker 2 (03:39):
Oh gosh, like so, alfred.
So my husband is very he's partof the reason why I haven't
really because I'll talk to himand like I'm like, I'm done, I'm
out the game, cause, like whyam I doing this to myself, you
know, I mean he's like you can't, you can't.
This is what you, you're madefor this.
Like you can't, you can't do it, you too, you too far in.
(03:59):
So I've come close, but outsideof him also, god God, probably
even more so than Alfred.
I like not to go through allthe conversations, obviously,
but like I'll be sitting therelike God, what?
Like I can literally come homeand watch the housewives yes, I
could do that and not thinkabout nothing else.
Like I don't want, like I'mtired, and then something will
(04:24):
happen big, with blank, and it'slike it like I'm tired, and
then something will happen bigwith blank and it's like.
It's like I'm happy, like thankyou, but then it's like golly
the size, like so I can't.
Speaker 1 (04:34):
Was it like a certain moment that led you sometime
Like a certain customer, acertain month, like what was the
situation where you're like youknow what?
Speaker 2 (04:43):
I might be done.
I hate to.
I feel so like cause.
I don't want to sound negative,but it's just moments.
Throughout the journey I can't.
It's not one moment, it's so.
I've.
I've been on a verge ofquitting blank several times
through the five years.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
Yeah, no, I appreciate you being real
because, you know, as aconfidence expert, confidence
coach, I work with people allthe time on not quitting on
themselves in various aspects oftheir life, so you're helping a
lot of people just with beingauthentic and transparent.
I will say for me, you know,our entrepreneurship journeys
are very different too, becauseI'm a service-based business, so
(05:20):
when it comes to products, it'sa whole different ball game as
far as, like, inventory andproduct sales, I mean just
customer feedback.
Now, of course, I get customerfeedback too, but it is
different.
Speaker 2 (05:34):
Yeah, I mean people.
I've had people who, becausesomething didn't fit them right,
get mad at the, the clothes andso then they are negative to
the company.
Now the whole company is trashbecause they couldn't fit into
the item.
That, like that, has happened inthe last week and a half oh,
wow so yeah, it's, it's, it'spart of it, it's part of the
(05:58):
like, especially if you'reproduct based.
You, you're going to have thatBecause you know, like what we
talk about with confidence andstyle.
Sometimes the right outfit willhumble you and it can make you
feel good or it might humble you.
Right, you know, and so insteadof people being mature or, you
know, comfortable, confident tosay it's not the dress.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
It's not the medium or the small, or the eight or
the ten.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
It's me and it's fine that that garment is not for me
, but it doesn't mean the wholecompany is trash.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
I guess maybe you should start tricking people
with your sizes.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
You know companies do that, like Chico's they like,
have like.
So they don't have the realsizes.
They have like one, two orthree's they like, have like.
So they don't have the realsizes, they have like one, two
or three, but they're.
They translate to like a largersize because of that.
So there's a lot of psychology,like mental, with style,
fashion and clothes.
Speaker 1 (06:56):
So when it comes to starting.
Well, I won't even say becauseyou never quit, you never you
got close.
Say, cause you never quit younever.
You got close to it but younever quit.
And you talked about yourhusband.
God, like entrepreneurship, islonely.
So the thing about it nobodycan really hold you accountable
but you.
So if you do decide, you knowwhat I'm done.
You don't have to turn in likea two week notice.
(07:18):
I mean you could just literallyshut down your website, your
supply team and all of that andbe done.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (07:23):
I think that's the part where it takes a lot of
discipline too.
So, like what's your routinefor staying disciplined?
Speaker 2 (07:31):
To be honest with you , I think it's on the verge of
maybe being unhealthy a littlebit.
I am like, especially right nowin this season, like right now
we're under a soft rebrand, soin behind the scenes.
So if you go to blank now, youwon't really see it, if you.
But if you follow us likeclosely over the years, you're
probably like, well, what arethey doing?
Because something's different.
(07:51):
So we're going through thatrebrand and so I'm, I'm locked
in, like I'm.
Speaker 1 (08:06):
So if, like, we went to Dallas last week for my
birthday and I was like OK,tonight we on my birthday, we
gonna be loose Right, but I waslike I get back to the hotel I
have to focus.
Speaker 2 (08:11):
I got to lock in and so yeah, I, I'm always on.
I'm always thinking about it.
I'm right now I'm thinkingabout when I got to go back.
I'm always thinking about it.
Right now, I'm thinking aboutwhen I got to go back home.
Speaker 1 (08:23):
So one of the reasons why like seriously.
I do love collaborating withyou is because I know it's going
to be 100 percent effort onboth ends and I know you don't
collab with just any andeverybody.
But like your work ethic is ishigh, so it is kind of even for
me like talking to you.
It's hard to see that you wouldeven consider quitting because
your work ethic is like it'sthrough the roof like you go ham
(08:45):
it's part.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
I think it's because of detroit, though, like we're
from, so we're from detroit, andlike we're just hustlers.
So for me, I what kind of getsme back on my square outside of
my husband?
God is kind of like talking tomyself like v you, now you know
you don't want to do nothing.
Quit it, like stop.
(09:08):
Like lean in you now you.
You then got mad at thiscustomer, or you're mad because
sales aren't where they'resupposed to be, because I think
I told you this in december 2022.
I don't know what happened.
We went, came off of our likeone of our top months in 2022,
in November, killed it, like tothe point where I was like OK,
like I'm seeing some things Ican do.
(09:30):
And then December came.
It was like hello, anyone there, like what happened?
Hello, and that, like I said,that that kind of ebb and flow
it can rock you, especially ifit happens at certain moments.
So for me I have to like checkin with me and say, are you
responding to like, is this likesomething that you don't really
(09:53):
want to do, or are youresponding to a circumstance?
Speaker 1 (09:56):
So I'm going to go kind of deeper on it.
So I know Blank is a part ofyou.
That's a part of who Venus isat your core.
What is the purpose and thevision or mission behind Blank?
Speaker 2 (10:10):
I'm a girl's girl.
I love women.
I love being around powerfulwomen, confident women Genuinely
I get off on that.
Women like genuinely I I I getoff on that, like I, literally I
I.
It's something to see a womanlike really lean into her
passion and what she wants to doand like she owns it, like
(10:31):
thinking about someone thateveryone knows rihanna oh, like
I like her, her I'm just like,yes, that that their
quintessential, blank woman likedon't care about what people
think might have moments verytransparent when she's not
feeling the best, but will stilllean in and get it done like
confidence and quotes and thingslike that to build women up and
(10:53):
to really have them check inwith their with themselves and
their confidence and beingsecure and going after what they
always wanted to do in thislife so it's still I'm still
stuck on that you thought aboutquitting because but seriously
(11:16):
because in the front scene youare still always consistent,
especially because you know wewe chop it up like.
Speaker 1 (11:23):
You've dedicated a lot of your energy to blank
wardrobe and that social mediapresence and not necessarily imv
meal, so you've been very, veryconsistent too.
Is that not accurate?
Yeah, I feel like this is themost consistent I've seen you in
ever this is bigger, it'sbigger than me, like seriously,
(11:44):
like I'm not, I'm congratulatingyou.
You know like consistent yeahlike every time I open up my
social media I'm like dang,another sale or another drop,
different looks.
What goes into all of that?
Speaker 2 (11:55):
like the actual work or like the.
How am I consistent?
Speaker 1 (11:59):
both like the consistency and the mindset
behind being that consistent so,mindset wise, like I, I'm a,
I'm a workaholic.
Speaker 2 (12:07):
I had to come to terms with that a couple of
months ago.
I was like I love working, Igenuinely like it, I love it
that and I'm competitive withmyself.
So if I noticed there's acertain weakness in myself, it's
like, literally, you could talkto Alfred.
I'm like you get it together,what are you doing?
Get back in the game like, gettogether.
(12:27):
So for me to quit on somethingI know that love is admitting to
losing, I can't do that, can'tlose.
Speaker 1 (12:34):
And you a Gemini too, right Cause I know Gemini is.
You know, Tupac, y'all justwork.
The work ethic is definitelythere, plus the creativity and
the authenticity.
So that's a crazy combination.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
Yeah, and so I can't.
For me, the consistency is moreabout.
And then, like, for me Igenuinely feel like Blank is
bigger than me, like I wastalking to the lady that I was
telling you about with thesuccessful business or whatnot,
and I was telling her about thekind of thoughts of quitting and
whatnot, and she was like youcan't, it's beyond you.
Now.
Speaker 1 (13:10):
She's like I see what you're doing, you can't do it
now.
You in there and I feel that,like I can't, as a service-based
business or a product-basedbusiness, is there a particular
moment or situation that standsout where you were able to help
a customer or a family orsomebody and that, just like
that moment, sticks with you.
Speaker 2 (13:24):
There's a couple where customers will write me
either personally or in their,in the comments or in the DMs or
whatnot, and they're like man,I wore this outfit and I felt so
good, Like I like I know Ikilled it.
Thank you, Like, and I'm like OK, great.
Or even like on my personalpage where on my YouTube, I've
(13:45):
done like some talks aboutentrepreneurship and whatnot and
I have people give me commentsabout like oh my God, like I'm
starting my own boutique andlike you know, I saw your video
on pop-up shops and like now I'mhaving my own pop-up shop this
week and I'm like so nervous.
But I feel like I have a listnow looking at your video, Like
I feel like I'm gonna be good,so that.
(14:10):
And then I did a talk at auniversity here in their
business school, and to see thatwas the first time in person
like where I can feel the energyof people, like looking at me
and they're hanging on everyword, and then afterwards people
coming up to me like oh my God,like I feel so empowered by
hearing your story and likewatching you, like talk about
your business and I'm like yeah,it's dope, and you have a nine
(14:33):
to five at the same time and youhave a husband and a family.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
Like, how do you, how do you juggle it?
Speaker 2 (14:39):
I don't, I don't, I'm , probably not like I'm, I'm,
I'm.
Listen, this is something I'mgoing through in the moment is
being more present.
Like I told you, I'm, I'm lockedin, so it helps when people
like my mom, my brother, willsay you need to come to the
barbecue like come on come on,it's okay to come out to the
(15:00):
barbecue and you know I'm I'mreally leaning into that like,
take time out for yourself,because you'll be a better
person, a better, a betterbusiness person by taking time
out.
So it is a work in progress.
Speaker 1 (15:13):
So what would you say ?
I guess we kind of wrap thingsup, but what would you say to
the person who is strugglingwith the consistency?
Because I think your problem,it sounds like, is having
balance for more self A lot ofpeople have the problem of they
don't have that type of workethic.
So how would you speak tosomebody who is trying to stay
(15:35):
as consistent as you have overthese past number of years, or
even get out, have a nine tofive, or if they're just a
strict entrepreneur, but theycan't be as consistent, where
would you say they should start?
Speaker 2 (15:46):
The why.
Like why are you doing it?
Like for me, my why it has.
Like literally has nothing todo with me.
Like my why is about my futurechildren.
If that's my journey, you know,my parents, my brother, my
husband.
So that's what gets me up in themorning is I know I have to do
(16:07):
this thing because of them andthat, and then also the people
that I mentioned before.
The people are watching me andfor whatever reason, they are
inspired, like even at my nineto five being a leader there, I
can't stop.
So you got to get to your whyLike and my why is about other,
really other people feeling goodor getting inspired by what I
(16:28):
do.
Speaker 1 (16:29):
I guess yeah, because I remember a couple years ago I
asked you.
I was like you know, I don'tknow if you remember we were
driving to, I think, hattie B'sand I'm like are you going to
open it up for men or justdifferent?
Speaker 2 (16:39):
You would like kind of like respectfully know, like
this is where we going not now,like I'm also a realist like I
gotta nail the women's part downfirst and and people have been
asking for men's stuff that'swhy we launched the, the
signature jogging suit, which isunisex, um, and the t-shirts
and whatnot to kind of like fillthat gap.
(17:00):
But I want to really get solidwith the women's and then move
into the other spaces lastquestion what made you continue
to do the youtube?
Speaker 1 (17:11):
because I know that's where you, that's where you
started too right.
And then you, you double downon it now kind of child on the
youtube shorts?
Speaker 2 (17:19):
yeah, I, because I, actually we so alfred and I were
my husband.
We're talking about this.
I it's a hobby and I realizedand this might sound sad I don't
have any hobbies.
That, or I don't.
I haven't tapped back into myhobbies.
And YouTube is a hobby for me.
I, when I started it that'swhat it was when I was in grad
school, before it was reallypopular and I was into makeup
(17:43):
and I was just like, okay, likelet me record, and it was fun to
me, like I enjoyed researching,like how to edit and like the
camera equipment and like beinga creative director, like I
thoroughly enjoy that as a hobby.
And so for me now I'm like okay, let's get back into this as a
hobby.
Speaker 1 (18:03):
So it helps you balance it all out it does.
Speaker 2 (18:05):
It's still connected, so I still get.
I don't feel guilty when I'mnot.
Speaker 1 (18:09):
You know what I'm saying, but it's a it's a hobby
and I appreciate you one, justlike our friendship, you know
collaboration.
I asked you to do this.
You got the dope podcast studioslash crib already set up.
Speaker 2 (18:22):
That's all.
That's mr austin, that's alfredaustin.
Speaker 1 (18:25):
I don't have nothing to do, and then just the
preparation and thoughtfulnessthat you put into everything you
do.
And, alfred, like he, we spentprobably about an hour or more
just like talking about thespecifics.
So, like your, your work ethic,his work ethic, creativity I
mean, it's a dope combination.
So yeah no.
Speaker 2 (18:45):
I appreciate you.
You know we we go way backright, no, carol, your wife
that's my girl, okay, umconnected through that and now
we have our friendship throughwork, which is, and then also
also just in general, comingfrom the same area, and just
that mutual understanding.
Speaker 1 (19:03):
So likewise yeah, seven mile and woodward seven
mile and john are look, and youalready know it's a rough place
it is a rough place, yeah allright, y'all.
Well, we done wrapped up anotherdope episode of the peace and
prosperity podcast.
So make sure you like share,subscribe and follow ven Venus
on all platforms to peace.
(19:25):
Thank you all for listening toanother episode of the peace and
prosperity podcast.
Again, if you are feeling like,hey, I'm experiencing high
functioning anxiety, don't beatyourself up about it.
(19:46):
It is OK.
We all experience anxiety fromtime to time and I gave you a
couple of things that you can doon your own, but don't hesitate
to reach out to a professionalto better manage what you're
going through.
Okay, and lastly, make sure, ifyou have not like, share,
subscribe to the podcast andsend this out to a friend, and
if you want to hear certainepisodes or have certain
(20:10):
conversations, let me know.
You can shoot me a DM or justleave a review and I will
definitely follow up.
All right, y'all be blessedPeace.
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