Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Marcus Sonnier.
Founded the BOSS Network is an online community of professional and entrepreneurial women who support each other through digital content, programs, and event-based networking. The mission of the BOSS Network, which stands for "Bringing Out Successful Sisters," is to promote and encourage the small business spirit and career development of women of color.
The BOSS Network has had a long-standing commitment to women entrepreneurs. The mission of The BOSS Network is to promote and encourage the small business spirit and career development of women of color. The BOSS Network Celebrated Its Milestone 15th Anniversary?:
This year, The BOSS Network announced two exciting initiatives during its yearlong celebration, highlighting its 15th anniversary milestone year.
“Invest in Progress” Grant and “The BOSS Impact Fund
The BOSS Network is changing how enterprising women are viewed among the masses and becoming a resource for companies seeking female minority influencers as their target market. Through initiatives, it has supported the careers and small business developments of more than 200,000 women of color nationwide. One of them is BOSS Business University, a digital platform that provides comprehensive mentorship programming through industry business experts.
How Has The BOSS Network Celebrated Its Milestone 15th Anniversary?:
This year, The BOSS Network announced two exciting initiatives that took place during its yearlong celebration highlighting its 15th anniversary milestone year.
“Invest in Progress” Grant and “The BOSS Impact Fund”:
The single greatest barrier to success for new businesses and startups is access to capital, and minorities make up less than 1% of founders that get investment.
The BOSS Network and Sage (via the Sage Foundation)—the leader in accounting, financial, HR, and payroll technology for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), are partnering together to remove that barrier with the return of the BOSS Impact Fund and its three-year, $1.5 million commitment to support the Fund with the “Invest in Progress” grant investing in Black women led businesses.
In 2022, the BOSS Network announced the launch of its BOSS Impact Fund, which focuses on investing in Black women led businesses and preparing these entrepreneurs to build scalable, growth aggressive companies. Its goal is to raise investment funding for Black women entrepreneurs over a three year period.
Through the “Invest in Progress” Grant Program, 25 Black women entrepreneurs had the opportunity to receive a capital investment of $10,000 toward successfully starting and growing their business in addition to an entrepreneurial mentor program in support of Black women-owned small businesses.
The “Invest in Progress” Grant has also provided coaching, curriculum, and connections while removing capital barriers to help this group achieve success.
For more information, please visit: BOSSImpactFund.com.
Pathways to Success:
In addition, The BOSS Network partnered with both Sage and Swoop, a global fintech company specializing in funding solutions for businesses, on the launch of “Pathways to Success”–a new training and mentorship program designed to support Black women entrepreneurs in Atlanta.
The Pathways to Success training and mentor program, developed and delivered through Sage Foundation, equipped 150 Atlanta-based Black women entrepreneurs with a structured series of training and roundtables, providing tactical advice to address and overcome financial and capital-raising challenges.
The program was developed as a direct result of Sage, The BOSS Network and Swoop’s report titled “Voices of Strength: Pathways to Success for Black Women Founders” launched in September 2023. The report identified the most prominent challenges Black women
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
Welcome to the show. I am Rashwan McDonald, the host
of Money Making Conversations Masterclass, where we encourage people to
stop reading other people's success stories and start planning their own.
Listen up as I interview entrepreneurs from around the country,
talk to celebrities and ask them how they are running
their companies, and speak with dog profits who are making
(00:25):
a difference in their local communities. Now, sit back and
listen as we unlock the secrets to their success on
Money Making Conversations Masterclass. Hi is Rashon McDonald. Welcome back
to Money Making Conversation Master Class. I am your host.
This weekly show is called Money Making Conversations Master Class.
Y'all know that a lot of people walking to go
when it's coming on. It's coming on when you listen.
(00:47):
The interviews and information that this show provides are for everyone.
It's time to stop reading other people's success story and
really and start living your own. I'm here to help
you reach your American dream. I want you to be
If you want to be a guest to my show,
please visit my site money Making Conversation master Class and
click to be a guest button, and then you can
(01:07):
be on my show my guests, I mean, she was cool.
My guest is founded or founded the Boss Network. It's
an online community of professional and entrepreneurial women who support
each other through digital content programs and event based networking.
The mission of the Boss Network. This is the second
time I've had on the show. The first time she
was on the show, she blew me away. Stands for
(01:29):
bringing out successful sisters. That's what Boss means is to
promote and encourage the small business spirit and career development
of women of color. This year, the Boss Network is
celebrating the fifteenth year anniverse. It's fifteen years she's been
in the game. Now, please welcome the Money Making Conversation
master Class the one and only Doctor Kamika Smith. Doctor Smith,
(01:52):
welcome back.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
Listen, mister McDonald. It's a pleasure to be back.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
You know, it's so fun. I was, I was in
my office and I was just I said, you know something,
because the first time, before I get into that story,
let everybody know about the Boss Network. Please tell everybody
what the Boss Network is in your words. I know
they celebrating their fifteen year. That's why you're in here.
So we talk about the November sixteenth, eight it's coming up,
but let's talk about the Boss Network so other people
(02:19):
can grow that brand and find out the value of
what you're doing for women of color.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
Absolutely, Rashan, So to the Money Making Conversation listeners. I'm
just excited to be here because again, you know, we
are celebrating our fifteen year anniversary with the Boss Network.
I founded this organization back in two thousand and nine
when I was laid off, and I know a lot
of people can relate to that, being laid off work
and trying to figure out what's next. I was always
an entrepreneur at heart, and so I just told myself,
you know what, I'm going to take a year off
(02:47):
and figure out this entrepreneurial thing. That already had started
an event marketing company here in Chicago, and so I
wanted to kind of build on that business. But I
realized very quickly that a side hustle and a full
time entrepreneurship journey is two different things, and so I
really had to kind of find my community. And at
the time I'm talking about fifteen years ago, it was
not what you see now, where everybody supporting black businesses,
(03:10):
everybody supporting entrepreneurship and tech. It really wasn't that, and
so I have to really kind of build what I
wanted and that's how the Boss Network came about. And
so we started off doing events here in Chicago because
I really wanted to bring together black women to talk
about how do we grow as business owners? How do
we climb the corporate ladder? And through those conversations, we
were able to build our community, the bossntwor dot org.
(03:31):
And so today we reached over two hundred thousand Black
women across the country. We've invested in one hundred black
female founders, We've trained over fifty thousand black women on
success strategies, and we've coached about ten thousand women on
how to start their businesses. And so it's been an
amazing journey. And yeah, we're here today fifteen years later,
still doing the work out.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
DIZM two thousand and nine, that's fifteen years ago. Got
laid off. What was the state of line of Kamika?
This should say, come Comica got laid off. I'm talking
to doctor Kamikie Smith today. Back then Comica got laid off.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
Comika got laid off.
Speaker 1 (04:08):
So what was the thing of Comika back then? In
two thousand and.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
Nin Yeah, absolutely, Reshine. So this is the thing, you know,
if you all remember, two thousand and nine was a recession,
so you know, it wasn't just Comika, it was you know,
a lot of the country. So I worked with Chicago
Public Schools at the time, and so about fifteen hundred
or two thousand people at our district had got laid off,
and so I knew it was coming. It wasn't a surprise.
And so by me being already an entrepreneur, I was
(04:32):
just like, Okay, you know what, I've been working since
I was probably twelve years old. You know, I started,
you know, passing out flyers for a pizza company when
I was twelve years old in my neighborhood. And I
worked every since, and so went to college, got the
master's degree, all the things, and I realized, like, you
know what, I want a break, and so I was
happy to take a year off, get my unemployment, and
figure out how to start a business full time. And
(04:53):
so I was happy, I'm not gonna lie. I was
like looking forward to that break. And some times that
you know, our counterpart, you know, they get to go backpacking,
you up and all the things, and we don't get
to do that, you know. And so I was like,
you know what, this is my moment to really take
a break and figure out what I want to do.
Because for me, it was like I was promised, you know,
the career, the go watch.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
You know.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
I know a lot of people that work to Trabel
Buble Schools have been there for thirty forty fifty years,
and to be laid off, I was like, Wow, this
is not what I signed up for. So if this
is what it's going to be like in corporate America,
I'm gonna just you know what, I'm gonna focus on
building my own brand and that way, nobody could ever
fire me or lay me off. And that's why I
built the Boss Network, to be honest. So I was
in a place of excitement of you know, looking forward
(05:36):
to what was next, and a lot of people probably
found it to be scary. But I've always been a planner,
and so I have saved a lot of money. I
have friends who are like, Okay, you're single, you don't
have children, put some extra money in your four L
three V save up, and so I was able to
use that money to invest in my business. So yeah,
I was I was ready to go.
Speaker 1 (05:54):
Now, you run a bunch of nervous people, you know,
you know, people are always nervous when you're not doing
something that's normal, because normal is forty hour week jobs.
You know, because they go understand getting up, go work
for somebody, get a check, health benefits, vacation, sick days. See,
a lot of people are I want to use the
work brainwas because that's not it. I did that job.
But the entrepreneur thinks different. It's fear, and that fear
(06:18):
is like and let me tell you difference between the entpreneur,
an entrepreneur and a forty hour week person. An entrepreneur
don't want to work forty hours, but as an entrepreneur,
they will work eighty hours. So that's the difference. See,
they work eighty hours for themselves, but don't want to
work forty hours for somebody else. That is the difference
between an entrepreneur and a person who works forty hours
a week. Now, that fear that she brought out, I
(06:41):
can tell you this. I am afraid. I'm not gonna joke.
I am afraid, but I plan. And that's what she
was talking about. She spent that year off planning. She
had already saved money. She wasn't like jumping off the
cliff without a parachute. She was thinking about the process
she knew. She didn't say she was shot. She was
disappointed it happened, but she wasn't shocked when she got
(07:03):
laid off. Now, the sad part about it, a lot
of people was shocked they got laid off because even
though they were telling you it's going to happen, a
lot of people didn't prepare for that. Now, the Boss.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
Network, whatever sho I WASNA said one quick thing.
Speaker 3 (07:18):
I think.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
You know, for entrepreneurs, you can be just like anything,
you can be taught, but sometimes it's innately in you.
And I, to be honest, I feel like I was
born to be an entrepreneur. I was born to create
the Boss Network. My mother told me when I first
got out of college and I started my career, you know,
I you know, I wasn't really feeling a lot of
the leadership and how things were going. She said, you
know what can do until you become your own boss.
(07:40):
You gotta respect authority, You got to follow the rules.
It's a game. And so that's, honestly is why I
built the Boss Network. Because she said, until you become
your own boss, you got to follow the rules. And
I wanted to create my own rules. And so, you know,
it was already in me. She nurtured that thing in me.
She believed in me from day one, and that's what
gave me the confidence to push forward.
Speaker 1 (08:00):
There are two things that they're doing that I want
to talk about in a minute. But let me just
back up and let everybody know who I'm talking to.
I'm talking to doctor Kamika Smith. She founded the Boss
Network and changing the ways enterprising women are viewed among
the masses and becoming a resource for companies seeking female
minority influencers as their target market. It has supported the
careers listen to this, it has supporting The Boss Network
(08:22):
has supported the careers in small business development of more
than two hundred thousand women of color nationwide through initiatives
such as Boss Business University, a digital platform that provides
comprehensive mentorship programming through industry business experts. Now, you have
two things that we want to talk about. The invest
in Progress Grant and the Boss Impact Fund. Started to
(08:45):
invest in Progress grant.
Speaker 2 (08:48):
Well, you know, it really started doing COVID. My business
before COVID was probably study five percent conferences and events
and in marketing, working with brands like Credentials, Jakie Park,
and Chase Stage PepsiCo and really using their resources that
you know, they wanted to target African American consumers to
(09:09):
promote their brand. And so I worked with those brands
on a lot of different projects to support small business owners.
And you know, when COVID happened, it was literally shut down.
There was no events, there were no travels, you know
how it was. And so I decided, okay, what's next?
Right that everybody was in that season of pivoting and shifting,
and so you know me, I'm always trying to be
(09:31):
ahead of what's happening. My brand had always been a
digital brand because I knew the power of social media
very early. I knew that I didn't want to be
a working mortar business. I knew I wanted to have
a space digitally so that I could reach as many
people as possible. And so when COVID happened, all I
did was just shift that seventy five percent of the
traveling business to digital business, and we just viewed zooms
(09:52):
to do our conferences in our events, and it worked
out because we were able to save probably fifty percent
of our revenue that we spent on events that into
the business. But the problem was a lot of our
community was struggling with their businesses and just educating them
wasn't enough, and so I had to figure out a
way to provide some support financially because, if you need
to know, less than one percent of black women get
(10:13):
VC funding for their small businesses. And so during COVID,
you know the bailouts that was given, the PvP loans,
we weren't not getting access to those things in the beginning,
and so it was a real big struggle. And so
I said, you know, as a leader, what I can
do is actually pitch some of these companies that I'm
working with and start my own fund and having them
support that. And so we launched the Boss Impact Fund
in twenty twenty to two thousand, sorry twenty and twenty one,
(10:37):
and it was a three year project and we've invested
so far on one hundred black female founders. They each
repent recent to ten thousand dollars grant and a four
year scholarship to our bosses and university. And so the
Boss Impact Fund, the investment progress grant, the bosses and
university all that was paired together to provide our entrepreneurs
with not just money, but marketing and mentorship.
Speaker 1 (11:00):
Now that key mentorship, because so many people get out here,
you know, don't even they want to be in business,
don't have a business plan. Can you tell just talking
to young entrepreneurs male and female, because they need to
hear the true both sides because what you're about to
say impacts men and women who want to be entrepreneurs,
who want to get out in the small business space.
What are the top three mistakes you see and just
(11:21):
think about it for a minute that young entrepreneurs make
when they jump out there on faith only or just jump.
Speaker 2 (11:29):
Yeah, yeah, no, that's a good goodness question, Rashan. And
like you said, this is for women and men. You know,
the tools are for everybody because the color is green,
right right. But one of the things that I would
say for me is doing your research. You know, I
think a lot of the times we look at other
entrepreneurs online and that's how we get our motivation and
we see what they're doing and we're like, oh, I
could do that, but we don't really know the ends
(11:51):
and out of that particular industry and what it takes
for that grand to be successful. Because all you're saying
is the highlight reels. You're just saying what they post
on social media, and it might look easy, but trust me,
what goes on behind the business is a whole other beast.
And so I always thought entrepreneurs, the first thing you
want to do is research. Research the industry, research their competitors,
(12:11):
research the marketplace to see if you're even up for
the challenge. Because I had so many people wanted to
create communities right the BOSS Network, and they did, and
I will be honest, none of them exists anymore. I
think the BOSS I worked at probably these one of
the very few Black communities still standing. Because it's a
lot of work, and it's a lot of work without rewards,
(12:33):
you know, and so you've got to be in it
for the love of it until you see that reward.
And so my heart was always in it for the people,
and so I waited a long time before I saw
the reward that I felt like I deserved. But I
believed in it. And just like anything, they say, if
you love it, you do it for free. And I did,
you know the blessing was you know, God kept me
along the way financially, and I had a partner who
supported me. But the reality was I gave a lot
(12:56):
of to my community without seeing anything in return in
the beginning as I was building. But I used that
time to research and figure out how do I monetize
this business? And so all that paid off in the end,
and I knew for me there was a twofold component
to my business, the B to B business, which was
(13:16):
business of business that way I can get big clients
and get six figure checks, and then the B two
C business, which is way more consistent business right because
corporations can pull the plug on you at any time,
but if you have loyal customers and consumers, they'll grow
with you. And so I created a model that included
both of those revenue models. So research for me is a.
Speaker 1 (13:36):
Top you know, I'm gon give you an example of
me not doing my research. I remember when I my
company is thirty fifteen Media, and I was no longer
managing Steve Harvey in twenty sixteen, launched the company in
twenty seventeen, and it was a marketing agency, and I
had a lot of great ideas and I will sit
down with these fortune five hundred companies and pitched my
(13:57):
ideas and they loved it, and then they will go
talk to my age you see it, oh agency. When
I got the idea, and then I go to the agencies, well,
you know, Rashan, you've about to do our job because
we can actually do what you're pitching. So if we
let you do that, then what we're gonna do and
that's not doing your reach you.
Speaker 2 (14:15):
I'm gonna give you some advice on that rushaurant whenever
you ready.
Speaker 4 (14:18):
Okay, give me some advice now, okay, Oh listen, we're
we're we're in the same boat right because again, think
about it, I also work as much as as a
community for black women, I'm also a resource for brands, right,
So the same agencies you're talking about.
Speaker 2 (14:32):
You know, I was one to those agencies too, and
the recommendation of the brands that I was working with.
But what I realized very quickly was the agencies wanted
to give me pennies on the dollar, you know, to
do big, big, big work, to do most of the
work right. And so what I realized is I need
to become the agency. So I just basically built my
own marketing agency within the BOSS network, and I just
(14:54):
decided to go directly to the brands and work with
with their marketing department because it's about relationship, and that's
a big thing. If you have a relationship directly with
the person, then you can bypass the agency. But if
you don't have those relationship, they're going to send you
right to the agency, and most five nine comes out
of ten, they're not going to do business with you, right,
(15:15):
And so I'll be honest, I only work with corporate brands.
I don't work with any agency because I realized very
quickly that I don't want twenty five hundred dollars. I
want two hundred and fifty thousand dollarsand so I need
to make those relationships happen. But the reality is the
relationship take time, and so I have to be patient
and build out my consumer business revenue model so that
I can take the time to build those relationships with
(15:37):
those brands that I wanted to invest in me. And
that's how I was able to get a one point
five million dollars investment from Stage. I haven't working with
them for ten years.
Speaker 3 (15:45):
Please don't go anywhere, We'll be right back with more
money Making Conversations Masterclass. Welcome back to the Money Making
Conversations Masterclass, hosted by Rashaan McDonald. Money Making Conversations Masterclass
(16:06):
continues online at Moneymakingconversations dot com and follow money Making
Conversations Masterclass on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Speaker 2 (16:15):
You know, but I found the right time, in the
right moment to make that big ass And sometimes it's
about the time, you know. But we gotta be living
up from the time. But you know, you're still gonna
pay the bills. But you gotta have other ways to
make money. So as an entrepreneur, you've gotta be you
gotta be crafty. You gotta be crafty because juggle. You
(16:38):
gotta be smart, you know. And I thank God that
I tell people all the time, I might not be
the smartest person in the room, but nobody can outwork me.
Like I'm a God gave me this gift of just
understanding how to make things happen. And so I don't
get easily moved by fear. I don't get easily moved
by the word no. I'm just like, Okay, what do
I need to do? And I will be honest. That
(17:00):
came from my mentors I didn't just have I mean
I had a lot of the confidences. My mother just
instilled that in me. But a lot of it was
because I got confirmation from mentors to say, Okay, do
it this way, do it that way, and they helped
me because I've always been a young ladies type of
person who I want to learn from others mistakes. I
don't want to make mistakes. What can I do? You know?
And my messrs always told me, we love you because
(17:21):
you listen activates and I'm a person of action.
Speaker 1 (17:25):
Unique marketing is what she's talking about. She developed uniqueness
and these companies came to her because they couldn't get
it from their agency. I'm going to tell you how
I developed my unique marketing. So now companies are coming
to me because they know I have an audience that
only I can deliver. That's what the Boss network is
for her. She is an audience that she now has
a loyal base to, has demographics. She can tell her
(17:48):
exactly who she's talking to, age, where they live, what
their expenses, are they married, are they single? That's what
you have to do if you want to be able
to do your research and walk past and that work
into the corporations. They want unique marketing opportunities. You know,
I'm slowing down because I'm talking to doctor Kimika Smith.
Her energy is so out there. She'll speed up your talk.
(18:10):
Kimmicky tar and Lord knows I should not be trying
to talk fast with this country tone. I am. But
the mission of the Boss Network stands for bringing out
successful sisters. It's promoting courage, a small business spirit, and
career development of women of color. The Boss Never has
had a long standing commitment to women entrepreneurs. The mission
is now fifteen years old. Now you have a big
(18:32):
event coming up November sixteenth, I believe correct.
Speaker 2 (18:35):
Kamika, listen, Rashan. I have two big events coming up.
I just announced that I'm going to be the executive,
one of the executive producers for ACCU Honors. It's happening
in DC. That's right, that's right.
Speaker 1 (18:48):
My girl's doing that. It's hosted by Kim Whitley. I
believe right.
Speaker 2 (18:52):
It's hosted by Kim's hosted by Kim Whitley. It's going
to be honoring Will Packer, Hezekia Walker is performing, I
think Fred Hammond. It's gonna be amazing events in DC.
On November fourteenth, area.
Speaker 1 (19:05):
On bbt BT got it, Yes.
Speaker 2 (19:09):
Yes, yes, yes, And so we're going to be in
DC next week filming the show. I'm excited to be
a part of it, you know. Shout out to my girls,
Michelle Bailey, Michelle Thornton, the RNA Walker, the entire team
at AHGCU Honors, I am presenting a scholarship that day,
and of course celebrating our fifteen years with the Boss Network.
And then we're going to end the culminating celebration this
(19:31):
year on November sixteenth with our Ladies that Lead conference
sponsored by Stage and that information is that Ladies that
Lead Tour dot com. So it's going to be an
exciting week next week. So I'm excited for both of
those events.
Speaker 1 (19:44):
Well, it was important that people understand that it started
with a drink, It started with an idea, It started
with a person not being afraid fear. We kind of
mentioned it early in our interview, how people are working
jobs afraid to leave, and they have relationships they're afraid
to end because the unknown is the part of the conversation.
I can't tell you you're going to be successful. That's
(20:06):
not automatic. And you learn in life. That you can
go to a job that you've been there for twenty
years doesn't mean it's going to be there twenty one
years more. And so you can control. And plus, age
makes people fearful too. They get forty, they get fifty,
they get sixty, they start worrying about change. Am I
too old to making an adjustment? Am I too old
(20:28):
to have a dream? And with the Boss Network, that's
that's not The motto is believe, plan and win. And
that's what I've always gotten from you the very first
time I've interviewed with you, and you know is that
you are a and it's a positive statement. You're a beast,
doctor Kamiki Smith.
Speaker 2 (20:50):
I receive it. I receive it. You know. I think
that with all of us, just as human beings, what
makes us beast, what makes us believers, what makes us
you know, in ourselves is the people we surround ourselves with.
You know, I will tell you Rashan, it's nothing that
you can do without community. You know, my community, the
Boss Network, the women that I serve, they pour into me,
(21:10):
They believe in me. They give me the confidence to
wake up every day and do what I do. The
brands that invest in me. The sponsors that believe in
me and spend their money with me, They get me
up in the morning to be able to go hard
for what I do. And then you know the people
I surround myself with, my family and friends, you know,
they support me. And I'll be honest. You know, it
has not been an easy journey. You know. The year
(21:31):
my business got, you know, at multimillion dollar investment, my
mother passed away. You know, so that's life, right, Life
will life, and you have to be able to pick
yourself up and keep it moving. And so what I've
learned through this entire journey is that what is meant
for you is for you. You got to just do
the work. And one of my favorite quotes is those
that show up go up. You got to just keep
(21:52):
showing up for yourself every single day. And I believe
that God would not burst anything inside of you, that
he will not give you the tools to deliver. And
so I know that He gave me this brand because
he wanted me to impact people, because it's not about me,
and because of that, He's going to always send me people, investors, support,
And you know, I remember from my fifteen anniversary, I
(22:13):
was thinking like, Wow, I want to do something amazing,
something big, and then I got the opportunity to partner
and being a producer for ABCU Honors. You know, I
put that out in the universe and then it just
came to me. So that is what it's about, believing
in yourself to the point where you manifest these things
through your faith.
Speaker 1 (22:29):
Wow, genius, lover energy, don't you understand that there's a
belief fifteen year Virtual Celebration Anniversary Virtual Celebration. This year's
virtual conference be held on Saturday, November sixteenth from eleven
am to two pm. Dr Smith and the Boff Network.
If you want to know more about it, where should
(22:49):
they visit? What website should they visit? Dtor Smith?
Speaker 2 (22:53):
They should visit ww dot, ladies that Lead Tour dot com,
orthebossnetwork dot org. All of the information about both ACCU
Honors and our ladies at lead Conference.
Speaker 1 (23:05):
Now, when I want to make sure I've I said,
when I come back from break, I won't tell everybody
about how my unique marketing I would look came because
I'm gonna tell you I was out there getting bumped
upside the head, the doors and my business were getting smaller.
You know, when you get doors get smaller, means you
can't even get in it no more. You know, you
you're crawling through the door, you know. And because that's
(23:27):
that's when the opportunities get less and less, That's what
it feels like. And so I just sit back and
realize that I can't compete with them, but I can
develop my brand. So my newsletter sixty three thousand fan
club members, my social media followers one million. These are
my followers. You know what you mean said you can't
access these followers. You know, when I sit down here
(23:49):
on my show Money Making Conversations Massacolize, I interview doctor
Kamika Smith. She's on here because I want her own
this show. So I'm controlling my ways and this content
is set to twenty HBCUs nationwide. That's called unique marketing.
That means I'm talking to individuals within my sphere that
(24:11):
you can't just make Rashwan say something that he don't
want to say, or endorse something or or promote something
unless Rashaan wants to. And then my podcast, you know,
which is in partnership with iHeartMedia one point four million.
Speaker 2 (24:28):
Monthly.
Speaker 1 (24:29):
That unique marketing is what allow companies now to come
to me and say, Rashaan, can you voice this, Rashaan,
can you endorse this? And that's what she's done with
the Boss Network. When I say two hundred thousand, okay,
that's not a number to you know, two hundred thousand,
you know. And I love Doux Smith because she's just
she moving so fast this sometimes I just got a
(24:50):
call and go we just slow down and realize how
great you are. And that's why I told her she's
a beast because of the fact that you're doing things
that in two thousand and nine we're fifteen years later.
You've had setbacks where I've had set back. We've had
ups and down that makes us tougher, but didn't lose
the faith, didn't lose the focus and the people around
(25:10):
us we understand. That's why we're successful. As we close
out this interview here, Dr Smith, anything you want to
say to my audience, Well, you know.
Speaker 2 (25:18):
What you asked me about three things. I think I
mentioned one with the research and so the last two
I'll give them is making sure that they understand revenue.
You know, if you have a business, then you don't
have you know, money, You've got a hobby, and so
you've got to figure out how to monetize your business.
You know, yes, we were in it to impact people,
but you cannot do things not with longevity if you're
(25:40):
not making money. And so that is the second thing.
And then the third thing I would say is relationships.
Relationships are your key to success. You know, my relationship
with Rashan. With Rashan gets me on this show to
be able to talk about my brand. You know, my
relationship with my community is helping me to continue to
grow and expand it. Like you said, that is my
market value. Nobody can take that away from me because
(26:01):
at the end of the day, when social media goes away,
when the brands go away, I always have my audience
that I can pitch something to and that is where
you win.
Speaker 1 (26:10):
Wow. Again, thank you for taking the time to come
on the show. I know I called you out of
the blue and she signed up and got the team
and on the show to promote you, my friend, I'm
promoting you the Queen of the.
Speaker 2 (26:20):
Boss Networks always and you keep winning.
Speaker 1 (26:23):
Thank you for coming on Money Making Conversations Musculi. Bye bye.
This has been another edition of Money Making Conversations Master Class.
Hosted by me Rashawan McDonald. Thank you to our guests
on the show today and thank you our listening audience now.
If you want to listen to any episode or want
to be a guest on the show, visit Moneymakingconversations dot com.
Our social media handles money Making Conversations. Joined us next
(26:45):
week and remember to always lead with your gifts, Keep winning.
The American Dream is available to you, just keep listening.
This has been another edition of Money Making Conversation Masterclass
hosted by me Rashawn McDonald. Thank you to our guests
on the show today and thank you for listening to
the audience now. If you want to listen to any
episode I want to be a guest on the show,
(27:06):
visit Moneymakingconversations dot com. Our social media handle is money
Making Conversation. Join us next week and remember to always
leave with your gifts. Keep winning.
Welcome to the show. I am Rashwan McDonald, the host
of Money Making Conversations Masterclass, where we encourage people to
stop reading other people's success stories and start planning their own.
Listen up as I interview entrepreneurs from around the country,
talk to celebrities and ask them how they are running
their companies, and speak with dog profits who are making
(00:25):
a difference in their local communities. Now, sit back and
listen as we unlock the secrets to their success on
Money Making Conversations Masterclass. Hi is Rashon McDonald. Welcome back
to Money Making Conversation Master Class. I am your host.
This weekly show is called Money Making Conversations Master Class.
Y'all know that a lot of people walking to go
when it's coming on. It's coming on when you listen.
(00:47):
The interviews and information that this show provides are for everyone.
It's time to stop reading other people's success story and
really and start living your own. I'm here to help
you reach your American dream. I want you to be
If you want to be a guest to my show,
please visit my site money Making Conversation master Class and
click to be a guest button, and then you can
(01:07):
be on my show my guests, I mean, she was cool.
My guest is founded or founded the Boss Network. It's
an online community of professional and entrepreneurial women who support
each other through digital content programs and event based networking.
The mission of the Boss Network. This is the second
time I've had on the show. The first time she
was on the show, she blew me away. Stands for
(01:29):
bringing out successful sisters. That's what Boss means is to
promote and encourage the small business spirit and career development
of women of color. This year, the Boss Network is
celebrating the fifteenth year anniverse. It's fifteen years she's been
in the game. Now, please welcome the Money Making Conversation
master Class the one and only Doctor Kamika Smith. Doctor Smith,
(01:52):
welcome back.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
Listen, mister McDonald. It's a pleasure to be back.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
You know, it's so fun. I was, I was in
my office and I was just I said, you know something,
because the first time, before I get into that story,
let everybody know about the Boss Network. Please tell everybody
what the Boss Network is in your words. I know
they celebrating their fifteen year. That's why you're in here.
So we talk about the November sixteenth, eight it's coming up,
but let's talk about the Boss Network so other people
(02:19):
can grow that brand and find out the value of
what you're doing for women of color.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
Absolutely, Rashan, So to the Money Making Conversation listeners. I'm
just excited to be here because again, you know, we
are celebrating our fifteen year anniversary with the Boss Network.
I founded this organization back in two thousand and nine
when I was laid off, and I know a lot
of people can relate to that, being laid off work
and trying to figure out what's next. I was always
an entrepreneur at heart, and so I just told myself,
you know what, I'm going to take a year off
(02:47):
and figure out this entrepreneurial thing. That already had started
an event marketing company here in Chicago, and so I
wanted to kind of build on that business. But I
realized very quickly that a side hustle and a full
time entrepreneurship journey is two different things, and so I
really had to kind of find my community. And at
the time I'm talking about fifteen years ago, it was
not what you see now, where everybody supporting black businesses,
(03:10):
everybody supporting entrepreneurship and tech. It really wasn't that, and
so I have to really kind of build what I
wanted and that's how the Boss Network came about. And
so we started off doing events here in Chicago because
I really wanted to bring together black women to talk
about how do we grow as business owners? How do
we climb the corporate ladder? And through those conversations, we
were able to build our community, the bossntwor dot org.
(03:31):
And so today we reached over two hundred thousand Black
women across the country. We've invested in one hundred black
female founders, We've trained over fifty thousand black women on
success strategies, and we've coached about ten thousand women on
how to start their businesses. And so it's been an
amazing journey. And yeah, we're here today fifteen years later,
still doing the work out.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
DIZM two thousand and nine, that's fifteen years ago. Got
laid off. What was the state of line of Kamika?
This should say, come Comica got laid off. I'm talking
to doctor Kamikie Smith today. Back then Comica got laid off.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
Comika got laid off.
Speaker 1 (04:08):
So what was the thing of Comika back then? In
two thousand and.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
Nin Yeah, absolutely, Reshine. So this is the thing, you know,
if you all remember, two thousand and nine was a recession,
so you know, it wasn't just Comika, it was you know,
a lot of the country. So I worked with Chicago
Public Schools at the time, and so about fifteen hundred
or two thousand people at our district had got laid off,
and so I knew it was coming. It wasn't a surprise.
And so by me being already an entrepreneur, I was
(04:32):
just like, Okay, you know what, I've been working since
I was probably twelve years old. You know, I started,
you know, passing out flyers for a pizza company when
I was twelve years old in my neighborhood. And I
worked every since, and so went to college, got the
master's degree, all the things, and I realized, like, you
know what, I want a break, and so I was
happy to take a year off, get my unemployment, and
figure out how to start a business full time. And
(04:53):
so I was happy, I'm not gonna lie. I was
like looking forward to that break. And some times that
you know, our counterpart, you know, they get to go backpacking,
you up and all the things, and we don't get
to do that, you know. And so I was like,
you know what, this is my moment to really take
a break and figure out what I want to do.
Because for me, it was like I was promised, you know,
the career, the go watch.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
You know.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
I know a lot of people that work to Trabel
Buble Schools have been there for thirty forty fifty years,
and to be laid off, I was like, Wow, this
is not what I signed up for. So if this
is what it's going to be like in corporate America,
I'm gonna just you know what, I'm gonna focus on
building my own brand and that way, nobody could ever
fire me or lay me off. And that's why I
built the Boss Network, to be honest. So I was
in a place of excitement of you know, looking forward
(05:36):
to what was next, and a lot of people probably
found it to be scary. But I've always been a planner,
and so I have saved a lot of money. I
have friends who are like, Okay, you're single, you don't
have children, put some extra money in your four L
three V save up, and so I was able to
use that money to invest in my business. So yeah,
I was I was ready to go.
Speaker 1 (05:54):
Now, you run a bunch of nervous people, you know,
you know, people are always nervous when you're not doing
something that's normal, because normal is forty hour week jobs.
You know, because they go understand getting up, go work
for somebody, get a check, health benefits, vacation, sick days. See,
a lot of people are I want to use the
work brainwas because that's not it. I did that job.
But the entrepreneur thinks different. It's fear, and that fear
(06:18):
is like and let me tell you difference between the entpreneur,
an entrepreneur and a forty hour week person. An entrepreneur
don't want to work forty hours, but as an entrepreneur,
they will work eighty hours. So that's the difference. See,
they work eighty hours for themselves, but don't want to
work forty hours for somebody else. That is the difference
between an entrepreneur and a person who works forty hours
a week. Now, that fear that she brought out, I
(06:41):
can tell you this. I am afraid. I'm not gonna joke.
I am afraid, but I plan. And that's what she
was talking about. She spent that year off planning. She
had already saved money. She wasn't like jumping off the
cliff without a parachute. She was thinking about the process
she knew. She didn't say she was shot. She was
disappointed it happened, but she wasn't shocked when she got
(07:03):
laid off. Now, the sad part about it, a lot
of people was shocked they got laid off because even
though they were telling you it's going to happen, a
lot of people didn't prepare for that. Now, the Boss.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
Network, whatever sho I WASNA said one quick thing.
Speaker 3 (07:18):
I think.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
You know, for entrepreneurs, you can be just like anything,
you can be taught, but sometimes it's innately in you.
And I, to be honest, I feel like I was
born to be an entrepreneur. I was born to create
the Boss Network. My mother told me when I first
got out of college and I started my career, you know,
I you know, I wasn't really feeling a lot of
the leadership and how things were going. She said, you
know what can do until you become your own boss.
(07:40):
You gotta respect authority, You got to follow the rules.
It's a game. And so that's, honestly is why I
built the Boss Network. Because she said, until you become
your own boss, you got to follow the rules. And
I wanted to create my own rules. And so, you know,
it was already in me. She nurtured that thing in me.
She believed in me from day one, and that's what
gave me the confidence to push forward.
Speaker 1 (08:00):
There are two things that they're doing that I want
to talk about in a minute. But let me just
back up and let everybody know who I'm talking to.
I'm talking to doctor Kamika Smith. She founded the Boss
Network and changing the ways enterprising women are viewed among
the masses and becoming a resource for companies seeking female
minority influencers as their target market. It has supported the
careers listen to this, it has supporting The Boss Network
(08:22):
has supported the careers in small business development of more
than two hundred thousand women of color nationwide through initiatives
such as Boss Business University, a digital platform that provides
comprehensive mentorship programming through industry business experts. Now, you have
two things that we want to talk about. The invest
in Progress Grant and the Boss Impact Fund. Started to
(08:45):
invest in Progress grant.
Speaker 2 (08:48):
Well, you know, it really started doing COVID. My business
before COVID was probably study five percent conferences and events
and in marketing, working with brands like Credentials, Jakie Park,
and Chase Stage PepsiCo and really using their resources that
you know, they wanted to target African American consumers to
(09:09):
promote their brand. And so I worked with those brands
on a lot of different projects to support small business owners.
And you know, when COVID happened, it was literally shut down.
There was no events, there were no travels, you know
how it was. And so I decided, okay, what's next?
Right that everybody was in that season of pivoting and shifting,
and so you know me, I'm always trying to be
(09:31):
ahead of what's happening. My brand had always been a
digital brand because I knew the power of social media
very early. I knew that I didn't want to be
a working mortar business. I knew I wanted to have
a space digitally so that I could reach as many
people as possible. And so when COVID happened, all I
did was just shift that seventy five percent of the
traveling business to digital business, and we just viewed zooms
(09:52):
to do our conferences in our events, and it worked
out because we were able to save probably fifty percent
of our revenue that we spent on events that into
the business. But the problem was a lot of our
community was struggling with their businesses and just educating them
wasn't enough, and so I had to figure out a
way to provide some support financially because, if you need
to know, less than one percent of black women get
(10:13):
VC funding for their small businesses. And so during COVID,
you know the bailouts that was given, the PvP loans,
we weren't not getting access to those things in the beginning,
and so it was a real big struggle. And so
I said, you know, as a leader, what I can
do is actually pitch some of these companies that I'm
working with and start my own fund and having them
support that. And so we launched the Boss Impact Fund
in twenty twenty to two thousand, sorry twenty and twenty one,
(10:37):
and it was a three year project and we've invested
so far on one hundred black female founders. They each
repent recent to ten thousand dollars grant and a four
year scholarship to our bosses and university. And so the
Boss Impact Fund, the investment progress grant, the bosses and
university all that was paired together to provide our entrepreneurs
with not just money, but marketing and mentorship.
Speaker 1 (11:00):
Now that key mentorship, because so many people get out here,
you know, don't even they want to be in business,
don't have a business plan. Can you tell just talking
to young entrepreneurs male and female, because they need to
hear the true both sides because what you're about to
say impacts men and women who want to be entrepreneurs,
who want to get out in the small business space.
What are the top three mistakes you see and just
(11:21):
think about it for a minute that young entrepreneurs make
when they jump out there on faith only or just jump.
Speaker 2 (11:29):
Yeah, yeah, no, that's a good goodness question, Rashan. And
like you said, this is for women and men. You know,
the tools are for everybody because the color is green,
right right. But one of the things that I would
say for me is doing your research. You know, I
think a lot of the times we look at other
entrepreneurs online and that's how we get our motivation and
we see what they're doing and we're like, oh, I
could do that, but we don't really know the ends
(11:51):
and out of that particular industry and what it takes
for that grand to be successful. Because all you're saying
is the highlight reels. You're just saying what they post
on social media, and it might look easy, but trust me,
what goes on behind the business is a whole other beast.
And so I always thought entrepreneurs, the first thing you
want to do is research. Research the industry, research their competitors,
(12:11):
research the marketplace to see if you're even up for
the challenge. Because I had so many people wanted to
create communities right the BOSS Network, and they did, and
I will be honest, none of them exists anymore. I
think the BOSS I worked at probably these one of
the very few Black communities still standing. Because it's a
lot of work, and it's a lot of work without rewards,
(12:33):
you know, and so you've got to be in it
for the love of it until you see that reward.
And so my heart was always in it for the people,
and so I waited a long time before I saw
the reward that I felt like I deserved. But I
believed in it. And just like anything, they say, if
you love it, you do it for free. And I did,
you know the blessing was you know, God kept me
along the way financially, and I had a partner who
supported me. But the reality was I gave a lot
(12:56):
of to my community without seeing anything in return in
the beginning as I was building. But I used that
time to research and figure out how do I monetize
this business? And so all that paid off in the end,
and I knew for me there was a twofold component
to my business, the B to B business, which was
(13:16):
business of business that way I can get big clients
and get six figure checks, and then the B two
C business, which is way more consistent business right because
corporations can pull the plug on you at any time,
but if you have loyal customers and consumers, they'll grow
with you. And so I created a model that included
both of those revenue models. So research for me is a.
Speaker 1 (13:36):
Top you know, I'm gon give you an example of
me not doing my research. I remember when I my
company is thirty fifteen Media, and I was no longer
managing Steve Harvey in twenty sixteen, launched the company in
twenty seventeen, and it was a marketing agency, and I
had a lot of great ideas and I will sit
down with these fortune five hundred companies and pitched my
(13:57):
ideas and they loved it, and then they will go
talk to my age you see it, oh agency. When
I got the idea, and then I go to the agencies, well,
you know, Rashan, you've about to do our job because
we can actually do what you're pitching. So if we
let you do that, then what we're gonna do and
that's not doing your reach you.
Speaker 2 (14:15):
I'm gonna give you some advice on that rushaurant whenever
you ready.
Speaker 4 (14:18):
Okay, give me some advice now, okay, Oh listen, we're
we're we're in the same boat right because again, think
about it, I also work as much as as a
community for black women, I'm also a resource for brands, right,
So the same agencies you're talking about.
Speaker 2 (14:32):
You know, I was one to those agencies too, and
the recommendation of the brands that I was working with.
But what I realized very quickly was the agencies wanted
to give me pennies on the dollar, you know, to
do big, big, big work, to do most of the
work right. And so what I realized is I need
to become the agency. So I just basically built my
own marketing agency within the BOSS network, and I just
(14:54):
decided to go directly to the brands and work with
with their marketing department because it's about relationship, and that's
a big thing. If you have a relationship directly with
the person, then you can bypass the agency. But if
you don't have those relationship, they're going to send you
right to the agency, and most five nine comes out
of ten, they're not going to do business with you, right,
(15:15):
And so I'll be honest, I only work with corporate brands.
I don't work with any agency because I realized very
quickly that I don't want twenty five hundred dollars. I
want two hundred and fifty thousand dollarsand so I need
to make those relationships happen. But the reality is the
relationship take time, and so I have to be patient
and build out my consumer business revenue model so that
I can take the time to build those relationships with
(15:37):
those brands that I wanted to invest in me. And
that's how I was able to get a one point
five million dollars investment from Stage. I haven't working with
them for ten years.
Speaker 3 (15:45):
Please don't go anywhere, We'll be right back with more
money Making Conversations Masterclass. Welcome back to the Money Making
Conversations Masterclass, hosted by Rashaan McDonald. Money Making Conversations Masterclass
(16:06):
continues online at Moneymakingconversations dot com and follow money Making
Conversations Masterclass on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Speaker 2 (16:15):
You know, but I found the right time, in the
right moment to make that big ass And sometimes it's
about the time, you know. But we gotta be living
up from the time. But you know, you're still gonna
pay the bills. But you gotta have other ways to
make money. So as an entrepreneur, you've gotta be you
gotta be crafty. You gotta be crafty because juggle. You
(16:38):
gotta be smart, you know. And I thank God that
I tell people all the time, I might not be
the smartest person in the room, but nobody can outwork me.
Like I'm a God gave me this gift of just
understanding how to make things happen. And so I don't
get easily moved by fear. I don't get easily moved
by the word no. I'm just like, Okay, what do
I need to do? And I will be honest. That
(17:00):
came from my mentors I didn't just have I mean
I had a lot of the confidences. My mother just
instilled that in me. But a lot of it was
because I got confirmation from mentors to say, Okay, do
it this way, do it that way, and they helped
me because I've always been a young ladies type of
person who I want to learn from others mistakes. I
don't want to make mistakes. What can I do? You know?
And my messrs always told me, we love you because
(17:21):
you listen activates and I'm a person of action.
Speaker 1 (17:25):
Unique marketing is what she's talking about. She developed uniqueness
and these companies came to her because they couldn't get
it from their agency. I'm going to tell you how
I developed my unique marketing. So now companies are coming
to me because they know I have an audience that
only I can deliver. That's what the Boss network is
for her. She is an audience that she now has
a loyal base to, has demographics. She can tell her
(17:48):
exactly who she's talking to, age, where they live, what
their expenses, are they married, are they single? That's what
you have to do if you want to be able
to do your research and walk past and that work
into the corporations. They want unique marketing opportunities. You know,
I'm slowing down because I'm talking to doctor Kimika Smith.
Her energy is so out there. She'll speed up your talk.
(18:10):
Kimmicky tar and Lord knows I should not be trying
to talk fast with this country tone. I am. But
the mission of the Boss Network stands for bringing out
successful sisters. It's promoting courage, a small business spirit, and
career development of women of color. The Boss Never has
had a long standing commitment to women entrepreneurs. The mission
is now fifteen years old. Now you have a big
(18:32):
event coming up November sixteenth, I believe correct.
Speaker 2 (18:35):
Kamika, listen, Rashan. I have two big events coming up.
I just announced that I'm going to be the executive,
one of the executive producers for ACCU Honors. It's happening
in DC. That's right, that's right.
Speaker 1 (18:48):
My girl's doing that. It's hosted by Kim Whitley. I
believe right.
Speaker 2 (18:52):
It's hosted by Kim's hosted by Kim Whitley. It's going
to be honoring Will Packer, Hezekia Walker is performing, I
think Fred Hammond. It's gonna be amazing events in DC.
On November fourteenth, area.
Speaker 1 (19:05):
On bbt BT got it, Yes.
Speaker 2 (19:09):
Yes, yes, yes, And so we're going to be in
DC next week filming the show. I'm excited to be
a part of it, you know. Shout out to my girls,
Michelle Bailey, Michelle Thornton, the RNA Walker, the entire team
at AHGCU Honors, I am presenting a scholarship that day,
and of course celebrating our fifteen years with the Boss Network.
And then we're going to end the culminating celebration this
(19:31):
year on November sixteenth with our Ladies that Lead conference
sponsored by Stage and that information is that Ladies that
Lead Tour dot com. So it's going to be an
exciting week next week. So I'm excited for both of
those events.
Speaker 1 (19:44):
Well, it was important that people understand that it started
with a drink, It started with an idea, It started
with a person not being afraid fear. We kind of
mentioned it early in our interview, how people are working
jobs afraid to leave, and they have relationships they're afraid
to end because the unknown is the part of the conversation.
I can't tell you you're going to be successful. That's
(20:06):
not automatic. And you learn in life. That you can
go to a job that you've been there for twenty
years doesn't mean it's going to be there twenty one
years more. And so you can control. And plus, age
makes people fearful too. They get forty, they get fifty,
they get sixty, they start worrying about change. Am I
too old to making an adjustment? Am I too old
(20:28):
to have a dream? And with the Boss Network, that's
that's not The motto is believe, plan and win. And
that's what I've always gotten from you the very first
time I've interviewed with you, and you know is that
you are a and it's a positive statement. You're a beast,
doctor Kamiki Smith.
Speaker 2 (20:50):
I receive it. I receive it. You know. I think
that with all of us, just as human beings, what
makes us beast, what makes us believers, what makes us
you know, in ourselves is the people we surround ourselves with.
You know, I will tell you Rashan, it's nothing that
you can do without community. You know, my community, the
Boss Network, the women that I serve, they pour into me,
(21:10):
They believe in me. They give me the confidence to
wake up every day and do what I do. The
brands that invest in me. The sponsors that believe in
me and spend their money with me, They get me
up in the morning to be able to go hard
for what I do. And then you know the people
I surround myself with, my family and friends, you know,
they support me. And I'll be honest. You know, it
has not been an easy journey. You know. The year
(21:31):
my business got, you know, at multimillion dollar investment, my
mother passed away. You know, so that's life, right, Life
will life, and you have to be able to pick
yourself up and keep it moving. And so what I've
learned through this entire journey is that what is meant
for you is for you. You got to just do
the work. And one of my favorite quotes is those
that show up go up. You got to just keep
(21:52):
showing up for yourself every single day. And I believe
that God would not burst anything inside of you, that
he will not give you the tools to deliver. And
so I know that He gave me this brand because
he wanted me to impact people, because it's not about me,
and because of that, He's going to always send me people, investors, support,
And you know, I remember from my fifteen anniversary, I
(22:13):
was thinking like, Wow, I want to do something amazing,
something big, and then I got the opportunity to partner
and being a producer for ABCU Honors. You know, I
put that out in the universe and then it just
came to me. So that is what it's about, believing
in yourself to the point where you manifest these things
through your faith.
Speaker 1 (22:29):
Wow, genius, lover energy, don't you understand that there's a
belief fifteen year Virtual Celebration Anniversary Virtual Celebration. This year's
virtual conference be held on Saturday, November sixteenth from eleven
am to two pm. Dr Smith and the Boff Network.
If you want to know more about it, where should
(22:49):
they visit? What website should they visit? Dtor Smith?
Speaker 2 (22:53):
They should visit ww dot, ladies that Lead Tour dot com,
orthebossnetwork dot org. All of the information about both ACCU
Honors and our ladies at lead Conference.
Speaker 1 (23:05):
Now, when I want to make sure I've I said,
when I come back from break, I won't tell everybody
about how my unique marketing I would look came because
I'm gonna tell you I was out there getting bumped
upside the head, the doors and my business were getting smaller.
You know, when you get doors get smaller, means you
can't even get in it no more. You know, you
you're crawling through the door, you know. And because that's
(23:27):
that's when the opportunities get less and less, That's what
it feels like. And so I just sit back and
realize that I can't compete with them, but I can
develop my brand. So my newsletter sixty three thousand fan
club members, my social media followers one million. These are
my followers. You know what you mean said you can't
access these followers. You know, when I sit down here
(23:49):
on my show Money Making Conversations Massacolize, I interview doctor
Kamika Smith. She's on here because I want her own
this show. So I'm controlling my ways and this content
is set to twenty HBCUs nationwide. That's called unique marketing.
That means I'm talking to individuals within my sphere that
(24:11):
you can't just make Rashwan say something that he don't
want to say, or endorse something or or promote something
unless Rashaan wants to. And then my podcast, you know,
which is in partnership with iHeartMedia one point four million.
Speaker 2 (24:28):
Monthly.
Speaker 1 (24:29):
That unique marketing is what allow companies now to come
to me and say, Rashaan, can you voice this, Rashaan,
can you endorse this? And that's what she's done with
the Boss Network. When I say two hundred thousand, okay,
that's not a number to you know, two hundred thousand,
you know. And I love Doux Smith because she's just
she moving so fast this sometimes I just got a
(24:50):
call and go we just slow down and realize how
great you are. And that's why I told her she's
a beast because of the fact that you're doing things
that in two thousand and nine we're fifteen years later.
You've had setbacks where I've had set back. We've had
ups and down that makes us tougher, but didn't lose
the faith, didn't lose the focus and the people around
(25:10):
us we understand. That's why we're successful. As we close
out this interview here, Dr Smith, anything you want to
say to my audience, Well, you know.
Speaker 2 (25:18):
What you asked me about three things. I think I
mentioned one with the research and so the last two
I'll give them is making sure that they understand revenue.
You know, if you have a business, then you don't
have you know, money, You've got a hobby, and so
you've got to figure out how to monetize your business.
You know, yes, we were in it to impact people,
but you cannot do things not with longevity if you're
(25:40):
not making money. And so that is the second thing.
And then the third thing I would say is relationships.
Relationships are your key to success. You know, my relationship
with Rashan. With Rashan gets me on this show to
be able to talk about my brand. You know, my
relationship with my community is helping me to continue to
grow and expand it. Like you said, that is my
market value. Nobody can take that away from me because
(26:01):
at the end of the day, when social media goes away,
when the brands go away, I always have my audience
that I can pitch something to and that is where
you win.
Speaker 1 (26:10):
Wow. Again, thank you for taking the time to come
on the show. I know I called you out of
the blue and she signed up and got the team
and on the show to promote you, my friend, I'm
promoting you the Queen of the.
Speaker 2 (26:20):
Boss Networks always and you keep winning.
Speaker 1 (26:23):
Thank you for coming on Money Making Conversations Musculi. Bye bye.
This has been another edition of Money Making Conversations Master Class.
Hosted by me Rashawan McDonald. Thank you to our guests
on the show today and thank you our listening audience now.
If you want to listen to any episode or want
to be a guest on the show, visit Moneymakingconversations dot com.
Our social media handles money Making Conversations. Joined us next
(26:45):
week and remember to always lead with your gifts, Keep winning.
The American Dream is available to you, just keep listening.
This has been another edition of Money Making Conversation Masterclass
hosted by me Rashawn McDonald. Thank you to our guests
on the show today and thank you for listening to
the audience now. If you want to listen to any
episode I want to be a guest on the show,
(27:06):
visit Moneymakingconversations dot com. Our social media handle is money
Making Conversation. Join us next week and remember to always
leave with your gifts. Keep winning.
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Hosts And Creators
Steve Harvey
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Thomas "Nephew Tommy" Miles
Carla Ferrell
Kier "Junior" Spates
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