Black Entrepreneur Experience

Episode 587: Black Business, Travel & Trust | Samuel Kendricks

How can Black-owned businesses become more visible, build trust, and create stronger connections with customers?

In this episode of the Black Entrepreneur Experience, Samuel Kendricks, founder of Liberated Paths, discusses the role of visibility, cultural travel, technology, and entrepreneurship in connecting people with businesses and experiences that reflect their interests and values.

Samuel shares perspectives on vetting businesses, earning customer trust, supporting Black-owned businesses, and creating opportunities for community wealth. We also explore entrepreneurship, overcoming fear, learning with technology, bootstrapping a business, and the importance of mentors, family, and legacy.

In this episode:

• The visibility gap facing Black-owned businesses

• Building trust through research and business vetting

• Connecting travel, culture, and entrepreneurship

• Turning visibility into meaningful business relationships

• Using technology and AI as tools for learning

• Overcoming fear and taking entrepreneurial risks

• Bootstrapping a business and finding support

• The influence of mentors and family

• Building a business with a lasting legacy

• The connection between entrepreneurship and mental wellness

About the guest

Samuel Kendricks is associated with Liberated Paths, a platform focused on travel, culture, and experiences for travelers of color.

Connect with the guest: Website: https://liberatedpaths.com/

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Episode 586: Africa's Next Generation | Joshua Ngoma

What does it take to turn challenges into opportunities for an entire generation?

Joshua Chimakula Ngoma is a former mining engineer, social entrepreneur, and author of It's Time for Africa. After nearly three decades in mining, he turned his attention to developing Africa's next generation of entrepreneurs.

In this episode, Joshua shares how his childhood experiences shaped his entrepreneurial mindset and why he believes entrepreneurship begins with solving problems. Through Enterprising Africa Regional Network (EARN), he helps young people develop practical skills and access the resources, mentorship, infrastructure, and markets needed to build businesses.

We also discuss agriculture as a modern business opportunity, the importance of creating jobs, lessons from family and mentors, and Joshua's vision for Africa's future.

In this episode:

• From childhood entrepreneurship to a career in mining

• Why Joshua shifted his focus to developing young entrepreneurs

• Building an ecosystem that supports business ownership

• Making agriculture and food economics attractive to young people

• Helping entrepreneurs create jobs for others

• The role of partnerships, funding, and mentorship

• Lessons from his parents and career mentors

• Why problem-solving is central to entrepreneurship

• Joshua's vision for Africa and its diaspora

• Building a legacy that continues beyond the founder

About the guest

Joshua Chimakula Ngoma is the founder of Enterprising Africa Regional Network (EARN) and the author of It's Time for Africa.

Connect and learn more: EARN: https://earninternational.net/ Book website: https://www.itstimefor.africa/

Enjoy the episode? Follow the Black Entrepreneur Experience, subscribe for future conversations, and share this episode with someone who believes in entrepreneurship and creating opportunities for others.

Episode Chapters

00:00 — Meet Joshua Ngoma 01:02 — From Mining Engineer to Problem Solver 01:31 — Childhood and Early Entrepreneurship 04:53 — From Mining to a Mission for Africa 06:13 — Developing African Entrepreneurs 08:42 — Turning Training Into Job Creation 09:48 — Success Stories and Business Growth 12:27 — The Challenge of Funding Entrepreneurs 13:53 — Making Agriculture Attractive to Youth 17:30 — Corporate Partnerships and Impact 21:20 — Expanding Across Africa 22:48 — How EARN's Business Ecosystem Works 25:18 — The Message Behind It's Time for Africa 28:04 — Joshua's Zone of Genius 29:27 — People, Mentorship, and Leadership 30:21 — Building a Lasting Legacy 31:21 — Lessons From His Parents 34:41 — Career Mentorship 36:18 — Entrepreneurship as Problem Solving 38:22 — Rebuilding Through Mining and Agriculture 40:23 — Building Capability and Opportunity 42:30 — Rapid Round of Fun 45:17 — Connect With Joshua Ngoma

What does it take to leave a successful corporate career and build a business of your own?

In Episode #586 of Black Entrepreneur Experience, Dr. Frances sits down with Andrei S. Hall, CFP, CRPC, president of Hall Wealth Management Group, a boutique comprehensive financial planning organization based in Irvine, California.

Andrei shares his journey from a long corporate career at Xerox—where he progressed from sales to management and executive leadership—to becoming an entrepreneur and building his own financial planning business.

His decision to leave corporate America was driven by more than business. After years of extensive travel and demanding corporate responsibilities, Andrei wanted to be more present for his family while also pursuing his desire to help people in a different way.

He openly discusses the risks of entrepreneurship, including the mistakes and failures that shaped him. He shares the story of a coffee house business that ultimately cost more than $1 million and the lessons he learned about knowing when to walk away. He also reflects on how becoming comfortable with a steady paycheck kept him from making the leap sooner.

Andrei talks about:

• Leaving corporate America to become an entrepreneur • Taking risks and betting on yourself • The importance of finding a business opportunity that aligns with your passion • Building a business plan and marketing strategy • Learning from business failure • Knowing when it is time to walk away from an idea • The difference between being an employee and a business owner • Leadership lessons he learned throughout his career • The importance of listening and being open-minded • Building a business while maintaining family priorities • Creating a legacy based on helping others and being someone people can count on

Andrei also shares the influence his parents had on his approach to work, perseverance, and life, along with the legacy he hopes to leave for his son.

This From the Vault conversation is a candid look at entrepreneurship, risk, failure, family, leadership, and the courage to create a different path.

Guest: Andrei S. Hall, CFP, CRPC President, Hall Wealth Management Group

What happens when entrepreneurship, real estate, family, and community purpose come together?

In Episode #584 of Black Entrepreneur Experience, Dr. Frances sits down with Majesty and Elise Gayle, affordable-housing real estate developers and founders of Evopia.

The couple shares how they transitioned into real estate after navigating changes in their careers and learning the business alongside experienced investors. They eventually began developing properties themselves, with a focus on creating affordable housing and keeping families within their communities.

Majesty and Elise discuss their vision for addressing housing challenges through real estate development, including their work with affordable housing and alternative housing solutions such as container homes.

They also explain how they built capital through real estate wholesaling, learned from investors and professionals, and developed their own approach to investing and development.

A major theme of the conversation is the power of partnership. Majesty and Elise talk openly about building a business together as husband and wife, how their skills complement each other, and how they have integrated their family into their entrepreneurial journey.

In this conversation, they discuss:

• Getting started in real estate • Building capital through wholesaling • Real estate investing and development • Creating affordable housing • Finding innovative solutions to housing challenges • Working with investors, brokers, and other professionals • Building a business as husband and wife • Balancing business, family, and purpose • Creating opportunities within communities • The importance of ownership and control • Building a legacy through real estate • Taking action instead of simply talking about problems • Thinking bigger about entrepreneurship and community development

Majesty and Elise also share their vision for becoming innovators in housing and creating solutions that can have a broader impact. Their message centers on ownership, collective investment, entrepreneurship, and taking action to address problems within communities.

This From the Vault conversation is a powerful look at what can happen when two entrepreneurs combine complementary skills, shared purpose, and a commitment to building something that extends beyond themselves.

Guest: Majesty Gayle & Elise Gayle Affordable Housing Real Estate Developers Founders, Evopia

What happens after you successfully build a company and experience an exit?

For entrepreneur Su Sanni, it meant taking what he learned from one venture and applying it to a new problem: affordable transportation in communities underserved by public transit.

In Episode #583 of Black Entrepreneur Experience, Dr. Frances sits down with Su Sanni, CEO of Dollar Ride, a mobility company focused on making affordable transportation more accessible, particularly in transit deserts.

Su shares the story of his first company, WeDidIt, a technology platform for nonprofit fundraising that was acquired by Allegiance Fundraising Group in 2019. He explains what he learned about building a company that creates value for potential partners and acquirers—and why an acquisition can take years to develop.

He then explains how his personal experience growing up in a transit desert, combined with his family's history in New York City's dollar-van industry, inspired the creation of Dollar Ride.

Su talks about identifying an underserved market, listening to drivers and riders, building technology around an existing community-based transportation model, and creating partnerships that could help expand access to affordable transportation.

In this conversation, Su discusses:

• Building a company with value creation in mind • Understanding what makes a business attractive to a potential buyer • Transitioning from one venture to the next • Identifying business opportunities through personal experience • Building around an underserved market • Listening to customers and potential users • Creating partnerships to support growth • Staying nimble when circumstances change • Experimenting with new business models • Learning to think differently about the future • Building companies designed to create economic opportunity • The importance of having the right people around you

Su also shares one piece of advice he continues to work on himself: everything you think will happen may take twice as long.

This From the Vault conversation looks at entrepreneurship beyond the initial startup launch—building value, recognizing opportunities, adapting to changing circumstances, and using business to address real-world problems.

Guest: Su Sanni CEO, Dollar Ride

What happens when losing your job becomes the catalyst for building your own business?

In Episode #582 of Black Entrepreneur Experience, Dr. Frances sits down with Myoshia Boykin-Anderson, founder of AnTech Solutions, an IT consulting and strategy company that helps entrepreneurs and small businesses work smarter, not harder.

Myoshia shares the story of being laid off in 1998 as a single mother with no savings—and how she turned that devastating moment into an entrepreneurial opportunity. After contacting the 63 clients she had previously served, she continued following up month after month until one client finally said, "As a matter of fact," launching her first business.

She went on to build AnTech Solutions into a multimillion-dollar technology consulting company focused on developing websites, mobile apps, software systems, integrations, and automation solutions for businesses.

Myoshia also speaks candidly about one of the most difficult lessons of her entrepreneurial journey: accumulating significant tax debt because she did not understand the financial side of running a business. Her experience ultimately taught her the importance of separating business and personal finances, maintaining clean books, managing cash flow, and planning ahead.

In this conversation, Myoshia talks about:

• Turning a layoff into an entrepreneurial opportunity • The power of persistence and consistent follow-up • Building a business around solving problems • Helping small businesses work smarter, not harder • Using technology, automation, and systems to scale • Why entrepreneurs need to focus on revenue generation • Managing cash flow and building financial discipline • Learning from major business mistakes • Creating opportunities for employees and family members • Building a business with legacy in mind • Knowing when to shift as customer needs change • The importance of trusting yourself and recognizing your own worth

Myoshia's story is a reminder that you don't always need to know exactly where you're going. Sometimes you need to recognize an opportunity, take the next step, and keep moving.

Guest: Myoshia Boykin-Anderson Founder, AnTech Solutions

What happens when everything falls apart—and you decide to build something anyway?

In Episode #581 of Black Entrepreneur Experience, Dr. Frances sits down with Casanova Brooks, an award-winning real estate agent, investor, speaker, podcaster, relationship builder, and entrepreneur.

Casanova shares the powerful story of how he went from growing up on the South Side of Chicago and navigating major life challenges to building a career in real estate and entrepreneurship.

His journey includes leaving college, working in sales, discovering the power of relationships, and learning that the people you serve and the relationships you build can create opportunities you never expected.

He also opens up about one of the most difficult periods of his life, when he lost his mother, his job, and his home within the same week while living in a new city without an established network. Rather than giving up, he focused on building relationships and creating opportunities.

Within nine months, he completed 46 real estate transactions totaling $8 million in volume and was recognized as Rookie of the Year in Nebraska.

Casanova talks about:

• Turning setbacks into opportunities • The power of relationships and networking • Moving from employee to entrepreneur • Why ownership matters • Building wealth through entrepreneurship and real estate • Learning from mentors and successful entrepreneurs • Taking calculated risks • Turning failure into a lesson rather than a stopping point • Building systems, processes, and teams to scale • The importance of persistence in business • Balancing entrepreneurship with family • Taking action instead of waiting to be ready • Building a legacy through ownership and generational thinking

One of Casanova's core messages is simple: you don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.

This From the Vault conversation is a powerful look at what can happen when relationships, persistence, ownership, and action become the foundation for rebuilding and growth.

Guest: Casanova Brooks Real Estate Entrepreneur, Investor, Speaker, Podcaster & CEO

What happens when two investment bankers leave a 20-year career on Wall Street to build a purpose-driven beverage company?

In Episode #581 of Black Entrepreneur Experience, Dr. Frances sits down with Asim Khan, former investment banker and co-founder of ZYN, a beverage company inspired by the ancient wisdom of turmeric and holistic wellness.

Asim shares the personal "aha moment" that led him and his brother to leave finance and pursue entrepreneurship. After witnessing their father experience severe diabetic nerve pain during a family trip to Pakistan, the brothers began researching turmeric and curcumin and ultimately developed a modern beverage built around this ancient ingredient.

But Asim's story goes far beyond the product.

He talks openly about the realities of entrepreneurship, including entering an extremely competitive beverage industry, learning sales and marketing from scratch, being repeatedly rejected by retailers, navigating distributors and suppliers, funding the company themselves, and building a business around a social mission.

One of his strongest messages to entrepreneurs is simple: take a risk on yourself.

Asim also shares why he believes good ideas—not money—are often the scarce resource, how entrepreneurs can begin looking for capital, why persistence matters, and what he wishes he and his brother had known about the industry before starting.

In this conversation, you'll hear about:

• Making the transition from investment banking to entrepreneurship • Turning cultural knowledge into a modern business • Building a mission-driven company • The realities of competing in the beverage industry • Funding a business without outside investors or debt • Why entrepreneurs need to bet on themselves • Learning sales, marketing, distribution and supply chains from scratch • The importance of persistence after rejection • Building strong relationships with business partners • Using technology to operate more efficiently • Balancing entrepreneurship, family and personal life • Creating a legacy based on impact rather than personal recognition

Asim's message is especially powerful for aspiring entrepreneurs who may be waiting for the perfect circumstances, the perfect funding, or permission to begin.

Sometimes the first investment you have to make is in yourself.

Guest: Asim Khan Co-Founder, ZYN

Learn more about ZYN: DrinkZYN.com

What happens when it's time to transition a business you've built?

In this conversation, Gloria Washington-Mines shares her experience building and successfully transitioning a profitable beauty salon. Her story offers valuable insight into entrepreneurship, business ownership, growth, change, and the decisions that come with moving into the next chapter.

This conversation remains relevant for business owners today because building a successful company is only part of the journey. The bigger question is what happens when circumstances change, priorities shift, or it's time to determine what comes next.

Listen in for a thoughtful conversation about entrepreneurship, transition, and the importance of thinking beyond the business you are building.

Connect with Autonomy By Design for strategic continuity advisory focused on helping business owners, families, and professionals navigate complex situations, important decisions, and change with clarity and confidence.

Learn more at AutonomyByDesign.com.

What happens when an entrepreneur doesn't limit themselves to just one business?

In this episode, we sit down with Max Luger, Founder & Creative Director of The Content Campus, a creative incubator agency focused on helping turn ideas into opportunities.

Max's entrepreneurial work extends across multiple ventures and creative projects, bringing together content, business development, real estate, and new ideas.

We explore the thinking behind building multiple businesses and opportunities while staying focused on creativity, growth, and execution.

Max is joined in his organization by a team that includes Kyla, Publicist & Media Relations, and Onome, Chief of Staff & Outreach Coordinator.

Through The Content Campus and its broader network of ventures, Max's work offers an interesting look at how entrepreneurs can build around their skills, ideas, relationships, and opportunities.

If you're an entrepreneur, founder, or business owner thinking about how to turn creative ideas into real businesses, this conversation offers an opportunity to hear Max's perspective.

Learn more about Max Luger and The Content Campus:

The Content Campus: https://thecontentcampus.com/ Onome Rentals: https://onomerentals.com/ SoulSync Beta: https://soulsyncbeta.com/ ToKillarRapper: https://tokillarapper.com/ Instagram: @thecontentcampus

Listen to the episode and discover the entrepreneurial thinking behind Max Luger's growing portfolio of creative ventures.