Bianca Shellie- Robinson MBA, PMP is passionate about entrepreneurship education, project management, and business development.

• She's a pitching expert and a corporate trainer.
• Bianca is a Business Professor teaching Business Operations and Project Management at one of Chicago's downtown colleges.
• ​Bianca is a Business Trainer for Mastercard.​
• Bianca has been featured in Forbes, Entrepreneur Magazine,​Black Enterprise, and much more!

Bianca is the President of Cayden Cay Consulting, which was established in 2012.

​Cayden Cay Consulting is a full-service operational management firm that works with businesses to develop and manage their business infrastructure needs. They teach professional service businesses how to create a bigger impact, gain back their independence, and increase their influence which will double their income. Cayden Cay Consulting educates their clients on how to go from serving one client to serving many all by working less and making more money. Bianca has helped over 10,000 entrepreneurs start, grow, and scale their business in all 50 states and 140 countries online and offline.

​Cayden Cay Academy is a business Elearning academy that specializes in helping businesses start, grow, and/or scale on a budget.

We believe that business development tools should be accessible and easy to understand.

That’s why we’ve designed a collection of digital products that you can access from your computer or other smart device.

DURING THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:

• What a business backend means
• The difference between a business's frontend and backend
• The importance of getting your backend in order
• The financial impact of focusing on the business backend
• Common mistakes business owners make when it comes to their backend
• The first steps to setting up a business backend
• Tips for managing backend and operations

For complete show notes and resources mentioned for this episode go to: blacktobusiness.com/133

Thank you so much for listening! Please support us by simply rating and reviewing our podcast!

Name: Robert Kennedy

Business Name: Kennetik Kommunications

Current Title: President

Location: Maryland

About Robert: 

Robert Kennedy III wants to live in a world where people are no longer afraid to confidently tell their stories...and they can also eat Reese's Peanut Butter cups for every meal without any repercussions. 

His work as a keynote speaker and trainer in the area of leadership communication has led him to work with organizations such as the US Coast Guard, Barnes & Noble, Social Security Administration, Panda Restaurant Group, AARP, T-Mobile, and UNCF as well as appearances on Fox, CW, and other networks.

He is involved in his community through various boards, including the school boards, Association for Talent Development Maryland Chapter, youth leadership programs, and helping non-profits conduct mock interviews. He is also a professional member of the National Speakers Association.

DURING THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:

• What it means to be confident
• How confidence plays a role in communication
• Common mistakes leaders make when communicating
• How communication affects how they are perceived
• How to avoid using filler words when communicating
• How to deal with the fear of judgment
• Tips when presenting for the first time

For complete show notes and resources mentioned for this episode go to: blacktobusiness.com/132

Thank you so much for listening! Please support us by simply rating and reviewing our podcast!

Name: Kronda Adair

Business Name: Karvel Digital

Current Title: Certified Automation Service Provider™

Location: Portland, OR

Educational Background: Bachelors in Web Design and Interactive Media

About Kronda:

I'm a recovered WordPress developer turned digital marketer who loves to reinvent myself and my business. At age 34, I decided to become a programmer and spent the next five years getting a degree in Web Design and Interactive Media from the Art Institute of Portland.

After a couple of years at an agency, I struck out on my own to create WordPress websites for small business owners.

I've spent the past 6 years studying marketing with some of the best mentors in the business and rescuing business owners from ill-informed technology decisions. I want to spare you the overwhelm of wading through the thousands of choices and help you build a marketing system that will support your business for the long-term.

I bring my writing skills and other superpowers developed in previous careers in retail, customer service, and project management to everything I work on.

Our flagship offer is CRM 2 Sales, a done-for-you marketing automation program where we help business owners build an automated email marketing sales engine using Active Campaign.

When I'm not working, I can be found enjoying time at home with my wife, dog, and two cats, reading dead-tree books, riding one of my five bicycles, or enjoying the postcard vistas of the state of Oregon.

DURING THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:

• Why business automation is essential
• The common uses of business automation
• How to build your tech stack and select the right automation tools for your business 
• Which areas in your business should you automate
• What marketing and content automation look like
• Common mistakes small business owners make regarding automation and how to avoid them
• Ways to make sure automated systems align with business goals

For complete show notes and resources mentioned for this episode go to: blacktobusiness.com/131

Thank you so much for listening! Please support us by simply rating and reviewing our podcast!

Name: Lorell Lane

Business Name: Social Sales Lab

Current Title: CEO

Location: Orlando, Fl

About Lorell: 

Lorell uses her personal and professional experiences to help others achieve the financial freedom they deserve. As co-founder of the Social Sales Lab, she teaches small business owners, entrepreneurs, influencers, service-providers and other brands and individuals to launch profitable, game-changing Facebook and Instagram ads.

DURING THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:

• Why businesses should run ads
• How social media ads benefit businesses
• Key steps for setting up your ads
• The importance of a funnel
• Common mistakes people make when running ads
• How ads lead to financial freedom
• Tips for running ads on a budget

For complete show notes and resources mentioned for this episode go to: blacktobusiness.com/130

Thank you so much for listening! Please support us by simply rating and reviewing our podcast!

Name: Chad Balkum & Johnathan Wellington

Business Name: Skillhaus

Current Title: Owners of Skillhaus

Location: Mexico City

Educational Background: 

Howard University - Business management

CUNY City College - Visual Communication

About Chad and Johnathan:

Chad and Johnathan are changing the way creatives do business with each other. Entrepreneurs are turning to skill bartering to start and scale their businesses, and platforms like Skillhaus are helping them build community and utilize their network to succeed. 

Skillhaus is a first-of-its-kind creative skill-bartering community rooted in collaboration. The founders believe that your dreams shouldn't go deferred due to a lack of income or resources.

DURING THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:

• Why bartering is important in business
• How bartering works
• Traditional vs. modern bartering
• The importance of relationships in bartering
• Why skills are the new currency
• Ways that bartering can increase your cash flow
• How bartering benefits Black entrepreneurs
• Rules or regulations of bartering

For complete show notes and resources mentioned for this episode go to: blacktobusiness.com/129

Thank you so much for listening! Please support us by simply rating and reviewing our podcast!

Name: Monique T. Marshall

Business Name: Black To Business

Current Title: Chief-In-Charge

Location: Brooklyn, NY

Educational Background: Howard University

About Monique:

Monique T. Marshall is an Entrepreneur, Thought-Leader, and Influencer.  As the Chief-in-Charge of Black to Business, a platform providing Black entrepreneurs with the resources and connections to start and grow their businesses. Monique has furthered this mission through her podcast, speaking engagements, and workshops.

After graduating from Howard University with a BBA in Supply Chain Management, the Georgia native relocated to Brooklyn, NY to continue the greater mission of increasing the number of successful Black startups.

DURING THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:

• Business highlights
• Why everyone’s advice isn’t working for your business
• How to stay consistent in business
• Why money should be your goal for 2023

For complete show notes and resources mentioned for this episode go to: blacktobusiness.com/128

Thank you so much for listening! Please support us by simply rating and reviewing our podcast!

Name: James Dubose

Business Name: FOX SOUL

Current Title: General Manager

Location: Los Angeles

Educational Background: Wake Forest University

About James: James DuBose is the General Manager at FOX SOUL; the Black community’s premiere free streaming platform. Prior to FOX SOUL—following his career as an NFL player on the Detroit Lions—James worked on many hit television series as an Executive Producer, like E! Network’s "WAGS Atlanta"; and other notable projects under DuBose Entertainment, such as Kevin Hart’s "One Mic Stand", "Keyshia Cole: The Way It Is", and more.

With over 1,300 hours of live and interactive programming annually, FOX SOUL is home to some of the most iconic faces and voices of the culture. Under James’s leadership, the streaming channel has gone from concept to a rising network with more than 55 million viewers in less than two years.

As a long-time television producer, filmmaker, and entertainment industry executive, James felt African Americans didn’t have a voice in this space. He was inspired to build a platform that truly allows the voices of the culture to be heard in its rawest, unfiltered form. Now, with James in his current role, FOX SOUL is leading the charge in showcasing the diversity of the Black experience.

DURING THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:

• The impact of media on the Black community
• Why we need Black voices in the media
• The importance of creating unfiltered content
• The state of  Black representation in media
• The challenges facing Black media in terms of growth 
• How to deal with cancel culture
• How the Black community can support Black voices

For complete show notes and resources mentioned for this episode go to: blacktobusiness.com/127

Thank you so much for listening! Please support us by simply rating and reviewing our podcast!

Name: Ryan Mundy

Business Name: Alkeme

Current Title: Founder and CEO

Location: Chicago

About Ryan: Ryan Mundy, a native of Pittsburgh, PA, is Founder and CEO of Alkeme - a mental health platform that offers culturally centered therapist-led courses and expert guided mindfulness and meditation practices.

Previously, Ryan played eight seasons in the National Football League (2008-2016) with the Pittsburgh Steelers (five seasons), New York Giants (one season), and Chicago Bears (two seasons). In 2009, Ryan was a member of the Super Bowl 43 Champion, Pittsburgh Steelers.

Ryan serves on The Alzheimer’s Association National Board of Directors (Secretary, Executive Committee), The NFLPA Players Investment Advisory Committee Athlete Advisory Board, Advisory Council Member for the Illinois Growth & Innovation Fund, Founding Member of LYFT City Works Advisory Council (Chicago), and Founding Board Member of Chicago Blend.

Ryan graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in Liberal Arts. Additionally, Ryan holds a Master’s in Sport Management from West Virginia University, and MBA from The University of Miami (FL).

Ryan resides in Chicago, IL with his wife and two daughters.

DURING THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:

• What is the psychological price of entrepreneurship?
• The importance of focusing on your mental health
• Warning signs that you are overwhelmed
• The challenges Black people face in getting professional care
• How to deal with burnout
• How to deal with loneliness as an entrepreneur
• The importance of having a daily routine for your mental health
• How to deal with failure in business

For complete show notes and resources mentioned for this episode go to:  https://blacktobusiness.com/126

Thank you so much for listening! Please support us by simply rating and reviewing our podcast!

Name: Mandy Bynum Mc Laughlin

Business Name: BLCK VC

Current Title: CEO

Location: San Francisco, CA

Educational Background: Bucknell University

About Mandy: 

Mandy Bynum Mc Laughlin Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of BLCK VC since February 2022. Prior to becoming the CEO, she took part of BLCK VC’s apprenticeship and was a Black Venture Institute Fellow. She has an expert approach to fostering racial equity and inclusion, a background in enterprise sales leadership and experience serving as angel investor and limited partner for several women- and Black-led funds. Besides being the CEO for BLCK VC, Mandy is also the CEO and Co-Founder of Race Equ(al)ity Project, an organization that creates tools and content that empowers individuals and support organizations to make workplaces and cultures more equitable.

She built her career in tech across numerous functions, including sales and operations. She has been a lifelong student of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion as she has built her career in an industry where she was in the minority and sought to bring others up through her leadership. She is an avid supporter of nonprofits with a focus on marginalized student and employee groups. Mandy uses her business background to ground DE&I efforts and metrics in the understanding of how the business operates and what is required to make the business more successful. She double majored in Political Science and English, Civil War; Political History through Popular Music; Ancient Storytelling and Creative Writing from Bucknell University.

DURING THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:

• What a venture capitalist (VC) does
• The current state of Black underrepresentation in the VC space
• The importance of having more Black people in VC
• The challenges that keep Black people out of the VC space
• Policies that will transform the state of the Black VC community
• Tips to help you transition into VC 
• Tips for Black entrepreneurs looking to secure funding

For complete show notes and resources mentioned for this episode go to: https://blacktobusiness.com/125/ ‎

Name: Sharie Wilson & Tonya Thompson 

Business Name: DreamGirls Hair

Current Title: Founders

Location: California

About DreamGirls Hair:

DreamGirls Hair is a Black-Owned & Women-Owned hair care brand focused on creating products that promote hair growth. The brand is founded by sisters Tonya Thompson and Sharie Wilson, who are both hair care professionals changing how Black Women view and care for their hair.

DURING THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:

• The importance of creating a family business
• How to define roles and set expectations
• The benefits and challenges of starting a family business
• How family businesses impact the Black Community
• The importance of building a legacy 
• Key things to know before starting a family business
• How to manage your emotions 
• How to prepare the next generation to run your business

For complete show notes and resources mentioned for this episode go to: https://blacktobusiness.com/124