Name: Jourdan Guyton

Business Name: Vera Jean Media

Current Title: CEO

Location: Los Angeles

About Jourdan:

Jourdan is a Content strategist & Coach living in Brooklyn, New York! With over 10 years of experience in the entertainment industry, her love for content is Indescribable. In 2019 Jourdan sold a comedic web series she co-created to BET and jumped all the way into content creation. 

Fast forward to when the pandemic hit in 2020, Jourdan was forced to pivot and created her own business from scratch. Named after her grandmother, Vera Jean Media, specializes in content strategy and social media marketing for small business owners. 

Jourdan began teaching other female entrepreneurs her strategy for audience growth and increased revenue. Less than two years later, Jourdan has generated multiple six-figures in the business and has grown her Instagram audience to +75,000 amazing humans.

Her true passion is helping women showcase their true authentic selves through their content to make more money online.

DURING THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:

• The importance of creating content for your business 
• How to choose the right social media platform for your business
• How to be consistent in creating content
• Leveraging the power of video content
• Tips for developing a content strategy
• How to show up authentically online
• Ways to monetize your content
• How to turn your followers into customers

For complete show notes and resources mentioned for this episode go to: blacktobusiness.com/103

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

Name: Rod Johnson 

Business Name: BLK & Bold

Current Title: Co-Founder

Location: Des Moines IA

About BLK & Bold:

Being the first nationally accessible/distributed black-owned coffee and tea business not only came with its own victories but it also came with its own set of challenges. Long nights, a lot of trial and error, high expectations, and pressure.

Four years later, BLK & Bold is celebrating their anniversary and rolling out their new cold brew. They have made it through covid, introduced new products, expanded their work environment and employee base, all while making their 5 percent contribution to youth programming a consistent priority. As they move into their fifth year in the industry they look back in reflection with a smile on their face as they know that the road hasn’t been easy but has most definitely been worth it.

Rod Johnson and Pernell Ceszar are two first-generation college graduates that became young black entrepreneurs with a mission in mind—to impact their community. BLK & Bold speaks to the products that they produce, coffee and tea, but it also speaks to them as individuals. They want to live, educate, support, and lead boldly. They wish to do so not only within their business and their community, but other communities that look like theirs and which they came from.

DURING THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:

• How they successfully built BLK & Bold with no prior industry experience
• Tips for starting a coffee and tea business
• The importance of building your business around the social impact model
• How to start and scale a social enterprise
• The importance of reinvesting in the community
• Ways to identify a social cause suited for your business
• Why building strategic relationships is important
• How to attract partnerships from major brands like Amazon and Target

For complete show notes and resources mentioned for this episode go to: blacktobusiness.com/102

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

Name: Dr. Philippe Douyon

Business Name: The Inle BrainFit Institute

Current Title: Neurologist/Author/Online Course Creator

Location: New York

Educational Background: Medical Doctor

About Dr. Philippe:

Dr. Philippe Douyon is a Board Certified Neurologist. He completed his residency in Neurology at NYU and fellowship in clinical Neurophysiology at NYP-Weill Cornell Medical College. He is the founder of The Inle BrainFit Institute (www.inlebrainfitinstitute.com), a health, wellness, and technology company designed to improve people's health and quality of life. He is the author of the book, Neuroplasticity: Your Brain's Superpower, which speaks to the brain's ability to adapt, learn, and heal. He has created the children’s illustrated series, Nuri The Neuron, in order to teach children about their brains and how the decisions they make and the actions they take impact their brain’s health. Dr. Philippe Douyon is the creator of the online course, Take Charge of Your Brain (https://bit.ly/drphilippedouyon) in which he helps entrepreneurs crack the code to become more productive and successful by becoming the leaders their brains need them to be. Dr. Douyon is not only a Physician, but he is also a patient. He is a two-time kidney transplant recipient. As such, Dr. Philippe Douyon uses his personal and professional experience to teach people how to take charge of their brains in order to overcome challenges and create the lives they dream of.

DURING THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:

• Why success starts with the brain
• How the brain works and its capability to evolve
• Why changing your brain can change your life
• How to understand and tap into your brains superpower
• Tips to rewire your brain to create a life you love
• Why new experiences matter

For complete show notes and resources mentioned for this episode go to: blacktobusiness.com/101

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

Name: Paul Roberson & Ahmed Jerome

Business Name: Sobol BedStuy / Williamsburg

Current Title: Owner/Operator

Location: Brooklyn, NY

About Sobol:

Ahmed Jerome, Paul Roberson and Tony Robinson got together in 2019 with a general purpose to start a business in their beloved Bed-Stuy community. They tossed around a few ideas and all agreed that they wanted to contribute to the community by opening a family friendly spot that provides healthy food. 

During their entrepreneurial journey they discovered the Sobol Cafe franchise, a Long Island based company, known for producing their unique Acai bowls. After tasting the product and discovering its many benefits they were all sold on bringing one to Brooklyn. Then COVID struck.  However, they persevered and in October 2020, they opened the chain's first Brooklyn location in Bed-Stuy, with a second opening last month in Williamsburg. The road to success wasn't easy for the trio, as they faced long delays due to the global pandemic, and most recently, an employee shortage that pushed the opening date for their location at 175 Kent Avenue, to March.  

DURING THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:

• What a franchise is and how it works
• Differences between franchising and the traditional business model
• The benefits of owning a franchise 
• How to know what franchise model is right for your business
• Things you should consider before starting a franchise
• Common mistakes franchises make and how to avoid them
• How Black entrepreneurs can run successful franchises

For complete show notes and resources mentioned for this episode go to: blacktobusiness.com/100

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

Name: Lamar Tyler

Age: 46

Business Name: Traffic Sales and Profit

Current Title: CEO

Location: Duluth, GA

About Lamar:

Using his motto "The Gatekeepers Are Gone," Lamar has leveraged digital marketing to move his online brands from small personal blogs to an international brand with over 700,000 social media fans and 60 thousand plus customers in all 50 states and 43 countries around the world.

Among the recognition received for his work, Lamar, along with his wife Ronnie was named one of Ebony Magazine's Power 100, a list of the top 100 movers and shakers in the black community, finalists for Black Enterprise's Family Business of the Year, finalists for Infusionsoft's Small Business ICON award and winners of the ClickFunnels Two Comma Award.

Additionally, in 2021 Lamar's company Tyler New Media was ranked #2040 on the Inc. 5000 list of the country's fastest-growing private companies and won the ClickFunnels Two Comma X Award for doing over 10 Million in sales using the ClickFunnels software platform.

DURING THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:

• The ultimate way for Black men to “Man Up” to be “MANage Your MENtal”
• The impact that social expectations and traditional masculinity has on Black men’s mental health
• The power of community and brotherhood for Black men
• Tips for helping Black men establish peace in their lives
• Why self-care isn’t just for women, and tips for how men can practice self-care
• How becoming a better man leads to success in your business

For complete show notes and resources mentioned for this episode go to: blacktobusiness.com/99

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

Name: Hassan Pierre

Business Name: Maison de Mode

Current Title: CEO & Co-Founder

Location: Miami, FL

About Hassan:

Starting as a Parsons School of Design student where he studied Design & Management, Hassan launched his label reinventing high-end vintage fabrics before founding MAISON DE MODE. 

As a pioneer of the sustainable fashion movement, he has extended his experience and voice to numerous panel discussions including the 2015 NGO Conference at the United Nations, SXSW in 2018, Bloomberg Sustainable Business Summit in 2018, Future Sustainability Summit in 2019, Future of Fashion Summit in 2019 and Harvard Business School's Retail and Luxury Goods conference in 2021. 

Additionally, Hassan now holds a position on the Board of Well Beings—an environmental and animal conservation NGO, and is also a Member of the CFDA Fashion Awards Guild. Recently, Hassan wrote a thought piece on energy efficiency in the retail space for CFDA.com that can be found here , was a guest on The Glossy Podcast where he discussed the future of sustainable fashion that can be found here on Spotify and was featured in a profile piece for Forbes that can be found here. 

Hassan’s mission for Maison de Mode’s journey is to be a beacon of inspiration for emerging design talent to want to create the most luxurious, innovative and sustainable design.

DURING THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:

• The importance of sustainability in business
• What it means to build a sustainable business
• Tips for building a sustainable brand
• How to make consumers aware of their purchases and buying decisions
• The future of retail and sustainable fashion

For complete show notes and resources mentioned for this episode go to: blacktobusiness.com/98

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

Name: Amie Thompson

Business Name: Creative Allies

Current Title: CEO

Location: Raleigh, NC

Educational Background: BS, Business Administration - The University of NC at Chapel Hill

MS, Organization & Management - Capella University

About Amie:

Amie is a CEO who has stepped out of her comfort zone to become a true leader. She is the President & CEO of Creative Allies, a Black-owned marketing firm that drives unparalleled brand engagement through compelling creative, digital technology, strategic, and social influencer management. 

Amie is passionate about connecting with small business owners and entrepreneurs, particularly women and minorities, and helping them flourish. She loves talking about everything from the journey of a business owner to personal branding to sales tips for introverts and non-sales people. 

Amie believes that while design and strategy are incredibly important to marketing, the key isn’t just in creating a beautiful logo or in coming up with the perfect slogan…the key is YOU. Her passion lies in helping people find and develop unshakable confidence in themselves and their businesses, in helping them identify the factors about them that are unique and valuable, and in helping them tell their stories in authentic and attainable ways. 

We all have a story, a mountain we have climbed, and things we have learned along the way. Amie wants to help business owners and entrepreneurs take their story to the next level, and turn it into something tangible that grows their business and their brand. 

DURING THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN:

• Why branding is important to your business 
• The elements that make a great brand
• How to incorporate SEO into your branding
• Common branding mistakes small businesses make
• How to develop your brand story 
• How to make your brand newsworthy
• Why it’s important to have a marketing campaign

For complete show notes and resources mentioned for this episode go to: blacktobusiness.com/97

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

Name: Paulana Lamonier

Business Name: Black People Will Swim

Current Title: Founder

Location: Long Island, NY

Educational Background: B.A. in Journalism

About Paulana:

Paulana Lamonier is the founder of Black People Will Swim, a purpose-driven organization working to smash the stereotype that Black people don’t swim.

​

After learning how to swim with the help of coaches in 2009 at CUNY York College, Paulana nurtured her love for swimming and became inspired to teach others how to conquer their fear of water. For over a decade, she has shared her passion for swimming by working with swim clubs, teams, and gyms to build a community with her students.

​

She's also a multimedia journalist who has made a career out of telling compelling stories. She's written for Fast Company, Forbes, Complex Magazine, and interviewed the likes of Queen Latifah, Loni Love, Venus Williams, and more.

DURING THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:

• Why it's important to have a brand story
• Key elements you should have in your brand story
• Why it's important to be transparent in business
• How to use the S.O.A.R method to secure grants 
• What you should have before applying for grants
• Mistakes people make when applying for grants
• Where to find small business grants

For complete show notes and resources mentioned for this episode go to: blacktobusiness.com/96

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

Name: Rita Olds

Age: 35

Business Name: Rita Olds & Co.

Current Title: CEO & Sr. Copywriter

Location: Atlanta, GA

Educational Background: BA in English Writing with a concentration in Corporate Communication

About Rita:

Rita Olds is a copywriter who helps women develop their signature voice so they can sell more authentically and generate more revenue. Her main mission is to empower Black women & femmes to find, develop, and use their voices to change the world. She helps clients write persuasive science-based web copy with hella personality and have stress-free launches with words that sell. 

DURING THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:

• Understanding what copywriting is and why it matters for your business
• Tips for writing good copy
• The role that market research plays in creating copy
• Understanding brand voice and brand personality
• The secret to developing a brand voice and personality?
• How to show up authentically in your business

For complete show notes and resources mentioned for this episode go to: blacktobusiness.com/95

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

Business Name: GSD Solutions

Current Title: CEO

Location: New York

Educational Background: 

Baruch College | 2014 - 2017

Bachelor of Science - BS, Business Communications with specialization in Graphic CommunicationsBachelor of Science - BS, Business Communications with specialization in Graphic Communications

About Georgie-Ann:

Georgie-Ann Getton is a NY-based tech ecosystem trailblazer, Execution Expert, mom of two, and the CEO of GSD Solutions, a business development agency she founded in 2019. She is also a multimedia content creator and speaker for her brand GSD with Georgie. She is the author of "The Art of Getting Sh*t Done", a memoir and entrepreneurship guide, and the host of Doing The Most The Misadventures of Entrepreneurship Podcast. 

Georgie is passionate about developing inclusive, innovative, and experience-driven business models. She additionally holds a seat on the NY Tech Alliance and Caribbeans in Tech & Entrepreneurship Boards.

DURING THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:

• The importance of productivity in business 
• How to overcome productivity challenges
• How to build the get sh*t done mindset
• How to get your foot in the door
• The importance of setting structures in place
• The importance of setting boundaries
• Signs you’re heading towards burnout

For complete show notes and resources mentioned for this episode go to: blacktobusiness.com/94

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

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🙏🏿 Support: 

This week’s episode is sponsored by IV Purpose, a 2-floor sports restaurant and event space located in Bedstuy Brooklyn, where they offer delicious American and Caribbean cuisine and specialty drinks. 

This unique Black-owned space offers both on-site and off-site catering, only requiring a 7-day advance notice to the event.  

Their buffet-style event menu accommodates groups of 25 or more, making it the perfect option for birthday celebrations, graduation parties, dinners, baby showers, and Department of Education events.

IV Purpose’s off-site catering options are perfect for corporate events, graduations, house parties, etc.

Book your next special occasion at IV Purpose!