Brick by Brick from The BrownStone Experience

Adjwoa Tyehimba was born and raised in Dallas and Atlanta. The cultural exposure that came from living in a diverse environment coupled with growing up around the Pan-African Connection Bookstore, founded by her father shaped her into the dynamic woman she is today. Her mother worked for Delta Airlines, providing opportunities for travel and cultural experiences.

Adjwoa is versatile, nuanced, and lives a soft life unapologetically.

Her career path began in Marine Fisheries Biology at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. She worked in water quality and food safety for Harris County Health Department. The pandemic led her to start her own food safety management business. She used her expertise to teach and certify businesses in food safety practices.

Adjwoa's upbringing in a bookstore influenced her interest in writing. She opted to write children's books as they have higher market potential. She wrote "The Principles of Balance," a book promoting balance in children's lives. After receiving positive feedback and interest from young readers motivated her to continue writing.

During our conversation, Adjwoa gives some amazing advice for young women who are coming into their own.

- She emphasizes self-love and self-confidence as crucial for success.

- Be patient and persistent; success takes time to build.

- Listen to feedback, but also trust in yourself and your vision.

- Look for growth opportunities and learn from setbacks.

Enjoy!

As a multi-faceted businesswoman and practicing physician, Dr. Clark shares some advice on building an empire. She attributes some of her success to setting a 10 year goal, being accessible to her team and patients, and paying close attention to the numbers.

This month our focus is motherhood and black maternal healthcare. We discuss how to take care of your body, prepare for pregnancy, advocate for yourself, and creating birthing teams.

Our April Cover Star Jennifer James is a visionary leader with over 15 years of specialized expertise committed to synchronizing innovative strategies that maximize organizational growth through developing key partnerships. Jennifer has successfully generated over $100MM in revenue through transforming concepts into viable deliverable products. She performs as the Senior Investment Officer and Lead for the Inclusive Capital Fund Initiative at Impact Ventures, a 501c3 startup accelerator and integrated capital fund with a mission to empower talented yet underestimated Women and Communities of color through inclusive entrepreneurship, community wealth-building, and integrated capital. Jennifer also facilitates as a Professor at Neeley School of Business as well as the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Institute at the Texas Christian University campus.

Our April Cover Star Jennifer James is a visionary leader with over 15 years of specialized expertise committed to synchronizing innovative strategies that maximize organizational growth through developing key partnerships. Jennifer has successfully generated over $100MM in revenue through transforming concepts into viable deliverable products. She performs as the Senior Investment Officer and Lead for the Inclusive Capital Fund Initiative at Impact Ventures, a 501c3 startup accelerator and integrated capital fund with a mission to empower talented yet underestimated Women and Communities of color through inclusive entrepreneurship, community wealth-building, and integrated capital. Jennifer also facilitates as a Professor at Neeley School of Business as well as the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Institute at the Texas Christian University campus.

Mayor Rachel Proctor joins me at the table to discuss her lifelong entrepreneurial journey. We discuss ways to avoid burnout, the importance of doing your due diligence before committing to a new project, and how to be a tour guide for the next generation.

Mayor Rachel Proctor, the youngest black female to ever serve in the role of Mayor of Desoto, Texas joins me on the couch this month. Our cover star for Women's History Month shares her story with us which begins in the same city in which is now serving as Mayor. Rachel, the baby of the bunch, is a Pastor's kid, a dog mom, and the ultimate girls' night-in host when she is not wearing her mayoral hat. Listen to learn more about her story, her advice on stepping into a public service role, and what it is like leading one of the prestigious black middle-class suburbs in the country.

Kim and I move to the table to discuss her life-long entrepreneurship journey. She shares how she opened her first makeup store, LAMIK in a Houston mall, built a team, honed in on customer service, and raised money for causes near and dear to her heart. In 2019, she had a gut feeling to do something totally new and different. She moved on that pull from God and prepared to launch LAMIK 2.0, a tech-backed cosmetics brand.

I sat down with Kim Roxie, the CEO, and Founder of LAMIK Beauty - (pronounced La-Meek) a vegan makeup line made with natural and organic ingredients for multicultural women. Kim shares her values and belief that beauty is universal and should be recognized in all forms. We discuss creating images that highlight the beauty that we want to see rather than what is shown historically and commercially. We discuss her views on colorism and the state of beauty in today's society. Kim also shares her journey to becoming a makeup and beauty expert. Check out this dope episode to learn more about this black woman-owned enterprise.

https://lamikbeauty.com/

I sat down with my good sis, Saria to talk more about her journey into entrepreneurship. She shares how the struggle got real before she left her full time job, how dealing with microagressions in corporate America was exhausting, and how having a supportive partner is a key to success. Check out this episode and others on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube!