Dreams In Drive

Need help figuring out the road to sustainability? Benoni Tagoe of Issa Rae Productions and The Bizz Plan shares the secrets to building a brand that lasts.

Benoni launched his career as assistant to the Jonas Brothers, and quickly became a part of the band's day-to-day management team, developing a keen sense of entrepreneurship. Since then, Tagoe has produced content for both TV and New Media on platforms that have collectively garnered over 20 million views. Currently, Tagoeis the head of business development for Issa Rae Productions (The Mis-Adventures of Awkward Black Girland HBO's 'Insecure'). Additionally, Tagoe founded management & consulting company, The Bizz Plan, which works with various media brands, including Uninterrupted (LeBron James' sports platform), beauty entrepreneur Peakmill, and financial expert Tonya Rapley. ON THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN: - What inspired Benoni as a child - Benoni's fascination with "not being forgotten" - Why Benoni dropped out of college - The connection between struggle & drama - Personal strengths realized - How Benoni built a relationship with Issa Rae - The secrets to growing an audience - Monetizing your content & platform - How to stay focused - Creating sustainability - Sending emails that get read - How to find the right clients - How to build traction Join in on the conversation on social (@dreamsindrive) and make sure to use the hashtag #dreamsindrive. Enjoy!

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Have you ever been curious about your family history? Where are you from? What's the story of your people? How does this all affect who you are today? In 2003, Dr. Gina Paige co-founded African Ancestry, Inc. and in doing so, pioneered a new way of tracing African lineages using genetics, and a new marketplace for people of African descent looking to more accurately and reliably trace their roots. Gina talks about the origins of the company and why this work is so important. We dive into the challenges her and co-founder Dr. Rick Kittles faced when first launching (they self-funded with only $1200!), dealing with criticism, and lessons she has for other entrepreneurs seeking success.

Now, Gina travels the world helping people demystify where they're from and informing on identities so that they may better understand who they are. Dr. Paige holds a degree in Economics from Stanford University and an MBA from the University Of Michigan Ross School Of Business.

YOU WILL LEARN:- What inspired Gina as a child - What Gina learned working in the corporate world - How an introduction led to the formation of African Ancestry - The initial challenges of launching - Dealing with criticism from the media and the scientific community - How to position yourself for success - The importance of knowing who you are - Rana's African Ancestry results! - Business lessons learned - Why you need to develop a strong network...and more!

Join in on the conversation on social (@dreamsindrive) and make sure to use the hashtag #dreamsindrive. Enjoy!

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Earlier in June - Host Rana Campbell had the chance to sit down with the cast of POWER (Lela Loren, Omari Hardwick, Joseph Sikora, Nature Naughton, & Rotimi) and talk life lessons that we can take away from Season 5 of the show as Dream Drivers. She also shares some personal life updates and reflections and why LEVELING UP is the theme for the rest of the year. Join in on the conversation on social (@dreamsindrive) and remember to use the hashtag #dreamsindrive.

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At just 10 years old, Jessica Spaulding began making chocolates. Little did she imagine - as an adult - that passion that would later inspire her to open her craft chocolate business, Harlem Chocolate Factory - which produces bars, bark and brownies inspired by the rich ethnic heritage of her native Harlem community. Jessica's goal? To make high end chocolate accessible to the average person's palette.

On this episode - Jessica takes us along her #dreamdriving journey to getting Harlem Chocolate Factory off the ground. The story centers around the steps she took to firmly solidify her entrepreneurial plan and create the life and business she knew she deserved and could successfully lead. Despite the challenges she encountered, Jessica shares how she was able to hustle strategically, build a team of business advisors in her industry, and leverage every opportunity that came her way.

WE DISCUSS:- What inspired Jessica as a child - Where Jessica's love for chocolate came from - Jessica's early entrepreneurial hustle - The difference between the goal and the plan - Launching Harlem Chocolate Factory - The impact of partnering with Samuel Adams' Brewing The American Dream program - The dangers of small business predatory loans - Jessica's plan for winning - How Jessica built a team of mentors and business advisors - How to make your pitch stand out - Go-to-market strategies - The importance of financial support, strategy support, and advisement - How to Be true to who you are - Responding to bigger opportunities after launching the Harlem Chocolate Factory storefront

Join in on the conversation on social (@dreamsindrive) and make sure to use the hashtag #dreamsindrive. Enjoy!

ENTER TO WIN A DARK CHOCOLATE QUINOA & SMOKED SEA SALT BARFROM HARLEM CHOCOLATE FACTORY HERE: WWW.DREAMSINDRIVE.COM/WIN

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On this THROWBACK episode - we take it back to EP 6 and our chat with Sakita Holley - the founder and CEO of NY-based beauty and lifestyle PR firm House of Success PR. She is also the editor of HashtagsandStilettos.com,a business lifestyle blog and hosts a podcast of the same name that you can find on Apple Podcasts and Soundcloud.

Sakita shares tips and advice from her own experience growing House of Success PR. You'll learn more about what you have to do to find clients, close deals, and start monetizing your service-based or lifestyle business.

IN THIS PODCAST YOU'LL LEARN:

1. How to figure out when you need to leave your job and pursue something new 2. How she overcame having BUSINESS CAPITAL & CREDIBILITY and launched her own PR firm 3. The biggest mistakes Sakita made when she first offered services to clients 4. Why CLIENT EDUCATION is super important 5. The questions you need to ask to figure out your target market 6. When it's okay to do work for FREE 7. Why walking away from a deal can be good move 8. The real reason you should NEVER low-ball your services 9. Quick inexpensive alternative for accessing legal counsel for your business 10. The systems you need to scale your business 11. 3 things all entrepreneurs NEED in their toolkit

SAKITA'S KEYS TO SUCCESS:1. Know your WHY. 2. Have a mentor or informal board of advisors 3. Do more things that bring you joy

ENTER TO WIN A COPY OF CHARLAMAGNE'S BOOK "BLACK PRIVILEGE - OPPORTUNITY COMES TO THOSE WHO CREATE IT": http://www.dreamsindrive.com/win

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FIND SAKITA HOLLEY ON:Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/misssuccess Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/misssuccess Web: http://www.hos-pr.com

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What does it take to make it in the media and entertainment industry? We chat with - Kristen V. Carter - content creator, entrepreneur, and inspirational speaker from Newark, New Jersey.

SOME OF THE THINGS WE DISCUSS IN THIS EPISODE: - How Kristen's boarding school experience shaped her - The strength of a mother's love - The moment Kristen realized she had potential to thrive - What Kristen's first jobs in media taught her - The benefits of being a freelancer in the entertainment industry - Building strong relationships - Why you have to study television credits - How to stand out in whatever job you're in - How to stay encouraged - Creating a yearly action plan - The keys to telling a good story - Launching Trust Your Magic - Combatting the "starving artist"... and more!

Kristen has produced for a variety of television's top series including NBC's The Voice and Black Girls Rock. Kristen's professional experience spans across a number of formats including documentary, competition, live events, digital content, and narrative film.

Kristen's multimedia company JazziDreamer Entertainment LLC specializes in writing, consultation, and production services. Most recently, Kristen wrapped a Director of Unscripted Development position where she co-executive produced the documentary show Motherly Love, a companion special to the record-breaking documentary series Black Love on the Oprah Winfrey Network. In her role, she had a hand in selling two cable specials in just nine business days. Kristen continues to develop television projects independently while also writing and producing hit cable programs.

Join in on the conversation on social (@dreamsindrive) and make sure to use the hashtag #dreamsindrive. Enjoy!

RESOURCES & BOOKS MENTIONED:A Better Chance Black Widow Podcast A Return To Love The Mastery of Love The Four Agreements The Secret

ENTER TO WIN A COPY OF CHARLAMAGNE'S BOOK "BLACK PRIVILEGE - OPPORTUNITY COMES TO THOSE WHO CREATE IT": http://www.dreamsindrive.com/win

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What you put in - is what you put out. Are you making a way with what you have? Are you letting adversity make you feel like there is no hope for things turning around?

We chat with Starr Dawkins - entrepreneur, entertainer, and CEO of Sweet Cookies Wash - an all natural feminine wash and vaginal product line - about how she learned to create opportunities, keep going despite hurdles she faced and why she stopped holding herself back and started living fearlessly. She talks her journey from launching a sex blog in college to collaborating with a local comedian on projects that helped her grow her audience to then diving into entrepreneurship and launching her own product line.

Recently, her strategically created Nicki Minaj impersonation video was even reposted by Nicki Minaj herself - serving as a catalyst for more opportunities. Starr is the definition of a hustler - a dream driver who sees the world as possibility and is willing to do what it takes to succeed - even if there are naysayers who may not agree with her direction.

SOME OF THE THINGS WE DISCUSS: - College as a dreamkiller - How collaborating with a local comedian and vlogger launched her career - How to know if you're holding yourself back - What a move to California taught Starr about #dreamdriving - The art of figuring stuff out - Dealing with scams in Hollywood - Starr's "inspiration vacation" - Launching Sweet Cookies Wash - Marketing that works - The aftermath of getting reposted by Nicki Minaj - Challenges with launching an online store...and more!

Join in on the conversation on social (@dreamsindrive) and make sure to use the hashtag #dreamsindrive. Enjoy!

ENTER TO WIN A COPY OF CHARLAMAGNE'S BOOK "BLACK PRIVILEGE - OPPORTUNITY COMES TO THOSE WHO CREATE IT": http://www.dreamsindrive.com/win

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FIND STARR DAWKINS ON:Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/starrdawkinz Web: http://www.sweetcookies.org

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Everyone wants to grow their audience - but no one's asking the question "Why?" Is there a different approach we should be using when thinking about our relationship with our community and brands. YES! We chat with writer Alex Wolf - who you may know as the lady entrepreneur who built a cult following of over half a million millennials for her first brand (Boss Babe) in less than a year. Nobody understands why she left it all to become a writer either.

Alex shares what we can do as Dream Drivers to truly resonate with our audiences and build brands that matter and stand out in our new modern digital reality. Alex also talks about her new book RESONATE - her informative and occasionally hilarious look at the intersection of human nature, technology, and how understanding both can help anyone creative build a following of their own.

SOME OF THE THINGS YOU'LL LEARN:- Why Alex wanted to be famous when she was younger - Our relationship with technology - How Boss Babe came to be - How to resonate with your audience - Value & staying relevant - The difference between art & entertainment - Why do you need to build a following? - The "pre-dream" vs. the "real dream" - How to capture your niche audience - Why Alex sold Boss Babe - How to make money as a creative - How to stand out - How Alex navigates her current challenges Join in on the conversation on social (@dreamsindrive) and make sure to use the hashtag #dreamsindrive. Enjoy!

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Are you trying to make BIG CAREER MOVES this year?!? I know I am. But what do we have to do to make sure those moves we are making are successful? Meet - Lauren McGoodwin, CEO and founder of Career Contessa. She founded the company in 2013 after working in recruiting for a tech company and experiencing the gap in career development resources available for women who were job searching, soul searching, leading and managing, or trying to find new ways to advance within their careers. The site is completely dedicated to women and takes into the account the unique challenges women in the workplace experience including the wage gap, career breaks and minority representation in leadership positions. Lauren takes us on the journey of how she founded the data-driven career resource and the super helpful and valuable career hacks she's researched and helped her community navigate over the years.

SOME OF THE THINGS YOU'LL LEARN:- What inspired Lauren as a child - How to figure out what kind of career is for you - How to stay motivated during your job search - Why Lauren left Hulu (although she loved her job) - The beginning days of Career Contessa - What inspired The Salary Project - The misconception about making career moves - How to figure out your selling points - How to navigate salary negotiations - Lauren's top 3 job hunting tips - Is entrepreneurship the end goal? - The importance of having an entrepreneurial spirit within an organization Career Contessa now helps over 1 million women navigate their careers each year and has partnered with a number of leading brands including Dollar Shave Club, FabFitFun, HomeAway and Pandora. Join in on the conversation on social (@dreamsindrive) and make sure to use the hashtag #dreamsindrive. Enjoy!

RESOURCES MENTIONED:The Salary Project How To Figure Out Your Next Career Move

SHOW NOTES: http://www.dreamsindrive.com/lauren-mcgoodwin-career-contessa

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REFLECTION TIME! In this minisode, host Rana Campbell shares with DREAM DRIVERS an experience she had on Instagram that reminded her of why giving up isn't an option, her advice for her now 27 year old self, why you can always DREAM BIGGER, and the power of practicing naive possibility at some point along the #dreamdriving journey. Join in on the conversation on social (@dreamsindrive) and use the hashtag #dreamsidrive!

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