Dreams In Drive

What does it take to master your mind so that you can master your life? How do you cultivate a winning mentality that will help you overcome obstacles and create possibility? In this episode, we chat with with educator, coach, mentor, Paterson, NJ native Gemar Mills (a.k.a "The Turnaround Principal") about his road to self-discovery through education and how he helped to turn around schools and the lives of thousands of children in the state of NJ. As Gemar mentions,"Your mindset will either be to your demise or your success. You have to figure out the context in which you thrive the most."

In 2005, after graduating from Montclair State University with a Bachelors of Science in Math Education, Gemar started his teaching career. By 2009, at the age of 28, Mills was promoted to Principal of Malcom X Shabazz - one of the most troubled schools in the Newark Public Schools District, with a history of low-test scores, MXS was threatened with possibility of closure. Mills took on the challenge and fully implemented his strategy of education reform by becoming an accessible and relatable leader for the school community. He accomplished the unthinkable, by drastically improving student test scores, created a safe school atmosphere and made the students believe in their selves, the school and in education again.

Gemar's story to becoming the Turnaround Principal is one that we all can learn from. Despite the odds against you, there always is a way. You just have to willing to do the work to find it.

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

ON THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS: - Growing up in the inner-city of Paterson, NJ - How getting 400 stitches as an adolescent changed Gemar's life - How Gemar knew that he had a gift for motivating students - How Gemar became a principal by the age of 28 - The best "accident" of Gemar's career - 2 Keys to making change - Working around in a turnaround school - How to gain respect as a leader - The importance of timely, accurate responses - Building the Gemar Mills brand - Building confidence and believing in oneself - The mentor that had a HUGE impact on Gemar's life - Thinking big - Gemar's morning ritual

SHOW NOTES: www.dreamsindrive.com/gemar-mills

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Are you having trouble staying focused on your dreams and goals?A lot of people never get anywhere because they want to be everywhere. Many of the most successful dream drivers were able to accomplish their goals once they got FOCUSED. But how do you do that? On this episode, host Rana Campbell dives into the subject of making sure your internal GPS is working corrected. In order to stay focused, you have to know where you are going! She shares her favorite tips and strategies for staying focused as you #dreamdrive towards your ultimate goal! Join in on the conversation on social (@dreamsindrive) and use the hashtag #dreamsindrive. Enjoy!

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How did Detroit native Melissa Butler go from a licensed stock broker to beauty entrepreneur? On this episode, we learn how she strategically launched a start-up vegan beauty brand, The Lip Bar - a concept that stemmed from a beauty frustration that inspired Melissa to find a solution! Using her finance and business savvy and expertise, she was able to successfully enter a new space FOCUSED and with an unstoppable"GET IT DONE" attitude. Melissa talks about why having faith and belief in her dreams and her ability to see them into fruition helped her navigate the many challenges and hurdles she's experienced as an entrepreneur. Now, Melissa inspires and empowers women everywhere of all ages, races and body types to be confident in their own skin by challenging traditional beauty standards through imagery, ingredients and affordable pricing. Join in on the conversation on social (@dreamsindrive) and use the hashtag #dreamsindrive. Enjoy!

ON THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS: - Melissa's "I know what I want" mantra as a child - Being unhappy in her high-paying NYC finance job - How Melissa's first entrepreneurial venture led her to making lipsticks - Challenges Melissa made in the beginning days - Why you have to step out on faith - How Melissa financed The Lip Bar - The real reason why The Lip Bar's Shark Tank rejection was an actually WIN - Why understanding your audience is & why they shop with you is CRUCIAL - The biggest marketing investment Melissa made - Launching in Target & the many lessons learned - Why Melissa decided to drop her price points - What Melissa wished more people knew about beauty entrepreneurship - The power of believing in yourself

SHOW NOTES: www.dreamsindrive.com/melissa-butler

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Dancer and choreographer Aliya Janell shares the keys to her viral dance video success and building a brand that truly brings you happiness and fulfillment. She talks about how her early passion for dance and entertainment never left her and drove her to figure out how to make a life and living inspiring others and creating. Aliya shares why - at the end of the day- you shouldn't sacrifice your dreams or what makes your heart happy. Your hard work, determination, and the many twists and turns of your journey will lead you to where you are supposed to go. The social media influencer-who has gained widespread popularity for her viral heels dance videos - has been reposted by Trey Songs, Chris Brown, & Nicki Minaj and more. Aliya's work includes dancing for K. Michelle, Pitbull,Tank and many more. As she became more successful in the dance industry, she decided to started her own dance class known as "Queens N Lettos" so that ever woman can feel sexy, confident, and can be a queen in her (sti)lettos. It has become extremely popular and have even expanded to more classes such as "Queens N Sneaks."

Join in on the conversation on social (@dreamsindrive) using the hashtag #dreamsindrive. Enjoy!

ON THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS: - What inspired Aliya as a child - Making her mark as a dancer and choreographer - How to create your unique style - The importance of feelings and emotion when defining your craft - How Aliya fell in love with teaching - The start of Queens 'n' Lettos - Going from 10k to 700k+ followers in less than one year - Business challenges Aliya faced early on - Figuring out marketing & branding - How to get past the fear of self-promotion - Getting reposted by Nicki Minaj - How To find Your Calling - Fighting overwhelm - The importance of having a strong support system

SHOW NOTES: www.dreamsindrive.com/aliya-janell

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Ever feel like giving up on yourself? Host Rana Campbell breaks down her favorite tips and advice on how you can motivate yourself to keep going - even when times get hard. We also hear a listener email and Rana's thoughts on why the fact that you never know who you're inspiring is a great reason to keep going!

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Ever dream of writing and publishing a book? What exactly goes into working with a book agent or going the self-publishing route? How do books actually sell? How do you leverage your influence to impact an even bigger community? We've got some answers for you! Our guest Dawn Michelle Hardy describes the work she does as being "a talent manager for creative storytellers across multiple platforms". She began her agency Dream Relations PR & Literary Consulting in 2004 after working with Teri Woods author of True to the Game. Additionally, she is the creator of the Speed Mentoring Series a traveling brunch event that discusses the intricacies of book publishing.

Dawn dives into her early career journey - from studying fashion merchandising at FIT and how she stumbled into the book publishing industry, honed her skills, and realized she had what it took to go SOLO and build her own practice. Dawn shares lessons she has for other creatives trying to build their platforms and get their voices heard.

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

**SHOW NOTES: www.dreamsindrive.com/dawn-michelle-hardy

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ON THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:

- How Dawn knew she would always be an entrepreneur - Studying fashion merchandising at FIT - How Dawn ended up in the book publishing industry - How Dawn branched out and started her own agency as a publicist - The power of confidence - An important lesson Dawn learned from a past client - The difference between a book publicist and a book agent - How to know if writing a book is for you - How to get your book published - How to know when to self publish vs. get a book agent - The truth about making money as an author - How to secure a book agent & write a query letter that gets READ - When to walk away from trying to get a publishing deal - How to become a book agent - 3 things you have to do market your book - How to stay balanced

SHOW NOTES: www.dreamsindrive.com/dawn-michelle-hardy

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Could your next BIG idea come from a conversation you have over a glass of wine? Who KNOWS?! Meet KJ Miller and Amanda Johnson, co-founders of the vegan, non toxic premium beauty line Mented Cosmetics. The two met when they were both students at Harvard Business School. One day - over a glass of wine - they bonded over a mutual problem of not being able to find the perfect lipstick shade. From there it was history! They were able to go from ideation to execution and create a fully operating business venture.

BUT check this!

The two recently raised $1 million in their first round of fundraising, making them the 15th and 16th African-American women ever to raise $1 million in venture capital, according to Forbes magazine.

As data from investor Kathryn Finney's Project Diane shows, although black women are the fastest-growing group of entrepreneurs in the U.S., they receive only 0.2% of VC funding.

What were their keys to success? These amazing dream drivers share just HOW they were able to do this and so much more.

Prior to launching into entrepreneurship, KJ was a management consultant for Deloitte's retail practice and was a jewelry buyer for Sears. Amanda worked as head of business development for Barney's NY and was an investment banker at Goldman Sachs.

I'm really excited for you all to hear the Mented Cosmetics story! Join in on the conversation on social (@dreamsindrive) and make sure to use the hashtag #dreamsindrive.

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ON THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:- What inspired KJ & Amanda as children - How the two met while students at Harvard Business School - Why attending business school is worth it - The importance of admitting when you're wrong - How KJ & Amanda got the idea to launch Mented Cosmetics - Challenges KJ & Amanda faced early in the business - Being one of the only African American women to raise over $1 million dollars in funding - The key to successfully raising capital - Why you should bring in a lawyer on your team early on - Leveraging your network - How to outsource strategically - How to launch successfully - The importance of storytelling and controlling your narrative - The keys to a successful business partnership - How to deal with competitors - How to create a unique product/service - How to get the right type of press

SHOW NOTES: www.dreamsindrive.com/mented-cosmetics

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Let's try to keep it real: What's TRULY holding you back from success? On this episode we dive deep into some of the ways that creatives and lifestyle entrepreneurs often stifle their own growth and what you can to start getting s**t done! In the guest chair is South Bronx native Emmelie De La Cruz, a serial entrepreneur who turned her layoff into her legacy. Whether it's group coaching, her books and classes, or through her health and wellness team, she has one goal: building dreams into businesses. On this episode, Emmelie takes us along her "original Cardi B." #dreamdriving journey and how went from working in marketing and communications to launching her own consultancy to help entrepreneurs and side hustlers grow their businesses. Emmelie shares some of the tough life lessons she had to learn that helped her become a better business woman and individual. Make sure to join in on the conversation on social (@dreamsindrive) and use the hashtag #dreamsindrive. Enjoy!

MORE ON EMMELIE:Emmelie is a graduate of Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communication and has worked for companies in Atlanta, DC and New York City. Her marketing insights have been featured in Black Enterprise, The Miami Herald, The Huffington Post, PR Daily, and Forbes named her site one of the top career websites just a year after launching. When she isn't helping startups scale, she's blogging on her site emmeliedelacruz.com which reaches over 15,000 women each month.

ON THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS: - What inspired Emmelie as a child - Why Emmelie studied public relations in college & later realized it wasn't for her later on - Transitioning into marketing & branding - How entrepreneurship found Emmelie - Why passion is overrated - The power of the pivot - How to validate an idea - How to find out what your audience is struggling with - How to be authentic & master YOU - The importance of building a personal brand - Not being afraid to be who you are - Why Emmelie misses corporate America - Emmelie's superstar strength - The art of being artistically naive - The best investments Emmelie has made in her business

SHOW NOTES: www.dreamsindrive.com/emmelie-de-la-druz

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What's stopping you from getting started? What's stopping you from doing that thing that's burning inside of you? What's stopping you rom pressing LAUNCH on the product or service of yours? In this minisode, host Rana Campbell talks about how she was able to get over her fear of launching and shares some BIG NEWS with the dream driver fam. Make sure to join in on the conversation on social (@dreamsindrive) and use the hashtag #dreamsindrive. Enjoy!

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What's at the core of what you're building? If you're not thinking about your legacy, what you doin' it for? What's influencing your drive and execution? So many of us dream drivers have these amazing ideas, but don't know how to get them from the idea (PARK) stage and into DRIVE.We talk with NYC-based technology entrepreneur James Lopez about his #dreamdriving journey, how he made the transition from the corporate IT world to entrepreneurship and the many lessons he's learned along the way. He shares the FAILURES he had to navigate past and how he was able to successfully co-found and sustain the Phat Startup. James also discusses why launching parenting company Cool4Dads.com via #FatherhoodIsLit and empowering men to be the best dads is one his proudest entrepreneurial feats yet. When James is not creating memories with his children, he consults startups on community building and customer development. We even dive into James' tips for entrepreneurs looking to grow, so don't miss out. Remember, you can join in on the conversation on social (@dreamsindrive) and use the hashtag #dreamsindrive. Enjoy!

ON THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS: - How James' dad & hip hop music inspired him as a child - Why learning about the stock market opened up James to more opportunities - Working in corporate America and why bulldozing his way to to the top didn't work - Why reading a lot of books on entrepreneurship was killing his productivity - How to start doing - Why James' first company failed - Launching the Phat Startup - 3 ways to get access - How James used Twitter to connect with industry figures like Ben Horowitz & Gary Vaynerchuck - Challenges growing the Phat Startup - How starting over can still be difficult (even with a blueprint) - What inspired James to launch a company focused on fatherhood - Figuring out your core audience - How to balance entrepreneurship & fatherhood - The 2 keys to building a business

SHOW NOTES: www.dreamsindrive.com/james-lopez

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