What does it take to be a visionary, and how do you balance that with business? Shelly Bell speaks with Sonya Renee Taylor, an award-winning poet, author, activist and leader. Sonya explains the origin of and how she became an “accidental entrepreneur” with The Body Is Not An Apology, the work of creating a movement and how to navigate forming an environment where you are doing what you want to do rather than what you should do. Sonya also shares what comes next in her journey including a new edition of The Body Is Not An Apology book and a reparations initiative she co-founded, Buy Back Black Debt.  

Key Takeaways:

0:00 Intro

1:24 Shelly shares the Shelly brief about cognitive diversity and allowing woman and people of color to head Treasury or the Defense Department in Biden’s cabinet

6:45 Sonya shares a little background of how she started The Body Is Not An Apology, where the title came from and how it all began 

11:15 Sonya talks about the process of how her movement changed from a movement to an accidental entrepreneurship opportunity and how entrepreneurship has been for her

14:58 Sonya explains why Facebook was shutting her and her Facebook page down 

16:46 Sonya also shares the feeling of starting a business based off of a movement that allowed her to authentically be herself and what the challenge was for that

18:18 Sonya also talks about being a visionary and why introducing a product or a service early might not always be profitable 

20:00 Sonya talks about why you should find a team that’s grounded, practical and right now that can help you if you're a visionary

21:05 Sonya also talks about where she’s at now in her life, why solopreneur was the biggest challenge for The Body Is Not An Apology and her vision

25:27 Sonya shares the importance of having co-founders in a business and what BuyBackBlackDebt is and what it does

Books Mentioned: 

The Body Is Not an Apology by Sonya Renee

Shows Mentioned:

The Washington Post: is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most-widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area, and has a large national audience. 

The New York Times is an American daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership. Nicknamed "the Gray Lady", the Times has been regarded within the industry as a national "newspaper of record". 

#BuyBackBlackDebt: is a project of interracial spiritual and economic relationship building. The goal is not simply to pay off the random debt of Black folks but to re-establish the possibility of human connections and relationship through disrupting active institutions of white supremacist delusion in Black lives. 

Quotes Mentioned:

“Sorry, yesterday was the deadline for complaints.”

“Today is a new day.”

“Gender diversity and racial diversity typically bring cognitive diversity.”

“Your body is not an apology.” 

“Your body is not something you offer to someone to say sorry for my disability.”

“We’re making things when we talk.”

“Always being before your time is not always profitable.”

Guests Social Media Links:

Website: https://www.sonyareneetaylor.com/the-body-is-not-an-apology 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sonyareneetaylor/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Sonya-Renee-Taylor-156089958718/ 

Email: [email protected]

http://soundcloud.com/sonya-renee-taylor