This episode of Friends & Family hosted by Aurora James, explores the inspiring journey of Maya Smith, the multi-hyphenate CEO and Co-Founder of the popular haircare brand, The Doux. Maya shares her earliest experiences working in her mother’s salon and how they translate into a lifelong passion for haircare. Maya reflects on her years working for celebrity stylists and later for women in the military, and shares the lessons she learned from both of those groups that made her the success she is today.

About Our Sponsor:

This episode is sponsored by Citi, which is committed to advancing financial inclusion through initiatives like Citi Financial Pathways which has resources to help you meet your goals, regardless of where you are in your financial journey.

This episode of Friends & Family hosted by Aurora James, delves into the inspiring journey of interior designer Brigette Romanek. Brigette shares the childhood design experiences that helped spark her passion for design. Brigette shares the colorful careers she pursued - from working in furniture stores, to singing on main stages, to designing handbags - before realizing that she wanted to be the interior designer she’d been allowed to be as a child. Aurora and Brigette discuss the challenges and triumphs of running a design firm, the importance of creativity, and the adaptability required to succeed in entrepreneurial endeavors.

About Our Sponsor:

This episode is sponsored by Citi, which is committed to advancing financial inclusion through initiatives like Citi Financial Pathways which has resources to help you meet your goals, regardless of where you are in your financial journey.

In this episode of Friends & Family, host Aurora James and Danessa Myricks of Danessa Myricks Beauty sit down to catch up in front of a live audience. Danessa shares how she began her entrepreneurial journey as a 30 year old single mom of two after losing her desk job. She knew she loved creating safe spaces for herself and others around makeup and beauty but she had no idea how to turn that passion into a business. So, she made the controversial decision to work for free, to gain the experience that would lead to her beauty empire. In this episode, Aurora and Danessa have an honest conversation about the high stakes tradeoffs entrepreneurs have to make and the success that can be waiting for them on the other side.

About Our Sponsor:

This episode is sponsored by Citi, which is committed to advancing financial inclusion through initiatives like Citi Financial Pathways which has resources to help you meet your goals, regardless of where you are in your financial journey.

In this episode of Friends & Family, host Aurora James invites Brandon Blackwood, one of American fashion’s pre-eminent designers, into her world to discuss the decade of hard work he put into his brand before his big break, when he was labeled an “overnight success.” Brandon recounts his early years studying neuroscience before he found his love for fashion, much to his family’s frustration. He details mistakes that went viral online, having to learn on the go, and the joys and challenges of having made that iconic bag. This episode offers a refreshing view on the highs and lows of starting a business and just how far you can go with that first chunk of savings (spoiler: it’s $7,000).

About Our Sponsor:
This episode is sponsored by Citi, which is committed to advancing financial inclusion through initiatives like Citi Financial Pathways which has resources to help you meet your goals, regardless of where you are in your financial journey.

In this inspiring episode of Friends & Family, host Aurora James sits down with acclaimed fashion designer Sergio Hudson for an intimate conversation at her LA home. Sergio shares his journey from South Carolina to becoming one of fashion's brightest stars, recounting pivotal moments that shaped his career—including the life-changing experience of dressing Michelle Obama for the 2021 presidential inauguration. The conversation explores industry gatekeeping, financial realities of building a brand, and how Sergio redefined success on his own terms. From childhood inspirations (including unexpected influences like Batman Returns and the film Boomerang) to navigating racism in fashion, this episode offers an honest look at entrepreneurship and staying true to your vision against all odds.

About Our Sponsor:

This episode is sponsored by Citi, which is committed to advancing financial inclusion through initiatives like Citi Financial Pathways which has resources to help you meet your goals, regardless of where you are in your financial journey.

In this episode, recorded live from the 15th Street Block Party in LA, Aurora talks with activist, musician, entrepreneur and personal friend John Legend. John voices his unequivocal support for diversity, equity, and inclusion, offers insights from his business background, and discusses his skincare brand Loved01.

Maurice Harris is the founder of Bloom and Plume, a bespoke floral design studio in Los Angeles that has partnered with big name brands like Louis Vuitton, The Row, Goop, and more. He also previously ran the coffee shop Blume and Plume Coffee that was known locally as a safe haven and community space for LGBTQ+ folks. Maurice is known for his charisma and no-nonsense talk about all things business — including the good and the bad. In our final episode of this season of Friends & Family, Aurora chats with Maurice about how he turned his passion for art and community into a business and why, sometimes, it’s okay if things don’t work out. Plus, tune in to hear from Dr. Ayana Johnson, the co-founder of Urban Ocean Lab, a think tank for ocean-climate policy in coastal cities. In addition to being a marine biologist, Dr. Johnson is a policy expert who’s helping us rethink the ways in which business can align with our own ethical and moral values.

Hannah Diop is creating her own lane in the hair care industry. As the founder of Sienna Naturals, Hannah has not only created a new hair care brand for natural and textured hair, she’s broken into the prestige beauty category. Sienna Naturals has grown in recent years thanks to Hannah’s business expertise and the support of co-founder Issa Rae, the writer, actor and producer, who also happens to be her sister-in-law. 

Tune in to hear how Hannah went from concocting hair care formulas in her Harlem apartment to placing Sienna Naturals in retailers like Nordstrom and Sephora. 

Plus, Aurora talks with another Black woman creating her own lane in the world of politics and civic engagement. We’re talking about the one and only, Stacey Abrams. She talks with Aurora about DEI efforts in business and how we can join her to advocate for voter rights, especially ahead of some of the most important elections of our lifetime.

Show Notes: To learn more about how to fight voter suppression, visit: FairFight.com

In this episode we hear from Bethann Hardison, the woman who paved the way for Black creatives in the fashion industry and beyond. Her prolific career has spanned decades: from starting out as one of just a handful of Black models in the late 1960s, to creating her own modeling agency and helping launch the careers of some of the biggest supermodels of the century. Each step of the way, Bethann has made sure to promote the work of Black creatives and call out fashion houses - by name - for their discrimination. Plus, we talk with another changemaker in the industry, Olivia Kim, who’s making a lasting impact on what you see in Nordstrom stores across the country. We talk with her all about fashion merchandising and partnering with a major national retailer.

Show Links: You can check out the Designer’s Hub that we mentioned in the episode at this link.   

About Our Sponsor:

This episode is sponsored by Citi, which is committed to advancing financial inclusion through initiatives like Citi Financial Pathways, which has resources to help you meet your goals, regardless of where you are in your financial journey.

About Our Sponsor:

This episode is sponsored by Citi, which is committed to advancing financial inclusion through initiatives like Citi Financial Pathways, which has resources to help you meet your goals, regardless of where you are in your financial journey.

About Our Show: 

Friends & Family is a podcast by Fifteen Percent Pledge in partnership with Alkemie Sound Lab. Our Executive Producer and Host is Aurora James. Production and scripting led by Theresa Avila. Editing and post-production by Alie Kilts; Additional production by Inés Rénique and Janice Llamoca. Story support from Zoila Darton of WORD Creative. Our engineer is Carlos Martin Carle and our music is by Dahlia Lagos. Special thanks to Celia Rose Hackling and Lena Bell of the Fifteen Percent Pledge.