Morgan Mercer shares details about her innovative VR startup and her strategies for fundraising, finding a mentor, and more. Morgan Mercer is the founder of the immersive enterprise training company, Vantage Point. Vantage Point's immersive training platform leverages standalone Virtual Reality in conjunction with ML and AI, and offers training modules focused around Soft Skills development, including Workplace Harassment Training and Diversity  and Inclusion Training. Vantage Point is one of only two-dozen black woman-run companies to receive VC funding over $1M. Morgan was also named one of the Top  10 Female Tech Innovators in history by TechRadar and was listed as the Top Female  in Tech in Los Angeles. #lagoals 

Topics Covered:

• Introduction and impact of having a liberal mom and conservative dad
• What Inspired her to create her VR diversity training startup
• The difference between standard harassment training and Vantage Point
• How she started her business with minimal savings
• How your risk profile will impact entrepreneurship
• How to drastically increase your industry knowledge and grow your network 
• Applying to accelerator programs and raising her first fundraising round
• Her mentors and how she found them
• Cold contacting people and techniques to get a response

Part 2 (On lagoals.com)

• How to adjust your business and mindset to the pandemic
• Product market fit and adjusting to the market based on margins
• How to lock in deals in the current economy
• Highlighting the right value propositions when pitching
• Mistakes Founders make and the alternate recommendation
• Outsourcing and knowing when and why to do it
• Top 3 tips for success

To watch part 2 of this interview, visit: http://lagoals.com/podcast

Morgan Mercer:

https://twitter.com/TheMorganMercer

https://www.instagram.com/themorganrmercer/

Vantage Point: 

https://www.instagram.com/try.vantagepoint/

https://twitter.com/vantagepointvr

https://www.tryvantagepoint.com

For continued motivation and help, join LA Goals on social media:

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TeamLAGoals

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lagoals

Our private Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/LABizHelp/

Learn how to succeed on Clubhouse and make money! In our latest podcast episode, we feature Leah Lamarr. She is an actress, stand-up comedian, writer, podcaster and now Clubhouse Influencer. She’s had so much success on Clubhouse that she was featured in Forbes. Born and raised in NYC, you've seen her on "The Late Late Show with James Corden" (CBS), E! Network, and  “The Wrap”. She starred in a M&M commercial with Mario Lopez and has also appeared on CBS, HBO, Comedy Central, Amazon and more. She has performed in shows with legends like: Jerry Seinfeld, Jim Gaffigan, Dane Cook, Arsenio Hall, Tom Green, Michael Rapaport, Ali Wong, Nikki Glaser and many more. Most recently, she performed with Russell Peters. Leah is a recurring online host of "America's Funniest Home Videos" (Roku). #lagoals

Topics Covered:

• How she got her start on Clubhouse
• How her personality helps her succeed on Clubhouse
• How to convert Clubhouse into something that works for you
• How she first started getting paid on Clubhouse
• Celebrities who have attended her Clubhouse events
• How she earns money and solicits payment on Clubhouse 
• How your Clubhouse success can open new opportunities
• Advantages of Clubhouse over Instagram and TikTok
• Why Clubhouse might not be for everyone
• Understanding the social dynamic of Clubhouse
• Potential success of creatives on Clubhouse
• Strategies to promote your event and get attendees
• The value of being “shameless”, and navigating the “no pitching” rule
• The value of collaborating with others
• How Clubhouse sponsorships and partnerships work 

Part 2 (On lagoals.com)

• How to grow your followers on Clubhouse 
• The importance of authentic conversion with your followers
• The power of connecting with people and how this can help even your mental health
• Why Clubhouse is not only for business and entrepreneurship
• Details on different rooms, events and people that you will find on Clubhouse
• Her tips on growing your followers on Instagram
• Things you should not promote on social media
• How your authentic voice can make you thrive on any platform
• Top 3 tips for success

To watch part 2 of this interview, visit: http://lagoals.com/podcast

Leah Lamarr  Instagram: www.instagram.com/leahlamarr/

Leah Lamarr Website: www.leahlamarr.com/

Leah Lamarr Clubhouse: @leahlamarr

For continued motivation and help, join LA Goals on social media:

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TeamLAGoals

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lagoals

Our private Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/LABizHelp/

In today’s podcast, we learn the story of Mahisha Dellinger, the Founder and CEO of CURLS Beauty Brands and of The Hardest Working Collection skincare. She shares her wealth of knowledge on how to succeed as a black woman in America against all odds. Today, her products are in every major retailer, from “big box” stores like Walmart, Target, and Bed Bath & Beyond to drug stores like, WalGreens, Rite Aid, and CVS. It has become a go-to hair brand for some of Hollywood’s top celebrities including Halle Berry, Yara Shahidi and Zendaya. She is the author of the memoir “Against All Odds: From the Projects to the Penthouse” and star of “Mind Your Business with Mahisha” on the OWN network. Dellinger has also been featured on BET,  Good Morning America, HS magazine and Forbes. #lagoals

Topics Covered:

• Her journey from poverty to success
• The importance of taking risks when starting a business
• How personal experiences can shape your success
• Why education can get you out of poverty  
• Experiences of racism that made her strive to succeed
• How to transition from a 9-5  job to your own business
• The significance of doing your due diligence before starting a business
• How to pitch to major retailers
• Ways to be unique with your products 
• The value of sticking with your business vision
• Mistakes people make in business
• Why you should make a business plan
• How to persevere as a black person in America despite being marginalized or treated differently

Part 2  

• How to take your business to the next level
• How to meet the right people to grow your business
• How to scale your business over time
• Advice to black women on how to deal with difficult situations
• How to adapt to digital marketing (from retail)
• The importance of outsourcing
• How to measure success in life and business
• Top 3 tips for success 

To listen to part 2 of this interview, visit: http://lagoals.com/podcast

Curls Instagram: www.instagram.com/curls

Curls Website: www.curls.biz

Hardest Working Collection Instagram: www.instagram.com/hardestworkingcollection

Hardest Working Collection Website: https://hardestworkingcollection.com/ 

Mahisha Dellinger Instagram: www.instagram.com/mahisha_dellinger

For continued motivation and help, join LA Goals on social media:

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TeamLAGoals

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lagoals

Our private Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/LABizHelp/

Learn how to build a thriving e-commerce business in our latest podcast episode. We feature Daisy Jing, CEO and founder of Banish, a multimillion-dollar online skincare company, banish.com. Daisy was an awardee of Forbes ‘30 Under 30’ in manufacturing and “Fastest growing female-owned companies in Los Angeles”, and featured in “Inc500 entrepreneur”. Most recently, she is a TEDx speaker and speaks regularly about the struggles we battle with perfection and how to overcome our own inner critic. #lagoals

Topics Covered:

• How she started her e-commerce business, banish.com
• How Youtube channel can help your business   
• The impact of Youtube subscribers and views in business growth
• How to get organized in the initial stage of business    
• How important is job delegation?
• Why “less is more” when starting your e-commerce 
• Problems faced when outsourcing and how to deal with it
• The obstacles in early stages of business and how to overcome them
• The advantages of the e-commerce landscape
• Youtube content that can draw more views
• The strategies on content placement and marketing
• What encourages customer to participate in product reviews
• How your personal story can lead to a business success

To watch part 2 of this interview, visit: http://lagoals.com/podcast

Banish Website: https://banish.com/

Banish Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/banishacnescars/ 

Daisy Jing Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/daiserz89/ 

For continued motivation and help, join LA Goals on social media:

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TeamLAGoals

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lagoals

Our private Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/LABizHelp/

In today’s podcast episode, We feature Shannon Gabor,  the entrepreneurial spirit behind female owned and operated, Clever Creative. Driven by curiosity and a desire to make work that supports brands, their big vision and bold ideas, she oversees the new business strategy as well as the direction and growth of her team. With over two decades of experience building brands, Shannon got her start working in entertainment promotions for Burger King and 7-Eleven before joining Mattel on global packaging design and worldwide licensing, living abroad in Hong Kong for a year. Advocating for the human connection in branding,  she has taken Clever from backyard office to an award-winning and full-service branding agency that’s proudly supporting iconic brands like Warner Bros., Tastemade, Starbucks and Netflix. Clever has successfully led packaging and licensing initiatives for Mattel, produced custom talent gift packaging programs for Netflix, worked on rebranding for PowerCrunch and Beverly Hilton, built digital experiences for GirlUp, as well as created new brand identity systems for cannabis, wellness, CPG and fashion startups. 

Topics covered:

• How she got her start working in entertainment promotions
• Why is the ability to access a story important in branding?
• How branding can be associated with “how you show up”
• How to connect business and creative
• Her biggest accomplishments as brand creative
• Qualities that help in branding business success
• How the “survival of the quickest method” works in the branding business
• How important are startup brands in business growth
• How they were able to work on a startup business during the pandemic
• Top recent memorable experiences for a branding person
• Branding mistakes people make 
• Why there should be no boundaries in a conceptual stage in branding
• How much industry trends affect branding
• How to give relevance and value 
• Basic principles of a successful branding 
• Why you should take your time in building your brand
• How to measure success from a brand’s perspective
• How working with an agency can help your business branding

To watch part 2 of this interview, visit: http://lagoals.com/podcast

 Clever Creative Website: http://clevercreative.com/       

 Clever Creative Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/clevercreativeagency/

 Clever Creative Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/clevercreative/

 Clever Creative Twitter: https://twitter.com/clevercreative

For continued motivation and help, join LA Goals on social media:

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TeamLAGoals

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lagoals

Our private Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/LABizHelp/

In today’s podcast episode, we discuss how to get brand partnerships as an Influencer. We feature Athena Ng, a blogger and an Instagram Influencer. Her love for fashion, beauty and lifestyle inspired her to create her own blog ATTIRE STUDIO.  From blogging she started to gain the brand's attention and became an Instagram Influencer who partnered with Dermalogica, Fab Fit Fun, Palmer’s, Volition Beauty, Pixi Beauty, Freddy to name a few. She also became the brand ambassador of Revolve, Mod Cloth, Charlotte Tilbury, Urban Decay, Mario Badescu, Kitsch and more. She was also nominated last 2018 at Influencer Awards Monaco.

Topics covered:

- How she started blogging
- The difference of Influencer culture between Hong Kong and Los Angeles
- How and why she transitioned from blogging to Instagram
- Why slow progress shouldn’t make you stop
- How engagement grows your Instagram followers
- How to be noticed by brands
- Ways to get brand partnerships; from gifting to paid partnerships
- Why valuable content matters
- How to initiate communication with brands
- How to grow your relationship with brands
- Why it is important to make the first move to reach out to brands
- How to network through events
- How Los Angeles has expanded her network and can do the same for you
- How to get fashion inspiration for vlogs or Instagram
- How to show value to brands in your partnership

To watch part 2 of this interview, visit: http://lagoals.com/podcast

ATTIRE STUDIO Website: https://attirestudios.com/
Athena Ng Instagram: https://instagram.com/athenanaa

For continued motivation and help, join LA Goals on social media:

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TeamLAGoals

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lagoals

Our private Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/LABizHelp/

In today’s podcast episode, we discuss how to leave your 9-5  job to start your own business. We feature Daphne Subar, the founder of Subarzsweets, an online gift-giving bakery specializing in a unique baked good, Subarz. Daphne had been enjoying the practice of law for over 25 years until she decided to follow her dreams and passion in baking. Since Subarzsweets was launched in 2016, it has experienced consistent growth and expansion over the past 4 ½ years. It is continuously becoming a hit to every occasion whether personal or corporate events. Her personality of constant learning, adapting to change and doing what she loves made a difference, always looking for new ways to make this world a little bit sweeter, bite by bite.

Topics covered:

• How she transition from practicing law to starting her bakery business
• What are the effective strategies to start a business
• How the “Just do it attitude” helped her start
• The initial steps to launch a business
• How to start small but still create the opportunity to scale
• How to make your business stands out
• How to overcome the obstacles you encounter in running your business
• How your mental headspace affects your business success
• How her business helps people in need this pandemic
• How to use your network to gain customers/referrals
• Why digital presence is incredibly valuable at this time

To watch part 2 of this interview, visit: http://lagoals.com/podcast

Subarzsweets Website: www.subarzsweets.com.

Use Code “LAGOALS” to get a 10% discount until the end of November!

Subarzsweets Instagram - www.instagram.com/subarz/

Subarzsweets Facebook - www.facebook.com/subarzsweets

Daphne Subar LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/daphne-subar-003203100/

For continued motivation and help, join LA Goals on social media:

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TeamLAGoals

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lagoals

Our private Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/LABizHelp/

In today’s podcast episode, we discuss how the fashion industry will change in 2021. We feature Stephanie Srikandi, the Founder of THIS IS A LOVE SONG ethical fashion brand. Her designs have been worn by some of the hottest celebrities, like Rihanna, Cara Delevigne, and Margot Robbie. Her brand has also been featured in Glamour Magazine, Forbes, and Paper Magazine. She also launched TIALS Studio, which is a sampling & manufacturing company with ethical production that supports the local community in Bali Indonesia. Now she resides between Bali and Los Angeles and her fashion consulting projects range from creative direction, content production, art directing and styling, branding, and designing for various clients all over the world. She most recently launched an 8-week accelerator program designed to show how to launch a successful business from scratch.

Topics covered:

• How she started her brand and production business
• How she landed her first wholesale order
• How International influences can be valuable in designing
• Her accomplishments with some of the biggest names in the music industry
• How to get celebrities to wear your brand
• How to be impactful in your local community
• How the fashion industry will change in 2021
• How impactful ethical fashion will be
• How will virtual reality play a role in the industry?
• Digital vs retail, and which one you should focus on
• Can fashion designers still depend on wholesale orders
• The types of fashion events designers are doing virtually, and what you can do as well
• How her course will help the aspiring people in the fashion industry

To watch part 2 of this interview, visit: http://lagoals.com/podcast

Start Your Fashion Business Course: https://startyourfashionbusiness.com/

Use Code “LAGOALS” for a discount!

Start Your Fashion Business Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/startyourfashionbusiness/

This Is A Love Song Website: https://thisisalovesong.com/ 

This Is A Love Song Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisisalovesong/

Tials Studio Website: https://www.tialsstudio.com/ 

TIALS Studio Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/tialsstudio/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwtcx2PFILF0XjQ_rZMiz4w

For continued motivation and help, join LA Goals on social media:

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TeamLAGoals

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lagoals

Our private Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/LABizHelp/

In today’s podcast episode, we discuss how to use social media to get leads for your business. We feature Alexis Schomer, Founder of Simply Branded digital marketing agency, and startup Expy Health.  Born and raised in Los Angeles, she graduated from California Lutheran University, Thousand Oaks, where she co-founded her first tech start-up. Alexis has been recognized for her passion and hard work as a business owner by the City of Santa Barbara, the Camarillo City Council, the California State Legislature, and the US Congress; and was awarded the Emerging Business Award by the Spirit of Entrepreneurship Foundation. She is a frequent speaker at educational and motivational events, a two-time international best-selling author, publishes articles across various disciplines, and is a consultant for marketing and business practices.

Topics covered:

• How she started her own startup and digital marketing agency
• Why she never turns down a client
• How she was able to get client during the early stages of her business
• Why Social Media is incredibly valuable at this time
• Trends in the social media industry, and how to get ahead despite saturation
• How to turn Likes in Clients
• Obstacles that companies and solopreneurs face and how to overcome it
• How to incorporate social media into email marketing, media buying, and influencer marketing
• What types of messages should you be responding to? How “personal” should you get?”
• How does TikTok compare to Instagram when it comes to business?
• How to use TikTok for your business
• Should you do the TikTok “challenges” and “dances”
• Biggest mistakes people make on social media
• How to continue to get leads during the pandemic
• The importance of branding and having your website
• How your site speed you ruin your business

To watch part 2 of this interview, visit: http://lagoals.com/podcast

Alexis Schomer’s Links

Instagram: https://instagram.com/schomeralexis

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexisschomer

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/schomeralexis

Twitter: https://twitter.com/schomeralexis

Offering 1: Branding & website development: https://simply-branded.com/digital-design/
Offering 2: Instagram Growth: https://simply-branded.com/digital-marketing/

For continued motivation and help, join LA Goals on social media:

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TeamLAGoals

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lagoals

Our private Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/LABizHelp/

In today’s podcast episode, we discuss how to adapt to the pandemic and continue to thrive as a business. We feature Kari Dirksen, the Founder & CEO of Feathered Arrow, a boutique wedding planning/design company. As someone whose business was forced to adapt to canceled in-person events, she shares how she was able to overcome the difficulty of conducting business during social distancing and event mandates. She is also an educator for entrepreneurs and host of the business podcast, The Local Table. She is a sucker for a good love story and wants her clients to share every detail about how they met + got engaged! She believes that wedding planning doesn’t have to be stressful and that it should be fun! She is a creative entrepreneur at heart and loves educating other entrepreneurs and encouraging them to go after their dreams and start their own business.

Topics covered:

• How did she acquire her expertise and skills
• How to transition to have multiple streams of income.
• Steps taken immediately once the pandemic started
• How to adapt to the quarantine as a small business
• How she created digital products to replace wedding planning
• How to still get clients and make people feel comfortable purchasing from you despite the pandemic 
• How to get referrals
• How to balance your time with multiple streams of income

To watch part 2 of this interview, visit: http://lagoals.com/podcast

Kari Dirksen’s website: https://featheredarrowevents.com/shop

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

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/featheredarrowevents/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/featheredarrowevents 

Mood Board Template: https://featheredarrowevents.com/mb-shop 

Welcome Packet Template: https://featheredarrowevents.com/wp-shop 

For continued motivation and help, join LA Goals on social media:

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TeamLAGoals

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lagoals

Our private Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/LABizHelp/