The Shontavia Show

Miles Beckler visits the Shontavia Show to talk about exponentially growing your business and brand by creating consistent content. Miles used a content marketing challenge to grow his YouTube subscribers from 0 to +140k in 3 years, and he's turned his platform into an incredible resource for his subscribers and successful business for himself.

In this wide-ranging conversation, Miles covers his first failed attempt at entrepreneurship, the multi-million-dollar meditation website and business he and his wife built together, and how he's created a successful business through his YouTube channel.

// Show Summary

02:17 How Miles went from 0 to +140k YouTube subscribers with his 90 day video challenge 

06:30 Why Miles won't rely on social media to build his business 

07:56 How to start a business during a global crisis

09:06 Why having an email list and owning your content are two of the most important things for your business. 

15:19 How to go from behind the scenes to the face of a brand or business 

17:50 Why it's okay for your first pieces of content to suck (everyone's does!) 

21:56 Why it's okay to align your purpose and passion with money 

28:19 Why Miles says everyone starting out needs to create more content than they consume 

// Show Notes

Where to find Miles Beckler:

https://www.milesbeckler.com/

https://www.youtube.com/milesb

https://twitter.com/milesbeckler

Miles's first YouTube video: Evolving Out Loud with Kyle Cease Review-- https://youtu.be/vWJsVHiKXDg

90 Day Content Marketing Challenge: https://www.milesbeckler.com/content-marketing-challenge-ideas/

The Ask-Angels website that Miles built with his wife, Melanie Beckler: https://www.ask-angels.com/

// Internet + Social Media

Website: https://shontavia.com/
Work with me: http://brandandbusinessacademy.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ShontaviaJEsq
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shontaviajesq/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shontaviajesq/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shontaviajesq/
Tumblr: http://shontaviajesq.tumblr.com/
YouTube: https://www.shontavia.tv

This summer, my show will focus on entrepreneurs and business owners who connect their work and/or life to social justice. I can think of none more perfect to start with than Madam C.J. Walker, the first female self-made millionaire in America. Madam Walker, who was born two years after slavery officially ended in the U.S., used her business to train women entrepreneurs, fund college scholarships, and support social justice causes.

In this episode, I speak with Mrs. A'Lelia Bundles, the author of On Her Own Ground: The Life and Times of Madam C.J. Walker, the 2001 New York Times Notable Book about her entrepreneurial great-great-grandmother that was the inspiration for Self Made, the 2020 Netflix series starring Octavia Spencer.

// Show Summary

03:27 How Madam C.J. Walker connected her business success to social justice 

05:10 How Madam Walker's close ties to American slavery, and other black entrepreneurs, shaped her views 

06:19 How Madam Walker helped create financial independence for her employees 

08:38 Current black entrepreneurs taking a public stand in favor of social justice 

09:56 How Madam Walker's time in St. Louis shaped her social views 

14:19 How Madam Walker helped her sales agents build generational wealth 

16:36 How black people can research early family history 

20:01 Why A'Lelia Walker, Madam Walker's daughter, deserves her own book 

22:45 Why A'Lelia Bundles hoped for "Hidden Figures" from Netflix but got "Real Housewives of Atlanta" with Self Made 

31:19 Why A'Lelia Bundles thinks it is so important for black stories to be told 

31:59 Why intellectual property ownership is so important 

// Show Notes

Websites of A'Lelia Bundles: https://aleliabundles.com/ and http://madamcjwalker.com/

Netflix’s ‘Self Made’ suffers from self-inflicted wounds: https://theundefeated.com/features/netflixs-self-made-suffers-from-self-inflicted-wounds/

On Her Own Ground: The Life and Times of Madam C.J. Walker (Lisa Drew Books (Paperback)): https://amzn.to/2V28hab

All about Madam C. J. Walker: https://amzn.to/37KO8dO

// Internet + Social Media

Website: https://shontavia.com/
Work with me: http://brandandbusinessacademy.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ShontaviaJEsq
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shontaviajesq/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shontaviajesq/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shontaviajesq/
Tumblr: http://shontaviajesq.tumblr.com/
YouTube: https://www.shontavia.tv

In this episode of the Shontavia Show, I talk about my own experience during this period of social unrest after America's most recent instances of police violence. It's been hard, and I'm exhausted.

This episode provides some suggestions for how businesses and entrepreneurs can balance doing business with publicly committing to social justice and allyship. No, it's not easy, but y'all need to do better, and this episode offers some tangible things you can do to take an authentic stand.

One thing I'll be doing moving forward is talking to entrepreneurs who commit to social justice and anti-racism--and use their business platforms to support causes, candidates, and change.

// Show Summary

01:29 How the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and others have impacted me and my family

03:30 Racism is alive and well...even in my diverse neighborhood 

05:53 Why we can't just continue with business as usual 

08:05 How the Shontavia Show will shift in response to the current social unrest 

09:59 The history of Black American entrepreneurs (like Thomas Jennings) supporting social causes 

12:57 How businesses can navigate during this time 

19:50 One thing black entrepreneurs should be doing right now 

23:59 How Madam CJ Walker, one of America's most successful entrepreneurs, connected her business to social justice in the late 1800s and early 1900s 

// Show Notes

Black Folks Had Patents in the 1800s: https://youtu.be/fnyTEU-pWT0?t=10

The CEO of Black influencer marketing agency Shade shares tips for how companies can be better allies — and avoid getting ridiculed on social media: https://www.businessinsider.com/shade-ceo-tips-for-how-brands-can-support-black-americans-2020-6

5 steps to navigate brand messaging in a time of civil unrest so you don't lose customer trust: https://www.businessinsider.com/5-steps-brands-take-social-media-acknowledge-race-injustice-2020-6

// Internet + Social Media

Website: https://shontavia.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ShontaviaJEsq
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shontaviajesq/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shontaviajesq/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shontaviajesq/
Tumblr: http://shontaviajesq.tumblr.com/
YouTube: https://www.shontavia.tv

Harold Hughes, the CEO of startup Bangwagon Fanclub Inc., speaks about going from doing everything on his own to growing the Bandwagon team to now 6 people. He provides some insightful keys on how to successfully choose the right people at the right time. Harold's interview style and questions have been highlighted in Fast Company magazine, and it is clear why! From using creative compensation strategies to hire quality employees when the business had no money, to dealing with new hires who quit before they even start, to investing heavily in employees that may one day leave, Harold lays it all on this line in this episode.

// Show Summary

04:20 When Harold knew he needed to hire people, and who he started with 

06:52 How Harold hired a software developer with no money using deferred compensation 

09:12 How to convince other people to work with you for free 

11:33 How to choose the right candidates without a formal interview process 

 15:36 How to choose the right candidates when there is a formal interview process 

17:33 Would you rather be King or be rich? One of Harold's favorite interview questions 

20:22 How to handle rejection after a candidate takes, and then declines, a job offer 

27:16 How to ensure that your employees become your company's biggest evangelists 

32:06 Why the transformative power of transparent storytelling is important for black founders 

// Show Notes

Raising Startup Capital with Bandwagon Founder and CEO Harold Hughes: https://shontavia.buzzsprout.com/795392/2884930-15-raising-startup-capital-with-bandwagon-founder-and-ceo-harold-hughes

The Bandwagon Fanclub Team: https://bandwagonfanclub.com/team/

9 CEOs share their favorite interview questions: https://www.fastcompany.com/90378682/9-ceos-share-their-favorite-interview-questions

Harold's Twitter thread about hiring: https://twitter.com/OneBandwagonFan/status/1201498739258646528?s=20

// Internet + Social Media

Website: https://shontavia.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ShontaviaJEsq
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shontaviajesq/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shontaviajesq/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shontaviajesq/
Tumblr: http://shontaviajesq.tumblr.com/
YouTube: https://www.shontavia.tv

Startup life is definitely not a straight line, but it can be a very rewarding one. Entrepreneur Craig Walker visits the Shontavia Show to talk about his experience starting, growing, and selling his startup, Vidistar. Craig founded Vidistar in 2004 out of a need to test his unborn child's growth and development, and the company was ultimately acquired in 2018 by Hitachi Healthcare Americas Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi.

Craig walks through the early days of his startup, including working full-time to build it, agonizing over the decision to quit his full-time job, and building a successful company that attracted a buyer.

If you've ever wondered how startup acquisitions work, this is the episode for you!

// Show Highlights

04:37 How entrepreneur Craig Walker came up with the idea for his startup company 

07:16 How Craig went from idea to company 

09:29 How Craig used his full-time, professional career to support his entrepreneurial endeavors 

10:48 When Craig decided to quit his full-time job and work full-time on his startup 

12:00 How Craig grew his company exponentially year over year 

13:07 How Craig found good mentors while he was building his company 

16:42 How Craig sold his startup, Vidistar, to Hitachi 

18:44 How Craig and his team decided which inventions to patent 

23:51 Craig's advice to new founders and people who want to build startups

// Show Notes

Hitachi to Expand its Clinical Reporting and Analytics for Diagnostic Imaging with the Acquisition of VidiStar: https://www.hitachi.us/press/hitachi-to-expand-its-clinical-reporting-and-analytics-for-diagnostic-imaging-with-the-acquisition-of-vidistar

Hitachi affiliate’s acquisition of Greenville-based Vidistar a ‘win-win’: https://upstatebusinessjournal.com/tech-design/hitachi-affiliates-acquisition-greenville-based-vidistar-win-win/

SC Launch: https://www.scra.org/how-sc-launch-works/

// Internet + Social Media

Website: https://shontavia.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ShontaviaJEsq
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shontaviajesq/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shontaviajesq/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shontaviajesq/
Tumblr: http://shontaviajesq.tumblr.com/
YouTube: https://www.shontavia.tv

On Thursdays, Shontavia provides thoughts on your questions and reviews interesting things she's read, listened to or watched. On this #ThursdayThoughts episode, Shontavia answers a question about how to start a business when you don't know where to start. 

In Shontavia's response, she outlines:

• the questions you need to ask yourself when you hate your job and want to start a business,  
• one foolproof way to find out what's happening in your industry of choice, and   
• how to determine what makes you unique in even the most crowded of marketplaces.

and much more. Check out the full episode for all of the gems and nuggets being dropped.

// Show Highlights:

01:08 The question: How do I start a business when I don't know where to start? 

02:59 Why Shontavia reads Wikipedia pages to grow her business and brand 

03:52 Questions to ask when you hate your job and want to start a business 

06:18 One foolproof way to find out what's happening in your industry or field 

07:50 How to determine what makes you unique in even the most crowded of marketplaces 

11:52 Taking advantage of free resources when you want to start a business or make a career change 

13:23 Finding an accountability partner 

14:07 Finding inspiration in other people's successes

// Show Notes

+50 places you can start when you’re broke and don’t know where to start, with inspiration from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: https://shontavia.com/50-places-you-can-start-when-youre-broke-and-dont-know-where-to-start-with-inspiration-from-dr-martin-luther-king-jr/

Thursday Thoughts: 3 side hustle strategies when you can’t quit your day job: https://shontavia.com/thursday-thoughts-3-side-hustle-strategies-when-you-cant-quit-your-day-job/

// Internet + Social Media

Website: https://shontavia.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ShontaviaJEsq
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shontaviajesq/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shontaviajesq/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shontaviajesq/
Tumblr: http://shontaviajesq.tumblr.com/
YouTube: https://www.shontavia.tv

What are the biggest fears and frustrations of new side hustle business owners? Artie Freeman, the founder of Ferguson and Freeman Affiliated Apparel, an early stage apparel company, lays his concerns on the table in this episode of The Shontavia Show. From working full-time and building his hustle on the side with his business partner, to protecting their content and brand using intellectual property ownership, to letting go of control, this conversation is quite relatable for working professionals looking to build their business while juggling everything else. This conversation shows us that there's always a path forward for early stage side hustlers. 

// Show Highlights

03:32 How one experience at 5 years old led Artie Freeman to his love of fashion and apparel 

07:36 Why creating a scalable business has been difficult 

08:47 Why finding his ideal cutomer has positively impacted Artie's business 

14:53 How to get started protecting your content's copyrights without breaking the bank 

16:58 The one resource Shontavia thinks will help if you file your copyright applications on your own 

17:47 How to get started protecting your brand's trademarks without breaking the bank 

21:45 How to balance your time when you're working full time and building your side hustle 

25:31 Why making mistakes with new business projects isn't the end of the world, as illustrated by Disney and Tesla 

27:48 How to keep your family happy when you're building your side hustle 

29:13 How to involve your kids in your entrepreneurial endeavors 

35:31 Why Artie and Shontavia disagree about pricing products 

// Show Notes

Ferguson and Freeman Affiliated Company: https://www.instagram.com/fandf.official/

Finding extra time to start your business: https://shontavia.com/episode20/

Copyright.gov fees: https://www.copyright.gov/about/fees.html

U.S. Trademark Office fees: https://www.uspto.gov/trademark/trademark-fee-information

// Internet + Social Media

Website: https://shontavia.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ShontaviaJEsq
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shontaviajesq/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shontaviajesq/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shontaviajesq/
Tumblr: http://shontaviajesq.tumblr.com/
YouTube: https://www.shontavia.tv

In this episode of The Shontavia Show, I speak with Arlan Hamilton, an exceptional venture capitalist and the author of It's About Damn Time: How to Turn Being Underestimated into Your Greatest Advantage. Arlan is the Founder and Managing Partner of Backstage Capital, a fund that is dedicated to minimizing funding disparities in tech by investing in high-potential founders who are people of color, women, and/or LGBT.

Arlan's remarkable story includes everything from poverty and housing insecurity to billionaires and history-making University of Oxford scholarships.  We talk about Arlan's background, her new book, and why she's adamant about betting on underestimated founders.

// Show Highlights

03:08 How Arlan Hamilton's viral Medium article made her a household name in Silicon Valley and with entrepreneurs

13:00 How Arlan built a name for herself as a VC while broke and homeless 

15:09 What Arlan believes causes the disconnect between VCs and underestimated founders 

17:07 The three things Arlan says led her to getting her first investor 

18:28 How "writing her own invitation," and some unexpected help from a black woman, helped Arlan land a legendary billionaire investor 

22:37 How Arlan's book, It's About Damn Time, is different from most business books 

24:02 About How to Raise Capital for your Company from Scratch, Arlan's new course for startup founders 

26:39 How Arlan uses money to give back to others by supporting special projects, creating scholarships, and making history

// Show Notes

Buy the book It's About Damn Time: How to Turn Being Underestimated into Your Greatest Advantage: https://amzn.to/2xvpLD7

Dear White Venture Capitalists: If you’re reading this, it’s (almost!) too late.: https://medium.com/female-founders/dear-white-venture-capitalists-if-you-re-not-actively-searching-for-and-seeding-qualified-4f382f6fd4a7

Memo to the Silicon Valley boys’ club: Arlan Hamilton has no time for your BS: https://www.fastcompany.com/90227793/backstage-capitals-arlan-hamilton-brings-diversity-to-venture-capital

How to Raise Capital for Your Company From Scratch: https://arlanwashere.teachable.com/p/raising-capital-for-your-company-from-scratch/

// Internet + Social Media

Website: https://shontavia.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ShontaviaJEsq
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shontaviajesq/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shontaviajesq/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shontaviajesq/
Tumblr: http://shontaviajesq.tumblr.com/
YouTube: https://www.shontavia.tv

On Thursdays, I provide thoughts on your questions and/or review interesting things I've read, listened to, or watched. On this #ThursdayThoughts episode, I answer a question about how to stop overthinking and second-guessing yourself.

My suggestions are to: (1) Start with something low stakes. (2) Use the resources around you, like The OpEd Project, and then (3) Number three, perfect your pitch. Check out the full episode for more.

// Show Highlights

01:11 - The question: How can I stop overthinking and second-guessing myself when pitching myself to editors? 

04:40 - Shontavia's horrible experience with an article she wrote 

06:03 - How to start with a low-stakes article in your local newspaper 

09:14 - How The OpEd Project helped Shontavia go from local letters to the editor to TIME, Huffington Post, and the Washington Post 

11:13 - The one thing you can do to stop wasting time writing full articles 

// Show Notes

How to Put Yourself Out There: https://www.buzzsprout.com/795392/2444864

The OpEd Project: https://www.theopedproject.org/

How to Pitch, from The OpEd Project: https://www.theopedproject.org/pitching

How to Pitch an Article to a Magazine: https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-pitch-an-article-to-a-magazine

3 Mistakes That Make Editors Throw Your Pitch in the Trash: https://www.themuse.com/advice/3-mistakes-that-make-editors-throw-your-pitch-in-the-trash

// Want More?

Find Shontavia Johnson at www.shontavia.com

Sign up for Shontavia's #MakeItHappenMonday Newsletter at http://www.makeithappennewsletter.com

//Social Media

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ShontaviaJEsq
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shontaviajesq/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shontaviajesq/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shontaviajesq/
Tumblr: http://shontaviajesq.tumblr.com/
YouTube: https://www.shontavia.tv

In this episode of The Shontavia Show, host Shontavia Johnson talks about the top excuses that hold people back from starting their business and building their brand. She also provides the ONE rule she learned from a business coach that can get rid of all of those excuses. 

*This episode was pre-recorded in the Fall of 2019. While things have definitely changed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, I still believe we are living in an incredible time for entrepreneurs.

*Warning, there's a little profanity in this episode.

// Show Highlights

04:10 Black billionaire Robert F. Smith's advice about creating wealth during these historic times 

05:06 An important message about living as history is happening from Hamilton's Schuyler Sisters 

05:22 The shocking data on black women and Latina entrepreneurs 

07:07 The most popular excuses people make that keep them from starting their business 

10:38 The one rule Shontavia learned from her business coach that shifted her entire life and business 

13:28 Some homework for listeners and viewers: visit shontavia.com/episode25 to share 

// Show Notes

‘Who is this Robert Smith?’: A quiet billionaire makes some noise with $20 million gift to the African American museum:  https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/who-is-this-robert-smith-a-quiet-billionaire-makes-some-noise-with-20-million-gift-to-the-african-american-museum/2016/09/23/547da3a8-6fd0-11e6-8365-b19e428a975e_story.html

Hamilton At The White House "The Schuyler Sisters:" https://youtu.be/_ffjFS_4I8c

Report: Women-owned businesses jumped 3,000% since 1972: https://www.fastcompany.com/90224242/report-women-owned-businesses-jumped-3000-since-1972

Black Women Entrepreneurs: The Good And Not-So-Good News: https://www.forbes.com/sites/nextavenue/2018/09/09/black-women-entrepreneurs-the-good-and-not-so-good-news/#46ad5b5a6ffe

The Amazing Power of 'I Don't' vs. 'I Can't': https://www.forbes.com/sites/heidigranthalvorson/2013/03/14/the-amazing-power-of-i-dont-vs-i-cant/#303f8c3dd037

Finding extra time to start your business: https://shontavia.com/episode20/

// Social Media

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ShontaviaJEsq
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shontaviajesq/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shontaviajesq/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shontaviajesq/
Tumblr: http://shontaviajesq.tumblr.com/
YouTube: https://www.shontavia.tv