We talked with lifelong friends and business partners Andre Williams and Troy Womack from Impervious Protection and Consulting Group.  Andre highlights his prior service as an NYPD Police Officer that gave him the reputation for being a problem solver and a community relations practitioner. Troy sheds some light on his experience in the music industry and as a business consultant noting the importance of relationships in business. 

They discuss working on security details for high profile clientele like our Forever First Lady Michelle Obama and Vice President Kamala Harris.  Troy and Andre exchange views about gun legislation, the importance of taking active shooter training and a common sense approach to ensuring personal safety in these tumultuous times.

Contact:
@impervious_protection on IG, Facebook and TikTok
www.imperviousprotection.com

Resources:
ASIS International

Jason co-owns JP Customs NYC, an award winning custom motorcycle shop in the Bronx that is well respected by industry leaders. Jason discusses being a self-taught mechanic, fabricator and welder that uses his skills and love for working with his hands to build motorcycles and customize his 40 foot private yacht. 

A thrill seeker at heart, Jason pushes learning trades and starting a business as early as you can. Working in customer service for 25 years aided Jason in being a charismatic host providing a luxury experience on the waterways of New York chartering his yacht “Seas The Day.” We learn about costs and maintenance of owning a boat, the pride in seeing other black and brown boat owners and the value in helping folks create memories of a lifetime on the water. 

 Social Media: 
@JPCustomsNYC on IG and Facebook
@Seasthedaybx on IG

Email:
[email protected]
[email protected]

Resources:
https://parks.ny.gov/boating/education.aspx
New York State Boating Safety Course

We chatted with actor and Lyric Party game app creator Nikiva Dionne who initially ignored her childhood dream to be an actor despite the signs always being there. Having read the legendary book, The Alchemist, and going on a fast helped Nikiva come to the decision to quit her job in fashion and within three weeks she booked two commercial jobs. Nikiva breaks down pay for commercials, being Black in Hollywood and how content creation attracts casting directors. The @Insecure actress discusses how Issa Rae was intentional in creating a door for her and other people of color onto her show.  Nikiva is unapologetic about her religious faith and opening up to listen to direction from a higher power. We play her Lyric Party Game and learn how an all Black team helped Nikiva bring her Gaming app to life.

@ nikivadionne on social media
@ lyricpartygame

Resources:

• The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
• When to Walk Away: Finding Freedom from Toxic People by Gary Thomas and Zondervan 

Maryland’s own, Ethical Hacker, Carl Gray, III takes us on his journey that started when a Pastor gifted him a computer at a young age. We get into hacking 101, ethical hacking being a sought after field with job security and how to prevent yourself from being a victim online. 

He breaks down educational barriers and student engagement to create successful young leaders and entrepreneurs.  Carl discusses scaling a business, creating E-books and designing courses to add additional revenue in your area of expertise. 

@learnfromahacker
@launchwithcarl
businessmoversmastermind.com

#podcasting
#blackwomenpodcasters
#podcastingwhileblack
#podcast
#podcastlife

We talked to award-winning professor, executive leader, and social good expert  Kimberly O’Neil who helped to demystify the myth that nonprofits should not make money.  Kim pivoted and through her business Giving Blueprint, she leads Cause Studio, an education and professional development initiative for startup nonprofit organizations.  In the age of quiet quitting, Kim tells us to know what you need to survive financially before quitting and moving on.  A certified fashion girl and a Ted Talk veteran, Kim talks about her political career ambitions and What’s Next.

https://justkimonline.com
https://linktr.ee/justkimonline
@justkimonline on FaceBook, IG, TikTok

Resources

• The 12 Week Year by Brian P. Moran & Michael Lennington
• The Stanford Social Innovation Review (SSIR), Quarterly Journal
• The NonProfit Times

Welcome back!!!! Season II is here.  

Nina and Shay recap Season I’s lessons, dope guests and gems that were dropped.  Much love and thanks to everyone who listened, subscribed and shared our episodes.  We are excited to bring you Season II with more laughs and great information for the Next Steps of your journey.  We’ll continue to highlight extraordinary people of color, one episode at a time.

Link in bio to Spotify and available on Amazon Music and iHeartRadio. 

Anu Sun is a Grammy and Emmy Award winning musician and producer whose roots were planted in music and community.  Anu Sun is born from parents who were members of the Black Panther party and involved in social activism, and was exposed to the music industry as a drummer and rapper keeping him tied and true to the culture.  

Anu Sun is a business man with a publishing and marketing company, a voting member of the Academy for Grammy awards, and has recorded with the greats such as Johnny Cash, Robert Glasper, Bilal, Don Cheadle and others. His live music jam session “The Shed Open Jam'' is a vibe where dope musicians are discovered. Anu Sun wears many hats and is as authentic as they come, “I’m involved in culture shit” and “I’m very tapped in, don’t get that twisted.  I’m with all the smoke.”  

You can find Anu Sun’s music on all platforms including iTunes, YouTube, Apple Music, Spotify, Tidal, Amazon, and Bandcamp.

IG & Twitter: “@anuthegiant”
IG & Facebook: @TheShedOpenJam

Stacey Blissett-Saavedra shares her experience as a woman working in technology and how the space has allowed her to combine her love of graphic design, architecture, and real estate. Stacey will have you asking yourself big questions like, is this decision the right investment for me, what parameters make you happy in any workspace and what is your ideal situation vs. ideal job?  An avid real estate investor with 5 properties and counting, her love for architecture plays a role in her investment properties.  “I still get to do what I love to do, it’s just applied in different ways.”  

 Stacey can be found on LinkedIn at Stacey Blissett-Saavedra.

In this episode, Durval joins us to share his experience pursuing a career in sports medicine and how the industry lacked representation for people of color in the field.  While Durval is a professional athletic trainer, a love of music, events and gathering friends pushed Durval into music management as a side hustle with artist Nello Luchi and his event production company, A’Mior NYC. 

 As a graduate of the University at Buffalo, Durval emphasizes that going away to college is a real experience to take advantage of if you can afford it. Relying on both traditional and non-traditional education, Durval read his way to getting his finances together and shares some of his wins and losses with us. We learn how joining a Student Loan Forgiveness support group provided all the information Durval needed to get the coveted Public Service Student Loan Forgiveness and you can do it too. 

 Follow Durval and Artist Nello Luchi on all Social Media platforms @amiornyc, @nelloluchi

Gina is a mom-trepreneur that credits a scroll on Pinterest, to make something unique at a kids' bake sale, for helping her create a thriving custom cookie business. Gina discusses the baking business for women of color, conquering the “cookie devil” - detailed character cookies and her plans to expand her business. 

Always keeping family as her priority, Gina shares how she inherited her creative side from her mom and business side from her dad. Recognizing how the pandemic grew her business in a way she could not have imagined, Gina gives advice for dreamers who want to start their own company. 

Contact:

Website:https://houseofsweetsss.com/ , 

IG, Facebook and Pinterest: @houseofsweetsss