Today, I’m sharing an episode of When Magic Happens, a new podcast from WBEZ Chicago, where intergenerational convos of love and laughter collide. In this episode we’re discussing dolla dolla bills, y’all. 

How exactly do you make a dollar out of 15 cents? We attempt to answer this question and more this week as we discuss all things money honey! Jennifer, Cheryle and Taylor share their stories on entrepreneurship, wealth-building and new approaches to making that coin in the age of technology. Plus, they talk with financial educator Markia Brown about getting your finances in order ASAP.

Find When Magic Happens from WBEZ Chicago wherever you listen to podcasts.

Investing in Black Beauty with Kendra Bracken-Ferguson S7 Ep. 13

If you are a beauty entrepreneur, this is the episode for you and if you are not, keep listening anyway. There’s plenty here for your as well. In this episode I’m speaking with Kendra Bracken-Ferguson, an internationally acclaimed thought leader. In demand for her strategic vision and attention to brands that want to grow to scale quickly and sustainably, she is a sought after speaker and c-suite/board advising powerhouse. 

Kendra's ecosystem of leadership is rooted in her global conglomerate BrainTrust where she is the Founder, CEO and General Partner.  BrainTrust is an award-winning, global force created by Kendra in 2015. It was the first of her suite of BrainTrust enterprises leading to her founding BrainTrust Founders Studio in 2021, now the largest platform dedicated to Black founders of beauty and wellness companies that has not only changed the face of beauty but also empowered Black business owners to enter the room and sit at the tables of capital and wealth generation.

She also is a General Partner in the adjacent $25MM BrainTrust Fund, dedicated to investing in breakthrough Black-led brands that serve the majority.

In this episode we discuss:

PR is an important part of a businesses marketing strategy. The WTF? Podcast has partnered with The PR University to help your business get SEEN and VALUED by your target customers.

If you want to learn How to be SEEN and HEARD via social and other media, follow these steps to use the WTF25 code to get a 25% discount on the Do It Yourself PR 101 class at The PR University:

1. Go to www.thePRuniversity.com to view all course options or go straight to the class at Do It Yourself PR (thinkific.com)

2. Go to the sign up option with either one of the buttons and follow the prompt to purchase the course - use the code "wtf25” - to get the course access for 25% off. 

3. You can start the DIY course as soon as you are ready! 

Learn more about Kendra:

Instagram

LinkedIn

Learn more about Brain Trust:

Instagram

Website

Business of the Beat Podcast available where all pods are casted.

I hope you enjoyed this episode. Don’t keep good content to yourself. If you enjoyed this episode, let me know by rating, reviewing, and sharing this episode with 3 friends. 

Subscribe to the podcast at its home on the ALIVE Podcast Network, here https://wheres-the-funding.onpodium.co/ and here https://bit.ly/wheresthefundingpodcast. Follow the podcast on your favorite podcast streaming platforms like Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, and moWHERE’S THE FUNDING?re to get notified when new episodes drop.

To be a guest or sponsor the podcast, email [email protected]. 

Follow the podcast on Instagram at whereisthefunding_podcast and follow me, your host Michelle J. McKenzie and the show page on LinkedIn. 

Stay tuned for the next season!

How to Hustle Holistically with Brooke Daniels S7 Ep. 12

This entrepreneur and business advisor wants to disrupt the toxic hustle culture and replace it with something more holistic. She is an advocate for holistic hustle. Stick around to learn more about that as well her advice to disrupt the notion of overnight success.

Brooke Daniels, the CEO of Daniels & Co. and Director at Salesforce Ventures, is a force to reckon with in the Venture Capital space. This mindful business strategist, fluent in German, believes in striking a harmonious work-life balance by incorporating daily meditation. With over 15 years in the industry, she is an active angel investor who coached founders who successfully raised more than $75 million in VC dollars.

Brooke is also a Director at Salesforce Ventures and has over a decade of experience in VC and tech. She is an Advisor for BLCK VC, Justice Technology Association, and is on the Investment Committee for the Cap Table Coalition.  She is also a mentor to entrepreneurs with TechStars and Pharrell William’s non-profit, Black Ambition. Brooke holds an Executive MBA from UNC Kenan-Flagler and is an advisor for the entrepreneurship program.

This is Michelle McKenzie and welcome to the WTF? podcast where we demystify entrepreneurship and the fog around funding. 

In this episode we discussed:

Both Brooke and I are proponents of the holistic hustle so, when was the last time you enjoyed REST?

At the WTF? Podcast we are big proponents of rest as a productivity hack. Book your next relaxing luxury getaway with our partner in rest and luxury at Farringdon Jets!

Learn more about Brooke:

Learn more about the Daniels and Co.:

Books Mentioned:

I hope you enjoyed this episode. Don’t keep good content to yourself. If you enjoyed this episode, let me know by rating, reviewing, and sharing this episode with 3 friends. 

Subscribe to the podcast at its home on the ALIVE Podcast Network, here https://wheres-the-funding.onpodium.com/ and here https://bit.ly/wheresthefundingpodcast. Follow the podcast on your favorite podcast streaming platforms like Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, and more to get notified when new episodes drop.

To be a guest or sponsor the podcast, email [email protected]. 

Follow the podcast on Instagram at whereisthefunding_podcast and follow me, your host Michelle J. McKenzie and the show page on LinkedIn. 

Join me next Friday for another episode.

How to Use Social Media Marketing to Grow Your Business with Dr. Reza Eftekhar S7 Ep. 11

Dr. Reza Eftekhar is the owner and Clinical Director of Metropolitan Headache and Spine Center with offices at VA, DC, and Georgia. He’s an adjunct associate professor at George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Science. He’s also the #1 chiropractor on social media within the DMV area with a TikTok following of over 400k and over 40k followers on Instagram.

Key Takeaways:

PR is an important part of a businesses marketing strategy. The WTF? Podcast has partnered with The PR University to help your business get SEEN and VALUED by your target customers.

If you want to learn How to be SEEN and HEARD via social and other media, follow these steps to use the WTF25 code to get a 25% discount on the Do It Yourself PR 101 class at The PR University:

1. Go to www.thePRuniversity.com to view all course options or go straight to the class at Do It Yourself PR (thinkific.com)

2. Go to the sign up option with either one of the buttons and follow the prompt to purchase the course - use the code "wtf25” - to get the course access for 25% off. 

3. You can start the DIY course as soon as you are ready! 

Learn more about Reza: 

Instagram

Tiktok

Website

I hope you enjoyed this episode. Don’t keep good content to yourself. If you enjoyed this episode, let me know by rating, reviewing, and sharing this episode with friends. 

Subscribe to the podcast at its home on the ALIVE Podcast Network, here https://wheres-the-funding.onpodium.com/ and here https://bit.ly/wheresthefundingpodcast. Follow the podcast on your favorite podcast streaming platforms like Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, and more to get notified when new episodes drop.

To be a guest or sponsor the podcast, email [email protected]. 

Follow the podcast on Instagram at whereisthefunding_podcast and follow me, your host Michelle J. McKenzie and the show page on LinkedIn. 

Join me next Friday for another episode.

Five Things Business and Nonprofit Leaders Should Know About Corporate Fundraising with Lori Zoss Kraska S7. Ep.10

Lori Zoss Kraska is Growth Owl, LLC's Founder and Chief Principal. She possesses over 22 years of expertise in revenue generation management, corporate sponsorship support, corporate cause marketing, fundraising, corporate social responsibility, nonprofit consulting, executive sales management, training, and marketing strategy roles earning her a reputation for establishing pathways quickly to exceeding revenue/fundraising goals, building high-performance teams, developing relationships quickly, and outpacing expectations.

In this episode we discuss:

• Strategies for helping business and social entrepreneurs successfully engage with corporate funders to raise funds to support their businesses and nonprofit's goals.

Takeaways from this episode:

Five things that business and nonprofit leaders need to know or understand about the nuances of the corporate support landscapes and its decision makers before pursuing corporate funding:

Fundraising Tips for Business or Nonprofit Leaders

PR is an important part of a businesses marketing strategy. The WTF? Podcast has partnered with The PR University to help your business get SEEN and VALUED by your target customers.

If you want to learn How to be SEEN and HEARD via social and other media, follow these steps to use the WTF25 code to get a 25% discount on the Do It Yourself PR 101 class at The PR University:

1. Go to www.thePRuniversity.com to view all course options or go straight to the class at Do It Yourself PR (thinkific.com)

2. Go to the sign up option with either one of the buttons and follow the prompt to purchase the course - use the code "wtf25” - to get the course access for 25% off. 

3. You can start the DIY course as soon as you are ready! 

Learn more about Lori here: 

https://www.thegrowthowl.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorizoss/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/growth-owl-llc/

https://www.facebook.com/GrowthOwl

Lor’is book: The Boardroom Playbook:The Not So Ordinary Guide to Corporate Funding for Your Purpose Driven Organization

I hope you enjoyed this episode. Don’t keep good content to yourself. If you enjoyed this episode, let me know by rating, reviewing, and sharing this episode with friends. 

Subscribe to the podcast at its home on the ALIVE Podcast Network, here https://wheres-the-funding.onpodium.com/ and here https://bit.ly/wheresthefundingpodcast. Follow the podcast on your favorite podcast streaming platforms like Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, and more to get notified when new episodes drop.

To be a guest or sponsor the podcast, email [email protected]. 

Follow the podcast on Instagram at whereisthefunding_podcast and follow me, your host Michelle J. McKenzie and the show page on LinkedIn. 

Looking Back to Look Forward 100TH EPISODE! With Michelle McKenzie S7. Ep. 9

Hello, WTF podcast listeners, welcome to the 100 episode of the WTF podcast. Woo hoo hoo!!!!!!  

I am so excited for this milestone moment and I am so grateful for those of you who have been with me from the beginning, and those of you who just discovered the podcast. I appreciate you. 

This episode will be a look back to the very beginning of the podcast. To the origin story of how the podcast started. I remound the clock to the very first episode with Funlay Alabi, co-founder and CEO of the Shea Radiance beauty brand, who is the inspiration for the podcast and the very first guest and her business partner, Francesca Opoku, who we made a cheer-up video for (which inspired the idea for the podcast) when she was feeling down about being unable to secure funding for some distribution expansion plans her and Funlayo were about to embark on. also inspired the start enough to podcast.

For those of you who are new, you will get to hear the OG music and my then cohost, who I started with for the first season. We were very green and our audio quality wasn't great. The audio might not have been stellar back then, but I assure you that the quality of the conversations has been and is currently top tier.

Looking back reminded me of how we started and where I am now, 100 episodes later. We started with very little knowledge of podcasting, but a big desire to use our voices, to shine light on the challenges and triumphs of black entrepreneurs and black women and dropping yours in particular to access capital to scale and grow their businesses. There were many times I wanted to stop but I am glad I didn’t and kept going to this milestone.  

In this episode we discuss:

Here are the links to the first two episodes with Funlayo and Francesca if you want to go back and listen to them in their entirety, imperfect audio and all.

S1 Ep. 1: Entrepreneurship is a Marathon, Not a Sprint with Funlayo Alabi

S1 Ep. 2: What Business Do I Have Being Mediocre When the World Is Mine to Take? with Francesca Opoku

Check out the new podcast website where you can find all 7 seasons of the podcast: https://wheres-the-funding.onpodium.co/.  If you like this podcast, let me and others know by writing a review on the podcast website here. Please sign up to join the mailing list to get informed with new episodes and blogs drop and get access to the e-book that I am collaborating with Kutloano Skosana of the Shades and Layers podcast to produce to share lesson we have learned from speaking with almost two hundred entrepreneurs and investors on our podcasts.  You don’t want to miss this when it drops so sign up for my email list here.

This is an indy podcast so if you would like to donate to help keep it going, please feel free to donate here.

During the episodes I zoomed in on something that Funlayo said about the importance of marketing and branding for business growth.  Over the seasons I have featured several marketing and PR focused episodes because those aspects are also important for business growth. I am linking below a couple PR-focused episodes from last season that were also keen on the importance of collaboration, which was a strong theme in my initial interview with Funlayo and which I drilled down on again in this episode.

PR-focused Episodes from Season 6:

PR is an important part of a businesses marketing strategy. The WTF? Podcast has partnered with The PR University to help your business get SEEN and VALUED by your target customers.

If you want to learn How to be SEEN and HEARD via social and other media, follow these steps to use the WTF25 code to get a 25% discount on the Do It Yourself PR 101 class at The PR University:

1. Go to www.thePRuniversity.com to view all course options or go straight to the class at Do It Yourself PR (thinkific.com)

2. Go to the sign up option with either one of the buttons and follow the prompt to purchase the course - use the code "wtf25” - to get the course access for 25% off. 

3. You can start the DIY course as soon as you are ready! 

Subscribe to the podcast at its home on the ALIVE Podcast Network, and on its website here https://wheres-the-funding.onpodium.com/. Follow the podcast on your favorite podcast streaming platforms like Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, and more to get notified when new episodes drop.

To be a guest or sponsor the podcast, email [email protected]. 

Follow the podcast on Instagram at whereisthefunding_podcast and follow me, your host Michelle J. McKenzie and the show page on LinkedIn. 

How To Successfully Lead Sales and Manage Growth with Joel Stevenson S7 Ep. 8

Joel Stevenson is the CEO of Yesware, a leader in sales productivity software. Before joining Wayfair, Joel held a variety of sales and marketing roles at Ariba, Innovus, and Verizon, and he was a consultant at ZS Associates. He served as managing director of Wayfair UK, where he drove the growth of the company’s international presence then served as vice president of financial planning and analysis while Wayfair was transitioning to a public company.

He earned an M.B.A. from the Yale School of Management, a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Illinois, and studied Chinese at Harvard-Beijing Academy. 

In this episode we discuss:

PR is an important part of a businesses marketing strategy. The WTF? Podcast has partnered with The PR University to help your business get SEEN and VALUED by your target customers.

If you want to learn How to be SEEN and HEARD via social and other media, follow these steps to use the WTF25 code to get a 25% discount on the Do It Yourself PR 101 class at The PR University:

1. Go to www.thePRuniversity.com to view all course options or go straight to the class at Do It Yourself PR (thinkific.com)

2. Go to the sign up option with either one of the buttons and follow the prompt to purchase the course - use the code "wtf25” - to get the course access for 25% off. 

3. You can start the DIY course as soon as you are ready! 

Learn more about Joel and Yesware: 

LinkedIn: 

Website: https://www.yesware.com/

Book and Blog Recommendations: 

The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement

Neil Rackham's Spin Selling

Blog: Occam’s Razor

Joel’s podcast: The Hard Sell

I hope you enjoyed this episode. Don’t keep good content to yourself. If you enjoyed this episode, let me know by rating, reviewing, and sharing this episode with friends. 

Subscribe to the podcast at its home on the ALIVE Podcast Network, here https://wheres-the-funding.onpodium.com/ and here https://bit.ly/wheresthefundingpodcast. Follow the podcast on your favorite podcast streaming platforms like Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, and more to get notified when new episodes drop.

To be a guest or sponsor the podcast, email [email protected]. 

Follow the podcast on Instagram at whereisthefunding_podcast and follow me, your host Michelle J. McKenzie and the show page on LinkedIn. 

Lauren Washignton is the co-founder and CEO of Fundr, a platform that uses data and AI to empower decision-making in seed investing. Prior to this, Lauren co-founded Black Women Talk Tech, the largest membership organization and only conference for black women founders, and KeepUp, an automated social listening platform. Her companies have won multiple awards including 43North, the Advanced Imaging Society’s Distinguished Leadership Award, and the Austin Inno Fire Award. She has been featured in The New York Times, TechCrunch, Elle, Inc, and Fortune and listed as a top entrepreneur in Essence Magazine, Entrepreneur Magazine, CIO Magazine, the ForbesNEXT1000 list, and Austin Black Business Journal’s 40 Under 40. 

In this episode we discuss:

When was the last time you enjoyed REST?

At the WTF? Podcast we are big proponents of rest as a productivity hack. Book your next relaxing luxury getaway with our partner in rest and luxury at Farringdon Jets!

Learn more about Lauren: 

LinkedIn

Learn more about Fundr: https://www.fundr.ai/

Fundr on Instagram

Fundr on Twitter

I hope you enjoyed this episode. Don’t keep good content to yourself. If you enjoyed this episode, let me know by rating, reviewing, and sharing this episode with 3 friends. 

Subscribe to the podcast at its home on the ALIVE Podcast Network, here https://wheres-the-funding.onpodium.com/ and here https://bit.ly/wheresthefundingpodcast. Follow the podcast on your favorite podcast streaming platforms like Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, and more to get notified when new episodes drop.

To be a guest or sponsor the podcast, email [email protected]. 

Follow the podcast on Instagram at whereisthefunding_podcast and follow me, your host Michelle J. McKenzie and the show page on LinkedIn. 

How I Bootstrapped a Luxury Jet Business with Michael Darko S7 Ep. 6

Michael Darko is the founder & CEO of Farringdon Jets, The Worlds Most

Security Focused Jet Charter Company. After becoming familiar with the needs of High- and Ultra-High-Net-Worth-Individuals through his international career in property and offshore wealth management, Michael decided to merge his experience and network with his lifelong passion for aviation to launch Farringdon Jets, a luxury charter jet service that fills the need in the market by prioritizing safety and security for its clients not just in the air but on the ground too.

In this episode youll learn:

When was the last time you enjoyed REST?

At the WTF? Podcast we are big proponents of rest as a productivity hack. Book your next relaxing luxury getaway with our partner in rest and luxury at Farringdon Jets!

Learn more about Michael:

michaeldarko.com

Linkedin:

Email: [email protected]

I hope you enjoyed this episode. Dont keep good content to yourself. If you enjoyed this episode, let me know by rating, reviewing, and sharing this episode with others.

Subscribe to the podcast at its home on the ALIVE Podcast Network, here https://wheres-the-funding.onpodium.com/ and here https://bit.ly/wheresthefundingpodcast. Follow the podcast on your favorite podcast streaming platforms like Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, and more to get notified when new episodes drop.

To be a guest or sponsor the podcast, email [email protected].

Follow the podcast on Instagram at whereisthefunding_podcast and follow me, your host Michelle J. McKenzie and the show page on LinkedIn.

Be Hungry But Not Thirsty When Pitching VCs with Arlan Hamilton S7 Ep. 5

Seven years ago she was broke and sleeping on the airport floor. Now she is a successful investor, entrepreneur, and author..

Arlan Hamilton of Backstage Capital, Runner and author of Its About Damn Time published well before singer Lizzos popular song by the same name. Backstage Capital is a venture capital firm dedicated to minimizing funding disparities in tech by investing in high-potential founders who are people of color, women, and/or LGBT. Started from scratch in 2015, Backstage has now raised over $20 million and invested in more than 150 startup companies led by underestimated founders.

In this episode we discuss:

When was the last time you enjoyed REST?

At the WTF? Podcast we are big proponents of rest as a productivity hack. Book your next relaxing luxury getaway with our partner in rest and luxury at Farringdon Jets!

Learn more about Arlan:

LinkedIn:

Instagram:

Twitter

I hope you enjoyed this episode. Dont keep good content to yourself. If you enjoyed this episode, let me know by rating, reviewing, and sharing this episode with others.

Subscribe to the podcast at its home on the ALIVE Podcast Network, here https://wheres-the-funding.onpodium.com/ and here https://bit.ly/wheresthefundingpodcast. Follow the podcast on your favorite podcast streaming platforms like Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, and more to get notified when new episodes drop.

To be a guest or sponsor the podcast, email [email protected].

Follow the podcast on Instagram at whereisthefunding_podcast and follow me, your host Michelle J. McKenzie and the show page on LinkedIn.