Brilliantly Black

Diana Anfield, owner of Drinks on the Rocks, is all about the experience! Unique and catered to you. Her mobile bartending service lives by this motto: “You mingle while we mix”! Drinks on Rocks will provide service to any and all occasions including weddings, corporate events, launch parties, private in home events, kid parties, and more. To book with Diana and find more information, visit Drinks...

Ashley Anthony started The A Word Cosmetics to help make others feel confident, and beautiful. Even if you have to start from square one in your personal beauty journey! Inspired by her uncle, she created The A Word Cosmetics to keep the legacy going. To shop her beauty products or find more information, visit The A Word Cosmetics!

Christina Campbell is the owner of Malea's Closet! Preciously named after her daughter, Malea's Closet specializes in custom party favors for DIY Parties and custom keepsakes. Their main goal is to provide their customers with memories and preserving those memories with custom keepsakes. After starting in 2015 creating balloon designs, they have since branched out into so much more! Malea's Closet...

Getting a little luxurious with Opulence Gallery in this dazzling episode! This family-owned business is comprised of four women with several years of corporate and entrepreneurial experience. Owners Mykhail Willis and Lauren Daniels share more about their two beatiful southside locations (one is new!) and the origin story of Opulence. Opulence Gallery is a contemporary multi-use space for social...

Dante Royster of Epic Mortgage stops by to share his experiences and knowledge in the mortgage and financial services industry. His goals include developing future business leaders and creating life-long business partners that prosper from each other's success. Dante’s licenses include Illinois, Indiana, Florida, Colorado, Georgia, Maryland, Michigan,Virginia and Texas Mortgage Originator Licenses...

The word of the day is theatre...Definition Theatre that is! Tyrone Phillips and Neel McNeil wear their passion for theatre on their sleeves. The mission of Definition Theatre is to celebrate stories created with, inspired by, and intended for people and communities of color. Through the act of making, Definition expands perspectives, stewards resources, and bridges the possibility found at the in...

Lauren Grinage, owner of Bucketz Game Zone, talks in-depth with Jasmine about the one-of a-kind kids' party space located on Chicago's south side. Bucketz is the private party spot you're looking for! In addition to the NERF battle zone, Bucketz has video gaming systems with the newest games, and an interactive virtual playground that everybody can enjoy no matter the age, from adults to kids. The...

Brianna "Bri" Hairlson is the owner of Bri's Dance Place in Merrillville, IN. Her love of dance called her to open her own studio, to classes of all ages. The mission of Bri's Dance Place is to positively impact the lives of individuals through dance by providing discipline, character development, confidence, and integrity through age appropriate choreography, music, & costuming from the best...

Two brothers from Chicago, Joe and Ted, created PlayPen Vodka after a family celebration on one 4th of July. Shortly after, they got to work and made their idea, their dream--become a reality! Inspired by Chicago's brief, yet beautiful summers, PlayPen Vodka captures the spirit of fun times enjoyed within the iconic Playpen of Lake Michigan, along Chicago's Magnificent Mile. PlayPen is a premium v...

One of the most influential journalists in Chicago, Veronica (Vee) Harrison, stops by to discuss her inspirational book "Hood Healing" with Jasmine. Vee is a Chicago change agent, setting the stage for new voices in Black media. "Hood Healing" sounds the alarm on what it means to be “woke” by boldly challenging young people to disrupt and dismantle their own trauma and encouraging its readers to e...

Dr. McGee of Premier Urgent Care is all about spreading awareness in the Black community of better and more affordable health care on Chicago's southside. Their Premier Health Network center offers exceptional urgent care, primary care, and occupational medicine. They strive to make urgent care services quick and convenient for all patients, and they even have an open door policy, where no appoint...

Welcome to episode 50! Jasmine talks with Next Man Up Spa owner Marva Cooksey about the importance of self-care, especially with our African-American men in the community. Located in the historic district of Bronzeville in Chicago, IL, Next Man Up, LLC (NMU) a Black owned spa, is the ultimate spa experience and destination for men. The grooming experience consist of haircuts, massages, manicures,...

Chicago natives Rich, Zach and Greg dared to be different and start their very own brewing company. Black-owned beer companies are rare, and these guys were determined to make themselves known--and represent our culture in the best way possible (down to the art on the actual cans!) Listen as the owners take you on their personal journey to success, and you can find Funkytown Brewery in several bar...

Co-creators Mallory Babatunde & Christina Wilborn are all about women empowerment. One of the many ways they uplift others is through their mutual love of dance . They dreamed of building a movement, now known as WomxnVIBE, that would help encourage, empower, and give women a space to network. VIBE dance class was created to remind women that taking up space is necessary to develop the strongh...

Lisa Marsh, CEO of Ms. P's Gluten Free, shares the inspiring story of how she took her personal health journey and baking gluten-free products in her kitchen...to the shelves at Whole Foods (and Mariano's very soon)! Ms. P’s Gluten Free is an ode to her mother, Mrs. Youlos Patterson-Brown. Since the launch of Ms. P’s Gluten Free in 2015, it has become a family business with everyone pitching in to...

"Delivering unforgettable, revenue-hungry video content" for their clients, INDIRAP is the #1 video production and content marketing agency in the Midwest! Being in business for more than 10 years, founder Julian Tillotson is an all-around media and video content guru. If you are looking to brand your business and take it to the next level, this is a can't miss episode. INDIRAP Productions is a fu...

Lauren Jackson is the founder and owner of Cultivate Your Essence , an all Black and female-staffed mental health organization right here in Chicago! No matter where you are in your mental health journey, they are here to help. Their practice focuses on helping women everywhere foster a healthy relationship with themselves that improves their overall mental health and wellness through counseling,...

What is Melan Mind? A community of Black women supporting other Black women through transformational coaching programs, events, workshops and courses. Harnessing the profound wisdom of mindfulness and holistic living, they empower women of color to make lasting, welcome changes in their lives. Listen to this enlightening conversation from the founder of Melan Mind Kimberly Peavler, a certified hol...

Teneka Ware is the CEO of J'Maure Candle Company (founded in 2019), where "you can't buy happiness, but you can buy soy candles...which is kind of the same thing." Listen as Teneka shares her goals for the future of J'Maure going international, and her tips and tricks for future entreprenuers that are thinking of getting into the special craftsmanship of candle-making. You can shop her all-natural...

Brothers Keenan and Kameron Cole own the unique and renowned restaurant 'Munchiez', located on Chicago's south side. It is a cereal bar, restaurant, and novelty candy store all-in-one...hungry yet? Following their mother's (owner of Culture's Closet , featured in episode 23) entrepreneurial footsteps, Keenan and Kameron knew at a young age that they wanted to be successful business owners while ma...

Porchea-Londone Spencer is the creator of Couture Branding Suite where she offers multiple brand building services, including Digital to Personal, or D2P. Listen as she breaks down the importance of taking your personal brand to the next level, as D2P is for the online success looking to make more personal and tangible connections or impressions. Everything from clothing selection to nailing the e...

Eric Williams has created his own legacy through The Silver Room Chicago, founded in 1997. Located in Hyde Park, The Silver Room's intention is to curate spaces where authenticity and creativity can thrive encouraging the growth of the community, personal expression, and resources. The Silver Room is compassionately known as the intersection of art, community, and culture on Chicago's south side....

Blair Shawnta' is the founder of My Soul Language Candles! After starting her business in 2019 and blossoming through the pandemic, Blair decided to elevate through relationship building, a strong mentality, and self-esteem. She aims to create a community of customers that can relate to these same values. Listen as Blair gets real about the highs and lows of entrepreneurship, and remember her mott...

Sheena's Scent (and what a lovely scent it is!) was founded by Sheena J. in 2019. She wants to encourage self-care, and guess what? You can make your own spa experience in the comfort of your own home with Sheena's Scent! At Sheena's Scent, she creates hand-crafted candles that not only smell great, but can 'linger on the italics for hours' after each use. Their hand-poured candles are 100% vegan,...

Nia Simone Epps is the creator and founder of Pretty Prosperity LLC! At Pretty Prosperity, Nia prides herself on being here to help you develop your business into something bigger than you ever thought possible—something that can reach the right people and inspire them to take action, buy your product or service, and become true fans of your brand. She specializes in business consulting & coaching...