Black to Business

Have you ever finished dealing with something in your business and thought, "Whew, good thing I caught that"? Maybe something almost got missed, you had to step in at the last minute, or you found yourself figuring out how to make something work once again. You handled it, everything worked out, and you kept moving because that's what we do as business owners. Being able to figure things out is a...

The longer you run your business, the easier it is to get used to how things work. A process that was supposed to be temporary becomes the way you've done things for three years. Customers keep asking the same question, but the answer feels obvious to you. Something you do really well barely stands out anymore because you've done it so many times. Eventually, certain parts of the business can beco...

Someone can know about your business for months and never buy. They may follow you, know exactly what you offer, and even have you in mind for the future. Then something changes. A new opportunity comes up. A problem becomes harder to ignore. Something they've been putting off suddenly moves to the top of the list. Now, the business they've known about all along is exactly what they need. Understa...

Building a better business doesn't always mean creating something new. Sometimes it means making it easier for people to work with you. Every customer already has a way of solving the problem you're trying to solve. It may not be perfect, but it's familiar. Understanding what they're already doing can completely change the way you think about your products, services, and customer experience. This...

What if the value of your business isn't found in the service you provide, but in what your customers no longer have to worry about because of it? Most business owners describe their business by what they do. Customers, however, are usually thinking about something entirely different. They care about the problem being solved, the stress being removed, or the time they're getting back. This episode...

You did the work to get somebody interested in your business. They're ready to move forward, they want what you offer, and then...the process starts dragging. Now they're waiting. Trying to figure out what happens next. Maybe even wondering, "Do y'all want my money or not?" In this episode of the Black to Business podcast, Monique is getting into what happens between someone showing interest and a...

What would you do if you had to make money from your business over the next 30 days using only what you have right now? Would you know what to sell, who to put it in front of, or where to look for opportunities you may have missed? This episode of the Black to Business podcast is a workshop you can work through right along with Monique. The challenge is simple, take creating something new off the...

What makes a business feel established? It's probably not what you think. Many entrepreneurs assume they need a bigger team, a bigger budget, or years of experience before their business is taken seriously. But the truth is, people often make up their minds long before they know how many people are behind the scenes. In this episode, Monique shares why some businesses leave a lasting impression re...

As entrepreneurs, it's easy to fall into routines. We find a way of doing something, it works, and before we know it, it's become part of how we run the business.   The problem is, businesses grow. And if the way you're spending your time never changes, you can end up holding onto work that no longer needs your attention.   In this episode, Monique explores the work entrepreneurs often continue do...

A buying decision starts long before someone clicks "Purchase."   Before people invest, they're weighing the decision, working through uncertainty, and answering questions they may never ask out loud. When entrepreneurs understand what's happening during that process, they stop feeling like every sale comes down to having the perfect pitch and start communicating in a way that helps people make co...

Business has a way of making everything feel urgent. A challenging conversation, an unexpected opportunity, a frustrating week, or a disappointing result can leave you feeling like you need to make a decision right away. Before you know it, you're questioning your direction, changing your plans, or committing to something simply because you want relief from the uncertainty.   In this episode, Moni...

Entrepreneurship has a way of making us jump to conclusions. A slow response, a disappointing result, an offer that needs adjusting, or a customer who doesn't buy as quickly as we hoped can quickly turn into a story about what we think it means. Before long, we're questioning the business, questioning ourselves, and making decisions based on assumptions rather than facts. In this episode, Monique...

Entrepreneurs are constantly thinking about what's next. The next goal. The next milestone. The next challenge. The next level of growth. While thinking ahead is part of building a business, it can also create a costly habit: spending time, energy, and resources solving problems that don't actually belong to your current season. In this episode, Monique explores why entrepreneurs often find themse...

A lot of entrepreneurs spend so much time thinking about what they need to delegate that they never really stop to think about what still belongs to them as the owner.   Hiring help is important. Support is important. Systems, automation, delegation, all of those things matter. But this week on the podcast, Monique talks about the responsibilities that still require your leadership no matter how m...

You ever notice how some businesses feel easy to understand?   You land on the website, look around for a few minutes, and you already know what they do, who it's for, what problem they solve, and what you're supposed to do next.   Then there are businesses where you leave with more questions than answers.   This week on the podcast, Monique walks through a few questions your business should be ab...

People are watching your content, asking questions, requesting the link, and telling you they've been wanting to work with you for a while now…but somehow the sale still is not happening. That disconnect can be frustrating as a business owner because from your perspective, the interest is there. This week on the podcast, Monique breaks down why attention does not always turn into conversion and wh...

Busy does not always mean productive. A lot of entrepreneurs are ending their days exhausted, feeling like they worked the entire time, but still looking up wondering why certain things in the business are still unfinished, still delayed, or still feeling all over the place. That's what this episode gets into. Some of the biggest time-wasters in business are not obvious distractions. They're habit...

You ever get to the end of the month and realize… you were busy the whole time, but you can't clearly say what actually worked?   Money came in, but you're not sure where most of it came from. You posted, showed up, did what you needed to do, but you don't really know what connected. A few things felt off, but you kept pushing through because the work still had to get done.   Then a new month star...

There comes a point in business where you really look at what you've built so far, not from the outside, but from your own experience being in it every day. Things can be working. You can make money, bring in clients, have moments where everything comes together. And still, it doesn't feel settled. It doesn't feel like something you can rely on yet. Too much still depends on you stepping in, figur...

300 episodes. When you really think about that, it's a lot of showing up. A lot of recording. A lot of doing something over and over again, even on the days where the energy wasn't there. In this solo episode, Monique T. Marshall takes a step back to reflect on that journey. From starting this podcast with a USB mic in the Brooklyn Public Library to building something that has reached thousands of...

There comes a point in business where the work feels different. Clarity is there. Direction is there. Nothing is necessarily broken. But the excitement that used to come with it does not show up the same way. What once felt new now feels familiar, and that shift can catch you off guard. That's usually when the questions start. You might find yourself wondering if something needs to change, or if y...

There are seasons in business where everything feels visible. You're sharing, promoting, and it feels like people can see the movement. Then there are seasons where things are a little more low key. You're still working. You're still building. But it's not something you're talking about like that. And if we're keeping it real, that can start to mess with how you feel about what you're doing. You m...

You start something in your business, you feel good about it, and then not too long after… you're already thinking about doing something else. Now you're questioning if you made the right choice or if you should be going in a completely different direction. That back and forth can slow you down more than you realize, especially when you keep restarting instead of building on what's already in moti...

When you're running a business, there's never a shortage of things you could be working on. There's always something to fix. Something to improve. Something you've been meaning to get to. And when you're looking at all of that at the same time, everything can start to feel important. So you sit down to work, and your attention is everywhere. You touch a little bit of this. A little bit of that. An...

When we think about spring cleaning, most of us think about our homes. Closets get organized. Old items get donated. Spaces get reset so things feel lighter and easier to manage. But the same thing applies to your business. Over time, businesses naturally accumulate things. New offers get added. Systems get layered in. Marketing channels expand. Ideas that once made sense stay in place long after...