Side Hustle Pro

This week in the guest chair we have visionary creator April Showers, the entrepreneurial expert behind Afro Unicorn. April became the first Black woman to own a fully licensed character brand, putting her with the likes of Disney. Afro Unicorn has rapidly expanded its footprint, being stocked in over 3,500 stores.  In this episode she shares: How she established a presence in seven major retailer...

This week we are getting a masterclass in content-based business with Bola Sokunbi. Bola is a  finance expert, 4-time bestselling author, and founder of Clever Girl Finance, one of the largest personal finance media/education platforms for women in the U.S.  In this episode she shares: Her start as a financial advisor while side hustling Clever Girl Finance  How she expanded past 1 to 1 business b...

This week we’re back for a very exciting update episode with Denise Woodard is the Founder and CEO of Partake Foods, the allergy-friendly company inspired by her daughter’s experience with food allergies. Created in 2016, Denise started the business by self-distributing cookies around NYC, this year it became a Certified B Corporation, and launched a collab with Ben & Jerry’s.   In this episode sh...

This week in the guest chair we have Donyale Walton, founder of Hoop Mobb, Home of the Hoop Earring. Coming from Flint, Michigan, Donyale made her way to New York to learn the business ropes and was inspired to pursue her own ventures.   In this episode she shares: How she went outside of the box of where she’s from and gained unique skills by working in fashion  Her process of finding and working...

This week I invited back Khadijah “Kay” Polly, who I first spoke to in 2019. Khadijah is the owner of Kay’s Kettle Corn, a gourmet popcorn company in Houston. In addition to her popcorn company, Khadijah is the founder of Ankara Beauty, a social enterprise that sources fair trade all natural ingredients for beauty products from women owned cooperatives and solo entrepreneurs in African countries....

In this rewind episode, I sat down with Keewa Nurullah. Keewa is mom of two, a fourth generation Black Wall Street descendant, and founder Kido Chicago, a wildly popular children’s brand and destination in the Southside of Chicago. In this episode she shares: How she scaled her business from a single onesie to carrying 1000s of children’s products online and in her storefront Why she created a com...

This week we’re taking it back to when I sat down with Cat Peoples, an actor, producer and entrepreneur who is giving us a masterclass in getting in alignment with your purpose. Starting as a side hustler, Cat has become a household voice that you may hear on commercials, audiobooks and more. In this episode she shares: How she got her start and built her portfolio as a voice actor How she leaned...

We’re back for an update episode with Jacquelyn Rodgers, founder of Greentop Gifts. I first spoke with Jacquelyn in 2020, when we learned Greentop Gifts aims to create products that represent what the holidays look like for Black and Brown families. Since then, Jacquelyn has gotten Greentop Gifts into retailers like Target and Amazon.  In this episode Jacquelyn shares:  What it took to get into Ta...

This week we’re rewinding it back to when I sat down with Trina Small, the founder of Supermom Culture. After leaving her logistics job, growing her blog, and blowing up on social media, Trina took a leap to start her brand that empowers mothers through streetwear.  Starting off on her own packing orders with her daughter out of her apartment, Trina took risks and bet on herself to build a solid b...

We’re dropping double the gems this episode as I sit down with DMV moms Nikki Osei-Barrett and Simona Noce Wright, founders of the premiere organization for millennial moms of color, District Motherhued and the first and only conference for millennial moms of color, The Momference.  In this episode Simona and Nikki share:  What it took to successfully launch The Momference while working full time...

This week I got to sit down again for an update with Rochelle Porter, founder of Rochelle Porter Design, a lifestyle brand and design house specializing in sustainably-made home and fashion textiles. When I first sat down with Rochelle in 2019, we learned she launched her business as just a side hustle. Today her products are being sold in major retailers and being featured on outlets like The Tod...

This week in the guest chair we are back again with Lisandra Rickards, founder & CEO of Soul Career. When we first spoke in 2018, Lisandra was the CEO of the Richard Branson Centre of Entrepreneurship. Using her experience in the corporate world, she then went on to start her own company coaching individuals to discover their true soul’s calling.  In this episode she shares: The knowledge and expe...

This week I sat down for a very inspiring chat with Mignon Francois; mom of seven, best-selling author of Made from Scratch: Finding Success Without a Recipe, and founder of a multi-million dollar cupcake empire, The Cupcake Collection.  In this episode she shares: Why having a great product and determination got her community to support her vision The different financial methods she used, like ca...

This week in the guest chair we have a very special episode featuring a real-life Podcast Moguls student of mine, Lori Tharps. She is the founder of the platform and podcast Read, Write & Create, which offers bite-sized, creative pep talks for BIPOC writers. She is also the author of critically-acclaimed books like Hair Story and Kinky Gazpacho.  In this episode she shares: How she knew it was the...

This week in the guest chair we have Kalyn Johnson Chandler. Starting as a career lawyer in big law, then transitioning to fashion, Kalyn has now evolved into a full time artist and entrepreneur as the founder of Effie’s Paper: Stationery & Whatnot, a lifestyle brand empowering women and presenting on-trend accessories for work, travel and daily life.  In this episode she shares: How she seamlessl...

This week in the guest chair we have Eunique Jones Gibson, a personal entrepreneur shero of mine. Eunique is the creator of the hit-game #CultureTags and CEO/CCO of several brands including Because of Them We Can, The Happy Hues Company, and the innovative agency, Culture Brands.   In this episode she shares: How she created one of the most well known campaigns and platforms for Black culture How...

This week in the guest chair we have Len Ellis, the Co-Founder and CEO of Everlasting Love Fulfillment, a brand-centric third party logistics partner that provides next-level fulfillment.  In this episode she shares: How she started her company with multiple clients and while working full time How providing personalized service created loyal client relationships How being one of the only Black-wom...

This week in the guest chair we have Jasmine Taylor, founder and owner of Baddies and Budgets, a financial education platform that aims to make products and provide a community to empower women of color who are struggling with their finances. In this episode she shares: How she turned her $1200 stimulus check into a $1M business  How she uses social media as her sole marketing platform Her top tip...

This week I’m sitting down with Rachel Rodgers. Rachel is the creator of the Hello Seven brand and the founder of We Should All Be Millionaires: The Club. Her book, We Should All Be Millionaires is a woman’s guide to earning more, building wealth, and gaining economic power.  After law school, Rachel decided to put her degree to use and started offering her lawyer services to small businesses. Lik...

This week in the guest chair we have Seretha Willingham is the Founder and CEO of SJW Logistics, a Third-Party Logistics company providing freight transportation, warehousing and e-Commerce order fulfillment services.  In this episode she shares: How she acquired her company and quickly and sustainably expanded  The systems she has in place to manage her company’s cash flow and finances How she co...

This week in the guest chair we have Naseema McElroy, author and the founder of Financially Intentional, a platform about personal finance and living life intentionally. Starting with just under one million dollars in debt, Naseema taught herself financial literacy, paid off her debt, and started side hustling as a consultant teaching others to do the same.  In this episode she shares: How she cre...

This week in the guest chair we have former Side Hustle Pro guest Imani Ellis, CEO and Founder of CultureCon and The Creative Collective NYC. While working as Vice President of Communications at NBC Universal, Imani founded The CCNYC and began her journey to becoming the full-time CEO of her company and CultureCon.  In this episode she shares: How CultureCon and The CCNYC has hugely expanded since...

This week I sat down with Terri-Nichelle Bradley, the founder of Brown Toy Box, an educational toy company producing STEAM toys, media, and experiences for centering and celebrating Black children. While working full time, Terri-Nichelle took Brown Toy Box from being a side hustle to a full-scale business.  In this episode she shares:  How she expanded to being sold in every Target nationwide Why...

This week we’re wrapping up the solo series on how to regroup and get unstuck in your side hustle for quarter two, this time we’re talking podcast promo. In this episode I share: How to grow your brand awareness to a wider audience  The best platforms/apps to promote your business Why you should invest in paid advertisements  Check out this episode and others on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , and YouT...

And we’re back with another solo episode. This week I’m giving you the easy step by step process of building an effective email list for your side hustle.  In this episode I share:  How to take the first step to inviting people to your email list How being consistent with my email list quickly grew my audience engagement The best platforms to optimize communication with your contacts Check out thi...