Side Hustle Pro

This week I’m back with some life updates, and yes, that includes me having a baby on y’all! Time can move so quickly, it’s so important to take time to reflect on the challenges, milestones and accomplishments in life. I’ve learned to tune out other opinions and appreciate my own journey in motherhood and entrepreneurship.  In this episode I share about: Now being a mom of 2 and how entrepre...

Third time’s a charm with 'The Budgetnista’, Tiffany Aliche. We’ve been able to witness her journey from unemployed and living with family at 30, to having multi-million dollar years as a full-time entrepreneur. She returns to the guest chair to discuss the maintenance of side-hustles while advancing as a business owner, and her focus on achieving financial wholeness and the critical role of inten...

This episode we’re getting a masterclass from The Toy Coach herself, Azhelle Wade. At first second-guessing herself, Azhelle eventually found confidence in her talent, leading to her working for big toy companies like Mattel and Toys R Us. She's climbed up and across the ladder in the toy world, starting out as a designer, later gaining 3 toy patents, and eventually becoming a VP at a toy company....

It’s always a great episode when we get to see the evolution a previous guest has made in their business. We’re back with Charis Jones, CEO of Sassy Jones, an empowering fashion and beauty brand. She shares how she prioritized impact over traditional business metrics, establishing a colorful and elegant brand with a loyal following, or as she calls it, a “sticky” brand.  In this episode she shares...

What started as unexpected unemployment at 52 years old turned into an incredible journey of finding purpose and alignment through absolute self-confidence. Dawn Kelly masterfully tells the story of how she became CEO of The Nourish Spot, a family owned, quick serve healthy food, smoothie and natural juice bar located in Jamaica, Queens, NYC. Relying upon her determination, faith and own resources...

In the world of consultants and career developers, it can feel impossible to find the right fit. Kimberly Brown stands out as an expert whose leadership development company, Manifest Yourself, helps women and people of color navigate the workplace, make more money and become industry leaders. She’s the author of bestselling book, Next Move, Best Move: Transitioning Into a Career You'll Love and th...

This week we are returning with an update episode with Jamila Souffrant. She is the author of the book, Your Journey To Financial Freedom, and the host of the Journey To Launch podcast. As a go-to thought leader in the personal finance field, The Journey To Launch Podcast has over 4+ million total downloads and was listed by the NYTimes as a podcast to help you get better with your money. Starting...

In this week's rewind episode, I sat down with Claudia Walker, founder of HBCU Prep School. As a proud second generation HBCU graduate, Claudia authored the best-selling book series, The ABCs of HBCUs and The ABCs of Black Wall Street.  In this episode Claudia shares: How she balances being a full time entrepreneur while working a full time job The insider financial skills she picked up during her...

This week we have a rewind episode for you with Domonique Brown, the artist and founder behind DomoINK, a lifestyle brand that contributes art, apparel, and home decor in celebration of Black art. Domonique got her start in real estate and marketing before deciding to become a full-time artist-entrepreneur.  In today’s episode she shares: How her side hustle went from Instagram posts to Target car...

In this week's rewind episode, 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...

In this week's rewind episode 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 th...

In this rewind episode, 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 n...

This week we have a very special bonus episode with fellow Comcast RISE recipient Cassandra Williams. Cassandra is the founder of Love By The Slice, a Tacoma-based cake and treats company that is beloved by her community.  In this episode she shares: How she started as a side hustler and has remained in business for more than 20 years How she was able to scale and grow as a small business with lit...

This week in the guest chair we have Kunbi Odubogun, an industry leading Business Attorney and entrepreneur. She is Partner at Oduberg, a boutique business law firm that provides legal services to creative entrepreneurs. Kunbi also founded two online businesses: Legally Set, a contract template shop offering ready-made contract templates for creative entrepreneurs; and Perfete - a renowned luxury...

This week in the guest chair we have Mandi Woodruff-Santos, a globally recognized career expert, founder of the MandiMoney Makers, and co-host of the three-time WEBBY award winning podcast, Brown Ambition. With 6 million podcast downloads, and over 80,000 followers across socials, Mandi is on a mission to help women of color achieve their wildest financial ambitions.  In this episode she shares: H...

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...