[00:00:00] Moses TY: Welcome to the black gold podcast today with me. I have Devin moody Graham, she is the CEO of CEO mom enterprises, where she helps mothers become CEO. Both not only of their lives, but also of their businesses. And Devin, welcome to the show.

[00:00:25] Devon M-G: Hey, thank you for having me. Thank you for that.

[00:00:30] Moses TY: Absolutely. So how did you end up finding your own niche and finding it within the, the mother-in-law?

[00:00:44] Devon M-G: So it, it definitely mostly everything I do is strategic with this actually was not strategic. It was not. For me it was definitely from God. I've been a mother going on 17 years. My oldest child who'll be 17 in March. And he'd seen me work business. I started my first business almost 14 years ago.

[00:01:07] And so of course the wild him growing up, and then we let her get married in my family growing. I grew my business as a mother, so I was working as my, was my businesses, a lot of minority owned businesses and helping them to grow and not really knowing that there were other women, there either were newer moms than I, or women who were mothers had children older than my children, but they just hadn't taken that leap to start a business yet.

[00:01:34] And they were watching. Unbeknownst to me really. I was just doing my thing, not really thinking that I had it all together, but I was just doing what I needed to do in order to build an empire for my children. Hence CEO, mom empire. So I started meeting more with moms that would wanted me to help start their businesses.

[00:01:55] And. They were like, Hey, we, we, they love the fact that I would meet with them in places where their children could come. They love the fact that I could relate to their lives for, especially for those women who had nine to fives. And then I was helping them to build a company, you know, or they're five to nine.

[00:02:14] And so when I saw that, it was like, okay, makes sense to now niche down more and also to create that network and that sisterhood for women that thing. They can't have it all, you know, some, some women, especially I mean, even more now because we're, we're already seeing that women are having fewer children because of career thinking that they can't have it all and being the mother, raising six children, and then of course, giving birth to four children, I can tell them differently, especially because I just launched my fourth business last week.

[00:02:50] So you can. And definitely have it all. It's not easy, but when you have the right tribal people around you is definitely.

[00:03:03] Moses TY: Yeah. And it seems as if it's something that, as you said, God put it on your heart and it's something that you actually does have to pursue rather than something that's forced on you or something that you believe. It's kind of there, but this seems to be something that they truly are passionate about and that's really a rare and incredible to see.

[00:03:27] So in terms of establishing or business how would you say you got started? Where were the things that you said, okay, this is my idea. I need to get this thing out there. Where there are some tools and resources that you use to build it. And then what were they.

[00:03:48] Devon M-G: So I actually, my, my very first business was as a child because I'm the product of entrepreneurs. My parents are entrepreneurs, my dad being a cobbler shoe repairman, and my mom a cosmetologist. So I already grew up around it. So I had a, I actually had a candy store when I was younger. So I knew that I wanted to make sure.

[00:04:12] At a very early age and then it went on from there to, okay. Let me, I went off to school, majored in consumer textile marketing thought. I wanted to go into fashion marketing, but then it changed. Really to let me find out more about the business side, because I really felt that there was a need, especially in my, the area I'm from I'm from a very small town in St.

[00:04:37] Louis, Illinois, a lot of enterprise and a lot of great people, a lot of things there bursts there, a lot of industrial things people in sports and music, and I mean, every, everything was really was birthed in that small city. And so seeing. The problem was that people really didn't understand the fundamentals to keep businesses going.

[00:04:58] It's like you had your craft or your talent, but not really knowing how to monetize it. And I really was not pleased that I was so good at strategizing. I said, Lord, I don't even know how to braid. I do hair or something. I have no desire to do those things. I say, why, why are you giving me this service-based business?

[00:05:15] That sometimes people can't even wrap their minds around. They don't, it's hard sometimes. Let people know they'll pay. I went to school for this. I'm trained for this. This is intellectual property, you know, and, and fundamentals that I'm teaching people. I was at the beginning, really undercharging. I mean, because I was delivering so much value.

[00:05:38] So those are some of the lessons that I teach my clients. And then when I speak to groups about knowing your worth, if you're adding value to people, then you should be paid and compensated as such. I mean, I have my MBA. I've done numerous hours of. Studies and conferences and trainings to be, you know, as good as I am, of course bumping my own head.

[00:05:59] So there's no experience like, you know, your, all your personal experience and things that I learned, I'm able to help businesses move faster because those are the things that I went through. Very early, there was a company and I think they still exist. It was called micro mentor. So when I started my business, I want to say it was micro mentor.com.

[00:06:20] If it exists, it was great. I actually met a. That I still, to this day, I have never met this lady in person. She sent me so many resources just about starting a business. She was another, a black woman, like I said, I've never met her. We talked on the phone like years ago, we connected on social media, but she gave me information.

[00:06:40] Like she knew me, you know? And so I really, I appreciate that because she didn't have to send me as many articles and things and take the. Speaks to me, but she was a volunteer on that site, so really help people get going. Another resources is the people around you and asking questions. I had gone to, I went to college at the university of Illinois, Urbana champagne, and I ended up there was a, a black alumni event there and in 2000.

[00:07:08] Eight. I launched my company August. I mean, I'm sorry. I told her 2008 and then I went to this conference November, 2008 and I met an alumni from there who was at the time living in Atlanta and she had. Come through the same program that I did. And she was working in branding and marketing and strategy for like big companies, Coca Cola and music companies and everything.

[00:07:34] And so she took out hard times, also send me documents to give me things. And just that, that time when we helped and we w we later reconnected and she's now back in this area but it's really people, the best tools and connections are people. And when people can help you, if you don't open your mouth.

[00:07:54] So I'm a firm believer of a closed mouth. Don't get fed. So I'm going to ask for what I want, ask for what I need and that's the best teacher. Of course there's so much technology out there. So for people, of course LinkedIn, I use LinkedIn a lot for connections. When you see who you're connected with and see who can maybe make an introduction.

[00:08:15] Whatever email platform is fine. I just love all things Google, just because I'm able to keep my calendar, my documents everything together, you know, in one place. I do use slack for one of my businesses. I don't use it all the time, but I do. I definitely use that as good. When I'm working with people in a project, I just started using this.

[00:08:39] And that's for one of my newer clients and it's helping because it keeps those deadlines and those things, you know, and it's like, Ooh, okay. Okay. Deadline approaching. So that's, those are some of the things that I use more often, of course, with my phone, I'm using my calendar all the time. If it's not on my calendar, it literally doesn't exist.

[00:08:59] And that includes things for my children. So of course I know when to pick them up, but if they have extra practices or meets a games, I have to build my life around that. So I have to make sure that they are. But if I were to say those basic tools, those are some of the things I use for payment systems.

[00:09:16] I use square. I love it because they get to, you get to integrate so many things in it. For my newest business is a mobile laundry service. And so I get to you, I use square appointments for that, then payments and messaging. And soon as the people, they, they pick up their laundry. I'm able to send that picture that they received picked up the laundry, you know, straight to them through the platform.

[00:09:37] So I love how all those things work together to make my life easier. As I build an empire for my.

[00:09:46] Moses TY: How do you balance all of those things? So it seems like it's, there's a lot of these things you're trying to juggle and you have this idea that you want to do this thing over here, but then end up not being able to do it because he had this other thing to go over to over here. And so how do you find that that balance between doing a project a and also then completing project?

[00:10:13] Is there something that you do specifically to help manage with that?

[00:10:18] Devon M-G: You know what? I am a true believer finally that there is really no balance. And let me tell you, it's funny for me to say that because I'm a Libra and we're supposed to believe in all things balance. So I always do keep harmony within things that I'm doing, but I think it's important that just, we, as people know that if you're doing.

[00:10:38] Something great right here. Something else is lacking. It doesn't mean that you're horrible over here, but something is going to lack, you know, Because that's life for me, I do carve out certain times to work on certain businesses and I have many teams to help with. Each I don't have this huge conglomerate of people just yet.

[00:11:00] I'm working to have a big staff and team like that, but right now it's really me working with other contractors, virtual assistants, yards, this then. Other agencies and people to help get things done. And then it's really about collaboration because I'm big on execution and I've done a lot of things that have upcoming events that are coming that are out now, but I've been hosting and doing events so long that I know how to put people in place.

[00:11:30] And make it advantageous for them. So you kind of shift the work to other people and spread it out. I get the venue, I do the marketing, bam. It happens. And so it's really about people getting in their own world of how to do things. It has definitely been times where I have literally done big events alone and it's crazy.

[00:11:50] Recommend that for anyone. But it, that only actually spoke to my fear of trusting others. That that was what that spoke to because when you're in business, especially things that you care about, they're like, even though of course, Physical children, your business, these are like your babies and your projects and things that you want to see come to life and you care how you know what happens.

[00:12:11] And so until you find those right people to trust with them, all those white people to collaborate, you can't really have get your time back. And it's funny because with my ladies business, that's what my tagline is to get your time back. Because if other people are doing your laundry, you can get to have your time back so that you can spend it with your family.

[00:12:31] Spend it. Traveling or just getting a nap, maybe, you know, so I think it really just boils down to you creating a tribal people to help you reach your goals and you help each other each other to reach their goals so that you can enjoy life, which I am enjoy family, which I am and work less than make more money, which is the go for me anyway.

[00:12:55] Moses TY: So when did he start seeing.

[00:13:01] Devon M-G: Oh my first company was created with strategic solutions and I was doing similar things, but as I was growing and really thinking about that new niche, I knew that I'd have to change something. And even though of course, what I was doing was still creative. I was, was a career. But strategizing and working with moms, I knew that I needed to create something different.

[00:13:23] And so it started as a group of women meeting and talking about their goals and business, and personally, and then it transitioned to me having a separate group, the CEO of my project, which is under my nonprofit. And then me actually changing my focus and my business is.

[00:13:40]

[00:13:40] Devon M-G: So yeah, that wasn't funny 17.

[00:13:47] Moses TY: So how have you been able to change your practices since the pandemic? Was it difficult or was it simply doing a few key things in order to shift from being an in-person versus a virtual business?

[00:14:06] Devon M-G: You know what the pit. And then make like most of the businesses, I definitely was able to pivot and do some great things, you know, after coming more out of it now.

[00:14:17] But it did shake my business in a way because conferences and in person events, you know, they paid the bills. I was planning my second conference to Paris for 2020, which had to be postponed both 2020 and. 2021, because they're unsure when they were going to open the doors. I really couldn't market my trip because they didn't even open the us up to the country to France until like June.

[00:14:39] And my trip is in October when I usually announced it in February or March, so I wasn't able to do it last year, but so this year I was able to get it together and I actually have two trips. One is a business trip for women in June and October. I'm actually hosting a first, my first fashion show in Paris, Paris.

[00:14:59] And so that me really changing the in person and the trips and the, what was starting with the international business speeds. It definitely changed that. But what I did was instead of me hosting my in-person conference that was supposed to take place in may of 2020, I hosted my first virtual conference and planned that.

[00:15:23] And a matter of like a week or two, cause I was gonna completely cancel. And, but I ended up creating a platform for over 20 different women from all across the country to do sessions. And it was two, four days of sessions. And believe me, I was exhausted. Because nobody talks to me about pre-recording these sessions.

[00:15:43] So we have live sessions all day from like nine to five on a Friday and a Saturday. I was exhausted. I was totally exhausted from the logistics of it. And then. Of course the whole world. It was just two months prior that the, you know, the world was getting used to this. So, and I had used online systems.

[00:16:09] I had held meetings on zoom and like stream yard, and I think I actually moved stream yard, but I had never had this many people interacting and making sure that everything was there. I had like 20 different marketing pieces and I had different announcements. That was a lot enforced to be a virtual event.

[00:16:28] I didn't realize it was going to be that much work, but I learned so much about myself. I learned a lot about my team and tribe of colleagues and thought leaders and experts that really came through. And for each of those women that participated in. It was very beneficial for their businesses as well, which was the goal.

[00:16:47] So I definitely did have to learn more about doing things virtually outside of me doing Facebook lives and things. So it was definitely a shift. And before the better, because it allowed me to do more, to do more still at home. And I was able to, I started this 30 days of black businesses. Like I was around Christmas time.

[00:17:10] And that really gained a lot of buzz for, for businesses. And it's so funny because people were like, you're an influencer. You should do that. Often. I was like, no, absolutely not. I was getting mail and packages to show people's products, which was great. They were like, it's free stuff. And people were getting sales and that's, that was the goal.

[00:17:29] But I was doing so many things. It realized what I maybe realized what I wanted to continue doing and what I did want to do. So that was always a learning experience. Yeah. But I got to sh Jeff, my business to helping businesses through the pandemic and gain new clients and actually made more money, working less hours because I wasn't ripping and running.

[00:17:50] So that definitely helped.

[00:17:53] Moses TY: So how would this, how did it get into, you said you were at Paris fashion week. How did that come about?

[00:18:05] Devon M-G: So I'm really big on execution. I literally, if I want to do something, I think about it. I pray on it. And when I put it out there, if it starts to come together in a way that makes sense, I know that I'm okay to do it. If it's just, it's not about the challenges cause challenges, I can eat up challenges all day, but if it comes together in a way that it's like, okay, okay.

[00:18:29] Gotcha. I'm going like just today, I just got a almost a confirmation on my space. So I am waiting back because one thing that I've learned with doing business in other countries which I love, especially European countries, they are going to take their breaks. Okay. So she's on a break. They like every six weeks they out like, oh, I'm going to break up two weeks.

[00:18:52] And I do love that about the country. Because. That's something that speaks to. Which is very important to me and the fact that they will leave work to dedicate time to family. But yeah, it came about, that is my, that'll be my third event. And my funny story is like, my baby who's here now who kind of doesn't want to let me finish.

[00:19:16] She was days old when I decided that I wanted to plan my first conference in parents. And I was literally like on the computer had just had her and ended up was end of January. And I'll have been thinking about it. Having had met people there. End of 2018 and I was like, you know what, I'm going to do this.

[00:19:36] I start researching. I was looking at hashtags on Instagram. I kid you not looking up like black moms and parents, black parents, moms and parents. Like I would just looking, Googling different hashtags to find some women's. And I found a lady who I said person my out is she has such a beautiful smile. So she probably won't curse me out if I email her, if I message her.

[00:19:59] And it's so funny, because this is like, this random person is like, Hey, how you doing? Yeah, I'm in the U S I see that you're in Paris and I'd like to connect with you. And she, today is family. And it's so funny as about like, when you take those leaps to connect with people. And it's meant to be you. It just works out.

[00:20:20] She, my first event, she connected me with other. Well, my first event really go out without a hitch. I was able to connect with people in pairs and actually participate in the Josephine baker events that just happened in Paris in November, honoring her, her being the first black woman, first entertainer in a first American born woman to be honored at the Pantheon, which is a huge deal.

[00:20:45] And so I was there. I was able to, to participate in that and I also hosted my first business event. Even the black parents community said that I brought out the who's who, of black parents and that they usually don't see those people together. And it's a group of women who moved to Paris. They've been there between like 20 and 40 years and they were at my event and I just started doing this.

[00:21:10] Three years ago now. And so I'm just excited about that. And I've always been in fashion and love fashion. And I said, Hey, I want some American designers, some especially black American designers to do some things in pairs that are not, let me say this in the correct way that are more inspired by the African diaspora varsity's European versions of.

[00:21:37] Basically. And so I said, Hey, I'm going to host the fashion show. Even my friends and parents was like, huh, you're going to house the fashion show during Paris fashion week. I said, yep. And it's going to look, it's going to be with people that look like me. So that's what I did. I contacted my people. I said, Hey, I need to find this.

[00:21:57] Can you help me find a space? And we've been looking for the last month and a half. I just said this a little bit over a month ago is when I decided to host it. So I finally, I think I have a space and then went to have a showcase on that Friday. And then October 1st, we're going to have a fashion show and then we want to simultaneously have the fashion show it'll be going on in Paris.

[00:22:18] And then it'll be strained to a St. Louis so that people can see it. There is wait. So yeah.

[00:22:28] Moses TY: Wow. So in terms of creating a CEO, mom, I want other businesses, you said that the beginning that you had you was study, you started your fourth business, which is the laundry business a short while ago. What are the other businesses that you have started?

[00:22:49] Devon M-G: Okay, so the first one was creatively strategic. That was my first business development. I later changed kind of the focus of what I was doing. And then I went into a CEO mom empire, which is my strategy firm. And I work with corporations as well as women to expand their businesses. The third is LIBOR chic fashion geek, which is I do have I curated pieces create items.

[00:23:15] And then also I create a lot of items that say like black on brand. I'm really big on. I'm really big on supporting black owned businesses. And also being able to wear that as a badge of honor, being a black owned business. It's simply because a lot of people, sometimes I say they don't understand why do we have to say that things are black owned?

[00:23:36] And I said, the reason that we have to say things are black owned is because for so long, there were not things that were black owned. And even when things were created by black people, those ideas and things were stolen by white people. So let's not forget history here, you know, And so I do wear as a badge of honor being actually just celebrating, even with my father.

[00:23:57] Who's been a cobbler for 60 years and he's had a business for about, I think he had a business for like 40 of those 35 being in one location, downtown St. Louis, which is huge. Especially being a black owned business in a Diane crap, just not very many of the. And so I do where there's a badge of honor.

[00:24:18] So leadership fashion games is really different fashion. It's not a boutique. It, it, well, it is a boutique in terms of being niche, but I don't usually say online boutique simply because I curate items. Some items are either, are even repurposed. Some are handmade, some are curated from other artists.

[00:24:37] And then it's also the platform in which the fashion show in Paris will be launched. So it is a platform to create. Opportunities for other fashion designers as well. And then lastly is bubble Mae and bubble made with it's like six years in the making. And if I go back to college, it's like two.

[00:25:01] 1718 years in the making for my friends and I talking about there not being enough laundromats on campus, and we should start a laundry mat where we go back home. And then we never did that obviously. But when you get into the gig economy, it just made sense. We start thinking about it about six years ago, what it would look like for, you know, people.

[00:25:22] Pick up wash tri-fold laundry for other people and deliver it because people will pay for that. And then fast forward to now, I don't regret not starting at six years ago because what's so crazy is at six years ago for businesses that exist now that didn't even get. No outside your regular laundromat.

[00:25:40] And you know, you could go there and some of them may provide the service. Not many people were doing it for residential, not for the average Joe, so to speak. You know, it was looked at such an influence service to have your laundry done and picked up. But if you have a phone and you want your time, You can't have your laundry picked up folded delivered, and this is a way to help build our own economy because this provides money for people, especially because.

[00:26:09] This is really important to me, of course, on the tech end, but really on the domestic service side, because traditionally even my mom, my mom worked in a hotel, has worked in housekeeping. So many family members, friends like worked in and housekeeping and in domestic trades and we're underpaid, overworked overlooked.

[00:26:32] And so I take that now as a badge of honor to do something where I can create. Company based on technology that can help people make more money while they may be door dash or being moms or working from home or whatever, but another way that they can make money and build for their futures. And it's not like low wage earnings, but it's them taking their time back making money and then other people who want to not have to do that, use their money to get their time back.

[00:27:03] So.

[00:27:05] Moses TY: So it seems like everything that you have started is that it is a, it's a weight off of other people's issues in terms of solutions. You have that, and you also have it's, as you said, a bubble made in your laundry, mobile laundry service, they seem to be things that really help people in terms of.

[00:27:31] Getting them back to their time and not being able to spend their time or as they would say, maybe like waste their time on all these little things that then you can pick up and do. So would you say that it's the little things that people don't want to spend their time on that if you're looking to start a business or adventure, that you should focus on those little tiny things that people.

[00:27:59] I don't really consider to be what to do at time that you can fill in your own time for their time and do the action for them.

[00:28:11] Devon M-G: I think the gig economy has literally changed the game in terms of we, we see right now with the great resignation, as they say now, you know, people are quitting jobs that they don't want to be at because they can't do two or three gig.

[00:28:28] You know, and work with those companies, have their time and do it on their own terms. And so this is really the time, especially for the age group, my age group. And, but the age group underneath me, like, I really admire those people who want to take their prime back. So, if you could create a solution for people that is the best thing that you could possibly do that's what, that's where the money is.

[00:28:56] Stop overthinking it because for me, It's like a lot of times we think we have to do something that's so grand and it's not the grand gestures. It's the solutions. And so as entrepreneur, I, we like to create things. So my name for it even as CEO, I call myself the chief solutions officer because a business is a solution.

[00:29:16] And when you can create a solution for people, you get your time back, you also can get your life back and just change the trajectory of where you want to go. Because it helps you to be a better you.

[00:29:33] Moses TY: Yeah. Until it sounds today, the, of those things that people would deem not to be like a pretty or flashy and it's a little, it's usually like the ugly things, like like, like doing laundry and also like mowing the lawn or doing something that's really sick. That people usually take for, take it for granted, like doing the laundry.

[00:30:01] You expect that like, if you're someone that does the own laundry, you then expect that to you expect of yourself in a weird way to do your laundry. Okay. But you end up wasting your time on something else and then you have. A bunch of ruffled and crumpled clothes in a basket that are clean, but you just don't fold them.

[00:30:26] And so it's that idea of like, okay, like I got my stuff together now. Like I can give this to a person, they can do it for me. And I feel, I feel worthy. I feel special. I feel unique. And so that, it's the little things that make people feel really, really special. It seems.

[00:30:47] Devon M-G: Yeah, absolutely. Who doesn't want to feel like exclusive or feel like they're getting their time back and they can, they have a weight lifted off their shoulders so that they can do something else that they were asked to do.

[00:31:02] Moses TY: So in terms of studying and businesses, what do you say that there's some things that you are. To be absolute no-nos in terms of either dealing with, with clients or even in terms of setting up systems to ensure that things go smoothly, or there been some issues that you've come across when you have been either establishing or even conducting your businesses.

[00:31:32] Devon M-G: Yeah, it's absolutely get things in writing. Especially for bigger clients. I learned a very expensive lesson cause I've done a lot of things. I did commercial development. I developed a grocery store get things in writing. Everybody's heart is not there. And I did that in my early. Doing that. And then people take advantage of you being so gung ho about helping small businesses, helping black businesses.

[00:32:00] And some people will take advantage of you. You know, everyone doesn't have the same type of heart. I tell other people to definitely get those things they're writing. Don't work. It's so hard. Don't work so hard to please others, and also only charge your words. So get things in writing don't work to please others.

[00:32:21] Do what you know, stay true to what it is and your mission and goal, but also work to get, get, to get paid. What you're, where are these?

[00:32:34] Moses TY: What do you say that whenever you're starting out, people usually don't charge. Do you think that they charge it's not enough? Or do you think that they charge too much?

[00:32:45] Because it seems as if, whenever you're just starting out, you're getting feed. It's that you don't think you have enough experience to charge what you would say, the, the most renowned person in your field charges. So should people, when they're just getting into the craft or getting into the business, should they charge below what they think they'll want an order to then later charge what they're worth, or do you think that they should overcharge and then bring it down slowly?

[00:33:20] Devon M-G: I Def I didn't never overcharged. I think looking at what the market rate is for your Indian looking, if you really don't think that you have the experience, maybe starting off with what you're calling like comp services. So if someone needs a service, you're wanting them to You know, you're delivering there, maybe paying for one thing and you could over-deliver some just so that you can add value, but do that very sparingly, especially for service-based businesses.

[00:33:48] You really want to just kind of stay competitive. And as far as just being market rate, but not going down so much, because it's hard to go from $30 an hour, and then you're going to jump to one 50. Then it's like, huh? You know, what did that come from? But if you're bad or by 75, and then you let it go to 100, or then you said, because you added this extra value, then that makes more sense.

[00:34:09] So really looking at what is market rate?

[00:34:16] Moses TY: So what would you say has been some of the things that you've encountered in terms of starting a business? The, you would say people should really do closer research into, as you said, that you should get things into writing first of all, with bigger clients, but are there any, is there anything else in terms of people setting up their business legally or anything else in terms of ensuring that you are protected from.

[00:34:51] Issues you might have with clients legally. Do you have any pips on that? And our people can get started doing.

[00:34:59] Devon M-G: Yes Def really. So most areas, especially all states have a small business development center. More, some states have more than others, but definitely find out where your smarter, small business development centers are.

[00:35:14] Those are great resources. Score is great for business resources. And a lot of those people have business counselors. I've been a counselor and two. For that. And with providing that very introductory information for anybody, knowing that there's so much information on irs.gov and irs.gov. You could look under, you know, business entities, because if you don't understand it, definitely get someone to do it.

[00:35:41] But if you feel like you have the bandwidth to read and do it, then file it yourself because there's no filing fee. But I definitely tell people don't guess at it, because then you have to go try to create something. No, you've filed the wrong thing. That's another, a headache, but irs.gov is great, especially because that's where you have to file your EIN.

[00:36:00] Or as I call it for people, I say your business's social security number. So they'll know, you know, how important it is to keep up with that number. And then each day, He has a secretary of state and that's where the business happens. So there's a business department within the secretary of state and each state has a site that you can go to that you can get information about.

[00:36:23] You can look at the business entities where they're going to file it. LLC corporation is Corp, you know, whatever you're going to file a nonprofit organization. That information is really important for people to have. Look at those resources that are free and that are out there first. And then if you definitely can't figure it out, that's when you look at your other small business professionals that they come highly recommended, maybe from a small business development center or some other place that is the works around economic development.

[00:36:54] So there's a lot of information that is there. People get paid to do this. Like I said, it's important that people identify those free resources so that people can help them before they go out. I spend tons of money. Especially in, at the beginning, those are the things you need to spend tons of money at the beginning.

[00:37:10] And now as you grow in your business, creating any legal issues, accounting, bookkeeping. Yeah. You need to spend money for those, but there are definitely resources. So again, the small business development centers they're in each state seek those that help out. That's what I recommend.

[00:37:31] Moses TY: So you are as you said, that chief solutions officer of CEO, mom would you say that you have learned lessons? Let me put it this way. Have you had experiences where you have found yourself learning. Things about the business from becoming a mother and vice versa. Have there been some instances where that has happened to you?

[00:38:03] And if so, what were those instances?

[00:38:08] Devon M-G: So in instances where like, Me being a mother, how it's been intertwined with me developing as a business owner. Okay. Yeah. Tons of them. It's definitely taught me because my children watching me so closely, it's definitely taught me to that they are watching, they mimic what I do. So that's important for me to always display what I would want them to display because they watch literally every move I make, they go to meetings, go to

[00:38:37] video1902563159: evening.

[00:38:43] Devon M-G: Oh, wow. Trying to do the interviews because they don't care. No, but it's really taught me to watch what I do and to really work hard, to get to the life in which I can enjoy and watch them grow and not miss anything. And so that's a really, really a why for me they are my wife or having a business because I wanted to be able to be as present as possible.

[00:39:10] Them. And so I would say that it's taught me to prioritize in a way that I can live the life that I want to live and also create the life that I want for them through me being a business owner and showing them that they can't have it all.

[00:39:28] Moses TY: Well, what would you say have been some things that you have learned. Being in business owner, dealing with actually, you know, didn't you see said that you started a grocery store. How

[00:39:47] Devon M-G: did that come about?

[00:39:52] I S I started a development company and well, like in my early twenties, this was like 12 years ago. I started a development company. I absolutely knew nothing about development. I read a lot. I went to lots of meetings and was able to put together a package and present for a business owner that was able to secure it was through the presentations.

[00:40:16] Funding and tax abatement and resources and connections. And lots of dollars saved. I worked with to receive grants and loans and financial assistance probably over I'm like close to $3 million. That was like one of the biggest projects that I worked on.

[00:40:41] Moses TY: One

[00:40:41] Devon M-G: of the biggest projects. That I worked don't move.

[00:40:49] Yes. So that was that was definitely a great experience. And it came from relationship building, literally someone thinking that I could do it and it, it came about, so I'm proud of that. Helped to open a black owned grocery store in a food desert in the area.

[00:41:09] Moses TY: So have you then. Created these different business entities. And what is your end goal with creating all these things? Is it to do something else or is it simply just to create and be a, just a person that can do all these things? Like what is your, your push to keep on creating different business?

[00:41:42] Devon M-G: You know what that's a great question.

[00:41:45] So before I would say maybe seven to 10 years ago, it was really to see what I could do, you know, and see what I really wanted to do and what I was interested in. And I completed a lot of different projects. I mean, I worked with the black owned beer brand that did really well in St. Louis. It was one of the first to have a.

[00:42:10] Partnership with Anheuser-Busch before they were bought by InBev and they cut all those smaller guilds, but like, I've worked in so many industries. I worked in wireless industry being standing out is someone who you're researching for the shoe to grow. So I did a lot of different things to figure out what I wanted to do, what I didn't want to do.

[00:42:36] So that was. Really the important. Now it's all about creating those multiple streams of revenue so that I can create legacy, build generational wealth money, not being an issue for my children and my children's children and so forth and so on. That's the goal now is to make sure that I create sustainable businesses that can live on long after I'm gone.

[00:43:03] Of course. I love the business development piece, so that's probably just a piece that I'll do until I bring on other conditions. To do that piece things like as far as the bubble mate, as far as the fashion piece of the platform, those are things that can live on even when I'm gone. And so it's really about me creating platforms for other people in businesses to grow, because I've always been told, like that I've been a visionary and I believe it to be true.

[00:43:31] I was hurted at a young age and I didn't really understand it, but I understood. Now. And so it's important that I do what I'm supposed to do so that I can help others impact and do what there's.

[00:43:45] Moses TY: Yeah. Well, Devon, this has been an incredible conversation. Thank you so much for your time. I have another question for you, and that is if you have the ability to send a worldwide text, what would your message be?

[00:44:07] Devon M-G: Okay, let me think. Oh, we're a wide tech school. My message. Be

[00:44:14] that message. That message would be.

[00:44:26] Where, why I take it out? I would say be intentional live freely and be yourself.

[00:44:37] Moses TY: Be your test.

[00:44:46] Devon M-G: I think sales because of course they're happier when you're yourself and you're not putting on a facade or charade for other people. And if you're intentional, that means that there's meaning behind what it is that you're doing and you're not just doing things. And if you're able to do those things, then you're living freely.

[00:45:06] Moses TY: Devon, thank you so much for your time. And I have one other question for you and that is what black history but yeah, let me put it this way. And has there been a black figure historical fictional past present that you have come to either identify yourself with or view as someone to look up to

[00:45:44] Devon M-G: A lie, you know, so many, but you know what, if I were to say one now I would think about Josephine baker. She is from the area close to where I'm from. I'm from east St. Louis, Illinois. She was born and raised in St. Louis before later, moving in her teens to parents and the fact that she was able to move that quickly.

[00:46:06] She was in New York, then two parents. I'm sorry. I follow her ever since we're writing up a report on her in middle school. And of course there was so much racism. This was the 19, she was born 19, like 1908, you know, so to speak. So there was tons of racism. It was the height of the Renaissance. It was the height of.

[00:46:30] People later such as James Baldwin and Langston Hughes, she got to know all of those people, Richard Wright, all of them were really they moved and lived in Paris. Some did well, some did not, you know, it just life, but a lot of them moved to another place where it was definitely not perfect from parents, but what they were able to do was to live freely, be themselves and be authentic and they were able to flourish.

[00:46:55] And so I would say that. It's so funny because those two things went together. Obviously, I didn't know you were asked that question, but then they were able, she was able to live freely adopting 12 children from deck 12 different countries to just kind of really show that she was big on building the world and creating She was very early involved in the civil rights movement.

[00:47:20] I don't know if a lot of people even know that, but she she did not perform in a lot of places. If they were segregated, she didn't perform there. She didn't even come back to performance St. Louis and so one place I think it was like the, the 1950s that she came back because she would not perform at a segregated location.

[00:47:39] That was part of her. Saying I, that was a part of her being intentional. So I that's why I would say, I would say Josephine and the fact that I was able to meet some of her family and things at this last event in November was really cool. And to be at a place that she performed at the height of her career.

[00:47:59] Moses TY: Well, Devin, this has been a great conversation. Where can people learn more about who you are, CEO, mom, and all of your other endeavors.

[00:48:13] Devon M-G: People can find me. I'm on LinkedIn, Devin, moody Graham I'm on Instagram is Debbie moody Graham. You can find me there if anyone is there around in and around the St. Louis area. They can. and the bubble mate, which is on Instagram and see your mom empire as well and Devin, Woody graham.com.

[00:48:38] So I can be reached a lot of different places.

[00:48:42] Moses TY: Well, Devon, thank you so much for your time.

[00:48:50] Devon M-G: Thank you for having me. This has been really good. Thank you so

[00:48:53] Moses TY: much.

[00:00:00] MTY:

[00:00:00] Today with me on the black hole podcast, I have done Owen's. He is an engineer and after, and he is also a patent holder of the leaf H two. And it is an instrument that filters out one of the most deadliest substances, he claims in his book burn a fuel better that pervades our planet to this day that we ourselves have caused, and it is called black carbon.

[00:00:35]

[00:00:40] So Don and welcome to the show. And first of all, can you please. Tell the listeners who you are, your background in engineering and what you have learned over the years about this thing that is called black carbon, that you are found to be really devastating to our environment.

[00:00:58] Don Owens: Yeah.

[00:00:58] Very good. Thanks for having me today. My name is Don Mullins and I am the CEO of H N O greenfields H no. Greenfields is the company. We kind of made this discovery, even though it's not like we. Discovered black carbon. And we just happened to find a solution for it, but I have an engineering and a patent background, and I've been involved in a and on this journey for almost 10 years.

[00:01:25] It didn't start off as something to resolve climate change or, or I didn't even know what black carbon was when we started. So it was a, it was kind of an accidental discovery, but but just for your listeners to know and there's one thing I want everybody to know before you leave here is that black carbon is the enemy of the planet.

[00:01:47] Now I want to say it that way, because I want that to be, to ring true in everybody's brain, that it is the enemy of the planet and what it is. It's unburned fuel what black carbon is. And I'll tell you how I discovered it as we go along. But it is the fuel that is burned. That's unburned that comes out of the exhaust and everything that we do.

[00:02:08] We base. We have a fossil fuel energy infrastructure that infrastructure burns fuel, and that fuel creates black carbon. In fact, that infrastructure is necessary to even, to build a green infrastructure, but everything that we do is burns fuel, and it's from everything from construction to medicine.

[00:02:31] To transportation, to, to internet, to everything that we do. It's, it's, it's all involved in the burning fuel. And what our technology has done is we've found a way to burn fuel better, which in essence lowers and reduces the amount of black carbon. Now again, let me just say one other thing about black carbon, just so we'll be on the same page.

[00:02:53] Black carbon is the substance that coats, the glaciers. It floats out I shells and our glaciers and it causes them to melt. And that the melting glaciers is really the direct cause of climate change. It's not a, one of the causes. It is the cause. So unless a solution is developed to address black carbon, we have.

[00:03:18] Doing anything about climate change at all? We can talk about it. We can talk about developing electrical vehicles and everything else, but unless we're blessed addressing black carbon, we are just in, in chapter three in my book, I say we are pissing in the wind, but but that's what the book is all about.

[00:03:37] MTY: And so in the book, you explain how you first discovered black carbon and it turned out to be a byproduct of another experiment. You were tinkering on a . Could you show it as that

[00:03:48] Don Owens: story? Okay. Yeah, we'll do that. In fact, the whole. Idea of when I started down this path was to use hydrogen to increase fuel economy.

[00:03:59] I read a book a number of years ago about how you can use hydrogen, infuse it into your, your combustion chamber and it will improve your gas mileage. And so I basically started developing a product to do just that. And in the process of developing that product for. Fuel academy. I was in the lab.

[00:04:20] Finally got it to the, to the lab where I can start getting some real data. And during that during that period, we discovered that they were very, a lot of inconsistencies with gasoline engines. It worked, we had it to a point where we could get it to work, but it was just so inconsistent. So many different engine types and so many different sizes, Avengers, we just didn't know.

[00:04:43] It was, the variables were too great for us to figure out what was the best way to do it with a gasoline engine. So one day the technician that was at the shop asked me if I wanted to test out diesel engines. I said, well, okay. It had nothing to lose. So I tried it with. And the same thing. I basically, I was still looking for fuel economy.

[00:05:03] I was you know, I didn't know that something called particulate matter even existed, but what happened when we started testing the diesel engines the fuel economy was. Lousy to be honest, but what happened was the technician came up to me afterwards and said, oh, by the way, you know, this thing, reduce your particulate matter emissions by almost 50%.

[00:05:25] Now, my question was. What's particulate matter. Cause I didn't know what particulate matter was. And he didn't really know either. He just said that it's something we measure here and it turns out that particular matter is a very, very, very dangerous substance to all human life, all life owners, because it, it gets into our it's it's air pollution in effect, and it gets into our lungs and causes all kinds of respiratory problems and all kinds of other problems.

[00:05:55] All related to health. So at that time I still didn't know what black carbon was, but we knew what particulate matter was. And we knew at that point in time, we would start focusing our energies on reducing particulate matter. And it wasn't until years later I would say probably three or four or five years later because.

[00:06:15] I was always reading everything I could read about particulate matter, because I didn't know whether or not that will be enough for people to latch hold to, you know, people wanted to save money. I didn't know if it was. To improve people's health. I mean, I didn't know whether or not that was a hook was enough of a hook, but but so I would always read everything I could read about particulate matter, but it was very, very dangerous to this, to, to our society, but it's not much we can do about it.

[00:06:45] Cause we just, we need all the engines that we have. To do all of the things that we do. But one day, one article I was reading had to do and way down buried in the article. It was something called black carpet. And I found out that black carbon was a major component. Particulate matter. And it also turns out that black carbon was 1500 times worse than CO2 because everybody hears about CO2 and CO2 bang, you know, the bugaboo or the planet and cause of climate change, but black carbon.

[00:07:19] And fortunately I didn't make the. This is what scientists all throughout the world know that black carbon is 1500 times worse than CO2. And then it dawned on me. I had, cause I had to put together a speech for a presentation. And I, and I had three minutes to talk about it. So I had. Go through everything that I had done over the last 10 years and black carbon was circling in my mind and my brain.

[00:07:47] And it dawned on me that we had a solution for climate change because when we reduce particulate matter by 56, We also reduced black carbon by 50% and black carbon truly is the enemy of the planet. It is a thing that coats out as shells, glaciers, both in the south and north poles and it's causing our, our ice sheets to melt at an alarming.

[00:08:12] And anybody that, that understands climate change knows that it's because of it's the direct cause of our ice sheets and glaciers melting so rapidly. So we accidentally found that we had a solution that can. Help to reverse climate change because we, if we figure out a way out or we figured out a way to burn fuel better, we can reduce the amount of black carbon is coming out this code in the glaciers.

[00:08:43] MTY: And it's very incredible in terms of the studies that have been done considering particular matter. You put one from the world health organization that more than 8 million people died in 2018 due to its fossil fuel pollution from particular matter. And that, that is a little less. At accounted for 18% of total global debts in 2018, a little less than one out of five.

[00:09:14] I mean, that, that is that's what the that's,, very, very, very concerning that it's not known widely enough in order for people to be informed about how. To do next steps to make sure that they are taking better care of themselves by taking better care of their loved ones.

[00:09:38] And also it says you caught another study that said a small increase in long-term exposure to particulate matter 2.5 leads to a large increase in the COVID 19 deaths. Right. And so that also leads to different communities, speaking on different places like factories and refineries, and they are then exposed in the immediate environment to the black carbon that is being emitted from the smoke and from all of the machines that are working there.

[00:10:12] And so has there been in your studies, do you know. Different places where people have had issues in terms of respiratory issues, cognitive issues, anything like that within certain communities that you can go into a little bit further?

[00:10:32] Don Owens: Well, personally, I don't know. All of the health ramifications. All I know is that the health ramifications are extreme and and people that are in the health industries and, and, and they know about all of these different factors and how it affects different communities, because obviously, you know when you live near.

[00:10:51] Expressways and you live in their factories when you live near all these different places, where, where typically it's not exactly the highest income levels where people live. It's normally where you have a higher level of, of black carbon, a particular matter of all these different things that harmless.

[00:11:10] Now, the unfortunate thing about all of these things is that. You know, we live in an in fact, I like to call it a, an ocean of energy created by fossil fuels. It's the fossil fuel energy infrastructure now. We we live here. I mean, we can't do anything about it. You know, everything that we do is dependent on it and we're like we're almost like fish in an ocean.

[00:11:37] In fact, the ocean is like the, I mean the energy of the ocean of energy enables us to live. I mean, it enables us to communicate. It enables us to travel. It enables. Develop medical miracles. It enabled us to do everything, but it is the same time at the same time, creating the black carbon. That's killing the planet now.

[00:12:04] We don't have much choice. We have to have what we have to have. I mean, you know, I don't even know how we could get along without internet nowadays because the internet is also part of creating black carbon because we all need to end. We need the electricity that, that the infrastructure creates. So the only thing that we can do is to try to burn fuel better.

[00:12:28] Now, this is such a monumental task. I mean, cause you know, the other day I was driving along near the ports in in long beach and you look over the porch and you see all these containers, all of these ships, all of these different things that are, that are necessary. For us to live, you know, in terms of shipping in terms of all the, all the time, but it's all fossil fuel base.

[00:12:55] Every last bit of it, even if we were building and shipping windmills for, for wind power, it's still fossil deal base. So the fossil fuel base is not going anywhere. The infrastructure cannot go anywhere and it affects all of them. And low income communities and higher income communities and all communities, because the bottom line for if we can't resist or we can't slow down climate change, it's not going to be very many places for anybody, any of us to run, you know, Florida will be underwater in 30 or 40 years and you know, so, so every, all those communities rich, poor and everything else will be in harm's way, if you will.

[00:13:38] So. But the infrastructure is the the problem, but we can't do anything about infrastructure because we need it, but we can burn fuel better. And that's the only thing we can do right now is to try to eliminate or reduce black. Because if we can do that, we can find ourselves in a situation where the glaciers are not melting as fast.

[00:14:02] Maybe we can reverse some of the things that are happening right now. But also one of the things that our technology does do it produces oxygen and the process of producing hydrogen for better fuel combustion. It also produces the oxygen for the atmosphere. So all these millions of engines and Systems can all be produced an accident without planet solely needs and can use.

[00:14:30] MTY: So you're saying that the it's the called the leaf H2O is what you guys designed. It is a. Component that can be put into a, an engine and it will then filter out all of the particulate matter and also the black Chrome, but not entirely, but you said 50% decrease in particulate matter and 50% decreased in black apartment.

[00:14:56] Is that correct?

[00:14:58] Don Owens: And what it does, it doesn't so much filter because they have they're. They do. What they call a diesel particulate filters that are usually used for vehicles, smaller vehicles to filter out some of these particulars.

[00:15:12] But. What our system does is what we do is we split up hydrogen and oxygen from water and the water that we split that we use creates hydrogen gas.

[00:15:26] And I had your gas goes into the combustion chamber with the air that's used for combustion in the engine. And so what happens is before the particular matter is even created. We burn the fuel better so that it's not created at all. See, what, what particulate matter is by definition is unburned. Fuel is fuel.

[00:15:48] That is not burned completely during the combustion cycle. So you have everything out here that doesn't burn complete fuel completely, but what hydrogen does hydrogen burns at such a higher rate? That it causes the fuel that's burned normally to burn a little bit faster. And because of Brian's a little bit faster in the combustion chamber, it creates less unburned fuel.

[00:16:14] So we can reduce at this point by 50%, the amount of unburned fuel comes out or. Black carbon that comes out. But our goal obviously is when you have a technology like this, it only improves over time. And once people get involved and start understanding what we can do, we can get it down to maybe the a hundred percent, maybe 90 or a hundred percent in terms of reducing.

[00:16:38] But we have to reduce the black carbon because the black carbon is what's causing all of our climate problems and all about climate issues. And it will continue even as long, you know, people talking about electric vehicles and development of wind and solar. The development or when solar electric, all of it's based on the fossil fuel energy infrastructure.

[00:17:02] So you can't even, we can't even think about billing those things without using the infrastructure. So, you know, so the emphasis. As we build more and more green technologies, we're still doing the same thing, which is creating black carbon, which is kind of a, you know, kind of ironic that we can, that we can't even create a green infrastructure without creating black carbon.

[00:17:26] So bad carbon has got to be the target for the entire. Human race, because if we don't get rid of it, we're going to continue to have a rapid rapid move toward climate change because our glaciers will always be melting.

[00:17:42] MTY: So would you say that what we have to do is maybe allocate the way that we use our.

[00:17:54] Resources. So then we can create different methods of. Powering different things, powering stuff, using electric, as you said, windmills, and also electric cars and solar. Should we focus our entities on that? Or should we focus it on doing something? That's even smaller that will leave as much as a huge footprint of black carbon.

[00:18:19] Don Owens: Well, the only thing we can do is burn fuel better and, and, and really that's the, that's the name of the book? The only option that we have right now is to burn fuel better now. Cause we're still going to do the things we're going to do.

[00:18:33] We're still going. Bill electric cars. We're still going to build windmills. We're still going to be doing all those different things. We're still going to be using the internet. We still gonna be, you know doing everything that we do, but that infrastructure, the fossil fuel energy infrastructure is causing the problems.

[00:18:51] Now. We can't get rid of the infrastructure. We need infrastructure. We live in the infrastructure. We were like fishing the ocean without the info, without the infrastructure, we will be like fish out of water. I mean, we literally have to have it. So it's not an option of whether or not we can stop burning fuel.

[00:19:10] What we have to do is we have to burn the fuel. And that's, that's the whole, whole basis of the technology, but the emphasis needs to be directed toward burning the fuel better, as opposed to trying to build all these electric cars or electric systems that require the fossil fuel industry. So, you know, it's still great to, we are going to be able to do that because we ultimately want to move to a hydrogen economy.

[00:19:40] We want to move to an electric economy where everything is built on based on solar and, and, and, and, and fuel cells. But even to get this. We have to get there with the fossil fuel infrastructure, the energy infrastructure that we use now, you know, right now you can drive along. I have in Cal Southern California and everywhere you look, and I'm sure it's everywhere where you are too.

[00:20:06] It's construction. I mean, construction is going on. Everywhere to building new factories, building new roads, building new hospitals, building new everything, but it's that infrastructure that's creating all of our black carbon. Now we need the infrastructure, but in all of those cases, we need to burn the fuel better.

[00:20:27] In order to reduce the black carbon cause that black carbon is going to be produced no matter what, you know, you know, if you build a million electric vehicles, you're gonna, you're gonna need the infrastructure to ship them around and to build and to build the factories and all those, all those things have to.

[00:20:47] Looked at, and the entire infrastructure needs to be evaluated and, and, and, and, and to come up with technology like ours doesn't have to be a house, but it needs to be technology like ours to help to reduce the black carbon that's produced. So. Has to be burned better. Now there are things, and there are ways that people can move to better fuels.

[00:21:10] You know, a lot of times people try to move away from diesel and a few other things like that, which is still very, very possible, but it's, it's still very impractical as a immediate solution. Diesel is here to stay and, you know, people think that bio diesel they're going, gonna make bowel deals. I think in, in California, they have maybe five.

[00:21:30] 10 bowel, diesel fuel stations, you know, it's, it's, it's almost like not having any at all because nobody can practically use. So that's the issues that we have. We have to find a solution to burn our fuel better, and we need to do it now. We're still going to be doing all the other things, moving toward a green economy, but we have to burn out fuel better.

[00:21:53] Today. And that's what, that's the beauty of what hydrogen brings. It brings a solution today. Not, not a solution for only tomorrow, but a solution for the day two.

[00:22:04] MTY: And so in burning fuel better, well, there'll be a point where we can be able to using your hydrogen solution.

[00:22:15] Move to a completely 100% green economy.

[00:22:19] Don Owens: Yes, I can see that, but, but it's a transition period. It's a huge transition period because just like, if you think about electric cars, they're nice. They do reduce a lot of the on the road. Emissions, but the problem with electric cars is that you got to charge them.

[00:22:38] You got to charge the batteries and when you're charging the batteries, guess what you use them, that fossil fuel infrastructure again. So, so that's not really much of a solution unless the batteries were being charged by. You know, if the battery is being charged by slowly, it is completely clean. But if the battery is going to be charged by fossil fuel infrastructure, you almost haven't done much except at the site at the road, you don't have the pollution coming out of that particular car, but that particular.

[00:23:12] Is is, is one among millions. So, you know, you know, if you have 2% of those cars being electric, you're still not doing much because people can't convert, they can't convert all of their vehicles. And if, and if, and when you drive, particularly when you're driving on the highway, you see a lot more than cars.

[00:23:33] You see his trucks, you see these you see vehicles that are used to transport gasoline that that are used to transport propane. None of those things will be electric. They're going to be diesel. And and so we can't convert 100% overnight, so it's going to take some time. And so the time that we, that we, that we kind of.

[00:23:58] We can end the main wow. Burn out fuel better. Because in essence, we do want to move to a hydrogen economy. We want to move to a place where we could use hydrogen fuel cells. We want to use a place where we use a windmill, wind power. We want to move to a place where we can use. But building of all of those things require a fossil fuel infrastructure.

[00:24:21] We can't build it. We can't go into the jungle and decide we're going to build some solar panels with some hammers and chisels. We can't do it that way. We had to do it with the infrastructure that we have. But the infrastructure that we have, and this is what everybody misses the infrastructure that we, and it's not, I don't believe it's missing because it's purposeful.

[00:24:43] It's just that we just don't know. We don't know. And don't understand that it's the infrastructure that's creating all of the black carpets. We don't even understand that there is such a thing called black. You know, it wasn't until I accidentally discovered that and made the connection between the between a particular matter and black carbon.

[00:25:03] Then it even dawned on me that we had a solution. So most people don't know that there is a solution at all. They do know that black carbon is very harmful. They do know that particular matter is very harmful, but they don't know what to do about it because the infrastructure still exists and the infrastructure is not going in.

[00:25:22] You know, we need it for everything. I mean, literally for everything, but what we have to do with that infrastructure is that we have to burn the fuel better. That's being burned because of the infrastructure, you know, and this, the infrastructure, like I said, it's not going away anytime soon, but what we can do as, as we try to move toward a green economy is to burn out fuel better.

[00:25:48] So that eventually. All of our fuel, all is all of our energy. And all of our electricity is made from renewable, renewable sources, but that's not going to be for awhile. And, and if we continue at the trajectory we are on now, Florida be underwater in 30 years because we haven't figured out a way that. We need to burn out a few better.

[00:26:08] They already having problems in Miami beach now and with with, with water coming into the cities and everything else. So it's an issue, but it's an it's, it's an issue. It's a problem that we have not really identified. And that's what I'm hoping and praying that our book will help to let everybody understand that we have a problem.

[00:26:29] And the black carbon is truly the enemy of the planet. We have to do something about it because otherwise. The planet is not going to accept all of this black carbon without having some consequences.

[00:26:42] MTY: . As you previously mentioned about going electric it's that it will take so much. Energy to create so many cars, so many people that it will then just admit more black carbon into the atmosphere.

[00:26:59] And so you also mentioned in your book that a majority people don't go electric, not because they're not an environment of the conscious and two that they can't afford it. And so. You say, you know, you go, usually what you would do is you would look on Craigslist for an ad for a car, and then you'd see like, oh, my neighbor got one down the road.

[00:27:21] So you go to him, you buy his old used car and it's maybe a pre 2000 little beater that you use. And you go from home to work, jacket gets off at school. And so you use that car so it's the idea that. Is it that the cost of the electric vehicles are extremely high, that people won't be able to afford them or that companies put that, that marker that price point on the vehicles themselves.

[00:27:52] Don Owens: I'm not, I'm not sure. In fact my inclination is to say that even though there, you know, we do have the profit motive, right?

[00:28:03] The profit motive is in everything that we do. So there is going to be some level of, of recognition. People need to make money. However, they feel they need to make it. So I don't necessarily know that the electric cars are I do know that they cost more, but, but it's not only the cost of some of them.

[00:28:26] Some of that is a little bit impractical. Also, you know, if you live in an apartment and you don't have charging stations, it's not, what are you gonna. What are you going to, in fact, I met a woman once that was driving 30 miles just to get her, her car charged. And so, you know, and, and when you go on out of your way to just to do that, and you still got to go to work or wherever.

[00:28:52] It just doesn't make sense. It doesn't add up, even if the price was right, it still wouldn't add up because you, you you can get gas anywhere. You can get gas on the way to work. You don't have to go out of your way to work, you know, just to get a charge. So so when you have a apartments and people living in apartments or living in, and and places that they don't necessarily have charging stations, it's not.

[00:29:19] To driving an electric car, even if it was affordable, it may not be practical. And, but, but the affordable issue is an issue. I mean, I'm sure Teslas are not cheap. I haven't, I haven't looked at buying one, but but even, but most people that have them probably have them as second cards because if they really need to go somewhere else, And where they're not charging stations on the way they get an, their gas car, you know, you know, because they're going to have to get gas somewhere and, and they don't, they can't necessarily depend on the charging station to be on the way.

[00:29:55] If you're going from one state to another state, I will promise you, you won't do it in an electric car unless you know where the charging stations are. And if you got to go two hours out of your way, just to get a charge, not going to work, it's not going to, it's not practical.

[00:30:11] MTY: Yeah. So currently it seems as the electric cars, they're more of a commodity, a luxury, instead of it being an actual necessity, not a, for us to better environment and better our just overall livelihoods in terms of air, we breathe, and so does transform a diesel powered engines into clean machines in terms of birding headed in. And then we'll this thing, the accident.

[00:30:40] Don Owens: Well, what happens is it may. Cleaner. It doesn't clean it because it makes it, it just makes it cleaner.

[00:30:49] What happens with diesel engines are generally very efficient engines. They're very, very efficient. They burn their fuel at a relatively efficient level. They've actually more efficient than most gasoline engines in terms of mileage and everything else, but they're dirty. And the dirtiness is the particular matter.

[00:31:08] The 2.5. The PM that comes out and that PM is what's measured now gasoline and just create PM also. But most people don't know about it and most people know. You know it hasn't been as, as widely circulated as a problem as the diesel engines. So these lenses are known for its PM is known for its harmful effects with with with respiratory problems with everything else.

[00:31:34] But the gasoline aren't as well known, but they do create the same problem. But now going back to what the diesel engine does. And because it does create a PM. That is what's the dirtiness part of, of a diesel engine, which we make cleaner because we reduced the amount that comes out now, you know, obviously if you had an electric vehicle versus the diesel, the electric would win because of the emissions.

[00:32:02] The missions are E zero, you know, at the tailpipe, the missions at zero, but the mission has come into play. When you, when you, when you have to gear up the power station, the power the power station to create the electrical charges for the batteries. So what you have gained on the road you've lost and in society, because you're still creating the same amount of black.

[00:32:28] Because the, the fuel is being burned somewhere else instead of in your car locally in your car, but it's still being burned because we have to charge those batteries. But what our hydrogen does is that it does make the fuel cleaner burn. So it doesn't eliminate it from burning, but it helps it to burn cleaner.

[00:32:52] And it turns out that it's the black carbon, which is the unburned fuel, which is the, the bad news that is what's causing. I mean, you literally, you know, if you ever did a Google search on black carbon and glaciers, you can literally see them coding the glaciers. And, and what happens is when they closed the glaciers, glaciers normally are white as snow.

[00:33:16] They typically reflect light and they reflect light and heat, but because of the black carbon on them, it's now of solving lighter beat, which is causing them to melt. So and that is the problem. That is what we, that is the issue for climate change. That is what's going to cause our glaciers to continue to melt and what's going to cause our sea rise, sea levels to rise.

[00:33:40] So you're going to have all these low lying areas that are going to be now covered with. Because of our inability to stop our glaciers from melting. So, you know, I hate, I hope I'm not beating a dead horse, but, but people really need to understand that until we do something about black carbon, our glaciers are gonna continue to melt.

[00:34:01] And our, our problems with climate change will continue. And accelerate as we can, as we even build a green infrastructure, you know, the ironic part is that we need the fossil fuel energy infrastructure to build the green infrastructure. And and, and as long as we are using that to build it, we're going to always constantly be behind April until we learn that we need to burn fuel better.

[00:34:30] We have to.

[00:34:32] MTY: I mean also mentioned that how long electric cars take, usually anywhere between half an hour to several hours that with the hydrogen fuel cells, your car would be charged in less than 10 minutes. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So the convenience is still there for people who are worried about something taking a long time, it's not gonna work.

[00:34:58] It's gonna be something that's really technical, but you know, five minutes, like, what's that?

[00:35:04] Don Owens: Yeah. Now the only thing about how you fuels the hydrogen fuel cells. Oh, wonderful. Oh, wonderful man. That's not what we have, but they're wonderful in a sense that. Truly like it's, it's a shorter time to charge, but the problem is finding fueling stations.

[00:35:23] And that's what the problem is for the hydrogen fuel cells. They have the same issue from a, from a plus the word I'm looking for from a logistical point of view you can't find them. You can't find fueling stations. So having a fuel cells is the way now the beauty of hydrogen and the direction that our technology is going.

[00:35:45] Our technology could, could very well lead to a situation where we can create hydrogen. On demand. So you won't have to have hydrogen fuel cells that you're looking for. I mean, I'm sorry. You want have to have hydrogen refueling stations that you're looking for because that's the problem with hydrogen fuel cell cars.

[00:36:05] You know, you have a, a very small percentage of hydrogen fuel cell cars because. You can't find any hydrogen fueling stations and the ones that are available sometimes don't even work. So you have people that have these wonderful cars, they hydrogen car, they create nothing but water as they exhaust.

[00:36:23] They are beautiful. They are wonderful, but you can't find any hydrogen. You can't find this hydrogen supply so that you will be confident enough to be able to take off from say, San Diego and go to Sacramento. And wonder whether or not you can make it because you can't find any stations on the way. So that's the, also the problem with, with, with hydrogen fuel cell cars is that they have a logistical problem with, with supply, you know, but they're beautiful.

[00:36:54] They're wonderful. But our technology is. Possibly can kind of bridge the gap even to make those hydrogen fuel cell cars even more practical, because we may be able to produce enough hydrogen on demand to enable them to not have to find stations. They can potentially have it produce enough hydrogen on their own to, to run the fuel cells.

[00:37:19] But that's also future that's another future. Element of hydrogen that we are not there yet. Right now, our present problem with hygiene is to make our I shouldn't say our present problem, but our present solution for hygiene is to make our fuel burn better because we have to burn a fuel better, which is going to eliminate the black carbon.

[00:37:42] MTY: So in making your device, what is the source that will extract the hydrogen? Making it. The efficient, both in the way that it is used and also in the way that it can be continually drawn from to use. It is a water-based.

[00:38:03] Don Owens: Yes. Well, what happens is we use something called PEM electrolysis, and PEM electrolysis uses a membrane and it uses.

[00:38:14] To filter through that membrane to create the hydrogen and oxygen from the water. So high water is H2O, of course. And our system takes that water and splits it. But by using some electricity, it splits the water into hydrogen gas and oxygen gas. And so the beauty of. System is that it's fairly fairly, what's the word I'm looking for a lifelong.

[00:38:44] I mean, it, it can create hydrogen and oxygen for very, very long time. So it's, it's, it's, it's no moving parts. It can create, as long as you have a decent water supply, you don't put Perrier. Right in there. You're going to be able to create hive and not mess up your membrane. Okay. So, and, and the beauty of it is, like I said, there's no moving parts.

[00:39:06] You just takes the water. It likes the water. It will split it into hydrogen oxygen, the hydrogen, the juice to improve your combustion. Always does no matter what. And the oxygen goes to the atmosphere and how in our particular atmosphere, we like hydro, we like oxygen, you know, it's good for our bodies is good for our system is good for our atmosphere.

[00:39:27] And so all of a sudden you can start having a millions and millions of, of engines out there that are not only burning their fuel better, but they also produce an oxygen for the atmosphere, which is, which is a very, very positive thing.

[00:39:43] MTY: And also in terms of you, when you thought about it being used on diesel engines one of the first things that came to my mind was farm equipment and that a majority of farm and also construction equipment is diesel based.

[00:39:58] And so if you use that system on that equipment, what will happen then is if you're telling your field, you will then be also. Leaving a trail of oxygen behind you greening up, literally greening the planet as you go. That is that system incredible concept. And so in terms of being able to use your method, your system, the device, How much does it take before it burns out?

[00:40:36] Is it on a, a, is a certain amount, like the amount of gallons or is it how many miles can you go on like a full tank of gas? Let's say

[00:40:47] Don Owens: that's a very good question. And I'm I'm gonna answer it two ways. First our target market right now is some of the largest systems that don't have. Any abatement for a particular matter.

[00:40:58] If you, when I first tested this on a car on my car and the amount of water that we needed, if you had a gallon of water, and I'm just gonna explain this by using the gallon. And at that time, it wasn't as efficient as we have it now, but even with a gallon of water, if you had a gallon of water and you were driving your car from California to New York, You can go from California to New York, back to California, back to New York, back to California, back to New York.

[00:41:30] And back to California, before you ran out of water. Now you would have run out of gas a lot of times, but the amount of water that you use to produce enough hydrogen, a gallon would have covered almost. What does that? 10, 12,009.

[00:41:48] MTY: For a gallon

[00:41:49] Don Owens: of water. Yes. Because you don't need that much hydrogen. And this is what's so surprising. Hydrogen is, and we're not using hydrogen as the fuel. We use hydrogen as a catalyst to make the fuel burn. Okay. So, so we're not using that because people have tried. And I think I may have not have answered your question because people have tried to develop hydrogen engines, you know they use strictly hydrogen, but they, they were failures because hydrogen doesn't possess.

[00:42:21] BTU content for you to have a small enough source for an engine around, like for example, it's a gasoline tank of 20 gallons. You would need to have a freaking hydrogen tank of 180 gallons. You know, it would be so large because the BTU content is so small. But when you use hydrogen where we are using hydrogen, which is as a catalyst to help the fuel burn better, you're just using a very, very small.

[00:42:50] So the amount of housing that you need to help that fuel burn better, it's almost insignificant in terms of the amount of fuel. So that's why a gallon of water that contains so many molecules of hydrogen is used so sparingly that you can drive back and forth all across the coast without, without having to use more than a gallon.

[00:43:15] MTY: So, would it be a gallon of water, a full tank of gas? Will it be,

[00:43:18] Don Owens: No. No, no. And then in other words, it's almost like I'm, I'm hoping I'm answering your question correctly, but if you had a gallon of water and you were starting to drive to New York, you're going to probably fill your tank up, which is a, probably a 20 gallon tank at least five times before you get to New York.

[00:43:39] Okay, so now you still have a gallon of water. So you're going to fill up five times on the way to New York. You're going to fill up another five times on the way back. You still have your, your gallon of water. It's not, you know, it's not gallon a gallon, but you, you know, you, you using some of that gallon.

[00:43:57] So now by the time you go out there, two times, you've made a views. The half of the gas. Oh, you follow

[00:44:06] MTY: yeah. One, one mountain trip, right, right. Yeah. Yeah. Right,

[00:44:12] Don Owens: right, exactly. So the amount of hydrogen that you use is really insignificant, but it is very significant because it helps that fuel to burn so much.

[00:44:23] It makes it burn faster than the combustion chamber and it, it, it stretches it. So it will end up getting you better gas mileage, but at the same time, you're not using a lot of water to make that happen, you know? And so, but there is a ratio that we have to air. So your larger engines will obviously use more air and more hydrogen than a smaller.

[00:44:48] So so your, your big container ships or your tankers may end up using a lot more and may use, you know, 10 gallons of water by the time it goes, you know, from wherever it's starting from to wherever is ending up, but still that is not that amount. The amount of fuel that they use will be drastically greater than that.

[00:45:10] MTY: I'm just curious. Cause I remember at the, at the beginning of the pandemic we had the massive shutdown and it seemed as if I have two brothers live out in California and they said that they could finally. See the top of the Hills in LA. And they could also see the ocean and they could see like fish in the ocean and under it wasn't like the normal, grayish, lucky color it was, but it was like this crystal clear Jade kind of color.

[00:45:43] And you can see fish and different life moving into it. Has the, did you see any particular drop in black carbon during that time?

[00:45:54] Don Owens: Well, they would have been, even though I wouldn't have necessarily known how to measure it, but what they described was because there were not the same amount of vehicles out there creating.

[00:46:06] So, and so as a result they, you know, like I said, you can see the Hills again, you can, and at this point it's probably back to normal because you know, you have all those cars back on the road, all those trucks back on the road, everything, and you have more construction. I mean, everywhere you go out here now and just, and I'm sure it's the same way out there.

[00:46:28] It's construction everywhere. Every, every vacant spot of land is being cleared for something. And and this all. It's all diesel engines, it's all diesel construction. It's all diesel generators, it's all diesel. And so we are actually in the process of creating more black carbon that we then we've ever created, just because we're improving.

[00:46:55] And again, and I say improving our lives because it is true. I mean, when we do things like that, it improves our lives. No one can dispute the fact that we need all these hospitals. We need these apartment bills. We need these places for people to live. So it's, it's an improvement on our lives, but at the same time, it creates black carbon and it is also the thing that's created causing our glaciers.

[00:47:20] So as we improve our lives, we literally have to burn fuel better. We have to, we have to get rid of the black carbon because the black carbon is, was what's causing and, and will continue to cause the glaciers to melt and all kinds of other problems that will have two or three or 20 years, two or three decades down the road.

[00:47:43] You know, these glaciers may not even be there. And, and the, and the Cirrus sea level rise that people are experiencing now will be even tenfold. So we have to do something about black carbon. We have to do it now. And and, and, and as long as we are using our infrastructure, which we will do, we will continue to do.

[00:48:05] But we, and we will continue to even build a green infrastructure with it, but we have to do something about the black carbon that. Creating right now. And hydrogen is the only solution that I know of short of cutting it all off. But if we cut it all off again, we'll be like fish out of the blue. It would be like fish out of, out of water.

[00:48:26] We won't be able to survive. So we don't have an option to cut it off. But the option that we do have is the burn, the fuel better. So we can eliminate the blame.

[00:48:37] MTY: Where can people go to learn more about how to not burn as much black carbon and also what can they do in order to just make sure that they can like, w where can people go to get the belief? H two.

[00:48:53] Don Owens: Okay. All right. Now, right now, There are so many applications that we don't have an application for.

[00:49:02] You know our application, I mean the leaflets too, it's not a one size fit, all solution. You know, right now we're focusing on generators and we focusing on what they call a refrigerated truck engines. Now the marketplace is humongous. It's beyond humongous because it needs to, it needs to be on helicopters and ships and it needs to be.

[00:49:24] But we can't build it everywhere all at once now, but the only thing that people can do right now, and this is so important in my mind is to learn about the existence of black carbon. What happens is most people have never even known about it. Don't know anything about. And, and, and even though this is not necessarily a, a plug for my book, but my book is the only place you can find out about it right now.

[00:49:51] It literally is you can find out about black carbon on the internet, but you can't find out that there's a solution for black carbon on the internet. The only place you can find that out is in that book. And I employ, I really, really want every human being on this planet to learn about black carbon and learn why.

[00:50:10] It's the enemy of the planet, because what happens is that human beings are pretty freaking incredible. I mean, we can do some incredible things when we set our mind to doing it, you know, just like the Corona virus, you know, when it's first came, I mean, it was, it was devastating to everybody and it still is.

[00:50:29] But at the same time, there have been solutions that are mitigating. It that in a year and a half ago, we couldn't even imagine solutions for that. Human beings will find ways to do things. And so that's why it's so important in my mind for every human being on this planet to understand what black carbon is and why it's the enemy of the planet.

[00:50:52] Because once they do know that they will start internalizing it, they will start being active. Activists about it, that they can start getting the word out about it. And the things that people can start doing to start mitigating, it will start coming, will come into pass, you know, and some of the, some of technical solutions will get even better, you know, cause right now we have a solution that we think hydrogen can help, but there are other things that I'm sure people can come up with and they will come up with when they understand that it is indeed the enemy of the.

[00:51:26] And we have to do something about it. It's almost like a. The alien you know, the aliens went in the movies, you know, the movies that we see where the aliens attack the earth, and we all collectively get together and all humanity, humanity, you know, combines resources and, and we fight the aliens. And that's the way the movie's always in.

[00:51:48] We went most of the time, right? There's a few that we don't, but, but that's what we have to do in this case. We have to get together. We have to collectively decide that black carbon is the enemy of the planet and we find a way to defeat it.

[00:52:01] MTY: , well done. This has been a wonderful conversation. It's very surprising.

[00:52:07] Our FaceTime lives hours are already up. But I have one more question for you and that is if you have the ability to send the worldwide text, what would your message be?

[00:52:19] Don Owens: Oh my goodness. This is the only message that I have even. It won't, it wouldn't be fully understandable, but it is black carbon is the enemy of the planet and we have to defeat it and we need the Lord.

[00:52:35] We need to use every resource and every ability and every brain cell that we have. So that we can defeat black carbon because it is truly the enemy of the planet. It is the enemy and, and, and we all need to understand it. And once we do, we can do something about it. And then until we do, we won't be able to do anything.

[00:53:00] MTY: Well, Dan, thank you so much for your time. It's been such a talking to you. Where can people go to learn more about the book and your work and what other stuff you're up to? Okay.

[00:53:10] Don Owens: Well, you can go to burn fuel, better that come is. And a burn fuel, better.com and there's also a free gift on air about what we are doing to harm the environment and how we can solve it.

[00:53:22] But the book is also there. My Twitter and Instagram and Facebook handle is all Don climate Owens. Okay. So if you go to Don climate Owens at Twitter, at Facebook at all of the other ones, you, you will find different posts that I have and different things you can follow about what we're trying to do.

[00:53:44] And, and, and, and so, so that we can see if we can understand better what black carbon is and why we really need to do something.

[00:53:53] MTY: Now, well done. Thank you so much for your time.

[00:53:56] Don Owens: Thank you for having me. Thank you very much.

[00:00:00] Moses TY:

So today with me, I have on the black, old podcast, Z a, she is a PhD. Holder in religious studies and the author of the new book dump your degree. And it's a guide on how we can utilize college students that's that we are talking about how we can utilize our degrees in such a way that we don't end up graduating and having to wait.

[00:00:29] Until we are qualified for jobs that we have the degree in, or that we need. It's one of those conundrums where you need the experience in order to have the degree and you need to have the degree in order to get the job. And so it's one of those things, which chicken and egg, which should come first and.

[00:00:45] Zaki, she's telling us we gotta dump the whole thing.

[00:00:48]

[00:00:54] So Zaki tell me exactly if you don't mind tell the listeners what made you wanna write this book and why should we students dump our degree?

[00:01:06] Zakiya Akerele: So it's not literal. But if you want to dump your degree, you definitely can. A lot of people end up working in fields and industries that are not relevant or related to their degree fields.

[00:01:17] So they definitely can pivot their career in a way where the degree is not utilized. But. It's more so me telling people not to make the degree, the focus of their career. A lot of times people get degrees and they say, okay, the next logical step is to find a job in that industry. And then when they find themselves unemployed or working jobs that.

[00:01:41] Didn't require the degree or they're underemployed and overqualified, all these different things that they can end up being where the degree is not being utilized. I'm basically saying, Hey, stop making that the focus of your career journey and start looking at the sum total of your talents, your skills.

[00:02:02] And the degree if possible. But other things that you can utilize to develop a career that you enjoy.

[00:02:09] Moses TY: So I'm really curious, how did you mm-hmm end up going on this, on this Odyssey of discovering that people who have degrees that are basically with the time they go to school for them, by the time that they get out of college, the, the, the degrees are practically use.

[00:02:27] How did you discover all of these things that people need to do in order to make sure that once they get out of college, they are then useful in terms of the job market for the discipline that they have mm-hmm and they're able to get the job or the career that they want.

[00:02:45] Zakiya Akerele: It was me being an unemployed college grad or, or PhD holder . So I finished my degree in my last degree, which is a PhD in 2010. It was a very challenging time with the recession going on. And so there weren't many jobs that were available and there were even less jobs available in my discipline.

[00:03:08] So for a while, I was like, What am I doing? I was depressed. I was like, I have to move back home. And this is, you know, after being away from home, since I was 17, I went to college and now finishing a, a doctorate and having to go back home to try to figure life out. It was not an easy journey. And so when I, I finally, you know, I was finding jobs here and there and I came across another PhD holder who was working a job that was well, like she was, you know, way too overqualified for her.

[00:03:38] And I were both working it. And she was a older woman. And I said, wait a minute. Now this, this is not where I need to be headed. How do we figure this thing out where, you know, we have this education, how do we use it in a way. That doesn't necessarily have to match the industry that we studied, but to create very viable careers.

[00:03:58] And so I started trying to think of things that I could do basing it off of my skills, my talents, and also who I know like. Developing my connections to open doors for me. So that's, it was basically a personal journey. And then when I became a professor, my students, some, some of them ended up not getting hired after they graduated.

[00:04:21] And I was like, okay, wait a minute. I can't, you know, have you all ex. Experience and the same thing I went through, how do I work with students to help them prevent and avoid the pitfalls I went down. And so that's kind of how your degree started with me doing research, but also just giving the practical advice that I wish that I had before I started higher education.

[00:04:44] Moses TY: Yeah, cuz it's really fascinating to look at what you have written and mm-hmm , I think it's on your website that you offer people a chance to, to read the book. It's not out yet. Mm-hmm , that's gonna be out soon, but you have a chapter on there. It's about how you can, as a student gets skills and you can acquire different sort.

[00:05:07] Just skills and so you need to focus on skill acquisition mm-hmm . And so in terms of you as a student what were some of the skills, I guess, that you wished you'd learned when you were a student mm-hmm to help you further on your journey?

[00:05:24] Zakiya Akerele: Well, I'm, I'm a people person. I call myself an introverted extrovert, cuz I am extroverted, but.

[00:05:31] I kind of tend to like, to kind of be very private into myself at times. But you know, we hear about networking and we think of networking events or what have you, but really relationship building, professional relationship building and keeping communication open looking for opportunities and how to add value to other people.

[00:05:53] So. When there's a chance or a time that you may need them to open doors or to head you in the right direction, you have that network, that those connections that could be available to you. I think I wish I would've learned that or looked at that more. When I was in school, as opposed to thinking, okay, now I have the degree, the job will just show up once I put in my application and it's definitely more to it.

[00:06:18] And it's definitely a kind of like an art too, creating these relationships. It's not just, like I said, going to a network and event and exchanging context and whatnot. There's a, you have to, to build these relationships. That will benefit you, not just to benefit you, but that are mutually beneficial to make sure that opportunities, you know, are always available to you.

[00:06:41] When people see an opportunity, they think of you. So I, I wish that I had known that or how to do that when I was in school. Yeah.

[00:06:50] Moses TY: I think you spoke about, there were some people that were really helpful and mm-hmm, in different moments of your life that you would say as pivotal. Did you have any mentors that helped you along the way to discover this is what you should be doing?

[00:07:05] This is the things pitfall to avoid. Was there anyone there to help you and walk you through that kind of thing?

[00:07:11] Zakiya Akerele: Yes, and no. So I'm not a first generation college grad. A lot of times people, you know, think that first generation college grads have the hardest time navigating higher education. My, my mother has.

[00:07:24] A bachelor's degree. My grandmother has a master's degree in education. Both of them were educators though. They were educators in a different level than I was as far as they were, you know, focused on early childhood education. And I was higher education, but so they, they mentored me, encouraged me as far as my higher education path was concerned.

[00:07:44] But again, You know, and of course I had mentors in my graduate studies. That was a requirement, but as far as navigating my career I kind of was trial and error. Really. just trying to figure out, you know, the path ahead and, and having mentors that were not necessarily connected to me, but finding mentorship and people who were out, you know, via the internet and things like reading books and things like that.

[00:08:11] Have

[00:08:13] Moses TY: there been any books that you would say really inspired you and helped you to achieve those kind of things?

[00:08:18] Zakiya Akerele: So it. The one of the more recent books that I really like is you are a badass asset making money. That was one of my favorite books more recently because I like how Jen puts together practical information, but also I'm big on the power of the mind and opening, you know, your, your consciousness to see opportunity.

[00:08:41] A lot of times people, when they face challenges, They kind of start from that challenge and they only see the challenge and it like I was on a show recently being interviewed about the book and someone said something like, oh, well it's easier for X, Y, and Z group of people to be successful because they already have X, Y, and Z.

[00:09:02] And I don't, or we don't. And so starting from the challenge will keep you in a, in a challenging situation, if you don't expand your mind. Right. And so many people have become successful because they didn't start with the challenge. They, they focused on the ability to get to where they wanted to get to.

[00:09:21] So I read a lot of books about overcoming about using the power of your mind and. Building confidence to accomplish anything. So that's one book and things like, you know, the power of subconscious mind and all kinds of other books like that really motivate me to have the will to do you know, to move my career.

[00:09:41] Yeah,

[00:09:42] Moses TY: it is really incredible how people take for granted, like their what's up here, you know, their mind mm-hmm so they don't really, it's not really exercised as much as, you know, a person would exercise their body, but it needs to be different things you can do. One thing that I've really, really found to be really helpful in doing that.

[00:10:04] Is is gratitude just being grateful for many different things. And it's like, really. Weird because one of the things like I'm grateful for, like, I wanna say, like these sunglasses that I have over here and then what I really found it really interesting about like these sunglasses right over here is that I got these these sunglasses.

[00:10:28] For like I think mowing the lawn. And so I connect my my gratefulness to a memory, to a happy memory. And so that makes me happy. And so mm-hmm, that makes me just elevates my mood a little bit, you know, . And so it's like, oh, like, and, and again,

[00:10:48] mm-hmm, , I didn't mean to do this, but I link like this item over here to skill acquisitions growing the lawn. this in terms of where?

[00:10:54] Zakiya Akerele: No, I, yeah, I, I definitely feel that uh, one of my. Favorite authors to read is Florence SCO shin. And she was what they would consider like an esoteric teacher of a new thought wisdom.

[00:11:08] And so she's, she was big on like affirming in gratitude, being thankful. So I, I definitely connect with you there. And one of the affirmations that she said was, I. With wonder at that, which is before me. So it could just be the simplest thing, but being grateful, actually, it it's kind of, it builds the momentum of more positive things surrounding and coming to you.

[00:11:31] So I definitely understand you there. Yeah.

[00:11:35] Moses TY: And so in terms of being grateful mm-hmm , were there any things that you had to in a, in a weird way had to force yourself to be grateful about during some hard times that you had throughout your career? Yeah.

[00:11:51] Zakiya Akerele: this whole journey, you know, now looking back, I, even though the challenges were hard, Being unemployed for a, a decent amount of time working jobs that I was overqualified for.

[00:12:06] It didn't feel good while I was going through it, but now turning and that, that's why at the beginning of my book, the dedication is to the reader and I, and I say to the reader for made their obstacles become opportunities. And that's just basically the end, all of what I want you to take away. I want you to come out of this no matter what situation you're in, whether you're a student, if you are a graduate or a career professional, You're always gonna face challenges in your career one way or another.

[00:12:35] You're gonna either face challenges in your education, your career or both. And so I'm definitely grateful that I was able to come out of my challenges and be able to help guide others so that they can avoid those challenges or when they face them, they have the tools and the skills to know how to overcome them.

[00:12:55] Moses TY: Yeah, that, that is a really good way of putting that.

[00:13:01] So in terms of the book mm-hmm, you say people, students should acquire different skills mm-hmm and there are different types of, of skills that you list in the book. And I'm curious, cuz some of them are skills that are, and you tell a story in the, in the chapter about it's a friend of yours in, I think it was high school who wanted to become a plumber and mm-hmm was, he was really adamant about that.

[00:13:32] And one of the things that you wrote about was that doing like The teacher going around the room. What do you wanna be when you grow up? Kind of, kind of like morning meeting kind of thing. He was really adamant about being a plumber and the teacher really like questioned him about like, like stop joking around, dude.

[00:13:48] What do you really want to be? Mm-hmm and it's like you guys and a couple of your friends, they're like, no, he's like Rick, he really wants to be a plumber. And it is the the idea of careers and things that are really people will look at, blue collar work is what it is.

[00:14:04] Blue collar work mm-hmm . And that it's not really that fancy stuff to do. In terms of students and skill acquisition. Do you believe that there should be some sort of way for them to acquire those, those basic like labor skills so that whenever they need to, they can always pull out of their pocket, apply it.

[00:14:30] Zakiya Akerele: I definitely do, but I think that we already have that the problem is people look down on them as I mentioned in the book. Right. So you don't have to go to college. Right? You can just go and acquire trade skills, go to vocational trade school and do that. Or you can go to college, the traditional, you know, four year route, or what have you, and still go out and get a trade degree diploma certificate.

[00:14:55] You don't have to do either. Or, and so college is there for what it's there for. And if you want to work with your hands or have a skilled trade trade school is there, I, and again, I just think that people diminish the value of blue collar work when it can be very lucrative, it can be very enjoyable.

[00:15:16] People think, oh, it's just work that people don't enjoy. As you mentioned, my, the friend in high school, he enjoyed what he. You know, he enjoyed going to work with his uncle and working with his hands. Everybody doesn't have to be a blue collar, a white collar worker.

[00:15:33] Moses TY: Okay. And so the other thing that you put in there is you have a list in here and the, the first one is, yeah, learn a trade. Second one is acquire certifications. And so in terms of acquiring certifications, are there any specific certifications that you found in your research that have, that have a, a really high ROI on them?

[00:15:59] Zakiya Akerele: It just depends. So of course, anything like, well, not anything but a lot of tech related engineering, mechanical, like those types of things I've seen have good ROIs. That actually, when I was looking at least I was like, these jobs are paying more than I was making as a professor. So and it, and when you say ROI, there are even.

[00:16:19] Certification programs that may not have the best, but you can monetize them in the way where they give you a better ROI. So it also is about what you put into the job, right? So you have people, you know, you can say is a barber making good money. Yeah. Maybe not, but then there are celebrity barbers and there are barbers who travel and there, you know what I'm saying?

[00:16:39] So it's what you put into a career is what you get out of it as well. So even in relation to degrees, you might get a degree in something that doesn't have a great ROI, but you can monetize it in a way that it does. It ends up having one.

[00:16:57] Moses TY: And then the next thing is that I really found interesting and it is very contrary to the way that the current system school system education system has, but in place.

[00:17:10] And that is that students. Instead of waiting until their, their sophomore junior year, they should start interning immediately for positions at different offices, different organizations that they wanted to be a part of. And so as a student, the school year into college first year how should you convince your advisor? You should be interning for certain positions

[00:17:34] Zakiya Akerele: you don't need to, you don't have to ask an advisor. Anything you can create your own opportunities. Listen, my, when I was young, I. Really aspired to become an attorney.

[00:17:44] And my mom knew this. And so from the, I don't know if this is, I mean, this volunteer work. So I don't know if this is legal, but she said, okay, you wanna be an attorney? 12 years old. I had been volunteering with the legal aid, right. Doing work. I would go in volunteer or do shadowing of attorneys. And I'm looking back now, I'm like, is, was that legal?

[00:18:04] Cause I was running Aarons, doing all kind of stuff, courthouse, jailhouse, all kind of stuff. But the point is you don't have to ask permission. You just need to ask for the mentorship or the internship, you your own internships. So you can find time in your schedule. To to intern when it's convenient for you and you don't have to let a professor or an advisor, of course, if there's a way to get school credit or some type of credit you can definitely do that, but don't yeah.

[00:18:33] Don't wait on somebody else to give you permission.

[00:18:38] Moses TY: Yeah. And so what you did was that you another one on the list. Yeah. You became an apprentice in that situation. Mm-hmm in terms of learning under someone, shattering people, figuring out how the system works. Mm-hmm what you should do. Mm-hmm yeah.

[00:18:55] Zakiya Akerele: Definitely. I, I recommend that highly because then not only with the apprenticeship, you're learning a skill trade and it will help you of course, in, in the long run in your profession. And it'll help you with any cert certification programs or what have you. And you can create a viable business from that hands on training.

[00:19:15] So I highly recommend.

[00:19:17] Moses TY: Yeah. And then the last one on your list is to become a freelancer mm-hmm . And so, in your, in your research for the book, have you found any specific freelancer job I'm supposing that it's gonna be, again, like in the, the tech sector, coding, something like that in terms of freelancing positions, but anything that you found in your research.

[00:19:42] Zakiya Akerele: Oh, it can be in anything I'm literally you can monetize and freelance in the thing. , I'm seeing people freelance advice and are making money from, I will be your advisor, you know? But it could be anything writing. It could be editing, you know, it could be anything I've I actually even with this book, most of the matter of fact, my whole team is freelancing.

[00:20:08] Right. I found them through freelance, whether it was my publicist to the designer, to the editor, to the proofread, to everybody was a freelancer. Even down to getting media. You know, was someone who was freelancing in PR who actually quit her job, because she was making more as a PR freelancer than she was working for a company.

[00:20:29] And I hear those stories all the time. So you can legit monetize pretty much everything.

[00:20:37] Moses TY: Well, that's really incredible just in terms of the versatility that that even has. Yes. And yeah. And there's so many sites out there. I interviewed a guy on the show about his he created his own freelancing site and it's really like, like really incredible how many talented people there are out there that have skills and that are well versed in multiple subjects that they could then apply to someone else mm-hmm to help them to grow their own business or to.

[00:21:07] Help them with the project or anything like that. It's just really incredible how many people are on those sites and that they can, you can tap into that as a resource to use for sure, even, right. Yeah. Yeah. And it can be, as, as you are doing, looking for them, going to freelancers to help you with different aspects of what you're doing, or you being a freelancer yourself and filling in for certain aspects of someone else's endeavors.

[00:21:36] Yeah. .

[00:21:39] Zakiya Akerele: Yep, definitely.

[00:21:41] Moses TY: Yeah. And so you got your degree in, in religions and religious studies. Why did you do that? Why, why in religion and religious studies.

[00:21:53] Zakiya Akerele: It was a passion of mine. I enjoyed I, again, I mentioned I wanted to go to law school and when I found out you don't need to major in pre-law political science type field, you can pretty much major in anything.

[00:22:05] I ended up switching my major to philosophy and religion, and I felt I was just fascinated by the topic. I'm fascinated by different cultures, traditions, spiritual tr you know, belief systems. And I felt like it gave me a not only was I fascinated by the subject. Also allowed me to understand people and cultures cuz I love to travel.

[00:22:25] So it was just something that I liked doing. And I also was really big on like interfaith work, conflict resolution, social justice things and, and religion studying, you know, the subject of people think religion and theology are the same thing, which they're two different fields, but so people always, oh, you went to seminary and I'm like no different different subject.

[00:22:46] But it was just something that I, I thoroughly enjoyed.

[00:22:50] Moses TY: Yeah. And even studying I'm a student of theology. And so even mm-hmm, like looking at the studying theology in different aspects in terms of, as you said, interface mm-hmm dialogue and all the other aspects of looking to other religions and other.

[00:23:11] Different fields of faith that then combine into into Christianity and other religions as well. Mm-hmm and it's really incredible. How, how similar and common things are just across thematically across each religion. Yes. In such a way that is, it's kind of spooky whenever you look at it. Yeah. But yes, definitely.

[00:23:34] Yeah. It's also very fascinating and wondrous as well. .

[00:23:39] Zakiya Akerele: Yeah, I loved it.

[00:23:41] Moses TY: yeah. So in terms of you being a professor mm-hmm what did you find to be a, a degree that students were better off taking the, of taking to help them further on in their, in their later on career?

[00:24:03] Zakiya Akerele: One. I mean, I, I always say, I feel like I'm contradicting myself is something that they're passionate about, which might not give them the best return on investment.

[00:24:13] But if they know, learn how to make a career out of their passion, then that's what is the best. Right? So, like I mentioned in the book, an artist student I had, who was excellent in my classes and I found out. That he was not doing so well in his other classes. And even in my class, you know, when he showed up, he showed up, he was answering questions.

[00:24:35] He was having got like conversation and, you know, I'm, my classes were very conversational. I believe in, you know, having healthy discourse and, you know, talking about things and not just listening to me lecture. And so when I found out he was failing in other classes, I like what's going on. It was, I sat him down to come to find out he was an artist.

[00:24:54] He was a poet. And so we had to have a talk about whether or not he should stay in college. He ended up, you know, as I mentioned in the book continuing his education, but now, and since then he has become an artist, right. He has worked in his art and tied his degree into his art. So that would, to me, that's a win.

[00:25:15] But it's what we're talking more practical, right. When we're talking about. Which degrees just in and of themselves have the best return on investment. Of course, things in, in tech stem, you know, those types of things. Of course, you know, when people go into like medical fields, that's always gonna be something that's gonna give you a good return.

[00:25:33] Yeah. So I would say stem, tech, those things, and um,

[00:25:36] Moses TY: What is your view on, on student loans in terms of college debt and students taking out loans for so many things, you know, they're. Courses the, the cars, the mm-hmm place of residence, but what is your view? What is your solution? I guess I'd have to say to do student loan crisis students being free from being free from college.

[00:26:04] Mm-hmm .

[00:26:05] Zakiya Akerele: I think that's the longest chapter in my book. Don't make a deal with the debt full. And I think student loan debt is evil. I think that is, you know, horrible that you're given 17, 18 year olds access to that type of money to go into debt for something that may not give them a return. And so they're starting their life with it.

[00:26:27] All right. And then they come out with a job making. You know, little money. And so what was the investment? Wasn't great. And I think I saw online that, you know, somebody said it at 18, you can sign up for all this debt for school, but you wouldn't be able to go get a business loan for the same amount.

[00:26:44] they look at you like you were crazy, right? For the most part, not to say that you can't start a business at 18 and get funded, you could. Right. But on average. So I think student loan debt is horrible. I do give ways in which I have found or are helpful in paying student loans back. But my number one advice is to not take out student loan debt at all.

[00:27:05] If you can afford, and I give options for that, right? Like, you know, starting off at a community college, finding free schools, whether in the us or abroad you know, or if you have the debt working for employers that will pay it off. And getting your debt forgiven in other ways. So, but I think student all that is horrible.

[00:27:24] Moses TY: Yeah. And I liked how you you put it in your book as a chapter. Don't make a deal with the, with the, with the debt DBT V L yeah. That's it's really nice.

[00:27:34] Zakiya Akerele: Yeah. Yeah. Thank you. .

[00:27:36] Moses TY: Yeah. I really like also that you have different spots after your chapters where people can write out mm-hmm like, this is how we apply this chapter over here.

[00:27:46] Like, what are the next steps they have to do? And I really like that you also have it's You have quotes from different people at the start of the chapter mm-hmm and you also have affirmations in there as well. Mm-hmm . And I'm really curious about the affirmations. How did you go about designing those for your book?

[00:28:06] Zakiya Akerele: mm-hmm so, like I mentioned, I'm a big proponent of the power of the mind. And I guess bringing in my background in ancient thought new thought, you know, subconscious mind that kind of, there were people call mind science, you know, it's one thing to say, I'm gonna create a career. There's one thing to like start planning that career or setting goals, but then there's another to affirm and to have the confidence and the, the knowledge that you can achieve, whatever it is that you're setting your mind to.

[00:28:40] So I put those affirmations. In there just as kind of meditative kind of things that you can do to get your mind. Right. I'm I, like I tell people it first starts in your mind because you can do all of these things, apply all of these tools, but if you don't feel like you can do it, then it won't work.

[00:28:57] But if you have the confidence in yourself, then you're there. .

[00:29:02] Moses TY: Yeah, mindset really is incredible in terms of the, the focusing and making sure that your laser focused on a certain thing. And whenever you do that, usually everything you see and that's when you start to see the opportunities around you, penalize everything mm-hmm yeah.

[00:29:20] And like, right. The dedication. Look, obstacles and opportunities and obstacles. You need to make sure that whenever you look around, it's like, oh, like I can use like that thing over there. That thing over there, can you create this stuff ladder that, that helps you over, like the, the marker that you need to, to

[00:29:40] Zakiya Akerele: conquer?

[00:29:40] Exactly. Exactly. Yeah. yeah.

[00:29:45] Moses TY: So How did the pandemic affect you in terms of what you were doing? Were you a professor at that time or. Were you? I

[00:29:53] Zakiya Akerele: was, I, I mentioned that in the book as well. I don't wanna give too much away. I want the people to go and buy it, but , I'll tell the story. Yeah, it, it impacted me at the time I was pregnant with my second child and in the middle of the pandemic I had our, my, my toddler was about two at that.

[00:30:10] And so I didn't know what was go, you know, early, nobody knew what this thing was. Right. And then, so as my students started saying you know, we think this thing is serious. We finally went on a break, like where we were doing remote work, which was good. And then I was teaching in Florida at that time.

[00:30:29] So , I don't know if you follow politics in Florida, but that was one of the states that were like everybody back in immediately type thing. And I'm like, okay, how do I do this? At that, you know, when they told me I had to go back in the classroom, it was in the height of the pandemic. And I had just given birth to my daughter and I had to talk her home, like, so am I supposed to just go and put them somewhere so that I can teach?

[00:30:55] And I was not. Willing to make that decision. And so, yeah, I, since then I have transitioned out of the classroom.

[00:31:05] Moses TY: And so that was the catalyst that really helped you too. Just yeah. Get started and everything. It's really incredible. How most pandemic really helped people get things into perspective in terms of, there you go, making sure it's like, I'm doing this thing.

[00:31:21] I've been doing it for the last 10 years. Don't want to keep on doing this. And so it gives them right, right. It's kind of weird. It's kinda like it gives them an excuse to do a thing, what they really want to do. Exactly. Exactly. Yeah. It's really sort of unfortunate because except if that didn't happen, then what would you have done gone for another 10 years?

[00:31:42] Kept on doing what you were doing before, right. And it's really kind of debilitating in terms of. That people believe that unless circumstances are unfavorable, that they cannot do what they want to do.

[00:31:57] Zakiya Akerele: Mm-hmm mm-hmm mm-hmm but they that's yes. Way

[00:32:00] Moses TY: to make. Yeah. But they definitely, I mean, can do it whenever they want to do it.

[00:32:06] If they have the wherewithal to do it. Absolutely do it. Mm-hmm and so mm-hmm, , there's no excuse to not do it kind of thing. Right.

[00:32:14] Zakiya Akerele: Exactly.

[00:32:16] Moses TY: Yeah. And so how would you describe your book to a new student? Someone just getting into college, looking at mm-hmm stuff online. It's like, oh, and, and you mentioned in the book, it's like Traditional traditional advertising for colleges has gone out the window mainly, and now it's just like social media posts and the little spots on TV.

[00:32:44] And so what would you describe your book ads to a new, fresh freshman looking to go into school?

[00:32:54] Zakiya Akerele: I would tell a, a, a freshman that the book would help them. Actually, I think that that's in the best position to read the book because it kind of gives them advice all along the way. Right. So you're just entering, how do you plan out your academic career?

[00:33:11] How do you avoid certain financial pitfalls while you're in school? And then what do you do to develop your career while still in school and after you graduate? So it kinda gives them a little bit of a roadmap for starting and also after they finish.

[00:33:30] Moses TY: Well, that's nice, cuz it really seems as if it's kind of like the, the cheat codes to school. Yeah. And it helps. Yeah. Helps all the students just it's like, oh, you know, you gotta left the left. Right, right. Left one of those yeah. Kind of thing. Yeah. Yeah. It just helps you like jump gaming yeah. And so it just helps you to just get over that.

[00:33:54] And so you see this thing SW out of the way over here. And so it's really nice and really. Wonderful that there's a resource like this mm-hmm . Yeah. And so the the tagline for your book mm-hmm how do you repurpose your education, control your career and gain financial freedom? I'm curious, what is financial freedom to you in terms of this person getting a degree?

[00:34:17] Right.

[00:34:18] Zakiya Akerele: Right. So to not to basically have financial stability where you have the knowledge of how to manage your finances and you don't feel stuck. Right? So like me, it was so many things I didn't know, as a young adult. And I want you to have the freedom to not. Enslaved to debt whether that's student loan, debt, credit card debt but also the freedom to enjoy life and not feel like you have to do work that you don't enjoy in order to just survive.

[00:34:51] So having the ability. So I give them little keys about how to budget, how to avoid debt, how to pay down debt. How to plan for retirement, how to retire early or, you know, give them the insights to go and get that knowledge on their own. Right. And so that's what freedom means to me to be able to enjoy your career and not feel like you have to live paycheck to paycheck or just to

[00:35:17] Moses TY: yeah.

[00:35:18] And I really like your example there. Yeah. You're not trying to survive. You really wanna, wanna thrive, wanna blossom, wanna make sure that you're out there. Interacting and mover, you're a shaker, you're doing different things. You're doing what you really want to do. And it's more like the idea of like, I can now take like two days off of work and I can go into national.

[00:35:42] I can, you know, go off. I can go visit the pyramids. I can know I can be there for a week and then come back if I want to that kind of thing. And right. Yeah, it is very funny. Financial freedom in terms of people currently it's that they are and like how you put it, they're enslaved that, and I, that idea of, I have to, I have to work here.

[00:36:07] I have to do this thing. Mm-hmm I have to do it. Mm-hmm . Because I need to pay this off in order for me to then mm-hmm, go ahead and to finally be free to do all the things that I wanna do, but right, right. Yeah. It really is kind of like you are, you're trapped in that cycle. You're enslaved. To mm-hmm whether it be organization or the, in terms of like student loans and any other kind of debt that is, that has no return on investment.

[00:36:44] Right. Debt wise. Yeah. And so it doesn't make any sense. But fortunately we have a book computer degree. Okay. It's a guide to be purpose your education control your career and the gain that financial freedom. Yeah. Mm-hmm so Zaki who would you say has been an influence in your life as a person of color, a black person that has really helped you?

[00:37:14] Who do you look to? It can be it can, they can be real or they can be fictional.

[00:37:19] Zakiya Akerele: Oh, oh goodness.

[00:37:27] Well, as you see, is it the opening of my. The first person that I quote is Madam CJ Walker. And she basically is talking about creating your opportunities. And I think about a woman, a black woman in the time she was living, becoming a millionaire from her own hands. Right. She had every reason to, to.

[00:37:56] To have excuses if, if they're a wordy and instead of having excuses, she created opportunities. So I think that has been one of the biggest, inspirational mentors from afar as to speak so to speak. But so many others, but that one stands out. And I think that's why I put her at the, the opening her quote at the opening of the book.

[00:38:21] Moses TY: Yeah. She really is an incredible human person. Yes. Yeah. Very, very, very hard thing to overcome. It always makes even more, even the more like, sort of like wild that she was able to do what she did despite the times. And that seemed incredible in and of itself. Yeah, exactly. It's just, it's amazing. So Zake thank you very much for being on this show.

[00:38:50] I have one last question for you, and that is if you had the ability to send a worldwide text, what would your message be?

[00:39:02] Zakiya Akerele: Ooh, worldwide text. What would I missing? Oh God. Two things come to mind. Can, is there only one? Can I, let me think.

[00:39:12] Moses TY: You can send both of them. If you want to. I can

[00:39:15] Zakiya Akerele: both of text. It can be a long text. Okay. Two things that are like guiding principles for me, one is I would tell people don't conform do not conform to what society other people say, think, you know.

[00:39:36] But to create your own path. and. Yeah, that would be the main thing, cuz I'm big. I'm a proponent on non-conformity following your own BLIS, your own purpose. And then the other thing would be, as I mentioned, several times is to believe in the power of your own mind and your own abilities to look within for everything that you need.

[00:40:03] Moses TY: I love that do not conform. It's really incredible because I think it's in, in moment 12 mm-hmm it's do not become so well addressed to your culture. That you fit into it without even thinking. And so it's the idea that you're just a drone and other drones doing this thing. Mm-hmm you must also do this thing.

[00:40:26] And so it's yeah. I can need to like break out the system and make sure that you are an independent thinker and again, however, own mind, power of you own mind. Yeah. Yes. Well Zaki thank you so much for being on this show. Thank you. Is there anywhere where the listeners and the Watchers can get your new book?

[00:40:52] Zakiya Akerele: My book dump. Your degree is available on Amazon Barnes and noble books, a million Walmart on most online retailers where you can buy books. It's there. So I know a lot of people prefer Amazon, but yeah, it's available. IndieBound all kinds of platforms so they can check it out there.

[00:41:11] Moses TY: Well, that's wonderful.

[00:41:12] Zaki thank you so much for your time.

[00:41:15] Zakiya Akerele: Thank you. I enjoyed the conversation.

[00:00:00] Moses TY:

[00:00:00] today with me, I have this episode of the black gold podcast. already OI and her nickname is Frenchie the dot connector, and she is a business coach who is dedicated to helping entrepreneurs start -and scale their businesses with strong foundations.

[00:00:21] And she will help you to think and do at the same time co-creating and co innovating solutions while delivering results with speed, scale, and certainty to change or create the path of your business. So Frenchie, welcome to the black gold podcast.

[00:00:42]

[00:00:42]

[00:00:48] Frenchie: Thank you so much for having me.

[00:00:50] Moses TY: Absolutely. And I was mentioning this to you before the show.

[00:00:55] The connection that we have in common is duvet Weaver, one of the previous guests on the show with closer to our dreams, LLC. And I'm curious, how did you, and he mean, .

[00:01:12] Frenchie: So basically how we met is, you know, digital stranger. So I'm pretty sure that whoever's going watch this podcast or this replay. If I say Maddie, Maddie Willard on Instagram, Everybody's, you know, kind of know him. He's a very, very big marketing person on Instagram.

[00:01:36] And basically we both follow the same person. And during a live, I believe that was during a live of Medi we started to, you know, interacting. And so basically after that started to follow each other. And he saw that on my platform. I go live every Thursday night for my new business Thursday.

[00:01:59] And he thought that that was a pretty cool concept. And he DM me and wanted to be part of you know, the, the, the show. So we then connect and did on interview on a Thursday night. And this is how all this started. So yeah, you, you can meet some pretty cool people on, on, on the social media platform.

[00:02:22] If you utilize it properly,

[00:02:25] Moses TY: Yeah. And as we were talking about, even before the show, how social media, when used incorrectly, it can definitely be a huge waste of time in terms of that's usually you're scrolling endlessly, looking at pictures of different people, doing different things. And you want to, I don't know, you call yourself like catching up on things, but actually to end up wasting time looking at wheels, usually that's, at least for me, my problem is looking at like the shorts, looking at wheels and just wasting maybe 25 minutes, just scrolling through the short little videos.

[00:03:03] And so how have you, would you say with Instagram specifically been able to utilize social media in a way that is constructive instead of destructive.

[00:03:16] Frenchie: So I have actually a method and that's one of my posts. Actually, that's, that's a very good idea. I'm gonna repost it, you know, you have to repurpose your content.

[00:03:27] But I have a, actually a system is that I put myself on sort of a timer. So I know that it's usually my post are batched, right. So I have content already preset and pre-made, but sometimes it can't, you know, you don't feel that, that post of the day you wanna talk about something else. I can't, but I dedicate myself about 15 to 20 minutes to be able to post the posts that I'm supposed to then right after that, right after your post stay online to see a little bit of what's going on, some people are gonna start liking, gonna comment.

[00:04:04] So you have to be sort of active for at least a good on another 15 to 20 minutes. So I'm, I am available on the social media platform to respond to those comments. To be able to go ahead and show support to some other, you know, people who are online as well. See a little bit of what's going on.

[00:04:24] And sometime it's also checking in on some of the clients and seeing, you know, how they're doing. So a lot of people, they think that, you know, you, you know, it's kind of weird to go into people's DM, but sometime it, it can be something genuine. So it's just checking in, seeing how's everything going commenting on their post as well is very important.

[00:04:44] And then after that I choose one or two hashtag on a niche or on a subject that I'm. Prepping to, to talk about, and I'm going to go and see who's following the, those big accounts. What have been Don said and see if this is a subject that would be, you know interesting or if people really wanna hear about it, because sometimes there is a difference between what we think is what people want and what they actually do do want.

[00:05:13] So I'm in a business of service, therefore I have to make sure that I provide something that they need and that they want as well. Other than that, I'm just gonna post just for myself. I'm gonna hear cricket, gonna feel frustrated. So I'm really strategic on the time that I'm spending on the platform.

[00:05:32] Usually, like I said, 15, 20 minutes to post my actual post, staying online to respond to the comments I'm gonna. Then I spend about 10, 15 minutes to go onto people's DM sending them some positive, you know, messages or just checking in. I go on some other people's posts, show support, comment on their post.

[00:05:53] Right? The biggest thing is a lot of people think that that double tap of like, that's not what count, what count is actually, if people actually read what you're saying or understand, and comment and save or share. So those are the biggest, you know, those are the real likes. Those are, are the one that are gonna propel your, your, your, your post, right.

[00:06:15] And the algorithm like everybody's talking about. So I'm really conscious about, you know, showing support by leaving a comment on, on some people's post I'm not faking it. So that's, that's the biggest thing. I'm not faking it, it's genuine wine. And then after that, I can see also on, on those people's posts, some new followers that I don't know.

[00:06:35] Right. But they comment on something. So. I do spend time reading comments on people's post because prime example, mad Maddie's huge platform. You have 180 K followers, right? Amazing person dope at marketing, but the number of comment that he has, sometimes some people do have question and it can bypass that.

[00:07:00] Right. So sometimes it's just, you know, just trying to see if there is anything that I can do to either respond, support, or make a great connection. I do go on people's page to make sure that, you know, it would align and I could actually help them, but I spend time that way. So if that makes sense, it's like I'm scouting for.

[00:07:21] Potential connections. I'm not gonna say clients because it's connection. After that, on social media platform, when you do connect, you know, if it sounds like, Hey, I can help you. Do you wanna buy my course, you wanna, you know, work with me. And they don't know you, you have to also take the time to nurture, do, do connection and relationship.

[00:07:43] They'll see if they wanna know who you are. They'll go on your page and they'll look at your bio and all that stuff. Or they click on the link in your bio and, and everything. So. It's good to tell them who you are, or just, you know, showing a little bit about who you are as a person. And then they make that decision.

[00:08:02] I'm, I'm not there to convince them. I know what I can do and provide for the people that I can help. But at the end of the day, this is their decision, not mine. So if I, if I get just a, a, a good digital friend, then I'm cool with that too. You know what I mean? So that's the biggest.

[00:08:23] Moses TY: Yeah, I hope I answered your question.

[00:08:25] Oh no, you absolutely did. And one of the things that is really interesting is that there aren't a lot of people that are actually social on social media. There are, as you say, they're the, the post people who just post stuff. And then they, whenever someone responds, usually just push their product or their service on them.

[00:08:45] Mm-hmm , and it's not in a way that is almost natural, but it's really artificial and it's really fake. And so that is an instant, like rejection from accepting that person's product or service. But it sounds as if you try to connect with people socially and you then take those connections and then you say, I can do this for you if you need me to, but if not, it's like cool.

[00:09:13] We are connected. And so even if they don't need your product or service, it's highly likely that they would then recommend you to someone else who needs your product or service. Because the interaction that you have with them is, as you said, it's genuine. And so you don't want it to be something that is artificial, but you want it to be true and something that is it's everlasting compared to just being momentary.

[00:09:39] Frenchie: Yes. And, and, and I've done that a lot especially for virtual assistant, because I, I, I started that way. This is how I exit my, my, my nine to five was I became a virtual assistant. And so when I do see sometimes people on their platform and I see that their bio is not set up properly in order to, you know welcome or feel welcome you know, their potential target audience.

[00:10:09] So sometime it's, it's simply I will generally give them couple of pointers or ask them if they have like five minutes to 10 minutes to go on a phone call first is for me to secure it and, and, and really tighten that, that connection, you know, when you have a phone call with somebody and then sex to say, Hey, I, I literally just wanna help.

[00:10:29] So can do you mind if I have you know, one or two pointers for you? And they're like, oh my gosh, yes. I didn't thought of this that way or this way. And that way it's kind of, you know, a little teaser of, you know, working with me, what that would look like as well. It doesn't cost me much. It does cost my time.

[00:10:46] So I'm really mindful also of you know, what I want out of this. So sometime it's purely, I, I just wanna help you. I know that you're probably not gonna be able to, you know, work with me for the moment, but I wanna give you that little push because sometimes we can feel also especially on the social media there is like gazillion people on there who are doing the same thing, right?

[00:11:12] And so when people start, if they don't get the, the, the automatic, you know, boom and Hey, I just, you know, took a leap of faith and I'm doing this, this, this business, and I'm gonna go on Instagram and they automatically think that that's gonna work sometime they gonna feel either overwhelmed, discouraged, so you can see the trim of their, of their posts.

[00:11:35] So it was like a post every day. and then I post once a week and once every three days. And so that's where it's like, I can't see that. And so that's where I'm like, I'm reminding them also of, you know, you, you, you gotta keep showing up, you know, if that's really what you wanna do, just do it more, this, well, that way or think of it this way.

[00:11:55] And sometime it's, it's like revive a little bit, the, the, the spark and, and, and let's go. And so after that, it's like, you know, like I said they're gonna follow me, not follow me, or, you know, continue to, to see the evolution or, and, and yeah. So that's how, that's how I view I take pride and my value in business and my, my work ethic.

[00:12:26] And so I really wanna come up as I wanna be helpful. So of course I wanna get paid, but it doesn't cost nothing to be nice and it doesn't cost nothing to show support. So if I have time, I do take that time, but I don't do that, you know, all the time either.

[00:12:48] Moses TY: Yeah. That's really nice. Mm-hmm , that's really nice.

[00:12:53] So you are originally from, from France, right? Yes. So what was your, your journey moving to moving to the states and being an entrepreneur?

[00:13:06] Frenchie: How did that go? Yes. So, yes. So , I hope you guys are ready. I'm gonna try to summarize as much as I can. So so I am from France Was married to an American person and moved from France to the us and was so in France, I was in the fashion industry for over 18 years.

[00:13:35] I was traveling the world for the collection, the fashion shows I loved that job. It was really, really my passion, right. And moving here, I had, it was to shock up the culture. Right? Other different country, different language. My English was, was decent, but not as good as I am now. And you where I'm at, I mean, if you're not in, in New York or in Los Angeles fashion, the fashion industry is not really present in Chicago.

[00:14:10] So I couldn't get, you know, a similar type of job. So I started working in an insurance company as a junior accountant, and then I realized I'm a man, the American don't get no days off. No, no time off. No, no vacation, no sick time. In France, you know, the, the government and, you know, It's really different.

[00:14:33] We have a universal health insurance. Now. I was like getting my paycheck was so little with the, the coverage. I mean, it, it was like a shock of the culture for me. Then I had to learn that you need to have a social security number that tells you if you are worthy of getting staff or not. I mean, it is like, like I said, for me, it was like, where am I?

[00:15:00] How does this country work? Because I'm like, I know people have family, but you guys don't get no days off. You barely get days off. So anywho let's bypass this. So my daughter at that time was very young seven or eight years old. So when kids get sick, I couldn't even take off or I was getting take off, but not getting paid.

[00:15:23] So I was like, let me work in a school district where it's gonna be a little bit more lenient. And then from there I got the passion of, you know, working with the kids. So I was with in a high school, but look at this. So I have. I have degrees in France. Right. But I don't have any degrees in the us.

[00:15:42] So I was at the administration office working with the principal and the assistant principal. I was organizing all the event of the school and everything. Right. And then they saw all the stuff I could do anything with computer or stuff like that. Anything digital, right? So you have all those old secretaries who have been there for 30, 40 years and they just know a little bit of spreadsheet and typing, but anything else, you know?

[00:16:08] So I was the, the youngest, you know, one who know how to do PDF, do flyers do this, do that you know, formulas. And so basically at some point it was, I was really engaged with the student because I was seeing also how they needed. Really someone who genuinely care for them. And not saying that, you know, some teacher don't care, but the environment of same thing, the school, the school system in, in the us and France is completely different.

[00:16:39] So 45 minutes for a class. I don't know how people learn in 45 minutes a subject, but as we go in, in blocks, so it was blocks of two hours or three hours of a subject. But any who, so I was trying to be the friendly face that they could see in the hallway and not just telling them go over there. Don't go over here, sit down, stand up and try to engage with, with the student at the same time.

[00:17:05] So I was really involved with them to make sure that they were well balanced. I understand also the meaning of education why they needed instead of, you know, always being mad or, you know what I mean? So I worked. Over there for almost eight years. But at some point I was like, man, I can do so much.

[00:17:26] So I was trying to also be involved with a lot of immigrant you know, students and parents to make sure that they were also because I am an immigrant and I am a parent to make sure that they were integrated and, and, and we, we can understand our culture. And sometime when people were, you know, teasing our stuff like that.

[00:17:45] So I was creating a program for that, but I don't have no degree from here. So they, they liked all the stuff that I was doing, but I was not getting paid for it. You get what I'm saying? So at some point, all I was getting was a $25 gift card to Starbucks and, and, and every day saying you the best I can't eat that I can feed my family with this

[00:18:07] So I started to get a little bit frustrated when I was seeing that everything that I was doing, some other people were getting credit or were getting paid or stipend for it, because they had the degree, but I didn't. So I saw that basically I was limited and that I couldn't go any further. Right. They were not gonna pay me more and no matter how much I, that, you know, I'm, I'm good at what I do.

[00:18:35] All I was gonna get was compliments. And so. In the midst of all this I had, you know, a, a Rocky a marriage that was not going too well. My dad in France started to get healed, so he passed from cancer. So there was a lot of things in my life that was very toxic. I was very down mentally for a lot of, you know, reason.

[00:19:01] Right. And so I let go of my health as well. So I was at the first stage of obesity. And once my dad passed, I was. Going to school in the morning and in traffic and I had in sort of a panic attack, an anxiety attack, I was like, is this how my life is gonna be? I literally was like, oh my gosh. If I, if I pass myself, who's gonna take care of my kids.

[00:19:29] How is that gonna be? I was like, I gotta change something, gotta change. And from there, the first thing before the entrepreneurship part, I had to take care of myself and my health. So I started to get healthier, lose the weight and the longer run. I met my business partner CJ Scott from athletic spa.

[00:19:50] And so he became a trainer and then his mindset of, he was basically putting back in me, the confidence. Right. When you're not happy in life, you're down. So you limit yourself. You're like, I can't do this. Or look at me. I, I cannot even like, you know, do that. Or, and so he was a continuous booster in my life while I was, you know, in my journey of, you know, health and wellness.

[00:20:18] Right? So energy goes back up. You feel better about yourself, the confidence get back up. And then in his business, I was seeing, you know, all the stuff, I was like, well, you should do these flyers, or you should market yourself this way as a personal trainer and things like that. It was like, you're very good at this.

[00:20:34] I said, I'll help you. And so I started that way by helping him building his, his, you know, his his business as well. His brand and along the run, I started helping some others. I had a coworker wanted to open her dance studio and we did just that. She just didn't know where to start, how to do it.

[00:20:55] And I'm a nerdy. I have to look at things I have to search for myself. You can tell me whatever you want. I'm still gonna go and look for myself. And so I start learning about business. I start learning about credit because that's where I realize I'm like, well, you need money for all those things. How do I get money?

[00:21:15] Because apparently I don't have enough credit because I'm brand new in the country. How do you build credit? Yeah. How do I get the funding? Do you get what I'm saying? So from that, that was back in end of 2016. And I told myself if I do this, I'm really gonna go all in. And so I was in the midst of divorce, health journey, job, getting frustrated.

[00:21:41] Right. But I was like, I gotta do something. It was that drive. I was like, my dad passed all that. Like, life is short. Life is freaking short. I don't wanna be unhappy anymore. And so I cut my cable. I looked at all my bills and I was like, what can I take off? So this gonna fund, you know, my business or fund me to learn, because at some point you can Google all you want, you can go on YouTube, which YouTube been, you know, really helpful.

[00:22:11] It still is. But at some point you like, I need to get to someone that has been there knows. And so I, it can propel me. And I really, literally, all my spare time was either to be at the gym, being healthy, L learning and investing in myself. And from that I learned financial literacy and that's where I was like, man, I gotta do this for my kid too.

[00:22:33] The earlier I can put her on the better it's gonna be, you know? So I'm about to be 46 at the end of this month. So I start my journey very late guys. So. At that point, I was like, well, I cannot let go of my job. I still gotta pay bills. Right. So I'm like, how can I do this? So I was like virtual assistant.

[00:22:54] I started helping actually speakers from Eric Thomas, you know, Eric Thomas. Right? Yeah. And so one of, one of the teacher actually of Jasmine, of my daughter was going to that program and she was looking for someone to help her with her calendar, booking flights negotiating contracts, sending, you know, documentation, things like that.

[00:23:17] I was like, all right, really? The pay scale was, but at that time I was like, I can't believe I can make money on my own. So that was my first thing was doing this while I was still, you know, full time at the school. I didn't let go of my job. I literally prepare my exit strategy, which is how much do I need to leave?

[00:23:42] How much I'll lose bills and how much do do I need? And then from that, I was like, okay, if I work on a side and do this type of job or things like that in couple of months, I would be able to pay for my LLC, pay for the business insurance, pay for this, pay for that. And so I started that way and I was like, well, if I do that, well, I can start you know, thinking of when am I gonna stop working and then go full time.

[00:24:10] So she was so impressed with how we were working together, that she refer me to some more motivational speaker. And then after that, I'm like, man, I'm overwhelmed . And so I was like, I need more time to work on the business. So then I realized that, Hey, I'm actually making half of my pay. So I started to ask my school, if I could go part-time.

[00:24:36] Because literally I'm gonna be honest, the job that I was doing, I could do it in my sleep or I was done for the day. Like I could do whatever they were asking me. I couldn't get it done like super fast. So, but you know, you are on the clock. So I was just hanging out with the kids or working on my stuff.

[00:24:56] If, if somebody, at some point, if I blow up and they, they see that interview, I'm gonna be honest because I was getting shift also for the school on Sunday. You know, they have event at the school. And so I was getting the shift on Saturday morning, Sunday, I was doing the detention that way I have. And while I was watching the kids, I was working on my staff, anything that would make me extra money, but I can still do so it's like I was double dipping, but it was a sacrifice of actually I would say that not a sacrifice as I decided of what I was gonna do is my time.

[00:25:32] And from there, they, they actually, that school told me no for part-time. I was like, it's okay. There is plenty of other school. E everybody knew because of my work ethic. Remember what I said, I'm very, very strong about my work ethic. And so everybody knew me. So when I said I'm looking for a part-time position on another middle school, just hire me on the spot.

[00:25:56] And so I was working only in the morning, 7:00 AM to 11, and then all the rest of the day was for my business. You wanna know how long it took me to be full-time entrepreneur and make double of my, of my pay.

[00:26:10] x: How long?

[00:26:12] Frenchie: Eight months. Wow. Eight months. Because I went in, so also, because in school district, you know, when school is out, you still get paid.

[00:26:23] So you don't have to go to, to the school, but you get paid. So I was like this summer. This summer we're gonna make summer happen because now it's like I'm full time entrepreneur. So I literally was going to networking event. I even offer my services for free to a local realtor, because she had event.

[00:26:45] I said, I'll do your table. I'll meet people. I'll you know what I mean? Sometime you have to understand that you have to also offer and show people what you are able to do. Too many people enter that, that entrepreneurship thinking they're gonna get paid thousands right away. You have to show what you're good at.

[00:27:05] And so at I had to really, really go in into what do I wanna do if that makes sense. And after that it was the dry was there, right? Was that easy? No. No. But is it worth it. Heck. Yes. I, I leave, I would say since, so since 2018 that I started my business, I have not one debt regret what I've done. Ups and down.

[00:27:39] Absolutely. But am I prepared for this? Yes, because I decided to not go further into you know, that, that thing of, you know how can I say this? I had to prove myself also that this is something that I was good at. I'm not gonna advertise anything that I don't know, or I didn't, you know, do myself experience myself.

[00:28:08] There's a lot of stuff out there, you know, I'm not going to, you know, shame anyone, but there is too many out there that are very good at marketing and packaging their stuff, but what's inside.

[00:28:25] I focus on foundation mindsets and health. A lot of people forget that in order to run a business, you need to be healthy. You are the only person, right? So there is nobody else who's gonna replace you when you're not well. So when you know, people tell me I'm in my bag, I say, yeah, but being a healthy bag then, because if you're not mentally aligned with what you do and physically as well, your, your brain is not gonna be able, your brain's gonna shut down.

[00:29:00] Your body's gonna shut down. And I had some moment like that too, because I, I felt I was, felt so strongly about what I'm capable of, that I forgot that my body needed the rest. So that's, that's something I always intertwine those two, the business and the health, because if you're not healthy, you're not gonna be able to build anything.

[00:29:21] I talk a lot.

[00:29:26] x: it's all good.

[00:29:28] Moses TY: It's all good. Yeah. And so, yeah, I mean, it's it's wow. And so it's the thing that's just sticking in my mind is eight months. It took you eight months in order for you to be, to have enough in order for you to leave your, your full-time job or your part-time job. Yeah.

[00:29:49] Frenchie: Eight months was from when I went to part-time, but overall everything it took me almost two years.

[00:29:59] So from the time that I decided I'm gonna start a business, it took me almost two years and that's the other part. Don't just quit the job. And you don't know what you're doing with your health insurance. You don't know if you have a 401k, you don't know. That's, that's a lot of thing that I had to, was there any, you know, time that I was gonna save effort and I'm just gonna quit today?

[00:30:22] Absolutely. But then I'm realized I'm a mom and I got bills to pay. So I better, I better, better figure that out properly. So exit strategy that's the most important thing is having a proper budget, knowing exactly what you need, if you can sustain, because you're not gonna be able to sustain as well. So a lot of people are, are, are taking that leap of faith with no goals and no.

[00:30:50] And that's where it's, it's the hardest thing. And then they probably going to could be very good at what they do, but they don't ha they still don't have no plan. So they're gonna be in the mix with all that competition out there with similar ideas or similar type of services that they provide or product, but they have nothing to back them up.

[00:31:12] Like I said, it takes time, years to build a business. Am I comfortable? I never wanna be comfortable. So if, if I can say this for whoever's gonna watch this, if you plan, if you're an aspiring entrepreneur, it can be don't stop, but make sure that you take the time and, and, and take the time to be good at what you're gonna do.

[00:31:38] There is too many people out there too many businesses are easily created. It's I'm here to last. So they have to also view that that it's okay. There is no shame of having your nine to five that is actually funding your business. Second, you're gonna learn what to do and what not to do from the processes.

[00:32:00] Any business, any big corporation have system in place, a small business, even the word, small business, I don't care. You still need to have a system in place. How do you take clients? Do you have, do you get what I'm saying? What type of email you gonna send them for thanking them for connecting with you?

[00:32:21] Do you have a questionnaire in place? Do you have your, your pricing package? Do you have contract in place? So you need to have system and processes in anything that you're gonna do. And I don't care what kind of business you're gonna have. You're gonna need that. So take that time to learn from your job because any sort of job you have, they have processes.

[00:32:43] So learn from them. Of what to do, what not to do, what you could do better and, and then make it your own. But don't quit so fast that you are gonna burn your chances to be successful and, and really make that change for that, that you're looking for.

[00:33:03] Moses TY: And the other things need to be willing to do the things that you like really hate to do, but unnecessary to do not.

[00:33:12] If you do, as you said, you gotta pay those bills, right? You gotta keep the lights on, gonna keep food in the fridge and your everything, and in order. And so it's the the great resignation people been quitting, their jobs because it's not because the jobs themselves are or bad, or the company is a bad worker environment, but it's just because like, eh, I don't like it.

[00:33:40] I don't work my home. I wanna, I wanna have stuff on my own schedule. It's like, no, like you, you are working at a job. I'm currently taking it's a biology course and it's, it's a real bad kicker, but It was recently one of the things that the professor said was and we are very small class, like six people we're all seniors.

[00:34:05] And she's like, you know, like, listen, like I know that you guys really need to do this. You need to make sure that you're on top of this, this and this, and like day, want she telling us all this stuff. And Well, she, what she ended with was that look, all, all of you guys are seniors, right? And so you're not biology majors.

[00:34:27] This is a course of non biology majors. However, you need to make sure that you like do the exercises and look in the back of the book, do all those. Those exercises. That'll just learn all the terms and everything because in it, since you're a senior and this is your last year, you're taking this course not because you want to, but because you have to and because you have to make sure they do a good job in this class in order for you to, to pass and graduate.

[00:34:57] And so it's it's yeah. As you said, what you. That was like, that's the best of both worlds because you then, as you stated, your job is actually directly funding what you want to do. And so you go there for, from 11, from seven to 11 is what you said for your three hours. Get the money from that, put it into the business, let that money make itself some more money.

[00:35:24] And then you go to your job business and you keep funneling that money from your, from your job to your business. And so that way, everything is like a cycle moving and everything is feeding into it and it's growing. And instead of if you were to quit your job the savings that most people have, a majority of people have in their account right now, it wouldn't be enough to fund them, fund their lifestyle for at least a month or two months, even no.

[00:35:56] Frenchie: And then we, all those businesses who got created during the pandemic. Right. Which was a great lesson also for corporation don't, you know, like you gotta, you gotta nurture your, your, your employees, right. Because they can't leave you. Right. So, but a lot of people went and took that, you know, that torch, but they didn't do, they either did amazing.

[00:36:23] And actually me personally, because a lot of people were starting their businesses. This is where my four week program boomed out. Right. But all the time I was telling them don't, don't quit. Especially right now you're working from home. You can, you can't do it. You don't even have to deal with, you know, Samantha at the job that's getting on your nerve.

[00:36:44] You don't even see her. So do the damn zoom you know, be present and, and show up when it needs to, they sending you that paycheck. A lot of people don't have due paycheck or get laid off. So be, be thankful that, you know, you're not one of them and, and, and build like all that extra time. Now you don't have to, to spend gas money, you have less time and less stress, you know?

[00:37:10] So you can't literally just wake up at the same time, but spend time to learn something about your business. But a lot of people, they just wanted to have the instant gratification in what they do. So sometime I also tell people you're gonna have to put your ego to the side, what you see on the, on the platform on online.

[00:37:29] I'm not saying these people are not making this type of money, but I wanna know, or I wanna know. I don't wanna know, but what I'm saying is because I'm, I, I learn, you know, finance and financial literacy. I can also tell you that, you know, the more you're gonna make, the more you're gonna have to, to, to report right on your taxes and everything.

[00:37:48] Are you prepared for this? So you can also deduct all you want what that's gonna look like that you're not making any money if you deduct that much. And then now you self-employed, let's say you wanna buy a house. You wanna acquire some sort of credit. It looks like you're not making no money. So you are not gonna get those things.

[00:38:09] So you have to be strategic also with those things. Or some people are overpaying themself. And some people did not paying or, or did just taking the money from the business and not categorizing it. So that's the same thing. It's like, you can be good and you can create a business, but you have to act like one and a business have structure.

[00:38:32] A lot of people don't have structure, therefore when it's time to do and, and file for their taxes or when they have to take care of, you know, or even sometime even filing in their annual report to their state, they forget. And then their, their business is dissolved or they have fines or their, you know what I mean?

[00:38:53] So that's where I, I took the time to really get into what this is, what make me different. I would say, compared to other business coaches is that I'm gonna go to the back end of your bus. I'm gonna really make sure your foundation of your business are straight. Therefore once, once it's time for you to get all the way up there, they don't have to worry about your foundation.

[00:39:15] They're not gonna go to Shambo because they're already there. Do you get what I'm saying?

[00:39:20] x: Yeah. It's really strong.

[00:39:22] Frenchie: Exactly. Like a house. You want a strong foundation in your house? You can't look good on the outside. And then you see that, you know, it's leaking everywhere. There is a hole in the wall, or there is you get what I'm saying or I, or, or if there is one little hard wind or a hard rain, that's where you're gonna see, who's gonna stand up, stay strong.

[00:39:48] So there's something that we are living right now with the inflation, the potential recession or anything like that. You have a lot of people that have, you know, been abusing of, you know, what, what, what was out there with, you know, the, the, the PPP and all that stuff. That was, that was a mess thing.

[00:40:08] It's it's the same thing. It's like, don't not everything that is shiny is good for you. So just stay grounded, right? Stay in your lane. When we say that, learn the fundamentals of what you really need to, to, to do. And then you'll be right. Just, just be okay to take the stairs.

[00:40:29] Moses TY: Yeah. You, I like that. Everything that is shiny isn't necessarily good for you.

[00:40:34] That's really? Yeah. That's a really good saying right there.

[00:40:37] Frenchie: Yeah. Mm-hmm you can have a nice little gift, you know, this nice little gift of what's inside is poop. You don't want that.

[00:40:49] Moses TY: No, no, no, not nice. no.

[00:40:53] x: Yeah.

[00:40:55] Moses TY: So, so in terms of. The pandemic, especially, how were you able to, did you have to change your operations as much, or was it pretty much, did you have a system in place so that you were already set up to do business in a way that is effective?

[00:41:15] Frenchie: Okay. So this is where I PBO. I like I was saying is that that's where I decided to create that four week program.

[00:41:23] Because at first I was more helping entrepreneurs with the back end of their business. A lot of things that, you know, like I was saying as a virtual assistant. Oh, okay. You busy doing this. So I'm a, I'm gonna take care of, you know, your accounting, making your flyers organizing, you know, your spreadsheets, your presentation, all that good stuff.

[00:41:42] Right. The digital work and things like that, hiring people for them. I was doing basically everything that, you know, a business would need in the backhand of the business. Right. But I was the one doing it for them. And then I realized that I'm like, they're gonna need me all the time, which was good at that time.

[00:42:00] But at some point I'm like, I wanna be able to teach people too. Right. So that's where, when the pandemic happened and I, so all dudes, entrepreneur schlepping in there and I'm like, Seeing like people contacting and say, oh, you, you, you quit your job. So how did you do this? And that's and this and that. So I was like, well, let me come up with like a little four week program course.

[00:42:23] And, and I'm gonna really go down onto, onto what they actually need to be operational, right? So they don't just, you can create a business online in five minutes, you go to your state, you register, you pay 150, whatever fee that is, you get your EIN number for free. And then I realized that after that people don't know.

[00:42:46] Right. So I created that program. So I had to pivot, and then also the client that I had right. That were paying me for due services. Didn't some of them no longer could because of the pandemic. And so that's why I was like, well, how can I be in their assistant? Because it's not like, you know, oh, you can pay me.

[00:43:05] So I'm not, you know, of course I'm not gonna do the job for free, but I had to understand that I was working with those people since like almost two years. You kind of create a relationship with them. So my, my goal was like, how can I be still in a system or help them to save their business? At some point, some, some of them was like, what can we do to save your business?

[00:43:27] And so I had to be very creative on, on helping them also find a way to pivot or find a way to be, to sustain during that time. Right. Because it was really uncertainty. I ha also have a business in, in wellness and fitness and our gym was closed. Right. We couldn't train anybody. So luckily at that time, like I said, my business partner very visionary.

[00:43:50] Also we Al already had our program online. So that's where we were. Okay. We can't train people physically, but we have to make sure that still, you know, healthy, right. Everybody's stuck at the house. You know, it's either you're gonna binge binge eating or you're gonna be super rip and fit because that's all you're gonna do is work out.

[00:44:11] Right. We had two type of people coming out of that pandemic. Right. Is it juicy ones or the super fit ones? And so that's where we were like, okay, I help basically the, the client's pivots in finding a way to sustain or save their business or be mindful. And sometime it was like, man, I never thought of being able to offer those type of services or product to my clients before.

[00:44:37] And guess what? Since the pandemic, I. Three clients, they still have the side business or the other products. So one of my clients a mega artist the stall salon was closed. So all her services down, she's not making no money zero. Right. So but she was already doing a, a, a young girl school program on creating bath bomb, lip gloss you know, skincare and things like that.

[00:45:07] I'm like, everybody's stuck at home. Everybody needs some sort of self-care. So I was like, make bath bomb, and we're gonna sell bath bomb. And it was a hit. And until this day she have her full line of bath bomb product. And so her salon is still open all that stuff, but that's now a passive income for.

[00:45:26] So you, you see what I mean? So this is what I'm talking about. Pandemic. If you really, sometime the struggle is gonna help you propel or make you have to think things a different way. And so so yeah, so for, for us in our business, we now have a line of supplementation. So like I said, we couldn't train physically our client, but we had to find a way to, for them to have some proper supplementation, multivitamin, vitamin D three, people were getting, you know, COVID and all that stuff.

[00:46:02] So it was like, what can we do to boost their immune immune system? So we come up with all those things, same thing, our, our business, our nutritional and herbal business is still in place. And, and now it's like, you know what I mean? We have people on, on, on on supplementation on, on man, what do you call that?

[00:46:26] On subscription. So monthly, we just smelling them out. They're multivitamin, their vitamin D three, their lions main their CMOs, their, you know what I mean? So Yeah, I would say that a pandemic was good because that's where I actually unleashed the fact that man, I can help people. I can teach them how to do it the proper way.

[00:46:49] And so from that, it was also making sure people was understanding you know financial literacy, right? It was rough. It was rough. So I was teaching people. I'm still teaching people on credit. So don't do credit repair. I teach you how to do it yourself. So you understand the biggest thing is that you see out there is people saying, oh, I'm a, I'm a do credit repair, right?

[00:47:16] So you're gonna pay that person, whatever the amount that is, what have you learned? They're gonna clean up your credit, but what have you learned? Your, your financial behaviors are still the same. You put yourself in this situation. So what you go, what's gonna happen. Your credit's gonna look good for three months and then.

[00:47:38] Same thing. So I decided to, I'm more about teaching you and making an impact. So, you know, for yourself, same thing for business, I don't understand people that paying somebody to register their business, get their E do you understand the amount of personal information you are giving out to a stranger and you paying them and then what you still don't know, how do I register for this?

[00:48:08] How do I pay for that? That's your business. You don't even know if they put their own name in there as a partner. this is crazy to me. So I always tell people, whatever you do with me is I'm a, I'm gonna show you how you can do it yourself, because I want you to know those things. So you can be a real.

[00:48:31] Entrepreneur, you gotta know your staff. It's like, it's like you have a baby and you give it to somebody else to raise it. And then they give it back to you when they're potty train. No, that doesn't work like this. So so yeah, so I'm big on that, on being real with people of what it takes that you're gonna have to change, probably some things on, you know, how you live your life.

[00:48:59] If, if your personal finances are not in order, how you gonna run a business.

[00:49:06] x: True. And then

[00:49:09] Frenchie: a lot of people don't understand also that the first two years of building your business, your personal assets and your personal personal credit score is your, you the personal guarantor of your business.

[00:49:23] you can have a business account, this still gonna ask, you know, who's friend she is, and what she's been doing is she worthy for us to give her, lend her a little bit line of credit for this mm-hmm for her business. Do you get what I'm saying? So this is where I'm like, I, I prefer to tell the truth and tell people, slow your row.

[00:49:43] Let's work on your personal finances first, whatever you wanna do, it's gonna happen if you really want to, but let's fix this. Let me teach you that. So you can be a better entrepreneur, a better business owner, and then you're not gonna have those doors slam on your face that make you feel like crap because you get denied.

[00:50:04] Right. So, yeah.

[00:50:07] x: There

[00:50:08] Moses TY: you go. I mean, yeah, you gotta have those strong foundations and doing it yourself, then that way, as you said, you know, every single detail of effort that it takes to file the paperwork, to get things in on time to do different things. And you need to make sure that, you know, all those steps to then whenever that person or something happens, you know exactly.

[00:50:30] You gotta do. You gotta go in there, trade this with that file that take this, that office, that, to that. And so you need to have a hands on just for you to know exactly what each part of the puzzle goes.

[00:50:44] Frenchie: Yes. And then knowing all those things yourself, you are gonna be better at delegating at some point, this is what I wish for everybody is then, you know, oh, you get to that point.

[00:50:56] You're like, I'm getting too much things. I would love to delegate this. And now do everything myself, because it's a waste of my time now. Right? I know how to do those things. It's just now I need to get to the next level. Let me hire somebody or a VA. Who's gonna help me with this, but now I can teach her and show her how to, right.

[00:51:15] If you had somebody else doing it for you, then you lost, right.

[00:51:20] So you can delegate properly if you, if you don't know even what's what took you there. So that, that's that's the next piece is I'm talking about the, the evolution of starting a business might take a couple of years, but you know, now you know that part of the job, right.

[00:51:38] To make it run. Now it's time to put someone in place. That's gonna be able to do all the backend and the little tedious administrative job, you know, task. So you can go out there and learn more, something more specific networking, going to events or self, you know to invest in yourself in going to this event or even taking the time sometime like I'm, I'm, I'm reading every day.

[00:52:05] And so, but it takes time. But I do, I think that, you know

[00:52:10] it's, I should work on something else or whatever. No, because I need that time to learn more and to get better at my craft. So if I have somebody that can help me and do those things, enter to those emails or create that website, or do flyers for me, I will hire to help because at the end of the day, that's gonna save me time and money along the run.

[00:52:32] My my time became so precious that I had to make sure that what I was doing was aligning. I, I can't help people all day, but I have to make sure that I keep on it, you know, getting better and better at what I do. So does that make sense? What I'm saying?

[00:52:50] Moses TY: Yeah, you definitely need to know exactly what things should be delegated and what things should be hands on.

[00:52:58] And the things that I hands on when I'm at everything. No, no. And so we need to make sure that the things that are necessary, the strong, foundational things, we know exactly where everything goes. So then that way, if something would've happen, we know exactly what needs to be fixed.

[00:53:15] Frenchie: Exactly. We're not good.

[00:53:16] That sense. We're not naturally good. We're not naturally good at everything. And, and, and a business is it's a lot of different things. Some people they're very good at what they do because they let's, let's put it this way. You can become like a a CPA or you wanna do that on the side for yourself. You still have to advertise and find clients.

[00:53:38] So if that's not your thing to create flyers or to write posts, like I said, I'm, I'm foreign. I, I, I literally pay someone to do my my little bio thing because I'm like, how do I do this? This is my, not my first language. So reading also helped me getting better with the language barrier that I can have at time.

[00:54:00] But I delegate for the things that I need, cuz I don't wanna sound like, you know not the part, right. I'm very, very good at what I do. But at some point sometimes my vocabulary might not match completely, you know, my abilities. So I need to delegate that to someone that is good at it, my website or anything like that, I do website.

[00:54:26] But what I'm saying is sometimes you need to recognize what you early on. If you start a business, trying to see what are your skill set, what are you good at? Or you are willing to. Right because I too passion about creating content. I love doing that, but if that's not something that you first like to do good at delegate that stuff like right away, try to find a solution or use Canva, and I'll do template who are predone for you, but don't even try to, you know act like, you know what you're doing, if you don't that's gonna be frustrating waste of time, and it's not gonna have the, the outcome that you're looking for.

[00:55:08] So you have to know all the stuff that you're good at or not. And then if you're not, and you are willing to learn, take that time and dedicate that time to get better at what you.

[00:55:20] Moses TY: and speaking of things that need to be practiced and things people need to get good at I saw a video on your Instagram where you were, it was a lot of stuff you were, I think it was like training and boxing.

[00:55:36] And you were like shooting bows and arrows and or skateboarding. I mean, like what kinds of things do you do in terms of making sure that you, I guess just have fun in life? Like, what are some of the hobbies that you've taken up recently?

[00:55:55] Frenchie: So since 2016, I Decided that I'm gonna learn as many things as I can.

[00:56:04] It's also very good for your brand development, right. Brand enhancer. And I didn't want to limit myself anymore. Like I said, part of, you know, time of my life that I was always saying, oh no, I cannot do this. Or I'm, I'm too big for that. Or there is no way I can do this. And so I was like, look at this, I'm limiting myself.

[00:56:26] So I was like, there is no limit in what I can learn what I can do. So. I'm challenging myself to new skill sets as many as, as many time as possible. So all the stuff that I was showing was to show that over the past, since 2018, so is what, almost five years I learned a new skill, which is, you know, like I said, in in a physical form because physical form's gonna give you stamina.

[00:56:57] Right? So you need that also to propel you. So I'm into, you know, a combative movement also because you need to, you know, we it's war there, so you need to be able to, to, to defend yourself. Right. It's also part of, you know, building my confidence. So as an entrepreneur, you need to be confident, not cocky, confident.

[00:57:22] Right. So don't be afraid of those things. So by learning new skill sets, every usually about every, every six months to a year, I add on a skill set. So boxing was the first thing. Boxing is like you fighting for your life, right? So you get down, you gotta get back up like something in life. That's what I was saying.

[00:57:43] Anything that I do have a meaning it's not just to look badass all the time. It's more to, to push myself to certain limit to say, you gotta keep on going. This is what's happening in business. You're gonna have slow months, good months, bad month, lose clients, gain tons of clients. You know, things gonna, this is life.

[00:58:07] You know what I mean? So learning those different skill sets had a big meaning for me, that means that I'm capable. I'm dedicated. Because repetition works. And a lot of people, if the, like I said, you're gonna suck at something and starting something new, you're gonna be bad at it. And so sometime it's a good reminder also for me, like I was talking about the ego, I'm gonna suck at this at learning the non check.

[00:58:36] How many times did I hit myself with it? Right. But I'm like, man, I need to get it. You you're gonna get frustrated. Same thing in business and in life, you're gonna stuck at it. So you're like, my God, how do I work? This thing? Okay. It's not this way. It's not that way. What does I, what makes me better repetition?

[00:58:59] So anything of due skill sets, this is what I wanted to show then archery, archery. That's the latest one. Archery. I learned that in 2020 during the pandemic because I couldn't go to. Again, range. So I was like, I need something else, you know? And so I was like, let's learn a new skill set. That's not another thing you need to have a hobby.

[00:59:26] Cause other than that, if you work all the time, your brain needs some sort of, you know, a shift, right. Need to get some fresh air, all that stuff. So archery, it doesn't cost that much. And it's a time for myself right. To reenter and I have to concentrate. Yeah. You have to breathe a certain way to do archery.

[00:59:51] I'm self taught and all those things boxing. It's my, my, my, my trainer and my bus business partner who taught me all those things. Right. But arching all the stuff I'm self taught. And so it's the, the learning and practicing. You have to breathe a certain way. You have to take your time. To aim the target, but don't take too much time that now you shaky and now do you get what I'm saying?

[01:00:19] You have to also surround yourself with the environment, the wind, the, you know, all those things. Yeah. I know I'm getting in detail, but everything. I have a correlation with everything that I do it keep me aligned. Now my brain is not thinking of all the staff I gotta do now. It's my time. Yeah. I need to reenter and I need to let out that frustration that I can have sometime walking.

[01:00:46] So I had knee injuries during the pandemic. So that was the same thing. I couldn't do all the badass thing. It was frustrating me. I was like, I'm a, I'm a just walk. And I was walking two miles a day, listening to a podcast and, you know, meditating. And so those are all why I learn a new skillset, a new thing, as much as I can to remind me that I'm gonna suck.

[01:01:12] But I have to keep going to remind me that the repetition there, this is gonna pay off. And this is a skillset that, you know, if any of those skill set, if something happened, I know how I can defend myself. I know I can hunt something to eat. I know I can, you know, I know I can hold my breath a certain way.

[01:01:32] I know I can pay attention to my surrounding. So it's, it's all those things. I hope people don't think I'm a weirdo.

[01:01:41] Moses TY: No, no. And with the, the archery, I'm a, I'm an Archer as well. And so, yeah, it's the breathing, it's the focusing and it is also, it is the repetition and it is ensuring that you keep a pattern.

[01:02:00] Yeah. And in terms of the pattern, it's where you hold your one hand over here compared to your knocking pointment over here, you gotta keep your hand and make sure that it's yeah, it's nice. And it's stable and it always goes back and to fall back into that pattern in order to make sure that you are consistent with your shots.

[01:02:17] Frenchie: So, yeah. Yeah. I remember when I bought, I went to that store to, I was, I told the guy, the owner, I, he said, can I help you? I said, I know I wanna start archery. I just don't know none. So you wanna walk me through this? It was like, well, which kind you wanna compound? I was like, I don't even know what you're talking about.

[01:02:34] So you gonna have to tell me. And then he showed me the two different kind. I was like, That sounds like too easy. I said, no, I wanna learn like the, he said, oh, you want, I said, I don't care what you call it. It sounds to me that this one I need to really actually know and learn the other one. It's like it pull back and then it, it, it hold it that way.

[01:02:55] Right? Yeah. So I was like, no, I, I always go that route of no, it's gonna be worth it for me. It's at first I have like, mine is actually to go back up. But I started with a 25 pound

[01:03:12] mm-hmm yeah, yeah. Mm-hmm nice. And so but at first, the, the first few times, oh my gosh, my arm was all bruised up and, and that's what I'm saying. It's all those things. But see, when we talk about it now, I, now I realize I'm like, man, look at how far I go by myself. and it was just giving me little tips because I lost so many arrows.

[01:03:39] You know, so I was like, man, I said, I lost. He was like, you're back a guess. And yeah, I know I lost three today. so, so he was just helping me and telling me, but do, do you see where I'm going with all this, the importance of stuff? And so I was like, it's costing me money to buy all those arrows because I was not buying the arrows.

[01:03:59] I was like buying like the I'm buying the good arrows, like yeah. The real arrows, right. The carbon days.

[01:04:07] x: Yeah.

[01:04:08] Frenchie: Mm-hmm so and then he was telling me about this little thing for me to, to look into it. I was like, no, because that's cheating. It was like, no, he's gonna help you at first. Yeah. And so I did do it, but then I took it off and then I was like, now I should be good.

[01:04:25] So it's all those stuff that it's like Personally, I take pride in, you know, like saying, all right, that's good. You deserve this. Or, you know, it's good talking and talking to exist in certain things, right? You deserve to, to, to learn how to do this. You, you deserve to buy these new, new arrows you deserve to, you know, anything like that, or Nope.

[01:04:53] You, you only have three arrows now, so you're gonna shoot those three and you better not lose any, any more of them. I'm not buying any more arrows. Until I know that I can consistently don't lose any , you know, do you get what I'm saying? It's like, you gotta earn, I earn my Stripe in, in everything that I've done, learning new languages, too.

[01:05:18] Learning new skill sets navigating, working in on country, being away from my family. It's a lot of sacrifice, but it's worth it. So learning new skill all the time is very, very important.

[01:05:33] Moses TY: Yeah. And as you said before, learning new skill SETSS everything transfers over to everything else in some way over another.

[01:05:43] So like an archery need to make sure you have a strong foundation, your feet are well planted and you got your eye on the target and your siding is all correctly and everything like that and make sure that you're, you're keeping nice tension on the bow. And you're like, you don't wanna stay too long about to bow.

[01:05:59] You just start shaking all over the place. But yeah, you just need to learn. It's all about in terms of archery, it's all about balance and finding, you know, the right moment to stop, to hold your breath by the moment to release the arrow the right moment to just do everything. And so everything informs everything else.

[01:06:20] And if you view. Things in that lens, then it does. Then you get to see just the wonders, connections of everything, interacting with everything. And you get like, oh yeah, that matches up at that over there that I did last week. And that one over there matches with this thing. And you just decide to see how everything weaves into one another and such it it's really, it's really miraculous how you're connecting the dots, connecting the dots with Frenchie, the dot connector.

[01:06:55] So, oh, wow. Frenchie, this has been a wonderful conversation with you. Thank you. It was, yes. What can people go to learn more about you and what you're doing?

[01:07:06] Frenchie: So I'm a business coach. I help entrepreneur with starting building and scaling their business. So if you already are in business and looking for someone to have some sort of clarity in the project that you have I do website, I do social media.

[01:07:22] I can help also hire, you know, a virtual assistant if you need to on projects do events financial literacy with business credit at the same time. Right. Or if you know the legal part, which is, you know, contracting trust, business trust, there is a lot of things, you know, that are, are also as important when you build a legacy for, for your family.

[01:07:47] So I do all that. And so they can find me on Instagram at ju D U B O I S B I Z. And yeah, that's where I'm at. I'm also on, on Facebook, it's linked, but I'm more an Instagram person. I go live every Thursday. I have a signature program called mind your business. It really says what it means, mind your business.

[01:08:17] And I focus with like I said making sure that I'm connecting the dots of all your vision in your project.

[01:08:28] x: There you go.

[01:08:29] Moses TY: And so friend, you have another question to ask you, and that is, yeah. If you had the ability to send a worldwide text, what would your message be

[01:08:42] x: to everybody?

[01:08:43] Moses TY: Everybody worldwide,

[01:08:46] Frenchie: keep moving forward.

[01:08:47] No matter what,

[01:08:49] Moses TY: why would that be a

[01:08:50] x: message?

[01:08:53] Frenchie: Because we all gonna have some ups and down, you have to keep moving forward. No matter what we we've been in, in we in a time that it's so stressful and we all wanna act like nothing is happening or we wanna act like everything is bad or everything is good.

[01:09:15] We simply have to be able to know that these two shall pass and you have to keep on moving forward no matter what.

[01:09:28] Moses TY: Well, thank you F you so much for the wonderful conversation and for that be thank you so much,

[01:09:34] x: Absolut Absolut. Thanks.

[01:09:35] Frenchie: Thank you. You have a good day.

[01:09:38] Moses TY: You too. Bye-bye

[01:09:39] x: byebye.