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Empowering Communities through Business Stories

• Zachery Williams • Season 3 • Episode 14

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Have you ever wondered what drives successful African American entrepreneurs to overcome their fears and build thriving businesses? Get ready to be inspired as we sit down with Michelle Rankin of Cornerstone Wealth Advisory and Insurance Services, who passionately breaks down the essentials of Medicare, life insurance, and investment programs. Michelle’s story is a testament to the power of community engagement and encourages us all to step out of our comfort zones. Additionally, Kayla Latsin of A&K Events LLC celebrates five years of her home-based bakery. She offers heartfelt advice to young dreamers, urging them to trust in their journey and simply start.

At the NWACP Black Market in Goose Creek, we discover how diverse businesses are transforming communities. Veronica Muhammad, a Mary Kay consultant, opens up about the importance of skincare and self-care. She shares invaluable tips for aspiring entrepreneurs to kick off their ventures without excuses. Alongside her, Deandre Muhammad, a minister, introduces us to the empowering mission of the Final Call newspaper. His poignant poem on social justice issues highlights the intersection of entrepreneurship and activism, making a compelling case for economic empowerment within the Black community.

Finally, we explore unique ventures and the significance of voting and community engagement at the NAACP Black Market in Charleston. Antoine, founder of "PJs for You and Me," discusses the creation of a children’s pajama line that celebrates diverse representation. His journey underscores the importance of supporting Black businesses. We also meet Brea Major from the Goose Creek NAACP, who emphasizes the crucial role of voting. Additionally, we hear from Priscilla Singleton of Swag Together and Rosa from Body Decor Kijibi about turning challenges into opportunities. AJ wraps up our episode with insights into his TLC products and handmade jewelry, offering practical advice for aspiring entrepreneurs. Join us for a celebration of resilience, community, and cultural pride in the world of Black entrepreneurship.

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Speaker 1:

Hey you guys, welcome to Just the Two of Us. It is your broadcast host, mr Zach. So I want you to relax, put your feet up, grab you a glass of wine and a snack, because you are tuning into my broadcast. See you later. It is your boy, mrs Zachary Williams. You are tuning in just the two of us broadcasting.

Speaker 1:

Who I'm here speaking to right now? The fabulous Michelle Rankin. All right, michelle, tell me about your business. What makes you came out here in the WSCC Black Market? Okay, well, first of all, I wanted to help inspire people and also just meet the people. You know where they are.

Speaker 1:

I like to meet people, I like to talk, so this is kind of my thing. My business is Cornerstone Wealth Advisory and Insurance Services. I assist with Medicare, life insurance and also investment programs, and I just like again, I like to talk, I like to help people, so it's a perfect job for me. So what's the point if people have a life insurance? It's very important to have life insurance. You never know what's going to happen and tomorrow it's not promised. I help with children's investment policies for children. I help with term, whole and universal life insurance with several different companies to meet your personal needs.

Speaker 1:

So what advice can you give somebody who wants to start their own business, their own network, to other African American people out here? Don't be scared and get out and meet the people where they are. If you're African American, we need to see you for your faith in what you do and what inspires you and what helps you wake up in the morning and you know, and puts that fire under you. So if you have a business, we want to help share that business with other people. Do not be scared, be joyful, be proud in yourself and come share with the people, because you never know who will need your service and your help in whatever you do. Alright, it's your boy, mrs Zachary. Just the two of us broadcast and who I'm sitting here with today, kayla Kayla, where?

Speaker 1:

you from Kayla Latsin Latsin, south Carolina. All right, tell me about your business. I am a home-based bakery that was established over five years ago actually, so I've been just celebrating five years this year, so, so, I'm just celebrating five years this year, so it's a big milestone, okay, so what made you start your business? When I was younger, I always wanted to bake so that was kind of a dream and wanted to open up a bakery. So I went to college and opened up my business.

Speaker 1:

Okay, you are a chef, yeah, so what is your favorite thing besides baking? What do you like to bake? Oh, ooh, cheesecakes, cheesecakes. Oh, I love me some cheesecakes. My listener love me some cheesecake. What kind of cheesecake you be baking? My number one cheesecake flavor is red velvet butter pecan. It's really good. So what advice can you give somebody who's young? Just ask yourself, want to start their business, just do it. Basically, just step out and just have faith and just do your best and just keep going. Alright, so do you want to start yourself out? How people can find you on social media? Yes, you can find me at A&K Events LLC on Facebook. On Instagram also I don't be on Instagram like that, but you can find me on Instagram, but mostly Facebook. Alright, any advice that you want to say anything else, um God bless like I said, it's your boy.

Speaker 1:

Mrs Zachary, it's just the one and two. I hope y'all have a nice day. We at the NLASDP a lot of black people here come out and support yes, it's your boy, mr zachary, sitting here with the wonderful person. Create this fun, weave it. Basket earrings, basket tables. This is nice. Y'all have to come see this table. So who I'm speaking to right now? You are speaking to sharon costa, the owner of Kingdom Artifacts. So what's the point? What's the reason why you created this business? This is a family thing.

Speaker 4:

It's been passed down from generation to generation. Actually, I've learned how to do it from my mom, she learned from her mother and I started at the age of maybe five, five.

Speaker 1:

So what's the point? Why is it so important to pass it down to generation after generation? Honestly, as we know, the Sweetgrass now is a dying art, and I don't know how long it's going to continue because the generation's coming up behind me.

Speaker 4:

They really don't want to sit down and do it because it's so time consuming, but I just have a passion for it and I just hope and pray that somebody will pick it up.

Speaker 1:

I don't know who, but Okay. So what advice can you give somebody who's young, who want to start their own business? Oh, that's a good one.

Speaker 4:

I would say just take a leap of faith and go for it all right, it's not always going to be easy, some days going to be good, some days going to be bad, but you just have to tough it out, thank you.

Speaker 1:

So what was your hard part? Making, or starting off making these baskets? The hardest part was actually making a big basket itself. I love to do the jewelry, so making a big basket was challenging but I got it. So I heard there's different types of we've been breathing um different types of materials, um, sweet grass, bull rush and pine needle, so which one that you like to use? Sweet grass the soft sweet grass and the pine needle. All right, which one do you like to use? Sweetgrass the soft sweetgrass and the pine needle.

Speaker 4:

All right. Which the bulrush is good because it holds the basket longer and it's much more durable.

Speaker 1:

All right. So how can people find you on a different website? Are you a local? You can find me on Facebook.

Speaker 4:

Kingdom Artifacts and also on Instagram Kingdom Artifacts 7.

Speaker 1:

Thank you, so you are tuned into Just the Two of Us broadcast. We are here at the NWACP in Goose Creek at the Black Market. Come out and support this black business out here, thank you, thank you. This is your boy, mr Zachary, on his one to two. Welcome to Just the Two of Us broadcast. I am at the NWACP Black Market celebrating African-American different business types, black market, celebrating African American different business types. So who? I have sitting here with me? Veronica Muhammad. So, veronica, tell me about your business. What is the name of it? Our business we are selling Mary Kay.

Speaker 1:

We want to make women beautiful, and why do you think making women beautiful is very important? It is important for us to understand that we need to take care of ourselves and our skin and our you know overall health, but also skin. Skin is important. Why do you think skin is very important? Because the environment is so harsh on our skin so we need to. At night, we need to pamper ourselves and sit back, relax and enjoy ourselves and just take care of us and have some me time all right so.

Speaker 1:

So, in your other words, what does me time mean to you? Me time means I'm sitting down, I have on a charcoal mask for 10 to 20 minutes, just chilling, drinking some nice pineapple juice and enjoying myself as my my facial is doing its job while I'm sitting and relax, okay. And so what advice can you give these young people who want to start their own business or investing other black business? What advice can you give them? My advice is start. Don't keep making excuses, don't put any obstacles in your way, because the fastest way to get there is to start, and that's what we have. We gotta move. So how can people find this? Online or anywhere?

Speaker 4:

are you local I?

Speaker 1:

am am. I'm in Gooseburg and if they go on MaryKaycom search for Veronica D Muhammad and I can be their consultant. All right, any advice that you can give anybody else, hey, I'm always open. I do Mary Kay, but I also help other young people start their own businesses, as well as nonprofits.

Speaker 1:

So, look me up. There we go. Like I said, you are listening to Just the Two of Us broadcast. I'm sitting here with Vodica and Zach and we'll see you later. Thank you, it is your boy, Mrs Zachary, on his one and two and you are welcome. Just the Two of Us broadcast. And we are at the India LBCP Black Marketing Supported African American different companies. Out here and just tell me something about yourself and what are you are doing here? Uh, what are things you want people to get off the table for you?

Speaker 5:

first of all, my deandre muhammad, local student minister under the leadership of the honorable minister lewis farrakhan of the nation of islam. And what we are out here with is the Final Call newspaper, which is an independent black newspaper dedicated to the resurrection and rise of black people here in America and throughout the world, and we are looking to get mass circulation this paper within black communities, schools, and we are also looking to implement a literacy program by utilizing this paper to teach our people who don't know how to read how to read. That's young and old. And also we have a flyer for a family business expo which will be done September 28th at the Danny Jones Sports Complex, quite similar to this expo here of black vendors. So that's what we are promoting and that's what we're giving out today, because we think this is a beautiful thing, where you can have our people with different items and products to provide the community.

Speaker 5:

That's beautiful. But it's also beautiful when black people can support their own black business to develop an economic base. And that's what we need as a people, you know. And once we have a strong economic base, we can fund our own education, we can fund our own institutions to cultivate and nurture and develop our young people, get them off off the streets, get them off the drugs, teach them how to be business-minded and also teach them how to sell the right products, not drugs, because our young people have an entrepreneurial spirit. We don't want to kill that, but we do want to change the product a product of construction rather than a product of destruction, where they can give life rather than take life.

Speaker 1:

Oh, powerful so that's why we're out here. That's powerful. So I heard that you are also a poet out here too, Is that?

Speaker 5:

true? Well, brother, let it put me on the spot.

Speaker 1:

So you mind you spit a little, just a little song for my listeners.

Speaker 5:

Well, I spit lyrical missiles, like paul and the epistles. My art's not artificial, but it's artificial. Light striking the crystal. Christ crossed the issue. Crucifixion, judicial super soon to hit you with the smack white supremac impact. The seat of the original extract from black. A universal position, god over the living, opposed by the opposition driven by god's mission, charleston is a slavery bastion, slaying the black man and woman. These actions are made by devils, is grafted. The God in the flesh Came to settle the madness for the masses. Charles, the strongest hypocritical black folks are pitiful to think that they can say to you now they channel crime through the annals of time, but finish. The death of Walter Scott and Emmanuel nine and um. Here's the death of Walter Scott and Emmanuel 9.

Speaker 1:

And oh my God, Bars y'all that was bars Any advice that you give any listeners or anybody that want to start their own business or who want to connect with other black African-Americans out here.

Speaker 5:

I would say learn the knowledge of yourself and, with that knowledge, learn the knowledge of how you connect to your divine creator. Find your purpose in life, set a goal, set a mission, set an objective and don't let anyone or anybody or anything keep you away from achieving that goal that God has presented for us in life. And when we can find our purpose in life, the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan says that we find that which makes us happy and that which makes us productive. So find your purpose, Find your goal In the name of the Creator. Accept your own and be yourself. Be productive, Be positive.

Speaker 1:

Be righteous, and that note. We're going to end it with that. It's your boy, mr Zachary, on his one to two. This is broadcast just the two of us. Hope y'all come out here and support y'all business out here and thank you, I hope you have a nice day.

Speaker 5:

Thank you.

Speaker 1:

Thank you.

Speaker 5:

Peace.

Speaker 2:

Hello everybody. This is Chris Derrick-Quinn with Just the Two of Us Podcast. This is your co-host, chris Derrick-Quinn. I'm here at the Black Women's Event and we have amazing, amazing guys here today, and I'm at one of the venues right here and this is called Turning Page Bookshop Awesome turning page bookshop awesome.

Speaker 1:

We are the only black owned, black women owned brick and mortar bookstore in the state of south carolina awesome, the only one in the state of brick and mortar in the state of south carolina. We have a lot of black bookstores that have online, but we're the only ones we got both brick and mortar and online and our online has just the same amount of books as Amazon. Oh, I know, that's right. Go to my website and type in any book you want, oh awesome.

Speaker 2:

Can you tell the folks what is your website and where they can go?

Speaker 1:

wwwturningpagebookshopcom. You don't even have to just go to Google and type in Turning Page Bookshop. You don't even have to just go to Google and type in Turning Page Bookshop and it will have our Instagram, tiktok website, everything. And we sell everything African American, asian, spanish, brazilian Because Goose Creek has a pretty heavy Brazilian community Used books and new books. We have gifts and toys. We also have author events and we are going to start having somebody come in and teach Spanish and we're going to have a young lady One of the vendors over there is going to come in and teach people how to read and understand. Medicare Medicaid yes, lord you. Medicare Medicaid yes, lord.

Speaker 2:

That's definitely. We need that Medicaid. Yes, absolutely.

Speaker 1:

Yes, so she's going to be coming to the store next month to have a session on how to understand Medicaid and Medicare. That's right and that's what the bookstore is about, not just to sell books. We try to get people in there to tell us what they need. Now, no, we can't give you money and we can give you some cupcakes and stuff like that, but we want them to come there and know they can talk to us about anything and feel safe and it's for the whole community.

Speaker 2:

That's wonderful. That's wonderful and it's informative as well.

Speaker 3:

Yes, I love that.

Speaker 2:

I love that Very women-independent black women books on the map. I definitely love it. I definitely love it. So what kind of books do you have like?

Speaker 1:

kids' books. Well, today we got kids' books, we got teen books, a lot of teen books. We have a lot of free books, because I just came from a conference for Southern booksellers and I picked up a lot of free books, arts, advanced copies and we don't sell advanced copies, you're not allowed to. So what I have been doing is giving them away. Now, if I give them to a kid or a teenager, they have to come back with a book report and we'll give them another free book, but they have to come back with a book report and we give it to adults to tell us, hey, is this something we should sell in our store? Now, I know there's a lot of that banned book stuff going around, but I wish people were coming to the store and see, not every book is banned and stop doing the banned books.

Speaker 1:

We got other things a little bit more pressing than that. So I mean, I got a classic Black Girl by Omar Tariq. I got all kinds of big and small kids books, baby books, teen books and you know, right now the teen books is the big thing the vampires, the werewolf that's the new thing going around and the graphic novels. We have a lot of graphic novels and the regular, you know, old-fashioned literature, that's right.

Speaker 2:

Old school, old school literature, because I grew up old school like the books, I never was into the online, like the e-books, that's right, I like to have it in my hand.

Speaker 1:

Turn pages, yes, you know, I love that, I love that. And we just celebrated 100 years of James Baldwin.

Speaker 2:

Okay, yes, he's an amazing author.

Speaker 1:

Oh yes, he always has been. Yes, most definitely, and we're still celebrating him. That's right. That's right. Now, tell me how long have you guys had your podcast?

Speaker 2:

Oh, this is my friend. He had his podcast about two, three years, so actually one of his co-hosts is helping him out, and I also have a podcast as well, called the Brothers Company Podcast, which we also have been collaborating with one another. So it's about my podcast with my brother and we talk about news, current events and even going on in everyday life.

Speaker 1:

Really yes, because that one thing I do listen to is podcasts.

Speaker 2:

Amazing, so you can definitely look me up. I've got Facebook, Twitter, Instagram. Underprofitscompanypodcastcom.

Speaker 1:

Okay, no, I'll finish with the interview and I'll come back to him. Go get back.

Speaker 2:

But yes, this is awesome. Turnip Aid Bookshop is amazing. Can you tell the folks your?

Speaker 1:

name. My name is Belinda, I'm the owner, and that's Errol Lee she's my manager. It is good to see you. It is good to see you and thank you, and I will start following your guys' podcast.

Speaker 2:

Thank you Absolutely Thank you.

Speaker 1:

Oh good, let me go get this podcast. It is your boy, mr Zachary, on his wonders too. I am here at the NWAACP Black Market as we celebrate and connect with black business in Charleston, south Carolina.

Speaker 3:

And who I'm sitting here with. My name is Antoine, and this is PJs for you and me.

Speaker 1:

All right, antoine, so tell us about your business.

Speaker 3:

Sure. So our business, we sell kids pajamas. We focus on our diversity of black and brown characters. How the story came about is when I took my daughters to the mall I mean, well, to the store Walmart Target. We can hardly ever find representation in pajamas, so I asked them if they wanted to start a pajama line. They said yeah. So we came up with some designs, Went through a few different variations, and now we are here at the NLBCP Go all right, you said we, so who's included with this business?

Speaker 3:

with you, right? So my two daughters, zoe and mila, all right.

Speaker 1:

So what's a very what's why it's very important to start your own business. All right, just to have something of your own that you can pass down to generations right?

Speaker 3:

that's a great question. I think it's important to, um, you know, have a business. Business because it provides you an opportunity to create generational wealth and to leave something from the legacy behind. Also, I've been watching EYL and I learned from them that you need more than one stream of income to become wealthy. I think that's our goal to have financial freedom. Our first goal is to launch a business, see how we can scale it um, and go from there so what, what, what was the trouble with starting a business?

Speaker 1:

or what's the like, the back seat, or the hard time you have with starting it or even getting the idea together?

Speaker 3:

good. So the hardest part for us but we went through a few different phases um, so I understand project management and finance. The financial part of it was the toughest part, and so how we solved that issue is we did a crowdfunding on social media through a fundraiser. Our second issue was trying to find quality designers. It was hard to find individuals who could really draw really well illustrate really well.

Speaker 3:

People have AI now, so that's an outlet that we have now to use. The third issue we had was trying to find a company that could give us good prices, and so we went through those. You know all of those phases that we overcame.

Speaker 1:

All right. So why do you think it's very important for Black people to support other Black business?

Speaker 3:

Well, black people, we love our culture, and culture is very important, and so I think supporting Black businesses we support each other you know what I'm saying and to get that support from one another also helps us scale, and by having each other help us scale, it could also help us kind of, you know, put us in a different platform. Even though some other you know what I'm saying people may not even recognize us. We are some of the first ones to support black business, right?

Speaker 1:

So what advice can you give somebody who wants to start their own business? That's something that's different, but unique to them?

Speaker 3:

Yeah, that's a great question. So I would say that go with your heart. Whatever idea that you have that God has embedded in you, just go with it. One advice that I would give do something every day. Even if it's just little baby steps, doing research, 15 minutes, Start somewhere and start something.

Speaker 1:

And do something every day, and that's what I recommend All right Any advice that you want to give to our viewers, listeners.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, be you Stay encouraged, love one. Be you Stay encouraged, love one another and support the culture.

Speaker 1:

And how can we find you on different platforms?

Speaker 3:

Right, so let me get my card so you can find us on Instagram, facebook, tiktok, fanbase. My TikTok is PJS4, the number 4. You and me. Facebook is PJs4UandMe and Instagram is PJS4 and me and Fanbase. That's a new platform. I don't think a lot of people are used to, but it's new. It's PJS4, you and Me.

Speaker 1:

Alright, it's your boy, mr Zachary, and thank you for tuning in just to a broadcast. Come out, support your black American in Goose Creek. Buy these merch. They got some good clothes out here, some smell, some comfortable. Put your baby to sleep, okay, all right, thank you. You have a nice day. Thank you, I appreciate it. I got to follow you man, got you. Matter of fact, I got you All right. Let's begin. It is your boy, mr Zachary, on his 102, and you are tuned into just the two of us broadcast. I am here at the Black Market, at the NMACP, as I celebrate and contribute to Black business across Charleston County. Don't trust the county, any county that you are in. I am sitting here with one of the persons who are coordinating this event, so tell me about yourself and what's the point of why we're here.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, so my name is Brea Major. I am a member of the Goose Creek NAACP and also the chairwoman for the Political Action Committee. Excuse me, this event was put on by Janae Pugh, who is over our education committee. Janae wanted to create an event that we could gather all of our African-American vendors and business owners to give them the opportunity to present their business to all of the citizens of Goose Creek. Also, we wanted to partner with the city, so the city of Goose Creek is also partnering with us excuse me, the recreation department to make this happen. So we have some city workers out here as well and they're assisting department to make this happen. So we have some city workers out here as well and they're assisting us to make things happen all right.

Speaker 1:

You said you're in a political, so how is? Why is very important for people to vote now than ever before?

Speaker 4:

well, it is definitely important. Well, you know, I tell people that this year is a pivotal year. So the elections that are going on, we have two different candidates with very different views and very different platforms, right? So this year is very important. This year is going to be important to us, the voters, but it's also going to be important to the next generation, which is our children, right? So this year is very, very important for us to. You know, so many of us are registered to vote but nobody goes out to vote.

Speaker 4:

So, we are focusing all of our attention and time on, yes, getting people registered, but also getting people out to vote. You know, letting them know, you know why it's important. You know why these issues are. You know, kitchen table issues, right, this. These are issues that affect me, you, our neighbors, everybody yeah yeah.

Speaker 4:

So we're just out here trying to first off promote, uh, our african-american businesses that are in the area. We're also out here to just spread the word about the goose creek and acp, and then also about the upcoming election and why it's important for all of us to vote all right.

Speaker 1:

So any advice for young people who want to start their own business or venture out on their own? Yeah, find yourself yeah, for sure.

Speaker 4:

I would say if you are starting your business, um, steadfast Right. So, no matter how hard it gets Right, partner with some of your local community businesses to help you meet your people where they are Right, so you can meet with the folks that are out in the community, find out what is it the need for and then also bring the need to the table that they're asking for.

Speaker 1:

Alright, I'd like to thank you so much. Yeah, if you're not doing anything, we'd be out here 5 to 9. Come out, support your Black business. We're in Grocery, south Carolina. Man, get yourself some merch, some clothes and connect with people. Come on out, come on out. Thank you, thank you.

Speaker 2:

Appreciate you.

Speaker 1:

Hey, this is your boy, Mrs Zachary William. You all are tuned in to Just the Two of Us broadcast. I'm at NWACP Black Market supporting your black business out here, so come check it out. And I'm sitting with this lovely lady what's your name? Priscilla Singleton, with Swag Together. Ooh, not Swag Together, Swag Together. So what does that mean? Serving, worshiping and acknowledging God together. So I have apparel, accessories and more things to come. I like that name I like that name.

Speaker 1:

So why did you start this business? I actually started the business in 2015 after coming back from a trip to Israel and I just was inspired to share with God's word and I said you know, a bold way to do it is express it on your chest. So say it with your chest. And so, basically, back then, I started with an online Christian subscription box company. People would subscribe to my company and I would send out boxes of inspirational and verses and Godly stuff. And then I retired from corporate America and then in 2018, I moved back to South Carolina to take care of my mom and she has since passed away and I decided to start the business again and I just want to share God's word.

Speaker 1:

Swagging to Delta Listen, if you're out here, get your merch. It's swagging, swagging with the bag, swagging with the Lord and all that in between. So what advice would you give somebody who want to start their business and retire and not have a job and be committed full-time? Don't wait. I mean, even when I had my full-time job as a registered architect, I still had side business. That's just how I was brought up, and so to do something like this, you have to make time and you have to prioritize if you really want to make that money. And, for me, I wanted to make that money and share God's word, and that was a priority to me, so I did it. God's word and that was a priority to me, so I did it.

Speaker 1:

So what was the outcome that you have to overcome? Start, what was the downfall that you had to face? Uh, did you have any? I'm just a little firecracker when it comes to things. So, um, I would say you know what I would say? This recently has been social media. Um, because back when I started in 2015, I really didn't do a lot on social media, but I had over 200 subscribers that were paying $39 per box, so I was making a really good, pretty penny. And so now that I've started it back up, I know the importance of getting involved on social media and I have some several platforms that I'm basically building up slowly, but I'm definitely social media is the way to go. I have a YouTube page that's not affiliated with this. I have 25,000 subscribers, so I'm flirting. I'm flirting.

Speaker 1:

If you're out here, guess your swag is Tarkata. Yes, the name just tells me. It's amazing. Anything else you want to tell my listeners? By all means you know, continue to follow God, follow your heart and don't let anything hold you back. All right, like I said, we out here 9 to 5. It's your boy, mrs Zachary. You are tuned just to us broadcasting. If you are out here today, please, please, come with your merch. It's SWAG together, okay, yay.

Speaker 3:

Thank you.

Speaker 1:

It's your boy. Mrs Zachary, you are welcome to just to us broadcast. I am here at the NWA black market as we support black business out here, so we can be out here at five to nine and I'm sitting here with the lovely Rosa. Okay, rosa, what's your name? Your company is body decor Kijibi, which they go by BD Kijibi. I'm rooted in downtown Charleston, so why did you start this business? Well, actually, let's see Around the beginning of the single-court covert pandemic thing or whatever you know, a lot of businesses shut down, people weren't working.

Speaker 1:

I was in school at the time and was working in. That business closed down Actually, they said they were overseas, but anywho, a friend of mine asked me to make him a necklace and then I did and enjoyed it. And then when I started looking at the stones, I was like this is not only healthy for me but healthy for everybody else. I mean people usually just oh well, let me get that. Only go one stone or whatever. But we are stones, crystals are within us. So when we need that little boost of encouragement or confidence or grounding moment or, you know, assistance with letting things go in the past, I I would love to provide that and that's what I aim to do, but in a real chill, cool and beautiful way. And my jewelry, just you know, came apart, put apart of that, yeah.

Speaker 1:

So what advice can you give somebody who want to start their own business or who want to quit the 9 to 5 and take this full job? Have a plan, man, first off. Have a plan, you know. Take action on the idea. Once an idea come to you, you may not be the only person that same idea come to, so even if you write it down on paper, that's taking action on that idea. And then if you you know what this is going to, this is going to blossom. For me, this is what I want this to do. When you get that kind of momentum going, everything else will be attracted to it, you know, so it's like oh what am I?

Speaker 1:

what am I going to do, do? How I get this, how I can do this? Listen, start with the end. What, what do I want this to do for me? Like, what do I want to gain once you know that everything else is gonna? It's like working backwards and people talk against that. But let me tell you, you have, you have no idea how God or the universe works. We only have our human mind. Things happen like that you know what I mean Outside of our mind. So it's like don't use your brain all the time because it's limited. Use your spiritual brain. That's unlimited. Things will come from all directions. And when they say, you know, be like well, money don't fall out trees, or money don't fall out your lap, I mean what fall in your lap. I'm a loving testimony that those things happen.

Speaker 1:

They really do and I do believe in that and just want to just thank you so much for sitting down here with me and talking about your business, any else things. How can we find you BDGTB's Facebook, instagram and TikTok Website comment? It's just like what am I going to put on there Because it's so much? You know what I mean. I just want to make sure that people can really find what they need to uplift themselves, encourage themselves. Enough is more, do it. I'm telling you enough is more, enough is more. So are you having a good time out here? Yes, I am so. Like, what kind of advice can you give to people? You know you've seen everything going around. Did you see anything that you like? Did you say anything that you like Out here? I like the book because I want to dive into reading more, to uplift my vocabulary. Why is the point of people to continue reading? Increasing vocabulary work? Because it boosts your intelligence, whether you believe it or?

Speaker 1:

not. The more you read, the more you know. I love y'all, I appreciate y'all. Thank you for tuning in. Like I said, we've been out here five to nine. Y'all be outside March man, come out here and support y'all. Black business. It's your boy, mr Zachary. You are listening to Just the Two Of Us broadcast. Thank you, alright. So what's? It's your boy, mr Zachary Williams, you are listening to just the two of us. I am sitting here with who? What's your name? Aj, aj, tell me about your business. So.

Speaker 1:

I have two things going on here I have AJH Help, which is TLC products as well as candy claims, and I have Jackson Culture, which consists of all-natural stones, crystals, handmade bracelets and necklaces. So what's the purpose you want to start this business? Say again what's the purpose you want to start this business?

Speaker 3:

Well with.

Speaker 2:

CLC.

Speaker 1:

I'm just helping out and getting information so people, let them know that there is a way of living healthier, and it's to help them out as far as the crystals they give me. A hobby Hand making crystals is actually relaxing for me, Like they're for you, girl.

Speaker 4:

It is.

Speaker 1:

It is Very, very so that gives me something to do and I have nice items to offer people. Okay, so what advice that you could give somebody who wants to take on their own business? Just do their own hobby. Huh, well, I have many hobbies for one, but I tell them, if they find something, stick to it. Don't be deferred by anything. Do what you do, do what you love and stick to it. All right. And where can we find you at? On social media? You can find me on Instagram. Oh, I heard on Instagram y'all AJ ABL for Jackson Couture. Like I said, we are sitting here with AJ. Aj, do you have anything else you want to say to our listeners? No, I don't have anything. You sure I'm positive. Alright, aj, if you're out here through our 9 o'clock, please check out AJ Tables. Thank you so much. Thank you.