WEBVTT
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Tell your own story before someone does it for you, because most people feel like their stories don't matter, and they typically are operating on stories that have been indoctrinated on them from childhood, maybe from religious institutions if they attend those, educational institutions, media, TV.
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You get to define your own value, your own worth, your own story.
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And it's one of the most powerful things that you can do as an individual.
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And so every person who listens to this, I hope you can understand and know that your story is important and necessary.
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And the sooner that you tell it, and the sooner you use it and own it, the sooner that we can have a better future and a better outcome.
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And I would wish, I would hope, that more people understand that their story matters.
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People assume networking is what I call the pray and spray method.
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Here's my business card, here's what I need.
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You know, that's all this very pushing, like kind of salesy approach.
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And I think that's one of the worst ways to network.
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The primary thing I do is build one-on-one connections with people who I have something in common with, who I might want to learn from.
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And the conversations are usually informational chats, so I can understand what they stand for, what problems are they trying to solve, what are their values, and how can I be of support, and vice versa.
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So it's a lot of actual relationship building, showing curiosity, asking meaningful questions, reaching out and sending supports and information to people when it's useful.
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And I have that with them.
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So typically, if I go to an event, I'll make a connection with a couple of people, and then I'll really follow up and be like, let's have a real conversation and one-on-one with those individuals and start to seed efforts and connection and commitment to those.
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Even if you meet three people at an event of 300, that could be so invaluable because those relationships can become years-long relationships that can contribute in so many ways to what you do and what you are excited about.
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Welcome to Begin Build Blossom, your business journey, the podcast where we share valuable insights, resources, and motivation to fuel your entrepreneurial spirit.
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Let's build a supportive community together.
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Alright, let's jump back into our conversation.
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Good day.
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It's a wonderful day in New York.
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My guest and I, Christina, we're just talking about how great the weather is today.
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What is it?
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We're in May, this first day of May.
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You'll be hearing this episode later on in the month.
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We just really love the weather.
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So today we're joined by Christina Blacken, a public speaker, writer, performer, and the founder of The GNU Core, a leadership development company focused on behavior change and authentic leadership.
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Through her work, Christina has trained over 31,000 people across multiple industries, helping them build trust, strengthen connection, and lead with intention, no matter the title.
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She's also the creator of Tell It Proud Framework, which uses personal storytelling as a powerful tool for everyday leadership and courage.
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Her work has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, Forbes, and Business Insider, and she's built a community of over 70,000 people across social media.
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A Utah native who's called New York City home for over 16 years, she also brings a unique perspective.
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And apparently, more uses for Jell-O than most of us would expect.
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Christina, welcome.
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Now, that Jell-O, what are those uses we're talking about here?
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I love keeping that in because people do not know that Jell-O at one point was Utah state food because of the amount of Jell-O that they consumed.
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It was like the highest per capita Jell-O consumption in the country.
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And you know, New York gets up to some strange things.
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There's a niche for everything.
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So Jell-O could be used here.
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So I feel like it's been a thematic thing in my life, Jell-O.
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Wow.
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You know, that just brought me back to so many memories from my childhood.
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Um, I lived in St.
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Lucia, and we, whenever we would get jello in one, you know, we would get barrels sent to us.
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So we'd get those little boxes of jello in there.
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And oh my goodness, that was Christmas.
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Now, what flavor was it?
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It's important to know the flavor though.
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Many different flavors.
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We had a variety, but what comes to mind now is is it strawberry?
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Oh, I know it's was red.
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Okay.
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Yeah, red was a classic.
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Yes, the the the one I rem I'm remembering.
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I'm remembering different colors as I speak to you, but red definitely was one of those.
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It was probably just red flavor, not even cherry.
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It's just like, what's the flavor?
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Red.
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Yeah, I I don't even know.
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So Christina, I'm so glad that we're having this conversation today.
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I met you through a mutual friend, Christina Brian, who hosts those amazing events in New York City.
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She has been a guest on this podcast.
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So if you're listening, she's definitely somebody to get to know.
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Um, so Christina, I know in the intro we talked about you having 70,000 people across social media.
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That is no easy feat.
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How does this happen?
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It was kind of a fluke.
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I hate to admit it, but it's true.
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I was walking in Prospect Park, which is right across the street from me.
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I live in Brooklyn near Prospect Park, and I had on my mind at the time a pretty significant news story around Charlie Kirk and um the shooting that had happened at a university in Utah where he was located.
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And I just felt compelled as somebody who grew up in Utah to say something.
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And so I wrote a video really quickly in my notepad on my phone called The Values That Drive Conservative Thinking, and recorded this really short three-minute video that just kind of described specific behavioral values you might see from people who have a specific sort of ideology that might support somebody like a Charlie Kirk.
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And the video just took off.
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It at one point had 1.7 million views.
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I think it might be up to 2 million.
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And from that singular video, I gained around like 45,000 followers or something overnight on Instagram, and then another like 12,000 on TikTok.
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And so it was sort of like right place, right time, right clear message that led to a huge bump in following.
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And from there, I've been able to continue to share my perspective around storytelling, leadership, daily acts of courage people should take.
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But it was not this methodical, I'm growing social media thing over many years, which goes to show you that the algorithm is just it'd be algorithming and you can't always control it, to be fair.
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Thanks for sharing that.
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That that really um brings across the storytelling because that is what happened there.
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You it was something in the news, you had an opinion on it, and you shared it.
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And you used your storytelling framework, I'm guessing, to deliver that.
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I did, yeah.
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And I used some parts of my own personal story of growing up in Utah as a black woman, which I think is very rare.
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People are like, who, what?
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What do you mean?
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A black person in Utah.
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And what's your perspective on this very specific national news story?
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And so I think knowing how your identity can be a lesson or wisdom for others, especially for really important, widespread topics, is a really key thing on using your story in a way that can garner you know influence and and leadership.
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Awesome.
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Thank you.
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Yes, and we will um talk about that a little bit more.
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You spoke about growing up in Utah.
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So let's talk about you a little bit.
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Um, can you tell us one word that describes you now and one word you'd have used to describe yourself as a child?
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I would say they were the same, creative.
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I was a super creative kid who was a storyteller and also a performer.
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I remember one of my earliest memories was stomping around our apartment in my diaper with one of those little microphone toys.
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It had the mic attached to a speaker, and I'd be stomped around the house making my own little concerts and singing RB and hip-hop songs from the 90s at the time.
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And then I'd one point got this um toy guitar that had the buttons, not actual strings, but you push the buttons and you pretend you're playing, and I would put concerts on for my parents and my two siblings.
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I have two younger sisters.
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So I've always been really creative, constantly using imagination and singing and writing poetry and making up stories for my toys and dolls.
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And so I feel like that still plays a huge role in my life now.
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And I've reclaimed so much of it, probably in the last five years specifically, with how I lived my life and also the business that I built.
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And when you say you reclaim, tell us a little bit more about that.
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What do you mean there?
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You know, I think for a long time, and I'm sure so many people relate to this, I felt like my creativity was a nice hobby and extra and not a central part of my life.
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So I was always in choirs and bands and a cappella groups, and it was always just something to do outside of everything else.
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And so there was a big part of my personality and perspective that I wasn't honoring and sort of just compartmentalizing.
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And when I became an entrepreneur seven years ago, I started to incorporate a lot more of my creative voice as a public speaker and a writer.
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And in the last two years, I stepped fully into more creative expression beyond just the corporate trainings and things I do.
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I write poetry and I'm doing things that are about creative self-expression in addition to behavioral organizational change.
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I try to infuse my creativity in that, but then I realized it doesn't have to only live in the container of organizational change management.
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There's something more here that I haven't fully invested time in because I felt like it's a distraction, maybe a waste of time, or could be detrimental to my stability and well-being long term, which is not necessarily true.
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I'm glad you share that because there might be somebody processing that right now and you probably just help them.
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So thank you.
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Yeah.
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You know, there's a lot of hesitation we all have around creative creativity.
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We think we have to be a Beyoncé or a Jay-Z to be creative, or we have to constantly monetize and prove that creative outlets are worth our time.
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When in fact, it's such a central part of being human.
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Expressing our stories and our creative points of view is an incredible part of being human.
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And so many people feel like they don't have the space and time to do that.
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Yes, and and listening to you, I'm thinking of my daughter and even the memory you shared about, you know, when you were younger and you're just free and you know, embracing that creativity, and somehow along the way, that that kind of goes away sometimes.
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So I'm glad that you mentioned you reclaimed that and that now is an integral part of every your everything, your business, who you are, and all of that.
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Okay, so if there is somewhere in the world you could travel to today, where would that be?
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South Africa.
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I love Amont Piano music, the energy, the vibe.
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I just think I would have such an incredible time.
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I also have a friend who moved there a couple years ago, and we've been talking for a while to have me come out and visit.
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And it just seems like it would be such a nourishing, creative, and fun experience.
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I also haven't done enough traveling around the continent of Africa.
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I've been to Zanzibar, I've been to Ghana, but there's so much more time I'd like to spend there.
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Because I've definitely traveled in Europe, I've traveled in Latin America.
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I feel like it's time I expand my horizons and my experiences and go more to the continent.
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Yes, yes, I love that.
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I love that.
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And if there is one book or movie you'd recommend, um what would that be?
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Movie, it would be Origin by Aber Duvernay, and it's based on a book from Isabel Wilkerson, who's this incredible author.
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It's kind of like this creative genius movie about a woman who discovers how caste systems around the world have shaped how we love and treat each other.
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But it's this beautiful love story that encapsulates so much social complexity around how the world works and how oppression works.
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And I think it's uh the defining movie of our time because it's done so eloquently, infused with deep love and a deep kind of biopic story.
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And a lot of people have not seen it because I don't think it was funded in the ways that it should have been.
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Probably because the subjects it talks about right now are things that are being villainized by our government.
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So I would love if more people saw Origin, even if they don't know about the book or the author.
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It's an incredible love story about humanity and just how we can treat one another better and reconcile our past and the issues and the injustices that have come from our past.
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And that is so needed.
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That is so needed.
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Thank you for sharing that.
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So going on to the business, is there a highest high you've experienced in business?
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Is that something that comes to mind?
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There's a few.
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I'll say one of them was I took on a pretty significant project with the technology company that was needing help around content moderation.
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And they were really struggling with racism and bias on the platform.
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And they were like, how do we get ahead of this?
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We have social media pages mocking our product and making fun of the fact that people are fighting and constantly not connecting.
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And so I created this moderation course that helped people to learn how to de-escalate conflict on the platform and in their neighborhoods because this tech company was around getting neighbors to communicate with one another.
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And the highs were just the impact.
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We had at the time, I think, 45,000 people signed up to do the training, around a third completed it.
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And we measured that people changed their behavior six months past the course, and they were taking those behaviors and applying them in their families, in their communities.
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So seeing something that came from my brain and from my lived experiences and research actually changed how people think and how they treat each other was incredible.
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And to do that for a year's long, uh, we did the project for three years total, and it was measured by Stanford University in terms of the behavioral impact, and it felt really meaningful, especially at a time because this was from 2020 until 2023, in the middle of the pandemic, when people were really isolated and divided, it felt very important to do that work.
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Oh, wow, talk about impact.
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Goodness.
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Thank you for sharing that and congrats.
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Thank you.
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Yeah, it was a challenging project, but also it felt really meaningful to incorporate all the different methodologies and tools that I use for behavior change, including storytelling, historical context, entertainment.
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You know, the trainings have singing and it's fun.
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Like there are ways that people are like, I'm learning some really serious stuff, but I'm laughing too.
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And also, this is fun.
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And like we end up having really great reviews of the experience.
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And so I think that's hard to find.
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Like, how do you get people to deal with the tough, hard topics, but make it entertaining and engaging and something that feels like it's going to benefit them and help them to become better leaders, better communicators.
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That's not an easy thing to balance.
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And I'm really glad that we were able to do it.
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Yes, yes.
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And on the opposite side of that, can you think of maybe a not so good moment that you've had?
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Yeah, the last few years have been pretty tough.
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I mean, a lot of my work, so I've primarily done facilitation and workshops and trainings for organizations.
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So helping them to improve trust and communication on teams and within communities.
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And that organizational work got labeled under diversity, equity, and inclusion because I incorporate those tools into the work.
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You can't be a good leader or communicator without knowing how to speak to people who are not like you.
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That's just a fundamental.
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But because I was in DEI, and that is now a slur in our country, the funding, the support, the public conversation completely pivoted from five years ago.
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And so that had a significant impact on my business.
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I lost 90% of my revenue in the last like year and a half that I was normally making.
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And I had to kind of rebuild and start over because so much of the work was being categorized in ways that were really unfortunate, inaccurate, and wrong.
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And a lot of people self-complied because of executive orders.
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So that was really tough.
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It was a really dark moment.
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I think the statistic is like 600,000 black women were pushed out of the workforce.
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They were deregulated, defunded.
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I would consider myself one of those black women.
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And it felt like a methodical attack from our government on our population solely out of fear and not because it was valid or justified.
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And that was really, really hard to move through, especially because the conversation and attitude was a 180 just a year before that, where people are like, Yes, we want to be better, we want to improve our skills, we want to reduce bias, help us do that.
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And then the next year is like, how dare you talk about bias?
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How dare you want us to do this kind of work?
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It just was it was whiplash.
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And it was very, very disappointing, especially from people who had made commitments and promises that they retracted on.
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Yeah, I'm listening to you, and you know, this environment we live in.
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I don't even know what to make of it.
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But I do know as a black woman myself, I know the experience.
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We are definitely not living through good times.
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And um, I just had a question that pop up for me like, what happens after that?
00:17:27.839 --> 00:17:30.960
You said you lost 90% of your revenue.
00:17:31.200 --> 00:17:32.640
How do you rebuild?
00:17:32.960 --> 00:17:39.759
Well, one of the things I did a couple years before that was build a safety net in case this kind of thing would happen.
00:17:39.920 --> 00:17:44.559
So I had significant savings and investments that helped me to weather that downturn.
00:17:44.720 --> 00:17:53.920
And I did that because I saw a few years prior, um, when Trump was elected right before Joe Biden, he did a test around some of this DEI defunding.
00:17:54.000 --> 00:17:56.240
So he had a couple of key executive orders.
00:17:56.319 --> 00:18:03.039
And I had some friends at the time who primarily had government contracts and they lost all of their business revenue with one order overnight.
00:18:03.200 --> 00:18:05.920
And watching them go through that, I was like, oh, this could happen again.
00:18:06.079 --> 00:18:19.119
So I started to make sure that anytime I was closing projects or deals, I set aside significant amounts of funding to make sure if things happen and I can't close deals or projects are fooled arbitrarily, I'd be okay.
00:18:19.359 --> 00:18:20.079
So that was one.
00:18:20.240 --> 00:18:27.359
The other was, you know, my work has always been around helping people to understand storytelling as this tool of deep relationship change.
00:18:27.519 --> 00:18:28.880
And that's always been the goal.
00:18:28.960 --> 00:18:32.960
It's leadership and storytelling, and that isn't something that's technically being villainized.
00:18:33.039 --> 00:18:34.880
So there were still people interested in the work.
00:18:35.119 --> 00:18:39.680
I just think the way that I messaged around it and the way that I implemented projects shifted too.
00:18:39.759 --> 00:18:47.119
So I started doing more public and individual work outside of institutions because institutions have been so all over the place.
00:18:47.279 --> 00:18:49.279
They're they're a hot mess right now.
00:18:49.440 --> 00:18:50.400
So that helped as well.
00:18:50.559 --> 00:18:56.079
Pivoting who I was serving, the way I was messaging it, in addition to having my own kind of safety net.
00:18:56.240 --> 00:19:03.519
If I didn't have those things, I think I would have had to have completely closed the business and started over again and just went back to the drawing board.
00:19:03.680 --> 00:19:05.839
So I was fortunate that I planned ahead.
00:19:06.000 --> 00:19:08.319
And I tell people that a lot in entrepreneurship.
00:19:08.480 --> 00:19:09.599
We don't know what's gonna happen.
00:19:09.759 --> 00:19:19.759
The pandemic that happened 2019, when people were excited about 2020 and they were doing their New Year's resolutions, you think they were like on the docket is gonna be a worldwide global pandemic?
00:19:19.920 --> 00:19:20.160
No.
00:19:20.240 --> 00:19:22.000
And most people were not prepared for that.
00:19:22.240 --> 00:19:31.440
So I think now that's just taught me how to be present and not being too fearful of the future, but making some A, B, C, D, E, F G plans in case things don't go well.
00:19:32.160 --> 00:19:33.279
Yes, yes, yes.
00:19:33.359 --> 00:19:35.039
So I heard safety net there.
00:19:35.119 --> 00:19:40.720
I heard um keeping your ears to the ground, I guess, and really understanding what's happening.
00:19:40.880 --> 00:19:49.359
And you mentioned that you saw what happened when Trump was elected the first time, and you could see that if you know it could happen again.
00:19:49.599 --> 00:19:51.279
So preparing for that.
00:19:51.759 --> 00:19:55.680
Yeah, and you also mentioned pivoting, which is a big thing for business owners.
00:19:55.920 --> 00:19:58.960
It's um so I'm really glad you covered all of that.
00:19:59.200 --> 00:20:09.359
And something that comes that's coming to me now is um what if you don't have the safety net or you've already spent it all and now you're still in a situation?
00:20:09.519 --> 00:20:10.880
It's just something that came to me.
00:20:10.960 --> 00:20:14.640
So it's something definitely to for all of us to think through as well.
00:20:14.960 --> 00:20:18.319
But in terms of the business, you touched on it a little bit.
00:20:18.559 --> 00:20:24.480
I talked about it in the introduction, but just tell us a little bit more about what you do in business.
00:20:25.279 --> 00:20:29.839
Yeah, so I started out in I would say 2015.
00:20:30.240 --> 00:20:34.000
I was working in a couple of different corporate industries at that time.
00:20:34.160 --> 00:20:44.640
So I was a professional that was using storytelling, um, mostly as a tool for marketing, campaign building, doing it for nonprofits and media companies.
00:20:44.799 --> 00:20:52.000
And I kept thinking, wow, storytelling is this really powerful tool, but we're only using it for sales or to push things that people don't really need.
00:20:52.160 --> 00:20:59.200
How would it change things if people use storytelling as a tool for their own personal development, their leadership growth, their voice?
00:20:59.440 --> 00:21:10.799
And so I started doing research on how storytelling affects your brain, how it affects relationships, and built frameworks and tools and started teaching them on the side, mostly at conferences, sometimes to colleagues.
00:21:11.039 --> 00:21:12.400
And I was getting some momentum.
00:21:12.480 --> 00:21:14.400
People were like, wow, I see a huge difference.
00:21:14.480 --> 00:21:16.480
I have clarity on my perspective.
00:21:16.799 --> 00:21:22.960
I have a set of stories I can use to motivate and inspire people to adopt new ideas or take on new goals.
00:21:23.119 --> 00:21:28.000
And so I was like, oh, I can make this a full-time thing and decided to save up what I called my FU fund at the time.
00:21:28.160 --> 00:21:36.079
And I was like, when I get to the number that I could essentially cover all my expenses for six months, I will quit my full-time job and go into this full-time.
00:21:36.240 --> 00:21:42.079
So I was able to hit that number in 2019, which at the time was$20,000, and quit my job.
00:21:42.160 --> 00:21:44.079
And I was like, great, I'm gonna do the new quo.
00:21:44.160 --> 00:21:52.319
I'm going to teach as a public speaker, facilitator, writer, how to use storytelling for leadership and communication and relationship building.
00:21:52.480 --> 00:21:55.200
And I was getting really good momentum and then COVID hit.
00:21:55.279 --> 00:21:56.640
So I was like, yeah, this is great.
00:21:56.720 --> 00:21:58.160
I got referrals from my community.
00:21:58.240 --> 00:21:59.759
I'm building with Fortune 500.
00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:05.920
Companies and then COVID completely shut down any in-person kind of facilitation or teaching.
00:22:06.160 --> 00:22:08.160
So I had to be again pivot.
00:22:08.240 --> 00:22:10.079
And at that time, I had a digital tool.
00:22:10.240 --> 00:22:19.839
So I decided to turn my frameworks, my workshops into online courses and was able to scale to that, you know, 31,000 number that you mentioned in my bio.
00:22:20.240 --> 00:22:22.720
So it was just being flexible, being on your feet.
00:22:22.880 --> 00:22:24.720
And really, my work is twofold.
00:22:24.799 --> 00:22:32.720
It's really helping people to become more conscious of how they use storytelling because 65% of all of our daily conversations are through stories.
00:22:32.880 --> 00:22:34.640
It is unconscious typically.
00:22:34.799 --> 00:22:36.960
And it's usually learned from your upbringing.
00:22:37.039 --> 00:22:44.480
So however you learned how to emulate stories, the beliefs and values that kind of got encoded from your experiences become the way that you tell stories.
00:22:44.640 --> 00:22:47.359
And a majority of people focus on negative storytelling.
00:22:47.440 --> 00:22:52.559
So complaint, criticism, and judgment is the primary way they're communicating and moving through the world.
00:22:52.720 --> 00:22:59.440
And so helping people to shift from that and communicate using their values is really important and primarily what I teach.
00:22:59.519 --> 00:23:13.519
So, how do you use your values to collect the right anecdotes, to use those anecdotes strategically in conversations, in emails, and presentations, and help people to understand the goals you're moving towards and the ideas that you can create together.
00:23:13.680 --> 00:23:20.319
And that's really resonated with people because I think very few people feel like their story is worth telling or that they're a good storyteller at all.
00:23:20.480 --> 00:23:27.519
And most leadership is just you telling stories and hoping and getting people to be motivated about the goals and ideas that you're sharing.
00:23:27.680 --> 00:23:31.599
And good storytellers have a lot of power, whether they're telling the truth or not.
00:23:31.759 --> 00:23:42.400
Right now we live in huge amounts of misinformation from people sharing stereotype stories, scapegoat stories of immigrants, stories of myths about the world and history, like all that is storytelling.
00:23:42.559 --> 00:23:47.279
And so getting other people to understand that and use that is really the crux of my work.
00:23:47.440 --> 00:23:49.279
And it also looks like um events.
00:23:49.359 --> 00:23:52.799
So I facilitate storytelling events and I have a learning community.
00:23:52.880 --> 00:23:59.759
So all of it is how do you get people to use storytelling more intentionally, more thoughtfully, and more with a social justice outcome?
00:24:00.559 --> 00:24:03.279
And how do you go about building those?
00:24:03.359 --> 00:24:10.480
You mentioned online courses, you mention actually being able to facilitate at conferences.
00:24:10.640 --> 00:24:14.000
How do you go about getting these or how do you do that?
00:24:14.880 --> 00:24:16.640
It started off with networking.
00:24:16.720 --> 00:24:27.839
You know, I was really good with first when I had started my company, I was talking to a lot of my colleagues and my peers about my work and the problems that I was solving and why I was focusing on it.
00:24:27.920 --> 00:24:39.519
And a lot of the problems I was solving at the time is reducing bias in how people communicate and how they share their stories and show up in teams and in their organizations.
00:24:39.599 --> 00:24:44.640
And so I was like, hey, if you need help with bias reduction, I have all these tools to help with that.
00:24:44.799 --> 00:24:48.960
So that was the preliminary conversations, and then people would bring me in by referral.
00:24:49.200 --> 00:24:51.359
The other thing I did was content marketing.
00:24:51.440 --> 00:25:04.720
So I do a lot of thought leadership on social media, LinkedIn, TikTok, Instagram, really giving perspectives around social issues and cultural analysis, and then giving specific practical tools, communication tools that people can use to address it.
00:25:04.880 --> 00:25:05.920
And that's helped too.
00:25:06.000 --> 00:25:09.599
It's helped people to see the credibility and the validity of what I do.
00:25:09.839 --> 00:25:19.839
And then the third thing was really just putting myself out there when I would see asks, when people would open up, you know, open calls for speakers or applications for things.
00:25:19.920 --> 00:25:21.440
I'd be like, let me throw my hat in the ring.
00:25:21.599 --> 00:25:22.319
You know, it might not work.
00:25:22.400 --> 00:25:23.599
I've gotten a lot of notes.
00:25:23.680 --> 00:25:24.480
I'm like, you know what?
00:25:24.559 --> 00:25:25.119
Let me just try.
00:25:25.200 --> 00:25:26.160
Like, I would do that a lot.
00:25:26.240 --> 00:25:28.400
Let me just, and then we'll see what happens.
00:25:28.640 --> 00:25:33.839
Like one thing I've I started doing specifically in New York City is a storytelling event called Change My Mind.
00:25:34.000 --> 00:25:44.559
And that kind of came from this idea that people are isolated and lonely and don't have a lot of spaces to listen to true stories from people who are they're not related to or friends with.
00:25:44.640 --> 00:25:50.559
And that's a primary way of building trust in a community, is knowing people's real stories beyond the surface, beyond stereotype.
00:25:50.720 --> 00:25:55.680
And so I pitched the idea to a government agency here who had an open call for a community grant.
00:25:55.759 --> 00:25:59.039
And I was like, hey, I got this really great series called Change My Mind.
00:25:59.200 --> 00:26:03.119
People tell true nonfiction stories about an act of courage that changed them for the better.
00:26:03.279 --> 00:26:04.880
I facilitate audience interaction.
00:26:05.039 --> 00:26:06.079
And they were like, sounds great.
00:26:06.160 --> 00:26:07.759
I was like, oh, it worked.
00:26:07.839 --> 00:26:09.279
Like, people are they're interested.
00:26:09.440 --> 00:26:14.079
And so they funded it and it became and there, I'm bringing the series back again for the summer.
00:26:14.240 --> 00:26:26.880
And so I guess to say if you have an idea and you want to test it, you have to take the risk to put yourself out there to talk about your point of view, to talk about the problem you solve, and to attract the right people who want to support it and who have that pain point.
00:26:26.960 --> 00:26:29.920
And that process is constant when you're running your own business.
00:26:30.079 --> 00:26:38.799
So that's primarily the activities that I was always focusing on is how do you be a value and service to people and how do they know what you stand for and what problems that you solve?
00:26:40.319 --> 00:26:43.440
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00:27:30.799 --> 00:27:33.440
Alright, let's jump back into our conversation.
00:27:34.160 --> 00:27:47.039
Yeah, and a lot of that it sounds like um people getting to know that it's through visibility and basically putting yourself out there, answering those questions, being the thought leader, and not necessarily waiting for people to come look for you.
00:27:47.200 --> 00:27:52.079
You put yourself out there, and you also mention referrals, um, which I hear a lot.
00:27:52.319 --> 00:27:52.960
So that's good.
00:27:53.039 --> 00:27:56.480
And the fact that you do a good job, you get more referrals, so that's great.
00:27:56.640 --> 00:28:01.359
And you also mentioned networking, and that's how we met through a networking event.
00:28:01.519 --> 00:28:03.920
So we know how important that is.
00:28:04.160 --> 00:28:11.359
Would you like to just share a little bit more about how you network or any advice on how to do it effectively?
00:28:11.599 --> 00:28:13.519
Yeah, I I love that question.
00:28:13.680 --> 00:28:17.519
I think people assume networking is what I call the pray and spray method.
00:28:17.680 --> 00:28:19.519
Here's my business card, here's what I need.
00:28:19.599 --> 00:28:24.319
You know, it's all this very pushing, like kind of salesy approach.
00:28:24.400 --> 00:28:26.400
And I think that's one of the worst ways to network.
00:28:26.640 --> 00:28:34.480
The primary thing I do is build one-on-one connections with people who I have something in common with, who I might want to learn from.
00:28:34.559 --> 00:28:44.799
And the conversations are usually informational chats, so I can understand what they stand for, what problems are they trying to solve, what are their values, and how can I be of support, and vice versa.
00:28:44.960 --> 00:28:54.319
So it's a lot of actual relationship building, showing curiosity, asking meaningful questions, reaching out and sending supports and information to people when it's useful.
00:28:54.400 --> 00:28:55.680
And I have that with them.
00:28:55.839 --> 00:29:08.000
So typically, if I go to an event, I'll make a connection with a couple of people, and then I'll really follow up and be like, let's have a real conversation and one-on-one with those individuals and start to see efforts and connection and commitment to those.
00:29:08.160 --> 00:29:19.759
Even if you meet three people at an event of 300, that could be so invaluable because those relationships can become years-long relationships that can contribute in so many ways to what you do and what you are excited about.
00:29:19.920 --> 00:29:22.480
So, really, it's actual genuine relationship building.
00:29:22.559 --> 00:29:32.720
It's better to build thoughtfully with a smaller group of people over time than to like be thoughtless and self-involved and transactional with dozens and dozens of people.
00:29:32.880 --> 00:29:38.640
It's not just about what you can take from people, but genuinely, how can you have a reciprocal, mutually beneficial relationship with people?
00:29:38.799 --> 00:29:39.680
And that takes time.
00:29:39.839 --> 00:29:45.039
There is no shortcut, there is no buzzy, hot take social media way of doing that.
00:29:45.200 --> 00:29:48.240
It takes time to show genuine curiosity and effort to people.
00:29:48.400 --> 00:29:49.759
And so that's the primary thing.
00:29:49.920 --> 00:29:56.960
I would say most of my community, my network, value that I'm a dependable person, that I'm a person that doesn't just pop up when I need something.
00:29:57.200 --> 00:30:00.640
And I'm kind of constantly seeding those relationships over time.
00:30:01.440 --> 00:30:08.640
And for someone who has grown their social media so extensively, how do you like bridge the gap there?
00:30:08.720 --> 00:30:15.680
Like now, you know, because we talked about intentional and you know, one-on-one and all of that when you meet people at events.
00:30:15.839 --> 00:30:18.480
So, how does that work in the social media space?
00:30:18.640 --> 00:30:20.880
And how does that change all that?
00:30:21.039 --> 00:30:25.440
I was just having a conversation with a friend about this because I'm still figuring that out.
00:30:25.680 --> 00:30:31.359
I find social media very frustrating, and I think it's frustrating in the sense that you have little control.
00:30:31.599 --> 00:30:45.039
Even if you have a huge following, you cannot control how much of that following actually sees your content and engages with it because the algorithm is set up to intermittently reinforce the success of your content to keep you on the platform making content for free.
00:30:45.119 --> 00:30:46.240
That's just a fact.
00:30:46.400 --> 00:30:49.440
And um, the ethics of the algorithm sometimes can be questionable.
00:30:49.599 --> 00:31:04.400
So, in terms of relationship building, I think comments, DMs, like actual one-on-one conversations with people who continuously engage with the content can be useful because those people show an interest beyond being entertained, escaping for a second, and then moving on.
00:31:04.640 --> 00:31:16.480
And so I'm still figuring that out in terms of building one-on-one connections with people who have indicated through the like of a content post or through a follow that they they're interested, they want to know more.
00:31:16.640 --> 00:31:24.559
But I think about social media almost kind of like a street in a city where you don't know who's gonna pass your street.
00:31:24.720 --> 00:31:28.720
You might have a cool storefront and you got a sign that's like stop by and get a coffee.
00:31:28.799 --> 00:31:30.799
And some people may come in and some may not.
00:31:30.960 --> 00:31:37.200
And so you have a neighborhood of 50,000 people, but there's no guarantee that all 50,000 of those people come into the coffee shop.
00:31:37.279 --> 00:31:39.680
And that's kind of how the social media game is.
00:31:39.839 --> 00:31:42.559
So you're like, hey, come, don't you remember me?
00:31:42.640 --> 00:31:43.759
We live in the same neighborhood.
00:31:43.839 --> 00:31:45.119
You could come inside.
00:31:45.279 --> 00:31:54.400
And so I'm kind of trying to find a balance of not allowing these platforms to siphon my energy and my joy and get something in return out of it.
00:31:54.480 --> 00:31:55.440
And that is a hard balance.
00:31:55.519 --> 00:32:00.799
And I think a lot of entrepreneurs constantly have that battle of social media can be important.
00:32:00.960 --> 00:32:02.720
But I'll keep it really honest.
00:32:02.880 --> 00:32:07.279
A lot of my business I told you I built, social media had nothing to do with it at all.
00:32:07.440 --> 00:32:13.839
Like all those relationships, those projects primarily were built offline through networking and communities, not from social media.
00:32:14.000 --> 00:32:19.039
Social media was useful in terms of some visibility, credibility in terms of influence.
00:32:19.119 --> 00:32:24.799
But besides that, it was genuine real relationship building offline that helped me to build a business without a huge social following.
00:32:24.960 --> 00:32:29.119
I just got that following six months ago in terms of how big it is now.
00:32:29.279 --> 00:32:39.119
Before that, I had maybe three or four thousand followers on each platform, three thousand on Insta, 4,000 on LinkedIn, which is still an okay number, but it wasn't 70,000.
00:32:39.279 --> 00:32:44.559
So that is a very recent development that had nothing to do really with any of the business stuff I had done before.
00:32:44.720 --> 00:32:46.160
So I think that's the other thing, too.
00:32:46.319 --> 00:32:47.599
People think they have to have.
00:32:47.759 --> 00:32:51.599
I know people with humongous social media followings who make zero dollars from it.
00:32:51.759 --> 00:32:52.960
There is no guarantee.
00:32:53.039 --> 00:32:57.680
You have to work very hard to convert people in social media to actual genuine customers.
00:32:57.759 --> 00:32:58.720
That's a whole other conversation.
00:32:58.799 --> 00:33:03.039
But yeah, you do not need social media to have a successful, sustainable business.
00:33:03.440 --> 00:33:03.839
Thank you.
00:33:03.920 --> 00:33:05.519
Thanks for that perspective.
00:33:05.759 --> 00:33:14.000
And earlier you mentioned about funding for one of the programs that you're having, and you're actually running it this summer.
00:33:14.160 --> 00:33:17.440
So I was wondering if you could tell us a little bit more about how that works.
00:33:17.599 --> 00:33:22.079
Like the just anything about funding and grant applications that you could tell us about.
00:33:22.240 --> 00:33:28.640
And tell us a little bit more about your programming coming this summer, in case somebody's interested in being part of it.
00:33:29.119 --> 00:33:29.680
Absolutely.
00:33:29.759 --> 00:33:30.000
Yeah.
00:33:30.079 --> 00:33:31.599
So it was a grant in New York City.
00:33:31.680 --> 00:33:39.200
We have two offices called the New York City Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes and the New York City Commission on Human Rights.
00:33:39.359 --> 00:33:47.920
And both of their goals are to fund through, you know, pack taxpaying dollars, interventions, and projects that help to reduce bias in neighborhoods.
00:33:48.000 --> 00:33:57.599
So they fund all types of different projects from trainings and interventions, direct service to things like I did, a storytelling event that helps people to connect and build community.
00:33:57.839 --> 00:33:59.119
And I just Googled it.
00:33:59.200 --> 00:34:01.359
I was like New York City grants, because I was like, you know what?
00:34:01.440 --> 00:34:02.640
I'm interested in doing an event.
00:34:02.799 --> 00:34:03.759
Could I get funding for it?
00:34:03.920 --> 00:34:04.799
Could I get support?
00:34:04.960 --> 00:34:10.079
So I was just Googling away and came across their open call for the grant application.
00:34:10.320 --> 00:34:17.440
And because I had already done the event before, uh for a community membership I was already a part of, I had a test pilot.
00:34:17.599 --> 00:34:21.519
So I wasn't coming off of um, had never done the event before.
00:34:21.599 --> 00:34:24.320
I had some legs to it and some momentum and some track record.
00:34:24.480 --> 00:34:26.480
So I do think that helps with these applications.
00:34:26.639 --> 00:34:29.280
You can prove you've had some level of impact.
00:34:29.440 --> 00:34:40.320
You have a structure and a point of view and a goal, and they feel more um secure, I would say, in investing in something that has some level of validity and some track record.
00:34:40.480 --> 00:34:42.559
And then from there, I just delivered really well.
00:34:42.639 --> 00:34:45.039
I was really responsive to all of their emails.
00:34:45.199 --> 00:34:47.840
I was really thorough with how I planned and structured things.
00:34:48.000 --> 00:34:50.960
I made a really comprehensive report on the impact.
00:34:51.039 --> 00:34:52.480
And that's why they wanted to work with me again.
00:34:52.559 --> 00:34:54.960
Because they were like, hey, you are so easy to work with.
00:34:55.360 --> 00:34:59.920
Your event did really well in terms of the ways people feel and the feedback they gave.
00:35:00.079 --> 00:35:01.039
Let's do it again.
00:35:01.199 --> 00:35:09.199
And the event structure itself, you know, the funding for it primarily covers my fees as somebody who's producing and facilitating the event.
00:35:09.360 --> 00:35:13.760
It also covers honorariums for the storytellers who I have performing the show.
00:35:13.920 --> 00:35:16.800
And it covers some basic, you know, videography and stuff.
00:35:16.880 --> 00:35:23.519
And the venues I've worked with luckily have been very low cost or no fee, which has helped with structuring the grant.
00:35:23.760 --> 00:35:27.920
And now I'm partnering with a new organization this year called A New.
00:35:28.239 --> 00:35:30.719
They're a social impact space in the West Village.
00:35:30.880 --> 00:35:36.000
And I'm really excited about that because they can help with bringing other community members and people into this event.
00:35:36.159 --> 00:35:49.840
But the event is really, you know, a credible way for people to hear a real story, to be inspired, to feel hopeful about the future, to make a connection with a new person and to do it in a way that doesn't feel like it's a huge cost or not affordable.
00:35:50.000 --> 00:35:52.800
Right now we have a wait list for the next event, which is May 14th.
00:35:52.960 --> 00:35:55.840
I don't know when this podcast is coming out, but that's their next event.
00:35:55.920 --> 00:35:58.400
It's happening May 14th, 6 to 8 p.m.
00:35:58.719 --> 00:36:10.239
But I'm hoping outside of the series, um, my thinking has been how do people get access to tools that help them to make meaningful connection with people, particularly at a time where people are really lonely.
00:36:10.400 --> 00:36:21.360
I think the loneliness epidemic has grown significantly because of COVID, but also because of the horrific oppressive injustices that are being enacted by our leadership across business and government.
00:36:21.519 --> 00:36:28.639
And so creating spaces for people to feel safe, to feel seen, to feel heard is incredibly important right now.
00:36:28.800 --> 00:36:36.000
And I think anyone who's doing that kind of work is going to have a huge uptick in interest, even if they have to find creative ways to fund it.
00:36:36.239 --> 00:36:36.880
Yes, yes.
00:36:37.039 --> 00:36:38.159
So loneliness.
00:36:39.119 --> 00:36:42.480
Well, I'm glad that you're playing a part in the solution, right?
00:36:42.639 --> 00:36:47.440
Because uh a lot of people in this environment they're creating the problem.
00:36:47.920 --> 00:36:49.679
So that's 100% true.
00:36:49.920 --> 00:36:50.239
Yes.
00:36:50.639 --> 00:36:53.360
We were hearing about all this wonderful work that you're doing.
00:36:53.519 --> 00:36:55.119
What does team look like for you?
00:36:55.360 --> 00:36:56.079
Yeah, absolutely.
00:36:56.159 --> 00:37:04.239
So I'm a solopreneur, so I do a majority of the work myself, but I do have contractors who I'll hire for very specific things.
00:37:04.400 --> 00:37:09.199
So I've had a virtual assistant for many years who've helped with research and preparation.
00:37:09.519 --> 00:37:14.079
I've had editors when it comes to I do a podcast and other kinds of forms of content.
00:37:14.239 --> 00:37:17.119
I've paid CPAs to help with finance and tax.
00:37:17.440 --> 00:37:22.400
So I really hire experts for specific areas of the business that I don't want to run fully by myself.
00:37:22.559 --> 00:37:25.119
But a lot of the execution is still on me.
00:37:25.360 --> 00:37:32.639
And one reason why I chose that is the level of freedom and autonomy and also not having to have the pressure to pay a team full-time.
00:37:32.800 --> 00:37:39.840
And thank goodness I had that structure because with that loss of revenue, I would have been really dire and unfortunate if I had a team I needed to pay.
00:37:40.079 --> 00:37:49.840
The other reason is I have never necessarily wanted to build a large corporate structure where my majority of my time is spent managing people.
00:37:50.000 --> 00:37:58.559
I have been told in previous corporate jobs that I'm a really great manager and I think I have a knack for managing and mentoring people, but that's not where I want to spend 90% of my time.
00:37:58.639 --> 00:38:00.480
I actually like the execution of the work.
00:38:00.639 --> 00:38:05.280
I love public speaking facilitating, being in the work and less in managing people to do the work.
00:38:05.440 --> 00:38:09.760
And so that is one reason why I've built a more lean solopreneur model.
00:38:09.920 --> 00:38:17.920
And the reason why it's been sustainable is because my model has repeating services that are replicable and scalable outside of a big team.
00:38:18.000 --> 00:38:21.840
So me running a course can reach thousands of people without having to hire a lot of people.
00:38:22.000 --> 00:38:32.000
Me doing public speaking, I can tweak my intellectual property and deliver that same kind of intellectual property in slightly new ways for different clients and tailoring it to their situation.
00:38:32.159 --> 00:38:43.039
So I've been able to really be smart about how I scale things so I don't burn out and that I can be lean and still have an impact and still have flexibility to not be working all the time.
00:38:43.280 --> 00:38:47.840
But I think that's a unique model because of me being a public speaker and that being the primary thing I offer.
00:38:48.079 --> 00:38:53.360
For other people who have maybe more tech-heavy stuff or different services, they need more of a team for that.
00:38:53.440 --> 00:38:56.159
But because of my structure, I don't necessarily always need that.
00:38:56.400 --> 00:38:59.039
Yeah, but it sounds like you you were very intentional about it.
00:38:59.119 --> 00:39:01.920
You knew what you wanted and you you know what works for you.
00:39:02.159 --> 00:39:04.320
And we know we talked about pubertine before.
00:39:04.400 --> 00:39:07.599
So if that ever changes, even in that case, you could always change.
00:39:07.679 --> 00:39:09.840
But for now, this is what works for you.
00:39:09.920 --> 00:39:10.800
So I I love that.
00:39:11.119 --> 00:39:14.239
I think also, too, you know, one big thing, you're right.
00:39:14.400 --> 00:39:26.400
The intention in terms of I wanted to be able to take on a specific level of clients a year and still be able to cover all the expenses and have some more for savings, safety net future.
00:39:26.559 --> 00:39:36.400
And that's one reason why I did a lot of organizational work because I can take on, say, 20 clients in a year and be okay versus needing to take on hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of clients and transactions.
00:39:36.480 --> 00:39:38.320
So that's something people can keep in mind as well.
00:39:38.400 --> 00:39:44.159
You don't necessarily have to burn yourself out or have hundreds of clients of years to have like a sustainable business.
00:39:44.400 --> 00:39:44.719
Yeah.
00:39:44.800 --> 00:39:49.039
And I had a difference there between just necessary, like working with organizations.
00:39:49.199 --> 00:39:51.360
So I guess that's what we call B2B, right?
00:39:51.440 --> 00:39:52.960
Like being able to do that.
00:39:53.199 --> 00:39:55.199
Um thanks for sharing that.
00:39:55.360 --> 00:39:57.440
And you mentioned intellectual property.
00:39:57.599 --> 00:39:59.920
What do you put in place to protect that?
00:40:00.800 --> 00:40:03.760
Well, I have some copyrights, they're not always honored.
00:40:03.840 --> 00:40:08.079
I will say that, but I have copyrights on my name, of my business.
00:40:08.239 --> 00:40:12.320
There are copyrights on certain phrases that I've developed for frameworks.
00:40:12.480 --> 00:40:14.000
And that's the primary thing.
00:40:14.159 --> 00:40:26.719
I think also I try not to be too cagey around how I talk about stuff because you know, at the end of the day, I want people to be able to take these tools and to improve their experiences.
00:40:26.800 --> 00:40:29.199
I don't necessarily want to hold it just for myself.
00:40:29.280 --> 00:40:39.280
Um, but I primarily make sure that people need to be in person typically to experience it so that they can really digest it and not necessarily just replicate it from somewhere else.
00:40:39.440 --> 00:40:42.639
But yeah, copyrights are very important, trademarks are very important.
00:40:42.960 --> 00:40:49.280
I started those processes many years ago because it takes a little while to trademark or copyright things.
00:40:49.440 --> 00:40:59.119
So that's the first step is you know, use legal protections to be able to keep people from trying to siphon away your labor in ways that are exploitative or not okay.
00:40:59.440 --> 00:41:01.840
And it sometimes it doesn't stop people.
00:41:01.920 --> 00:41:12.559
I've had copycats, I've had people try to copy my business name, I've had people try to copy frameworks and things, and I guess that's a form of flattery, you know, mimicry is a form of flattery at times.
00:41:12.800 --> 00:41:18.480
It can be frustrating too, especially from people who claim that they care about equity and social justice.
00:41:18.639 --> 00:41:26.079
But I've also realized that if you've developed something that's from your specific lived experience, it's hard to copy and steal as well.
00:41:26.239 --> 00:41:29.920
So there's parts of the things I teach other people just could not replicate.
00:41:30.000 --> 00:41:32.880
Like I'm I have very specific experiences as a black woman from Utah.
00:41:33.039 --> 00:41:35.519
I talk about as context for a lot of the tools.
00:41:35.760 --> 00:41:38.559
If you aren't that, I mean it's hard to be like, well, I'm gonna steal that.
00:41:38.639 --> 00:41:44.079
You still have to have your own flavor, your own sauce, your own style in terms of doing and delivering.
00:41:44.159 --> 00:41:46.719
You know, I'm a performer, so I sing in a lot of my trainings.
00:41:46.960 --> 00:41:50.159
I facilitate really interesting dialogue between people.
00:41:50.239 --> 00:41:51.920
I use humor and comedy.
00:41:52.079 --> 00:41:53.920
And a lot of people can't always do that.
00:41:54.000 --> 00:41:57.679
So that's also part of it, too, is what is your unique sauce of how you deliver what you deliver?
00:41:57.760 --> 00:42:02.000
You can try to take the tools, you can steal the name, but can you deliver it in the same way?
00:42:02.079 --> 00:42:02.719
Probably not.
00:42:02.960 --> 00:42:03.920
So that's the key too.
00:42:04.000 --> 00:42:20.079
People need to focus more on their unique perspective and less on shortcuts and desperation and feeling like copying is the only way to find a sense of stability and security because you might be wasting your time and there might be something unique and cool about your perspective of something that might be worth pursuing.
00:42:21.119 --> 00:42:21.760
All right.
00:42:22.159 --> 00:42:26.480
So, Christina, what does success mean to you?
00:42:27.920 --> 00:42:33.119
I love that question because I feel like a lot of us are questioning what we think success is.
00:42:33.599 --> 00:42:36.320
For me, it's being creatively realized.
00:42:36.400 --> 00:42:38.719
Like, am I living to my fullest creative potential?
00:42:38.800 --> 00:42:41.039
And am I living in integrity with my values?
00:42:41.280 --> 00:42:51.119
One of the main reasons I decided to become an entrepreneur is I felt like the opportunities for my ancestors to have choice in freedom and autonomy was so limited.
00:42:51.280 --> 00:43:02.159
I have enslaved ancestors and come from a background of a lot of different adversities and setbacks that my family experienced intergenerationally and currently in this generation of my time.
00:43:02.400 --> 00:43:07.679
And so, choice, creative autonomy and choice and freedom of how I use my labor and time is really important.
00:43:07.920 --> 00:43:17.599
I would also say, too, this idea of living in my values, like not feeling like I have to portray myself to get a paycheck, you know, doing stuff that doesn't feel good, that doesn't feel just.
00:43:17.760 --> 00:43:24.000
A lot of people are in those moral conundrums where they're doing jobs that are really harmful to the world, to the planet, to people.
00:43:24.159 --> 00:43:26.239
And then they go home and they're like, is this worth it?
00:43:26.320 --> 00:43:29.519
I'm stressing out at a job that's doing bad stuff.
00:43:29.760 --> 00:43:35.360
And you're like, is this worth crushing my soul and my body?
00:43:35.519 --> 00:43:50.320
And I'm I've been so lucky to close that gap a lot over the years where I feel like I get to show up every day and make things that have the impact I would like them to have on people and sleep well at night and not feel like I'm betraying myself or betraying others in that process.
00:43:50.480 --> 00:43:52.159
And so that to me is success.
00:43:52.239 --> 00:43:56.400
It's hard to have that in the world that we live in and the ways that the world is designed that we live in.
00:43:56.559 --> 00:43:59.440
There's very few people who maybe feel like they have choice.
00:44:00.079 --> 00:44:02.239
And success to me is choice and integrity.
00:44:03.760 --> 00:44:04.719
I love that.
00:44:05.039 --> 00:44:06.400
Thank you so much.
00:44:06.800 --> 00:44:13.199
And um, if there is just one final thing you'd like to share with our audience, what would that be?
00:44:13.360 --> 00:44:14.000
Anything?
00:44:14.320 --> 00:44:20.800
I would say tell your own story before someone does it for you, because most people feel like their stories don't matter.
00:44:20.880 --> 00:44:32.079
And they typically are operating on stories that have been indoctrinated on them from childhood, maybe from religious institutions if they attend those, educational institutions, media, TV.
00:44:32.559 --> 00:44:36.079
You get to define your own value, your own worth, your own story.
00:44:36.159 --> 00:44:39.119
And it's one of the most powerful things that you can do as an individual.
00:44:39.199 --> 00:44:45.280
And so every person who listens to this, I hope you can understand and know that your story is important and necessary.
00:44:45.440 --> 00:44:52.400
And the sooner that you tell it, and the sooner you use it and own it, the sooner that we can have a better future and a better outcome.
00:44:52.480 --> 00:44:56.880
And I would wish, I would hope, that more people understand that their story matters.
00:44:58.000 --> 00:44:59.840
You're speaking to me here.
00:45:00.000 --> 00:45:02.239
And I'm sure many others were listening.
00:45:02.400 --> 00:45:04.159
So thank you so much for sharing that.
00:45:04.320 --> 00:45:07.679
And can you tell us how our listeners can reach you?
00:45:08.480 --> 00:45:15.599
Yes, one of the best ways is on my website, which is the newquo.com, T-H-E-N-E-W-Q-U-O.com.
00:45:15.760 --> 00:45:29.840
I also have a podcast as well called Tell It Proud, which is about stories of courage, too good, to erase or ignore, about all types of ideas in terms of history and culture and social justice that can inspire people to change for the better.
00:45:30.079 --> 00:45:30.960
And my social media.
00:45:31.039 --> 00:45:33.199
I'm Christina Blacken on all platforms.
00:45:33.280 --> 00:45:39.280
So you can see me kikiing and acting a full on Insta, TikTok, LinkedIn, wherever you use your social media.
00:45:39.440 --> 00:45:41.119
So definitely check out my work there.
00:45:41.360 --> 00:45:41.679
Okay.
00:45:42.079 --> 00:45:46.320
Thanks so much for spending time with us and for sharing so much with all of us.
00:45:46.559 --> 00:45:51.840
I think I speak on behalf of myself and all those listening that we really enjoyed the conversation today.
00:45:52.000 --> 00:45:53.440
So thanks again.
00:45:53.840 --> 00:45:54.800
Thank you.
00:45:55.679 --> 00:46:02.239
A quick note before we wrap up: the insights and experiences shared by our guests are their own.
00:46:02.800 --> 00:46:07.840
We love creating space for real conversations about business and growth.
00:46:08.400 --> 00:46:10.480
And everyone's journey is unique.
00:46:11.360 --> 00:46:17.840
Therefore, this podcast is for informational and inspirational purposes only.
00:46:18.400 --> 00:46:24.559
It is not meant to replace legal, financial, or other professional advice.
00:46:25.280 --> 00:46:34.000
So we encourage you to take what's useful, do your own due diligence and build what works best for you.
00:46:34.639 --> 00:46:38.480
Thanks for listening to Begin Build Blossom Your Business Journey.
00:46:38.639 --> 00:46:45.679
We hope today's conversation gave you the insights and inspiration you need to move forward on your own path.
00:46:45.920 --> 00:46:51.519
Don't forget to subscribe or follow wherever you get your podcast so you never miss an episode.
00:46:51.760 --> 00:46:53.039
Do you have feedback?
00:46:53.280 --> 00:46:59.199
We'd love to hear from you at podcast at cmeaccountinglc.com.
00:46:59.440 --> 00:47:02.559
Join us again next week for a new episode.
00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:16.480
Tell your own story before someone does it for you, because most people feel like their stories don't matter, and they typically are operating on stories that have been indoctrinated on them from childhood, maybe from religious institutions if they attend those, educational institutions, media, TV.
00:00:16.879 --> 00:00:20.480
You get to define your own value, your own worth, your own story.
00:00:20.559 --> 00:00:23.519
And it's one of the most powerful things that you can do as an individual.
00:00:23.600 --> 00:00:29.600
And so every person who listens to this, I hope you can understand and know that your story is important and necessary.
00:00:29.839 --> 00:00:36.799
And the sooner that you tell it, and the sooner you use it and own it, the sooner that we can have a better future and a better outcome.
00:00:36.880 --> 00:00:41.359
And I would wish, I would hope, that more people understand that their story matters.
00:00:41.920 --> 00:00:45.520
People assume networking is what I call the pray and spray method.
00:00:45.679 --> 00:00:47.520
Here's my business card, here's what I need.
00:00:47.600 --> 00:00:52.320
You know, that's all this very pushing, like kind of salesy approach.
00:00:52.399 --> 00:00:54.399
And I think that's one of the worst ways to network.
00:00:54.640 --> 00:01:02.399
The primary thing I do is build one-on-one connections with people who I have something in common with, who I might want to learn from.
00:01:02.560 --> 00:01:12.799
And the conversations are usually informational chats, so I can understand what they stand for, what problems are they trying to solve, what are their values, and how can I be of support, and vice versa.
00:01:12.959 --> 00:01:22.319
So it's a lot of actual relationship building, showing curiosity, asking meaningful questions, reaching out and sending supports and information to people when it's useful.
00:01:22.400 --> 00:01:23.680
And I have that with them.
00:01:23.840 --> 00:01:36.000
So typically, if I go to an event, I'll make a connection with a couple of people, and then I'll really follow up and be like, let's have a real conversation and one-on-one with those individuals and start to seed efforts and connection and commitment to those.
00:01:36.079 --> 00:01:47.840
Even if you meet three people at an event of 300, that could be so invaluable because those relationships can become years-long relationships that can contribute in so many ways to what you do and what you are excited about.
00:01:48.159 --> 00:01:59.680
Welcome to Begin Build Blossom, your business journey, the podcast where we share valuable insights, resources, and motivation to fuel your entrepreneurial spirit.
00:01:59.920 --> 00:02:02.879
Let's build a supportive community together.
00:02:03.120 --> 00:02:09.840
Don't forget to subscribe or follow wherever you listen to podcasts and be part of this journey.
00:02:11.360 --> 00:02:14.479
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00:02:14.719 --> 00:02:18.240
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00:03:01.840 --> 00:03:04.319
Alright, let's jump back into our conversation.
00:03:04.560 --> 00:03:05.120
Good day.
00:03:05.280 --> 00:03:07.039
It's a wonderful day in New York.
00:03:07.199 --> 00:03:11.599
My guest and I, Christina, we're just talking about how great the weather is today.
00:03:11.840 --> 00:03:12.400
What is it?
00:03:12.560 --> 00:03:14.719
We're in May, this first day of May.
00:03:14.879 --> 00:03:17.680
You'll be hearing this episode later on in the month.
00:03:17.840 --> 00:03:19.280
We just really love the weather.
00:03:19.439 --> 00:03:34.560
So today we're joined by Christina Blacken, a public speaker, writer, performer, and the founder of The GNU Core, a leadership development company focused on behavior change and authentic leadership.
00:03:34.800 --> 00:03:49.199
Through her work, Christina has trained over 31,000 people across multiple industries, helping them build trust, strengthen connection, and lead with intention, no matter the title.
00:03:49.439 --> 00:04:00.000
She's also the creator of Tell It Proud Framework, which uses personal storytelling as a powerful tool for everyday leadership and courage.
00:04:00.319 --> 00:04:13.280
Her work has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, Forbes, and Business Insider, and she's built a community of over 70,000 people across social media.
00:04:13.520 --> 00:04:21.920
A Utah native who's called New York City home for over 16 years, she also brings a unique perspective.
00:04:22.079 --> 00:04:26.720
And apparently, more uses for Jell-O than most of us would expect.
00:04:27.040 --> 00:04:28.399
Christina, welcome.
00:04:28.560 --> 00:04:32.720
Now, that Jell-O, what are those uses we're talking about here?
00:04:33.199 --> 00:04:41.199
I love keeping that in because people do not know that Jell-O at one point was Utah state food because of the amount of Jell-O that they consumed.
00:04:41.279 --> 00:04:44.399
It was like the highest per capita Jell-O consumption in the country.
00:04:44.560 --> 00:04:46.879
And you know, New York gets up to some strange things.
00:04:46.959 --> 00:04:48.879
There's a niche for everything.
00:04:49.040 --> 00:04:50.480
So Jell-O could be used here.
00:04:50.560 --> 00:04:53.759
So I feel like it's been a thematic thing in my life, Jell-O.
00:04:54.319 --> 00:04:54.720
Wow.
00:04:54.800 --> 00:04:58.560
You know, that just brought me back to so many memories from my childhood.
00:04:58.639 --> 00:04:59.519
Um, I lived in St.
00:04:59.680 --> 00:05:03.839
Lucia, and we, whenever we would get jello in one, you know, we would get barrels sent to us.
00:05:04.240 --> 00:05:06.800
So we'd get those little boxes of jello in there.
00:05:06.879 --> 00:05:09.439
And oh my goodness, that was Christmas.
00:05:09.920 --> 00:05:10.800
Now, what flavor was it?
00:05:10.879 --> 00:05:12.160
It's important to know the flavor though.
00:05:12.319 --> 00:05:13.439
Many different flavors.
00:05:13.519 --> 00:05:17.199
We had a variety, but what comes to mind now is is it strawberry?
00:05:17.279 --> 00:05:18.319
Oh, I know it's was red.
00:05:18.639 --> 00:05:18.879
Okay.
00:05:18.959 --> 00:05:20.000
Yeah, red was a classic.
00:05:20.319 --> 00:05:22.319
Yes, the the the one I rem I'm remembering.
00:05:22.480 --> 00:05:26.800
I'm remembering different colors as I speak to you, but red definitely was one of those.
00:05:27.439 --> 00:05:29.199
It was probably just red flavor, not even cherry.
00:05:29.360 --> 00:05:30.240
It's just like, what's the flavor?
00:05:30.399 --> 00:05:30.720
Red.
00:05:30.879 --> 00:05:32.560
Yeah, I I don't even know.
00:05:34.639 --> 00:05:38.800
So Christina, I'm so glad that we're having this conversation today.
00:05:38.879 --> 00:05:45.199
I met you through a mutual friend, Christina Brian, who hosts those amazing events in New York City.
00:05:45.360 --> 00:05:47.680
She has been a guest on this podcast.
00:05:47.839 --> 00:05:51.199
So if you're listening, she's definitely somebody to get to know.
00:05:51.519 --> 00:05:57.759
Um, so Christina, I know in the intro we talked about you having 70,000 people across social media.
00:05:57.920 --> 00:05:59.279
That is no easy feat.
00:05:59.519 --> 00:06:00.800
How does this happen?
00:06:01.040 --> 00:06:02.160
It was kind of a fluke.
00:06:02.240 --> 00:06:03.680
I hate to admit it, but it's true.
00:06:03.920 --> 00:06:07.600
I was walking in Prospect Park, which is right across the street from me.
00:06:07.759 --> 00:06:20.959
I live in Brooklyn near Prospect Park, and I had on my mind at the time a pretty significant news story around Charlie Kirk and um the shooting that had happened at a university in Utah where he was located.
00:06:21.120 --> 00:06:24.160
And I just felt compelled as somebody who grew up in Utah to say something.
00:06:24.240 --> 00:06:41.360
And so I wrote a video really quickly in my notepad on my phone called The Values That Drive Conservative Thinking, and recorded this really short three-minute video that just kind of described specific behavioral values you might see from people who have a specific sort of ideology that might support somebody like a Charlie Kirk.
00:06:41.519 --> 00:06:42.959
And the video just took off.
00:06:43.120 --> 00:06:45.360
It at one point had 1.7 million views.
00:06:45.439 --> 00:06:46.959
I think it might be up to 2 million.
00:06:47.120 --> 00:06:57.360
And from that singular video, I gained around like 45,000 followers or something overnight on Instagram, and then another like 12,000 on TikTok.
00:06:57.600 --> 00:07:06.399
And so it was sort of like right place, right time, right clear message that led to a huge bump in following.
00:07:06.560 --> 00:07:12.560
And from there, I've been able to continue to share my perspective around storytelling, leadership, daily acts of courage people should take.
00:07:12.639 --> 00:07:22.079
But it was not this methodical, I'm growing social media thing over many years, which goes to show you that the algorithm is just it'd be algorithming and you can't always control it, to be fair.
00:07:22.560 --> 00:07:23.680
Thanks for sharing that.
00:07:23.839 --> 00:07:27.920
That that really um brings across the storytelling because that is what happened there.
00:07:28.000 --> 00:07:32.399
You it was something in the news, you had an opinion on it, and you shared it.
00:07:32.560 --> 00:07:37.360
And you used your storytelling framework, I'm guessing, to deliver that.
00:07:37.680 --> 00:07:38.560
I did, yeah.
00:07:38.720 --> 00:07:44.079
And I used some parts of my own personal story of growing up in Utah as a black woman, which I think is very rare.
00:07:44.240 --> 00:07:45.199
People are like, who, what?
00:07:45.360 --> 00:07:45.839
What do you mean?
00:07:46.000 --> 00:07:46.959
A black person in Utah.
00:07:47.040 --> 00:07:50.639
And what's your perspective on this very specific national news story?
00:07:50.720 --> 00:08:04.959
And so I think knowing how your identity can be a lesson or wisdom for others, especially for really important, widespread topics, is a really key thing on using your story in a way that can garner you know influence and and leadership.
00:08:05.279 --> 00:08:05.759
Awesome.
00:08:05.839 --> 00:08:06.240
Thank you.
00:08:06.399 --> 00:08:09.360
Yes, and we will um talk about that a little bit more.
00:08:09.600 --> 00:08:11.439
You spoke about growing up in Utah.
00:08:11.519 --> 00:08:13.439
So let's talk about you a little bit.
00:08:13.600 --> 00:08:19.439
Um, can you tell us one word that describes you now and one word you'd have used to describe yourself as a child?
00:08:19.759 --> 00:08:21.920
I would say they were the same, creative.
00:08:22.079 --> 00:08:25.680
I was a super creative kid who was a storyteller and also a performer.
00:08:25.759 --> 00:08:32.879
I remember one of my earliest memories was stomping around our apartment in my diaper with one of those little microphone toys.
00:08:33.039 --> 00:08:41.759
It had the mic attached to a speaker, and I'd be stomped around the house making my own little concerts and singing RB and hip-hop songs from the 90s at the time.
00:08:41.919 --> 00:08:52.480
And then I'd one point got this um toy guitar that had the buttons, not actual strings, but you push the buttons and you pretend you're playing, and I would put concerts on for my parents and my two siblings.
00:08:52.639 --> 00:08:53.759
I have two younger sisters.
00:08:53.919 --> 00:09:02.960
So I've always been really creative, constantly using imagination and singing and writing poetry and making up stories for my toys and dolls.
00:09:03.039 --> 00:09:06.320
And so I feel like that still plays a huge role in my life now.
00:09:06.399 --> 00:09:11.600
And I've reclaimed so much of it, probably in the last five years specifically, with how I lived my life and also the business that I built.
00:09:11.840 --> 00:09:15.039
And when you say you reclaim, tell us a little bit more about that.
00:09:15.200 --> 00:09:16.159
What do you mean there?
00:09:16.480 --> 00:09:25.759
You know, I think for a long time, and I'm sure so many people relate to this, I felt like my creativity was a nice hobby and extra and not a central part of my life.
00:09:25.919 --> 00:09:32.320
So I was always in choirs and bands and a cappella groups, and it was always just something to do outside of everything else.
00:09:32.480 --> 00:09:39.759
And so there was a big part of my personality and perspective that I wasn't honoring and sort of just compartmentalizing.
00:09:39.919 --> 00:09:46.399
And when I became an entrepreneur seven years ago, I started to incorporate a lot more of my creative voice as a public speaker and a writer.
00:09:46.559 --> 00:09:53.200
And in the last two years, I stepped fully into more creative expression beyond just the corporate trainings and things I do.
00:09:53.279 --> 00:10:00.399
I write poetry and I'm doing things that are about creative self-expression in addition to behavioral organizational change.
00:10:00.559 --> 00:10:06.879
I try to infuse my creativity in that, but then I realized it doesn't have to only live in the container of organizational change management.
00:10:06.960 --> 00:10:18.720
There's something more here that I haven't fully invested time in because I felt like it's a distraction, maybe a waste of time, or could be detrimental to my stability and well-being long term, which is not necessarily true.
00:10:19.039 --> 00:10:23.919
I'm glad you share that because there might be somebody processing that right now and you probably just help them.
00:10:24.080 --> 00:10:24.960
So thank you.
00:10:25.279 --> 00:10:25.519
Yeah.
00:10:25.679 --> 00:10:28.960
You know, there's a lot of hesitation we all have around creative creativity.
00:10:29.120 --> 00:10:38.639
We think we have to be a Beyoncé or a Jay-Z to be creative, or we have to constantly monetize and prove that creative outlets are worth our time.
00:10:38.799 --> 00:10:41.120
When in fact, it's such a central part of being human.
00:10:41.360 --> 00:10:46.240
Expressing our stories and our creative points of view is an incredible part of being human.
00:10:46.320 --> 00:10:49.360
And so many people feel like they don't have the space and time to do that.
00:10:49.600 --> 00:11:02.720
Yes, and and listening to you, I'm thinking of my daughter and even the memory you shared about, you know, when you were younger and you're just free and you know, embracing that creativity, and somehow along the way, that that kind of goes away sometimes.
00:11:02.879 --> 00:11:11.360
So I'm glad that you mentioned you reclaimed that and that now is an integral part of every your everything, your business, who you are, and all of that.
00:11:11.679 --> 00:11:16.960
Okay, so if there is somewhere in the world you could travel to today, where would that be?
00:11:17.279 --> 00:11:18.559
South Africa.
00:11:18.879 --> 00:11:23.200
I love Amont Piano music, the energy, the vibe.
00:11:23.360 --> 00:11:25.440
I just think I would have such an incredible time.
00:11:25.600 --> 00:11:31.519
I also have a friend who moved there a couple years ago, and we've been talking for a while to have me come out and visit.
00:11:31.759 --> 00:11:36.159
And it just seems like it would be such a nourishing, creative, and fun experience.
00:11:36.320 --> 00:11:39.919
I also haven't done enough traveling around the continent of Africa.
00:11:40.000 --> 00:11:44.159
I've been to Zanzibar, I've been to Ghana, but there's so much more time I'd like to spend there.
00:11:44.240 --> 00:11:47.519
Because I've definitely traveled in Europe, I've traveled in Latin America.
00:11:47.679 --> 00:11:53.519
I feel like it's time I expand my horizons and my experiences and go more to the continent.
00:11:53.840 --> 00:11:55.200
Yes, yes, I love that.
00:11:55.360 --> 00:11:55.840
I love that.
00:11:56.000 --> 00:12:00.080
And if there is one book or movie you'd recommend, um what would that be?
00:12:00.480 --> 00:12:08.639
Movie, it would be Origin by Aber Duvernay, and it's based on a book from Isabel Wilkerson, who's this incredible author.
00:12:08.799 --> 00:12:17.519
It's kind of like this creative genius movie about a woman who discovers how caste systems around the world have shaped how we love and treat each other.
00:12:17.679 --> 00:12:24.720
But it's this beautiful love story that encapsulates so much social complexity around how the world works and how oppression works.
00:12:24.960 --> 00:12:34.639
And I think it's uh the defining movie of our time because it's done so eloquently, infused with deep love and a deep kind of biopic story.
00:12:34.799 --> 00:12:38.799
And a lot of people have not seen it because I don't think it was funded in the ways that it should have been.
00:12:38.879 --> 00:12:44.480
Probably because the subjects it talks about right now are things that are being villainized by our government.
00:12:44.720 --> 00:12:50.480
So I would love if more people saw Origin, even if they don't know about the book or the author.
00:12:50.639 --> 00:12:59.600
It's an incredible love story about humanity and just how we can treat one another better and reconcile our past and the issues and the injustices that have come from our past.
00:12:59.840 --> 00:13:00.960
And that is so needed.
00:13:01.120 --> 00:13:02.159
That is so needed.
00:13:02.399 --> 00:13:03.759
Thank you for sharing that.
00:13:03.919 --> 00:13:09.679
So going on to the business, is there a highest high you've experienced in business?
00:13:09.759 --> 00:13:11.519
Is that something that comes to mind?
00:13:11.840 --> 00:13:12.559
There's a few.
00:13:12.720 --> 00:13:21.200
I'll say one of them was I took on a pretty significant project with the technology company that was needing help around content moderation.
00:13:21.360 --> 00:13:25.039
And they were really struggling with racism and bias on the platform.
00:13:25.120 --> 00:13:26.960
And they were like, how do we get ahead of this?
00:13:27.120 --> 00:13:34.559
We have social media pages mocking our product and making fun of the fact that people are fighting and constantly not connecting.
00:13:34.639 --> 00:13:45.039
And so I created this moderation course that helped people to learn how to de-escalate conflict on the platform and in their neighborhoods because this tech company was around getting neighbors to communicate with one another.
00:13:45.279 --> 00:13:46.879
And the highs were just the impact.
00:13:46.960 --> 00:13:52.480
We had at the time, I think, 45,000 people signed up to do the training, around a third completed it.
00:13:52.639 --> 00:14:00.720
And we measured that people changed their behavior six months past the course, and they were taking those behaviors and applying them in their families, in their communities.
00:14:00.799 --> 00:14:09.519
So seeing something that came from my brain and from my lived experiences and research actually changed how people think and how they treat each other was incredible.
00:14:09.679 --> 00:14:30.320
And to do that for a year's long, uh, we did the project for three years total, and it was measured by Stanford University in terms of the behavioral impact, and it felt really meaningful, especially at a time because this was from 2020 until 2023, in the middle of the pandemic, when people were really isolated and divided, it felt very important to do that work.
00:14:30.559 --> 00:14:32.320
Oh, wow, talk about impact.
00:14:32.480 --> 00:14:32.960
Goodness.
00:14:33.120 --> 00:14:35.360
Thank you for sharing that and congrats.
00:14:35.840 --> 00:14:36.240
Thank you.
00:14:36.399 --> 00:14:49.679
Yeah, it was a challenging project, but also it felt really meaningful to incorporate all the different methodologies and tools that I use for behavior change, including storytelling, historical context, entertainment.
00:14:49.840 --> 00:14:52.159
You know, the trainings have singing and it's fun.
00:14:52.240 --> 00:14:55.919
Like there are ways that people are like, I'm learning some really serious stuff, but I'm laughing too.
00:14:56.000 --> 00:14:56.960
And also, this is fun.
00:14:57.039 --> 00:15:00.480
And like we end up having really great reviews of the experience.
00:15:00.559 --> 00:15:02.320
And so I think that's hard to find.
00:15:02.399 --> 00:15:12.960
Like, how do you get people to deal with the tough, hard topics, but make it entertaining and engaging and something that feels like it's going to benefit them and help them to become better leaders, better communicators.
00:15:13.200 --> 00:15:15.519
That's not an easy thing to balance.
00:15:15.600 --> 00:15:17.279
And I'm really glad that we were able to do it.
00:15:17.519 --> 00:15:18.399
Yes, yes.
00:15:18.639 --> 00:15:23.679
And on the opposite side of that, can you think of maybe a not so good moment that you've had?
00:15:23.919 --> 00:15:25.840
Yeah, the last few years have been pretty tough.
00:15:25.919 --> 00:15:32.799
I mean, a lot of my work, so I've primarily done facilitation and workshops and trainings for organizations.
00:15:32.879 --> 00:15:37.840
So helping them to improve trust and communication on teams and within communities.
00:15:38.000 --> 00:15:43.360
And that organizational work got labeled under diversity, equity, and inclusion because I incorporate those tools into the work.
00:15:43.440 --> 00:15:47.120
You can't be a good leader or communicator without knowing how to speak to people who are not like you.
00:15:47.200 --> 00:15:48.720
That's just a fundamental.
00:15:48.879 --> 00:16:00.320
But because I was in DEI, and that is now a slur in our country, the funding, the support, the public conversation completely pivoted from five years ago.
00:16:00.480 --> 00:16:02.720
And so that had a significant impact on my business.
00:16:02.879 --> 00:16:07.279
I lost 90% of my revenue in the last like year and a half that I was normally making.
00:16:07.440 --> 00:16:17.679
And I had to kind of rebuild and start over because so much of the work was being categorized in ways that were really unfortunate, inaccurate, and wrong.
00:16:18.000 --> 00:16:21.600
And a lot of people self-complied because of executive orders.
00:16:21.840 --> 00:16:22.960
So that was really tough.
00:16:23.039 --> 00:16:24.080
It was a really dark moment.
00:16:24.240 --> 00:16:28.799
I think the statistic is like 600,000 black women were pushed out of the workforce.
00:16:28.960 --> 00:16:31.039
They were deregulated, defunded.
00:16:31.120 --> 00:16:33.120
I would consider myself one of those black women.
00:16:33.279 --> 00:16:42.399
And it felt like a methodical attack from our government on our population solely out of fear and not because it was valid or justified.
00:16:42.480 --> 00:16:56.320
And that was really, really hard to move through, especially because the conversation and attitude was a 180 just a year before that, where people are like, Yes, we want to be better, we want to improve our skills, we want to reduce bias, help us do that.
00:16:56.480 --> 00:16:59.279
And then the next year is like, how dare you talk about bias?
00:16:59.440 --> 00:17:01.759
How dare you want us to do this kind of work?
00:17:01.919 --> 00:17:03.360
It just was it was whiplash.
00:17:03.600 --> 00:17:09.759
And it was very, very disappointing, especially from people who had made commitments and promises that they retracted on.
00:17:09.920 --> 00:17:13.599
Yeah, I'm listening to you, and you know, this environment we live in.
00:17:13.839 --> 00:17:15.759
I don't even know what to make of it.
00:17:15.920 --> 00:17:19.680
But I do know as a black woman myself, I know the experience.
00:17:19.920 --> 00:17:22.559
We are definitely not living through good times.
00:17:22.799 --> 00:17:27.680
And um, I just had a question that pop up for me like, what happens after that?
00:17:27.839 --> 00:17:30.960
You said you lost 90% of your revenue.
00:17:31.200 --> 00:17:32.640
How do you rebuild?
00:17:32.960 --> 00:17:39.759
Well, one of the things I did a couple years before that was build a safety net in case this kind of thing would happen.
00:17:39.920 --> 00:17:44.559
So I had significant savings and investments that helped me to weather that downturn.
00:17:44.720 --> 00:17:53.920
And I did that because I saw a few years prior, um, when Trump was elected right before Joe Biden, he did a test around some of this DEI defunding.
00:17:54.000 --> 00:17:56.240
So he had a couple of key executive orders.
00:17:56.319 --> 00:18:03.039
And I had some friends at the time who primarily had government contracts and they lost all of their business revenue with one order overnight.
00:18:03.200 --> 00:18:05.920
And watching them go through that, I was like, oh, this could happen again.
00:18:06.079 --> 00:18:19.119
So I started to make sure that anytime I was closing projects or deals, I set aside significant amounts of funding to make sure if things happen and I can't close deals or projects are fooled arbitrarily, I'd be okay.
00:18:19.359 --> 00:18:20.079
So that was one.
00:18:20.240 --> 00:18:27.359
The other was, you know, my work has always been around helping people to understand storytelling as this tool of deep relationship change.
00:18:27.519 --> 00:18:28.880
And that's always been the goal.
00:18:28.960 --> 00:18:32.960
It's leadership and storytelling, and that isn't something that's technically being villainized.
00:18:33.039 --> 00:18:34.880
So there were still people interested in the work.
00:18:35.119 --> 00:18:39.680
I just think the way that I messaged around it and the way that I implemented projects shifted too.
00:18:39.759 --> 00:18:47.119
So I started doing more public and individual work outside of institutions because institutions have been so all over the place.
00:18:47.279 --> 00:18:49.279
They're they're a hot mess right now.
00:18:49.440 --> 00:18:50.400
So that helped as well.
00:18:50.559 --> 00:18:56.079
Pivoting who I was serving, the way I was messaging it, in addition to having my own kind of safety net.
00:18:56.240 --> 00:19:03.519
If I didn't have those things, I think I would have had to have completely closed the business and started over again and just went back to the drawing board.
00:19:03.680 --> 00:19:05.839
So I was fortunate that I planned ahead.
00:19:06.000 --> 00:19:08.319
And I tell people that a lot in entrepreneurship.
00:19:08.480 --> 00:19:09.599
We don't know what's gonna happen.
00:19:09.759 --> 00:19:19.759
The pandemic that happened 2019, when people were excited about 2020 and they were doing their New Year's resolutions, you think they were like on the docket is gonna be a worldwide global pandemic?
00:19:19.920 --> 00:19:20.160
No.
00:19:20.240 --> 00:19:22.000
And most people were not prepared for that.
00:19:22.240 --> 00:19:31.440
So I think now that's just taught me how to be present and not being too fearful of the future, but making some A, B, C, D, E, F G plans in case things don't go well.
00:19:32.160 --> 00:19:33.279
Yes, yes, yes.
00:19:33.359 --> 00:19:35.039
So I heard safety net there.
00:19:35.119 --> 00:19:40.720
I heard um keeping your ears to the ground, I guess, and really understanding what's happening.
00:19:40.880 --> 00:19:49.359
And you mentioned that you saw what happened when Trump was elected the first time, and you could see that if you know it could happen again.
00:19:49.599 --> 00:19:51.279
So preparing for that.
00:19:51.759 --> 00:19:55.680
Yeah, and you also mentioned pivoting, which is a big thing for business owners.
00:19:55.920 --> 00:19:58.960
It's um so I'm really glad you covered all of that.
00:19:59.200 --> 00:20:09.359
And something that comes that's coming to me now is um what if you don't have the safety net or you've already spent it all and now you're still in a situation?
00:20:09.519 --> 00:20:10.880
It's just something that came to me.
00:20:10.960 --> 00:20:14.640
So it's something definitely to for all of us to think through as well.
00:20:14.960 --> 00:20:18.319
But in terms of the business, you touched on it a little bit.
00:20:18.559 --> 00:20:24.480
I talked about it in the introduction, but just tell us a little bit more about what you do in business.
00:20:25.279 --> 00:20:29.839
Yeah, so I started out in I would say 2015.
00:20:30.240 --> 00:20:34.000
I was working in a couple of different corporate industries at that time.
00:20:34.160 --> 00:20:44.640
So I was a professional that was using storytelling, um, mostly as a tool for marketing, campaign building, doing it for nonprofits and media companies.
00:20:44.799 --> 00:20:52.000
And I kept thinking, wow, storytelling is this really powerful tool, but we're only using it for sales or to push things that people don't really need.
00:20:52.160 --> 00:20:59.200
How would it change things if people use storytelling as a tool for their own personal development, their leadership growth, their voice?
00:20:59.440 --> 00:21:10.799
And so I started doing research on how storytelling affects your brain, how it affects relationships, and built frameworks and tools and started teaching them on the side, mostly at conferences, sometimes to colleagues.
00:21:11.039 --> 00:21:12.400
And I was getting some momentum.
00:21:12.480 --> 00:21:14.400
People were like, wow, I see a huge difference.
00:21:14.480 --> 00:21:16.480
I have clarity on my perspective.
00:21:16.799 --> 00:21:22.960
I have a set of stories I can use to motivate and inspire people to adopt new ideas or take on new goals.
00:21:23.119 --> 00:21:28.000
And so I was like, oh, I can make this a full-time thing and decided to save up what I called my FU fund at the time.
00:21:28.160 --> 00:21:36.079
And I was like, when I get to the number that I could essentially cover all my expenses for six months, I will quit my full-time job and go into this full-time.
00:21:36.240 --> 00:21:42.079
So I was able to hit that number in 2019, which at the time was$20,000, and quit my job.
00:21:42.160 --> 00:21:44.079
And I was like, great, I'm gonna do the new quo.
00:21:44.160 --> 00:21:52.319
I'm going to teach as a public speaker, facilitator, writer, how to use storytelling for leadership and communication and relationship building.
00:21:52.480 --> 00:21:55.200
And I was getting really good momentum and then COVID hit.
00:21:55.279 --> 00:21:56.640
So I was like, yeah, this is great.
00:21:56.720 --> 00:21:58.160
I got referrals from my community.
00:21:58.240 --> 00:21:59.759
I'm building with Fortune 500.
00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:05.920
Companies and then COVID completely shut down any in-person kind of facilitation or teaching.
00:22:06.160 --> 00:22:08.160
So I had to be again pivot.
00:22:08.240 --> 00:22:10.079
And at that time, I had a digital tool.
00:22:10.240 --> 00:22:19.839
So I decided to turn my frameworks, my workshops into online courses and was able to scale to that, you know, 31,000 number that you mentioned in my bio.
00:22:20.240 --> 00:22:22.720
So it was just being flexible, being on your feet.
00:22:22.880 --> 00:22:24.720
And really, my work is twofold.
00:22:24.799 --> 00:22:32.720
It's really helping people to become more conscious of how they use storytelling because 65% of all of our daily conversations are through stories.
00:22:32.880 --> 00:22:34.640
It is unconscious typically.
00:22:34.799 --> 00:22:36.960
And it's usually learned from your upbringing.
00:22:37.039 --> 00:22:44.480
So however you learned how to emulate stories, the beliefs and values that kind of got encoded from your experiences become the way that you tell stories.
00:22:44.640 --> 00:22:47.359
And a majority of people focus on negative storytelling.
00:22:47.440 --> 00:22:52.559
So complaint, criticism, and judgment is the primary way they're communicating and moving through the world.
00:22:52.720 --> 00:22:59.440
And so helping people to shift from that and communicate using their values is really important and primarily what I teach.
00:22:59.519 --> 00:23:13.519
So, how do you use your values to collect the right anecdotes, to use those anecdotes strategically in conversations, in emails, and presentations, and help people to understand the goals you're moving towards and the ideas that you can create together.
00:23:13.680 --> 00:23:20.319
And that's really resonated with people because I think very few people feel like their story is worth telling or that they're a good storyteller at all.
00:23:20.480 --> 00:23:27.519
And most leadership is just you telling stories and hoping and getting people to be motivated about the goals and ideas that you're sharing.
00:23:27.680 --> 00:23:31.599
And good storytellers have a lot of power, whether they're telling the truth or not.
00:23:31.759 --> 00:23:42.400
Right now we live in huge amounts of misinformation from people sharing stereotype stories, scapegoat stories of immigrants, stories of myths about the world and history, like all that is storytelling.
00:23:42.559 --> 00:23:47.279
And so getting other people to understand that and use that is really the crux of my work.
00:23:47.440 --> 00:23:49.279
And it also looks like um events.
00:23:49.359 --> 00:23:52.799
So I facilitate storytelling events and I have a learning community.
00:23:52.880 --> 00:23:59.759
So all of it is how do you get people to use storytelling more intentionally, more thoughtfully, and more with a social justice outcome?
00:24:00.559 --> 00:24:03.279
And how do you go about building those?
00:24:03.359 --> 00:24:10.480
You mentioned online courses, you mention actually being able to facilitate at conferences.
00:24:10.640 --> 00:24:14.000
How do you go about getting these or how do you do that?
00:24:14.880 --> 00:24:16.640
It started off with networking.
00:24:16.720 --> 00:24:27.839
You know, I was really good with first when I had started my company, I was talking to a lot of my colleagues and my peers about my work and the problems that I was solving and why I was focusing on it.
00:24:27.920 --> 00:24:39.519
And a lot of the problems I was solving at the time is reducing bias in how people communicate and how they share their stories and show up in teams and in their organizations.
00:24:39.599 --> 00:24:44.640
And so I was like, hey, if you need help with bias reduction, I have all these tools to help with that.
00:24:44.799 --> 00:24:48.960
So that was the preliminary conversations, and then people would bring me in by referral.
00:24:49.200 --> 00:24:51.359
The other thing I did was content marketing.
00:24:51.440 --> 00:25:04.720
So I do a lot of thought leadership on social media, LinkedIn, TikTok, Instagram, really giving perspectives around social issues and cultural analysis, and then giving specific practical tools, communication tools that people can use to address it.
00:25:04.880 --> 00:25:05.920
And that's helped too.
00:25:06.000 --> 00:25:09.599
It's helped people to see the credibility and the validity of what I do.
00:25:09.839 --> 00:25:19.839
And then the third thing was really just putting myself out there when I would see asks, when people would open up, you know, open calls for speakers or applications for things.
00:25:19.920 --> 00:25:21.440
I'd be like, let me throw my hat in the ring.
00:25:21.599 --> 00:25:22.319
You know, it might not work.
00:25:22.400 --> 00:25:23.599
I've gotten a lot of notes.
00:25:23.680 --> 00:25:24.480
I'm like, you know what?
00:25:24.559 --> 00:25:25.119
Let me just try.
00:25:25.200 --> 00:25:26.160
Like, I would do that a lot.
00:25:26.240 --> 00:25:28.400
Let me just, and then we'll see what happens.
00:25:28.640 --> 00:25:33.839
Like one thing I've I started doing specifically in New York City is a storytelling event called Change My Mind.
00:25:34.000 --> 00:25:44.559
And that kind of came from this idea that people are isolated and lonely and don't have a lot of spaces to listen to true stories from people who are they're not related to or friends with.
00:25:44.640 --> 00:25:50.559
And that's a primary way of building trust in a community, is knowing people's real stories beyond the surface, beyond stereotype.
00:25:50.720 --> 00:25:55.680
And so I pitched the idea to a government agency here who had an open call for a community grant.
00:25:55.759 --> 00:25:59.039
And I was like, hey, I got this really great series called Change My Mind.
00:25:59.200 --> 00:26:03.119
People tell true nonfiction stories about an act of courage that changed them for the better.
00:26:03.279 --> 00:26:04.880
I facilitate audience interaction.
00:26:05.039 --> 00:26:06.079
And they were like, sounds great.
00:26:06.160 --> 00:26:07.759
I was like, oh, it worked.
00:26:07.839 --> 00:26:09.279
Like, people are they're interested.
00:26:09.440 --> 00:26:14.079
And so they funded it and it became and there, I'm bringing the series back again for the summer.
00:26:14.240 --> 00:26:26.880
And so I guess to say if you have an idea and you want to test it, you have to take the risk to put yourself out there to talk about your point of view, to talk about the problem you solve, and to attract the right people who want to support it and who have that pain point.
00:26:26.960 --> 00:26:29.920
And that process is constant when you're running your own business.
00:26:30.079 --> 00:26:38.799
So that's primarily the activities that I was always focusing on is how do you be a value and service to people and how do they know what you stand for and what problems that you solve?
00:26:40.319 --> 00:26:43.440
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00:26:43.680 --> 00:26:47.200
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00:27:30.799 --> 00:27:33.440
Alright, let's jump back into our conversation.
00:27:34.160 --> 00:27:47.039
Yeah, and a lot of that it sounds like um people getting to know that it's through visibility and basically putting yourself out there, answering those questions, being the thought leader, and not necessarily waiting for people to come look for you.
00:27:47.200 --> 00:27:52.079
You put yourself out there, and you also mention referrals, um, which I hear a lot.
00:27:52.319 --> 00:27:52.960
So that's good.
00:27:53.039 --> 00:27:56.480
And the fact that you do a good job, you get more referrals, so that's great.
00:27:56.640 --> 00:28:01.359
And you also mentioned networking, and that's how we met through a networking event.
00:28:01.519 --> 00:28:03.920
So we know how important that is.
00:28:04.160 --> 00:28:11.359
Would you like to just share a little bit more about how you network or any advice on how to do it effectively?
00:28:11.599 --> 00:28:13.519
Yeah, I I love that question.
00:28:13.680 --> 00:28:17.519
I think people assume networking is what I call the pray and spray method.
00:28:17.680 --> 00:28:19.519
Here's my business card, here's what I need.
00:28:19.599 --> 00:28:24.319
You know, it's all this very pushing, like kind of salesy approach.
00:28:24.400 --> 00:28:26.400
And I think that's one of the worst ways to network.
00:28:26.640 --> 00:28:34.480
The primary thing I do is build one-on-one connections with people who I have something in common with, who I might want to learn from.
00:28:34.559 --> 00:28:44.799
And the conversations are usually informational chats, so I can understand what they stand for, what problems are they trying to solve, what are their values, and how can I be of support, and vice versa.
00:28:44.960 --> 00:28:54.319
So it's a lot of actual relationship building, showing curiosity, asking meaningful questions, reaching out and sending supports and information to people when it's useful.
00:28:54.400 --> 00:28:55.680
And I have that with them.
00:28:55.839 --> 00:29:08.000
So typically, if I go to an event, I'll make a connection with a couple of people, and then I'll really follow up and be like, let's have a real conversation and one-on-one with those individuals and start to see efforts and connection and commitment to those.
00:29:08.160 --> 00:29:19.759
Even if you meet three people at an event of 300, that could be so invaluable because those relationships can become years-long relationships that can contribute in so many ways to what you do and what you are excited about.
00:29:19.920 --> 00:29:22.480
So, really, it's actual genuine relationship building.
00:29:22.559 --> 00:29:32.720
It's better to build thoughtfully with a smaller group of people over time than to like be thoughtless and self-involved and transactional with dozens and dozens of people.
00:29:32.880 --> 00:29:38.640
It's not just about what you can take from people, but genuinely, how can you have a reciprocal, mutually beneficial relationship with people?
00:29:38.799 --> 00:29:39.680
And that takes time.
00:29:39.839 --> 00:29:45.039
There is no shortcut, there is no buzzy, hot take social media way of doing that.
00:29:45.200 --> 00:29:48.240
It takes time to show genuine curiosity and effort to people.
00:29:48.400 --> 00:29:49.759
And so that's the primary thing.
00:29:49.920 --> 00:29:56.960
I would say most of my community, my network, value that I'm a dependable person, that I'm a person that doesn't just pop up when I need something.
00:29:57.200 --> 00:30:00.640
And I'm kind of constantly seeding those relationships over time.
00:30:01.440 --> 00:30:08.640
And for someone who has grown their social media so extensively, how do you like bridge the gap there?
00:30:08.720 --> 00:30:15.680
Like now, you know, because we talked about intentional and you know, one-on-one and all of that when you meet people at events.
00:30:15.839 --> 00:30:18.480
So, how does that work in the social media space?
00:30:18.640 --> 00:30:20.880
And how does that change all that?
00:30:21.039 --> 00:30:25.440
I was just having a conversation with a friend about this because I'm still figuring that out.
00:30:25.680 --> 00:30:31.359
I find social media very frustrating, and I think it's frustrating in the sense that you have little control.
00:30:31.599 --> 00:30:45.039
Even if you have a huge following, you cannot control how much of that following actually sees your content and engages with it because the algorithm is set up to intermittently reinforce the success of your content to keep you on the platform making content for free.
00:30:45.119 --> 00:30:46.240
That's just a fact.
00:30:46.400 --> 00:30:49.440
And um, the ethics of the algorithm sometimes can be questionable.
00:30:49.599 --> 00:31:04.400
So, in terms of relationship building, I think comments, DMs, like actual one-on-one conversations with people who continuously engage with the content can be useful because those people show an interest beyond being entertained, escaping for a second, and then moving on.
00:31:04.640 --> 00:31:16.480
And so I'm still figuring that out in terms of building one-on-one connections with people who have indicated through the like of a content post or through a follow that they they're interested, they want to know more.
00:31:16.640 --> 00:31:24.559
But I think about social media almost kind of like a street in a city where you don't know who's gonna pass your street.
00:31:24.720 --> 00:31:28.720
You might have a cool storefront and you got a sign that's like stop by and get a coffee.
00:31:28.799 --> 00:31:30.799
And some people may come in and some may not.
00:31:30.960 --> 00:31:37.200
And so you have a neighborhood of 50,000 people, but there's no guarantee that all 50,000 of those people come into the coffee shop.
00:31:37.279 --> 00:31:39.680
And that's kind of how the social media game is.
00:31:39.839 --> 00:31:42.559
So you're like, hey, come, don't you remember me?
00:31:42.640 --> 00:31:43.759
We live in the same neighborhood.
00:31:43.839 --> 00:31:45.119
You could come inside.
00:31:45.279 --> 00:31:54.400
And so I'm kind of trying to find a balance of not allowing these platforms to siphon my energy and my joy and get something in return out of it.
00:31:54.480 --> 00:31:55.440
And that is a hard balance.
00:31:55.519 --> 00:32:00.799
And I think a lot of entrepreneurs constantly have that battle of social media can be important.
00:32:00.960 --> 00:32:02.720
But I'll keep it really honest.
00:32:02.880 --> 00:32:07.279
A lot of my business I told you I built, social media had nothing to do with it at all.
00:32:07.440 --> 00:32:13.839
Like all those relationships, those projects primarily were built offline through networking and communities, not from social media.
00:32:14.000 --> 00:32:19.039
Social media was useful in terms of some visibility, credibility in terms of influence.
00:32:19.119 --> 00:32:24.799
But besides that, it was genuine real relationship building offline that helped me to build a business without a huge social following.
00:32:24.960 --> 00:32:29.119
I just got that following six months ago in terms of how big it is now.
00:32:29.279 --> 00:32:39.119
Before that, I had maybe three or four thousand followers on each platform, three thousand on Insta, 4,000 on LinkedIn, which is still an okay number, but it wasn't 70,000.
00:32:39.279 --> 00:32:44.559
So that is a very recent development that had nothing to do really with any of the business stuff I had done before.
00:32:44.720 --> 00:32:46.160
So I think that's the other thing, too.
00:32:46.319 --> 00:32:47.599
People think they have to have.
00:32:47.759 --> 00:32:51.599
I know people with humongous social media followings who make zero dollars from it.
00:32:51.759 --> 00:32:52.960
There is no guarantee.
00:32:53.039 --> 00:32:57.680
You have to work very hard to convert people in social media to actual genuine customers.
00:32:57.759 --> 00:32:58.720
That's a whole other conversation.
00:32:58.799 --> 00:33:03.039
But yeah, you do not need social media to have a successful, sustainable business.
00:33:03.440 --> 00:33:03.839
Thank you.
00:33:03.920 --> 00:33:05.519
Thanks for that perspective.
00:33:05.759 --> 00:33:14.000
And earlier you mentioned about funding for one of the programs that you're having, and you're actually running it this summer.
00:33:14.160 --> 00:33:17.440
So I was wondering if you could tell us a little bit more about how that works.
00:33:17.599 --> 00:33:22.079
Like the just anything about funding and grant applications that you could tell us about.
00:33:22.240 --> 00:33:28.640
And tell us a little bit more about your programming coming this summer, in case somebody's interested in being part of it.
00:33:29.119 --> 00:33:29.680
Absolutely.
00:33:29.759 --> 00:33:30.000
Yeah.
00:33:30.079 --> 00:33:31.599
So it was a grant in New York City.
00:33:31.680 --> 00:33:39.200
We have two offices called the New York City Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes and the New York City Commission on Human Rights.
00:33:39.359 --> 00:33:47.920
And both of their goals are to fund through, you know, pack taxpaying dollars, interventions, and projects that help to reduce bias in neighborhoods.
00:33:48.000 --> 00:33:57.599
So they fund all types of different projects from trainings and interventions, direct service to things like I did, a storytelling event that helps people to connect and build community.
00:33:57.839 --> 00:33:59.119
And I just Googled it.
00:33:59.200 --> 00:34:01.359
I was like New York City grants, because I was like, you know what?
00:34:01.440 --> 00:34:02.640
I'm interested in doing an event.
00:34:02.799 --> 00:34:03.759
Could I get funding for it?
00:34:03.920 --> 00:34:04.799
Could I get support?
00:34:04.960 --> 00:34:10.079
So I was just Googling away and came across their open call for the grant application.
00:34:10.320 --> 00:34:17.440
And because I had already done the event before, uh for a community membership I was already a part of, I had a test pilot.
00:34:17.599 --> 00:34:21.519
So I wasn't coming off of um, had never done the event before.
00:34:21.599 --> 00:34:24.320
I had some legs to it and some momentum and some track record.
00:34:24.480 --> 00:34:26.480
So I do think that helps with these applications.
00:34:26.639 --> 00:34:29.280
You can prove you've had some level of impact.
00:34:29.440 --> 00:34:40.320
You have a structure and a point of view and a goal, and they feel more um secure, I would say, in investing in something that has some level of validity and some track record.
00:34:40.480 --> 00:34:42.559
And then from there, I just delivered really well.
00:34:42.639 --> 00:34:45.039
I was really responsive to all of their emails.
00:34:45.199 --> 00:34:47.840
I was really thorough with how I planned and structured things.
00:34:48.000 --> 00:34:50.960
I made a really comprehensive report on the impact.
00:34:51.039 --> 00:34:52.480
And that's why they wanted to work with me again.
00:34:52.559 --> 00:34:54.960
Because they were like, hey, you are so easy to work with.
00:34:55.360 --> 00:34:59.920
Your event did really well in terms of the ways people feel and the feedback they gave.
00:35:00.079 --> 00:35:01.039
Let's do it again.
00:35:01.199 --> 00:35:09.199
And the event structure itself, you know, the funding for it primarily covers my fees as somebody who's producing and facilitating the event.
00:35:09.360 --> 00:35:13.760
It also covers honorariums for the storytellers who I have performing the show.
00:35:13.920 --> 00:35:16.800
And it covers some basic, you know, videography and stuff.
00:35:16.880 --> 00:35:23.519
And the venues I've worked with luckily have been very low cost or no fee, which has helped with structuring the grant.
00:35:23.760 --> 00:35:27.920
And now I'm partnering with a new organization this year called A New.
00:35:28.239 --> 00:35:30.719
They're a social impact space in the West Village.
00:35:30.880 --> 00:35:36.000
And I'm really excited about that because they can help with bringing other community members and people into this event.
00:35:36.159 --> 00:35:49.840
But the event is really, you know, a credible way for people to hear a real story, to be inspired, to feel hopeful about the future, to make a connection with a new person and to do it in a way that doesn't feel like it's a huge cost or not affordable.
00:35:50.000 --> 00:35:52.800
Right now we have a wait list for the next event, which is May 14th.
00:35:52.960 --> 00:35:55.840
I don't know when this podcast is coming out, but that's their next event.
00:35:55.920 --> 00:35:58.400
It's happening May 14th, 6 to 8 p.m.
00:35:58.719 --> 00:36:10.239
But I'm hoping outside of the series, um, my thinking has been how do people get access to tools that help them to make meaningful connection with people, particularly at a time where people are really lonely.
00:36:10.400 --> 00:36:21.360
I think the loneliness epidemic has grown significantly because of COVID, but also because of the horrific oppressive injustices that are being enacted by our leadership across business and government.
00:36:21.519 --> 00:36:28.639
And so creating spaces for people to feel safe, to feel seen, to feel heard is incredibly important right now.
00:36:28.800 --> 00:36:36.000
And I think anyone who's doing that kind of work is going to have a huge uptick in interest, even if they have to find creative ways to fund it.
00:36:36.239 --> 00:36:36.880
Yes, yes.
00:36:37.039 --> 00:36:38.159
So loneliness.
00:36:39.119 --> 00:36:42.480
Well, I'm glad that you're playing a part in the solution, right?
00:36:42.639 --> 00:36:47.440
Because uh a lot of people in this environment they're creating the problem.
00:36:47.920 --> 00:36:49.679
So that's 100% true.
00:36:49.920 --> 00:36:50.239
Yes.
00:36:50.639 --> 00:36:53.360
We were hearing about all this wonderful work that you're doing.
00:36:53.519 --> 00:36:55.119
What does team look like for you?
00:36:55.360 --> 00:36:56.079
Yeah, absolutely.
00:36:56.159 --> 00:37:04.239
So I'm a solopreneur, so I do a majority of the work myself, but I do have contractors who I'll hire for very specific things.
00:37:04.400 --> 00:37:09.199
So I've had a virtual assistant for many years who've helped with research and preparation.
00:37:09.519 --> 00:37:14.079
I've had editors when it comes to I do a podcast and other kinds of forms of content.
00:37:14.239 --> 00:37:17.119
I've paid CPAs to help with finance and tax.
00:37:17.440 --> 00:37:22.400
So I really hire experts for specific areas of the business that I don't want to run fully by myself.
00:37:22.559 --> 00:37:25.119
But a lot of the execution is still on me.
00:37:25.360 --> 00:37:32.639
And one reason why I chose that is the level of freedom and autonomy and also not having to have the pressure to pay a team full-time.
00:37:32.800 --> 00:37:39.840
And thank goodness I had that structure because with that loss of revenue, I would have been really dire and unfortunate if I had a team I needed to pay.
00:37:40.079 --> 00:37:49.840
The other reason is I have never necessarily wanted to build a large corporate structure where my majority of my time is spent managing people.
00:37:50.000 --> 00:37:58.559
I have been told in previous corporate jobs that I'm a really great manager and I think I have a knack for managing and mentoring people, but that's not where I want to spend 90% of my time.
00:37:58.639 --> 00:38:00.480
I actually like the execution of the work.
00:38:00.639 --> 00:38:05.280
I love public speaking facilitating, being in the work and less in managing people to do the work.
00:38:05.440 --> 00:38:09.760
And so that is one reason why I've built a more lean solopreneur model.
00:38:09.920 --> 00:38:17.920
And the reason why it's been sustainable is because my model has repeating services that are replicable and scalable outside of a big team.
00:38:18.000 --> 00:38:21.840
So me running a course can reach thousands of people without having to hire a lot of people.
00:38:22.000 --> 00:38:32.000
Me doing public speaking, I can tweak my intellectual property and deliver that same kind of intellectual property in slightly new ways for different clients and tailoring it to their situation.
00:38:32.159 --> 00:38:43.039
So I've been able to really be smart about how I scale things so I don't burn out and that I can be lean and still have an impact and still have flexibility to not be working all the time.
00:38:43.280 --> 00:38:47.840
But I think that's a unique model because of me being a public speaker and that being the primary thing I offer.
00:38:48.079 --> 00:38:53.360
For other people who have maybe more tech-heavy stuff or different services, they need more of a team for that.
00:38:53.440 --> 00:38:56.159
But because of my structure, I don't necessarily always need that.
00:38:56.400 --> 00:38:59.039
Yeah, but it sounds like you you were very intentional about it.
00:38:59.119 --> 00:39:01.920
You knew what you wanted and you you know what works for you.
00:39:02.159 --> 00:39:04.320
And we know we talked about pubertine before.
00:39:04.400 --> 00:39:07.599
So if that ever changes, even in that case, you could always change.
00:39:07.679 --> 00:39:09.840
But for now, this is what works for you.
00:39:09.920 --> 00:39:10.800
So I I love that.
00:39:11.119 --> 00:39:14.239
I think also, too, you know, one big thing, you're right.
00:39:14.400 --> 00:39:26.400
The intention in terms of I wanted to be able to take on a specific level of clients a year and still be able to cover all the expenses and have some more for savings, safety net future.
00:39:26.559 --> 00:39:36.400
And that's one reason why I did a lot of organizational work because I can take on, say, 20 clients in a year and be okay versus needing to take on hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of clients and transactions.
00:39:36.480 --> 00:39:38.320
So that's something people can keep in mind as well.
00:39:38.400 --> 00:39:44.159
You don't necessarily have to burn yourself out or have hundreds of clients of years to have like a sustainable business.
00:39:44.400 --> 00:39:44.719
Yeah.
00:39:44.800 --> 00:39:49.039
And I had a difference there between just necessary, like working with organizations.
00:39:49.199 --> 00:39:51.360
So I guess that's what we call B2B, right?
00:39:51.440 --> 00:39:52.960
Like being able to do that.
00:39:53.199 --> 00:39:55.199
Um thanks for sharing that.
00:39:55.360 --> 00:39:57.440
And you mentioned intellectual property.
00:39:57.599 --> 00:39:59.920
What do you put in place to protect that?
00:40:00.800 --> 00:40:03.760
Well, I have some copyrights, they're not always honored.
00:40:03.840 --> 00:40:08.079
I will say that, but I have copyrights on my name, of my business.
00:40:08.239 --> 00:40:12.320
There are copyrights on certain phrases that I've developed for frameworks.
00:40:12.480 --> 00:40:14.000
And that's the primary thing.
00:40:14.159 --> 00:40:26.719
I think also I try not to be too cagey around how I talk about stuff because you know, at the end of the day, I want people to be able to take these tools and to improve their experiences.
00:40:26.800 --> 00:40:29.199
I don't necessarily want to hold it just for myself.
00:40:29.280 --> 00:40:39.280
Um, but I primarily make sure that people need to be in person typically to experience it so that they can really digest it and not necessarily just replicate it from somewhere else.
00:40:39.440 --> 00:40:42.639
But yeah, copyrights are very important, trademarks are very important.
00:40:42.960 --> 00:40:49.280
I started those processes many years ago because it takes a little while to trademark or copyright things.
00:40:49.440 --> 00:40:59.119
So that's the first step is you know, use legal protections to be able to keep people from trying to siphon away your labor in ways that are exploitative or not okay.
00:40:59.440 --> 00:41:01.840
And it sometimes it doesn't stop people.
00:41:01.920 --> 00:41:12.559
I've had copycats, I've had people try to copy my business name, I've had people try to copy frameworks and things, and I guess that's a form of flattery, you know, mimicry is a form of flattery at times.
00:41:12.800 --> 00:41:18.480
It can be frustrating too, especially from people who claim that they care about equity and social justice.
00:41:18.639 --> 00:41:26.079
But I've also realized that if you've developed something that's from your specific lived experience, it's hard to copy and steal as well.
00:41:26.239 --> 00:41:29.920
So there's parts of the things I teach other people just could not replicate.
00:41:30.000 --> 00:41:32.880
Like I'm I have very specific experiences as a black woman from Utah.
00:41:33.039 --> 00:41:35.519
I talk about as context for a lot of the tools.
00:41:35.760 --> 00:41:38.559
If you aren't that, I mean it's hard to be like, well, I'm gonna steal that.
00:41:38.639 --> 00:41:44.079
You still have to have your own flavor, your own sauce, your own style in terms of doing and delivering.
00:41:44.159 --> 00:41:46.719
You know, I'm a performer, so I sing in a lot of my trainings.
00:41:46.960 --> 00:41:50.159
I facilitate really interesting dialogue between people.
00:41:50.239 --> 00:41:51.920
I use humor and comedy.
00:41:52.079 --> 00:41:53.920
And a lot of people can't always do that.
00:41:54.000 --> 00:41:57.679
So that's also part of it, too, is what is your unique sauce of how you deliver what you deliver?
00:41:57.760 --> 00:42:02.000
You can try to take the tools, you can steal the name, but can you deliver it in the same way?
00:42:02.079 --> 00:42:02.719
Probably not.
00:42:02.960 --> 00:42:03.920
So that's the key too.
00:42:04.000 --> 00:42:20.079
People need to focus more on their unique perspective and less on shortcuts and desperation and feeling like copying is the only way to find a sense of stability and security because you might be wasting your time and there might be something unique and cool about your perspective of something that might be worth pursuing.
00:42:21.119 --> 00:42:21.760
All right.
00:42:22.159 --> 00:42:26.480
So, Christina, what does success mean to you?
00:42:27.920 --> 00:42:33.119
I love that question because I feel like a lot of us are questioning what we think success is.
00:42:33.599 --> 00:42:36.320
For me, it's being creatively realized.
00:42:36.400 --> 00:42:38.719
Like, am I living to my fullest creative potential?
00:42:38.800 --> 00:42:41.039
And am I living in integrity with my values?
00:42:41.280 --> 00:42:51.119
One of the main reasons I decided to become an entrepreneur is I felt like the opportunities for my ancestors to have choice in freedom and autonomy was so limited.
00:42:51.280 --> 00:43:02.159
I have enslaved ancestors and come from a background of a lot of different adversities and setbacks that my family experienced intergenerationally and currently in this generation of my time.
00:43:02.400 --> 00:43:07.679
And so, choice, creative autonomy and choice and freedom of how I use my labor and time is really important.
00:43:07.920 --> 00:43:17.599
I would also say, too, this idea of living in my values, like not feeling like I have to portray myself to get a paycheck, you know, doing stuff that doesn't feel good, that doesn't feel just.
00:43:17.760 --> 00:43:24.000
A lot of people are in those moral conundrums where they're doing jobs that are really harmful to the world, to the planet, to people.
00:43:24.159 --> 00:43:26.239
And then they go home and they're like, is this worth it?
00:43:26.320 --> 00:43:29.519
I'm stressing out at a job that's doing bad stuff.
00:43:29.760 --> 00:43:35.360
And you're like, is this worth crushing my soul and my body?
00:43:35.519 --> 00:43:50.320
And I'm I've been so lucky to close that gap a lot over the years where I feel like I get to show up every day and make things that have the impact I would like them to have on people and sleep well at night and not feel like I'm betraying myself or betraying others in that process.
00:43:50.480 --> 00:43:52.159
And so that to me is success.
00:43:52.239 --> 00:43:56.400
It's hard to have that in the world that we live in and the ways that the world is designed that we live in.
00:43:56.559 --> 00:43:59.440
There's very few people who maybe feel like they have choice.
00:44:00.079 --> 00:44:02.239
And success to me is choice and integrity.
00:44:03.760 --> 00:44:04.719
I love that.
00:44:05.039 --> 00:44:06.400
Thank you so much.
00:44:06.800 --> 00:44:13.199
And um, if there is just one final thing you'd like to share with our audience, what would that be?
00:44:13.360 --> 00:44:14.000
Anything?
00:44:14.320 --> 00:44:20.800
I would say tell your own story before someone does it for you, because most people feel like their stories don't matter.
00:44:20.880 --> 00:44:32.079
And they typically are operating on stories that have been indoctrinated on them from childhood, maybe from religious institutions if they attend those, educational institutions, media, TV.
00:44:32.559 --> 00:44:36.079
You get to define your own value, your own worth, your own story.
00:44:36.159 --> 00:44:39.119
And it's one of the most powerful things that you can do as an individual.
00:44:39.199 --> 00:44:45.280
And so every person who listens to this, I hope you can understand and know that your story is important and necessary.
00:44:45.440 --> 00:44:52.400
And the sooner that you tell it, and the sooner you use it and own it, the sooner that we can have a better future and a better outcome.
00:44:52.480 --> 00:44:56.880
And I would wish, I would hope, that more people understand that their story matters.
00:44:58.000 --> 00:44:59.840
You're speaking to me here.
00:45:00.000 --> 00:45:02.239
And I'm sure many others were listening.
00:45:02.400 --> 00:45:04.159
So thank you so much for sharing that.
00:45:04.320 --> 00:45:07.679
And can you tell us how our listeners can reach you?
00:45:08.480 --> 00:45:15.599
Yes, one of the best ways is on my website, which is the newquo.com, T-H-E-N-E-W-Q-U-O.com.
00:45:15.760 --> 00:45:29.840
I also have a podcast as well called Tell It Proud, which is about stories of courage, too good, to erase or ignore, about all types of ideas in terms of history and culture and social justice that can inspire people to change for the better.
00:45:30.079 --> 00:45:30.960
And my social media.
00:45:31.039 --> 00:45:33.199
I'm Christina Blacken on all platforms.
00:45:33.280 --> 00:45:39.280
So you can see me kikiing and acting a full on Insta, TikTok, LinkedIn, wherever you use your social media.
00:45:39.440 --> 00:45:41.119
So definitely check out my work there.
00:45:41.360 --> 00:45:41.679
Okay.
00:45:42.079 --> 00:45:46.320
Thanks so much for spending time with us and for sharing so much with all of us.
00:45:46.559 --> 00:45:51.840
I think I speak on behalf of myself and all those listening that we really enjoyed the conversation today.
00:45:52.000 --> 00:45:53.440
So thanks again.
00:45:53.840 --> 00:45:54.800
Thank you.
00:45:55.679 --> 00:46:02.239
A quick note before we wrap up: the insights and experiences shared by our guests are their own.
00:46:02.800 --> 00:46:07.840
We love creating space for real conversations about business and growth.
00:46:08.400 --> 00:46:10.480
And everyone's journey is unique.
00:46:11.360 --> 00:46:17.840
Therefore, this podcast is for informational and inspirational purposes only.
00:46:18.400 --> 00:46:24.559
It is not meant to replace legal, financial, or other professional advice.
00:46:25.280 --> 00:46:34.000
So we encourage you to take what's useful, do your own due diligence and build what works best for you.
00:46:34.639 --> 00:46:38.480
Thanks for listening to Begin Build Blossom Your Business Journey.
00:46:38.639 --> 00:46:45.679
We hope today's conversation gave you the insights and inspiration you need to move forward on your own path.
00:46:45.920 --> 00:46:51.519
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00:46:51.760 --> 00:46:53.039
Do you have feedback?
00:46:53.280 --> 00:46:59.199
We'd love to hear from you at podcast at cmeaccountinglc.com.
00:46:59.440 --> 00:47:02.559
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