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Speaker 1: When somebody feels like their paycheck is not enough, they've run out of options. And then you kind of see an ad from your favorite NFL or NBA player saying my stamp of approval is on this. Then it may feel like one smart pick and I'm going to walk away with enough money for rent or my tuition for this semester. And that often is just not the case. Hey, hey, BA fam, welcome back to Brown Buzz. This is a Brown Ambition episode where I break down the headlines shaping your money, your career, the culture, and your real lives. Today, we're getting into LeBron James and his reported $ 15 million a year polymarket deal, what these prediction market apps actually are, and why the marketing of high-risk trading to financially stressed out folks deserves a serious side eye. Then I'm gonna be celebrating some black brilliance, which I love to do, The new Ebony Power 100 list is out and talking about who they picked, who they didn't pick. Also getting into some exciting brown boost. I got a brown boost for Tayari Jones, author of Kin, who just walked away with a huge literary prize. Going to cover the founder of Carol's Daughter, Lisa Price, taking back her business. She has repurchased the brand after a decade of it being owned by L'Oreal. I'll get into that. And then, yeah, I'll talk a little bit about the tea from CultureCon, some of the controversy, but overall a huge boost for the founder and leader of that whole organization, Imani Ellis. She deserves some flowers. I'm going to give her some. Let's get into it. This is your Brown Ambition, Brown Buzz. First up on Brown Buzz, let's talk about this $ 15 million gig that LeBron James has now. This is not a basketball contract. In fact, this is five times richer than his reported $ 3 million contract with the Philadelphia. God, I'm going to show my sports ignorance here. Is it the 76ers? Is it a sixer? Something number. Philadelphia, something basketball. Listen, I am an Atlanta Dream, you NBA fan. I have been watching those playoffs this week. So forgive me if I do not know the name of LeBron James' latest team. But what I do know is he's making 15 milli, not from basketball, but from partnering with a sports betting, oh, I'm sorry, prediction market app, which is called Polymarket. They don't want you to say it's sports betting, even though it basically is sports betting. They call it prediction markets. I've been wanting to talk about this on the podcast for a while, especially given the fact that they're tapping these big celebrities like LeBron James because they want to reach that young male audience. Probably black, brown male who's sitting at home feeling financially stressed and wants to make a quick buck. They may not say that, but it's clear from who they're choosing and who they're choosing to market to. That's the audience that they're going after. And unfortunately, it's working. So let's get into that. When you think about LeBron James betting on these prediction market apps, he has a real unfair advantage when it comes to understanding the NBA, who the players are, what the scores are going to be, who's likely to win or not. But he's gotten around that. So apparently he's only promoting the football market. So sports betting in the football arena. I want to be clear, LeBron definitely is not the first athlete to be attached to this whole world. Sports betting has been flooded with athlete endorsement for years, and some athletes even have stakes in some of these companies. LeBron, though, is a different level of cultural validation. This is one of the biggest athletes and business brands in the world. So to me, this really feels like the prediction markets are saying, we're done being a weird little crypto thing. that finance bros and political nerds use. We want to be normal. We want to be mainstream. We want to join the ranks of FanDuel and DraftKings. If you're like me, you had to do some research into what Polymarket actually is. So you may have heard of other prediction market apps like Kalshi. Even I get inundated with the TikTok ads whenever I sign in. But Polymarket and these other prediction apps, they're basically an app where you can put money behind a prediction about what you think will happen. Will that candidate win the next election? Will a team win the finals? Will inflation hit a certain number? Will some celebrity thing happen, divorce or box office success happens? So you're buying a contract. You're buying a contract that either says you think yes or you think no. And if you're right, it pays out. If you're wrong, you lose whatever you put up and your position basically goes back to zero. The companies want you to think of this as a financial market. They want you to think of it like you're trading stocks and you're trying to assume, OK, Apple's releasing a new iPhone, so the stock's going to go up. So let me go ahead and hedge my bets and let me sink some money into Apple while it's low and expect that stock to go up. That happens all the time. The stock market's very much like a betting game anyway. But let's not get it twisted. The regular person who's using these apps on their phone, it feels a lot like betting. You put money down on an outcome that you have no control over using your best guess and you either win money or you lose money. And so that's where some of the legal mess has come in. I was actually surprised. Polymarket has been in legal hot water for years and only just now hit the U.S. market again after having to leave for a couple of years after federal regulators put the kibosh on it saying that this is not legal under federal law. And what they've done is they basically acquired a different company, came under a new name, came back to the U.S. and have now agreed to be federally regulated. So the CFTC oversees prediction market apps like Polymarket. And they only just started to operate again this past July. And it did not take long for some states, including New York, especially New York, to stand up and say, no, no, not in my house. So despite the fact that they had this federal stamp of approval that they are being regulated, New York State AG Letitia James has stood up and said, no, if y'all are having people put money on sports outcomes and they can win or lose based on what happens, that sounds like gambling. And if it's gambling, you need to follow New York state gambling rules. So they're going to be battling it out in courts. But meanwhile, LeBron James is collecting his checks and Polymarket, we're all talking about it now. Mission accomplished. Also, fun fact, you know who owns a stake in Polymarket? Donald Trump Jr. Shocking. First of all, he's an advisor to both to Kalshi, a competitor, and Polymarket. He's an advisor. And then his venture capital firm has also invested in Polymarket, somewhere around the tune of $ 300 million. So when we're talking about who gets to decide whether these companies are financial innovation or unlicensed gambling, just understand that there are people with really powerful political connections who have real money on the line. And I don't know, the president of the United States on speed dial. Hi, Daddy. Can you please approve my company? you know, to be federally regulated because I've bet $ 300 million on this thing. As much as these companies want you to think that they are a savvy sort of prediction market where you're like, you know, you're betting on politics, you're betting on financial markets, who are they actually trying to target? The data shows their customer is not a wealthy Wall Street trader wearing a little Patagonia vest and looking at charts all day. The data actually points to a much younger man, often between 18 and 34 years old, who may see these apps as entertainment, but may also see them as a shortcut out of feeling financially behind. And that's where I want to draw the connection to crypto. Polymarket, for example, actually operates with crypto. You don't have to have crypto in order to place a bet. But in the back end, when you make a bank transfer into your Polymarket account to place a trade or place a bet or whatever they're calling it. Sorry, buy a contract is the right language to purchase a contract in their system. They're converting that into cryptocurrency and converting it back when they pay you out into US dollars. So you may not feel it, but the fact that there is that crypto element does bring up a big consumer concern, which is what happens if hackers get into people's crypto that they have sitting in these polymarket accounts or other prediction markets accounts. This actually went down not that long ago. This past February, there was a major fraud attack against Polymarket. Hackers used stolen credit cards and debit cards to steal $ 10 million. Then there was another hack this summer, a $ 3 million hack on Polymarket as well. Due to a third-party loophole, some hackers were able to get in and walk away with approximately $ 3 million of user funds. And this is crypto. It's untraceable. It's unprotectable. No FDIC insurance for these accounts. So hey, BA fam, we're going to take a quick break, pay some bills, and we'll be right back. Now, these apps do not attract only financially insecure people. I don't want to overstate that. Their marketing is happening at a time when so many young adults feel squeezed, behind on savings, stressed about rent, stressed about debt, worried that the normal path to financial stability is just not working. In fact, one survey found 80% of Gen Z respondents who were interested in high-risk products like these prediction markets and sports betting were said feeling financially behind was a reason. So that's what makes me a little bit uncomfortable because when somebody feels like their paycheck is not enough, they've run out of options. And then you kind of see an ad from your favorite, you know, NFL or NBA player saying my stamp of approval is on this. Then it may feel like one smart pick and I'm going to walk away with enough money for rent or for that new pair of sneakers or my tuition for this semester. And that often is just not the case. Okay, these apps are clearly not going anywhere. So what are the key takeaways? If you know someone who's using them or you're curious about using them, if you're going to use one of them, just treat it like the entertainment that it is. Not like a savings plan and definitely not like an investment plan and absolutely not a side hustle. So a quick little safety checklist. Make sure you turn on two-factor authentication, preferably through an authenticator app, not just those text message codes. Use a really long, unique password that you don't... use for other accounts. Listen, I know, and I'm guilty of this too, we got to be creative, okay? We have to be creative with our passwords and stop using the same version of our dog's name on our birthday, okay? Secure the email account that's attached to the app too, because your email is usually the key to resetting your passwords. So make sure that you have two-factor authentication for that email address as well. And then only keep money that you're gonna play with in the app. Don't leave your rent money, your emergency fund, your vacation fund. What are we even talking about? You never do that, right? Yeah, it's crazy. Never do that. And if you're using a crypto wallet, do not click any random links or scan random QR codes or trust that somebody is sliding into your DMs pretending to be customer support for one of these apps. You know, always double check. No real company is going to ask for your password or your one-time login ever. And if you're moving crypto, triple check the wallet address and the network. Those transfers are final, final, final. There's no oopsie. Can I reverse that customer service button like there is with a credit card charge? So bottom line, I'm not trying to shame anybody who makes a bet or wants to try a prediction market. I've just gotten into, you know, the WNBA, the playoffs right now. I'm watching. I'm letting myself get stressed out. I'm rooting for the Atlanta dream. And maybe I might be a little interested in placing a bet on the next game, although I would never do that. I'm still trying to figure out which one is offense and which one's defense. Because I like to say defense, defense, defense. But I always say it at the wrong time, I realize. And that's a little awkward for me. So I just want us to be honest about what's happening. Let, you know, not just trust when these companies are trying to market themselves as some sort of like highbrow tool when really it just is betting, betting, betting. It's gambling. They use the language of finance, the excitement of sports, the ease of an app, the cool factor of crypto and the cultural credibility of athletes like LeBron James to make betting feel smarter, safer and more aspirational. But Let's just call a spade a spade. It's betting. It's betting with a better marketing budget. So I want to hear from y'all. Would you use or have you used a prediction market app before? I personally haven't and I probably won't. I'm going to stick to the index funds and ETFs that raised me. The rivers and the lakes that I'm used to. You know what I mean? There's not really a tie-in to this whole conversation about sports betting, but LeBron James is taking a 45-minute multi-thousand-dollar helicopter ride to and from New York City to get to these games in Philadelphia. Just come on now. And plus, like, After the way that Kobe went out, I don't feel like if I were a pro anything, I would not be taking a helicopter to get to work. I'd be like, put me on the Amtrak. You know, he can afford a whole car to himself. He can stretch those six foot legs out and be comfortable. But like a helicopter ride, I don't know. It's just a little spooky for me ever since Kobe. R.I.P. Kobe and his daughter Gigi. Okay, next headline. Lisa Price, the founder of Carol's Daughter, has repurchased, to a certain extent, her brand after selling it to L'Oreal over 10 years ago. Let's dive in. This is a full circle, black-owned business story that made me smile. Lisa Price, back in the ownership mix at Carol's Daughter, I watched her segment. She went on the Tamron Hall Show to talk about not just that she's bought the company back, but that she has a new line of products and like a new lease on life. First of all, her style, immaculate. She is like stunning. And her manicure, you just got to go watch that clip. Maybe I'll post it in the show notes. But I want to be precise because the headline can make it sound like she just went to L'Oreal with like a duffel bag of cash and said, give it back. I want it back. That's not what happened. The good news is that it was all amicable. So 10 years after she sold it to, she sold the company to L'Oreal back in 2014. L'Oreal sold the brand to a new ownership group that was led by a beauty entrepreneur called Joe Wong. Lisa was then made president of Carol's Daughter and has equity in the business again. Everything is private and we don't know details, so we don't know what share of equity she has, but she's publicly said she is back as an owner and not just an owner, but she is on the ground developing products, running that machine once again. So it's a partnership, not just like a solo buyback. If you're familiar with Carol's Daughter, you know why this matters. Like, we're at a time right now where these Black-owned beauty brands, you know, they are getting acquired. Mayel, Shea Moisture, and we want to be excited for them. Honeypot, I'd put up there as well. We want to be excited for them, but then there's also that Bit of a cringe, like this is products for us, made by us, and we're selling out to these huge companies, which are usually run by people who look nothing like us at all and don't really care about us the way that these founders care. But I've never been one to begrudge a Black and especially a Black female founder from exiting, from having a successful exit from their company. especially if you're taking on venture capital and investors like Lisa Price did for Carol's daughter, they are investing in her company because they expect to get a return on that investment. And often that comes through a sale of the company. So that's just business, you know? But Lisa started the company in her Brooklyn kitchen in 1993 before clean beauty, natural hair, textured hair were all these big fancy categories with venture capital funding, celebrity founders, million press events. She was making those products in her own kitchen. And the fact that she sold that business to L'Oreal, it just says that she created something that was valuable enough that a huge company wanted it. And she has set up her family for generational wealth for generations to come, very likely from that decision, which I am like never going to be mad about. And her new product that she's coming out with is called Lisa's Kitchen Scalp and Edge Care, which is great. Actually, I could have used this this summer when I had my braids in it. My scalp was screaming. It was so flaky. Lisa's Kitchen Scalp and Edge Care. I want to try this product. products. So edge treatment balm, scalp balancing serum, a cleansing oil, scalp detox cleanser. You can purchase these at big retailers like Walmart, CVS, Amazon, or directly at Carol's Daughter's website. And already Oprah has named the edge treatment balm as the best edge treatment of 2026. all right, protect those edges, ladies. I mean, the textured hair space is, it's a whole different ball field from when Carol's daughter, you know, first came on the scene in the 90s. Like they were, she was truly a pioneer. And I think she's smart to come up with a new line in this, you know, this very crowded market. But I think if there's one, you know, really smart thing that she's doing as a brand is she is letting herself be the face of the brand again. She's reminding consumers, she's reminding us this started in my kitchen with homegrown or homemade ingredients, homemade concoctions and always with our hair care, you know, front and center of those decisions that were made. And so it's really exciting to see her back as the face of the brand. And yeah, I think that if that's what she wanted, that's incredible that she's gotten back in the ownership seat, in the president's seat. And if that is not for a female founder, Black female founder, if they decide they'd rather just walk away, you know, take the W and walk away, then that's fine too. We have to just let these people do what they want. They built it, not us. So huge congratulations to Lisa Price, because there's just something really beautiful about a woman returning to the thing she made with her own hands and getting to help shape its future again now let's turn to the ebony power 100 list it is out we have some really exciting people who've made the list this year it's actually been around for over a decade and the theme this year was the stories we shape which is about who's moving culture creating economic impact and expanding representation so you have your big names i see jay-z kiki palmer megan the stallion Debbie Allen. I love that Debbie Allen is on that. First of all, shout out to Debbie Allen in the in the reboot of A Different World. I watched two episodes and I was really hooked. I mean, did I think a lot of that was like realistic from my college experience? Absolutely not. Especially how beautiful and styled all those people were. But no, it was really fun. And I was not someone who was raised on a different world. I mean, it was there, but I was born, I think, the same year it came out. By the time, you know, I was like old enough to care about college kids. I was more like the Saved by the Bell, you know, goes to college, the college years kind of vibe. So I've come to a different world a little bit later. But it's also one of those shows that was such a part of the zeitgeist and just like stitched in the fabric of our culture. I could tell you all the main characters I know about Whitley, right? I'm all off track again. Debbie Allen's on the list. Questlove. Also a familiar face, Brown Ambition. Family member, Morgan DeBond, the CEO of Afrotech, made the list as well. The founder of Calendly, which is... all of our favorite scheduling up, Tope Awatona. Also Gracie from Gracie's Corner. That's exciting that she made the list as well. Oh, another Brown Ambition guest, Dr. Judith Joseph. She's the author of High Functioning Depression. She made the list. So that's really exciting. It got me thinking about these professional or industry specific lists and awards, you know, with the Time 100. And there's, I'm sure there's industry specific ones for whatever industry that you're in. And I think when these lists come out, it immediately feels exclusionary. I mean, it's meant to be. You're talking about 100 or 50 or whatever the number is. It's meant to be exclusionary. And I think if you let it make you feel a type of way, like if you let it make you feel unchosen or unworthy, you tie these lists to your self-worth or your sense of accomplishment in your field. It's just as soon as we can flip that script and stop telling ourselves that story, the happier we're going to be. So If you see lists like this and you start to feel behind, please don't. Somebody else's recognition is not evidence that your work is small. Power can look like building a business, raising a family, mentoring somebody, running your department, holding your community together, and you want to get that sense of accomplishment and that validation from inside, right here. I know it's a little corny and a little cliche, but maybe I'm just talking to myself. Maybe I am. There's plenty of lists that come out and I'm like, oh, I wasn't invited to that. And oh, it's a human reaction. But I have gotten a lot better about, you know, quickly gathering myself together and Like, what do I do whenever I'm feeling a little bit tiny bit down and my doubt demons start to like nip at my heels and talk to me a little bit is I will go and I'll read y'all's DMs. I'll read your comments on Spotify and YouTube. Generally, they're so gracious and so kind and remind myself I'm not doing this for the list. I'm doing this for y'all. So whatever version of that. you know, looks like for you, just do that. Because I know that y'all are doing brilliant things and you deserve to get these accolades and the attention, but it doesn't always come. Doesn't always come. That spotlight doesn't always find us. Doesn't mean we're undeserving. Just means we just shine that light on ourselves. Hey, BA fam, we're going to take a quick break, pay some bills, and we'll be right back. Ooh, moving on to our last news topic, home heating costs. Y'all, pocketbook, let's talk about kitchen table finances right now. One of the biggest reasons I dread the winter in the suburbs of New York City, it gets dark at 4 p.m., it is cold, my kids are inside. As soon as they get home from school, there's nowhere to put them other than inside the house because it's so cold. But another reason is because when I get home, I will see that Little receipt in a cute little envelope dangling from my front doorknob. And I know it is the propane bill. And it is time to pay that piper. And heating costs go up in the winter, of course, every year. And unfortunately, if you're in a household and you're using oil to heat your home, you're going to might be looking at a 21% increase in how much you're spending on heating your house this winter than last year. That's according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, which sent out its annual forecast. just this week. So with average seasonal bills, if you use heating with oil in your home reaching 2,115, that's the largest increase among all of the major heating fuels. If you use natural gas or you use propane like moi, that actually you're going to see your costs potentially go down. So it says natural gas projected to pay an average of $ 640 this winter. That's a 9% drop. And then propane users can expect to spend Okay, that's still a lot. 1,246 down 3%. So why is there such a big discrepancy? I mean, come on. If you pay attention to any of the news, you know oil prices have been through the roof ever since we launched this bloody and pointless war with Iran. And there's still a whole cluster F and the Strait of Hormuz. And it seems like there's not really an end in sight for this whole oil. And then we have this hurricane that's coming. Hurricane, what is it called? How do they say it? Isaiahs? Isaias. Okay. Hurricane Isaias. Sure. It's coming for the Gulf Coast where a lot of oil refineries are. So if there's damage there, it could just put more pressure on that industry. So it's hard out here for the oil powered homes. Two things that we're doing to reduce our cost is we're going to be looking into insulating the attic. The attic. Why can't I say that right? Not addict. Attic is to get that insulated. I got no idea how much it's going to cost. probably at least a thousand something dollars, which sucks because you're doing it to save money, but you got to spend money to save money. And that's the worst part of homeownership. And then I think we're going to get some like those little weather stripping like thingies you can put under the door to block those gaps. Also, you can try caulking and weather stripping your windows, cleaning your air filter. And the one that y'all are probably going to hate the most, which is keeping that thermostat at 68 degrees or lower. Just buy some cozy socks, y'all. It's time for a nice upgrade to your bathrobe. Nice and warm and fuzzy. So those are just some tips on how you can keep your heating expenses down this winter. We have come to my favorite part of the show, brown boost. So far, I've only done brown boost, but I had to bring back the break. I'm trying to be a positive girly, okay? But I have to bring back brown break this week. because of the blowback after CultureCon. CultureCon is a New York City or Brooklyn-based two-day conference that really targets creatives, entrepreneurs, business owners, and it's in the heart of Brooklyn. It was founded by Imani Ellis, who comes, she has like a PR and publicity background. She used to work at NBC for a bunch of years. She founded CultureCon in her apartment with just a handful of friends. And now it has turned into this huge juggernaut that attracts thousands and thousands of attendees each year. And if I'm correct, 12,000, nearly 12,000 people showed up for everybody was there except for me. I was not there. I know that's not true, but I wasn't there. I had a friend's baby shower. And it's so far Brooklyn so far. I think I might go next year, though. We'll see. Day one, though, I hop on threads and immediately all I'm seeing is this negativity around the lines being long, which fair. That would really frustrate me. Some of the girls, y'all were saying that it took you two hours to get in after you spent like $ 200 on a ticket. And I understand why that would be really frustrating. But what I have to say is I want to commend Imani Ellis because she took those criticisms. She read the feedback, her and her team did. And by day two, the lines were moving. They came up with a new fast lane option if you didn't bring a bag. And I just know for sure next year it's going to be off without a hitch because Imani is the kind of founder and business leader who doesn't take criticism and knock herself down and or double down and defend herself. She takes accountability. She makes a change. So I just feel like also every Black or minority focused conference you get on social media, And there's so much shit given to the founders or given to the organizers. And it's like, why can't we do things right? And I'm never coming back here. And this was wrong and that was wrong. And, you know, I just got to say enough. Like, can we bring back anonymous comment cards or just talking to people on the ground? Just like having conversations with other humans about an issue you had to do some conflict resolution IRL. We got to bring that back. Let's bring it back. I just don't think we need to be going on the internet. to complain about these events that are made for us and by us. If we really wanted them to, we want to invest in people who are investing in us and let's, you know, give them the feedback that they deserve in the way that they deserve it with respect. And yes, with candor and with honesty, but not blown up their spot on social media just to be nasty. I don't like So shout out to Imani Ellis and the whole CultureCon crew. You had the girls thirsting after Michael B. Jordan. You had Alandria Carthen on the stage. Like it looked really amazing. So huge, huge congrats. All right. So a quick little brown boost. I want to do a brown boost for my dear friend, Julie Leone. She wrote the most beautiful children's book. This year is called Navigating Night, which if you have young kids or honestly, I think I appreciate it more than the kids do. It's a beautiful, beautiful book. Tells a story of how her parents, who immigrated here in the 80s, opened their Chinese restaurant, and Julie used to help her father navigate the night with a map in the car when she was a kid in elementary school. The Kirkus Prize is a huge literary award that's been around for over a decade. Julie was nominated. She didn't win, but she was nominated, which is so exciting, but that also means she got to go to the awards ceremony, which means she got to breathe the same air as Tayari Jones, and Tayari Jones just walked away with the Kirkus Book of the Year Award for Fiction for her novel Kin, which all the girls have been talking about. If you haven't read it yet, that's fine. There's still time you can catch up. I have read Kin. I really loved it. It definitely could have been a little happier. Miss Tayari Jones could have been a little more joyful, I feel like, but it was a beautiful, beautiful novel about two best friends. who each have deep, deep mother wounds and you sort of see their life progress. So huge congratulations to Tayari Jones, to Julie, and to any woman out there who's putting words on a page and not really knowing what the outcome is going to be. Just huge kudos to y'all. All right, BA fam, thank you so much for tuning in and thanks for your feedback. Don't forget to share this episode Tag me on IG, tag me on threads at Mandy Money or at Brown Ambition Podcast so I can reshare, repost. Love y'all so much. And I will see y'all next week for more Brown Ambition. And before I go, BA fam, I want to shout out the team that helps make Brown Ambition possible. Huge thanks to my fam at iHeartRadio, Katrina Norvell and Jenna Cagle, my worker bees behind the scenes, booking assistant Brittany Laie and virtual assistant Cameron McNair, who keep me organized. And of course, my editor, Courtney Dean. Thank you all so much for supporting the show. If you love Brown Ambition, share it with a friend, tag us on social, and don't forget to leave a comment or review. Until next time, bye BA fam.
Speaker 1: When somebody feels like their paycheck is not enough, they've run out of options. And then you kind of see an ad from your favorite NFL or NBA player saying my stamp of approval is on this. Then it may feel like one smart pick and I'm going to walk away with enough money for rent or my tuition for this semester. And that often is just not the case. Hey, hey, BA fam, welcome back to Brown Buzz. This is a Brown Ambition episode where I break down the headlines shaping your money, your career, the culture, and your real lives. Today, we're getting into LeBron James and his reported $ 15 million a year polymarket deal, what these prediction market apps actually are, and why the marketing of high-risk trading to financially stressed out folks deserves a serious side eye. Then I'm gonna be celebrating some black brilliance, which I love to do, The new Ebony Power 100 list is out and talking about who they picked, who they didn't pick. Also getting into some exciting brown boost. I got a brown boost for Tayari Jones, author of Kin, who just walked away with a huge literary prize. Going to cover the founder of Carol's Daughter, Lisa Price, taking back her business. She has repurchased the brand after a decade of it being owned by L'Oreal. I'll get into that. And then, yeah, I'll talk a little bit about the tea from CultureCon, some of the controversy, but overall a huge boost for the founder and leader of that whole organization, Imani Ellis. She deserves some flowers. I'm going to give her some. Let's get into it. This is your Brown Ambition, Brown Buzz. First up on Brown Buzz, let's talk about this $ 15 million gig that LeBron James has now. This is not a basketball contract. In fact, this is five times richer than his reported $ 3 million contract with the Philadelphia. God, I'm going to show my sports ignorance here. Is it the 76ers? Is it a sixer? Something number. Philadelphia, something basketball. Listen, I am an Atlanta Dream, you NBA fan. I have been watching those playoffs this week. So forgive me if I do not know the name of LeBron James' latest team. But what I do know is he's making 15 milli, not from basketball, but from partnering with a sports betting, oh, I'm sorry, prediction market app, which is called Polymarket. They don't want you to say it's sports betting, even though it basically is sports betting. They call it prediction markets. I've been wanting to talk about this on the podcast for a while, especially given the fact that they're tapping these big celebrities like LeBron James because they want to reach that young male audience. Probably black, brown male who's sitting at home feeling financially stressed and wants to make a quick buck. They may not say that, but it's clear from who they're choosing and who they're choosing to market to. That's the audience that they're going after. And unfortunately, it's working. So let's get into that. When you think about LeBron James betting on these prediction market apps, he has a real unfair advantage when it comes to understanding the NBA, who the players are, what the scores are going to be, who's likely to win or not. But he's gotten around that. So apparently he's only promoting the football market. So sports betting in the football arena. I want to be clear, LeBron definitely is not the first athlete to be attached to this whole world. Sports betting has been flooded with athlete endorsement for years, and some athletes even have stakes in some of these companies. LeBron, though, is a different level of cultural validation. This is one of the biggest athletes and business brands in the world. So to me, this really feels like the prediction markets are saying, we're done being a weird little crypto thing. that finance bros and political nerds use. We want to be normal. We want to be mainstream. We want to join the ranks of FanDuel and DraftKings. If you're like me, you had to do some research into what Polymarket actually is. So you may have heard of other prediction market apps like Kalshi. Even I get inundated with the TikTok ads whenever I sign in. But Polymarket and these other prediction apps, they're basically an app where you can put money behind a prediction about what you think will happen. Will that candidate win the next election? Will a team win the finals? Will inflation hit a certain number? Will some celebrity thing happen, divorce or box office success happens? So you're buying a contract. You're buying a contract that either says you think yes or you think no. And if you're right, it pays out. If you're wrong, you lose whatever you put up and your position basically goes back to zero. The companies want you to think of this as a financial market. They want you to think of it like you're trading stocks and you're trying to assume, OK, Apple's releasing a new iPhone, so the stock's going to go up. So let me go ahead and hedge my bets and let me sink some money into Apple while it's low and expect that stock to go up. That happens all the time. The stock market's very much like a betting game anyway. But let's not get it twisted. The regular person who's using these apps on their phone, it feels a lot like betting. You put money down on an outcome that you have no control over using your best guess and you either win money or you lose money. And so that's where some of the legal mess has come in. I was actually surprised. Polymarket has been in legal hot water for years and only just now hit the U.S. market again after having to leave for a couple of years after federal regulators put the kibosh on it saying that this is not legal under federal law. And what they've done is they basically acquired a different company, came under a new name, came back to the U.S. and have now agreed to be federally regulated. So the CFTC oversees prediction market apps like Polymarket. And they only just started to operate again this past July. And it did not take long for some states, including New York, especially New York, to stand up and say, no, no, not in my house. So despite the fact that they had this federal stamp of approval that they are being regulated, New York State AG Letitia James has stood up and said, no, if y'all are having people put money on sports outcomes and they can win or lose based on what happens, that sounds like gambling. And if it's gambling, you need to follow New York state gambling rules. So they're going to be battling it out in courts. But meanwhile, LeBron James is collecting his checks and Polymarket, we're all talking about it now. Mission accomplished. Also, fun fact, you know who owns a stake in Polymarket? Donald Trump Jr. Shocking. First of all, he's an advisor to both to Kalshi, a competitor, and Polymarket. He's an advisor. And then his venture capital firm has also invested in Polymarket, somewhere around the tune of $ 300 million. So when we're talking about who gets to decide whether these companies are financial innovation or unlicensed gambling, just understand that there are people with really powerful political connections who have real money on the line. And I don't know, the president of the United States on speed dial. Hi, Daddy. Can you please approve my company? you know, to be federally regulated because I've bet $ 300 million on this thing. As much as these companies want you to think that they are a savvy sort of prediction market where you're like, you know, you're betting on politics, you're betting on financial markets, who are they actually trying to target? The data shows their customer is not a wealthy Wall Street trader wearing a little Patagonia vest and looking at charts all day. The data actually points to a much younger man, often between 18 and 34 years old, who may see these apps as entertainment, but may also see them as a shortcut out of feeling financially behind. And that's where I want to draw the connection to crypto. Polymarket, for example, actually operates with crypto. You don't have to have crypto in order to place a bet. But in the back end, when you make a bank transfer into your Polymarket account to place a trade or place a bet or whatever they're calling it. Sorry, buy a contract is the right language to purchase a contract in their system. They're converting that into cryptocurrency and converting it back when they pay you out into US dollars. So you may not feel it, but the fact that there is that crypto element does bring up a big consumer concern, which is what happens if hackers get into people's crypto that they have sitting in these polymarket accounts or other prediction markets accounts. This actually went down not that long ago. This past February, there was a major fraud attack against Polymarket. Hackers used stolen credit cards and debit cards to steal $ 10 million. Then there was another hack this summer, a $ 3 million hack on Polymarket as well. Due to a third-party loophole, some hackers were able to get in and walk away with approximately $ 3 million of user funds. And this is crypto. It's untraceable. It's unprotectable. No FDIC insurance for these accounts. So hey, BA fam, we're going to take a quick break, pay some bills, and we'll be right back. Now, these apps do not attract only financially insecure people. I don't want to overstate that. Their marketing is happening at a time when so many young adults feel squeezed, behind on savings, stressed about rent, stressed about debt, worried that the normal path to financial stability is just not working. In fact, one survey found 80% of Gen Z respondents who were interested in high-risk products like these prediction markets and sports betting were said feeling financially behind was a reason. So that's what makes me a little bit uncomfortable because when somebody feels like their paycheck is not enough, they've run out of options. And then you kind of see an ad from your favorite, you know, NFL or NBA player saying my stamp of approval is on this. Then it may feel like one smart pick and I'm going to walk away with enough money for rent or for that new pair of sneakers or my tuition for this semester. And that often is just not the case. Okay, these apps are clearly not going anywhere. So what are the key takeaways? If you know someone who's using them or you're curious about using them, if you're going to use one of them, just treat it like the entertainment that it is. Not like a savings plan and definitely not like an investment plan and absolutely not a side hustle. So a quick little safety checklist. Make sure you turn on two-factor authentication, preferably through an authenticator app, not just those text message codes. Use a really long, unique password that you don't... use for other accounts. Listen, I know, and I'm guilty of this too, we got to be creative, okay? We have to be creative with our passwords and stop using the same version of our dog's name on our birthday, okay? Secure the email account that's attached to the app too, because your email is usually the key to resetting your passwords. So make sure that you have two-factor authentication for that email address as well. And then only keep money that you're gonna play with in the app. Don't leave your rent money, your emergency fund, your vacation fund. What are we even talking about? You never do that, right? Yeah, it's crazy. Never do that. And if you're using a crypto wallet, do not click any random links or scan random QR codes or trust that somebody is sliding into your DMs pretending to be customer support for one of these apps. You know, always double check. No real company is going to ask for your password or your one-time login ever. And if you're moving crypto, triple check the wallet address and the network. Those transfers are final, final, final. There's no oopsie. Can I reverse that customer service button like there is with a credit card charge? So bottom line, I'm not trying to shame anybody who makes a bet or wants to try a prediction market. I've just gotten into, you know, the WNBA, the playoffs right now. I'm watching. I'm letting myself get stressed out. I'm rooting for the Atlanta dream. And maybe I might be a little interested in placing a bet on the next game, although I would never do that. I'm still trying to figure out which one is offense and which one's defense. Because I like to say defense, defense, defense. But I always say it at the wrong time, I realize. And that's a little awkward for me. So I just want us to be honest about what's happening. Let, you know, not just trust when these companies are trying to market themselves as some sort of like highbrow tool when really it just is betting, betting, betting. It's gambling. They use the language of finance, the excitement of sports, the ease of an app, the cool factor of crypto and the cultural credibility of athletes like LeBron James to make betting feel smarter, safer and more aspirational. But Let's just call a spade a spade. It's betting. It's betting with a better marketing budget. So I want to hear from y'all. Would you use or have you used a prediction market app before? I personally haven't and I probably won't. I'm going to stick to the index funds and ETFs that raised me. The rivers and the lakes that I'm used to. You know what I mean? There's not really a tie-in to this whole conversation about sports betting, but LeBron James is taking a 45-minute multi-thousand-dollar helicopter ride to and from New York City to get to these games in Philadelphia. Just come on now. And plus, like, After the way that Kobe went out, I don't feel like if I were a pro anything, I would not be taking a helicopter to get to work. I'd be like, put me on the Amtrak. You know, he can afford a whole car to himself. He can stretch those six foot legs out and be comfortable. But like a helicopter ride, I don't know. It's just a little spooky for me ever since Kobe. R.I.P. Kobe and his daughter Gigi. Okay, next headline. Lisa Price, the founder of Carol's Daughter, has repurchased, to a certain extent, her brand after selling it to L'Oreal over 10 years ago. Let's dive in. This is a full circle, black-owned business story that made me smile. Lisa Price, back in the ownership mix at Carol's Daughter, I watched her segment. She went on the Tamron Hall Show to talk about not just that she's bought the company back, but that she has a new line of products and like a new lease on life. First of all, her style, immaculate. She is like stunning. And her manicure, you just got to go watch that clip. Maybe I'll post it in the show notes. But I want to be precise because the headline can make it sound like she just went to L'Oreal with like a duffel bag of cash and said, give it back. I want it back. That's not what happened. The good news is that it was all amicable. So 10 years after she sold it to, she sold the company to L'Oreal back in 2014. L'Oreal sold the brand to a new ownership group that was led by a beauty entrepreneur called Joe Wong. Lisa was then made president of Carol's Daughter and has equity in the business again. Everything is private and we don't know details, so we don't know what share of equity she has, but she's publicly said she is back as an owner and not just an owner, but she is on the ground developing products, running that machine once again. So it's a partnership, not just like a solo buyback. If you're familiar with Carol's Daughter, you know why this matters. Like, we're at a time right now where these Black-owned beauty brands, you know, they are getting acquired. Mayel, Shea Moisture, and we want to be excited for them. Honeypot, I'd put up there as well. We want to be excited for them, but then there's also that Bit of a cringe, like this is products for us, made by us, and we're selling out to these huge companies, which are usually run by people who look nothing like us at all and don't really care about us the way that these founders care. But I've never been one to begrudge a Black and especially a Black female founder from exiting, from having a successful exit from their company. especially if you're taking on venture capital and investors like Lisa Price did for Carol's daughter, they are investing in her company because they expect to get a return on that investment. And often that comes through a sale of the company. So that's just business, you know? But Lisa started the company in her Brooklyn kitchen in 1993 before clean beauty, natural hair, textured hair were all these big fancy categories with venture capital funding, celebrity founders, million press events. She was making those products in her own kitchen. And the fact that she sold that business to L'Oreal, it just says that she created something that was valuable enough that a huge company wanted it. And she has set up her family for generational wealth for generations to come, very likely from that decision, which I am like never going to be mad about. And her new product that she's coming out with is called Lisa's Kitchen Scalp and Edge Care, which is great. Actually, I could have used this this summer when I had my braids in it. My scalp was screaming. It was so flaky. Lisa's Kitchen Scalp and Edge Care. I want to try this product. products. So edge treatment balm, scalp balancing serum, a cleansing oil, scalp detox cleanser. You can purchase these at big retailers like Walmart, CVS, Amazon, or directly at Carol's Daughter's website. And already Oprah has named the edge treatment balm as the best edge treatment of 2026. all right, protect those edges, ladies. I mean, the textured hair space is, it's a whole different ball field from when Carol's daughter, you know, first came on the scene in the 90s. Like they were, she was truly a pioneer. And I think she's smart to come up with a new line in this, you know, this very crowded market. But I think if there's one, you know, really smart thing that she's doing as a brand is she is letting herself be the face of the brand again. She's reminding consumers, she's reminding us this started in my kitchen with homegrown or homemade ingredients, homemade concoctions and always with our hair care, you know, front and center of those decisions that were made. And so it's really exciting to see her back as the face of the brand. And yeah, I think that if that's what she wanted, that's incredible that she's gotten back in the ownership seat, in the president's seat. And if that is not for a female founder, Black female founder, if they decide they'd rather just walk away, you know, take the W and walk away, then that's fine too. We have to just let these people do what they want. They built it, not us. So huge congratulations to Lisa Price, because there's just something really beautiful about a woman returning to the thing she made with her own hands and getting to help shape its future again now let's turn to the ebony power 100 list it is out we have some really exciting people who've made the list this year it's actually been around for over a decade and the theme this year was the stories we shape which is about who's moving culture creating economic impact and expanding representation so you have your big names i see jay-z kiki palmer megan the stallion Debbie Allen. I love that Debbie Allen is on that. First of all, shout out to Debbie Allen in the in the reboot of A Different World. I watched two episodes and I was really hooked. I mean, did I think a lot of that was like realistic from my college experience? Absolutely not. Especially how beautiful and styled all those people were. But no, it was really fun. And I was not someone who was raised on a different world. I mean, it was there, but I was born, I think, the same year it came out. By the time, you know, I was like old enough to care about college kids. I was more like the Saved by the Bell, you know, goes to college, the college years kind of vibe. So I've come to a different world a little bit later. But it's also one of those shows that was such a part of the zeitgeist and just like stitched in the fabric of our culture. I could tell you all the main characters I know about Whitley, right? I'm all off track again. Debbie Allen's on the list. Questlove. Also a familiar face, Brown Ambition. Family member, Morgan DeBond, the CEO of Afrotech, made the list as well. The founder of Calendly, which is... all of our favorite scheduling up, Tope Awatona. Also Gracie from Gracie's Corner. That's exciting that she made the list as well. Oh, another Brown Ambition guest, Dr. Judith Joseph. She's the author of High Functioning Depression. She made the list. So that's really exciting. It got me thinking about these professional or industry specific lists and awards, you know, with the Time 100. And there's, I'm sure there's industry specific ones for whatever industry that you're in. And I think when these lists come out, it immediately feels exclusionary. I mean, it's meant to be. You're talking about 100 or 50 or whatever the number is. It's meant to be exclusionary. And I think if you let it make you feel a type of way, like if you let it make you feel unchosen or unworthy, you tie these lists to your self-worth or your sense of accomplishment in your field. It's just as soon as we can flip that script and stop telling ourselves that story, the happier we're going to be. So If you see lists like this and you start to feel behind, please don't. Somebody else's recognition is not evidence that your work is small. Power can look like building a business, raising a family, mentoring somebody, running your department, holding your community together, and you want to get that sense of accomplishment and that validation from inside, right here. I know it's a little corny and a little cliche, but maybe I'm just talking to myself. Maybe I am. There's plenty of lists that come out and I'm like, oh, I wasn't invited to that. And oh, it's a human reaction. But I have gotten a lot better about, you know, quickly gathering myself together and Like, what do I do whenever I'm feeling a little bit tiny bit down and my doubt demons start to like nip at my heels and talk to me a little bit is I will go and I'll read y'all's DMs. I'll read your comments on Spotify and YouTube. Generally, they're so gracious and so kind and remind myself I'm not doing this for the list. I'm doing this for y'all. So whatever version of that. you know, looks like for you, just do that. Because I know that y'all are doing brilliant things and you deserve to get these accolades and the attention, but it doesn't always come. Doesn't always come. That spotlight doesn't always find us. Doesn't mean we're undeserving. Just means we just shine that light on ourselves. Hey, BA fam, we're going to take a quick break, pay some bills, and we'll be right back. Ooh, moving on to our last news topic, home heating costs. Y'all, pocketbook, let's talk about kitchen table finances right now. One of the biggest reasons I dread the winter in the suburbs of New York City, it gets dark at 4 p.m., it is cold, my kids are inside. As soon as they get home from school, there's nowhere to put them other than inside the house because it's so cold. But another reason is because when I get home, I will see that Little receipt in a cute little envelope dangling from my front doorknob. And I know it is the propane bill. And it is time to pay that piper. And heating costs go up in the winter, of course, every year. And unfortunately, if you're in a household and you're using oil to heat your home, you're going to might be looking at a 21% increase in how much you're spending on heating your house this winter than last year. That's according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, which sent out its annual forecast. just this week. So with average seasonal bills, if you use heating with oil in your home reaching 2,115, that's the largest increase among all of the major heating fuels. If you use natural gas or you use propane like moi, that actually you're going to see your costs potentially go down. So it says natural gas projected to pay an average of $ 640 this winter. That's a 9% drop. And then propane users can expect to spend Okay, that's still a lot. 1,246 down 3%. So why is there such a big discrepancy? I mean, come on. If you pay attention to any of the news, you know oil prices have been through the roof ever since we launched this bloody and pointless war with Iran. And there's still a whole cluster F and the Strait of Hormuz. And it seems like there's not really an end in sight for this whole oil. And then we have this hurricane that's coming. Hurricane, what is it called? How do they say it? Isaiahs? Isaias. Okay. Hurricane Isaias. Sure. It's coming for the Gulf Coast where a lot of oil refineries are. So if there's damage there, it could just put more pressure on that industry. So it's hard out here for the oil powered homes. Two things that we're doing to reduce our cost is we're going to be looking into insulating the attic. The attic. Why can't I say that right? Not addict. Attic is to get that insulated. I got no idea how much it's going to cost. probably at least a thousand something dollars, which sucks because you're doing it to save money, but you got to spend money to save money. And that's the worst part of homeownership. And then I think we're going to get some like those little weather stripping like thingies you can put under the door to block those gaps. Also, you can try caulking and weather stripping your windows, cleaning your air filter. And the one that y'all are probably going to hate the most, which is keeping that thermostat at 68 degrees or lower. Just buy some cozy socks, y'all. It's time for a nice upgrade to your bathrobe. Nice and warm and fuzzy. So those are just some tips on how you can keep your heating expenses down this winter. We have come to my favorite part of the show, brown boost. So far, I've only done brown boost, but I had to bring back the break. I'm trying to be a positive girly, okay? But I have to bring back brown break this week. because of the blowback after CultureCon. CultureCon is a New York City or Brooklyn-based two-day conference that really targets creatives, entrepreneurs, business owners, and it's in the heart of Brooklyn. It was founded by Imani Ellis, who comes, she has like a PR and publicity background. She used to work at NBC for a bunch of years. She founded CultureCon in her apartment with just a handful of friends. And now it has turned into this huge juggernaut that attracts thousands and thousands of attendees each year. And if I'm correct, 12,000, nearly 12,000 people showed up for everybody was there except for me. I was not there. I know that's not true, but I wasn't there. I had a friend's baby shower. And it's so far Brooklyn so far. I think I might go next year, though. We'll see. Day one, though, I hop on threads and immediately all I'm seeing is this negativity around the lines being long, which fair. That would really frustrate me. Some of the girls, y'all were saying that it took you two hours to get in after you spent like $ 200 on a ticket. And I understand why that would be really frustrating. But what I have to say is I want to commend Imani Ellis because she took those criticisms. She read the feedback, her and her team did. And by day two, the lines were moving. They came up with a new fast lane option if you didn't bring a bag. And I just know for sure next year it's going to be off without a hitch because Imani is the kind of founder and business leader who doesn't take criticism and knock herself down and or double down and defend herself. She takes accountability. She makes a change. So I just feel like also every Black or minority focused conference you get on social media, And there's so much shit given to the founders or given to the organizers. And it's like, why can't we do things right? And I'm never coming back here. And this was wrong and that was wrong. And, you know, I just got to say enough. Like, can we bring back anonymous comment cards or just talking to people on the ground? Just like having conversations with other humans about an issue you had to do some conflict resolution IRL. We got to bring that back. Let's bring it back. I just don't think we need to be going on the internet. to complain about these events that are made for us and by us. If we really wanted them to, we want to invest in people who are investing in us and let's, you know, give them the feedback that they deserve in the way that they deserve it with respect. And yes, with candor and with honesty, but not blown up their spot on social media just to be nasty. I don't like So shout out to Imani Ellis and the whole CultureCon crew. You had the girls thirsting after Michael B. Jordan. You had Alandria Carthen on the stage. Like it looked really amazing. So huge, huge congrats. All right. So a quick little brown boost. I want to do a brown boost for my dear friend, Julie Leone. She wrote the most beautiful children's book. This year is called Navigating Night, which if you have young kids or honestly, I think I appreciate it more than the kids do. It's a beautiful, beautiful book. Tells a story of how her parents, who immigrated here in the 80s, opened their Chinese restaurant, and Julie used to help her father navigate the night with a map in the car when she was a kid in elementary school. The Kirkus Prize is a huge literary award that's been around for over a decade. Julie was nominated. She didn't win, but she was nominated, which is so exciting, but that also means she got to go to the awards ceremony, which means she got to breathe the same air as Tayari Jones, and Tayari Jones just walked away with the Kirkus Book of the Year Award for Fiction for her novel Kin, which all the girls have been talking about. If you haven't read it yet, that's fine. There's still time you can catch up. I have read Kin. I really loved it. It definitely could have been a little happier. Miss Tayari Jones could have been a little more joyful, I feel like, but it was a beautiful, beautiful novel about two best friends. who each have deep, deep mother wounds and you sort of see their life progress. So huge congratulations to Tayari Jones, to Julie, and to any woman out there who's putting words on a page and not really knowing what the outcome is going to be. Just huge kudos to y'all. All right, BA fam, thank you so much for tuning in and thanks for your feedback. Don't forget to share this episode Tag me on IG, tag me on threads at Mandy Money or at Brown Ambition Podcast so I can reshare, repost. Love y'all so much. And I will see y'all next week for more Brown Ambition. And before I go, BA fam, I want to shout out the team that helps make Brown Ambition possible. Huge thanks to my fam at iHeartRadio, Katrina Norvell and Jenna Cagle, my worker bees behind the scenes, booking assistant Brittany Laie and virtual assistant Cameron McNair, who keep me organized. And of course, my editor, Courtney Dean. Thank you all so much for supporting the show. If you love Brown Ambition, share it with a friend, tag us on social, and don't forget to leave a comment or review. Until next time, bye BA fam.
