WEBVTT
00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:07.360
This week, we're joined by Ayanna Wilburn, founder of Friends Table, a creative studio bringing people together through food, culture, and brand experiences.
00:00:07.519 --> 00:00:13.839
She's gone from corporate roles at iHeartRadio, Target, and Facebook to building something completely on her own.
00:00:14.000 --> 00:00:19.359
Career pivots, partnerships, community, and why you should never be afraid to build the career that you actually want.
00:00:19.519 --> 00:00:20.239
Let's get into it.
00:00:20.480 --> 00:00:22.800
Ayana, thank you so much for joining me today.
00:00:23.359 --> 00:00:24.399
I'm happy to be here.
00:00:24.559 --> 00:00:26.000
I'm really, really excited.
00:00:26.320 --> 00:00:31.039
I want to take it all the way back to the start before we get into where you are in your career at the moment.
00:00:31.199 --> 00:00:37.359
Did you always know that you wanted to have a creative career or were you destined to, you know, be a lawyer, an accountant?
00:00:37.520 --> 00:00:38.719
Where did it all come from?
00:00:38.960 --> 00:00:42.880
Yeah, so actually when I was younger, I really wanted to be an anesthesiologist.
00:00:43.039 --> 00:00:44.079
Don't know why.
00:00:44.320 --> 00:00:50.719
Didn't like science, was never good in science, but then in high school, which I think you guys call it what college.
00:00:50.880 --> 00:00:51.679
You guys call it college.
00:00:52.000 --> 00:00:52.560
Yeah, college.
00:00:52.640 --> 00:00:54.799
Yeah, because then our college is your uni.
00:00:55.119 --> 00:00:55.280
Yeah.
00:00:55.359 --> 00:01:00.640
So in college, in high school, I did a lot of events at my high school, and that's where I kind of like got the love.
00:01:00.719 --> 00:01:02.240
Like, hey, I think I like this.
00:01:02.399 --> 00:01:04.159
I think I like the events and things like that.
00:01:04.239 --> 00:01:07.040
So no, I definitely thought I was gonna be a doctor, and I'm not.
00:01:07.200 --> 00:01:12.640
And so when you were in school, were there any teachers or how were your family like?
00:01:12.719 --> 00:01:15.120
Was anyone guiding you in a specific direction?
00:01:15.200 --> 00:01:19.840
Or where did you even kind of start to understand what you could do as a career?
00:01:20.159 --> 00:01:26.079
Yeah, so I went to a performing arts school from the time I was five until I was like 18 years old.
00:01:26.239 --> 00:01:31.760
So I always knew that a career in the like creative field was possible as in theater.
00:01:31.920 --> 00:01:37.680
Um, we had scenic design, tech design, which you could design the lights for like our productions.
00:01:37.840 --> 00:01:46.000
So I kind of always knew that those would be careers, but I am a first gen like college graduate and now getting my master's and even to move abroad.
00:01:46.079 --> 00:01:58.480
So no one really knew anything, but honestly, any accomplishment that wasn't like having a baby young or you know, being out here on the streets, it was an accomplishment in my family.
00:01:59.040 --> 00:01:59.840
A hundred percent.
00:02:00.000 --> 00:02:07.519
I can imagine being within like a creative institution, and like you've just explained, like there were so many types of disciplines that you were obviously exposed to.
00:02:07.680 --> 00:02:10.560
Guess how did you experience all of those different disciplines?
00:02:10.639 --> 00:02:13.280
And then how did you start to realize okay, that's not for me?
00:02:13.360 --> 00:02:14.400
This is more interesting.
00:02:14.639 --> 00:02:20.800
Yeah, so I would really say probably like my senior year of high school, that's when, or maybe junior year, I'll say junior year.
00:02:20.879 --> 00:02:27.840
So like 2013, probably really when Instagram started to like pop off, and Instagram just really became a thing.
00:02:27.919 --> 00:02:33.840
I found out about I don't know if you know Karen Sybil, she's like a marketing and PR guru.
00:02:34.240 --> 00:02:36.639
She was like one of the first people to kind of do it.
00:02:36.719 --> 00:02:43.120
She was like this black girl boss, and she did brand partnerships with Dr.
00:02:43.280 --> 00:02:48.159
Dre's Beats, and she got that collaboration, the partnership with um Apple.
00:02:48.319 --> 00:02:51.520
Not not Apple, it was Little Wayne, it was Little Wayne and Beats.
00:02:51.599 --> 00:02:53.199
She got that collaboration partnership.
00:02:53.360 --> 00:03:08.400
I don't know where she is these days, but Instagram and seeing her do that, I was like, wow, I've never seen anyone that's young that looks like me work with celebrities, but isn't like an artist and manager, or she isn't like a girlfriend of these rappers.
00:03:08.560 --> 00:03:10.800
And I was like, brand partnerships is a thing.
00:03:10.960 --> 00:03:11.759
I want to do that.
00:03:11.840 --> 00:03:20.800
So I would say, like junior year high school, like 17, once Instagram really exposed us to like all over the world, is when I really when I was like, okay, I can do whatever.
00:03:21.360 --> 00:03:28.240
And how I guess once you went into uni, you started to expose yourself more to what that creative career would look like.
00:03:28.400 --> 00:03:38.319
Did you have a plan in your mind of like, okay, I've set myself on brand partnerships now, these are all the steps that I need to take to get to it, or was it let's do do do do do through life and then see what happens?
00:03:38.560 --> 00:03:39.520
That's what it felt like.
00:03:39.759 --> 00:03:42.960
It felt like do do do do do do do do do laugh literally.
00:03:43.280 --> 00:03:47.919
I didn't honestly, I never thought that I would get into brand partnerships.
00:03:48.240 --> 00:03:54.240
Even until like I probably say the last like three or five years, I never thought that I could get into it.
00:03:54.479 --> 00:04:02.960
Um after college, I lived in Chicago, so then I moved to Chicago, and I was just exposed to so many different cultures.
00:04:03.120 --> 00:04:06.159
And even then, Chicago is a creative city.
00:04:06.319 --> 00:04:11.840
I don't want to like negate that it's not, but it's just it's not like a New York where you have so many brands.
00:04:12.000 --> 00:04:16.639
You'll have like L'Oreal, you'll have so many like offices and headquarters.
00:04:16.800 --> 00:04:19.120
You don't really have that in Chicago.
00:04:19.279 --> 00:04:20.879
It's really like a business city.
00:04:21.040 --> 00:04:23.040
Some people make it out for music.
00:04:23.360 --> 00:04:30.560
It's you know, it's getting there now, but I never really honestly thought I would I would get into brand partnerships ever.
00:04:31.040 --> 00:04:33.120
Thought that it was anything that I could ever be in.
00:04:33.360 --> 00:04:42.480
So I went to like my school's job fair and I actually saw my cousin who was at a job booth, and I was like, hey, I need an internship.
00:04:42.639 --> 00:04:45.839
Like I didn't even know like you worked at she worked at a theater at the time.
00:04:45.920 --> 00:04:48.720
And I'm like, obviously I have background in theater.
00:04:48.800 --> 00:04:54.079
I went to like a theater like high school, but I wasn't ever interested in working in the theater space.
00:04:54.160 --> 00:04:56.399
But she was like, Okay, like what are you interested in?
00:04:56.560 --> 00:04:57.279
I was like, marketing.
00:04:57.360 --> 00:05:00.639
So she put me in the marketing internship, which was so great.
00:05:00.800 --> 00:05:01.680
It was so much fun.
00:05:01.759 --> 00:05:09.120
I got to work with like brand partnerships and grassroots marketing within the theater space, but also knew that I wanted to do it on a larger scale.
00:05:09.360 --> 00:05:15.439
And then after after university, I got my first job at a logistics company, which was so random.
00:05:15.600 --> 00:05:22.240
I don't I don't know how I applied, I don't know how I got the job, but it was not fun.
00:05:22.639 --> 00:05:24.000
It was literally not fun.
00:05:24.160 --> 00:05:32.720
We were literally just shipping freight all over the United States, and then of course the pandemic happened, and I was like, oh, my cuss on you?
00:05:32.959 --> 00:05:33.680
Yeah, oh yeah.
00:05:33.839 --> 00:05:35.120
By all means, fuck away.
00:05:35.199 --> 00:05:35.839
Do you know what I mean?
00:05:36.000 --> 00:05:37.040
Then I was like, oh, fuck it.
00:05:37.120 --> 00:05:38.000
Like, I'm quitting my job.
00:05:38.079 --> 00:05:38.959
Like it's the pandemic.
00:05:39.120 --> 00:05:40.399
We don't know what's gonna happen.
00:05:40.560 --> 00:05:42.240
Like, I'm gonna leave this job.
00:05:42.319 --> 00:05:43.040
I hate it anyway.
00:05:43.199 --> 00:05:46.879
Who cares about shipping like 20 pallets around the United States?
00:05:47.040 --> 00:05:56.959
I think it takes a lot of balls to turn around in any normal day-to-day moment of life, but then also add in those factors, you know, finishing uni, you've just you the world might come to an end.
00:05:57.040 --> 00:06:00.079
Like, yeah, what was it in Ayana that made her go?
00:06:00.240 --> 00:06:00.720
Do you know what?
00:06:00.800 --> 00:06:01.279
Fuck it.
00:06:01.519 --> 00:06:06.560
Yeah, I was really just yeah, I think the pandemic, I just didn't know what was gonna happen.
00:06:06.720 --> 00:06:10.720
Obviously, in America, we had like the stimulus checks that were coming into us.
00:06:10.879 --> 00:06:12.319
I was still working my part-time job.
00:06:12.399 --> 00:06:16.319
I think I talked about how I was working at Nike part-time in my undergrad.
00:06:16.399 --> 00:06:19.279
And the goal was to eventually go to Nike Corporate.
00:06:19.439 --> 00:06:25.839
Um, Nike had shut down, they were still paying us, and if anything, I always have my part-time job to fall back on.
00:06:26.000 --> 00:06:30.399
So I was just like, yeah, actually, I'm just gonna like find something else that I actually want to do.
00:06:30.480 --> 00:06:33.439
And that's when I went, I don't know if we heard of the of Accenture.
00:06:33.839 --> 00:06:34.160
Oh, yeah.
00:06:34.720 --> 00:06:36.240
Yeah, so I applied.
00:06:36.399 --> 00:06:41.519
So this is my strategy for applying for roles is so there's no strategy.
00:06:41.839 --> 00:06:43.439
I literally I just apply.
00:06:43.519 --> 00:06:48.560
Like I'll mass apply, and then sometimes I'll forget that I apply, then I'll get an interview, and I'm like, oh, cute.
00:06:48.639 --> 00:06:48.800
Yeah.
00:06:48.959 --> 00:06:59.360
So I got an interview at Accenture, um, and our client was Facebook, and so we were working on their technical, um, look any technical bugs that came through with Facebook.
00:06:59.519 --> 00:07:06.800
So if you are advertising, let's say this podcast on a platform and you're like, I can't upload my video, why is this happening?
00:07:06.959 --> 00:07:08.560
I would just investigate those bugs.
00:07:08.720 --> 00:07:17.600
And I did that for about eight months, and I was like, in my brain, I kind of was like, you know, this is nice, but I would love to be on the Facebook side.
00:07:17.680 --> 00:07:19.920
Like, I would actually like to be on the client side.
00:07:20.079 --> 00:07:23.279
And I don't even know, I was so new at it at Accenture.
00:07:23.360 --> 00:07:27.680
I don't even know if this was technically corporate, like appropriate at the time.
00:07:27.920 --> 00:07:36.399
But since Facebook was our client and I had all of those internal contacts, I saw that it was a role open at Facebook and I was like, hey, I see this role open.
00:07:36.480 --> 00:07:39.120
I work for Accenture, I work on this platform right now.
00:07:39.279 --> 00:07:41.600
I actually think that I would be a good fit for this role.
00:07:41.839 --> 00:07:43.920
And I went over to the Facebook side.
00:07:44.000 --> 00:07:47.279
I went over to the Facebook client side and it was I know.
00:07:47.759 --> 00:07:48.720
Was that one of those people?
00:07:48.959 --> 00:07:52.639
Was that someone that you contacted who was one of those contacts that you had?
00:07:52.959 --> 00:07:55.040
No, no, it I it actually wasn't.
00:07:55.279 --> 00:08:00.800
It was um, I don't have you ever worked at a company that has workday.
00:08:00.879 --> 00:08:11.199
I love all the yeah, although I hate applying for a role on workday, I love workday's internal system because you can see the company structure.
00:08:11.360 --> 00:08:17.759
You can see who's the manager for that role, who's the hiring manager, who are the people on that team, where do they report to?
00:08:17.920 --> 00:08:21.439
You can literally see a visual map of the company structure.
00:08:21.600 --> 00:08:23.360
So I really just wanted to work day.
00:08:23.439 --> 00:08:25.839
It was like, okay, let me figure out the person that I need to email.
00:08:26.000 --> 00:08:28.240
And obviously, work workday has their emails.
00:08:28.319 --> 00:08:32.720
So then I emailed a recruiter and I was like, hey, love that.
00:08:32.960 --> 00:08:34.480
I see you guys are hiring for this role.
00:08:34.559 --> 00:08:35.039
Here's my resume.
00:08:35.200 --> 00:08:36.720
I actually think I'll be a great fit.
00:08:36.960 --> 00:08:42.559
And instead of asking, you know, like, I'd love to know more about the role, when are you free to chat?
00:08:42.720 --> 00:08:42.879
Yeah.
00:08:43.120 --> 00:08:45.360
Actually, when are you free to interview me?
00:08:45.519 --> 00:08:45.919
Mm-hmm.
00:08:46.080 --> 00:08:50.559
Actually, I've got so many friends used it like six months, nine months, a year to find a role.
00:08:50.720 --> 00:08:57.600
This may just be, you know, what's already built in Tayanna, but what is it that made you just say, when are you available to interview?
00:08:57.759 --> 00:09:02.480
Because I think if you'd have said that to like Camilla 10 years ago, Camilla would have been like, Oh my god, no, you didn't say that.
00:09:02.559 --> 00:09:06.080
What if they're gonna like what is it in you?
00:09:06.240 --> 00:09:12.639
And I guess what advice could you share on just putting yourself out there and asking the question, like, when can you interview me?
00:09:12.720 --> 00:09:13.600
I'll be great for this.
00:09:13.759 --> 00:09:13.919
Yeah.
00:09:14.559 --> 00:09:16.000
What advice could you share on that?
00:09:16.080 --> 00:09:19.279
Or is that just something that was born out of you and who you are?
00:09:19.440 --> 00:09:19.759
Yeah.
00:09:19.919 --> 00:09:24.720
Thankfully, thankfully, thankfully, I grew up with a mother that always said the worst they can tell you was no.
00:09:26.080 --> 00:09:27.120
That's literally what it is.
00:09:27.200 --> 00:09:36.639
I'm like, and so I think from my early age, it kind of built that built up that like rejection therapy of like, you never know unless you ask.
00:09:36.879 --> 00:09:37.279
I don't know.
00:09:37.519 --> 00:09:40.240
My black household, it was closed mouths, don't get fed.
00:09:40.879 --> 00:09:43.919
So it's like, if you don't ask, you will never know.
00:09:44.080 --> 00:09:46.159
I was about to say, are you sure you didn't grow up with my dad?
00:09:46.240 --> 00:09:50.000
Because my dad, very old Englishman, my dad was like, if you don't ask, you don't get it.
00:09:50.080 --> 00:09:52.240
Yeah, and if you don't ask, you don't get it, so you won't know.
00:09:52.879 --> 00:09:58.240
Bearing in mind, my dad was also the person that used to be like, send them a letter, and I'll be like, who the fuck's gonna read a letter, Gordon?
00:09:58.399 --> 00:10:00.399
And then he'd be like, exactly my point.
00:10:00.480 --> 00:10:01.919
No one else is gonna send a letter.
00:10:02.000 --> 00:10:04.000
So if you send a letter, you're gonna stand up.
00:10:04.080 --> 00:10:10.480
Like, but I think it's I think it's one of those things that probably when you're younger, you kind of look at a bit like, oh my god, can you go away?
00:10:10.639 --> 00:10:13.279
Like you're pushing me into this high pressure situation.
00:10:13.440 --> 00:10:15.279
I just don't want to do because it's scary.
00:10:16.080 --> 00:10:20.879
It sounds like it's it's that mentality that has stood you in good stead throughout all of your career.
00:10:21.120 --> 00:10:21.759
Yeah, yeah.
00:10:21.919 --> 00:10:25.120
No, literally to the uncomfortable situations.
00:10:25.279 --> 00:10:27.919
Like I have a twin sister and we used to play the violin.
00:10:28.080 --> 00:10:33.440
My mom used to make us get up in front of the church and play the violin for every service.
00:10:33.519 --> 00:10:39.840
So I think I think just being used to be in place in uncomfortable situations and having to do it regardless of how I feel.
00:10:40.559 --> 00:10:41.360
A hundred percent.
00:10:41.440 --> 00:10:48.240
And so once you once you manage to bag that spot and move over into brand, what was your experience of that different environment?
00:10:48.320 --> 00:10:54.559
Because I think going from an agency to in-house behind a brand is like a totally different ball game.
00:10:54.720 --> 00:10:54.960
Yeah.
00:10:55.039 --> 00:10:56.159
Oh, it was great.
00:10:56.399 --> 00:10:58.320
Facebook's training system.
00:10:58.559 --> 00:11:01.759
So I was in kind of like an early careers path.
00:11:02.080 --> 00:11:05.759
So everyone was really fresh to the the workforce.
00:11:06.000 --> 00:11:08.799
This was also like 2020, 2021.
00:11:08.960 --> 00:11:13.519
So obviously, companies had a lot more money and resources to give to that.
00:11:13.759 --> 00:11:14.240
Sure.
00:11:14.480 --> 00:11:15.519
But it was great.
00:11:15.600 --> 00:11:20.240
They really spent the first six months really training you on that role.
00:11:20.480 --> 00:11:30.159
Working with someone who's been in that role for a few months to years before you, they were really dedicated and like committed to your set success in that role.
00:11:30.240 --> 00:11:35.519
And so I worked with small to medium food and beverage brands out of Austin, Texas.
00:11:35.759 --> 00:11:40.320
So that's, you know, if your mom's selling some homemade jam.
00:11:40.480 --> 00:11:40.720
Yes.
00:11:40.879 --> 00:11:44.960
Or even like she made her own spice and she's like selling that.
00:11:45.039 --> 00:11:51.679
So we would work with them to kind of educate them on Meta's platforms and best practices, really.
00:11:52.480 --> 00:11:57.759
How did you then start to map out where your career was going, or were you just going with the flow?
00:11:58.080 --> 00:12:00.720
Uh, I hate to say that I'm a go-with-the-flow type person.
00:12:00.879 --> 00:12:03.440
These days I'm definitely not go with the flow, it's more strategic.
00:12:03.600 --> 00:12:12.879
But um, crazy enough, I was at Facebook for about a year and a half until the world started opening up again.
00:12:13.120 --> 00:12:19.360
And since my clients were based out of Austin, Texas, they were uh telling me I had to move to Texas.
00:12:19.519 --> 00:12:23.200
Gosh, there's this whole business insider article out there about it.
00:12:23.360 --> 00:12:27.679
But um at the time, I just wasn't ready to leave Chicago.
00:12:27.759 --> 00:12:35.519
You know, I talked about home so much how Chicago didn't have this like creative scene or like these big brands that had headquarters there.
00:12:35.679 --> 00:12:38.960
But the city culturally is just so great.
00:12:39.200 --> 00:12:43.039
It's so great that you can honestly kind of like build whatever.
00:12:43.120 --> 00:12:49.039
But anyway, so they were telling me that I had to move to Texas, and I was like, I don't want to move to Texas.
00:12:49.679 --> 00:12:55.519
And Austin, so people typically know Texas for like Austin, Dallas, or Houston.
00:12:55.840 --> 00:12:58.320
Austin, their slogan is keep Austin weird.
00:12:58.480 --> 00:13:04.960
And if you've been to Austin, sorry for anyone who is from Austin listening to this, but Austin's weird.
00:13:05.679 --> 00:13:07.840
Austin, it's like they make it a point to be weird.
00:13:08.080 --> 00:13:15.600
Austin wasn't calling, and I guess this kind of goes back to uh just how I feel about getting a job or like just my optimism.
00:13:15.840 --> 00:13:20.320
I ended up telling them, I was like, okay, I'm not moving to Austin, but I'll move to Dallas.
00:13:20.399 --> 00:13:22.320
And they were like, okay, you can move to Dallas.
00:13:22.399 --> 00:13:25.840
You'll just have to commute to the office whenever, like, we'll need you there.
00:13:26.000 --> 00:13:29.200
That might be like once a week or maybe like once a month or something like that.
00:13:29.279 --> 00:13:30.000
I was like, okay, cool.
00:13:30.080 --> 00:13:32.559
They were like, but you're gonna have to relocate yourself.
00:13:32.879 --> 00:13:37.840
And by the way, Dallas to Austin is not, it's a two-hour drive.
00:13:38.000 --> 00:13:39.440
Like, that's not really a commute.
00:13:39.519 --> 00:13:42.399
So I was just like, by any means, I'm not moving to Texas.
00:13:42.480 --> 00:13:45.360
So found an apartment in Texas, signed a lease.
00:13:45.519 --> 00:13:48.399
The day before the movers came, I was like, I'm not doing it.
00:13:48.639 --> 00:13:49.840
So I left Facebook.
00:13:50.000 --> 00:13:51.519
I quit my job at Facebook.
00:13:51.759 --> 00:13:53.120
I know, I know.
00:13:53.200 --> 00:13:57.519
I and I felt so, this is like the Harvard of companies.
00:13:57.600 --> 00:14:01.600
People dream to work at a fan company, and I'm quitting because I don't want to move to Texas.
00:14:01.759 --> 00:14:05.440
And I was like, it's just not something I want to do.
00:14:06.399 --> 00:14:11.840
So I quit, was unemployed for about two months, and then I got the best job ever at Target.
00:14:12.000 --> 00:14:13.200
That is my peak.
00:14:13.279 --> 00:14:21.519
You know, when people peak, I love Target so much, and that is where I felt possible that brand partnerships will really be like a trajectory for me.
00:14:21.759 --> 00:14:25.440
Kudos to you for having a pair of balls to turn around and be like, oh fuck, this ain't for me.
00:14:25.759 --> 00:14:34.799
Like, as much as those moments are scary, I think those are the moments where the win is in the I put my big cow panties on and I don't want to do this.
00:14:34.879 --> 00:14:41.440
So once you move into what you kind of dub your best job, um, what was that role at Target like?
00:14:41.600 --> 00:14:42.639
Was it it entail?
00:14:42.799 --> 00:14:44.080
What was your day-to-day?
00:14:44.240 --> 00:14:49.039
And was there a reason why you went for Target or was it the role in itself that that spoke to you?
00:14:49.279 --> 00:14:49.679
Yeah.
00:14:49.840 --> 00:14:55.360
Um, so after Facebook, I kind of started to strategize how I would apply for jobs.
00:14:55.519 --> 00:15:02.639
And it was really, I would take a look at some brands and companies that I personally had a connection to and that I would frequent often.
00:15:02.720 --> 00:15:03.840
And I loved Target.
00:15:04.000 --> 00:15:08.320
So I was like, let me take a whim to see if they have an account management role open.
00:15:08.559 --> 00:15:21.039
I knew that I didn't really like account management, but there were some aspects of it that um I could tolerate and like kind of loved to be like, okay, let me go back into account management, applied at Target and got the role.
00:15:21.279 --> 00:15:24.000
And I was just, I was shocked, honestly.
00:15:24.080 --> 00:15:25.440
I was so shocked.
00:15:25.519 --> 00:15:29.039
I ended up working on stationary categories.
00:15:29.120 --> 00:15:30.559
So that's like your pens, papers.
00:15:30.960 --> 00:15:37.840
How is that role like because obviously going from something you said you were on food and beverages brands before?
00:15:38.159 --> 00:15:42.720
What was that transition like now focused on like stationary, which couldn't be more left?
00:15:42.960 --> 00:16:00.000
Um, you know, it was a really big transition because I went from working with your local mom and pop shops who were probably bringing in like$10,000 to$20,000 a year to these big brands who have budgets of well over$500,000 and they have a million-dollar budgets.
00:16:00.159 --> 00:16:02.720
So it it felt a lot serious.
00:16:02.879 --> 00:16:19.840
Like, not that Facebook wasn't serious, but it felt like, oh, we have a bunch of dollars on the line versus like at Facebook, some of those clients were so small and so low touch that we honestly I probably have a check-in with them once a month versus and it didn't feel as intimidating, I suppose.
00:16:20.000 --> 00:16:25.600
Yeah, it didn't feel as intimidating, but it also didn't feel like I had more of a say in anything.
00:16:26.159 --> 00:16:30.559
Because to them at Facebook, we were just trying to get them to purchase more ad space.
00:16:30.960 --> 00:16:34.080
But at Target, they wanted that ad space.
00:16:34.320 --> 00:16:37.360
They wanted our expertise, they wanted our opinion.
00:16:37.600 --> 00:16:42.639
And so it really was great to have that input and to feel like I really had an impact.
00:16:42.799 --> 00:16:49.840
But day to day, it was going into our CRM system, seeing how the ads were doing.
00:16:50.080 --> 00:16:56.639
If someone was launching a new campaign for, let's say, one stationary client that I loved.
00:16:56.720 --> 00:17:00.480
I'm not gonna say any names, but tell you what I loved this client so much.
00:17:00.559 --> 00:17:01.919
They were so freaking fun.
00:17:02.080 --> 00:17:04.079
They would always launch for back to school.
00:17:04.160 --> 00:17:06.559
So back to school was like their Christmas season.
00:17:06.720 --> 00:17:15.680
So really just going in to see how they performed last year, what kind of ads they ran last year, giving my expertise on what is trending in the market.
00:17:16.799 --> 00:17:19.440
This client was also really new to influencers.
00:17:19.519 --> 00:17:26.880
So introducing them to our influencing partner as well as in-store kind of activations as well.
00:17:26.960 --> 00:17:33.279
So just really managing those, working with our creative team, which at the time was based out of the United States.
00:17:33.680 --> 00:17:46.640
And we also had a metrics team who would they would dive deeper into the metrics so that way we could focus mainly on that client relationship and really just making sure we nurture that race that relationship.
00:17:46.880 --> 00:17:48.799
But it sounds like you had like quite a variety.
00:17:48.880 --> 00:17:52.880
If you had like install activations, then like the actual strategy and consultancy.
00:17:53.039 --> 00:17:56.319
Is that what inspired Friends Table and your next venture?
00:17:56.799 --> 00:17:58.079
Yeah, it did.
00:17:58.319 --> 00:18:02.160
Friends Table, so it's such a it's such a fun thing.
00:18:02.319 --> 00:18:04.400
What actually really, really inspired that.
00:18:04.559 --> 00:18:19.839
I had a manager at Target at the time who I was, they let you do these kind of like stretch roles where you could spend a couple months um working with another team, but obviously you weren't getting paid extra, but you were able to to tap into some of their projects.
00:18:20.559 --> 00:18:24.480
There was a a brain activations team that I really wanted to work with.
00:18:24.559 --> 00:18:26.640
And but your manager had to sign off for it.
00:18:26.720 --> 00:18:32.079
And at the time, she told me that she had never seen me do events before, so she didn't know if I could do events.
00:18:32.720 --> 00:18:36.960
And after leaving Target, I was like, Oh, I'll show you.
00:18:37.119 --> 00:18:37.440
Mm-hmm.
00:18:37.599 --> 00:18:39.119
I was like, I love those.
00:18:39.599 --> 00:18:40.000
I'll show you.
00:18:40.160 --> 00:18:41.519
I was like, Oh, okay, I'll show you.
00:18:41.599 --> 00:18:50.799
So I would say like Target kind of inspired it, kind of, but it was really that someone telling me that they kind of didn't believe in me and my ability to do something.
00:18:50.880 --> 00:18:58.960
And so I was like, Oh, I'm gonna give you a big fuck you and show you that I kind of So Target was doing a round of layoffs, and unfortunately, I was part of that.
00:18:59.039 --> 00:19:03.119
And it took me nearly a year and a half to find another job.
00:19:03.279 --> 00:19:05.039
And so that's when I started Friends Table.
00:19:05.119 --> 00:19:08.799
I was like, okay, I have this client management, client relationship.
00:19:08.960 --> 00:19:11.039
I love to go out to eat with my friends.
00:19:11.279 --> 00:19:13.119
I know what these brands are looking for.
00:19:13.200 --> 00:19:16.079
I know that I have a market in Chicago that they could tap into.
00:19:16.319 --> 00:19:20.880
How am I gonna use kind of these pitching skills that I learned at Target to kind of pitch to brands?
00:19:20.960 --> 00:19:23.039
So that's when I started Friends Table.
00:19:23.200 --> 00:19:28.640
But you say you went back to those smaller, um, smaller budget clients.
00:19:28.799 --> 00:19:41.440
In my experience, I feel like my biggest learnings came from having to be really creative with I have two pounds to make you famous, compared to brands who had like five million times the amount of money.
00:19:41.920 --> 00:19:48.240
Do you feel like that helped you in your business side of developing Friends Table?
00:19:48.480 --> 00:19:57.759
I would say more so with the larger clients because rather than the smaller clients, because their budgets were so small, and typically the middleman was an agency.
00:19:57.920 --> 00:20:04.319
So typically the brief was not coming directly from the brand, but it was coming from their agency.
00:20:04.400 --> 00:20:08.880
So it was there was really no room to even give any creative input.
00:20:09.039 --> 00:20:13.599
It was just more so, this is what our client wants, put it on there.
00:20:13.839 --> 00:20:31.519
But with um working with the larger clients and having that direct trust in them to be like, okay, I trust you as a target employee to be like, this is how we're gonna get more traffic through the door, get more people to go to the stationary category and pick up our things, definitely helped.
00:20:31.680 --> 00:20:34.640
I literally say it, it's how I figured out Chicago.
00:20:34.799 --> 00:20:36.240
What is it kind of missing?
00:20:36.400 --> 00:20:40.079
Why do people like Chicago but love New York?
00:20:40.400 --> 00:20:52.400
You know, but yeah, I would say like the bigger clients is what really helped with knowing what these brands needed and how I could leverage that for brand partnerships for these dinner parties.
00:20:52.720 --> 00:20:57.279
And what what was it that made you actually set up Friends Table as it is?
00:20:57.440 --> 00:21:01.599
And I guess what were those early events, what were those biggest learnings that you had?
00:21:01.920 --> 00:21:09.440
Yeah, oddly enough, once I got let go from Target, I came to London in 2023 for Carnival.
00:21:09.599 --> 00:21:16.960
And I was working remote at Target at the time, and so my plan was to kind of test trial London, see how I felt about it, see if I actually wanted to move here.
00:21:17.200 --> 00:21:22.319
And then I lost my job during that trip, and I was like, damn, what am I gonna do now?
00:21:22.559 --> 00:21:26.720
And I had made so many friends here in London, and they were like, dang, we're sad you're leaving.
00:21:26.799 --> 00:21:27.519
Like, don't leave.
00:21:27.599 --> 00:21:30.960
And I had one friend, and she was like, You gotta figure out how to make it back to London.
00:21:31.200 --> 00:21:32.480
I was like, you're right.
00:21:32.720 --> 00:21:35.519
And I was like, I don't know how I'm gonna make it back to London.
00:21:35.599 --> 00:21:37.839
Like it's really hard to get a job to sponsor you.
00:21:37.920 --> 00:21:39.119
I don't want to go back to school.
00:21:39.279 --> 00:21:40.720
How will I make it back to London?
00:21:40.799 --> 00:21:46.559
And so I keep this notes app on my, you know, on the notes app, I keep a list of everything that I love.
00:21:46.720 --> 00:21:50.559
And everything that kept coming up was like food and my friends.
00:21:50.720 --> 00:21:51.279
That's it.
00:21:51.440 --> 00:21:54.559
It was like food and my friends, because my friends are like my second family.
00:21:54.640 --> 00:21:58.480
And so I was like, how about I host this kind of dinner party?
00:21:58.720 --> 00:21:59.759
Dinner parties were pretty new.
00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:00.880
In Chicago.
00:22:01.039 --> 00:22:02.480
They were pretty big here in London.
00:22:02.640 --> 00:22:05.119
I was like, I think I could take like dinner parties back there.
00:22:05.279 --> 00:22:06.319
I love to help people.
00:22:06.640 --> 00:22:14.960
Kind of like the goal behind it was to highlight local chefs, which literally one of our chefs just opened up her own restaurant in Chicago, which is such a good.
00:22:15.039 --> 00:22:15.680
I'm such a cry.
00:22:15.839 --> 00:22:16.960
Those things make me want to cry.
00:22:17.119 --> 00:22:20.480
It's such a literally she opened up one of her own restaurants in Chicago.
00:22:20.559 --> 00:22:22.319
And I'm like, girl, I'm so proud of you.
00:22:22.400 --> 00:22:24.160
This is what Friends State Wolves for.
00:22:24.319 --> 00:22:30.000
Also, since I have been working remote since graduating, I felt like I got a little awkward.
00:22:30.160 --> 00:22:40.079
Like, I was like, I need to create a space where I'm meeting new people, I'm hanging out with my friends, and I like food, and I also just have this background in account and client management.
00:22:40.160 --> 00:22:42.160
How do I blend all of those?
00:22:42.799 --> 00:22:46.319
And um, oh, my biggest learning if we want to go back to coin compassion.
00:22:46.480 --> 00:22:46.799
Yes.
00:22:46.960 --> 00:22:49.920
What was the biggest financial learning in those early stages?
00:22:50.160 --> 00:22:53.839
I mean, you gotta, you kind of have to have the money to start a business.
00:22:54.000 --> 00:22:56.240
You know, passion can't run it forever.
00:22:56.559 --> 00:23:00.000
It's the heart of it, but passion can't run it forever.
00:23:00.240 --> 00:23:09.279
My first dinner, it was actually a lot of brand gifts gifts, like they donated product and it was like a big loss.
00:23:09.440 --> 00:23:12.960
And so the second dinner, I was like, oh no, we need dollars actually.
00:23:13.119 --> 00:23:15.200
We need this brand dollars, no more gifting.
00:23:15.279 --> 00:23:17.200
Like, thank you so much for the free product.
00:23:17.519 --> 00:23:18.160
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:23:18.319 --> 00:23:19.200
But I need some money.
00:23:19.359 --> 00:23:20.240
We need some money.
00:23:20.319 --> 00:23:25.680
And so that's when I really was like, okay, and it goes back to like the Facebook interview.
00:23:25.839 --> 00:23:29.279
A lot of these brands will be like, oh, so what is it that you need from us?
00:23:29.519 --> 00:23:30.160
Hop on the call.
00:23:30.240 --> 00:23:31.039
When can we talk?
00:23:31.200 --> 00:23:33.279
I don't even when can you interview me?
00:23:33.440 --> 00:23:36.400
Like, I don't even, I don't even want to go through email.
00:23:36.480 --> 00:23:37.519
When can you talk to me?
00:23:37.599 --> 00:23:46.960
Because I know that if we talk on the phone, I'll be able to really show you the passion behind this and really show you how this can really help your brand, especially in the Chicago market.
00:23:47.200 --> 00:23:48.799
And that's the annoying thing, isn't it?
00:23:48.880 --> 00:23:54.319
Like, I feel like sometimes I wish I could email like email people or message them and just be like, can you just fucking answer the phone?
00:23:54.480 --> 00:23:58.960
Just give me your mobile number because I know once I tell you this, you're gonna buy into it.
00:23:59.119 --> 00:24:07.839
So you just want to tell brands like, I know that this is the right thing for your brand, and you just need to get on board and then you'll see the results.
00:24:08.000 --> 00:24:13.039
Like, what advice could you give in terms of actually getting the money over the gift?
00:24:14.480 --> 00:24:22.319
And what strategy advice could you give to anyone trying to pick a brand or secure a brand for for an event that they might be doing?
00:24:23.039 --> 00:24:46.319
So, strategy-wise, I would say just honestly choose a brand that um or look for brands and reach out to brands that really speak to what your event, your brand is, like not just a random one that you think people are gonna love, that you think is gonna give you money, but just one that really connects to what you're doing.
00:24:46.480 --> 00:24:48.960
And then kind of like a strategy of reaching out.
00:24:49.119 --> 00:24:50.480
I mean, tap into your network.
00:24:50.640 --> 00:24:57.759
Like, thankfully in Chicago, I have like a great network of friends who know people, who know people.
00:24:57.920 --> 00:24:59.200
Chicago's not that big.
00:24:59.440 --> 00:25:00.640
Chicago is not that big.
00:25:00.799 --> 00:25:05.599
So really like tapping into your friends, it's important to like make genuine friendships.
00:25:05.680 --> 00:25:12.880
And I think that's why in my phone, I was like, oh, my friends, my friends, my friends, not just what they can do for you, but like, are we really friends?
00:25:13.039 --> 00:25:16.000
You know, you really tapping into your network and your friends, honestly.
00:25:16.160 --> 00:25:22.160
They they've been such a great every single dinner party, my friends have helped me set up and tear down.
00:25:22.319 --> 00:25:29.200
They've helped me DJ, they've helped me serve, wash dishes, and that's really why it's called Friends Table, because my friends have helped me build this thing.
00:25:29.440 --> 00:25:38.400
Has there been any mindset shift in terms of moving from, you know, an employee to an employer when you're looking at Friends Table?
00:25:38.480 --> 00:25:42.480
Was there anything that shifted in terms of how you actually work as a professional?
00:25:43.039 --> 00:25:43.920
Definitely.
00:25:44.240 --> 00:25:55.039
I I'm still learning this, but it felt really hard to kind of be a leader in that sense and delegate tasks or ask for help.
00:25:55.279 --> 00:26:04.240
Or um, I know one campaign we were working on for a beauty brand, I had two of my best friends and my sister on the team.
00:26:04.319 --> 00:26:12.240
And it felt really weird like shutting down their ideas or being like, that's not really helpful, or what we kind of need at the moment.
00:26:12.400 --> 00:26:16.880
I think it definitely shifted my mindset from not being a leader to being a leader.
00:26:16.960 --> 00:26:21.920
Like, I feel like the Friends Table helped me become more of a leader than any other job I've ever worked in.
00:26:22.079 --> 00:26:25.200
Going on to our next segment, Two Lies and a Truth.
00:26:25.279 --> 00:26:26.880
I'm really keen to to hear this.
00:26:37.359 --> 00:26:37.759
Yeah.
00:26:38.000 --> 00:26:44.799
Um, I guess kind of back to my manager telling me that she didn't think I should go for something that that she's never seen me do before.
00:26:45.440 --> 00:26:46.640
Um that's kind of like one.
00:26:46.720 --> 00:26:56.079
And then also I've had people tell me that because I am a black woman in these predominantly white spaces, that I should, that I some things I shouldn't really speak up about.
00:26:56.319 --> 00:26:59.359
And I know, and I think that's terrible advice.
00:26:59.680 --> 00:27:01.119
Terrible, terrible, terrible advice.
00:27:01.279 --> 00:27:16.240
I think there's a way you can speak up about it that is palatable to people, but I definitely think that as you grow older, especially in these this corporate America or corporate, whether it's in the UK, you're gonna have to advocate for yourself.
00:27:16.319 --> 00:27:17.279
No one else is going to.
00:27:17.359 --> 00:27:25.680
You may have that one manager that will help you or you know, a mentor that will be great for you, but at the end of the day, it's your life, it's your story.
00:27:25.920 --> 00:27:31.759
I just have to say that was very diplomatically put of you, like palatable, but I honestly think that's a load of bollocks.
00:27:32.079 --> 00:27:34.480
Being palatable, what does palatable mean?
00:27:34.640 --> 00:27:34.880
I know.
00:27:35.119 --> 00:27:36.000
What does palatable mean?
00:27:36.079 --> 00:27:36.640
Do you know what I mean?
00:27:36.720 --> 00:27:38.319
Like what does palatable actually mean?
00:27:38.480 --> 00:27:38.799
I know.
00:27:38.960 --> 00:27:45.519
I I think it's it's kind of like a way when when you have it's a way of like passive aggressiveness, honestly.
00:27:45.599 --> 00:27:54.960
When I think of pal palatable, it's a way that you know you're kind of trying to get your point across, but not in a rude way, but in a slightly rude way.
00:27:55.039 --> 00:27:56.240
It's passive aggressive, honestly.
00:27:56.559 --> 00:27:59.279
This is why people feel like shit in workspaces.
00:27:59.519 --> 00:28:03.519
Like, so hopefully there is someone that's given you a good piece of advice that you've held true.
00:28:03.839 --> 00:28:05.839
Some good advice I've gotten.
00:28:06.000 --> 00:28:08.160
I I gotta go back to what my mom said.
00:28:08.240 --> 00:28:10.240
It's really the worst they can say is no.
00:28:10.640 --> 00:28:12.640
I mean, the worst they can say is no.
00:28:12.720 --> 00:28:21.599
Because even thinking about my how I got my job at iHeart, I had interviewed with them once, didn't get the job, didn't hear back from them ever.
00:28:21.839 --> 00:28:24.880
Then I went to my email, was like, I have the recruiter's email.
00:28:24.960 --> 00:28:26.000
I found a job online.
00:28:26.160 --> 00:28:30.400
Let me just email him and say, hey, hey, I this job is open.
00:28:30.480 --> 00:28:31.920
Like you have your candidate right here.
00:28:32.000 --> 00:28:32.480
Hello.
00:28:32.880 --> 00:28:35.920
So like I was like, what's the worst that they can hire?
00:28:36.079 --> 00:28:39.680
They say interviewed directly with the hiring manager and got the jobs.
00:28:39.839 --> 00:28:43.519
Really, that advice from my mom is like, the worst people can say is no.
00:28:43.680 --> 00:28:47.200
I mean, they say they might be like, fuck you no, but it's like fuck you soon.
00:28:47.359 --> 00:28:50.480
And even if they do say fuck you no, it's like, okay, you have a lovely day.
00:28:50.640 --> 00:28:51.519
Like, thank you so much.
00:28:51.680 --> 00:28:59.200
Like, even literally, I think it's even just it's like the weird, uh, going back to what you said earlier, the like avert, what is it, like the aversion therapy or whatever it is.
00:29:00.400 --> 00:29:15.519
I think it's almost like a little test that we can do for ourselves of just like you need to build up your resilience because whether it comes from no from a brand sponsorship, no from a partner, no from a client, literally the no is so inevitable that it's like you might as well just get used to get hearing no.
00:29:15.599 --> 00:29:21.839
Like just assume you're gonna get a no, not even in like a negative way, just in a well, I'm prepared for the no.
00:29:21.920 --> 00:29:24.480
And if you say yes, fucking amazing, like on.
00:29:24.880 --> 00:29:26.319
But at least we're not that upset.
00:29:26.559 --> 00:29:29.200
For our uh final segment, what's the 411?
00:29:29.359 --> 00:29:31.440
We will give advice to people.
00:29:31.599 --> 00:29:35.119
So, our first question is from a 25-year-old from Bristol.
00:29:35.279 --> 00:29:43.200
She says, I have a full-time job, that's fine, but the stuff I actually care about, like culture and creative ideas, doesn't really fit into my role.
00:29:43.359 --> 00:29:47.359
I don't know if I'm being impatient or if I'm ignoring a gut feeling.
00:29:47.519 --> 00:29:48.880
How do you know the difference?
00:29:49.839 --> 00:29:58.880
Well, I guess my question is have you spoken to your manager or have you spoken to anyone else on the team about these interests of yours?
00:29:59.119 --> 00:30:03.200
Do people know, or is it something that you're kind of just keeping to yourself?
00:30:03.519 --> 00:30:05.039
It also could be patience as well.
00:30:05.119 --> 00:30:13.200
But I guess if if you don't know where you're gonna go or you don't have that like next plan, then what are you tying the patients to?
00:30:14.000 --> 00:30:16.400
If that makes sense, yes.
00:30:16.640 --> 00:30:17.039
Yeah.
00:30:17.279 --> 00:30:18.319
So I would say that.
00:30:18.400 --> 00:30:19.440
Like, do people know?
00:30:19.680 --> 00:30:21.359
Do people know what you care about?
00:30:22.160 --> 00:30:25.200
Would you say that's like a help or a hindrance?
00:30:25.440 --> 00:30:31.359
My early years I used to really hide it because I was like, oh my god, I don't want them to think that I don't give a shit about my job or like, do you know what I mean?
00:30:31.440 --> 00:30:33.039
That it's gonna interfere with my nine to five.
00:30:33.119 --> 00:30:38.240
Do you think that people like someone like that who's sitting here thinking, like, I'm creative and I don't really know about this?
00:30:38.400 --> 00:30:43.279
Do you think those moments you should still go ahead and be like, no, tell your team what you're interested in doing?
00:30:43.519 --> 00:30:43.920
100%.
00:30:44.240 --> 00:30:46.720
I I think she should 100% tell her team.
00:30:46.799 --> 00:30:50.960
Um, unless there's a conflict of interest, then you should not necessarily say it.
00:30:51.039 --> 00:30:52.720
But if it's not, then why not?
00:30:52.880 --> 00:31:01.039
I mean, I've had job interviews where people have taken me to the next step only because they've seen my portfolio with the dinner parties.
00:31:01.119 --> 00:31:11.279
And mind you, this could be a beauty brand or a brand that has nothing to do with dinner parties, but they just love that I have this thing that I'm passionate about outside of work that kind of taps into my creativity.
00:31:11.440 --> 00:31:15.440
But they're like, I just wanted to learn more about it and you and how you can do that.
00:31:15.599 --> 00:31:18.559
If it's not a conflict of interest, I definitely say let people know.
00:31:18.720 --> 00:31:19.599
People won't know.
00:31:19.839 --> 00:31:20.480
Oh, I love that.
00:31:20.559 --> 00:31:22.000
What are you I'm gonna quote you?
00:31:22.160 --> 00:31:24.640
What are you what are you tying your impatience to?
00:31:24.799 --> 00:31:25.519
That is so true.
00:31:25.599 --> 00:31:29.440
Because by say, No, it's so true because you're sitting there going, Oh god, I don't know what I should do.
00:31:29.599 --> 00:31:32.079
Well, if you don't know what you're doing, then why are you stressing yourself out?
00:31:32.240 --> 00:31:35.119
And at the same time, if you don't like your job, what are you?
00:31:35.200 --> 00:31:40.160
It's almost like, well, there's nothing to be impatient about because you should you already know the answer if you've got a gut feeling.
00:31:40.319 --> 00:31:40.720
Mm-hmm.
00:31:41.359 --> 00:31:47.279
And if you are not really satisfied in your job, then that's where you go and create something else out of work.
00:31:47.519 --> 00:31:48.000
Mm-hmm.
00:31:48.960 --> 00:31:54.319
And and how I guess just going back a little bit, how did you find because this this might serve them in good stead?
00:31:54.480 --> 00:31:59.680
Because obviously you had you had a you've had a period where you're like obviously working and you're zooming friends' table at the same time.
00:32:00.000 --> 00:32:07.920
What advice could you give in we've all got bills to pay and you've got to sometimes stay in your job and stick it out and you know, chug it out for as long as you can?
00:32:08.079 --> 00:32:08.480
Yeah.
00:32:08.720 --> 00:32:20.880
But if you do start a venture on the side, what advice could you give on having that balance and not fucking up your nine to five, which you know obviously you need to keep going in, but also dedicating the time and passion needed to get your idea off the ground.
00:32:21.039 --> 00:32:22.240
Yeah, asking for help.
00:32:22.559 --> 00:32:28.640
I think I think I had mentioned at one point for a project I had two of my closest friends and my sister on the team.
00:32:28.799 --> 00:32:34.000
And so sometimes they would take the calls while I couldn't, or they would send the emails when I couldn't.
00:32:34.079 --> 00:32:40.000
So really just like asking for help for people that you trust that'll have your best interest at heart, really.
00:32:40.480 --> 00:32:40.799
Totally.
00:32:40.960 --> 00:32:42.000
No man is an island.
00:32:42.079 --> 00:32:43.359
Well, no woman is an island.
00:32:43.519 --> 00:32:43.759
Yeah.
00:32:44.000 --> 00:32:47.680
My second question is from a 28-year-old from London.
00:32:47.759 --> 00:32:56.640
She says, I work in-house and part of my role is building our brands, but sometimes it feels like we're just posting content instead of actually building something meaningful.
00:32:56.880 --> 00:33:01.359
What actually makes a brand strong today, and how do you do that from the inside?
00:33:01.680 --> 00:33:08.400
I think what really makes a brand strong is their connection to the culture.
00:33:09.920 --> 00:33:14.319
And I'm trying to think of a brand, for example, a a couple things.
00:33:14.480 --> 00:33:22.000
Their connection to the culture, um, kind of like ease into the market, I would say.
00:33:22.160 --> 00:33:30.400
And this is me kind of like just thinking off the dome, but I'm trying to think of a really emerging brand right now that that people are loving.
00:33:30.559 --> 00:33:39.119
I would say Road is a good one because obviously they have someone young who's the face of the brand, someone who's culturally relevant that's the face of the brand.
00:33:39.279 --> 00:33:42.960
They also like have that kind of what am I trying to say?
00:33:43.039 --> 00:33:51.440
It's kind of like unofficial partnership with Apple, where they create those phone cases that kind of like they only fit on iPhones, right?
00:33:51.599 --> 00:34:02.000
But I guess like um, if she feels like they're just like posting on social media and not really like connecting with like the community, maybe I'm just an advocate for speaking up.
00:34:02.480 --> 00:34:03.039
I am.
00:34:03.119 --> 00:34:08.320
I'm just a really strong advocate for speaking up and saying, so how are we connecting with the community?
00:34:08.480 --> 00:34:12.239
Like, what can we tap into that's culturally relevant right now?
00:34:12.400 --> 00:34:12.800
Yeah.
00:34:12.960 --> 00:34:16.159
Honestly, if you can capture people's hearts, they're gonna spend their dollars.
00:34:16.400 --> 00:34:16.800
100%.
00:34:17.360 --> 00:34:17.840
100%.
00:34:18.400 --> 00:34:23.679
So our next and final question is from a 26-year-old from Brighton.
00:34:23.840 --> 00:34:29.280
She says, I've been running community events for the past year and they're growing, but I'm basically breaking even.
00:34:29.440 --> 00:34:36.320
I know brand partnerships could help me level things up, but I have no idea how to actually approach the brands and what to charge them.
00:34:36.480 --> 00:34:40.960
How would you start turning community into something financially sustainable without losing the heart of it?
00:34:41.199 --> 00:34:44.159
Don't ever lose the heart of it, because then you lose it.
00:34:44.400 --> 00:34:46.320
But you could always crowdfund.
00:34:46.480 --> 00:34:47.360
I know people do that.
00:34:47.440 --> 00:34:49.760
I haven't personally explored that route.
00:34:49.840 --> 00:34:52.639
I know some of my friends have said, I think you should crowdfund.
00:34:52.719 --> 00:34:54.239
Crowdfunding is a good one.
00:34:54.400 --> 00:35:04.239
Kind of adding value when you approach these brands, really think about the value you can add that another community isn't already adding to that brand.
00:35:06.000 --> 00:35:13.039
Once you add value is when the companies will see more opportunity, more of an opportunity to invest in you.
00:35:13.599 --> 00:35:17.679
Uh and then Yeah, sometimes you might just have to up your price.
00:35:18.000 --> 00:35:18.800
How would you measure?
00:35:18.960 --> 00:35:32.159
Because obviously, when you're in your early stages, you might not necessarily have, you know, the number of attendees, the number of social followers, you know, all of those like sexy things that on paper make an investment or a sponsorship really obvious.
00:35:32.320 --> 00:35:32.559
Yeah.
00:35:32.719 --> 00:35:40.079
What are what what do you think is a key thing that someone would need to show a brand in order to get their buy-in?
00:35:40.400 --> 00:35:44.000
What is it that you think really makes a brand go, do you know what, you deserve my money?
00:35:44.320 --> 00:35:45.360
That's a really good question.
00:35:45.679 --> 00:35:46.400
Passion.
00:35:47.280 --> 00:35:54.960
For my first dinner, a lot of the brands could really just tell that there was just passion behind it.
00:35:55.039 --> 00:35:59.440
And it wasn't just like me trying to get free product or be a money grab.
00:35:59.519 --> 00:36:03.360
It was like, no, this is what we're really doing in the community.
00:36:03.599 --> 00:36:07.679
And even if you can't help, I still love to stay in contact.
00:36:07.840 --> 00:36:12.800
Like, yeah, really just the passion behind it and maintaining those relationships.
00:36:12.960 --> 00:36:20.800
Like, there are there's one brand who they helped out on one dinner, they didn't help out on the next dinner, but we're still in constant contact.
00:36:20.880 --> 00:36:22.239
Like, hey, how's it been going?
00:36:22.400 --> 00:36:23.199
How's the brand been going?
00:36:23.440 --> 00:36:34.719
I guess that's really where my like account management and my client management side comes in, where I'm like, you know, we worked together once on this campaign, but that's not gonna be the end of our relationship.
00:36:35.360 --> 00:36:36.239
Totally, totally.
00:36:36.400 --> 00:36:39.840
And that's obviously what's in it what's enabled Friends Table to do so well.
00:36:40.000 --> 00:36:43.679
And I cannot wait to go to my first one here in London.
00:36:43.840 --> 00:36:47.679
Like, I think it'll take such a big pair to like pack up your shit and go to the other side of the world.
00:36:47.760 --> 00:36:48.320
Like it does.
00:36:48.480 --> 00:36:54.320
It's not easy, it's scary, and I just think it's a testament to you how lovely you are, how talented you are.
00:36:54.480 --> 00:36:58.719
And when Friends Table is hitting London streets, we'll be plastering it everywhere.
00:36:58.800 --> 00:37:07.119
Everyone needs to go and eat and enjoy and make new friends and hopefully meet Ayana because she's absolutely gorgeous and lovely and stunning human.
00:37:07.199 --> 00:37:09.039
So thank you so much for joining me, my darling.
00:37:09.360 --> 00:37:10.559
Thank you so much for having me.
00:37:10.639 --> 00:37:11.280
This was so great.
00:37:11.519 --> 00:37:12.559
Well, thank you, my darling.
00:37:12.719 --> 00:37:17.280
Keep us posted on the first Friends Table in London and we will let everyone know.
00:37:17.440 --> 00:37:17.760
Yes.
00:37:17.920 --> 00:37:18.880
Oh, I'm so excited.
00:37:18.960 --> 00:37:19.679
It's coming soon.
00:37:19.840 --> 00:37:20.480
We're in the works.
00:37:20.719 --> 00:37:22.719
Stay tuned, stay tuned, everyone.
00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:07.360
This week, we're joined by Ayanna Wilburn, founder of Friends Table, a creative studio bringing people together through food, culture, and brand experiences.
00:00:07.519 --> 00:00:13.839
She's gone from corporate roles at iHeartRadio, Target, and Facebook to building something completely on her own.
00:00:14.000 --> 00:00:19.359
Career pivots, partnerships, community, and why you should never be afraid to build the career that you actually want.
00:00:19.519 --> 00:00:20.239
Let's get into it.
00:00:20.480 --> 00:00:22.800
Ayana, thank you so much for joining me today.
00:00:23.359 --> 00:00:24.399
I'm happy to be here.
00:00:24.559 --> 00:00:26.000
I'm really, really excited.
00:00:26.320 --> 00:00:31.039
I want to take it all the way back to the start before we get into where you are in your career at the moment.
00:00:31.199 --> 00:00:37.359
Did you always know that you wanted to have a creative career or were you destined to, you know, be a lawyer, an accountant?
00:00:37.520 --> 00:00:38.719
Where did it all come from?
00:00:38.960 --> 00:00:42.880
Yeah, so actually when I was younger, I really wanted to be an anesthesiologist.
00:00:43.039 --> 00:00:44.079
Don't know why.
00:00:44.320 --> 00:00:50.719
Didn't like science, was never good in science, but then in high school, which I think you guys call it what college.
00:00:50.880 --> 00:00:51.679
You guys call it college.
00:00:52.000 --> 00:00:52.560
Yeah, college.
00:00:52.640 --> 00:00:54.799
Yeah, because then our college is your uni.
00:00:55.119 --> 00:00:55.280
Yeah.
00:00:55.359 --> 00:01:00.640
So in college, in high school, I did a lot of events at my high school, and that's where I kind of like got the love.
00:01:00.719 --> 00:01:02.240
Like, hey, I think I like this.
00:01:02.399 --> 00:01:04.159
I think I like the events and things like that.
00:01:04.239 --> 00:01:07.040
So no, I definitely thought I was gonna be a doctor, and I'm not.
00:01:07.200 --> 00:01:12.640
And so when you were in school, were there any teachers or how were your family like?
00:01:12.719 --> 00:01:15.120
Was anyone guiding you in a specific direction?
00:01:15.200 --> 00:01:19.840
Or where did you even kind of start to understand what you could do as a career?
00:01:20.159 --> 00:01:26.079
Yeah, so I went to a performing arts school from the time I was five until I was like 18 years old.
00:01:26.239 --> 00:01:31.760
So I always knew that a career in the like creative field was possible as in theater.
00:01:31.920 --> 00:01:37.680
Um, we had scenic design, tech design, which you could design the lights for like our productions.
00:01:37.840 --> 00:01:46.000
So I kind of always knew that those would be careers, but I am a first gen like college graduate and now getting my master's and even to move abroad.
00:01:46.079 --> 00:01:58.480
So no one really knew anything, but honestly, any accomplishment that wasn't like having a baby young or you know, being out here on the streets, it was an accomplishment in my family.
00:01:59.040 --> 00:01:59.840
A hundred percent.
00:02:00.000 --> 00:02:07.519
I can imagine being within like a creative institution, and like you've just explained, like there were so many types of disciplines that you were obviously exposed to.
00:02:07.680 --> 00:02:10.560
Guess how did you experience all of those different disciplines?
00:02:10.639 --> 00:02:13.280
And then how did you start to realize okay, that's not for me?
00:02:13.360 --> 00:02:14.400
This is more interesting.
00:02:14.639 --> 00:02:20.800
Yeah, so I would really say probably like my senior year of high school, that's when, or maybe junior year, I'll say junior year.
00:02:20.879 --> 00:02:27.840
So like 2013, probably really when Instagram started to like pop off, and Instagram just really became a thing.
00:02:27.919 --> 00:02:33.840
I found out about I don't know if you know Karen Sybil, she's like a marketing and PR guru.
00:02:34.240 --> 00:02:36.639
She was like one of the first people to kind of do it.
00:02:36.719 --> 00:02:43.120
She was like this black girl boss, and she did brand partnerships with Dr.
00:02:43.280 --> 00:02:48.159
Dre's Beats, and she got that collaboration, the partnership with um Apple.
00:02:48.319 --> 00:02:51.520
Not not Apple, it was Little Wayne, it was Little Wayne and Beats.
00:02:51.599 --> 00:02:53.199
She got that collaboration partnership.
00:02:53.360 --> 00:03:08.400
I don't know where she is these days, but Instagram and seeing her do that, I was like, wow, I've never seen anyone that's young that looks like me work with celebrities, but isn't like an artist and manager, or she isn't like a girlfriend of these rappers.
00:03:08.560 --> 00:03:10.800
And I was like, brand partnerships is a thing.
00:03:10.960 --> 00:03:11.759
I want to do that.
00:03:11.840 --> 00:03:20.800
So I would say, like junior year high school, like 17, once Instagram really exposed us to like all over the world, is when I really when I was like, okay, I can do whatever.
00:03:21.360 --> 00:03:28.240
And how I guess once you went into uni, you started to expose yourself more to what that creative career would look like.
00:03:28.400 --> 00:03:38.319
Did you have a plan in your mind of like, okay, I've set myself on brand partnerships now, these are all the steps that I need to take to get to it, or was it let's do do do do do through life and then see what happens?
00:03:38.560 --> 00:03:39.520
That's what it felt like.
00:03:39.759 --> 00:03:42.960
It felt like do do do do do do do do do laugh literally.
00:03:43.280 --> 00:03:47.919
I didn't honestly, I never thought that I would get into brand partnerships.
00:03:48.240 --> 00:03:54.240
Even until like I probably say the last like three or five years, I never thought that I could get into it.
00:03:54.479 --> 00:04:02.960
Um after college, I lived in Chicago, so then I moved to Chicago, and I was just exposed to so many different cultures.
00:04:03.120 --> 00:04:06.159
And even then, Chicago is a creative city.
00:04:06.319 --> 00:04:11.840
I don't want to like negate that it's not, but it's just it's not like a New York where you have so many brands.
00:04:12.000 --> 00:04:16.639
You'll have like L'Oreal, you'll have so many like offices and headquarters.
00:04:16.800 --> 00:04:19.120
You don't really have that in Chicago.
00:04:19.279 --> 00:04:20.879
It's really like a business city.
00:04:21.040 --> 00:04:23.040
Some people make it out for music.
00:04:23.360 --> 00:04:30.560
It's you know, it's getting there now, but I never really honestly thought I would I would get into brand partnerships ever.
00:04:31.040 --> 00:04:33.120
Thought that it was anything that I could ever be in.
00:04:33.360 --> 00:04:42.480
So I went to like my school's job fair and I actually saw my cousin who was at a job booth, and I was like, hey, I need an internship.
00:04:42.639 --> 00:04:45.839
Like I didn't even know like you worked at she worked at a theater at the time.
00:04:45.920 --> 00:04:48.720
And I'm like, obviously I have background in theater.
00:04:48.800 --> 00:04:54.079
I went to like a theater like high school, but I wasn't ever interested in working in the theater space.
00:04:54.160 --> 00:04:56.399
But she was like, Okay, like what are you interested in?
00:04:56.560 --> 00:04:57.279
I was like, marketing.
00:04:57.360 --> 00:05:00.639
So she put me in the marketing internship, which was so great.
00:05:00.800 --> 00:05:01.680
It was so much fun.
00:05:01.759 --> 00:05:09.120
I got to work with like brand partnerships and grassroots marketing within the theater space, but also knew that I wanted to do it on a larger scale.
00:05:09.360 --> 00:05:15.439
And then after after university, I got my first job at a logistics company, which was so random.
00:05:15.600 --> 00:05:22.240
I don't I don't know how I applied, I don't know how I got the job, but it was not fun.
00:05:22.639 --> 00:05:24.000
It was literally not fun.
00:05:24.160 --> 00:05:32.720
We were literally just shipping freight all over the United States, and then of course the pandemic happened, and I was like, oh, my cuss on you?
00:05:32.959 --> 00:05:33.680
Yeah, oh yeah.
00:05:33.839 --> 00:05:35.120
By all means, fuck away.
00:05:35.199 --> 00:05:35.839
Do you know what I mean?
00:05:36.000 --> 00:05:37.040
Then I was like, oh, fuck it.
00:05:37.120 --> 00:05:38.000
Like, I'm quitting my job.
00:05:38.079 --> 00:05:38.959
Like it's the pandemic.
00:05:39.120 --> 00:05:40.399
We don't know what's gonna happen.
00:05:40.560 --> 00:05:42.240
Like, I'm gonna leave this job.
00:05:42.319 --> 00:05:43.040
I hate it anyway.
00:05:43.199 --> 00:05:46.879
Who cares about shipping like 20 pallets around the United States?
00:05:47.040 --> 00:05:56.959
I think it takes a lot of balls to turn around in any normal day-to-day moment of life, but then also add in those factors, you know, finishing uni, you've just you the world might come to an end.
00:05:57.040 --> 00:06:00.079
Like, yeah, what was it in Ayana that made her go?
00:06:00.240 --> 00:06:00.720
Do you know what?
00:06:00.800 --> 00:06:01.279
Fuck it.
00:06:01.519 --> 00:06:06.560
Yeah, I was really just yeah, I think the pandemic, I just didn't know what was gonna happen.
00:06:06.720 --> 00:06:10.720
Obviously, in America, we had like the stimulus checks that were coming into us.
00:06:10.879 --> 00:06:12.319
I was still working my part-time job.
00:06:12.399 --> 00:06:16.319
I think I talked about how I was working at Nike part-time in my undergrad.
00:06:16.399 --> 00:06:19.279
And the goal was to eventually go to Nike Corporate.
00:06:19.439 --> 00:06:25.839
Um, Nike had shut down, they were still paying us, and if anything, I always have my part-time job to fall back on.
00:06:26.000 --> 00:06:30.399
So I was just like, yeah, actually, I'm just gonna like find something else that I actually want to do.
00:06:30.480 --> 00:06:33.439
And that's when I went, I don't know if we heard of the of Accenture.
00:06:33.839 --> 00:06:34.160
Oh, yeah.
00:06:34.720 --> 00:06:36.240
Yeah, so I applied.
00:06:36.399 --> 00:06:41.519
So this is my strategy for applying for roles is so there's no strategy.
00:06:41.839 --> 00:06:43.439
I literally I just apply.
00:06:43.519 --> 00:06:48.560
Like I'll mass apply, and then sometimes I'll forget that I apply, then I'll get an interview, and I'm like, oh, cute.
00:06:48.639 --> 00:06:48.800
Yeah.
00:06:48.959 --> 00:06:59.360
So I got an interview at Accenture, um, and our client was Facebook, and so we were working on their technical, um, look any technical bugs that came through with Facebook.
00:06:59.519 --> 00:07:06.800
So if you are advertising, let's say this podcast on a platform and you're like, I can't upload my video, why is this happening?
00:07:06.959 --> 00:07:08.560
I would just investigate those bugs.
00:07:08.720 --> 00:07:17.600
And I did that for about eight months, and I was like, in my brain, I kind of was like, you know, this is nice, but I would love to be on the Facebook side.
00:07:17.680 --> 00:07:19.920
Like, I would actually like to be on the client side.
00:07:20.079 --> 00:07:23.279
And I don't even know, I was so new at it at Accenture.
00:07:23.360 --> 00:07:27.680
I don't even know if this was technically corporate, like appropriate at the time.
00:07:27.920 --> 00:07:36.399
But since Facebook was our client and I had all of those internal contacts, I saw that it was a role open at Facebook and I was like, hey, I see this role open.
00:07:36.480 --> 00:07:39.120
I work for Accenture, I work on this platform right now.
00:07:39.279 --> 00:07:41.600
I actually think that I would be a good fit for this role.
00:07:41.839 --> 00:07:43.920
And I went over to the Facebook side.
00:07:44.000 --> 00:07:47.279
I went over to the Facebook client side and it was I know.
00:07:47.759 --> 00:07:48.720
Was that one of those people?
00:07:48.959 --> 00:07:52.639
Was that someone that you contacted who was one of those contacts that you had?
00:07:52.959 --> 00:07:55.040
No, no, it I it actually wasn't.
00:07:55.279 --> 00:08:00.800
It was um, I don't have you ever worked at a company that has workday.
00:08:00.879 --> 00:08:11.199
I love all the yeah, although I hate applying for a role on workday, I love workday's internal system because you can see the company structure.
00:08:11.360 --> 00:08:17.759
You can see who's the manager for that role, who's the hiring manager, who are the people on that team, where do they report to?
00:08:17.920 --> 00:08:21.439
You can literally see a visual map of the company structure.
00:08:21.600 --> 00:08:23.360
So I really just wanted to work day.
00:08:23.439 --> 00:08:25.839
It was like, okay, let me figure out the person that I need to email.
00:08:26.000 --> 00:08:28.240
And obviously, work workday has their emails.
00:08:28.319 --> 00:08:32.720
So then I emailed a recruiter and I was like, hey, love that.
00:08:32.960 --> 00:08:34.480
I see you guys are hiring for this role.
00:08:34.559 --> 00:08:35.039
Here's my resume.
00:08:35.200 --> 00:08:36.720
I actually think I'll be a great fit.
00:08:36.960 --> 00:08:42.559
And instead of asking, you know, like, I'd love to know more about the role, when are you free to chat?
00:08:42.720 --> 00:08:42.879
Yeah.
00:08:43.120 --> 00:08:45.360
Actually, when are you free to interview me?
00:08:45.519 --> 00:08:45.919
Mm-hmm.
00:08:46.080 --> 00:08:50.559
Actually, I've got so many friends used it like six months, nine months, a year to find a role.
00:08:50.720 --> 00:08:57.600
This may just be, you know, what's already built in Tayanna, but what is it that made you just say, when are you available to interview?
00:08:57.759 --> 00:09:02.480
Because I think if you'd have said that to like Camilla 10 years ago, Camilla would have been like, Oh my god, no, you didn't say that.
00:09:02.559 --> 00:09:06.080
What if they're gonna like what is it in you?
00:09:06.240 --> 00:09:12.639
And I guess what advice could you share on just putting yourself out there and asking the question, like, when can you interview me?
00:09:12.720 --> 00:09:13.600
I'll be great for this.
00:09:13.759 --> 00:09:13.919
Yeah.
00:09:14.559 --> 00:09:16.000
What advice could you share on that?
00:09:16.080 --> 00:09:19.279
Or is that just something that was born out of you and who you are?
00:09:19.440 --> 00:09:19.759
Yeah.
00:09:19.919 --> 00:09:24.720
Thankfully, thankfully, thankfully, I grew up with a mother that always said the worst they can tell you was no.
00:09:26.080 --> 00:09:27.120
That's literally what it is.
00:09:27.200 --> 00:09:36.639
I'm like, and so I think from my early age, it kind of built that built up that like rejection therapy of like, you never know unless you ask.
00:09:36.879 --> 00:09:37.279
I don't know.
00:09:37.519 --> 00:09:40.240
My black household, it was closed mouths, don't get fed.
00:09:40.879 --> 00:09:43.919
So it's like, if you don't ask, you will never know.
00:09:44.080 --> 00:09:46.159
I was about to say, are you sure you didn't grow up with my dad?
00:09:46.240 --> 00:09:50.000
Because my dad, very old Englishman, my dad was like, if you don't ask, you don't get it.
00:09:50.080 --> 00:09:52.240
Yeah, and if you don't ask, you don't get it, so you won't know.
00:09:52.879 --> 00:09:58.240
Bearing in mind, my dad was also the person that used to be like, send them a letter, and I'll be like, who the fuck's gonna read a letter, Gordon?
00:09:58.399 --> 00:10:00.399
And then he'd be like, exactly my point.
00:10:00.480 --> 00:10:01.919
No one else is gonna send a letter.
00:10:02.000 --> 00:10:04.000
So if you send a letter, you're gonna stand up.
00:10:04.080 --> 00:10:10.480
Like, but I think it's I think it's one of those things that probably when you're younger, you kind of look at a bit like, oh my god, can you go away?
00:10:10.639 --> 00:10:13.279
Like you're pushing me into this high pressure situation.
00:10:13.440 --> 00:10:15.279
I just don't want to do because it's scary.
00:10:16.080 --> 00:10:20.879
It sounds like it's it's that mentality that has stood you in good stead throughout all of your career.
00:10:21.120 --> 00:10:21.759
Yeah, yeah.
00:10:21.919 --> 00:10:25.120
No, literally to the uncomfortable situations.
00:10:25.279 --> 00:10:27.919
Like I have a twin sister and we used to play the violin.
00:10:28.080 --> 00:10:33.440
My mom used to make us get up in front of the church and play the violin for every service.
00:10:33.519 --> 00:10:39.840
So I think I think just being used to be in place in uncomfortable situations and having to do it regardless of how I feel.
00:10:40.559 --> 00:10:41.360
A hundred percent.
00:10:41.440 --> 00:10:48.240
And so once you once you manage to bag that spot and move over into brand, what was your experience of that different environment?
00:10:48.320 --> 00:10:54.559
Because I think going from an agency to in-house behind a brand is like a totally different ball game.
00:10:54.720 --> 00:10:54.960
Yeah.
00:10:55.039 --> 00:10:56.159
Oh, it was great.
00:10:56.399 --> 00:10:58.320
Facebook's training system.
00:10:58.559 --> 00:11:01.759
So I was in kind of like an early careers path.
00:11:02.080 --> 00:11:05.759
So everyone was really fresh to the the workforce.
00:11:06.000 --> 00:11:08.799
This was also like 2020, 2021.
00:11:08.960 --> 00:11:13.519
So obviously, companies had a lot more money and resources to give to that.
00:11:13.759 --> 00:11:14.240
Sure.
00:11:14.480 --> 00:11:15.519
But it was great.
00:11:15.600 --> 00:11:20.240
They really spent the first six months really training you on that role.
00:11:20.480 --> 00:11:30.159
Working with someone who's been in that role for a few months to years before you, they were really dedicated and like committed to your set success in that role.
00:11:30.240 --> 00:11:35.519
And so I worked with small to medium food and beverage brands out of Austin, Texas.
00:11:35.759 --> 00:11:40.320
So that's, you know, if your mom's selling some homemade jam.
00:11:40.480 --> 00:11:40.720
Yes.
00:11:40.879 --> 00:11:44.960
Or even like she made her own spice and she's like selling that.
00:11:45.039 --> 00:11:51.679
So we would work with them to kind of educate them on Meta's platforms and best practices, really.
00:11:52.480 --> 00:11:57.759
How did you then start to map out where your career was going, or were you just going with the flow?
00:11:58.080 --> 00:12:00.720
Uh, I hate to say that I'm a go-with-the-flow type person.
00:12:00.879 --> 00:12:03.440
These days I'm definitely not go with the flow, it's more strategic.
00:12:03.600 --> 00:12:12.879
But um, crazy enough, I was at Facebook for about a year and a half until the world started opening up again.
00:12:13.120 --> 00:12:19.360
And since my clients were based out of Austin, Texas, they were uh telling me I had to move to Texas.
00:12:19.519 --> 00:12:23.200
Gosh, there's this whole business insider article out there about it.
00:12:23.360 --> 00:12:27.679
But um at the time, I just wasn't ready to leave Chicago.
00:12:27.759 --> 00:12:35.519
You know, I talked about home so much how Chicago didn't have this like creative scene or like these big brands that had headquarters there.
00:12:35.679 --> 00:12:38.960
But the city culturally is just so great.
00:12:39.200 --> 00:12:43.039
It's so great that you can honestly kind of like build whatever.
00:12:43.120 --> 00:12:49.039
But anyway, so they were telling me that I had to move to Texas, and I was like, I don't want to move to Texas.
00:12:49.679 --> 00:12:55.519
And Austin, so people typically know Texas for like Austin, Dallas, or Houston.
00:12:55.840 --> 00:12:58.320
Austin, their slogan is keep Austin weird.
00:12:58.480 --> 00:13:04.960
And if you've been to Austin, sorry for anyone who is from Austin listening to this, but Austin's weird.
00:13:05.679 --> 00:13:07.840
Austin, it's like they make it a point to be weird.
00:13:08.080 --> 00:13:15.600
Austin wasn't calling, and I guess this kind of goes back to uh just how I feel about getting a job or like just my optimism.
00:13:15.840 --> 00:13:20.320
I ended up telling them, I was like, okay, I'm not moving to Austin, but I'll move to Dallas.
00:13:20.399 --> 00:13:22.320
And they were like, okay, you can move to Dallas.
00:13:22.399 --> 00:13:25.840
You'll just have to commute to the office whenever, like, we'll need you there.
00:13:26.000 --> 00:13:29.200
That might be like once a week or maybe like once a month or something like that.
00:13:29.279 --> 00:13:30.000
I was like, okay, cool.
00:13:30.080 --> 00:13:32.559
They were like, but you're gonna have to relocate yourself.
00:13:32.879 --> 00:13:37.840
And by the way, Dallas to Austin is not, it's a two-hour drive.
00:13:38.000 --> 00:13:39.440
Like, that's not really a commute.
00:13:39.519 --> 00:13:42.399
So I was just like, by any means, I'm not moving to Texas.
00:13:42.480 --> 00:13:45.360
So found an apartment in Texas, signed a lease.
00:13:45.519 --> 00:13:48.399
The day before the movers came, I was like, I'm not doing it.
00:13:48.639 --> 00:13:49.840
So I left Facebook.
00:13:50.000 --> 00:13:51.519
I quit my job at Facebook.
00:13:51.759 --> 00:13:53.120
I know, I know.
00:13:53.200 --> 00:13:57.519
I and I felt so, this is like the Harvard of companies.
00:13:57.600 --> 00:14:01.600
People dream to work at a fan company, and I'm quitting because I don't want to move to Texas.
00:14:01.759 --> 00:14:05.440
And I was like, it's just not something I want to do.
00:14:06.399 --> 00:14:11.840
So I quit, was unemployed for about two months, and then I got the best job ever at Target.
00:14:12.000 --> 00:14:13.200
That is my peak.
00:14:13.279 --> 00:14:21.519
You know, when people peak, I love Target so much, and that is where I felt possible that brand partnerships will really be like a trajectory for me.
00:14:21.759 --> 00:14:25.440
Kudos to you for having a pair of balls to turn around and be like, oh fuck, this ain't for me.
00:14:25.759 --> 00:14:34.799
Like, as much as those moments are scary, I think those are the moments where the win is in the I put my big cow panties on and I don't want to do this.
00:14:34.879 --> 00:14:41.440
So once you move into what you kind of dub your best job, um, what was that role at Target like?
00:14:41.600 --> 00:14:42.639
Was it it entail?
00:14:42.799 --> 00:14:44.080
What was your day-to-day?
00:14:44.240 --> 00:14:49.039
And was there a reason why you went for Target or was it the role in itself that that spoke to you?
00:14:49.279 --> 00:14:49.679
Yeah.
00:14:49.840 --> 00:14:55.360
Um, so after Facebook, I kind of started to strategize how I would apply for jobs.
00:14:55.519 --> 00:15:02.639
And it was really, I would take a look at some brands and companies that I personally had a connection to and that I would frequent often.
00:15:02.720 --> 00:15:03.840
And I loved Target.
00:15:04.000 --> 00:15:08.320
So I was like, let me take a whim to see if they have an account management role open.
00:15:08.559 --> 00:15:21.039
I knew that I didn't really like account management, but there were some aspects of it that um I could tolerate and like kind of loved to be like, okay, let me go back into account management, applied at Target and got the role.
00:15:21.279 --> 00:15:24.000
And I was just, I was shocked, honestly.
00:15:24.080 --> 00:15:25.440
I was so shocked.
00:15:25.519 --> 00:15:29.039
I ended up working on stationary categories.
00:15:29.120 --> 00:15:30.559
So that's like your pens, papers.
00:15:30.960 --> 00:15:37.840
How is that role like because obviously going from something you said you were on food and beverages brands before?
00:15:38.159 --> 00:15:42.720
What was that transition like now focused on like stationary, which couldn't be more left?
00:15:42.960 --> 00:16:00.000
Um, you know, it was a really big transition because I went from working with your local mom and pop shops who were probably bringing in like$10,000 to$20,000 a year to these big brands who have budgets of well over$500,000 and they have a million-dollar budgets.
00:16:00.159 --> 00:16:02.720
So it it felt a lot serious.
00:16:02.879 --> 00:16:19.840
Like, not that Facebook wasn't serious, but it felt like, oh, we have a bunch of dollars on the line versus like at Facebook, some of those clients were so small and so low touch that we honestly I probably have a check-in with them once a month versus and it didn't feel as intimidating, I suppose.
00:16:20.000 --> 00:16:25.600
Yeah, it didn't feel as intimidating, but it also didn't feel like I had more of a say in anything.
00:16:26.159 --> 00:16:30.559
Because to them at Facebook, we were just trying to get them to purchase more ad space.
00:16:30.960 --> 00:16:34.080
But at Target, they wanted that ad space.
00:16:34.320 --> 00:16:37.360
They wanted our expertise, they wanted our opinion.
00:16:37.600 --> 00:16:42.639
And so it really was great to have that input and to feel like I really had an impact.
00:16:42.799 --> 00:16:49.840
But day to day, it was going into our CRM system, seeing how the ads were doing.
00:16:50.080 --> 00:16:56.639
If someone was launching a new campaign for, let's say, one stationary client that I loved.
00:16:56.720 --> 00:17:00.480
I'm not gonna say any names, but tell you what I loved this client so much.
00:17:00.559 --> 00:17:01.919
They were so freaking fun.
00:17:02.080 --> 00:17:04.079
They would always launch for back to school.
00:17:04.160 --> 00:17:06.559
So back to school was like their Christmas season.
00:17:06.720 --> 00:17:15.680
So really just going in to see how they performed last year, what kind of ads they ran last year, giving my expertise on what is trending in the market.
00:17:16.799 --> 00:17:19.440
This client was also really new to influencers.
00:17:19.519 --> 00:17:26.880
So introducing them to our influencing partner as well as in-store kind of activations as well.
00:17:26.960 --> 00:17:33.279
So just really managing those, working with our creative team, which at the time was based out of the United States.
00:17:33.680 --> 00:17:46.640
And we also had a metrics team who would they would dive deeper into the metrics so that way we could focus mainly on that client relationship and really just making sure we nurture that race that relationship.
00:17:46.880 --> 00:17:48.799
But it sounds like you had like quite a variety.
00:17:48.880 --> 00:17:52.880
If you had like install activations, then like the actual strategy and consultancy.
00:17:53.039 --> 00:17:56.319
Is that what inspired Friends Table and your next venture?
00:17:56.799 --> 00:17:58.079
Yeah, it did.
00:17:58.319 --> 00:18:02.160
Friends Table, so it's such a it's such a fun thing.
00:18:02.319 --> 00:18:04.400
What actually really, really inspired that.
00:18:04.559 --> 00:18:19.839
I had a manager at Target at the time who I was, they let you do these kind of like stretch roles where you could spend a couple months um working with another team, but obviously you weren't getting paid extra, but you were able to to tap into some of their projects.
00:18:20.559 --> 00:18:24.480
There was a a brain activations team that I really wanted to work with.
00:18:24.559 --> 00:18:26.640
And but your manager had to sign off for it.
00:18:26.720 --> 00:18:32.079
And at the time, she told me that she had never seen me do events before, so she didn't know if I could do events.
00:18:32.720 --> 00:18:36.960
And after leaving Target, I was like, Oh, I'll show you.
00:18:37.119 --> 00:18:37.440
Mm-hmm.
00:18:37.599 --> 00:18:39.119
I was like, I love those.
00:18:39.599 --> 00:18:40.000
I'll show you.
00:18:40.160 --> 00:18:41.519
I was like, Oh, okay, I'll show you.
00:18:41.599 --> 00:18:50.799
So I would say like Target kind of inspired it, kind of, but it was really that someone telling me that they kind of didn't believe in me and my ability to do something.
00:18:50.880 --> 00:18:58.960
And so I was like, Oh, I'm gonna give you a big fuck you and show you that I kind of So Target was doing a round of layoffs, and unfortunately, I was part of that.
00:18:59.039 --> 00:19:03.119
And it took me nearly a year and a half to find another job.
00:19:03.279 --> 00:19:05.039
And so that's when I started Friends Table.
00:19:05.119 --> 00:19:08.799
I was like, okay, I have this client management, client relationship.
00:19:08.960 --> 00:19:11.039
I love to go out to eat with my friends.
00:19:11.279 --> 00:19:13.119
I know what these brands are looking for.
00:19:13.200 --> 00:19:16.079
I know that I have a market in Chicago that they could tap into.
00:19:16.319 --> 00:19:20.880
How am I gonna use kind of these pitching skills that I learned at Target to kind of pitch to brands?
00:19:20.960 --> 00:19:23.039
So that's when I started Friends Table.
00:19:23.200 --> 00:19:28.640
But you say you went back to those smaller, um, smaller budget clients.
00:19:28.799 --> 00:19:41.440
In my experience, I feel like my biggest learnings came from having to be really creative with I have two pounds to make you famous, compared to brands who had like five million times the amount of money.
00:19:41.920 --> 00:19:48.240
Do you feel like that helped you in your business side of developing Friends Table?
00:19:48.480 --> 00:19:57.759
I would say more so with the larger clients because rather than the smaller clients, because their budgets were so small, and typically the middleman was an agency.
00:19:57.920 --> 00:20:04.319
So typically the brief was not coming directly from the brand, but it was coming from their agency.
00:20:04.400 --> 00:20:08.880
So it was there was really no room to even give any creative input.
00:20:09.039 --> 00:20:13.599
It was just more so, this is what our client wants, put it on there.
00:20:13.839 --> 00:20:31.519
But with um working with the larger clients and having that direct trust in them to be like, okay, I trust you as a target employee to be like, this is how we're gonna get more traffic through the door, get more people to go to the stationary category and pick up our things, definitely helped.
00:20:31.680 --> 00:20:34.640
I literally say it, it's how I figured out Chicago.
00:20:34.799 --> 00:20:36.240
What is it kind of missing?
00:20:36.400 --> 00:20:40.079
Why do people like Chicago but love New York?
00:20:40.400 --> 00:20:52.400
You know, but yeah, I would say like the bigger clients is what really helped with knowing what these brands needed and how I could leverage that for brand partnerships for these dinner parties.
00:20:52.720 --> 00:20:57.279
And what what was it that made you actually set up Friends Table as it is?
00:20:57.440 --> 00:21:01.599
And I guess what were those early events, what were those biggest learnings that you had?
00:21:01.920 --> 00:21:09.440
Yeah, oddly enough, once I got let go from Target, I came to London in 2023 for Carnival.
00:21:09.599 --> 00:21:16.960
And I was working remote at Target at the time, and so my plan was to kind of test trial London, see how I felt about it, see if I actually wanted to move here.
00:21:17.200 --> 00:21:22.319
And then I lost my job during that trip, and I was like, damn, what am I gonna do now?
00:21:22.559 --> 00:21:26.720
And I had made so many friends here in London, and they were like, dang, we're sad you're leaving.
00:21:26.799 --> 00:21:27.519
Like, don't leave.
00:21:27.599 --> 00:21:30.960
And I had one friend, and she was like, You gotta figure out how to make it back to London.
00:21:31.200 --> 00:21:32.480
I was like, you're right.
00:21:32.720 --> 00:21:35.519
And I was like, I don't know how I'm gonna make it back to London.
00:21:35.599 --> 00:21:37.839
Like it's really hard to get a job to sponsor you.
00:21:37.920 --> 00:21:39.119
I don't want to go back to school.
00:21:39.279 --> 00:21:40.720
How will I make it back to London?
00:21:40.799 --> 00:21:46.559
And so I keep this notes app on my, you know, on the notes app, I keep a list of everything that I love.
00:21:46.720 --> 00:21:50.559
And everything that kept coming up was like food and my friends.
00:21:50.720 --> 00:21:51.279
That's it.
00:21:51.440 --> 00:21:54.559
It was like food and my friends, because my friends are like my second family.
00:21:54.640 --> 00:21:58.480
And so I was like, how about I host this kind of dinner party?
00:21:58.720 --> 00:21:59.759
Dinner parties were pretty new.
00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:00.880
In Chicago.
00:22:01.039 --> 00:22:02.480
They were pretty big here in London.
00:22:02.640 --> 00:22:05.119
I was like, I think I could take like dinner parties back there.
00:22:05.279 --> 00:22:06.319
I love to help people.
00:22:06.640 --> 00:22:14.960
Kind of like the goal behind it was to highlight local chefs, which literally one of our chefs just opened up her own restaurant in Chicago, which is such a good.
00:22:15.039 --> 00:22:15.680
I'm such a cry.
00:22:15.839 --> 00:22:16.960
Those things make me want to cry.
00:22:17.119 --> 00:22:20.480
It's such a literally she opened up one of her own restaurants in Chicago.
00:22:20.559 --> 00:22:22.319
And I'm like, girl, I'm so proud of you.
00:22:22.400 --> 00:22:24.160
This is what Friends State Wolves for.
00:22:24.319 --> 00:22:30.000
Also, since I have been working remote since graduating, I felt like I got a little awkward.
00:22:30.160 --> 00:22:40.079
Like, I was like, I need to create a space where I'm meeting new people, I'm hanging out with my friends, and I like food, and I also just have this background in account and client management.
00:22:40.160 --> 00:22:42.160
How do I blend all of those?
00:22:42.799 --> 00:22:46.319
And um, oh, my biggest learning if we want to go back to coin compassion.
00:22:46.480 --> 00:22:46.799
Yes.
00:22:46.960 --> 00:22:49.920
What was the biggest financial learning in those early stages?
00:22:50.160 --> 00:22:53.839
I mean, you gotta, you kind of have to have the money to start a business.
00:22:54.000 --> 00:22:56.240
You know, passion can't run it forever.
00:22:56.559 --> 00:23:00.000
It's the heart of it, but passion can't run it forever.
00:23:00.240 --> 00:23:09.279
My first dinner, it was actually a lot of brand gifts gifts, like they donated product and it was like a big loss.
00:23:09.440 --> 00:23:12.960
And so the second dinner, I was like, oh no, we need dollars actually.
00:23:13.119 --> 00:23:15.200
We need this brand dollars, no more gifting.
00:23:15.279 --> 00:23:17.200
Like, thank you so much for the free product.
00:23:17.519 --> 00:23:18.160
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:23:18.319 --> 00:23:19.200
But I need some money.
00:23:19.359 --> 00:23:20.240
We need some money.
00:23:20.319 --> 00:23:25.680
And so that's when I really was like, okay, and it goes back to like the Facebook interview.
00:23:25.839 --> 00:23:29.279
A lot of these brands will be like, oh, so what is it that you need from us?
00:23:29.519 --> 00:23:30.160
Hop on the call.
00:23:30.240 --> 00:23:31.039
When can we talk?
00:23:31.200 --> 00:23:33.279
I don't even when can you interview me?
00:23:33.440 --> 00:23:36.400
Like, I don't even, I don't even want to go through email.
00:23:36.480 --> 00:23:37.519
When can you talk to me?
00:23:37.599 --> 00:23:46.960
Because I know that if we talk on the phone, I'll be able to really show you the passion behind this and really show you how this can really help your brand, especially in the Chicago market.
00:23:47.200 --> 00:23:48.799
And that's the annoying thing, isn't it?
00:23:48.880 --> 00:23:54.319
Like, I feel like sometimes I wish I could email like email people or message them and just be like, can you just fucking answer the phone?
00:23:54.480 --> 00:23:58.960
Just give me your mobile number because I know once I tell you this, you're gonna buy into it.
00:23:59.119 --> 00:24:07.839
So you just want to tell brands like, I know that this is the right thing for your brand, and you just need to get on board and then you'll see the results.
00:24:08.000 --> 00:24:13.039
Like, what advice could you give in terms of actually getting the money over the gift?
00:24:14.480 --> 00:24:22.319
And what strategy advice could you give to anyone trying to pick a brand or secure a brand for for an event that they might be doing?
00:24:23.039 --> 00:24:46.319
So, strategy-wise, I would say just honestly choose a brand that um or look for brands and reach out to brands that really speak to what your event, your brand is, like not just a random one that you think people are gonna love, that you think is gonna give you money, but just one that really connects to what you're doing.
00:24:46.480 --> 00:24:48.960
And then kind of like a strategy of reaching out.
00:24:49.119 --> 00:24:50.480
I mean, tap into your network.
00:24:50.640 --> 00:24:57.759
Like, thankfully in Chicago, I have like a great network of friends who know people, who know people.
00:24:57.920 --> 00:24:59.200
Chicago's not that big.
00:24:59.440 --> 00:25:00.640
Chicago is not that big.
00:25:00.799 --> 00:25:05.599
So really like tapping into your friends, it's important to like make genuine friendships.
00:25:05.680 --> 00:25:12.880
And I think that's why in my phone, I was like, oh, my friends, my friends, my friends, not just what they can do for you, but like, are we really friends?
00:25:13.039 --> 00:25:16.000
You know, you really tapping into your network and your friends, honestly.
00:25:16.160 --> 00:25:22.160
They they've been such a great every single dinner party, my friends have helped me set up and tear down.
00:25:22.319 --> 00:25:29.200
They've helped me DJ, they've helped me serve, wash dishes, and that's really why it's called Friends Table, because my friends have helped me build this thing.
00:25:29.440 --> 00:25:38.400
Has there been any mindset shift in terms of moving from, you know, an employee to an employer when you're looking at Friends Table?
00:25:38.480 --> 00:25:42.480
Was there anything that shifted in terms of how you actually work as a professional?
00:25:43.039 --> 00:25:43.920
Definitely.
00:25:44.240 --> 00:25:55.039
I I'm still learning this, but it felt really hard to kind of be a leader in that sense and delegate tasks or ask for help.
00:25:55.279 --> 00:26:04.240
Or um, I know one campaign we were working on for a beauty brand, I had two of my best friends and my sister on the team.
00:26:04.319 --> 00:26:12.240
And it felt really weird like shutting down their ideas or being like, that's not really helpful, or what we kind of need at the moment.
00:26:12.400 --> 00:26:16.880
I think it definitely shifted my mindset from not being a leader to being a leader.
00:26:16.960 --> 00:26:21.920
Like, I feel like the Friends Table helped me become more of a leader than any other job I've ever worked in.
00:26:22.079 --> 00:26:25.200
Going on to our next segment, Two Lies and a Truth.
00:26:25.279 --> 00:26:26.880
I'm really keen to to hear this.
00:26:37.359 --> 00:26:37.759
Yeah.
00:26:38.000 --> 00:26:44.799
Um, I guess kind of back to my manager telling me that she didn't think I should go for something that that she's never seen me do before.
00:26:45.440 --> 00:26:46.640
Um that's kind of like one.
00:26:46.720 --> 00:26:56.079
And then also I've had people tell me that because I am a black woman in these predominantly white spaces, that I should, that I some things I shouldn't really speak up about.
00:26:56.319 --> 00:26:59.359
And I know, and I think that's terrible advice.
00:26:59.680 --> 00:27:01.119
Terrible, terrible, terrible advice.
00:27:01.279 --> 00:27:16.240
I think there's a way you can speak up about it that is palatable to people, but I definitely think that as you grow older, especially in these this corporate America or corporate, whether it's in the UK, you're gonna have to advocate for yourself.
00:27:16.319 --> 00:27:17.279
No one else is going to.
00:27:17.359 --> 00:27:25.680
You may have that one manager that will help you or you know, a mentor that will be great for you, but at the end of the day, it's your life, it's your story.
00:27:25.920 --> 00:27:31.759
I just have to say that was very diplomatically put of you, like palatable, but I honestly think that's a load of bollocks.
00:27:32.079 --> 00:27:34.480
Being palatable, what does palatable mean?
00:27:34.640 --> 00:27:34.880
I know.
00:27:35.119 --> 00:27:36.000
What does palatable mean?
00:27:36.079 --> 00:27:36.640
Do you know what I mean?
00:27:36.720 --> 00:27:38.319
Like what does palatable actually mean?
00:27:38.480 --> 00:27:38.799
I know.
00:27:38.960 --> 00:27:45.519
I I think it's it's kind of like a way when when you have it's a way of like passive aggressiveness, honestly.
00:27:45.599 --> 00:27:54.960
When I think of pal palatable, it's a way that you know you're kind of trying to get your point across, but not in a rude way, but in a slightly rude way.
00:27:55.039 --> 00:27:56.240
It's passive aggressive, honestly.
00:27:56.559 --> 00:27:59.279
This is why people feel like shit in workspaces.
00:27:59.519 --> 00:28:03.519
Like, so hopefully there is someone that's given you a good piece of advice that you've held true.
00:28:03.839 --> 00:28:05.839
Some good advice I've gotten.
00:28:06.000 --> 00:28:08.160
I I gotta go back to what my mom said.
00:28:08.240 --> 00:28:10.240
It's really the worst they can say is no.
00:28:10.640 --> 00:28:12.640
I mean, the worst they can say is no.
00:28:12.720 --> 00:28:21.599
Because even thinking about my how I got my job at iHeart, I had interviewed with them once, didn't get the job, didn't hear back from them ever.
00:28:21.839 --> 00:28:24.880
Then I went to my email, was like, I have the recruiter's email.
00:28:24.960 --> 00:28:26.000
I found a job online.
00:28:26.160 --> 00:28:30.400
Let me just email him and say, hey, hey, I this job is open.
00:28:30.480 --> 00:28:31.920
Like you have your candidate right here.
00:28:32.000 --> 00:28:32.480
Hello.
00:28:32.880 --> 00:28:35.920
So like I was like, what's the worst that they can hire?
00:28:36.079 --> 00:28:39.680
They say interviewed directly with the hiring manager and got the jobs.
00:28:39.839 --> 00:28:43.519
Really, that advice from my mom is like, the worst people can say is no.
00:28:43.680 --> 00:28:47.200
I mean, they say they might be like, fuck you no, but it's like fuck you soon.
00:28:47.359 --> 00:28:50.480
And even if they do say fuck you no, it's like, okay, you have a lovely day.
00:28:50.640 --> 00:28:51.519
Like, thank you so much.
00:28:51.680 --> 00:28:59.200
Like, even literally, I think it's even just it's like the weird, uh, going back to what you said earlier, the like avert, what is it, like the aversion therapy or whatever it is.
00:29:00.400 --> 00:29:15.519
I think it's almost like a little test that we can do for ourselves of just like you need to build up your resilience because whether it comes from no from a brand sponsorship, no from a partner, no from a client, literally the no is so inevitable that it's like you might as well just get used to get hearing no.
00:29:15.599 --> 00:29:21.839
Like just assume you're gonna get a no, not even in like a negative way, just in a well, I'm prepared for the no.
00:29:21.920 --> 00:29:24.480
And if you say yes, fucking amazing, like on.
00:29:24.880 --> 00:29:26.319
But at least we're not that upset.
00:29:26.559 --> 00:29:29.200
For our uh final segment, what's the 411?
00:29:29.359 --> 00:29:31.440
We will give advice to people.
00:29:31.599 --> 00:29:35.119
So, our first question is from a 25-year-old from Bristol.
00:29:35.279 --> 00:29:43.200
She says, I have a full-time job, that's fine, but the stuff I actually care about, like culture and creative ideas, doesn't really fit into my role.
00:29:43.359 --> 00:29:47.359
I don't know if I'm being impatient or if I'm ignoring a gut feeling.
00:29:47.519 --> 00:29:48.880
How do you know the difference?
00:29:49.839 --> 00:29:58.880
Well, I guess my question is have you spoken to your manager or have you spoken to anyone else on the team about these interests of yours?
00:29:59.119 --> 00:30:03.200
Do people know, or is it something that you're kind of just keeping to yourself?
00:30:03.519 --> 00:30:05.039
It also could be patience as well.
00:30:05.119 --> 00:30:13.200
But I guess if if you don't know where you're gonna go or you don't have that like next plan, then what are you tying the patients to?
00:30:14.000 --> 00:30:16.400
If that makes sense, yes.
00:30:16.640 --> 00:30:17.039
Yeah.
00:30:17.279 --> 00:30:18.319
So I would say that.
00:30:18.400 --> 00:30:19.440
Like, do people know?
00:30:19.680 --> 00:30:21.359
Do people know what you care about?
00:30:22.160 --> 00:30:25.200
Would you say that's like a help or a hindrance?
00:30:25.440 --> 00:30:31.359
My early years I used to really hide it because I was like, oh my god, I don't want them to think that I don't give a shit about my job or like, do you know what I mean?
00:30:31.440 --> 00:30:33.039
That it's gonna interfere with my nine to five.
00:30:33.119 --> 00:30:38.240
Do you think that people like someone like that who's sitting here thinking, like, I'm creative and I don't really know about this?
00:30:38.400 --> 00:30:43.279
Do you think those moments you should still go ahead and be like, no, tell your team what you're interested in doing?
00:30:43.519 --> 00:30:43.920
100%.
00:30:44.240 --> 00:30:46.720
I I think she should 100% tell her team.
00:30:46.799 --> 00:30:50.960
Um, unless there's a conflict of interest, then you should not necessarily say it.
00:30:51.039 --> 00:30:52.720
But if it's not, then why not?
00:30:52.880 --> 00:31:01.039
I mean, I've had job interviews where people have taken me to the next step only because they've seen my portfolio with the dinner parties.
00:31:01.119 --> 00:31:11.279
And mind you, this could be a beauty brand or a brand that has nothing to do with dinner parties, but they just love that I have this thing that I'm passionate about outside of work that kind of taps into my creativity.
00:31:11.440 --> 00:31:15.440
But they're like, I just wanted to learn more about it and you and how you can do that.
00:31:15.599 --> 00:31:18.559
If it's not a conflict of interest, I definitely say let people know.
00:31:18.720 --> 00:31:19.599
People won't know.
00:31:19.839 --> 00:31:20.480
Oh, I love that.
00:31:20.559 --> 00:31:22.000
What are you I'm gonna quote you?
00:31:22.160 --> 00:31:24.640
What are you what are you tying your impatience to?
00:31:24.799 --> 00:31:25.519
That is so true.
00:31:25.599 --> 00:31:29.440
Because by say, No, it's so true because you're sitting there going, Oh god, I don't know what I should do.
00:31:29.599 --> 00:31:32.079
Well, if you don't know what you're doing, then why are you stressing yourself out?
00:31:32.240 --> 00:31:35.119
And at the same time, if you don't like your job, what are you?
00:31:35.200 --> 00:31:40.160
It's almost like, well, there's nothing to be impatient about because you should you already know the answer if you've got a gut feeling.
00:31:40.319 --> 00:31:40.720
Mm-hmm.
00:31:41.359 --> 00:31:47.279
And if you are not really satisfied in your job, then that's where you go and create something else out of work.
00:31:47.519 --> 00:31:48.000
Mm-hmm.
00:31:48.960 --> 00:31:54.319
And and how I guess just going back a little bit, how did you find because this this might serve them in good stead?
00:31:54.480 --> 00:31:59.680
Because obviously you had you had a you've had a period where you're like obviously working and you're zooming friends' table at the same time.
00:32:00.000 --> 00:32:07.920
What advice could you give in we've all got bills to pay and you've got to sometimes stay in your job and stick it out and you know, chug it out for as long as you can?
00:32:08.079 --> 00:32:08.480
Yeah.
00:32:08.720 --> 00:32:20.880
But if you do start a venture on the side, what advice could you give on having that balance and not fucking up your nine to five, which you know obviously you need to keep going in, but also dedicating the time and passion needed to get your idea off the ground.
00:32:21.039 --> 00:32:22.240
Yeah, asking for help.
00:32:22.559 --> 00:32:28.640
I think I think I had mentioned at one point for a project I had two of my closest friends and my sister on the team.
00:32:28.799 --> 00:32:34.000
And so sometimes they would take the calls while I couldn't, or they would send the emails when I couldn't.
00:32:34.079 --> 00:32:40.000
So really just like asking for help for people that you trust that'll have your best interest at heart, really.
00:32:40.480 --> 00:32:40.799
Totally.
00:32:40.960 --> 00:32:42.000
No man is an island.
00:32:42.079 --> 00:32:43.359
Well, no woman is an island.
00:32:43.519 --> 00:32:43.759
Yeah.
00:32:44.000 --> 00:32:47.680
My second question is from a 28-year-old from London.
00:32:47.759 --> 00:32:56.640
She says, I work in-house and part of my role is building our brands, but sometimes it feels like we're just posting content instead of actually building something meaningful.
00:32:56.880 --> 00:33:01.359
What actually makes a brand strong today, and how do you do that from the inside?
00:33:01.680 --> 00:33:08.400
I think what really makes a brand strong is their connection to the culture.
00:33:09.920 --> 00:33:14.319
And I'm trying to think of a brand, for example, a a couple things.
00:33:14.480 --> 00:33:22.000
Their connection to the culture, um, kind of like ease into the market, I would say.
00:33:22.160 --> 00:33:30.400
And this is me kind of like just thinking off the dome, but I'm trying to think of a really emerging brand right now that that people are loving.
00:33:30.559 --> 00:33:39.119
I would say Road is a good one because obviously they have someone young who's the face of the brand, someone who's culturally relevant that's the face of the brand.
00:33:39.279 --> 00:33:42.960
They also like have that kind of what am I trying to say?
00:33:43.039 --> 00:33:51.440
It's kind of like unofficial partnership with Apple, where they create those phone cases that kind of like they only fit on iPhones, right?
00:33:51.599 --> 00:34:02.000
But I guess like um, if she feels like they're just like posting on social media and not really like connecting with like the community, maybe I'm just an advocate for speaking up.
00:34:02.480 --> 00:34:03.039
I am.
00:34:03.119 --> 00:34:08.320
I'm just a really strong advocate for speaking up and saying, so how are we connecting with the community?
00:34:08.480 --> 00:34:12.239
Like, what can we tap into that's culturally relevant right now?
00:34:12.400 --> 00:34:12.800
Yeah.
00:34:12.960 --> 00:34:16.159
Honestly, if you can capture people's hearts, they're gonna spend their dollars.
00:34:16.400 --> 00:34:16.800
100%.
00:34:17.360 --> 00:34:17.840
100%.
00:34:18.400 --> 00:34:23.679
So our next and final question is from a 26-year-old from Brighton.
00:34:23.840 --> 00:34:29.280
She says, I've been running community events for the past year and they're growing, but I'm basically breaking even.
00:34:29.440 --> 00:34:36.320
I know brand partnerships could help me level things up, but I have no idea how to actually approach the brands and what to charge them.
00:34:36.480 --> 00:34:40.960
How would you start turning community into something financially sustainable without losing the heart of it?
00:34:41.199 --> 00:34:44.159
Don't ever lose the heart of it, because then you lose it.
00:34:44.400 --> 00:34:46.320
But you could always crowdfund.
00:34:46.480 --> 00:34:47.360
I know people do that.
00:34:47.440 --> 00:34:49.760
I haven't personally explored that route.
00:34:49.840 --> 00:34:52.639
I know some of my friends have said, I think you should crowdfund.
00:34:52.719 --> 00:34:54.239
Crowdfunding is a good one.
00:34:54.400 --> 00:35:04.239
Kind of adding value when you approach these brands, really think about the value you can add that another community isn't already adding to that brand.
00:35:06.000 --> 00:35:13.039
Once you add value is when the companies will see more opportunity, more of an opportunity to invest in you.
00:35:13.599 --> 00:35:17.679
Uh and then Yeah, sometimes you might just have to up your price.
00:35:18.000 --> 00:35:18.800
How would you measure?
00:35:18.960 --> 00:35:32.159
Because obviously, when you're in your early stages, you might not necessarily have, you know, the number of attendees, the number of social followers, you know, all of those like sexy things that on paper make an investment or a sponsorship really obvious.
00:35:32.320 --> 00:35:32.559
Yeah.
00:35:32.719 --> 00:35:40.079
What are what what do you think is a key thing that someone would need to show a brand in order to get their buy-in?
00:35:40.400 --> 00:35:44.000
What is it that you think really makes a brand go, do you know what, you deserve my money?
00:35:44.320 --> 00:35:45.360
That's a really good question.
00:35:45.679 --> 00:35:46.400
Passion.
00:35:47.280 --> 00:35:54.960
For my first dinner, a lot of the brands could really just tell that there was just passion behind it.
00:35:55.039 --> 00:35:59.440
And it wasn't just like me trying to get free product or be a money grab.
00:35:59.519 --> 00:36:03.360
It was like, no, this is what we're really doing in the community.
00:36:03.599 --> 00:36:07.679
And even if you can't help, I still love to stay in contact.
00:36:07.840 --> 00:36:12.800
Like, yeah, really just the passion behind it and maintaining those relationships.
00:36:12.960 --> 00:36:20.800
Like, there are there's one brand who they helped out on one dinner, they didn't help out on the next dinner, but we're still in constant contact.
00:36:20.880 --> 00:36:22.239
Like, hey, how's it been going?
00:36:22.400 --> 00:36:23.199
How's the brand been going?
00:36:23.440 --> 00:36:34.719
I guess that's really where my like account management and my client management side comes in, where I'm like, you know, we worked together once on this campaign, but that's not gonna be the end of our relationship.
00:36:35.360 --> 00:36:36.239
Totally, totally.
00:36:36.400 --> 00:36:39.840
And that's obviously what's in it what's enabled Friends Table to do so well.
00:36:40.000 --> 00:36:43.679
And I cannot wait to go to my first one here in London.
00:36:43.840 --> 00:36:47.679
Like, I think it'll take such a big pair to like pack up your shit and go to the other side of the world.
00:36:47.760 --> 00:36:48.320
Like it does.
00:36:48.480 --> 00:36:54.320
It's not easy, it's scary, and I just think it's a testament to you how lovely you are, how talented you are.
00:36:54.480 --> 00:36:58.719
And when Friends Table is hitting London streets, we'll be plastering it everywhere.
00:36:58.800 --> 00:37:07.119
Everyone needs to go and eat and enjoy and make new friends and hopefully meet Ayana because she's absolutely gorgeous and lovely and stunning human.
00:37:07.199 --> 00:37:09.039
So thank you so much for joining me, my darling.
00:37:09.360 --> 00:37:10.559
Thank you so much for having me.
00:37:10.639 --> 00:37:11.280
This was so great.
00:37:11.519 --> 00:37:12.559
Well, thank you, my darling.
00:37:12.719 --> 00:37:17.280
Keep us posted on the first Friends Table in London and we will let everyone know.
00:37:17.440 --> 00:37:17.760
Yes.
00:37:17.920 --> 00:37:18.880
Oh, I'm so excited.
00:37:18.960 --> 00:37:19.679
It's coming soon.
00:37:19.840 --> 00:37:20.480
We're in the works.
00:37:20.719 --> 00:37:22.719
Stay tuned, stay tuned, everyone.
