Side Hustle Pro: Women Entrepreneurs | Black Women Business Owners | Solopreneurs

This week in the guest chair we have Ashley Reynolds, Founder of Cloth & Paper. Established in 2015, Cloth & Paper was birthed from necessity! Ashley left her corporate finance job of 9 years and needed to devise a plan on what her next career move would be, while fulfilling her dream of being an entrepreneur. While on the hunt for a new planner, she noticed that there weren't any on the market that quite fit her minimal aesthetic or needs. It was at that point her journey down the paper trail began. She then spent endless hours and days designing planner inserts from scratch with no previous background or education in graphic design. Shortly after, a stationery business blossomed and the line grew to offer leather planners, luxury pens, and more quintessential styles. She ran C&P alone for the first year and a half, testing her true abilities as an entrepreneur. Today, she is still head designer, AKA mastermind, behind it all, growing Cloth & Paper into a brand with over 40 employees, 100K In

This week in the guest chair we have an update episode with Chantel Powell, the CEO of Play Pits. Play Pits is a mother's solution to providing a kid-friendly, all-natural hygiene option for youth with active lifestyles. It is a 100% all natural deodorant, free of aluminum, parabens, synthetic fragrances and other harsh chemicals.  Play Pits has been featured on Good Morning America, in Essence, Good Housekeeping, Cosmopolitan, in Beyoncé’s Black Parade and more. In March 2022, Play Pits launched in 364 Target stores nationwide.  In this episode Chantel shares: How she grew Play Pits from the kitchen to Target shelves How the launch in Target has exceeded expectations and how the product is actually selling out on the shelves! What she's learned from working with a major retailer and navigating growing her company And so much more! Check out this episode and others on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube  This episode is brought to you by:  Shopify Go to shopify.com/hustlepro for a free fourteen-day tri

Felicia Jackson is the CEO and inventor of CPRWrap, a patented, award-winning CPR template that protects and guides any non-medical responders during respiratory and cardiac emergencies that require CPR. Felicia herself was CPR certified and worked in a hospital when her 2-year-old experienced a near death event. While she froze with fear, unable to render aid to her son, her husband stepped in and saved their son’s life. That experience inspired her to develop a CPR aid for those frantic and scary moments when every second counts.In today’s episode Felicia shares: How she was able to find a manufacturer and create her prototype How a viral tik tok video led to a 2000% increase in monthly sales How she navigates finding the right trade shows, business partners, and investors for her business & so much more Check out this episode and others on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube  This episode is brought to you by:  Trade And Travel Through Trade and Travel, you can learn how to trade as a side hustle

This week in the guest chair we have Tiffini Gatlin, CEO and Founder of Latched and Hooked Beauty. Tiffini is an innovator with over 15 years of experience in direct to consumer sales. Latched and Hooked Beauty has a scalp-first approach to textured hair care with a mission to diversify the hair extension space with high-performance synthetic hair fibers and clean formulas that don't irritate or cause inflammation of the scalp. Since her business launch five years ago,Tiffini has garnered the support of companies like Visa, Paypal and Google for Startups who awarded the brand with a $100k non-dilutive cash award to support her company’s vision to make beauty simple and accessible for Black women.  In this episode she shares: The ups and downs of her entrepreneurship journey Why she started Latched and Hooked Why she wasn’t afraid to reinvent herself over and over again and so much more! Check out this episode and others on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube  This episode is brought to you by:  Trade And

This week in the guest chair we have Renae L. Bluitt, a Los Angeles and New York City-based storyteller who serves as an advocate for Black women’s accurate representation in the media. With over a decade of experience, Renae has gained valuable insight into Black women entrepreneurs' narratives — a passion that she channeled into her first film as Creator and Executive Producer of the documentary, “She Did That.” In episode 305 Renae shares: How she knew when it was time to turn her side hustle into a full time hustle Her 4 year journey of producing the She Did That film to premiering it on Netflix in February of 2020  How she expanded the She Did That brand into a podcast +so much more! Check out this episode and others on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube  This episode is brought to you by:  Trade And Travel Through Trade and Travel, you can learn how to trade as a side hustle and supplement your income with trading. sign up for the Trade and Travel program at sidehustlepro.co/tradeandtravel Links

Today in the guest chair we have a Podcast Moguls student spotlight with Shonitria Anthony, host of the Blunt Blowin Mama Podcast. Blunt Blowin’ Mama started in December 2017 as a cannabis lifestyle platform that aims to normalize parents who consume cannabis by having open and honest conversations about the plant. In 2019, The Blunt Blowin’ Mama podcast was launched and was named one of the “Top eight cannabis podcasts you need in your life” by Forbes.   In this episode Shonitria shares: How she launched and scaled her podcast using the methods that I teach inside of Podcast Moguls.  How she went from having an idea and being intimidated by the process of starting a podcast on her own to learning about Podcast Moguls and making the investment in herself by joining the program.  How she grew the podcast to become the the top-rated weekly Blunt Blowin’ Mama podcast, and how she monetizes her show via podcast sponsorship and her BBM merchandise.  Check out this episode and others on Apple Podcasts, Spotify

This week in the guest chair we have Shirley Ansley. In 2015, Shirley went on a journey to start a business and tried to DIY her website only to find out that making your own website is kind of hard. She became instantly obsessed with figuring out how to build a website the right way and along the way found herself starting a business as a freelance website designer. She ran her business on the side while still working a full time job for almost two years until finally taking the leap. She left her 9 to 5 while three months pregnant with her second child a few months before the pandemic hit. Today, she is a successful (and profitable) freelance website designer who’s had the privilege of working with award winning podcasts, POC women-led businesses, national organizations and more.  In today’s episode we get into: The strategy she used to transition from her job while still growing her side hustle How she worked on and improved her technical design knowledge so she could shift from charging $675 for a websit

This week in the guest chair we have Desiree Verdejo, founder of Hyper Skin. As a Black woman with acne-prone skin that’s subject to dark spots and hyperpigmentation, Desiree never saw people who looked like her in the skincare space. That’s why she set out to create a simple, results-oriented, multicultural skincare brand that celebrates and offers products for everyone’s skin in its various stages. In this episode we discuss: What moved Desiree to create Hyper Skin How running her beauty boutique led her to realize what concerns her customers had with their skin, therefore creating Hyper Skin How she was able to partner with Sephora to get Hyper Skin in stores What was her marketing process when she launched her product & the strategy behind focusing on only one product The supply chain issues that come with being self funded and having a partnership like Sephora + much more.. Check out this episode and others on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Soundcloud, and YouTube  This episode is brought to you by Fah

This week we have a rewind episode of the update episode with Teri Ijeoma! One of my goals this year is to dive into Teri’s Trade & Travel course & start trading as a side hustle. And I’m kicking it off by joining her Your First Trade Challenge. Check it out here: http://sidehustlepro.co/firsttrade Teri Ijeoma began her professional career working in education and nonprofits. When she started trading stocks eleven years ago, she initially saw it as an opportunity to simply supplement her income. However, she was so successful with this side hustle that in 2017, she decided to quit her job, travel the world, and begin trading full-time. While traveling, Teri was constantly asked to show others how she was successfully trading in the stock market. She set up and taught her first class in Thailand, her second in Vietnam, and had a fully-fledged curriculum created by the time she returned to the States. Teri now offers an online curriculum that shares her investing strategies with people all over the wor

In this week’s rewind episode, Co-Work With Me as I discuss unlearning purpose and how to stop letting analysis paralysis keep you from pursuing your side hustle. Check out this episode and others on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube  This episode is brought to you by:  Journey to Launch Host and personal finance educator Jamila Souffrant shares practical and tactical ways that you can achieve your dreams of Financial Freedom & Financial Independence. Subscribe and listen to the Journey To Launch podcast wherever you listen to podcasts.  Links mentioned in this episode Podcast Moguls Nicaila TV YouTube Channel Learn more about Chris-Tia Donaldson’s Legacy Color Noir Coloring Book Six Bullet Saturday Newsletter Click here to subscribe via RSS feed (non-iTunes feed): http://sidehustlepro.libsyn.com/rss Announcements Join our Facebook Community If you’re looking for a community of supportive side hustlers who are all working to take our businesses to the next level, join us here: http://sidehustlepro

This week in the guest chair we have Jessica Nabongo. Jessica is a wanderlust, writer, entrepreneur, public speaker and travel expert, most widely known for being the first Black woman on record to visit every country in the world.  At her core, she is a dreamer looking to craft a life and career that interconnects her passions and talents.  A first generation American, Jessica was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan to Ugandan parents.  As her career path changed, Jessica realized that travel, writing and photography continued to show up as vehicles of self expression and were essential parts of her life, leading to the creation of her blog, The Catch Me If You Can. She also created Jet Black, a boutique luxury travel company that hosts group trips and curates itineraries to countries in Africa, Central and South America, the Caribbean. Her work as a travel writer and entrepreneur has led to speaking opportunities around the world. And she started it all as a side hustler  In this episode she shares: How a

This week we have an update episode with KJ Miller, Co-Founder and CEO of Mented Cosmetics, a multi-million dollar beauty brand celebrating women of all hues. KJ was on the podcast in 2017 when she first launched Mented Cosmetics and joins us again to share how her company has achieved rapid growth since. Mented helps women feel seen and empowered with its inclusive shade range and has been featured in Vogue, Vanity Fair, Allure, and was hailed as having the "best nude lipsticks we've ever worn" by Essence Magazine.  In this episode we discuss: Mented Cosmetics’s rapid growth since 2017 How KJ Miller is inspiring so many other entrepreneurs  Her approach to scaling her business by building her team  How she handled the fundraising process & so much more! Check out this episode and others on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube  This episode is brought to you by:  Comcast Rise Comcast RISE is now accepting applications from People of Color (POC)-owned and female-owned, small businesses. So click here t

This week in the guest chair we have Rana Campbell, Founder and Chief Dream Driver behind Dreams In Drive; a platform that helps millennial creatives learn how to take their dreams from park to drive. Rana is no stranger to exploring her many dreams. In addition to running Dreams In Drive, Rana works in Marketing and Partnerships at Paramount's Internal Branded Content Studio, helping to make brand partnerships come alive for some of your favorite brands. As a multi-passionate and lifelong storyteller, Rana knows all about how to put your side hustle dreams into drive.  In this episode she shares: How and why she started the Dreams in Drive podcast and how it’s changed her life Why it’s important and smart to have a 9 to 5 while chasing your dreams How she approaches exploring various side hustle ideas as a multi passionate side hustler How having a child made her think about her purpose and future & so much more! Check out this episode and others on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube  This episode

This week in the guest chair we have self described dreamer and doer Lola Banjo, the Founder, Creative Director and Designer of Silver & Riley, a premier luxury travel and fashion leather goods brand made exquisitely in Italy. Lola launched Silver & Riley in October 2019 with one main goal—creating stylish, functional and luxurious pieces that do not break the bank, yet make you look and feel like a million bucks. This Black-owned and Black-woman owned luxury handbag line is making waves. And it took years to get here.  In this episode we discuss: What inspired Silver & Riley and why it took her 10 years to finally launch her business The painful lesson that cost her $20,000 due to a shady manufacturer The response she received once she launched in October 2019 and what happened once the pandemic hit! & so much more! Check out this episode and others on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube  This episode is brought to you by:  Podcast Moguls: Want to make podcasting your side hustle? Want t

In this episode we speak with DeNeitra Burnett, the Founder and CEO of Savvy Events, a Los-Angeles based event production and creative agency. With an MBA from Cal State San Bernardino and BA in Communications from Howard University, DeNeitra has used her creativity and grit to climb to the top of the events industry. She’s a regular on the BizBash 500 list of the nation's most influential event planners and works closely with entertainment titans and Fortune 500 companies like HBO, Netflix, and HP, among others. In today’s episode, you’ll hear how when the events business was shut during the Pandemic, she pivoted her business to custom mailers. Her clever thinking, creative problem solving and ideation led her to scale her business to a 7-Figure Business. In this episode DeNeitra shares: How she made her first custom mailer during the pandemic and created a whole new division in her business How she structures her pricing to make sure she is fairly compensated How she’s expanding her business and team to in

Today in the guest chair we have Olivia Owens. Olivia is the Vice President of Entrepreneur Success at IFundWomen and the Creator of IFundWomen of Color. IFundWomen is the go-to funding marketplace for women-owned businesses and the people who want to support them with access to capital, coaching, and connections. In January of 2020, Olivia developed IFundWomen of Color, a program dedicated to advancing entrepreneurs of color by addressing the unique pain points diverse founders face when it comes to accessing capital for their businesses. This funding ecosystem is designed to empower early-stage, women entrepreneurs and bridge the funding gap for women of color. In this episode: Olivia shares what IFundWomen is + how & why she started IFundWomen of Color within the established company. We dispel myths about what crowdfunding is, who should crowdfund, and what kind of network you need to have to have a successful crowdfunding campaign.  We speak about the mental blocks that prevent some of us from

Today in the guest chair we have Ericka Chambers, CEO and Co-Founder of Puzzles of Color. Ericka and her brother founded this business in the middle of the pandemic. She used that idle time to really think through something that her and her family has done for years, which is build puzzles together. And the one thing they realized was lacking was puzzles featuring people of color. After unsuccessfully trying to convince other people to launch this business, Ericka and her brother finally realized it was up to them to solve this problem. In this episode we discuss: How they started, how they’re growing, how they’re learning what to delegate Working with artists of color to license their pieces and turn them into puzzles Juggling the business and parenting while side hustling And so much more! Check out this episode and others on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Soundcloud, and YouTube  This episode is brought to you by Podcast Moguls Want to make podcasting your side hustle? Want to grow your show and use it as a

This week in the guest chair we have Gia Peppers, an award-winning on-air talent, entertainment journalist, content creator, and podcaster who is most known for her work as a contributor on NBC's primetime morning show, "Today Show," her nationally syndicated Urban One Radio show and podcast, "More Than That with Gia Peppers," and as 1/5th of the wildly popular podcast, "Black Girl Pod."  She shares with us how with each piece of content she creates or participates in, she hopes to remind everyone that the greatness that inspires us in others also lives in each one of us.  In this episode we discuss: How she found a way to do what she loved at a time where there weren’t many opportunities in the entertainment industry How her father inspired her love for journalism  How all of her experiences helped her get to where she is now How she taps into the little daily joys of life for happiness rather than focusing so much on the big accomplishments + so much more.. Check out this episode and others on Apple Podc

This week I am back with a solo episode to share some exciting updates happening in my life and with Side Hustle Pro! In this episode I share: How grateful I am that Side Hustle Pro is being inducted to the Podcast Hall of Fame! Why I am excited to be back in NY closer to our parents and friends  How I am recommitting to the goals I set for the year with Nicaila TV on YouTube That Side Hustle Pro merch is now available! Check out this episode and others on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Soundcloud, and YouTube  This episode is brought to you by Gusto As a Side Hustle Pro listener, you’ll get three months free when you roll your first payroll. Sign up, and give it a try at gusto.com/shp. LinkedIn Join the conversation redefining professionals on LinkedIn. Welcome professionals. Links mentioned in this episode SideHustleShop.co Click here to subscribe via RSS feed (non-iTunes feed): http://sidehustlepro.libsyn.com/rss Announcements Join our Facebook Community If you’re looking for a community of supportive si

Influencer Dayna Bolden is in the guest chair in this rewind episode with an update.  It’s been three years since Dayna, an Entrepreneur and Lifestyle Blogger based in Atlanta, shared her journey with us. Since then, Dayna has consistently dominated the online arena serving as the Creative Director of DaynaBolden.com and CEO of Bolden Creative Media.  The digital marketing maven has successfully curated healthy and enduring marketing campaigns for esteemed brands such as Nike, VH1, Disney H&M and has been acknowledged by media outlets such as Forbes, Elle Magazine and was voted as one of Essence Magazine’s top influencers to follow as she inspires her audience on a daily with her creative, authentic and relatable content.  On this episode, Dayna shares: How to get out of your head and show up authentically on social media The difference between being an influencer and being influential How to be realistic about your needs and get help Her content tips and tricks! Check out this episode and others on Ap