The Power of Our Stories – How Personal Narratives Inspire, Empower & Drive Success (Part I)

Deneen L. Garrett:
So we have a whole bunch of different things being recorded.

Kris Gordon: The AIs are in the chat. So I'm in here and it's like, OK, is this the call call being recorded or what? Welcome to a marketing tech company. Sorry, I'm not sorry.

Deneen L. Garrett: Exactly. All good. OK, so here we go. All right, hey, hey, hey, everybody. Happy Friday. That's when we're recording. When you check this out, don't know, but it will be at your leisure. Welcome to another episode of Women of Color in Intimate Conversation. Today is the first. We are doing a group intimate conversation. So we have several ambitious women on this call. They all are here because of Chris, Krista Gordon, who has introduced, invited them to be a part of today's conversation. So we're really excited and we're doing a two part. So we're gonna do this first part, the power of our stories, and then we're gonna do a second part as well. So get ready to be excited and to have a good time. whether you're watching or listening, I want to introduce you all to Chris. Chris, I want you to say a little bit about yourself, how we got to this point, and then we'll have each of the ambitious women share some about themselves as well.

Kris Gordon: I love that. Thank you so much, Director D. I'm a stickler and a lovebird of nicknames. Almost everyone has one. And so I love the fact that this introduction slash partner slipship slash collaboration came off the heels of a Threads networking engagement. And it really has been threads to thriving, coining it. And I am a PR and marketing executive for House of Privilege. We are the visionary behind the marketing factory, the brains behind a bunch of different brands, organizations and products. But the moral of the story is we boost visibility. build communities and we really love service based businesses we know that they're the heart of the economy. I think that it's so important to not just have an audience not just have followers but really have a network of valuable people that appreciate what you do, and that translates into a community. So this is just one small step that's going to make a huge impact in spreading that message and making sure that that mission continues forward. And I just really appreciate every single woman here who said yes to show up, to say it, and inspired.

Deneen L. Garrett: Absolutely, and so I am making I made sure that I am brand appropriate, so I am rocking my brand. I have my woman of color live a dream lifestyle coffee cup and we have stuff in the background so i'm like listen i'm going to be on a call with a branding queen, so I better show up. So that's right. always be branding. everybody. And I love the butterfly so that it's such a cute top. You made it myself. Alright, so i'm just gonna go based on how I see the order on my screen and so next is Jackie.

Jackie Wallace: hi good morning ladies, I hope you all are feeling just fabulous on this beautiful Friday, I am checking in with you guys from Virginia beach Virginia, which is right around the corner from my girl Chris. And once again, I'm Jackie. I am an author, a speaker, a hostess. I also lead a community organization called the Roll Bounce Rollout. We're an exclusively inclusive roller skate community, so we are cornering the market on all things fun, roller skating classes, fitness, wellness, promoting community. I've also just recently started my own YouTube channel called Black Girl Breast Cancer. I was recently diagnosed with stage two breast cancer and in my search, I couldn't find a lot of young women who were sharing their stories from a first person perspective. And so I've also launched Black Girl Breast Cancer. So you can support me along my journey and follow all the positive things that I'm going to keep on doing while we're healing, okay?

Deneen L. Garrett: I love that. And I have to tell you, honey, your face. Okay. It is gorgeous. Like I am. I have a thing with eyebrows. So that's like the first thing that I look at it. People and honey. You are giving. Okay, what the people say on this Friday. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. And I do want to make just a couple comments so community. Absolutely. I love that I love that Chris that you built a community Jackie you have a community as well. And when you started talking I'm like, robot, did she just say well bounce and I immediately. I'm like, yes. OK, I used to do that back in the day.

Jackie Wallace: I love it. OK, see? That's where we got the name. Everybody knows. When they say, oh, I skate, yep, like the movie Roller Bounce.

Deneen L. Garrett: We do Roller Bounce. Now, I do have skates, right? But the last time I went, like two, three years ago, yeah, sis is rusty. I need that thing that people, the kids have, I need that. Oh, not the street buddy. Oh, Lord. I need that thing right. classes. All right, let's let's hear from beta.

Vida Robinson: Good morning, everyone, and thank you so much for having me as a guest on your show, I am excited about this and, of course, thanks to Chris she is awesome awesome awesome awesome she knows I love her two pieces. she's wonderful um so yeah so I am here with my friend on board check cutery which is an extension of my house brand during holiday. Dream holiday is a one stop shop for all of your holiday needs, it is yeah so basically dream holiday is like where I go in and I decorate your homes residences and businesses custom holiday decor. Primarily mannequin trees. That's my specialty. But that's an onboard charcuterie. I did. I curate charcuterie boards, grazing tables, and pawcuterie, which is charcuterie for pets. So yeah. So with that being said, I have recently extended onboard charcuterie to doing Pawtastic Pups, which is a mommy-daughter duo brand with my daughter, where we do all-natural homemade pet treats. Uh, that is what we're doing. And, uh, there's just been like a wonderful, like, uh, journey so far. So, yep. So, so support us on all of our social media platforms. So on board charcuterie, I am on Instagram. And, uh, for, for pop tax and pubs, we are on Instagram, Facebook, and as well as Etsy. So you can order our pet trees online as well. And it's just been, uh, an amazing journey as well. So I'm like a Jill of all trades. But yeah, so there you have it.

Deneen L. Garrett: I love that. And just so everybody knows, whether you're watching or listening, all their information will be in the show notes. So you will get their socials. You'll get their bios. So you'll be able to read about them and then be able to contact them directly. And let's see. Miss Baby Disha.

Miss Danisha Brown: Hello, hello, wonderful people. Yes, ladies, it is beautiful to see each and every one of you. I aspire, like I love being around other fellow entrepreneur, ambitious women. I am Miss Danesha Brown. I am the CEO and founder of Risk Exchange Agency, known as REA. And I'm an insurance expert. So I like to say I'm your personal wealth shield advisor. and I help you protect your assets while building wealth at the same time. I come from a background of teaching. I know that I look like I'm still in high school, but don't be fooled. I've been a licensed agent for over nine years. I have a passion for really helping other women in our community and even just black people on being more financially literate. I feel like it's something that we don't talk about enough, but yet we are affected by it a lot. And so I host workshops and seminars, and I do motivational speaking around educating the community on how they can just protect their assets and build wealth on things that we do on a daily basis. I've been an entrepreneur all in for the last going on three years. That time has gone by so fast, but it has been a beautiful journey that honestly I would not change at all. And I just, I think it's a privilege to really just share my story and share, you know, how I've, how I have come so far because it is different than the next story, but it's a testimony at the end of it. And so thank you, Chris, for thinking of me. And yeah, I look forward to seeing how this goes.

Deneen L. Garrett: Yeah, very excited, very excited. And I'm glad that you mentioned what you're doing around Black women. This podcast was created, as I had shared, it started as a panel. And then it evolved to a podcast and I was provided and the intention is to provide space for us. So for women of color and black women, in particular, to use our voices, to tell our stories, our journeys, and then to empower you all, us, me, to live a dream lifestyle. I retire from corporate in 2020. retirement age but i was able to retire early and i said you know what i really want women to start living their lives now like you don't have to retire but i do want you to start living so figure out what's joyful you know what brings you joy and really tap into that and figure out how to bring more of that into your life and so for me. Number one is travel. So travel, travel, travel. That's how I live a dream lifestyle. That's number one. And then attending events as well as art. And so, yes, I travel to attend art events. So I'm in heaven. I am in heaven at most times. Now, before we jump into the questions, I do want to shout out, of course, the US is my number one market, right, for podcast listeners. But my international, number one is the UK, which cool, because I go to London often, so hey. And by the way, whoever's in London, are we going to see Beyonce? Like, send me an email. Let me know what we doing, all right? Because I'm trying to go see her in London or Paris. So you listening from Paris, holler at your girl. And number two is, good Lord, I forget. But we also had a Ukraine. Oh, Canada. So number one is UK. Number two is Canada. Makes sense right across the river. I'm in Detroit. And then number three is Ukraine. So y'all, we global.

Kris Gordon: Here we are, because I'm going to go ahead and drop Japan in the chat. I'm going to drop China in the chat. I'm going to drop Nigeria in the chat.

Deneen L. Garrett: OK.

Kris Gordon: My favorite producer.

Ghost :): We're going to get over here.

Deneen L. Garrett: Nigeria, I think, is the number one on YouTube, the number one to watch on YouTube. And actually, I did interview a guy from Nigeria a few episodes ago. So yes, on occasion, I will bless us with a man. If he reaches out and he's interested and he fits the bill, which is, is he of color, then sure. Come on, you're welcome.

Kris Gordon: And we love our melanated men, yes.

Deneen L. Garrett: Yeah, yes, yes. So they have a voice that time. So I think it was Vida who actually started to answer this question. So I'm gonna ask everybody and then Vida, you can expound on this. And let's do it in a reverse. So we're gonna start with Ms. Danisha. But what inspired you to start your business or pursue your current path? You'll be starting with me, huh?

Miss Danisha Brown: You're not going to sit back and just chill? Well, that is a great question. You know, insurance is not a sexy industry. You don't really wake up and say, oh, I want to be an insurance agent when I grow up. No, you really just kind of like fall into it. Life happens. And honestly, over time, I grew to love it. But when I first started this journey as a licensed agent, I was just looking for a job, honestly, be honest. I was looking for a job. I was working at a bank at the time. And I was like, you know what? All I gotta do is get my license. And I did. I interviewed three times to get the position as an insurance agent with the company. And I was actually one of their youngest agents that they had on the mid Atlantic coast. Cause I was about 21 years old, 21, 22 years old. when I first got licensed. And honestly, I didn't know what I was getting into. I didn't. But over time, God has a way of setting you up.

Ghost :): Yes.

Miss Danisha Brown: Right. And you just be like, oh, that worked out. I would have never imagined. So one of the ways that he set me up was when I first started to become an agent, I was next to these two older gentlemen that were old enough to be my father's at the time because I was 21. And I was just like, this is about to be boring. This is not about to be fun. You know, who wants to go to work with two old guys? But it ended up being one of the best decisions in my life because they taught me so much when it comes to insurance. They each had over a decade of experience in the industry. So I was a sponge just taking it all in. So just being able to educate myself allowed me to honestly fall in love with insurance. And then also dealing with my own stuff. I purchased my house at the age of 22. So there was a lot going on at 21, 22 age. So I purchased my house at the age of 22. And so I've been a homeowner for almost 10 years. And as a homeowner, I've gone through the ups and downs of maintaining my house, of figuring out how I'm going to keep paying the mortgage when I lost a job. you know, losing income, not having that income protection in place. And then even on the other side, as far as family members using GoFundMe pages to raise for funeral expenses. So things kept happening, honestly. And so when I learned about how to use insurance as a financial tool, which is something, honestly, our white counterparts already do, it's just that our community do not know about it. A lot of the things that, because life is going to life, right? But some of the things that pop up in life could have been avoided, or maybe even not as stressful financially if we would have prepared for those unexpected things that pop up in life. And so I reflect back on if I would have known this, if I would have known that, then things could have been differently during my journey. of maintaining my house, of starting a business, you know, financially. And so because I had that woulda, coulda, shoulda, like everybody else, and I'm still young, I wanted to make sure that I educate and set up the foundation for the next generation so they don't do the woulda, coulda, shoulda.

Ghost :): Yeah.

Miss Danisha Brown: So that is how I honestly begin to just fall in love with insurance and really seeing how it could just be a financial foundation that is needed in our community. And honestly, just building it for using it for the the financial growth now while you're here on greener. And then also for the next generation, because guess what? We leave a lot of debt. and not wealth, right? And my thing this year is, and I keep saying it every time, debt don't die, but yet we're accumulating it. And so that's how we can minimize the debt and then even set up the next generation to be in a more financial space. And so, yeah, so that's why I like to say I'm your personal, because it's personal for me, your wealth shield advisor.

Deneen L. Garrett: I love that. And yes, we don't talk enough about finances. We don't understand enough about finances. And so I'm glad that you have stepped in there. Another thing I want to mention to to those who are watching or listening. Each of the ambitious women who are on a call, they do have an opportunity to have their own solo interview. So for any of the women who want that, we can go into deeper into what it is that you're doing on your individual call. On this particular call, we're doing high levels just to give the people a taste of each of you so they can whet their appetite so that they can reach out to you and tap into what it is that you're doing. So I love that. And again, I love what you're doing in the wealth space. So we're gonna, Vida, hit Vida up next. And Vida, just expound a little bit more on what you've already shared as to how you started your business, your current path.

Vida Robinson: Yes, awesome. So of course it all started with Dream Holiday, which I have been, it's been going on for about five years. So Dream Holiday basically started, it started as a hobby with where, Okay, so let me roll that back a little bit. And yes, Chris, I'm gonna stick to time. No, not basically with what she said, but she knows me. I can basically steal the mic and just go on. That's because I'm just very passionate about what I do. But so even if you go on my website, you'll see the about session and it just talks about how my mom, she is a Christmas fanatic. And she loves now, and she has a December birthday. So growing up as a kid, she drug me and my sister into decorating the house for Christmas. And we, we, we just dreaded it. And then from then on, you know, I never understanding it until I got older. And it was just really just became like trying to outdo my mom, like even to this day, Like growing up and seeing our home, if you come to our house for the holiday, it is literally like a Christmas catalog home. Not just a Christmas tree in each room, but she changes out the table, the dining pieces, the towels in the bathroom, the pillows and everything. So that is where I got that touch. And for her, it's really about the Christmas traditional colors, but for me, I'm more non-traditional. colors and I just kind of took what she instilled in us and made it my own. And it started out as a hobby and I really got into it. And then from there I was like, you know what, um, I do your home, you know, people, you know, just friends, colleagues, and they really enjoyed it. And I said, so one year I did it for like two years as a hobby. And then one year I said, you know what, if I can get a client, all I need is one. And if I can make a sale, I'm doing this for real.

Deneen L. Garrett: Right.

Vida Robinson: And that one client was really a big client. And I just took it from there. And from there it grew. From there, I made it legit. And then one of my clients, instead of just wanting a tree, she wanted a mannequin tree. And couldn't find it in the stores, thinking I could. OK, I got the bill already. And that mannequin tree, I ended up having to make it myself. And that mannequin tree ended up selling it, making it, selling it, and that grew. From there, my mannequin trees turned into, okay, next thing you know, I'm making, I have my own holiday business. And then from there, it turned into someone challenging me to do charcuterie boards. I said, I'll make it the best one ever. I never knew that a whole year later, I would be doing charcuterie boards. Next thing you know, it turned into, you know what, you should think about the pet business. Next thing you know, I'm doing parcutery boards, and then parcutery boards. Next thing you know, I'm trying to get pet businesses to put their treats, pet treats on my boards. No one would get, you know, it was a hassle. Next thing you know, I'm making my own pet treats. And I always say, I have this saying, like, if you, if you can't get anyone to do it, if you can't get a job, do it yourself. And fast forward, here I am now. And that's how it all started. And I have a, I'm very passionate. I'm very much an artist. And I'm very, um, I'm just, when I get into it, I'm into it. And there it is. And that's, that's just how it all started. It just started with a vision. It starts with the passion. And, um, when I have a vision, I have to carry it out. Like I can't let it go. And that's what it is. And, um, I don't know if you ever heard of the store Fat Meats Forest, but it's here. I'm from Augusta. And years ago, we had Fat Man's Forest. My sister has a show. She's like, you're like Fat Man's Forest, where it's like literally the one-stop shop for everything. They had like a shoemaker, charcuterie boards, meat and cheese. You can get everything. And I'm like, you know what? That is the vision. One day, I wanted to be like where you can literally get everything. And that's where Dream Holiday is the hub. And from under there, there's on-board charcuterie. There's pet trees. there's everything and then soon after that i'm going to have my own gift wrap paper my own ornaments everything so just keep watching just keep holding on and, yes, I know I went over my time, but that is how it all got started and. you stay tuned.

Deneen L. Garrett: I love so you get to usher like just watch right and that's what you're telling us now to just watch like uh write my name down remember Vida stay tuned and uh just keep watching because there's more to come love it love it love it and what I love about what you said and and that's what I want those who are watching or listening to pay attention to Pay attention to what these ambitious women are saying as to how they got started. Because their reasons for getting started, what prompted them to start, the vision that was dropped into their spirits, all those things, you're probably having the same. So you need to pay attention to that and then decide what you want to do about that. All right, Jackie.

Jackie Wallace: All right. So you guys are going to really be able to tell that I'm a professional speaker because I know how to get to it. So I will tell you my career. I grew up as a corporate girl, right? So went up the corporate ladder. I was often the only black person on the team, sometimes the only black female in the company. And so I had to learn how to shuck and jive, maneuver, be a chameleon, right? And so that developed into a really strong sales team. and you can't be really good at sales without being a great speaker. And so that translated into me going into the hosting and being a part of other people's events, amplifying other voices who weren't able to do that within their own power. And so now with me growing a community, I'm listening to each one of these ladies, right? I'm like, okay, I relate with you, Deneen, because you love art. My boyfriend's an artist. We just did Black Boy Art Show in DC, okay? Chris, she's a marketing guru, so am I. Ms. Denisha, I have a life insurance license. I will always keep that strap. That's the best money I ever made. Vida, you're a multi-hyphenate entrepreneur, right? So I can always connect with people and find things that unite us, right, through our similarities. But really, my passion in growing my community is really fueled by my ability to connect people, not by what makes them similar, but by empowering them to connect through their differences. And so point blank period, that's where I'm at right now. That's how we started.

Deneen L. Garrett: All right. Look, she's like, boom. OK, next. And next is Chris. So Chris, not only do I want you to share about how you got to where you are right now, but I want you to also share about your vision for the ambitious women.

Kris Gordon: Absolutely. Thank you so much for that. So I'm going to try to keep it a short and sweet too. And if I were to do that, I think I could just show you. People. Purpose. People with passion and purpose. That's what got me into this. And it lit a fire in me to keep it short and sweet. But if I were to hone it into a specific experience or moment, it was being a military spouse and going to Japan and being lost and not really knowing what the hell and why and how or any of those questions and then just figuring it out. being charged by how people were receiving me figuring it out. And I was like, oh, wait a minute, this is what I'm supposed to be doing. So literally going to Japan and having to start all over presented this call to action, bloom where you're planted, bloom where you're planted. And it was very, very hard. The environment change just rocked me to my core, but it was literally the most invigorating experience I could have ever imagined. I say all the time, I went kicking and screaming, and I left kicking and screaming. And please send me back, Lord. Okay. Um, I had to have that moment with, um, so that really is kind of the short and sweet version of it. As Ms. Danisha said, I didn't see what I needed to see and feel when I went to Japan. And so I, I, I created my own and that started out in the event space. And what came from that was people with passion and purpose, and it just blossomed from there. And I was like, wait a minute, am I now blooming where I'm planted and is so it was just so perfect. And so to segue into what I see for ambitious women is. Simple, community. Women in color and community. Again, I said it when I started, I'll say it again, and I'm gonna say it a million more times. People have audiences. We are so social, marketing, media, program, virality, followers, following, you know, all of that is great, okay? Shout out to the content creators making shit shake. I love that, and hopefully language is not Oh, I'm sure here, but I just was like you know what now what next and how do we take this to the next level and I think it's with opening up the conversation, you know, like our Joe was able to put into the chat, making sure that we just show up. Because first of all, as soon as we step into the room, as Rick Ross says, every time we come in here, we create a dilemma. It's a great dilemma to have, but it literally, it shape shifts the room. And then when we start talking with our experience, with our passion, oh my goodness, it literally lights a fire. I can literally see the flame almost sometimes, and it's incredible. So I'm looking to just skyrocket that to the next level. I have been behind the scenes for so long, and I love it here, to be honest with you. This is very much outside of my comfort zone. Too many people will have dropped their, I don't know what, on my foot, on my finger, on whatever, to say, uh-uh, get on to the front. I even say, like, I want a flower so bad, but people keep making me a centerpiece, and I've just decided to accept it.

Deneen L. Garrett: Well, I love that. I love that and what you said. And again, those who are watching or listening, pay attention. Here, there's gems being dropped. There's things that are being said that can motivate you that you need to hear, right? There's something for everyone, everybody that's listening or watching, something that one of these ambitious women has said is for you. So make sure you're paying attention. And if you need to rewind, start over, watch it multiple times. Play that back. We have six minutes left to this part. So part one, and I mentioned it's two parts. So what I want to get into right now, and yes, we only have six minutes. So keep that in mind, Dougie Fresh. When you're answering, and I want to focus on, because again, I said this is about empowering women of color about Black women. So what challenges have you faced as a Black woman in your industry, and how did you push through it, Jackie?

Jackie Wallace: I think even just in my previous story, just stating always being the only one, having to shape shift, having to be a chameleon. I also grew up military background, so I'm used to moving around. I'm used to having to get along with new groups, but oftentimes being the only black woman, once again, it's a lot of energy to put out and change it up and all that stuff. But as I started moving up the ladder, I'm like, you brought me here for a reason, so I'm gonna be my whole self. And I'm also going to remind you how you're not being diverse, how you're not being inclusive. Why are all the people on the marketing pamphlets white? Why are there not no black people in it? Like all of that. So it really grew from me, it being a challenge because I was the only one and needed that representation, but to being it being my superpower and forming diversity groups like, hey, we need to have little committees, right? With the whole George Floyd thing happened, we need to have proper response. Just saying all lives matter ain't cool. We need to make sure we're speaking directly to our consumers who are also black and brown. And so I was able to shift one of my challenges into one of my greatest strengths. And it's a lot of what people know me for in the corporate world today.

Deneen L. Garrett: Yeah, and just real quickly on that. All skin folk ain't kin folk, right? We know this time and time again. So we have to be cognizant of that as well. When you mentioned making sure that the, you know, what goes out, what's seen represents everybody or the intended people. We had did something at Black Women of Power and the ad included a white woman. Why are you including a white woman in this thing for Black women? Come on now. And when I asked about it, it was a black woman who signed off, like, come on, no, stop it. But anyway, all right, let's move on. Red Flagler, Red Flagler. Oh, right? OK, Vida, real quick. You're on mute. Come on, mute person.

Vida Robinson: You call me? OK, all right. I was like, oh, she going to put me on the last few minutes. OK, so my challenges have been being outspoken and being misunderstood. So the rest of my background, my actual professional career, which is why I'm leaving, left that is, you know, I have been like an executive assistant, project manager, just about a marketing manager, all of that. And a lot of that has been, a lot of that has been, I have had to, okay, okay. I have had to be very firm in stance and stand on 10 toes and stand on business. And just meaning like, I'm not trying to take anything away from you. Let me rephrase that. I've worked for a lot of executives and managed executives. And a lot of times I just want to do the work do the work well and go home. But sometimes that can be misunderstood is that I'm trying to take something from them and I want to take their company. And that's not it. I just want to do the work, do the job and do it well. And I don't want it and then go home, come back and do it again. So with that being said, a lot of times I'm like a triple or quadruple threat. And that can be very misunderstood. So with that being said, I'm like, I don't have time for all the politics and That has led me to want to stray away from that and do my own thing. So that has been my challenge. And then even to that with my businesses, a lot of times I want to stay, like Chris said, I want to stay in a background. And you'll see a lot of times in my feed, my reels, you don't see me. You just see my work. And a lot of times, people are like, put your face out. A lot of times, people are like, put your face out. Put your face out. And I know, because I don't want to be misunderstood for my work and my craft. You're going to love me for my work and my craft and my vision. Not get misunderstood for this or being a woman or whatever. You're going to pay me. You're going to see me for my work. And then sure enough, when I show up for these events, there's a lot of, oh, OK. There's a lot of uncomfort. A lot of times I just literally just walk in the room and it's like, oh, you didn't know? That's my point. But when you do know, and even you do see how well I speak, and then you see how cool I am, you see how calm I am, you see that I do know how to handle business because of my career, you check my resume. You will know.

Kris Gordon: or when I do send an invoice. Now let me see if we should get in here before we get cut off. Come on, come on.

Vida Robinson: And then when I do send that invoice, a lot of it, because again, we were behind their emails and then we were handling business. Again, you don't see all of this. You don't see that I'm a woman or a black woman. You see, and I'll never forget, I had a person that said, do you want to, are you looking for something else to do? Because you're very thorough. You know what I'm saying? So that's been my challenge because it's a lot of, it's being misunderstood and being misunderstood and so forth.

Deneen L. Garrett: All right, so we're going to cut it off there. We are about to break and then we'll start with part two. And we'll start with a niche and Chris and then we do have Lola who will introduce herself when we come back so again if you're watching or listening, this is the end of part one and join us for part two.

Ghost :): yeah.