Author: kevin

Over the past few years, I have had to take inventory every year to look at the ways that I was not only spending my money but also my time, which I have learned IS money. What I have come across, more times than I care to remember, are the things that garnered income but were costing me way too much time.

Ideally, you want to be in a position where the effort is either less effort/greater income or equal effort/equal income at best but try to avoid greater effort/greater money. You may ask why that is.

Well, because as business owners, we have to consistently be on top of many things, including growth, and if we are stuck in consistently doing, what will become mundane tasks to stay afloat, it will come back to haunt us in the worst way in the near future.

We will miss opportunities, we will be frustrated in the process by repeatedly doing something we will eventually dislike, and we will feel trapped and held hostage by doing that one thing that, in our imaginations, is keeping the business alive. How will we ever know if we can increase our income if we never try anything new?

Reconsider the Thing that Requires the Most Work to Make the Most Money

I’d like to use myself for an example. My main site https://radiofacts.com is a news site on Facebook. So when we report news, and it goes viral, the income potential is great.

Now that may sound like a no-brainer, but there are many catylists to this job. The first one is I seem to be the only one who knows how to write titles that are (I’m not ashamed to say) “clickbait.”

I have tried endlessly to hire other writers to take over this job but to no avail. I have wasted a lot of time and a LOT of money hiring people who copied posts from other sites verbatim, even when they were told not to.

I’ve hired people who didn’t follow instructions and posted whenever they felt like it, which is a detriment to the news because it gets old fast. I had to hear excuses on a consistent basis, but the truth was they were working several other gigs. It is no wonder so many companies are having such a hard time hiring.

To that end, it was costing me more in time and effort and hiring and posting on job sites than I was making when I had a great day with a viral story. In addition, getting into the news space was outrageously competitive.

EVERYBODY posts news. Either I was going to do it and take 3 or 4 hours out of my day while RUNNING a company, or I needed to look for other ways where there was less work, stress, competition, and frustration. So I had to stop doing it because I constantly ended up doing it myself anyway.

Colleges don’t teach students how to use WordPress, so I found myself teaching people how to do that too. I was paying people to train them, and they would leave with their new skill set and make more money somewhere else. You can blame the people I hired, that is actually pretty smart, but I’m a business, not a school.

Finally, the GenZ’ers and Millenials know their (at times inflated) value, and they are not loyal to any one brand, so it became a great waste of my time and effort to train people who would end up leaving in a month or two or less. The entire process was just not worth the effort.

Find Other Ways to Garner Income

I had to look at ways where I could be unique in the process and do Less work/Earn More, and once you have been in business for a while, your experience (and equity) will afford you that opportunity. For me, it was finding holes in my industry and deciding if I wanted to fill them. An entrepreneur’s job is to fix a problem, not create a problem for himself.

As the last man standing doing a Black-Owned trade magazine in my industry, I had to ask myself, who is my target, and who is my client.

Many times they won’t be the same. Your job is to focus on the CLIENT and who THEY are targeting. Many times the scope is much wider than a single target. Hone in on that and ask them how you can provide a greater service to them.

Stop Wasting Time

I truly wish I had understood the value of TIME much sooner in my career. Then I would not have wasted so much of it. You can get a LOT accomplished when you use your time wisely, and you are surrounded by the right people.

MANY times those people will not look like you. One of the greatest mistakes we make as Black-Owned businesses is our extreme dedication to hiring other Black people.

We can certainly serve the Black community with our businesses. Still, unless you are in the food or hair business as a Black business owner, I will GUARANTEE that you will have an incredibly hard time finding qualified, hard-working, dedicated Black employees. Sad but true.

Mostly because we don’t respect Black-Owned businesses as a community. So why are you dedicated to hiring people who don’t care about you or your business? ALWAYS hire the BEST PERSON for the job. Be dedicated to hard workers FIRST. You will get the most out of them.

Meet New Contacts and Clients on Linkedin

I personally find Facebook depressing and I freely try to stay off of it. There are constant death announcements, gofundmes, people asking for prayers, people stuck ln who they used to be and people bitching nad griping about politics or news. It has become a portal for negativity and I try my best to stay off of it.

Linkedin on the other hand is MUCH better and much more enlightening. People who are about NOW and making corporate moves, starting their own businesses and making positive announcements. It took me a while but I realized Linkedin is much better than Facebook for entrepreneurs and business owners. I have also met several contacts om Linked in for business.

It’s Not What You Make; It’s What You Keep

This could literally be the entire story. I did an entire post here about this subject. Just once a month, take a look at all of your bank statements and look on PayPal for subscription charges and delete what you don’t use. You could literally be spending thousands of dollars a year on things you never use.

Writing Daily Goals Down at Night Before Bed and Why

This actually works because it’s the last thing that you see before you go to bed and the first think that you will see in the morning. As you accomplish each thing, cross it off. There are times when you will not be able to complete everything on your list, things consistently pop up during the day, that’s OK put it on tomorrow’s list.

Adhere to Those 3am Ideas

Many of the greatest hit songs and many of the best ideas came to people at 3am in the morning. It’s when you are in your deepest sleep and your most creative mind and there are times that an idea that is so great will hit you that you can’t go back to sleep. Keep a notepad on your nightstand or record the idea or thought into your phone. You will most certainly totally forget the idea when you wake up in the morning if you don’t.

Hiring OUTSIDE the US

Quite often, a Black business owner’s greatest pitfall is being dedicated to hiring Black people in the US, that may sound pretty horrible but the truth is, as a race, we do not respect Black-owned businesses outside of hair care and food businesses. Two businesses that cannot be altered, faked duplicated or stole by people outside the community.

Other than that we have a HUGE problem finding dedicated and supportive workers in the community for other businesses that we run. I have been there and I know many other black entrepreneurs who have been there too.

Its not only hard it’s almost impossible to find qualified, hard working other Black people to work in your business. The answer is to stop being dedicated and married to things that want to divorce you and your business. It will stifle your growth and desecrate your business by eating up all of your time training people who won’t last and you will waste money. It’s not impossible to find hard working Black people but don’t limited yourself or your business. Hire the BEST people possible.

Always Ask for MORE Than You Need (Pricing)

Sometimes we offer discounts to make our brands more appealing but the opposite happens, you look desperate and it actually HURTS your brand. In addition the people that you give discounts to will tell others. It is much better to have someone say you are not cheap than to say your desperate for business.

Set a price that is higher than you need and still with it. When I say higher. If you charge $1000 for a service and once you look at your time and operating costs, you are only profiting $150 of that, charge $1300.

There will be people who come to you and will want a discount but there will also be people who come to you and think you are not charging enough (believe it or not) depending on the perception and quality of your brand. Don’t sell yourself short. Remember the people that you give a discount to WILL tell other people.

Take Care of yourself FIRST.

If you can find a way to exercise first thing in the morning before you check one single email or look at your phone. There is a good chance that once you start to get into your day, you will not have time to work out later on. Get it done first thing in the morning to get it out of the way. Also, meditate first thing in the morning to set the tone for your day.

Approach New Clients

At some point you will need to expand your reach and target new clients. I always have the thought in my mind that my clients are being bombarded with work and other people who are asking for their limited budgets and for the longest time I didn’t want to be just another person bugging them.

That was until I realized that there were people who were offering less and did not have the value that I have with my brand getting some of these people to support them . The difference was not only their lack of value but it was that they were getting on the phone and actually reaschout out to the potential clients I was ignoring.

They were developing a relationship that I should have had nad in the music industry EVERYTHING is about relationships.

A Self-Employed Trip Turns into a Greater Education on Business Development

In 2017 I took a 1-week trip to help out a few family members. In the process, I managed to find several great coffee shops that were much less burdensome than major marking cash cow shops.

I got SO much accomplished and learned a great deal about business development in that one week I decided to extend my trip and ended up staying for 8 months.

In the process of visiting the coffee shop, and a few others I always managed to be sitting near others having a business meeting.

Usually, owners aim to be successful black entrepreneurs with someone soliciting them for their business or them interviewing someone for a job.

I was not eavesdropping as much as I was overhearing the conversations (OK, maybe I was eavesdropping).

I’ve made some of the very mistakes that the owners were talking about and about to dive in and get a hard lesson themselves.

Without disclosing who said what here are some of the things I heard…

GROW Your Business – Avoid These Typical Business Owner Mistakes That make Life HELL!

There are certain things that we may not be aware of that could be hurting our business. Here are a few tips to help you along the way. I wouldn’t say that being a business owner is hard work as much as I would say it can be challenging.

As we all know if you love what you do and you do what you love it’s never “work” But I can certainly take a lot out of you.

Nevertheless, there are certain things that can get in the way of your progress some of which can literally make you not want to work for the rest of the day But on the other end of that spectrum, there are things that we do that we’re not aware of the make people not want to work with us.

There are certain things that you should avoid and At the same time, Should not allow others to do when it affects business On both sides.

But Let’s focus on you And your business for the story – Here are some tips that I’ve learned over the years that can make your business run a lot smoother here and hope these steps help.

DISRESPECTFUL: DON’T BRING AN ASSISTANT OR ANYONE ELSE TO A PLANNED BUSINESS MEETING WITHOUT TELLING THE OTHER PARTY.

I’ve had this happen on a couple of occasions and while others may not mind I find it to be very rude and inconsiderate.

If you’re going to bring someone else to a lunch meeting or dinner meeting be considerate enough to let the other self-employed business person know. Respect their time.

They may want to discuss something with you that is not privy to other people or they may have questions for you. As you sit at the table with another business person as an equal it is disrespectful and off-putting to bring your assistant or someone else to take notes or to join in on the conversation as an equal.

The bottom line is at least give the other person the option to say no I want to talk to you alone by letting them know in advance.

It comes off as grandstanding and very diva-like. Nobody is that busy and if you are you shouldn’t have lunch with another businessperson.

CHEAPSKATE: DON’T ASK FOR FREE OR DISCOUNT SERVICES, PUT YOURSELF IN THE OTHER PERSON’S POSITION

What I find most amazing about people who ask for discounts is that they are also often the same ones that overcharge other people When it comes to their own services and they want premium rates but they want to pay self-employed people peanuts.

It is incredibly selfish to ask somebody who works hard for what they have to cut their rates for you and try to make them feel obligated like they owe you something.

In the black community, which is what I most experience with, we have this thing with entitlement when it comes to business that says you’re supposed to hook me up.

No matter how you look at it, that’s exactly the way it comes off. If I work hard for what I have and I’m providing a great service then you need to PAY the price like everybody else and shut the hell up.

Know that if you allow someone a discount or free service, it is absolutely very possible they’re going to tell other people. Which in essence is going to destroy your business and make YOU ask for discounts and hookups in order to pay your own bills.

You will never grow in a circle that continues subtracting from each other’s business esteem.

Once you get corporate clients and you see that they’re willing to pay for your services full price, it’s very hard to go back to doing welfare business and offering discounts or giving your services away for free.

There is just some business that you need to walk away from free and clear. In order to grow you have to let some things GO.

BULLYING: DON’T BRING UP THINGS YOU DID FOR SOMEONE IN THE PAST

There are people who will do business with you or introduce you to a new client and expect you to give them something free for the tenure of your entire business which means that you pay them back 20 to 1000 times over.

Whenever somebody does you a favor or something in business that helps your business that involves a third party, send them a thank you card take them to lunch or do something to wrap the situation IMMEDIATELY so that the situation does not linger.

Watch out for the “favor sharks” Who will do you a “favor” and make you pay for the rest of your life Their interest rate is much too high so simply walk away.

As the old saying goes there is no such thing as a free lunch. I would dare to even say that the price is HIGHER for a “free lunch” because there is an agenda.

In addition, notice that these are also the same people who want to continue to play the middleman and never introduce you to the source.

Your goal is to meet the source so that YOU can develop the relationship. If someone is TRULY trying to help you out, there is no reason for them to get in the way after the initial deal is done and they get a cut. Don’t feel guilty or obligated.

PIMP: DON’T PIMP SOMEONE’S BUSINESS OUT BY PLAYING THE “HELPFUL” BUT GREEDY MIDDLEMAN

.. this kind of goes with the last thing. There are people out there who will try to pimp your business out the bring you some business but the money has to go through them as the middleman or ‘business pimp’ I was having a conversation with someone yesterday who was talking about how badly black people treat each other in business and that we don’t support each other and I damn near dropped the phone.

This is the SAME person on who this entire story is based (lol). He is guilty of everything that I am writing about.

He’s the middleman who never introduces you to the main person with the purse drinks and the money has to come to him from the contact and he sends you a check from HIS business. Right?

Who can’t see what’s going on here? What he is doing is collecting a huge percentage for himself and then paying you the 10 to 20% that HE should be earning instead.

Make sure you find a way to talk to the people with the money. This is what I love about bitcoin and the direction of the new media concepts. Eliminating the middleman.

Whenever you hear about stars going broke and this is not to say they don’t make a lot of financial mistakes but it is often the middleman, someone they trusted who took advantage and bankrupts them.

In most cases, they consistently overcharge For their services. Middlemen don’t care about your well-being as much as they do their own. Know that because you are leaving a LOT of money on the table.

DISNEYLAND IS CLOSED: DON’T ALLOW ANYONE TO INTERRUPT YOUR DAY WHILE YOU ARE WORKING AND BUILDING A BUSINESS – TIME IS YOUR GREATEST ASSET

For some odd reason, many people think that black entrepreneurs do nothing but sit around and twiddle their thumbs and wait for tons of money to come in. they are really under the impression that because we do what we love, we’re not working.

And part of that is correct, we’re not working but we’re always busy and we never sleep. A phone call from your mother or family member or anyone else calling with drama in the middle of your busy workday can blow off your entire rhythm.

And we all know how long it takes to catch up. Weeks sometimes months if we lose our focus.

Make sure that you let everyone know, including family, (ESPECIALLY FAMILY) that you are not to receive calls or texts for eight hours while you work. Let them know that you will talk to them afterward but do not allow them to disrupt your day.

I do not feel guilty about sending someone directly to voicemail if they break the rule. You can send them a text and ask them is everything OK.

If you’re busy constantly tell them you’re busy eventually they’ll get the message.

I would also suggest buying a second phone using one for business and one for work on a family plan with most services it’s pretty cheap.

I used to wonder why people had two phones, Now I know. You may actually have to turn off your personal phone while you work.

BOLD IN YOUR APPROACH: ASK FOR WHAT YOU WANT OR TAKE WHAT YOU GET WHICH IS USUALLY MUCH LESS

As the old saying goes, It’s better to aim high and miss than to aim low and achieve. There are times that you think that someone supporting you is so important that you don’t ask for anything in return. Bull! If they’re coming to you, The ball is in your court, they need you TOO and they see your value.

The question is do YOU see it? Ask for what you want. As a matter of fact ask for MORE than you want and don’t feel guilty about it. If they negotiate down, and they certainly will, you’re still ahead of where you started.

WASTING MONEY: KEEP A KEEN EYE ON YOUR BANK, CREDIT CARD STATEMENTS, AND BILLS

At the end of the year or around tax time you’re probably looking at what you’ve earned an asking yourself where in the hell did the money go? I can tell you one place it goes that we don’t pay enough attention to.

You would be AMAZED at how many mistakes, erroneous charges, and subscriptions that you never use are on your bills and your credit card report each month but we are not paying enough attention.

These things could add up to hundreds of dollars a month and thousands of dollars a year. If your money is not MAKING money you’re WASTING money. I will soon do a story about investing.

We really get taken by online services. They give you 30 days free, and of course, if you forget to cancel then they lock you into a one-year contract and if you cancel after those 30 days, they charge you for the rest of the year.

I would strongly suggest two things; Immediately put an entry into your calendar with an alarm to cancel the service on the 28th or 29th day before the month is up.

Do this right after you pay or sign-up for the service and this way you get a warning on the day before you cancel.

Use PayPal for your exchanges. You can connect the PayPal account to your bank account but the people that you’re paying get very limited information about you.

They don’t have your credit card number and PayPal is excellent for helping to get your money back in many situations you can cancel subscriptions through the PayPal site anytime.

The other thing that I really love about PayPal is that they are an extremely powerful online money service that a majority of these companies are afraid of.

They don’t want to get struck by PayPal and possibly lose their ability to accept money from PayPal.

So they’re often more than willing to give you your money back even with just a threat of reporting it to PayPal.

I ordered a hosting service after the company lured me away from the service that I use now. They SWORE they could be a better job for half the price.

They also told me if I didn’t like the service there was a 30-day money-back guarantee. I tried it, it didn’t work and a week later I asked for my money back. They said no.

They didn’t do refunds and that I would have to pay for the entire year if I canceled. I called PayPal and the company sent me an email a week later and offered to pay me my money back if I canceled the complaint with PayPal.

I told them no. My money was refunded and they got a strike. Unfortunately, they are probably accustomed to ripping people off and people paying the price without complaining.

Make sure you think twice about getting services that you don’t need. Just take a few minutes to do research instead of buying apps that may be completely free from another company.

NOT HAVING IT: WHEN PEOPLE DON’T GET WHAT THEY WANT FROM YOU, THEY ATTACK AND FIGHT BACK WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR BUSINESS

Business Development:

There are times when people don’t get what they want from you they will downgrade your business. This is a bullying tactic.

They try to make you feel bad about not helping them and they’ll say something to you like nobody’s interested in your business or you’re dated or you don’t know what the hell you’re doing. Then why in the hell are you coming to me?

That psychology is them putting you down because you didn’t give them what they want. Don’t believe that there was no value in your business otherwise, you would not BE in business.

And stop keeping company with people like that Even if they are family members. Don’t let anybody disrupt the flow of your vision and business.

MUST READ: GET PAID “CBD” CASH BEFORE DELIVERY FROM SMALL CLIENTS

Chasing money is not only NOT fun, but it also creates tension in new business relationships. You have people and bills to pay, you have completed the work and you trusted that someone would pay you after you have completed the job.

You were probably thinking that this would help to establish trust from the new client WRONG. I don’t give a fk WHO it is, if it’s a new client and even well into your business relationship with them COLLECT UP FRONT.

Via PayPal, Zelle, or even your bank. DON’T EXTEND CREDIT TO NEW CLIENTS WHO ARE NOT MAJOR CORPORATIONS … NEVER!!!!!

Let’s be realistic, once you have done the job how will it benefit them to pay you?

The ball is not in their court and they can say things like: “It wasn’t effective,” “I didn’t like it” or “I will pay you a discount rate.” and that doesn’t count the long amount of time you will spend chasing the money and getting frustrated.

As the old saying goes: A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush!. GET PAID NOW!!! Keep the ball is in YOUR court so that YOU have the power.

GET PAID BEFORE YOU DO THE JOB. I can’t stress it enough. You will be chasing them for money like a damn crack addict for crack after a while and then you will feel disrespected and then THEY will point the finger at YOU making YOU the bad guy with excuses like “I’ve been very busy” if that has anything to do with you.

In case you don’t get what I’m saying, I will say it one more time NEVER, NEVER, NEVER extend credit to new clients who are not MAJOR corporations like Sony, Viacom etc.

The other benefit of making them pay upfront is YOU establish the terms and you can keep those terms for all future business RESPECT YOUR BUSINESS FIRST. You can also charge them more and tell them you will give them a discount if they pay upfront.

Whatever you have to do but if you don’t hear anything else I’m telling you here READ THIS. PLEASE – COD ONLY or I would even say CBD (cash BEFORE delivery).

I have lost a lot of money trusting people who I thought would come through and all it takes is one. I will pass business up in order to avoid a headache. CBD

EDUCATE YOURSELF: USE THE TIME YOU TALK ABOUT NOTHING ON THE PHONE WITH FRIENDS TO GO TO A LOCAL BUSINESS LUNCHEON OR EVENT

It would behoove you to do yourself a huge favor and constantly learn about your business and what direction you should be going in.

There is no doubt that things will change over time and you don’t want to be caught in a position where you don’t know what you’re doing or you are perceived as dated.

I know many businesses that have dated concepts because they never learn anything new or they are afraid to transfer the power to someone younger and more knowledgeable of current trends.

They also live off tenure which in today’s fast-paced industry is a joke. It’s almost better if you LIE about how long you have been in business and shorten the time.

HIRE PEOPLE WHO ALREADY KNOW HOW TO DO WHAT YOU NEED AND WHO KNOW MORE THAN YOU

We will not always be on top of what we’re doing as we are now but that is why you surround yourself with people of all ages WHO KNOW MORE THAN YOU. Many of us do just the opposite so that we can maintain control.

We hire people who know less than us and that stunts our growth. Training them will eat your most valuable asset TIME.

Especially when they don’t work out. HIRE PEOPLE WHO ALREADY KNOW HOW TO DO WHAT YOU NEED. You still know how to do something that they don’t know and that is how to do RUN the business and They don’t have your relationships.

You don’t want to look dated and you don’t want to have someone walk into your office and you have dated furniture or dated concepts that no longer work.

Not transferring the power in time could literally destroy your business I’ve seen it happen repeatedly, especially with black businesses. We have a tendency to hold on until we die.

At some point, before it’s destroyed you will be disrespected and looked at as a failure or even worse the old man in the room. There is NO recovery from that except to build a whole new house doing something else. Time is of the essence.

ME DAY, FREE DAY

You absolutely must and I emphasize MUST take care of yourself. As black entrepreneurs, we run ourselves ragged and work while we are sick. Running a business is an addiction, make no mistake, if you are successful at what you do in business you are a self-employed addict.

Why else would you put in the hours and the effort like you do? It’s a good addiction as long we keep an eye on it. We are married to what we do but we can’t let what we do … do us IN!

By the time you get through working and putting your time in and making your money and doing your sales and looking over the entire business you are probably exhausted and want to go straight to bed, you must make time to go to the gym and get a good workout and hire a trainer.

You also must find the time to eat right and take care of yourself I know plenty of black entrepreneurs who don’t take care of themselves and they are ill and they are literally walking around in bad physical spiritual and mental shape while they struggle to continue to make their businesses work.

I’ve also seen business owners commit suicide, get divorced, or drop dead from a heart attack or stroke being a great business owner is a SKILL.

At some point, you HAVE to walk away from the day-to-day and handle everything else that’s a full-time job. Sales, taxes, accounting, hiring, events, etc. What good is your business if you’re not here to do it?

DON’T KILL YOURSELF

There is only so much that you can do. You have to face it and deal with it. The demands of your business paying your bills your taxes staying on top of things traveling family and everything else can take its toll on you.

Work hard AND PLAY HARD. Have a social and personal life. DO NOT WORK YOURSELF TO DEATH. I’ve seen it WAY too many times. Take the WHOLE weekend off.

Write out a list of things to do each day and do what’s most important first and whatever else you can when you can.

I know about “the circle” that’s what I like to call it when you sit down to do one thing and 5 other things keep popping up and before you know it, the entire day is shot.

I’m SURE you know what I’m talking about. Delegate the things that you can to other people.

Don’t neglect your children. It is extremely paramount that you make those baseball and football games and other games along with any kind of recitals as these are the things kids NEVER forget and that shape a child’s entire life they need you and if you miss them you could regret it for the rest of your life and they may never forgive you. Always support your kids

NEVER HIRE FRIENDS

I’m not saying that it’s impossible to do and perhaps some people can’t do this but I’ve never had a lot of good luck doing it.

Hiring friends is always a problem. They think that you’re obligated to help them and they treat you that way.

They give you excuses they take their time getting the work done and they want you to do extra favors like drop off the money at their bank and other things that you don’t have the time to do.

In addition, they ignore instructions and take it upon themselves to do things their way then give you a side eye when you complain?

It’s just too have one friend that I hired who was really good at what she does but she wants me to always drop money off at the banks and then stand in line and give her account number because she doesn’t have PayPal (because of the fees) and refuses to get it so I’m supposed to be obligated to go and stand in line and wait and then pay her money to her in another state?

I finally told her to get a PayPal account or set up Zeele with her bank account or wait for a check in the mail two weeks to a month from now. You have to draw the line at making things convenient and with friends, they don’t like those lines.

KEEP YOUR BUSINESS PLANS TO YOURSELF

There are times we do very well and we want to brag about it we want our friends to be supportive of us but truth be told it’s not a good idea. Keep your mouth shut, you never know who may go back and say something to the person who is doing business with you or may sabotage what you’re trying to do even if it’s not intentional.

The less they know the better. Talk about it when it’s done but do not talk about it when it’s in the process of being done. There are a lot of other things you can talk about besides with you are doing in your business. It is just not a good idea to discuss business with other black entrepreneurs.

TO WHOM MUCH IS GIVEN BUT KNOW YOUR LIMITS: YOU ARE NOT A CONTAINER FOR NEGATIVITY

The great Maya Angelou once said: “When people show you who they are belieeeeeeeeeve them!” she was right. Negative people will drain you to death. I got rid of EVERYBODY who was negative in my life and wanted to use me like a trash container for their sh. Get a therapist.

BTW that’s not a bad idea for black entrepreneurs either to talk about their trials and tribulations but don’t be a container for someone’s spiritual and mental dung bricks.

For more tips and inspiration follow me and Instagram @biz tipper. or on twitter @biz tipper. My best and business. Please like and share, follow us and respond to any comments below

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A Wide Range of Stimulating Beverages and Snacks

Capital One partners with Peet’s Coffee, a famous national coffee chain, to serve their customers high-quality traditional coffee, expresso, pastries, handcrafted beverages, sandwiches, and light fare. 

Even though the cafes’ primary goal was to offer coffee, all Capital One Cafes offer a wide range of sandwiches and snacks alongside coffee and tea. In short, it’s a place for everyone to recharge and unwind without being bombarded with sales pitches. 

Whether you’re just dropping in for a quick bite, enjoying your preferred beverage, chatting with friends, plugging into Wi-Fi outlets to get some work done, or accessing financial coaching services, there is enough food to keep you full for the time you will be in the café.

Menu Items at Capital One Café

Some of the menu items you can choose from at Capital One Cafés include:

• Coffee— drip coffee, French press, ice-cold brew, and Peet’s-to-Go.
• Cappuccino
• Espresso— Americano, single, double, or triple espresso.
• Latte—Caramel macchiato, Mocha latte, Regular latte, Vanilla latte, White chocolate mocha latte.
• Brewed tea—green, black, green, herbal
• Signature beverages

• Blended Iced (caramel, matcha, or mocha)
• Cold Brew Oat Latte (horchata or original)
• Cold Brew Black Tie (chicory, sweetened condensed milk, half and half)
• Fruit Tea Shakers

• Tea latte—Chai, Matcha.
• On tap— Nitro cold brew, Revive Kombucha.

While you can enjoy what the café offers—whether or not you are banking with Capital One, customers get 50% off on handcrafted beverages purchased using Capital One credit or debit cards. 

Free Access to Money & Life Programs, Events

All services at Capital One Cafés are tailored to cater to both individual customers and the community at large. While Capital One customers can enjoy bank-related and coffee shop benefits at one stop, non-members can also enjoy a range of free services the café offers, including local events and complimentary Money & Life Program sessions without having to register or open banking accounts with Capital One.

Formerly known as “Money Coaching,” Capital One’s Money & Life Program covers many personal finance aspects to help you plan your life goals and develop worthwhile financial behaviors in line with your goals. Services you can opt for under this program include:

• Money & Life Mentoring—You get to meet face-to-face with a Capital One Money& life mentor who helps you to figure out how money fits into your life and develop good behavior that enables you to achieve your goals. Anyone who gets to Capital One Cafés gets access to up to three free 60-minute sessions regardless of whether they are Capital One customers or not.
• Money & Life Exercises—This service allows access to self-guided  Money & Life Exercises to help you understand how, where, and why financial stress is getting into your life and how to exercise effective control. The exercises take 10 minutes to complete online. 
• Money & Life Workshops— these types of workshops are run conducted by professional money mentors online as well as in Cafés. The Money & Life Workshops workshops are free to attend alone or with friends and family. 

While events such as workshops always offer a perfect opportunity to learn more about good personal finance habits and tips, you can always use the on-demand content and online workshops if there’s no ongoing event near you. You can also use the in-café tablets to interact with personal financial trivia and fun quizzes, spicing up your experience at the Cafés.

Capital One Café allows customers to get answers to their questions and manage their finances more casually in a relaxed atmosphere. 

Optimized Spaces for Groups and Remote Work

Each Capital One Café is equipped with a free community room for use by registered non-profits, student clubs, alumni organizations, and semi-private nooks —all equipped with free Wi-Fi, charging stations, and outlets. 

In the rapidly growing hybrid and remote work era, the cafés are also equipped with office spaces and workstations, which offer unique opportunities for remote work, planned collaborations, mentorship, and innovations.

Capital One spaces are usually bright, cozy, airy, and attractive. They feature mid-century to modern design, décor elements, and aesthetically appealing furniture, providing a suitable environment for meetings, workshops, and fun. 

As quoted by the Financial Brand, Ryan Laudenbach, Seattle Market Lead for Capital One Cafés, explained that the café’s expansive open layout was designed to promote hospitality, discovery, education, community events, and facilitate conversions. 

Since the company values maintaining human connections that could soon become relics of the past in the digital age, it aims to build new customer relationships through face-to-face interactions while maintaining existing ones. Perhaps, that’s what inspires the company to keep opening more locations when other banks are on the brink of closing down some of their branches to cut on the operation cost. 

Capital One Locations 

Capital One has set up at least 50 cafés in at least 16 states across the U.S., with California having the highest number so far. Below is the list of states with current Capital One Cafés locations. 

Arizona

Scottsdale Fashion Square Café, Scottsdale.

California

California has 12 Capital One Cafes: Westfield Topanga Café (Canoga Park), Glendale Café (Glendale), Irvine Spectrum Café (Irvine), Downtown LA Café and Hollywood Café (Los Angeles), Victoria Gardens Café (Rancho Cucamonga), Westfield Galleria at Roseville Café (Roseville), Westfield UTC Café (San Diego), Union Square Café (San Francisco), Westfield Valley Fair Café  (Santa Clara), Santa Monica Café (Santa Monica), and Walnut Creek Café (Walnut Creek). 

District of Columbia

Anacostia Café, Chinatown Café, and Georgetown Café in Washington D.C. 

Florida

Florida has seven cafés, the second-highest number of Capital One Cafes after California. They include Miracle Mile Café (Coral Gables), Delray Beach Café (Delray Beach), Ft. Lauderdale Café (Fort Lauderdale), Brickell Café (Miami), Miami Beach Café (Miami Beach), Tampa Café (Tampa), and West Palm Beach Café (West Palm Beach).

Georgia

Lenox Square Café, Atlanta.

Illinois

There are four Capital One Cafés located in Chicago: Hyde Park Café, Lincoln Park Café,  Southport Café, and State Street Café. 

Massachusetts

In Massachusetts, there are five Capital one Café locations: Back Bay Café, Ink Block Café, Seaport Café in Boston, Harvard Square Café (Cambridge), and Assembly Row Café (Somerville)

Michigan

Downtown Detroit Café, Detroit. 

Minnesota

Mall of America Café, Bloomington.

Oregon

Pioneer Courthouse Square Café, Portland.

Nevada

Fashion Show Café, Las Vegas.

New York

Union Square Flagship Café, New York City. 

Ohio

There are two locations in Ohio: Kenwood Towne Centre Café (Cincinnati) and Easton Town Center Café (Columbus). 

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania has only two locations: King of Prussia Café (King of Prussia) and Rittenhouse Café (Philadelphia). 

Texas

Capital One has four cafés in Texas: Domain Café, Downtown Austin Café (Austin), Cafe at Houston Galleria Café (Houston), and La Cantera Café (San Antonio). 

Virginia

Carytown Café and Short Pump Café in Richmond. 

Washington

Bellevue Café in Bellevue and South Lake Union Café in Seattle. 

You can use the Capital One Location Finder to find the nearest branch. 

Conclusion

Capital One Café is more than just any ordinary coffee shop. While the main idea was to get customers to go for coffee and snacks, you can enjoy a host of services at the café without necessarily being a Capital One customer. 

Combining a café with on-demand banking services in a casual and relaxed atmosphere, Capital One Cafe has reimagined traditional brick-and-mortar banking services, allowing the café to offer customers a wide range of services on their terms.

And with perks such as free Wi-Fi, charging stations, a community room for non-profits, semi-private nooks, and access to free financial and lifestyle coaching sessions and on-demand materials, you can enjoy your favorite handcrafted beverage, coffee, tea, snacks, banking services, and collaborate with colleagues at comfort. 

I honestly believe that by revealing my positive and negative experiences over three decades of working in the industry, there is a good chance that I can save someone time and create value for their careers or decision-making.

Being incredibly blessed to have my first business succeed in the industry, I feel it is my job to give something back and to be honest about it.

I’ve run Radio Facts for 28 years and recently wrote 7 things that I know for sure about the industry. Then I realized there were many more things that I could share. This story is about the things that the industry has taught me about LIFE.

If I was a statistician, I would honestly say I have had an amazing population and sample populations from that to work with and to have a greater understanding of not only the black business community but the entire industry as well. Enjoy, and feel free to comment …

Evil Has a Payday

I have been incredibly blessed to have a majority of good experiences working in the industry over the years.

At the same time, there have only been a couple of people who have done me dead wrong. At this juncture of my industry life, I have come to understand the importance of focusing on the positive instead of the negative.

Foolishly, I spent way too much time focused on those negative experiences and those people who were not deserving of my time or efforts. I was not understanding of the Biblical saying is absolute “Vengence is mine, sayeth the Lord.”

In the end, by going after those people, I was attacking my own level of creativity and success, bringing both to a screeching halt. It is not our job to get even as much as it is to let things go.

The universe does not bless evil. It takes notes. I was the one who looked like the person with a problem because while there were others who had the same experiences with those people and they could attest to what I was saying, there were a greater amount of other people whose experiences with those persons were not the same as mines.

While it may seem incredibly unfair and unjust, I have learned It is not our job to get even, but it is our job to keep moving in a positive direction. From this perspective, some of the meanest and most vile people in the industry, I can honestly tell you, PAY THE PRICE.

I’ve witnessed it happening to them. You may not know it or see it but know that they do pay for their evil deeds.

Always Aim Higher

There are times that we get stuck, and we like to blame the world and the circumstances for our inability to progress, but the truth is, like the old adage, the world doesn’t owe us a damn thing. It’s (largely) our fault.

We hold ourselves, prisoners, to shitty situations and stay in them, thinking that the situation will change to our benefit, and that’s just bad math.

Why would you wait for something that you CAN’T control instead of doing you CAN control?  It’s as simple as moving.

If you gamble on someone else creating the life that you want and deserve, you are playing a losing hand. Get your lazy ass up and get it yourself.

I took several jobs where I was promised greater pay after ‘proving myself.’ That’s why it’s rather ironic that radio is now on the opposite end of that spectrum with Millenials and Gen Z’ers who call the shots on THEM.

Many people have a bad perception of Millenials because they don’t dedicate themselves to things that don’t work for them. Please help me to understand what’s wrong with that?

I had one Millennial working for me who I gave an assignment who told me, “I’m not interested in doing that!” I had to laugh because he reminded me of myself and the reason I started my own business. I could appreciate his honesty and hope that he can appreciate that I will not hire him for any more projects any time soon, but I still respect him.

I’d rather have him tell me that than do a shitty job of putting the project together because he has a phone cell bill to pay.

When a job is poorly done, it is evident, and there are a TON of people who only do the job for a check instead of a passion for the project.

I would venture to say Millenials, in their thinking, are right, and WE are wrong. Many of us allowed ourselves to stay in situations for years that we knew the first year wasn’t in our favor. Completely wasted time.

Goals are Like Breakfast

If you have a goal to eat breakfast, you are either going to make it yourself, ask someone to make it for you, or go and eat someplace, but you are going to accomplish that goal this morning.

You’re not going to wait for someone to offer you breakfast or hope someone knocks on your door with breakfast. Why? Because you are hungry, and you’re going to feed that hunger without anyone’s permission.

You have the permission that you need, and you don’t have to ask anybody. Your mother taught you to feed yourself, and you are going to do it.

This is a simple example that speaks volumes for the bigger picture. If you are hungry for something, feed that hunger yourself or wait for someone else to feed it, and there is a good chance you will starve.

Develop a Support System

Go where you are loved and supported, not used and neglected, and a target for someone else’s misery.  Unfortunately, it’s not always going to come from people who only look like you.

There are some great quality people out there from all walks of life who will support you in business. There are also people who will ask you for hookups and, believe it or not, those who tell you that you don’t charge enough for your services.

Which one you keep company with will determine how far you go. They both may believe in you, but only one of them is taking advantage of you. Know who that person is and deal with them accordingly … perhaps from a distance (lol).

Catch the next flight as far away as possible from people who complain and refuse to change. It’s rarely the world. It’s almost always THEM.

You Can Lead a Horse to Water …

Your job is to make sure YOU’RE not thirsty.

Over the years, I have been adamant about helping people who look like me, and unfortunately, there have been times I have been disappointed and have suffered the consequences.

Not always, but more times than I care to remember. Production has been halted for important projects; I paid writers who copied stories from major industry sites to my platforms, then I had to delete ALL their posts when I found out (sometimes up to 100 posts). There was no return on my investment of time and money. 

This is something I told them not to do when they were hired, but they did it anyway. I could have been sued.

I have been the father, mother, preacher, uncle, bank, counselor, chauffeur, you name it to my own people, just to get them to do a job, and I understand our consistent need, but by the same token, this is why many black businesses fail. Hire the Black BEST candidate.

We often have a very poor perception of black-owned businesses and tend to reward white-owned corporations as more valid.

Over the years, I have broken HUGE stories, and like clockwork, it never fails. When I look on social media, people who are on my mailing list and got the story from me first will always post a link to the white publications on their social media pages (lol). I never say anything because I understand structured subliminal programming. it’s just the cooler ice.

Know Your Value

This is THE most important lesson of all. We don’t always come from the best childhoods and circumstances, and we have a lot to contend with coming up.

Racism is inevitable, but the pain is daunting when rejection comes from your own people.

When I was younger, I never understood jealousy because I was never jealous of anyone. I always had great confidence in my own talents, but I didn’t always have the best self-esteem.

I can honestly say that I do now, but contrary to popular belief, self-esteem and confidence are two totally different things: Self-esteem is a belief in who you are, and Confidence is a belief in what you can do.

Your Greatest Asset is Not Money – Currency is Currently

Your most important asset is not money. It’s TIME. Spend it LIKE money, wisely. Invest it properly and know that with time there are rarely do-overs. The industry couldn’t care less about who you were. The emphasis is on who you ARE!!! Value usually diminishes over time unless it’s evergreen, like a great painting but a career? It’s easier to create than to recreate, but it’s not impossible. What can you do NOW? Digital tech has given people over 40 a great gift to keep going if you have great ideas and concepts. When your current life is about the past, you are no longer living in the present or the future and the industry is like a race; the focus is on the finish line, not the sideline.

Know what works and what doesn’t work, and always invest your time in the best way possible. It is the only thing you can never get back.

Over the years, I have been amazed at how some people are misled by counterfiet concepts about how black entrepreneurs live and work. Most people are very comfortable with the stability they have on a job they may hate but get paid every 2 weeks.

They look at the benefits, pay, vacation time, etc. The first difference between Entrepreneurs and the 9 to 5 workers is we understand the benefits AND the limits of working for other people. Working in the music industry, I always HATED politics, butt-kissing, and people literally getting screamed at when they don’t do their job.

I have seen it time and again, and I am not cut out to take that, but I liked working in the industry, so the ONLY way for me to do it was to own my own business. If you are thinking about making the switch to being a black entrepreneur, there are a few things you should know off the bat. Please consider these things BEFORE you make the leap.

We Make a lot of Money

Ideally, you can, but not initially. You are learning how the operation works, hiring and firing, organizing, getting your taxes in order buying supplies, finding clients, and getting everything in order. For the first two to five years, unless you have a BRILLIANT idea and funding, you will probably struggle for a while, but all is not lost.

The benefit and the “high” of working for yourself are worth it if you can hang in there. Typically, the rules for minority black entrepreneurs are different.

We don’t often have a lot of financial resources, and if we make the leap to being a black entrepreneur, the last thing we want is investors breathing down our necks but there are some ideas where you MUST get investors involved.

As the old saying goes, when you start-up uses OTHER people’s money instead of your own or your family’s.

We Do Nothing All Day

Yeah, nothing all day but WORK. Don’t I wish? Eventually, you do get to a point where you learn the rhythm, but I know many black entrepreneurs that work 8 to 18-hour days.  

The wise ones ALWAYS keep an eye on the bottom line even if they are able to work less and have people in place to watch over their businesses, but we work, and we work a LOT.

Once again, the high of knowing the business belongs to you and the fact that you are doing what you really WANT to do makes the time go by VERY fast.

Anyone can be an Entrepreneur

Not so. It takes a lot of discipline, patience, creativity, flexibility, money shifting, savvy, selling, control, relationship building, and determination. Few people can do all those things and still find a way to pay the bills when a client is and will always be late payment.

You Set Your Own Schedule

Yes and no, it all depends on what you do and how you do it. Eventually, you can, but not initially; the business sets your schedule for you.

You Only do One Job and Hire Other People to do the other ones

In a perfect black entrepreneur world… absolutely in the real world, HELL NO. You do ALL the jobs for the first couple of years and there are certainly some things you are not going to be good at and hate but they have to get done.

The first couple of years is the true test for the black entrepreneur to see what you are made of. If you can do all the work and still reach your bottom line, you are where you need to be.

Great Entrepreneur Think of Ways to Make Money First

Nope, those are usually the ones who fail miserably. If you are in the business of buying and selling businesses, then yes, this will work.

If you are in the business of keeping a business for at least 5 to 7 years (the realistic amount of time you should grow, maintain then sell a business to accumulate wealth), then no, thinking of money first won’t work. So what makes for a successful business?  

The key is PASSION… plain and simple. You can’t make a great cheesecake and run a bakery if you don’t have a passion for baking. The end result will be a disgusting cheesecake.

There is the old saying, do what you love, and the money will come. Some people say, “Do what you love and find a way to make money with it.” I agree more with the first one. When you do what you love, people will see it and, if they like it, offer you money for it.

If you are doing something right now and people are willing to pay you for it, you have a potential small business.

You Can Create a logo, and you are an Entrepreneur

These kinds of people actually make it hard for legitimate black entrepreneurs. It takes a LOT more than that. Getting an email with a gmail.com extension is NOT a foray into being a black entrepreneur.

A complete presentation is key, and if you don’t take the time to get your presentation in order, you are not legitimate.

If you are a beginner and you have a great idea, and you are making money, every bit of that money (and you may still have to work for someone else in the process) should go into building your business, not new shoes or a new car.

Getting a professional site done, registering on all the social networks, having a professional logo, etc all add up to you having a successful business.

Some Entrepreneurs Fail

MOST do. They are not prepared for the amount of work that goes into it. They don’t plan, they don’t grow, etc. The black entrepreneurs who succeed are always ahead of the 8-ball, learning new skills and technology and maintaining relationships with clients and/or customers.

There are also those who “sustain” this is where they are neutral in their success, but if they get sick or something happens to them, the business could literally fold.

They are the ones who never hire anyone to help, and they keep every penny to themselves.

You eliminate stress when you work for yourself.

Yes and no. It depends on how you determine what Stress is. I think stress is doing what I don’t want to do for work and even owning my own business. There are parts of it I don’t like doing, but I realize they have to be done.

Others may be stressed out because they can’t pay their rent on time if they work for themselves. Initially, that will happen.

Being an Entrepreneur is Always Fun

It can be, and it SHOULD BE, but many of us take ourselves too seriously, and we don’t enjoy the fruits of our labor.

Time is very limited, and if you are in a relationship or married, it’s even more difficult to balance your time and energy, but for the most part, yes, it is fun because you are repeatedly investing in yourself sans permission, politics, and BS.

Quite often, as black-owned entrepreneurs, we find ourselves operating in a vacuum. We have SO many jobs that it’s often difficult, even impossible at times to find good help. There are some mistakes that we often make that could make our lives so much easier.

First and foremost, we must adapt to today’s market and digital resources. We can still win, but we must be willing to adapt and change our previous concepts.

For example, there is no need to hire full-time or even part-time employees for many jobs anymore. You will save a ton of time, money, and agony hiring someone per project.

The benefit is you can test people out now, and if they do well, keep hiring them or let them work their way into full-time. Here are a few tips to make work life easier for you.

Finding Good Help

PROBLEM: This has got to be one of the absolute greatest challenges for MOST black entrepreneurs. From my own personal experience, many of today’s younger workers are all about instant gratification, and they have agendas, thanks to social media, to build their own brands.

They couldn’t care less about paying dues or climbing the ladder because they don’t have to. Unfortunately for them, they don’t understand that nothing will ever replace “relationships,” and you never develop them by walking over people.

On the other end of the spectrum, from my experience, older workers tend to be very stern and stuck in their ways, they can come to the table expecting to be well paid and treated with the utmost respect based on their previous tenure, but they have not worked in years. At times BOTH can present themselves as if they are doing YOU a favor.

SOLUTION: Go against the grain and seek help in the gray areas. Hire people who DON’T have excellent social media likes and numbers because they are going to need the job the most, and they will be the most hungry.

There are also MANY job services for former people who have been caught up in the system and have been challenged and have a great desire to get into the workforce.

Also, let’s face it, times have changed. If you are looking for someone with a great social media following, instead of hiring them to work for you, why not hire them to specifically get YOU great social media numbers as a consultant?.

I hire people who may not have the best social media stats to cover events that I am not able to go to who post images on Instagram, which is automatically connected to Twitter and Facebook, and it looks like my brand is everywhere.

Not to mention it goes a long way with clients and potential clients, but I specifically hire these people to ONLY do social networking. I suggest getting someone with so-so social media numbers so that they represent your brand instead of themselves.

In addition, they get an added bonus by meeting people in my industry. Make sure you have specifics in writing before they do an assignment.

No posting of badges and passes, no posting on their own social media outlets without hashtagging your brand link, and no plus ones, you want them focused on doing YOUR brand the favor, not impressing one of their friends or a date.

Balancing Time

PROBLEM: Whoever said, “To whom much is given, much is expected,” was right on point. As you read this, I am in Buffalo, New York, right now, taking care of some much-needed family business, and I had to literally move my business via laptop to Buffalo for several weeks and uproot my life from LA. (which is not that hard to do. I am not a big fan of Los Angeles).

You will get hit with some of the most unexpected things from time to time. Before I left LA, I did a magazine that was mailed late via the post office, and there was nothing that I could do about it but learn from the experience and not make the same mistake again.

There are times as black entrepreneurs that we feel that ALL that we DO is work, and I know MANY black entrepreneurs who are single because the demand to be dedicated to a successful business can outweigh a romantic relationship that takes up even more time.

SOLUTION: Start by taking one day off. What is your absolute slowest day? Perhaps you should consider using that day to pamper yourself.

I LOVE the fact that I can go in stores, drive around and go to the museum or even sell real estate in the middle of the day when everybody else is working. Treat yourself to lunch or even a weekend vacation but don’t just WORK …. LIVE.

Collecting Money

PROBLEM: This USED to be a problem for me until I came up with several solutions. Look at doing business like a date:

It is painstaking to watch bills come in and not have the cash flow to pay them. If you let them, a client will use your business like a one-night stand; they get what they want and then leave you stranded. Why not get wined and dined first?

Then you BOTH get what you want. Stop GIVING your valuable experience and tenure away. Make them pay upfront instead of whoring out your business.

Stop bending over backward and treating them like gold so that they will come back because the more that you respect your business, the more they respect YOU.

SOLUTION: First, ask your repeat clients if they can do direct deposits. It would benefit you to have a PayPal or Quickbooks account to accomplish this or if it’s a corporation, ask how you can set it up. This will kill a TON of wasted time.

Next, offer a discount for an upfront payment. Realize the most important thing: THEY CAME TO YOU! When this is the case, the ball is in your court. Don’t sell yourself short by extending them credit, doing the work then having to chase them for months for the money.

At the end of the day, they will get pissed at YOU for bugging them and will probably not do business with you again as if YOU are the bad guy for getting on their nerves. All of this could have been avoided by respecting yourself and your business from the gate and asking for your money upfront.

Paying Employees

PROBLEM: People want to be paid instantly for their work, even if it means you depositing money in their bank accounts.

SOLUTION: NO! I know another black entrepreneur who doesn’t see the problems with this but I do. First of all, your business is not a money tree or a welfare agency.

This is the problem when people can talk directly to the person who holds the purse strings. I have heard every sob story you can imagine, but I have found two things to be true:

When you pay people too soon, the quality of the work is diminished because their focus is more on getting paid. Second, if you have to leave your computer to pay someone by going to your bank, then their bank, standing in line and depositing money, that is NOT your job.

Designate two paydays, for example, the first and the 15th, and let them know that they will be receiving a check or a payment via PayPal or Quickbooks on those dates.

If they have Paypal, while it’s up to you, you should NOT pay the fees. Getting paid via PayPay is to the contractor’s benefit, NOT YOURS. It’s an option for convenience. They can avoid the fees by getting a check in the mail.

You do not have time to hear sob stories or to help other people with their financial problems you are running a business. It will hurt the esteem of your business and your ability to grow, taking on that added and unnecessary burden. Remember, growth is the key, NOT stagnation.

I consult a few businesses each week. I was talking to a client about his business in California, where he sells health products.

He is outrageously passionate about what he sells.  His customers love him, and he is very dedicated. He is successful, but he is also exhausted. He has hired two employees to work under him, who he states do not have the same passion that he does, and he is frustrated by that.  

He has complained about paying them great money and not getting the results. I have heard other black entrepreneurs complain about the same thing.

I explained to him that employees will never be as passionate about your business as you are, and you can’t get mad at them for not having that same passion.  

They have their own lives, problems, and passions. I suggested to him, as I do the other clients in this situation, to get a manager to duplicate themselves instead of hiring employees.

This way, you kill two birds with one stone. When you repeatedly hire employees, and you train them, and they don’t work out, you are wasting valuable time over and over again. Why not get one person by taking the two salaries from the employees and pay the one employee 70% of the 100% you are paying those two employees and teach him or her how to duplicate you.  

Let them follow you around for a week or two and watch how you operate. In other words, hire them as a manager instead of an employee, considering they are qualified.

Someone that you hire as a manager is prone to take the job more seriously, and it will free you up to figure out ways to make more money for the company, which in turn will generate more revenue to hire those two employees down the road.

It is better to have one person you can depend on instead of two people who have no interest.

One of the other important suggestions that I have for clients in the situation is to write down what you are teaching new employees. This is rarely done, which is what causes frustration. What you are doing is creating a manual that you can give them to read, and they can refer to it first before they come to you if they have questions.

This will also help prevent you from having to do the exact same thing repeatedly when employees or managers don’t work out.  Ask them to go over the manual when you first hire them and to ask any questions they may have off the bat.

This client also complained to me that he was exhausted from working 16-hour days. But instead of finding a way to cut his hours down, he opened an additional store which actually increased his hours. I often see this mistake as well.

We think that changing the environment or making additions instead of subtractions, it will make us like what we do more instead of understanding that it may be time to make some drastic changes instead.  He has taken my advice and is now training a new manager.  Thus far, he is happy with the results, and he has put the employees on notice. He states they are working much harder and paying more attention.

R&B Love songs have enchanted and enriched the ears and imaginations of music lovers the world over like no other genre.

Some might credit this to the impassioned manner in which they were sung or the soul-stirring rhythms that recall the very beat of a bountifully fulfilled heart.

However, the essence of a love song is its lyric, conveying a message more effectively sung with memorable melody than spoken with earnest intent. Words & Music coupled with a soulful expression that transcends the abilities of the everyday man or woman are priceless treasures when one seeks to acquire life’s ultimate prize: a soulmate forever true, loving, and enticing. 

One of the finest songs ever written about the mythical jackpot of perfect love is Kenneth Gamble & Leon Huff’s jaunty and bright Philly Soul gem for Teddy Pendergrass entitled, “When Somebody Loves You Back.” Breaking the concept down to mathematical fractions, Teddy emphatically instructs, “Not 70/30, not 60/40 / Talkin’ `bout a 50/50 Love!”

If you live long enough, you understand that there will be times when both partners are required to give more than the other due to several sundry circumstances. But when all is said and done in a relationship that hopefully lasts across many decades – when all the calculations are in – the see-saw of love balances out in a space of mutual adoration and respect.

One absolutely beautiful word for what true love should feel like was turned into a song by Chuck Jackson & Marvin Yancy as deliciously sung by Yancy’s wife at the time, Ms. Natalie Cole.

That word is “Inseparable”: meaning never ever to be separated by anyone or anything. This is dream state soulmate territory…never wishing to be apart from the one you love, which, again, in reality, is truly extreme. In Khalil Gibran’s timeless text “The Prophet,” wisdom is dispatched in the suggestion, “Let there be spaces in your togetherness,” as a key to long-term relationships.

But in dream states – especially during long-term loneliness – one aches for someone to love them so much they never want to be away from them.

Additionally, of an extreme nature is when one feels that love is so destined, that nothing can stop it from happening! Thus the angle of Nickolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson’s epic “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” first made a classic by the soul-pop love duo of all-time Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell, later catapulted into orbit by Diana Ross. “No wind, no rain, nor winter’s cold / Can stop me, baby, if you are my goal.” This is romance 101…bordering on stalking!

On a purer level is the heartwarming “I’ll Be There,” which had a pint-sized Michael Jackson and his brother Jermaine (within The Jackson 5) crooning about pacts and salvations of which surely none of them understood at such young ages.

Still, Motown Records’ secret songwriting quartet The Corporation (Berry Gordy, Freddie Perren, Fonce Mizel and Deke Richards) tapped into the everlasting aspect of true love like no other with this song, including the ultimate sacrifice; “If you should ever find someone new / I know he better be good to you / `Cuz if he doesn’t…I’ll be there.”

When two people find someone they hopefully feel fits the bills of the above four songs, they arrive at the mountaintop of “At Last,” the most adopted wedding anthem of all time. The song was written by Harry Warren (Italian-American Salvatore Antonio Guarana) and Mack Gordon (American Morris Gittler) for the 1941 musical film “Sun Valley Serenade” and originally recorded several times by trombonist/conductor Glenn Miller’s Orchestra.

Nearly two decades later, Etta James (African American R&B singer Jamesetta Hawkins) unwittingly made the song her own via an impassioned exclamation to the heavens that any long-waiting love-starved dreamer truly understands – heavily imitated yet never duplicated. 

Jumping the broom into Holy Matrimony, the table for the consummation of love has never been as poetically or prayerfully set as by Stevie Wonder who likened true destined love as being represented by a knot-tied in serene celestial eternity with his masterful rhapsody, “Ribbon in the Sky.”

The song was one of only four then-new ones included on a two-album set otherwise consisting of past milestones assembled under the colorful (and bold) title, Original Musiquarium, Volume 1. 

Once lovers come together as one, the challenge is to keep it together. Though life and the world will hurl them many hurdles to leap and obstacles to avoid, the honest to God best way to survive is to keep love simple. “Whatever you want to do is all right with me….” And, of course, this goes for both parties.

Thus is the plea of the Secular Reverend Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together,” which he co-penned with Memphis Soul music producer extraordinaire Willie Mitchell and master drummer Al Jackson, Jr. (the reason why the gently driving pulse of this song so perfectly syncs to the success of the long-distance jog of love). 

Once a couple has been around long enough to be pleased to be called ‘the folks who live on the hill,’ they can also surely sing a wistful duet of “(You’re the) Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me” a la Gladys Knight & The Pips, written by soft-spoken country tunesmith Jim Weatherley, the soul group’s first-call go-to secret weaver of love magic.

All of that said, there are times when love weighs so profoundly that it’s difficult to articulate even in song. Ernie Isley, best known as the searing blues-rock guitarist of The Isley Brothers, best captured that sentiment by putting pen to paper to write the elliptically poetic “(At Your Best) You Are Love” – originally sung by Ronald Isley but also sensitively interpreted for another generation by “baby girl” Aaliyah.

Finally, when no words can express the glow and the glory of love, there is the universal instrumental gift of music. And no instrumental struck a chord about what it feels like to be in love than the note that the swirling ascending strings of the Love Unlimited Orchestra climaxed on – over and over – on the international smash “Love’s Theme,” master stroke of the love man of love men, Barry White. 

May all within the sight or sound of my words above experience every emotion encompassed within these hallmark songs of Soulful Love.

Consider Online Business Degrees

There is a misconception that people who go into business are limited to economics or commerce. However, the variety of careers available under the business umbrella is quite remarkable. From human resources to marketing and dozens of fields in between, degrees in business are leading the way. Here are four types of online business degrees to seriously consider.

1. Public Relations Specialists

Consider Online Business Degrees

Who would have thought that the nineteenth-century businessman and founder of Adams and Company would have “hit the head on the nail” in describing the importance of public relations? He was right in stating that PR is a key component of any operation.

As the culture has moved rapidly into the digital age, companies are competing for recognition like never before. Public Relations Specialists are in high demand to develop social media content that will stand out amongst the competition. Their jobs include creating press releases, promoting a company’s brand, and writing dynamic stories for websites and social media.

Getting an online business degree in public relations is an outstanding option for those who thrive in marketing, promotion, and content creation.

2. Entrepreneurship

Consider Online Business Degrees

There’s no other way to say it: Entrepreneurship is booming. Simply a fancy word for  “businessperson,” the brave entrepreneur is cropping up in nearly every profession. Although a degree is not required to run your own business, an Entrepreneurial Business Degree can be highly beneficial. Here is an outstanding article on the pros and cons of entrepreneurship programs.

Valuable skills, such as sales, retail, accounting, and management, are needed for businesses to thrive. Online education will only help the independent career person take their personal strengths to a new level. Fortunately, the flexibility of taking online courses fits nicely into the hectic start-up schedule most entrepreneurs face.

3. Accounting

Consider Online Business Degrees

Good with numbers? Accountants and finance managers are needed in every growing corporation. Their jobs include preparing tax statements, overseeing budgetary expenses, keeping financial systems up-to-date, and much more.

Accounting is one field that is stable and ever-growing, even in poor economic times. Solid money management is crucial to growing and thriving companies. Therefore, earning an online business degree in accounting is an excellent choice.

Still on the fence? Check out this article that details the pros and cons of choosing a career in accounting.

4. Health Care Administration

Consider Online Business Degrees

When people hear the word “health care,” they automatically picture doctors and nurses. However, there is a whole world of healthcare professionals that handle the business side of things. And theirs is a profession that isn’t going away anytime soon. The benefits of getting a Health Care Administration Degree include training in human resources, medical insurance claims, and even specialized jobs such as mental health or child welfare.

Don’t underestimate the value of an online business degree. The options are endless, and the potential is great. Whether you have the desire to focus on media as a PR Specialist, manage a company’s finances, or join the growing network of entrepreneurs, an online business degree is seriously worth considering.
Choosing the Cheapest College Online

Introduction

John Lee Hooker was one of the most influential musicians in the history of the blues origin. He had a distinctive sound and fantastic talent, recording over 100 albums. 

This article will examine ten great things about a man who helped to create the blueprint of the blues origin and he is one of the greatest blues legends of all, Mr. John Lee Hooker

Hooker’s sound was raw, gritty, and uniquely his own.

As a blues artist, Hooker’s sound was raw and gritty. The sounds of Robert Lockwood Jr. and Blind Lemon Jefferson, both country music and jazz, influenced Hooker and influenced his contemporaries. 

In addition to his guitar playing, Hooker used a chair for percussion—a technique that became popularised when he played with Muddy Waters’ band in the 1960s.

Other artists recorded his songs.

You might think the most obvious benefit of being a blues singer is having your song become popular, which would be true if John Lee Hooker hadn’t beat you to it. 

In 1952, his song “Boogie Chillen” was released as a single and became one of the first songs by an African-American artist to be a hit on both R&B and pop charts.

As it turns out, Hooker wasn’t just good at writing his songs; he also made other people’s work sound great. 

The Rolling Stones covered him in their early days (and even named themselves after an early Stones track). 

Led Zeppelin incorporated bits from “Boogie Chillen” into their classic tune “Whole Lotta Love,” while Eric Clapton sampled Hooker’s guitar solo on “I’m In The Mood” for his song “Layla.”

He was awarded an honorary degree.

John Lee Hooker is the only African American to receive an honorary doctorate from the University of Washington. 

He earned this honor in 1999 and was awarded one from Berklee College of Music in 1992 (the first time they had ever granted such a degree).

His fame rose in the 1960s and 70s.

Hooker’s fame rose in the 1960s and 1970s. He influenced the blues revival movement, which was popular among the hippie countercultures. Hooker significantly influenced Bob Dylan, who covered many of his songs.

Tony Hollins gave John Lee Hooker his first guitar.

Hooker was given his first guitar by Tony Hollins, an itinerant bluesman who befriended Hooker’s father. The young John Lee Hooker was twelve years old when he received the instrument.

One of his signature songs is “Boom Boom.”

One of Hooker’s most notable songs is “Boom Boom,” released on his first album in 1960. Written by John Lee Hooker and his wife, Nellie, the song tells the story of a woman who isn’t faithful to her husband. 

Many artists have covered the song over the years, including Robert Plant and Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin, John Lennon and George Harrison of The Beatles, and Elvis Presley.

He didn’t study to play the guitar until he worked on a farm.

John Lee Hooker was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi, on August 22, 1917. His family moved to Dyess, Arkansas, when he was two years old due to financial hardship. 

He worked on a farm in his teenage years and learned how to play the guitar there. His stepdad, who worked at the farm, encouraged him to learn this instrument because it would help him find work as a musician later in life.

He took public transportation during his early career as a musician

He never wanted to be a burden to anyone, and to be independent of his family, he had to learn how to support himself as a musician.

This humble attitude eventually helped him become one of history’s most prolific blues singers.

He sometimes used a chair as a drum kit.

John Lee Hooker was so well-known for his songs that it became common for him to play in clubs. 

This meant he had to improvise when the drummer didn’t show up. He often used a chair as a drum kit, putting his foot on the seat and tapping out a bass line with his hands. Sometimes he used the chair to tap out rhythms or even entire songs.

His biggest influences were Blind Lemon Jefferson and Robert Lockwood Jr.

John Lee Hooker was a blues singer and guitarist who had a massive impact on American music. 

Many artists influenced him, but his most significant influences were Blind Lemon Jefferson, and Robert Lockwood Jr. John Lee Hooker also had great humor, which is why we love him so much.

Blind Lemon Jefferson was a famous blues guitarist who lived until the early 1930s. He played the guitar with just one finger (on his left hand), which gave him an unusual style that became very popular during his lifetime (you can see how he did it in this video).

Robert Lockwood Jr. was another famous blues guitarist from Mississippi who played with B.B. King in their band.

John Lee Hooker was exceptional

The first thing you should learn about John Lee Hooker is that he was fantastic. He had a relaxed style and an easygoing personality, which made it seem like he was having fun with his music. This helps explain why so many people think of him as one of history’s best blues singers and musicians.

Countless musicians have imitated John Lee Hooker’s style, sound, and songwriting over the years, but there are only a few artists who can match the soulfulness that he brought to his songs—and even fewer who can make it look easy to do so.

Conclusion

And that’s the kind of guy John Lee Hooker was. He didn’t care what people thought and just did his own thing. And it’s a good thing because many people have enjoyed his music since he first started playing in the 1940s.