Making a Blog a Passive Income Investment

This is a basic introduction to making money blogging and create a passive income investment by doing so. There are many other ways to generate income but these are the most popular. Please like and share. 

The other day I was quite surprised to see a “financial advisor” give some of the worse advice ON TV that I have ever seen. She was telling people to get extra jobs to create a “Passive income investment” to generate wealth. I could not believe she was serious and people were actually following her advice and getting extra jobs to pay off bills and to earn extra money to make ends meet. I am not in any way a financial advisor but I DO understand how to make your money work for you.

First and foremost we have all heard “It’s not what you make, it’s what you keep” but there needs to be an addition to that statement. “It’s not what you make, it’s what you keep AND WHAT YOU INVEST.”

The first thing I can tell you is that “passive income” is NOT going out and working yourself to death to make extra money. That’s simply EXTRA income and I can guarantee you that if you think that’s the way to gain wealth you absolutely can, but it will take a lifetime and you better be willing to surrender all of your relationships, your health, and your most valuable assets: your time and your energy.

I believe one of our responsibilities when we have been blessed, is to share our knowledge with others. I strongly believe in paying it forward.  Allow me to share a bit of information with you to gain wealth that is ACTUALLY “passive income.” For this case, I’ll use the benefits of a blog or website.

I know several people who have excellent content and they use Facebook to garner audience and response and while they do a GREAT job of doing that, they are leaving a LOT of money on the table. First and foremost because they are giving it away to Facebook and they are not getting an ROI (Return on their investment) of TIME and ENERGY. Here is a better way to do it if you have a large following on Facebook. Click NEXT below to see the next segment

Create a Blog or Vlog Instead …

Giving your best compelling long-form posts away on social media certainly has a return on the investment. Your fans may like it, share it or comment on it. But you are missing two amazing assets. You don’t have their email address and you are not gaining any income from it. Posting on Facebook actually has a limited return. Your posts are NOT getting to your entire friend’s list because Facebook wants you to pay to reach your entire list with Facebook ads.

Even when people share your posts, all of THEIR friends are not seeing your posts either but what’s worse is Facebook has no way for you to monetize your content because they want YOU to pay THEM. By having your own site or blog, you can earn a great deal of money from Google Adsense which is known as “affiliate income.”

Let me be honest, it’s going to take about a year of posting to see good returns on a blog. It’s not a get-rich-quick venture but if done right it can last many years and give you residual earnings. You may make $100 after about a year of posting, maybe more. I have a good average for Radio Facts but the more visitors you get the more you make. Blogging is all about PPC (Pay Per Click) when it comes to Google Adsense but you also make money per 1000 visitors even if they don’t click. When I started off, I was making about $30 a month with Radio Facts. Since that time, my earnings have escalated tremendously.

My most earnings came when I earned $1200 IN ONE DAY when I had a really hot post on the site about racism. There are journalists, bloggers and sites out there earning as much as $8000 and MORE A DAY with AdSense and other affiliate marketing programs but AdSense is by far the most popular and the most used. Know that if you are posting compelling content on Facebook that’s getting a lot of responses you are leaving money on the table.

BTW, a “Vlog” is the same as a blog but a video version. Vlogs are actually more profitable. I will go into detail about Vlogging in the follow-up article. Click NEXT below to see the next segment

Write eBooks as a Passive Income Investment

I’ve written several eBooks over the years and it’s really not that hard. You can literally take some of your content from your blog that has consistency (related to one subject) and create an ebook with plugins like Anthologize. You can formulate the eBook, get a proofreader/editor off of FIVERR and have them formulate the ebook. Hire a graphic designer off of FIVERR for a reasonable price and create an eBook from compelling content you have already written over a one or two year period. It would be very difficult to do that with Facebook. Click NEXT below to see the next segment

Sell Posts

Radio Facts is considered a “Micro-Influencer” site because we are niche and very engaging for readers. Micro-influencers are HUGE right now because major influencer site audiences are not as engaged and advertisers have realized they have wasted a lot of money on those sites. If you are posting reviews for restaurants on social media, for example, that same content can go on a website or blog and advertisers will approach YOU about running banners or posts, depending on the quality of your site. Sure advertisers approach people about mentioning a product on social media if they have a great following, but you still don’t have the ability to earn extra income with banners.

I was having a conversation with a girl at a bar the other day who knows all the hot spots in the San Fernando Valley, from restaurants to bars to music spots. I told her she should think about doing a blog because advertisers would be thrilled to get her to review their products and she could easily relegate herself as an expert. In addition, because she has a niche “Hot spots in the San Fernando Valley” instead of something much more competitive and WAY too broad like “Hot Spots in LA” she could grow her site quickly and be a “Micro influencer” Click NEXT below to see the next segment

Use Adsense as a Passive Income Investment

“Passive income” is not about working yourself to death, it’s about waking up in the morning and seeing a text on your phone that says “A direct deposit has been made to your account” and you didn’t expect it. Not only is that the BEST feeling in the world and a GREAT way to start your day, but it’s also making money while you sleep. Having a website or a blog for your compelling content will open the door for you to run AdSense ads. As stated at the start of this article, it will take a minute to get your money rolling in but it will happen sooner if you are running a lot of great content that is garnering a lot of visits or goes viral. Blogging is not a game, it’s a job. So make sure you chose to have a blog about something that you are REALLY interested in. If you are interested in it, there’s a good chance others are too. Click NEXT below to see the next segment

Get Email Addresses

Social media nets have shut down your ability to get email addresses from your friends. This is intentional. This is so that the ONLY way that you can reach them is to use the middleman (social media) but when you also think about the fact that your posts are only reaching a small segment of the people on your friends list AND you can only reach more people by spending a LOT of time AND money on social media, you have to ask yourself if it’s worth it ESPECIALLY when you could develop a mailing list with those email addresses and have that same compelling content you are posting on a social media platform go to your ENTIRE list for a small monthly fee. In addition, you have the added benefit of your site being indexed by Google. Click NEXT below to see the next segment

Relegate Yourself as an Expert

I’ve been asked to speak at major events, to make TV appearances and to give my opinion on major sites. This is a great passive income investment because it elevates your brand. Who would go on TV and promote their Facebook page? A LOT of people do and that’s a not giving them the true benefit of brand building because they don’t have their email addresses. It’s better to promote your site and to make sure you have a popup to gather email addresses.  In the process of making appearances, your earnings will start to go up because once people see you as an expert and they will request you. Keep in mind, Email addresses are MORE valuable than social media friends. If you have to, find a way to promote both.  Click NEXT below to see the next segment

Make Appearances

When you are invited to cover events or make appearances GO FOR IT but posting the reviews on social media is OK but again, you are leaving money on the table. If you ever read sites or blogs and you see references to articles, it is RARE that the link is to a FaceBook page or article. It’s usually to a site. Your site is your brand NOT your social media page. Those links back to your site help to build your audience and can create links to your AdSense ads and gather more email addresses. Click NEXT below to see the next segment

Guest Post

A lot of major blogs like Huffington Post and others LOVE guests posts. This can work wonders for your brand to link BACK to your site. I know people who guest post on these sites and they don’t have their own sites to link back to. I look at this as a TOTAL waste of time, energy and money. The purpose of guest posting is for brand building. Have you ever noticed celebrities do the rounds in media when they are promoting a book, album or a new movie? You are always selling your brand and product and if you are just GIVING your skills away then you are merely building someone ELSE’s brand. Click NEXT below to see the next segment

YouTube Channel as a Passive Income Investment

If you like doing vides post on YouTube and monetize again with AdSense. I’ve seen people go viral on Facebook with videos that get MILLIONS of views that are simply shared over and over. There is a benefit to that but it’s rare that it’s monetized like when posting the video on YouTube FIRST, which means every time someone clicks on that video you get a credit on Youtube and you can earn money.

Also once you post it on YouTube you can make the video exclusive to you. People can share it all day but they can’t monetize it because they don’t own it. The more they share your video the more clicks YOU get. If they steal your video and monetize it as their own, they will get a penalty from YouTube but if you post it on FaceBook you can’t monetize it. Click NEXT below to see the next segment

Podcasting as a Passive Income Investment

Podcasting is HUGE. I saw this trend coming several years ago and didn’t stick with it. At the time, there was no way to monetize it because it was too new but I had 1.3 million downloads.  You have to be dedicated to consistency with Podcasts otherwise, you will not be successful.

They do take time but they can be profitable because advertisers are everywhere now and they see the value. If you have something compelling to say, podcasting can be profitable for you. Click NEXT below to see the next segment

Review Product

If you are currently reviewing music or movies on Facebook the most that you will get is an invite to review more things. There are MANY people who have a LOT more friends on their list than you do who the advertisers will approach about saying something about their products on their socials. But if you have a site or a blog you can sell banner ads or the advertisers will come to you to run banners.

Depending on the size of your site you can charge anywhere from $500 to $10,000 or MORE an ad. Steer clear of middlemen like agencies who come at you to offering pennies on the dollar to run banners on ads.  I get bombarded with them. They are making a bulk of the money and that does you no good. Ask them who the ad is for when they approach you if they tell you, and they usually won’t, you can multiply what they are willing to pay you by multiples. They are hired to get as many sites as possible to run the ad. I don’t work with any agencies. Click NEXT below to see the next segment

Barter

Barters can come in very handy when it comes to saving money. For example, if you are doing a niche blog about restaurants in your area and one of them is your favorite you can offer to run an ad for free or discounted food for your meetings etc. The bigger your site is the greater your opportunity. Click NEXT below to see the next segment

USE IMAGE SERVICE

You can earn affiliate income from promoting image sites but the more IMPORTANT point here is that Attorneys and agencies are currently TROLLING all the blogs and sites and suing if you are using images that you don’t have permission to use.

If you review movies, for example, the studios don’t usually have a problem with you reviewing their product and using THEIR images from the movie for free and whatever is emailed to you in the form of a promotion from a major company gives you wiggle room to use the images but if you are posting random pictures of celebrities from Google images, you will most likely get sued or at least a nasty and looming threat where they STILL want thousands as they threaten to take you to court.

12 REASONS YOU SHOULD NEVER HIRE FRIENDS

I have had it happen to me and know a lot of other sites who have had to pay penalties as much as $10,000 for using a crappy image for a story. It’s better to just pay for images to avoid this. I may cost you 3k a year but that’s a LOT better than paying $10k 20 times for using someone else’s images. I recommend sites like Shutterstock​

How I will make passive income with this post:

1. Create an ebook with an extended version
2. Adsense ads
3. Affiliate links
4. Shares and Likes (generate more traffic)
5. Viewers who look at the links to other posts (increasing chance to earn income) and visits to the site.
6. … and more

The Philly native spearheaded Prince’s posthumous album, “Originals”

Troy Carter can’t leave the game alone. After taking a hiatus from music, he spearheaded Prince’s posthumous album, Originals. Outside of music, Carter’s expanding his portfolio in the venture capital world. Carter joins TIDAL’s Rap Radar podcast for a sit-down interview with Elliott Wilson and Brian “B.Dot” Miller to discuss his work on the project, the music industry, finances and more including:

• The difficulty of leaving Spotify to rep the Prince estate & partner with TIDAL
• How the estate sifted through archives of Prince’s handwritten notes & daily agendas to puzzle the pieces of his vault
• The possibility of forthcoming Prince albums
• Intern experience at Bad Boy; learning professionalism & black entrepreneurship from Diddy
• How working as an assistant manager to Fresh Prince and Jazzy Jeff taught Troy the art of relationship building
• Friendship with Scooter Braun & how they squashed their legal dispute

The “Rap Radar” podcast adds to TIDAL’s growing podcast network, which includes a variety of series hosted by some of the most trusted and influential names in music. From Fat Joe’s “Coca Vision” and Joey Bada$$’s “47 Minutes” – TIDAL is on the pulse of music culture.

Series: T-Pain’s School of Business
Premiere Date: Tuesday, August 6 at 11 p.m. ET/PT on Fuse

TUNE-IN: Fuse and T-Pain are bringing viewers back to school this summer with a brand-new class of innovators, disruptors and startup heroes. T-Pain’s School of Business features beloved artist, comedic personality and business mogul T-Pain as he explores innovative, unique and off-the-wall startups created by millennial black entrepreneurs. As he gets a feel for each quirky and groundbreaking company the black entrepreneurs reveal how they got started and what it took to turn their ideas into reality.

In the season premiere of the Critics’ Choice Real TV Award-nominated series, T-Pain will eat the world’s first robot-made hamburger at Alex Vardakostas’ Creator Burger; meet up with Xos Trucks co-founder Giordano Sordoni – a twenty-something who beat Elon Musk to market with a zero carbon emissions semi-truck; and get a high-tech tattoo with wearable UV sensors from Carlos Olguin’s LogicInk. Other start-up businesses and black entrepreneurs being showcased throughout the season include “Slime Queen” Karina Garcia’s Craft City, Kickstradomis’ custom sneakers and cleats for pro-athletes, and Black Santa, created by two-time NBA All-Star Baron Davis.

In addition to the new season, two digital series will also be premiering beginning August 6. In T-Pain’s School of Business: Where Are They Now? T-Pain revisits eight businesses from Season 1, and Pitch To T-Pain has T-Pain reacting to product pitches submitted via his social channels with feedback that is uniquely T-Pain.

T-Pain’s School of Business premieres on Tuesday, August 6 starting at 11 p.m. ET/PT on Fuse.

Many businesses have used the “Black-owned” label to solicit additional business in the past or as a way to add credibility to their brands. Unfortunately, this has often backfired. In large part, because we (black people) don’t really care. As a matter of fact, it may actually HURT your business.

Perhaps the only time a business should use  “Black-owned” is when they are in the press for their success (Slutty Vegan) or there is a program that can help fund or supplement the business’ mission. In other words, when the opportunity presents itself to benefit us all instead of the other way around. Otherwise, work to be the BEST business FIRST.

Building the Best Business

Hire the BEST team (in and OUT of the black community) and eliminate the bacteria before it spreads. Have a team that can go above and BEYOND what you need and be open to acquiesce to potential ideas for growth from your team instead of thinking you know everything … because you don’t.

“Black-owned can come off as entitlement, especially when it’s a so-so business.

Nobody cares UNLESS you break the mold (Tyler Perry Studios). In ANY business that is struggling when you have to use tactics and excuses to get people to buy, it hurts everybody under that category. The main thing is having a brand that people love and come in droves for.

Making More Money with your Business Means Building More Value

Making more money with your business by making the best long-term small efforts

Making more money with your business is crucial to your growth. By now you should know that all the rage is on being an black entrepreneur but if you are one you know it’s not something that most people can do.  I’ve been an black entrepreneur for 24 years and I can honestly tell you it’s not what you think it is and it’s a lot more at the same time. It’s a LOT of hard work, LONG days, limited fun and can be frustrating because you are consistently putting out fires and misunderstood by others but the REWARD is doing what you love and getting paid 100% for your efforts. (Avoiding traffic in LA each day is a reward in itself).

In this Seven-part series “24/7 Lessons in Business. I’m going to share some of the best lessons I’ve learned that can save you your two most valuable assets when it comes to running your business. Time and Energy. Today I want to talk about making more money with your business. The second most important thing about your business. What’s first? Passion, which is another story. Just note that no matter how much “passion” you have, if you don’t have sales, you’ll be out of business.

Your Business is your spouse, child, and your dog. You should have a reciprocal enormous interest in it.

Some of the most simple things in business mean the most when it comes to your bottom line and making more money with your business.  I’ve known many people in the industry who come to the table selling themselves short but they want to be taken seriously. For example, if you have a business and you are using a Gmail account extension clients notice things like that. If you don’t have the wherewithal to create a website and have an email extension attached to your brand name … that will be a problem.

The only time this works is when you want to have a private email for certain people. I have several musicians and industry people who prefer to use their personal addresses to get our email updates and avoid their corporations’ blocking of mass emails and that makes sense. But when you are selling something to potential clients you have to have a tighter presentation.

Make sure you spend money and have a decent looking logo. You can find a TON of people on Fiverr.com to do it for you for a relatively low price. Everything is about ratings these days and Fiverr is no exception. Don’t use anyone with less than three stars unless they are new and have great samples of their work.

Your logo says EVERYTHING about your brand and if it’s jagged around the edges or it looks cheaply done that will reflect you and your price points for sales

Making more money with your business means making more bold moves: Ask for what you want BEFORE you think about Asking …

In the process of making more money with your business, you have a better chance of getting what you want by grabbing the opportunity BEFORE you think about it. But have your sh in order. I have gotten SO many great things over the years by diving in and asking for it BEFORE I had a chance to talk myself out of it, which we all will if we think about it long enough.

Black business owners have so many trepidations before asking for what we want like, “Is this company racist, they don’t have any black people or minorities in their management (Tip: you can see most company management teams on their website) or “Is this black person against helping other black people who own businesses etc.

You come up against the super fans of your brand and the opposites at times but if you dive in and ask for what you want, you lose absolutely nothing from what you came to the table with AND you have a 50 percent chance of a gain. Which STILL puts yo ahead of the curve for a 100% NO … if you don’t ask.

When making more money with your business, keep in mind, you ARE what your TOP customer is willing to pay

No matter what business you are in, the best way to set your standard is by your best paying client when making more money with your business. You will come across great clients, provided you have QUALITY AND VALUE who will pay you top dollar for your services. If you have been in business for more than 2 or 3 years and you are still having to ask people to support you, just to survive, you should seriously consider a new business venture.

At the two to three year mark, clients should be coming to you more and more. If not,  they don’t see the value. I’ve had people come at me with triple what I asked for and some who have come at me wanting to ‘test RF out” before spending.

I don’t have to tell you who came at me wanting to spend nothing for everything (lol). You are not Costco, giving out nut nuggets for people to try before they buy. You want to have something that people WANT and they are willing to come and get it … on their own.

Discounts are Worthless on both ends

Offering discounts for your services is asking for help at some point, it’s begging for help. Right now Macy’s is offering so many discounts you can damn near get their merchandise for free. They are in dire need to stay open and stay relevant. Same thing with Apple. For the first time that I can remember, they are selling computers at Costco now WITH discounts. They lost their “cool” factor when Steve Jobs died, now it’s just a bunch of confused old white men who don’t quite know how to reach the younger generations.

If you are not making a substantial amount of money doing your business after the two to three years mark (again) and you are still offering discounts, clients will most likely never see the value of what you offer in addition, they tell other people.  It’s better to have a client tell someone “He’s not cheap” than to have them say “Oh I can get you that for almost nothing.”  VALUE is not just something, it’s EVERYTHING.

If you want to read more of my insight on running a black business, check out more stories on biztipper.com.  Feel free to comment below.

Amazon Prime is an extremely popular service that Amazon offers to subscribers. Standard annual membership is $119 per year. An annual Amazon Prime membership for students is $59 per year. They also offer a month-to-month membership for $12.99 per month and $6.49 per month for students.

With the membership, you get 2-day delivery on most items, provided they have the Amazon Prime logo. You also get a plethora of (what I like to call boring) videos to watch. However, if you look at most of the small items you buy, the prices are often higher and include “free postage” but other places that sell the same item are cheaper and if you add in the cost of shipping it ends up being the same price without the yearly fee OR LESS.

Without Prime will you get your packages in 2 days?

Depends on where you are ordering from. Many of the places you order from are all over the country, if you order from someplace close to you, you will get it sooner.

Amazon Prime is BEST when used with big items like couches and furniture. On the other end of that, many of the companies that make the furniture have free shipping as well. Amazon Prime has its ups and downs. For me, mostly downs which is why I canceled it.

1. Free two-day shipping

Good if you buy big items or need something in a hurry. You can always just go to the store that sells the item.

2. Free release-date delivery

On books. If you are over 40 this is great. Otherwise, who cares.

3. Free 2-hour delivery

On food mostly. Problem is there are MANY services that do that now. Of course, you could always just get in your car or walk to the store and get it yourself. Are we REALLy that busy?

4. Free (or flat-rate) grocery and household item delivery

Um, Costco?

5. Alexa deals

Repeat, you can always go to the store. Who has time to ask Alexa for her deals to waste money on random stuff that you don’t need?

6. Restaurant delivery

Many services already do that. Did you see the greasy guy who took a sip of the kid’s shake before delivering it in that video for Door Dash (below)? Yeuch, makes you think twice about people delivering your food. Lesson: Never shop when the DELIVERY GUY is hungry

7. Whole Foods Benefits

How’d that work out? Not too well. Amazon had to rethink this concept after it failed miserably. Who even thinks of Whole Foods and discounts in one sentence? EVERYONE knows Whole Foods is elitist and extremely overpriced and a “discount” would literally land STILL above the average price of a Ralphs or Krogers. No thanks to this.

8. Unlimited video streaming

I don’t know of one person who watches Amazon videos. Do you? Netflix is supreme and while they JUST went up on their prices to a paltry $10.00 to $12.00. I’d pay triple that each month for their amazing original programming and movies. Sorry Amazon, you’re too late on this one. Why didn’t I buy that Netflix stock?

9. Limited music streaming

Sorry, I’m old school on this one. I’d rather rely on my OWN music collection. The people who grew up after the 80s will never know about the ‘EXPERIENCE” of buying vinyl. Oh, wait there is a huge resurgence with Millenials and Gen-Xers with vinyl. That’s a great thing. Now that iTunes has announced it’s ending what will happen to all that music we RENTED … yes RENTED not purchased.

10. Unlimited photo storage

Cloud storage on Amazon S3 is actually a good deal, but you don’t need to have the threat of it being canceled each year if you don’t maintain a subscription with Amazon Prime. Simply sign up for Amazon S3 on your own and pay the small fee each month.

11. Access to Amazon Elements

Who cares?

12. Access to Amazon Dash

A service that lets you reorder paper towels or laundry detergent. How about just getting up and going to the damn grocery store, Target and Costco anyone?

13. Early access to Lightning deals

More ways to spend and waste your money on sh you don’t need or want.

14. One free e-book per month

A free ebook? Oh joy. Most of them only cost $3.99 anyway or less. Considering the HORRIFIC reputation Amazon has for taking a HUGE chunk of a writer’s profit for their ebooks and books, this is not something I support.

16. Free books and magazines

(sleeping) who reads magazines anymore?

17. Free Washington Post

(sleeping) You can get ALL the news that you want and MORE online

18. Free audiobooks

You can listen but you don’t own, so essentially you are RENTING these books. My suggestion? Try the Scribd app. It’s a LOT cheaper than Amazon and not as limited.

19. Free games

Who cares

20. Exclusive phone discounts

This might be worth looking at but most of the carriers have specials each month for MUCH greater savings.  Recent “sale” items: the LG V35 ThinQ ($650 at Amazon) ($650) and G6 Plus ($450), Moto Z3 Play ($350 at Amazon) ($450) and G6 ($300) and Nokia 6($140 at Amazon) ($149). The GREAT thing about this is they’re all sold unlocked that’s how you want to buy your cell phones today for any carrier.

Several years ago, I was wondering the halls at a music industry event. I walked past a bunch of empty rooms and was stunned to see an industry legend in one of the rooms by herself accessing the room. Sylvia Rhone was about to leave and I had never met her and here was my chance to introduce myself. I introduced myself then told her about my (then) new business (Radio Facts) and how I wanted to grow. She listened intently as I went on and one and then said something to me that I will never forget. She said the nature of a business is to build it then SELL it. How I wished I would have listened to her.

Years later, I’ve come to truly understand the truth behind her statement. Indeed it’s the only way to true wealth. Minority black entrepreneurs believe in keeping a business until either it dies or we do, or both. Chances are our kids don’t want to do what we did so all is lost. All the years of building a brand and wealth … gone.

While being an black entrepreneur is not easy, by any means, many of us will miss the payoff because we are afraid to let it go when we NEED to and HAVE to instead of when we WANT to. Who doesn’t know it’s always better to leave on top instead of being asked to leave. Your greatest level of influence is when you are at the top of your game not on your way down.

Running a business requires a certain amount of passion, dedication, and most important sales. If all of those things are not working in concert on a continuum there may be a problem.

I can honestly tell you, I know of several successful black entrepreneurs who are miserable people. They lead very unhappy lives and their businesses take a toll on their health, and well being. We can always walk away from our businesses but actually doing it is very difficult because raising a business from infancy is truly like raising a child. At some point, you are going to have to let it go into the world and see if all that you have done can continue to succeed but for many of us, that’s a very difficult thing to do so we never do it and we end up missing out on a financial windfall or building a new exciting and even more successful business. Truth be told, it’s time to let it go when one or all of three things happen:

1. It’s no longer fun
2. Your industry is changing and you refuse to change with it
3. Your aging out

The new regime of minority entrpreneuers are firm believers in being serial black entrepreneurs. Unlike many of us in the older black entrepreneur generation, they KNOW their value at the start and they will build a business and learn as they go then let it go when they get bored with it or they want to do something else.

When they get an offer to sell they do it then start another business. Some of them come from very dark backgrounds or homelessness with parents on drugs etc yet still they rise. Considering many older minority black entrepreneurs also have tumultuous or challenging upbringings, it’s a given that perhaps this is a catalyst to our success too.

Let’s explore some of the things that you may be experiencing that allow your business to hold you hostage.

Can’t Leave, Can’t Stay

When you think about it, isn’t this why you stopped working for other people? When you are in this position, you are making JUST enough money to stay but NOT enough money to leave, you are trapped right? But are you?

BEST STRATEGY: Find where you can eliminate payments for something that you don’t need (your credit card statements are full of subscriptions you can cancel etc) and take that money and reinvest in yourself. Could you be taking some of that money and going to a few local seminars on another subject where you have some interests? The key here is to REINVEST your money BACK into yourself and re-motivating yourself.

Many times when you’re in the “Can’t Leave Can’t Stay” zone you’re also depleted of positive energy. You are going to have to motivate yourself BACK to the top of a new game or end up with nothing. None of us can afford to start over.

Watch YouTube Videos

Allow me to tell you I get a TON of inspiration and motivation from YouTube videos. There is MUCH more to the site than silly kids, men in drag with makeup videos and goofy pranks. There are brilliant black entrepreneurs some well known and others not so well known who are more than willing to give great tips on running, starting and selling your business.

One thing that I’ve seen MANY older black entrepreneurs do it stop learning. I will raise my hand here too. This is a HUGE mistake. We NEVER have all the answers and when you stop learning you stop growing and stop living and there is a TON of information out there at your disposal but you have to be willing and able to receive it.

Not Fun Anymore

Do you recall leaping out of bed when you first started your business in anticipation of the day? If you have never experienced this I can tell you, you have always been in the wrong business. it’s the highest high you can ever imagine and I have felt that feeling. You are in control of your own destiny and don’t answer to anyone and someone is willing to pay you for it?  Of course, this is before everybody discovers you are making money and try their best to separate you from it.

As the years go on you want to build a business that has a great deal of passive income and not so much work on your behalf, especially if you are not ready to sell it. Are their ways that you can automate your business? Yes, with technology there are many tools. Automating many of your tasks also gives you the time to explore your other options.

Changing Industry

Sometimes you may still enjoy what you are doing but part of the black entrepreneur’s job is to be on top of where your industry is headed. Is your industry changing? Even if it doesn’t do you still enjoy doing what you do? Eventually, we will all age out and we have to look at our replacements. You never want to be the dinosaur in the room. Once it’s determined that you are no longer relevant your stock price will tumble fast and it’s hard if not impossible to bring it back up. To add insult to injury, your credibility will also take a hit so your previous clients may not be as willing to support you in your next venture.

The Desire to do Something Else

Are you fantasizing about being in another business and doing something else? This is not a good sign for your current business. If you are stuck in your current business you have to find a way to get out. Quite often we look at business by standing on one foot and afraid to let the other foot (our other desires) touch the ground but we are not keeping very good balance standing on one-foot anyway and we have to understand that it’s better to stand on two feet.

The other shoe is going to drop eventually but it’s up to you HOW it happens, will it be YOUR choice of the universe’s choice? I would suggest you make it YOUR choice. Your feelings not only matter they are an indication of where you need to be and what you need to be doing.

Taxes and Bills

This could be another reason your business is holding you hostage. You have a long line of bills to pay. Well, the bad news is, those bills are not going away so whether you stay or leave you still have a commitment. You can look at it like you’re struggling OR look at a way to double or quadruple your income to kill two birds with one stone and pay the bills quicker.

To That End …

At the end of the day you will have to get your mindset right and understand that no matter what you do, you have to do something before something is done FOR you like the end of your business because it no longer serves your industry or you being exhausted from your futile efforts to rebuild and rebrand something that you no longer believe in.

Consider that if you are not happy in your business, the only escape is to well … escape not to sit idly by and hope something happens to improve your situation. The odds are against you. The key is to invest what you HAVE to get what you WANT so this means taking elements from your current business, from money to experience to contacts to leverage and creating something new. Congrats on your NEW endeavor.

Minority Owned Operations Ayurvedic Pharmaceuticals, Bakersfield, CA 7-Eleven Franchisee Association and Fresh Choice LLC Secure Cannabis Convenient Store Distribution Deal

Ayurvedic Pharmaceuticals Inc., (https://www.vedicpharma.com/), an African American owned and operated naturopathy pharmaceutical company and cannabis testing laboratory, has announced a groundbreaking distribution agreement with Fresh Choice LLC convenience store distributors, and the Bakersfield, CA 7-Eleven Franchisee Association, both minority dominated operations. The agreement will encompass the sales and distribution of Drip SZN (www.dripszncbd.com/), Ayurvedic Pharmaceuticals’ new line of CBD-based products.
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Los Angeles – Ayurvedic Pharmaceuticals Inc., (https://www.vedicpharma.com/), an African American owned and operated naturopathy pharmaceutical company and cannabis testing laboratory, has announced a groundbreaking distribution agreement with Fresh Choice LLC convenience store distributors, and the Bakersfield, CA 7-Eleven Franchisee Association, both minority dominated operations. The agreement will encompass the sales and distribution of Drip SZN (www.dripszncbd.com/ ), Ayurvedic Pharmaceuticals’ new line of CBD-based products. Drip SZN will be carried in over 5000 stores throughout California, Nevada, Arizona, and Texas, to include smoke shops, liquor stores and 7-Eleven convenient stores. John Salley, NBA legend, vegan and well-renowned cannabis activist, serves as Ayurvedic Pharmaceuticals’ COO, overseeing the logistics and operations of this landmark deal.

Ayurvedic Pharmaceuticals is dedicated to maintaining wellness through plant-based supplements, nutrition, exercise and Pranayama (breathing). Drip SZN, their new lifestyle brand, will consist of an array of offerings including vape cartridges and lip balm sticks, all infused with or containing natural broad-spectrum, USA grown, hemp extract CBD, with zero THC. CBD, or cannabidiol, is the popular natural remedy used for many common ailments and has no psychoactive properties, unlike its counterpart, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). CBD is heralded for offering natural, alternative relief from pain and inflammation, anxiety, depression, and enhancing the quality of sleep, reducing joint pain, relieving stress and improving moods. Ayurvedic Pharmaceuticals’ products will be domestically manufactured and are vegan-friendly, using proprietary homeopathic formulas. Drip SZN will be available in select stores in April 2019.

The Ayurvedic Pharmaceuticals’ endeavor is a significant one and serves to tip the diversity scales within the cannabis industry. With marijuana positioned as the new gold rush trade, the issue of diversity within this multibillion-dollar industry has become a heavily debated topic. According to Marijuana Business Daily, approximately 81% of cannabis business owners or founders are non-minorities, while African Americans only represent 4 percent. Testing laboratories, in general, have historically been non-minority owned, and cannabis testing laboratory spaces hold true to that paradigm.

Barrette LaRoda, Jr.
president, Ayurvedic Pharmaceuticals

“This deal is significant and historic on so many levels,” explains Barrett LaRoda Jr., the 23-year-old president of Ayurvedic Pharmaceuticals. “As a millennial ‘gangapreneur,’ I am an advocate for testing not only THC but CBD as well to ensure that the consumer always receives a superior cannabis product. Though CBD testing is not required or regulated yet, our CBD infused Drip SZN products will adhere to our stringent standards and regulations and support the highest measures for maintaining health and wellness.”

John Salley, COO,
Ayurvedic Pharmaceuticals

Cites John Salley, COO of Ayurvedic Pharmaceuticals. “Iam involved in several cannabis ventures, but I consider my role with Ayurvedic Pharmaceuticals as pivotal. As a health and wellness brand we are now able to provide healing resources to the community that are completely accessible to all. To be able to purchase a Drip SZN CBD vape pen that might ease your stress or soothe a headache, from your local convenience or liquor store, is the kind of consumer access I have been campaigning for, for years now.”

“Collectively we have found that the cannabis industry presents great business opportunities,” adds Barrett LaRoda, the advisory board chairman. “However, access to information and financing has not been well promoted to people of color. We actually plan to start a division in our company for this much needed education service.”

Principals involved in the deal include Barrett LaRoda,chairman advisory board; John Salley, COO; Yogi Solanki, chairman, Bakersfield, CA 7-Eleven Franchisee Association; Earl Bryant, chairman and CEO; Barrett LaRoda, Jr., president; Anthony Francis, CFO; Johnathan Van Beer, CEO of Under Pressure Xtractions; and Raja Mittal, chairman of Fresh Choice Distribution.

Drip SZN will also be available at the Ayurvedic Pharmacy in Pasco County in Florida, the first of Ayurvedic Pharmaceuticals’ plant-based naturopathy wellness centers. Ayurvedic Pharmaceuticals has also partnered with Hollywood actress, Bai Ling to produce her line of CBD-infused beauty products, Eternal Youth Beauty Formulas and White Spirit Cosmetics. In addition, the company is planning to produce the first of its kind “N.O.P.E. National Opioid & Prescription Epidemic Risk Mitigation Conference & Expo” later this year in New Port Richie, Florida, with a focus on utilizing CBD and naturopathy products in the rehabilitation process.

For more information about Drip SZN, go to www.dripszncbd.com/ and for Ayurvedic Pharmaceuticals, visit https://www.vedicpharma.com.

Shouldn’t Retail Rates be LOWER as a Benefit to Having an Account?

The other day I was at FedEx and I was mailing a package.  I was told never to use the standard FedEx retail rate but to always use the three-day “Express Saver” rate which is supposed to be the cheapest rate. On this particular time, I paid cash and I immediately noticed it was cheaper than when I use my FedEx account. This seemed odd to me. I had paid $9.00 for the Express save to send a client a magazine but when I used my account to send it the same way a couple of weeks before it was almost twice that price for the same weight?

I asked the woman behind a counter why was there a price difference when I have an account and she said it actually cost more when you use your account? I asked her how is that possible. Should I have a benefit for having an account? She said you have to work your way towards the discount by the amount of money that you spend and that the discount is offered for people who didn’t have accounts. This made absolutely no sense to me.

FedEx Retail Rates vs Account Rates

Using FedEx quite a bit and mailing quite a few things I’ve obviously wasted quite a bit of money having an account I immediately thought. You may want to check and make sure that you’re not overspending too. A simple phone call may help. Once again the best rate with FedEx is doing the 3-day Express Saver. Ask what the difference is between doing it with cash or with your business account. Let us know about your experience in the comments

QUESTLOVE INTRODUCES “QUESTLOVE’S CHEESESTEAK™,” MADE WITH IMPOSSIBLE™ PLANT-BASED MEAT, ROLLING OUT NATIONWIDE THIS SPRING

LAUNCHING AT CITIZENS BANK PARK IN PHILADELPHIA DURING ALL PHILLIES HOME GAMES ON OPENING DAY MARCH 28th

AVAILABLE AT 40 LIVE NATION OWNED & OPERATED VENUES THROUGHOUT NNORTH AMERICA FOR THE 2019 SUMMER CONNCERT SERIES

This spring, James Beard® Foundation Book Award nominee Questlove makes his first proper foray into the food industry as he introduces “Questlove’s Cheesesteak™,” made with Impossible™ plant-based meat.

Questlove encountered the Impossible™ Burger in 2015. He was immediately impressed with Impossible Foods’™ plant-based product and their mission to be the leading manufacturer of sustainable foods. Additionally, he resonated with the company’s ambitious goal to impact the global environment by creating a delicious and sustainable alternative to animal meat. In 2017, he became an investor in the Silicon Valley based-company.

Re-imagining this Philadelphia tradition back home, “Questlove’s Cheesesteak™” will launch at Citizens Bank Park on opening day March 28 at two locations on the main concourse (behind Sections 108 & 120). “Questlove’s Cheesesteak™” will be sold at all 81 home games for The Phillies. The Cheesesteak starts a new chapter this spring in Philly and is in line with the Phillies efforts to make the world a cleaner place with their “Red Goes Green” campaign, focused on sustainability.

This summer “Questlove’s Cheesesteak™” will also be introduced on the menu at 40 Live Nation owned and operated venues across North America. Aligning with another kindred spirit, Questlove found the perfect partner in Live Nation who was the first to offer Impossible™Meat in the concert space when they introduced the Impossible™Burger at over 35 venues in 2018. Live Nation venues maintain a commitment to responsible food sourcing, climate-friendly menus, locally grown produce, and its own “Sustainability Rocks” program.

“We first tested this product at our annual Roots Picnic music festival in Philly in 2018. Without any forewarning we offered the Cheesesteak in our VIP area which was mainly populated with friends and family and no one believed me when I told them the “meat” was not beef, but plant-based. My team and I saw an opportunity to roll out the product on a much larger level. To have the Phillies and Live Nation as our initial partners is great as it speaks to my love for my hometown of Philadelphia combined withmy love of music. However, the goal for this product is to create a global network of restaurants, venues, and retail locations where Questlove’s Cheesesteak can be purchased,” says Questlove.

A bona fide food aficionado and passionate connoisseur, Questlove continues to expand his culinary oeuvre and make major moves in the business. “Questlove’s Cheesesteak™” will be the first company he launches in the space where he’s made a major impact over the past two decades.

Representative of his expertise, his book, somethingtofoodabout: Exploring Creativity with America’s most Innovative Chefs, became nominated for the James Beard® Foundation Book Award for Nonfiction and won an AIGA 50 Books | 50 Covers award. Building yet another brand, he famously hosts “Food Salons” where the paths of Michelin-starred chefs, thought leaders, and creatives in diverse fields cross under his purview. In 2018, he unveiled a collaboration with Williams-Sonoma around his love of popcorn; Questlove X Williams-Sonoma. Illustrative of his commitments, he remains a member of Food Council for City Harvest and sits on boards for the Food Education Fund at Food & Finance High School and Museum of Food & Drink (MOFAD) in addition to working with No Kid Hungry. He is focused on diversity and inclusivity in the food space.

Questlove is a GRAMMY® Award-winning musician, designer, co-founder of The Roots, and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Musical Director.

Questlove will be making further announcements very soon.