- 6 months ago
Hear directly from two of the hottest entrepreneurs in the game who have dedicated their platforms to inclusivity, leading with love, laughter and authenticity to grow and empower their communities.
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LifestyleTranscript
00:00You know I never put the pressure on ya
00:01You know that you make yo
00:03Pussy, pussy, pussy, pussy
00:16It's your
00:17Full shots
00:19Pussy, pussy, pussy
00:23It's your
00:25Full shots
00:27I don't want to talk, I want to be your m***** to the s**t, get out, he ain't packin' with a glock,
00:57I want to talk, I want to talk, I got a money, I bought a new paddock, I had a white so I too tone him,
01:25Changing these drawers, I gon' be up until the morning
01:27The next to car, you this, at least, so you don't own it
01:29If I'm in the club, I got that five when I first
01:31And the backhand desk came in and I wasassed
01:33V Judgement or QA6N
01:35You can get the biggest Chanel back in the store if you want it
01:37I gave them the druid, they set it up, I got them on it
01:39I bought a new paddock, I had a white so I two-toned
01:41Taking these drawers, I'm gon' be up after the morning
01:44The next to car, you this, at least, so you don't own it
01:46If I'm in the club, I got that five when I first
01:47And the backhand desk came in and I wasjadi
01:50V Judgement or QA6N
01:52I'm from Atlanta where y'all run
01:54I know they hating on me, but I don't read comments
01:56Whenever I tell her to come, she coming
01:58Whenever it's smoke, we ain't running
02:00Juke too hot, don't stand too cold, cold
02:03Come on
02:19Beautiful morning
02:23Yeah, the summer morning, baby
02:25Nothing in the water
02:27Get out of here
02:29Beautiful morning
02:31Yeah, the summer morning, baby
02:33Nothing in the water
02:35I just wanna feel liberated, I
02:39I just wanna feel liberated, I
02:41I just wanna feel liberated, I
02:43If I haven't instigated, I
02:47I'm sorry
02:49Tell me who in here could relate
02:51I
02:53Now if I
02:55this model, and she just bleached her
02:57And I get bleach on my t-shirt
02:59I'ma feel like an
03:01I was
03:03I met her
03:04We was down at Tribeca
03:05She'll get under your skin if you let her
03:07She'll get under your skin if you let her
03:08She'll get under your skin if you
03:09I don't
03:10Play out the coop at the lot
03:12Told her f-12 f-swat
03:13Bustin' all the bells out the box
03:14I just hit a lick with the box
03:16Had to put the stick in the box
03:18Pour up the whole damn seal
03:20I'ma get lazy
03:22I got the mojo deal, we been trappin' like the 80s
03:26She's such a
03:27Soul
03:28Gotta cash out
03:29Told her I'm white but
03:31No
03:32Say slack slack
03:33I won't never sell my soul
03:36And I can back that
03:37And I really wanna know
03:40Say lil' blue
03:42You can f- with me
03:44If you wanted to
03:45These expensive
03:46These is red bottoms
03:47These is bloody shoes
03:49Hit the school
03:50I can get them both
03:51I don't wanna choose
03:53And I'm quick
03:54Cuttin' n-hole
03:55So don't get comfortable
03:57Look
03:58I don't dance now
03:59I make money move
04:01Say I don't gotta dance
04:03I make money move
04:04If I see you now and speak
04:06That means I don't f- with you
04:08I'm a boss
04:09You are welcome
04:10I make bloody move
04:12Hey!
04:13Raindrops
04:14Drop top
04:15Smokin' no cook in the hot bar
04:16Cookin'
04:17On your b- she a thot- thot- thot
04:18Cookin' up in the crock pot
04:20We came from nothin' or somethin'
04:21Hey!
04:22I don't try nobody to grip the trigger
04:24Call up the gang and they come and get janked
04:26Cry me a river, give you a tissue
04:27It's bad and bougie
04:29Cookin' up with a oozy
04:30My n-*****s a savage, ruthless
04:32We got 30s and 100 rounds too
04:34My b- it's bad and bougie
04:36Cookin' up with a oozy
04:38My n-*****s a savage, ruthless
04:39We got 30s and 100 rounds too
04:41Ka!
04:42All set!
04:43Woo! Woo! Woo! Woo! Woo! Woo!
04:45Wreckings on wreckings
04:46Got backings on backings
04:47I'm ridin' around in a coupe
04:49I take your b- right from you
04:51I'm a dog, roof
04:53Beep on walls, loose
04:55Hey!
04:56Hoppin'
04:57Hoppin'
04:58Hoppin'
04:59Hoppin'
05:00Hoppin'
05:01Hoppin'
05:02Hoppin'
05:03Hoppin'
05:04Hoppin'
05:05Hoppin'
05:06Hoppin'
05:07Hoppin'
05:08Hoppin'
05:09Hoppin'
05:10Hoppin'
05:11Hoppin'
05:12Alright folks, as we are getting ready for our next panel
05:15We have a commercial
05:17We are spotlighting another beautiful business right here in this convention center
05:23Come on up and tell these folks about the Melanated Bar
05:28Yes!
05:29Hey y'all, who out here trying to get summertime fine this summer?
05:34Yes!
05:35So my business is called the Melanated Bar
05:38I created these products to help black women and black men feel confident in their skin
05:44So a lot of my products are turmeric based which really helps with hyperpigmentation, dark spots, and acne
05:51And so today we do have turmeric based bars on deck and we do have our best seller Glow Kit on sale too
05:58I am based out of Chicago and I started this business six years ago and just recently I just hit a million dollars in sales
06:07So, thank you!
06:10I'm so excited to be here at Essence Fest
06:12If you have time, please stop by Beautycon
06:15Check out these products in person because I am solely online right now
06:19So it would be nice just to get to see the products, feel the products, and see real results in person
06:24Okay, tell us how to get to you
06:26Like if I walk in every year, how can I find you?
06:29Yes, so you can find us in Beautycon
06:31It's literally three hearts, three big hearts facing this way and the hearts are facing my booth
06:37So you can't miss it
06:39Uh, we are on the corner, we have a lot of pink in there
06:42So if you walk down that aisle, you won't, you will not miss it at all
06:46All right, let's give it up for the Melanated Bar
06:50And let's give it up for her first of many millions
06:53Thank you guys in just a moment again, we are going to kick off this panel with MyYale Organics and Honey Pot Co
07:04You don't want to miss it, so come on over, grab a seat
07:08We are going to get the party started in just a moment
07:11We are going to catch you guys galoputan
07:13We'll are going to catch you guys
07:15In the нет Cobra
07:18We are going to be experienced byoun placed by the Melanated Bar
07:21Closed Captions for J glamour
07:23We are on KELOLAND
07:24We are parameters
07:26We are positions for J glamour
07:28Now we're on the back
07:30We are in the midst of the knees
07:31We are in the midst of the knees
07:33But we are about the county
07:34We are going to be transact
07:36Then we say ga ë…¸ose
07:38He is a mans
07:39Roll my hood up on the throne.
07:41Rollin' the line, I'm tryin' to get to it.
07:45It's a party, it's a party, it's a party.
07:48It's a party.
07:50Okay, I probably didn't say that right there.
07:52Okay.
07:53DJ, how you say it?
07:54It's a party.
07:56It's a party.
07:57All right.
07:58It has definitely been a party.
07:59It has been a party with a purpose right here on this stage all weekend.
08:04Let's give it up for the so-called market, period.
08:07And for this stage and for all of these amazing entrepreneurs who have graced the space this weekend.
08:14We are gonna get this started.
08:15Come on up.
08:16We have another phenomenal moderator with her team.
08:20Come on up.
08:21Come on up.
08:24Hello, everybody, and welcome back to the SoCo stage.
08:26I'm Insa Huger, the CFO of the New Voices Fund.
08:29And I'm being joined here by two phenomenal ladies, Monique at Miel and Beatrice of the Honey Pie Co.
08:36Come on up, ladies.
08:37Well, thank you so much for joining us.
08:46Thanks for having us.
08:47This is awesome.
08:48Well, I know a little bit, just a smidget, a smidget about your businesses.
08:51So how about you tell everybody else a little bit about yourselves and about your businesses?
08:56Okay.
08:56So I'm gonna try to sum this up in a 30 pitch.
09:0030 second pitch.
09:0130 second pitch.
09:02Yes.
09:02But hello, everyone.
09:03Happy to be here.
09:04My name is Monique Rodriguez.
09:06I'm the CEO and founder of the fastest growing, largest textured hair care brand in the industry, Miel Organics.
09:13I am also known as the queen of hair because I take this very serious.
09:17I'm very passionate about hair.
09:19I started my company nine years ago with one product and we have over 80 products.
09:29We are in every major retail store across America.
09:33We recently partnered with Procter & Gamble, which is a huge accomplishment and a testament
09:37to, you know, what I've been able to build over the course of nine years.
09:41And, you know, we're just looking to take our company to the next level globally, continuing
09:46to deliver great, excellent products to my consumer and continuing to over-serve with
09:51nothing but excellence, black excellence.
09:53So I'm super happy to be here.
09:55And Bea?
09:57Wow, I gotta go after that.
10:00So I'm Beatrice Dixon, co-founder, chief innovation officer, CEO, and face of the Honeypot
10:11company.
10:12The Honeypot is like, obviously I'm biased, but we are actually the number one, better
10:21for you, vaginal wellness and personal care brand on the market.
10:27We've been doing this since 2004, technically since 2012.
10:32It's been a really, really beautiful journey.
10:35We felt, you know, vaginal wellness, vulva care, vulva wellness is extremely important to
10:40me.
10:40Um, the, I think the thing that's the most important to me is how humans connect to their
10:45body, how they connect to themselves, how they understand what they're using, why they're
10:51using, when they're using, because education is very important at Honeypot.
10:55We focus really, really, really, really hard on, on education and also making these things,
11:02making these conversations easy, killing stigma, um, helping people to get over shame, respecting
11:09people for who they are in their human journey, which is really important.
11:13It's none of our business, whether somebody says that they're a woman, if they, if they think
11:18that, if, if they feel that they were born as a man, but they're in a, in a human with
11:23vagina's body.
11:23Um, you know, so we work really hard to be non-binary and to respect people for where
11:30they are in their journey.
11:31And then we so happen to make really, really beautiful efficacious, clinically tested,
11:37dermatologist tested.
11:38Uh, we are the most scientifically tested vaginal wellness brand on the market.
11:43Every single thing that we do goes through rigorous human trials, rigorous, um, the thing that's
11:49most important to us is that the products have to work, right?
11:53Um, and you know, our products are plant derived.
11:56We use herbs in pretty much everything that we do outside of our tampons and our, um, our
12:01menstrual cups.
12:02Cause yeah.
12:04Um, but yeah, thank you.
12:06Awesome.
12:06Well, both of you, I'm going to dive right into the core of this topic.
12:09And so both of you have done an amazing job and even alluded to in this discussion about
12:13building community through education and trust.
12:16And so I just want to ask you both when and why did you decide to focus on building community
12:21within your brands and why is it important to you?
12:24Um, so I would say when I first started my brand, it wasn't like I was very intentional
12:30and saying like, I'm going to build this community because I'm going to launch a brand.
12:33Um, I kind of did things very organically and I was very authentic and transparent.
12:39And being myself and with me being myself, that's what allowed people to connect with
12:45me and people to be attracted to what I was talking about, the value that I was bringing,
12:50um, and what I was offering.
12:53And so I quickly learned that, you know, people do business with who they know, like, and trust.
12:59And I learned that community building was a huge part of, you know, one of the basic
13:04fundamentals of launching a brand.
13:06And so when I learned that, you know, I said that I'm going to, um, be intentional with
13:12relationship building because you have to build relationships with your customers.
13:16I look at it as like dating and marriage, like before you go into a marriage, you want to
13:21date that person.
13:22And I look at my, my mavens and mavericks, as I like to say, as the same thing, like I have
13:28to allow them to get to know me as a person.
13:31I have to allow them to, um, really understand my passion, uh, because I was really just sharing
13:38my passion with the world and people were gravitating towards that.
13:41And so community started to develop organic because I feel like you can't manufacture and
13:46put together a community.
13:47You really have to do that organically.
13:50And I think that like, that's one of the challenges that a lot of these bigger conglomerates,
13:54they have, they can't organically connect with people because it's, it's, it's manufactured.
14:00Um, so, you know, I feel like the best way to do is just to be yourself, um, to be yourself
14:05and let people connect with you.
14:07I always say that God has specific people that are assigned to your destiny.
14:11Um, and when you are yourself and you're true to who you are, you're going to attract the
14:17right people.
14:17Um, and so when I decided to launch my first product, which was our mint almond oil, because
14:23I had developed this trust over the course of what, six months that I was like talking to
14:28people on social media, when I actually launched something, people were like, Oh, okay.
14:33I feel like I know her.
14:33I feel like she's my best friend.
14:35You know, I know her kids names.
14:37I know her dog name, you know, I know pretty much everything about this person.
14:40And so because I like her, I'm going to support her and I want to see her grow.
14:45And so for us, our community has always been our foundation.
14:48We have been very intentional about bringing our community up and taking them on the journey
14:53with us. Um, it is, uh, this is a journey over the course of nine years.
14:57I never left my community out because they were a huge part of this success.
15:02And I feel that it's important that, you know, as I continue to climb this ladder of success,
15:07that I'm not just extracting dollars from the community, but how am I supporting and bringing
15:11back that money to the community that supports me.
15:14And so as a part of, you know, our partnership with P and G, we were very adamant and we had
15:18choice number one to partner with them, but we were also like, okay, what are you guys
15:23going to do for our community?
15:24Because that's what got us here and that's, what's going to continue on.
15:27So how can we pour that money back into the community?
15:30So for us, community is everything.
15:32It's the foundation.
15:34And you be, do you know, kind of when, and what was the, what was the catalyst for you
15:37putting community at the forefront?
15:39We're nothing.
15:42We are nothing without the humans that we serve.
15:44Honestly, nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing.
15:47Everything that we do is for the humans that we serve, whether you're a human who bought
15:52our products or whether you're a human who went to social media, whether you're a human
15:57that heard a rumor about a viral moment and decided that you just wanted to say something
16:02positive, right?
16:03Not everybody can buy our products.
16:05I'm aware of that, but I think any kind of good energy is beautiful.
16:10You know, we are here to serve humanity.
16:14That's what all brands are here to do, right?
16:17Whether, whether they're conscious of it or not.
16:21You know, and I think that being responsible with how you meet people, with how you talk
16:26to them, with how you respect them, with how you create products, to me, that is the most
16:32important.
16:33You know, I believe that better for you is the new conventional, right?
16:38I believe that this way of building products and companies, of actually being authentic
16:44and being a human behind your brand and people seeing who you are and knowing what you do
16:49and resonating with that is really important.
16:53And so I think that, you know, I don't even like the word consumer.
17:01And no disrespect for anybody that uses it.
17:04I personally don't like that word because I feel like, and this is my opinion, I feel like
17:12it can take the humanity out of the experience, you know?
17:17And so, you know, so I, I mean, to even try to put into words how I feel about the, about
17:26the humans that we serve, about this planet, about what we do, how we talk, how we speak,
17:31how we deliver, how we make and source our ingredients, how we, how we make our products,
17:36how we test them, it's all literally for the betterment at this point of vaginal wellness,
17:43but in the future of personal care for all humans, whether you have a, you're a human
17:48that has a vagina or you're a human who doesn't, right?
17:51You know, and so it's, it's literally everything.
17:56It sits at the top and the bottom and the middle.
17:59It's all, it's all, it's all through there.
18:02So we're being.
18:03And I just want to say, I'm sorry, just real quick, like your community is also your
18:06advocates.
18:07Exactly.
18:08So when you talk about that viral moment, like let's say it's a not so great viral moment
18:13that happens, that community that supports you, they're going to stand up.
18:16They're going to be your ride or die.
18:18And they're going to, they're going to be the ones that's fighting your battle.
18:20You're not going to even have to say anything.
18:22You don't have to do it.
18:23Yeah.
18:23You don't, you know, and, and if I can't tell you how often somebody will just come up
18:29and be like, girl, when, when such and such happened, me and my friends.
18:33Yeah.
18:34And, and that, that feels really good, man.
18:38You know, I mean, Mo was there for me when, when, you know, when, when the shit hit the
18:44fan, it was rough.
18:45It was hard, you know?
18:47Um, but she was there, Melissa was there.
18:50My team was there.
18:51Like it was, those kinds of moments are hard, you know, they can really, they, they can take
18:58you down.
18:59I'm grateful for the practice because it won't take me down again, right?
19:04All things in order.
19:05Um, but it was really the humans in the community that really kept us alive.
19:11So I'm really grateful for that.
19:13We have one last question before we get out of here.
19:16And that's just going to focus on if I am a new entrepreneur trying to take that first
19:20step in building community within my brand, what would you suggest as my first step in
19:24doing that?
19:25I mean, if I could say your first step in building a community, if you're building a
19:30brand is to be yourself, be authentic.
19:34Um, no one can beat you at being you and know that there are, I got a couple here and there.
19:44Um, I was just going to say like, you know, as I mentioned earlier, there are specific people
19:50that are attached to your purpose and that are attached to your destiny.
19:54And if you go into this entrepreneurship space and you're not yourself and you put on this
20:01superficial facade, you're going to attract the superficial audience.
20:06So when things do hit the fan, that superficial audience is not going to be there for you
20:11because they're there on the basis of you being on a high.
20:15Right.
20:16Just on the surface.
20:17So on the surface.
20:18So when you get on that low, that those people are not going to support you.
20:21But if you're yourself and people know you and they trust you when things hit the fan
20:27and people try to come at you and both B and I have experienced this, but because we're
20:33solid individuals, people can stand up and say, that's not who she is.
20:37I'm still going to support her.
20:39This person is just trying to gain off of her notoriety for clicks or hits or whatever.
20:44But it's because of that authentic connection.
20:47So remember, nobody can beat you at being you.
20:49Be yourself because you're going to attract the right crowd that's assigned to you.
20:53Yeah.
20:54Yeah.
20:54Agreed.
20:55And do things like this.
20:59You know, do festivals.
21:01Anytime you can, anytime if you are in the product business and you want to make a product
21:07for people in the beginning, anytime in a weekend you can get in front of hundreds of people
21:12or thousands of people, nothing can beat that.
21:15Right?
21:15Nothing can beat that because you're meeting them in person.
21:19Find a way to get their email, to get their phone number, through SMS, do, right?
21:24Like events like this, like events like Essence Fest, any like hair show that's in your city,
21:31any hair show that's regional to you, any, and it doesn't even need to match what you do.
21:37We were a vaginal wellness brand literally on the hair show circuit.
21:42You remember that?
21:43And so, you know, like anytime you can do that, do that, you know, and don't be afraid,
21:50like she said, to be yourself, you know, because it communicates.
21:54Every single thing that you do communicates.
21:57Be honest, be real, make good stuff.
22:00Put good energy into what you do.
22:03I remember back in the day when, when, when, when we used to make honey pot in the kitchen.
22:07If I was having a bad day, I didn't touch it because that would have, you know,
22:14It would have transitioned.
22:16We use water in our products.
22:18We use herbs and, and, and, you know, floral essences and hydrosols and things like that.
22:24All those things are matter.
22:26They're organic matter.
22:28And, and how you're feeling transcends into what you're doing.
22:31So now I can't do that anymore.
22:34It's impossible.
22:35Right.
22:36I, y'all, I don't even know.
22:39I don't, I live so high up in strategy now that there's so much about what I do about this company that I'm not involved in at this point.
22:49But one thing is for sure.
22:52We know as a company what our mission is, what our vision is, what our values are, who we're serving, why we're serving them, when we're serving them.
23:01We are deeply devoted to them.
23:03Shout out to Giovanna in the orange right there because she has, listen, the communication and the connection that she has made to our customer is absolutely beautiful.
23:17I think you're highlighting something else, too, is that the internal community, right?
23:21You have a community of employees and staff as well.
23:24We love, we love each other.
23:25Yeah, yeah.
23:26Because you got to be good to the people.
23:28They don't work for you.
23:29They work with you.
23:31Yeah.
23:31And you need to treat them that way.
23:33Don't treat them like your employees, right?
23:37Don't sit on no high horse.
23:39You understand what I'm saying?
23:40You can feel it.
23:40Because they are the connection to the outside.
23:45Those are the first humans, those are your first consumers.
23:49They're in your first line of defense if anything ever goes wrong.
23:51And trust.
23:52If your house isn't together, when things do hit the fan, it's going to crumble.
24:00You know, and having people that, especially the people that are, like, in brand management.
24:06Our brand management team is basically sitting right here in this front row.
24:09I'm shouting them out because they're so good, y'all.
24:12They're so good.
24:14You know?
24:15They're devoted.
24:16It's real.
24:17You know?
24:17And I think the other thing that I love about both of your brands is there's relationship from the very beginning.
24:22For instance, I know Be You and Sai, relationship, we saw that from the beginning.
24:26You and your husband, we saw that from the beginning.
24:28And us being a part of your relationships allowed us to have a relationship with you.
24:32So I just want to thank you for the relationship that we share with the New Voices team and with your brands and all that you've been able to do.
24:39And I want to thank you for joining us on this stage today.
24:43Thank you for having us.
24:43Thank you, y'all.
24:44Let's give it up one more time for Ensa and Mayel and Honey Pot Cold.
24:51Thank you, ladies, so very much.
24:55Now we have coming to the stage, John Hudson III of Entergy.
25:01You want to be ready to clap it up because he's about to introduce us.
25:06In two more minutes, he's going to introduce us to the 150th.
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