00:00This is our business segment of the show every Tuesday. We bring in the Michigan Black Business
00:08Alliance. They're like, if you are in business or you're thinking about going into business,
00:16you need to get in contact with them first. They have lawyers, all kinds of resources.
00:22I'm going to let one of the attorneys introduce herself and tell you all about the organization.
00:28Good morning. Good morning. Good morning. Good morning. I am Tanika Griggs. I am the Director
00:32of External Affairs for the Michigan Black Business Alliance. So pretty much through this
00:36organization, our goal is to help close the racial wealth gap. And that's through policy
00:41advocacy. That's through programming. And that's through providing opportunities for our small
00:45black businesses. We have a lot of things that are coming up. We actually, today we have an event. We
00:51just kicked off a series called Finance Tuesdays. So that's where every other Tuesday we have banks
00:57come in to talk with our members, right, about how to get capital, what your loan application should
01:03look like, or anything that you need. So we're actually bringing the resources to the table. So
01:07that is tonight at 28 West Adams. At 6 p.m. you can go on our website, Black Biz Alliance,
01:13to register.
01:14So like I said, that's every other Tuesday. This Tuesday we'll have Bank of America.
01:19That's a big time bank, girl.
01:21Yeah. So we're, you know, we're just providing the resources, the opportunities, the programs,
01:25and doing advocacy. So also tonight at 6 p.m. we will be at KMAC for the Renaissance Center
01:32development. So, you know, we've been strong advocates around that development. So just being
01:36in the room, advocating for our small businesses, being a part of this development. But today I do want
01:42to introduce one of our phenomenal members, Ms. Andrea. Hi. Andrea, we know her. Go ahead.
01:50It's the best cake I've had in the midst, like with your mom and them made. Like when you smelled
01:56that cake, this is what we're talking about. Go ahead. Introduce her again. Andrea, go ahead.
02:01Yeah, I'm Andrea Jones. I'm a Nothing Bunk Cakes franchisee. I have four locations in the Metro
02:08Detroit area. And I've been a member of the Michigan Black Business Alliance since they
02:13started in 2021. Really? She was like one of the first members coming in? So check this out. See
02:19the result? Four. She didn't say one. She didn't say two. She didn't say three. She said four locations.
02:25Okay. I'm serious. If you guys are in business or thinking about getting into business, you need to
02:31join this organization. You don't know everything. You're good at what you're good at, but where your
02:37weaknesses are, they can come and give you support. Why do you like being a member, Andrea?
02:42I believe that, yes, there are resources. I believe that it's very special to be a part of that
02:49community, to see us winning together with your own people. It's not the norm for you to have access
02:56to that and to see it. And it's something to be a part of. What I think about is so
03:00special about my
03:01experience with the Black Business Alliance is that I opened in 2019 my first bakery, and I thought I
03:06knew what I was doing, right? It took off. It started doing well. And it wasn't until I started
03:11participating with them that I was like, wait, no one told me that. No one broke down that.
03:16Like they tore down my financials and my business so I could really see where the opportunities were.
03:22Hence me going from one to four.
03:25See? See? All right. Somebody's saying right now, I got to get out the car, but I need to join.
03:30How can they join?
03:31Yes, absolutely. You can visit our website, blackbizalliance.com, and you can sign up there.
03:36We have a free membership opportunity, but we also have a paid membership opportunity that's $25 a month.
03:41Okay.
03:42And follow us on social.
03:43Yeah, like, come on, y'all. Stop playing. You got the resources. I'm telling you, I go to the story
03:48all the time.
03:49God puts the diamonds in the front yard, and y'all walk where I owe it.
03:54The diamonds. We're giving you diamonds, gems. We like to play music. We like to have fun,
03:59but we like to educate and empower because we got to grow Detroit the right way.
04:05All right. So I'm going to come back to you, Andrea. How did it start for you? Because a bun
04:10cake,
04:11to me, that's like old school. You look like you just got out of high school, but I mean, you
04:15know.
04:16Explain. How did it all happen?
04:19I'm going to take that. Thank you. So I was in automotive, like a lot of us started our careers
04:25in automotive in Detroit, and I was really burned out. And I met this cake, I'm going to say,
04:31at the right time. You know, traveling, it was introduced to me, and it's a franchise,
04:36and there were none in Michigan at the time. And I'm like, oh crap, this is my way out.
04:41My grandmother was the baker of our family, and her famous pound cake, famous in our family,
04:47was always in a bun pan. That nostalgia there from seeing that.
04:51Yes. Yeah, my grandma, she lived to be in her 90s. She would be real proud and telling everybody
04:56about me doing this. But it has definitely been a blessing, and I didn't know it would take off as
05:01much as it did. I just felt moved to do it. And I followed my intuition, and it has been
05:07helping me
05:08all the way. Tell us about one of your obstacles.
05:11Oh gosh. Well, first of all, a lot of people assume that financing is hard to get. I mean,
05:18it's easy to get for everybody, and it's not. It's actually hard to get for black and brown people
05:22sometimes. And with my first bakery, I did not have that many issues. But when it came to scaling,
05:29and getting to the second, and the third, and the fourth, that's when I started to run into
05:33some obstacles. What do you mean by scaling? Break that down to somebody's legs.
05:36Adding multiple locations and growing it, and having a growth plan for your business.
05:42And so the Black Business Alliance and their association with these banks and these relationships
05:46they have put us in front of people to build relationships and have opportunities. Whether
05:52I'm banking with them or not, I know them. And that makes all the difference, actually.
05:57And she just said today, I think, or tomorrow, whatever you got today, Bank of America coming
06:04in to speak with your members. Yep.
06:06So, okay, name, okay, well, you named one thing. Advice for someone on the fence on whether or not
06:13they should contact the Michigan Black Business Alliance.
06:18I can tell you that I can count the dollars for impact from my business, from being a member,
06:25from participating with the NFL draft. They were all over making sure Black businesses had opportunities.
06:32That was an amazing experience. To being asked to be at different events, to being aware of other
06:39opportunities, to show up and go outside of my bakery walls and sell my cake. It's made all the
06:45difference. You should take this step. There's no going wrong here. Everything that I have received from
06:53the Black Business Alliance has been of value to me. And that's why I'm still a member. And I always
06:57talk about it. It's one of the most important organizations, and everyone should know about it.
07:02Mm. I love it. I love it. I just need to know where people can find your cakes.
07:08Yeah. So, there's Nothing But Cakes has a website, nothingbutcase.com. But because
07:12I am a Michigan Black Business Alliance, and they taught me how to brand me,
07:17you can go to AndreaJonesSweetLegacy.com. Okay. And that's where you can learn about me and how
07:23passionate I am about my cake and my four locations. And you can order right from my website.
07:27Say that again. AndreaJonesSweetLegacy.com. I like that. I like that. Give me some closing
07:34thoughts from you. I just want to always thank you guys for the opportunity. I want to thank our
07:39business members for all the hard work and believing in the work that we're doing and continuing to show up
07:44and be a part of this movement. I also want to let everyone know our tickets have went on sale
07:48for
07:49our Black Party. They are on sale now. You can check it out on our website, BlackBizAlliance.com.
07:54It is December 16th. So, make sure you grab your tickets. The theme this year is Superfly.
08:00So, this is one of our fundraising events. So, if you want to support the cause and the work that
08:03we're
08:04doing, please come out, dress up, get your minks on, do the whole thing. That's going to be an affair,
08:08you guys. And the networking potential is going to be crazy. So, it's going to be
08:14edutainment. You can educate yourself, network yourself, and have some fun. Again, how can
08:21people get details on that event? Yep, BlackBizAlliance.com. Also, follow us on social
08:26media. We're on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook, BlackBizAlliance. All right. I love you. Girl,
08:31I'm telling you. I look for your number. I'm telling you. Seriously, we looked for your number.
08:38I'm trying to tell you how good your cakes are. Detroit, listen to me, and then I'm going to let
08:45them go. If you're having company, you're doing a party, you're trying to impress somebody with dessert,
08:53okay, and you're not that baker, you're not that person, how can they reach you?
08:58You can go to AndreaJonesSweetLegacy.com. I'm also on Instagram, AJSweetLegacy. And we got you
09:06covered. Yeah. And what flavors? Is it just one Bundt cake? Oh, no. Oh, no. Tell them. Listen,
09:12listen to what she's about to say. We just, we just, we just crazy about it. Go ahead. There's 12
09:16to 13,
09:17depending on the time of year, different flavors. And you got the little bitty ones. Oh my gosh,
09:21there's four different sizes. See, listen, listen. We have Bundtinis. We like to play with that Bundt name. We have
09:25Bundtlets and we have the big Bundt and the Bundt. So, so four sizes got you covered. I have four
09:32locations. I'm in Sterling Heights on M59, Gross Point in the Village on Kirchival, Allen Park on
09:39Outer Drive, and Ann Arbor in Washtenaw. But you can't go wrong with us. We got you. All right. And
09:45closing thoughts about the Michigan Black Business Alliance. It's important for us to support each other
09:52and to, and to be there for Black business. Black business is stronger, stronger now than it's ever
09:57been. And it's, it's, it's because of organizations like the Black Business Alliance holding us up and
10:03pushing us forward. All right. I love you. Doors open anytime for you, baby. I got a whole,
10:09a whole radio station that's going to be smiling. They're not going to be able to, girl, you just don't
10:14know how much they love your Bundt case. I'm telling you. Got you covered today with all the flavors. Oh,
10:19oh, I got pumpkin spice. I got, I got lemon, you know, that's special. Red velvet. Leslie. Okay.
10:25She, she coming. I'm telling you. All right, you guys. Thank you so much. And I'll see you next
10:30Tuesday, right? All right. All right. Thank you. All right.
