Full Circle—Back to Sharecropping
“FULL CIRCLE”
During a recent email conversation, a friend said (she’s graciously given me permission to quote her):
At the end of slavery, our former people had nothing and due to not addressing the issues stated above, our former people have managed to arrive right back where they started – to have nothing of their own.
I said I wasn’t going to publish new blog posts that directly touch on these sorts of issues, but I’m making an exception in this case. The recent Wall Street Journal news story that a friend and I have been discussing, Much Ado About Straightening: Old Black Salons Face New Rivals marks the end of an era for African-Americans. This news story represents one of the last few surviving canaries dropping dead in the coal mine.
The African-American (mis)leadership class is feckless and foolish. The masses of African-Americans are deluded. They’ve been riding a merry-go-round for over a century. They think they’re getting somewhere, but they’re not. They’re going around in circles. And, without realizing it, the entire merry-go-round platform is descending and moving backwards as they ride. Even as African-Americans continue our free fall into permanent underclass status, many of us believe that we’re doing just fine because there’s a Black face and family in the White House. As the Black Agenda Report story Living a Black Fantasy: The Obama Delirium Effect noted, “Majorities of African Americans told Pew pollsters Blacks were better off in 2009 than five years before, when by all economic measurements the opposite was true.”
We’ve gone backwards in terms of racial and ethnic self-respect. The “paper bag test” has escalated into a “manila folder and lighter” test. The only thing that has changed is the terminology we use to describe our escalating colorism. In the modern era, we tell lies about our internal, self-imposed racial discrimination against darker-skinned Blacks. We lie and say that we’re only celebrating “all of who we are,” and so on. Nobody is fooled by this. Other people just don’t say anything to our faces about what they see us doing.
During this email conversation, I said,
{sigh} First the Koreans took over the Black hair products and beauty supply stores. Now the Dominicans are elbowing their way into direct hair care servicing of AA women. Of course, this is all ONE-way. Koreans and Dominicans are NOT trying to patronize AA-owned anything. {another long sigh}
I can see where this is going. Ultimately AA women will be shut OUT of the hair salon business. Nobody except AA women patronizes AA hair stylists. Once the AA client base is gone, that’s it.
MY FRIEND’S SOBERING ANALYSIS
In response, my friend said:
Slavery was from roughly 1607 to 1865. That was over 250 years of unbroken indoctrination and brainwashing. Most of the plantation slaves (house or field) were permanently attached to the matrix. Those that were born of a free mind were either broken or killed but some managed to escape. This period of indoctrination deeply embedded in our former people’s psyche an inferiority complex, no loyalty to one another and a deep seated mistrust of blackness. Everything that was non-black was and continues to be perceived as better.
The period since slavery (1865-2010) or roughly 145 years has been a period of lost opportunities. What should have happened during reconstruction was to establish a period of introspection of the effects of slavery within the AA construct and to conscientiously undo the damage. In addition, consolidation of the African diaspora to become a “Nation within a nation”, would have also been the mechanism to make AAs a force to be reckoned with.
There were various attempts by a few who had vision to create a “Nation within a nation” but they always failed as the majority were still plantation slaves. The latest example being what you shared about the NOI.
Instead, the divide and conquer mentality had become firmly embedded in the DNA. The so-called “Talented 10th” such as W.E.B. DuBois also never were able or were unwilling to address the real elephant in the room – how to uplift a subjugated/defeated group of people to truly recognize and respect their self-worth to then be able to truly build an infrastructure.
There will always be those of us who either are born never being connected to the matrix or are able to free their minds from the matrix. However the vast majority will always be plantation slaves.
Now coming back to what is happening with black salons for me represents coming full circle. At the end of slavery, our former people had nothing and due to not addressing the issues stated above, our former people have managed to arrive right back where they started – to have nothing of their own.
. . . Unfortunately, I think it will be less than 5% of our former people (and probably closer to 1%) that will escape. This is the final chapter of our former people playing any significant role in the history of the U.S.
(emphasis added) Let me note that we’ve been using the phrase “our former people” because the masses of modern African-Americans are unrecognizable to those of us who have “old school,” traditional African-American values. They’ve become mutants, as far as I’m concerned. In every way that matters, they’ve become somebody else.
WHAT’S YOUR ABUNDANCE PLAN?
We’ve talked about this before during several conversations at the previous blog. For this conversation, please read the post If You’re Not On One of These 10 Roads to Riches, You’re Heading Toward the Poorhouse. Let’s recap:
- You can’t depend on a single source of income.
- You can’t depend on a “good job.”
- The “Man Plan” is a good one, but you need a fallback plan in case your quality husband is hit by a drunk driver.
- You can’t depend on anything that depends on support from African-Americans (as demonstrated, yet again, by the Wall Street Journal story).
For this conversation, I don’t want to discuss any more analyses of the problem. Those of us who are sojourners know what’s wrong. I’m only going to publish comments that answer and discuss the following 4 questions:
- Which roads to riches are you willing to follow?
- Which roads to riches are you already following?
- Which roads to riches are you preparing yourself to follow?
- What materials are you reading that are helping you prepare to get on various roads to riches? [If you haven't already done so, this is a hint to start looking at the materials mentioned during the immediately preceding post, A Storehouse of Free Classic Personal Development Ebooks.]
**Addendum** All current and aspiring Black business owners are strongly encouraged to check out the follow-up post, If You’re a Black Business Owner Who Wants to Succeed, Leave the African-American Consumer Behind. It could mean the difference between success and failure.
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I really want to address the black salon portion of your post… but you said not to. =)
I’m preparing myself and following the road to online riches via owning an online store and blog. I’m learning and practicing techniques for affiliate marketing and staying abreast of the trends that influence how people are making money online. My first major goal is to earn all my income online (equivalent to my current salary) so that I can reach my second goal of traveling and writing full-time.
My older brother bought me a copy of Think and Grow Rich, and for years I neglected to read it. When the cover started falling off, I finally sat down with it and couldn’t believe I’d avoided it for so long. Its like a fire blazed in my soul and I have never been the same. He also introduced me to Rich Dad, Poor Dad and the fallacy of a ‘good job’. I can’t tell you how glad I am that I finally listened to my brother’s priceless advice.
Some other great books: Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway, the 4 Hour Work Week and The Power of Now, that I’ve read as I travel this road.
Anilia,
First of all, thank you for starting off this conversation. It’s easy to vent, and hard to MOVE ON. The “move on” posts don’t get as much conversation as topics that better lend themselves to venting.
You said, “I really want to address the black salon portion of your post… but you said not to. =)”
I understand the temptation. But the issues that led to this particular situation (and the state of AA-owned businesses in general) have been discussed ad nauseum. The era of the AA-owned & operated hair salon will soon be over. That’s already a done deal, and there’s no use “crying over spilled milk.” With AAs, venting often becomes a substitute for action. Sojourners can’t afford to get caught up in the venting trickbag. We have to move on if we’re going to thrive.
You said, “I’m preparing myself and following the road to online riches via owning an online store and blog. I’m learning and practicing techniques for affiliate marketing and staying abreast of the trends that influence how people are making money online. My first major goal is to earn all my income online (equivalent to my current salary) so that I can reach my second goal of traveling and writing full-time.”
That’s wonderful news! I know you’ve heard of these sources, but those who share your interest and have no idea what’s out there should check out the following resources:
[**Audience Note: NO, I DON'T have any affiliate or any other financial interest in any of these resources---I've simply run across them while doing my own research**]
1-The Copyblogger and ProBlogger blogs.
2-The ProBlogger author also has a book that’s pretty good—especially for folks who aren’t sure where to begin.
3-There’s Johnny B. Truant’s services such as setting up WordPress blogs for $59 and full websites for $175.
4-Johhny B. Truant’s adventures in setting up his internet business from scratch were chronicled in a series of guest posts at the following blog, IttyBiz, which is another helpful site for aspiring business owners.
Peace, blessings and solidarity.
Khadija:
I am utilizing the the links and other resources that you, and your sister bloggers are kind enough share.
Reading your book of essays, and participating in discussions on the various BWE blogs.
Last night, I temporarily took down my Facebook page. I am at the point where if something is not moving me toward my goal of self employment, and financial independence I leave it alone.
This summer I will be volunteering with a local theatre group in order to expand my circle of friends.
I work part time at my local YMCA (this particular Y is in a predominately white/wealthy town with very nice people). Working at the Y part time allows me a free membership. I have full use of the fitness center, and attend yoga/pilates classes for free!!!
Another benefit is my son sits on the board of directors as a student representative. He has become friends with our town’s decision makers, and a few of them are advising him on his college goals.
Khadija, great post as always.
To The Reader Whose Comment I Deleted,
I know that many of you want to vent about the various issues associated with AA-owned businesses. From the slave-mentality, “White man’s ice is colder” sort of AA customers—to the “Head Negro in Charge” AA business owner with a stank attitude. We discussed that HERE, HERE, and HERE.
I’m NOT going to go backwards and rehash those conversations. It’s time to move forward; and move on.
So, as I said, I’m only going to publish comments that answer and discuss the 4 questions that I asked in the essay. Let’s be blunt: If you’re only venting then you’re NOT going anywhere. And I don’t have time to vent with you. I have things I’m DOING, and places that I’m in the process of GOING.
Right now, I’m at the Ark Dock. I only have time to talk to people who are: (1) temporarily at the dock to get more supplies for their ongoing voyages; or (2) repairing their Arks; or (3) building their Arks.
There’s no time left for venting with people who are setting themselves up to drown.
Dear Reader, I hope and pray this description does NOT accurately describe your situation. If it does describe where you’re at right now (and I was in the same, empty-venting spot in the past), I would strongly urge you to turn your attention to BENEFICIAL matters that would help you MOVE ON from the drowning AA masses. What’s your abundance game plan (not your friend’s)?
Peace, blessings and solidarity.
I’ve begun moving into Social Media (marketing & Audience Engagement). All of the BWE/IR bloggers have more or less built an audience from scratch, covered a demographic that’s been ignored and cultivated lifestyle elevation. Since we know black women have $1.2B in spending power we are a force that could be respected IF we utilized our skill sets and partnered well.
Everyone needs to educate themselves in using social media sites to brand themselves especially once the various secondary income streams/business plans are implemented.
I also have certain creative projects in mind, I’ve moved from one state to another to capitalize on better opportunities. I have to say as a side note the economy is so much worse than any of the so-called experts are saying. The teabaggers aren’t the only people mad!
It is vital for us to have real allies and resources that pan out i.e people with “juice” and to be willing to go far beyond any previous comfort zones to be on the radar of real influencers (not just those [blacks]that call themselves one but are relying on white patronage for example).
Follow-through is a MUST.
Patience is also a must.
— you can edit this out if you must –
I’d like to mention again that two weeks ago 1/4 of Detroit was bulldozed with no fanfare. The only reason I knew was due to my following a particular CNN producer on Twitter who went there to cover the event. I also noticed the article referenced for this blog post. I went to one such salon a decade ago and felt the disrespect as well as the lack of understanding of my unique hair texture so I didn’t let them service me. I see now that it’s a FREE FOR ALL no such barriers exist. Truth be told though before I stopped relaxing my hair I went to a white upscale salon because I was hard pressed to find adequate stylists. So that article only exemplifies a syphoning that’s already occurred to a lesser scale for years now. Quality of service also has something to do with it.
Tee,
Thank you for your kind words about the post; I truly appreciate it.
All of what you’re doing is wonderful news! I’m impressed. Among other things you said, “Last night, I temporarily took down my Facebook page. I am at the point where if something is not moving me toward my goal of self employment, and financial independence I leave it alone.
This summer I will be volunteering with a local theatre group in order to expand my circle of friends.”
Both of these steps are crucial. Most of us would do well to expand our social circles. And I’ve also found that since I’ve more or less stopped watching tv (since my last remaining sci-fi show ended (Battlestar Galactica), I’m amazed at how much more ground I’ve covered in my various projects.
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Faith,
I’ve been quietly watching the various (visible) moves that you’ve been making, and I’m impressed!
As you’ve noted, strategic use of one’s skill sets and partnering well are vital. You said, “Everyone needs to educate themselves in using social media sites to brand themselves especially once the various secondary income streams/business plans are implemented.”
Yes, I’ve been looking into that. My web designer talked about this at length with me. Even though I’m not interested in doing this with this site, I am considering leveraging social media for my side business.
You said, “I also have certain creative projects in mind, I’ve moved from one state to another to capitalize on better opportunities. I have to say as a side note the economy is so much worse than any of the so-called experts are saying. The teabaggers aren’t the only people mad!
…I’d like to mention again that two weeks ago 1/4 of Detroit was bulldozed with no fanfare. The only reason I knew was due to my following a particular CNN producer on Twitter who went there to cover the event. “
This is what Rev. Albert Cleage (author of the book Black Christian Nationalism and father of author/playwright Pearl Cleage) called the “no news” technique. When the powers that be (PTB) don’t want to be accountable for something, they simply don’t mention it on their news media. The PTB know that most Americans are passive sheep who won’t actively seek out information not covered on the corporate media. They also know that the people most affected by these various dislocations tend to say/do nothing in response.
Also note that our (mis)leadership is also not talking about the razing of Detroit. There’s also no indication that our (mis)leaders are crafting any strategies for the future. They also don’t seem to be paying attention to the trends that are gathering. In short, our (mis)leadership is out to lunch.
You said, “— you can edit this out if you must –”
I published the 2nd part of your comment because it’s not venting—it’s not about the AA hair salons, it’s about the underlying point of this. And the 2nd part of your comment concisely points out something that I’m trying to get across:
AA women allowing strange, self-proclaimed NON-Black others to play in our hair is the FINAL barrier falling to the ground! Just like those women’s hair will be falling to the ground after they finish getting their $5 “Dominican blowouts.” I remember seeing the casualties of the “French perm” fad that some AA hairdressers bought into some years back (horror stories of large patches of hair being left on the pillow upon waking up, and so on).
Large numbers of AA women would never have done that before. For AA women to pay some strange, unknown people—who have NO affection for us or concern about our unique hair textures—to play in our hair is the last dead canary in the coal mine. This is unheard of. And it shows how crazy the AA masses have become.
[I will note that AA consumer decisions have never really been about quality. If they were, then AAs would not be jam-packed in filthy, racist---and potentially deadly---look up Latasha Harlins---Arab and Korean stores.]
In previous generations, no matter how UN-conscious an AA woman was, she generally would NOT allow non-AAs to play in her hair! Even crazy AA women recognized that they could not—and should not—trust 99.99% of non-AA outsiders with their hair. Most non-AA stylists have never really learned how to keep AA hair textures healthy.
This AA consumer decision demonstrates that the AA masses have totally lost their minds! And that whatever previous social contracts, and safety nets existed among us are LONG GONE. Which is why the sojourners must move on. Which is why there’s no time left for empty venting. I want to hear about what some of you are doing to MOVE ON. This is a brainstorming session in support of MOVING ON.
Peace, blessings and solidarity.
It is so tempting to go into “vent” mode, so I glad that you have created some boundaries in this conversation, LOL.
To answer your question, I am creating multiple streams of income for myself by getting a part time job and creating a side hustle by looking into freelance writing opportunities. I will NOT be like the rest of my coworkers @ my day job who will be completely blindsided when downsizing takes place (which I predict will be happening in the very near future due to the nature of my work).
I am cutting back my expenses in any way that I can. I got rid of all the special features on my phone (why do I need to look at facebook on my phone anyway, LOL) and I have joined costco so that I can save money on groceries. I am also moving towards getting ingredients from scratch to save even more (not to mention it is healthier).
Speaking of health, I am putting a much more serious effort into this. I have a family history of diabetes and I need to be more vigilant in exercising and eating healthy. When I think of all the money being spent on health care costs for conditions that are mainly preventable, it makes my head spin. I plan on riding my bike to and from work, which is going to be an adventure in itself since I haven’t ridden a bike in 20 years LOL!!!
I am also looking at those ebooks that you posted, thanks again for providing that resource to us!
I must add one more thing. Since living a life of abundance requires the ability to “move on”, we must move on from outdated ideologies. I feel like AAs are such sheep when it comes to looking at what is really important. This causes us to ignore what is happening right under our noses.
While countless AAs have been crying over how illegal immigrants are being treated in Arizona, entire black neighborhoods are being bulldozed!!!! AAs are literally ignoring their own backyards while they still fantasize about a “black and brown” Coalition. SMH.
I hope I am not getting too off topic, but I guess my point is that we cannot constantly allow ourselves to be distracted by Other People’s Problems. It is time we start looking out for OURSELVES, just like every other group does. It’s time to move on.
I have to admit, I have been slacking somewhat on generating additional revenue streams. I fractured my elbow back in January and therefore, I missed out on Valentine’s Day and Easter for making money by baking cakes/goodies. Summer tends to be slow so I’ll be working on creating my business plan. I’m considering going to cooking school, it can only help b/c that way, getting licenses will be easier as well as setting up my own bakery in the future.
Where I am currently working, it is a day care but it’s a co-op that isn’t dependent on state/federal funds (they take them for the few welfare kids that get in). When the state of PA was without a budget from July-Nov 2009, day cares were closing left and right. Where I work was still running strong and had a year of reserves left before the budget was passed. I plan on sticking around there for a couple more years as I get my baking on its feet.
I’m also considering doing some freelancing writing/sports blogging. I tweet a lot about sports and I’ve written articles for sports blogs here and there. I’m looking into a venture with a fan of a rival team to blog about our teams. There’s still a good revenue stream in that area.
As for my own health, I’ve started walked 4-5 miles each day again after slacking after my injury. I’m also working out 30-45 with cardio DVDs at home. I went from nearly 300 to 210ish last year and I regained 30 lbs. I want to lose ~50-60 more by this time next year.
To end… I’ve also taken advantage of a plant sale my job runs and I bought herbs and plants seeds. I’m still on my way out of this hell-hole that AAs call home but I’m making sure when I can finally let my ark sail, I have as much as possible.
Magenta,
You said, “It is so tempting to go into “vent” mode, so I glad that you have created some boundaries in this conversation, LOL.”
Believe me, I do understand the temptation. I’m outraged and disgusted by that WSJ story. However, I’ve been training myself to turn my attention back to my own Ark and Ark-related ideas, conversations, and activities whenever I’m presented with that type of stimuli. That’s the main reason why I decided to NOT do social-issue type blog posts here. I’m working to keep the blog posts tightly focused on direct Ark-building-related topics. Just like everybody else, I have to work on keeping myself on track. LOL!
The other mental habit that I’m trying to wean some audience members off of is the Knee-Jerk Protest Reflex.
STOP protesting.
STOP “speaking out” (aka venting)! I don’t want y’all to “speak out” about anything! “Speaking out” that’s not attached to measurable action is a total waste of time.
I’m hoping that more of you will START building or finding an Ark for yourselves!
You said, “To answer your question, I am creating multiple streams of income for myself by getting a part time job and creating a side hustle by looking into freelance writing opportunities.”
That’s great news! I admire your stamina; it can take a lot out of a person to work a 2nd job. I hope you’ll be able to quickly phase that out and phase in a significant income from your side hustle. Creating as much PASSIVE income (do it once, get paid forever sorts of things) as possible is the key. The Rich Dad author talks quite a bit about the distinction and importance of passive income from income-generating assets in his books.
You said, “I will NOT be like the rest of my coworkers @ my day job who will be completely blindsided when downsizing takes place (which I predict will be happening in the very near future due to the nature of my work).”
Oooh guurl, yeah. I look at my coworkers and I don’t understand their complacency. They seem to be sleepwalking—even as disturbing things are happening with our employer. And these disturbing signals are happening right in front of our eyes. Oh well, if they want to live in denial, that’s their business. It’s not my problem. Which leads to your last point, when you said, “I hope I am not getting too off topic, but I guess my point is that we cannot constantly allow ourselves to be distracted by Other People’s Problems. It is time we start looking out for OURSELVES, just like every other group does. It’s time to move on.”
Indeed.
Peace, blessings and solidarity.
Thanks for another great post Khadija. Thank you for keeping your blog open and staying around a little longer for the late bloomers to catch the freedom boat. I’m currently docking my yacht to offer my little bit of insight LOL.
Which roads to riches are you willing to follow?
I believe in having my hands in multiple viable projects and business ventures. Many of my friends are now graduating from various MBA programs and staring up their own businesses or have classmates who are. I’m looking into helping them fund some of their ventures and making a profit from their hard work. Unfortunately most of the MBA friends starting their own companies are non-African American. Most of my African-American friends are running off to work for someone else. I guess the instant gratification of a six-figure salary is more appealing than taking the risk of starting your own company/legacy. Mind you these are Harvard/Wharton/and other top B-school grads too. I’m also researching start-ups in emerging markets such as Brazil and India that I can put money into.
Which roads to riches are you already following?
Although I have a nice comfortable senior position at my corporate job (It pays very well and finances my lifestyle but I know what the real deal is so I see it as a temporary station), I’m working towards my dream of becoming an author and screenwriter. Following my passions is more than just making money but having my voice heard. I also don’t want to be confined to one location. If I want to spend a month in Italy or Fiji then I want to able to just go. I thought about starting my own blog but I’m a bit iffy about my work getting stolen by the pimps out there. Currently I’m actively networking with professions in the literary field and entertainment field. I’ve also acquired two new mentors who have expressed interest in cultivating my talent, which I’m eternally grateful for. They have put me in contact with the people who can help my career so now the work is up to me. I’m also considering grad school for an MFA simply because I can get fellowships to just write. My dream school is the Iowa Writer’s workshop. (Fingers crossed).
Which roads to riches are you preparing yourself to follow?
Remaining debt free is a concept my parents put in me at an early age. Debt is the modern form of slavery for most Americans. People in debt tend limit themselves because of the financial bondage in their life. Most people don’t enjoy the fruits of their labor because the majority of their incomes goes towards paying off creditors. They are stuck in unfulfilling careers because of debt. I have the option to quit my job and not work for two years if I decide that I just want to travel and concentrate on my writing. All my income goes towards investments and activities that I enjoy. Even if you are thousands of dollars in the hole, it’s not too late to get out of debt. Being debt-free is great for your physical, mental, and spiritual health. Many people are walking time bomb because they are in survival mode instead of thriving due to debt issues. There are fantastic books out there that will help you get on the road to having a debt free existence. One of which is Dave Ramsey the Total Money Makeover
What materials are you reading that are helping you prepare to get on various roads to riches? [If you haven’t already done so, this is a hint to start looking at the materials mentioned during the immediately preceding post.
1. The Four Hour Work week (fantastic book and up there with the bible in my eyes. Don’t beat me up Christians lol)
2. The Power of Focus: How to Hit Your Business, Personal and Financial Targets with Absolute Certainty by Jack Canfield
3.Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies (Harper Business Essentials) by Jim Collins
4.Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything by Steven D. Levitt
5. Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell (I also highly recommend his other books such as The Tipping Point, Blink, and What Dog Saw and other Adventures. In outliers Gladwell points out that it usually takes 10,000 hours to master a skill/talent. Most people fall short because they are content with the bare minimum.
6. The Intelligent Investor: The Definitive Book on Value Investing. A Book of Practical Counsel by
Benjamin Graham
7. Break Into Fiction: 11 Steps to Building a Story that Sells by Mary Buckham, Dianna Love
8. On Writing by Steven King
9. The Body Fat Solution: Five Principles for Burning Fat, Building Lean Muscles, Ending Emotional Eating, and Maintaining Your Perfect Weight by Tom Venuto and The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth: The Surprising, Unbiased Truth About What You Should Eat and Why by
Jonny Bowden (You can’t have a Sojourner’s existence being fat or unhealthy.)
10.The Top 10 Distinctions Between Millionaires and the Middle Class by Keith Cameron Smith
11.Boundaries by Henry Cloud (African American Women need to read this book and learn how to draw appropriate boundaries with friends, families, and associates)
12.Black Macho And The Myth Of The Superwoman by Michele Wallace
13.The Sociopath Next Door by Martha Stout (another book black women need to pick up seriously)
14.The Secret Language of Money by David Krueger
15. Bobbi Brown Makeup Manual by Bobbi Brown (because I’ve seen some women who don’t know how to appropriately apply their make up. Looking crazy and unkempt will close you out of opportunities before they start)
Misc notes: I highly recommend researching who are the most successful people in your field of interests and study their biographies. Learn what steps that took to reach their level of success.
KM,
I’m sorry to hear about your elbow. Fractures are NO joke. {shudder} But I’m glad to hear that you’re getting back on track with your various projects.
You said, “I’m also considering doing some freelancing writing/sports blogging. I tweet a lot about sports and I’ve written articles for sports blogs here and there. I’m looking into a venture with a fan of a rival team to blog about our teams. There’s still a good revenue stream in that area.”
That sounds promising! Sports and talk about sports will never go away. Just look at the fantasy football stuff. Another friend pointed out that it’s critical for business owners to find ways to get paid for providing at least 1 of the 5 consumer needs: food, clothing, shelter, transportation, and entertainment. As an afterthought, he added money to that list. As he said, nothing sells like money (or information about how to get, save, keep, make money).
__________________________________________
Muse,
Thank you for your kind words about the post; I truly appreciate it.
Guurl, I want what you’re talking about! *Smile* Especially the parts where you said, “I have the option to quit my job and not work for two years if I decide that I just want to travel and concentrate on my writing. All my income goes towards investments and activities that I enjoy. . . . I also don’t want to be confined to one location. If I want to spend a month in Italy or Fiji then I want to able to just go.”
YES!!!! I want to be able to take off, and go to Barcelona whenever I feel like it. [*Note to self: Hmmm, I guess I should get back to studying Spanish---the European dialect. {chuckling}]
Thanks for the book info—the books on your list that I’ve read are great (especially The 4 Hour Work Week); and I look forward to checking out the ones I haven’t read.
Peace, blessings and solidarity.
As a recent graduate in a low level took-what-I-could-get job, I have to build from scratch. A big part of this is working on my well-being so that I have the energy and the right mentality to get ahead. For now, the short-term plan includes:
1. eating more food from nature, not from a box
2. exercise
3. finding free or low-cost treatment for depression. Untreated depression is a productivity killer.
On an unrelated note, I struggle to balance preparing for the near future, with increasingly advanced technology, and the further away future, when we may go back to subsistence farming.
Alana,
Congratulations on your recent degree! I think I may have mentioned this in another post, but if not, The Mood Gym from The Australian National University is a free online cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) module: http://moodgym.anu.edu.au/welcome. There is also the book, Feeling Good, by David Burns, M.D., which also uses CBT techniques for dealing with depression. Both of these are very well-researched and sound. There have also been studies showing that regular exercise can help as much or more for resolving mild or moderate depression.
Hello Khadija,
I am following the entrepreneurial road to riches, although I’ve found it to be a difficult road. (By difficult, I mean securing SUFFICIENT business revenue to cover my living expenses.) My consulting company is generating additional income, but I must attract additional clients to be able to leave my well-paying day job that finances my lifestyle. (My husband finances my lifestyle as well.)
Among the many valuable lessons that I have learned: starting a business is easy, but maintaining and growing a SUCCESFSUL business requires extraordinary diligence, patience, commitment, and networking success.
It is beneficial to have a mentor.
Business is about relationships. (The “best” or “most qualified” businessman or businesswoman is not always the one who “wins” the job.)
I have also learned that the ability to reevaluate / reassess your personal and professional goals and current direction is priceless!
In terms of networking and branding, I am working on my personal website to develop my brand. (I am on Facebook and will soon join Twitter.) I write for a start-up magazine and I am a political correspondent for a local radio show in Washington, DC. I attend conferences and other networking events, but I am still paying my dues.
With regard to reading materials for life-style optimization, I have read many self-help and inspriational books. Some of my favorites are:
1. Talent Is Never Enough: Discover the Choices That Will Take You Beyond Your Talent by John C. Maxwell
2. Playing by the Unwritten Rules: Moving from the Middle to the Top by Indigo Triplett Johnson
3. Speak and Grow Rich by Dottie Walters
4. The Sojourner’s Passport by Khadija Nassif!
5. For inspiration, anything (video, audio, book) by Les Brown
I look forward to reading some of the books your readers have recommended.
Crecilla
The ‘mentor’ search has been in the back of my mind too. I’m going to (oh dear) look into seeking a mentor regarding my Accounting future, which direction I want to go in, and how to set up the accounting/tax services business for myself without it hinting at ‘head Negro in charge’ or ‘black man’s ice’. LOL LOL Thanks again Khadija!
Alana,
Before I say anything else, I would urge you to seek counseling AND look into the materials at the following site: Conquering Stress. One of my coworkers had previously suffered from ongoing, debilitating bouts with depression. He said that the book sold at that site ["Conquering Stress" by Chris Green] helped him a great deal. [Why is it that it's often the nicest, most decent people that face these sorts of issues? Meanwhile, the human slugs appear to smoothly ooze through life without any real upsets.]
[*Audience Note: I have NO connection to that site or the book’s author.]
I’ve talked about this quite a bit with this coworker over the past few years. From what he’s said, the ideas in that book have apparently helped him win enduring victories over anxiety and depression. I believe it would be worth looking into.
Regarding the side income, almost all of us are “working from scratch.” *smile* AAs generally don’t have personal or family histories of business development. All most of us know how to do is look for a “good job.”
Onward and forward! To victory and abundant life!
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Crecilla,
I’m impressed with all the things you’re doing! {deep martial arts bow}
I’ve never heard of books #1 & 2 on your list; I look forward to checking them out. Thank you for being so kind as to mention my offering in the same list; I truly appreciate it. {blushing}
In fact, this brings me to another point. I’ve decided to change my sign-off. {chuckling}
Expect Success! {*big smile*
}
I have stated more than once “what is done is done” and “time to move on”.
In that spirit, here are my answers to your questions (additional note: My spouse is also doing many things to increase our passive income and we are working on our 5, 10 and 20 year plan).
# Which roads to riches are you willing to follow?
*Continue to focus on generating passive income.
# Which roads to riches are you already following?
*Eliminated all consumer debt over a decade ago
*Purchased several rental properties
*Investments
*Stopped working in the corporate world and became self-employed as a consultant in a technical field
*Eliminated all “time stealers” (people, tv and significantly reduced my time on the internet)
# Which roads to riches are you preparing yourself to follow?
*Increase our passive income
*Cutting back further on expenses
*Continue investing in my health by eating healthy and living a healthy lifestyle
*Continue to build alliances and increase my network
*Purchase land that can be farmed or utilized for its sources of wood
# What materials are you reading that are helping you prepare to get on various roads to riches?
Have read:
Rich Dad,poor Dad
The Four Hour Work week
Many business books
Many books concerning self introspection <– It is important to know who you are and address those things that may be holding you back.
Plan to read:
Web of Debt
The Intelligent Investor: The Definitive Book on Value Investing
The Secret Language of Money
and many others
Karen,
You said, “I have stated more than once “what is done is done” and “time to move on”.
Indeed.
Congratulations on you and your husband working your plan! I’m impressed!
The books you mentioned (specifically Web of Debt and The Secret Language of Money) sound very interesting. I’ll add them to my list.
Expect Success!
The secret Language of Money is a very good good. I consider it a must read.
As for meI currently have two sources of income coming in right now.I work for my aunt doing daycare.She’s expanding her business therefore she needs me alot right now because she’s in school full time learning child psychology and math.I help her with her studying which she also pays me for.She will have several big rooms in a church and wants me as one of the teachers.I also recently started work as a dog walker (I actually make good money doing this,paid daily,who’da thunk it?)I have an elderly grandmother who I help but now that she’s getting older she needs even more assistance,she’s in her 90′s.There is a company that wants to pay me to do all the things I and others in my family have been doing for her anyway such as run her errands,do her grocery shopping help her bathe etc.I think I’m going to start doing this soon,temporarily.
Though I have the two incomes coming in I am not doing what I want to be doing.Ultimately my goal is to become a Pharmacist and to move.First I have to get money for school which is why I am working and saving.My cousin gave me a vehicle not new but in good shape so i have’nt had to worry about getting on the bus
which is something that I actually used to like doing before some in my community decided to get huge pitbulls and let them loose.As far as the moving part working on that too.My grandmother has given me her house and it’s already paid for and in great condition so it sucks that I have to move but we have some not so good men that live around us now as a result of their grandmothers letting them move in.Right now to be honest because of family I have a few options to do different things,being the daycare teacher with my aunt and my cousin owns a business and wants me to manage it,I dont want to do either of these things but it’s kinda my right now money until I can actually afford to
pursue education in pharmacy.Moving has been a hassle because I determined that unfortunately it is not just my community that has started to take a turn for the worse but it is actually my city.Many decent folks that have lived in the city are leaving because the crime all over,even in so called middle and upper middle class communities,has gotten out of hand as a result of section 8.<That's happening everywhere.I don't think i'll be able to move for a while because of my elderly grandma.I know she won't move she's in her 90's I think she'll die here.So I have what I need but i'm working to get what I want.I also care for my siblings so my destiny is very much so intertwined with that of my family's.Getting into school is the first order of business for me.
I’ll be going back to univerisy to study but this time for an Accounting degree because it’s a profession known for its stability, and it can lead to another move to running my own accounting and tax services. I’ll also take a tip from you Khadija at Muslim Bushido and not let anyone find out that it’s me (or any other black person) running that business! LOL I’m long ago through with working in the media also! I need to save to move back to the US.
I have been thinking about taking up a second job but I’m just thinking ‘When am I gonna rest’! Although besides saving up for my move another good reason for taking up a second job would be to save up for some finishing school/etiquette classes as working on my poise, networking, deportment (comportment here in the UK), and anything else that would make me appear ladylike has been on the back of my mind.
Healthwise, I work not far from a large famous London park so I will be doing some running in there at lunchtime and maybe even after work as it’s summer at the moment (sort of) and the daylight is stretching on more into the night thank goodness. I just bought some new and reasonably priced sneakers.
Hi Khadija,
Your article comes right on time. I met someone in passing not too long ago and was so taken aback by his viewpoint on the Black condition that I invited him to my home. Our first conversation was refreshing. Unlike myself (sometimes) and my family (oftentimes) when we debate the of topics of the day, it can become heated and emotional. This man was so eloquent and non emotional that I knew I wanted my family to meet him. I planned a wonderful get together to discuss education (or lack thereof) in the Black Community. I wanted to not only discuss, I wanted to see what kind of changes we as a small clan could make. Our lead off topic was WEB Dubois vs. Booker T Washington. Which man’s viewpoints would have helped Black America succeed? Are either of their viewpoints valid today?
Well, my little dinner party quickly went left and devolved into a shouting match of me not being open minded enough to the plight of the Underclass and welfare people. How we even began speaking on the welfare topic, I can’t even remember. All I remember is that now I am totally disgusted and as I write this I have tears burning the back of my eyes. I feel my family has officially gone the other way. To the side where education is unimportant. Yeah, it was sort of eluded to. To the side where “Change We Can All Believe In” is nothing more than a campaign slogan.
I had high hopes for this. Maybe I thought hearing another person’s opinions besides my own would be an eye opener for them. Maybe I am a dreamer. Maybe I should have done what you and Evia and other bloggers advised, remove myself from the people who are not willing to change. In other words, worry only about me.
I am so glad that instead of a ‘rant’ post, you instead took the opportunity to make this a ‘what are you doing for your own advancement’ post.
To be honest, I have heard of this before and would have wanted to ‘rant’ about it but thankfully, due to the restricitions you have put on this conversation, I am happily keeping myself in check.
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Which roads to riches are you willing to follow?
My ans: There are so many. Right now I am at a crossroads because I am about to finish my Masters degree in month and a half. I have so many ideas and quite a lot of ambition but I am maturing and learning to cultivate my ideas into reality and actually researching what the best options for me are. The easy road is a corporate job with high pay, however, the more I read your blog (and some other BWE bloggers), I realise that that will not be enough. The corporate job is still in my sight, however, I intend to own a business in the engineering field since that is my expertise or have a consultancy business that still has its base in engineering. As for the company I hope and intend to start up, I already have a fair idea of some inventions (in the energy sector) I want to set out to explore which I believe could actually be revolutionary……and make me a billionaire….lol!
I know some people will say, ‘oh please, these are just dreams’, however, I dont mind them because I know for a fact that the area I am going into (energy production, utilization and optimisation) has a very high demand and this will increase in the future. At the risk of sounding like an opportunist, when I researched that peak oil issue, the first thing I thought of was ‘how can I make money from any problems that come from this!’ lol.
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Which roads to riches are you already following?
My ans: Well I have partially answered this above however, I am taking things step by step and have began networking with people in my industry who I know can help me, and put my plans in place.
I have reached a point where I have only a few friends. Most of the people who I actually now refer to as ‘friends’ are actually alliances. If I do not benefit from knowing someone, I cut them out of my life ASAP. I will not allow anyone to be a parasite on my resources (material or immaterial).
I know how appearance significantly affects how I am perceived. I go to the gym on a regular basis and try to eat as healthy as I can. However, the biggest change I have made to my outward apperance is actually in my clothing. One of my mottos is: ‘You never know who you are going to meet so always look on point!’ That person could be my future husband, or a prospective investor. If their first impression of me is negative, well…..
If you remember, on the Muslim Bushido blog, you did a post where you mentioned a French woman (cant remember the exact spelling but think it was Catherine Denevue) and you spoke about how she always carried herself well. I actually trawled youtube for footage of her interviews because of that. I want the same comment to be made about me. I think it was also in that post where an article (or portion of a book) by an American woman living in France where she mentioned that her French boyfriend complained about her wearing slacks to buy bread from the baker. As far as he was concerned, she should still look ‘proper’ and he felt that slacks were loungewear. I have now gotten to the point that even if I am nipping downstairs to the grocers, I still look proper. It actually comes naturally to me now.
———————————————-
Which roads to riches are you preparing yourself to follow?
My ans: I have partially answered this. I also tend to read the biographies of successful people in my sector who have dominated their fields. I study the mistakes they made, the good decisions, bad decisions, how they went round problems they couldnt solve etc. Learning from one’s mistakes is good, however, a wise man learns from other peoples mistakes. I would rather let other people make the mistakes and I learn from them.
———————————————-
What materials are you reading that are helping you prepare to get on various roads to riches?
-The Power of Focus (I first read this when I was around 17 and have read it again).
There are books that I am reading that are helping me on my path to dominance:
-The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli(I have only partially read this cos it is very long but should finish it in about a month or two)
Most of the others have already been mentioned by previous commenters.
———————————————
Prospective business ‘idea’ to AAW hair stylists:
(btw Khadija, this is not a rant)
On a side note, to any AAW hair stylist who reads this. I have a question, instead of sitting back and complaining about this whole issue of Dominicans taking away customers, how about having a strategy in place so as to make yourselves formiddable competitors? Let’s be honest, the only thing they are offering are the ‘Dominican blowouts’ right? I have seen these beeing done and they are not difficult. Other people are always learning ‘trade secrets’ from AA’s (and blacks in general) and end up selling those same things back to you. Why not do the same? What is stopping any of these AA hair stylists from learning how to do these ‘Dominican blowouts’ and offering them to their AA customers? This hair procedure is actually very common however the only place I see them being refferred to as ‘Dominican’ is in the US and specifically among AAs. Trust me, you can do that at home (I learnt just by watching youtube videos and did it at home and it came out very well). However, if you want to make money, just practise it and start offering it to your clients. You can offer it as an alternative to relaxing.
Btw, let’s keep it real, these ‘Dominican blowouts’ will eventually damage black womens’ hair (as the majority of these types of ‘new hair revolutionary technique on the block’ have done over the years). When this happens, the clients are going to run back to traditional black hair care salons. These Dominican salons are more about styling and not about actual hair care. Several of the black clients know it but choose to ignore that because they like the look of the hair. That is a hole right there that can be tapped into! Why not come up with a way of doing these blowouts without incurring the damage that usually comes with it? Those clients will come flooding back (I hope). AAs should learn how to turn every setback into a stepping stone!
FoxyCleopatra,
At the risk of sounding like an opportunist, when I researched that peak oil issue, the first thing I thought of was ‘how can I make money from any problems that come from this!’ lol.
Your plans sound great. I hope they come to fruition. Don’t be afraid of being thought of as an “opportunist” for having the foresight to strategize about peak oil. You didn’t manufacture the problem so if you come up with a solution, why shouldn’t you profit from it?
at the very least…invest in alternative energies. I have no qualms about nuclear or windpower.
I’m not as far along the road to success as some of you ladies, but inch by inch I WILL create the life of abundance, mobility and security that I yearn for.
One accomplishment I can point to thus far is my weight. I have been on a lower carb diet that my doctor put me on for about 5 months now. I have dropped 6 dress sizes in that time! I’m feeling more happy and energetic than I have in almost a decade.
That new energy is very helpful for me, as I am finishing my degree online and need to study. I’m prepping for the LSAT as well. I know that a law degree is not a cure-all, but it’s been my lifelong dream to practice law. Membership to the bar is only ONE element of my financial freedom plan.
My husband and I own our home and a rental property. We are saving to buy another property. We have zero credit card debt, and much of our student loans are paid off as well.
I’m inspired by you ladies and I agree that venting is only a waste of time and energy. Let’s move on!
My passive income, ie publishing is paying off nicely and growing more strongly than I’d anticipated. Working with a partner on some enterprises for future growth and income development. It is my intent to establish my name as a brand for quality entertainment.
My active income, ie side hustles, baking, tutoring, freelancing and various other gigs I pick up from time to time are also thriving.
We have a plan for essentially living off my husband’s income, which we started doing before I quit my job when our son was born. We use the money I earn for investments. We live on cash only, no credit card debt.
We are intent on building wealth and we want to build an empire that we can leave our son. I’ve noted that people like Paula Deen and Martha Stewart are incorporating their children into what they’ve built so as to leave them a source of income. I’m working on being able to do the same. With lots of hard work the copyrights for my books should be worth a fortune some day and will continue to generate income into perpetuity.
Can anyone recommend any particular book(s) about starting/running an internet business? There are so many books out there that it is hard to know which ones are worth investing time/money in and focusing on. If Khadija doesn’t mind, I would appreciate recommendations. Thanks.
Everybody,
I’m in the middle of some side-business stuff, so I’ll have to (at least try to—I know that I can be longwinded—LOL!) make my replies shorter at the moment.
**********************************************
TruthP.,
You said, “I also recently started work as a dog walker (I actually make good money doing this,paid daily,who’da thunk it?)”
Curiously, there are people making good money by doing this full-time. IIRC, Chris Guillebeau, blog host of The Art of Non-Conformity, has mentioned at least one such person. If I can find that info I’ll link to it in another comment.
______________________________________________
AK,
Carry on with what you’re doing—onward and forward!
______________________________________________
HR Professional,
You tried to have a civilized dinner party with biological relatives? Guurl, I’m skeered of you. I would never attempt anything like that with my “biologicals.” In my case, something like that only works with my chosen family of close friends and our various acquaintances.
_______________________________________________
FoxyCleopatra,
You said, “I am so glad that instead of a ‘rant’ post, you instead took the opportunity to make this a ‘what are you doing for your own advancement’ post.”
There’s NO time left for empty venting.
Carry on with what you’re doing—onward and forward!
_______________________________________________
JoyousNerd,
You said, “I’m not as far along the road to success as some of you ladies, but inch by inch I WILL create the life of abundance, mobility and security that I yearn for.”
Everyone has different starting points and different paths to take. Therefore, I believe there’s no real way to compare journeys. For me, the point is to keep moving in the right direction. I also keep in mind the proverb, “Measure twice, cut once.”
You said, “One accomplishment I can point to thus far is my weight. I have been on a lower carb diet that my doctor put me on for about 5 months now. I have dropped 6 dress sizes in that time! I’m feeling more happy and energetic than I have in almost a decade.”
YES!!! {deep martial arts bow}
_______________________________________________
Roslyn,
You said, “We have a plan for essentially living off my husband’s income, which we started doing before I quit my job when our son was born. We use the money I earn for investments. We live on cash only, no credit card debt.”
This is very wise. Most people lack the self-control to do that. Many folks tend to spend whatever money they get.
You said, “We are intent on building wealth and we want to build an empire that we can leave our son. I’ve noted that people like Paula Deen and Martha Stewart are incorporating their children into what they’ve built so as to leave them a source of income. I’m working on being able to do the same. With lots of hard work the copyrights for my books should be worth a fortune some day and will continue to generate income into perpetuity.”
Again, this is very wise. One thing I’ve always noticed is that it’s mostly AAs who are reinventing wheels and starting from scratch for each and every generation. Mostly because one CANNOT pass down “a good job” to one’s children.
____________________________________________
Sandra77,
You said, “Can anyone recommend any particular book(s) about starting/running an internet business? There are so many books out there that it is hard to know which ones are worth investing time/money in and focusing on. If Khadija doesn’t mind, I would appreciate recommendations. Thanks.”
Hmmm…I’ll think about that. If something in particular comes to mind, I’ll mention that book in another comment. In the meantime, if anybody has any book suggestions on this topic for Sandra, I’d appreciate it if you would mention them.
Expect Success!
Khadija, I forgot to mention that doing daycare and dog walking has helped me with other goals that I had.Despite the fact that dog walking and daycare is not exactly where my heart is, it has been very good for my health and physical body.As I said in my community we have issues with pitbulls running loose so I started to feel caged in my own home.Since i’ve been doing daycare and dog walking i’m not in my community so i’m free to get all the walking in I want.I defitnetly feel better and I have started to enjoy excercising.Me and the daycare kids took a walk today and it’s been a little chilly and rainy here but it was a good walk and everybody was bundled up.Of course you know keeping the kids active is a big part of daycare so even when we have to be inside we excercise.I also have to make sure the kids are getting a balanced meal with plenty of fruits and veggies so that rubs off on me as well.I’m really having a good time with this but i’ll be glad when I can start school I like to learn new things,it seems like i’ve been taking care of kids my whole life with all the siblings I have.Thank you for your patience, your kind words, and helping to guide me in a positive direction.You are greatly appreciated:)
Thanks for the reply Khadijah. I was still annoyed that I had to seek a non-AA stylist to do my hair but I wanted to minimize the damage to my hair nad living in San Francisco with such a low black population meant I had to expand or travel far.
I notice how non-AAs are always willing to take our money but still will miss specific components of our heritage even those who may be well-meaning.
This also ties into one of the bigger relaxer companies being started by a Pakistani scientist who created a different formula that tends to be less-damaging (as much as it can). My first question was why wouldn’t the black companies improve their products? This is of course bigger than than this single issue.
I have more links to leave with the readers. I hope this will be helpful as well:
Join SCORE Mentors http://www.score.org/findscore/index.html and get help for running a business with a direct mentor. Here’s one tip on running a virtual business that’s part of the Women’s Blog which has more indepth posts to peruse.
http://womensblog.score.org/2010/04/manage-running-a-virtual-company/
How to get bloggers to promote your business
http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/05/17/1632008/let-blogger-outreach-help-build.html
Website devoted to women’s achievement http://www.womenachieve.org
Hi Khadija,
This will be rather long (smiling and waving)!!!
I have always had an entrepreneurial spirit as my dad was a salesman and owned a dealership in our city. At 85 years old, he still gets dressed in a business shirt, dress slacks, and one of several pair of Johnston and Murphy’s that he owns(lace up oxfords)!!! LOL!!!
Anyway…My background is in teaching, I am also a licensed real estate agent and a certified dating coach using The Rules. I was doing extremely well in real estate and then the market became a lot more challenging and I have temporarily gone back to teaching.
I have done several things to start the process of information marketing to leave my JOB (journey of the broke). The most important thing that I have done so far is to find a mentor who has proven success in my area of interest. In real estate I have found Joe Crump with http://www.joecrump.com ( I do not have any affiliate marketing relationship with any of the resources I will suggest here). He has personally taught me real estate investment techniques that have had a PROFOUND impact on my business. Techniques that will work regardless of market conditions. In terms of learning how to “market” I am a member of the Dan Kennedy Bill Glazer group. He is THE go-to guy for those who aspire to be informational marketers or really for those who want to market any product or service. His group has satellite groups in most states or major cities. The satellite groups meet weekly to discuss marketing, marketing to target audiences, etc. I paid a ton of $$$$ to attend a seminar where I was taught the following…1. Pick a niche. 2. Become the expert 3. Let everyone know about it.
This is Dan Kennedy marketing 101. “BE A PROBLEM SOLVER. ”
One of the things that I have found in being a member of this group is that you can sell almost anything. Literally. Here in Michigan, there is a man who is a magician and he developed an expertise in towel origami (folding towels in various animal shapes, etc)!!! He created a DVD and he was featured in the Costco Magazine (Costco Connections) in late 2009. Although he sells the DVD that teaches people how to fold towels (!), it is really a tool he uses to book birthday parties for children of the affluent. When they see his DVD, and the fact that he was featured in the Costco mag, he has perceived expertise. There is a woman in our group who markets books to parents who homeschool. She hosts teleseminars and sells packages of books.
Dan Kennedy has helped me think about the importance of being a problem solver and getting paid for it. These questions were presented to me at a marketing seminar, please consider…, who makes more money, the general dentist or the orthodontist? Ask yourself in the case of OJ Simpson, (the original DBR) did he go to the back of the yellow pages to find the attorney who “specializes” in divorce, bankruptcy, child support, DUI, Wills, Estate planning, etc. etc. No!!! He went to the perceived expert. Did Johnnie Cochran go to a special law school that afforded him the opportunity to charge in excess of $500 per hour?! No, but part of his brand and perceived allure was that he was an expert. When you are an expert and you are solving a problem, people don’t quibble over your rates. They want their problem solved. OJ just wanted to get off and I am sure he didn’t grill Johnnie about his hourly fees!! He had a problem with potentially going to jail that he wanted Johnnie to solve, money was a non-issue. The lesson: BE THE EXPERT, SOLVE THE PROBLEM. (as an aside…market your product to the affluent)
))
The other thing that I have done is to become a student of marketing. I read almost every book that I can get my hands on by Dan Kennedy, Bill Glazer and others. One book written by a student of Dan’s is Sydney Biddle Barrows’ book “Uncensored Sales Strategies…” Many of you may recognize her as the former Mayflower Madam. But the book teaches the importance of picking a niche, becoming the expert and how to have your customers constantly coming back begging for more.
KarenR.,
You said, “This is Dan Kennedy marketing 101. “BE A PROBLEM SOLVER.”
It sounds like we’re reading some of the same authors. I’m reading No B.S. Direct Marketing by Dan Kennedy and Outrageous Advertising by Bill Glazer.
The point about being a problem solver is an excellent one. One information marketer has added that it’s easiest to sell products that solve the problems of “desperate buyers.” “Desperate buyers” are people who are highly anxious to get their problem(s) solved. Like the OJ Simpson situation that you mentioned.
As she said, “Desperate people – people with throbbing problems, pressing issues, and insane drives – buy on impulse. Desperate people buy on impulse because they’re in an emotionally charged state-of-mind or state-of-being and they want to get out of it.
So when you create information products for desperate people, you change the dynamics from being the person who’s doing the chasing – (as you have to do when selling a typical how-to product) – to becoming the person who’s constantly being chased.”
[The person who said that is Alexis Dawes, who wrote what I've found to be an EXTREMELY helpful information marketing ebook called Desperate Buyers Only. See this IttyBiz post that discusses it, as well as other info marketing strategies.]
**Reader’s Note: To make this simple, let me say this flat out—I have NO affiliate relationships. None. Nada. If I mention something, it’s because I ran across it while doing my own research.**
I’ll look into the Uncensored Sales Strategies book. Thanks for mentioning it!
Expect Success!
To The Reader Whose Comment I Deleted,
This is not going to turn into a conversation about “How to Save AA-Owned & Operated Hair Salons.” For several reasons:
1-As I’ve said before, AA consumer decisions are NOT motivated by considerations of quality. Let me repeat: If AAs cared about quality, then they would not be jam-packed in filthy, rude Arab and Korean-owned stores.
2-One of many unfortunate unintended consequences of the civil rights movement is that it reinforced the AA perception that SHOPPING WITH NON-BLACKS = FREEDOM, ACCEPTANCE & PROGRESS. So, most AAs get an emotional high from shopping with non-Blacks. It makes them feel “free” to have their money accepted by non-Black others. They don’t get any emotional satisfaction from patroninzing their own people’s businesses.
The reality is that AAs don’t and, for the most part, WON’T support a business if we know that it is Black-owned. The only partial exceptions to this rule were AA-owned hair salons and barbershops.
3-Because of Point #1 & 2, AA-owned & operated hair salons CAN’T be saved. The WSJ story shows that it’s already too late for that. The ONLY reason why droves of AA women didn’t abandon them (the way AAs abandoned all other AA-owned business en masse at the end of segregation) was the fear that non-Black others would mess up our hair. Most non-Black others haven’t learned how to style AA hair textures.
Since that common-sense concern about how non-Blacks will treat one’s hair have dissipated, the floodgates are now open for AA women to abandon AA-owned hair salons en masse. The WSJ story indicates that this process has begun.
The few AA stylists I know who have good chances of surviving this abandonment are those who have already branched out to other pursuits within that industry (or related industries). Pursuits that don’t depend on AA patronage alone. Pursuits such as getting work as the hair stylist for music videos, and various actor and model-related services (photo shoots, styling hair for head-shot photos, etc.).
Since you made reference to their comments, please know that I published the entirety of Faith’s and Foxycleopatra’s comments because they answered the questions I posed for this conversation.
Expect Success!
Sandra77,
I’ve thought about your question. There are some “regular” books I’ve read about starting/running an internet business, but they’re not very good. The regular books about that topic tend to be very vague.
The “good stuff” is usually to be found with the more expensive (as in usually costing $50 and up) ebooks written by specific information marketers. However, these detailed materials are only really helpful if you’ve already decided what type of niche you want to be in (selling physical products online, selling information products online, selling consulting services online, and so on).
I’ll see if any of the “regular” books I’m familiar with are at least useful as a starting point.
In the meantime, I would suggest that you peruse the blog posts at the blogs that I’ve mentioned and linked to earlier in the comments. Such as IttyBiz, ProBlogger, and so on.
[**Reader's Note** To make this simple, let me say this flat out---I have NO affiliate relationships. None. Nada. If I mention something, it's because I ran across it while doing my own research.]
Expect Success!
Well, if AA salons that focus on hair straightening techniques are losing business to Dominican blowout salons, AA salons focusing on natural hair care should take note and do what they can to remain competitive.
Lunanoire,
As soon as the Dominicans (and more Africans) get into “natural hair care,” then AA women will flock to them for these services too.
I know it’s hard to accept this; it openly makes AAs sound as slave-minded as most are. But how many times must I say that AA consumer decisions are NOT motivated by “competitive” considerations? It’s not about me saying this, it’s about looking at what AA consumers are actually doing. And looking at the situation without wishful-thinking-induced blinders on.
Why are folks talking about this as if AA consumer decisions revolve around quality and competitiveness? Do y’all actually believe that? I’m serious.
If so, please answer the following question: In what way are the filthy, rude—AND jam-packed with AA consumers—Arab and Korean-owned stores “competitive”? With anything? Including the handful of AA-owned stores that AA consumers walk past in order to shop at the filthy, rude Arab and Korean-owned stores?
AA consumer decisions are emotion-based decisions. Trying to “compete” based on quality does NOT work for Black-owned businesses who are trying to woo Black consumers. I’ll say it straight-up: Most AA consumers only feel good about shopping with NON-Blacks.
Expect Success!
Khadija, thanks for the reply re internet business books. The experience you recounted re such books being vague is exactly the experience I was having. I am in the process of reviewing IttyBiz and other blogs/books that you and other commenters have set out. Thank you.
The “Dominican blowout” is unhealthy hair care, period. My scalp was in pain for days and once was enough, I declare to never again put my head through that mess.
Sorry, I needed to say that…Okay, onward with my answers to the questions:
Which roads to riches are you willing to follow?
Targeted self-help and mutually beneficial partnerships -preferably with other BW here-I feel so “at home” here
Which roads to riches are you already following?
A. Completing my education – after a long, 14 year break I finally completed my bachelor’s degree. While the iron was still hot I went on to an MBA in 14 months
B. Working for myself – discovering my love for planning/organizing I combined my two passions for “business ownership and being organized” into one company and currently developing and managing 8 internal projects based on the principles in PowerNomics.
C. Writing – I’m working on two books, both non-fiction. Next, writing a screenplay. I’m juggling writing and building the business so…. writing is coming along very slooooowly but I’m up for the challenge and trying to enjoy the process!
D. Balance Personal and Professional Growth – my love life is on hold for quality ME time and sometimes I just want or need a break from men folk. Still registered with two nice IR dating sites for my daily dose of eye candy though; I’m planning to go on my first date in two years next month, maybe, we’ll see. My professional growth is on warp speed so I’m happy, living, and learning.
Which roads to riches are you preparing yourself to follow?
Conducting activities that align with each goal listed above:
1) Goal A – wrote an Ebook about going back to school with my old self and blogged about the journey
2) Goal B – conducting intense and obsessive search for business funding. SBA is a joke so I’ve been setting up and participating in “meet and greets” with investors; a full-time job but well worth the effort. Some investors behave more like opportunistic vultures. So after many sleepless nights, I started a blog about finding a good-working-solution to the funds dilemma.
3) Goal C – writing a little each day and doing research on writing
4) Goal D – tweaking rules of engagement and vetting process based on “The Rules” and this here excellent blog, thanks for sharing ladies, and special thanks to Khadija for this blog.
What materials are you reading that are helping you prepare to get on various roads to riches?
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
By Stephen Covey
Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff…and It’s All Small Stuff: Simple Ways To Keep The Little Things from Taking Over Your Life
By Richard Carlson, Ph.D.
Think Big
By Ben Carson, M.D.
Who Moved My Cheese
By Spencer Johnson, M.D.
7 Steps to Fearless Speaking
By Lilyan Wilder
What Makes the Great Great: Strategies for Extraordinary Achievement
By Dennis Kimbro, Ph.D.
It Only Takes a Minute to Change Your Life
By Willie Jolley
A Whack On The Side of The Head: How You Can Be More Creative
By Roger von Oech
Boundaries in Dating: How Healthy Choices Grow Healthy Relationships
By Dr. Henry Cloud & Dr. John Townsend
The Hard Questions: 100 Essential Questions to Ask Before You Say I Do
By Susan Piver
The Rich Switch: The Simple 3-Step System to Turn On Instant Wealth Using the Law of Attraction
By David Hooper
Ordering from The Cosmic Kitchen: The Essential Guide to Powerful, Nourishing Affirmations
By Patricia Crane, Ph.D.
PowerNomics: The National Plan to Empower Black America
Dr. Claud Anderson
And added some from the “Storehouse” post and from comments to this post; the women commenting here AND this blog rocks! Keep up the good work because this is REALLY good!
Hmmm…this is interesting.
I let Lunanoire’s “How to Save AA-Owned & Operated Hair Salons” comment through because it was the shortest one of the various attempted “save the AA salons” comments. And because I wanted to probe the thinking underlying that sort of comment: The underlying assumption seems to be that AA consumers actually care about “quality” and “competitiveness.” And that if only more AA-owned and operated businesses would do X,Y, and Z, then more AA consumers would patronize Black-owned businesses.
I typically refuse to engage in that sort of conversation for the same reason why I refuse to engage BM in the “if BW would only do X,Y, and Z then more BM would want to marry them” conversation.
I firmly believe that both of these types of conversations are fundamentally dishonest. Because the premises are untrue. In short, both premises are bullsh*t. In the business context, I believe that this bs is about denial (of how slave-minded most of us truly are) and wishful thinking about the true nature and motivations of AA consumers.
Negro slave AA males will happily marry NON-Black women that possess all the traits that they claim to find so off-putting about BW: obesity, difficult personalities, and so on.
Masses of BW could twist themselves into pretzels physically, emotionally, and spiritually to try to cater to AA males, and the bulk of these males STILL would not marry them. And these males would STILL choose non-Black women whenever they get the opportunity.
Similarly, Negro slave AA consumers will happily shop in NON-Black-owned businesses that possess all the traits that they claim to find so off-putting about Black-owned businesses: rude service, goods that cost 2 cents more than rock-bottom prices, untidy stores, lack of selection, and so on.
Black-business owners could spend their last dollar twisting themselves and their businesses into having the aura and presentation of the jewelers at Cartier, and the bulk of AA consumers would STILL continue to informally boycott their businesses. And AA consumers would STILL choose to shop with non-Blacks whenever they get the opportunity. [When you look at the overall behavior pattern, it is an undeclared boycott of AA businesses by AA consumers.]
In the case of an aspiring AA business owner, buying into that “if only more AA-owned and operated businesses would do X,Y, and Z, then more AA consumers would patronize Black-owned businesses” bs will lead to that Black business owner’s financial ruin. I’ve seen this happen more than once to naive AA business owners who mistakenly believed that AA consumer decisions were about quality.
The AA consumer CAN’T be taken at face value. Their ACTIONS show that they don’t want what they claim to want. And their motivations for supporting/not supporting various businesses are NOT what they say they are.
I’m not buying into—or peddling—that snake oil. Because I’m not trying to destroy aspiring AA women’s businesses before they even start. Which is the end result of entertaining this “if only more AA-owned and operated businesses would do X,Y, and Z, then more AA consumers would patronize Black-owned businesses” bs.
This is why I refuse to engage in a “How to Save AA-Owned & Operated Hair Salons” conversation.
If a Black business owner’s business model depends on trying to garner the knowing support of AA consumers, then it will FAIL. For the most part, AA consumers only support Black businesses when they don’t know those businesses are Black-owned. The only exceptions to this general rule were AA-owned hair salons and barbershops. Well, the WSJ story shows that this last little avenue of openly Black-owned business is no longer viable among AAs.
Aspiring AA business owners need another business model. One that is “colorless,” and does NOT depend on knowing support from AA consumers. We need to get real about this.
Expect Success!
Chiming in a second time to add that I am also working on my appearance. (I’m the one who posted earlier about losing 6 dress sizes) As I am replacing my wardrobe, I’m really trying to put together a feminine, classy, and mature but appealing look. Some of my purchases have looked great in the store but looked too sexy on me. I’m learning how to apply makeup properly as well. Even though I’ve never really worn it before, I find that it does make me look better and feel better too.
I appreciate the tip about researching what people have done to become successful. I took that advice and have gotten a great idea to store away for future use.
Loving the “Expect Success” signoff!
Anelia aka RedWine1225,
That’s wonderful news! Carry on!
____________________________________________
JoyousNerd,
You said, “Loving the “Expect Success” signoff!”
Thank you! {chuckling} That’s the thing—I’m not just “preaching” here, I’m on my own journey. So, I have to check myself from time to time. The earlier signoff I was using had the “we be struggling” vibe to it, so it had to go! {more chuckling}
Expect Success!
Khadija — I hope you won’t mind, be bothered by, my popping in-and-out of this post’s thread with a few comments. Many of the comments, and your request for the responses you are seeking here, has got me to thinking. So, here it goes, first off:
Well, for me, the most–absolutely, most–important thing has been to bring myself to good health. I talked about it some in your previous femininity post, but I’ll restate (for those who haven’t read that post or its comments): Several years ago I decided to take my health into my own hands (be my own doctor, so to speak) to improve it, which I did by changing my diet, how I eat, for the long-term. I know, for a fact, that if one doesn’t have good health, all the other stuff falls by the wayside. If you are lucky, you’re going to get old; taking one’s health into her own hands (and your child/-ren’s, if you have them…really, is it necessary to over-load your child’s body with toxins, such as mercury!, in the form of vaccinations, when s/he is a wee little one? Those shots can wait until they are a few years older. And is it necessary to circumcise your boys when they are babies? Why not let your son make the decision to be cut on his own, when he is an adult?), which can determine how you age is where the power lies regarding giving yourself good health.
This blog, The Automatic Earth, is one of the best economic blogs out there on the world wide web. (The readers’ comments are good, too.)
Rhonda,
You said, “Khadija — I hope you won’t mind, be bothered by, my popping in-and-out of this post’s thread with a few comments. Many of the comments, and your request for the responses you are seeking here, has got me to thinking.”
I don’t mind at all. Thinking—serious thought—about one’s life circumstances, options and plans is what I’m trying to stimulate during this conversation. There are plenty of other Black blogs that facilitate various AA knee-jerk, traditional hobbies of empty venting and idle chatter. That’s not the agenda here. I would prefer that readers actually think instead of falling into knee-jerk responses of:
1-Angry and useless “speaking out;”
2-Assorted other empty venting;
3-Regurgitation of popular talking points. So many times we have all heard various AAs spout off about “what Black businesses need to do to get Black customers” when the people speaking almost always: (a) have NO intention of patronizing ANY Black-owned business except for maybe the barbershop/hair salon; and (b) have NEVER engaged in any business activity themselves—on ANY level. And (c) have NO intention of doing so in the future. They are employees. Period.
Most of the AAs who have a LENGTHY “to do” list for Black business owners have never even sold candy or Girl Scout cookies for their children! And 99.99% of these people will never take up the challenge of becoming a business owner. But yet they have what my father sarcastically calls “plenty of aye-dears” about how Black-owned businesses should operate.
Yes, plenty of i-dears about how these businesses should operate . . according to them. . . even though they don’t want to patronize ANY Black-owned business. Meanwhile, when one Korean/Arab/Whoever Else Is Not Black business mistreats them, they simply move on to patronize another Korean/Arab/Whoever Else Is Not Black business.
Now, I’m NOT saying that any of the audience members here are like that. I can see that several of you are brave and bold enough to take the plunge into becoming business owners. So, unlike some other venues, it’s not totally empty talk here.
However, AA business owners are close to my heart. When I think about how people put their OWN hard-earned, hard-saved money into business ventures . . . I have to admit that I get upset when I hear talking points that—as far as I’m concerned—are a trick and a trap to string along and ultimately destroy naive Black aspiring business owners. Even if this isn’t what the speaker intended.
You said, “I know, for a fact, that if one doesn’t have good health, all the other stuff falls by the wayside.”
This is true. It’s why I’m still doing my preventative anti-cancer regimen that I discussed at the previous blog.
Expect Success!
Waking Up: Overcoming the obstacles to human potential by Charles T. Tart. Some quotes from it:
The purpose of this book is to help you find what you think you already have, namely free will, intelligence, and self-conciousness.
I shall provide information to demonstrate that your will is largely a mechanical reaction based on your conditioning, that your intelligence is severely limited compared to what it could be, and that there is no true self controlling your life from a state of genuine self-consciousnes. Then we can consider what to do about this situation. You can be far more than you are now!
This book is about enlightenment and states of consciousness, about methods for pursuing an important aspect of enlightment, and, particularly, about the obstacles that keep us in an unenlightened, ignorant state.
…we have an acquired nature. Whatever our basic nature is, it has been subjected to an enormous amount of shaping, bending, conditioning, indoctrination, development, and repression in the course of enculturation. In the course of our being made into normal people, fitted into our particular culture’s image of what normal is, our basic nature has been selectively cultivated. Our perception, our thinking, our emotional feelings, our assumptions and intuitions, and our behaviours have all been strongly molded. Our ordinary consciousness is not “natural,” but an acquired product. This has given us both many useful skills and many insane sources of useless suffering.
Much of our suffering is useless: it is unknowingly created by us through unenlightened, unintelligent use of our human capacities. We misperceive the external world and our own deeper desires and nature, act in a way tht is contrary to the realities of our situation, and then reap the unpleasant consequences. Within-state enlightment leads to more realistic perception of the world and ourselves: consequently we can engage in more effective action that can eliminate much useless suffering.
That sounds like my kind of book. I’m going to add that to my list of books to get.
Khadija,
Thanks for another great post and for sharing, and providing a space for others to share, so many great resources!
I am not going to vent about the demise of the AA hair salon, but I was impressed with the AA salon owner who restyled her salon as a Dominican one and was being given flack for “going to the other side”. She looked at the writing on the wall and changed up her game. That brings to mind a commercial for Fedex Business or some other such company that makes business signs. It featured a black barbershop owner who had a Supercuts type of establishment open up across the street. In response, he hung a huge “we fix $5 hair cuts” sign over his door.
I am not suggesting that AA haircare businesses can be saved, but I think it’s important that we learn to look for the opportunities in the threats we face. And also to learn when it’s time to find a new path.
As for me, I am still developing my side-hustle but I have a few ideas. I’m just beginning to reap the rewards of the Master’s degree I finished last year, but I know I can’t rest on my laurels for too long! I have greatly increased my savings since graduating and I plan to eliminate all of my debt except for my student loans by the end of this summer. My car and my credit card will be paid off. Then I intend to use my credit card rather than my debit card (to earn rewards and have better purchase protection) for all purchases and pay the balance in full each month.
My boyfriend and I are going for premarital counseling. Not because of any real issues of concern in our relationship, but because we want to make sure we build a rock solid foundation for a lifetime partnership.
A while back, I found a compilation of resources for relationships, parenting, and financial education that some readers may find useful: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/healthymarriage/pdf/curricula_resources_guide_121509.pdf. The majority of the resources are free. I am especially interested in some of the investing and savings online courses listed in the document.
I’m in my mid 30′s and I’ve been ashamed about not knowing how to ride a bike almost all of my life. Last month I finally bought a bike and let my boyfriend teach me to ride. It’s great fun and great exercise, although I’m still a little wobbly! One of the things that helped me was being told to look straight ahead at where I wanted to go because when I focused on the ground or on an obstacle, that’s where I invariably ended up.
I’m trying to apply the same rule to my life and focus only on what I want to achieve and those things that will help me get there. So thanks, Khadjia, for the reminder to nip the venting in the bud and to look forward, not back!
“Then I intend to use my credit card rather than my debit card (to earn rewards and have better purchase protection) for all purchases and pay the balance in full each month. “
Just to share my experience, I would recommend that you try this out for 3-4 months and see if it really works. What I found out is that it is better to pay cash.
1) You are closer to the reality of what you are giving money out for every month
2) It causes you to think at least twice about what you are buying
3) It is a better negotiation tool on negotiating over price
4) It helps to further discipline oneself on the use of money
I also commend you on the premarital counseling as money issues are one of the primary reasons for marriages falling apart when each person has different ideas about money or are not able to be emotionally detached from discussions about how to handle finances, discussing/achieving financial goals, maintaining/staying on a budget.
You are making concerted efforts to reduce your debt load. Does your future spouse have debt? Is he working to reduce it? What is his relationship with money? <–None of these question are to be answered in this forum, they are just examples of questions that I would use in terms of determining whether my future spouse was on the same page as I was.
Hey Khadija and el,
I’m currently in training so haven’t had time to participate as much. I’m reading though and definitely taking note of the information I find useful for my present and future plans.
I graduated with my Masters December ’09 and got a job with the Government in April. I definitely agree with not relying on your job as your sole source of income. While the job and department I’m in has always been my goal to get into, I’ve always believed that popular saying of “not putting your eggs all in one basket.”
For me right now, I’m using the rest of this year to get some things in order. My three main focus for the rest of this year is, Health, Eliminating Debt, and Expanding my social/networking circles.
Your site is great and I’m always checking to see what new topic you choose to tackle.
YMB,
You’re welcome! And carry on with what you’re doing!
You said, “I am not going to vent about the demise of the AA hair salon, but I was impressed with the AA salon owner who restyled her salon as a Dominican one and was being given flack for “going to the other side”. She looked at the writing on the wall and changed up her game.”
Oh, I beg to differ. I believe that the individual you’re referring to, a Ms. Drew, is a FOOL. Here’s why: She’s training her replacements! What she’s doing is basically positioning herself to be the last local AA salon owner to go under. The Dominicans will chew her up last—after they’ve finished devouring the other AA salon owners.
How long does anybody think these Dominicans will continue working for her? Let’s think about this for a moment. Do ANY non-Blacks have any significant history of working long-term for AAs? NO!!! They’ll use the AA business owner who is foolish enough to hire them, and then discard/replace them as soon as possible. There are many examples of this, but a well-known one that we’re all familiar with is the Wayans family and their non-Black hires on In Living Color.
How long did J.Lo or Jim Carrey work for AAs? Just long enough to get over the hump on the platform built by the AA fools who hired them. And not a moment longer. I predict that the same thing will happen to Ms. Drew. In this case, the Dominican stylists will work for her until the moment they feel that they’ve watched her methods long enough to learn how to better attract AA customers. And then they will abandon her salon to work for another Dominican who has “learned the ropes”!
And on top of this level of folly, Ms. Drew is stupid enough to CREATE a distribution chain connecting Dominican hair product manufacturers to the remaining AA-owned salons. The WSJ story said, “Some black stylists hate on me, think I’ve crossed over to the other side,” says Ms. Drew, who also sells hair products manufactured in the Dominican Republic to black-owned salons.”
So the Dominican manufacturers will be supplying salons owned by their fellow Dominicans AND the remaining salons owned by AAs. So, the Dominican manufacturers will be supplying rival ethnic businesses who are in DIRECT competition with each other in the same local area. And one side of this rivalry shares the same ethnicity/nationality as these manufacturers. Which side of this competition do y’all think the Dominican manufacturers will favor in the long run?
Now, I don’t know who these AA salon owners were buying their products from before, but can y’all see the amount of extra leverage this development gives the Dominicans as a group over the remaining AA salon owners? What if the Dominican manufacturers decide to raise the prices only when selling to the remaining AA salon owners—while giving their fellow Dominicans (salon owners) a discount?
Also, how long until the Dominican manufacturers—that Ms. Drew/Boo-Boo-The-Fool has introduced to local AA salon owners—decide to cut her out as the middleman and deal directly with these remaining AA salon owners themselves? Or, use another local Dominican stylist/salon owner to be the liaison between themselves and the local AA salons?
Apparently, she’s dumb enough to think that the Dominicans will allow her to be the middleman indefinitely. Why would they continue to do that after they’ve solidified their business relationships with the remaining local AA salon owners?
To a certain degree, the Dominican product manufacturers needed Ms. Boo-Boo The Fool to make the initial connection between them and the local AAs. Now that they know and are forming ties to these local AA salon owners, what do these Dominican manufacturers need Ms. Boo-Boo The Fool for? Soon, NOTHING.
{shaking my head in disgust}
Expect Success!
Basically what the Dominicans are doing is what any good business does, find a entry into a market, dangle the carrots in order to expand the infiltration, dominate the market/eliminate or weaken the competition and then finally exploit it to maximize profits/revenue.
It is no point to define what would need to happen to provide a counter-strategy as I have better things to do with my time. I will just say that if it was my business, I would never hire the competition, nor would I be using the competition’s distribution channels…
This woman would have done well to at least have read Sun Tzu “The Art of War” and “The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli” and acted accordingly.
This woman has sealed her own fate.
I guess I really wanted to see a bright spot in that article. Of course, you are right. Those stylists are probably making making plans right under her nose, in Spanish, to open up their own salon with the money and contacts they got courtesy of Ms. Drew. And she’ll most likely be blindsided.
These dummies don’t know that this is only good for non-processed hair. Plus, they use cheap products. Anyhoo
Also, how long until the Dominican manufacturers—that Ms. Drew/Boo-Boo-The-Fool has introduced to local AA salon owners—decide to cut her out as the middleman and deal directly with these remaining AA salon owners themselves
She needs to look no further than the Koreans. They’ve already cut us out.
My stylist is black and is going out on her own. BUT, her bread and butter is ww’s color. She knows who she has to rely on to get paid. The thing is they [generally] won’t learn to do our hair, but there is nothing to stop them from doing theirs.
***
1. credit card debt gone, students loans managed (@ 2.8% whew).
2. health is my new dedication
3. I’m gathering knowledge so that I can flip to the private side of my field. My CLE courses are geared towards how they view things. I have a like-minded friend with complementary skills that would help towards putting together a consulting business.
The Path of Least Resistance: Learning to become the creative force in your own life by Robert Fritz.
“As an individual, only you can be the final authority on how you use–or fail to use–this power to create. Hence, your individual destiny is in your own hands.
No matter how difficult you may claim your circumstances are, there are individuals who have been in even more difficult circumstances and yet have created their lives in accordance with what truly mattered to them.”
“You are never the victim of your circumstances. These circumstances are simply part of the raw material of the creative process.
Learning to create is very natural. But since so little emphasis has been placed on creating as a way of life, few people in our society have mastered it. Even children have natural instanicts and abilities to create, but these instincts are not often encouraged or developed.”
“The instinct to create does not go away. It seeks expression. When you create, you align yourself with your most natural state of being. As a consequence, many of the difficulties of your life will either disappear or will no longer be important issues for you. This alignment with yourself will not come from attempting to ‘solve your problems’ but from creating what most matters to you.
In the orientation of the creative, the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual dimensions of your being realign themselves and work in harmony. Based on their realignment, the path of least resistance in your life will lead you toward fulfilling your deepest and most profound individual life purpose on this planet.”
I forgot to add that you are definitely right about the distribution angle with the Dominican suppliers. I wouldn’t be surprised if the other AA salon owners cut her out even before the suppliers do- we’re only satisfied with having a middleman when that middleman is non-black.
Which roads to riches are you already following?
I did marry an ambitious go-getter.
Which roads to riches are you preparing yourself to follow?
Entrepreneurship: I am increasing my skills in an area in which I’ve had an interest since childhood. I’m also still working on that book and I’ve had 3 more book ideas pop up.
Self sufficiency: We have a decent amount of land around the house and we are actively preparing to “live off the land” a bit and reduce future expenses. So effective insulation, maybe some solar panels, things like that are in the works. As well as a good garden.
What materials are you reading that are helping you prepare to get on various roads to riches? I’ve been looking at writers blogs and picked up a hefty magazine for aspiring authors at the local bookstore.
Also working on improving my physical presentation. It can only help.
Karen,
You said, “Basically what the Dominicans are doing is what any good business does, find a entry into a market, dangle the carrots in order to expand the infiltration, dominate the market/eliminate or weaken the competition and then finally exploit it to maximize profits/revenue.”
Exactly.
You said, “It is no point to define what would need to happen to provide a counter-strategy as I have better things to do with my time. I will just say that if it was my business, I would never hire the competition, nor would I be using the competition’s distribution channels…”
Indeed! What I find so breathtaking about this level of stupidity is that THIS pattern is what happened with the squeezing out of AA hair care product manufacturers and AA-owned beauty supply stores. Ms. Boo-Boo The Fool is in the same hair industry. Didn’t she see how this played out with the Koreans? And all the foolish AA beauty supply store owners who thought they were going to do bid-ness with Korean beauty supply product manufacturers as other Koreans elbowed their way into the AA beauty supply store market?
Oh yeah, those AA slave-business owners did bid-ness with the incoming Koreans. For a New York minute. Until the Koreans ultimately took over that market and shut them out.
[This level of stupidity reminds me of the idiot AA male "wanna be gangster" defendants who get arrested selling drugs to the SAME undercover cops over and over again. Meanwhile, what serious, professional mobsters (Russians and some other categories of non-Black mobsters) do is buy apartment buildings across the street from the local police stations near their area of operations. They do this in order to photograph everybody going in and out of the police station on a regular basis. Which is a good way to identify local undercover officers in advance...]
You said, “This woman has sealed her own fate.”
Yes, and she’s helped destroy whatever few remaining local AA hair care product manufacturers in the process!
______________________________________________
YMB,
You said, “Those stylists are probably making making plans right under her nose, in Spanish, to open up their own salon with the money and contacts they got courtesy of Ms. Drew. And she’ll most likely be blindsided.”
Of course they are! And of course she’ll be blindsided. Ms. Boo-Boo The Fool thinks that she’s doing something clever. . .
You said, “I wouldn’t be surprised if the other AA salon owners cut her out even before the suppliers do- we’re only satisfied with having a middleman when that middleman is non-black.”
Oh yes, there’s a VERY high probability that the local AA slaves will eliminate Ms. Boo-Boo The Fool as the middleman even before the Dominicans cut her out of the process. I didn’t want to say that—since folks probably feel that I’m already ragging on AAs.
Back to my original observation: Many AAs feel like they’re doing something savvy by dealing with non-Black, non-AA businesses and business owners. The bottom line is that most AAs have an extremely strong preference for doing business with outsiders. Preferably at the expense of another AA. We get an emotional buzz off of that behavior.
This is why naive talk about AA business owners strategizing for “competitiveness” is mostly a waste of time in reference to AA consumers.
Most AA consumers DON’T want to patronize Black-owned businesses. Period. AA consumers have a level of envy and hateration for Black business owners that they don’t feel for non-Black owners (no matter how badly these other people mistreat them—they just find another non-Black business to patronize).
This dysfunctional, economically suicidal behavior is the total opposite of everybody else, who generally feel most at ease dealing with their OWN people. This is the total opposite of everybody else, who generally look for ways to keep their OWN people in the loop. It’s normal human nature to take care of folks in this order: self, family, clan, ethnic group. With most people, outsiders are almost never on the “take care of them” list.
Nobody feels any obligation or desire whatsoever to “take care of” AAs. INCLUDING most AAs. Meanwhile, everybody ELSE is looking out for their own.
Most African-Americans have the “take care of them” list backwards compared to every other group of people. We put outsiders first and put ourselves last. And then we wonder why we consistently lose out.
________________________________________________
ForeverLoyal,
Carry on what you’re doing!
Expect Success!
It’s normal human nature to take care of folks in this order: self, family, clan, ethnic group. With most people, outsiders are almost never on the “take care of them” list.
I was resistant to your viewpoint on AA consumers until I got to this statement. I definitely agree that the “take care of” list is backward – most AAs expect others to take care of them first, and put other AAs and often themselves last.
And you’re right, alot of us are operating from the flawed premise that the ways in which we individually select products and services are true for the majority of black people.
Anilia,
To me it’s very simple: If we (meaning those of us who have some semblance of common sense and self-respect) were representative of the masses of AAs, then the objective statistics about our ethnic group would NOT be what they are.
Let me be clear: I’m NOT saying that any of what I’m about to describe applies to you.
But I can tell that a lot of audience members assume that these are solely Black underclass and welfare recipient issues. They’re not. These various issues extend across class lines and have echoes throughout the entire AA collective.
The high-falutin’ AA professional who would not be caught dead shopping in some slum Korean/Arab store is typically somebody who—just like the Black poor—also does NOT patronize Black businesses. Nor do they hire Black professionals for any of their needs. Somehow, everybody these “sophisticated” AA professional folks use is non-Black: from their doctor, to their dentist, to their tax person, to their real estate broker, to their insurance agent, and so on. There’s only one difference between the middle-class AA person’s unspoken boycott of Black businesses and the poor AA unspoken boycott of Black businesses. That is level of sophistication involved in their rationalization for their behavior.
Dysfunctions are easier to spot with the Black poor/underclass because they lack the polish to “play it off.” The uneducated AA poor lack the edu-ma-cated fast talk needed to effectively: (1) rationalize what they’re doing; and (2) to conceal their true motives for what they’re doing.
Let’s take Ms. Drew/Boo-Boo the Fool, for example. She has the vocabulary to play off what she’s doing as if it’s a savvy move on her part. And most AAs reading that article would accept her rationalization for what she’s doing at face value. Even though what she’s doing is quite stupid, and will ultimately be her own downfall. Until Karen and I picked that apart, I would guess that most people—even in this audience—did not question the idea that what she’s doing was a shrewd move for herself. Because Ms. Drew/Boo-Boo the Fool has reasonable-sounding (on the surface) patter to justify what she’s doing.
Also, from my point of view, there are MASSIVE levels of denial within the AA collective. This denial is a large part of why our collective problems are so far gone and so deeply entrenched. Very few people are willing to ‘fess up about how far removed from human norms the MASSES of AAs have strayed. And so many of us engage in this denial across the board.
1-Whenever the topic of DBRBM comes up, you will hear so many BW recite the mantra about how their “father, brother, cousin, uncle, nephew, and son” are “good BM.” I question that. The legions of DBRBM are related to somebody! DBRBM didn’t just drop to Earth from the moon. They’re part of some BW’s family. And I suspect that many of them are related to some of these BW who recite the mantra about how good their father, brother, cousin, and so on are.
And DBRBM aren’t limited to the Black underclass. Some of the worst DBRBM I’ve observed are lawyers, doctors, and judges.
2-I will also note that it’s not just the AA poor and underclass who patronize these Arab and Korean stores. If we tell the truth, then we know plenty of our peers who shop in those stores. With excuses like “I just stopped in there real quick after work to get some soda/cigarettes/whatever.” Whatever the single item was that they buy on those occassions, the point is that they spent that $2, $3, or $5.00 with people who have contempt for them. And did NOT spend that same money with an AA-owned business. Those $2, $3, or $5.00 purchases add up.
3-As an AA business owner, I have “skin the game” with this issue. I can’t afford to “trip” about the nature and proclivities of AA consumers. Unlike those naive AA business owners that I’ve seen fail because they were deluded, y’all are NOT going to lull me into business failure by trying to cater to AA slaves who DON’T want to support any visibly Black-owned business!
Like I said earlier, I refuse to buy into—or peddle—that snake oil. Because I’m not trying to destroy aspiring AA women’s businesses before they even start. Which is the end result of entertaining this “if only more AA-owned and operated businesses would do X,Y, and Z, then more AA consumers would patronize Black-owned businesses” fallacy.
No, no, no. I want to succeed, and I want other AA businesswomen to succeed. I won’t entertain wishful-thinking-snake oil about the nature of the VAST MAJORITY of AA consumers.
Expect success!
Hey K!!
Been trying to catch up on the great posts and input as I have been wealth building and making some Wildest Dreams come true for the past few months!
Ever since I let a “licenced” beautician put a Bantu perm and color on my hair at the same time, and subsequently went bald, I have been doing my own hair. Personally, I feel AA’s have too many nail and hair techs – go be a doctor or dentist or something!!
“Which roads to riches are you willing to follow?”
As you know, I believe my fortune is my big (but shrinking) butt. The diet industry is a 5 Billion dollar a year industry and Ms. Tracy plans to get a piece. Last year about this time, my Wildest dreams were to lose this weight, write a book, get on the talk show circuit, and marry a rich man. Well, lost (and gained) the weight, book is done, but cannot release till I get back in fighting shape. Which, because of running and P90X (you warned me – ARRRGH) is about 20 more pounds.
Thru Weight Wathchers media, I have been contacted and interviewed by the Oprah show and the Tyra show, but unfortunately I was a too positive a role model for bw, and they picked others (white, and Precious model bw)for their shows. Yes, I was actually told by an Oprah rep that I was too successful….smh.
But, at the end of June, Weight Watchers will be flying me out to New York to do a photo shoot and a mini story for their web site. I am also in the works to tie in WW and another company that makes slimming undies to the book. Scared as hell, because the steps that I am taking to build my fitness empire are starting to work.
Also, about to embark on Vacation with the Mister, who is fully supporting my dreams, both emotionally and financially. Say some prayers, hopefully I will get the “other” ring on the trip – which will take care of the “Husband to riches” part..lol!!
“Which roads to riches are you already following?”
Because I no longer have the time or patience to be a landlord, I sold off two properties for some “cush” money. I also re-opened my cleaning business with one of my brothers. We specialize in cleaning houses and business that were foreclosed on. And later on in the summer, I have about four or five families that I do family reunion t-shirts for. Extra gravy money…
“Which roads to riches are you preparing yourself to follow?”
Getting my MRS. and coming up with more products to supplement the book – I am looking into Herbal supplements and running gear for larger shapes – no excuses! Also, cutting waay back and putting more money away, paying off all debts and of course staying in shape.
“What materials are you reading that are helping you prepare to get on various roads to riches?”
Rich Dad, Poor Dad
Enterpren 101
Guide to Supplements and Their Effects and Causes
Make that Bastard Marry You (just kidding)
Soujourner’s Passport
Good luck to all and see ya in the Winner’s Circle!!
Congratulations Tracy! This is great news!
You know Oprah and ‘nem ain’t been right in the head for a minute. So brush it off and pop your collar anyway!