Bougie Bayou Witches Podcast
S2 Ep8 "Pros & Cons Of Being A Business Owner"
Join me and my dynamic guests, Myra and Nisha, as we take you on a tour through the textured landscape of entrepreneurship. We each bring a personal tale of transition, from Myra’s leap into a spirituality-based venture to Nisha’s journey in crafting skin-loving formulas, and my own adventure in launching a metaphysical shop and tax service. Together, we unpack the profound satisfaction and autonomy of business ownership, the unmatched joy of setting our own schedules, and the gratifying impact we make on the lives we touch.
Ever wondered about the flip side of financial freedom and how it measures up against life's ticking clock? We get real about the struggles along the road to success—from the meticulous dance of time management to the delicate art of balancing profit margins with personal connections. Our candid conversation reveals the often-unseen challenges of entrepreneurship, including the lessons carved from past failures and the importance of customer care, while celebrating the empowering journey toward financial independence and proving the skeptics wrong.
To round off our episode, we navigate the intricate web of business management, diving into the realms of trust, intuition, and fostering a resonant team spirit. My guests and I share a wealth of insight from overcoming business hurdles, emphasizing the necessity of financial prudence, and the spiritual connections that not only influence our business practices but also enrich our personal lives. We invite you to listen and perhaps ignite the spark for your own entrepreneurial expedition.
Join me and my dynamic guests, Myra and Nisha, as we take you on a tour through the textured landscape of entrepreneurship. We each bring a personal tale of transition, from Myra’s leap into a spirituality-based venture to Nisha’s journey in crafting skin-loving formulas, and my own adventure in launching a metaphysical shop and tax service. Together, we unpack the profound satisfaction and autonomy of business ownership, the unmatched joy of setting our own schedules, and the gratifying impact we make on the lives we touch.
Ever wondered about the flip side of financial freedom and how it measures up against life's ticking clock? We get real about the struggles along the road to success—from the meticulous dance of time management to the delicate art of balancing profit margins with personal connections. Our candid conversation reveals the often-unseen challenges of entrepreneurship, including the lessons carved from past failures and the importance of customer care, while celebrating the empowering journey toward financial independence and proving the skeptics wrong.
To round off our episode, we navigate the intricate web of business management, diving into the realms of trust, intuition, and fostering a resonant team spirit. My guests and I share a wealth of insight from overcoming business hurdles, emphasizing the necessity of financial prudence, and the spiritual connections that not only influence our business practices but also enrich our personal lives. We invite you to listen and perhaps ignite the spark for your own entrepreneurial expedition.
Hello, I'm Toni. I'm your host for the Bougie Bayou Witches podcast. Hello, welcome. Today. This is episode 9, and we'll be talking about the pros and cons of being a business owner. Yes, so today I have here with me Myra Nisha. Alright, so these are my two guests that I have today. Now, what type of business do you have and do you run, myra?
Speaker 3:I have my own business in intuitive reading. I do healing, I do a little bit of everything, but mostly it has to do with spirituality.
Speaker 1:Okay, I want to mention.
Speaker 2:I make soaps and butters and light scent perfumes. So that's what I do light scent perfumes.
Speaker 1:So that's what I mean, okay? Well, me personally, I um I haven't um run a online as well as a brick and mortar metaphysical shop, and also I have two different tax offices, one located in the Dallas Fort Worth area, as well as Austin, and I also do clients taxes all over the USA. So those are the businesses that I do have. I don't really consider my podcast a business, because it's just something that I feel in my heart that I just love and enjoy to do, but the others are my businesses that I do work and do so. With that being said, what motivated you to become a business owner and what are the most rewarding aspects of running your own business? We're going to start with part one on there what motivated you to become a business?
Speaker 3:owner. Um, just being independent, having something to call my own, my baby, something I created, something that you know, that represents being who I am. For so long I had to hide who I was and what I believed in, so I was just like, what better way than just to do it by myself? And the right people will come to me that want to do that stuff, and the ones that don't, they're not for me.
Speaker 2:So that's what motivated me.
Speaker 2:Okay, what about you, nish? For me it was more like a light bulb clicked off where I was good with my hands, a light bulb clicked off where I was good with my hands, okay. And something just told me one day, just go in your kitchen and mix these things together without measuring, and that's. I end up making something out of nothing to actually, um, clear my sensitive skin without having any, you know, breakouts or issues. And then you know you have those friends you want to test it on to see how it works.
Speaker 1:Yeah, guinea pigs and then it was like I went from there.
Speaker 2:I'm like hey, if you want something made blah, blah, blah, just don't tell everybody, but I like doing what I do okay awesome.
Speaker 1:I guess what motivated me, um, on becoming a business owner was I didn't like working for people. Um, I like to set my own schedule. I hate it. I always had to ask when I need to be out, but they would either say, yeah, you're not. So I said you know what? I can't keep doing this. I got to step out on the faith and I've got to just believe in myself and just do what makes me happy, and that's being my own business owner, my own boss.
Speaker 1:And so I took that initiative back in, I think, 2016, and I stepped out and ever since then, I basically have been doing my tax business and I love it. I enjoy it. I love helping people. I don't know what it is, but it just puts a smile on my face when I can help someone and, you know, help them out, especially with getting a nice amount of money back, as well as my metaphysical shop. We all know how that came about.
Speaker 1:My team came to me in a dream and just told me, instead of doing it online, just give me a little shop or a place and just open it up and help the community. And so I moved forward with doing that getting a brick and mortar place back in 2022 of May, and I opened it back in July, the 13th of 2022. So I've been up and running and this is going on two years and I ain't going nowhere. It'll be three years online in November and this is going on two years and I ain't going nowhere. It'll be three years online in November. But what really motivated me was just being able to get out and do something that I have a passion and I love to do, and that's helping people, helping heal people, helping doing work for people and just being able to make products and stuff that can help people out. Overall, I love what you said with that being able to be a business owner is an amazing thing.
Speaker 3:It is but like what you said being able to help people. I think that in itself is the biggest reward. Because, when somebody leaves my office and I'm just and they feel, they say they feel lighter, they feel better, they just are in a good mood, great things start happening to them and it's like, wow, thank you you know, like whoever gave me this gift.
Speaker 1:Thank you so much because of that I'm able to help other people and it's beautiful, and I feel like they know the ones that's going to be able to make a difference in people's lives and the ones that they select and choose on who they want to follow their path, because they know the ones are going to be hard-hitting. I'm going listen versus the one that's going to listen and be patient and help folks. So, trust me, your spirit team, they know who they put in line to be able to handle the tasks that they do you know have for us out here, and that's just how I feel. You know what I'm saying. To each his own, Everybody have their own opinions but that's just my opinion on it.
Speaker 3:But on the part B of the what made it better for you to become a business owner.
Speaker 1:What are the most rewarding aspects of running your own business? What are the what? What are the most rewarding aspects?
Speaker 3:of running your own business, just being able to make my own schedule Free time Like I want to take a vacation. Cool, when, whenever I want you know like it's a beautiful thing just to be able to work Like I want to take a vacation, Cool, when, Whenever I want. You know like it's a beautiful thing just to be able to work for yourself and then, spend time with your family.
Speaker 3:If that's important to you, it's important to me, especially being there for the people that I care about. So just making that time that you don't have to clock in and clock out and clock in and clock out. Or may I request this and they're like. You have to give it in advance. I remember that I'm like dang.
Speaker 1:I'm giving you three months in advance and you're still saying no are they either making you feel like you, that big, because they talk to you like you ain't nothing, you're a child?
Speaker 3:I'm like we we're the same age. What are you doing?
Speaker 2:I'm transitioning at full time, hopefully soon yeah, I gotta keep saying you know hey, can I do this, can I do that? It's like when you, when you're asking for time off, it's like you're you're saying hey, mama, or dad, you know, is it okay, if I you know, take these days off or you're going to be fine without me it's like I feel, like you just feel you, you feel trapped in a situation like that. So yeah, hopefully I can do my full-time yes, and you will yeah, you don't have to worry about it, it's coming.
Speaker 1:You will so my. Can you share some success stories or achievements that you've experienced as a business owner?
Speaker 3:being able to help my family. That's uh, to me, a big achievement. You know like growing up in a hispanic household where money was a little bit tight, growing up 35 so you know, back when I was what?
Speaker 3:10, 11, 12? Money was tight. So now that I'm able to help my mom when she needs help right now, my dad did unfortunately pass away a few months ago, so you know, it feels good to step in and say you know, mom, it's okay, you're not on your own anymore, I'm able to help you and we are. We can do this together. That to me, I think, is the biggest success so far okay, what about help?
Speaker 2:um, I'm more for me it's more of a goal than anything that I accomplished this. And then I'm excited I can move on to something else, working two jobs at one point for so many years just to make things me being on your own at an early age and going to school. So it was like I climbed up that ladder and got the things that I said I was going to get, uh, spoken into existence and then did the transition to where I can actually take a break and then go back to doing what I do. It was more like a satisfaction for me that I can do this on my own without extra help, right? So for me it was more like I got it down packed.
Speaker 2:Um, I know what I want If I say I'm going to do it and I can do it, so that for me is more of an accomplishment. And if I just need to help you know friends and family members out, I'm able to do that without them saying do I need to pay you back? You know, I got it, I'm going to take care of us. We're good, right.
Speaker 1:Right, I got it, I'm going to take care of us. We're good. Right, right, okay, that's what's up. I would say some of my success stories or my achievements would be that I didn't let the negative people that thought that I wasn't going to be nothing, that I wasn't going to amount to nothing, that my business was going to flop I didn't listen to them. I had a couple of folks that was very negative and didn't believe in me and I blocked them out.
Speaker 1:Because you know, what you have to understand is, when you're running a business, you're not going to have everybody that's going to be rolling for you and happy for you're going to have a lot of people that's not going to want you to do well. They'll smile in your face and say, oh yeah, oh God, I'm proud of you. Yeah, go ahead and go. You're going to do this and that, but deep down inside, they're wishing that you don't. They don't want to see you do better than them. They don't want to see you amount to anything. Because jealousy, jealousy is a big thing. A lot of people they say they're not jealous, but they are. Listen to the words that come out their mouth. Pay attention to the way that their actions speak louder than words, because it'll tell you a lot about people that are around you family members, friends, associates, acquaintances, whatever they a lot of times are not really who they portray to be. So I guess me achieving those goals and taking my business to where it was just down here, to where I feel like it's up here, and it's going to go all the way up to the top, because, yes, I am speaking that into existence.
Speaker 1:You just got to be careful with the people that you're around and that you associate and talk to and, like she said, you got to move in silence. You can't always share everything that you're going to do. Your next moves with your family, your friends, your social. You can't. Sometimes we're excited, like me, and we want to, but then sometimes our team come to us and say, shh, be quiet. You know. So I got big things going on and I'm not worried. They're gonna. They're gonna happen. I've shared it with a few people, but, you know, until it does happen, I'm not worried they're going to happen. I've shared it with a few people, but until it does happen, I'm going to keep it to where is it? Because in time, more and more accomplishments and achievements will be there. I mean, I'm not worried about anything because I know all of the success and all of the things that I've done for my clients and customers will come to fruition, so yeah. And customers will come to rotation, so yeah. So what are the advantages of having control over?
Speaker 3:your schedule and work environment as a business owner, the advantages, yes, just I don't know being able to do what you want to do. It's like I don't know. That's the only advantage I can think of for scheduling. You know, like I want to do, it's like I don't know. That's the only advantage I can think of with scheduling you know, like I want to work only mondays, wednesdays and thursdays and saturdays and I want to take every whatever sunday or saturday, like that's an advantage yes, it is a lot of people can't do that nowadays.
Speaker 3:They have to have maybe one job like one, two, three. Economy sucks.
Speaker 1:Yes, it does.
Speaker 3:In order for me to say oh, you know, I'm being blessed where I can do that. That's an accomplishment.
Speaker 1:Definitely that's a blessing. What about you?
Speaker 2:Nish For me. I'm selfish with my time. I like to go do what I want to do when I want to go do it. And I don't like to want to say well, you can't do this this day because you have this and this going on. I don't care about that, I want some free time. I'm a foodie, I love food. So, if the shop opens up at 11,.
Speaker 2:I'm going to be there at 1045 so I can get everything fresh. You'll be the first one. Uh-huh, I'm just. They can deliver it to my house, I'm good.
Speaker 1:I want to go out because I might want to go to the next room to go buy something. Okay, okay, okay gotcha that too.
Speaker 2:You know you don't want to have to go in the store and say, oh, let me just look at the prices and think about it. You know I don't want to be looking at prices, I just I want that.
Speaker 3:Let me go get it you know that's the most beautiful feeling. Yeah, it's like you don't have to and you ain't got to say how much is this Right.
Speaker 2:Can we go to look at the price?
Speaker 1:tag Okay I don't think I'm for it now Right. But yeah, I just like it.
Speaker 2:Let's take it. Yeah, let's take it. Let's take like six of them, you know Right, let's take six of them, Not two, three, six.
Speaker 1:some of the advantages of having control over my schedule is me being able to go on vacations, go out on family outings and things like that, or just even just spend time alone with myself. To, you know, give myself a break from just being around people period. And I'm not saying it's a bad thing for me to be around people, but sometimes you need Recharge, okay.
Speaker 1:You need to recharge, you need to be home and you just need to whoo side, because sometimes, you know, just listening to so many people, problems and stories and things it can wear on your, you know, it can affect you sometimes, you know. So, just sometimes, just being off to my own little private space, I love it. And just being able to schedule days off and have someone as an employee to run my business and help me out, I love it. You know what I'm saying and I'm going to lie. I'm a perfectionist. So I like things done a certain way and I could sometimes be, as they call me, a female dog.
Speaker 1:But just know it's only because of the way that I've been, you know, brought up dealing with being a business owner, running other people, businesses and stuff the way they always said you gotta do this, you gotta. So it's like once I did step out and start getting my own business. In the back of my mind I'm listening to what my boss always stayed on my butt about and I always made sure I implemented that whenever I did, you know, start my own business. So I just feel like being able to have control over my own schedule and run my own business. I mean, who can complain? I ain't gonna lie, it ain't all peaches and cream. But we're gonna get to that later on the part of the show, but what about, okay? So next I would say how do you see the potential um for financial independence and wealth creation as a business owner, as a benefit of owning your own business?
Speaker 3:basically like how do I see the financial side?
Speaker 1:Like the financial independent side of wealth creation as a benefit as a business owner. I mean ain't nothing.
Speaker 2:I mean we get another tax bracket for one and we get in tax even more for one.
Speaker 3:Oh Lord, tell me about it. Then the good part on that, which that's why I was like I don't know if I should say this, but I'm gonna go ahead and say it because that is what it is. Yeah, you are able. When you become a business owner, you are the only one that holds you back as far as how much money you want to make yeah true if you want to make more money, you can make more. If you want to stay where you're at and you're comfortable okay, stay where you're at and be comfortable.
Speaker 3:Yeah, stay there and be comfortable. I don't like to be comfortable.
Speaker 1:Take me out of that box. I'm trying to get to that top of the ladder. Hello everybody, Right.
Speaker 2:Make it comfortable but not uncomfortable. Right Like, just keep me in the room.
Speaker 1:I'm a workaholic and anybody who's ever known me any childhood friends, associates, acquaintances they're going to always say Tonya, I've always been a hustler. That's just her personality, that's just her and that's me. I'm a workaholic. I love to work. Been working since I was like 12, babysitting other folks' kids, making that dinero. But with that being said, I love to work. Be like time is money.
Speaker 3:I remember when I was younger I didn't do it because I was young, but I should have done it I worked so hard. I was just like you. I was like three jobs on it on, it on it all the thing I kept thinking about was like money, money, money, money, money and traveling, of course money, money, money money traveling money, money, money.
Speaker 3:And then I was a 20, and then I was able to buy my own house like with no cosigner, just by myself and I was 20, and then I was able to buy my own house like with no cosigner, just by myself.
Speaker 1:That's amazing.
Speaker 3:And I was like who the heck is doing that right now at 20 years old?
Speaker 1:Yeah, you're so true. I wish I would have been. I guess, if my parents would have instilled that in me to you know what, save your money and get you a house, instead of me waiting some time in my 40s to be like, okay, now I'm going to get ready to buy me a house of cash, you know? Like no, I wish they didn't instill that in me because I had the money, but I was too busy partying and taking people out to eat and doing things and helping my friends that didn't have it and I'm just sitting back here like girl. You could have had about four. I kind of wish I would have learned to manage my money better when I was younger, because I was that type of person, having two jobs and going to college, getting a student loan money you ain't going to lie, that was me.
Speaker 2:That was me Just bringing all this back up. For me Touch the subject right here Two jobs and going to college and was a single parent, you know working and stuff, thanks to my sister and my mom helping me out with raising my child at the time.
Speaker 1:So yeah, I don't know some things.
Speaker 2:I mean, I feel like if you haven't struggled, yes, you don't know, then you don't know and you don't know how to get out of that struggle.
Speaker 3:If you're always comfortable, the rags to riches yeah. Literally anybody, anybody, that's been a million, unless you are born into a millionaire household.
Speaker 1:Yes, that's different, because you're silver spoon fed, as they call it.
Speaker 2:I'm going to just go buy. I used to say I'm gonna just go bomb at walmart. You know, get some silver spoons. But you know I was like. You know you spend all this money now. You're gonna be broke now and rich later. Are you gonna be rich?
Speaker 1:now and broke later. Yeah, because some people they can have all that money, right, I don't know how to manage it and they don't know how to save or invest it in, and, you know, start other businesses and now where are they? Back to square one, where they sit here and say well, you know, I used to be that person. I had all this money, I had this car, I had that, but what do you got to show for it now, exactly, you know.
Speaker 1:So it's just all about budgeting and managing your money so you can have something to show for it, because you can have all this money but if you sit here and spend it, as quick as you get it what you're gonna have I do have something to add on that, though that it's a little bit on the opposite side, and now I'm just now coming to realize that because I did think about it like how you're thinking about
Speaker 3:it. But ever since my dad passed away, that's all he ever did just for my entire life just worked, worked, worked, worked seven days a week to sun up, sundown, and he sent me a message that, like kind of like, touched my heart in a not in a good way. He said that that was one of his biggest mistakes that he ever made in this life was working so much and not giving himself the opportunity to just live life and enjoy it?
Speaker 3:because he was doing it for his children. But we never asked him to. But in his mind everybody has like I need to make money for my kids, I need to make.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's how we think we're doing it for our children. Now that he's gone. He didn't enjoy any of it, he's on no vacations or take no trips. He never wanted to, because he had.
Speaker 3:Oh wow, work and work, and I gotta, I gotta take a couple trips or something you know.
Speaker 1:You know it don't have to be every year but, like, once I get stuff situated, I plan on taking trips, you know enjoying it. And you know, at least if I gotta take a trip and be at the house, at least you know, have some time off and enjoy yourself. Because if you're working 24 7 and you never getting a chance to enjoy yourself, yeah you will regret it you know I could go buy some sand at home depot and then know we can have a beach day.
Speaker 2:you know that's good.
Speaker 1:I was going to say a beach day, you're going to buy you a sandbox In the backyard. I know right. Look, we're going to bring the beach to us. You can't go to the beach.
Speaker 2:I'm thinking like Bali, girl, bali, we still can do that too.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we can still do that, oh my goodness. Okay, we can still do that, oh my goodness okay, we'll bring time into us right.
Speaker 3:I know.
Speaker 1:I had to so, kenesha, you answered the question right. Yes, okay, so we're about to get to the cons part of this, okay.
Speaker 3:I told y'all we were talking today, so yes.
Speaker 1:What are some of the challenges or obstacles that business owners commonly face, especially early stages of starting a business? Inconsistency oh, tell me about it, inconsistency and then go ahead no, no, we have a lot to talk about so so you go ahead, go ahead.
Speaker 2:You have no clue or idea what you want to do or how you want to do it, or what kind of resources you have. And then when you come up with an idea, it's like you don't want to tell the wrong person because they'll go and copy your business and do things that they're not supposed to do. It don't matter if they go and copy your business.
Speaker 1:If they not you, it don't matter if they go and copy your business. If they not you, it don't matter, because what's for you is for you. It's gonna be a lot of people out here copying and taking things from other people, but at the end of the day, it's enough money out here and it's enough room for people to have the same businesses and bring something different to it versus the others. So, with that all being said, you know you ain't gotta worry, because they're not gonna be you. What's for you, it's for you. Okay, no matter who else copy, do whatever. It's what's for you, it's gonna be for you.
Speaker 1:And that's one thing I had to learn, because it was a lot of people wanted to do taxes and stuff and I taught them, and so what I had to tell them is I don't mind you doing it, but join me, because I work my butt off to get the clients that I have and they love me and they're going to continue to bring me more and more people because, at the end of the day, I take care of them. I'm patient with them, even though someone maybe want to pull a little my dress out. You know, man, you don't understand, but it's patience. You have to learn how to you know, build in yourself to deal with people.
Speaker 2:So, like you said, you know, yeah, people are going to go want to do because you might inspire them or they might you know, some of them may talk down to you and that's the thing I didn't ever like. For me it was like why you want to do that? I'm like, why does it matter? You know, I'm kind of pitching you something you know give me some feedback on. And you know you're giving me negative advice and you know, for me it's it'll shut me off to where I just won't say anything. I'll just go into my mastermind world in my mind I'm always over thinker and I just go do what I do and then I'm like hey, you remember back. You know, blah, blah, blah. Well, I finished, you want to try it. And then they're like well, can I do it with you? No, I just want you to try it, so I know if I'm making a mistake. You know, I know where to lead off at. So to me that would be one of the down things for me.
Speaker 3:I don't know about you, me it's just inconsistency, like saying it's just appointment wise or things that we have agreed upon and things they're supposed to be doing it, and it just makes the whole situation harder. And yeah, it's just, it's like a repetitive thing and I'm just like when are we gonna start doing it? Right? But I guess it's just a living and you learn okay, I'm gonna tell you what mine are.
Speaker 1:Okay, she has a whole list to get that business up and going, and you seem like you always got these roadblocks. You got the city ain't the city tripping on this. Oh, you gotta do this. Oh, they're not gonna allow you to. It's like you got that, but no matter what, what's meant for you, it's gonna happen. You know your team's gonna push ways through it, or the building's leaking.
Speaker 2:Oh, now you gotta call the but you know the owner and say hey why is it leaking and raining inside my building?
Speaker 1:you know, like it was just so much. It was like one after another. I was just so frustrated. But things started to work out and like when I did open you know my business and stuff like that I didn't hire anyone because I was smart.
Speaker 1:It's all about when you starting out a business. You can't sit here and be hiring three, four, five, six people and you don't know what you're gonna bring in. You gotta be able to manage, you know your money and your time and you got to keep that, um overhead down low. And that's one thing I learned from when I had my restaurant you have to have to keep that overhead down. So I said, okay, I'm gonna run the business and once, um, the new year come, I'll have to hire someone because I got my other business that's going to be starting up and ain't no way I can run this business and my other one. That'll be too crazy and too hectic Because you know I do make the products some of the products that I carry in my store, you know, since I have a metaphysical shop and it's not a holistic store. So, with that being said, I know where she's going with that.
Speaker 3:It's a shade for me but basically what I'm saying.
Speaker 2:I take the metaphysical story, what I'm saying is.
Speaker 1:You know, it's all about learning how to manage and run your store. A lot of these people, they have stores out here and they barely making any kind of money off of it. Of course, when you start your business up, you're not going to see a return on your investment a lot of times the first three years, so you've got to have money to the side. A lot of times the first three years, so you've got to have money to decide. Well, thankfully, I had another successful business to where it could help fund that business and me live on.
Speaker 1:So, you know, I just the money that I do make from my metaphysical shop, I just put it right back into my business and it adds it to where I can pay the, you know the rent and also, you know, afford me an employee and that's a good thing because you don't never want to get above your your head and you want to also not sit here, yeah, and be buying all these label clothes and buying the latest vehicles. And next thing, you know, oh my gosh, I can't pay my rent at the building because I didn't stay here and wouldn't live beyond my means. So it's just all about managing and budgeting and that's just something that I've learned from running other businesses, as well as having other prior businesses too, that didn't succeed, and I knew the next time I did open another one it would succeed, because you learn from your past your mistakes.
Speaker 3:You got to be realistic with everything, like if you want to, if you want your business, and you have this idea and it's amazing.
Speaker 1:But when you start it off, it doesn't mean that your idea of it it's going start like this, like it's gonna take out some people, do you know, like a lot of these celebrities that already have a following, people that admire and love them, but when you're just like me and you're just starting out, nobody really knows you. You got to be realistic, like marissa, yeah realistic and you can't just like.
Speaker 3:Well, I want to have this beautiful, amazing story and have all these things and invest all of your money it takes time. It takes time, people time. You can't just be like I want the business and I wanted to start off, though.
Speaker 1:You have to take baby steps, baby steps, and eventually you're going to have that vision that you will because, trust me, all them products that I have in my store only, if you know the money I put in, there was over six business but I'm proud of. So get it twisted, baby. I put a lot of money into that store. I know people walk in there they don't really understand and know, but I know because I'm the one that's investing and busting my butt making the products and stuff like that that I do carry. But with that being said, what are some risks that business owners go through with employees, with financial fluctuations in the market, on how things changes, you know, in society?
Speaker 3:especially right now yeah, it was the economy that we're in. It's like you you have. You look at your overhead and you're like okay, I look at everything that I have planned out. I should be getting this and I should be getting that. So you have, like you know, a set plan. But then things don't go accordingly because economy right now is not the greatest.
Speaker 3:So then the numbers start looking a little bit like lower and you're like dang, okay, that's not something that I expected it to be, so you have to. For me, at least, something that I've learned is to always set money aside for those times where you're like. You're like oh, I thought I was gonna have more clients this month or this week, but actually they've decided to go ahead and cancel or reschedule or whatever. You know, I know and I understand too. You know, I'm a human. I, if somebody didn't, couldn't make it, then that's fine, but that's something as a business have courtesy, to make sure you call and let us know because I'm not trying to be rude, but that's okay.
Speaker 3:So to me time is money, is one money and very valuable, yeah. So if you are wasting my time and I have somebody else over here, that is very interested.
Speaker 1:But I'm waiting and I'm sitting and I'm like 30 minutes, like and you're still not here.
Speaker 3:Okay, we're gonna have to do something about that, because that's not fair.
Speaker 1:That's my time and people got to be more respectful and mindful of that. You know. I think people feel like you know. If they decide to change their mind on something, oh, I ain't gotta call them, they'll figure it out. No, have the courtesy and the decent to do it. But guess, guess what. You can one day have a business, and how would you feel if the shoe was on the other foot and someone did it to you? It's laughable. It's funny because guess what. You've done it to other people. So it's all about being mindful and respectful and respecting people. Time, you know, because, like she said, time is valuable. You can't be sitting here wasting nobody's time and not calling and letting them know.
Speaker 3:No, yeah, pretty much your business is your baby, right? You're taking care of it, you're making sure that everything is going right, so then I can provide the best service that I can for you. But if you're not, if you're confirming with me and then like I'm waiting for your appointment and you're not showing up, and then and then you call me, text me the next day and you're like do you have something available?
Speaker 2:no, I'm sorry it's long gone, right, like you have to wait two weeks out, I'm overbooked I do it all the time all the time I'm overbooked what about you?
Speaker 2:well what I do for now, where I work at now. Um, I can tell you I get irritated when there's an appointment and then there's already. We, we double book for a reason. And then when you get a phone call, it's's like well, hey, my appointment was at 1045. We go to lunch at 1230. Oh, um, it's a, it's 1115. Well, I need still need to be seen. No, because your appointment was at 1045. And not only that. You know you need to be here. If you're, if you're a new patient, you need to be here two hours early just because you got all this stuff to fill out. So then you get there and it's like I still need to be seen anyway. Or I have suggestions on who I do want to see versus who I can see because of the availability. When you missed out on your 1045 appointment, you only get a 10 minute leeway span to be seen.
Speaker 2:And then, when I counsel your appointment, I'll tell you oh, it's going to be four months out, unless you want to see and it'd be really true, unless you want to see a PA. And then I'm thinking, well, what else can you do? Or there's urgent care, or there's other choices. So it's like we sit there, we prepped your chart and we got you ready for days in advance to see you and get all this stuff that we need to get from different offices, and then, when you get in, you're late. I wasted two hours out my day the two days before and then, the day of, I have to say, okay, we're not seeing this person. Go ahead and shred all this information, like it takes time to get your just that one person together, and then you get mad at me because I won't see where you're late. So then, therefore, with messing with me, it depends on how you're acting. If you got attitude, uh, four months, or you can come back on a Friday when we're not so busy and we don't do weekends. So you got it just depends.
Speaker 2:So your time is time is very, and then to my lunch.
Speaker 1:I don't want you messing with my lunch time that's my time eating, eating and taking a nap you know that you in my day you made it in my time.
Speaker 2:I need more than just 15 minutes, I need that one hour.
Speaker 3:Tony and I are like we're still staying up till like one o'clock, two, 2 o'clock 3 o'clock and got to be up a couple hours later.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm like, why y'all not in the bed? Oh, because we got something to do. I'm like, okay. I'm like, did y'all drink coffee? We can't have coffee. I'm like I'll drink two cups for y'all.
Speaker 1:Okay, you had, I would say, some of the risks for me when it deals with employees is calling off. I don't like that. I ain't even finna sit here and lie, because if I don't sit here and be calling off and I can bring my butt to work, then you can bring your butt to work, especially if you ain't got no children or anything like that. You ain't got no kids. That's keeping you from home. Now, if you having problems with your loved one, your mate, your boyfriend, whatever, that ain't my problem. You came on the board to work for me.
Speaker 1:Yes, when you came on the board to work for me, you didn't sit here and tell me okay, now I might have to call off. If my boyfriend's not getting on, I don't care about that, that is not my problem. Rise and shine, because when I got to come in on my off day, I ain't going to lie, I ain't no happy camper, so we're just going to keep it at that. And another thing with employees is comprehension level. You know not being able to comprehend and understand the things that are coming out of my mouth. Now, if I got to repeat myself 10 to 15, 20 times, I don't know how long we're going to be around, but that's another problem. I don't know how long we're going to be around, but that's another problem.
Speaker 2:And then when they call too much. You forgot that one. When they call exactly, just entirely too much when they call and they talk to you at the work and stuff like that, yeah, and they don't want nothing, or just you can't enjoy your day, but maybe they like you or they could be obsessed with you and you admire them.
Speaker 1:They look up to your role model. So that could be it, but you gotta have your time when you just call them, yeah, when you gotta call me like I need this.
Speaker 1:I don't know how to do this it's like if you can't remember stuff, write it down you got a cell phone, like how you be sending text messages to your, your booze and your loved ones, write that down so that way you can go back to your notes and relate to it. It's like, come on y'all. I understand we all might not be the smartest people, but you know, sometimes we got to get off that short bus and hop onto that long yellow bus and that way we're gonna be good. I think I was a car rider Privilege, privilege. They ask what school you went to Because I want my kids on my grandkids on that school.
Speaker 1:So yeah, but no, but that's just the only thing you know some of the downfall.
Speaker 1:And then, like you said, when it comes to the financial fluctuation part with the society, you got to make sure you're ready for that Because, like I tell folks, folks you can be doing good and that stuff can go right down. So you got to make sure you prepare for that and have some backflow. You know cash and stuff because, regardless, you got to be able to buy your products and stuff, to keep making you know your items and to be able to sell in your store and stuff like this. So that is some of the risks you know when we're dealing with that. But how do you navigate issues like competition? You know, in industry regulations and stuff. How do you deal with competition, cuz you know you gonna have some people out here want side.
Speaker 2:So you're saying you want to eat word because you like to be on the dark side yeah I want to go on the dark side.
Speaker 1:Let's see who wins. Come on well, I guess. Um, basically with me on how I navigate my issues with competition. I don't see competition. I don't compete with people. That's just not me. The only person I'm competing with is myself, to become a better individual so when it?
Speaker 1:comes with somebody see me and they, they, they upset or mad because they constantly seeing me on Tik TOK or Instagram Hello, how you doing, get like me and maybe you can get more business too. So my thing is I don't, I don't compete, like why who? I'm not a little kid, I'm a whole grown person. I'm just out here doing what I'm supposed to do and if that means I need to advertise my business and I need to continue to do my money, work and stuff like that to bring in my customers and clients, and I'm going to continue to do that and I don't see others. All I see is me and my customers and my clients that I take care of. But yes, ladies, is there anything else that y'all would like to share with the viewers on? You know the pros and cons of being a business owner.
Speaker 2:Never pros and cons of being a business owner. Uh, never have your eggs in one basket that. I learned that a long, long, long time ago. It took me a. It took me a while to understand what it was. But as you get older you realize like, hey, I can't just spend all my stuff over here and then don't have nothing over there and if there's a rainy day, I'm looking, I'm and you can't loan money or get money from other people because they might not have it If they ask you.
Speaker 1:they don't have it. So what are you going to get it back because they ask you?
Speaker 2:for it, right? And then my motto is I'm going to say goodbye to them. That part. See you later.
Speaker 1:You got to give it to them and just take it. It's not no loan. This is just something I'm going to give to you to help.
Speaker 2:I've learned this from a younger person back in the day if you borrow the money from me and give it back to me, you can borrow more, but if you ask me for money and don't give it back, just make that the last time you ask me for money and I always stuck by that.
Speaker 3:You're too good. I can't let nobody borrow any kind of money I don't trust man all the money cause. I don't give it out.
Speaker 2:I don't give it out often even got.
Speaker 1:That's just something that's part of um. When you letting people you know get stuff, that you the risk you take because you already know you already know, the ones are not gonna give it back, even 15. I gave somebody, you know, bar 15 and I see her every day and I'm like you still, you can keep this.
Speaker 2:I made 15 more in two weeks later, but it's okay, but that was my last time.
Speaker 3:That is annoying. My husband has a business, my husband has a business too. And then his friends will call and say, hey, I'm in a real tough situation right now.
Speaker 2:Oh God man.
Speaker 3:The economy is so tough.
Speaker 1:I know they come up with a whole paragraph. I know right, Cut the coins. What do you want?
Speaker 2:what do you want? What do you want?
Speaker 3:we ain't heard from you in back two, three months right, and then he's like hold on. I have to ask my room. He always blames it on me and I'm like no, the answer is always no and it's always going to be no and he go back and he tell him.
Speaker 2:My wife said, no, that's fine with me that's part I always say I got my utility bill stay high for the past six months I can't touch my savings.
Speaker 1:Exactly, I can't touch my savings, okay. So, ladies, one more question can you share any lessons that was learned or experiences where you had to overcome significant hurdles or failures while running your business?
Speaker 3:For me, I guess not this business so much, but another business that I had was people criticizing your work and they think that the work that you're doing is not good enough To their quote unquote standards. But they ain't got no business. Doing is not good to their quote unquote standards, but they ain't got no business.
Speaker 1:It's not good enough.
Speaker 3:It's not good enough. And then you charged me too much. And then there's this and I'm just like well, then you go ahead and do it at home, then I don't know why you're here.
Speaker 1:Right, I agree with you on that. What was the question? One more time, can you share any lessons learned or experiences where you had to overcome significant hurdles or failures while running your business?
Speaker 2:okay, I'm gonna stick to the dark side on this one, because it'd be, you know, it'd be the ones that's around you that always hinder you. So for me it was more like we both were starting a business, but you were supposed to be helping me more than you were helping the other. So when I saw that you were leaning more towards the other person, that gave me motivation for me to go ahead and just pursue what I'm doing, but just take my time and then, at the end of the day, when it blossomed, you helping the other person do their business failed. So it was more like that was my lesson learned to try to limit to who's in your circle.
Speaker 2:And then I hate asking for help but I do when I need to. And it was more that we're supposed to be a team but you taking the team to another team, more that we're supposed to be a team but you taking the team to another team. So it was more like for me I'd rather just do it on my own, and then you know resource out, but use your intuition to who's resourceful with right yeah, totally agree.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, well, I would say some of the lessons I've learned and experiences of things I had to overcome and hurdles is just making sure that I manage my money and also just keeping my overhead low and making sure that, when it comes to employees, that you make sure that your team likes them and if they don't like them, then you know in time your team knows what to do. And just always go with your intuition when it comes to bringing on people, because me I ain't gonna lie I'm very picky and I don't like to just bring anyone to my establishment. I want them type of people. I'll do it myself if I got to make all the products and run this store six days a week, and if I had to, I'll do it myself because that's just me, I, it's my baby and I just feel like nobody's gonna treat it and run it the same way that you want to. But at the end of the day, some people are just there to actually get a paycheck when I'm actually really there because I'm compassionate.
Speaker 1:I love my baby and this is what my team called for me to do and I'm gonna treat it you know like it needs to be treated and I'm not trying to say that anybody that you bring on are not going to do that, but I'm just saying not everybody will. Now there's some people that will love it and treat it, you know, like it's yours, you know Like if it's their own. But you got to worry about people stealing money out your register. You got to worry about them stealing products or maybe drinking some of the liquor at your store. There's a lot of things that you got to worry about, and what people don't understand is, even though I might not be reading, people, I am a medium and my team come to me and they give me downloads and they tell me things, and I do get readings done and I, you know, have things. So I know what you're doing. What's done in the dark will come to the light and I just want people to know that you know.
Speaker 2:Are you drinking the spirit's liquor?
Speaker 1:Maybe Some, some people will come aboard and do that especially. They like liquor and they probably got a. You know, they were like, oh man, I want to have me something to drink, you know. But I'm just saying that's some of the things that you have to deal with, you know, with running a business and stuff like that.
Speaker 3:So I wouldn't even touch your stuff without even saying maybe because I'd be worried about what?
Speaker 1:my team gonna be trying to do to you, because they sitting in there and they watching you and they like okay, she, she's serious Okay.
Speaker 2:That's why I be like, hey, is it cool if I come back here? I always ask you know I might flirt with a couple of the spirits I'm like ooh Space Shango is my favorite.
Speaker 1:Ooh, you hear that daddy, you hear that father. Tell y'all.
Speaker 2:I like muscle men.
Speaker 1:I get that with you.
Speaker 2:But no, I'm serious because I don't want to be upsetting nobody right, but yeah, so, um again, I I enjoyed this episode.
Speaker 1:You know, with the pros and cons of being a business owner and, um, um, like always, y'all can always like, share and subscribe. Leave y'all feedback down below and until the next episode, bye, bye, bye, bye, bye, bye, bye.