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Two-time Emmy and three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer, Rushion McDonald interviewed Ronnell Perry. Ronnell is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese and holds a master’s degree in public policy & management from Carnegie Mellon University and a B.A. in International Business from Dillard University. Ronnell has more than 20 years of international travel and specializes in AfroLatin travel.
Talking Points/Questions *
- How did you grow from a travel blog and resource to a full-fledged profitable travel business
- Why don't you consider yourself a travel agent?
- There are Black people in South America? What does it mean to specialize in tourism in AfroLatin communities?
-How did you move from virtual education project manager to tourism professional?
- How did you turn your hobby into your full-time job?
- You were laid off from your corporate job in 2022; tell us about how that impacted you.
Ronnell has more than 20 years of international travel and community development experience.Ronnell is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese, and holds a Master's Degree in Public Policy & Management from Carnegie Mellon University, and a B.A. in International Business from Dillard University. He served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Paraguay and Costa Rica, and has visited over 15 countries.
Rounding out over six years of service, he recently served as chair of the board of directors for an international education non-profit.
Ronnell also holds a certificate in Tourism & Hospitality Management from Florida Atlantic University.
He splits his time between Atlanta, GA and Salvador da Bahia, Brazil.
Evolved from a simple blog to a full blown bespoke travel company, AfroBuenaventura Transformative Travel is a pioneering travel service dedicated to offering immersive and culturally enriching experiences that celebrate the rich heritage and vibrant traditions of Afro-descendant communities. Our mission is to provide travelers with profound, transformative journeys that go beyond traditional tourism by deeply engaging with the history, culture, and contemporary life of African diaspora regions.We specialize in crafting personalized itineraries that highlight the unique contributions of Afro-descendant cultures, showcasing everything from historical landmarks and local festivals to art, music, and cuisine. Our curated experiences are designed to foster meaningful connections, promote cultural understanding, and support sustainable and ethical tourism practices.
At AfroBuenaventura, we believe that travel has the power to inspire and transform. By focusing on authenticity and respect for local cultures, we create opportunities for travelers to gain a deeper appreciation of the global Afro heritage while contributing positively to the communities they visit. Whether you're exploring historic sites, participating in cultural events, or engaging with local artisans, our transformative travel experiences are designed to leave a lasting impact on both you and the places you visit.
#AMI
#BEST
#STRAW
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Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald, interviewed Attorney Jalene Mack, America’s Favorite Entertainment Attorney, and discussed ten tips on developing your business and avoiding signing a contract that can ruin your dream. There are bad contracts, and there are scam contracts. Tell us the difference between the two.
Where can you go if you don't have much money for legal advice?
Ten tips on how to develop your Business
#1 Identify Your Project
#2 Make sure you have a Plan
#3 Form a Team
#4 Prepare a Budget
#5 Form a Business Entity
#6 Get an EIN
#7 Open a Business Bank Account
#8 Protect Your Assets
#9 Contracts
#10 Marketing#BEST
#STRAW
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Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Marcus Sonnier.
Marcus and his wife, Marvis, realized their sons, Ryan and Dylan were very good, and experts asking for money as you would expect from teenage boys.
They decided they needed a way to earn some extra income, while also learning the values of being an entrepreneur.
From that idea, Snowie Atlanta was born. They have been involved in every aspect of starting and developing this business, which has been a real eye opener for them. They are now starting to understand the hard work, dedication as well as, costs associated with opening and operating our own business.
Their hope and prayer was that they learned operating our shaved ice business would provide them with skills that will guide them throughout their lives.Company Description *Shaved Ice is our SWEET spot!! We are a top-tier food truck with a focus on customer service.
Talking Points/Questions *1) What was your reason or your “Why” that caused you to start Snowie Atlanta?
2) Is it true that you worked a full-time job for 5 years while building Snowie Atlanta?
3) What sacrifices had to be made along the way?
4) What made you leave a successful career as the VP of Field Supervision at a large Financial Services Firm?
5) What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs reluctant to follow their dreams?#AMI
#BEST
#STRAW
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Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Sonia Fears.
Financial planning. Compound interest. Family Legacy. Morgan and Stanley. All of these words are meant to strike the image of Fears into your heart Sonia Fears that is. As one of the leading financial experts who built her family practice at Morgan Stanley, she is here on the Money Making Conversations Master Class to provide helpful fiscal advice through flexing her financial acumen. From the benefits of opening a compound interest account early on to the importance of tanking advantage of N.I.L deals to the value of creating a legacy business that you can pass down to your children, Sonia Fears is here to share her knowledge of financial planning and put you on the path to fiscal success.
#AMI
#BEST
#STRAW
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Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Ashley-Lauren Elrod.
She is a true champion of diversity, safety, and inclusivity in all aspects of entertainment, media, marketing, and advocacy. At Visionary Woman Productions, they are the experts in bringing visions to life through powerful storytelling that connects with your audience and philanthropy that heals the world.
The mission and vision are to create partnerships and content that make a lasting impact on the world for the better.Talking Points/Questions *
1. Social impact in entertainment and media.
2. How we are propelling change in and out of the industry to help give back to communities.
3. My inspiration for this company and how we transitioned into this space today.
4. The importance of true and accurate representation in media, marketing, and entertainment.
5. The work we are doing to change lives, such as with our upcoming project Verge of Remembrance in support of survivors and Project CAN HOPE with the Chicago Children's Advocacy Center. A project to raise awareness and funding for SA, DV, and sex trafficking survivors in America.
6. The importance of utilizing one's story in leadership positions to create change.
7. Our plans to make the entertainment industry and world a safer and more healed place to be.
8. The people and orgs we are partners with and supporting.
9. The importance of mental health in the work field.
10. How to have a greater impact in your business that not only aids in profitability but world sustainability.#STRAW
#BEST
#SHMS
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Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed, Dr. Sonia Lewis, is the CEO of award-winning business The Student Loan Doctor LLC. She is considered the people’s expert on all matters related to student loan debt repayment. She has over 14 years of practical higher education and financial aid experience.
Dr. Lewis is an expert speaker across all audiences, regardless of age. She has been invited to share her expertise in written work, conferences, or live media: CNN, The White House Briefing on Advancing Equity for Women and Girls of Color, Black Enterprise, SALON Magazine, RT America, Essence Magazine, KYW News Radio 1060 AM, Fox 29, The BET Network, Money Magazine, Forbes, Investfest (EYL) and a host of other notable platforms across the nation. Sonia is also a 3-time self-published author.
Company Description *
The Student Loan Doctor LLC has been recognized as the first African American and woman-owned student loan repayment company in the country. The City of Philadelphia has also awarded us two citations for our business’s impact on the Philadelphia community.The company was designed to educate others about their student loan debt and provide assistance in making a tangible plan for repayment. The social impact goal of the business is to help a generation of borrowers become free of debt to promote social mobility and wealth building.
Talking Points/Questions *
1. Student Loan Forgiveness and the Election: How the current administration’s policies are shaping forgiveness programs and what borrowers can expect from candidates in the upcoming election.
2. Financial Freedom and Student Loans: Why student loan debt is a major obstacle to financial milestones like homeownership and investing, and how to navigate debt to move towards true financial freedom.
3. Staying in Good Standing: Why keeping your loans in good standing is critical for personal and financial health, and actionable steps borrowers can take today to avoid penalties and default.
4. The Student Loan Doctor LLC, founded in 2016, has been recognized as the first African American and woman-owned student loan repayment company in the country.
5. The City of Philadelphia has also given the business two citations for its impact on the Philadelphia community.
6. The Student Loan Doctor LLC was designed to educate others about their student loan debt and assist them in making a tangible repayment plan.
7. The social impact goal of the business is to help a generation of borrowers become free of debt to promote social mobility and wealth building.#STRAW
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Dear Steve and Shirley, My husband and I have a blended family, but my side has blended and his has not. His twelve year old child said she didn't feel comfortable in our home, and we understand it because I have two sons. For the past year, she's done activities with us, and we pick her up and take her back home. Most of the time, my husband does things with her by himself, and he doesn't ask me and my sons to join them. My husband said he has to go the extra mile to make his daughter feel included, and that's fine with me........................................................
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Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed, Rod Griffin.
Rod Griffin. He is the Senior Director of Public Education and Advocacy at Experian, to unpack the essentials of financial health and identity protection. Griffin dives into savvy strategies for improving your credit score, understanding fraud prevention, and managing personal finances for lasting success. This episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to take control of their financial future and gain peace of mind in today’s digital world. Perfect for listeners eager to unlock financial freedom and protect what matters most.
Talking Points/Questions *
From your perspective and career in the financial services industry, what does it mean to be financially savvy? What role does credit play in a consumer’s overall financial health? What are some of the common misconceptions about credit and credit scores? What advice would you give to someone who is looking to establish or rebuild their credit history? Many people know your credit score can impact your ability to access credit cards, loans, etc. but what else can your credit history influence? What are ways consumers can save on everyday expenses like car insurance? What are your top tips for people looking to be more financially savvy in 2025? What tools and resources are available from Experian for consumers who are looking to improve their overall financial health and save money?#BEST
#STRAW
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Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Douglass Fort. He founded The Blerd Academy (Black Nerds). It’s a wealth building program that helps High-Achieving Black-American youth get scholarships to HBCU’s. They have secured over $8 million dollars in scholarships! Please welcome to Money Making Conversations Master Class Douglass Fort.
Why did you start the Academy? What are some outcomes of the Academy? Why should the Black-American community highlight our nerds?· Since 2016 Fort has secured $8 million in scholarships for 63 high-achieving Black American students. Full-ride and tuition-only scholarships to HBCUs through graduate school.
· PJ’s sister, Marissa, also went through the program. She graduated Cum Laude from Hampton University with a degree in Accounting, earned a Master’s degree from Columbia University all debt-free, and now works for Deloitte in New York City.
· Other success stories: A Tennessee State U graduate now works in the front office for the NFL’s Chicago Bears.
· Two are Obama-Cheskey Voyager scholars.
· Fort says: “We don’t talk enough about Black scientists, mathematicians, and doctors. Only 1% of athletes make it to the NFL. We’re hustling backward having our kids focus on sports over education.”
· Criteria for the students he assists: a 3.5 GPA, a 28 ACT score, or a 1300 SAT score for a full-ride scholarship, or a minimum 3.2 GPA, a 23 ACT score, or an 1130 SAT score for tuition-only scholarships. AP and/or Honors classes, community service, and school leadership is also beneficial.
· Since the 2023 U.S. Supreme Court ruling of Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College and Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. University of North Carolina struck down Affirmative Action in college admissions Fort has been busy.
· Several HBCUs saw a surge in applications, including Washington D.C.’s Howard University, Clark-Atlanta University, which outpaced the University of Georgia, and Florida Agricultural Mechanical University (FAMU).
· Fort says: Parents just don’t know there is money and resources at these institutions for their high-achieving students, but they should because their kids have excelled in the classroom, and they deserve it.”MONEY MAKING CONVERSATIONS TALKING POINTS
Guest: Douglass J. Fort, Founder, The BLERD Academy
· Grew up in East Palo Alto, California
· Liked school but got caught up in the streets
· Was shot as a teen.
· A childhood friend suggested he apply to Jackson State University. When he was accepted, hesitated, but did go.
· Graduated from JSU. A Criminal Justice Major/Urban Affairs/Development minor. After graduation, he returned to East Palo Alto where he started the violence prevention program, For Youth By Youth.
· Worked with law enforcement to help clean up Black neighborhoods.
· His son received a full-ride athletic scholarship to Morehouse College but turned it down to play Division 1 Football at a PWI, and never played.
· Doug was heartbroken that his son turned down Morehouse. A close friend told him he had to get over it and focus on kids who wanted the HBCU experience.
· Founded The BLERD Academy, a combination of the words Black and Nerd in 2016 in Oakland; a non-profit wealth-building program that assists high-achieving Black American students graduate, debt-free from more than 100 HBCUs.
· Found the first BLERD while working at a Bay Area JSU Black College Expo booth. It was 6’5 honor roll student, Phillip Patrick Jr. who had a 3.6 GPA and 28 ACT score. Fort offered him a full-ride Presidential scholarship to Jackson State on the spot.
· Phillip Patrick had played baseball all his life and thought he would have to continue playing in college on scholarship. When he received the full-ride, he told his mother he no longer wanted to play baseball, he wanted to be a brain surgeon.
· Patrick Jr. majored in Biology Pre-Med and graduated from JSU in 2020. He is now in the 3rd year of a five-year medical program at UC Irvine Medical School where he will receive his Master’s in Public Health and Medical Degree in Cardiac Anesthesiology. UC Irvine is fully financing his medical
degree. He is engaged to a fellow Blerd who graduated from Howard University and is in Medical School at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. Also debt free.
· Fort advises his kids to leverage their B.L.E.R.D and secure their bag of money through graduate school.
· He is especially passionate about young Black men from tough neighborhoods like he came from.
· He is a big proponent of kids buying property as early as possible.
· Fort says: “This is a spiritual calling. My mission is to rebuild our community, and it starts with young men because they are the ones who will be the providers for their families. We exist as an organization to build a healthy community that is Black, Educated, Resourceful, and Determined, and we are doing it one B.L.E.R.D at a time.”
· Website: www.theblerdacademy.com, Instagram: TheBlerdAcademy#STRAW
#BEST
#SHMS
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Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed, Tim Mercer. He is the author of Forbes Books "Bootstrapped Millionaire." He is also the CFO of Cadence Ventures, INC. It is a boutique private equity firm that invests in private mortgage notes and offers "nontraditional" financing to real estate investors, builders, and developers. As a private lender with discretionary capital, we've become a reliable capital partner for real estate professionals needing execution and timely closings. Tim has over two decades of experience in finance, real estate, and government contracting; Mercer is currently the CFO of Cadence Ventures, INC and IBOX Global, LLC, ranked #357 on Inc. 500’s list of the Fastest Growing Companies.
Talking Points/Questions *
1) Phases of entrepreneurship (i.e. solopreneurs, intrapreneurs, business owner, investor)
2) The importance of financial literacy and how to level up your financial knowledge
3) How government contracts can help scale your business
4) Advice to small businesses seeking to get into government contracting
5) Why real estate is the safest and most profitable investment 6) How to invest passively into real estate#BEST
#STRAW
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