From Beggar to Investor - Introduction

Transcript of Introduction

YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGFT4Jqu2zQ

Welcome to the From Beggar to Investor Series. My name is Kara Lynn Sanders. Most people call me Kai. And Kai is how I introduce myself. But honestly I don't really have a preference. I simply request proper pronunciation. Regardless of which one you choose, all I ask is you say my name right.

:28 ~ Thank you so much for being here, being willing to listen to what I have to say. This has been a long time coming. Mostly because I've struggled with how to put it together. And finally... Finally it's here. 

Soooo... I'm excited. And I just have an immense amount of gratitude for the time that you'll spend with me. And I hope you find that it is time well invested.

1:02 ~ The Agenda - So for the next few days I'm going to upload a new video about what I'm doing. Today's video will be a pretty extensive introduction. I mean, it's hard to cover 46 years of living but I'm going to condense it for you, so you can have an opportunity to know who you're dealing with and why you should be looking forward to the following videos. 

On Tuesday the video will be on funding, what it is I'm looking to do. Wednesday's video will be on what I'm looking to fund. And the reason why I'm doing it in that aspect is because people are going to listen to what I have to say and think, "holy cow, that requires a lot of money." And it does! So I'm going to tell you how I'm going to acquire that money first and then I'll talk about what it is that I'm going to fund.

And then on Thursday and Friday, it's gonna be a two part series on some of my experiences, some of our experiences, me and my son,... our experiences with homelessness. (Excuse me.) And these videos will explain how I came to know what I know and why I'm looking to do what I'm doing. (Please Note: While the time frame has changed, the agenda remains the same.) 

2:10 ~ My Focus - Now I need to be clear that while I have invited all people of goodwill to review what I am sharing, my focus is on the Black community. And it's not just because I'm a Black woman. It's because all I have learned is because of the Black community, from living among them and Loving them and being one of them. 

Something that's pretty important to note is I didn't grow up in a predominantly Black community. In fact, I didn't even live in a predominantly Black community until I was in my 30s. So while I did grow up like many Black children do, I come with a little bit of a twist. 

I know people from Gucci to the ghetto. I have been blessed to associate with people of all flavors and that's my personal way of designating people. So like for me, depending on the season I'm a nice toasted peanut butter with a hint of cinnamon and caramel. And I also know people from nations and cultures around the world. And it is AWESOME! I have... I Love the life I've lived thus far, as pretty insane as it's been. 

But another reason this is for the Black community is because I think, feel  and know that, as far as information goes especially when it's innovative, we often get left behind or left out entirely. And so a lot of the time that happens because our attention is focused so much on surviving that the information that would help us to thrive is not available in the realm we exist in. And so... I'm here to change that. 

As I already said, I'm starting with a lengthy introduction so people will get to know me better. And I have met a lot of people since I've been in Raleigh, and many I've invited to watch this series. I'm just going to be grateful that I know my worth considering how people have treated me because of my financial situation. And so... I'm ready to share with you my journey of beggar to investor.

4:06 ~ About Me: Name - Once again my name is Kara Lynn Sanders. Kara means dear or darling. And if you know me you know that, for the most part, that's true. My nickname is Kai. And it's a name I've had... a nickname I've had all my life for as far as I remember. When I was growing up, my family would call me Kai. Now that's I've gotten older, they all call me Kara for some reason. 

But it wasn't until 2008 [actually it was 2004, I left in 2008] that I decided to use Kai full time. And that was because so many people screwed up Kara by calling me Cara that I got tired of it. And I figured Kai was so much easier to remember and pronounce. 

And so... it was interesting because it was on my way to Hawaii that I even found out that Kai is a Hawaiian name. So it's kind of a fulfillment of my destiny to be there. That's what I say... that I should have been... obvious I had a Hawaiian name all my life and here I am moving to Hawaii. And that was a "God Thing". And it was a "God Thing" to leave. Believe me. Nobody wants to leave Hawaii. Anyway... it definitely was the most remarkable four and a half years of my life and I can't wait to go back to bring back what I learned from my experiences there. 

And so Kai means... in Hawaiian it means ocean. But while I was there I met people, through the jobs that I held, who taught me there were other meanings in different languages. And two of them that I remember are Loveable and unlimited. 

And so... I've really come to Love and embrace my nickname because really I am Loveable. And I am Love. Like that is the gift God gave to me. And as I talk more, you'll see how that plays out. And also unlimited kinda reminds me of the ocean. 

Me and the ocean have a pretty special relationship even though I haven't spent much time in it! I don't think I actually went in the water in Hawaii in the four and a half years I lived there. I since have been in the water but... I didn't then. So I've been to the ocean here, I went down in North Carolina actually, just this past year with my son. I took him. And so yeah... it's very interesting. 

6:18 ~ About Me: My Birthday - My birthday is on December 10. I was born in 1973 which makes me 46 years. Having 46 years of life and Love and living and experiencing things and seasoning. I'm a classic... I think, as far as cars would be concerned. 

Among the titles that I hold are daughter, sister, aunt and friend. And I'm going to go into greater detail about the other ones that really make a significant difference in bringing this series to you. 

6:55 ~ About Me: Daddy's Girl - And the first of them is that I'm a Daddy's Girl. And while... I mean no disrespect to my dad, you know in the earthly realm, I'm a Daddy's girl like my Big Daddy, like my Big Heavenly Father Daddy. 

I am a Daughter of the Divine. I am a Woman of Righteousness. And I don't mean rightness, let's get that clear. I still make plenty of mistakes. But I am trying to do what's right and what's good. And that's important. I am also a Princess for Peace. And I'm a Queen on a Quest for the glory of God to be revealed in and through all His creations, but most especially His children.

I call myself a disciple of Christ versus a Christian. Because a disciple, the word disciple means "student of a master". And I am a Student of THE Master. And I take that very seriously. My walk with Jesus Christ has been remarkable and humbling. And I hope in saying that, that if people are listening who are not of a Christian faith or background that it encourages you to continue to listen. Because what I've found in most religions is that the idea is the same... is that Love is our center. And being good to one another is what's important. 

And so I encourage you to continue listening. If you're not comfortable with hearing God's name and hearing me talk about Christ and stuff like that, then this series isn't for you. And that's OK. I don't mind. But I do need to say I think it's time that people of all backgrounds come together. Because if you're good and you have good work to do then let's do it together.

And honestly one of the most remarkable people who was part of my journey of Love and learning how to Love myself is not a Christian. I just say that because it's important to me that all people are welcome to listen and to learn so that we can grow and help one another in this journey called life.

I am grateful to be the woman of God that I am, the woman that I'm called to be. I'm still in the process of becoming. And that is not in reference to Michelle Obama's book. I have been a human becoming for a long time now. But what an appropriate title, huh? Oh my goodness, I need to read it. 

Moving on...

I am gifted with the Spirit, which I rely on. I'm not always very good at receiving the messages or understanding them completely but I get better and better every day, especially as I repent. And just ask God to take away the things that are hindering me from doing the work He has called me to do. Because I do get easily distracted. Don't we all, right?

In this earthly realm, being a Daddy's Girl, my greatest honor... the greatest honor He's bestowed upon me, outside of the responsibilities I have towards Him, the greatest of them is being a mom.

10:12 ~ About Me: I'm a Mom! - I am the mom to a vibrant, dynamic, charming and extremely Loving young Black man. His name is Wisdom Chance. He is 4 years old. He was born on December 23, of 2015 under the most miraculous circumstances. He really is a miracle child to me. Being his mom is my career of choice. He is my heart beating outside of me. He is my dream child and he lives up to every aspect of the name God gifted him with. 

I let people know I did not choose his name. To me, initially, it was like a practical  joke from God because I did NOT want an unusual name for the child I was bringing into the world. I was hearing all these "King"-s and "Prince"-s and I was like "yeah...NO! We're not going down that route Heavenly Father."

So you know, I was thinking of family names I did and did not want when God spoke, giving him a name and a responsibility. He said, "his name will be called Wisdom, not for the things he will learn but for the things he will teach". 

The word of God says "train up a child". I have taken the word "train" very seriously and like a dedicated coach he is my exceptional athlete. I have endeavored not only to be his first and best teacher but also his first and best student. I do not regret that decision at all. Because it is my highest honor to be Wisdom's Student in every way that could mean.

This next aspect of our great adventure is all for him because he came into the world to be a vehicle for change. I knew this. I knew this when he was in my belly. I knew he was going to be a young Black man before the doctor ever told me the sex of the child I was carrying. And I knew he would grow up and be a different young man and do different things. This is to be expected really, after all, I am his mom. 

So I need him to be able to confidently strive for and achieve whatever he wants in this world we live in. Right now, it's not completely ready for him. So I really need to fix that. And not just for him both for others. Ya know...?

He is my motivation and my inspiration to proceed in every endeavor God calls me to do. I mean, now... It's taken me a while to get here but he is. But it's not only because he is my son but because he represents the incredible potential every man, every woman and every child has the opportunity to reach given the right circumstances. We have not lived in the best situations but it has been my goal to provide him with the absolute best circumstances that money could NOT buy. And if you know my son, you know how awesome he is and the people he meets on a daily basis continue to be as or more amazed than I am. 

FYI: The music in the background is "Virtuoso" by Black Violin. It is track #3 on their debut CD, Classically Trained. We Love these guys! It's the latest song my son has chosen to sleep to. It used to be "Go". That's track 11. My son is as spiritually sensitive as he is intelligent. And I truly believe this song was God's way of using him to tell me I'm capable of accomplishing all I've been struggling to do. 

If you're not familiar with the word virtuoso it essentially means someone who is exceptional especially in the arts. Well there is nothing I'm particularly exceptional in as far as the arts is concerned but what Wisdom and I have been through is nothing short of remarkable and the lessons taught and learned, are far beyond exceptional. And I have the unique honor of disclosing them. 

The song is mostly the violinists performing and the words are simple, "I'm Virtuoso... Watch me!" It's those last two words that I'm pretty sure God intended for me, especially for me. It's playing because the ideal time for me to record is in the wee hours of the morning while my son sleeps. The ideal place is the living room closet next to where we sleep so... This is real life! But I'm grateful God helped me find a way after investing my time in trying to find other ways. 

14:50 (144) ~ About Us: Research Assistants - In order for me to understand why what I've been called to do is so important God has had me and my son on this incredible journey as His research assistants through the valley of homelessness. Not that I needed to do research for Him. He knows what's going on. He is very aware. But I needed to do research for me. 

When I dedicated my life to God over ten years ago He knew I wanted to serve Him and help other people. At the time I had many advantages as a "church girl" with a wide network of people I could get to help (or at least I thought I could). My mind was lit up with ideas galore so  I was sure He would allow me to become financially successful in order to help others. I mean that's how it works right?

Well the truth of the matter is, (WHOOOOOOOO...) He did just the opposite. Alone, with others and most recently with my son, I have lived in the most humbling situations. And I've experienced the most heartbreaking events. However, unlike many others, my son and I have flourished in ways that are unimaginable. And we've been taken care of in ways I could not have expected. 

Hope is a powerful, powerful concept. God made sure I knew that while we are homeless, we are NOT hopeless. When hope is employed it ignites faith to action and miracles occur. That has been our blessing over and over and over again. 

With all we've experienced, we're now on the "front lines" of a revolution. 

But I need to make it clear this work is not at all about me. It is about God. And I need those who engage with me to have the same "it's not about me" mindset so the work can get done without worrying about who gets the credit. 

Will we be in agreement that we can do the work without worrying about who gets the credit? If we're good please continue listening! If not, I understand and I totally respect your decision to stop listening and walk away entirely. I am not offended and I hope you are not either.

17:14 ~ About Me: C.B.B. - Now... In order to get this work done, I'd like to introduce you to the company that I've been led to create. I've had the name for over 10 years. It was given to me when I was living in Hawaii in the last 6 months I lived there. And that was in the first half of 2008. 

What I experienced there seeing the poverty among the native Hawaiians and others, was my initial motivation. I never could have imagined it would take over 10 years to see the name develop into something far from the beautiful land that inspired it. 

My greatest hope is to return there and bring the gift of L.U.V. Enterprises to the people who were such a gift to me whether I knew them or not. And that is the name of the company: L.U.V. Enterprises.

It's a legit company registered with the state of North Carolina as a sole proprietorship. It was registered on December 23, 2019 along with two other business names. Because it was like giving birth to triplets on Wisdom's birthday. So there is a significance to registering them on that date. And it was pretty empty... especially because I went in there about 10 minutes before the office closed. 

Now we are an investment company. We invest in people. And the business entities will change in the very near future once I'm sure of what they should be. It would be awesome if it could be a B Corp but that doesn't exist here as a business entity yet in North Carolina. So I really have to look into... in more depth about what the business should be and then do all the paperwork that requires for it to be that way. 

Just so that you know more about L.U.V. The word L.U.V. is spelled L.-U.-V. It has three definitions based on the three components of Love Jesus described in the great commandments. So if you're familiar with the great commandments, most people are only familiar with or only think of two. So I'm going to help you understand why there's three.  

The first definition comes from 1 John where it teaches "God is Love." 

The acronym embodies the second definition and relates to how we Love ourselves. The meaning is L for Learn, U for your and V for value. OK yeah sooooo... "your" doesn't start with a "u" but we use phonetic language [ahem... spelling/shortcuts] all the time, so it works. It totally works. And that is where people don't realize that loving ourselves is the second aspect of the great commandment(s). 

Because the great commandment says we're supposed to Love God but then it says "Love your neighbor as yourself". And so the kind of Love that we extend to ourselves is naturally the Love that we extend to others. And so that's really important to recognize and so it's very, very important to Love ourselves. And we learn to Love ourselves by learning what our value is.

The last definition is a personal one. It was given to me quite awhile ago and it's a compilation of (kinda) thoughts and ideas that were in my head that came together as one. But it helps to give direction to the motto for L.U.V. Enterprises which is "Building the village, Raising the child". 

The last definition of L.U.V. is "the opportunity, blessing and challenge of seeing God or Goddess in others, especially when they don't see Them in themselves". And then there's another part that says, "honoring, reverencing and nurturing that God or Goddess within until They are manifest without."

It's a two part definition that captures the essences of the first two meanings: of Loving God and Loving ourselves. Love of others can only be truly seen and then manifest as an expression of the Love of God within each of us, which He has extended and we have received. The primary way He gifts us His Love is by teaching us our value as His children. And we learn this lesson when we recognize that every trial and every triumph is a witness of a Loving God very aware of our lives. 

Should I say that again? We learn our value when we recognize that every trial and every triumph is the witness of a Loving God very aware of our lives. When we endure our storms well they allow us the opportunity to "Arise" to the life God has called us to. It might even be homelessness, just as it was for Jesus, His Only Begotten Son. 

I'm sure you can see how the motto and the definitions work together. In order for people to manifest their greatest selves a village HAS to be built to support them. Best case scenario, this village starts at home and then continues as the child enters their school years. But sometimes that village doesn't do their part properly so we're recreating it so people can get what they need to become who they are called to be. That is what the future holds for L.U.V., the building of a sustainable village that will affect every child of God, regardless of age, by providing a personal and professional support system to see them through to "Arise"!

Since this is a company led by God, He is my CEO therefore the position I hold for L.U.V. Enterprises is not CEO or President. I think Wisdom is the president to be honest with you. Because he's the one who has taught me the things that need to happen. So my title is CBB. And that stands for Chief Bushel Blaster. That's correct: Chief... Bushel... Blaster! 

It is based on the scripture in Matthew 5 where Jesus is giving the Sermon on the Mount. He calls us to be "a light unto the world" then proceeds to give various examples of what that would look like. Speaking specifically of a candle He says a candle is not meant to have a bushel placed on it. It is meant to be put on a mantel to give light unto the whole house. 

A bushel then, and even a bushel now, is a unit of measurement that has the volume of about 9 gallons. If you can imagine a basket large enough to hold 9 gallons of anything being placed on a single candle, especially in the time of Christ, then you already know the only result for that light is to be completely extinguished. 

Well, let's face it, there are lots of people with bushels on their lights. Whether those bushels were put there by parents, siblings or other family members, teachers, peers, friends or total strangers, they need to be blasted off. That is my responsibility. Too many people are bushel bestowers. See the list above. Their methods of attack need to be destroyed. That is also my responsibility. I have no specialized training to do this personally but I know enough people with enough information to provide the ammunition for the bushel blasting to begin. More people will be needed, found and utilized as needs demand. 

This is why I am the Chief Bushel Blaster. I am the gatherer, the collector who provides the opportunity with the expertise of those involved.

As the CBB, I work with a board or executive team called a leadership circle. It is a circle because a circle always remains a circle as it expands and contracts. The same is true for the leadership circle. We will expand and contract as leaders come and go but we will retain our shape and continue to provide the services needed to those who need them. 

I think this was something that was important to me because of how the Civil Rights Movement kinda dismantled. Because Martin Luther King was such a strong leader and Malcolm X was such a strong leader that when they both were gone, the world... the world... as far as the Black community, and strong leadership was left with a huge hole. And I don't ever want to see that happen again. Because the time right now is critical that is movement gain momentum and stay moving so that nothing gets in the way of creating the lives we were all created to live. 

Now, the leadership circle is a little more in depth in that it actually has a name. It is "The G.E.T.T.M.A.D Crew". That's the (spell it) G..E.T.T.M.A.D. Crew. It is an acronym that stands for "gathering elect talent to make difference". And that's what our mission is in building the village, "gathering elect talent to make a difference" by raising each and every child. The reason the acronym is "get mad" is based on a quote by Malcolm X that says when people are sad they just cry over their positions but when people truly get angry that is when they create change. 

I don't know about you but I'm royally pissed at what I'm seeing (excuse my language) and about what I've experienced. There is so much complacency in people who are in a position to do good that nothing is actually getting done. Rather than express anger towards those people or situations, the energy anger emits will be used to excel with excellence and enthusiasm to create the changes we can not only count on, but that will also last. Not having any executive orders changing anything I'm doing.

Now I mentioned earlier how Wisdom is my motivation. Because he is a young Black man and I see in him what is missing in so many others. As I mentioned from the very beginning of my introduction, my focus is primarily on Black children, regardless of their ages. This doesn't exclude (YIKES! I said include, I meant exclude) any other nationality, or culture or person. I'm simply being straight forward. With every person being a child of God, I intend to leave no stone unturned. Sadly there are far too many of our children across the board not living anywhere close to the best circumstances. But the disparity among Black/African American children is alarming. I have lived among them. I live among them now. And I recognize them because I am one of them. 

It wasn't always like this. I wasn't always like this. Society wasn't always like this. It was moving to Hawaii in 2008 [2004] that led me to where I am now and helped me discover the Humanitarian in me...

27:34 ~ About Me: Humanitarian - Now the humanitarian in me is a natural extension of all the aspects of me I have described in length. It is also significant that my birthday falls on Human Rights Day. If you're not familiar with it, it is the day the United Nations signed and proclaimed The Universal Declaration of Human Rights,  which many people do NOT know about. And that's so unfortunate because it is such an important document. 

28:05 ~ About Troy Anthony Davis - But being introduced to Troy Anthony Davis put me on a journey to release that  part of me which had not been tapped into at the time we connected. And I'm not going to go into Troy's story, like in depth. I just want to talk about the type of person he was and the the type of people his family was. 

Because Troy Anthony Davis was a Black man who was... when we met he was a Black man on Death Row in the state of Georgia for a murder he didn't commit. And it was a capital offense... it was considered a captial offense or a capital murder because there was a police officer involved. The police officer was masquerading as a security guard at the time but it was him who was killed. If you Google Troy Anthony Davis you'll see his face and you can read his story. 

And so... there was a day in... I was going to school in Hawaii. There was a day that one of the clubs on campus was doing a service project. Their service project was to host a letter writing campaign that Amnesty International does every year. So they basically had this pamphlet printed out of all these people who were considered political prisoners by Amnesty International. And as I flipped through the pamphlet there was only one person of color in there and that was Troy. So I wrote him a letter. And I got a letter back.  

And to say that he was remarkable, exceptional (those are words I've already used) is to put it lightly. And so when I left... Oh you know what, I didn't move to Hawaii in 2008. My bad. I moved to Hawaii in 2004. It was right after my 30th birthday. I left Hawaii in 2008. That's really important to note. ...That's important to note. So it was between 2004 and 2005 that I met Troy. And when I left Hawaii in 2008, one of the reasons was to meet Troy.

I wanted to know if this man was as he was in his letters. 

And... you go to a maximum security prison to meet a Death Row inmate, you go in... And you go through all the security and stuff like that. But then you go in and there's a general meeting area for the all the other prisoners in the prison. And then you walk through another set of bars and then into a closed room where there is the meeting area that you can sit at and there's all these stools like sitting at a counter. It's like sitting at a bar or something like that. That's how it's set up. And so you don't actually... You congregate in a different way. Let's just put it that way. 

His family was there, part of his family was there. It was two of his sisters, his nephew and his mom. And I can promise you that sitting in that little room, in that little space, and talking with his family; you could not have told me that I was not sitting on Ms. Virginia's front porch. That was the name of Troy's mom. You could not tell me I was not sitting on the front porch, sipping lemonade and hanging out with his family. 

Like to be transported in that fashion was incredible. But meeting Troy like... When he embraces you, there is nothing... That man emitted nothing but just pure, unadulterated Love. It was amazing. And I still remember just his embrace being so genuinely warm and enveloping. There was no physical connection, like that or anything like that. It was just... there was just goodness that came from him. And I just knew he hadn't committed the crime regardless of all the things that had been said. I mean there was a lot of stuff that went down about... with him trying to be released and things of that nature. That never came to be. 

He was executed. And the year he was executed his mom and his oldest sister both passed away. And I was given the opportunity to attend all three funerals. Ms. Virginia, she passed away in April completely unexpectedly. She had gone to the doctor that morning, was given a clean bill of health and went home and took a nap. Her grandson came in to shake her awake because she was in the rocking chair and she didn't wake up. She was already gone.

Troy was executed in September. And his sister Martina, who had fought and battled for his freedom from the time that he was incarcerated, initially incarcerated, a battle that took over twenty years, succumbed to breast cancer in December. Interestingly enough her funeral was on my birthday. I didn't tell anybody but her funeral was on my birthday, which is Human Rights Day. I don't think anyone recognized it at the time. But that was such an honor to be able to attend. 

And the one thing I remember from all three funerals and I think it was at Troy's funeral is that the pastor who spoke said, that "like a good mother, Ms. Virginia was home when her child returned from school." And it was true. She was such a good woman. And these are such good people. 

And knowing Troy's story started with a false accusation and that led to a false conviction... this is how life starts out for so many people. And if I had ever known that this is where his story would lead me to, I never could have imagined it. And so... that is why I'm a bushel blaster. There are far too many people living with the false convictions and believing them and are walking around free but their minds are in prisoned. And it's time to stop that. 

It's time to help people move from survive to thrive and to live up to the lights God put in them to emit. And so... I welcome you to be on this journey with me. And not just to be on this journey with me but to have a good time doing it. 

34:50 ~ So let's go and do some good work!

For more information about Troy Davis, my trusted source is Donkeysaddle Projects. Jen Marlowe is a personal friend of the Davis family and went through many years of struggle with them to free Troy. Here are the links to both her book (http://www.donkeysaddle.org/index.php/books/i-am-troy-davis) and the stage production (http://www.donkeysaddle.org/) about Troy's struggle for freedom. They are more than worth your time.