From Beggar to Investor - Projects Transcript
Thank you for being here.
Please Note: The transcript to this video along with the link are below the double dashed line. Here are links to the other contributions to this series:
The other blog posts...
The Invitation
From Beggar to Investor - Introduction
From Beggar to Investor - Funding, Part 1
From Beggar to Investor - Funding, Part 2
The other videos...
The Introduction - https://youtu.be/LGFT4Jqu2zQ
Funding, Part 1 - https://youtu.be/LqCoWD0GeAA
Funding, Part 2 - https://youtu.be/ju-uexGJezc
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YouTube link to this video: https://youtu.be/1CE6-etVwoY
Welcome Back Beautiful People! You're in Part 1 of Segment 3 in the "From Beggar to Investor" Series. I'm Kara Lynn Kai Sanders.
Some things to know before we get started...
"I feel good" like James Brown declared.
"I feel good like the moon is shining just for me" like Mary J. Blige proclaimed.
"I'm so happy being me" like Angie Stone revealed.
"I've got sunshine" like Avery*Sunshine announced.
Now I ask: "can YOU feel a brand new day" like they did in the The Wiz?
As a disclaimer, I need to remind you of some things.
1. Please understand I am not going to say what you think I am going to say
2. That's because if we continue to do what's always been done we'll continue to get what we've always got!
3. If you remember from the Funding video, doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result is a well known definition for insanity.
Mmmmm... we're going to stop doing that!
L.U.V. is bringing a new solution to an old problem because it's time to change what's been going on!
We're going to shake things up a little bit!
We're going to move individuals and families from surviving to thriving!
We're looking to engage with like-minded people and build a community who believes in the intrinsic humanity and value of every person and seek to honor it.
If you're with L.U.V. then buckle up for the ride of a lifetime because this is about to be the most epic roller coaster ride unlike any that has yet to be invented.
I'm joining McFadden and Whitehead in exclaiming "Ain't No Stoppin Us Now"!
What I'm about to share with you is radical.
It is revolutionary.
It's designed to create change we need.
It's designed to create change we can count on.
It will create change that will last.
John Legend and the Roots threw down the gauntlet with "Our Generation, it's all left up to us". It's time to pick it up and run with it to victory.
I stand with Sounds of Blackness when they remind us "You can win as long as you keep your head to the sky. (Be) Optimistic!" Thank you Sounds of Blackness.
Thank you R & B music, the music that soothes the soul.
Before I jump into the content for today which is what L.U.V. will create, here's a gentle reminder that what you are listening to is by personal invitation. Please do not share what you are hearing with the random public, at least not yet. I just want you to be aware of the changes that are coming so you can know what the money I earn for us will be used for.
So let's talk about L.U.V.! I'm going to start with L.U.V. of self.
First of all, Wisdom and I are still homeless. We've been living with his dad's parents. That has been the learning experience of a lifetime. I am forever in debt to them for an education I could not have ever paid for.
But... it's time to leave.
And when we go, I really want to go big time. I have yet to have the Mother's Day weekend of my dreams. In the midst of this pandemic it's not entirely possible (because a massage and pedicure would top the list) but I'm going to create it as closely as I can. Because it's not Mother's Day I can do this any day of the week to celebrate being a mom.
With the money you'll help me earn, I will schedule a limo pickup so Wisdom and I can move out of his grandparent's 2 bedroom, 5 room apartment where we have inhabited the living room, one of only two rooms on the main floor. There are two reasons for the limo pickup. One, the extravagance of course (I've never been in one and Wisdom would Love it) but two, my license is expired so I can't rent a vehicle. This provides a vehicle with a driver without a time frame like a paid driving service.
When the limo arrives I want the driver to drop off toys for Wisdom's cousins to play. The toys that are here are mostly Wisdom's so I want to make sure there is plenty for them to play with when he takes them. Also Wisdom will be back to play because he LOVES his cousins and they need things to play that I don't have to carry when he comes.
I'm thinking building blocks and puzzles and and dolls and a kitchen with dishes and food to play with. And, of course, a table with a set of chairs for them to sit at is absolutely necessary. There also has to be a shelf to put it on. Wisdom's older cousin will also get books and maybe some remote control cars. Things that might entice him away from his video games and phone every once in a while.
When we are packed and ready to leave, I want to take Wisdom's grandmother on a small shopping spree. Mind you, she's not even 60 yet. She's still quite young so I think this would be fun. I have watched her serve her family in a number of capacities on a daily basis, often without a thank you. She cooks and cleans and cares for her grandchildren without complaint. Her house is open to almost everyone. If there was a house "that never sleeps", it would be this one.
I'd like to see her get clothes, shoes and accessories, household items, food or whatever. It's the very least I can do to repay her since she pretty much allowed me to take over the front part of her home AND she shared her kitchen for the last three months. I'd also make sure her phone bill, car insurance, internet and any utility bills are paid in advance for 6 months. I'd also pay for Wis' grandfather's phone service and car insurance plus any tools and parts he needs to repair the vehicles he has.
Flowers for me would be nice but are not necessary for the limo pickup. Flowers and plants can be in the one bedroom suite we will move into at the Residence Inn by Marriott in Downtown Raleigh. It is the only hotel Downtown with a kitchen in the suite and is convenient to all buses. I adore flowers and Wisdom does too so it will be a fun environment awaiting us. The cost for this hotel is a little over $200/night when staying long term so the price might be a little less than that in the long run. Last I checked, $200/night or around $1600/week (after taxes) is about where the cost will be. This is where Wisdom and I will set up shop and reside for 4-6 weeks as I work and search for the home we'll purchase.
If I could have convinced the manager to let me move in we would already be there. Yes, I did have a conversation with him. He's a good man and I really appreciated the conversation we had. But he still did what almost everyone else in the whole entire world does: judge me on the content of my purse and not the content of my potential.
The one thing that kept Wisdom and I from living there right now is a credit card with enough money on it to reserve the cost of the room. The room doesn't actually get paid for until the end of the stay. I told him I would be back when I earned the money so that's when I'll go. Not to prove him wrong but because the loop-de-loop couch in the lobby has Wisdom's name written all over it. There's no way I can deny that child an opportunity to play on that couch with his vehicles. He's gonna be the ambassador for that hotel, I'm tell you now. The manager already thinks highly of him, like most people do.
By now I'm hoping this declaration doesn't shock you. I figured you would be used to my kind of crazy so this could not surprise you entirely. Mind you, I didn't have to tell you how I'm going to spend my personal earnings but I'm letting you know because there is a method to my madness.
As a daughter of the Divine, I'm tired of hearing church folk talk about how we're all children of God but when providing assistance they offer the very least. If I remember the scripture correctly Jesus said, "when ye have done it unto one of the least of these..." not "when ye have given the least of these...".
The idea that we are of great worth but our mansions won't come until this life is over is the same propaganda that was used to uphold the practice of slavery. What that's essentially saying is as a Black person our value doesn't actually exist here. It comes with the mansion we inherit when life is over. Ummmm.... NO!
Clearly there are many pastors of all denominations and cultural heritages who don't believe that any longer as they live in prosperity and their parishioners live in poverty. That's not OK either. I have no idea how religion became a paycheck too because that's not how Christ lived.
Christ was homeless Himself, living off the goodness of others. This didn't bother Him because He knew what He had come to do. He knew His internal worth so the hardship of the mission was worth some of the inconveniences He endured. I imagine He spent much time in His Heavenly Father's glory when He had occasion to slip away privately so He had opportunities to visit the Home He would eventually return to. In those moments He was able to experience His internal worth externally. And that's exactly what I want to do, live the vision of what my internal worth looks like.
This is what L.U.V will do with those we serve, shower people with a vision of what their internal worth looks like, externally. And then help them not only achieve their internal wealth but believe it's true, like I have. And you know what I expect to happen in the vast majority of cases...? People will live up to their potential.
That is not what is currently being done. We put a whole lot of pressure on people to rise to the very lowest circumstances... Please don't get me started on "affordable" housing. I am the daughter of a Heavenly King and Queen. My ancestry is from the royal lines in Africa. I know this. I can feel it. God has been calling me to arise to honor Him and also the ancestry I descend from. It took a LOT of internal work on my behalf. The excavation process revealed a diamond mine in my soul. My life should reflect that, not to the glory of myself but to the glory of God.
I have often said "I live out of God's wallet." What He has taught me is as long as I'm doing what I'm supposed to do, I'm taken care of. There are no truer words. In moving the business forward, He taught me I will get what L.U.V. needs when the people are in place.
The ministry of Christ truly started after He had called His disciples. Once He had His "leadership circle" in place, the work went forth and all their needs were taken care of. Following the example of Christ, I have experienced similar things so I know I'm on the right track.
Alright now... getting off of my soap box!
Continuing on with my vision for L.U.V.... Once Wisdom and I are settled, I'll be utilizing the services of an attorney who is versed in business law so I can create the documents I need to get people started in the programs I have to offer.
The people I will start with God has led me to so my leadership circle can be created: the Raleigh G.E.T.T.M.A.D Crew. They are not who you think they are. They are not current community leaders. They are people who are in positions just like me.
Why? Because I have met some of the greatest minds who are in the midst of the same struggle I've been in, going from where they are to who they know they can be. The main reason for this is simply because everyone else is already heavily involved in what they are doing. But another reason is because in order for the program I am launching to work, I want those in charge of it to have gone through it. We are the G.E.T.T.M.A.D. Crew but we will also be L.U.V.'s first graduating class.
After the experiences I have had with the shelter system here in Raleigh, I am disgusted. Like I said, poverty is a paycheck! But I'm not going there again because it infuriates me. I'm fully invested in Malcolm X's quote. I'm livid. As I said before, I'm not just regular old pissed, I'm royally pissed. I shouldn't say that really, but I am. Saying I'm full of righteous indignation would be better, like Jesus cleansing the temple but the words just don't have the same affect for me.
However, like Jesus, I have accepted God's invitation to show His children He DOES Love them and He is VERY aware of them. The journey Wisdom and I have been on allows L.U.V. to show people their value in God's eyes, not man's. The investments will come through L.U.V. but are a reflection of the word of God. Their return to Him will be to do the work internally to excavate their infinite mines of potential and possibilities and let what they find, shine. The only way I can do that is if I've been there myself.
I have. There are still got some personal battles waging inside. There's some bushel blasting to do. And L.U.V. is what it takes to do it. That's why I'll be among those in the first graduating class.
My intention is to move my Leadership Circle into the Residence Inn as well so they can have rooms of their own. They will be there under contract to operate as the G.E.T.T.M.A.D. Crew and the pilot participants of the program. If I'm most mistaken, most of them are not in stable housing so an important objective of their stay will be to move them to permanent housing where the rent and utilities are prepaid for at least 6 months.
I anticipate us living there for 3-4 weeks. The three objectives we will focus on are:
1. Launching the website
2. Planning Independence Summer with Proclaim Your Emancipation weekend
3. Outreach: enrolling people in the programs L.U.V. will launch.
L.U.V.'s premier endeavor is The L.U.V. L.I.F.E. Cooperative. It is a community organization. Our motto is "Motivated to live L.U.V., have compassion and extend mercy to break boundaries, connect community and invest in people based on the parable of the Exceptional Samaritan in Luke 10". I'm not going to go into detail right now about everything this organization will do but it is where the investments will go that are collected from the work I'll do building businesses for people. This is the business the three objectives will fall under.
Let's talk about The Website first because really that's where it will all begin.
There are several places this idea came from. The main reason comes from being in Facebook groups where homeless people are connecting with one another and with those who are compassionate about the challenges they face. Sadly many of those who are homeless have needs that can't be met by those in the group. I remember seeing someone post a request for a tent and, in that group, I think it went without comment. I just remember thinking... "I bet someone could buy them a tent and they can pick it up at Walmart or wherever." If I had the money at the time, I would have done it.
Something similar is being done in one group I'm still connected with. From what I understand though, the requests are being made from provider to provider, not people to people. In my experience with homelessness I have found that people help people faster and better than organizations help people.
Wisdom and I have had own needs during this journey we have been on. Wisdom and I have both had shoes bought for us by people, not organizations. Wisdom has two winter coats and I have one, both purchased by... YUP, you guessed it! ...PEOPLE! We've had food bought for us from the grocery store by a person. They gave us not only what we needed but what we wanted. We've had hotel rooms paid for, again, by people, definitely not organizations. I have not found any organization, church or otherwise, that will pay for even one night in a hotel. But people from churches have. That is a significant difference.
During this crazy time, people are in the greatest amount of need they have ever been in. Organizations are inundated trying to provide help to them on top of assisting those they were already serving. And there are many people helping them do just that. BUT... there is an untapped reservoir of individuals who want to do something specific for a specific someone. Or they can and want to do more than perhaps they have been able to thus far. This website would provide them a way to do just that.
This membership site will be launching through Brilliant Directories. The ideal would be to pay one of their staff to fill in the blanks for me and I can adjust whatever I need in the future.
There are five objectives to this website:
1. People will be able to post genuine needs.
2. People will be able to search for needs they can fulfill.
3. People will be able to become service providers.
4. People will be able to invest.
5. People will be able to apply to participate in PAID 2 Parent.
This website was originally designed to be a resource primarily for those who are homeless. But with the world in the state it's in today, there is a lot of need for housed people too. One objective we would have is to validate the need so we don't have people taking advantage of the system. This is one of the dilemmas our leadership circle will find a solution to.
An ideal option would be to connect with local community organizations who register those who are homeless or in need. They can also become one of several places to receive items for those requesting them, if direct contact cannot be made between the giver and receiver.
With so many things available for purchase online and pick-up in person, contact does not necessarily need to be made. Of course, we expect to have an office where people can come as well but we are not everywhere so having places that are convenient for people to get to is essential.
As a reminder, the motto for L.U.V. Enterprises as a whole is "building the village, raising the child". The website supports this endeavor with the giving/receiving aspect and takes it up a notch as a place where people can apply to be service providers, both professionals and non-professionals. This also fulfills the "connecting community" aspect of L.U.V. L.I.F.E.'s motto.
These can be individuals who are professionally trained such as a counselor or teacher. Or they can be individuals who offer a service such as life coaching or financial advising. And yet again, they can also be individuals and families who are interested in the well being of others and want to be a part of someone's village to see them rise to their god/goddess within.
The fourth component to the website will be a place to financially invest in L.U.V. The website is where we will collect any investments from the returns L.U.V. receives from the work I do. We expect to return double the investment, two years after receiving it. This is based on the parable of the talents where each person who had invested wisely received double in return.
It is important for me to note you that if you allow me to build a business for you, the difference you invest is subject to this policy of double the return. So what you're actually doing is diversifying your investment portfolio when you allow me to work for you. I earn you money. You invest it with L.U.V. L.U.V. earns you more money.
Think about that for a minute... if you offer the 10% difference on your increase (or more as you desire) on a weekly basis then your return will be double what you gave 2 years later, on a weekly basis. That's like getting a paycheck.
If hundreds of people are investing, L.U.V. will thrive as a community funded organization. We won't need grants or other outside resources to take care of ourselves because we are taking care of the people who are funding it first. And that's how it should be! Organizations should be prospering people to such a degree that the people turn around and prosper the organization. If that's not happening, in churches included, that should LOUDLY tell you something. Jumping down off that soap box again...
Back to my vision...
Technically, in my book, the service providers and financial contributors are both investors, one of money and one of time. Again, based on the parable of the talents, I've learned that overall there are only two categories that can be invested in: time and money. L.U.V. looks to receive both with the intention that the returns for our investors will be both tangible and intangible.
The final aspect of the website is people can apply to participate in the PAID 2 Parent program. I'll speak on that in more detail when I discuss the last objective of the G.E.T.T.M.A.D Crew, outreach.
Let's talk about Independence Summer next.
This is the event of the YEAR! Twenty twenty is here just so this event can happen. Independence Summer will be an Epic Black Love Summer. It is family friendly and free to all who attend. It starts with Proclaim Your Emancipation weekend, a 4 day event starting on Juneteenth night - Friday, June 19, 2020. The ideal L.U.V.-cation for this event is Moore Square Park.
My intention is to partner with Every.Black to host this event starting with dinner and dancing in the park on Friday night from 6-9. We would have Black owned restaurants, caterers and/or food trucks provide dinner for the community. There is a limited amount of tables and chairs in Moore Square Park but people will be able to bring blankets and other seating of their choice to be comfortable.
Pre-registration will be required in order to receive a dinner ticket. At the event, people will go to the vendor of their choice and choose a meal. There will be no alcohol at this event. There will be water stations with juice and soda options.
The music will be provided courtesy of the online radio station Power Music Radio, where "R & B is our universal language". They will be broadcasting live, playing music from the Ultimate Power Music Playlist, an ever-growing collection of the most thought-provoking, power filled R & B music ever recorded relating to life, Love (gained and lost) and Blackness. This is the FEEL GOOD event of the year.
(Your greatest connection for clean, authentic Rhythm and Blues music: https://www.powermuzicradio.com/)
On Saturday, a Black Business Expo will be held spotlighting Every.Black business owners. And showcasing the talents of Every.Black members. Luckily Every.Black has a FREE 30 day trial membership so anyone who is not currently enrolled as a business will be able to participate. It will start bright and early at 8 a.m. with a live broadcast of the Motivational Reader's Mastermind Network call, hosted by E.B member Stan Anderson.
(Information about membership in Every.Black can be found on the website which is also the name. Check out: http://www.every.black/benefits. ".black is the new .com")
This event will be the "Grand Opening" moment for L.U.V. L.I.F.E. and officially introduce the PAID 2 Parent program on a larger scale. We will have a table to enroll new people, both as providers and participants.
A very important part of Saturday's event is one of the two Community Conversations we will host on topics that matter. We will be able to create an action plan to provide solutions to a challenge our community has been facing, solutions that will work. This will be the start of the L.U.V. Community Investment Teams, an opportunity provided through membership with the L.U.V. L.I.F.E. Cooperative. The second Conversation will be held on Sunday.
One of the booths at the Expo will be called "Celebration of Black Men". This is also the name of Sunday's event since it is Father's Day. All men, whether they are dads or not, will receive a gift bag which they can fill with a collection of items that will be available in the tent. They can also choose between scheduling their "Five minutes of fame" or their "Fifteen Minutes of Fame". Priority will be given to fathers for Sunday's event.
The 5 minutes allows them to be spotlighted on stage during the Sunday festivities. The 15 minutes allows them to be a guest on an Every.Black podcast to share whatever is on their minds. Other family members are welcome to schedule their Loved male for a special spotlight if they are not there and/or don't do it themselves for some reason.
All day Sunday, center stage, we will spend the day spotlighting and celebrating Black men who signed up for their "Five Minutes of Fame". Again, this is open to all Black men of all ages, whether they are fathers or not. The reason being is every son has a father. Regardless of the father's presence and subsequent effect on the child, that man participated in the creation of a beautiful Black man child. And they all need to be celebrated. This event is a tribute to my son, his dad, both of his grandfathers and the beautiful Black men who have helped me co-parent my son in the absence of family.
This family friendly event is all about having fun, fun, fun. Where possible there will be a water feature, bubbles, slime making, play dough, Legos and other building materials. This is allllll about just having fun. To top it all of there will be lots of BBQ and sides to satisfy even the most voracious appetite.
While this event is starting in Raleigh, I intend to see this become a national event in every city where there is a Black population of 15% or more.
On Monday, the final event day, Every.Black will host and broadcast a live version of the Every.Black meeting from 6:30-8p, which was dismantled back in March by the coronavirus pandemic. It's time to regroup with a launch. Doors will open at 5:30p. Dinner will be provided. Pre-registration is required in order to receive a dinner ticket. This will likely be a food truck we will pay for a certain amount of meals. Refreshments of other kinds will be available for those do not pre-register.
Other aspects of these events that will be present all four days are: an E.B. membership table, Census 2020, voter registration, books for sale and L.U.V., L.U.V., L.U.V.
L.U.V. Enterprises will host a table to gift scholarships to those entrepreneurs who are interested in membership but are a new business just getting established or have been in business for less than a year. We will pay for their first year as an E.B member.
This event is five weeks away. With an economy recovering from this pandemic, my concern is for the Black community which often is the most devastated after any tragedy. We already know that to be true about this one with the Black community having the highest amount of deaths of any other demographic.
Two weeks later is Independence Day weekend.
We will host an event where participants will be able to express their version of the Emancipation Proclamation, the United States Constitution, one of several epic speeches by African Americans from the "Say It Plain" or "Say It Loud" collections found on the American Public Radio website. This can be done through art, music, dance, poetry, spoken word, an essay or any other mode of communication you can think of. This event will be held in the Raleigh Convention Center on Friday, July 3 and Saturday July 4 with a center stage for performances and an exhibition hall for other entries.
Four weeks later starting on Sunday, August 9, National Resurrect Romance week begins, created by Cary resident and founder of theromantic.com, Michael Webb. We will host daily family friendly events based on the five tenents of Black Love celebrated on Black Love Day, February 13: Love of Creator, Love of self, Love of family, Love of race, Love of community.
Labor Day weekend always brings the African American Cultural Festival. Plans have long been underway to make this event a reality. We currently have nothing to do with implementing it. But we will anticipate having one or two booths or being one of the sponsors if it's still possible. And that will be the closing event of Independence Summer.
It's time to heal race relations in this country especially during this election year. It's time to celebrate our greatness in epic ways and step out of the shadows because of the foolishness some of our own are perpetuating. These events happening one after another, spotlighting Blackness will draw the attention of all cultures but most especially our own.
Are you getting as excited as I am? Remember now, these are just my visions. Executing these will be possible only with people who have absolutely nothing else to do at this time and can focus on pulling off a miracle. I know people like that so you don't have to worry about how it's going to happen. Just gotta plan you work and work your plan. That's how!
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