Dreams In Drive

Latest Episodes:

116: Building Your Platform: How To Secure A Book Deal & Get Published w/ Dawn Michelle Hardy Nov 13, 2017

Show notes

Ever dream of writing and publishing a book? What exactly goes into working with a book agent or going the self-publishing route? How do books actually sell? How do you leverage your influence to impact an even bigger community? We've got some answers for you! Our guest Dawn Michelle Hardy describes the work she does as being "a talent manager for creative storytellers across multiple platforms". She began her agency Dream Relations PR & Literary Consulting in 2004 after working with Teri Woods author of True to the Game. Additionally, she is the creator of the Speed Mentoring Series a traveling brunch event that discusses the intricacies of book publishing.

Dawn dives into her early career journey - from studying fashion merchandising at FIT and how she stumbled into the book publishing industry, honed her skills, and realized she had what it took to go SOLO and build her own practice. Dawn shares lessons she has for other creatives trying to build their platforms and get their voices heard.

Join in on the conversation on social (@dreamsindrive) and use the hashtag #dreamsindrive. Enjoy!

**SHOW NOTES: www.dreamsindrive.com/dawn-michelle-hardy

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ON THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:

- How Dawn knew she would always be an entrepreneur - Studying fashion merchandising at FIT - How Dawn ended up in the book publishing industry - How Dawn branched out and started her own agency as a publicist - The power of confidence - An important lesson Dawn learned from a past client - The difference between a book publicist and a book agent - How to know if writing a book is for you - How to get your book published - How to know when to self publish vs. get a book agent - The truth about making money as an author - How to secure a book agent & write a query letter that gets READ - When to walk away from trying to get a publishing deal - How to become a book agent - 3 things you have to do market your book - How to stay balanced

SHOW NOTES: www.dreamsindrive.com/dawn-michelle-hardy

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115: Getting The Dollars! How KJ Miller & Amanda Johnson Launched Mented Cosmetics & Raised $1 Million in Venture Capital Nov 06, 2017

Show notes

Could your next BIG idea come from a conversation you have over a glass of wine? Who KNOWS?! Meet KJ Miller and Amanda Johnson, co-founders of the vegan, non toxic premium beauty line Mented Cosmetics. The two met when they were both students at Harvard Business School. One day - over a glass of wine - they bonded over a mutual problem of not being able to find the perfect lipstick shade. From there it was history! They were able to go from ideation to execution and create a fully operating business venture.

BUT check this!

The two recently raised $1 million in their first round of fundraising, making them the 15th and 16th African-American women ever to raise $1 million in venture capital, according to Forbes magazine.

As data from investor Kathryn Finney's Project Diane shows, although black women are the fastest-growing group of entrepreneurs in the U.S., they receive only 0.2% of VC funding.

What were their keys to success? These amazing dream drivers share just HOW they were able to do this and so much more.

Prior to launching into entrepreneurship, KJ was a management consultant for Deloitte's retail practice and was a jewelry buyer for Sears. Amanda worked as head of business development for Barney's NY and was an investment banker at Goldman Sachs.

I'm really excited for you all to hear the Mented Cosmetics story! Join in on the conversation on social (@dreamsindrive) and make sure to use the hashtag #dreamsindrive.

**ENTER OUR MENTED COSMETICS GIVEAWAY: www.dreamsindrive.com/win

ON THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:- What inspired KJ & Amanda as children - How the two met while students at Harvard Business School - Why attending business school is worth it - The importance of admitting when you're wrong - How KJ & Amanda got the idea to launch Mented Cosmetics - Challenges KJ & Amanda faced early in the business - Being one of the only African American women to raise over $1 million dollars in funding - The key to successfully raising capital - Why you should bring in a lawyer on your team early on - Leveraging your network - How to outsource strategically - How to launch successfully - The importance of storytelling and controlling your narrative - The keys to a successful business partnership - How to deal with competitors - How to create a unique product/service - How to get the right type of press

SHOW NOTES: www.dreamsindrive.com/mented-cosmetics

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FIND MENTED COSMETICS ON: Instagram: www.instagram.com/mentedcosmetics Twitter: twitter.com/mentedcosmeticsWeb: www.emmeliedelacruz.com

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114: How To Stop Making Excuses & Start Getting Results In Your Business And Life w/ Emmelie De La Cruz Oct 30, 2017

Show notes

Let's try to keep it real: What's TRULY holding you back from success? On this episode we dive deep into some of the ways that creatives and lifestyle entrepreneurs often stifle their own growth and what you can to start getting s**t done! In the guest chair is South Bronx native Emmelie De La Cruz, a serial entrepreneur who turned her layoff into her legacy. Whether it's group coaching, her books and classes, or through her health and wellness team, she has one goal: building dreams into businesses. On this episode, Emmelie takes us along her "original Cardi B." #dreamdriving journey and how went from working in marketing and communications to launching her own consultancy to help entrepreneurs and side hustlers grow their businesses. Emmelie shares some of the tough life lessons she had to learn that helped her become a better business woman and individual. Make sure to join in on the conversation on social (@dreamsindrive) and use the hashtag #dreamsindrive. Enjoy!

MORE ON EMMELIE:Emmelie is a graduate of Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communication and has worked for companies in Atlanta, DC and New York City. Her marketing insights have been featured in Black Enterprise, The Miami Herald, The Huffington Post, PR Daily, and Forbes named her site one of the top career websites just a year after launching. When she isn't helping startups scale, she's blogging on her site emmeliedelacruz.com which reaches over 15,000 women each month.

ON THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS: - What inspired Emmelie as a child - Why Emmelie studied public relations in college & later realized it wasn't for her later on - Transitioning into marketing & branding - How entrepreneurship found Emmelie - Why passion is overrated - The power of the pivot - How to validate an idea - How to find out what your audience is struggling with - How to be authentic & master YOU - The importance of building a personal brand - Not being afraid to be who you are - Why Emmelie misses corporate America - Emmelie's superstar strength - The art of being artistically naive - The best investments Emmelie has made in her business

SHOW NOTES: www.dreamsindrive.com/emmelie-de-la-druz

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113: How To Feel The Fear And Do It Anyway Oct 27, 2017

Show notes

What's stopping you from getting started? What's stopping you from doing that thing that's burning inside of you? What's stopping you rom pressing LAUNCH on the product or service of yours? In this minisode, host Rana Campbell talks about how she was able to get over her fear of launching and shares some BIG NEWS with the dream driver fam. Make sure to join in on the conversation on social (@dreamsindrive) and use the hashtag #dreamsindrive. Enjoy!

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112: Family Over Everything - How To Build A Business That Matters w/ James Lopez Oct 23, 2017

Show notes

What's at the core of what you're building? If you're not thinking about your legacy, what you doin' it for? What's influencing your drive and execution? So many of us dream drivers have these amazing ideas, but don't know how to get them from the idea (PARK) stage and into DRIVE.We talk with NYC-based technology entrepreneur James Lopez about his #dreamdriving journey, how he made the transition from the corporate IT world to entrepreneurship and the many lessons he's learned along the way. He shares the FAILURES he had to navigate past and how he was able to successfully co-found and sustain the Phat Startup. James also discusses why launching parenting company Cool4Dads.com via #FatherhoodIsLit and empowering men to be the best dads is one his proudest entrepreneurial feats yet. When James is not creating memories with his children, he consults startups on community building and customer development. We even dive into James' tips for entrepreneurs looking to grow, so don't miss out. Remember, you can join in on the conversation on social (@dreamsindrive) and use the hashtag #dreamsindrive. Enjoy!

ON THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS: - How James' dad & hip hop music inspired him as a child - Why learning about the stock market opened up James to more opportunities - Working in corporate America and why bulldozing his way to to the top didn't work - Why reading a lot of books on entrepreneurship was killing his productivity - How to start doing - Why James' first company failed - Launching the Phat Startup - 3 ways to get access - How James used Twitter to connect with industry figures like Ben Horowitz & Gary Vaynerchuck - Challenges growing the Phat Startup - How starting over can still be difficult (even with a blueprint) - What inspired James to launch a company focused on fatherhood - Figuring out your core audience - How to balance entrepreneurship & fatherhood - The 2 keys to building a business

SHOW NOTES: www.dreamsindrive.com/james-lopez

PLANOLY: Use code "dreamsindrive" for a 1 month free trial of any PAID Planoly plan (Offer ends 11/17/17)

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FIND JAMES ON: Instagram: www.instagram.com/fatherhoodislit | www.instagram.com/imjamesjlopez Twitter: twitter.com/imjamesjlopez

FIND DREAMS IN DRIVE ON: Instagram: www.instagram.com/dreamsindrive Twitter: twitter.com/dreamsindrive Web: www.dreamsindrive.com

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111: How To BOSS UP & Take Charge Of Your Career w/ Nyle Washington Oct 16, 2017

Show notes

If you're trying to build a powerhouse career and BOSS up in the professional world, how do you do it? One of the things that I love about the #dreamsindrive community is that we are so diverse. Although a lot of us may have our own companies or want to eventually be entrepreneurs at some point, we don't all fit into that demographic. There are some dream drivers who have career aspirations outside of entrepreneurship. Despite what your journey looks like (or how you want it to look), the thing that brings us all together is our stories of RESILIENCE, HUSTLE & DRIVE. Public relations expert Nyle Washington opens up about her #dreamdriving journey and how she was able to build a public relations career in the television and entertainment industry that has spanned her working at VH1, STARZ, & HBO, where she oversees media relations and publicity for several of the network's specials, along with select drama and comedy series.

Nyle talks about how she got her foot in the door early on as an intern, the key to career growth, knowing when to move on, the art of cultivating relationships, work/life balance, publicity lessons for growing brands, and much more! Join in on the conversation on social (@dreamsindrive) and use the hashtag #dreamsindrive. Enjoy!

ON THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS: - What inspired Nyle as a child - The beauty of trying different things - Interning in the publicity department at the Oprah Winfrey show - Building relationships & learning the ropes early in your career - Knowing when to move on - The key to growth in your career - What a publicist does at a network - Moving from VH1 to Starz - How to get your foot in the door in the entertainment industry - The power of cultivating and building relationships - Negotiating your salary and getting paid what you're worth - Struggling with balance & setting boundaries - Being a publicist for a major cable network hit show - How to get publicity for your brand - How Nyle got her dream job at HBO - How to be confident in what you do - What keeps Nyle motivated - The power of the stories to change the world - The future of digital media

SHOW NOTES: www.dreamsindrive.com/nyle-washington

PLANOLY: Use code "dreamsindrive" for a 1 month free trial of any PAID Planoly plan (Offer ends 11/17/17)

JOIN THE FACEBOOK GROUP: www.dreamsindrive.com/facebook

FIND NYLE ON: Instagram: www.instagram.com/missnyle Twitter: twitter.com/missnyle

FIND DREAMS IN DRIVE ON: Instagram: www.instagram.com/dreamsindrive Twitter: twitter.com/dreamsindrive Web: www.dreamsindrive.com

FIND RANA ON SOCIAL: Instagram: instagram.com/rainshineluv Twitter: twitter.com/rainshineluv

JOIN THE #DREAMSINDRIVE COMMUNITY: www.dreamsindrive.com/JOIN

110: When Life Gives You Lemons, What Are You Going To Make? w/ Tiffini Gatlin Oct 09, 2017

Show notes

"I didn't let what happened to me lead me down a different road." On this episode we chat with Tiffini Gatlin - a former corporate bank executive turned entrepreneur and digital influencer. Tiffini takes us on her #dreamdriving journey which includes overcoming being abused as a child, losing her grandmother during a pivotal moment in her life, climbing the corporate ladder, and finally taking the leap into entrepreneurship - a decision that came with many unforeseen hurdles and challenges.

However, one common theme Tiffini experienced was this: Sometimes life doesn't always pan out how you may think it will or how you want it to. In 2015, she became a pioneer in the beauty industry after turning her side hustle into the first patent-pending process of pre-curled and looped synthetic hair. Within one year, she built a million-dollar ecommerce brand - Curlkalon. Due to problems with her business partner, she never imagined that she would end up deciding to part ways with a brand that she founded.

Motivated more than ever, Tiffini expanded her vision for creating safe and affordable synthetic hair extensions and launched Latched and Hooked - a lifestyle and beauty brand that offers synthetic hair extensions and hair care products.

Tiffini shares the lessons she's learned throughout her entrepreneurial journey that have helped her realized no matter what life serves you, it's up to YOU to make the most and keep moving towards success.

WE DISCUSS: - What inspired Tiffini growing up - Dealing with physical & emotional abuse as a child - The power of forgiveness - Tiffini's college days & how she veered away from her original law school dreams - Loss - How working at Kroger's led Tiffini to a decade-long career at Bank of America - Lessons learned in corporate America - Why Tiffini decided to leave Bank of America - Learning how to be resourceful - What launched Tiffini into hair entrepreneurship - Creating a business based on a consumer need - How to find manufacturers and establish a presence in your niche - Protecting your patents & designs - Challenges growing Latched and Hooked - How to rebuild what you once built before - The power of forgiveness - The importance of lasting relationships & advisors

SHOW NOTES: www.dreamsindrive.com/tiffini-gatlin

JOIN THE FACEBOOK GROUP: www.dreamsindrive.com/facebook

FIND TIFFINI ON: Instagram: www.instagram.com/tiffinigatlin Twitter: twitter.com/tiffinigatlin Web: www.latchedandhooked.com

FIND DREAMS IN DRIVE ON: Instagram: www.instagram.com/dreamsindrive Twitter: twitter.com/dreamsindrive Web: www.dreamsindrive.com

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109: The Dream - From Waitress to Buzzfeed Producer & Viral Video Star in One Year w/ Julissa Calderon Oct 02, 2017

Show notes

How long would you keep hustling to make your dream a reality? Hopefully, as long as it takes! Writer and actress Julissa Calderon opens up about her journey to success in the entertainment industry and all the life-changing lessons she's learned along the way. We talk about everything from why she never questioned if acting was for her even, getting fired from her secure day job that paid the bills, landing a dream job at Buzzfeed, why she's so passionate about challenging Latino stereotypes, increasing representation for Afro-Latino representation, and opening doors for other creators of color... and more! Join in on the conversation on social (@dreamsindrive) and use the hashtag #dreamsindrive.

SHOW NOTES: www.dreamsindrive.com/julissa-calderon

ON THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS: - What inspired Julissa as a child - Julissa's pivot from nursing to theater in college - How naivety helped launch Julissa's career - The biggest lesson Julissa learned early in her acting/theater career - Nailing your "pitch" - Managing a 9-5, social life, and acting career - Why Julissa never left Los Angeles after going for an audition she didn't get - Why you need an agent as an actor - Being an Afro-Latina in the entertainment industry - Diversity in entertainment - How getting fired from her waitressing position changed Julissa's life - How a Buzzfeed audition turned into a career as a full-time producer - How to show your worth & value - Influencing change - Why you need social media - Biggest entrepreneurial lessons learned - The 30 year test - Dealing with being away from family & being homesick - The importance of legacy

MORE ON JULISSA CALDERON: Julissa Calderon is an Los Angles-based writer and actor currently bringing her Dominican background and comedic flare to BuzzFeed's Pero Like. Recent videos such as "Pelo Bueno, Pelo Malo," "Sammy Sosa's Skin Color Rant" and "How I Went from Waitress to Buzzfeed Producer" have been featured in numerous news outlets, including The Huffington Post and CNN Español. You may recognize Julissa from her guest starring role in ABC's hit show Revenge or as an onstage performer in the Miami productions of he Donkey Show (Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts) and Road Through Heaven (New Theater).

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108: Keeping It Real About Where You Are On Your Journey w/ Keyaira Boone Sep 25, 2017

Show notes

Dream Driving is NOT easy, yet a lot of people lie about their struggles and the challenges they experience as they journey towards success. Today's guest freelance Keyaira Boone IS NOT one of those people. Keyaira opens up about her childhood and adolescents years growing up in New Jersey and how her desire to be open to new opportunities - not only surprised her and encouraged her to keep going - but led her down a media path she hasn't looked back from. Keyaira stresses why being true to YOUR JOURNEY and yourself is key to truly finding success in your life or career. She opens up about some of the ways creatives often suffer in silence (especially when you don't have to). She also shares her favorite tips and strategies for showing your value and being true to who you are - two of the biggest challenges many of us face on the day-to-day. Join in on the conversation on social (@dreamsindrive) and use the hashtag #dreamsindrive!

ON THIS EPISODE, WE DISCUSS: - What inspired Keyaira as a child - Having super low college expectations to wanting something more - Graduating high school with a 1.8 GPA to graduating college with a 3.7 GPA - How Keyaira got her start in the media industry - Lessons learned working with LoveBrownSugar - The importance of building your personal brand - Separating you professional & personal life - What inspired Keyaira to launch The C Letter - Why Keyaira reps New Jersey so hard - Not caring about what others think about your journey - Charging for what you're worth - Not being assertive - How to not get your time wasted by people who aren't taking their businesses seriously - How to vet opportunities - Running a platform with smaller readership but high engagement - Being authentically you & showing up as your full self - Being open to different opportunities - Why you shouldn't be working for free - What keeps Keyaira motivated

ABOUT KEYAIRA BOONE: Keyaira (who believes coconut manicures are awesome, and olives are underrated) is the founder of TheCLetter.com and a regular contributor to Cassiuslife and Latched and Hooked.

SHOW NOTES: www.dreamsindrive.com/keyaira-boone

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FIND KEYAIRA ON: Instagram: www.instagram.com/pennedbykeyaira | www.instagram.com/thecletter Twitter: twitter.com/pennedbykeyaira| twitter.com/thecletter Web: www.thecletter.com

FIND DREAMS IN DRIVE ON: Instagram: www.instagram.com/dreamsindrive Twitter: twitter.com/dreamsindrive Web: www.dreamsindrive.com

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107: How To Stop Procrastinating & Start Getting Things DONE! Sep 21, 2017

Show notes

What's the key to fighting procrastination? It's a problem we all have, but many of us decide to succumb TO it - instead of fighting it! In this solo episode, host Rana Campbell dives into the topic and shares her roadmap for stopping procrastination and how you can actually start getting things crossed off your to-do list in life! We also make time for answering a few listener questions about finding mentors, reaching out/building relationships, taking creative risks and more. Make sure to join in on the conversation on social (@dreamsindrive) and use the hashtag #dreamsindrive. Enjoy!

ON THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:- Rana's recipe for fighting procrastination - Why knowing what you want is crucial - The importance of GOAL setting & setting deadlines - Holding yourself accountable - Why procrastination is an active process - The importance of positive reminders - Listener Q & As - Tips for building valuable relationships - Rana's book recommendations... and more!

*SHOW NOTES: http://www.dreamsindrive.com/episode-107

*SUBSCRIBE: http://www.dreamsindrive.com/join *JOIN THE FACEBOOK GROUP: http://www.dreamsindrive.com/join

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*Follow Dreams In Drive on Social: *http://twitter.com/dreamsindrive *http://instagram.com/dreamsindrive

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