Latest / Serious Lady Business / Detroit Series: Visibility Without the Budget with Rasheda Williams
Transcript
- Leslie Youngblood (00:01) Welcome to Serious Lady Business. I'm Leslie Youngblood, your host, feminist and founder of Youngblood MMC, a marketing media and content agency. Today we are joined by Rashida Williams. Rashida is an award-winning speaker, communication strategist, and author with a passion for storytelling. In 2010, she founded Empowered Flower Girl, a social enterprise on a mission to transform the way young people relate to one another, others and themselves. And in December of 2024, Rashida founded Inspired Life Professionals, a purpose-driven communications consultancy empowering young professionals, social entrepreneurs, nonprofit founders, and other change makers of all ages to amplify their impact through strategic public relations and thought leadership development. Welcome Rashida. Rasheda Williams (00:47) Thank you so much for having me, Leslie. This is awesome. ⁓ Leslie Youngblood (00:49) ⁓ we are so honored to have you join us and we're going to be diving into a topic that I know so many of our listeners will be all ears on and that's visibility without the budget. You work with people who don't have big budgets, youth, young professionals, early founders. What's the first thing that you tell them about getting visible without hiring a PR firm? Rasheda Williams (01:01) Hmm. Yeah, but that is a great question. And oftentimes people will shy away from publicity or using services of PR consultants altogether because they assume that it's out of reach. They assume that it's not affordable. And you can't blame them, right? Many of us know that PR agencies that have multiple staff members at different levels, whether it's a junior accountant or you have a creative director, right? Those salaries. Leslie Youngblood (01:28) Right. Rasheda Williams (01:44) have to be paid. And so hiring an agency, sometimes they're charging 250 up to $500 per hour is what I've learned. And that could be intimidating for someone who's just starting out. Basically, they're just saying, hey, I need a press release. Can you send it to my local media? I want to promote my grand opening on the television news. And then they're hit with, well, that's going to cost you $5,000 just to be able to do that. Leslie Youngblood (01:52) Mm-hmm. Yeah. Good. Right. Rasheda Williams (02:14) and Oftentimes when they come to me, they're saying, listen, I don't even know what I don't know. I don't even know what my budget should be. Right. Because that's the thing that I'll ask. What's your budget? What are your goals? What is your vision? But sometimes they don't even know what to say that their budget is because they don't know the range that is going to cost them. But one of the things that I often advise them is, you know, it just really depends on your Leslie Youngblood (02:21) Right. course. Thank Right. Rasheda Williams (02:45) your goals and One of my goals is to help them to understand that you can become visible. You could be an expert in your field and be a sought after resource without having to spend five to $10,000 a ⁓ month in PR and marketing. Just by utilizing sometimes your owned media. I know that earned media is quite enticing for everyone, right? But you can even begin. you know starting with their own media, their website, and if they have ⁓ a blog that they can post their own news that can definitely help. So there are different ways that I advise folks who are just kind of starting out and even people who've been running nonprofits or businesses for a while that may not necessarily have that robust budget. Leslie Youngblood (03:30) Yeah. Right. What is the biggest misconception about PR and thought leadership do you think that people have when they're just starting out, Rashida? Rasheda Williams (03:47) Yeah, I often think that when folks are first starting out, they think that they have to have years and years of experience. You'll see folks on CNN or you'll see experts that even on your local television news, right? You'll see experts and it's someone who looks very seasoned and maybe they've been in the game for 20, 30 years, but they may not have the same experience as you. We all have our own lived experiences. And I say go for it. It doesn't matter if you've only been in your industry for three or five years even. Your expertise and all that you bring to the table, it's beneficial to someone out there. And you can take what you've learned and really make an impact and a difference for others. And that's why I encourage people, no matter their experience level, to share. Leslie Youngblood (04:22) hang on. Rasheda Williams (04:47) What? you know, things that they have actually experienced in their lives, ⁓ challenges they may have faced along the way, but also their passion. Each and every one of us has like a story to tell, no matter how old we are. I was actually working with someone who was a tween, right? This young lady, ⁓ she is someone who I worked with. ⁓ We partnered on a no bullying tour. She is a young ⁓ rapper. Leslie Youngblood (05:04) Thank you. Rasheda Williams (05:19) and model and just an amazing talent. And I connected with her parents because she was doing an anti-bullying tour and she tapped me to record a video for this tour that would be showed at the schools. But what I found was that she is a mega influencer, right? As a tween, she had more than 100,000 followers on Instagram. Leslie Youngblood (05:23) Bye. ⁓ Wow. She gave me some tips. Rasheda Williams (05:49) Exactly, So right, so my thing is it doesn't matter how old you are, your impact and your influence can be great. And so why not take a shot? Because even those experts, those seasoned experts who have the 20, 30 plus years of experience, they started off somewhere. At some point, they only had one or two years of experience themselves. Leslie Youngblood (06:01) Hmm. Totally. And I mean, I think it can be more. likely for women to get up in your heads of, well, they have that much, that imposter syndrome, right? Which is so ridiculous, right? And we psych ourselves out. But like you said, we each have a story to tell. And whether you are five years or five months into your journey, if you have a unique experience and something of value to offer to that audience, then you deserve to be there just as much as that person that you think is this expert. And I think that's just something like a big head game too, for us to get over. Rasheda Williams (06:21) Yes. Mm-hmm. Leslie Youngblood (06:45) ourselves a bit like and lean into that story and that experience that we have to share. Rasheda Williams (06:47) Hmm. Absolutely, I totally agree. And it's something that, you know, even I have struggled with over the years. Every now and then it'll creep back up and then I'll be reminded of how amazing and fabulous I am. And that's what I want everyone who's watching this to remember, that you're amazing, you are awesome, and you deserve to shine. Leslie Youngblood (07:04) guys. Right, I love that. If someone has zero budget, but a powerful mission, where should they focus their energy first, Rashida? Rasheda Williams (07:22) Again, another great question, right? And then I would say, focus your energy on how you're going to tell that story. ⁓ Sometimes people focus on the where they're going to tell the story, but it's like, how are you going to tell it? ⁓ Leslie Youngblood (07:32) Mmm. Rasheda Williams (07:43) We have to think about, do we tell that story in a book? You might publish a book, a memoir, that sort of thing, but. Are you going to maybe have a documentary filmed? You know, some people don't realize that a documentary is something that is very possible. And then that's a way to share your story with the public or your prospective audiences, but also is something that builds legacy. And that's something that you could share with your family and other people. ⁓ Being able to document who you are ⁓ just over the years is really great. Leslie Youngblood (07:58) Mm. Thank Rasheda Williams (08:24) that documentation of your life comes through. through speaking, going to different events and being able to share your story with different audiences. But it's those stages that people get on, right? You can also do it through podcasts, like we're doing right now, being able to share your story in different ways. So again, sometimes people are just very focused on where they're going to share it. just think there's so many different ways, so many different avenues Leslie Youngblood (08:42) Yes? Rasheda Williams (08:57) for you to be able to just get it out there and get the rehearsal. ⁓ One podcast may lead to another podcast, which may lead to a TEDx talk, right? Leslie Youngblood (09:02) I Yes, it's truly just taking one step for making one choice. And then if that doesn't feel right, then you can pivot and not do podcasts anymore. And there's so many other avenues as well, including stages in magazine pages. there some, yes, is there something that, you know, I think that like, those are kind of those moments where you see somebody talking on a stage or in a magazine, you're like, wow, you know, that's amazing. Rasheda Williams (09:23) Yes. Leslie Youngblood (09:35) Is there something that makes somebody pitch-worthy in your experience? Rasheda Williams (09:39) Well, as a former journalist, I can definitely attest to that, yes. Leslie Youngblood (09:44) Really? Ooh, what's the secret, Rachida? ⁓ Everybody's leaning in right now, wants to know. Rasheda Williams (09:49) Well, the thing is you just have to have a pitch to give. ⁓ Sometimes people say, just write about me because I'm awesome. Well, you know, that's nice. You are awesome. As I just said, you are awesome and amazing and you deserve to shine. But Leslie Youngblood (09:56) Wow. ⁓ Right. Rasheda Williams (10:09) These journalists and producers, don't know you. So you have to have some sort of social proof that you are this amazing, awesome talent, ⁓ this expert, this person who is out here making a difference and transforming lives. Right. So having a pitch that is going to inspire action makes a difference. And what I advise people to do is just look at the news. ⁓ Leslie Youngblood (10:13) Okay. Bye. Mm. Rasheda Williams (10:37) There are many trending topics that happen. There are things that are happening all over the globe. There's tons of news, right? We're in the 24-7 news cycle. So there's always a national angle to tie into. ⁓ If you are an expert in a particular area, you can look and see what's trending in the media, what time of year it is. Just depending on what's coming up even, the biggest thing that I tell people to tie into are national observances. ⁓ Yeah, national observances. Listen, if there's any, if there's any takeaway that I want people to really, really get is the tie into the national observances. Leslie Youngblood (11:11) ⁓ smart. Yes. So smart. Rasheda Williams (11:25) You can literally create news and make yourself pitch-worthy by tying into one of those. Upcoming, we have Women's History Month, right? And so there's definitely a way for women, especially female-identifying entrepreneurs, authors, ⁓ social justice activists, anyone can tie into a women's history and International Women's Day, tying into the theme of that. There are different ways that you can pitch yourself. Leslie Youngblood (11:35) Mm-hmm. you Rasheda Williams (11:55) as an expert ⁓ even if you don't think that you have something that's newsworthy right and what I mean by that is some people think that they always have to have an event or they have to have a new product launched but no Leslie Youngblood (12:10) Sure. Rasheda Williams (12:11) You know, some of our stories are very evergreen. And if you tie that into a national observance, well, there you go. You have an opportunity to grab the attention of the journalists, the producers, the writers. There are these obscure national holidays, right? ⁓ You have like National Margarita Day or it may be National Gardening Month, right? So I think that there is an opportunity for each and every one of us to be able to really tie into those. Leslie Youngblood (12:29) Yeah. Yeah. That is such a great piece of advice because anybody in any type of business can do that today and look at their calendar and think, ooh, what can I tie in to get myself some extra visibility to go and pitch myself to a local journalist or to an online publication that I love to read and would love to be quoted in. And so that is just fantastic. I love that so much. What do you think, you know, that's such a great way to go about it. What are some mistakes you see people making when they chase exposure instead of that story alignment? Rasheda Williams (13:21) Yeah, so I would say that the biggest mistake that they make is often not being genuine or authentic. ⁓ They think that they have to tie into everything and it may not necessarily be an area where they can be fully self-expressed and The thing that I want to point out there is that if you know that there's something, I just mentioned that there are trending topics, but if you know that you're not necessarily an expert in that area, ⁓ you may not want to tie into everything that's happening in the news cycle, right? But maybe if it's relevant to you and your industry, or maybe if it's relevant to an experience that you had, if it mirrors something, challenge. Leslie Youngblood (14:00) Be discerning. Rasheda Williams (14:14) that you faced, right? So we don't have to just always put ourselves out there just because we think, I have to keep putting myself out there to stay relevant because you'll easily become a nuisance. If you're just constantly pitching journalists news, get emptiness, right? If you're constantly pitching and it doesn't have any meat to it, then you can ⁓ get on their last nerve and then they'll block you. You'll be blocked. Leslie Youngblood (14:26) Emptiness. Yeah. You're right. And you wasted your opportunity and Rasheda Williams (14:43) Yeah. Leslie Youngblood (14:44) story, the truth of what you could be sharing just by not honing in on what matters. And I think that some tools that allow you to do that, and I kind of want to, feel like that's a perfect time to kind of lean into AI, because AI can just, you know, can also be a tool that can help you formulate your story, right? But then sometimes there's these AI programs that auto, auto, auto, and it becomes a bit of a nuisance. Rasheda Williams (15:00) Mm-hmm. Yeah. Leslie Youngblood (15:11) which you want to use, but you also want to use it the right way. But then outside of just AI generated content and all the things that AI, AI, So it continues to dominate conversations in media. It's here. But you, Rashida, you emphasize people powered programs. Where do you see AI helping and where do you see it falling short right now? Rasheda Williams (15:15) you Thank you. Absolutely. yeah. Well, I will say as a person who has worked in, worked in television, not television news, but print news, I aspire to do television news. But as a person who is a former journalist, and I would say maybe even still, I'm a journalist at heart, right? I'm always going to have that nose for news. I do see it as something that it can be Leslie Youngblood (15:59) Mm-hmm. Rasheda Williams (16:04) challenging to have discernment when it comes to media. And that's one of the things that I'm working hard to do is to help young people, ⁓ middle school, high school, and even college age students to be able to have that digital discernment, to question things, right? Just because something is out there online doesn't mean that it's necessarily true. ⁓ Leslie Youngblood (16:24) No, no, no, no. right. Rasheda Williams (16:30) And if it seems too outrageous, it probably is outrageous and probably because it's fake news. being able to, right, exactly, being able to decipher what is real and what it isn't, right? There is a very fine line now. ⁓ Leslie Youngblood (16:34) Mm-hmm. writing real news. Good morning. next. Rasheda Williams (16:52) And so there's so much information that is out there, ⁓ but I think that we need to take a step back and really analyze it. But I think having those. ⁓ those skills to be able to discern what's real and what's not can be helpful. ⁓ Even as we're looking at different news sources, what's real and what's not. Now, there are some people who may be contacted by what they think is a reputable publication. And it's actually a pay to play ⁓ opportunity, right? It may not even be real. ⁓ There are so many scams out here Leslie Youngblood (17:14) Mm-hmm. sure. Rasheda Williams (17:34) that you just never know. I think what AI is also, even though it ⁓ can be deceiving, right, with generative AI and these fake images, these doctored images, but I think also it's creating ⁓ a moment where people have to really... discern the information that they're consuming. And maybe things will start to shift and people won't accept things that face value. They'll be a little more skeptical or they'll continue to do more research just to make sure that, hey, I'm doing my due diligence and checking my sources. ⁓ Because that's something that you learn early on, and especially for those of us who have worked in journalism, right? You check your sources. Leslie Youngblood (18:03) Good. Mm-hmm. I hate it. Rasheda Williams (18:24) calls, you send emails, you do online research just to make sure that the folks who you're working with are who they say they are. And I think more of us could do that. So what I'm really hoping is that in this day and age, in the 21st century, ⁓ especially with our young people, that they are able to make those distinctions and that it helps ⁓ with their intuitive abilities after a while. Because AI can be a great tool. Leslie Youngblood (18:34) And then. Mmm. Rasheda Williams (18:54) I wouldn't say rely on it totally, but it could be a great tool to help you outline your thoughts or get the thoughts out of your head and heart and into the universe. Leslie Youngblood (18:58) Right. Right. Mm-hmm. Yeah, you mentioned pay to play. Can you give us an example for those listening that aren't familiar with that term? Tell us what that means, Rachida. Rasheda Williams (19:16) Yes, so pay to play is a term that many of us use for ⁓ different outlets that seem like they're approaching you with a genuine opportunity to feature you on the cover of their publication. It could be ⁓ Amazing Women Who Shine magazine, right? A representative will reach out to you and say, hey, we have an incredible opportunity. We saw you. Leslie Youngblood (19:39) Yeah! Rasheda Williams (19:46) your work and listen, they do their research, they do their due diligence, they will go online and maybe see a blog that you've written or maybe see a podcast that you ⁓ appeared on, right? And they'll do their research and say, you know, you're making a difference in the world and we want to feature you. And then you'll get excited and then go into your interview. And then they hit you with, ⁓ that'll just be $1500 for you to be on the cover of our publication. And then you go and see Leslie Youngblood (19:49) you Rasheda Williams (20:16) that, maybe it's only read by 500 people, right? And maybe they have a larger audience, but there's a difference between marketing and advertising, right, that paid media versus the earned media. And because many of my clients and the people that I work with may not have those large marketing and advertising budgets, we get creative and I work to help them get the earned media. And that's why I Leslie Youngblood (20:20) Mm-hmm. Rasheda Williams (20:46) say I'm helping folks to get on stages and in magazine pages because oftentimes like the earned media is great exposure, it's great visibility, but also being out there connecting with people live and in person. ⁓ I don't think there's anything that can really replace that human to human, person to person connection. Leslie Youngblood (21:01) Thank I completely agree with you. And that also, too, is such a great idea for anybody starting out or a young person that doesn't have a big budget. You don't have to pay a PR person. Just go look at all the events in your area. And these aren't sometimes the events don't cost you to attend and just go and be there. And a lot of times there may be other media outlets they're covering that might want to interview or get a quote or take pictures. Right. I think of our magazine party pages and stuff and start bigger events. But that is such a great Rasheda Williams (21:22) Mm-hmm. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Yes. Leslie Youngblood (21:37) Outside of just needing people in your network. I heard this great quote the other day and it or like a quote reframe and I'm like, whoa, that is major. And it was everybody hears your it's who you know, it's all in who you know. But I'm sure and I'm sure you'll love this. this is so good. But the reframe, Rashida, is it's not who you know, it's who knows you. Rasheda Williams (21:43) you you Thank You, yes. I love that. Leslie Youngblood (22:01) I never heard that before and I was, my mind was blown. And that's what doing that person to person type of connection will do for you. I was just crazy. So simple. Yeah. Rasheda Williams (22:12) I'm Absolutely. I mean, and I get it. You know, we went through COVID. We're on the other side of that. We survived that. But for a while, you know, we were encouraged to stay inside and then people got used to it and it just became a thing. Like, hey, I don't have to go outside. You know, I hear people saying, well, it costs at least a hundred bucks to go outside, right? That's expensive to go outside. And I'm just going to stay at home. However, however, we all know that, again, Leslie Youngblood (22:34) Right? Yes! It is. Rasheda Williams (22:43) Nothing can replace the... the contact that we have when we're in the room with one another, right? When we have an opportunity to see each other face to face and have that idea exchange and just even the energy exchange. ⁓ I will say that just being around the positive energy and people who are doing similar things or maybe if they aren't doing similar things, maybe there are people out there that you can learn from people who could be mentors or people who could introduce you to opportunities. Leslie Youngblood (22:52) Yeah. Wow Yeah. Rasheda Williams (23:16) again, that who knows you, they can be other rooms and other rooms mentioning your name to other influencers, right? So I think it's important that we put ourselves out there. It may seem like a vulnerable place, especially to people like myself who identify as introverts. A lot of people don't realize that about me, but I identify as more of an introverted person, right? ⁓ Now in my career, I have to be a little ⁓ more extroverted or up here. Leslie Youngblood (23:16) Thank you. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Rasheda Williams (23:46) as an extrovert, working in public relations and communications. But I'm a person who likes to observe. I'm an observer. I like to help other people share their stories and tell their stories, But I am strategic when I go to these networking events because I'm there to make connections. I'm also there to learn how I can also be of value as opposed to what can all of these people do for me? But what can I do? Leslie Youngblood (24:14) Totally. Rasheda Williams (24:16) for them as well. What type of partnership or collaboration can we come up with? Leslie Youngblood (24:18) Amen. Yes, again, another great tip that doesn't cost anything when you go to these events, it's not what can I get from the people here, it's what am I going to give? What can I give to these new connections that I'm meeting? And when you do that, then that relationship becomes reciprocal and then they automatically will wanna help you and it doesn't cost a thing. And I just think that it's brilliant. Rasheda Williams (24:36) Mm-hmm. That's the cost of paying. Leslie Youngblood (24:47) Because you don't think about this, right? I think so many young, you know, middle age, you know, you've been in business 10 years or been in business 10 minutes. It's like, how am going to grow this business? What can I do? I don't have the money and things are super tight. And there are these really strategic and impactful ways that you can go out there and get the word out and grow your network. And people will know you. And just by doing these Rasheda Williams (24:58) Yeah. Absolutely. Leslie Youngblood (25:17) really simple human things and I just think it is so important and such fantastic advice for people listening. hope they're writing all these things down because I know I certainly am. Give value, events, pay to play. Again, because you scratch your brain and you're, think it's this grand puzzle, but it really can be that simple and that's why we have a professional like you here to teach us, Rashida. All these. shoot. Rasheda Williams (25:20) Mm-hmm. you Mm-hmm. ⁓ Yeah, and thank you for this platform. This is really amazing. ⁓ know, because it, yeah. I am. Woo woo. Yes. Leslie Youngblood (25:48) Yeah, my goodness. Well, let's talk about Detroit now because you're Detroit born, cast, tech, Wayne State. Yeah, let's go Warriors. How growing up here shaped your commitment to education, nonprofit work and storytelling. Rasheda Williams (26:05) Well, you know, being from where I'm from, community was always important. I grew up on the east side of Detroit. And I just remember from a young age, right, my mother would, my mother would take me so many different places. And it's interesting because my mother didn't drive. So I would hop on the bus with my mom and go different places. And when you're taking that bus ride, it's kind of different than when you're in the car. Leslie Youngblood (26:34) That's good. Rasheda Williams (26:35) One, because you're seeing a lot of people from different backgrounds and sometimes even as a child you're curious about, know, I don't know, maybe it's just me, but I was curious about who are these people? What are their stories? Where are they going? know, I was just always wondering, huh, you know, who are they? And, you know, what are their lives like? Leslie Youngblood (26:45) Sure, yeah. Right. Love it. What's story? You were a journalist even then, Rashida. Rasheda Williams (27:01) Even then. ⁓ And then when we would get off the bus and go to our destination, we still had to walk a lot. And then my mother, she was more of an extrovert. ⁓ She would just say hi to people, strike up conversations with strangers. And I just thought that that was really cool. And growing up around that, I think definitely shaped how I just really shaped how I saw the world. Leslie Youngblood (27:07) Mm-hmm. ⁓ huh. Mmm. Rasheda Williams (27:29) ⁓ and that I wanted people. to succeed. You know, I was rooting for folks, right? Again, my mother taking me different places, even my grandmother, my paternal grandmother would volunteer for events throughout the city. If there was ever a big event coming up like Detroit's anniversary or birthday of Detroit, she was there volunteering. She would always volunteer for Leslie Youngblood (27:36) Yeah. So cool. Rasheda Williams (28:02) various events that involve senior citizens, even though she was a senior herself. She, anytime she can give her time back to the community and the Grand Prix. I just remember seeing photos where she would volunteer for the Grand Prix. I grew up with, I grew up with people who... Leslie Youngblood (28:16) Mm-hmm. Rasheda Williams (28:25) saw the value in giving back and being of service, right? And so I definitely think that that shaped ⁓ who I am today. Leslie Youngblood (28:26) mmm yes yes Rasheda Williams (28:36) and wanting to help people to share their stories, to be able to control the narrative of how their stories are told. And so that they're told in a way that empowers, elevates, and uplifts their communities, right? Not glossing over the challenges that we may face, but also showing that, there's some light that's happening here. There are some positive things that are happening. And honestly, that is one of the reasons why I've been Leslie Youngblood (28:59) Mm-hmm. Rasheda Williams (29:06) so dedicated to sharing positive youth stories is because oftentimes I've seen in the media where the only time that young people were part of a news story is if it was a story about them either being a victim or perpetrator of a crime. And I said, know, ⁓ Leslie Youngblood (29:22) Mm-hmm. Rasheda Williams (29:26) something needs to change, ⁓ need to see more positive youth stories. And so that's why I started with Empower Flower Girl, Empower Flower Girl, our She's Empowered series, where we highlight ⁓ young people who are using their gifts and talents to create change and make a difference in their communities and globally. ⁓ And that's what I'm dedicated to, to helping share ⁓ these positive stories, but also helping people get noticed. Leslie Youngblood (29:27) Right. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Rasheda Williams (29:56) for the good that they're doing in the world. Leslie Youngblood (29:58) Right, and when you are, when everybody focuses on the negative, it's contagious, right? It's contagious, or it's hard to get out of that, or it's hard to see, you know, the deeper you go, it can be hard to see the light, but it's not because it's not there, and so I think that is so true when it comes to young people, and so to see all the good and that there's so much more good than bad, I mean, the news does have tendency to go for sensational things, right? And it's not really how it is, and so, Rasheda Williams (30:02) Love you. Mm-hmm. you ready? Leslie Youngblood (30:28) So I think especially for young people because you're in these really difficult years, these formulative years where you have, you know, your brain is still growing and your hormones are crazy and you're trying to figure things out, there's social hierarchies and the internet and social media now, I cannot even imagine. No, I honestly... Rasheda Williams (30:35) Yeah. Yep. Can you imagine? Leslie Youngblood (30:50) I think my lucky stars every single time I think about it, it's like, I'm so glad we don't have social media when I was a teenager or preteen or a kid, because it is just a terrifying abyss. Scary, scary, scary place. So I can't even imagine how important and how big the impact is on the, you know, on the youth that you work with to. Rasheda Williams (30:52) Yes. Yes, it can be. Mmm, it is. Leslie Youngblood (31:15) to bring them together and show them that. And especially here in Detroit too, which is generally a city that again is negative. the majority of news stories about the city was negative in the press for so long. And it's like, that is so not true. That's not, know, even listening to your stories about your mother and your grandmother, I wrote down Detroit shows up for each other, right? And like, that is such an amazing thing. And people don't get that narrative or, you know, it's not broadcast, but it is so true and so special. Rasheda Williams (31:36) That's right. All of us nine. It is so true. And you know what's interesting? I've had people visit from... ⁓ all types of cities around the globe, right? And it's interesting, I talk to friends and they say the same thing. They'll have friends, colleagues, coworkers visit from California to Costa Rica, all the way over to Romania, right? They'll have people visiting from all over the world. And when they come here, they're like, wow, this is Detroit? This place is amazing. I would have never thought that, right? Speaking of Sheena, empowered. I featured a young lady who ⁓ had done a lot of work in pageants and she was amazingly beautiful and talented and had started a nonprofit and was giving back and she's from Calgary I believe, well yeah Alberta. She and her mother just happened to have a layover here in Detroit and I said well you know what this is great you have a layover and she said yeah how about you know we visit and hang out. Leslie Youngblood (32:36) Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Okay. Mm-hmm. Rasheda Williams (32:51) And I was like, yeah amazing because they had like a six-hour layover and so they came downtown and hung out at the riverfront and They just couldn't believe how beautiful it was. They were just they were just in awe of Just how friendly and nice people were I'm like that's Detroit for you, babe That's Detroit Leslie Youngblood (33:02) Mm-hmm. Yeah. Right, right. And it's like you want everybody to know, but then like you don't because it's like your end secret that only those in the know really know. But it makes the city so special and so unique and it is so fun when others when you see that recognition and others and and yeah, it's just like unlike any other place. know. Rasheda Williams (33:15) Hahaha! Leslie Youngblood (33:34) It's a city that's gone through this massive change and continues to go through massive change. Why do you think it's a city that continues to create such purpose-driven leaders? Rashida. Rasheda Williams (33:36) you Yeah, well I think it's because, you know, just like the city, we're resilient. ⁓ And I believe that Detroiters, we have ⁓ a ⁓ bit of ruggedness on the outside, right? People may see that, well, you know, sometimes Detroiters can be a little tough. I'm like, well, if you have to endure one of our winters here in Metro Detroit, ⁓ that would probably Leslie Youngblood (34:02) I don't know. Bye. Rasheda Williams (34:15) probably make you a little tough as well. But at the same time, we're very passionate, compassionate people. And I think that definitely shows, whether it's in our music. ⁓ Leslie Youngblood (34:23) Yeah. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Rasheda Williams (34:29) in our art ⁓ or in our ingenuity. I'm an innovation here. That's what Detroit is all about. And ⁓ anytime I have an opportunity to go elsewhere in the country or even in the world, I'm making sure I'm representing Detroit. I have my old English D, either on my earrings. ⁓ I have a necklace. I have a beautiful Detroit butterfly necklace that I wear ⁓ or even my Leslie Youngblood (34:34) Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Peace. Rasheda Williams (34:59) D hat so. Leslie Youngblood (35:00) I it. love it. It has to be fun to share that with the youth that you work with too, when in that love for where they come from, right? And to embrace that and to use that in your story, because that is truly what shapes us, ⁓ right? Is our hometowns. And so I would love, you know, for you to share a little bit too about why you started Empower Flower Girl and She's Empowered and the impact that you've seen on the youth that are truly seen and spotlighted there. Rasheda Williams (35:09) Yeah. Thank you. Leslie Youngblood (35:30) Sheeda. Rasheda Williams (35:31) Yeah, so, you know, when we talk about community and giving back and volunteering, it's interesting. Before I launched Empowered Flower Girl, I was a mentor for probably about 10 years. Right when I started Empowered Flower Girl, I ⁓ was a college student and I was looking for a way to give back. At the time, was, you know, experiencing some changes in my life. ⁓ Leslie Youngblood (35:46) Mm-hmm. Rasheda Williams (36:01) you And part of those changes were grief and loss, ⁓ dealing with the loss of two people who were very close to me, the two individuals who raised me. ⁓ And I was going through so much with that, but then also trying to maintain my grades and my sanity ⁓ as a college student. ⁓ But then I found an ad in the paper for an organization that was seeking mentors. And I thought to myself, ⁓ I could do this, right? I read the description of Leslie Youngblood (36:09) time. Mmm. Rasheda Williams (36:31) what they need a mentors for and it was for an amazing organization that still exists today called Alternatives for Girls. ⁓ Yes, Alternatives for Girls is amazing and... Leslie Youngblood (36:39) I've heard of it, yes! Amazing! Rasheda Williams (36:45) I started mentoring a group of girls through one of their prevention programs. And I thought I thought it was just going to be for like a year or two that I did it. ⁓ But then it just was such an incredible experience that I decided to stick around. And before you know it, five years had passed. And then all of sudden, 10 years. And it was just so great. And I think because of my success. with my girls groups, other mentors had started asking, well, how do you do this? ⁓ What is your key to success and connecting with the girls? how do you find all of these fun ⁓ and unique opportunities and events and experiences? How do you find all of that? And so I started facilitating some sessions with the other mentors. And that's when it kind of took off, right? Leslie Youngblood (37:30) Mmm. Rasheda Williams (37:45) well hey can you come to our school and talk to our girls. I had one mentor, she worked at a school and she asked if I could come speak with a group of girls that were having some challenges at the school and I said sure why not and then that's when she asked me well how much do you charge for that? I was like, ⁓ charge? Wait a minute. don't think you could charge for this, you know? And so after a while I said, you know, I need to structure this. And also at the time I had been thinking about writing a book. ⁓ Leslie Youngblood (38:05) ⁓ Charging. Yeah. You can charge, right? Amazing. Rasheda Williams (38:28) But that hadn't gotten off the ground yet. But I took the manuscript, what I had written for the book, and created a curriculum. And that's what started Empowered Flower Girl in 2010. Leslie Youngblood (38:40) Amazing. love that. See it was meant to be to start that book because then right it like had to pivot you wouldn't have had that content at that time to do I just Rasheda Williams (38:49) right. I didn't publish the book until 2016. It did officially come out and this is a 10 year anniversary of Be Empowered, How to Live Above and Beyond Life's Drama. Thank you. Leslie Youngblood (38:54) Well, it did eventually come out too, so that's amazing. Happy anniversary! We'll link that book in the show notes so everybody can grab it and check it out. That's so amazing. Are you writing any books right now? Any new books, Rashida? Rasheda Williams (39:08) Yep, still relevant. Well, I did publish a guidebook and ⁓ I call it, it's a guidebook and a mini course, if you will. It's called Get Noticed. ⁓ Get Noticed for Good, Amplify Your Impact Through Inspired Life Professionals. Yay, and it's really to help. ⁓ Leslie Youngblood (39:28) Ooh, love it. I love it. Rasheda Williams (39:34) those folks that we mentioned, the young professionals, the social entrepreneurs, nonprofit founders, and other change makers, is to really help them to amplify their stories and to be able to tell those stories to different audiences. And I really share how they can be newsworthy and who they should be reaching out to at the various television, radio stations, podcasts, to be able to utilize those platforms as well as their owned media, how to use that effectively. actively. Leslie Youngblood (40:05) Yes, I love that. I can't wait to go and buy that book myself, actually. ⁓ So if there is so many good things in that book, so many things we've talked about in our conversation, Rashida, what's one thing you think listeners should do this month to increase their visibility without spending money? Rasheda Williams (40:08) Yes. again. Yes, so I'm going to go back to the conversation that we had about tying into these national observances. So there is a website, I believe it's National Today, and you could find observances like monthly observances, weekly observances, and even observances for that particular day, right, that they can tie into. Or they can figure out a way to host events around those themes so that they can create newsworthy content. Again, whether it's for earned media, Leslie Youngblood (40:49) Yeah. Rasheda Williams (40:55) or their owned media, their websites, their blog sites, and even their social media. Leslie Youngblood (40:57) Mm-hmm. And I also love to, I remember maybe a couple years ago, people were saying blogs are dead. Blogs are, blogs are over. And they, I mean, they say that they pick on like a different tactic every year, but I feel like, especially, you know, as we were talking about AI and that is your owned media that AI engine search, that's not like an ad, an advertisement that you're paying for that's placed there. Cause that's not something that AI searches for. So that owned media is more important than ever. Rasheda Williams (41:08) you Yeah. They do. Hmm? Leslie Youngblood (41:31) And like you said, that does not cost you a dime. And the blogs and the way that the search engines are searching for information now, I mean, if you're not blogging, yeah. Rasheda Williams (41:39) Yes, it'll pick it up and you'll be visible and someone will say, hey, can you be a guest on my podcast? Leslie Youngblood (41:45) Ooh, love that, love that for them. So then if you could reframe PR in one sentence for women and youth, Rashida, what would you want them to remember? Rasheda Williams (41:52) Hmm I want them to remember that PR is for everyone, not just the folks who have the big budgets. PR is for you. And you are for PR. Leslie Youngblood (42:08) I love it. Yes, and PR needs you and people need you to tell your story. I love that. Amazing. I love that. I hope everybody listening takes that to heart. Rashida, as we wrap up, I would also love for you to share where our listeners can connect with you. And again, we'll be dropping all of these links in the show notes. Rasheda Williams (42:15) Yes, absolutely. Thank you so much for the opportunity. So folks, if they want to get in touch, I love LinkedIn. LinkedIn is that deal for me. you can connect with me on LinkedIn, Rasheeda Williams, or you can visit either of my websites, empoweredflowergirl.com or inspiredlifeprose.com. yeah, that would be great. Just connect with me on LinkedIn, visit the websites. Let's connect. Leslie Youngblood (42:58) I it. I hope you all connect with Rashida. You are incredibly inspiring, accomplished, and we thank you so very much for joining us today. This episode has so much good advice. I hope everybody listens and goes back with a notebook to take all that goodness out. Thank you so much for joining us on Serious Lady Business, Rashida. Rasheda Williams (43:05) Thank you. Yes. Yes, thank you for having me. I appreciate you. Leslie Youngblood (43:20) Thank you.