Latest / Power Moves Media / Power Moves Premier Episode | The Business Ecosystem in Prince George's County Is Bigger Than You Know

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Power Moves Premier Episode | The Business Ecosystem in Prince George's County Is Bigger Than You Know · Power Moves Media

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_04: This is Power Moves on Lit 106, where the conversations are real and the strategy is even realer.
• 0:07
  SPEAKER_04: If you're ready to think bigger, move smarter, and execute with purpose, you're in the right place.
• 0:13
  SPEAKER_04: Let's go.
• 0:14
  SPEAKER_03: Welcome to Power Moves, where we break down strategies, stories, and opportunities shaping business, economic growth, and community right here in Prince Georgia County and the region.
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_03: I'm Alexander Austin, president and CEO of the Prince Georgia Chamber of Commerce and co-founder of Power Moves.
• 0:32
  SPEAKER_04: And I am Rose Johnson, founder of the Spotlight DMV, and also co-founder of PowerMoves.
• 0:38
  SPEAKER_04: I am so excited to be here with you, Alex.
• 0:40
  SPEAKER_03: Rose, same here, and it only makes sense.
• 0:42
  SPEAKER_04: Listen, I'm out in the streets, y'all.
• 0:47
  SPEAKER_04: If you are following me on the Spotlight DMV, I'm all up and down Prince George's County, making sure folks know about what we have going on right here in the county because there is so much happening and everybody does not know how to tap in.
• 1:01
  SPEAKER_03: You're right, you're right.
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, the opportunities are here, uh, whether it's business growth, procurement, partnerships, but oftentimes you you hit the nail on the head, the gaps of where awareness and access meet don't always connect.
• 1:15
  SPEAKER_03: And so this is the perfect opportunity to showcase it.
• 1:18
  SPEAKER_04: Exactly.
• 1:19
  SPEAKER_04: And those gaps are exactly why this show, Power Moves Exists.
• 1:24
  SPEAKER_03: 100%.
• 1:25
  SPEAKER_04: So let's start there.
• 1:26
  SPEAKER_04: What is Power Moves?
• 1:28
  SPEAKER_03: So, you know, when you think about a Power Move, it's a strategic decision.
• 1:32
  SPEAKER_03: Um, it's something that positions you for growth, whether that's starting a business, expanding, or stepping into new opportunities, which I think, given the last 14 months, we're all kind of faced with those, right?
• 1:46
  SPEAKER_03: In some form or fashion.
• 1:48
  SPEAKER_03: Uh so I think we're we're at a pivotal place where everyone is considering what a power power movie is.
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, yeah.
• 1:55
  SPEAKER_04: And you know, I really like that because that's exactly what I'm seeing out there.
• 2:00
  SPEAKER_04: Pivot was a big word coming into the pandemic and COVID.
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_04: And it still is very relevant today about, you know, some people have chosen something different, but the way things are happening, like we said, the last 14 months, folks are being pushed into something different.
• 2:19
  SPEAKER_04: And so it is important that we understand what is out there, what resources are out there, and what can benefit us.
• 2:27
  SPEAKER_03: And especially in the county.
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_03: Um, when you think about, and really across the region, but the county specifically with our demographic makeup is very unique because our we have a high concentration of black and brown.
• 2:40
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 2:40
  SPEAKER_03: We have the county's majority led by women.
• 2:44
  SPEAKER_03: Education is prominent.
• 2:47
  SPEAKER_03: We have universities across the wise, we got four cousin universities, we got almost a million people, close to, I mean, I could just keep going on and on.
• 2:55
  SPEAKER_03: But how decisions are made impact us totally different because of the demographic, right?
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_03: So where if you hear 300,000 women in America have lost their jobs, you got to think about what that means for Christmas County.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_03: When 53% of your makeup is women.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_02: Yes.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_03: Right?
• 3:13
  SPEAKER_03: And there's a large population that was primarily government.
• 3:15
  SPEAKER_03: So if that's happening, it impacts us way different than, say, other parts of the state andor the region.
• 3:23
  SPEAKER_03: Uh, but the opportunities are here.
• 3:26
  SPEAKER_03: I think what we have to think about is in isolation, in moments where you have to pivot, where are the opportunities for me?
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_03: How do I access them?
• 3:37
  SPEAKER_03: How do I get connected?
• 3:39
  SPEAKER_03: And then how quickly can I move to execute on whatever's there?
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_04: Yes, exactly, Alex.
• 3:45
  SPEAKER_04: And that is where this show comes in.
• 3:48
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 3:48
  SPEAKER_04: You know, and uh talk about the chamber and and the connections that you're that we're making there.
• 3:54
  SPEAKER_04: And guys, listen, I have to say where, because not only am I a founder of the Spotlight DMV and co-founder of Power Moves, but I'm also the marketing and communications manager for Prince George's Chamber.
• 4:07
  SPEAKER_03: Absolutely.
• 4:07
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, so let's talk about And don't forget, program manager for our entrepreneurship through acquisition program, which Rose leads, and that's also part of the opportunity, right?
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_03: So when we're talking about working, uh constantly working with business policymakers and partners to create uh opportunities and really an ecosystem, is understanding there's so many parts to it.
• 4:28
  SPEAKER_03: So when you think about uh the chamber has over 800 businesses, been around for 102 years.
• 4:35
  SPEAKER_03: So there's a lot of opportunity there to understand what the business community means.
• 4:39
  SPEAKER_03: We have small businesses, we got large corporations, then you got businesses in the middle.
• 4:42
  SPEAKER_03: And the driver really are the businesses in the middle because they are the bridge between small and large corporate.
• 4:49
  SPEAKER_03: Then you also have policymakers, right?
• 4:50
  SPEAKER_03: So you don't have, I always say you don't have business without community, you don't have community without business.
• 4:55
  SPEAKER_03: The policymakers are critical to how we govern how we live our lives, right?
• 5:00
  SPEAKER_03: So right now we're in um Legislative Maryland General Assembly, which is the 448th General Assembly, and these, this, this session over 90 days really governs how we're gonna live our lives.
• 5:13
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 5:13
  SPEAKER_03: Right?
• 5:14
  SPEAKER_03: Whether it's community impact, social impact, business impact, all of it is going to be happening this consolidated opportunity.
• 5:21
  SPEAKER_03: So from the chamber, the whole point of, I think, where chamber has a lot of value is where all of these things meet in the middle, right?
• 5:29
  SPEAKER_03: It's a centralized point where elected officials, policymakers, um, all of those that support you know, policy, businesses, part strategic partners who we work with all meet to help the community move forward.
• 5:42
  SPEAKER_03: And it's not exclusive.
• 5:44
  SPEAKER_03: It's not, hey, there's the business community and then there's residents.
• 5:47
  SPEAKER_03: No, no.
• 5:48
  SPEAKER_03: It's one community.
• 5:49
  SPEAKER_00: One community.
• 5:50
  SPEAKER_03: It's one community.
• 5:51
  SPEAKER_03: And so our job is to make sure that those that connected tissue stays connected and it's not um divisive around policy that may or may not necessarily seem as favorable for one group or another.
• 6:05
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 6:06
  SPEAKER_04: And you know, Alex, that is where I come in with the work that I'm doing through the spotlight, uh talking to business owners, creatives, entrepreneurs, the community, you know, and making sure that their stories are being amplified because a lot of times when your boots on the ground doing things in the community, those are not the stories that are getting told.
• 6:31
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
• 6:32
  SPEAKER_04: But coming out of Prince George's County, I think it is so important that we begin to share those stories on a larger platform because there are eyes on us and folks looking at what we're doing here in the county.
• 6:46
  SPEAKER_04: And, you know, not to get too deep into uh legislation and policy.
• 6:51
  SPEAKER_04: However, this year is a very important year at the county level for the midterm elections.
• 6:58
  SPEAKER_04: You know, every seat on the council is up for re-election.
• 7:03
  SPEAKER_04: We have uh Stanny Hoyer retired, and we have what, maybe 17 people running for that spot.
• 7:11
  SPEAKER_01: It feels like you're right.
• 7:12
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, and so, like you said, those 90 days are so important in the whole um ecosystem of what then comes down to shaping what happens here in on the county level and also working in partnership with what's happening at the state level and at the federal level.
• 7:32
  SPEAKER_03: Absolutely.
• 7:33
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, I I think this is where the worlds come together.
• 7:36
  SPEAKER_03: Um, because you you you talked about something that I think is extremely important.
• 7:40
  SPEAKER_03: The one thing that I have realized in the role as president CEO and in my travels is that everybody watches Prince George's County.
• 7:48
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 7:49
  SPEAKER_03: Whether they want to admit it or not, the demographics, how we swing votes, the population, the level of talent that is just birthed in Prince George's County.Anywhere I travel, and I say I'm from Prince George's County, people pinpoint something.
• 8:02
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 8:03
  SPEAKER_03: Now it's extremely important because the state is moving aggressively toward uh a more business friendly system.
• 8:11
  SPEAKER_03: So there's legislation there, there's talk of data centers and energy.
• 8:16
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, um, there's elections happening at the county level and at the state level and at the municipal level.
• 8:22
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 8:23
  SPEAKER_03: Right?
• 8:23
  SPEAKER_03: So that all of those things are happening at the same time.
• 8:27
  SPEAKER_03: And where where we can have tremendous impact is understanding what position we play in Prince George's County in the global economy.
• 8:37
  SPEAKER_03: In in playing that position, we're helping the state play in the global economy.
• 8:41
  SPEAKER_03: Right?
• 8:41
  SPEAKER_03: But we have a very solid foundation in place in the larger, broader economy, whether we realize it or not.
• 8:47
  SPEAKER_04: 100%.
• 8:48
  SPEAKER_04: And just like you're saying, you know, we're not just looking at Prince George's County in a bubble.
• 8:54
  SPEAKER_04: We're talking about the the region really.
• 8:57
  SPEAKER_04: And because if you're trying to grow, you can't just look at what's happening around you.
• 9:02
  SPEAKER_04: You have to understand what's possible.
• 9:04
  SPEAKER_03: That's right.
• 9:05
  SPEAKER_03: That's right.
• 9:06
  SPEAKER_03: That's right.
• 9:06
  SPEAKER_03: Uh so I would say, you know, um when you think about what's happening, right?
• 9:14
  SPEAKER_03: We, and again, I'm going off on a little bit tangent, but what's possible has yet to be imagined.
• 9:20
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 9:21
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 9:22
  SPEAKER_03: Part of where I think we're gonna have a lot of input is bringing together the things that you're doing every day.
• 9:29
  SPEAKER_03: You know, everyone gets a chance to see how beautiful Prince George's County is.
• 9:32
  SPEAKER_03: You have to be from Prince Rose County, really know it.
• 9:35
  SPEAKER_04: And even the people that live here sometimes, they I feel like we're so privileged.
• 9:42
  SPEAKER_03: We are.
• 9:43
  SPEAKER_04: Especially folks that have grown up here, like me, all my life.
• 9:48
  SPEAKER_04: I'm just very privileged to live here, but I feel like a lot of people don't understand that this is a unique situation here for us.
• 9:57
  SPEAKER_03: Very much so.
• 9:58
  SPEAKER_03: Very much so.
• 9:59
  SPEAKER_03: Uh and I want to bring that.
• 10:00
  SPEAKER_03: So, born and raised in Prince Rose County.
• 10:03
  SPEAKER_03: Well, I went through K through 12 in Prince Rodgers County, one year of community college.
• 10:08
  SPEAKER_03: So from K to first year college was all Prince Rogers County.
• 10:12
  SPEAKER_03: That's all I knew, right?
• 10:14
  SPEAKER_03: I leave, I get a chance to leave after college and travel throughout the Southeast, and I got a real appreciation for Prince Rose County when I left.
• 10:22
  SPEAKER_03: And I was able to look from the outside to see a lot of different things that we have, we have by default, that most people around the country are still working towards.
• 10:34
  SPEAKER_03: Now, fast forward to this role I'm in now, I get a chance to travel and talk and have a different conversation, but it's still the same thing.
• 10:42
  SPEAKER_03: You know, you think about 10 things that you need for economy to grow.
• 10:45
  SPEAKER_03: You think about the last administration that was very focused on diversity, and you think about the current administration, which is kind of reversing that decision, there are still areas and pockets in America that are looking to move forward, and we wake up into it every single day.
• 11:03
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 11:03
  SPEAKER_03: Right?
• 11:04
  SPEAKER_03: So how do you how do you manage that when countries trying to move forward or stall and you're in it?
• 11:11
  unknown: Yeah.
• 11:12
  SPEAKER_03: And it's like, well, out of 10 things you need, we have seven just by being here.
• 11:17
  SPEAKER_04: Well, so you know, to that point, I want folks to understand what they're gonna be getting from this show whenever they tune in to listen to us.
• 11:28
  SPEAKER_04: And just recently, uh at our business and economics summit in January, we had John Hope Bryant come and talk to us about um some of the things that he's seeing.
• 11:40
  SPEAKER_04: But if someone is listening and they want to know about what's going on here, what's going on regionally, what can they expect?
• 11:49
  SPEAKER_03: I I think the number one thing is walking away with clarity.
• 11:51
  SPEAKER_03: Like you want to get clarity on where the opportunities are, where they exist, how to position yourself to take advantage of, number one.
• 11:58
  SPEAKER_03: But also, I think two, you know, we have to just information share.
• 12:02
  SPEAKER_03: You know, information's currency.
• 12:04
  SPEAKER_03: And if I'm not clear on where I'm going and I also don't know what's out there for me, my next step could be in any direction.
• 12:12
  SPEAKER_03: So we can provide some clarity in terms of, hey, here are some lanes and some possibilities, but also, you know, here's here's a plethora of opportunities that, you know, you can seize.
• 12:23
  SPEAKER_03: And I think emotional intelligence is important right now because being able to see the next step or see the horizon sometimes can lift people from the fog.
• 12:36
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 12:36
  SPEAKER_03: And that's all you need.
• 12:38
  SPEAKER_03: You just need to see that I have a shot, right?
• 12:40
  SPEAKER_03: Or see that there's a way, and then you go from there.
• 12:43
  SPEAKER_04: No, that that's awesome.
• 12:45
  SPEAKER_04: And I'm gonna get into my story in a little bit because it kind of that kind of that resonates with me because of how I got to where I am.
• 12:53
  SPEAKER_04: And I think a part of what you're saying too, about having some insight into what is happening, because you know, as I said, I'm heavy in the community, and a lot of what I hear people talk about is why don't we have this type of restaurant or this type of shopping?
• 13:10
  SPEAKER_03: You wanna have that conversation?
• 13:12
  SPEAKER_04: Well, just you know, I want people to understand some of the things that they'll be able to understand tuning into us.
• 13:18
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 13:19
  SPEAKER_04: Because doing this work here at the chamber and listening to some of the hearings and the meetings that are happening, that's when I really began to understand what it takes to develop a community.
• 13:33
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, yes.
• 13:34
  SPEAKER_04: A lot of people they look at the median dollars, you know, this is how much money this community is making.
• 13:41
  SPEAKER_04: Why can't we have what these other communities are having?
• 13:44
  SPEAKER_03: Amen.
• 13:44
  SPEAKER_04: But we have a whole different set of, you know, we don't have to get deep.
• 13:48
  SPEAKER_04: We're ready, I'm ready, I'm ready.
• 13:51
  SPEAKER_04: We don't have to do that today, but you know, it takes more than looking at median incomes to determine what will uh bring viable development, you know, what's gonna sustain retail and development.
• 14:04
  SPEAKER_04: And so those are some of the conversations we're gonna be having here.
• 14:07
  SPEAKER_03: Absolutely, absolutely.
• 14:08
  SPEAKER_03: I, you know, I'm glad you brought that up because one, and I'll speak to our elected officials, I really have a new level of respect for anyone who is an elected official because the people's lives are on your back.
• 14:25
  SPEAKER_04: Yes.
• 14:26
  SPEAKER_03: And so it's a lot of pressure to try to understand a couple hundred thousand people's needs and corporations' needs, and have to make the right decision and maybe sacrifice your reputation in a public space.
• 14:41
  SPEAKER_03: With that being said, what we can do from the business community specifically is help to educate, provide information, awareness, insight.
• 14:51
  SPEAKER_03: Now, there's gonna be some decisions that some decisions that we agree on, there's gonna be some decisions we don't agree on.
• 14:57
  SPEAKER_03: Ultimately, the decisions are to move the county forward, right?
• 15:01
  SPEAKER_03: But when you think about what has to be decided upon in the next six to eight months, it's gonna be unpopular for us to move forward.
• 15:12
  SPEAKER_03: And not everyone wants to make that decision.
• 15:15
  SPEAKER_03: I'm not in that position, so I don't have to worry about it.
• 15:17
  SPEAKER_03: But that's the reality, right?
• 15:19
  SPEAKER_03: We're not gonna be happy with uh some of the decisions right now that are um unpopular to make, but long term, if we want to be competitive in the state and in the region, we have to make them.
• 15:35
  SPEAKER_03: And and that's what it's gonna take.
• 15:37
  SPEAKER_03: That's what it's gonna take.
• 15:38
  SPEAKER_03: And that's on them to make that decision.
• 15:40
  SPEAKER_04: Yes, and and also don't forget the piece, our piece in it as a community is to advocate for the things that we want to see.
• 15:49
  SPEAKER_04: And so another part of what we'll be discussing on this show is access.
• 15:54
  SPEAKER_01: Yep.
• 15:54
  SPEAKER_04: And that's a big piece of the work that the chamber does.
• 15:57
  SPEAKER_04: So tell us about the access.
• 15:59
  SPEAKER_03: That's right.
• 15:59
  SPEAKER_03: So so when you think about access, right?
• 16:01
  SPEAKER_03: I can tell you a couple things that I always hear, man, we need, you know, access to capital.
• 16:06
  SPEAKER_03: Like, what is access to capital?
• 16:08
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and it's I wish we could just go pull money off of the tree.
• 16:12
  SPEAKER_03: I wish we could convince lending institutions, all of them, to just have loose requirements.
• 16:19
  SPEAKER_03: It doesn't work that way, right?
• 16:21
  SPEAKER_03: What we have to do is make sure that our businesses are prepared to take on the risk that they're asking for.
• 16:28
  SPEAKER_03: Because that's how the banks look at it, right?
• 16:30
  SPEAKER_03: So that's number one is hey, how do we provide the information, the resources, the tools, the learning sessions to make sure our businesses are ready to take on whatever risk they want to take.
• 16:41
  SPEAKER_03: The next part is sustainability.
• 16:43
  SPEAKER_03: Because now, once you get it, now your job is to return that capital and grow your business.
• 16:50
  SPEAKER_03: That's hard to do if you're wearing multiple hats.
• 16:52
  SPEAKER_03: So again, it's making sure that we are properly providing the resources and guiding our businesses so that not only are they launching and they're they're capitalized right, but they're sustainable and they're providing direct investment to our ecosystem.
• 17:07
  SPEAKER_03: And then going into hiring the talent that we need and the training.
• 17:11
  SPEAKER_03: And now they're scaling, right?
• 17:13
  SPEAKER_03: Because when you can scale and you have a viable workforce, and a workforce is, let's say, a living above means, then what happens is those restaurants and those Whole Foods, they start paying attention to that.
• 17:25
  SPEAKER_02: Exactly.
• 17:25
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 17:25
  SPEAKER_03: And then you start pouring into the school system, and next thing you know, you're getting more corporate investment.
• 17:30
  SPEAKER_03: And then we make legislative law that is easier for business, and now you have this ecosystem of viable sustainability.
• 17:39
  SPEAKER_03: And we also have to think about how the business community can help pour into the corporate uh the tax revenue collection, which then gets redistributed into areas that we need public safety, and say school and education, transportation infrastructure.
• 17:57
  SPEAKER_03: You need all of those things and housing, not just housing, and housing.
• 18:02
  SPEAKER_04: And housing.
• 18:03
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 18:03
  SPEAKER_03: So you can do all those things, but it's gonna start with that anchor.
• 18:07
  SPEAKER_03: It's gonna be that corporation.
• 18:09
  SPEAKER_03: I will name no industries, but I have one or two that I think could, and it it's it's the one thing that you need, and I'll I'll leave a hint for the audience.
• 18:21
  SPEAKER_03: Think about this.
• 18:22
  SPEAKER_03: What is one thing that all companies want to be close to?
• 18:26
  SPEAKER_03: It's probably the thing you need the most.
• 18:29
  SPEAKER_04: Well, I'm gonna uh I'm gonna let folks uh chime in in the comments about what they think that is.
• 18:38
  SPEAKER_03: It's been an ongoing debate, but I'm not gonna say anything.
• 18:41
  SPEAKER_04: And so you talked about access as far as funding.
• 18:45
  SPEAKER_04: However, funding is not the only way that you can grow and sustain your business.
• 18:50
  SPEAKER_04: And so we'll be talking about programs, that's right, partnerships, ways that you can connect and uh where to go next in order to scale.
• 18:59
  SPEAKER_04: Absolutely you know, if it doesn't come in dollars, maybe it could come through a partnership with someone that you've met.
• 19:06
  SPEAKER_03: Absolutely.
• 19:06
  SPEAKER_04: Or some sort of program, like we have programs here at the chamber.
• 19:09
  SPEAKER_04: That's right.
• 19:10
  SPEAKER_03: Relationship.
• 19:10
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, right.
• 19:11
  SPEAKER_03: Relationship is everything.
• 19:12
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and oftentimes, particularly for smaller companies, younger companies are just starting, I think we put access to capital before building relationships, selling your product, right?
• 19:23
  SPEAKER_03: So it's it's maybe a win, does it apply?
• 19:27
  SPEAKER_03: And it's hard though.
• 19:29
  SPEAKER_03: Like if you if you have not been a small business owner, it's not easy.
• 19:34
  SPEAKER_03: And we'll not even make it look sexy.
• 19:36
  SPEAKER_03: It's not sexy.
• 19:38
  SPEAKER_03: It's hard work.
• 19:39
  SPEAKER_03: Yes, right?
• 19:40
  SPEAKER_03: Long nights, long days, creativity out the wazoo.
• 19:44
  SPEAKER_03: It's stressful.
• 19:45
  SPEAKER_03: These are the realities.
• 19:46
  SPEAKER_03: But if you can work through it, build your systems, win back your time over time, it becomes fruitful.
• 19:53
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, and to that point, you know, those are the conversations that you'll find here.
• 19:58
  SPEAKER_04: We're not just talking about the wins, but also the challenges.
• 20:02
  SPEAKER_04: What did you have to go through?
• 20:04
  SPEAKER_04: I just recently spoke to someone that decided to open up a new business.
• 20:09
  SPEAKER_04: And um, it's been open for a few months now.
• 20:12
  SPEAKER_04: And what they told me was that they thought that their idea was so great and so brilliant that people were just gonna flop.
• 20:18
  SPEAKER_04: And those are like the dreams that we have, right?
• 20:21
  SPEAKER_04: Like, we all have this great idea and everybody's gonna love it.
• 20:24
  SPEAKER_04: And then you start on that journey and you're like, oh my God, where are the people?
• 20:28
  SPEAKER_03: Look, I can tell you, so and you and Rose, you you will you will uh testify to this as a chamber, just all of us, right?
• 20:37
  SPEAKER_03: The entire staff, we are sometimes counselors, right?
• 20:42
  SPEAKER_03: Sometimes we just at shoulders so you can vent.
• 20:44
  SPEAKER_03: This is real, right?
• 20:46
  SPEAKER_03: We we hear members challenges all the time.
• 20:50
  SPEAKER_03: But the beautiful thing is most of us have been through what our members are going through.
• 20:58
  SPEAKER_03: So we understand the nav what you need to navigate through, how we need to get through it, and also we're there to help, right?
• 21:05
  SPEAKER_03: We can't solve every problem, we're not gonna solve every problem, but what we can do is help get you in the right direction so that the problem can be solved.
• 21:13
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 21:13
  SPEAKER_03: And and sometimes it's just, hey man, I'm frustrated with this process or that process, or this didn't happen.
• 21:20
  SPEAKER_03: What can I do?
• 21:21
  SPEAKER_03: Well, let's have let's let's invite them to the network event and start making sure they get connected.
• 21:26
  SPEAKER_00: Right?
• 21:26
  SPEAKER_03: That's Spark.
• 21:27
  SPEAKER_03: Sometimes you just need that that one thing or that motivation to get back on track and make it happen.
• 21:32
  SPEAKER_04: And so speaking of that one thing, we're gonna have a signature segment that we do every episode called the Power Move.
• 21:44
  SPEAKER_04: And it's going to be about exactly what we're talking about.
• 21:48
  SPEAKER_04: What was that pivotal moment or a challenging moment that you have had in this journey?
• 21:55
  SPEAKER_04: So we cannot be talking about this and not speak about our own.
• 21:58
  SPEAKER_03: Oh man, I have plenty of power.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, so tell us, give us one example.
• 22:03
  SPEAKER_03: Okay.
• 22:04
  SPEAKER_03: All right.
• 22:05
  SPEAKER_03: So um, yeah, so uh let me just kind of give my background.
• 22:09
  SPEAKER_03: So um one move, I'll tell you this from the very beginning.
• 22:14
  SPEAKER_03: Um, anyone who knows me, I just was infatuated with football.
• 22:19
  SPEAKER_03: Wanted to play football, football, football.
• 22:21
  SPEAKER_03: Wasn't the best athlete because I didn't train and prepare.
• 22:26
  SPEAKER_03: I try to teach my son now, like, hey, you gotta put in the work.
• 22:30
  SPEAKER_03: It wasn't until later in my career that I realized that you do have to put in the work and be hyper disciplined.
• 22:35
  SPEAKER_03: I just kind of took it for granted.
• 22:37
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and so one day I woke up and I called my frat brother and he tells a story time.
• 22:43
  SPEAKER_03: I said, Yeah, I'm gonna go to the NFL.
• 22:47
  SPEAKER_03: You called your frat brother someday?
• 22:49
  SPEAKER_03: He was like, he lost his mind.
• 22:51
  SPEAKER_03: But he was like, I got you, dog, I got you.
• 22:53
  SPEAKER_03: I said, all right, cool.
• 22:54
  SPEAKER_03: Uh I said, tomorrow morning I'll be out 6 a.m.
• 22:56
  SPEAKER_03: I'm running two miles every day.
• 22:57
  SPEAKER_03: I just started running.
• 22:59
  SPEAKER_03: I was like, I have no shot of how I'm gonna get there.
• 23:02
  SPEAKER_03: But I know I'm gonna just try.
• 23:04
  SPEAKER_03: So I just I dedicated years to just trying to get there, trying to get there.
• 23:09
  SPEAKER_03: Um, so after college, I ended up playing indoor football.
• 23:14
  SPEAKER_03: Um my first team was in South Carolina.
• 23:16
  SPEAKER_03: That was my first experience, and I went to Texas twice.
• 23:19
  SPEAKER_03: Uh, and then I finally got my shot in 05.
• 23:22
  SPEAKER_03: I got a call to go up to the Bills and work out.
• 23:25
  SPEAKER_03: And I quickly realized, and mind you, I when I tell you I was working out out Friday nights before I went to the club, I'm in the gym.
• 23:32
  SPEAKER_03: Just beat myself down because I'm like, yo, I'm going.
• 23:35
  SPEAKER_03: Running on Christmas.
• 23:36
  SPEAKER_03: And I'm up at run and shoot.
• 23:39
  SPEAKER_03: Walk, I'm walking to run and shoot in December.
• 23:42
  SPEAKER_03: Like, I did not care, but I was so dedicated to getting this goal.
• 23:45
  SPEAKER_03: And I knew, and I had friends that went to the league and you know, got to know their experience.
• 23:49
  SPEAKER_03: But I just worked and I just said, hey, I'm just gonna do whatever I can.
• 23:53
  SPEAKER_03: I finally got my shot.
• 23:54
  SPEAKER_03: And that that workout was so intense.
• 23:57
  SPEAKER_03: I thought I was in shape, and I was not in shape.
• 24:01
  SPEAKER_03: And I said to myself, okay, if I do not get a call, I'm not really that mad.
• 24:08
  SPEAKER_03: I'm not that mad.
• 24:09
  SPEAKER_03: I know I can compete in this level, but it was the fact that I said it, you know, four years prior that I was going to get my shot, and I worked tirelessly to get it, and I finally got it.
• 24:21
  SPEAKER_03: So the lesson, yeah, I was hurt because I was like, I definitely didn't get the call.
• 24:25
  SPEAKER_03: And I realized, okay, this is where the buck stops, right?
• 24:28
  SPEAKER_03: And I was cool with it because I was like, all right, well, I got my shot, worked out, whatever.
• 24:32
  SPEAKER_03: And um I had a couple opportunities in between there that just didn't work out.
• 24:37
  SPEAKER_03: I was supposed to go to Canada and it just didn't work out.
• 24:39
  SPEAKER_03: So I said, all right, whatever.
• 24:41
  SPEAKER_03: This was 05.
• 24:42
  SPEAKER_03: So I pivoted, I should 04.
• 24:44
  SPEAKER_03: Um, so I pivoted, and then I ended up taking that same discipline, got into real estate, did very well in real estate, and reinvested into indoor football.
• 24:55
  SPEAKER_03: So I ended up so, and let me tell you another story behind this.
• 24:58
  SPEAKER_03: But that moment was like, hey, the things that I had to do to try to, you know, make my way, I had to leave, you're working for no money, like you're just doing all kinds of stuff.
• 25:09
  SPEAKER_03: I want to give that opportunity for players here so they didn't have to leave, right?
• 25:13
  SPEAKER_03: Because a lot of talent here, you know, you got all these colleges.
• 25:17
  SPEAKER_03: I knew players that were playing.
• 25:18
  SPEAKER_03: I'm like, hey, I want to give a shot, right?
• 25:20
  SPEAKER_03: And so I took my money and reinvested in the thing that I knew, which was football.
• 25:26
  SPEAKER_03: I didn't know business, but I didn't know football.
• 25:28
  SPEAKER_03: You knew football, right?
• 25:29
  SPEAKER_03: And so the ironically, so in 06, I put in a bid to uh own a franchise in Baltimore, with the school of Baltimore.
• 25:37
  SPEAKER_03: So I was like, Bet, right, no Baltimore.
• 25:40
  SPEAKER_03: The team, the franchise that was opening up uh opportunity, the team that I had played for, the owners had given me a referral because I was dedicated to playing to own a franchise.
• 25:54
  SPEAKER_03: So I'm 26, 27 years old, and I'm able to own a football team.
• 25:58
  SPEAKER_03: I'm needing like payroll, the whole night.
• 26:00
  SPEAKER_03: And I said, Oh, this is different.
• 26:02
  SPEAKER_03: Playing is easy.
• 26:05
  SPEAKER_03: You gotta now, right?
• 26:07
  SPEAKER_03: So my my uh my bond, I had to put up$80,000 just to play at the time I was first married in the arena.
• 26:13
  SPEAKER_03: It's now Royal Farms.
• 26:15
  SPEAKER_03: And I think Frankman, Frank is still there, the general manager, but um, I had to learn how to raise money.
• 26:20
  SPEAKER_03: I had to bounce payroll, I had to get like insurance design and uniforms, hiring, everything.
• 26:26
  SPEAKER_03: So I learned the business of football, and that's when I realized, I said, really, the goal was never to play.
• 26:33
  SPEAKER_03: The goal is to be an owner.
• 26:35
  SPEAKER_00: Right?
• 26:35
  SPEAKER_03: And I think that was God's way of saying, look, I'm gonna, because you're working, I'm gonna show you the way, but it's better.
• 26:41
  SPEAKER_03: It's something better.
• 26:41
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, it's better to be an owner.
• 26:43
  SPEAKER_03: And I tell my son this all the time.
• 26:44
  SPEAKER_03: He's like, Oh, basketball.
• 26:45
  SPEAKER_03: I said, son, if you think about this, however much LeBron and Staff Curry make, somebody got to pay him.
• 26:52
  SPEAKER_03: You can play, but I want you to play and own.
• 26:55
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 26:55
  SPEAKER_03: Because the decisions are made in the ownership box.
• 26:58
  SPEAKER_03: And it wasn't until I was an owner that I was able to see that.
• 27:01
  SPEAKER_03: And so that was my first journey.
• 27:03
  SPEAKER_03: And then that's a whole nother lesson.
• 27:05
  SPEAKER_03: I business 101, I learned everything, made all my mistakes and everything owning the team, but it was great.
• 27:12
  SPEAKER_03: It was great.
• 27:13
  SPEAKER_04: You had a crash course.
• 27:14
  SPEAKER_04: I had no idea you uh you tried out for the Bills.
• 27:18
  SPEAKER_04: Well, first and foremost, is that your team?
• 27:21
  SPEAKER_03: No.
• 27:24
  SPEAKER_03: No.
• 27:24
  SPEAKER_03: Well, I mean, it was actually it was, believe it or not.
• 27:27
  SPEAKER_03: So when Jim Kelly, Jim Kelly and uh Berman Thomas were there, I followed the I had a Bill starter jacket.
• 27:35
  SPEAKER_03: I had a I had a You take it back.
• 27:37
  SPEAKER_03: Bill, yeah, I'll take it back.
• 27:38
  SPEAKER_03: I had a so that's not wrong.
• 27:40
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, it was for a while.
• 27:41
  SPEAKER_03: Okay it was for a while, yeah.
• 27:44
  SPEAKER_00: Interesting.
• 27:44
  SPEAKER_04: I I love that.
• 27:45
  SPEAKER_04: And that that's uh a huge piece to walk away with about ownership.
• 27:50
  SPEAKER_04: And especially these days when um things are digital now, right?
• 27:56
  SPEAKER_04: All these subscriptions, and so it's kind of like you're not owning anything anymore like you used to.
• 28:01
  SPEAKER_04: And so ownership is key.
• 28:03
  SPEAKER_03: Ownership is key, and and even the space now in the digital space where you own or you're you're on a platform, you're renting the platform.
• 28:11
  SPEAKER_03: Right?
• 28:12
  SPEAKER_03: So if you're not creating it and owning the domain space, then everything is is basically.
• 28:18
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 28:18
  SPEAKER_04: And so my power moves, I actually uh thought about this recently.
• 28:24
  SPEAKER_04: Um, so I left my job in October of 2022, and I walked away and had no idea what I was gonna do next.
• 28:34
  SPEAKER_04: I had been working since I was 14, 15 years old.
• 28:39
  SPEAKER_04: You know, I worked retail, I worked at Popeye's, I worked at bank, I worked uh in the banking industry, and so my entire professional career had been in publishing.
• 28:51
  SPEAKER_04: And I was at my last job for about 11 years.
• 28:56
  SPEAKER_04: And I really, I really enjoyed my time there.
• 28:59
  SPEAKER_04: You know, I learned a whole lot working there.
• 29:02
  SPEAKER_04: I learned the business of publishing, and I got to wear a whole lot of different hats because it was a nonprofit.
• 29:09
  SPEAKER_04: You know, in these nonprofits, sometimes you just gotta do whatever needs to be done to get the job done.
• 29:15
  SPEAKER_03: Amen.
• 29:16
  SPEAKER_03: But that's all money in the nonprofits we know.
• 29:20
  SPEAKER_04: But but that's what allowed me to learn a whole lot of different things.
• 29:25
  SPEAKER_04: And so when we had to go back to work full-time in 2022, I just I just was no longer happy.
• 29:34
  SPEAKER_04: I didn't want to be there.
• 29:35
  SPEAKER_04: I didn't want to be at work full-time.
• 29:37
  SPEAKER_04: I saw the freedom of being able to work from home and being able to manage some things that I was not able to manage before.
• 29:47
  SPEAKER_04: And I just, I just wasn't happy.
• 29:50
  SPEAKER_04: And our leadership, they knew that they were gonna lose people over that.
• 29:54
  SPEAKER_04: And it was very clear, well, not even very clear.
• 29:57
  SPEAKER_04: He said, I know we're gonna lose some people, and I'm okay with that.
• 30:01
  SPEAKER_04: And as a leader, you know, sometimes you, like you said, you have to make those tough decisions, right?
• 30:06
  SPEAKER_00: You have to.
• 30:07
  SPEAKER_04: And so I for months, I every every day I would call my husband and I'd be like, Hey, I gave my notice today.
• 30:18
  SPEAKER_04: I quit my job.
• 30:19
  SPEAKER_04: And he'd be like, okay.
• 30:21
  SPEAKER_04: But you know, he encouraged me and he he saw how unhappy I was.
• 30:26
  SPEAKER_04: And he was like, well, just go ahead and do it.
• 30:28
  SPEAKER_04: You know, I got us.
• 30:29
  SPEAKER_04: And I and I was like, well, I don't know, I don't know what I want to do.
• 30:32
  SPEAKER_04: So friends were like, oh, update your resume and send it to me.
• 30:35
  SPEAKER_04: And but I just couldn't even do that because I have been in publishing for so long, and I wasn't able to see like how some of those skills could transfer to other things.
• 30:47
  SPEAKER_04: And so I just was afraid.
• 30:49
  SPEAKER_04: I I was afraid to have to rely on my husband for money.
• 30:53
  SPEAKER_04: Because I'm like, girl, you've been making your own money for years, and now you're gonna have to rely on somebody else to take care of you, even though he's saying it's okay and we'll be okay.
• 31:02
  SPEAKER_04: It just I worry about money a whole lot.
• 31:04
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 31:05
  SPEAKER_04: So in September, there came a point because we had a trade show every year in October, and all of the staff had to go to the trade show.
• 31:14
  SPEAKER_04: And I had to decide because I didn't buy my flight yet.
• 31:20
  SPEAKER_03: You'll delay another flight.
• 31:21
  SPEAKER_04: In September, and this thing is next month, and it's gonna be so expensive, and they're gonna be mad that I bought this expensive flight.
• 31:29
  SPEAKER_04: And so that morning before I left, I was like, I have to make a decision today.
• 31:33
  SPEAKER_04: Today has to be it.
• 31:35
  SPEAKER_04: So I said a little prayer, I went to work.
• 31:39
  SPEAKER_04: So I get to work, and I meet this woman coming in, and we're in the elevator together, and you know, just chit-chatting.
• 31:47
  SPEAKER_04: You know, I like to talk, but we chit-chatting, and she's complimenting me on my outfit and all this and that, and telling me I look like good energy.
• 31:54
  SPEAKER_04: So, anyhow, she gets off on the same floor as me, and turns out she was a courier picking up a package.
• 32:00
  SPEAKER_04: So I give her the package, and as she was leaving out, she turns back to me and she said, Whatever you want to do in life, I believe that you can do it.
• 32:11
  SPEAKER_04: I see it in you.
• 32:13
  SPEAKER_03: Wow.
• 32:13
  SPEAKER_04: I said, Oh my God.
• 32:15
  SPEAKER_03: Wow.
• 32:15
  SPEAKER_04: I said, That was God.
• 32:16
  SPEAKER_04: That definitely God.
• 32:18
  SPEAKER_03: That was definitely God.
• 32:19
  SPEAKER_03: If not, it was the Oracle from the Mythics.
• 32:22
  SPEAKER_04: And this was a random woman.
• 32:24
  SPEAKER_04: Listen, yes.
• 32:26
  SPEAKER_04: So that day, because every month we had a one-on-one with our supervisor.
• 32:30
  SPEAKER_04: And so I had a one-on-one with her that day, and I ended up telling her that I was resigning.
• 32:35
  SPEAKER_04: I gave my resignation that day.
• 32:37
  SPEAKER_04: Wow.
• 32:38
  SPEAKER_04: And she tried to talk me out of it, and I told her about the woman that I had met, and what she said to me, and she just started crying.
• 32:46
  SPEAKER_04: Wow.
• 32:46
  SPEAKER_04: And she was like, wow, you gotta do it.
• 32:48
  SPEAKER_03: You have to do it.
• 32:49
  SPEAKER_04: And so I ended up giving my resignation, and then I was depressed for months.
• 32:55
  SPEAKER_03: Wow, and to explain that though, because I think that's a good say that's one thing we do have to talk about is the mental health aspect of entrepreneurship before just without knowing what's next.
• 33:10
  SPEAKER_04: Yes, exactly.
• 33:11
  SPEAKER_04: Because at that point, I was doing the spotlight.
• 33:15
  SPEAKER_04: You know, I have I have been talking about Prince George's County for years without having anything, you know, just because I love my community and I want to share the good things that are happening.
• 33:26
  SPEAKER_04: And so in 2021, I started recording my friends on Zoom, and we would just talk about some of their businesses, and some of them started new businesses in 2020, and by 2021, they were already hitting six-figure profits.
• 33:43
  SPEAKER_00: Wow.
• 33:43
  SPEAKER_04: And so I wanted to highlight that.
• 33:45
  SPEAKER_04: Like, look at what people are doing, you know.
• 33:48
  SPEAKER_04: And um, I so I started the spotlight in 2021 unofficially.
• 33:53
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 33:54
  SPEAKER_04: But in my mind, I'm like, well, you know, there are all these talking heads already, and there's major news outlets.
• 34:02
  SPEAKER_04: Like, who cares about what I have to say?
• 34:04
  SPEAKER_04: And so I didn't really think that it was a viable business, even though I did start it as a business.
• 34:11
  SPEAKER_04: So I started it as a business and I just wasn't sure what to do, or I wasn't clear about what it could be.
• 34:19
  SPEAKER_04: So I just started going to a bunch of free events.
• 34:21
  SPEAKER_04: Like I said, I cared about money and I didn't have any money.
• 34:25
  SPEAKER_03: That was the motivator, but that was the motivator.
• 34:27
  SPEAKER_03: Yes.
• 34:27
  SPEAKER_03: That's the motivator.
• 34:29
  SPEAKER_04: So I would just go to any free event, I would go to museums during the day, and I would record things, I would talk to people, um, and then I would start posting it on YouTube and on Instagram.
• 34:42
  SPEAKER_04: And that's actually how I, that's how I started working with the chamber, you know, and um, so I started doing that.
• 34:50
  SPEAKER_04: I would just post things and I would go to a bunch of different networking events and meet people.
• 34:55
  SPEAKER_04: And then through the meeting people, that's where I got to really believe that this was something that I could do.
• 35:03
  SPEAKER_04: Wow.
• 35:03
  SPEAKER_04: And that I could turn it into a business and that it would be sustainable.
• 35:08
  SPEAKER_04: And so in December of 2023, I went to my first coffee connections and with the chamber?
• 35:15
  SPEAKER_04: With the chamber, yes.
• 35:17
  SPEAKER_04: I went to my first coffee connection because again, you know, I had been talking about Prince George's County for so long.
• 35:24
  SPEAKER_04: And I was like, well, maybe there's a way that I could work with the county government or, you know, and at that point I didn't really understand how the chamber fit into everything.
• 35:34
  SPEAKER_04: And so I learned that the chamber is not government, however, it's here to support the businesses in the county.
• 35:41
  SPEAKER_04: So I would go, I went to the first coffee connections and I enjoyed it so much.
• 35:45
  SPEAKER_04: I got to meet the people that were there and Ted, the business our business development person.
• 35:51
  SPEAKER_03: Ted's amazing, man.
• 35:52
  SPEAKER_03: He's amazing.
• 35:53
  SPEAKER_03: Ted Wright III.
• 35:54
  SPEAKER_04: Yes, he followed up with me like a week later, and just off that conversation with him and the coffee connections, and mind you, I wasn't making any money at that point, but I paid for membership that December, and I have not looked back.
• 36:09
  SPEAKER_04: I just started going to any event that I could go to.
• 36:12
  SPEAKER_04: I would just show up, and then it got to a point where where you guys were calling me, hey, can you can you come to this event and take some footage?
• 36:19
  SPEAKER_04: You know, that's right.
• 36:20
  SPEAKER_04: Stuff to social media.
• 36:21
  SPEAKER_00: That's right.
• 36:22
  SPEAKER_04: And and here we are.
• 36:24
  SPEAKER_04: And it really took it took a lot of going through days where I didn't want to get up and go out because I felt like I didn't have a story to tell at that point.
• 36:34
  SPEAKER_04: I don't have a winning story to tell yet, so why am I even going to this event?
• 36:38
  SPEAKER_04: And anytime I felt like that, I would still push through and I would go and I would meet people that would help shift my mindset.
• 36:47
  SPEAKER_04: Even if it wasn't like something happened through the relationship, it helped to lift my spirits being around other people that were trying to achieve some of the same things that I was trying to achieve.
• 36:59
  SPEAKER_03: I think that's a very good point because mindset is everything, but also as an entrepreneur, I think people don't realize fear is always present.
• 37:10
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 37:10
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 37:11
  SPEAKER_03: But it's overcoming that fear, and you never know.
• 37:16
  SPEAKER_03: A lot of what you're saying is, hey, I just put one foot in front of the other.
• 37:20
  SPEAKER_03: And I not to be biblical.
• 37:21
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, we just passed Easter.
• 37:23
  SPEAKER_03: Essentially, that's what the Bible says.
• 37:24
  SPEAKER_03: You put one foot, I do two.
• 37:27
  SPEAKER_03: Faith of a must, I mean, it's just constant, right?
• 37:30
  SPEAKER_03: So you know, I would say for me, learning that in my sports career, you know, the position I played was a defensive back, you're always on the islands these defense back, always lose to used to losing and having an opportunity to recover and make another play.
• 37:44
  SPEAKER_03: So when you when that translates into the business, failing is scary, but not enough to hold you back.
• 37:52
  SPEAKER_03: Because it's in your condition, right?
• 37:54
  SPEAKER_03: So what people think about some of these programs that we bring to the chamber, I don't know if it's gonna work.
• 37:59
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, right?
• 38:00
  SPEAKER_03: But I know we're gonna try it.
• 38:02
  SPEAKER_03: Right?
• 38:03
  SPEAKER_03: And it's it's the hey, all I want to do is make sure we'll we'll talk about this, is put one foot in front of the other.
• 38:09
  SPEAKER_03: I'm big on systems and processes.
• 38:11
  SPEAKER_03: That's why.
• 38:12
  SPEAKER_03: There's just one foot in front of the other.
• 38:14
  SPEAKER_03: Coffee connection started from an idea.
• 38:17
  SPEAKER_03: I remember the first one was in February.
• 38:19
  SPEAKER_03: I started in December.
• 38:21
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, first one in February, December 2022, the first one was in February 2023.
• 38:25
  SPEAKER_03: We were at uh Love Life Cafe in Laurel.
• 38:28
  SPEAKER_03: We had 15 people.
• 38:30
  SPEAKER_03: That was that was the first one.
• 38:32
  SPEAKER_03: I said, hey, we're just we're gonna offer this, we're gonna cover it.
• 38:35
  SPEAKER_03: Never been done.
• 38:36
  SPEAKER_03: We're just gonna keep doing it, get better, get better, get better.
• 38:39
  SPEAKER_03: We made mistakes.
• 38:40
  SPEAKER_03: We made a lot of mistakes, but also we kept it, we kept the narrative to just networking to the point where we've had some cough connections where there were a hundred, over a hundred people in there.
• 38:50
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, right?
• 38:51
  SPEAKER_03: And people look forward to it.
• 38:52
  SPEAKER_03: And what happens is people come and they're making connections.
• 38:55
  SPEAKER_03: Then we created a standard to say, hey, you gotta have at least four people.
• 38:59
  SPEAKER_03: You gotta connect with at least because not everyone is comfortable introducing themselves.
• 39:03
  SPEAKER_03: It's hard.
• 39:04
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, right.
• 39:05
  SPEAKER_03: And you might be tired, fatigued, and you pretty much don't want to be there.
• 39:08
  SPEAKER_03: You might be in a rush.
• 39:09
  SPEAKER_03: Hey, how do we how do we make this workwild?
• 39:13
  SPEAKER_03: Right?
• 39:13
  SPEAKER_03: So, but that's just constant um evolution.
• 39:16
  SPEAKER_03: And then it takes the right team, right?
• 39:19
  SPEAKER_03: It takes a team of people, like you said, who come in and they're motivated to get things done.
• 39:23
  SPEAKER_03: Like yourself, like Ted, like Danielle, right?
• 39:26
  SPEAKER_03: Like Donna.
• 39:27
  SPEAKER_03: They get it done.
• 39:28
  SPEAKER_04: We get it done.
• 39:29
  SPEAKER_04: And so to that point, Alex, before we wrap up, let the folks know what's happening next.
• 39:35
  SPEAKER_04: Make sure they're tapped in.
• 39:37
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, so we got a lot of stuff happening.
• 39:38
  SPEAKER_03: I can put my I can put my paper down because I already I can tell you.
• 39:40
  SPEAKER_03: I'm gonna look right in the camera and tell you.
• 39:43
  SPEAKER_03: But no, um, this month, so actually uh tomorrow, uh we have our coffee connections, annual coffee, our monthly coffee connections.
• 39:50
  SPEAKER_03: At the end of the month, we bring our legislators to Prince George's County through our Prince George's delegation to talk about the legislative wrap-up, what happened at the 448th session.
• 40:00
  SPEAKER_03: It's gonna be at Woodmore Country Club, May 19th, which is a Tuesday, we're gonna have our annual golf tournament.
• 40:06
  SPEAKER_03: Um, also at Woodmore, looking forward to that because uh last year we had beautiful weather.
• 40:10
  SPEAKER_03: We're hoping that the golf gods they bless us again uh with good weather.
• 40:15
  SPEAKER_03: And then our state of the chamber, which wraps up our fiscal year, but happens in June.
• 40:19
  SPEAKER_03: Uh it'll be June 25th.
• 40:21
  SPEAKER_03: And so we're gonna give a very thorough report of what the state of the chamber actually is.
• 40:25
  SPEAKER_03: So I'm looking forward to it.
• 40:27
  SPEAKER_04: And on the spotlights, spotlight side, you can catch me next on May 2nd at CNJ Migrants Gala.
• 40:35
  SPEAKER_04: It's a fundraiser to raise funds to help immigrants that are here in Prince George's County.
• 40:41
  SPEAKER_04: And so wrap Oh, wait a minute.
• 40:44
  SPEAKER_03: Can't let this go by.
• 40:45
  SPEAKER_03: Someone got an award recently and was recognized as one of the top 50 women in Prince George's County.
• 40:50
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 40:50
  SPEAKER_03: I'm not gonna say any names, but their name starts with an R.
• 40:54
  SPEAKER_04: I'm so excited to have been nominated as one of the 50 women to know here in Prince George's County.
• 41:01
  SPEAKER_04: God, I did.
• 41:02
  SPEAKER_03: Hey, you earned it.
• 41:03
  SPEAKER_03: You earned it.
• 41:05
  SPEAKER_04: Well, thank you.
• 41:06
  SPEAKER_04: Thank you.
• 41:06
  SPEAKER_04: And guys, if you want to know who you need to know in Prince George's County, make sure you are tapped into Power Moves.
• 41:14
  SPEAKER_03: Power Moves.
• 41:15
  SPEAKER_04: Yes.
• 41:16
  SPEAKER_04: So, Alex, thank you so much for this uh this show.
• 41:19
  SPEAKER_04: And I'm looking forward to coming back.
• 41:23
  SPEAKER_04: Hey, listen, we'll see you at the top.
• 41:25
  SPEAKER_04: See you at the top.
• 41:27
  SPEAKER_04: You've been listening to Power Moves on Lit 106.
• 41:30
  SPEAKER_04: Remember, this isn't just about what's happening, it's about how you position yourself within it.
• 41:36
  SPEAKER_04: Catch us every other Tuesday at 2 p.m.
• 41:39
  SPEAKER_04: right here on Lit 106.
• 41:41
  SPEAKER_04: Stay informed, stay connected, and we'll see you at the top.