The Steve Harvey Morning Show

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Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Dr. Cameka Smith.
Founder of The BOSS Network, from Money Making Conversations Masterclass:
Purpose of the Interview
The interview aimed to:
Highlight The BOSS Network’s mission to empower women of color through entrepreneurship, career development, and community support.
Share Dr. Smith’s personal journey from layoff to leadership, inspiring others to embrace entrepreneurship.
Discuss strategies for business success, funding opportunities, and mentorship for Black female founders.
Key Takeaways
Origin of The BOSS Network
Founded in 2009 during the recession after Dr. Smith was laid off from Chicago Public Schools.
Initially started as local events in Chicago; now a digital community reaching 200,000 women nationwide.
Mission: Bringing Out Successful Sisters (BOSS)—promoting small business spirit and career growth.

Impact & Achievements
Invested in 100 Black female founders through grants.
Trained 50,000 women on business strategies.
Coached 10,000 women on starting businesses.
Created Boss Business University, offering mentorship and digital programs.

Pivot During COVID
Shifted from 35% event-based revenue to 75% digital.
Launched Boss Impact Fund and Invest in Progress Grant: $10,000 grants + 4-year scholarships for recipients.
Combined funding, mentorship, and marketing support for sustainability.


Challenges & Mindset
Entrepreneurship requires planning, resilience, and community support.
Dr. Smith saved money before leaving her job and leveraged relationships for growth.
Quote: “Entrepreneurs will work 80 hours for themselves but don’t want to work 40 hours for someone else.”

Top 3 Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make
Lack of research: Understand your industry, competitors, and market.
No revenue model: If you’re not making money, it’s a hobby, not a business.
Ignoring relationships: Networking and partnerships are key to success.

Unique Marketing & Partnerships
Dr. Smith built direct relationships with brands, bypassing agencies that offered “pennies on the dollar.”
Created a dual revenue model: B2B (corporate partnerships) + B2C (community engagement).

Core Philosophy
Motto: Believe, Plan, Win.
Quote: “Those that show up, go up.”
Success is rooted in faith, persistence, and leveraging community.

Notable Quotes
“I was born to be an entrepreneur. My mother told me, until you become your own boss, you have to follow the rules.”
“Less than 1% of Black women get VC funding—so we created our own fund.”
“Relationships are your key to success. When social media goes away, your audience remains.”
“If you have a business and you don’t have money, you’ve got a hobby.”
“God will not birth anything inside of you that He will not give you the tools to deliver.”
#SHMS #STRAW #BEST
Support the show: https://www.steveharveyfm.com/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning!
Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Dr. Justin M. Lee.
Purpose of the Interview
To showcase Dr. Lee’s journey from a young real estate agent to a multi-industry entrepreneur.
To inspire listeners with strategies for wealth-building through real estate, construction, and logistics.
To encourage financial literacy, ownership, and collaboration within underserved communities.
To issue a call to action for minorities to explore opportunities like Amazon DSP and real estate investment.
Key Takeaways
Early Career & Education
Started young in real estate, embraced discomfort in rooms dominated by older professionals.
Leveraged millennial tech skills (social media marketing) to help veteran brokers grow.
Earned a doctorate degree and became a licensed real estate broker.

Social Media as a Business Tool
Built a strong presence on TikTok (90K followers) and other platforms.
Helped older real estate firms thrive by creating digital visibility.
Emphasized that “business must look as good online as in person.”

Financial Literacy & Homeownership
African-American communities often lack foundational financial knowledge.
Key barriers: misunderstanding credit, fear of debt, and lack of exposure to ownership benefits.
Advocates teaching the difference between good debt (real estate) and bad debt (consumer credit).

Real Estate Process
Initial onboarding: credit score, income, tax filing.
Connect clients with lenders, secure pre-approval, then negotiate and close within 30–45 days.
Uses property tours as motivation even for those not yet approved.

Pooling Resources for Wealth
Industry dominated by white men and foreign investors who use syndication.
Dr. Lee created a private family fund with fraternity brothers and friends.
Acquired 150+ apartment units and commercial properties by pooling resources and forming LLCs.

Amazon DSP Opportunity
Owns an Amazon Delivery Service Partner business (42 trucks, 200 employees).
Offers minorities a chance to apply for DSP with $10K grant.
Taught him true CEO skills: HR, payroll, compliance, and scaling operations.

Construction Business
Entered construction after experiencing exploitation in fix-and-flip projects.
Learned the business side (permits, change orders) and got licensed.
Built major projects like a 10,000 sq. ft. restaurant in Atlanta.
Advocates for Black representation in construction, an industry dominated by whites and Hispanics.

Personal Background
Raised in New Orleans during Katrina by a single mother and grandparents.
Mother invested FEMA checks into real estate, teaching him property management and renovation skills early.
Believes knowledge is power and emphasizes planning and consistency.

Notable Quotes
On embracing discomfort:
“I learned to embrace the uncomfort and make it one of my biggest strengths.”

On social media:
“You have to make your business look the same way online as in person.”

On financial literacy:
“Real estate is always going to be good debt. Bad debt is the Macy’s card.”

On collaboration:
“Pooling resources shows how far we can go and how fast we can go—but together.”

On planning:
“If you don’t plan, you plan to fail. All you have to do is stick to the plan.”

#SHMS #STRAW #BEST
Support the show: https://www.steveharveyfm.com/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning!
Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Natalie Southwell.
Founder and CEO of The Essence of a Woman, LLC, a female empowerment agency dedicated to helping high‑achieving women rise with confidence, courage, clarity, and faith-driven purpose.
The conversation explores:
How women can overcome fear, trauma, and misaligned life decisions
The role of faith, purpose, and intentionality in decision-making
Her frameworks: PAIN and REAL
Her personal journey to launching The Essence of a Woman
How she guides women across generations—including students, early professionals, mid-career women, and women 50+—toward alignment and leadership.
🎯 Purpose of the Interview
The purpose of the interview is to:
1. Introduce Natalie Southwell’s mission
Explain how The Essence of a Woman empowers women to overcome fear, reclaim purpose, and lead authentically.
2. Share actionable frameworks
She breaks down two of her signature models—PAIN and REAL—which guide women through decision-making, healing, and leadership growth.
3. Inspire women of all ages
Show that age should never limit someone’s potential and that clarity and alignment are always possible, whether you're 20 or 60.
4. Highlight the importance of faith + practicality
Natalie discusses how spiritual alignment and real‑world strategy work together, especially for women in STEM or male-dominated industries.
🔑 Key Takeaways 1. The “Essence” Comes From Understanding God’s Love
Natalie says women often pour into others so heavily that they forget their own value. Understanding divine love helps women set boundaries, avoid suffering in silence, and make aligned decisions.
2. Bad Decisions Create Pain—But Pain Teaches
Her PAIN Framework helps women pause and analyze decisions before they create negative consequences:
PAIN Framework
P – Pause and consider purpose
A – Analyze your options
I – Impact: What will this cost emotionally, spiritually, financially?
N – Necessity: Why now? Is there urgency?
Using this method prevents rash or misaligned choices.
3. Across All Ages, the Common Root Issue Is Fear
Whether she’s coaching:
women in their 20s entering the workforce,
women in their 30s–40s navigating career changes or relationships, or
women 50+ rediscovering purpose,
Natalie identifies fear as the universal obstacle—fear of failure, success, judgment, or making another “wrong” move.
4. Faith + Technology Can Coexist
As a woman with a STEM background, Natalie insists that spiritual guidance can align with analytical problem‑solving. She uses faith to prepare for board meetings, interviews, coding challenges, and leadership scenarios.
5. Listening to Life’s “Whispers” Prevents Misalignment
Much of her philosophy centers on avoiding the dangers of ignoring internal nudges—what she calls “heart whispers.”
Ignoring these whispers leads to regret, unnecessary pain, toxic relationships, and stalled careers.
Her book The Dangers of Ignoring Your Heart’s Whispers expands on this theme.
6. Her REAL Framework Helps Women Rebuild REAL Framework
R – Reset/Reclaim what was lost
E – Empower/Elevate
A – Align with purpose
L – Lead with authenticity
This is the roadmap she uses to guide women out of trauma cycles and into leadership.
7. Trauma Must Be Understood but Not Rehearsed
Natalie emphasizes that trauma is real—but staying in it (“rehearsing it”) hardens the heart and blocks growth.
Healing requires releasing the past and rewiring one’s mindset.
8. Her Personal Calling Came from a Divine Moment
In 2020, she heard God give her the name “The Essence of a Woman.”
Though she registered the business immediately, she admits she didn’t “hover” over the idea long enough to see the full vision—she later learned to follow God’s blueprint more closely.
🗣 Notable Quotes from the Interview
Here are some standout lines directly from the transcript:
On the meaning of “essence”:
“The essence is really the understanding of how much God loves you… when you understand how God loves you, that’s the essence.”
On pain:
“Anytime you make a bad decision today, it will affect your tomorrow and your future.”
On fear across generations:
“It’s the same root across every generation. The root is fear—fear of failure, fear of not being enough.”
On finding purpose after mistakes:
“You can’t change the past, but there is a path forward. You have to rewire your mind.”
On age and purpose:
“Every day we wake up, we have an opportunity to stir up the gifts.”
On listening to whispers:
“We are often given promptings to do or not do certain things—whispers. But we ignore them.”
📘 Natalie’s Current and Future Work
Current book: The Dangers of Ignoring Your Heart’s Whispers
Next book: In development (referenced but not named)
Continues expanding her empowerment programs and corporate coaching initiatives
#SHMS #STRAW #BEST
Support the show: https://www.steveharveyfm.com/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning!
Two-time Emmy and three-time NAACP Image Award-winning television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Alaysia Miller.
A certified nurse practitioner, travel nurse practitioner, and founder of NP Luxe CPR, a Florida-based CPR training company.
Alaysia discusses her journey from nurse to travel nurse practitioner, how frontline burnout pushed her into entrepreneurship, and why she launched a CPR education business. She explains the financial and lifestyle advantages of travel nursing, the importance of mentorship, the realities of entrepreneurship, and the major CPR survival gap in Black and underserved communities.
Rushion and Alaysia also dive into leadership, negotiating contracts, building a lucrative CPR business, and empowering community health through education.
🎯 Purpose of the Interview
The interview aims to:
1. Showcase a path to financial freedom through nursing entrepreneurship
By highlighting travel nurse contracting and CPR instruction as viable wealth‑building vehicles.
2. Highlight the importance of CPR education in underserved communities
Especially addressing the survival gap in Black communities due to low CPR literacy.
3. Encourage aspiring entrepreneurs—especially women and healthcare workers
By sharing Alaysia’s experiences with mentorship, confidence building, and launching a service-based business.
4. Educate listeners on the realities of entrepreneurship
Including time demands, imposter syndrome, and the need for consistency and proper pricing.
🔑 Key Takeaways 1. Travel Nurse Practitioners Have High Earning Potential
As a staff NP she would earn $100k per year, but as a travel NP she earned $100k in six months while gaining time freedom and flexibility.
Travel NP work is paid via 1099, opening the door to tax write-offs, investment flexibility, and entrepreneurial benefits.
2. Burnout Was the Catalyst for Change
Working six days a week during COVID and the pressure of commercialized urgent-care systems led to burnout, weight gain, and loss of self. This pushed Alaysia toward traveling, where she worked half the time for double the pay.
3. CPR Survival Rates Are Lower in Black & Underserved Communities
Alaysia explains that lack of exposure, knowledge, and basic emergency training leads to significantly lower cardiac survival rates in communities of color.
She addresses this through her nonprofit We Push Health, which brings CPR and medical education to rural and urban communities.
4. You Don’t Need to Reinvent the Wheel—Mentorship Is Key
She learned about mentorship in 2024 and emphasizes that mentors help you avoid costly mistakes and speed up your path.
“Find someone who is the ideal image of what you want to be and mimic what they do.”.
5. CPR Businesses Are Lucrative and Accessible
Almost every industry requires CPR certification:
Healthcare
Schools & daycares
Gyms
Police & fire departments
Hotels
Tattoo studios
These make CPR instruction a strong side hustle or full-time business, especially for healthcare professionals who already understand the material.
6. Entrepreneurship Requires Real Work
Alaysia breaks down the less glamorous side of building a business:
Imposter syndrome
The need for consistent marketing
Pricing confidently
Long hours initially
Learning branding, systems, and follow-up
“You only eat what you kill.”.
7. Communication and Adaptability Are Leadership Superpowers
Travel nursing requires walking into unfamiliar environments and leading without overpowering. She emphasizes:
Reading the room
Adjusting communication styles
Delegating the right way
Being assertive but team-oriented
“Adaptability is number one.”.
8. Negotiation Skills Changed Her Entire Career
She learned to stop undervaluing herself and start negotiating confidently:
First contract: underpriced
Second contract: raised rates dramatically
Uses supply‑and‑demand to justify price increases
“You miss 100% of the shots you never take.”.]
🗣️ Notable Quotes On Entrepreneurship
“If you know how to save a life, don’t you think you know how to run a business?”.
“You only eat what you kill.”.
On Burnout
“I lost myself giving it to a job.”.
On Community Health
“They can’t know what they don’t know.”
“Survival rates for cardiac arrest are significantly lower in communities of color because they lack access to basic emergency skills.”.
On Mentorship
“You don’t have to reinvent the wheel to be successful.”
“Find someone who is the ideal image of what you want to be.”.
On Negotiation
“What’s the worst they can say? No.”
#SHMS #STRAW #BEST
Support the show: https://www.steveharveyfm.com/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning!
Two-time Emmy and three-time NAACP Image Award-winning television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Marcus Sonnier.
Founder of Snowie Atlanta:
🎯 Purpose of the Interview
To showcase Marcus Sonnier’s journey from corporate America to entrepreneurship, highlight the inspiration behind Snowie Atlanta, and share insights on financial literacy, legacy-building, and faith-driven decision-making.
🔑 Key Takeaways 1. From Corporate VP to Entrepreneur
Marcus left a successful career as VP of PR supervision at a financial services firm to start Snowie Atlanta.
He worked both jobs for five years before fully transitioning.
His leap was guided by faith and a desire for self-reliance.
“I looked at my wife and said, ‘Hey, I'm getting one more bonus check. And then I'm jumping off the plane.’”
2. The Product: Shaved Ice with a Twist
Snowie Atlanta offers customizable shaved ice with self-serve flavor stations.
Inspired by childhood experiences in Louisiana with snowball stands.
“We give away the shaved ice, but we sell you the smiles.”
3. Family Legacy & Financial Literacy
Marcus started the business to teach his sons about money—earning, saving, investing, and giving.
His sons were involved from the beginning, learning entrepreneurship firsthand.
“I said, guys, look, we're going to be entrepreneurs in this business. We're going to do it together.”
4. Faith as a Driving Force
Marcus credits divine guidance for his journey and connections.
He views his business as a calling and a platform for community impact.
“I could feel God in my spirit saying, ‘Oh, you trust me, you really do.’”
5. Community Impact & Expansion
The goal is to become a staple attraction and enhance the fan experience.
“I want all kids to want to go to a Braves game… to get a Snowie and have an experience.”
6. Giving Back
Snowie Atlanta participates in fundraising for schools, churches, and nonprofits.
Marcus finds joy in writing checks back to organizations that serve the community.
💬 Notable Quotes
“You may not get everything you work for, but you will work for everything you get.”
“We serve memories.”
“I’m just trying to be obedient and do what I think God wants me to do in this business.”
#SHMS #STRAW #BEST
Support the show: https://www.steveharveyfm.com/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.