The Whole Story Re: Running a Biz with Samia Gore

In this inspiring episode of "The Reminder Remedy," host Alena Conley interviews Samia Gore, founder of Body Complete Rx. They discuss Samia's journey from her roots in Detroit to becoming a pioneering entrepreneur in the wellness industry. The conversation covers the balance between motherhood and business, the challenges and achievements of launching a health-focused company, and the significant impact of personal wellness on professional success.

Key Takeaways:

1. Strategic Adaptability in Entrepreneurship:
   • The journey highlights the necessity of adaptability in the volatile landscape of entrepreneurship. Samia's ability to pivot from a career in human resources to starting her own company underscores the importance of being flexible and responsive to market needs and personal aspirations.
2. Impact of Cultural and Geographic Backgrounds:
   • The discussion delves into how one's upbringing and environment shape entrepreneurial spirit and business acumen. Samia's Detroit roots contributed to her resilience and street-smart approach to business, demonstrating the significant influence of cultural and geographic backgrounds on business success.
3. Balancing Professional Aspirations with Personal Responsibilities:
   • Insights into the complex dynamics of managing family responsibilities alongside the demands of building and running a business. This balance is particularly challenging and critical for women entrepreneurs who are mothers, highlighting the need for support systems and internal resilience.
4. Navigating Barriers as a Woman of Color in Business:
   • The conversation sheds light on the unique challenges faced by women of color in the business sector, from raising capital to gaining market traction. Samia's experiences offer valuable lessons on navigating these hurdles with perseverance and strategic networking.
5. Mental and Emotional Wellness for Entrepreneurs:
   • Emphasizes the often-overlooked aspect of mental and emotional health in the entrepreneurial journey. Samia's candid discussion about the pressures and mental health challenges faced by founders encourages a broader conversation on the importance of well-being in sustaining long-term business success.
6. Future Planning and Sustainable Growth:
   • Reflects on the importance of forward-thinking and planning for future scalability and sustainability. Samia’s contemplation on the next steps, including potential exits or expansions, serves as a crucial strategy point for entrepreneurs aiming for long-term viability in their ventures.

Mentioned Resources:

• Body Complete Rx: https://bodycompleterx.com/
• Foundnwell:  A platform supporting  Founders' mental health. https://www.instagram.com/foundnwell
• Myliek Teele's podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/myleik-teeles-podcast/id942696396

Connect with Samia Gore:

• IG - https://www.instagram.com/samiagore

Transcript

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In today's episode, I had a wonderful time chatting it up with our extraordinary guests. Samaya Gore. Samaya was born and raised in the bustling streets of Detroit, Michigan. So you know what that means. She is a born hustler, but as you listen to her story, you will soon find out that she started out in HR for the federal government, but she went on to be a groundbreaking entrepreneur in the wellness industry. Samaya takes us through her transformational journey of shedding over a hundred pounds and how it led her to found Body Complete Rx, the first black owned wellness brand in the vitamin shop. What I enjoyed most about this conversation y'all was that Samaya really You Allowed us to go into the other side of what it looks like to be a business owner, especially in a landscape where sometimes entrepreneurship is over romanticized and we only get to see the glitz and glam. So Maya really took us deep into what it looks like from a mental health perspective, a financing perspective, and what an exit strategy and thinking about other opportunities So stick around and learn all about somaya gorge journey. Let's get started Welcome to the Reminder Remedy Podcast. I'm your host, Alina Conley, a personal development expert and coach. This podcast is for leaders, innovators, and culture shifters. We explore personal growth, leadership development, and the journey towards a fulfilling life. With the aim of leading ourselves to effectively lead others through insightful interviews, discussions, and inspiring stories, we unlock the secrets to a better existence and a better world, whether you seek inspiration or practical guidance, I'm here to remind you of your incredible potential because everything you need is everything you got. Let's get into it. Today's podcast episode is brought to you by Audible. Everyone is always asking me, Alina, how do you read so many books? And I have always responded, well, I finally crossed over and started adapting to audiobooks. And I do that through Audible. Audible lets you enjoy all your audio entertainment in one place. You'll always find the best of what you love or something new to discover. If you open up my audiobook library right now, you'll see that I've tuned into Dr. Ana Limbic's Dopamine. If you open up my audiobooks right now, you'll see I've tuned into Dopamine Nation, Good Insights, Essentialism, which I shared with you guys that I've reread for the eighth time, and Dr. Arthur Brooks from Strength to Strength, and the list goes on. You'll also discover exclusive Audible originals from top celebrities, one of my favorite. favorite books or my one of my favorite audio books was Will Smith's autobiography where he entertained me thoroughly every day when I was able to tune in. You'll also hear from renowned experts and exciting new voices in audio. Members get full access to a growing selection of included Members get, members also get full access to a growing selection of Includio audio. Members also get full access to a growing selection of included audio books, Audible originals, and podcasts. You can download or stream our included titles all you want. You can download or stream their included titles all you want. The Audible app actually makes it easy to listen anywhere, anytime, while traveling, working out, walking, doing chores, you decide. So as a commuting mom, as I go up and down the road, it makes those four hour drives a breeze. New members can try Audible for free for 30 days. By using my link, visit Audible trial by using my link audible trial.com/alina. Again, that's audible trial.com/alina. Okay, really quickly guys before we hop into today's episode. I need two favors from you. If you are listening right now Click that plus sign for you to follow the show. This really helps us to pop into the algorithm of other and new listeners Number two if you are not already subscribed to my weekly newsletter You are missing out Every Monday, I send out a newsletter called Monday Musings. This is where I share all of my popular links from what I'm reading, the podcast that I'm listening to, what I'm watching, uh, must haves, productivity hacks, uh, random storytelling. Um, we have been doing this for about two months now and it's been a ton of fun. So if you're not subscribed, head over to thereminderremedy. com backslash newsletter to get subscribed today. All right, we are back with yet another episode of the reminder remedy I am your host alina conley and today I am joined by the beautiful samaya gore. Welcome to the show Thank you so much for having me. I am so glad to have you Of course, I had to put on my red for the soror today. Oh Looking good. Um, but you know, I have followed your journey for You The last couple of years. And I think I came across you, of course, through your company, I had the opportunity to be a, affiliate and I just fell in love with the product. So let's get into your story a little bit. So I'm always just fascinated with, business owners and individuals in general that come out of Detroit and also Chicago. I don't know what's brewing up there in the Midwest, but it like produces some amazing entrepreneurs. So what would you say, when it comes to your upbringing in your city and that kind of Detroit hustle, how did that contribute to who you are as an individual? Ooh. Yeah. So I was actually just thinking this the other day. I was looking at, uh, Zakiya and, uh, Mia Ray and, uh, the Watch Me Melt, uh, owner. And I was like, Detroit, uh, Melissa Butler, you know, And I was like, you know, I do think there's something to that. Um, you know, obviously Detroit is not an easy place to grow up in. Um, you know, you have to always be on your P's and Q's. And also, you know, just being not just book smart, but street smart. That plays into being a business owner as well, like, you know, you have to have book smarts, but also street smarts and doing business. Um, so, um, I think that's what contributes to it. Um, and there's definitely a lot of grit that you, you know, pick up from living in, you know, Detroit in and around Detroit. So, yeah. Yeah, I love it. okay. So when we think about your story and kind of what I, what I know of it, and we'll get into, you know, more of the behind the scenes. But, you know, from what I know, Mama Four, by the time you were, you know, 25, I believe you had your master's degree, went on to work in human resources for the federal government, and then went on to be a business owner, uh, one of the first black owned supplements in a vitamin shop. And so, you know, I'm, I'm gonna selfishly start with kind of this, uh, Working mother, uh, category, right? So, as you know, I'm a mom of four and one of my biggest challenges in this season is really figuring out how to be the version of a mom that I wanna be, which is present for my kids, like helping them when they get home, you know, showing up to things. But I also know that I'm not the type of person who can just. sit at home and chill, right? Like I gotta be creating. I like to make money. And so finding a way to do that while also having a profitable business, So what was that like for you raising your kids and doing all of these things? You know, When I look back on that time in my life today, as you know, 43 year old woman, now my kids are adults. I don't, I'm like, how did I do that? Going to school, I was going to school full time, had three kids, three babies at the time, getting my degree. I got my master's by the time I'm 25 with three kids under the age of five. Um, Was also working full time, you know, it was a lot and I will say that, you know, I felt like sometimes You know, you're put into this Situations and positions that like you don't have any choice but to fight your way out of it. And you know, for me, um, I think me having my first daughter, I was a sophomore in college when I got pregnant with her and um, you know, it totally changed my life. And I tell her that it changed in great ways because it caused for me to really get focused. Right. And I felt like, you know, um, before that, you know, obviously I was still young, but I wasn't as focused. And so my children are actually, to me, like one of the biggest blessings because they are the ones that keep me motivated, like, keep me like, okay, this is, I got, this has got to work, you know, looking at me. Um, and I want to do the best for them and I want them to see the best, you know, mom that I can be. So, um, I think that, you know, we're having. Kids and trying to, you know, starting my company, my kids were a little bit older at the time. Carter though was actually my, my youngest son. He's 10. Um, he was a baby when I started my company. So, um, you know, having that balancing act between being mommy, but also business owner, you know, at times can be challenging, um, you know, especially with my, my youngest son. Um, but, you know, it's something that I think that as moms, like we just mold into, like, it's like, it's like, we just get into grind mode and we just do it. Um, I think that, you know, for me, um, I've had some challenges, you know, I've had some things that have happened, um, with being a mom and having to balance work life and mom life, um, and what that looks like with my spouse. Which can cause friction, you know, in a marriage and sometimes if you're like the busy one, the one that's gone all the time or having to work, you know, those types of things, you know, used to come up. So it's really a balancing act. That's all I guess what I want to say. Mm hmm. So talk to me a little bit about though, like those challenges, right? When I think about my listeners and this is the favorite that I always do them as I like to really pull back the layer so that we can, Think about some of the choices that we make, right, with hindsight being 2020. So with you essentially, you know, having children and now being able to see, okay, this is what it looks like to raise children, be in a marriage, have a business. What are some things that maybe you would have done differently or that if you could advise your younger self? And what I'm getting at is there are some choices that I made That I don't know that I would give the same advice to another mom, right? Like, I felt like early in my pregnancy, or not my pregnancy, early in the first part of me being a mom, I just spent a lot of time obsessing over my pre baby life, my pre baby body, my friends. And if I could have done it differently, I would have just been Fully engaged in the season that I was in because it would have just made life a lot easier, right? And so when I talk to new moms, i'm like, you know As soon as, the sooner you can embrace this new phase, the easier it will be for you, right? Um, so, what are some things similar to that, I guess, with you kind of knowing the struggle, would, do you feel like you maybe would have changed, if anything? Um, I mean, I guess, I mean, becoming a mom, a young mom, you know, I was a mom at 21. So, um, you know, looking back on that time, you know, I was just doing the best that I could do, right? And so I guess, you know, I could say, Oh, I would change this or change that. But I mean, honestly, I didn't really have a lot of choices back then, you know? You know, it was, um, phase of my life. Um, and so I guess, you know, if I think about like, what would I change? Um, I don't know. That's like a pretty, it's a hard question because I think about myself during that time. And it was like, I was doing the best that I could do, you know, maybe I did spend some time, I think, you know, after having Carter, You know, I went on, which is what's, you know, spanned into ultimately having a business. But after having Carter and I was obsessed with, you know, losing my mommy weight and getting my body back together. And then I went on this plastic surgery journey that started and I start sharing, which was this journey called Bella Barbies. And that was where everything kind of. Started in 2014. So I was obsessed, you know, during the first couple of years of his life of like also me getting myself back together. Right. I can look back on that time and say, would I change that? Um, probably, you know, probably also now that I'm a little bit older, I'm recognizing and realizing just some of the beauty of, you know, who, We are just our individual bodies. And, you know, I'm not saying, you know, I wouldn't have had my mommy makeover, but point being is, is that obsessing over like my body or picking my body apart. It's something I look at today, like, I would never want to do that to myself again. So, today I like embrace all of me. If I pick up weight, if I lose weight, it is what it is, you know? Because at the end of the day, like, life is so precious. And I think that's something that I'm also starting to, you know, realize that I'm not, I'm getting older. And it's like, it's not, you know, picking ourselves apart is not what's it. So, I guess I'm focused on that pre bop mommy body, getting myself my surgery, you know, like all of that You know, ultimately, you know, not the not the main thing that I should be focusing on at that time I know I had you think on that one, but that was beautiful advice uh because I think that it is so true that as you get older and I and I can't believe i'm in the phase of my life where I'm like as I got older right as i'm approaching 40 Um, but like I had a surgery on my esophagus last year and now I have like five scars across my stomach You And when I tell you that they like, don't bother me at all, like they literally don't, you know, um, whereas my, my first C section scar, like I was putting cocoa butter on it every day. Like I was just obsessed over it. And then eventually it just disappeared, you know? Um, and I think that to your point, there are so many, people that I've lost to health challenges. And Just recognizing that the body that we're in is just so fragile, it does give you a different perspective. And I was going to bring up the plastic surgery thing later, but since you brought it up, let's talk about it. Um, so this is something that, you know, I have heavily considered, um, pretty much, I will say that, you know, in the spirit of. Transparency, like more than likely I'll have a mommy, like once I get to a point where I feel comfortable, like basically once all my kids are body trained, it's going down. Right. But, I think that there are many times where I am on the fence because there are so many risks associated with it. Um, I think that, one of the things that. I have heard just from my peers is, the recovery, especially if you're getting a tummy tuck can be very, very hard, you know, and not just on you, but on your spouse and on your kids and all of those things. So it's a lot of things to consider. Um, but then it's also, okay, well, what is the message that I'm sending to my daughter or what is that saying about myself? And some people talk about the mental things that you deal with. Even once you get it, it's like, Oh, I hated my body before. Now I hate my scarf. So kind of talk to me about bella Barbies and that journey. And kind of what, what was your messaging to women? So, so Bella Barbies, I feel like it was a really special time. Anybody who followed that page and that community back then, um, knows that it started really from, you know, this is in 2014. This was before anyone was on social media talking about plastic surgery, you know, taboo topic. People didn't really talk about it. Um, I'm just a really open book sometimes to a fault. Um, so I was like, well, I'm just going to start a page. And I was documenting my weight loss journey. I had picked up 80 pounds with Carter and my pregnancy. Um, and I was trying to lose the weight. And then I came upon this website called real self and people were talking. Plastic surgery on real self. And I was like, Oh, I'm going to start talking about it on my Instagram page to start. Um, and it, you know, grew into this large community. Um, and one thing about the community that I always tried to stress is, you know, one, I was sharing my journey at first, but after I stopped sharing my journey, because I had my surgery. It was over. Um, several surgeries actually, but then, you know, after that it was over, um, I started, you know, one going through my own cycle of, uh, Oh, I don't really like this now. I don't like this. Oh, I got life on the back of my arms. I don't like the way this looks, you know, like just literally, you know, it goes down a rabbit hole. It can go down a rabbit hole. And one of the things that I, you know, said to myself and started saying to my community is like, This part up here gotta work, you know, gotta be fixed before you have a surgery, right? A lot of times we think that we're going to have these plastic surgeries and our bodies are going to just change totally. Um, and then we look up, you know, two, three years down the line and we Bigger than what we were before the surgery because it's like what was going on up in here, you know, we're about like, one, why are we really doing this? Two, you know, it's not just a procedure. You know, this is how my grand body complete started because I had these surgeries. I was still 250 pounds. Um, I was like, okay, this is not, you know, I was like, I mean, I have this picture on my Instagram. You can see I was like, 27 inch waist and 50 inches. Like it was crazy, crazy, very voluptuous looking. Right. But just like, girl, you not healthy. Um, and on this health journey, because you know, that's really where I should have stayed. I should have lost all the weight and then had the surgery. But I was so like I'm going to do this right now. I don't want to wait. So I'm always like supportive of a mommy makeover journey. I think it's a great thing. I'm, I'm happy that I did what I did when I do it again. but I think that's probably because of the space that I am today, you know, as a 43 year old woman, when I had my surgery, I was 33. So, um, so today I'm just like, I guess, you know, in a different space when it comes to, um, You know, even putting myself at risk, right? You know, like 43 years old, I ain't got time. Are you saying that you wouldn't have another surgery at 43 or that you would not have done it period? No, I would today, if I hadn't had it at 33 today, I wouldn't do it period. That's just, again, where I'm at in terms of you know, just recognizing and maybe, and who knows, because maybe why I'm thinking that way is because of what I went through in my surgery journey and realizing that it wasn't the end all be all realizing that it wasn't like the golden ticket. You know what I mean? Yeah. So, you know, realizing that, you know, you still pick yourself apart even after the surgery, you're all my, you know, shape the right way, you know, like stuff that happens during surgery. But it's a real thing, you know, like, okay, something look off a certain way or my scar. I don't like the scar, like you just said, and then you get obsessive about that, you know, and so I'm just in a space where I'm like, I'm just done. This is, you know, I'm, I'm doing the best I can, you know? Right. You know? Yeah. I feel like that's kind of where, you know, especially the older you get in, you know, we see a lot of women having babies later. So then it does push back, you know, these surgeries and you have to think a little, think about things differently as you get older. Right. Cause you know, you got the health challenges, but. For me, I just, I don't know. I'm going to call you when I decide though, girl. It's a great thing if you can do it again. One, it's not just like a quick fix. Two, you know, like you got to be clear on, okay, if I do have a scar or something isn't like quite the way I wanted it to be, is that going to be or am I going to continue to go down? You know, I had a breast lift Like three times in two weeks, like, because I wasn't happy. I wake up from surgery and I was like, no, my, my nipples not looking, I don't like it. And the doctor put me right back under. Now today I'm like, that was crazy. And that doctor was crazy for doing that to me. But at the end of the day, like, yeah, I just think you have to be mindful of. You know what can come with that and be ready for that. Yeah, that's excellent advice And thank you for sharing that because like you said it can be taboo even with it being um More public on instagram. I think that when it comes to A certain type of woman, right? So when you think of like, you know You're more reserved or you're more modest or you're you know Your corporate bad news that still are not really like going there, but they want to know You You know what I'm saying? Like, I think that it's a good mixture of those people on here that it's helpful. One of the things that I want to go into is, you go from building this community, and having a community that's based on, vanity and image and ultimately health, but not really health, right? And then you transition into, realizing, okay, I have to go deeper, right? I got to really honor the whole body, mind, body, spirit. And you go on this journey and then you create the supplement, right? Or you go, you, I've heard stories where you shared You know, you were at taking products from a weight loss clinic and you found like the natural version of that, right? So first of all supplements is like risky, right when it comes to business in my opinion because For me i'm a supplement girl. Like everybody knows if it's a magic pill that's gonna make me skinny. I probably have taken it, right? Um, but again, I think that something that's always worked for me is really more so um Using supplements to jumpstart whatever that healthy lifestyle is, right? So whether there's me not eating as much because of this the supplement is making me not hungry or it's Increasing my metabolism like that's why I typically have used something to enhance whatever the process is And so you'll hear from a business standpoint Create products that are around things you're already doing. Right. And so for me, I thought about like, Oh, I should create a supplement. But every time I think about that, I'm like, well, what is my shit? Make somebody foot fall off. Right. Or like, I don't want people commenting under my page saying, you know, their sister died because of X, Y, and Z. So like how, like. As a business owner, how did you have the courage to say like, okay, let me get into a space that can essentially be kind of, um, you know, it's difficult to get into if I had to, I don't know, but I would assume. No. So, I mean, that's a good question. So I will say that when I started BodyCompleteRx none of those questions came to mind. Like I wasn't like worried about, Oh, it's an ingestible and you know, you gotta be, you know, um, People are taking something that, you know, in their mouth, they're, you know, consuming something. So this don't go white. Thankfully, we've been in business for eight years, almost eight years now, so we're doing okay, but You know, it wasn't a thought of mine, and I think that's probably why You know, when I stepped into this space in the supplement industry and, um, you know, they say, you know, kind of like pioneering in this space because, you know, there were no women who look like me actually in this space when I, um, stepped into it. So when I stepped into this space, I wasn't looking at none of that. I was just looking at, I'm taking this supplement. And I want to figure out how I can create my own that's maybe a little better, you know, and help my audience I had already had this audience of women who were following for plastic surgery advice I was telling them, you know You need to lose weight before you had these surgeries because it's not it's very risky if you do it when you're overweight You know So I'm sharing with them the supplements that I have been using and every time I would share with them they would go out and sell them Oh, right. Finally, a girlfriend of mine was like, why don't you look into, you know, finding a lab and doing your own thing. And I found a laboratory in the U S you know, um, certified FDA approved laboratory, um, who was able to create what I was looking for. Um, and we just roll with it. Uh, so I would say again, um, it wasn't a thought of mine in the beginning. It is now that I look back on it and people are like, you know, you kind of was like, you know, when the first. Women to kind of step into this space, and I see a lot of other companies coming up, you know, that are held led by black women, and I'm really, you know, proud to see those companies like, because again, it was a foreign space for me. Um, and I will also say one thing about one thing about even being an owner of a successful, uh. Supplement company. We have been in business for four years when we entered the vitamin shop. Um, I still didn't feel like, you know, we had like a stamp of approval until we were in retail. Um, like maybe my white counterparts probably don't have those thoughts in their head, right? Like putting out any old kind of, you know, a lot of these supplements on the shelves are toxic, you know, like they don't have the best ingredients. And we actually, like I hired a. Black woman nutritionists formulate our formulas. So I was very mindful of everything and it's all plant based, organic. You know, you know, you say you've used the product, so you know. Um, but I still was having this, like, uh, what do they, what do they call it? Uh, imposter syndrome. Like you still a black woman in a space that normally you're not normally seen in. Are people really going to trust you? Are people really trusting your product? Does this look, you know, like questions that white people don't ask when they put out hydroxycut or anything else. Right. But, Oh my God, you just triggered me girl. That hydroxycut made me want to jump off a damn bridge. That heart rate will be pumping. I forgot I used to take that. Listen, I told you I done took everything out there. If I had a toxic like that, and I'm a black woman too, do you know how many reviews and things you would see all online? Yeah. Yeah. You know, one, I mean, I hold my brand and business to the highest standards in terms of like our formulas, you know, our business overall. Um, and so, you know, for me getting into this space, being the first to this space is something that I didn't. You know, necessarily look at when I was getting into it. It's probably a good thing, but I, you know, today it's like knowing everything I know now, like when I go back and do it all over again, but, um, but I love what I've built. I've loved, um, the lives that we've been able to impact, you know, the women that I meet. I was out, um, at a restaurant the other day and this lady, I was leaving the restaurant, walking down the street. And this lady starts running behind me with a letter and this letter and I'm with a group of friends and she was like, I know who you are. You know, I love you so much. Thank you so much. And so I opened this letter and she's literally like scribbled on a piece of paper. Like she probably asked the rest of where they got some paper and pen that basically like I helped to change her life that she lost pounds with my products and that she's been following me and she gave me some encouraging words and you know, it was just really sweet. So like those moments and even like reading reviews on our website and seeing how, you know, it's really helping our customers. I feel like, yeah, this is, this is beautiful. So, yeah. Yeah. I think that that's the beauty of, um, especially being a black business owner, being the first kind of being the first in some of these bigger spaces is it is truly hard, right? Like most of the days are not fun. Um, and I don't know if you know, but like. I started with Melissa in the lip bar in early days like from day one. I was probably one I was one of the first people that she told. And so, um, you know, I was head of sales initially. I came back in 2020 and helped her launch fast phase. And so being able to be on the scene, like I. Since then have consulted many small businesses and 90 percent of the time it is a shit show, especially as the black business owner. Like it is just not fun. Right. But then when you see the impact that you've made, right. Or like Melissa, I just, celebrated with her opening in the Atlanta airport. we had early conversations of being an airport almost a decade ago, and you meet people in the airport that are coming up to her, and it's just like incredible, right? So, like, to me, it's like twofold. but with that being said, I think that some of the challenges and some of the things that I guess working in businesses makes me have all of these, like, doubts around, like, is it gonna work? Um, is because one of the things that a lot of business owners don't think about before they start is their exit strategy. And so I work with, um, chase and their advancing black pathways group, which basically we go around and we run accelerators for, um, people that are in their growth stage. And the biggest thing that they're focusing on right now is helping black business owners think about their exit strategy, right? Because. A lot of times people wanted to retire. They don't got nobody to sell their business to. They don't have nobody they trust or they just haven't prepared for retirement. So when you think about your journey as a business owner, knowing the stress that comes with it, knowing it's your baby, but eventually, you know, you will have to retire, right? Like, what are the thoughts that go on? And like, what's the end game for you? Good question. So that's something I'm actually working through right now. Okay. Actively working through. Um, and I, I, I share a little bit of this. Actually, I did an interview with Brandy Harvey, um, a few weeks ago, that'll be airing soon and talked about this to an extent of, um, I'm in a space right now where, you know, I'm, we're almost eight years, um, in business and, um, it's been a road, it's been a journey, uh, and some challenging, um, Challenging years I've had in the past couple years now. The challenging years haven't really been on the business side. They've been on the personal side. Mm-Hmm. talk about that too. Um, went through a really, you know, rough divorce. Mm-Hmm. you know, just basically it kind of, um, changed me personally, which also kind of impacted my business because you're a business owner, you're a leader, but you're also like dealing with, you know, some, you're a human. It's a very high stress situations. Um, and that can impact your business, right? Those who work for you, you know, so, you know, there were definitely some things that transpired and, um, I went on a, I don't want to say journey, but like over the past couple of years, I've been on this, Um, personal journey, just really trying to get real with myself about like what made me happy in life, right? Like, you know, wrecks you, like, it's nothing you can do but to like pick up the pieces and when you're picking up the pieces, you gotta figure out which piece do I really want to pick up, you know? Um, I love the brand that I've built. Um, You know, we've been successful, but also it has come with its share of challenges and its share of stress. And especially in this season of business in general, I don't know if you've been paying attention, but you know, human capital is dying down. You know, a lot of, uh, venture capitalists are, you know, basically running out of funds or they're no longer making investments because a lot of companies are closing right now. Um, large companies, you know, I saw beauty bakery just recently, you know, shut down and these are very, you know, she was in over, you know, 10 different retailers, you know, large organizations and companies. Um, but the, the, the other side of that is like, you know, we're trying to run these organizations. I'm, you know, I'm a business owner. I'm trying to look at what, what my next steps will be. Um, Um, and to be honest, like I'm in a phase right now where I am considering like possibly, uh, selling. I've had a couple of conversations like about that. Um, I've had a couple of conversations. Well, not a couple of conversations. I've got a couple of conversations about selling. I have had conversations with myself on, is that even the right thing to do? Because right now the market is not that great to sell your company in. That I'm receiving or not something that I feel like is maybe worth it. So part of like, you know, maybe just pause the company for a second while I just really Get some downtime for myself, like real downtime, um, about possibly stepping away as a CEO and letting someone else walk in as CEO. So these are all different conversations and things and thoughts that I'm kind of working through, um, at this moment. Um, in real active time for sure. And I think that it's important for people to understand the landscape, right? Because we constantly have this conversation, especially over here, because I would say my audience is about 50%. small business owners, 50%, executives and corporate women. And, you know, it's always a, what do I do? But what people have to understand is that on either side, the market's going to always go up and down, right? Money's going to come and go. Like you can literally lose your job. You can literally lose your company. Right. Um, and that's not something that I believe that we can escape. And to some degree, we've done that. It romanticize the security of everything and it just doesn't exist. Right. And so it's kind of figuring out like, okay, well, what are those resiliency skills that I want to build upon and make sure that, you know, I'm creating a space where I can still have an identity beyond whatever happens to my company. Right. And so that's something that, even, going back to my relationship with Melissa, We talked about a couple of years ago, there was an article. I can't remember what cosmetic company this was. It was a white founder girl. I can't remember her name, but she had a cosmetic company. She sold it. And she basically talked about how for two years she struggled, um, because she had put her entire identity in her company. And when she no longer had it, she started to be depressed. But you know, the story goes across the board where it's like, okay, who am I without X, right? Like, who am I, if I'm no longer a mom, once my kids go to school, who am I after, after divorce? And so it's kind of like transitioning to these new identities and doing the work. to get there. And so if you could kind of just talk to us about that, because look, you, you teeing up all my questions. So it's great. Um, but you have been public about your divorce on, on social media. Um, I think again, we're in that age where either people getting married, they on their second marriage, they getting divorced, like it's just life, right? But what has that experience brought out of you, in terms of finding yourself and crafting that identity, like what does that journey look like? Oh, so that experience or not say that, that the, the, the divorce, the trauma of the divorce, you know, when, when people say like, I don't want anybody to confuse, I was happy to get divorced. I actually, You know, wanted that. Um, I was in a bad marriage, right? Um, and it wasn't healthy for me, um, to be in it any longer. Let me just say that. Um, but I didn't realize that even though you can be, you know, in a bad marriage and you know, bad things happening to you in the marriage, um, if you're the only person working and you're the only person that, you know, owns, you know, you own a business and it's doing well, that other party can literally come for you and for your company and for your business. And that's exactly what my ex husband did. Um, and so it really broke my spirits. Um, and that's another, you know, thing that I'm working through now. Like, am I just thinking about selling because you know, my spirit was broken around some things that had to do with the company and now, you know, it just feels different. You know, those are the questions that I'm currently asking myself. Um, but in terms of how the situation changed. It really caused me to pause and get real with like myself. And again, like what I was saying earlier about like what it is that really matters to me. You know, when you lose a lot, you know, I'm not going to say the number, you know, but it's a lot of money that was paid out. A lot of things happen in this situation. It's like you have no choice but to like win. Start like, okay, well, I'm at the bottom, so, you know, where I want to go from now, right? I was feeling, um, and it really started to make me see like the things that really made me happy. Um, and, you know, a lot of the things, You know, I have all the things, but those things weren't making me happy when I was going through this season of my life. I'm driving around who could care less about, you know, these cars could care less about this house, care less about, you know, a lot of different things because it was like, at the end of the day, like none of this was making me happy during that season. It was me being out. or at the park with a book, you know, that was really calming my mind and my spirit. So that's, you know, why I am Ryan. Like I would say like, you know, money don't buy everything. You know, it can make your life easier and all of those things, but also the stress that can come with some of those situations. You know, they say more money, more problems. So, um, so it changed me in those ways. Um, at first I was so like, you know, walking around like I'm selling my company for 625 million. This is the number I had in my head, you know, what's going to happen. Like I'm this, you know, these things are going to happen. I'm doing this, I'm doing that. Um, and then I was like, I don't care about that. Like that no more. Like it just, it's just a different, I Space and season, I guess, in my life and the way that I see things. And now I'm like, really just focused on. Should be a vulnerable and sharing this experience because people don't want to see and understand that as entrepreneurs like, you know, we are Navigating being leaders while also trying to navigate our personal lives and how things can happen in your person like a totally up in You know what you're doing in your business and why it's so important to take care of yourself Take care of your mental that ain't that has nothing to do with the The money in the bank, you know, that has all to do with, you know, you really getting real with yourself about what's really matters in life, family, you know, um, working on yourself to be a better person. Those are the things that drive me today. So. Yeah, that's good. Thank you for your transparency. When you think about, though, like, coming into this space where you're starting to realize the things don't matter, right, and kind of who you are, what you, what you, uh, bring to the world in terms of your gifts, like, that doesn't really leave either, right? It's kind of like you recognize the things that make you happy, but you also realize, like, I know for me, I went through a period of, you know, financial discourse and, uh, What was crazy to me is like, I didn't really feel like anything about me had changed, right? Like I was still funny. Like I was still creative. Like there were days where I couldn't get my creative juice. And yeah, we go through these depressive stage, but like fundamentally I was the same person. Right. And it really reminded me all of these extra things. Actually have no meaning because whoever I came into this earth to serve will still get served regardless of what the title says or what the company says or whatever, because. I am who I am. So when you think about, Of course, right as Somaya and I were getting into our flow, our connection dropped. So, we will continue on with our episode right here. So you, you were asking me about. My, um, divorce, um, and how that's changed me. And you were saying, you know, for yourself, um, you know, how things, some certain things that you've gone through, you know, have changed you in certain ways. Um, and I was saying for me, like, I feel like the way that my divorce has changed me is, you know, basically I had to reflect on, you know, Who I am as a person now, I think we didn't even answer this and I want to go back to this because you were saying this earlier about like your identity when you tie your identity to like being your business. Um, so I think that's maybe where we were leaving off. Um, and you were speaking about the owner of the makeup company who said she, you know, after leaving her company, she didn't have, you know, didn't know, you know, how to move on or it was just a little weird season for her. Um, and I've read so much about, or, you know, listen to podcasts. I listened to, um, my leaks podcast and she actually did a podcast specifically about that. Um, I think everybody, you know, is familiar with my leak and, um, you know, the curl box and she closed the curl box. I think. Like two years ago. Um, and so she, um, and she has a podcast where she talks about, you know, taking, I guess, some downtime, um, and what her life look, you know, what it looked like when she's not that person anymore, you know, right. It is, it is different, you know, especially in today in the climate that we live in, in social. Um, social media can be, I don't want to say so fickle, but it's like people will praise you and lift you up to the highest one day. And then, you know, if you ain't poppin no more, then That ain't happening no more. So you have to be a very, um, I feel like strong minded person, a very confident person in yourself. And I feel like in a social space, um, you know, there's, when I speak, bring up social media, I'm also thinking about like, you know, the big announcements and, you know, I went through two years where we had like a lot of, you know, we're in this store, we're doing this, Friday complete is this, this, this, this, this, a lot of sparks, sparks, sparks, sparks. And now, you know, it's more, it's less sparks, right? I mean, we're now more mature company. It's no reason to really have sparks like that unless we're, you know, entering in another store or something like that. So it was kind of like a transition of like, okay, this is a little slower of a. pace. I'm not, I'm not, I've been on this fast pace for the past few years and now this is a little bit slower. This looks different. Um, but also I feel like the slowness came probably when I needed it to come to because it allowed for me to, like I said, go on this journey for my, with myself and learn myself, um, more than what I had before. So. Yeah, no, those are great examples. And I need to go and check out, um, my leaks podcast. I'm a big, my leak fan. Um, and I have not heard that episode, but was curious, right. Because I did from the outside looking in, witness her journey of going through these different life phases, Becoming a mother, losing her mother. Seeing her sell the company, I don't know if she sold it, but, you know, got rid of the company and being curious what that has done. So when you talk about like looking inward and identifying yourself, what are some of those core things that have come up to you for you about yourself? Um, um, Some core things about myself. Um, I know that I have a really, I mean, I was a really good heart, you Something that I'm proud of. Like, you know, no matter, I've been through a lot of shitty business stuff, you know, like, and at the end of the day, like, I can close my eyes and say, like, I've been a good person in situations. Um, so those are some, you know, that's something that I've picked up on about myself. Um, you know, transitioning. Um, from this like busy phase, you know, I did go through a season of like, well, what's my self worth and, you know, thinking about my own self, but also recognizing that I am, uh, Emotionally intelligent enough to recognize that I was going through that and also say to myself, like, no, Samaya, like you are this, you know, you're this person who built this, who did this, who had those three kids and got your master's degree by 25. Like you are all these things that have nothing to do with this business. You've raised four beautiful children. You know, you have, um, your good friend, you know, like you, um, are there, you show up for your, your people, you know, like. Things that are about me that have nothing to do with me and being a business owner that I started to really identify and tap into like, Oh, this is what makes me a great person. Not because I was on Essence yesterday, but because I, you know, I'm a good mom. Like my kids, you know, they come to me and tell me like, my daughter is now 22, you know, at school in Spelman. And she called me the other day and was like, mom, like, I just want to let you know, like, you're a great mom. Like, she was like, these girls down here, I don't know who raised them. I was like, what are you talking about? But she was like, you know, I just want to let you know, you know, like, mom, you're a really good mom. And that means a lot to me, especially coming from my daughter who I raised in a time where I was just trying to figure it out myself too. Right. Um, so these are the things that. I lean, I'm leaning into right now and those things ain't got nothing to do with business, that have nothing to do with money. It has everything to do with joy, genuine joy from who you are as a person, being a good person. So I guess I hope that answers the question. No, for sure. And it speaks to the really the work that I do honestly. Um, you know, I've always kind of been called to help people on this journey of self discovery. Everybody who's listening has already heard me tell the story of how, when I was starting out. 12. I started a book club called Nia, which is the Kwanzaa Principle for Purpose. And so that has always been my interest is, getting back to self, right. And I'm in the process of writing my first book. So I'll have to look into, you know, look into you about that too. But, you know, it is really the first phase of creating like that identity beyond the things that. We have kind of built our identity and right. So for many of us, it could be, you know, Oh, whatever school you went to. And that can start young nowadays, especially here in Atlanta, where private school is big, it's like, Oh, I went to this school or, Oh, I played this sport or, you know, I had these. know, in whatever I'm doing. Right. And then it's almost like society makes you craft like these papers and papers that are supposed to identify who you are. And then you look up and you're like, half the stuff that I spent the first part of my life doing, I have no interest in like, that's what my mama liked, or that's what my daddy liked, or that's what my family did, you know? And so it's kind of doing the work to figure out like, What do you actually like to do? And then most of the times the things that come up initially are still at this conscious level, they're not deep enough to really get to the root. It's like, Oh, it's just a quick answer. And so I love how even in our conversation today, I noticed that you did take time to really think about how you want to answer it, because it, it makes me understand that you are in a season where I'm not just rattling off answers like a regular panelist, you know, and I do see that sometimes, but it's like, I want to be thoughtful about who I am right now in the sea, you know, and I think that that's good. Um, I observed that as I see that. Um, one of the things that you brought up and I want to just kind of touch on this, because in this particular season of the podcast, we're focusing on leading oneself to lead others, right? And you mentioned, while you were kind of going through some stuff personally, it impacted, work, which then means that you have to figure out, okay, how do I not only show up for myself, but show up for my team? Right. And that's something that. I personally have trauma around because I come from the direct sales world where I had, a team of 1500 people that one time all kind of pulling on me. And so when I think about building a team in this new season, it gives me sweats because people depending on me, in addition to my children and my husband and my mama, that like gives me heart palpitations because I'm like, Oh, it's overwhelming. So like, how have you found yourself having to kind of. Cultivate leadership skills in this season. Um, so I will say that initially it was hard. Um, because I am first, I'm a cancer. And if you know anything about cancer, it's like, you know, we'd like to go in our shell, right? And, and feel like we can come out, you know? Um, and so as a business owner, that ain't necessarily great because, you know, people trying to contact you, trying to put you on a meeting here and a meeting there, and you like not responding. I'm in my shell. But I had to do that because it was my way of protecting myself from, you know, maybe speaking to someone unkindly because I'm going through a situation and you know, I'm not happy today. So maybe I put that on somebody else, you know? So I'm the kind of person, like I kind of retreat in inward just because I don't want to put any bad energies on anybody else. Like if I, sometimes I disappear from social for a few days is because I ain't feeling that great. And I don't want to throw any bad energies on anybody else. I'm very mindful of that. And when it comes to like my team, you know, that was something that in the beginning, it was like, you know, they didn't understand. Cause I was like, And then one of my team members, Whitney, she was like, you know, you're tucking in. That's what I call it. She called it tucking in. So whenever I would like not be responsive or whatever, she would just be like, Oh, I know you were just tucking in. And then they kind of learned how to like manage things without me. Like, okay, like, okay. You know, she not answering it. We don't figure it out. Like, okay. Um, but, um, I recognize also as a leader that that's not really a good place to be awesome. Like you have to be there for your team. Otherwise, they're probably feeling like, well, why am I here? It is and do this. Um, so that's why it was very critical for me to go on this self discovery journey. Um, you know, because If I hadn't, then I'd be, you know, probably still tucking in and not speaking and, you know, things wouldn't be good. So, so yeah, so I guess, um, you know, this journey, this, this, this part, this season of my life, this self discovery season, I'm so self discovery. I feel like the last two years has been kind of like self discovery. So for me, like, I feel like it's been Call it like graduation, right? Because like sometimes you can stay in a loop of like trying to heal through certain things. And you just always just like, Oh, I'm reading this self help book. I'm reading this stuff. I was like, no, I'm putting this stuff to action. Like that's the thing that I'm in right now. Like I've, I've discovered who I am. I'm clear on who I am. And now I'm in the phase of making. Tough decisions based on who I know I am today. Hence the conversation of possibly selling my company because of who I am. No, I am today. Like what really matters to me, something, you know, it, those costs, it comes into question. So, yeah, that's good. I think I like that you go ahead. Oh no. And I was going to say, you know, um, we were talking about, you know, um, earlier, you know, social media is, Before social media, people make career transitions. People change their idea. You could change your mind out today. I want to sell radios tomorrow. I'm doing makeup, you know, like whatever, um, before social media, you could change without any kind of feeling of, well, this is my identity. Now with social media, it is a thing where it's like you build these personas and then when you start doing something different, people like, well, why are you making real, you know, making real videos now? Like, you know, that's not what you, that's not what you know for. And it's like, wait a minute. Like you can decide, be a comedian tomorrow if you want to be a comedian, you know, but social media has become such a space where people do want to lock you into who they think you should be who they think you are. And I'm so resistant to that, like in this season of my life, like, you know, I am who I am. That's it. You know, like, so if I decide to change and start doing something different, that's what I'm gonna do. But I think the stress that has come because of social media, we didn't have people looking every day. We would change our ideas all the time. All the time. Um, I think that one of my old mentors mentioned that to me early in my career where she was like, look, when I was growing up, we didn't like, I didn't know what other people were doing in terms of sales numbers until we got to the conference every year. So I didn't have this comparison trap. I just worked my own lane. And that stuck with me because I was like, there are so many things that we have to, um, readjust in our mind. That will make sense for today's world, right? So even I used to have a program called the cheat code and I had an entire section on social because I was like, you cannot run your business or your life based on the needs of social media, right? Because they're pushing features based off. What their competitors are doing. And it has nothing to do with you or your choices, you know? And so I think that it's something that I always say, like, my mama can't teach me how to adjust to the world today when it comes to social, because this is not anything she had to deal with, you know? So I think that having leaders like you in the, in a space where you do have influence and a large audience, you know, put up things where I think you posted the other day where somebody was like, Oh, you shouldn't post sexy pictures because it's not part of your brand. But the moment that you posted it, It was giving yes. Like I just love the look. I love the body. I love the boobs. I'm like, yes, people needs to be able to see, like, I'm gonna handle my business. But then when I go on this trip, I'm gonna have a see through cover up on just like the regular, you know? So, I mean, I think that we're, you know, liking a sense of that rebellion around, like, I don't have to be just this. And it is a, you know, figuring out as you come of age how you want to present yourself, but also being okay. You know? And also being okay with understanding the psychology of it all, right? I understand the psychology of branding and presenting yourself in such a way all the time because it, the psychology of your consumers and what, how they view you or your, your followers or whatever, I understand. I get it. Right? Yeah. It's a record. I get it. I'm just on the air on the side of like, I just want to be me. Like I just want to be me. I want to say the things I want to say. I want to post this stuff. I want to post it. I want to post a Fred Hammond song today. Cause that's what I'm feeling. And I want people to know this is the song I'm listening to right now. I want to do that and not feel like every post got to be a media. Um, you know, or, you know, me at an event, you know, like, I don't want to have to feel like that. I want people, I just want to share what I want to share. So, but I also, like I said, I get to understand and I get and understand the psychology of it all. And people that are very good at social branding themselves, they typically do really well in business too, you know, because they've sold their audience on this one ideal of themselves. But I think that there's a shift because I mean from a psychology standpoint again And this is my actually my last line I wanted to go with you is the mental health of it all right because it's like a lot of people that have the curated branded feeds are also dealing with, you know, Oh, I have to be this one person and that's not who they are 24 seven. Nobody is right. And so I think about when you look at brands like Mia Ray, you know, and Mia Ray, uh, you know, her whole brand. audience or her community is because she shared every aspect in the early days. Now, now she's, you know, gotten a little bit more curated because she's had to choose to be that way because people got crazy, right? Because people feel like they really know you when they start, you know? Right. But even with that, Like, it was based on the fact that, like, we saw Mia clipping coupons one day and then buying this, you know, building this house the next day, like, the journey was there, right? And so I think that there is an appreciation for people who have that raw sense of self. You know, that is going to be the differentiator going forward. Okay. So I noticed that, you were starting to transition into, mental health, or wellbeing for founders. Yes. talk to me about what that is, why you decided to go into that direction next. Absolutely. So what I'm now stepping into is initiative is called found in well. And this is an organization that is. to support and advocate for mental health awareness for minority founders and entrepreneurs. And I say minority because we deal with, as minorities, a different set of subset issues that our counterparts, you know, our white counterparts, Um, when it, you know, when it comes to fundraising, you know, we could be having a company that made 20 million and we can't get a million dollars with somebody. Whereas our white counterpart can have an idea and get 10 million with no proof of concept, right? Um, these are things that I've learned over the years has been being a business owner, some heartbreaking truths about certain things. Um, but then also, you know, my journey through my divorce situation and me just really coming, you know, to, to the table with myself and get real with myself about things that make me happy. What do I want? You know, what do I want to do? Um, found and well came to me. I woke up in the middle of the night one night and it just, It was in my head, found in well, and it's a, it means, you know, founder and well, you know, wellness together. So found in well, um, I was thinking of when I, when I woke up in the middle of the night and this idea came to me, um, it was like, you need to start talking about what you're going through right now. And at that time I was going, I was very, I had anxiety, a lot of depression, um, you know, I felt like I was alone and I didn't really have anybody who was really talking about some of the things that I was, you know, dealing with. I was talking, you know, working with some investors or potential investors who were kind of, you know, maybe not the right people I should've been working with. It was just a lot going on during a season where I'm also, you know, dealing with my divorce and all these things. Um, and I met someone, um, I met this woman, her name is Naila Ellis. She actually was the founder and CEO of Ellis IOT, which is also a woman from Detroit. Um, I met her, um, at an event and we clicked as, you know, just, hey, you from Detroit, I'm from Detroit. Okay, girl. Okay. We exchanged numbers, but she ended up being like my confidant and the person that, you know, I could really lean on as a family member. Founder who was telling me the real shit about what we go through as founders. You know, every day is not a sunny day, you know, every day is not a great day. And so, um, When I was like, there, you know, there's other people out here who don't have people telling them this shit that we are like really all going through the same thing. Everything is not always rosy. And I feel like once you hear somebody else say that it makes things a little bit better for you. Cause you feel like, Oh, okay. I'm not losing it. You know, like, Oh, you stressed out too. Oh, you don't be getting like sleep like that either. Like, Oh, okay. I'm not. Crazy. This is actually what is going on with founders and entrepreneurs right now, actively, and our mental health is so important as we try to juggle balancing these companies. Um, and so found in well, um, we're going to start off actually on the 13th of this month. We have our first. Um, in person talk with, uh, Everett Taylor, who is the CEO of Kickstarter. Um, and Everett is actually an, uh, a, uh, uh, uh, entrepreneur. He started several multi million dollar companies, um, I think, uh, under the age of 30, uh, which is crazy. But, um, the first conversation was Everett because Everett has been very vocal about his concerns. Journey and being a founder and entrepreneur. So I feel like it's really important that we start having real conversations, telling real stories, um, being real with each other about what's really going on in our companies. I remember talking to a friend of mine who has a billion dollar. Evaluate a company right now. And, um, I was telling this friend, you know, how I was in a tight spot at one point. Right. And he was telling me, you know, like, Oh, well I had this situation and I had to get a loan from another founder. And I was like, really? Like that's. I wouldn't think that because you know, you know, companies, we, we making millions. Yeah. But we also spend in millions, you know, we're spending a lot of monies depending on like profit margins and things like that. Like you could be making millions and still, you know, still not have enough money. Right. And so, um, you know, he shared that with me, it made it like, Oh, like I didn't feel so alone in my situation. So that's what I want the found and well platform to be is to start to really communicate and get real with some of the struggles that we have as founders and entrepreneurs. So people can relate, or maybe you might come across a post on found from found and well, maybe you might come to one of our talks, uh, but you hear something that you can walk away with and say, okay, I'm not alone in this. I'm not alone in this. Like, and then when you know you're not alone, you're nine, nine times out of 10, probably more likely to continue, you know, and to, you know, go down a path and continue down that path. Cause you know, like, Oh, these are the natural struggles that we go through. So it all kind of spanned from my own personal fallout and journey and where I'm at today and just recognizing, you know, what's really important and what I want other founders to understand that's really important, but also connecting with them and letting them know the real, what it really looks like to be a founder and entrepreneur. Yeah, I love that is really the evolution of self right. And so in in my in my model of my life crafting, you know, you kind of go through this journey of self discovery, self mastery, right? And then eventually, You're not just mastering self and kind of going through these things just to kind of hold onto that wisdom yourself. And then it's like, how do you then go wide, right? So you go deep and then you go, why, how do I impact others through my journey? And it sounds like that's exactly what you're doing, right? Like everything that you've gone through, that's really the trajectory. It's like, okay, I want to lose weight. You know, I'm sharing my journey. These are the pitfalls I'm sharing my journey. You know, now I'm creating a product. Then from the product, I've built this and then this, and it's like a cyclical nature. Like life is just like ups and downs, ups and downs, but at the core, right? So Maya, if you think about it, it's like, you are still that same person, right? That loves her, that loves your kids, you know, loves being transparent. And I think that that's the beauty that we all kind of have. It's like, Everything around us will constantly change, but how we allow it to impact us is what matters, right? And I love the fact that this next journey is essentially, you know, beauty from ashes, you know, and, and really being able to see like, okay. This is a need because it is right. And we talked about that a little bit in this episode. It's like we, we romanticize businesses all the time and they are amazing, but a lot of times most of these business owners have touched. 20, 30 different companies by the time it's all said and done, right? Because they selling, they buying, they transferring, they loaning, you know, and we just think, oh, I gotta have this one baby and that's it for the rest of my life. No, like, okay, that season is done. Great. Let's go on to the next thing. The next thing, this is based on how I'm feeling, what I know, and then go to the next thing. Um, so I just love it. This was a great conversation. We're able to get together. Um, you guys can find some Maya all across the internet. Um, what is your handle for the business? And then what's your personal? So the handle for, um, business is just body complete our X, uh, and found in well, so it's F O U N D N and then well, um, and then my personal social, it's Samaya Gore. Wonderful. Well, thank you for joining us and thank you guys for listening today. We will see you on the update. Thank you. Bye. Thanks for tuning in to yet another episode of the Reminder Remedy. Since recording this episode, Samaya ultimately decided to close Body Complete Rx. You can head over to her Instagram page where she shares all of the details, but I would love for you all to send her some kind words, comment on her post, and let her know how proud we are of her for being an amazing founder. breaking records and setting the standard for black founders in wellness being the first to be a black wellness brand in the vitamin shop and continuing to set the standard. Thank you for tuning in to get another episode of the reminder remedy. If you haven't already be sure to follow us on Instagram at the reminder remedy, as well as my personal page at Alina Conley and check out our latest workshops and resources at the reminder remedy.