"Don't come for me unless I send for you."
An ancient African proverb that Roseanne Barr had to learn the hard way after making a distasteful comment and subsequently getting her life gathered by the entire internet community.
Racism happens. We get it. But in 2018, women of color understand that the only way to resolve it is to confront it. Yesterday, in a social media rant, Roseanne tweeted that former White House aid Valerie Jarrett was a product of the Muslim brotherhood and Planet of the Apes.
The President of ABC, who just so happens to be a black woman, proceeded to get Roseanne all the way together by releasing this statement in response:
"Roseanne's Twitter statement is abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values, and we have decided to cancel her show."
Yes, you read that correctly. Roseanne thought it necessary to make disparaging and racist remarks about a black woman, and was consequently fired by a black woman. 2018 just got real.
To anyone else, this may not seem like a big deal, but black women can see the value in Roseanne's unfortunate debacle. There was no discussion, nothing needed further review, or investigation. Rosie's fate was sealed after one tweet, the poor thing.
I'm not one to relish in anyone else's misery, but doesn't it make you feel good to see a woman of color in a position of power that can incite real change? Not just "we'll take your advice under consideration" change but one creating a true evolution of societal views.
So often are we used as props or inspiration, but they had to know they f*cked up when they let us in the boardroom. Channing Dungey is proof of how important it is to have women of color in decision-making positions.
Dungey's decision was backed by a number of industry leaders including Kerry Washington, Viola Davis, Shonda Rhimes, and Ava DuVernay who tweeted in support of the show's cancelling and now reruns of the show are reportedly being pulled from other networks.
Shonda said that although it's sad that that talented actors lost their jobs, Channing made the only decision there was:
"But honestly she got what she deserved. As I tell my 4 year old, one makes a choice with one's actions. Roseanne made a choice. A racist one. ABC made a choice. A human one."
Amanda Seales even got in the mix and took to Instagram to say what we were all thinking:
I have an open mind, but I would hope we could all agree that there are some things that are not debatable, including white supremacy, systemic racism, and hate speech. But for some reason, we continue to see people of color disproportionately disadvantaged by these same issues.
This incident proves how much power there is in numbers.
Previously, black women have been silenced by their societal disadvantages and lacked a platform that reflected their realities. Women like Channing Dungey and Debra Lee fought to the top to change that, and now, we're not letting anything slide.
Featured image by ABC
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But the more the discussion progressed, the depth of that answer was revealed. Ebony opened up about how saving during the pandemic, a time when many businesses were forced to close their doors, aided her through difficult chapters. And after our authentic conversation, it made the importance of saving and business research crystal clear. Check out the convo below.
What was your journey like into money management? Have you always been good with your finances?
Yes, I learned it early. My grandparents had a construction company when I was growing up and my grandmother would teach me that with everything they worked for, she’d put 30% away. So no matter how many jobs I’ve had, once I tithed, I’d put up 30% away too. If I couldn’t pay my bills with that remainder, I’d get a second job. As crazy as it sounds, I’ve always been amazing at that.
So you’re definitely more of a saver then a spender, right?
Well, yes, but I do have a shopping addiction. But I save a lot. I’ve gone months and months without buying anything, then I’ll just go buy something big or small. But I’ve always known I still need backup plans. The beauty of having it is that you’re never trying to scramble. Even with my first property, I didn’t have any problems because my money was seasoned. I’ve always been consistent and knew a certain amount of money was going in the bank every paycheck.
Photo by Rari Filmz
Okay, so I can’t ignore the “shopping addiction” comment. Tell me about your splurge
So Louis Vuitton and Chanel are my favorites. Then I’m really big on supporting Black-owned businesses. I put that in my budget every month – sometimes a few times a month.
That’s a good one! What advice do you have for people trying to tighten up their budget?
Prioritize. When the pandemic happened, it gave us all a new outlook on life and what’s important. For example, going out to eat with my friends and family is essential. So I take time out monthly and figure out my expenses. For example, a lot of my friends are Tauruses, so that month, I need to plan extra birthday dinners. It only takes me like an hour, but it makes such a difference. People need to figure out what that looks like for them.
And what is your current final goal? Like, do you have a retirement plan?
Yes, once I get Noveau to 100 million! My biggest goal is for my team members to buy homes and establish themselves. But my end goal would be 15-20 restaurants, with five being investment restaurants. Also, of course, I want properties. I understand the importance of owning land. I think those are the main things.
Okay, so what is the worst piece of business advice you’ve been given?
Someone told me that I don’t need finances to open up a business. People say if you have a 590 credit score you can start it, but why would you do that? I mean you can do it with that score, but the interest looks way different. Build your credit first and avoid the extra costs. I used my own money to start a lot of businesses. Now when I look back I wouldn’t have even done it that way.
How would you have done it?
I would’ve used the bank's money. When you’re building your first location it can be really hard, but they do give them out. But you can’t just come in with a concept with no experience and ask for $100,000. No one will bet on that or believe in it. But if you have a concept, with a real plan and projections, start off with lines of credits. You can start small and build your business with $5,000.
Out of curiosity, what are your thoughts on investing and how do you do it?
I’ve invested in two restaurant concepts. Also, I have my own real estate investment company where we build, sell, and flip. I think investments are important to keep. Some of them require work. Personally, real estate is always key. To me it’s a safe option but they’re smart in general. That’s the only way you get to certain goals. Don’t let money sit in the bank – invest it.
Are there any unhealthy habits you had to unlearn in regards to investing or money management in general?
I had to learn to say no. A lot of times, everybody wants something. It’s hard to say no to people who are capable of doing things for themselves.
Heavy on the “who are capable of doing things for themselves.” What’s been your biggest struggle in building your business? Was there ever a moment you questioned it?
As an entrepreneur, we all have those moments where we’re ready to throw in the towel. But my biggest challenge was building a team and getting the word out there. But I also know God doesn’t make mistakes. At the time, the more I prayed and started to get to know the team, I came to the realization that I needed to let go of almost all of them. It wasn’t just about what was aligned with me and my purpose but also Nouveau.
Also, I had to separate myself and the business because I’m not going to care if they’re late three times in a row but the business will. Those were the most challenging things for me: saying no, building the right team, and separating the business and myself.
God heard every prayer though. Because now the team at Nouveau is amazing. They put all the pieces together. It’s all about praying and taking care of your people.
Finally, what does wealth look like to you?
Making sure my family is good and my mother doesn’t have to work again. Also, wealth is ensuring my team is reaching their goals. I teach my team how to save money, too. It makes no sense that I’m the only one that’s profitable. When I became a millionaire, my goal was to figure out who I’ll make the next millionaire. I want families to understand how we get here and how we stay here. Wealth is not a one-woman show.
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Feature image by Rari Filmz