We would love to hear from you! Text "BBMFAM" to (312) 300-1300.

A catering company can serve amazing food and still lose the room if the operations fall apart. We sit down with Nicole Jordan-Reed, founder of Nicole Jordan Catering in Chicago, to talk about what actually makes events feel seamless: leadership, systems, and the kind of customer service that guests remember long after the last plate is cleared. Nicole brings nearly a decade of catering growth plus a deep corporate background in consulting, HR tech, and product work, and she shows how those skills translate directly into her business.

We get into the real mechanics of corporate event catering and high-touch service: proposals, timelines, staffing, logistics, and why Nicole treats every event like a project with a start, middle, and finish. She then shares a teachable moment from a 7 AM breakfast delivery. If you’ve ever wondered what operational excellence looks like behind the scenes, that moment tells it all.

We also go deep into practical ways to use AI in a food business to improve speed, clarity, and scalability, from SOPs and workflow documentation to recipe scaling and menu development. Finally, we zoom out to the bigger mission: why Black-owned businesses matter, how Black businesses function as local economic engines, and what it takes to build companies that create good jobs, stronger benefits, and more freedom for our communities.

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To connect further with me:
Visit my website: Thel3agency.com
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Be sure to follow our podcast on Instagram. I can't wait to see you join us and take the pledge of #blackbusinessesmatter

We would love to hear from you! Text "BBMFAM" to (312) 300-1300.

A lot of products claim to be “game changers," but this one is literally patented. We’re sitting down with Cecilia Towns-Scott, a south side Chicago attorney, founder, wife, and mom who spent ten years building Honor, a sustainable period and bladder leak brief designed for how life actually moves. Her innovation is simple to understand and hard to pull off: a reusable product with a removable liner, so you can swap a fresh one fast instead of feeling stuck all day.

We talk about the real mechanics behind product development: trial and error, fabric testing, feedback from friends, funding wins and funding droughts, and the quiet moments when quitting feels logical. Cecilia also breaks down why “Honor Your Flow” is bigger than underwear. Menstrual health is tied to stress, food, movement, and the other 21 days around the actual menstruation, and the brand’s mission is to replace embarrassment with education and confidence.

Then, we zoom out into entrepreneurship strategy. Big box retail sounds like the dream, but retail readiness is a money and logistics game with pallets, shelf space fees, and inventory risks most people never hear about. We unpack why community partnerships, direct-to-consumer sales, and owning your IP first can protect both your margins and your mission. If you’ve been pushed out, laid off, or underestimated, Cecilia’s advice is clear: "get mad, then build."

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To connect further with me:
Visit my website: Thel3agency.com
Connect with me on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thel3agency
Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/larvettaspeaks/
Connect with me on Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/company/thel3agency
Be sure to follow our podcast on Instagram. I can't wait to see you join us and take the pledge of #blackbusinessesmatter

We would love to hear from you! Text "BBMFAM" to (312) 300-1300.

The work keeps changing, the tech keeps changing, and the expectations on leaders keep rising, but nobody tells you what to do with the human side of it. I’m joined by Laura E. Knights, LCSW, an executive coach and leadership strategist, to talk about what it really takes to lead and grow as a Black professional and as a Black entrepreneur when AI is moving fast and workplaces can feel intense, messy, and sometimes downright traumatic.

Laura shares how her early entrepreneurship started with tutoring, invoices, and family examples of relationship-driven sales, then expands into what it looks like to take your identity as an entrepreneur seriously. We also get practical about AI in the workplace: how tools like ChatGPT can create efficiency for a small team, and why “use it now” without AI governance, ethical guidance, and legal guardrails puts leaders and employees at risk.

We also go straight to the leadership tension so many Black women leaders face: moving from technical excellence to strategic leadership. We break down why being the one who always executes can block the next promotion, how “pet to threat” shows up through ageism and workplace dynamics, and why boundaries at work are not optional if you want long-term performance and well-being. The bigger takeaway is simple: headwork and heart work have to grow together if you want real influence.

If this conversation hits home, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review so more people find Black Businesses Matter.

Support the show

To connect further with me:
Visit my website: Thel3agency.com
Connect with me on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thel3agency
Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/larvettaspeaks/
Connect with me on Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/company/thel3agency
Be sure to follow our podcast on Instagram. I can't wait to see you join us and take the pledge of #blackbusinessesmatter

We would love to hear from you! Text "BBMFAM" to (312) 300-1300.

A website can look perfect and still do nothing for your business. That’s the problem we dig into with Lenora Blackamore, CEO of Mecca Marketing Group Incorporated, a Black-owned marketing and web development firm with deep roots in digital technology going back to the 1990s. We talk about what separates a site that simply exists from an online presence that actually drives leads, sales, and long-term growth.

We get practical about the modern small business tech stack: why a CRM matters, how Go High Level can replace a pile of disconnected subscriptions, and where AI fits when you want speed without losing strategy. Lenora explains her real process, from one-on-one discovery and website audits to building a stronger foundation that can scale. We also get into content management, why “content is currency,” and how storing and organizing your assets saves you time and keeps your marketing consistent.

Then we widen the lens to community impact. We share thoughts on social media marketing, why it’s still powerful, and why kids under 15 or 16 shouldn’t be navigating that world unchecked. We talk mentorship, tech exposure in schools, and what it takes to keep our communities growing. Lenora also reflects on working at Johnson Publishing Company and what Ebony’s digital pivot teaches every entrepreneur about innovation and leadership.

If you’re building a Black-owned business, growing a brand, or trying to modernize your marketing systems, this one is for you. Subscribe, share this with a business owner who needs it, and leave a review so more people can find these stories.

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To connect further with me:
Visit my website: Thel3agency.com
Connect with me on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thel3agency
Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/larvettaspeaks/
Connect with me on Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/company/thel3agency
Be sure to follow our podcast on Instagram. I can't wait to see you join us and take the pledge of #blackbusinessesmatter

We would love to hear from you! Text "BBMFAM" to (312) 300-1300.

The South Side story most people never hear is the one built on ownership, pride, and neighbors choosing each other on purpose. We’re joined by Ghian Foreman , President and CEO of Emerald South Economic Development Collaborative, to talk about what it really takes to generate community wealth in Chicago’s Mid-South Side and why the economic ripple effects around the Obama Presidential Center have to land beyond a single campus.

We get into his path from early real estate investing and corporate mergers and acquisitions to leading mission-driven work where breaks down how leadership changes when you’re accountable to a community, why planning high matters, and how mentorship can’t stop at “my own kid.” If we want safer neighborhoods and stronger Black entrepreneurship, we have to share information, open doors, and treat young people like the future workforce and founders they already are.

Then we zoom out to the tools shaping what comes next: AI, technology adoption, and the practical skills needed to stay competitive while closing the racial wealth gap. We also talk about the emotional side of building in real communities including trauma, therapy, and what it means to redefine wealth as health, relationships, and collective wins. You’ll hear concrete examples like vacant land activation strategies that reduce violence, plus why Black businesses matter through cultural competence, local hiring, and an ecosystem that finally gets to be in balance.

Subscribe, share this with someone building something, and leave a review so more people find these stories and put them to work.

Support the show

To connect further with me:
Visit my website: Thel3agency.com
Connect with me on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thel3agency
Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/larvettaspeaks/
Connect with me on Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/company/thel3agency
Be sure to follow our podcast on Instagram. I can't wait to see you join us and take the pledge of #blackbusinessesmatter

We would love to hear from you! Text "BBMFAM" to (312) 300-1300.

A tiny restaurant can hold a whole neighborhood together if the intention is right. We’re back in the studio for Season 11, and we’re joined by Chef Chloe Gould, the owner of Dixie Pura Kitchen, a Black-owned restaurant tucked into Chicago’s Bronzeville community. Chloe doesn’t just cook, she translates. Her “Southern meets Southeast Asian” approach turns familiar comfort into a cultural bridge, and the dining room feels like home on purpose, right down to the photos on the walls and the conversations that make guests forget the clock.

We go deep on the story behind the name Dixie Pura, how Singapore shaped her palette, and how grief, a kidney transplant, and personal loss reshaped her relationship with food, work, and joy. Chloe also breaks down what people rarely see: the kitchen ladder from prep to line cook to sous chef, the business math behind food costs, and the reality of running service with a lean team while still protecting the guest experience.

Then we get practical and timely about technology in restaurants. What happens when robots deliver plates, staffing stays unstable, and AI tools become the “extra set of hands” small businesses can’t afford? We talk sustainability, training costs, and why human touch still matters, plus a bigger community play: how collective buying power could help Black-owned restaurants protect margins without cutting corners.

If you’re planning a Chicago food trip, looking for a Bronzeville gem, or building a business and need a real founder story, press play. Subscribe to Black Businesses Matter, share this episode with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find these stories.

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To connect further with me:
Visit my website: Thel3agency.com
Connect with me on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thel3agency
Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/larvettaspeaks/
Connect with me on Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/company/thel3agency
Be sure to follow our podcast on Instagram. I can't wait to see you join us and take the pledge of #blackbusinessesmatter

We would love to hear from you! Text "BBMFAM" to (312) 300-1300.

AI is loud right now, but Kim Rudd is clear on what still wins: imagination, systems, and real service. We’re sitting down with the CEO of Rudd Resources to unpack what it takes to grow a sustainable communications agency, especially when your work is rooted in Black community impact, cultural perspective, and relationship-based client service. If you work in PR, marketing, storytelling, brand strategy, or strategic communications, you’ll hear yourself in this conversation.

We talk about Kim’s early path and how “being nosy” becomes a superpower in journalism and business, then we trace the leap from owning Curves fitness franchises to building a professional services firm. Along the way, we get practical about the messy middle: pricing the intuitive value you bring, hiring so the business can outgrow the founder, and documenting your process so quality is repeatable. Kim also shares how she thinks about collaboration and proximity, why scarcity thinking blocks Black entrepreneurship, and how changing perspective literally changes narrative.

We also go there on tech. AI can help, but it cannot replace trust, creativity, or the human talent clients are actually paying for. We close with what civic engagement and board service can do for your social capital and your business, plus why Black businesses matter to the economy, to our neighborhoods, and to the joy and excellence we bring every day. Subscribe, share this with one person building a business, and leave a review so more listeners can find Black Businesses Matter.

Support the show

To connect further with me:
Visit my website: Thel3agency.com
Connect with me on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thel3agency
Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/larvettaspeaks/
Connect with me on Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/company/thel3agency
Be sure to follow our podcast on Instagram. I can't wait to see you join us and take the pledge of #blackbusinessesmatter

We would love to hear from you! Text "BBMFAM" to (312) 300-1300.

We kick off Season 11 by naming the changes we’re making across our agency and our show, and why pivoting can be a sign of strength. We unpack what sustainable growth really looks like for Black founders, from systems and tools to community support and long-term legacy.

• Season reset and why pivoting yields profit
• L3 Agency evolution, BBM Mag expansion, and advertising opportunities
• Sustainability over scalability, founder control, and operational systems
• Grief, leadership and how community keeps us moving
• New CRM workflow, efficiency plus effectiveness, learning new tech
• Practical AI use with Gemini and a clearer tech stack
• Social media strategy, converting followers, auditing platforms, avoiding trend chasing
• Energy efficiency and sustainability work as part of our next chapter
• Why Black businesses matter, mentorship, jobs, and broader economic impact
• Social capital, patience and building relationships over time
• community feedback, better hours for brick-and-mortar, and celebrating the positive

I hope that you will rate us and that you will share this episode with a friend, with a colleague, that an ally.
All I ask that you share it with someone who you think could find value in this.

Support the show

To connect further with me:
Visit my website: Thel3agency.com
Connect with me on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thel3agency
Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/larvettaspeaks/
Connect with me on Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/company/thel3agency
Be sure to follow our podcast on Instagram. I can't wait to see you join us and take the pledge of #blackbusinessesmatter