Create 7 Streams of Income: Derrick Faulcon’s Blueprint for Hustling, Business & Taking-Over NYC

26:08Now I try to sell bundles of body wraps. Just focus on the donuts, get seven streams. And if those seven things could just make me a thousand dollars a week, that's$2 million a year. That was it for me. If I made $2 million a year, I know I could easily live in a$2 million house. I know I could easily afford a$4 million house with a mortgage. So I count my life out by saying, if I can just take this and get there. So think about that one lady who got that salon who making$3 ,000 a week and her goal was$9 ,000. Just get two more salons. Don't try to be a DJ on the side or don't start selling dinners or plates.

26:44Get two more salons. It might take you longer. We vastly underestimate what we can accomplish in the long run, but we always overestimate what we can accomplish in the short run. My marathon been going on six years. I've been doing it. I started 10 years ago, but I got it though see that's where i'm at with it i got it i'm not in a position where i got a bunch of debt i don't owe a bunch of people and i could control it so any given moment i could activate the seven streams and as long as i now maintain it which is a different mindset i can always have the option to perpetuate it but what we got to understand is black people is that yo listen sit down and focus on maintenance got people who want to do a podcast they want to dj and they want to do hair figure out the djing first whatever's going to make you the most money then i always tell another person this.

27:31Once you get over the good luck, you get some good money, right? Stop focusing on everything that you're specifically passionate about. Focus on what's going to bring that number in. That's what white folks do. They're not passionate about owning 3 ,000 buildings. Trust me. They know that that portfolio won't get on what they want out of life. So it's about giving it everything you got and it'll give you everything you want. And then also, so when you came, first time you talked about even having multiple streams off of one business. Yeah. So it's like, as far as a restaurant, You could cater.

28:01You could have Uber Eats. You can have a cooking show. So let me break down the sub streams that I got. So this is how my industry works, right? Typically when you see a donut shop, you're thinking they make the most money from a person walking in and buying a donut. Not me. We get our money from brand collaborations. They're at the top because we can be our natural selves and the company will give you a bag, right? And after brand collaborations, we got what we call corporate pickup and drop off, where a company can call us and they can establish a weekly catering. Not an annual catering, but a weekly catering.

28:30So it's like a subscription package. After the catering, we also got the truck. With the truck events, we could do private events, so we could also pull up with the truck and do street vending. After the truck events, we got people walking in the store. Then we still got the seven strings, where we educate people about all the things that we've done. And then on top of that, we got digital product that we can ship. That's six strings within one string. So now it's a domino effect. And I'm telling you I don't make a lot of money off of each stream I make a little off of each stream I might get one catering a week But that's$1 ,000 People might come into the store this weekend But that's$3 ,000 I might get a brand that called me and give me$10 ,000 And what I do is I combine all of that And I accumulate wealth And I stay in my lane So Again, you've done this In a real meticulous way But you haven't done it alone I wonder at times Like I said We've had a relationship For six years And so I've been privy enough To have some of these Conversations that In the times When it's rough In the times When it's great It's still you Until you find somebody That you can share This passion with So talk about that process Because the people That you grew up with Your family members They're not seeing this The same way you're seeing this In fact You're accustomed To a certain life Coming from the communities That we come up in But you've kind of decoded the matrix and made it out of there.

29:54Talk about going on this journey, not doing it by yourself, but leaving some of the people that you obviously grew up with and family members behind on this path. You all alone. Especially if you're gray and you're black, you're definitely all alone. So, for me, I was on my journey for a while by myself. And after, you know, because I come out of the street, so the people that I came out of the street with, they laughing. You're doing something on breakfast. It's like, I got a phantom. I got a cullinant. You know what I'm saying? Like, what are you doing? They couldn't really understand the transition.

30:26And I was all alone for quite some time. And then my best friend, he got indicted. And I just really felt like it was a singular journey. But my life changed. I was lucky enough to meet somebody who stride for stride with me. And in a lot of instances, a stride in front of me. And me and Zodito really transitioned my life. Because if I hadn't met her, because I'm going to tell you like this. Fuck everything else I got broke I went broke I was broke Because you gotta think about it like this It was cyclical I always had a store that I was opening Right I always had a store that I was working on And then I had a store I was maintaining So I was running through this three phase economic plan That at times if one egg didn't work The other two eggs are cracked So just imagine I got the brunch I'm buying the donut shop Now all the money I make from the brunch Gotta go into the shop So I don't got no money Then as soon as I get the new donut shop open, I'm looking for another shop.

31:21So I always had the brunch that I had to maintain, the new shop I'm opening, and then I'm looking for one, right? So me and her, it really helped balance my mental more than even my economic because now you have another person who's equally invested, who you can give some of the weight to, and who shares the same journey and the same path with you. So that really helped me. And I would encourage all couples or any type of relationship, your best friend, the person who are around you to build with those people, because those are the people who know you best and you can build a journey with them.

31:55So that was really an eye opener for me. Finally finding somebody who understood that. So she came into the brand in 2019 and the primitive stages of the brand just helping me while she maintained her job as a teacher. But it was always my goal for us to work together. I mean, it just made perfect sense for us to be able to build one another. And she's brought contrast to my life and more specifically to the business that has helped propel me to this space. Well, speaking of your partner, let's bring her on. Let's bring her on. Yeah, let's bring her on. Yes. Thank you for having me. Oh, thank you.

32:33Thank you. Thank you for all of this. where does the journey start for you when you're watching this entrepreneur for Baltimore who's just sliding in DMs yeah yeah um so when I met Derek I remember our first phone call and we literally were in constant communication ever since we met and then we met actually on March 20th 2019 so that's where I feel like the love story really happens because I don't remember like going home after that. I feel like I went like maybe on a Thursday and I stayed till Sunday. I fell in love with him partially because of homemade brunch. Like he was feeding me all the food.

33:16And that was a really, it was a really beautiful space to not only meet the man himself, but learn about him through design, through food, through the story. So we met March 20th, 2019, and we've been together ever since. And it's been quite the journey. It has been quite the journey, but it's been worth it. I mean, I've always wanted to. I'm someone that loves to be challenged. You know, I get bored easily. This is not the space where you get bored at all. You're constantly, you know, on your toes. Something's in motion. Something is happening. But more than anything, like, I've grown so much as a woman because of the man that I'm with.

33:59I think Derek is beyond just, you know, like my partner in life and in the business. He's also like a tremendous mentor, you know. So all the gems that you, you know, people get to hear him drop and stuff like that's literally like our home life. Like he talks to me the same way he talks to y 'all, you know, and and I'm really empowered by that and I'm really inspired by him. It's a lot. It's a lovely a lot. Yeah, yeah. So if you guys didn't obviously catch it, they're not only business partners, but life partners as well. Yeah. So yeah, a lot has changed since the last time that we spoke. Yeah, definitely.

34:34We're saying last time. It was in the boat. It gave me a lot of time. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So a lot of people, you know, they relate to your story because, you know, you're a hustler. Yeah. And, you know, you give inspiration as far as like people that's trying to figure it out, right? so how has being in a relationship changed help you know modified your situation because when you're hustling you by yourself you know it's 24 hours a day you answer you don't answer to anybody but when you're in a relationship obviously there is changes and compromises right so how how has that you know been for you as far as that hustler mentality yeah shit real i mean like You got to realize like this, right?

35:15So when you focusing on yourself, shit can seem so easy. You're like, yo, I know if I go, I can get a meal for one person. If I wasn't spending this amount of money, if this didn't happen right. And then you go through the mindset of like, all right, am I ready to be in a relationship right now? What do I look like? And then coming from the streets, you see all the dirty shit. So you see niggas go to jail, their girl don't take care of them. You see people cheating and all that type of shit. But one thing I knew about me was like, I'm a real man. You feel me? So I felt like if I bring any type of plan to a real woman, we going to build a real thing.

35:52And I think like that's what really was the difference. And like what I mean by that manhood is like, is it times where a nigga like, nah, man, I wish I was by myself. Like, yeah, early on, not now, but early on. Because, you know, what you're going to deal with as a man is you're going to be mentally fucked. You're going to be mentally fucked. I mean, when you have your first kid, you might deal with the anxiety. Like, was this a good move? I can't afford a mortgage. You know what I'm saying? So I went through all the ups and downs, bro. I went through all the ups and downs, the long walks. I used to work out a lot.

36:23But Zody was always certain that it would pan out for us. And I always believed that if we did right, we would get right. It definitely was different for me, but it's the best decision. So when I always tell people, let your next move be your best move. That was my best move by far. being in a relationship with her and deciding to build a brand with her because I couldn't have done it otherwise. And then I think I always been lucky, whether it was indictments or being in the streets, God always threw me a bone. Like, yo, you know, you're going to be down, but I ain't going to let you get too down.

36:56So like I was telling you, like, yo, when I had... By the time I met y 'all, I was fully legal. Like, I might do little shit, you know, motherfucker, buy a food stamp. You know what I'm saying? You know what I'm saying? I was fully legal. so being fully legal I kind of was lucky because I came from the streets and I started this brunch and it immediately hit but like when we got to New York and we started building the donut shops and that recipe that I had that I thought was so functional at Baltimore I hit a curve and if it wasn't for Zodichu I wouldn't have gotten through that not only mentally but just more or less like having somebody that I could venture like I might be dealing with some issues with construction or with a landlord and like i can't call my man phone it's tat proudly or he probably in the mix you know i'm saying i can't go to a working man he's still like he complaining about his boss and shit i'm like i just lost 250 bands fucking with this store it still ain't open yet but she could understand because she helped me work for that she saw me spend that you know i'm saying was real so like i think like what i always tell guys when it comes to um life in general is that There's a few decisions that men have to make.

38:08And it's the work that we decide to do, the place we decide to live, and the woman we decide to choose. And if a man even get two of those three things, he could win. Even if you don't got the woman and you're in the right place and you're getting some money, you feel confident. Like, yeah, I know I can find the right woman on position. You see what I'm saying? If you ain't got no money but you got the right woman and y 'all own the right thing, you feel like I'm going to get some money. so it was really all about like yo i had gone through so much being an inmate being in the ghetto being in the trenches i knew what the bottom looked like i knew what the middle felt like and i knew what the top looked like so like when we go through our shit i serve as a mentor to her like she said because a lot of things i'm experiencing she she a lot of things we're experiencing she never saw so i'll be like i'll be knowing like yo look we right open up the store we're gonna be broke we're gonna be fucked up and she might be always happy like what's a new story they're going to come like man listen check this out we're going to be broke for a while you know i'm saying i think women naturally have a nurturing quality and they're very optimistic and i think as men we focus on more practical approach and what's realistic so i really it was really just about doing my numbers on our relationship i think as men we calculate things like you calculated you you're going on a date you're seeing where they work how many people they know who they slept with do they know your friends you know i'm saying you you calculate and And you downloading all the data.

39:28And every time I downloaded my data, she was 100%. That's a bar. Never trust nobody you ain't been broken. You know what I'm saying? I mean, it speaks to the beauty of relationships and growth. And there's a contrast here, right? Like, I've known you and I've known Zodi. I had the pleasure of meeting her a few times. But there's a contrast that works. Even from the standpoint, I love that you're using the word brand, right? Because a lot of times we won't support something because it's Derek's. But we might support homemade because we don't know who it is. In fact, we didn't even know who he was until we got to homemade and we got to taste the food.

40:01So the product spoke for itself. Now building Cloudy Donuts in the beginning stages, it was like, it's the donuts, it's the product, it's the product. I see you now more forward facing as almost like the face of the brand or maybe the spokesperson for the brand. Talk about that journey and understanding like, you know, that might not be his strength. So it has to be mine. You know, I think that even going back to your point and to answer your question, Derek, when you were like women can be much more service based and optimistic. I think that also we can be like it's not necessarily optimistic as much as it's like I know I have to make a way.

40:37So a man will have a plan and a woman just has the innate feeling that like I've got to figure this out. I have to make this work. And, you know, I think that with Cloudy Donut, we definitely led with the product You know, the revamp of the page when we first started, it was all donuts, right? And then we saw over time, because I did come with that community aspect Because it's near and dear to who I am We started to show more people And then we saw the engagement on the page grow A lot of people wanted to see reflections of themselves And then over time, we would see when people come into the space And I'm working the front of the house I've always explained our dynamic as Derek builds the world and I bring people into it.

41:17So if you come to Cloudy Donut, you will probably see me. Every store that we've opened, I've managed and maintained the front and I'm typically working the space. You know, so we are literally like in my home right now. Like this is my little oasis. And we saw that people were, regardless of what it says that Derek is, which is true, Derek is the founder and CEO. People romanticize the idea that this is my shop. So it's like, you're the owner. And we decide, okay, I'm not going to keep going against the grain. If you see articles, I'm the owner. I'm the operations manager. I've made up so many titles within this role because both he and I know what we're here for.

42:01So it's not about a title. It's not about how I'm presented, but it's what I represent, which is us. You know, so when they come into the space and they think I'm the owner, they've seen that and they feel really good about that. You know, so for us, it's really just been about how can we sell our product, maintain quality, stand on who we are and provide the customer with an experience over time? I mean, that changes a lot. People are, you know, as you mentioned earlier, like one of our friends told us we're transitioning more into like a retail space of like people just want to see what they want to see, when they want to see it, you know, what's convenient for them.

42:39But it's been a beautiful thing to be on this journey with someone who has truly allowed me the space and the grace to be exactly who I am. And a lot of that come from this, right? So I'm going to just give it to, you know, I'm talking to the guys right now. A lot of that come from this. We have mutual and individual goals. So that don't get that. We can't get that screwed up. So like, for example, We have a mutual push that's bigger than Cloudy Donut, and we have individual goals that's bigger than Cloudy Donut. So people don't understand that what really pushes the shop is the individual and mutual goals that we have, and that is to become financially independent, to get to a space where there's a level of wealth that can support us in our personal lifestyles, and then also to transcend the narrative of what has existed in our families for generations, which is, in my case, drug abuse, neglect.

43:31growing up in households where I didn't have access to certain type of resources or capital. That's what really pushes. What really brought me and her together was like, listen, I give it to her like this. Listen, if we push this shit and we get on, whether we together or not, we both on. I've seen it with Hov and Dane. Regardless of how they feel about each other, they both rich. What you decide to do after that is up to you. You know what I'm saying? It's the same thing in your case. you can't reverse those followers y 'all got you can't reverse those festivals and those episodes and i think that a lot of our people are living in the head of well if i give this person my all what if it doesn't work out right right so like our whole thing was like listen do it make sense for us to work together and can we push the brand and ourselves further individually and collectively i'm not in a space as a man like yo if she leave or she not in a space or if i leave It make perfect sense She can't take the followers that she got me I can't take back the donuts that I made So you have to now focus on An agenda that's really clear But also more specifically really purr You see what I'm saying?

44:40So everything that I ever did And I'm going to be honest with you I'm a man, I make mistakes But everything I ever did with anybody was always purr Shit might not have worked out Might have went bad It was purr So our relationship is purr I think people see you and they want to be like Well, you married and say you're going to be with me 100 years or else I ain't doing the admin. Like, yo, all right. So if you don't do the admin and I keep working at Amazon and you keep working at UPS, how that shit look? You know what I'm saying? So like snap out of it. So I always tell our people these three things.

45:10Enough is enough because we don't have enough. And what I mean by that is, yo, enough of the bullshit. Enough of the back and forth because we already grew up without enough. So now you get to a place where it's house money, right? What is it for me As a 30 something year old black man And an early 30 something I mean 30 something year old black woman For us to get together And try and make this shit shake I've been trying to make shit shake With niggas that I knew my whole life It ain't happen So a lot of us We become Especially now In a time where mental health is so So amplified We oversensitize things And we like Yo oh but if it don't work If it don't work Bitch you still broke You been broke Yeah And I think And I think also like To an emotional part of that because I think you do speak from a space of logic, which is why you specifically, like, when you're talking, you speak to, like, the black man, right?

45:58But I think that when a woman hears what you're saying, it's also important for her to understand, like, like you said, like, you have to, like, I had to have, I had to come into my way of, like, what am I doing this for outside of I love this man? Because that's how I came into it. Like, I love you, you're doing this thing, this sounds great. And I didn't really think long-term about, like, how I was going to dedicate basically my early 30s to this brand. I wasn't really thinking about that. I wasn't thinking about the sleepless nights or going broke and all of these different transitions that we had.

46:32And over time, I really had to sit with myself and say, okay, what do you want out of this? Because I can't equate my happiness to how he feels or what we do together. And I think that a lot of times, as women, we have this ideology that like, well, we're in this together, we're doing this together. and that's a beautiful thing, but you have to find your way. Like, you have to find yourself within that way or else you will get lost. You will have resentment, you know? And so there were times where, you know, we were like, maybe this doesn't make sense for us, but I damn sure wasn't ever leaving the brand.

47:07It's just like, this is it. Yeah, which sounds like our personal relationship have been rocky or we, because we run into a lot of obstacles, right? So it's not like the business, the business might be fucked up. I might be like, man, shit, I don't know. You know what I'm saying? Like, listen, you just focus on your job and focus on mine and we can get back to the relationship later because you in that dark place. Right. But like I said, she not leaving the brand because she thinking like, I'll help you build this shit. And like we not outside of the relationship. Like I'm not outside dating nobody or thinking of nothing like that.

47:38I'm building. Yeah. And I just feel like that everything that we built have been mutually beneficial for both of us, no matter how it goes. It's a super win. So even the way in which we interact and engage, I don't have a problem taking a backseat on the founder title or none of that shit. I'm trying to win. Whatever. However I got to look, I'm always like, I quit myself like Dennis Rodman. Most people are not going to like me, but I'm going to give you 19 boards. And we're going to get the W. There's a piece there, right? Because you say sometimes the business isn't working. I know you're in education.

48:11where you when did it become full-time entrepreneurship full-time as cloudy donuts or was it like hey i gotta keep this this job until i can make this a full-time thing because sometimes you gotta make that sacrifice and look at my superpowers and like hey i'm great at this here's what i could bring to the business in due time was there a plan to strategically step away there was a plan you could you could tell the plan i'm gonna give it to you yeah yeah yeah It's COVID, right? Boom. She teaching on my iPad. She teaching. Because we never, to be honest, I never wanted a dynamic where a woman had to work with me.

48:46I kind of thought I was going to be up, and then there was this soft life where she could support me. You know what I'm saying? So the first year and a half, she worked, I say a year, not even a year, maybe a year. She kind of helped sporadically, just wanting to help for free, and was doing her thing. So COVID hit, and she a teacher, you know, D.C. Teachers don't make much, as y 'all know, right? So she's probably making about 60. Yeah, and I was a theater teacher. So before COVID, so basically my entire educational career was teaching creative writing and theater. When I first met Derek, I was teaching seventh middle school.

49:19So seventh, six, seven, eight. Seventh grade was wild. And I was like, these kids are wild. Wildest age group is middle school. Wild. I was like, what's happening? So what I decided to do - I know, remember I used to tell, let me come up there and talk to him. Yeah, he used to always, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yo, they used to fry me and everything. I'd come into the school. They'd be like, yo, what you got on? Like crazy, crazy, crazy. And then I also looked super young. So like no one really took me seriously. I'm teaching an elective. You're not getting a grade for it, you know, whatever. And I never was a teacher that raised my voice.

49:52And whenever I was wrong, I would apologize or hold myself accountable, which is what they weren't used to seeing from adults. Okay. So I was like, all right, seventh grade is crazy. I want to kind of reverse. So I decided to go into early education because I really wanted to understand the psychology of like, how do we get here? Like the formative years. So I was already Derek and I had been dating for like a few months. And that's when I was teaching preschool. And then I'll never forget, actually, the weekend before the world basically shut down, Derek had come to pick me up on like a Friday from Baltimore, like late at night.

50:30and I was just like, I'm going to call out. I called out Monday, but everything was shut down. So now we fully transitioned to Zoom. So this is where we're on Zoom the whole time. Yeah, no, so she on Zoom. And me, I tell you, I'm a realistic person. So I go over the numbers like, all right, so you're making like 60. You bring it home like 40. That's 800 a week. You catching Ubers to go to meetings. You got to pay for food, all this type of shit. So her net was like$250,$300 a week. So I'm like, hell no. I can't. I could pay you that. So she was on a lunch break, and it was like a small room that the teachers ate in.

51:08And I was like, look, I went over the numbers. You shouldn't be working there. And she said, well, why? I said, let me show you what you're dealing with. So basically, you make$15 ,000 a year. You could come with me. We could double down on what I got going on, and we can go to the moon. I showed her the numbers. It took two minutes. She got off the lunch break and put the two weeks in. Yeah. Immediately, yeah. And see, a lot of people looking for that play. So you got to understand, at that point, my debt to income ratio was like 10%. So I'm taking home 90 % of my income. I own the building that I had.

51:41I had the brunch. I had two trucks at the time. And I lived in an apartment where I can afford to pay my bills for the year. So it gave her enough foundation as a woman. And I was serious about myself. 800 credit score. All of that, right? I ain't had no mess. We never had no mess. women calling, none of that. I don't got no kids, none of that. I don't drink, I don't smoke, none of that. So a lot of times, and the reason why I have to give you that context, because other guys will see it and be like, I don't know how my girl ain't do it. You got to get your shit together. And also, I guess, in that transition period too, I was one year sober.

52:14So I had just became newly into my sobriety. I'm seven years sober now. And I was already also in a space of transition for myself. So I would, he was in a pivotal space where, you know, he was a very serious and sure man, but I was also a woman who was ready for something new and something different. And I was really stepping into that way. And I didn't really know what that looks like for me. So I was just kind of like, all right, well, let's see. And Derek put me on, um, pre-order and, uh, social media. And he told me years later, he put me on social media cause I was always on my phone, which was very smart.

52:55Yeah, use your pieces, right? Keep it natural. Yeah, yeah. Smart man. You know, and that's kind of like how I built this. I'm like, all right, you're always on the phone. You're always looking at social media. Boom, running social. Because I'm just a numbers guy. If you're working for me seven days a week and I'm able to give you the same 300 and we're doing it together, we can build. So I gave her more than that, obviously, but it was a situation that was mutually beneficial for both of us. so now from there she moved with me so now it's like all right well we can actually meet i'm gonna tell you how i look at it i'm brand guy so like yo we can work on a brand seven days a week we can be personal and professional we were able to take walks we worked out together and then our bond just amplified yeah we got a dog yeah we got a dog it was oh it was it was it was dogs man yeah i love them yeah yeah yeah yeah as i'm hearing y 'all speak i just had read that spoke and was talking about submission in terms of a marriage, right?

53:49A man and a woman. And they were like, if you think about the word submission, somebody has to submit, but somebody has to have a mission. And as I'm hearing y 'all speak, it was very clear that you laid out the mission. So it was easy to fall into that. It was easy. And then I think small successes gave her the confidence to believe in me that larger successes could happen. So like I promised her like, yo, I'm going to get your LLC. I got you. I took her straight to the bank, got her LLC, put money in her bank account. Then I had American Express at the time, so I put on all my accounts as an authorized user.

54:19So I built it from no credit to a 750 credit score. So then she had the credit lines and she had the LLC and she said, all right, this shit real. Then everything I said I was going to do, I did it. Like if I said I was going to get another shot, I was constantly on it. I worked out in the morning. I stayed strict. I was on it. So then I think, in my case as a man, I always believe the small wins allow you to build trust and they deposit in a trust bank account. And over time, now you can get withdrawals back And you can say like, well now you've seen how I did that So I need you to do this So a lot of times people don't see the dedication that we have for one another But it really comes from making a lot of big deposits in that trust bank account So how are you able to get the corporate accounts?

55:02Yeah, so we learned One of the things that we learned right when we were working in the store Because we were actively working in the store was that a lot of the people that come to our space, they have jobs. So they're working for somebody, right? Or they're working at an establishment or they have their own businesses. And so it was a lot of just like active conversation with our guests. Yeah, and they was genuinely interested in us. They were interested in us, absolutely. Like, y 'all fuck with us. It's a layup for me to do InvestFest. So it really came from like, so what I did with the brand is I mentored Zody how to attract customers and build sales.

55:39And then she knew relationships. So, me, I know like, if I'm selling you grass, and I'm like, yo, I got some pills too. You right here. I got you. You know what I'm saying? Like nine times out of ten, if a nigga going to get some brown from the liquor store, he probably going to buy some weed. So that's the reason why brands like Panera brand existed. Panera started as a cookie shop, and then he saw they would go across the street and buy sandwiches. And that's the Panera story. So it was really about how can we keep the customer fully immersed in the world, and how can we build verticals? So it's like if I'm sitting there, you're like, y 'all with EYL.

56:11Shit, y 'all got a fast fast? Yeah, what's up? Hit my number. So I already had you on the hook. So what they don't understand is there's three things that I taught Zody, which is you got a hot lead, meaning a person already coming, spending some money with you. You got a warm lead, a motherfucker walking by saying they heard about you. Then you got a cold lead, a person who don't really know nothing. So like a warm lead with me would be like, yo, I saw this dude was on an episode, link me with him. That's a warm lead. I know you going to put me with him and now I got a bill. A hot lead is like, yo, I got the pound cakes for you right now.

56:40Pull up. And we done done that. You see what I'm saying? So I was able to teach her like, yo, you got to understand when people come into the store, it's verticals that you can catch. But everybody kind of in la-la land. So like when you go in an average coffee shop, there's a teenager with their head down not thinking. But in that coffee shop, I'm thinking like, yo, this is a working class environment. You work somewhere. How can I cater there? How can I build a rapport? So 90 % of our revenue outside of the shop has come from just building organic relationships. That's how we literally got the corporate account.

57:10Somebody coming in, they like us. And then also, I'm not afraid to spend some money first. So I want to teach people that too. Because people get so caught up in what their budget is and what numbers is because they had bad interactions with other customers. So they kind of put up this wall and say like, well, you could just go to my email. You could just go to my website. Listen, it's nothing like that hand-to-hand combat. that. It's nothing like telling a person, like, look, I got a box for you. Let me drop something off. Let me follow up, call you. It's the same principles that I had in the street.

57:38If I bring you seven grams of grass and I'm trying to sell you pounds, I'm going to give you the best grams I can give you. Then I'm going to follow up like, yo, was you fucking with the grams? Shit, even if you can't cop right now, let me know. If you ever need something, I'm right here. So people not understanding, like, yo, nothing changed. We didn't go to business school. We didn't all of a sudden get an epiphany It's really a nigga who come from flat foot hustling Using those same principles a day Yeah, and those principles also to be applied To the consumer's way of thinking Because a lot of time the consumer will think Oh, well if I came in and bought a donut I'm supporting you And that's just one level But it's also like, okay, do you work somewhere?

58:14Do you do events? Do you go to events? How can you spread that, like you said, laterally To really help amplify the brand that you love so much? Yeah, and it's educating the consumers too because black people, we only know what we know. Because everything that we know had to be self-taught to learn, right, through negative experiences in most cases, right? So you got to realize, like, let's talk about Travis. You put me on with Travis. Yeah, shout out to Travis Brown. Yeah, shout out to Travis Brown. Boom, I meet Travis at the event, right? I kick it with him. He liked my energy. Yo, give me your real number.

58:46I'm not too big. You feel what I'm saying? Sometimes we act too tall to be small sometimes. So it's like with Travis, I'm like, oh, all right, give me your number, Trav, see, I like your energy. I like what you got going on. I'm with the public school system. So me hustling, I know it's several ways to carve a fish. Oh, you with the pro? Yeah, what's up? I know you got some money for the tea. I got y 'all. And I'm going to over deliver. So I'm going to over deliver because you my man, because you black, you in the education space. I love all that shit. So it's like now, guess what? Trav give me his wife number.

59:16Yo, my wife teaching LES. And people don't even see how we moving because we putting our ego to the side. You know how many times I done walked into a spot and be considered like the donut delivery guy? The whole time it's 40 on my wrist. I ain't worried about none of that. Once you get over the good luck, you get some good money. That's how we really built this shit out. And people not understand it because they so caught up on like, well, if you want order, you know it's an email. Man, what's up? I got your number. I'm a real man, man. What's up? And like we as black people have bought into white society's way of building socially that we don't understand.

59:50Like, yo, you don't have the privilege to just send somebody to the email. You got a group of people and investors and resources, and you just going to get that transaction. You got to see that transaction through. That's a fact. That's a fact. And it's the reason why. And I said this to you the other day. It's like, when we go out, there's an opportunity. I'm calling you, right? So we got a book event. Bring Cloudy Donuts. Yo, we going to the radio station. Bring the donuts. It's important, right? Because support doesn't just mean, hey, I bought a donut. It means like, yo, are you speaking my name in the rooms that I'm not in and I haven't been in yet?

1:00:18I want to talk about Brown Collective, though. because I know that was one of the focuses about spreading the lifestyle and the decor for entrepreneurs and people in the space who hadn't gotten to a space that you were at yet and trying to become that mentor. Because I know one of the things that people probably don't know, and if they come to the shop, they probably realize that fashion is a thing for you. But decor is a thing for you, right? Yeah, definitely, yeah. I saw the crown molding. We talked about the limestone walls. I'm looking at the great grout and the subway tile. All of this is done very intentionally And you wanted to help people in that matter So where does the Brown Collective stand now And what's its mission?

1:00:56Yeah, it's all about Putting black and brown faces in white spaces And creating a level of I would say pushback To how we traditionally sing I think, you know It's easy for me to come to New York And it makes sense for me to be in bed style With a fried chicken spot I think it don't make sense for me to be in Soho with a vegan donut shop. And I've always done things that don't make sense because I've always done things that are true to me. I've never been afraid. For me, if I ever was to have a legacy, obviously that's up to the people, but it would be tied to a level of fearlessness. Not tied to like a number or an award.

1:01:38It's fearlessness, right? So the Brown Collective was meant to be a force field amongst people who were once afraid. it was meant to be a pillar in a community for people who didn't have an opportunity is meant to be um education space where people could come and learn about the things that's going to help you navigate through life beyond school so it was really about subconsciously and and zodi coined the term reverse gentrification right which obviously means putting black and brown faces in white communities and spaces through business or through any type of you know, residents in general, right?

1:02:15But I had been doing this shit just subconsciously. Like, yo, I just bought this spot down here. Well, why? Because it's flying. I will lay down there. Then over time, you look up. Because when you work really hard, you look up and you see like, damn, I built a village. And I got like a small fortune, right? And it was never really for me. Like I told you, I was just trying to get legit. Then I was trying to hit a number. Then I look up and it's like, I got all this shit. What am I going to do with it? And naturally for me, is about giving black and brown people an opportunity to participate in it.

1:02:44But we have to see it in order to be it. So that's the key, right? So it's like, how do we get out of our own way? That's the narrative going into the future, right? So with the Brown Collective, we want to continue to work with black and brown talent, but they have to have the same mentality that we have. And that's a mentality of humility, grit, hustle, and the ability to be teachable. I think, like we talk about the education system, right? And I think the ability to be teachable and coachable shows you longevity. Like Shadi come from the sports space, right? So let's talk about Robert Ory versus a more problematic player, right?

1:03:20Robert Ory able to have that level of sustainability, get multiple championships, understand his role. And then you get people like, say, Demarcus Cousins, who might be a little bit problematic for that system. Not saying he's a bad guy, but for that system. And then now you can get the longevity that you're looking for. So specifically when it has come to talent, they think that the Brown Collective is solely based on creativity. Where it's really based on a mindset and an ideology that you're going to work in an ecosystem of black people to accomplish a macro goal, even if sometimes you got to play number two.

1:03:51So I always tell people who want to win in life, right? Sometimes being number one is playing like you're number two. Yeah. And I think to that point, too, I think it's really true. I think it always was an ideation. and it's really transcended into just an understanding of what is possible. So I always say that after meeting Derek in particular, that we created a world that was made for us because this world was not made for us. And so initially when we started the Brown Collective, understanding that Cloudy Donut is the first 100 % black-owned vegan donut shop, like, okay, yay. And then you go to Brooklyn Heights and you learn that we're the first black owned food and beverage business.

1:04:36And then you come here and you learn the same thing. You know, on the outside, looking in, people were like, oh, my God, that's so amazing. It's historical. But we also understand that that means that there's still so much work to do. So our goal initially was to, you know, we're kicking down these doors and it's to use this door as a bridge to bring other people in. And I believe that over time, you know, especially for me, you know, Derek speaks a lot to like, you know, the black man I speak to, you know, to the black woman and the woman in general understanding that um we have to see what's possible for us because yeah no and that's why now we got specific opportunities so i want to talk about that so we're looking for operators right for all of our spaces so like that's the biggest announcement that we're gonna make so it's a level of get back so like specifically with our four shops two in balsamore and two in new york and the truck we're looking to take a step back and we're looking for five operators that fit a mindset you know i'm saying and and that's what's going to be next for me so like that's how i plan to automate my business it's not to bring on like any type of capital it's not to sell to a large investment group it's definitely to look for some operators so if people send us an email and they're interested in operating a space send us a resume but more specifically send us a video or why you deserve an opportunity to operate those spaces you know but we're looking for operators right now like that's what's going to be next for us yeah so Well, okay.

1:05:59Talk about the seven streams, the show, the series, however you plan on putting it together. Like explain the thought process and when will that be out. Yeah. So what's next for us, like I always say, when you go fast, you grow fast, right? So now here we are. We got these four donut shops. We got a truck and we documented the process. Where are the donut shops at? So the donut shops are one. We have one in Brooklyn Heights. We have one in Soho or no leader for that matter. One at 209 Mile Street. One at 14 Columbia Place. And we also have two donut shops in Baltimore, Maryland and Federal Hill at 1049 South Charles Street and another one at 4311 Huffer Road.

1:06:34We have a truck that goes between the DMV, New York. It's national. So the truck is much more of a nomadic concept. If you're in L.A., hit us up. We're going to be doing a tour in L.A. late April, early May. So that's how you can directly reach us. Also, we have an Instagram. I've turned the homemade Instagram into seven streams. So shout out to Troy for giving me that advice, amongst many other pieces of advice he gave me. But it's really about people being able to pull up to the shops and connect with us in that way. So we are thriving. We're not surviving. I'm not even going to sit up here and act like I'm a charity case.

1:07:10That's not even like my MO. So I would never be a person that even if I was going out of business would start begging or nothing like that. But as you know, it's still 2025. We still got a long way to go. So me, I really pride myself on being able to grow my business through my community. So I'm looking for people to come into the shop. Fuck with me. If you see Zoe, speak to us, holler at us. We really work. I work every weekend. It's not this facade. I got an assistant and there's 25 people in front of me. Every weekend I go into the shop and I make sure the production is what it is. And every weekend she's at the Soho shop.

1:07:42I am looking for an assistant. Yeah, yeah. She's definitely looking for an assistant. Just so everyone knows. So it's like the best thing for us, like Shadi was saying with the seven streams was, it's a docu-series of how I got all the shit. From jail to my grandfather house, how I was raised. Plastic couches. Yeah, yeah, plastic on the couch. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's like a dope, it's like Vice style. Like my man said, remind him of The Last Dance, like Mike style. So it's a very vlog style form of economic and entrepreneurial entertainment. But it's really about Me giving you a principle Living that principle out in real life And then kind of covering that with a quote that I have That people can live by So like how Biggie had the 10 crack commandments Which I grew up on I created the 10 black commandments And the 10 black commandments are just things that I personally live by And my laws and my life That can allow any entrepreneur Any space to be able to navigate through A form of grit and tenacity So we got the 10 black commandments within The seven streams so people should be excited to look at that because like just imagine like yo i'm i'm showing you where i sold crack at i'm showing you like my first hustles i'm showing you my first store i'm showing you my first real estate play you know what i'm saying so like all of these things um uh are key and intricate for people to show the dark side so we always talk about entrepreneur from a more celebratory standpoint and that's cool but like what you get with seven streams is you get the dark shit you get the gritty shit i've been broke my account been overdrafted a couple times When I started this store, I didn't have no money.

1:09:14I built this store one way because y 'all came to the premier. It wasn't working. We had to build the store again. I was fucked up for two months. I couldn't generate no revenue. My credit cards was maxed out. I done lost credit cards. I done lost bank accounts. My credit score went from an 800 when I met her to down to a 575. My truck got stolen. My other truck got told, I drove a U-Haul here today. That's real shit. Like with all the things that we accomplished I'm still in the midst of it so I'm still so hands on But I know who I am And I know what I got Fuck the U-Haul, I got the seven Seven strings That's a fact man I just want to say thank you Yeah thank you bro I feel like two years we talked about this And every time I was just like No you gotta do this Because I think People hit an entrepreneurial journey And it sounds like it's the best thing and there are some great things that come from it and you learn a lot, but they don't hear that side of it.

1:10:14And I think there's the same way we kind of democratize financial education, right? There's a certain demographic that needs to hear your voice in the world of entrepreneurship. So when I watched the piece that you sent, I was like, yo, he did it. I was proud to see it because we had been talking about it. I wonder as you watched it and as you were filming it and as it's being put together, what are the things when you look at it that you're learning about yourself, right? Because a lot of times we're on this journey, we never look through the rear view mirror because everything has to be straight ahead.

1:10:47But as you look at the body of work that you're putting together, the stories that you share with your family, going back to the first shop, going back to homemade and looking in the kitchen like, yo, you got my mixer. I got my mixer. Now we're here. Some flashbacks, sorry. What did you learn about yourself as you come back and look at the body of work that you put together? It's so many levels. First of all, I be looking like, yo, I've been through a lot of shit. And in the midst of my professional journey, like, yo, I done accumulated a lot of shit just really grinding on some day-by-day type shit.

1:11:21Like, yo, I remember days making$500 in the shop. Like, yeah, that's all we made. I remember days making$5 ,000. And when I look at the body of work, it really... Because when you in the dark and you from the ghetto, it's normalized. Like, I never knew I lived in a project. I lived in a happy home. You know what I'm saying? And I always tell people the three E's, education plus experience creates an exposure, creates entrepreneurship, right? So my first interaction coming out of my community was crazy. Like, oh, I live in a fucked up spot. So looking back on my whole journey, I'm like, yo, from my elementary school to my teachers, I'm like, yo, I did it.

1:12:00I came from the... It made me really feel like anybody could do it. Because I don't really feel like I'm crazy special with it or nothing. You know what I'm saying? So the thing I was most proud of is that I stuck to it. I stayed sober. I stayed sane. And I just really just stayed at it. I was at it like, yeah. You know what I'm saying? I think that's the biggest thing I would say is my consistency and my persistence through all of my setbacks and my trials and my tribulations. So I think the thing I'm most proud of is my consistency and my persistence. And when I look back on it, I'm proud of it because it's such an embodiment of who I am and the brick by brick.

1:12:48Like I told you, the weed leads to the coke and the coke leads to the dope. Once you got that brick to the dope, you feel like you're on. You feel like you made it, bro. You know what I'm saying? So when I be looking back at it, I'm like, damn, nigga made it. But to your point, another thing I learned on this journey, specifically from my relationship with y 'all, with Shadi and you, giving me so much advice through the hard times, through the dark times. And I always tell y 'all, if you give me the advice, I'm going to run with the rest. You know what I'm saying? And everything that you ever told me, I always implemented it.

1:13:19So you said two years, but I really got to go back six years because when you first saw me, you said, yo, you're a megastar and you need to be on a global stage. And for so many years we fought about my ability to be more public and more extroverted And a lot of the things that I've done have been a direct byproduct of the advice that you've given me So it's so beautiful to be here with all three of y 'all Because y 'all have had the largest impact on my personal development and growth as a man And more specifically my brand So looking back at all of it It really is like a fucking whirlwind, bro because I really, I did a lot of fucked up shit.

1:13:59I did shit to stay on, you feel me? You know what I'm saying? I remember just, like you say, riding around, all kinds of shit, stolen. You know what I'm saying? Breaking the law. My first store, I was selling weed. You feel what I'm saying? At that first store, I had weed under the counter. I still was hitting plays, driving down. Telling a nigga, because I don't want a nigga to know I got the spot, but meeting a nigga two, three blocks down, hitting the sale and putting that in the register with the legit money. You know what I'm saying? When we went to LA last year, we did a truck tour. Like, yo, we ain't even passed the inspection.

1:14:36We still did the tour. Like, went out that bitch, drove out there with the truck. We trying to get the truck inspected. They like, no, you failed the inspection. Shit, they paid us. We out this bitch. We doing this. You know what I'm saying? So, like, it really tells me, like, how wild I am in my pursuit of my goal. You know, I grew up. I grew up hard body. So like, I don't even, I never, it's so many things I did subconsciously that I think the normal person would have been like, no, wait, we can't do this. And I did it. So is there something attached to the seven streams, like a digital? Yeah.

1:15:13So definitely people can access the seven streams through subscribing to the Brown Collective, right? So it's two things that I'm doing. And I got this from Troy. I'm over delivering. So the content that I'm providing people is going to be free. What I want to show people is the possibility of the brand, and I'm really excited for people to try my product. So how you can get access to the seven strings is you go online, you order. We drop the pound cakes four times a year, so we're doing four seasonal boxes. And if Ab can give me the box, we can show the box. But we're doing four seasonal boxes, and we're doing content with the boxes.

1:15:51so that can work some some sort of way where like people can know like all right i can get a dessert but also can learn about these people's story in a much more intricate manner so like i think typically when you see entrepreneurs in a dessert space or even in a food and beverage space you just see an end result you don't see the the backstory or the process so our goal is to shoot content every three months release the content online with a box of desserts and then gift our community with the desserts, but also the content is going to be free. And I got that from you because you over deliver.

1:16:23And when I met you, you allow me your space for free. I remember like y 'all niggas even treated me like to the Snow Allegro concert. You probably don't remember, but y 'all did so many things. That was classic. Yeah, it was classic. It was crazy. Yeah. So you did so many things for me. So when you brought up over delivering, I was like, yo, I know what I'm going to do all of the money that I make specifically developing the content I'm going to just put it all back into the community by giving the people my story for free and hopefully they buy into the desserts as well and then for people who might not necessarily want the dessert but they're for the content that's a bonus as well so it's kind of like you can't lose either way so what's the website and all the information side website maybe yeah so our website this is to subscribe to get the seven streams and the pound cake drop is the brown collective right now when you go to the brown collective you'll it will tell you it will get your information immediately so that way when we have the drop it's going to be right there for you so that's how you're going to find the seven streams and the educational pieces that both derek and myself share if you're looking for cloudy donut or cloudy donut.com with the four stores the truck is going to be moving around we're about to get ready for the truck tour Yeah, the truck going to be in LA.

1:17:35If you're in LA, pull up on us. All of the truck information is on Instagram. We're doing the first pound cake drop is the first week of April. So whoever, like, you know, and I'm going to be honest with you. So we're only doing a thousand boxes. So we're only doing a thousand boxes to start off. And then we're going to continue to build from that. But our goal is just focusing on craftsmanship, making sure the customers got the right thing. And so we're doing a thousand boxes. And if you subscribe to the content, you can get that as well. So if anyone subscribes to the content outside of the 1 ,000 boxes, you will get those boxes additionally, but it'll be like a two-week time because we want to make sure everybody get the right thing.

1:18:10There you have it, ladies and gentlemen. And the product has been tested and proven. I'm not talking... I'm talking about any donuts. Not specifically vegan. Yes, because it's vegan, it's incredible. And yes, you are, brother. The product is incredible. Oh, thank you, brother. I appreciate that. The donuts are just phenomenal. Yeah. And the way that they look. Yeah, yeah. It's important, man. Where dreams come true. Absolutely. That's what we tell them. Cloudy Donut. You know, Donut, stop believing. They told me that they're going to name a donut after us at some point. At some point. But we appreciate you, my brother.

1:18:41Man, thank y 'all, man. I appreciate it. Much success. Continue blessings and keep inspiring the people and supporting. Thank you. I appreciate that. Tell them we sent you when you come. Cloudy Donut. Yeah, that's a fact. And then if you're here, I'm going to give y 'all this as a tip. If they got the sweet potato rolls, get about four of them. Sweet potato cinnamon rolls. Some of the flavors that we got, brown butter, chocolate chip, sweet potato pie, cinnamon rolls. We got brown sugar, pineapple upside down cake. And I'm really excited about the basil olive oil cake. That's my thing, you know?

1:19:10Oh, that's new. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So y 'all adding things. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. There it goes. There it is. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. An illegal alien from Guatemala charged with raping a child in Massachusetts. An MS-13 gang member from El Salvador accused of murdering a Texas man. A Venezuelan charged with filming and selling child pornography in Michigan. These are just some of the heinous migrant criminals caught because of President Donald J. Trump's leadership. I'm Kristi Noem, the United States Secretary of Homeland Security. Under President Trump, attempted illegal border crossings are at the lowest levels ever recorded.

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