Ep. 278 Strategies for Nonprofit Success with Dr. Lolita Cleveland

[00:00:06] Welcome to Hustle in Faith, this channel is dedicated to helping women who want to analyze,

[00:00:17] apply and amplify their God-given gifts.

[00:00:20] We accomplish this by discussing business, self-improvement, health and beauty, and my

[00:00:25] random thoughts about life from a Christian perspective.

[00:00:28] I'm your host, Latasha Johnson.

[00:00:32] Are you tired of feeling less than enough just because you're single?

[00:00:37] Then you'll love my new book, How to Live an Extraordinary Life With or Without Mr. Right,

[00:00:43] a Christian woman's guide on how to survive and thrive on Single Avenue.

[00:00:48] It's time to acknowledge, address and dismantle the harmful limited mindset many single Christian

[00:00:54] women have internalized.

[00:00:56] Take the first step to discover and embrace the plans God has in store for you.

[00:01:01] If you want to be notified when the book is released, please check out the Hustle

[00:01:04] in Faith website.

[00:01:06] I cannot wait to share this with all my single ladies.

[00:01:09] You have everything you need to live an extraordinary life with or without Mr. Right.

[00:01:20] And this week's episode I have the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Lolita Cleveland.

[00:01:24] She has 20 years of experience in the non-profit, small business and humanitarian arena.

[00:01:29] She is a highly sought after consultant specializing in non-profit outreach and

[00:01:35] public administration.

[00:01:36] Dr. Cleveland is the founder and CEO of Crumb Enterprises based in Chicago, Illinois.

[00:01:43] As a visionary thought leader, she captivates the minds and hearts of those who are ready

[00:01:47] to make a difference in business, humanity and life.

[00:01:51] Welcome to the show Lolita.

[00:01:54] Thank you.

[00:01:56] How are you?

[00:01:57] I am good.

[00:01:58] I am good.

[00:01:59] How are you?

[00:02:00] Wonderful.

[00:02:01] It's a wonderful day.

[00:02:03] Yes, yes, yes.

[00:02:04] So I am so excited to have you on the show.

[00:02:07] Why don't you tell the audience about yourself?

[00:02:10] Thank you for having me on the show.

[00:02:12] I'm so honored.

[00:02:13] Dr. Lolita Cleveland CEO of Crumb Enterprises in Chicago, Illinois where I help those

[00:02:20] who launches non-profits, led their structural foundation, getting them all the tools

[00:02:25] and resources that they need.

[00:02:27] They call me the global connector.

[00:02:29] I love that.

[00:02:30] The global connector.

[00:02:31] I love that so much.

[00:02:34] So what motivated you to create Crumb Enterprises?

[00:02:39] So, you know, I have found that when we're looking to start a business or

[00:02:45] non-properate or project, right, we have the vision, right?

[00:02:49] We know that that's what we want to do, but we have no idea how to execute

[00:02:53] it, right?

[00:02:53] We don't know the tools or the bells or whistles to get started.

[00:02:58] And I say that everybody needs something to help them junk start.

[00:03:00] So I am that jump starter.

[00:03:03] I'm like your connector pieces in a battery of a car.

[00:03:05] When you need a jump, you connect those pieces and hey, I'm that connector.

[00:03:10] I'm like, okay, let's get you jump started.

[00:03:12] This is what you need.

[00:03:13] One, two, three, four, five, right?

[00:03:16] You get that one, two, three, four, five.

[00:03:18] Once you're done with me, you can connect to all of the other pieces

[00:03:21] and other things that you're able to do.

[00:03:24] So, and I love to see people be able to get the information that they

[00:03:28] need.

[00:03:28] It brings me joy to see the smile on somebody's face when they say,

[00:03:33] that was all I needed to do to get started.

[00:03:36] And now they're gone.

[00:03:37] They're sewing like eagles.

[00:03:38] They're flying like butterflies and they're moving in their purpose

[00:03:41] and destiny and that's important.

[00:03:43] I love that.

[00:03:45] So what made you realize that your role or purpose, if you will,

[00:03:51] was to be a connector?

[00:03:53] The phone calls.

[00:03:56] It was a long time to say, what's your thought or do you know somebody

[00:04:03] who can help me with this or how do I do this?

[00:04:07] And even if I don't know, I know somebody, right?

[00:04:10] So I have no clue about hustling in face.

[00:04:13] So guess who I'm going to refer them to?

[00:04:15] I'm going to refer them to Natasha, right?

[00:04:17] So I can't help you with that.

[00:04:19] But listen, I know where you need to go.

[00:04:21] I can get you connected.

[00:04:22] And I was like, wow, but it took a friend to say, girl,

[00:04:27] you just connected people all over the country.

[00:04:30] Like, I was like, really?

[00:04:32] So it was like an aha moment because I have a tribe that can

[00:04:36] say this is girl, this is what you're doing.

[00:04:39] What do you mean you don't know what you're doing?

[00:04:40] This is exactly what you're doing.

[00:04:42] So that was my motivation to say, you're right,

[00:04:46] I do connect people.

[00:04:47] And I mean, it could be simple stuff like a medication lookup.

[00:04:51] It could be your business.

[00:04:53] It could be your nonprofit.

[00:04:55] It could be recruiting.

[00:04:57] If I don't know, I know somebody, right?

[00:04:59] Or I know a resource.

[00:05:01] Basically, I know some type of resource and that's a blessing

[00:05:05] to be able to be a resource for somebody.

[00:05:07] That is so true.

[00:05:09] I tell people all the time, like you need to make sure

[00:05:12] that the tribe that you're with is more than obviously just you.

[00:05:18] Like, you need to make sure that you're a conduit,

[00:05:20] if you will, a conduit.

[00:05:22] Blessings are supposed to flow, not necessarily to stay with you.

[00:05:26] So I love that so much when you said that you're a connector.

[00:05:29] I like that.

[00:05:30] Thank you.

[00:05:31] And my tribe are connectors, right?

[00:05:33] So they connect in their own lane,

[00:05:36] whether it's business or not,

[00:05:38] it's they connect in their own lane.

[00:05:41] And when you have a circle, it is required.

[00:05:45] It's required.

[00:05:45] You have to have, I always say you need five good people.

[00:05:50] Oh, my God.

[00:05:52] And it covers your mental, your emotional, your spiritual.

[00:05:56] You know, it needs to cover your five areas, right?

[00:05:59] Oh, I like that.

[00:06:00] No, I never thought about that, but you're right.

[00:06:02] I like that.

[00:06:03] I like that.

[00:06:04] I keep my five.

[00:06:05] I got my five.

[00:06:06] I got my little tribe too.

[00:06:09] So I get it.

[00:06:10] I get it.

[00:06:10] And I'm glad that my tribe is opening.

[00:06:12] I'm really excited that Gwendolyn introduced us.

[00:06:17] Yes, it's expanding.

[00:06:19] It's expanding.

[00:06:20] Yes.

[00:06:21] And it's forever evolving.

[00:06:23] Yes.

[00:06:24] Yes.

[00:06:24] Start with your core and you evolve around it.

[00:06:27] Exactly.

[00:06:28] Exactly.

[00:06:29] So what barriers can someone who desires to create a nonprofit

[00:06:35] encounter?

[00:06:36] Because there's a lot of obstacles out there, right?

[00:06:39] And I'm all about shortcuts.

[00:06:41] So what can you provide?

[00:06:43] Well, listen, I'm going to tell you the first thing.

[00:06:46] Do not have your family on your board.

[00:06:52] I have a feeling I know why, but yes, continue to expand on that.

[00:06:57] It's, it's, that is one of the biggest barriers because we're

[00:07:02] so busy to get started.

[00:07:03] We want to do a vision.

[00:07:04] So we like, Hey, let me just give three of my, my homies to help

[00:07:08] me out.

[00:07:08] But see them when you roll up your sleeves and you begin to do

[00:07:11] the real work for your purpose and your cause of your nonprofit.

[00:07:14] You're stuck because Johnny James and Sue know you as home girl

[00:07:19] and they don't want to put in the work.

[00:07:21] You still have to put in the work.

[00:07:23] Right?

[00:07:24] Oh, I didn't know I was going to have to come to meetings.

[00:07:26] Oh, I'm going to have to do this.

[00:07:27] Oh, I'm going to have to make a financial donation every year.

[00:07:30] Oh my goodness.

[00:07:31] I'm going to have to do this.

[00:07:32] I'm going to have to show up to a meeting.

[00:07:35] They're just thinking they're helping you and that it's on ground

[00:07:37] surface.

[00:07:38] They don't know they have to roll up the sleeves and may have

[00:07:40] to go to a meeting with the local alderman or the mayor or a

[00:07:44] local organization and show up.

[00:07:47] Right?

[00:07:48] So family is a bit too personal and you need somebody that

[00:07:52] can give you some cell information.

[00:07:54] Now, if you have a family member that is like that,

[00:07:57] because I do, I have a couple of family members that would

[00:08:00] be like, no girl, you cannot.

[00:08:02] You need to reassess this here and I can respect their

[00:08:06] constructive criticism.

[00:08:07] Sure.

[00:08:08] And when you have family on the board,

[00:08:10] sometimes they can't respect where you're particularly going

[00:08:13] and the vision because they still look at you as a little

[00:08:16] Johnny that played double Dutch and hopscotch with them

[00:08:19] and not the CEO that you are.

[00:08:24] So family can be a little difficult.

[00:08:26] That's a number one barrier.

[00:08:27] Yeah, I can see that.

[00:08:30] I can see that.

[00:08:30] Yes.

[00:08:31] And I will say that a second barrier would be training.

[00:08:36] Right?

[00:08:37] When you start nonprofit, when you start anything,

[00:08:40] anything in business, anything,

[00:08:42] you need to become knowledgeable and educated.

[00:08:45] Right?

[00:08:46] I'm not saying you need to be knowledgeable of it all

[00:08:48] evolve before you start, but you need to understand

[00:08:51] that you'll be forever training in nonprofit.

[00:08:54] There's always something cutting edge.

[00:08:56] There's always something trending.

[00:08:58] There's always something creative going on causes change.

[00:09:02] Your nonprofit may start one way in one to two years and you

[00:09:07] may shift and be somewhere else in three to five.

[00:09:09] And then you move again, you somewhere else in eight years,

[00:09:12] you're forever evolving and you have to be ready for that.

[00:09:17] Right?

[00:09:17] You can't just say, oh, all I want to do is give our food

[00:09:21] to the kids.

[00:09:22] What I may change because the needs of those kids that

[00:09:25] your service may change.

[00:09:28] So you may have to realize you might have to give them

[00:09:30] a little bit more than physical foods.

[00:09:33] You might have to give them some social emotional learning

[00:09:35] food.

[00:09:36] And then you might have to give them some mentorship food.

[00:09:38] And then you may have to give, so your food,

[00:09:41] the word food could stretch a long way and you have to be

[00:09:44] willing to be flexible and adaptable in your organization

[00:09:48] for that.

[00:09:48] And you need board members that can help you bring that

[00:09:52] to fruition or bring that to life and add those,

[00:09:55] you know, things that you need.

[00:09:57] So those will be my top two barriers.

[00:09:59] I love that.

[00:10:00] You know what?

[00:10:00] I want to dig in a little bit more into the board members.

[00:10:03] So what type of characteristics should someone be looking

[00:10:09] for when they are searching for the perfect board member

[00:10:13] for their nonprofit?

[00:10:17] That's a good question.

[00:10:19] OK.

[00:10:20] Yeah.

[00:10:20] I always like to say that you should do you a board profile.

[00:10:25] What I mean by that is do you a checklist?

[00:10:28] Find out what it is that you need on your board first.

[00:10:31] Got you.

[00:10:32] Do you need somebody young?

[00:10:34] Do you need somebody in law?

[00:10:35] Do you need somebody in accounting?

[00:10:37] Are you looking for someone 21 to 24?

[00:10:39] Are you needing somebody that's more of 35 to 40?

[00:10:43] That's a little bit more mature and a little bit more

[00:10:45] established and may have a little bit more connection.

[00:10:47] So you need somebody that's more of a young person.

[00:10:48] Are you looking to build in this season around your marketing

[00:10:52] and social media?

[00:10:53] Then you probably need one of them little young influencers,

[00:10:55] honey, between 18 and 25, that honey that can post a real

[00:11:00] or two talk.

[00:11:02] OK, honey, listen, they have so much.

[00:11:04] I keep the young people on my team.

[00:11:07] Yeah.

[00:11:09] They would tell me how to angle my selfies right.

[00:11:12] OK.

[00:11:12] So you need to be able to know what you need and have an

[00:11:16] honest assessment with you about your organization and

[00:11:20] what you actually need.

[00:11:22] I like that.

[00:11:24] Yeah.

[00:11:24] And then build from that and then come up with a poll of

[00:11:28] people who you think may fit that.

[00:11:30] And you can ask online, you can do a poll, you know,

[00:11:34] and you might want to get definitely get somebody that's

[00:11:36] interested in what you're doing.

[00:11:38] You don't want to be feeding the homeless and you get

[00:11:42] somebody who's focused on breast cancer awareness.

[00:11:45] That's not a that's not a mix, right?

[00:11:48] Right.

[00:11:49] You all may become a mix for collaboration and maybe deal

[00:11:52] with kids that are focused with cancer, but that may

[00:11:56] not be where you are right now.

[00:11:57] So you have to do an assessment to determine the type

[00:12:00] of board members that you need.

[00:12:02] And I always tell them you always need somebody

[00:12:05] of influence on your board.

[00:12:07] So that could be a local politician, a local committee

[00:12:11] member, a local principal at a school, a business owner

[00:12:16] in the community that has served to come on the owner

[00:12:19] of the pizza parlor could be somebody on the board.

[00:12:22] If they're interested in what your cause is, but you

[00:12:26] definitely have to think outside your box and be

[00:12:28] honest with what you actually need.

[00:12:31] I love that.

[00:12:32] Love that.

[00:12:33] And you know what?

[00:12:35] Here's another thing.

[00:12:36] So many people may start a nonprofit, right?

[00:12:39] Just to because they were just so passionate about that

[00:12:43] particular subject matter.

[00:12:45] But what actually are the metrics to gauge success?

[00:12:50] So how should a nonprofit gauge that they're successful?

[00:12:56] Impact.

[00:12:57] Here we go.

[00:12:59] Another profit moves in multiple stages.

[00:13:02] It's just like the stages of development in a child.

[00:13:04] You have an infant stage, you have a toddler stage,

[00:13:07] you have an adolescent stage, you have a young adult,

[00:13:10] indeed you have adulthood.

[00:13:11] Your nonprofit is the same way.

[00:13:14] When you're in infancy, you're still learning and you're

[00:13:16] growing.

[00:13:17] So you gauge your success in that infancy stages in

[00:13:20] completing your task, becoming legal, becoming structured,

[00:13:25] laying a structure foundation, getting some paperwork

[00:13:28] in order, right?

[00:13:29] And then you move up to your next level when you

[00:13:31] start being a toddler and you start in the walk.

[00:13:34] It's just like a two and three year old.

[00:13:36] They're going to test the waters and see you're going to

[00:13:39] have to get out there.

[00:13:40] You're going to have to apply for their first breath.

[00:13:42] They may deny you, but your first success is that at

[00:13:45] least you apply.

[00:13:46] You at least kind of know how to write one.

[00:13:48] You kind of know what's needed for one, right?

[00:13:51] Collecting data, that's gauging your success.

[00:13:56] So it depends upon what stage you in of your nonprofit.

[00:14:00] And as you move up, you may need to get a consultant.

[00:14:03] That may be a success for you, right?

[00:14:05] That you had to get a consultant to kind of move you in the

[00:14:09] next direction and making sure that you utilize surveys,

[00:14:16] right?

[00:14:17] Or your data collecting your data helps you pretty much

[00:14:20] know who you servicing, right?

[00:14:23] And when you get to that point of adolescent, you kind

[00:14:26] of know your target area.

[00:14:27] Like this is kind of what we need to be doing.

[00:14:30] This is who we need to focus on now.

[00:14:33] How do we reach those people, right?

[00:14:36] So it's just like the stages of the development of a kid.

[00:14:40] That's how you gauge your success of where you are.

[00:14:44] So there should be certain things a nonprofit should be

[00:14:47] able to do after the first, first to third year and then

[00:14:51] something for you to do between the third and the fifth

[00:14:53] year that you gauge your success, making sure you have

[00:14:57] a strategic plan in place.

[00:15:00] That's going to help you gauge more than anything, right?

[00:15:03] Having a strategic plan and say this is what we want to do

[00:15:06] in year one, two, three, and then reassessing it every

[00:15:10] year, right?

[00:15:12] The biggest success for a nonprofit is to make sure

[00:15:14] that you're having a true strategy meeting at the

[00:15:17] end or the beginning first 30 days of the year to

[00:15:20] say this is what we did.

[00:15:22] This is what we accomplished.

[00:15:24] This is where we need to work on to be able to do it.

[00:15:27] And that's the biggest, biggest flex of a successful

[00:15:31] nonprofit that you're doing an honest assessment of

[00:15:35] your annual business or what you're doing at any

[00:15:39] stage of your nonprofit.

[00:15:41] You know what?

[00:15:42] That is the perfect segue into the next question because

[00:15:46] I know you've got plenty of experience in this.

[00:15:49] So how do you assist in helping people find their

[00:15:52] purpose and invest in themselves?

[00:15:56] Listen.

[00:15:59] Here's, let me, I'm going to switch your question.

[00:16:02] Let me start with investing in self first, right?

[00:16:04] Please do.

[00:16:06] You here and in a lead to your purpose.

[00:16:09] If you don't see about you and investing you,

[00:16:14] you can't even do anything related to your purpose.

[00:16:17] Yes, I like that.

[00:16:19] Yeah.

[00:16:20] So, you know, it took me some time to get to that

[00:16:24] point, right?

[00:16:25] Sometimes in the circle and cycle of I got to do.

[00:16:31] I got to help.

[00:16:32] I got to make it happen.

[00:16:32] I need to do this.

[00:16:33] I need to shake and bake.

[00:16:35] I got to have a schedule.

[00:16:36] I have to do all of this.

[00:16:38] And while I'm doing all of this, I took no time to

[00:16:40] see about me.

[00:16:41] Your eyes itching baby stop, right?

[00:16:45] You probably now need glasses.

[00:16:47] You haven't even had time to go get glasses, right?

[00:16:49] Yeah.

[00:16:50] You need a break.

[00:16:51] When's the last time you took a minute to breathe, right?

[00:16:55] So if you don't invest in yourself, I always like to say

[00:16:58] my mother, my sister, some other powerful women I know,

[00:17:01] they always say you need to pay yourself first.

[00:17:04] And most people think that that is financial.

[00:17:07] They some people that are, you know, that maybe

[00:17:10] church goers or Christians and believe in time.

[00:17:12] And I'm going to tie the, and a give up period.

[00:17:15] Right?

[00:17:16] After I tied and give, I tied and give to myself.

[00:17:19] Yeah.

[00:17:20] So it's God than me.

[00:17:23] Okay.

[00:17:24] And when you can't do that, you begin to miss out

[00:17:28] and be present with yourself on where you really are

[00:17:32] in life.

[00:17:33] You so busy moving and not taking time for yourself.

[00:17:36] You really don't even know that you a bad, bad girl

[00:17:38] or that you're that girl, or that you're that person

[00:17:41] that can hustle in faith.

[00:17:44] So you have to see about you.

[00:17:48] You have to see about you in the last three years.

[00:17:50] I've been very adamant about me from anything

[00:17:54] from a vacation to a talk to the bath.

[00:17:57] I don't care what it is.

[00:17:58] Yes.

[00:17:58] Right?

[00:17:59] So because when I do that, I can help people

[00:18:02] thrive in their nonprofit.

[00:18:04] When I do that, I can help make an impact in the kids

[00:18:07] that I teach at the college.

[00:18:10] When I do that family, when I do that, I can enjoy

[00:18:15] the joys of being a great auntie, right?

[00:18:17] But I can't do that when I don't invest in me.

[00:18:21] Yeah.

[00:18:22] You have to invest mentally, emotionally, spiritually.

[00:18:27] You have to, you have to do that.

[00:18:28] And when you begin to do a line with yourself,

[00:18:31] then you can align and see clearly what your purpose

[00:18:34] investment is.

[00:18:36] I love that so much.

[00:18:37] You can't pour from an empty cup.

[00:18:40] You cannot pour from an empty cup.

[00:18:43] You don't have a drip.

[00:18:46] You just drive.

[00:18:47] We just drive.

[00:18:49] That is so true.

[00:18:51] I love that.

[00:18:52] So what are specific ways that you go about

[00:18:55] in helping people like define their purpose?

[00:18:59] Is there like a method or do you just, is it just coaching?

[00:19:04] Like what is your style?

[00:19:05] Yes.

[00:19:06] One is coaching, but then I always asked this very important

[00:19:10] question and it was asked of me and I always use it.

[00:19:13] How honest are you with you about you?

[00:19:17] Oh, how honest are you about you to you?

[00:19:24] I was asked that question almost eight years ago

[00:19:28] and it has always resonated with me.

[00:19:31] First step, how honest with you about you?

[00:19:35] Are you honest that you need a little help?

[00:19:38] Are you honest that you're procrastinating?

[00:19:41] Are you honest that, you know, you need a break?

[00:19:45] Are you honest?

[00:19:46] Are you honest that you need to heal?

[00:19:48] Because sometimes you need to heal.

[00:19:50] We go through things in life, whether there's grief or

[00:19:52] relationship, whatever that is.

[00:19:54] Do you have, have you been honest enough to say,

[00:19:56] I need to heal?

[00:19:59] Right.

[00:20:00] That's a good point.

[00:20:01] That's the first step.

[00:20:02] That's the first step and that'll set the tone for every other

[00:20:06] conversation.

[00:20:07] Set the tone for every coaching session.

[00:20:10] How honest with you are you about you?

[00:20:13] How honest, are you honest with yourself about you?

[00:20:16] Have you really looked in the mirror and say, honey,

[00:20:20] I need to do something about this third chain, something.

[00:20:24] Yeah.

[00:20:24] How honest are you and then be honest and break it down?

[00:20:29] Am I, is my emotions in check?

[00:20:31] Am I always an emotional wreck or am I emotionless?

[00:20:35] And why am I emotionless and it don't bother me to hear

[00:20:38] stuff like that.

[00:20:39] Is something do, you know, what, what is that?

[00:20:43] Yeah.

[00:20:43] How honest with you about your emotions?

[00:20:45] How honest are you about your finances?

[00:20:49] Right.

[00:20:50] True.

[00:20:50] Are you, are you paying the bill or did you go about a pair of

[00:20:54] genitue shoes?

[00:20:56] I'm talking to me because I seem to pay a microcourse this

[00:20:58] moment.

[00:21:01] But I need to do some podcast and so I came back that shoe that

[00:21:04] the price of that shoe needs to be a sacrifice.

[00:21:08] So how honest am I with myself to say you do not need

[00:21:12] the shoe.

[00:21:13] You want the shoe because it's a bad, bad shoe and it's

[00:21:16] going to look good on your foot period.

[00:21:18] But there's some other things that are priority.

[00:21:22] That pressing.

[00:21:23] Yeah.

[00:21:23] It's priority.

[00:21:24] You have to do it because the thing you need to sacrifice

[00:21:28] for is nine times out of 10 a part of your purpose and

[00:21:31] your destiny.

[00:21:31] So you need to give up the shoe so that you can go ahead

[00:21:34] and move further towards your purpose and your destiny.

[00:21:37] I love that.

[00:21:39] Love it.

[00:21:39] Love it.

[00:21:40] Love it.

[00:21:40] Oh my goodness.

[00:21:43] So what is the best way people can help serve

[00:21:48] those in need?

[00:21:49] Because sometimes we want to help but we just don't know how

[00:21:52] to go about doing it.

[00:21:53] So how can you help?

[00:21:56] What is the best way that people can go about doing so?

[00:21:59] You know, one start with voluntary.

[00:22:03] Yes.

[00:22:04] Yeah.

[00:22:04] You need to volunteer.

[00:22:06] Find something that you like.

[00:22:07] Find something that you enjoy.

[00:22:09] Find something that you're passionate about and

[00:22:12] insert yourself once a month every quarter around the

[00:22:16] holidays and that may not always be tangible hands on.

[00:22:23] It may be you donating or it may be you, you know, it varies,

[00:22:28] right?

[00:22:29] Yeah.

[00:22:29] So volunteer first.

[00:22:32] Kind of get a feel for, you know, if you're impassionate

[00:22:36] enough that you kind of want to do it yourself, then

[00:22:39] you know what?

[00:22:40] Get a couple of close people that you could toss the idea

[00:22:42] off of and start.

[00:22:44] I tell people that I've always had a heart for homeless

[00:22:51] people.

[00:22:53] I just, I don't know what it took for them to get there.

[00:22:57] But if I could make them smile in some type of way.

[00:23:01] So I always, I liked food.

[00:23:04] So I started with sandwich sacks.

[00:23:07] It was just sandwich chips and the juice.

[00:23:09] It cost me five dollars a sack.

[00:23:12] Okay.

[00:23:14] I didn't have a bunch of money.

[00:23:16] I started with 10 people and I just started blessing 10 sacks.

[00:23:19] And then a couple of my girlfriends like, okay, girl, you

[00:23:22] doing that?

[00:23:23] I donate five.

[00:23:24] And then it became that.

[00:23:25] And then I had another girlfriend in the sand.

[00:23:27] I like to do meals.

[00:23:29] So her and I start doing chunks of love where we would

[00:23:32] cook on a Sunday, put it in our truck.

[00:23:35] We were our trucks will have styrofoam containers and

[00:23:39] we would just go around the areas that had homeless

[00:23:43] community in Chicago.

[00:23:44] And it was just us.

[00:23:45] We didn't make it a nonprofit.

[00:23:46] We just wanted to give back a couple of other friends was

[00:23:49] like, Hey, here go $10 and we did that for a couple of

[00:23:53] years.

[00:23:53] It probably time for me to get out there again because it

[00:23:56] is always humbling.

[00:23:58] It's very humbling.

[00:24:00] So I say, you know, start somewhere and sometimes

[00:24:03] don't start as an organization because people think

[00:24:06] I'm a nonprofit.

[00:24:07] I'm not.

[00:24:08] I love nonprofit.

[00:24:09] I have a heart for it in management and leadership and

[00:24:12] seeing people succeed, but that's my way to give back.

[00:24:17] Right?

[00:24:18] Even though it's my business and you do have to pay me.

[00:24:20] It's not a million dollars yet that you got to pay me.

[00:24:23] Okay.

[00:24:23] Yeah.

[00:24:24] But yeah, you know, but I have a passion and a joy

[00:24:30] to help you.

[00:24:31] I want to see your vision and your cause.

[00:24:33] So for me, that's how I'm giving back.

[00:24:35] That's how I'm, how I'm serving.

[00:24:38] And I go back those people who I've helped get nonprofits.

[00:24:42] I support their organizations when I can because that's

[00:24:45] my way of giving back already know what you do because

[00:24:48] I helped you right?

[00:24:49] I know your heart.

[00:24:50] I know that you're aligned.

[00:24:51] So yeah, I give back.

[00:24:53] I do some 5k walks.

[00:24:55] When they doing it, I buy a ticket and sponsor.

[00:24:58] If I can't come, let me just buy a ticket and

[00:25:00] bless somebody else to go.

[00:25:02] So there's plenty of ways for us to give.

[00:25:05] You just have to find out what it is you want to give to,

[00:25:08] because we can't give to everything.

[00:25:10] Yeah.

[00:25:12] So, um, yeah, now my given is in a national given and I'm so

[00:25:17] excited.

[00:25:18] I'm, I'm like this and you didn't get me excited about it.

[00:25:22] Um, but yes, I am doing a project with my crew in

[00:25:27] Kenya, Africa.

[00:25:29] Wow.

[00:25:29] I'm acting young girls and I am.

[00:25:34] I'm full because God me, you send me on a two week trip and

[00:25:42] you tell me five days in that girls are going into prostitution

[00:25:48] and all types of things to be able to afford their education.

[00:25:52] Are you kidding me?

[00:25:54] He knew that that was going to prick my heart.

[00:25:57] He knew my spirit was not going to be right.

[00:26:01] I was asking questions and then I started what's happened.

[00:26:05] Our good friend Glenn, like I have an idea.

[00:26:07] She's like, Oh Lord, right?

[00:26:10] And I came back and I'm like, I got to get a meeting.

[00:26:13] Listen, I didn't play with it.

[00:26:14] Okay.

[00:26:15] And we team girls and those who sponsored with me,

[00:26:19] those girls February of 2025.

[00:26:21] That is the best that that is the best feeling to

[00:26:25] impact girls to be able to get the education.

[00:26:29] Wow.

[00:26:30] You know, I used to say people this, I don't know who is

[00:26:35] the podcast, but let me say this.

[00:26:37] People had an issue with Oprah because she took her

[00:26:39] school over to another country.

[00:26:42] Yeah, remember that I did not understand that.

[00:26:45] First of all, you're not even doing what she's doing.

[00:26:48] This is her money.

[00:26:49] That that's what it's her money and she's doing what

[00:26:52] it is for her that she choose to do exactly what

[00:26:54] she's doing.

[00:26:54] And that is her complete option, but let me tell you

[00:26:56] something.

[00:26:57] When you go to those other countries and you see the

[00:27:00] press that those babies have, whether it's walking

[00:27:04] blocks to school, whether it's digging up and

[00:27:07] washing their clothes in dirty water because they

[00:27:09] want to be clean.

[00:27:11] Let me tell you something that is good ground to

[00:27:14] sew into to impact their lives.

[00:27:17] And our impacts don't have to be.

[00:27:19] Yes, we start with the block, but when you're not

[00:27:22] just a block person, you're doing blocks.

[00:27:25] You're doing neighborhoods.

[00:27:26] You're doing communities.

[00:27:27] You're doing states.

[00:27:28] You're doing counties.

[00:27:29] You're going international.

[00:27:31] So your reach is just not for the block that you

[00:27:35] live on.

[00:27:35] You start on your block, but you have to expand

[00:27:38] your capacity and we have expanded to Kenya

[00:27:42] and I am I am ecstatic.

[00:27:44] So listen, anything that brings you joy because

[00:27:47] that brings me joy.

[00:27:48] Anybody listen probably like look, she didn't

[00:27:50] win into a hole.

[00:27:52] No, I love it.

[00:27:54] Yeah, it has to bring it has to bring you joy.

[00:27:58] You get you have to have a joy to do it and for

[00:28:02] us to help those girls is a blessing for me

[00:28:05] because I do kids now my business.

[00:28:08] I help people with nonprofits.

[00:28:10] I do.

[00:28:10] I help them started established.

[00:28:12] She grow after that.

[00:28:13] I sing you all to where you need to go to

[00:28:15] your next level because I'm not going to just

[00:28:17] take your money and I can no longer have

[00:28:19] to help you.

[00:28:20] You got to level up and go to the next level, right?

[00:28:23] But you have to find that joy that makes you

[00:28:26] join in kids bring me joy all.

[00:28:30] All the kids bring me joy every year I do a

[00:28:33] back to school event and I'll be so tired at

[00:28:35] the end of the day and I say every year I tell

[00:28:38] them I'm retiring every year.

[00:28:40] I say.

[00:28:41] Every right now I'm playing for back to

[00:28:45] school in August.

[00:28:46] I said I was going to do it.

[00:28:48] I was retiring.

[00:28:49] I'm not going to do all this extra stuff and

[00:28:52] I show up because I love it.

[00:28:55] Yeah.

[00:28:56] Their smiles is all I need to see them running

[00:28:58] and playing is all I need to see their

[00:29:02] comments, you know, and they say some of

[00:29:05] them just for ages.

[00:29:06] It's my fault though.

[00:29:09] I love that.

[00:29:11] You know what?

[00:29:11] I have a feeling I know what might be the

[00:29:13] answer to this but you might surprise me.

[00:29:16] What is your greatest accomplishment?

[00:29:19] Oh.

[00:29:24] You didn't send that in no prep questions.

[00:29:26] I don't think I got no prep questions for

[00:29:27] nothing.

[00:29:28] No, no, that was one of them.

[00:29:31] That was one of them.

[00:29:34] My greatest accomplishment.

[00:29:38] Oh, so many.

[00:29:40] Well, give me.

[00:29:41] Okay.

[00:29:42] But here we go.

[00:29:43] Here's my greatest.

[00:29:45] Here's my greatest accomplishment.

[00:29:49] The sacrifice to care for love.

[00:30:01] And do it without losing my mind.

[00:30:04] It was my great.

[00:30:06] I could see that.

[00:30:08] As someone who's been there.

[00:30:10] I get the yes, yes.

[00:30:11] That is my greatest.

[00:30:13] I'm in accomplishment.

[00:30:15] To sacrifice yourself for somebody else.

[00:30:20] And not lose your mind.

[00:30:23] To God be the glory.

[00:30:27] That is my greatest accomplishment.

[00:30:31] Yeah, I can have all the accolades.

[00:30:33] You can give me all the degrees.

[00:30:35] You could make me the doctor.

[00:30:37] But yeah, to care for that caregiving.

[00:30:40] For me it was three.

[00:30:42] I took care of three.

[00:30:44] That was my greatest accomplishment.

[00:30:46] And I did not lose my mind.

[00:30:48] I did not lose my mind.

[00:30:50] Well, kudos to you.

[00:30:52] And like I said, you just surprised me because I thought maybe you were going to.

[00:30:55] Well, I just hope, you know what you just spoke about helping the girls in

[00:30:58] Africa.

[00:30:59] I thought that was going to be it, but you are nothing but surprises.

[00:31:02] I love that.

[00:31:04] Love that.

[00:31:06] I love that.

[00:31:06] I love it.

[00:31:07] I love that.

[00:31:09] Yes.

[00:31:10] That is one that I.

[00:31:12] I wear proudly.

[00:31:13] And I probably need to find out how I can help those that caregiving.

[00:31:18] That's probably my next project.

[00:31:20] Oh, look at me.

[00:31:22] Look at you.

[00:31:23] You extra work to do.

[00:31:24] Come on here.

[00:31:25] Help me move into my purpose in there.

[00:31:29] Come on here.

[00:31:29] Hustle on in faith.

[00:31:32] Yeah, that's.

[00:31:34] I wasn't ready for that question, but that is definitely my whole hearted

[00:31:38] answer.

[00:31:38] I can see you doing that too.

[00:31:41] I could literally see you doing it.

[00:31:43] I could see you doing it.

[00:31:43] And, and, and you know, when you mentioned that,

[00:31:45] I started thinking about kind of like my memories of how.

[00:31:49] That is a very challenging time. Right?

[00:31:52] Like you want to help.

[00:31:53] And it's like, you got to carry yourself at the same time.

[00:31:56] So you can be of assistance to a person that is a lot of hats to

[00:31:59] juggle, but you're right.

[00:32:00] A lot of folks that are in the caretaking situation don't

[00:32:04] necessarily have that extra help.

[00:32:06] So I think you would be the perfect person.

[00:32:09] Listen, I can tell them, honey,

[00:32:11] I have my whole system in place.

[00:32:13] Listen all the way down to how to get your head done in an hour

[00:32:16] and a half and make it back for medication intake.

[00:32:18] Okay.

[00:32:19] Okay.

[00:32:22] Oh my goodness.

[00:32:24] So be on the lookout because I already know.

[00:32:26] I'll give you another year.

[00:32:27] I'll check in and she'll be like, yes,

[00:32:29] we've got caretakers across the world or something.

[00:32:32] I don't know what you would name it,

[00:32:33] but I just know it's going to be right off the ground.

[00:32:36] but I'm not sure if it's going to be right now.

[00:32:36] Yes.

[00:32:37] Yes.

[00:32:38] It's needed to its needed.

[00:32:41] Right?

[00:32:42] Absolutely.

[00:32:42] Right.

[00:32:43] So I know, I don't know about you,

[00:32:46] but this year is flying by, right?

[00:32:48] It's going lying.

[00:32:49] Bye.

[00:32:50] If you had to choose one word.

[00:32:53] To represent your goals for this year.

[00:32:56] What would it be and why?

[00:33:00] Free.

[00:33:01] Free.

[00:33:04] Free.

[00:33:05] Free.

[00:33:06] Free.

[00:33:06] Free.

[00:33:08] Free.

[00:33:09] Free.

[00:33:10] Free.

[00:33:10] Free.

[00:33:11] Free to be me and do me unapologetically.

[00:33:16] Okay.

[00:33:18] I love that with the rhyming too.

[00:33:20] Do you hear me?

[00:33:22] Um,

[00:33:24] I have.

[00:33:26] I would say that.

[00:33:28] The last 10 years.

[00:33:32] I have been a busy 10 years.

[00:33:35] A challenging 10 years.

[00:33:37] Um,

[00:33:38] I've seen some things, but I have grown.

[00:33:41] I have matured and I have aligned myself with myself.

[00:33:46] Do you hear me?

[00:33:47] So I'm out here free unapologetically.

[00:33:50] Listen, honey,

[00:33:51] you get Dr.

[00:33:52] Lolita Cleveland exactly how she is.

[00:33:54] We don't do no people, please.

[00:33:56] And we don't do no entertaining.

[00:33:57] We not.

[00:33:58] Politicking up the wrong tree.

[00:34:00] We're not doing anything.

[00:34:01] We're not doing anything.

[00:34:01] We're not doing anything.

[00:34:01] We're not doing anything.

[00:34:02] Anything that is not in alignment.

[00:34:04] Of my free mind, emotion, spirit, finances.

[00:34:07] I do not.

[00:34:08] It will not attach.

[00:34:11] I'm free in 24.

[00:34:13] Do you hear me?

[00:34:13] I was free before the end, but this year.

[00:34:16] Is a little extra.

[00:34:18] And it's probably a little extra because.

[00:34:21] I don't know.

[00:34:22] No, no lady.

[00:34:23] That.

[00:34:25] Um,

[00:34:25] could stay in the lose a few pounds.

[00:34:27] They lose those extra pounds.

[00:34:28] And it's named mine is a little bit of money.

[00:34:31] That's how you do it.

[00:34:31] But I've never used it so far.

[00:34:31] When we start the involve free a and and and less weight.

[00:34:34] Okay.

[00:34:36] Emotional is the less way.

[00:34:38] Most people say, Oh, you know, people lose weight.

[00:34:42] They confidence, honey, less.

[00:34:43] My confidence was up when I was.

[00:34:45] Honey large and in charge.

[00:34:49] But when God.

[00:34:52] Begin to have you.

[00:34:53] lose the weight and become more one with him and pulling yourself together and

[00:34:58] aligning yourself you out here free baby you free set free live and listen honey

[00:35:04] I'm just out here free I love that I love that so much I'm so free listen I'm

[00:35:10] playing in a row to 50 and free is my word because at first I was gonna do

[00:35:15] this whole itinerary right we gonna do this this this and this he said you

[00:35:20] gonna do a free hand I said I can only plan two things everything else gonna be

[00:35:26] free hand so hey I said if we gonna do it free in this the Lord I need a day trip

[00:35:31] put me on the plane so I could fly there and come back the same day okay I love

[00:35:37] that I'm flying free around here I love that listen maybe he'll give me free

[00:35:45] somebody about me a plane ticket okay just put it out there put it out there so

[00:35:54] yes free is my word for 2024 I love that so much I have thoroughly enjoyed

[00:36:00] speaking with you and I know the audience has been offending from this

[00:36:03] information as well last but not least what is the best piece of advice for

[00:36:10] women who want to start their own nonprofit do it yes like Nike do it do it

[00:36:21] it's you nobody else have that idea you're not even smart enough to come up with

[00:36:25] that idea God gave it to you so it's a God idea so you're not smart enough to

[00:36:31] even think that that oh I want to help homeless people well why do you think

[00:36:35] you want to help homeless people because he had a plan for you going to do your

[00:36:38] math 2019 that's why so do it executed right start the research look into which

[00:36:46] go to some workshops right find out what they're doing free I tell people all the

[00:36:51] time go to even bright type in nonprofit you might find a free workshop you know

[00:36:57] especially if you start when you start another profit most people do not have

[00:37:00] any money to start it so you definitely need to probably need to go to some

[00:37:03] free workshops and learn some things and gain that knowledge but do it you're

[00:37:08] called to do it that's why you had the idea you had the vision you've seen

[00:37:13] something somebody else did that you didn't like and it upset you to your

[00:37:16] core of your very being that's probably what you should be doing in offering

[00:37:22] yes so that's the part that you do that's the lane that you rock in because

[00:37:27] they're not that's why it's out of water because they're not called to

[00:37:31] that lane you are you are love that love that I know that you have definitely

[00:37:38] blessed this audience so much in the event that folks want to get in touch

[00:37:43] with you how can they go about doing so this and they can find me on Instagram

[00:37:48] a Chrome is me they can find me I do have a website it is Chrome enterprises

[00:37:55] dot com and that's Chrome like a breadcrumb I like to say that because most

[00:38:00] people be like crumb yes see are you in B as in boy like a breadcrumb

[00:38:06] enterprises dot com and you can find me on Facebook and Chrome enterprises

[00:38:10] I love that you know what one last question because that name is so

[00:38:14] interesting and I'm going to ask that to begin with so I'm going to end

[00:38:18] with that explain Chrome enterprises it's my name it's my nickname

[00:38:26] it's my nickname it is my nickname I I had another business and I woke up one day

[00:38:34] and I'm like I like the name but it's not me and it kept saying it's not me

[00:38:40] and I'm like why it's not me why isn't it mean and I talk 330 in the morning

[00:38:47] and Chrome is me that's why my Instagram is Chrome is me to I'm no

[00:38:52] leader for Chrome is me and if anybody that knows me if I see him in public

[00:38:56] and they say Chrome I stop because you have to know me to know that nickname

[00:39:00] now everybody in your podcast know that name not everybody knows that it was

[00:39:06] my nickname and it was given to me at birth I've heard about 3 different

[00:39:10] stories on how I even got the name Chrome but it is a part of who I am

[00:39:15] so my business is a part of who I am so that's why I came up with that

[00:39:20] I love that so much I love that and with that Dr. Lolita Cleveland thank you so

[00:39:27] much for coming out. No, I have learned a lot and I know the audience has as

[00:39:33] well thank you so much listen I've enjoyed myself I'm so glad you had me

[00:39:37] on I'm on it I've listened to a few of your shows prior to so I'm just glad

[00:39:43] to even be here with you to even have this opportunity so thank you.

[00:39:49] All right, thank you.

[00:39:56] Thanks so much for listening to this episode if you enjoy listening to

[00:40:00] Hustling Faith and would like to support the show please consider sharing

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