Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Sharise Nance.

Purpose of the Interview

• To showcase Sharise Nance’s mission in mental health advocacy, entrepreneurship, and workplace wellness.
• To discuss her companies:
  • Hand in Hand Counseling Services – addressing mental health disparities in Black communities.
  • Vitamin C Healing – building trauma-sensitive, wellness-centered workplace cultures.
• To educate on stress, burnout, compassion fatigue, and financial equity in the mental health field.

Key Takeaways

1. Hand in Hand Counseling Services

   • Founded with college roommate Tess Kenny in Pittsburgh.
   • Created a safe space for mental health support in underserved communities.
   • Celebrating 12 years in operation.

2. Breaking Mental Health Stigma

   • Built trust through community presence and transparency.
   • Advocated therapy as normal: “I’m a therapist who has a therapist.”
   • Education on what therapy is and isn’t.

3. Understanding Stress

   • Eustress (positive stress) vs. Distress (overwhelming stress).
   • Physical signs: sweating, rapid heartbeat, tense shoulders, jaw clenching.
   • Stress can lead to depression and anxiety—seek professional help.

4. Impact of COVID-19

   • Isolation amplified mental health issues.
   • Introduced concept of co-regulation—healing through community and connection.

5. Vitamin C Healing

   • Originated from her book Vitamin C Healing for the Mind, Body.
   • Evolved into a brand offering workshops, consultations, and burnout assessments.
   • Focused on helping professionals and leaders prevent compassion fatigue.

6. Financial Equity in Mental Health

   • Advocates for fair pay: “We can care deeply and earn abundantly.”
   • Challenges the mindset that passion work means low income.
   • Encourages professionals to set boundaries and value their expertise.

7. Burnout & Organizational Cost

   • Unaddressed burnout costs companies millions annually.
   • Leads to quiet quitting, low productivity, and high turnover.
   • Investing in wellness saves money and improves culture.

8. Personal Journey

   • Biggest bet: leaving full-time job in 2017 to pursue entrepreneurship.
   • Therapy helped her navigate fear and grief (especially after losing her father).
   • Quote: “Feel the fear and do it anyway.”

Notable Quotes

• “We can care deeply and earn abundantly.”
• “I’m a therapist who has a therapist.”
• “Feel the fear and do it anyway.”
• “We heal when we are in community—it’s hard to heal in isolation.”
• “Compassion fatigue isn’t just a feel-good topic; it costs companies millions.”
• “Betting on myself was the best investment I ever made.”

#SHMS #STRAW #BEST #AMI

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Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Dr. Justin M. Lee.

Purpose of the Interview

• To showcase Dr. Lee’s journey from a young real estate agent to a multi-industry entrepreneur.
• To inspire listeners with strategies for wealth-building through real estate, construction, and logistics.
• To encourage financial literacy, ownership, and collaboration within underserved communities.
• To issue a call to action for minorities to explore opportunities like Amazon DSP and real estate investment.

Key Takeaways

1. Early Career & Education

   • Started young in real estate, embraced discomfort in rooms dominated by older professionals.
   • Leveraged millennial tech skills (social media marketing) to help veteran brokers grow.
   • Earned a doctorate degree and became a licensed real estate broker.

2. Social Media as a Business Tool

   • Built a strong presence on TikTok (90K followers) and other platforms.
   • Helped older real estate firms thrive by creating digital visibility.
   • Emphasized that “business must look as good online as in person.”

3. Financial Literacy & Homeownership

   • African-American communities often lack foundational financial knowledge.
   • Key barriers: misunderstanding credit, fear of debt, and lack of exposure to ownership benefits.
   • Advocates teaching the difference between good debt (real estate) and bad debt (consumer credit).

4. Real Estate Process

   • Initial onboarding: credit score, income, tax filing.
   • Connect clients with lenders, secure pre-approval, then negotiate and close within 30–45 days.
   • Uses property tours as motivation even for those not yet approved.

5. Pooling Resources for Wealth

   • Industry dominated by white men and foreign investors who use syndication.
   • Dr. Lee created a private family fund with fraternity brothers and friends.
   • Acquired 150+ apartment units and commercial properties by pooling resources and forming LLCs.

6. Amazon DSP Opportunity

   • Owns an Amazon Delivery Service Partner business (42 trucks, 200 employees).
   • Offers minorities a chance to apply for DSP with $10K grant.
   • Taught him true CEO skills: HR, payroll, compliance, and scaling operations.

7. Construction Business

   • Entered construction after experiencing exploitation in fix-and-flip projects.
   • Learned the business side (permits, change orders) and got licensed.
   • Built major projects like a 10,000 sq. ft. restaurant in Atlanta.
   • Advocates for Black representation in construction, an industry dominated by whites and Hispanics.

8. Personal Background

   • Raised in New Orleans during Katrina by a single mother and grandparents.
   • Mother invested FEMA checks into real estate, teaching him property management and renovation skills early.
   • Believes knowledge is power and emphasizes planning and consistency.

Notable Quotes

• On embracing discomfort:
  “I learned to embrace the uncomfort and make it one of my biggest strengths.”

• On social media:
  “You have to make your business look the same way online as in person.”

• On financial literacy:
  “Real estate is always going to be good debt. Bad debt is the Macy’s card.”

• On collaboration:
  “Pooling resources shows how far we can go and how fast we can go—but together.”

• On planning:
  “If you don’t plan, you plan to fail. All you have to do is stick to the plan.”

#SHMS #STRAW #BEST

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Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Dr. Maxine Cain.

Founder of STEM Atlanta Women, joins Money Making Conversations Masterclass to discuss her mission to increase diversity in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. She shares insights on how her organization bridges gaps for Black and Brown women in underserved communities and creates career pathways.

🔑 Key Themes & Highlights

1. Origins of STEM Atlanta Women

   • Founded in 2016, the organization was inspired by Maxine’s challenges as an HR leader in a Fortune 500 company, where recruiting women of color into innovation roles was difficult.
   • She recognized a lack of representation and cultural barriers that discouraged women from entering STEM careers.
   • Her background in corporate event planning and business development helped her secure sponsorships for STEM-focused initiatives.

2. Summerhill Community Hub

   • The organization operates out of a two-story loft space in Summerhill, Atlanta, a historically underserved community.
   • Summerhill lacked essential resources, including a bank and grocery store, for over 60 years.
   • Partnered with Carter Development, which helped provide space for STEM education and community programming.

3. STEM Education & Outreach

   • Works closely with local schools, including King Middle School, Carver Early College, Maynard Jackson High School, and Georgia State University.
   • Runs programs designed to introduce young girls to STEM careers, helping them build confidence and skills early.

4. Annual STEM Events

   • STEMinist Ball celebrates young women excelling in STEM fields by awarding crystal trophies, certificates, and graduation cords at a black-tie event.
   • STEM in the City is an afterschool program that exposes students to emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, drone technology, and flavor science with Coca-Cola.
   • Collaborated with Usher’s New Look Foundation and IBM to introduce artificial intelligence concepts to students.

5. College & Workforce Development

   • Partners with Clark Atlanta University and Emory University to provide certification programs in business intelligence and emerging technology.
   • Works with major corporations to create career pathways for Black talent.
   • Helps underserved individuals gain industry-recognized certifications for high-paying tech jobs.

6. Vision & Impact

   • Maxine started STEM Atlanta Women to create opportunities for young women who lacked access to STEM education.
   • She emphasizes mentorship, representation, and hands-on learning to help future leaders navigate STEM careers.

📘 Resources & Contact Information
Dr. Maxine Cain’s work is accessible through:
🔗 Website: STEM Atlanta Women
🔗 Social Media: @STEMAtlantaWomen

#BEST

#STRAW

#SHMS

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