Money Making Conversations Master Class Podcast By Rushion McDonald cover art

Money Making Conversations Master Class

Money Making Conversations Master Class

By: Rushion McDonald
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Hi, this is Rushion McDonald. Welcome to the podcast world of Money Making Conversations Master Class. I interview profits and nonprofits to learn their "Secrets to Success." I'm a former IBM Executive with a degree in Mathematics. I started my entrepreneurial career as a stand-up comic, then became a sitcom writer, award-winning baker, social media influencer, award-winning television Executive Producer, and brand architect for super-successful celebrities and products. Money Making Conversations Master Class interviews a diverse group of celebrities, entrepreneurs, and influencers in the financial and business community with their advice and tips so you can be successful, too. It's time to stop reading other people's success stories and start building your own. People always talk about their purpose or gifts. If you have a gift, Lead with your Gift, and don't let your friends, family, or co-workers stop you from planning or living your dream. Keep Winning!

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Episodes
  • Brand Building: “She offers executive women a retreat where they can experience luxury and end with a business plan.

    Brand Building: “She offers executive women a retreat where they can experience luxury and end with a business plan.
    Feb 23 2026
    Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Ingrid Jacobs. A veteran enterprise leader, former HR executive, and Chief Growth Officer for The Revenue Retreat, a luxury boutique retreat for executive women who want to build profitable businesses without burnout. She and Rushion discuss her corporate background, her unique approach to customer integration, the challenges women face in entrepreneurship, pricing psychology, common business mistakes, age-related limiting beliefs, and the transformational design of her retreat program. 🎯 Purpose of the Interview The purpose of Ingrid’s appearance was to: 1. Share her expertise in helping high‑achieving women build sustainable, profitable businesses Ingrid works with corporate leaders, entrepreneurs, and women ready to transition from corporate careers into entrepreneurship. 2. Highlight The Revenue Retreat She explains how the retreat helps women clarify their offer, price correctly, identify customers, and prepare mentally and emotionally for entrepreneurship. 3. Educate listeners on business fundamentals Rushion brings her on to break down pricing, customer targeting, confidence, and transitioning from corporate “9–5” to entrepreneurship. 4. Address issues unique to women, executives, and people of color Especially around pricing themselves correctly, recovering from burnout, and building confidence in their value. 💡 Key Takeaways 1. Corporate experience can translate powerfully into entrepreneurship Ingrid spent two decades at companies like Raytheon, Whirlpool, and JLL, working in HR, human capital, and DEI.She emphasizes she wasn’t a traditional HR leader—she focused on customer integration, business growth, and improving client outcomes. 2. High‑achieving women aren’t only executives They can be community leaders, nonprofit leaders, or entrepreneurs who excel in their areas but may not have formal corporate titles. 3. Entrepreneurship requires more work—especially early on New entrepreneurs often don’t realize they must handle every aspect of the business themselves: operations, marketing, sales, pricing, and delivery. 4. Pricing is one of the biggest challenges for women and people of color Key problems: Undervaluing their expertiseFear of charging what they’re worthWorrying clients won’t pay higher ratesGetting mentally stuck in low pricing Ingrid says women often dramatically underprice themselves and need help adjusting their mindset. 5. Knowing your customer matters more than trying to sell to everyone Selling to “anybody” makes entrepreneurs sound desperate; true growth comes from targeting the right buyer and offering a solution they value. 6. Avoid common first‑year business mistakes These include: Poor pricingNot knowing your ideal customerDoing everything for everyoneExpanding into too many offerings too fastOperating out of desperation rather than strategy 7. Age is an asset—not a liability Older entrepreneurs bring wisdom, experience, critical thinking, and problem‑solving ability.She argues people use age as a cover for deeper fears about failure and judgment. 8. The Revenue Retreat combines luxury, education, and wellness The retreat model includes: A luxury residential environmentChef‑prepared meals12‑woman cohortsBusiness planning rigorPricing clarityCustomer identificationMental and emotional readinessWellness activities8‑weeks of virtual follow‑up coaching It’s intentionally structured as not a workshop but a holistic transformation experience. [ 9. She priced her retreat through competitive research + self‑awareness She studied other programs, benchmarked pricing, calculated expenses, and aligned it with her unique “sweet spot”—monetization skill + passion for helping women + love of hosting experiences. 🗣 Notable Quotes (with citations) On her corporate background “Bring me on board if you're looking for figuring out how do we get better customer integration… so that we can zero in on more sales.” On defining high‑achieving women “There are movers and shakers who don’t necessarily have a corporate pedigree, but they are still getting things done.” On underpricing “Many times women… fall in this trap where they're scared to put out the real amount.” [ On realizing she was undercharging “I wasn't even charging half of what she was saying… that epiphany changed the game ...
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    30 mins
  • Overcoming the Odds: Her personal journey from layoff to leadership to inspiring others to embrace entrepreneurship.

    Overcoming the Odds: Her personal journey from layoff to leadership to inspiring others to embrace entrepreneurship.
    Feb 23 2026
    Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Dr. Cameka Smith. Founder of The BOSS Network, from Money Making Conversations Masterclass: Purpose of the Interview The interview aimed to: Highlight The BOSS Network’s mission to empower women of color through entrepreneurship, career development, and community support.Share Dr. Smith’s personal journey from layoff to leadership, inspiring others to embrace entrepreneurship.Discuss strategies for business success, funding opportunities, and mentorship for Black female founders. Key Takeaways Origin of The BOSS Network Founded in 2009 during the recession after Dr. Smith was laid off from Chicago Public Schools.Initially started as local events in Chicago; now a digital community reaching 200,000 women nationwide.Mission: Bringing Out Successful Sisters (BOSS)—promoting small business spirit and career growth. Impact & Achievements Invested in 100 Black female founders through grants.Trained 50,000 women on business strategies.Coached 10,000 women on starting businesses.Created Boss Business University, offering mentorship and digital programs. Pivot During COVID Shifted from 35% event-based revenue to 75% digital.Launched Boss Impact Fund and Invest in Progress Grant: $10,000 grants + 4-year scholarships for recipients.Combined funding, mentorship, and marketing support for sustainability. Challenges & Mindset Entrepreneurship requires planning, resilience, and community support.Dr. Smith saved money before leaving her job and leveraged relationships for growth.Quote: “Entrepreneurs will work 80 hours for themselves but don’t want to work 40 hours for someone else.” Top 3 Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make Lack of research: Understand your industry, competitors, and market.No revenue model: If you’re not making money, it’s a hobby, not a business.Ignoring relationships: Networking and partnerships are key to success. Unique Marketing & Partnerships Dr. Smith built direct relationships with brands, bypassing agencies that offered “pennies on the dollar.”Created a dual revenue model: B2B (corporate partnerships) + B2C (community engagement). Core Philosophy Motto: Believe, Plan, Win.Quote: “Those that show up, go up.”Success is rooted in faith, persistence, and leveraging community. Notable Quotes “I was born to be an entrepreneur. My mother told me, until you become your own boss, you have to follow the rules.”“Less than 1% of Black women get VC funding—so we created our own fund.”“Relationships are your key to success. When social media goes away, your audience remains.”“If you have a business and you don’t have money, you’ve got a hobby.”“God will not birth anything inside of you that He will not give you the tools to deliver.” #SHMS #STRAW #BESTSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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    21 mins
  • Career Opportunities: He issues a call to action for minorities to explore opportunities like Amazon DSP and real estate investment.

    Career Opportunities: He issues a call to action for minorities to explore opportunities like Amazon DSP and real estate investment.
    Feb 23 2026
    Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! 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 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. 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.” 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). 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. 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. 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. 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. 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 #BESTSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
    Show more Show less
    23 mins
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