Welcome, I'm Angela Bryant and you're listening to The Angel Rated S how, where we have inspiring conversations with people behind the products and services most often used by online business owners. On the show, you'll hear how their personal beliefs and values have influenced their businesses. If you're an online entrepreneur who wants to know about the integrity and impact of the businesses you're buying from, then this is the show for you. Hello, and welcome to this episode of The Angel Rated Show. I'm Angela Bryant and with me today, I have Brieanna Lightfoot Smith. After battling against suicidal thoughts as a teenager, Brieanna emerged as a 20 something with a story to tell. She has since dedicated her life to educating women on the benefits of intentional living. She's the author of The Black Girls Guide Living on Purpose and founder of The Black Girls with Purpose movement. So Brieanna, can you start by telling us more about yourself and your online business?

Yes. So I started Black Girls with Purpose in 2016. And initially, when we got started, we were primarily working with teenagers because of what you just read my my history with dealing with suicidal thoughts as a teen really gave me a heart and a passion to work with teens. And so we were working with teenagers I just had released my book just months before, and really wanted to connect with the girls who are reading it now. And I tell people I say honestly, you can't I can't even say Oh, it was just from this noble place. Like I was like, No, I want to meet these people who are reading my book. And so I picked four chapters out of the book and basically created a workshop for each one of those chapters. And then I invited these young ladies just you know, posted the event on Eventbrite and social media and said, Hey, Gonna be hosting these workshops every week for the next four weeks, you know, have your teenagers come out whatever the case may be. And so, ironically enough, the women who came most often were actually three college women, and they were coming from three hours away. And I said, Okay, you know, if y'all are driving three hours to get to this little content that I feel like it is not. I don't know if I would be driving three hours for an hour and a half workshop, then it really showed me that this was something that was needed. And it really just set us on a trajectory to connect with young women. And we started the online portion within this past year and on the timing was perfect with everything that's happened with COVID because after years of teaching young ladies and pulling stuff from the book, and doing workshops and doing monthly events, I had so much material. So we launched our Activate community, which really gave me a centralized place to share all the information that I'd been in accumulating over the years, especially with having the podcast and having women come on there and talk about their various businesses and like, Okay, I know a lot and I want to share what it is that I've learned. And so how what's the concise way we can do it? And that's when we launched our online community, which is called Activate.

So what do people get from that community?

Accountability and support are the biggest things it is definitely an education platform. Because every month we have workshops on things like how to build a story brand, how to line up email marketing for your business, how to position yourself in front of the right clients, how to decide what to charge for your services, which is something a lot of the women in our community struggle with. And you know, it has been so cool. One of my favorite workshops we've done so far. It's actually called job hunting with joy and it's taught by a woman named Azani Fitten and she has a business out here called Career Uncaged but she was just talking about how a lot of times we as women don't negotiate for the salaries that we should be getting. Or we kind of play down our talents and our skill sets. And so I found a lot of women really loved that. And a lot of women, especially again, in light of COVID, are looking for positions while they're still working on growing their business. And so knowing that we're giving them the tools that they need to show up with confidence in those interviews is really exciting.

One of the reasons I really knew I wanted to have you on as a guest, because I saw that photo with you with a T shirt saying purpose over profit, which really rang true in terms of everything that I'm wanting to get across on this show. So tell us a bit more. I mean, we've talked a bit obviously about your background, but what is the purpose of your overall business? What what legacy Do you want to create from it?

I really want women to walk confidently in their callings. I think that my experience with suicide as a teen really came from not knowing what on earth I was here for. And you know, when you don't feel like you have a purpose or identity, you kind of wander into anything. And you kind of become an a chameleon as well. Like you just kind of morph into what other people say about you what other people expect of you and I wanted the women that I connect with to say, you know, this is what I feel like God's placed me on this earth to do. And so I'm going to do it, even if it doesn't pay me a lot, you know, even if it's not some some positions may be more in the spotlight than others. So even if I'm not in the spotlight, I feel like this is what I've been positioned for and created for. And I just found like, when you live your life that way, you have so much fulfillment, and you have so much joy and you have so much peace. And so I really want that for everyone who's in our community, because I know what the opposite of that looks like where you're, you're anxious all the time and you're worried and you're, you're asking yourself, Is this where I'm supposed to be? What if I'm missing it? Like, what if I, you know, show up to heaven one day, and I'm like, hey, yeah, I really you know, nailed everything and God's like, that wasn't even the direction I was having to go. And you know, I really want women to show up fully in every space that they're called to. And I always emphasize calling because sometimes we position ourselves in places we're not even supposed to be in and we may be killing it. But if that's not our role, if that's not what we've been placed on this earth to do, then it's pointless.

So what would you like to be known for from this from your endeavors from your lifetime?

I want to be known as somebody who created connections like I have my tagline on my Instagram is that I connect women to Christ, calling and community. And I love that's one of the things I love so much about our Activate community is I'll see women tagging each other in our private Facebook group that we have or one of them will text me like, Oh my gosh, I'm meeting with Tiedra tomorrow, we're talking about this or they're collaborating on projects that just inspires me so much, because I know that the success that I've had in my businesses, the things that I've been able to do with my books, even like in rearing my children community has been such an essential key to that. And so when I can help other women, create and cultivate community, it means a lot to me, because then I know even if I'm not in their lives anymore, they're surrounded by other women who wants to see them succeed. And women who have seen them from the beginning of their journey that are like, No girl, you told me three years ago, you're gonna launch this business and I'm not gonna let you give up that easy.

So there's obviously been an increase over recent weeks and months in terms of the awareness and discussions around Black Lives Matter. So what impact has that had on your business? Has it changed the the size of your mission in any way?

I think there's definitely a part that that makes it a bigger mission. And I know for me, I think it's given me more confidence in my name because back when we first started eating With the title of the book, you know, I prayed on what I felt like the title should be. And I felt like that's what God gave me. And I said, Oh, I don't know, because I'm not trying to have people be like, Well, why is it the black girls guide, everybody should be living on purpose. And I share in the first few pages of my book that I was really wrestling with that and then there then there have the video went viral of that young black student. I don't know if you ever saw it, but it was a young black lady who was dragged across the room by a security guard because she wouldn't give him her cell phone. And I really felt like I was saying, you know, Bree, I know you don't want to offend anybody, but I need my girls my black girls to know that I see them and you know, a lot of people say, oh, God doesn't see color. And I'm like, if you didn't see color, then why didn't you just make everybody purple? You know that just like if that was really the case, I think it's more powerful when people who don't look alike are seeing together because that really does embody unity. I know my mom, but she's talking about all the rallies that she's seen on the news and she's like breeze seems like there are just as much as me race, as there are of us, and I think that's what's been different this time around, because this is not a new conversation advocating for our lives. It's not a new conversation, even the Black Lives Matter movement started after Trayvon Martin was killed. And so it's like, this is not a new conversation, but it seems like other people are finally joining in, and that they're actually listening and saying, you know, what, that is wrong. Like, how can that happen? Or, or how can no one else stand up? Or does no one else see this? And I felt like even with COVID happening this year, people were uniquely positioned to sit down and pay attention, where before, you know, it might have just been something they looked at, and they're like, Oh, my gosh, that's horrible. And then they went back to their regular lives. So many more people are at home, so many more people aren't on social media, so many more people are watching the news. And so yeah, it has given me this grounding and, and confidence and saying, okay, you knew all these years ago that this was going to happen and that people would be actually looking for organizations that are serving people of color. And so yeah, it's definitely been a confidence. boost in definitely been a, I guess, push that we're moving in the right direction.

So tell us a bit about how you if there are any ways that you give back in your business is it that you support charities do have scholarships, is there anything that you do to help those less fortunate?

The biggest thing that we do is supporting other women owned businesses. It's interesting because black women are this the highest growing business owners like they're starting businesses at a higher rate than any other race, and even gender profile, but only 20% of black women owned businesses make it above the poverty line. And so whenever I have the opportunity, I love to support another woman in business, whether I'm doing a giveaway for something and I'll buy a product or you know, a journal or a service from another black owned business, or I'm just sharing, you know, putting people on my podcast and saying, Hey, I really believe in this stuff that you're doing. Let me get you in front of this audience that you You might not otherwise be exposed to. So that's a huge way that we get back into supporting other black women owned businesses. But I personally give a portion of proceeds from my T shirt sales and from my book sales to my nonprofit that I have called Unity Queens and Unity Queens mission is to educate, empower and expose young women to experiences that help them discover their identity and walk in their purpose. And so you know, it's really a full circle thing. And me and my co founder were saying, you know, my goal is to, to groom the Unity Queens to one day become Black Girls with Purpose whether or not they're actually black women like the Black Girls the Purpose, our demographic is a lot more confident they know what it is that they've been called to do, but the women in our Unity Queens community are kind of like, Hey, I think I might know I'm not sure. And we primarily work with teenagers with that age group anyway. So that's another way that I kind of, you know, bring things full circle and continue to stay connected to the needs of others. Young ladies, whether that be helping them with with community service projects, or whatever the case may be,

I love that fantastic to have your own nonprofit that feeds into that and helps people figure out exactly where you know what their purpose is and where they should be heading. So you've obviously talked a little bit previously about your faith. Tell us a bit more about your own sort of principles and beliefs and how you live your life.

Yes, so Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior, he has saved my life. People always ask, you know, well, what was the change whenever you had suicidal thoughts, and I really, I remember praying, like God helped me to see myself the way that you see me. And what's different, what's my story? And a lot of people will say this, too, but I just know for me, like I grew up in the church. My parents met at a radio station. We went to this church that my dad found when he was in college, like that was the church, they got married and so I was literally born into that church environment. But it's different. Being in a church versus having a relationship with Jesus and like really having a relationship with God and saying, Okay, what is it that you've placed me on this earth to do? And for me? I don't feel like I really started living for God until college. It was like, Okay, God's, this guy who like takes care of me, you know, if I need something, he's got me, but I wasn't really trying to have a relationship with Him. And hey, what do you feel like I've been created to do. And in my book, actually, I just talked about how, you know, whenever you're trying to figure out how something works if you're trying to figure out how your MacBook works or your your your iPhone or your your Samsung phone, like the best way to do that is to look in the instruction manual. And you know, the Bible, the Word of God is my instruction manual. It's what tells me Okay, here's what you should do. If you want to have success. Here's what you shouldn't do. If you want to have success. Here are the ways that you're going to find meaning and life here the ways that you're not. And so when I found myself really studying God's word and saying, okay, like, what do you want me to do? What have you created me for? What is the right path, and then just kind of open myself up to what that looks like, there's a song by Jonathan Reynolds. And he says that he's like, in the song he says, I'm not asking you to do it or asking that you don't you said, I'm just inviting you into my situation. And I feel like that's what prayer has become. For me, it's like, I don't even really know what to pray for. So you just tell me what is right or wrong and I'm just gonna trust it as I move this it'll either be very well and things will go well or it won't be and it's funny even seeing the way that's played out in my business because even Activate, I was gonna launch it. And I was choosing between that launching that and working on an event for my business. And so I said, Okay, I'm gonna go with the event. You know, just focus on one thing be really strategic focus on one thing, and then once the event is on and the success then I'll work on the Activate community, and then COVID happened I was like, okay, I'm gonna work on the Activate community and the event can wait You know, so I think even finding that piece of if you take a step and it's not the right direction God loves you so much that he'll redirect you back on the right path. So yeah, just bearing much inviting God every day spending time my word that's why I get up at five in the morning so I can read peace and quiet before I boys get up and really say, okay, God, like how does this apply to my current situation? But that's been a huge blessing in my life. And it has given me a lot of peace. And even in the midst of, you know, times like these, I'm like, Lord, I know what you said. I know the promises that you have for me, and for my business, and you already knew what was gonna happen. Like I was just reading Psalm 91 this morning, and it just talks about how when you find shelter in the shadow of God's wings like no plague will come near you. And it talks about how 1000 may fall a right hand and 10,000 at your side, but the pestilence will not reach you and I've just seen That like I can, it can be a season where other people might be suffering and God is still sustaining me because I'm finding shelter in the shadow of his wing. So it definitely is a it's a comfort and a piece that's given that it's it's given me so much comfort and peace, especially when things happen that I'm not expecting.

And I don't think any of us could have been expecting some of the things that have been happening this year clearly

not. And if even if we did, we would not have predicted the time frame that we're operating under right now.

No, definitely not. So are there any other sort of causes that you feel strongly about or things that make you angry in the world that you want to fix?

young women taking their lives I mean, young people in general taking their lives that that's obviously a huge passion of mine. And even if I've never met a person if I read an article about someone taking their life or even, you know, read about a celebrity that's taking their life, I was watching the news yesterday and a young I can't remember his I think his mom is like a celebrity but hurt her Son committed suicide, I believe over the weekend. And I resonate with that so deeply because I've been in that place where you feel like you weighed all all your options. And this is the best thing like, you know, I just can't, I can't keep going, I can't go on things will never get better. And something that I read a long time ago that's helped me is that it was a quote that said that suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. And it really is like, even though it seems it's so encompassing, and in the moment, you feel like no, there's no way things can get better. I remember my mom would tell me that when I was younger, and I never told her I was having suicidal thoughts, because I knew that would terrify her. But she could just tell that I was sad that I wasn't my normal self. And so she would always just come around and say, Bree, you know, God has a big plan for you. She said, I wish I could lay it out and say this is what you're going to do. And you're gonna go here and you're gonna do this and you're just like, but I just know it's a big plan for you. And there was a Always a part in my head that said, you know, well, maybe she's right. What if life does get better than this? And I remember just my freshman year of college, I was like, she was right. She was right. You know, and, and that was a small glimpse of the impact of things on my life and my ability to impact others. So yeah, seeing people who suffer with suicidal thoughts or any kind of like mental illness is definitely a deep passion that I have. I think that's why I'm so intentional about building relationships with the people that I'm in community with, because I want people to know, hey, you may not feel like you have someone you could share that way. But and I often open with that, because I'm like, at that point, you know, it definitely is the icebreaker point. Okay, yes, you are gonna just share that big deep secret with me. And I try to tell people like it's not a secret, and it's not something that I'm ashamed of, because I came out on the other side of it. So if I can remove that shame for them, and I've seen that happen. There was a young lady I spoke at at school. In New Orleans A few years ago, and she came up to me and she just said, You know, I know how you feel. And she raised her shirt and she had cut marks on her arm. I mean, they were pretty much healed so had been a while. But she's like, I mean, that's just not something you open up with, right? You you're typically not showing people, your your, your places where you've cut yourself where you've harmed yourself, but I was able to remove that barrier for her. And so that's definitely something that I'm passionate about. And then, as a mom of two black boys, I'm very passionate about young black men like being able to live the fullness of their life not having their life cut short by anything, whether it be a run in with the police or violence amongst each other or poor eating. I mean, it really doesn't matter just like life in general is really is really dear and precious. And so I'm glad that God gave me sons because With all the focus on black girls, like what about the guys, and so that definitely keeps me tapped into their causes as well.

So before we wrap up, I'd love to learn a bit more about you as a person. So would you like to share with us a bit more information about any hobbies or things that you enjoy doing?

So I love reading, and I've been really grateful because this month I scheduled myself I schedule my social media posts, I scheduled my podcasts, I schedule my emails, because I really wanted to take a break, you know, just a moment I know you understand as a fellow business owner. So it's like your your wheels are always turning your thoughts are always going you're always making sure the processes and emails and whatever it is, is good and sometimes it can lead to burnout and I started feeling myself reaching that place. And I said, I know that this is work that I'm passionate about. So let me take a step back. And so since I've been on break, been able to read a lot more. I love cooking, which is crazy, because two years ago if you had told me I would enjoy cooking out of like, where how no, my husband jokes that before I started cooking he joke that I didn't cook that I just warmed up. And I took that as a huge offense. So, you know, downloaded this app called meal alive and started cooking up recipes. And so I really do enjoy cooking. I love spending time with my family, not just my you know, my husband and my sons but we have a very close knit family both sides of my family and my husband and both sides, his family aunts, uncles, cousins, so love spending time with them if it's asleep over. I love doing game nights. I love game nights Angela like my husband got me three games for my birthday. Like that's how much I love them. He knew that I would like to have games like not just something for me something I could do with other people. And it really it honestly just keeps tying back to community because I'm someone who loves community I think after having so many years where I felt isolated. That's why I'm like, No, I need people. And I want to create this space for other people who may be feeling like they're alone. So I love that. And then I love to travel, which obviously this year has been a little tough to, to scratch that itch. But next year, we do have a few friends who are getting married at different locations across the US. And one of them's a destination wedding. So I'm definitely excited to get on a plane again and spend time with family and friends. But those are things that I love reading, traveling, cooking, I still will say that I do still love eating more than I love cooking. Because you know, with eating, you just get to enjoy the experience. You don't have to clean the dishes up afterward. But those are some of my a few of my favorite things as the sound of music would say.

So do you want to wrap up by telling people a bit more about where they can find you?

Absolutely. So we're really active on social media. My personal Instagram is at the black girl with purpose Our business page is at Black girls with purpose. If you are interested in just joining our community, I like to say you know, some people, I don't want to heavily pitch Hey, do this, just sign up for our email list. And I feel like you'll say, Okay, this, I understand why this is a good move. And you can sign up for our email list by going to black girls with purpose.org forward slash join. And when you do that I give you I send out a guide on how to create community, because even though that's something it's like something that I'm passionate about, and I love, I realized, it doesn't necessarily come naturally to everybody. And some people are saying, Hey, I do want to build community, but I don't know where to start. And so there's a three step guide in there on how to create and cultivate community. And then if you do know that you need support and accountability for your business, then definitely go to black girls with purpose. org forward slash activate. We have a waiting list right now because we're closing we've closed enrollment until the fall so that we can continue to build up our content. But yes, those are the best ways to get connected. You can send me a DM on Instagram. I'm usually checking my DMs, I love just talking back and forth with people who I've connected with through any media or means. And so all those are great ways to get connected with me.

Great. And you've also added four of your products to Angel rated. So your Activate membership, your podcast, and then a couple of courses, one about how to create your own podcast and one about how to teach an online course. So we will add links to those as well so that everyone can find those. So Brieanna, thank you ever so much for joining us. It's been fantastic to have you on I've loved talking to you. To read the show notes from this episode, you can go to AngelRated.com slash podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, I'd love you to subscribe to the show and leave us a review on your favorite podcast platform. And don't forget to share this episode with your online business friends. The Angel Rated Show is brought to you by Angel Rated the independent directory and review site for all the products courses and services used by online business owners. It's the place to find the perfect product for the next stage of your business or personal growth. Learn more and list your business free of charge at AngelRated.com