“If you’re not being criticized, you might not be making an impact.”
Whew. That one stuck with me today.
Church was so good this morning. Our Christian Cultural Center family always finds a way to surprise us, and today, we got to hear from Monique Rodriguez, founder of Mielle Organics, in conversation with Pastor Jamaal.
It wasn’t just inspiring, it was real. Monique’s story had so many moments that I could relate to. She spoke about the criticism she faced while building her brand, and how it tested her. But what really stood out to me was how her faith and the support of her husband helped her get through it. Now she’s written a book to tell that story, and I can’t wait to read it.
As an entrepreneur myself, I’ve definitely felt the sting of criticism. But hearing Monique today reminded me that it’s often a sign you’re doing something that matters. If no one’s challenging you, maybe you’re not shaking things up enough.
I also got a chance to briefly share about my nonprofit, @NationalCleanWaterCollective . One thing I’ve spent some time researching is how clean water connects to healthy hair; especially in Black communities.
A lot of people don’t know this, but Black communities are 40% more likely to live in areas with unsafe tap water. That’s huge. And it made me wonder, could that be part of the reason why so many Black women are struggling with hair loss and scalp issues?
The more I study it, the more I believe: our water matters just as much as the products we use.
To Monique, thank you for showing up with honesty and purpose. You reminded me (and so many others) that the fire doesn’t mean you’re failing. It means you’re being refined.
To anyone out there chasing a vision: Keep going. Keep showing up. Your story is bigger than the struggle.
#FaithAndBusiness #MielleOrganics #MoniqueRodriguez #ChristianCulturalCenter #EntrepreneurLife #NationalCleanWaterCollective #BlackHairMatters #HairHealthAwareness #CleanWaterMatters #WomenInBusiness #BlackExcellence #InspiredToLead #PurposeDriven #CCCmoments
When I think about the influencers who are standing in the gap for all Americans during these uncertain times, Joy Ann Reid comes to mind. 💖
Despite the struggles she goes through just to share the truth — like losing her high-producing spot at MSNBC and receiving backlash from opposing voices — Joy continues to inform us about the lies and catastrophes that affect each and every one of us.
My pastor, AR Bernard, calls it “superficially believable false narratives” aka deception, where folks go out of their way to suppress the truth and expand their falsehoods.
Thank you for standing up for all Americans.
Thank you for risking your life for the betterment of our society. And thank you for telling the truth (and providing the receipts) that help us navigate through these challenging times.
We lift you up, we support you, and we love you. It was truly great meeting you at the NAN Convention, keep shining, sis. 🙏🏽❤️
#TruthMatters #JoyAnnReid #StandInTheGap #NAN2025 #SpeakTruthToPower #ThankYouJoy
God is so good! 🙏🏽
What started as a simple plan to do some work at my church turned into an incredible opportunity! I ended up at a church in Mt. Vernon to see my pastor speak, and it turns out it was the church of the chair of the National Action Network. Just three days ago, I saw Reverend Richardson, and today I got to celebrate his 50 years of ministry — what a full-circle moment!
It’s a reminder that what you think is for you, God has something even better. Be obedient to His guidance!
The choir was amazing, the sermon was powerful, and the refreshments were delicious. Most importantly, the kindness and fellowship at Grace Baptist Church made it all the more special. So grateful for the amazing opportunity to connect and grow.
God is good, all the time! 💯
#Blessed #ObedientToGod #FullCircleMoment #Fellowship #GraceMinistryBaptistChurch #GodIsGood
One of the biggest lessons in business is this:
👉🏽 Your customer experience IS your brand.
Not your logo. Not your marketing. Not your social media presence.
How people feel after interacting with your business is what they remember most.
Over the past few months, I had one of the worst customer experiences I have ever dealt with and it came from @Apple .
What should have been a simple repair for a pair of @beatsbydre headphones turned into weeks of confusion, poor communication, wasted time, dismissive treatment, and zero accountability.
After only a month and a half, the headphones stopped working properly. Then the replacement pair smelled heavily of chemicals to the point where I experienced breathing irritation, dizziness, itching, and a scratchy throat after wearing them. Instead of concern, I was told to “air them out” in a bag with deodorizer beads.
I spent hours in the Apple Fifth Avenue store, hours on the phone with support, and dealt with employees who had no answers while being treated with disrespect over a situation that should have been handled properly from the beginning.
And honestly, it reminded me of something important as entrepreneurs:
Apple has branded and marketed the hell out of their company. That branding is what draws millions of people in and creates loyalty before customers even touch the product.
But branding alone is not enough.
Because based on my experience, the product quality and customer service completely sucked.
👉🏽 People may forget what you sold them.
👉🏽 They will never forget how you made them feel when there was a problem.
The businesses that win long term are not just the ones with the biggest marketing budgets. They are the ones that know how to communicate, solve problems, and treat people with respect when things go wrong.
Apple, do better.
❓️What is one customer experience you’ve had with a company that either made you loyal for life or made you never want to support them again?
Drop your story below. There is wisdom in these experiences. 👇🏽
#WisdomWednesday #TheBrandBuildersNetwork #CustomerExperience #Entrepreneurship #BrandStrategy
Just received the presentation footage from our recent Earth Day Presentation with Good Shepherd Services and the response from the audience was incredible. 💧
We are extremely proud of Joanne and Jemari for presenting with confidence, conviction, and leadership as they shared highlights from the Poison to Prison Pipeline Project.
Our scholars have been putting in real work behind the scenes through research, data collection, storytelling, and presentation preparation and it showed. The level of focus, professionalism, and passion they brought into the room was powerful to witness.
A special thank you to Good Shepherd Services for creating space for our scholars and Executive Chairman @syrahscott to share their voices and for the opportunity to present this important work.
This is what youth leadership looks like.
Watch until the end to catch a few highlights from the presentation. 👀
👉🏽 If you believe in this work and want to support youth leadership, environmental justice, and community impact, click the link in our bio and donate today. 🔗
If you would like our students to present for your organization, school, or event, email [email protected]
#EnvironmentalJustice #YouthLeadership #NCWCYouthCouncil #WaterJustice #NationalCleanWaterCollective
To the best mother and daughter in the world! ❤️
I’m so grateful to do this thing called life with you both. Thank you for your love, strength, support, and all the moments we share together.
Cheers to many more years of love, laughter, and beautiful memories together. Love you both so very much. 😊💞🌸
More from this past Saturday at the Youth Summit! 👇🏽
The response to our students’ presentations was immediate.
Both teams were invited to speak at upcoming events and forums and were offered new opportunities to continue expanding their work.
In New York City, lead exposure in older housing and ongoing food insecurity continue to impact thousands of families. These are real issues affecting daily health and quality of life, and our students are stepping up with solutions rooted in their communities.
Right now, the focus is clear. Make it work here. Build it right. Let the impact speak.
Our students are grateful, focused, and ready for what comes next.
If you are interested in supporting their work, click the link in our bio to become an Ambassador or make a donation.
Thanks again for our team and everyone who helped to make Saturday's event a big success!
📸 @bigshotcoop21
#NationalCleanWaterCollective #NCWCYouthCouncil #WaterJustice #FoodJustice #YouthLeadership
He carried this project and showed up ready. 🌱
This past Saturday at the Youth Summit, Mark presented the Nourish Ozone Community Garden and Cultural Space Project to funders, organizations, and his peers.
This project is about expanding access to healthy food in South Ozone Park, creating a community garden, and building a space where residents can grow, learn, and connect.
Going into the presentation, Mark was the only one left actively working on this project. He stayed with it, prepared, and made sure the work was represented clearly.
He walked people through the vision, the need, and what it will take to bring it to life.
This is what commitment looks like.
If you are a young person who wants to be part of building this community garden and helping bring this project to life, we are bringing on new team members.
Click the link in our bio and become an Ambassador. 🔗
Congratulations, Mark on a job well done. And big shout out to his sister, Lien for her support!
#NationalCleanWaterCollective #NCWCYouthCouncil #FoodJustice #NourishOzone #CommunityImpact
They had no notes and still held the room. And they delivered a powerful message! 👇🏽
This past Saturday at the Borough of Manhattan College during the 2026 Youth Summit, our scholars presented the Poison to Prison Pipeline Lead Water Project and the Nourish Ozone Community Garden and Cultural Space Project to funders, organizations, and their peers.
We were the only organization awarded two grants, and we presented both projects with clarity and confidence.
Our newest team members, Ryan and Pollock stepped in to present the Poison to Prison Pipeline project, originally developed by Jemari, Joanne, and Ruby.
They studied the report, understood the issue, and clearly explained lead exposure in New York City and the solutions our Youth Council are building.
People understood the problem. They understood the solutions. And they wanted to get involved.
At the same time, Mark and Lien presented the Nourish Ozone project, focused on improving access to healthy food and building community driven solutions in South Ozone Park.
There was real interest in the room from organizations and potential partners ready to support and move this work forward.
This is what it looks like when young people are trusted with real work and rise to meet it.
Big shout out to Jose and Stuard for putting together an incredible event, and to our Volunteer Coordinator Jada and Joshua for holding it down.
And major respect to Mark, Jemari, Joanne, and Ruby for the work that went into these presentations.
👉🏽 If you want to support their efforts, click the link in our bio and join the movement, link in bio! 🔗
Stay tuned for more images and videos from the day.
📸 @bigshotcoop21
#NationalCleanWaterCollective #NCWCYouthCouncil #WaterJustice #YouthLeadership #EnvironmentalJustice
You do not have a motivation problem. You have an identity problem. 👇🏽
And once you understand that everything can change.
In a little less than 2 hours I am sitting down with Jeffrey Hanson for a powerful Self Care Journeys conversation on identity, transformation, and what it really takes to rebuild your life from the inside out.
Jeffrey is a United States Marine Corps veteran, transformational coach, and the creator of the Mind Coding Methodology. His journey includes real adversity, from experiencing the impact of the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing to facing homelessness and rebuilding his life at 49.
What makes this conversation different is the truth he stands on:
Success is not about motivation. It is about identity.
We are talking about the patterns that keep people stuck, how to break them, and what it looks like to create real change that lasts.
This is for you if you know you are capable of more but something keeps pulling you back.
We are getting into:
✨ Identity and internal programming
✨ Breaking cycles and shifting patterns
✨ Rebuilding in midlife
✨ Moving from survival to intentional living
If you have ever felt like you are doing the work but not seeing the shift, this conversation will show you why.
Join us live.
📅 Sunday May 3, 2026
⏰ 3:30 PM EST
💻 Live on Zoom 🔗 https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/acai7x2ETou4MJeOe1i4Rg
Clickable link in bio!
Drop a “READY” in the comments if you are joining us.
#SelfCareJourneys #IdentityShift #PersonalTransformation #PurposeDriven #TheBrandBuildersNetwork
Two weeks ago, our Youth Council was in the room with leaders. 👇🏽
This Saturday, they are stepping on stage in front of 700 plus people.
At the National Action Network Annual Convention, our scholars connected with Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson, Councilmember Yusef Salaam, and civil rights attorney Ben Crump. They asked questions, had real conversations, and were even asked about their dreams.
That moment matters, because now they are taking everything they learned and bringing it to the stage.
This Saturday, they will present the Poison to Prison Pipeline project and speak on how lead exposure is impacting children across our city, from learning and behavior to long term outcomes.
This is their second major presentation, and they are stepping into it with confidence and purpose.
👉🏽 Our Youth Council is showing what it looks like to not just learn about issues, but to speak on them, own them, and bring them into rooms that matter.
We are so proud of Joanne, Ruby, Jemari, and their newest teammate Ryan for the work they are putting in.
If you believe in this kind of youth leadership, click the link in the bio to support the project. 🔗
#NCWCYouthCouncil #EnvironmentalJustice #PoisonToPrisonPipeline #CleanWater4All #NationalCleanWaterCollective
This conversation is still hitting. 💚
When I sat down with Cheryl McKissack Daniel, I asked her a real question:
Was there ever a moment when the weight of stepping into her family business became real?
Her answer was honest and unexpected.
She shared that this was not the path she originally wanted, but her parents gave her the space to discover that for herself. Over time, she recognized the opportunity in front of her and chose to step into it.
In this clip, she speaks about standing firm on the title of her book, even when her publishing company pushed back. The name reflects history, impact, and truth, and she was clear about not changing it.
There is a moment in here that will shift how you think about legacy, leadership, and ownership.
Watch this all the way through.
For the full conversation, click the link in bio.
#TheBrandBuildersNetwork #ThrivingBeyondTheHustle #SelfCareJourneys #WomenInLeadership #EntrepreneurMindset
