Aspire with Emma Grede

Episode: Why Your Biggest Gambles Must Always Be On Yourself (with Kandi Burruss)
Release Date: August 19, 2025
Host: Emma Grede
Guest: Kandi Burruss

Episode Overview

This episode features Kandi Burruss: Grammy-winning songwriter, reality TV icon, entrepreneur, and Broadway producer. Emma Grede engages Kandi in a candid conversation about career evolution, self-advocacy, financial literacy, community impact, navigating success across industries, and the power of betting on oneself—especially as a Black woman in entertainment and business. Kandi shares hard-earned lessons on ownership, resilience, risk-taking, and overcome setbacks, offering actionable insights for entrepreneurs, creatives, and anyone seeking to "build the life of your dreams."

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Historic Broadway Moment & Representation

• Kandi describes the significance of producing the highest-grossing production on Broadway, "Othello," and witnessing an unprecedented turnout of Black and young theater-goers ([04:03]–[05:48]):
  • “To be able to do Broadway with Denzel, a producer, as a Black producer, and say, we made history... It's a blessing.” — Kandi Burruss ([04:05])
  • “We never, as Black Americans, anyway, felt like that was our place... Broadway was known as the Great White Way. But we as a community have to put ourselves in those spaces and help bring each other up.” — Kandi ([05:57]–[06:40])

2. Early Beginnings and Escaping the Box

• Kandi shares how her entrepreneurial mindset took root, despite having no business examples growing up ([08:09]–[09:09]):
  • Signed her first record deal in high school; survived family tragedy.
• Formation and rise of Xscape at a performing arts high school alongside future stars like Outkast ([09:24]–[11:11]).
• Kandi’s early drive and determination: “I always just used to be like, all we gotta do is get a deal. When we get our deal, we gonna blow up.”

3. Songwriting, Ownership, and Iconic Hits

• Writing “No Scrubs” (originally for herself and Tiny), and the business of publishing ([13:32]–[16:32]):
  • “In my mind, delusional as it may be, I always feel like I can write another hit.” — Kandi ([14:29])
  • “The song was like the biggest song that year or something. It was the most played song in history at that time... And you still make money because people license it again and again.” — Kandi ([16:14]–[16:37])
• What makes a great songwriter: storytelling, strong melodies, memorable “B sections” ([16:48]–[19:59]).
• The importance of contracts and being business-savvy:
  • “You gotta be very— and as a woman in the music business—people sometimes feel like they can chomp you off or get over. So you have to be very about your business and very stern when it comes to this, your—what you deserve.” ([20:25]–[21:06])

4. Fierce Advocacy, Financial Discipline, and Lessons in Money

• Both Kandi and Emma stress uncompromising attention to contracts and finances ([25:06]–[26:44]):
  • “I sign all my checks. I don’t have anybody…” — Kandi ([26:29])
  • “Never been one to care about what other people think about me. And I’m okay with being disliked.” ([77:27])
• Fear of being broke catalyzed Kandi’s financial discipline:
  • “I read a lot of financial books as a teenager... In order to be a millionaire, stay a millionaire, you have to live below your means.” ([30:45])
  • Saved first $100,000 as a teen instead of spending on luxury. Now spends more, but mostly on investments and others.

5. Risk, Resilience, and Self-Reliance in Business

• Kandi describes her entrepreneurial style as constantly betting on herself:
  • “I’m a gambler. I gamble on my ideas. So I’ll take a big gamble if I want to see something work.” ([33:10])
• Self-funding rather than taking outside investment, due to trust and practical learning ([51:46]–[52:37]).
• Willingness to try, fail, iterate: “Just because I make a mistake or something goes wrong... not me. Okay, let’s do—let’s go back, roll the dice again. Let’s go.” ([53:03])

6. Transition To Reality TV & Building Platforms

• Becoming a Real Housewife of Atlanta after initial hesitation ([33:21]–[36:20]):
  • “I thought it was just gonna be something I did for fun for a year. I had no clue that that was gonna turn into... me being on this show for 14 seasons.”
• The impact of reality TV exposure—both benefits (huge, loyal fanbase; business leverage; meeting her husband) and drawbacks (scrutiny, limitations in broader media) ([36:46]–[41:12], [71:07]–[73:26]):
  • “Reality fans are way more supportive and feel more connected to you than music and TV fans... It surpasses music.” ([37:57]–[38:38])
  • “As wonderful as a platform Housewives is, people discriminate against Housewives. The business community discriminates... It was a gift and a curse.” ([71:36]–[73:26])

7. Strategic Execution and Scaling Businesses

• Kandi’s philosophy on execution: if she says she'll do it on TV, it must be done and visible by season’s end ([54:49]–[57:05]):
  • “If I say I’m gonna do something, it’s done. I cannot stand seeing people on TV talking about what they wanna do and you never see it happen.”
• Origin and growth of Bedroom Kandi—leveraging her platform, shifting stigma around sex toys in the Black community, using MLM to empower others ([53:44]–[58:59]).
• Builder mindset focused on creating opportunities for others as her success scaled ([58:59]–[59:49]):
  • “I want to be a person that I use my opportunity to help make more opportunities.”

8. Navigating Failure, Focus, and Evolution

• Candid admissions about failed ventures (e.g., Blaze Steak & Seafood), learning to narrow focus and prioritize passion over sheer diversification ([63:15]–[66:57]):
  • “As my kids are getting older, I want to narrow my focus... I want to do more music again... do more film and TV projects produced by me and my husband... Just narrow my focus.” ([65:39])
• Letting go of needing to please everyone, evolving from seeking approval (especially from her mother) to internal confidence ([75:49]–[77:10]).

9. Legacy, Motivation, and Future Aspirations

• Desire to become an EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony winner) and the power of speaking goals into existence ([47:48]–[49:01]):
  • “I want to have the EGOT so bad... I speak things into existence... It’s all about the work you put in and what you put your energy to. And if you conceive the thought, you can make it happen.” ([47:54]–[47:59])
• Ensuring her family is secure for generations and empowering her daughter as she begins her own public career ([28:45]–[33:02], [70:08]–[70:53]).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Betting On Herself:
  • “I’m a gambler. I gamble on my ideas...If I want to see something work...” — Kandi ([33:10])
• On Ownership and Advocacy:
  • “I have no problem saying yeah, that’s not gonna work. I think I come from a family of strong women... I’m not meek.” — Kandi ([22:08])
• On Financial Savvy:
  • “I saved until I saw the 100,000 and I was like, okay, I guess I can get a car and I’m going to build up my credit.” — Kandi ([30:53])
• On Navigating Failure:
  • “I’m figuring it out... If you went to school for it, you’re like, ‘okay, we gotta do this and we gotta do that, it’s gonna take another year before we set up this...’ Me, I’m like, okay, bye.” — Kandi ([53:41]–[54:01])
• On Housewives’ Cultural Perception:
  • “As wonderful as a platform Housewives is, people discriminate against Housewives...in the business community.” — Kandi ([71:36]–[73:26])
• On Evolution and Letting Go:
  • “It took a long time for me to get there, though...But now, I’m like, she'll be alright.” — Kandi (about her mother's approval, [76:46])
• On Her Resilience:
  • “Every time my name ends up in a blog of some hating ass ho got something to say about me, me and my friend Carmen laugh—‘Oh, there go the I Hate Candy bars club...God was training me; I know now for what I had to come.’” — Kandi ([79:43])

Important Segment Timestamps

• [04:03]–[06:40] – Making history on Broadway—impact and Black community representation
• [13:32]–[16:32] – Writing “No Scrubs”; publishing and financial implications
• [20:25]–[22:37] – Contracts, advocating for herself as a woman in music/business
• [25:06]–[26:44] – Reading contracts, Oprah’s influence, attention to financial/contractual detail
• [28:07]–[33:02] – Early attitudes to money, saving vs. splurging, investing in others
• [33:21]–[36:20] – Transition into reality TV and the leap to Real Housewives
• [36:46]–[41:12] – Reality TV benefits and downsides; lasting impact on career
• [54:49]–[58:59] – Creating Bedroom Kandi; leveraging TV exposure for business
• [63:15]–[66:57] – Admitting business failures; narrowing focus for fulfilment
• [71:36]–[73:26] – Industry discrimination against Housewives and new beginnings
• [73:44]–[79:43] – Rapid fire questions; reflections on approval, growth, and resilience

Kandi’s Advice, Habits, & Philosophies

• Invest in Yourself: Always bet on your own ideas and be prepared to lose money as part of the entrepreneurial journey.
• Financial Literacy: Live below your means, know your numbers, and stay intimately involved in your finances (“I sign all my checks”).
• Fierce Self-Advocacy: Read every contract and never outsource accountability—especially as a woman.
• Authenticity and Vulnerability: “I’m okay with being disliked.” Don’t base decisions or self-worth on others’ opinions.
• Resilience: Failures and detours are not the end; pivot, learn, and keep rolling the dice.
• Platform Leverage: Use any public platform (TV, music, etc.) not just for fame, but for building businesses and creating opportunities for others.
• Legacy Building: Aim higher than your current position—speak your dreams, build your legacy, and pay it forward.

Tone and Style

The episode is candid, energetic, and empowering, reflective of two women who’ve navigated male-dominated spaces with vision and grit. Humor, vulnerability, and wisdom are woven throughout Kandi’s storytelling and Emma’s supportive, insightful questions. Both demand excellence and clarity—about money, contracts, and self-worth—while also affirming the power of setting audacious goals and uplifting others.

Conclusion

This episode is a masterclass in self-leadership and entrepreneurship “without a playbook.” Kandi Burruss shares invaluable lessons on self-reliance, betting on oneself, building community power, and refusing narratives that limit women’s ambition. For listeners looking to redefine success, create generational wealth, and live boldly—Kandi’s story is both blueprint and inspiration.

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