Black Entrepreneur Experience – Episode 525

“The Art & Science of Business: Sajdah W. Muhammad on Entrepreneurial Mastery”

Date: November 6, 2025
Host: Dr. Frances Richards
Guest: Sajdah Wendy Muhammad

Episode Overview

This episode features entrepreneur, developer, museum owner, and author Sajdah W. Muhammad, whose latest book, The Art and Science of Business, champions the entrepreneurial journey as not just a professional path but a form of artistic and community expression. Sajdah shares her personal evolution, business philosophies, historic preservation efforts, and actionable advice for aspiring entrepreneurs—particularly African Americans—on how mindset, unity, and self-belief are key to sustainable business ownership and generational wealth.

Main Discussion Themes

1. Personal Journey and Foundation in Business

[01:45 – 02:27]

• Sajdah self-identifies as an "artist whose canvas is business," tracing her roots to childhood entrepreneurship and her father's encouragement.
• “Business is a path forward for us as African Americans as we begin to move into this next phase… Entrepreneurship is critical.” — Sajdah W. Muhammad [01:58]
• Early ventures included babysitting and creating comic books with her brother.

2. Current Passion Projects: Museum Development & Historic Preservation

[02:57 – 06:39]

• Sajdah’s current focus is on the preservation of Black history through development of the Elijah Muhammad House Museum in Chicago.
• She highlights the erasure of Black history due to gentrification and the importance of maintaining spaces tied to the Great Migration and its impact on culture and business.
• “We just received a Preservation Excellence Award from the City of Chicago this past spring. It’s a great feat for an independent museum… Oftentimes, our museums are funded by larger organizations that… erase a lot of the pain from our struggle.” [05:31]

3. Honoring Ancestral Legacy and Inspiration

[06:39 – 09:05]

• Sajdah pays tribute to Annie Malone, the first Black female millionaire, and Harriet Tubman.
• On Annie Malone: “Give me what you didn’t get a chance to accomplish. And I got it. That transference of wealth, that legacy, doesn’t have to be a blood relative. Give it to me and I’ll take it.” — Sajdah [07:21]
• On Harriet Tubman: Cites the challenge of freeing people who “didn’t even know that they were slaves,” relating that struggle to inspiring business ownership mindset in Black communities.

4. Business Advice: Three Key Strategies for Black Entrepreneurs

[09:13 – 12:19]

• Value Your Own Culture:
  “We have to have a little more faith in ourselves and what comes up in our minds and how successful we can be.” [09:27]
• Own and Monetize Your Authenticity:
  “Our culture fuels the world… but we are usually the last to value it.” [10:08]
• Be Specific in Demanding Support:
  “We have to start looking out for ourselves… Things like DEI are so watered down that we are not benefiting.” [11:32]
• Tells a story about pressing a senator for Black-specific contract numbers, revealing systemic disparities ([11:08]).

5. Lessons and Mindset Shifts from Corporate to Entrepreneurship

[12:19 – 16:24]

• Sajdah reflects on overcoming insecurity and “box checker” mentality from her corporate upbringing.
• “I was timid, I was insecure because I didn’t really know how to navigate that environment. If I had to do it again, I wouldn’t be as worried about being such a good, studious corporate person.” [12:42]
• Her transition involved self-coaching on emotional intelligence and realizing the deep programming that made her hesitant to claim success for herself.

6. Barriers to Black Business Growth

[17:41 – 21:46]

• Illuminates systemic anti-competitive practices, corporate and governmental barriers, and how rugged individualism hampers collective Black economic growth.
• “If there’s 10 of us that come together and pool our resources and say, look, we’re going to support one another… then now all of a sudden we are disrupting that algorithm.” [19:50]
• Emphasizes cooperative economics—small acts of support, like choosing a Black-owned restaurant for a gathering, can be transformative.

7. Building Trusted Networks at Home and Abroad

[22:03 – 24:00]

• Developing a personal “tribe” is an ongoing process; trust and genuine partnership, especially internationally (notably in Africa), take time and understanding.
• Warns against expecting instant belonging or success when returning to Africa—“We have to build partnerships… There’s a lot of things that we do in America and as Americans that aren’t tolerated in other countries.” [22:44]
• Offers examples of cultural missteps Americans might make (attire, social behavior, lack of cooperative focus) that could harm business reputation abroad ([24:00]).

8. Learning from Failure: The Entertainment Business “Opportunity”

[26:29 – 28:52]

• Sajdah candidly shares the failure of her entertainment business, relating how misjudging an industry’s personality taught her creative adaptation and resilience.
• “When you go into business, you have to understand the personality of the industry and what is the dominant personality.” [27:27]
• Integrated artistic expression in later ventures—art galleries in hospitals, plays and operas at the museum.

9. Daily Impact, Giving, and Receiving

[28:52 – 29:35]

• Sajdah’s guiding principle: be an asset wherever you go.
• “I want you to say, there’s something I got from her, she didn’t take from me, she gave to me and poured into me.” [28:58]

10. Book and Podcast Access, Writing Inspiration

[29:35 – 32:55]

• The Art and Science of Business is available via Amazon, artandscienceofbusiness.com, and contains QR codes to join her networking movement.
• Book signings double as networking events for entrepreneurs.
• Inspiration for book: “Just downloads that I felt like was coming to me from the universe. God, how do we go to this next level? What’s blocking us?” [31:13]
• Book is meant to supplement other entrepreneurial teachings and foster a non-binary, inclusive mindset.

11. Zone of Genius: Spiritual Downloads and Coaching Others

[32:55 – 34:45]

• Sajdah credits her strength to a “strong connection with God” and trusting divine guidance, offering this as her “zone of genius.”
• “If I wake up and I get a download about something, then I go right on my podcast and go, look, y’all, this is what I got today.” [33:23]
• Coaches others to discover their own unique gifts and how ancestral trauma or desires might inform present ambitions.

12. Financing Black-Owned Businesses

[37:18 – 40:38]

• Most Black entrepreneurs must bootstrap, pool resources with trusted partners, or creatively finance equipment rather than rely on outside investment.
• “Nobody’s going to invest in you if you don’t have skin in the game… If you say, look, I’ve been doing this for X number of years…I put $5 million into this project or whatever…It’s a better situation.” [38:32]
• Warns against seeking outside investment too early, which costs equity, and shares her own journey of self-financing a $20M micro-hospital and only later securing bank support.

13. Solving for Racism and Economic Genocide

[40:43 – 41:43]

• Sajdah names systemic racism, especially financial and economic exclusion, as the world’s most pressing problem.
• “Just leave us alone. We do good when we just…We’ll get it together.” [41:03]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “I’m an artist and business just happens to be my canvas.” [01:49]
• “Our culture fuels the world and everybody around the world, they come, they take tips from us… but we are usually the last to value it.” [10:08]
• “Nobody’s going to invest in you if you don’t have skin in the game.” [38:32]
• On lessons from Annie Malone: “That transference of wealth, that legacy doesn’t have to be a blood relative. Give it to me and I’ll take it.” [07:23]
• On Harriet Tubman: “How she must have felt trying to free people that didn’t even know that they were slaves.” [08:12]
• “Be very specific when addressing leadership politicians about how they plan to support us as black people.” [10:52]
• “It’s never too late, because here’s the thing, when we’re young, we really can’t hear that good. It takes time.” [35:55]

Practical Resources & Calls to Action

• To Support the Museum:
  ElijahMuhammadHouse.com

• Book Purchase & Mailing List:
  ArtandScienceofBusiness.com
  Also available on Amazon

• Podcast:
  The Sajda Channel (YouTube) – “Sajda Coffee Talk” – Fridays/Saturdays, 6am

• Connect with Sajdah:
  Social Media: @sajdawendymuhammad
  Coaching: BookSajdahWendyMuhammad.com

Rapid Fire Round [41:52 – 42:33]

• Favorite comfort food: Potato chips
• Relaxation: Meditation or yoga
• Favorite singer/rapper: Prince / DMX
• Favorite weekly food: Navy bean soup
• Music for dancing: Mariah Carey, “Make it Happen”
• Workout or couch: Workout

Final Thoughts

Sajdah W. Muhammad’s story underscores the intersection of personal growth, culture, and the necessity of unity for Black entrepreneurial success. Her experience—from humble beginnings to museum founder and international developer—offers aspirational and practical insights for listeners seeking to build resilient, impactful businesses that honor both heritage and innovation.