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For Good
Dreka Gates: 60 Acres, a 7-Figure Wellness Empire, and the Moment She Reclaimed Her Power
00:36:12
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- [00:00]
Jeff Bridges
Morning, Zoe. Got donuts.
- [00:02]
Dana
Jeff Bridges, why are you still living above our garage?
- [00:05]
Jeff Bridges
Well, I dig the mattress and I want to be in a T mobile commercial like you teach me. So Dana.
- [00:12]
Dana
Oh no, I'm not really prepared. I couldn't possibly at t mobile get the new iPhone 17 Pro on them. It's designed to be the most powerful iPhone yet and has the ultimate pro camera system.
- [00:24]
Jeff Bridges
Wow, impressive. Let me try. T mobile is the best place to get iPhone 17 Pro because they've got the best network.
- [00:31]
Drika Gates
Nice.
- [00:32]
Dana
Je free.
- [00:32]
JoJo Simmons
You heard them.
- [00:33]
Jeff Bridges
T mobile is the best place to.
- [00:35]
JoJo Simmons
Get the new iPhone 17 Pro on us with eligible traded in any condition.
- [00:40]
Jeff Bridges
So what are we having for lunch?
- [00:42]
Dana
Dude, my work here is done.
- [00:44]
T-Mobile Announcer
The 24 month bill credit on experience beyond for well qualified customers + tax and 35 device connection charge credit send and balance due if you pay off earlier, Cancel Finance Agreement. IPhone 17 Pro 256 gigs 1099.99 A new line minimum 100 plus a month plan with auto pay plus taxes and fees required. Best mobile network in the US based on analysis by Oklahoma Speed Test Intelligence Data 182025 Visit t mobile.com at what.
- [01:01]
JoJo Simmons
Point did you realize I don't just want to support someone else's vision, I'm building my own legacy.
- [01:05]
Drika Gates
Oh my gosh. That actually happened when I moved to the farm. I feel like when you're in a state of just like isolation, I guess you get so many just like insights and downloads and that's when that kind of like hit me when I had like that aha moment and then it was Covid. Depression to me is like being in a state of not expressing your emotions. Like that's how I look at depression. When someone says that they're depressed, I'm like oh. You just think the process distracts that you've gone through. When you don't do that, you're literally just think of it as like a backpack and everything that you don't process, like you're just adding more to that backpack so it gets heavier and heavier and heavier. Oh my gosh. I really truly realize the importance of like self love. Like that I thought you would think that you loved yourself, but until you really truly experience that, it's like I can't even like really put any words to it. It's like a next level. Like you have a real true understanding of I do come first, not in a selfish way, but like this is a must in order for everything else around me to thrive.
- [02:12]
JoJo Simmons
What's going on? Everybody it's your guy, JoJo Simmons. And welcome to the For Good podcast where we focus on the good, never the bad. And we're measured by what we do to, not what we have. Today I have Drika Gates, who is what happens when spiritual intelligence meets business execution and also meets emerging tech. She's built a plant based wellness empire, opened the first black woman owned dispensary in Mississippi with a $2 million investment, runs a 60 acre regenerative farm, launched the world's first emotional well being eyewear line, co produces a reality show in Fortnite and has her own owl avatar. She's also a certified birth doula, getting certified as a sex and love coach, all while actively healing generational trauma in real time. Everybody welcome Drea Gates. I'm like, wow, you got a long, like, long grocery list of stuff you're doing out here. You working. I'm pretty sure everybody wants to know.
- [03:05]
Drika Gates
What'S going on with you, but oh my gosh, everything.
- [03:08]
JoJo Simmons
How you feeling though? You feeling good?
- [03:09]
Drika Gates
Great. I'm feeling great.
- [03:10]
JoJo Simmons
You like in New York, I know you. This is different from Mississippi, you know.
- [03:14]
Drika Gates
Well, Mississippi's not my fireball.
- [03:16]
JoJo Simmons
Okay, okay.
- [03:17]
Drika Gates
New York, New York is cool, dope.
- [03:20]
JoJo Simmons
So let's get into it. I know we have, we got 40 minutes on the clock, so we're going to try to run through it, but we're going to have a great conversation. I'm excited to have you here. So thank you for coming on.
- [03:27]
Drika Gates
Thank you for having me.
- [03:28]
JoJo Simmons
So when people hear your name, they might know one part of your story, but you've built an entire wellness empire, Millions in revenue, multiple businesses, a farm, eyewear, now AI and gaming. @ what point did you realize I don't just want to support someone else's vision, I'm building my own legacy.
- [03:43]
Drika Gates
Oh my gosh. That actually happened when I moved to the farm. So, you know, it's like I feel like when you're in a state of just like isolation, I guess you get so many just like insights and downloads and that's when that kind of like hit me when I had like that aha moment and then it was Covid. So, you know, like entertainment was like shut down. There was no touring, There was, you know, a lot of shit was just shut down. So I didn't really, I'm not going to say I had, I was forced into it, but it was almost like I was having a full circle moment because the wellness is something that I've always been into. Like I actually graduated when I graduated from high school. I went to college to be a doctor, but obviously being like a western doctor is not for me. But I found my way in this, into the space without being like a doctor.
- [04:29]
JoJo Simmons
So I love that.
- [04:31]
Drika Gates
Yeah.
- [04:31]
JoJo Simmons
And then it's funny you speak about COVID and I think a lot of us had to find ourselves in Covid because some lost their jobs, some lost their situation, some lost their businesses. And. And Covid really made us sit down with ourselves and find out who we were. And, you know, a lot of people came out entrepreneurs. You know, I think what a lot of people sleep on about COVID was a lot of people came out stronger and tougher than they thought they were when they had to realize that, hey, I've got to figure this thing out now that the world's a little bit different.
- [04:56]
Drika Gates
Right. I mean, Covid was like, I felt like it was the perfect setup for a person to get to know themselves, for them to start, like, really truly discovering, like, who. Who they are. And that's when I started on what I'm calling, like my journey of self mastery.
- [05:10]
JoJo Simmons
Okay, I love that. So you've said something profound. From conception to age 8, that's where we received the most programming. Here you are running a seven figure businesses while also unpacking childhood trauma and rewriting those programs. Most entrepreneurs don't have time for therapy. How did you realize that the inner work wasn't separate from the business success, but actually foundational to it?
- [05:32]
Drika Gates
Oh my gosh. Because it's at the core of who you are. Doing the work brings you back to who you truly are. So that's why it is the, it's the foundation of like, everything. Like, who are you? Who. Who you are is like, it's the core of everything that you involve yourself in. And it's very important to have that foundation. Like.
- [05:53]
JoJo Simmons
Yeah, I agree. You know, I. I found that when I found myself in and realized who I was in life and what I was passionate about, I was able to implement it into a lot of my business practices and my entrepreneurial, you know, journey. And it just made things better. That made the networking better, it made the business deals better. It made me a better business person just because I move authentically with intention. Right. And when you move authentically with intention, people can see that and people want to work with that because they know that you're. You're not bullshitting them, right?
- [06:19]
Drika Gates
Exactly. And you're not. You're like, literally you become that one of one because you're truly who you are. You're Truly who. Like, you know what I'm saying? So it's like you're that one of one. You're not like everybody else. Once you. What I say uneducate yourself and get back to the core of who you are without the programming, without the conditioning, without the trauma.
- [06:37]
JoJo Simmons
Yeah, I love. I always talk about reeducating yourself. Like, we're educated on the wrong thing. So sometimes you got to uneducate to re. Educate.
- [06:44]
Drika Gates
Exactly.
- [06:44]
JoJo Simmons
So I want to talk about something that we don't hear enough at business conferences. How generational trauma literally shows up in our adventures, our cap tables, our decision making, our boundaries, or lack thereof. The gates family farm. 60 acres in summit, Mississippi, where your great grandmother farmed, which is dope. You're reconnecting with agricultural practices from your lineage. But farm life in the south carries remnants of trauma from slavery and exploited labor. How do you hold both truths? Reclaiming ancestral practices while transforming pain into generational wealth.
- [07:15]
Drika Gates
Oh, my gosh. So the story behind that. I was literally just, like, on the land one day, and. And it's not exactly where my grandmother was. Well, my grandparents farm, but it's, like, within the area. And I literally. I just, like, fell to my knees in tears because as I was working the land, it was just like, wow. Like, I'm reclaiming, like, a part of who I am. I'm reclaiming my power. Like, me having this right now is like. Is literally just like me reclaiming the truth of who I am.
- [07:46]
JoJo Simmons
How's that feeling, though?
- [07:47]
Drika Gates
Like, oh, my God.
- [07:48]
JoJo Simmons
I got to be invigorated. Like, it's got to be one of those films. Like, this is mine, and I'm connecting to something that has been in my, you know, my lineage for so long. And now I'm able to be old enough to. To. To. To farm on this land and do things on this land. So how was that feeling?
- [08:01]
Drika Gates
It was very profound. Like, I literally, like, I dropped to my knees and just started crying, but it was like tears of joy. Yeah. And it wasn't in the sense like, oh, I purchased this, and this is mine. It was like, no, like, this is really yours. This belongs to you. And it was just. It was beautiful.
- [08:19]
JoJo Simmons
I'm loving that I could believe that. To know that something's been in your family for so long and that you still have it and be able to say, this is mine, not something I just brought. This has been here. It's dope. Let's talk cannabis in repair. You say cannabis would be a trillion dollar industry for black and Brown communities if it hadn't been criminalized, which I agree. Now you're leading in this space with your company loves Harvest and cannabis wellness products. When you're building in an industry that was weaponized against our communities, how do you ensure you're repairing harm and not just capitalizing on newly legal markets?
- [08:53]
Drika Gates
Well, first of all, I feel like cannabis is medicine first and foremost, you know what I'm saying? So for whatever it is like it is providing support to whoever's using it, whether it's recreationally. I don't even like to say recreationally because some people that may not have a severe like cancer or something like that, it can still help them to ease their anxiety. It can help them to come back into their bodies. So I look at it as medicine. So that's why I don't feel like it is causing harm. And at the end of the day, I don't know if you. I'm sure you know this, but it is a plant medicine that you cannot overdose on. Like, you can't die from it. People don't die from using cannabis. You know, it's always something else that goes along.
- [09:35]
JoJo Simmons
I agree. And I think that plays a big part in repairing the harm on, on, on. On the use. On the using side of things is like. Like we said, re educating the world about what cannabis actually does and what the effects of cannabis is and the different strands and the different things that could help certain people with different things. So I think that's big. And also what we like to do at three is for. On repairing the harm is to speak about the people that are locked up for the plant now because it's legal in most of these states and people are making a shit ton of money. But we still need to speak up for the people that are serving time that have been on those lines that war for cannabis. Yeah, they've been on those front lines. So we make sure that we keep those legacy operators and those legacy growers and those people that have really been affected by it, we make sure that we try to give them the spotlight. Because that's another thing, a way that I feel like you can repair the harm in the cannabis space is not treating these guys like criminals, but treating them like entrepreneurs, because that's what they were the whole time.
- [10:29]
Drika Gates
Yeah. And they. Yeah, they are that.
- [10:31]
JoJo Simmons
Exactly. Yeah. So inherited belief, what limiting beliefs about money, success or worthiness did you inherit either from family or community and that you had to actively unlearn to build at this level?
- [10:43]
Drika Gates
Oh, my gosh. That is not Safe. And you know what? Like, to this day is something that I'm still working on. Like, you're taught that it's not safe to shine. It's not safe to really, like, enjoy, like, your wealth and to enjoy your riches. Like, keep it quiet. Like, it. Like, it's just not okay. And that's something that I am still to this day working on because it's, you know, it's something that constantly comes up. It's like you peel back the layers and it's just like more and more shows up.
- [11:09]
JoJo Simmons
Well, our culture is, you know, we're notoriously known to show off a little bit, but because what our history and what black people have came from is, like, we want to always show that, hey, we're making it. We're doing something. It's been a long time, but we're doing something. We're really out here changing the world. We're really out here being successful. We're really out here living the lives that we want. So I think that there's a balance of. Yeah, we want to kind of peel back and not give too much, but also like, hey, I'm here. I'm here.
- [11:34]
Drika Gates
I did.
- [11:35]
JoJo Simmons
I did that. You know, I did that. So you share publicly about struggling with nightmares, not being taken seriously as a woman in a male dominant industry, having to constantly prove yourself through actions and hustle. Culture that rewards confidence over honesty. How has radical transparency become a competitive advantage instead of a liability?
- [11:53]
Drika Gates
Oh, my gosh. Because more people can relate to you. Like, people love that, you know, like, because I feel like sometimes we can be like, celebrities can be put up on a pedestal and they're like, oh, well, they don't have the same problems that I have. They don't have the same experiences I have. And it's like, I. No, we probably do. And we have to, like, experience all these things in the spotlight. So that makes it like, a thousand times worse, you know?
- [12:14]
JoJo Simmons
Yeah.
- [12:15]
Drika Gates
So I feel like that actually gives you kind of, like a leg up.
- [12:18]
JoJo Simmons
You know, but how does it make you feel? Like, obviously, in these male dominated, you know, you know, businesses like cannabis, obviously, and other things, like music. Everywhere. Everywhere. Really? How does that make you feel that you are succeeding? Right. And you're able to kind of be like, you know, step your heels on them.
- [12:36]
Drika Gates
Oh, no. Oh. I pat myself on the back for that all the time because it was like 20 years of, like, just struggling just to, like, be seen to be respected. But I'm respected. So it's like, I did my job.
- [12:48]
JoJo Simmons
You Know, I love that.
- [12:49]
Drika Gates
The work talk.
- [12:49]
JoJo Simmons
I love the confidence that you have. It's like, you know, no matter what obstacles or roadblocks, that doesn't matter. You have to. You have to go through them. Right. You've got you. No matter what. What situation you're in, you know, to win, you got to go through it. You got to see it through. Right.
- [13:02]
Drika Gates
That too.
- [13:03]
JoJo Simmons
I want to talk about your love as a practice, because you've been practicing and all that stuff. So you work with a spiritual psychologist who told you, be loved no matter what. Scared, angry, upset, fearful, hurt. Meet it with love, which I love. That's beautiful in theory. But you're running real businesses with real problems.
- [13:20]
Drika Gates
Yeah.
- [13:20]
JoJo Simmons
When you're facing discrimination, difficult negotiations, or betrayal in business, how do you actually practice this without being dormant or without being a doormat?
- [13:30]
Drika Gates
Without being a doormat. Ooh. Something else I've been working on, because that can come up. Like, people can feel like, oh, well, she's just like, in the clouds. Let me just get on. Get over her real quick. It's really all about balance, you know? Yes, I do. I still meet everything with love, but at the same time, I do assert myself when I need to, you know, and I feel like that's key. But at the end of the day, I am love, and I'm still love even when I'm asserting myself. You know, love is all encompassing, so.
- [13:58]
JoJo Simmons
And famous words of dad, God is love.
- [14:00]
Drika Gates
Right? God is love.
- [14:02]
JoJo Simmons
Yeah. I think I feel the same way. I try to wake up every day and just have love in my heart, even when things don't go the way that I want. I think leading with love always gets love back. Yes. And, you know, when you're. When you give love out into the world, I just feel like positivity always flows unto. You know, hate is always met with hate. Love is always met with love. And even when it's met with hate, the love overpowers the hate.
- [14:23]
Drika Gates
It sure does.
- [14:24]
JoJo Simmons
You know what I mean? So I love meeting every. I love how you say you meet everything with love.
- [14:27]
Drika Gates
I meet everything.
- [14:28]
JoJo Simmons
You have to, you know, you have to. You have to in this world, Right?
- [14:32]
Drika Gates
Yes.
- [14:33]
JoJo Simmons
So I'm really trying to picture, like, a tense business meeting, and you're saying, talk about you meet things with love. Right. Like, how does that work in a negotiation or somebody's not really giving you love in that business meeting or that negotiation. How do you meet that with love? If anybody would want to know, how do you. I would like to know.
- [14:49]
Drika Gates
Like, it's called a sandwich. Right. So they say like the bread is like the part that really like makes you feel good. Like you go into a like high. Like, you know, I understand you feel this way about this and, and then you give them what you really need to tell them and then you finish it off with love.
- [15:08]
JoJo Simmons
Yeah, you gotta finish off with the bread again.
- [15:10]
Drika Gates
Sandwich it with love.
- [15:12]
JoJo Simmons
I love that. It's true though, you know, especially in entrepreneurial space and in the corporate space and stuff like that. Like you can't lose your cool so you just show love and then, you know, you hang up the phone and curse them out in your mind.
- [15:23]
Drika Gates
That part. See a lot of people though. I have to say this because people are like, oh my God. Like she's always, I'm always like, I show up in the world like as this person that's really like peaceful, grounded, but I do take the time out to express all of the emotions. But I do it in what I call like a container, like a ritual space, like for myself.
- [15:43]
JoJo Simmons
In your space? Yes, same here. Like a lot of people, like, oh, I'm always so happy. Go lucky and jokester and always happy. Yes, I am, because I meet the world with that, but I have that space.
- [15:52]
Drika Gates
Exactly.
- [15:54]
JoJo Simmons
You know, like you have to get that frustration out. You have to get those, those, those feelings out because you can't bottle up any emotion, whether it's a good emotion or a bad emotion. You're not going to bottle those up. Right. The Hustle mindset often celebrates never stopping grinding at all costs. But you've built multiple seven figure businesses while actively protecting your piece. As we were just talking about, how do you balance ambition with protecting your piece? What does that tension look like in real time?
- [16:20]
Drika Gates
Oh, it looks like taking the time out for myself. Because you can reach. I'm not gonna lie, there was one point where I did reach a state of like just being completely burnt out. I just didn't have the knowledge that I have now. But now it looks like me literally taking that time for myself. Like when I wake up in the morning, like before I do anything, like, I'll go and I work out at home and, and I'll go and work out. I'll do some writing. Flex. I'm sorry, Flex. Yes.
- [16:45]
JoJo Simmons
Got garage.
- [16:47]
Drika Gates
Yes. And then I might do some writing just to get like, if I'm having any kind of like negative thoughts, like, I don't want to carry that into my day. So I'm going to write that shit out and then I'm going to burn it alchemize that negative energy. Yeah.
- [16:59]
JoJo Simmons
Do you truly burn it?
- [17:00]
Drika Gates
I truly burn it.
- [17:01]
JoJo Simmons
Wow. I haven't tried that, but it sounds.
- [17:03]
Drika Gates
Please do it.
- [17:04]
JoJo Simmons
I want to burn the house down.
- [17:05]
Drika Gates
Don't burn the house down.
- [17:06]
JoJo Simmons
But I do want to try that. Like, write down what's bothering me and.
- [17:09]
Drika Gates
Then let it rip. Like, you can curse. It could be about your dog, your, Your spouse, your mom, your sister, anybody. Just write this, write it out, burn it, and it literally, you will feel like a we has lifted off of you. So I do that. I take that time off of myself, like every single morning before I interact with anybody, before I'm picking up my phone, before I'm talking to my kids, before I'm doing anything.
- [17:30]
JoJo Simmons
So, yeah, I'm going to try to implement that because I wake up in the morning and I do get my own time. Whether that's rolling up a joint and like, you know, you know, and kind of, kind of just, you know, just figuring out my day or just reading a book or reading a chapter in a book that I enjoy just to kind of make sure I'm focused on me first before I have to focus on everybody else. I think that's the biggest part for, for, for me is like, if I could focus on me first, then everybody else can get 100% of me. But if I don't feel like 100% of me in the morning, you're not going to get that? No, I don't want to give somebody that. No, no. I want to make sure I give them 100% of the best part of me.
- [18:01]
Drika Gates
Right.
- [18:01]
JoJo Simmons
You know, So I love that. I'm going to start burning papers in the morning.
- [18:04]
Drika Gates
Please do.
- [18:05]
JoJo Simmons
And I don't mean just rolling papers in a fire.
- [18:07]
Drika Gates
Yes, you can do both.
- [18:09]
JoJo Simmons
Yeah, I could do, but I could smoke and burn the right. So you discovered radical self love for the first time during COVID in your 30s.
- [18:18]
Drika Gates
Yeah.
- [18:18]
JoJo Simmons
That means you built successful businesses before you even knew yourself. How has your definition of love for yourself, your children and community, shifted in the recent years?
- [18:28]
Drika Gates
Oh, my gosh. I really, truly realized the importance of, like, self love. Like, that. I thought you would think that you loved yourself, but until you really, truly experience that, it's like I can't even, like, really put any words to it. It's like a next level. Like, you have a real, true, like, understanding of I do come first, not in a selfish way, but like, this is a must in order for everything else around me to thrive. And for anything that I put my energy into to thrive.
- [19:03]
JoJo Simmons
I agree, I agree. I'm so, I'm into what you were saying because I agree, you know. You know, a couple of years ago I had to look in the mirror and ask myself, do you love yourself?
- [19:11]
Drika Gates
Yeah.
- [19:12]
JoJo Simmons
And I think that's a very important question for a lot of people to ask themselves is do you love who you are?
- [19:16]
Drika Gates
Right.
- [19:16]
JoJo Simmons
Do you love. Because only, only, only people that know you truly is yourself and God, right? So you could lie to the world, you could put on the front to the world, but do you truly love.
- [19:24]
Drika Gates
Behind those closed doors?
- [19:25]
JoJo Simmons
Yeah, behind those closed doors? Are you happy with who you are? Are you happy with your routines? Are you happy with, with what you're doing? Are you happy with your intentions? Are you happy with what you're trying to, trying to change in the world or impact? And then those are big questions to myself. And when I look in the mirror and say, yeah, I'm checking off every box. Okay, I love myself. Cool. I can go love everybody else now because I, I love myself. Right. I have no self hate and. Right. So that's a big thing. I think people, and I think that's when they project a lot of hate on other people because they truly don't love themselves.
- [19:55]
Drika Gates
Very, very, very true. And it actually takes a lot to even be able to sit with yourself and, and be real with yourself about that.
- [20:01]
JoJo Simmons
And that was, that's hard, hard conversation. Cuz you might find out you don't truly fully love yourself the way you're supposed to. Right. And now what would you say to an entrepreneur, somebody in this room who's so busy building they've completely lost touch with who they are. What would you say to that person in this room?
- [20:17]
Drika Gates
Go back to the drawing board, please. You will get much better results. And then what you come back with will be so much more. There will be so much more love and intention in it and people will feel it. It's like it's a whole different vibe. Yeah, a whole totally different vibe.
- [20:32]
JoJo Simmons
I agree. Okay, so this is where it gets really interested because you're not just staying in traditional wellness lanes, you're expanding into tech, gaming, AI. And I want to talk about that. I think that's really cool. Especially you in this space. And it's a space that everybody should kind of get familiar with. You co produced Envy Reality, fashion tycoon in Fortnite and created Drika AI, an AI version of yourself that exists in virtual worlds. Most wellness entrepreneurs stick to products and retreats. What drew you into gaming and digital.
- [21:01]
Drika Gates
Spaces because I feel like that's where we're going whether we like it or not. Someone you're doing, you're dealing with AI already, even if you're like, I'm not getting into ChatGPT and all.
- [21:12]
JoJo Simmons
No, like my best friend.
- [21:14]
Drika Gates
That's what I'm saying. That's if you're a big homie. But to some extent, like you're dealing with AI even when you're getting like suggestions on your phone, the autocorrect when you're sending a text message. That's a. You know what I'm saying? So it's everywhere and it's only going to be. We're going to see it showing up more and more in our everyday lives. And so I just felt like it's super important and I have so much to share with the world. I'm like, I need someone to help me. So that's why it is a big.
- [21:40]
JoJo Simmons
Thing I wanted to discuss about AI. I'm very big on using it, but not using it as a crutch. Like, just make sure you're still creative and put your touch on things. But if known how to use correctly, you can start businesses off AI. You can really do a lot. Like a lot of people. There's too much opportunity on AI to really start something from scratch. You give them your ideas and they'll really, they won't put it, like Jeff said, like, my wife's using it a lot for some business ideas. Yeah, that's amazing. Billy's been helping her and they come up with logos and they do all this crazy stuff and I think that if you use it in the right way, oh, you can win. You could become a millionaire. Right? You can, you can really become an entrepreneur from your home.
- [22:16]
Drika Gates
Right. Is there to support you like real talk for sure.
- [22:19]
JoJo Simmons
Not there to crush you, there to definitely support you. For entrepreneurs thinking about legacy scalability and impact, what does it mean to have an AI version of yourself that can reach people? That when you're not physically there, what can Drika AI do that Drika can't do?
- [22:33]
Drika Gates
Well, she can talk to like millions of people at one time, one on one. That is. So that's really like why we created her, because she can do that. She can be one on one with other people. Because I can't do that. There's only so much that I can do. But I have such a wealth of knowledge when it comes to just like health and wellness and so many things and I want to be able to share that.
- [22:53]
JoJo Simmons
Yeah, I love that you're creating like a version of yourself that can scale beyond the limits of the physical body in time. Like, that's like a whole nother level. Like they say, like you can't be in every room at one time. With AI, you can now.
- [23:04]
Drika Gates
Right? Sure can.
- [23:05]
JoJo Simmons
So whether it's gaming platforms, immersive virtual experiences, or AI, you're clearly thinking about how to reach people in spaces they're already spending time for a business and tech audience, what's the strategy behind meeting people where they are versus waiting for them to come find you?
- [23:20]
Drika Gates
That's the whole game. Like in life, whether you're doing business or not is to always meet people where they are. That's the key to like great communication. Meeting people where they are.
- [23:30]
Libsyn Ads Host
Right.
- [23:31]
JoJo Simmons
Yeah.
- [23:31]
Drika Gates
You have. Go ahead.
- [23:32]
JoJo Simmons
No, no, I'm listening. I'm not stopping. I'm just agreeing. Yeah, meeting people where they are. I'm listening.
- [23:37]
Drika Gates
That's. I'm just saying that's like the key. That's like a foundation to like.
- [23:41]
JoJo Simmons
Right.
- [23:41]
Drika Gates
A lot of things, just communication, marketing, everything. Just.
- [23:45]
JoJo Simmons
Yeah, I think, I think. And like, like you said, it's, it's being aware of what's next and knowing where to find these people like you. Clearly, with this Drika AI thing, I can't be in every room, but Dreka AI could be in every room. And my presence can be felt everywhere and anywhere. And that's a form of networking. Because what we know is with the digital space and the content, if you're constantly seen and your name is constantly said, you're constantly in everybody's face and people's ears and they know who you are. So I love that. I want to talk about your Drika Rose eyewear, which is really cool that my team told me about and I would love to dig more into that. You just launched Dr. Rose, the world's first celebrity branded emotional well being lens line. Cool eyewear for emotional wellness. Not just vision correction. You're talking about lenses that help with mood, light sensitivity, screen time and visual clarity. How do you connect with the dots between how we literally see and how we feel?
- [24:38]
Drika Gates
So you know the color rose is like the color of love. So it's all about seeing and meeting everything with love. So looking through those rose colored lenses like you're actually, you're raising your vibration. You're in a higher vibration. You're literally in the vibration of.
- [24:53]
JoJo Simmons
Do those glasses really do that? They really raise your vibration fiercely.
- [24:56]
Drika Gates
Like the rose, the color rose. Yes, yes, they do.
- [24:58]
JoJo Simmons
I'm waiting for My pair. I want the Ravi Ellen pair. I would like to see love.
- [25:02]
Drika Gates
I got you. I got you.
- [25:05]
JoJo Simmons
That's really cool. How long has it been out? How long is that? How long is it?
- [25:07]
Drika Gates
Like for a couple months.
- [25:08]
JoJo Simmons
A couple months now. And how's things going with that?
- [25:10]
Drika Gates
It's going really well.
- [25:11]
JoJo Simmons
I see the story behind it. It's amazing. So, you know, keep on, keep on keeping on with that one. Like that's a different, a different world to enter, isn't it? But you've made it your own, you know, niche, you know what I mean? So I love that Love's Harvest. Let's get into that because I want to, I'm trying to get through everything. You invested 2 million to create an experience, not just a dispensary. You wanted people to leave feeling loved and educated. Most people would just put products on shelves. Why was the feeling as important as the product itself to you?
- [25:40]
Drika Gates
Oh, my gosh. Because first of the building, that's why it costs so much, because I renovated 100-year-old building. There's an historical building in Macomb, Mississippi. Everything that I do, like, I want people to actually have an experience. It wasn't just about me, like selling marijuana. It was like providing education for them, letting them know that they're loved, that they're cared about.
- [25:59]
JoJo Simmons
The crazy thing is, and that's how we, that's how we, we feel over at our company. Three as far as, like when, when we speak on weed and we speak on cannabis, it's like the feeling is important of what, of what you know, what comes. Know the experience, you know what I mean? So I love that you want people to walk into your dispensary and not just walking to get some, some weed, but you want them to educate themselves on the weed and you want them to feel good, like when walking into the dispensary. You also said you'll never invest 2 million like that again. So, like, after we speak about the greatness, what did that teach you after saying that? You'd probably never do that again.
- [26:32]
Drika Gates
First of all, just renovating a 100-year-old building, you don't know what you're going to come across. So. Yeah, no, I will never do that because it wasn't, it wasn't necessary. You know, I could have built something up from the ground up, but it was like, that was also a part of me, like restoring the town.
- [26:45]
JoJo Simmons
Yeah.
- [26:46]
Drika Gates
You know, because it's kind of a little run down. People kind of like left it and there's a Lot of. There's a lot of good bones there. And so I really wanted. That was. It wasn't just about the dispensary. It was like bringing life back into the town.
- [26:57]
JoJo Simmons
Yeah, I love that. I love that. Although it cost you 2 million. Exactly. You bought the life back in. Thank you for that. For bringing the life back in your cannabis wellness products are designed specifically for focus, sleep recovery, and game time. That level of intentionality is rare. How do you design products for actually healing versus just creating another thing for people to consume and burn out on?
- [27:19]
Drika Gates
Because I always think about what is. What is something that people actually need, you know, like, with the focus. So, like, I've been in school for, like, since January, and it was like, that was something that I really needed myself. So I'm like, surely I'm not the only one who needs to be able to focus on game time. That's like. Gives you energy. You can use that prior to, like, taking out, working out or anything like that. But it's like, I don't want to just be. Well, I'm not just another person slapping a label on some product and being like, hey, here, buy this. Like, I really need it to actually work. I really needed to actually, like, provide support to people.
- [27:55]
JoJo Simmons
So you have a cannabis product that gives you energy before you work?
- [27:57]
Drika Gates
Yeah, that's the game time. I mean, game day.
- [27:59]
JoJo Simmons
Okay, I need to try one of those. I'm gonna make sure I purchase.
- [28:02]
Drika Gates
Yeah, it's.
- [28:04]
JoJo Simmons
So let's get tactical because spiritual death is beautiful, but people need tools they can actually use. Tomorrow morning, you practice high vibe writing. And I know we spoke a little bit about your writing earlier. 12 minutes of writing out everything that's pissing you off, then burning in to release the energy. I know discussed this for founders who think, I don't have 12 minutes. I don't have 12 fires to put out. Make the case. Why is processing emotions actual productivity not a break from us?
- [28:29]
Drika Gates
First of all, depression, right? Depression to me is like being in a state of not expressing your emotions. Like, that's how I look at depression. When someone says that they're depressed, I'm like, oh, you just need to process the shit that you've gone through. So whenever. When you don't do that, you're literally just think of it as like a backpack. And everything that you don't process, like, you're just adding more to that backpack so it gets heavier and heavier and heavier, heavier. And it's like, how are you in a state of clarity when you're making these decisions if you're carrying around all this stuff.
- [28:57]
Libsyn Ads Host
Yeah.
- [28:58]
Drika Gates
So that's why it's very, very, very important to do that.
- [29:02]
JoJo Simmons
I mean, I'm. I told you I'm gonna take the time to do it. So I'll let you know how it goes for me.
- [29:06]
Drika Gates
Yes, please do.
- [29:07]
JoJo Simmons
You've been clear about rejecting western medicine as the only solution. You're a certified doula. Getting certified as a sex and love coach. You work with plant medicine. Why is it important for entrepreneurs to become students of their own wellness instead of just consumers of quick fixes and prescriptions?
- [29:22]
Drika Gates
I mean, at the end of the day, it helps you to not necessarily like last longer, but to be at your best, to be the best version of yourself. Right. You know, and that's what you're giving at the end of the day.
- [29:32]
JoJo Simmons
So I love that. I love that. I know that, you know, obviously, you know, there's a lot of different, you know, wellness ways and things to go about things. And I've, even when it comes to medication, I've been exploring those, those ways as well. Because, you know, eons ago they were, they were natural things too, literally.
- [29:47]
Drika Gates
That's the plants. The plants are here to support us.
- [29:50]
JoJo Simmons
That's a fact. So here's what the research shows. Black women entrepreneurs are the most likely to experience high effort, coping, burnout. We're constantly over performing to prove yourselves in spaces that already doubt you guys. But you've done something different. You've built multiple million dollar businesses while refusing to sacrifice yourself on the altar of hustle culture. What does success with peace actually look like in your life right now?
- [30:15]
Drika Gates
I'm well supported. Anytime I go out, like, people come up to me and I get to hear most, some of the most like amazing stories of how I've supported someone through something or how something that they use has literally, that I sell has literally just like changed their life. That, that is success to me.
- [30:34]
JoJo Simmons
I love it. Yeah. Success is, is different to everybody. But if you find success to me is, is self peace, inner peace, inner love. You know, if you could give every black entrepreneur in this room one permission slip, something that they think they can't do or be done until they've made it happen, what would it be?
- [30:52]
Drika Gates
No, like, you just have to go for it. Trust your intuition, trust your instinct. Because that's all I do. I allow myself to be guided. And it's like, I believe in myself. I believe in my own capabilities. And I believe that what I am sharing is like what I meant to be Doing what I'm. It's my purpose.
- [31:10]
JoJo Simmons
Yeah.
- [31:11]
Drika Gates
You know, so whether I don't really care about what other people think.
- [31:14]
JoJo Simmons
Yeah.
- [31:14]
Drika Gates
You know what I'm saying? Somebody wants and needs what I have to share.
- [31:18]
JoJo Simmons
So yeah, I think I'm the same way. I'm like, I'm about just going for it, you know what I mean? Like, what else can you do? You either do nothing or you do something. And I think doing something's always more productive.
- [31:28]
Drika Gates
It sure is.
- [31:29]
JoJo Simmons
You just got to go for it, you know. Last question, we're coming towards the end is the last question. But I have one more question I may want to ask you.
- [31:36]
Drika Gates
Okay.
- [31:37]
JoJo Simmons
And this brings it full circle. So you were 13 years old when you left the church against your parents wishes to find your own spiritual path. That takes audacity to take Ashton, first of all to choose yourself when nobody understands why. Look at everything you've built now. The farm, the dispensaries, the wellness empire, the AI Avatar Gaming platforms, eyewear for emotional wellness. What would you tell that 13 year old girl who bet on herself before she had any proof that this would work?
- [32:02]
Drika Gates
Girl, she was bold. Because that was, that was scary. And it did not go very well, but it was like at that moment, moment I knew that that's what I needed to do. I literally like, I didn't get into 13 at 13. I didn't get into a physical fight with my mom, but it was, it was there.
- [32:20]
JoJo Simmons
Okay.
- [32:21]
Drika Gates
It was bad, it was bad.
- [32:22]
JoJo Simmons
So at 13, like I've got to go find.
- [32:24]
Drika Gates
Yeah, I was like, this is not for me. Like I'm not going anymore. Like I'm like every time I go, this doesn't feel good. I'm like something's not, something is off about this. And I literally like, I don't think I've been to a church since then to be honest with you.
- [32:36]
JoJo Simmons
But you seem very much spiritually aligned.
- [32:38]
Drika Gates
I'm very, oh, I'm so in tune.
- [32:40]
JoJo Simmons
I can see, I can feel the energy. And now look at you speaking gates here at Black Week, talking about all the successes. Like I'm sure that 13 year old girl is smiling from.
- [32:50]
Drika Gates
Oh my gosh, yes she is.
- [32:51]
JoJo Simmons
So as we close, you know, we got a few minutes which we did this pretty well. You're, you're a good interviewer.
- [32:56]
Drika Gates
Thank you.
- [32:56]
JoJo Simmons
A good interviewee. What else do you have going on? Is there anything creative projects that everybody in this room should be aware of that you are coming up? Besides everything we've spoken about?
- [33:04]
Drika Gates
Yes. Oh please I'm always like. And I call him my little lab. Yeah. So, like, at the top of the year. Well, as you know, I've been working on my sex, love and relationship coaching certification, which for me, I'm. I won't be working like one on one coaching, but I will be creating, like, different wellness experiences, different online, like, master classes and courses, and I'm also coming out with supplements to support people in their sexual wellness. Oh, okay.
- [33:29]
JoJo Simmons
All right. Now. Yeah.
- [33:31]
Drika Gates
So I'm working on. But I'm planning on launching that at the top of the year.
- [33:35]
JoJo Simmons
Love that you constantly work and constantly building.
- [33:37]
Drika Gates
Because I like, I. It's. I'm a creator.
- [33:40]
JoJo Simmons
Yeah.
- [33:40]
Drika Gates
Like, at the end of the day, it's like, if I'm not doing something, I'm like, what are you doing, Drika?
- [33:46]
JoJo Simmons
If you're not doing something, you're doing nothing. I ain't doing nothing. The moment I feel like I have nothing to do is like I'm losing. Yeah.
- [33:52]
Drika Gates
It's like, what?
- [33:53]
JoJo Simmons
Yeah. For everybody in this room, you know, that takes mental health seriously. What have you done for your mental health lately? We, you know, on this for good podcast, we touch on that a lot. Mental health. What have you done lately for your mental health besides burning papers?
- [34:08]
Drika Gates
I do that all the time. So I actually just went to the Amazon jungle. Oh, yes. I went and spent some time in the Amazon jungle with some Shipibo shamans. And while I was there, it was like, I pro. I went through a process of, like, reclaiming, like, my power and also just, like, processing a lot of things that I was having difficulties with processing on my own because it was. It was a lot. So I did that. Like, I took that time out. I was completely disconnected from everything. In an Amazon jungle, that's a good.
- [34:39]
JoJo Simmons
Way to process and get your mental health. You know, I just took a quick little chill. I went to the Amazon.
- [34:44]
Drika Gates
No, I went to the Amazon jungle on a freaking two hour ride on a little banana boat. Like, it was.
- [34:50]
JoJo Simmons
Sounds like a great experience.
- [34:51]
Drika Gates
It really was. I saw two pink dolphins. Pink baby dolphins jumped out of the water.
- [34:55]
JoJo Simmons
Beautiful. Yeah. Amazing.
- [34:56]
Drika Gates
It was amazing.
- [34:57]
JoJo Simmons
So as we wrap it up, I want to know, and I'm sure people want to know, like, is there anything that you've been inspired by right now, like a book, a podcast, a song, a quote, anything that maybe we haven't. Maybe even a TV show that maybe. No, but somebody hasn't heard of, that.
- [35:11]
Drika Gates
Maybe we may be inspired by Body Keeps a Score? That was the book that I had to read.
- [35:16]
JoJo Simmons
I heard that before. Somebody else told me that on this podcast, which has got to be a good book.
- [35:19]
Drika Gates
It's deep and it's amazing, but if.
- [35:22]
JoJo Simmons
Twice, you know, you got to read. It must be nice if you hear it twice.
- [35:24]
Drika Gates
Yes. And then that third time is, what are you doing?
- [35:27]
JoJo Simmons
Yeah. Right. So if you hear it, the body keeps score. That's what it's called. I'm gonna. I'm gonna go out and get that. And, and everybody in the crowd, if you haven't heard of that, please go check that out, because I've heard that twice already, so I know it's a. A good one. But, Drika, I really do appreciate you coming here at Live at Black Week for everybody, and I do want to give you your flowers for everything that you are putting out into the community. I think it's important for not only a black person, but a black woman to step up in. In her entrepreneurial spirit and. And try things, right? You're in cannabis, you're in wellness, you're in eyeglasses, you're in farming, you're an agri. Like, you're in everything, right? And I think that that's a. That's like, man, that's showing. Truly a trailblazer, a leader, somebody that is. Has intention, somebody that wants to create impact and somebody that sees more than just the. The riches of life. And that's what the For Good podcast is about. It's about, you know, what we do, not what we have. That is my tagline, and I. I'm very authentic. And I mean that when I say that because I wanted to create a space where we talk about uplifting and positive conversations. It doesn't have to be about the drama in your life or other things attached to you or things that people may want to think they want to hear, but really what you really want to hear is the entrepreneurial spirit and the winner in you and the success and the story, because everybody has a story and your story. Everyone, amazing story. And obviously your story is still unfolding in front of all of us. And I just want to say congratulations on everything that you have going on. Everybody, please clap it up for Drewthi Gates at the. As we close this out, we're here live at Black week for the Four Good podcast. It's your guy, JoJo Simmons. Drika Gates. The Four Good podcast, where we focus on the good, never the bad, where we're measured by what we do, not what we have, we're signing out to. Next time you die. Jojo Simmons. Drinker. Gates Black Week. Let's go. Peace. See you next time.
- [37:12]
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