
Janell Stephens and The Wall Street Trapper discuss how to successfully maneuver through entrepreneurship.
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Crystal Renee Hazlett
Coming up on keep it positive, sweetie. Now you're thrown into this huge beauty brand business and you have one of the top selling businesses. What were some of the fundamental things that you even had to learn along the way to really create this business as far as a business mindset? Because it's different than getting in the kitchen and being creative. Yeah, it's a whole nother mindset.
Janelle Stevens
I feel like I was born with like a hustle mentality and I don't know if I want to use the word hustle. I don't know. I like the word. But some people are like, we're entrepreneurs, but I'm an entrepreneur and I'm a hustler, so I'm both.
The Wall Street Trapper
It can't be just about money.
Unnamed Guest
No.
The Wall Street Trapper
Because if we make it just about money, we can't go where we need to go at.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
No, you can't.
The Wall Street Trapper
So we got to put God first and say God like, yo, it says Proverbs 10. 4. Diligent hands build wealth. Poor hands make for lazy. So, okay, if he tells us to be diligent, let me just be diligent.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
Hi, I'm Crystal Renee Hazlett and this is keep it positive, sweetie. A safe space to heal, laugh, grow and love. Today's show is all about the money and I'm sitting down today with two top tier entrepreneurs. The Wall street trapper and the CEO and founder of Camille Rose, Janelle Stevens. As the founder and CEO of the number one black owned hair care brand, Camille Rose, Janelle Stevens has carved a beautiful path in the business for herself. Her client to success hasn't been smooth, but her desire to serve the needs of others has been her source of help all along the way. Janelle, thank you so much coming today.
Janelle Stevens
I'm excited to be here.
Unnamed Guest
Yes.
Janelle Stevens
Thank you for having me.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
I appreciate you. You've sponsored and helped me with so many things. We met like once at the gathering spot and I've been a fan of your project. Really?
Unnamed Guest
Yeah.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
It was a while ago. It was at some event. I can't remember which one it was, but I remember we got to talk, like right in the front.
Janelle Stevens
Oh, wow.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
We got a photo together.
Janelle Stevens
Yes. I'm happy to be here. It's been a long time coming.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
It has. I'm so proud of everything that you've accomplished.
Janelle Stevens
Thanks.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
Thank you. Thank you. For those who don't know if you came to the live show for keep it positive suite, Janelle and her company, Camille Rose actually sponsored gift bags for everyone. So I truly appreciate you and so does the keeppod, Sweetie community.
Janelle Stevens
Absolutely. It's always a blessing for us to show up in the community and help out, you know, as much as we can. So thank you for thinking of us.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
Of course, of course. Well, I wanted to know about Janelle Stevens, the face and the name behind Camille Rose. We see you on all the shelves in the stores, but I want to learn more about you today.
Janelle Stevens
I know. Yes. Everybody called me up Camille.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
You're like, that's not my name.
Janelle Stevens
My name is Janelle. But, hey, so Camille Rose, man, it has been such a blessing for me and super surprised. I'm still surprised that I am even in this industry, and God put me on this journey. Right. So I started Camille rose back in 2011. I just went on this whole quest for all things natural, not even realizing or not even wanting to. This is something that I want to sell.
Unnamed Guest
Right.
Janelle Stevens
You know, I just went on, okay, I gotta figure out how to have a whole listic lifestyle for me and my family. You know, let me research ingredients, let me know what I'm using on my body, on my skin, on my hair for myself and my kids. And doing that just set me on this whole new journey, you know, without even realizing what God was doing in my life. I followed the traditional, gotta go to college, you know, got my master's in science and then pivoted. Wow. Just took a step out on faith and enjoyed the whole process. Right. Of doing just that. And out of that, you know, Camille Rose was born.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
Wow, that is beautiful. So your name was Janelle. Where did the name Camille Rose come from?
Janelle Stevens
Of course, I had to tie it into my grandmother some kind of way, who loved roses. Right. And on the date, my grandmother, I always say she's the original Camille Rose never went to a doctor. She died when she was, like, 99. But she didn't look it, you know, skin was amazing smooth. And I said, you know what? I want to dedicate my brand to her some type of way, because she had her own little concoctions that she was making for us if we got sick, you know, her. Her own home remedies. And I think I. I, of course, super inspired by her. And on the day of her services, she passed away, like, in the winter. And her yard that had roses, front yard, they were all dead, right? And then my aunt looked over, and it was one rose that was bloom, in full bloom. And my aunt was like, oh, my God, look at that rose. And it was red. It was. It was. The rest were dead. It was like, wait a minute. What's happening here? And so that's the rose that you see in my silhouettes, my logos hair. And my aunt was like, you know, I'm just gonna take that as a sign that, you know, mom is at peace. And so I just wanted to tie my brand into, you know, my grandmother and how much she meant to me.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
That is beautiful. So you went to college. You had a major that had nothing to do with hair. What was that moment? You were like, I want to pivot. I want to do things naturally. Did something happen where you're like, I need to be more cautious about what we're putting on our bodies?
Janelle Stevens
So not even saying that I wanted to pivot, I started having. I was having kids young and thinking, okay, I got my master's now, but I got all these babies, so it's, like, hard for me to get out and punch somebody's clock. And then the babies that I had had suffered from severe eczemas. And daughter was born with curly hair. My son had curls. And then it's at that moment that you're like, wait a minute. I can't. I gotta be careful. Like, they're too young for me to be using all these chemicals and the crazy stuff. And what is this? And you know, why? Or the things that I'm buying, everything that I'm using, nothing is working. What is going on? It says organic, you know, and then bringing them to doctor after doctor, they're writing a prescription, and it's like, I can't keep doing this. So let me figure it, figure this out, you know, like, I'm really about to be super mom and just do what I have to do and research the ingredients of the products that I thought were organic. And it. That was like, wait a minute. Is one organic ingredient in here? You know, the rest of the label. Wow. Yeah. And I just. Just started teaching myself about herbs and making everything.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
That's amazing. So at what point did you get the call or know that your products were going to be on display in Walmart, Target?
Janelle Stevens
Yeah.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
Everywhere you turn around.
Janelle Stevens
So I think that when I realized that I'm enjoying this, and when I realized that, okay, I'm obsessed with making formulas, is when I realized, okay, I gotta share it. I remember doing this whole diaper rash cream that really worked. Like, the next day after I used it, I called my husband in the room. I was like, you gotta see this. Like, this is gone. A diaper rash is gone. Like, I gotta figure out how to share it, not sell it it, but share it, because it Was such a struggle for me. I'm talking about. They were like, their skin was bleeding. Like, okay, I figured this out. And so I was like, I gotta share it. But how do I share it if I'm making it and it's throw up a website? Like, what do I do? So I remember calling, like a laboratory and telling them, hey, I got this cream and this is the ingredients and how do I do this? And they were like. They started talking dollars that I didn't have. Right. And I was frustrated. I hung the phone up. I was like, forget it. But then I didn't let that stop me. I was like, well, I can't afford to do it, like, the right way with the pretty packaging. And so let me just do it myself. Let me throw up a small website and just see how it goes. And then it just went.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
It just went.
Janelle Stevens
Yeah.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
That is amazing. The fact that you got in the kitchen yourself and was like, I'm gonn figure this out. Yeah, I love that.
Janelle Stevens
I had everything girl from I was nursing at the time, which was super painful. So I'm like, I'm doing a nipple cream. Like, everything. Like, I would have scratches of a scratch of paper and taking it to a compounding pharmacist with, like, ingredients on it and say, whip this up for me. And they would. And. But it was like, girl, that was three years before Camille Rose was actually a thing. Thing. So I just take that as God was grooming me. Like, he was putting me on that path without me even realizing it and without me even putting a ton of pressure on myself. Right. I was in class.
Unnamed Guest
Yes.
Janelle Stevens
The whole time I was in the. And God was the teacher.
Unnamed Guest
Yeah.
Janelle Stevens
You know, he has a way of doing that. And so it was just a. A learning lesson, those three years that I went through. And then he said, okay, the timing is now.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
Wow, that is amazing. So now you're thrown into this huge beauty brand business and you have one of the top selling businesses. What were some of the fundamental things that you even had to learn along the way to really create this business as far as the business mindset? Because it's different than getting in the kitchen and being creative now. It's a whole nother mindset.
Janelle Stevens
I feel like I was born with, like, a hustle mentality. And I don't know if I want to use the word hustle. I don't know. I like the word. But some people are like, we're entrepreneurs, but I'm an entrepreneur and I'm a hustler. So I'm old. And I think I was born with that because Camille Rose. It really wasn't my first business. I had a home health, like, a sitting agency before I'm a therapist. And so when I finish graduate school, school, I got into, like, home health, and I would hire CNAs, LPNs, to go out into the home and sit with people, older people, people who were stroke victims, you know, that kind of stuff. I had, like, 35 employees under that company, so I was always like, okay, do for self. Yeah, do for self. Like, I think that my family pretty much raised me like that, you know, so that mindset was always there, and I was never afraid of work. Yeah, you know, for sure.
Unnamed Guest
Yeah.
Janelle Stevens
Never afraid of work. If I punch the clock, I'm gonna work there. And when I got off, I'm gonna work for me twice more, you know, just harder. So I wasn't scared to do that. And I love doing it, you know, it was such a joy when you receive a check that you made for yourself by yourself. That's a bomb feeling, you know, And I wanted more and more of that.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
Wow, that is amazing. So many people have aspirations to be in the beauty business, but a lot of people are like, oh, it's oversaturated. Like, don't do that, because everybody's doing it. What are your thoughts on that?
Janelle Stevens
I think that everything is over saturated, Right. And I think that if it's your passion and if that's what you really want to do, it'll come. You just got to keep working towards it, like, every day. Like, don't put it to the side. Don't keep it in your head and you wishing up on a sleep star. I think that don't worry about how big you're gonna grow it. Just think about growing it where you are at that moment, you know, and then just keep working towards it. And the more you pour into it, it's gonna get bigger.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
Yeah, I love it. One of my other questions, I always wonder, because a lot of people, you said you would call people and say, hey, I have these formulas, what I need to do, and they automatically start talking dollars.
Janelle Stevens
Yes.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
Did you self fund your business or.
Janelle Stevens
Absolutely. Reason? I grew, which I tell people, grow at the pace that you're comfortable with growing. I funded it, and my husband, of course, he funded it too. But we did it as we grew, you know, because my goal wasn't get it to everybody. My goal wasn't even getting in the retail stores. My goal was to let me throw up this website and use my social media and try to reach people there. When I started my formulas, I went to the. I didn't even know where you would go to buy a bottle or a jar. I went to the grocery store and I bought mason jars.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
Listen.
Janelle Stevens
And I got my little Sharpie and got like this cute little paper from hobby lobby and taped that on the jars. And that's how I did it. And I was okay with doing it like that until I was able to not only teach myself, where do you get a component from? You know? And what do. How do I do this? So it was the pace that I was comfortable with growing and I never. I'm so glad I did it like that because it was less stressful, you know, Like, I wasn't like, I gotta do this, I gotta get into Target. It was less stressful for me. Yeah. And it made it more enjoyable.
Unnamed Guest
That's good.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
That's amazing. A lot of times when people are the people in their family that have the successful business, a lot of other things come along with it. Have you had to navigate other stresses that came along with you being the one that was successful or had something that really popped from.
Janelle Stevens
From.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
From family or friends?
Janelle Stevens
How do I. I think I was supported by everybody. Not. Not necessarily. I think things for me. Not think. I think. I know things for me started happening really, really quickly. It was like divine order. So most people don't know. After that website, I threw up. The year later, I was in a major. A big box retail store. One year later, what? I knew nothing. When I tell you, I don't know what I thought, like, what. They invited me to this meeting to tell my story. I don't know if I was like, okay, yeah, I'm gonna take the meeting with me. And this one person that I met, and that was it. Girl. I walked in and it was like a ton of people. A roundtable full of people. Of course, they didn't look like me. And I was like, what am I doing here? You know? And that was a little bit intimidating. However, you know, they welcomed me and it was like, tell your story.
Unnamed Guest
I love that.
Janelle Stevens
When we met. Tell that story. And it was so easy to do. And so that following year, Camille Rose was in Target.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
That is crazy.
Janelle Stevens
But, yeah, but the people around me, yeah, everybody was pretty supportive.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
That's amazing.
Janelle Stevens
And they really didn't even. I don't know if they realized what I was doing or how big, you know, it was gonna get, but yeah, that is awesome.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
I love that there is this stigma behind when companies grow from the ground. Up as yours has and just blows up. And then they sell it. There's people say when you sell it, the, the quality of the product goes down. And some people say people are selling out when they sell it. What is your mindset behind Because I feel like I grew this because at some point I do want to like not have to work as much. You know, you want to make the money. But what is your mindset behind that?
Janelle Stevens
I think that people have to sit and do what is best for them and their family. Because I meant both. I know, but. Oh my God. Like I can name. I don't know if I could name but. But yeah, it's, it's companies out there right now that I have met super successful that have said no, we just want to keep this in our family.
Unnamed Guest
Yeah.
Janelle Stevens
And then it's, it's companies out there. It's like I'm building it to sell. I think that it's, that's a personal decision. It's, it's exhaust. It's a lot with any business like it. It's a lot. So I think you just have to decide what's best for you and you know, your family do. I feel that when companies purchase black owned brands or any, any whatever black owned, white owned brands, their goal is to see how they can get their money out of it, save a dollar.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
And if it's cutting back on certain things.
Janelle Stevens
Of course, of course. Because it's a business, it becomes like a business to them and it becomes less of. This is. It's a real person behind this company, behind this brand. This is my baby, you know, so you just got to do what's best for you.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
Yeah, I love that.
Unnamed Guest
Yeah.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
Because I mean I didn't think about that. A lot of times you don't know how it affects the family because it is so much hands on work.
Janelle Stevens
But I do want to say that it's so important for our community to have ownership and stuff.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
Yeah.
Janelle Stevens
It's so important because I, I've come, I've never been into, in corporate. I've never worked in corporate America. Always on the medical side. So that's kind of different. But it wasn't until I started having meetings with Camille Rose and going into corporate settings where I'm realizing, damn, it's really not a lot of us in here. Right.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
Yeah.
Janelle Stevens
And it made me think of my children and if they wanted to insert intern somewhere and you know, they're competing against companies that are not really owned by us. So you know. Yeah, it'll be harder yes. And so I think it's so important for us to have ownership in a lot. So you can call me and say, hey, my niece wants to intern with you, follow you. Yeah, yeah, have her come. Or I'll call you and say, hey, my daughter wants to shadow you.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
Exactly.
Janelle Stevens
You know what I'm saying? So it's very, very important.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
I love that. Yeah, I'm really big on ownership. I'm so big on. Because you have to. Like you said, there's not a lot of opportunities for us. And when you have the ownership, we're able to create more opportunities for our community.
Janelle Stevens
Absolutely.
Unnamed Guest
Yeah.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
I love that. What are some of the biggest hurdles that you've had to overcome with entrepreneurship?
Janelle Stevens
I know, right? So one hurdle that really, really stressed me out was finding a manufacturer that believed in what I believed in as far as, like, the ingredients. And when I thought I found one, it was this guy. He was like, I'll help you. And I'm like, okay. He was like, but I'm not purchasing any of your ingredients. Cause it's food. You know, you don't have to put this in your products. We got this synthetic that's cheaper. And I'm like, I'm not doing that because I would not want to disappoint my clients who's purchasing me online. And then when they see me in the shelf, it's a whole different. I'm not doing that. Yeah. And then, you know, I want to make sure these products are safe for me to use and my children and my family. So I'm not using anything synthetic. That was a problem. When I went to the laboratories, you know, the chemists wouldn't be friendly with me because I call myself a kitchen chemist. And I was like, what? What is that? Yeah, I went to school for this. You know what I'm saying? So they didn't want to hear what kind of ingredients I got coming in there. I got a lot of. Well, my grandmother lived till she was 199 and 85, and she got perms and all that kind of stuff. I got a lot of that. So when I found him, he was like, I'll help you out, but you have to send all of your ingredients. So I had big pallets of almond milk, everything sent into his lab. I was just using his tanks. And so that first year I was in the retail store, I made no money. Made no money. He. Girl, he treated me like crap because I was like this little brand, and he was doing, like, bigger brands. It was. It was. Was crazy. And Then as I kind of grew in the. The business and started meeting more and more people, they was like, wait, what. What issues are you having? And I would tell them, and he was like, what's the art about? No, ma'am, that's not small. Yeah, we'll take you. And I'm like, it's not small. Absolutely not.
Unnamed Guest
Yeah.
Janelle Stevens
You know, but he was telling me.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
He was playing these roles, so he.
Janelle Stevens
Was, like, double dipping. Like, I had to pay him to use his tank. Yes. It was, like a struggle. So that was just, you know, that was a part of my journey. Such a hurdle that I had to go through and get through. And then it was at that point, I remember telling my husband, all right, I gotta drop everything. I gotta get out there, hit the streets and find a partner that can help me produce these products. And not just any partner, Right. Somebody who believed in what I believed in. And, oh, my God, thank God I did. We're still together till this day. But let me tell you about that story. When I met this lady, a chemist, she was at another laboratory, a big laboratory. We're gelan. Right. We're talking. You can't really talk to those chemists. A lot of times don't want to talk to you.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
Right.
Janelle Stevens
It's very rare to find somebody that. Let me. Let me hear your story. What ingredients? What do you know? So I found her, and then right when I'm thinking, okay, let's do this, that company that she worked for went bankrupt. I was like, what are you. What. What is happening? But she pulled me, and she was like, you know what? I want to go into business myself.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
There you go. Come on.
The Wall Street Trapper
Yeah.
Janelle Stevens
As I grew, she grew. And you should see her facility today. Like, she bought, like, these tanks, girl. Yes. So not only was I creating something for me and my family, I created jobs for her and tons of people in her facility, so. And we're still together today.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
I love that. That is beautiful. Now, with everything you have going on, what do you do to take care of Janelle?
Janelle Stevens
What do I do? I don't know. Look, before that self care question, right? That self care question, that self care does not exist. But before, I was like, oh, balance. I got this work life. I don't know. I think I pour back into my body, which I make sure I'm working out, doing something at the gym every day, mentally. Now, I don't know. I keep saying every year, oh, I need a therapist. What is that? Like, never had one. Oh, I want one. I haven't done that yet you have to try it. That's what everybody's telling me.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
No, I'm serious. It changed my life. It really did.
Janelle Stevens
Okay. You got. You gotta. Well, most people don't like to share their therapist, so I don't know. Are you like that?
Crystal Renee Hazlett
No, I'm not.
Janelle Stevens
I will share it.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
I'm not a gatekeeper.
Janelle Stevens
Yeah, you gotta share. Cause I'm like, well, what do you sit there doing? What? You start talking about a hundred thousand bottles. Like, you know, how does it work? You know?
Crystal Renee Hazlett
Exactly.
Janelle Stevens
Yeah. But I think exercise for me helps. As small as that may sound, that's huge.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
It's not small.
Janelle Stevens
It helps me. It helps me. Yeah.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
That's amazing. What is next on the horizon for you and for Camille Rose?
Janelle Stevens
Yes, girl. So much. But I'm so excited. In 2025, Camille rose skin.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
Yeah.
Janelle Stevens
Like, girl, I gotta pour into that darker skin tone. Yes. So that's what we're working on now. And we'll be releasing that. The top of 2025.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
That's amazing. Because your skin is flawless.
Janelle Stevens
Well, yours too. Yours too.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
Well, it's gonna be even more flawless when I get some Camille Rose kick, period. I love that, Janelle. Than.
Janelle Stevens
Absolutely.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
From the streets of New Orleans to shifting the mindsets of the masses towards wealth and entrepreneurship, the Wall street trapper has created a brand and a business that has racked in millions and raised countless entrepreneurs. The Wall street trapper is here. Guys. Trapp. What up?
The Wall Street Trapper
What's good, family?
Crystal Renee Hazlett
You made it.
The Wall Street Trapper
It's so surreal just to hear that.
Janelle Stevens
Aw.
The Wall Street Trapper
It's so surreal just to hear that. To just knowing how far I came, Knowing how far the journey has been, and to hear that is so profound. I'm so grateful for that.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
Multi millionaire. He's doing big things. I can't disclose everything. He's doing. Big knee.
The Wall Street Trapper
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm excited. Thank y'all for having me. Thank you for having me. I'm so proud of you.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
Thank you.
The Wall Street Trapper
So, yeah. Woman evolved, and my heart was like, ah. Thank you for that.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
No saying. When I saw you, I was like, travis, yes.
The Wall Street Trapper
Getting that fulfillment is important for me. I guess we'll talk about it. I just did the same thing with the guys. As a leader, it is important for the people who rock with me to be on the same journey as me so we can all align. I got the saying right now. It's God and money. So we gotta go God first, and then we could get the money next. We can get the money. Cause God ain't telling us to Be broke.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
He did not say that.
Unnamed Guest
He did not.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
He did not. That is so true.
The Wall Street Trapper
He didn't tell us that. So just this journey is so phenomenal. I'm still in all every step of the way.
Unnamed Guest
Yeah.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
It's so beautiful seeing your journey. Like, even seeing you be more out loud and, like, visual with your relationship with Christ. I think it's beautiful.
The Wall Street Trapper
It's because he's been out loud with me.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
Let's talk about it.
The Wall Street Trapper
He's been out loud with me. My transformation has taken place right in front of people's eyes. And I've always tried to put God first, But we was doing a tour in 2023, we did a tour, and we was doing, like, six to 700 people, just me per city. And I went to my guy, Jose, and I said, jose, the message not coming across like I want. And I know why. I said, because God has given me the platform, and I ain't giving him the glory.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
I owe Trap.
The Wall Street Trapper
I said that. And then from that, from that second city on. The first slide on the tour was a scripture that I would break down. I would do one or two scriptures. First one was, like, the man with the talents. Right. And I learned that in that time, a talent was equivalent to 20 to 40 years worth of servitude. And I was like, yeah, God and money. Yeah, God and money. And so that was my way of saying, God, I got you. And so since then, it's just been this, the journey I'm on, and slowly but surely, God is just. He's opening up so many ways for me. And I keep telling people that the more you increase your capacity, the more God will increase your territory.
Unnamed Guest
Yes.
The Wall Street Trapper
And so for me, increasing my capacity is looking at the parts of me that I'm not sufficient in. Like, I'm not patient. Yeah, Right. Because I'm a go getter.
Unnamed Guest
Yeah.
The Wall Street Trapper
And so I don't wait. Like, I had a problem with waiting for God to do it. Like, all right, I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna get it done. And what we realize is that when we do it, I always tell Jose this. Our best play is not in God's playbook.
Unnamed Guest
It's not.
The Wall Street Trapper
It's our play. It ain't his place. So it's gonna take me longer. And so this year, 2024 has been about yielding. Yielding my heart, my spirit, my money, my business, and love.
Unnamed Guest
Wow.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
Love.
The Wall Street Trapper
Love.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
Now what part of love? Cause the ladies want to know.
The Wall Street Trapper
So I'm 42.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
Me too. Okay. Shout out, party, love. You know what I'm saying? This is where it's at.
The Wall Street Trapper
Come on. I be telling people, no.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
40 is where it's at.
The Wall Street Trapper
So. Because I come from the streets, born and raised in New Orleans, Went to prison when I was 16 for attempt murder. Saw my mom get shot when I was 9. I emotionally was bankrupt throughout my whole life. The streets didn't allow me the freedom to have emotion, because emotion will get you killed. And so I went through my life keeping women at a distance because I wound up getting robbed because a woman had set me up. But it was part of the game, so I didn't. But I kept the residue of that with me. Right. And I went through my whole life just on some. I can't afford that. And then when I came home from prison, I witnessed so many men who would use women to get to other men. And I was a part of that. At a point, like, no. Like, you pretty. Go do this for me so we can. It's part of the game. And so that trauma sat on me.
Unnamed Guest
Wow.
The Wall Street Trapper
And so when I became successful, it became even harder.
Unnamed Guest
Yep.
The Wall Street Trapper
You know what I'm saying?
Crystal Renee Hazlett
I do know.
Unnamed Guest
Yeah.
The Wall Street Trapper
It became even harder for me to trust, and it became harder for me to be vulnerable like that. And so I just stayed away from it. And then I met somebody who made it worth it in a way, but I wasn't capable.
Unnamed Guest
Yeah.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
Unready wasn't.
The Wall Street Trapper
I didn't know how to express that. And so that forced me to do something I didn't think I would have to do. It was go to therapy.
Unnamed Guest
Wow.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
Talk about it. I love hearing black men talk about therapy.
The Wall Street Trapper
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Therapy has been so therapeutic. My therapist told me something one day. He said, listen, it's gonna be hard. And I said, man, listen, I've been shot.
Janelle Stevens
Right.
The Wall Street Trapper
I've been to prison. I need to talk about this stuff.
Unnamed Guest
Yeah.
The Wall Street Trapper
But what also helped me was he's a therapist that leads with God.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
That's important.
Unnamed Guest
Yeah.
The Wall Street Trapper
Right. And so I started talking to him about how I felt about seeing my mama get shot, how it felt for me to shoot a man and never deal with that because I thought it was normal how it felt to be shot, how I felt to go to court and get found not guilty and nobody be in the room with me. How it felt for me to do 10 years and not have people support me. Right. Like going through the world as a loner and how I harbored that. And because I didn't have a pathway to express it, I Let it callous me. And so therapy became this place where I started to cry. And it felt good.
Unnamed Guest
Yeah. Oh, yes.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
I want that message to get across that it is okay for our black men to cry. It is. I think our society has made it. Be strong. Toughen up what you cry for. Like, men don't cry. Boys don't cry. Be a big boy. Even from a little boy.
The Wall Street Trapper
You've been a little girl.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
Yeah. Stop acting like that. So you grow up into grown men who don't know how to express themselves or even cry.
The Wall Street Trapper
Yeah. Emotionally imprisoned, emotionally incarcerated. Feeling that the vulnerability is what makes you weak, when in reality, the vulnerability makes us strong.
Unnamed Guest
Yeah.
The Wall Street Trapper
It's the ability to say, no. I feel this way about this situation, and I need to express it, because when you hold it in, it starts to turn into resentment, and resentment can lead to you imploding.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
Yeah.
The Wall Street Trapper
Right. And as a man with a daughter, I never need to implode. I need to be able to show her how much I love her. She needs to know every day that, yo, my daddy loved me.
Unnamed Guest
Yeah.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
Yeah.
The Wall Street Trapper
Like, in so many different ways. And the only way that I could do that was being so in touch with myself where. Cause I had moments where I would cry and I would be like, man, I can't let my daughter see this.
Unnamed Guest
Yes.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
So you want to wipe it away.
Unnamed Guest
Yeah.
The Wall Street Trapper
Right.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
But what is that teaching her?
The Wall Street Trapper
Exactly.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
You know, when she grows up and gets a man or a husband to know that, hey, it's okay, because I saw that.
Unnamed Guest
Yeah.
The Wall Street Trapper
And so that's. That's been the journey for me. And so as I went to therapy and I was like, okay, this feels good, and started building these spiritual relationships with people. People in church.
Unnamed Guest
Yeah.
The Wall Street Trapper
That. That was me saying, God, I see you. I see you. Because I can't. I don't. This is. I'm an infant here.
Unnamed Guest
Yes.
The Wall Street Trapper
I can't just read the word and interpret it. I need somebody to guide me.
Unnamed Guest
Yeah.
The Wall Street Trapper
Right. And so I had my therapist, and then I had these spiritual big brothers come in my life. And this year has been the best year for me ever.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
I love that.
The Wall Street Trapper
Ever.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
Doesn't it all come together when you put God first? Like, people don't understand when they ask, like, how God. The moment I intentionally put him first, everything is clearer. My choices are wiser. When I study the Word, I can apply it to every single day. We just read proverbs, the whole book of proverbs.
The Wall Street Trapper
Such a dope book.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
So good. And it's the wise up. We did a Wise up. Challenge. Because it's so full of wisdom. And I have. I struggle with patience as well. So praying for that patience. And I feel like God has been testing me all week on this patience, but in that it was about being slow to anger and taking time to, like, process things before. You just react and just being wise in all your choices. And I think, especially in the season I'm in my life being successful, wanting to grow more and continue to elevate. I needed that, you know? And I see it, like, I see the evidence of him everywhere. I mean, like, even this new season, like, God is showing, like, if you trust me and allow me, I'm gonna put the right people in your life. Because when you said making sure that the people around me are on the same wave, like, you have to.
The Wall Street Trapper
No, you have to.
Unnamed Guest
Yeah.
The Wall Street Trapper
It's because when we are the visionary, the people will not necessarily follow you. They believe in the vision. Yes, Right. And I have to be a conduit. And anybody that doesn't have the same currency with me throws me off.
Unnamed Guest
Yes.
The Wall Street Trapper
Right. And I think about. I think about, like, when Jesus was walking and the lady touched the hymn, who touched me? He was like, who touched me? And they like, no, no, no, no. Like, all these people, he was like, no, no, no. There was a certain type of touch.
Unnamed Guest
Yes.
The Wall Street Trapper
It's a certain type of touch. Right. And so for me, I need the people around me to have a certain type of touch. So when they following me or when they inspired by me, they're moving in this authentic. That's amazing. And you talked about the patience, so that there's Galatians 5 and 22 is one of my favorites because it talks about the fruit of the Spirit.
Unnamed Guest
Yes.
The Wall Street Trapper
Right. And inside of that, there's two things that I love. It's depending on what book you read, it'll say forbearance, or it'll say long suffering, and then it'll say self control. And the reason why that's important, because to be patient is to suffer sometimes.
Unnamed Guest
It is. Yeah.
The Wall Street Trapper
It's to suffer sometimes. But it also tells us to wait patiently, we hope, and to rejoice during turmoil.
Unnamed Guest
Yeah.
The Wall Street Trapper
So. So for me, I've been through so much turmoil, and instead of letting the turmoil get me mad, it's like, oh, God, at my weakest is when you work the most.
Unnamed Guest
It is.
Janelle Stevens
Oof.
Unnamed Guest
Okay.
The Wall Street Trapper
Bet. I got you.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
Yeah.
The Wall Street Trapper
I got you.
Unnamed Guest
Yeah.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
Because when I'm weak, I know you work. I know you working.
The Wall Street Trapper
You're trying to expose me to something you're trying to let me see something. You're trying to navigate me to something. So when I get frustrated, I take control, and that's when I lose.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
Yep.
Unnamed Guest
Yes.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
Yeah.
The Wall Street Trapper
God will test you. The enemy will tempt you. I gotta make sure that I pass the test and not fall for the temptation that's real. And whatever the temptation may be, it may. I need to get this done in the time that I needed to get done. I need this to move how I want this business not moving. So when I yielded, I say, nah, God, you can have it all.
Unnamed Guest
Yeah.
The Wall Street Trapper
And just give me the instructions.
Unnamed Guest
Yeah.
The Wall Street Trapper
And so I'm just walking now with this flow in my life, and I just took the men to. As a man, thinking, yeah, I saw that. So, mind you, my circle is 80% of convicted felons. Only 20% of the people that I know now is people who I've met as an entrepreneur.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
Right.
The Wall Street Trapper
And so my people from the street be hitting me, be like, bro, that God stuff. Real. This is a question.
Unnamed Guest
Yeah.
The Wall Street Trapper
And for the average person, they'd be like, how could you? No, no, no. Because when you in the streets, you asking for God to get you through criminal activity. Sometimes, God, let me hit this lick. Cause you know I need this bread, right? God, I'm about to do this. God, please don't let me get hit with the bullet, but let him get hit with it.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
Yeah, right?
The Wall Street Trapper
And so now they see me and they looking at me and they like, nah, say trap. Like. Like, you really moving like that.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
It's a different light. Yeah, that's God for real.
The Wall Street Trapper
Like, you serious? Or that just for Instagram, Right?
Crystal Renee Hazlett
Come on. Because there are people that use that just for Instagram.
The Wall Street Trapper
I'm like, nah, bro, this is me. And so they come with me to, as a man, think it. And they all have these breakthroughs.
Unnamed Guest
Wow.
The Wall Street Trapper
They crying, these gangsters.
Unnamed Guest
Yeah.
The Wall Street Trapper
I'm talking about three of my homies. One did 25 for attempt murder. He just come home. My other homie did 15 for manslaughter. He been home a few years. The other one did 20 years for murder. And then me for attempt murder. They with me.
Unnamed Guest
Yeah.
The Wall Street Trapper
As a man thinking, crying, having their own breakthroughs.
Unnamed Guest
Yes. Ugh.
The Wall Street Trapper
But it's because I'm the conduit.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
You are.
Unnamed Guest
Yes.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
Because you listen to God and said, okay, I hear you. I got to switch this up. And you're the example. That's incredible.
The Wall Street Trapper
It can't be just about money.
Unnamed Guest
No.
The Wall Street Trapper
Because if we make it just about money, we can't go where we need.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
To go at, no, you can't.
The Wall Street Trapper
So we got to put God first and say, God, like, yo, it says Proverbs 10. 4. Diligent hands build wealth. Poor hands make for lazy. So, okay, if he tells us to be diligent, let me just be diligent. God gives us the ability to produce wealth. So he said, like, bro, I don't want y'all to be poor, but you gotta listen to me. And so that's why my obedience act.
Unnamed Guest
Yeah, I love it.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
I love that you're so outward with it. That is so dope. I love that. I saw you at woman evolved. And I'm not gonna lie. Cause you don't see a lot of men there. So when I turned while I was hugging people, I just finished the panel, and I was hugging people, and I looked back, and I was like, trapp. But I thought it was so beautiful to look down. You're like, yeah, I brought all the ladies of my life. Your daughter, your mom, your sisters. Everybody was there. And I was like, wow, that was beautiful. And it's a testament to the man that you are and the leader that you are to make sure that even your daughter at a very young age to say, this is where you need.
The Wall Street Trapper
To be, you know, because she needs to. Again, everybody around me needs to be a believer.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
Yep.
The Wall Street Trapper
If you're around me and it's not. And what happens is not me pushing my belief on nobody. It's just saying that if I believe this and we. There's conversations and there are environments that I'll be in. And if you. If we're building something and you can't come here with me, there's going to cause a disconnect between us. It's nothing against you, but this is where I'm at.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
Yeah, that's right.
The Wall Street Trapper
Yeah, this is where I'm at. And so it was. First it was the women, you know, because I have two family members that work in my business. And I was like, yo, I'm going to woman evolve. I want y'all to go. Because me, I want to. I'm the person that when I do something, I'm all in. Like, I'm throwing my whole everything into it. So I'm like, God, if I'm on this journey, I'm all in. I'm in a car with my mama right now. Me and my mama usually be in a car. We listen to rap music. We've been listening to gospel music. She like what that is, son?
Unnamed Guest
Let me.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
Let me download that.
The Wall Street Trapper
I like that. Like, I'm all in it. And so they went and they was like, yo, this is good. Yeah, right? And let me say something. To see 40,000 women praising God, that was something else. That was an experience.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
It was. I was telling somebody, when me and Big west walk through the metal detectors, I could feel the presence of God. Before I even got to my seat, I said, oh. I was like, God is here. I'm in the right place. Wednesday, when I laid it and just went to eat dinner with some ladies, God was there. I said, oh, God about to do something.
The Wall Street Trapper
You gonna do something?
Crystal Renee Hazlett
And he did, like, everything that I needed, everything that I've been going through, that I expressed on the panel, that I did. So good. Thank you.
The Wall Street Trapper
So good.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
Thank you. Was what I needed to know that I'm doing what God wants me to do in the way that he wants me to do it. And it may not look like, oh, she's not doing it right to other people, but I know who I'm reaching in this space, you know? And a lot of times you look and you compare, like, well, I'm not like Sarah and I'm not like Priscilla and I'm not like Brenda. Like, you look at all these people that, like, I'm not where they are, but in my space, I'm reaching people for God for sure. And I hadn't even gotten to a place. Yeah. Huh.
The Wall Street Trapper
You're a big deal. No, no, no. We. So I think sometimes we are, and that's a great thing. So I just, I told Pastor Don this. Maybe like Saturday, I was, I was crying. So one thing about therapy is like, I've been crying now and I'd be okay with it.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
Piled up.
The Wall Street Trapper
Yeah, listen, I'm crying. I'm listening to the word. And he came up to me and I looked at him, I said, man, I'm not worthy of this. I'm not worthy of what? Everything that he's given me. I said, I'm not worthy. And he looked at me and he said, because you feel like you're not worthy is exactly why you are worthy.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
Listen.
Unnamed Guest
Yes.
The Wall Street Trapper
You hear me?
Unnamed Guest
Yes.
The Wall Street Trapper
He said, you don't gotta downplay yourself. But that humility.
Unnamed Guest
Yes.
The Wall Street Trapper
Is why God can keep trusting you.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
Yes.
Unnamed Guest
Literally. No.
The Wall Street Trapper
That's it.
Unnamed Guest
Yeah.
The Wall Street Trapper
And women evolve. So me and my mom's relationship has been traumatic.
Unnamed Guest
Wow.
The Wall Street Trapper
For a long time. Because she dealt with. You got. I think she had. When she was 16.
Unnamed Guest
Yeah.
The Wall Street Trapper
In that era where, you know, a 16 year old having a kid in the 80s, like, they down there, like, nah, they off her. So she was bold enough to say, I'm gonna keep him.
Unnamed Guest
Wow.
The Wall Street Trapper
But then she fought her own demons. Right. Which went to her being the street, which. Her being her shooting somebody, her robbing her jack, and her being shot the street. Shit. She wound up doing five years in prison. And then I become the residue of that.
Unnamed Guest
Of that. Yeah.
The Wall Street Trapper
And for the longest, I didn't realize that I had res. Resentment for my mom because you left me. I became homeless.
Unnamed Guest
Yeah. O.
The Wall Street Trapper
My family didn't take me in. My uncle took me in for a little bit, but I was so wild, he couldn't keep me.
Unnamed Guest
Yeah.
The Wall Street Trapper
So I'm back in New Orleans, and I'm in survival mode.
Unnamed Guest
Yeah.
The Wall Street Trapper
And I didn't realize for the longest that I resented my mom. And as much as I tried to, like, love her, I loved her, but I could not be around her.
Unnamed Guest
Yeah.
The Wall Street Trapper
She asked me for 5 cent. I would be like, why you asking me for money? I ain't giving you nothing.
Unnamed Guest
Yeah. Wow.
The Wall Street Trapper
And so therapy, my therapist told me, you'll never love a woman until you're able to love your mama.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
Because that's what my mama always said. Watch how a man loves his mother and how he treats her, because he's gonna treat you in that same regard.
Unnamed Guest
Yeah.
The Wall Street Trapper
He's like, you love your daughter because that's your. Your flesh, that's your blood, but you'll never love a woman. This is why you having these issues.
Unnamed Guest
Yeah. Wow.
The Wall Street Trapper
You gotta get to root of that. So we start working on that. So we had woman evolve. And I had been working on myself enough. And I'm like, mom want you to come.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
Wow.
The Wall Street Trapper
Right? And she comes, and she was kind of, like, in her phone for a minute. And I said, mom, pay attention. Pay attention.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
Be present.
The Wall Street Trapper
Put the phone down.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
I need you to get this.
The Wall Street Trapper
I need you here. Like, this moment is. She don't know. But in my mind, this is pivotal for us.
Unnamed Guest
Yeah.
The Wall Street Trapper
And I'll never forget, the queen was on there. She was talking about her issue with alcohol. And I seen Ma pay attention. So my mama started paying attention. She was locked in. And then we went to lunch. And then after lunch, Pastor Dynam said, trapp, come on the floor. I was like, nah, man, I'm good. He was like, no, no, no. Come on the floor. And I was like, all right, God, I'm not gonna fight this. So we all get to the floor and worship and everything. And I looked at my mom in the back. She started crying. And I said, God.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
God was moving that thing Got her.
The Wall Street Trapper
So the next day, we come, we on the floor. I said, got her. So my friend said, go hug your mama.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
She needs you right now.
The Wall Street Trapper
So I hugged my mama. She crying, and I just said, God, you working?
Unnamed Guest
Yes.
Janelle Stevens
Wow.
The Wall Street Trapper
And so we go to dinner that night, and I called my friend, and I was like, yo, this is so good. And she said, I want you to know something. She said, you think going to therapy was about your ability to love, to love again and to be able to show me love, but really, it was the breakthrough for you and your mom, she said, because I watched how you nurtured her, and that's why I'm proud of you. You nurtured her. You pulled up close, something you wouldn't have done.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
Yeah.
The Wall Street Trapper
And since Woman Evolved, we have been, what's up, babe? What you doing? Come holler at me.
Unnamed Guest
Yes.
The Wall Street Trapper
Right. Just. The relationship has evolved because when God. When you allow. When you identify what it is.
Unnamed Guest
Yes.
The Wall Street Trapper
So most people see the triggers, and when they see the trigger, they keep running away from the trigger, which keep building the capt. So instead of me running away from, like, you know, let me embrace it, but let me embrace it with God.
Unnamed Guest
Yeah.
The Wall Street Trapper
Right. Let me. Let me move the feeling. Let me move the act of the flesh to the side.
Unnamed Guest
Yes.
The Wall Street Trapper
Let me move with the fruit of the Spirit. Because First Corinthians 13, 4, and 8 says, Love is patient, love is kind.
Unnamed Guest
Yes.
The Wall Street Trapper
Love is gentle. And if I can't be that with.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
My mama, then you definitely can't be that with anybody else. Yeah.
The Wall Street Trapper
So I'm just there. And so we've been so good. We've been so good.
Unnamed Guest
I love that.
The Wall Street Trapper
We've been so good. And so that's what Woman Evolved did for me.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
I love it.
The Wall Street Trapper
It helped me and my mama just.
Unnamed Guest
Yeah.
The Wall Street Trapper
You know, so good. I thank Pastor Sarah for that.
Unnamed Guest
Yes.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
Oh, she was. I just love that woman.
The Wall Street Trapper
What?
Unnamed Guest
Yeah.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
Her and Pastor Terry, they're just so needed and necessary in this culture, because the kingdom I feel like is in a very. It's in a weird space right now, you know, where people are confused, and we have so many people wanting to leave the religion because we're not representing it the way that Christ wants us to. And I just love people like her and PT that are transparent and real, that really, like, teach the word. You know.
The Wall Street Trapper
Bishop told me this one day. He said, your authenticity is what's needed today.
Unnamed Guest
Yeah.
The Wall Street Trapper
He said, you have charisma, you have transparency, and you have influence. When you let God do it, it'll blow your Mind.
Unnamed Guest
Yeah.
The Wall Street Trapper
And so that's kind of just why I've been there. And when I look at, like, how God uses people, he always used misfits.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
This is the rise of the misfits, I'm telling you. Like, literally, that's what I took away. Everybody was like, leaving. Woman evolved. And they're like, this is the rise of the unlikely people that are going to be spreading the gospel shit. Yeah, they look like us.
The Wall Street Trapper
They look like us. And so for me, that's what makes me step in it more proudly, because I'm like, yeah, it's the imperfections that make me relate.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
No, for sure.
The Wall Street Trapper
I don't gotta be. They know.
Janelle Stevens
Yup.
The Wall Street Trapper
Trapp went to prison for this. Trapp did this. And now look. And there's so many. For me, it's so many men that's coming to me. And as men, it is very hard for a man to come to another man and say, I'm following you. Because we don't know how to do that.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
No.
The Wall Street Trapper
Yeah, we don't know how to do that.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
Like, I'm on, man. I'm on my own.
The Wall Street Trapper
So many men that been coming to me like, say, bro, like, I needed that. Keep doing that. I'm following you, bro. Now you making me a better father. And I'm getting money. Listen, you bringing me close to God.
Crystal Renee Hazlett
And I'm getting money. I love that. That is beautiful. If I could describe today's show, it would be money making 101. One of the financial tips that stayed with me after talking to Janelle and the Wall street trapper is you have to have a heart of service. Both of them, when they first started out, it was just about helping others and getting them the knowledge that they needed. So service is one of the main things that really stood out because we're so quick and eager to make the money that we forget to be of service to. Thank you all so much for spending time with me today. I hope you learned some things that you can now use in life and in business. You can follow me on all social media platforms at lovechristalrenee and you can also follow our show @keepitpositive, sweetie. If you want to write into our positive outcomes listener letter, you can send us an email@keepitpositivesweetiemail.com in the meantime, in between time, you guys already know what to do. Keep it positive, sweetie. I'll see you guys next time.
Podcast Summary: "Keep it Positive, Sweetie"
Episode Title: The Money Mindset w/ Janelle Stephens & The Wall Street Trapper
Release Date: January 19, 2025
Host: Crystal Renee Hayslett
In this enlightening episode of "Keep it Positive, Sweetie," host Crystal Renee Hayslett delves deep into the intricacies of the money mindset with two exceptional entrepreneurs: Janelle Stephens, the CEO and founder of Camille Rose, and The Wall Street Trapper, a multi-millionaire entrepreneur known for his transformative journey from the streets to substantial financial success. The conversation centers around building successful businesses, overcoming personal and professional hurdles, and the pivotal role of faith and emotional well-being in entrepreneurship.
Crystal Renee Hazlett opens the episode by warmly welcoming her guests:
Janelle Stephens: Founder and CEO of Camille Rose, the top black-owned hair care brand. Janelle's journey is marked by her dedication to creating natural products that cater to the needs of her community, driven by personal challenges faced by her family.
The Wall Street Trapper: An entrepreneur who transformed his life from a troubled past into a thriving business mogul, inspiring countless others to embark on their own paths to success.
The conversation begins with Crystal inquiring about the fundamental lessons needed to navigate the business world, contrasting it with the creative freedom of working in the kitchen.
Janelle Stephens shares her innate "hustle mentality," a trait that propelled her through various entrepreneurial ventures before founding Camille Rose. She reflects:
"I feel like I was born with like a hustle mentality and I don't know if I want to use the word hustle. I don't know. I like the word."
[00:22] Janelle Stephens
The Wall Street Trapper emphasizes the importance of valuing more than just money in business:
"It can't be just about money. Because if we make it just about money, we can't go where we need to go at."
[00:35] The Wall Street Trapper
He further integrates his faith into his business philosophy, citing Proverbs 10:4:
"Diligent hands build wealth. Poor hands make for lazy. So, okay, if he tells us to be diligent, let me just be diligent."
[00:43] The Wall Street Trapper
Crystal echoes this sentiment, setting the tone for a discussion that intertwines business acumen with spiritual grounding.
Janelle delves into the inception of Camille Rose, tracing it back to her personal quest for natural products suitable for her family's needs. Faced with her children's severe eczema and the ineffectiveness of existing products, she took matters into her own hands:
"I started Camille Rose back in 2011. I just went on this whole quest for all things natural... I followed the traditional, gotta go to college, you know, got my master's in science and then pivoted."
[03:00] Janelle Stephens
She explains the significance behind the name Camille Rose, dedicating it to her grandmother, whose natural remedies and love for roses inspired the brand's identity:
"I wanted to dedicate my brand to her... the rest were dead. It was like, wait a minute. What's happening here. And so that's the rose that you see in my silhouettes, my logos hair."
[05:55] Janelle Stephens
Janelle's passion for creating safe, effective products led her to self-fund Camille Rose, prioritizing quality over immediate financial gain. She recounts the humble beginnings of packaging her products in mason jars and hand-labeling them, demonstrating her commitment to authenticity and community service.
Janelle candidly discusses the hurdles she faced while scaling Camille Rose, particularly in finding manufacturers aligned with her commitment to natural ingredients. She recounts her frustration with uncooperative labs and the struggle to maintain product integrity:
"One hurdle that really stressed me out was finding a manufacturer that believed in what I believed in as far as, like, the ingredients."
[20:04] Janelle Stephens
Despite these challenges, Janelle remained steadfast, relying on self-funding and her husband's support to grow the business organically. Her approach prioritized gradual, sustainable growth over rapid expansion, allowing Camille Rose to maintain its quality and community-focused ethos.
Janelle also touches upon the broader impact of ownership within the black community, emphasizing the importance of creating opportunities and fostering a supportive environment for future entrepreneurs:
"It's so important because I... I have to make sure that the people around me are on the same wave."
[19:05] Janelle Stephens
The Wall Street Trapper shares a profound narrative of personal transformation. From a tumultuous past marked by crime and incarceration, he narrates his journey towards emotional healing and business success. His story underscores the significance of therapy, faith, and community in overcoming personal traumas.
He reflects on his experience with therapy:
"But what also helped me was he's a therapist that leads with God... therapy became this place where I started to cry. And it felt good."
[32:34] The Wall Street Trapper
His commitment to emotional vulnerability serves as an inspiration, particularly in challenging traditional notions of masculinity. He emphasizes the importance of expressing emotions and breaking free from societal constraints:
"Vulnerability makes us strong. It's the ability to say, no. I feel this way about this situation, and I need to express it."
[34:09] The Wall Street Trapper
Both guests highlight the integral role of faith in their entrepreneurial journeys. The Wall Street Trapper discusses placing God at the forefront of his ventures, aligning his business practices with his spiritual beliefs:
"We got to put God first and say God... if he tells us to be diligent, let me just be diligent. God gives us the ability to produce wealth."
[41:13] The Wall Street Trapper
Janelle echoes this by speaking about divine guidance in her business decisions and the importance of trusting in a higher purpose:
"I think that when companies purchase black-owned brands... it's a personal decision. You just have to decide what's best for you and your family."
[17:01] Janelle Stephens
Their shared belief in divine intervention and the importance of ethical practices underscores their commitment to not just financial success but also to making a meaningful impact.
As the episode concludes, both entrepreneurs share their future aspirations. Janelle Stephens hints at expanding Camille Rose's product line to include skincare tailored for darker skin tones, aiming to fill a significant gap in the market:
"In 2025, Camille Rose Skin... I gotta pour into that darker skin tone."
[25:10] Janelle Stephens
The Wall Street Trapper discusses his ongoing mission to mentor and uplift others from similar backgrounds, emphasizing the transformative power of faith and emotional openness:
"The more you increase your capacity, the more God will increase your territory."
[29:07] The Wall Street Trapper
Crystal wraps up the episode by highlighting key takeaways, particularly the importance of a heart of service and maintaining authenticity in the pursuit of financial success.
Janelle Stephens:
"I think that everything is over saturated. And I think that if it's your passion and if that's what you really want to do, it'll come."
[12:32]
The Wall Street Trapper:
"Vulnerability makes us strong. It's the ability to say, no. I feel this way about this situation, and I need to express it."
[34:09]
Crystal Renee Hazlett:
"Keeping a heart of service is essential because we're so quick and eager to make the money that we forget to be of service."
[52:39]
This episode of "Keep it Positive, Sweetie" offers a compelling exploration of the money mindset through the lenses of two remarkable entrepreneurs. Janelle Stephens and The Wall Street Trapper provide invaluable insights into building successful businesses grounded in authenticity, faith, and a deep sense of community service. Their stories underscore the importance of overcoming personal challenges, maintaining ethical standards, and fostering emotional well-being as pillars of enduring success. For listeners aspiring to elevate their entrepreneurial journey, this episode serves as both inspiration and a practical guide toward achieving financial and personal fulfillment.
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