← She's So Lucky
She's So Lucky
The Secret to Building A Community-Driven Business with Nana Agyemang of EveryStylishGirl
00:51:29
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- [00:01]
Les
The following podcast is a Dear Media production.
- [00:12]
Nana Adjeman
Welcome back to she's so Lucky. I'm your host, Les, and I appreciate you tuning in. The word community is used a lot, especially since the pandemic. From a business standpoint, a lot of brands and platforms have zeroed in on this idea of wanting to build community. But what does that actually mean? And how are movements and communities really built? That's what we're exploring in this week's episode with Nana Adjeman. Nana is a multimedia journalist and the CEO and founder of Every Stylish Girl. Through Every Stylish Girl and their popular sip and slay events, Nana has built an engaged community of entrepreneurs, media professionals, and creators of culture.
- [00:51]
Les
I couldn't wait to sit down with.
- [00:53]
Nana Adjeman
Her to learn more about the secrets to her success and how she created her own luck. So let's get into today's conversation with Nana. Nana, welcome to the show.
- [01:08]
Nana
Thank you for having me. I'm so excited to be here.
- [01:11]
Les
I'm so excited. I've actually wanted to have you on the podcast for so long, and I knew, like, when the time was right, of course it'll happen.
- [01:17]
Nana
We're busy gals.
- [01:18]
Les
We're busy gals. Also, you are running a media empire with so many different arms and moving pieces, which is incredible.
- [01:27]
Nana
Thank you.
- [01:28]
Nana Adjeman
How do you do it?
- [01:29]
Nana
I don't sleep. Like, I posted a funny TikTok. You know that song? It's like, oh, gosh, not me not knowing the song I was going to say, but it's like something. I make it look sexy, I make it look sexier, you know, TikTok song. And it literally is my life. Because I think when people see sip and slay and they see the audience that we garner and the community and the livelihood, it's literally like the black Met gal is like our running joke in the community for it. But they think like, dang, this is amazing. This is dynamic. But I'm a solo entrepreneur, and I think people don't realize that I am one person doing all of this myself. I'm doing the marketing, I'm doing the outreach, I'm doing the pitching. I have some support, but not a lot of it. Right. And so it's taken years and years and years to get to where I am now, but I don't sleep, sis.
- [02:18]
Les
Yeah. Thank you for that honesty, though. Actually, I just posted on threads about this yesterday where I think there is a lot of conversation around not subscribing to and not supporting this idea of hustle culture, which I totally Get. I think we all as people have so much to us and our worth does not come from what we do whatsoever. And I also think that when you're an ambitious person and you have big visions and you have big goals, it requires elbow grease. And also to get to a point of like soft life that a lot of people talk about, there's often a lot of work and hustle that has to come before that. You can't skip straight to the softness without some of the grit and losing some sleep and working really hard towards things.
- [03:01]
Nana
Yeah. And I think it depends what your goals are. Right. If you want to that soft life balance, maybe you can definitely do that. You can grind it out, go on a vacation for two weeks. I chose a different route, which is I want to retire by 40. So because I want to retire by 40, I'm putting countless hours in now. So it really just depends like what your long term goals are. I'm like, let me grind this out. Let me put in all this effort, you know, five, ten plus years to come and see where that takes me for early retirement. Because I always live by this quote, which is like short time of sacrifice for a lifetime in paradise. Right. And so I love that for people that, you know, want that soft life now and can have it and mix in with their work. I do it here and there most of the time when I'm doing it guys and I'm on trips, it's probably because it's still work, but I do it here and there. But I majority focus my time on elevating every stylish girl because I know I really want that early retirement by 40 and I feel like I deserve it. I haven't taken a break. I was joking with my family. I'm like, I haven't taken a break since kindergarten. Like I've been in school.
- [04:10]
Les
No, like go mode the whole time.
- [04:12]
Nana
I went straight and then I went to grad school in New York City at Columbia. After that, right away I started working at the Times. After I started working simultaneously was building my business. Like I've been doing the nine to five, five to grind for my whole life. Right. So I'm like, sign me up for 40 and retired, baby. Like, I'm ready. I'm so ready for that. And I'm praying for that. I'm really hoping that is the life I'm truly manifesting for myself. Yeah.
- [04:37]
Les
Yeah. And what I appreciate about that is it's for a finite amount of time, I think sometimes where things do get hairy when people talk about like, grinding and working towards things is this idea that it's forever, that it's perpetual. And I think that that's very different than having a season where you're working towards something specific and you know that you have kind of an end goal for what it is you're doing.
- [04:58]
Nana
Exactly. I'm like, I want to be the cool mom. Like, I want to be the soccer mom. I want to be able to, like, wake up, drive, go to Pilates, drop the kids off, like, go to a game, like, come home, you know, maybe work on a book I'm writing. Like, and it's not necessarily full retirement. I think it's more. So, like, maybe I want to write a book at that time. Right. Maybe I want to go back to school at that time. Right. Maybe I want to just start some other endeavors. But I don't know if I want the hustle culture anymore. I don't know if I want the no sleep. I don't want to be promoting. I'm not sleeping in my 40s. Right. I think it's cute. It's fun. When you're in your 20s and your 30s and you're like, I'm grinding. I'm grinding. But, like, when I'm 40, no, like, I want peace. I want to be able to enjoy that. I want to be. It was like a joke where it's like, this is me and my girl on a yacht, you know, in our 40s, like, sipping champagne, like, on a Monday at 11. And like, that's the life. That's, like, the life I want.
- [05:51]
Les
Yeah. Like, it's the season and for a reason.
- [05:53]
Nana
Exactly, exactly. Exactly.
- [05:55]
Les
What are some of the things that you're doing to set yourself up for early retirement? Because I think a lot of people may not even know that that's possible or what it is they need to do if they would want to also retire early and do passion projects.
- [06:07]
Nana
Yeah, a hundred percent. I think it's having a financial advisor. I know it seems scary because it's like, hold up. I don't know if I got that money. But honestly, it's not. Like, a lot of banks provide free financial advisors, so I think it's telling them, like, hey, this is my honest goal. What does it look like? Because I'm such a data person, I think numbers is very important. I think we can throw, like, I'm retiring by 40. But no, like, logistically, what does that look like for you? Is that actually feasible? And so I think one, it's talking to my financial advisor, having my investment Set up, even if it's small amounts. Right. I'm sure we always see these things online where it's like, save $100, like, once a week. Like, you'll be a millionaire by the law. Right? But, like, those things are so true. And I think if you really stick to that goal, you can really manifest that life for yourself. So I think, number one is having a financial advisor. Number two, it's making sure I've put my education in a strong place. Like, you know, I know it depends, like, when you want to go back to school, if you don't, if you do, etc, but I knew, like, I wanted a plethora of different opportunities to be able to jump into. Like, if I want to retire from being an entrepreneur or pivot to being a professor. Not that I would, but I'm just, like, throwing something else out there. Like, I just want to make sure I have that educational background to pivot whenever I want, or if I want to be an advisory board member, I want to be able to have that opportunity. And I think thirdly, just being smart with money, right? Like, I really want to go on that trip to Mykonos right now, like everyone else I'm seeing on my tl, But I'm like, let me just hold off for a little bit. Like, let me just hold off and, you know, invest that money into my business right now. Invest that money into building my brand right now. Invest that money into building a team right now. So I make a lot of financial sacrifices for the betterment of the investment of my future.
- [07:49]
Nana Adjeman
I appreciate you being honest about that.
- [07:51]
Les
And when you're going to invest back into your business, what do those investments usually look like for you?
- [07:56]
Nana
Yeah, that's a great question. I think it is. Team first. I had my first ever team with every stylish girl when I was a senior in college. And it was my brother's idea. He was like, why don't you try to get some interns? And I was like, I'm basically an intern. How can I get an intern? What? And he was like, no, really. Like, I'm sure there's so many people on campus that love this idea that would work with you. And, like, I remember putting out the application and it was only credit based at the time. Me, I had no money. I was a broke college student myself. And I had, like 20 applications. And I was like, no, these are qualified people. This is a joke. And there was one photographer who was super dope. He was in New York City. He signed up, and then we had two other girls that signed up and I was like. And they're like, we just believe in the mission. At that time we had no followers, like Nothing, like maybe 2,000 followers. And I was like, this is so cool. Like people just want to be a part of it. And so I would say that was the first investment. And then once we started building, we were able to put that money back into. Okay, great, let's start hiring contractors, right? Month to month contractors. Okay, great. Like we know social is really important. Let's get someone on social. So that's how I feel. Like the team started to develop and then also developing my brand too as well. Because that's also something that is going to lead me to that 40 year retirement. And so it was okay, great. I probably need a stylist, right? I probably need to start getting help with my makeup, right? So like those were still cost efficient investments that led to large impact, right. So I'm showing up more online, more fashionable. Great brands are seeing, oh, she's like a fashion girl, you know, great. We want to invest in market with her and partner with her. So it was those little investments also really invested in like these are like, it's so funny because these are so specific, but I feel like they've had such an amazing input on my life and my partnerships and just like my opportunities. Investing in the right home decor, like I had my friends style my space. Like it's those little things. But great. Now I don't pay for studios. I do all my shoots in my house, in my apartment and I save so much money through that. Right. And I just pay like the photo team, etc and then I would say it's so scary to trust other people with your vision and ideas, but really being able to do that through hiring is important. And so we hired a production team for Sip N Slay because I was doing that myself before. That's so much work, my goodness, it's insane. But once we got to like a thousand plus attendees, I was like, oh no, I can't do this. I can't do this. Because yes, I can do the pitching, yes, I can do the marketing, but the production, the build out, the layout, like the whole shenanigans, I can't. I like I'm, you know what I mean? Like I'm not going to be able to do well because I'm not skilled. So I always say like hire people to do the things you don't know how to do that you suck at basically. Right. And so that's what I'VE been doing. That's what I've kind of been putting my investments into.
- [10:50]
Les
Yeah.
- [10:57]
Nana Adjeman
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- [14:12]
Les
I've been in a really similar place that I'm currently kind of rebuilding my business from the ground up. And I've gone through different phases with team that have looked differently. There was once a time where I was like, I just kind of want to delegate, get it off my hands, have somebody else do it. I can coach them, teach them, but as long as I'm not doing it, we're good. And that was phase one. And especially when you're kind of starting off, that's great. Now that I'm moving into a different phase, I'm like, actually, I want people who are better than me at this thing, not who are relying on me to teach them, because that's not my zone of genius. And I actually want to get people in who they have this specific zone of genius that they're contributing to what it is that we're doing. And it's been such a big shift and is something that I'm figuring out in real time.
- [14:58]
Nana
Yeah. You're like, I'm getting more sleep a little bit, right?
- [15:01]
Les
Yeah, exactly.
- [15:02]
Nana
And it's crazy because it's like, things are probably looking better. Like, almost when you release and you let someone else build and you allow that trust, you're like, actually like, wait, my idea is much better than my idea. Like, I didn't even think about that. Right. But I think it's scary when it's yours and it's your baby and you've touched every part of it. And allowing someone to just come in and do things without, you know, quote, unquote, your approval, your eyes on every single thing. It's scary, but allows you to take up space in other places, whether it's your mental health, whether it's working out, which, you know, we'll get into that later. I'm getting. But I love. I love A good fitness workout. And so it's like, it allows you to free up that space, whether it's like, with a partner. Right. And dating. Because I think dating, even as an entrepreneur is, is so difficult to do. And so, yeah, I think it's so nice to be able to like find space. Like, I can give this up. Someone is more skilled in this. Right. I can take a back seat and allow them to kind of execute.
- [16:00]
Les
Exactly. You just said a bunch of different things that I definitely want to dive into. But first, I want to take it back a little bit so that our audience knows the origin story of every stylish girl. You told us a little bit about your early days, kind of building your, your roster of interns when you were first getting started. But can you take us back to the beginning of every stylish girl and how it came to be?
- [16:19]
Nana
Yeah. Oh, that's such a great, great question. So the inception of the company really started because I remember only when I was in college, only reading like Refinery 29, Teen Vogue, Vogue. And I'm like, no one looks like me. No one mirrors this brown skinned girl with long braids, kitchen in the back of her hair, like, you know, struggling with what foundation to use, lip gloss, lipstick, Like, I didn't see myself, honestly, I didn't see myself reflected in so many of those publications and so many of those outlets. So it really started first as like a campus publication. It was just like a campus Instagram that was filled with just like cool, diverse women who were pre med, you know, lawyers, fashionistas, et cetera. And I would just come up to them and I'd be like, what inspired you? You know, like, what motivates you to get up every day? How are you studying law? But you love fashion like that, you know, it was very conversational and that was it. It was very chill. And I just wanted other women who looked like me to feel seen, honestly, like other black and brown women to know, like, there's representation here for you. Even though it's not in those major traditional outlets, it's at every stylish girl. And so very calm. And then I got to grad school. I was in New York. I remember I was interning at Elle magazine and I was just waiting by the elevators. I think I was going down to like get a hot dog or something. I had like two bucks and I remember seeing some girl and I was like, wait, she looks so familiar. That can't be who I think it is. And I look and I'm like, oh my Gosh, it's Yara Shahidi. And I had just started Every Stylish Girl. And the whole point was covering young women who are doing ambitious things. And I turn. I'm like. I say to myself, I'm like, do you remember your elevator? Pitching on it. Do you remember your elevator pitch? And I'm like, yes, I got it. We enter into the elevator. It's her and her mom. Shout out to her mom, she's so beautiful. And I just said it. I was like, hey, Every Stylish Girl is a platform, you know, empowering women of color through fashion, beauty, and media. Can actually. A quick question when you get downstairs, this elevator. And her mom turns, because her mom's like, hold on now I'm the manager. Who are you talking to? And I pull up the Instagram. We barely had any followers. Like, I said, we had, like, 2,000. And she goes, I love the visuals. So I always had an eye for an aesthetic. And I don't know, like, shout out to all my Libras out there. But I think there's something. Like, we always have an eye for an aesthetic and layout and design. And she just thought it was so cool. She didn't even read any of the stories. Was like, aesthetically, this is fire. And I had my Canon on me. I had my DSLR camera, and we made it to the front of the Hearst Towers, and she let me photoshoot her. I remember she reposted it, and the company kind of took off from there. That was really our, like, true origin story into becoming a major media platform. Was like, through Yara Shahidi, which is crazy to think about. And then from there, I remember with our team at that time, we would have meetings, and they were like, everyone keeps asking us to do meetups. Meetups. And I was like, what are meetups? Like, you know, this before, like, people were really like. Like, going out. And I think that was a time of brunches, right? Like, a lot of people were doing brunches. This was like, 2018. 20. Yeah, like, 2018, 2017. People like brunch, Brunch, brunch. And so they're like, why don't we just throw a brunch? So here comes Sip and Slay. Sip and Slay is this brunch meetup for fashionable, driven, motivated women. So we have our first sip and sleigh, and I go, guys, no one's gonna come. Like, who's gonna pay and come to brunch? And hear from speakers? Like, this was. It was so funny because this was such Like a taboo idea a little bit, right. With summits and confere conferences in like 2017. And I remember the first month we posted tickets, we sold out a month before the event.
- [19:55]
Les
And I go, amazing.
- [19:56]
Nana
What? Yeah, girls really want and need this. People want community. They want to meet like minded women, they want to build sisterhood. Noted. And we kind of just took off from there. You know, we started at 200 next year, 300 the next year in LA. A few years after that after, you know, Covid, we did some digital things online. At our digital conference, Kiki Palmer spoke at. It was absolutely amazing. Jackie Aina spoke. The following year. We did New York again. We did LA and it started 500 people. 500. And then after that became a thousand. And I was like, oh my goodness. This started as just an idea during a meeting that we had. And I go, brunches, really, people are going to come to that. And now it's really become, you know, the largest fashion and beauty conference for women of color. And it's so empowering to see, you know, but it was not overnight and that's something I need to stress. I started this in my college dorm. Right. Eight years ago. This was not an overnight, you know, project whatsoever.
- [21:02]
Les
There's so many amazing nuggets in there that I want to make sure we're like doubling down on. The first with your story with Yara Shahidi, I think is such a good example. And I say this, I say this all the time to the Clovers when we're creating our own luck is stay ready so you don't have to get ready. And that story that you told about like having your elevator pitch ready and diving into it, such a stay ready so you don't have to get ready moment, it was top of mind and you were able to dive into it, into that moment, which ended up being an amazing breakthrough. And then there's also this idea of betting on community, which I'm so glad that you talked about with the origins of sip and slay, because that's something that I would love to get your take on. There recently was the Vogue business article, I don't know if you saw it, about community being.
- [21:46]
Nana
Yes, it's on my tab. It's saved. I can't wait to dive into that. Thank you for reminding me.
- [21:50]
Les
Yes, this idea that kind of the next wave of influence is going to surround community. And I think that post pandemic, it made a lot of people realize how important community and connection is, which is why we're seeing so many People want to attend events like Sip and Slay and want to focus on community. And I also think that it can invite in some inauthenticity if either a brand or whatever just sees community as a buzzword to immediately make more money. Now listen, businesses need to make money, so that's not necessarily an issue. But using words like community that have so much meaning without doing the support of like the actual people that make up the community can be really, really challenging. And I think that a lot of people try to do community based things, but it just doesn't quite hit the mark. So I would love to hear your thoughts about just community being such a big emphasis as well as your insights as someone who has been able to do this so well and build such a strong community.
- [22:57]
Nana
Yeah, it's so funny because I think about my community and I'm like, my community is me. You know, it's the things I love. We love Pilates, we love matcha lattes, we love a girls trip, right? Like, we love Deti December. Like, we love being outside. We love dressing up, we love feeling beautiful. And so community is authentic to who you are, right? Like, I never faked it. I was just like, this is who I am. I've had my struggles coming up in media, building my own company. Like, let me share my story. And I think so many people gravitated towards that. Men, women entrepreneurs, people in fashion, people in media. And they just found similarity between that and they joined and they, they joined the movement, which is Sip and Slay. And it's so beautiful to see because I think the reason why brands and companies and people struggle with finding community oftentimes is because they're not allowing their authentic self to show. It's like, if you're quirky, if you're that weird black girl, be that weird black girl, right? Like, I love that. And there's so many conferences now that are embracing that authenticity. Like, there's a conference, oh my gosh. I think it was like, oh my gosh. Because I saw it and I was like, no way, this is a conference. But, oh, I can't remember now. It was something along the lines of like, like hot girl conference or something like that. Like, it was like, it was like, yeah, like, it was just so cool. I was like, girl, embrace that. You know what I mean? Because there's people who want, yes. I'm like, do it. And then there's like, there's a baldy conference. Like, I'm like, yes, do that. Like, when I tell you there's literally a conference for everything. But I'm like, this is so important and this is so valid because so many of us have these same struggles, have these same conversations and are looking for that community. Right? And I think that's why conferences like Curl Fest are so powerful, because women relate. Men and women relate over their texture, hair, right. Their difficulties, products that they can't get themselves to use, products they can, et cetera. So it all lies within your story. And I think the reason why so many brands struggle with authenticity is because they don't know their story, they don't know who they're speaking to. They don't understand that their community is diverse. It's not a monolith. So you need to be able to talk to so many people. The people you hire need to be a reflection of the diversity of the world that you live in. And so we see brands that do get it right, right. Like topicals, because I think it's so authentic to a lame day. Right? Her skincare journey, her being a woman of color, her also, I feel like she's fun, she's cool, she's quirky. And I think it aligns so well with why she's been so successful. Because it's like, don't fake. You can't fake the cool, can't fake the funk. Like be who you are and that's going to drive the community that you want for sure.
- [25:40]
Les
And when I think about either brands that do community really well or platforms that do community really well, it often is centered around a needle. Like what is a specific need that this is meeting? So it's people who want to feel seen and heard and understood who they don't in other areas. And then you present something that helps them feel that way, then yeah, they're going to want to be a part of it.
- [26:05]
Nana
Yeah. And that feels so beautiful because I agree. It's like with any successful business you have to think, how can I be a problem solver, right? Like, what is the issue? And I think the issue for me was like there was a, you know, there was a missing area, there was blank space that needed to be filled for women like us to feel empowered in media and in fashion and in business. And that didn't exist for so long in the world. For so, so long. Right? So it feels good to be seen. It feels good for us. And that's why Simply is so valid and so important. Because there is no other conference like this, you know, that's bringing us like minded people together that love fashion, beauty and Business. And to have that in New York City, such a power, wonderful space of networking and community feels so beautiful. And I think also, who doesn't want to dress up and pop out? Like, we all love a season for that, right? So, yeah, I'm really, really excited for it.
- [26:59]
Les
Absolutely. Can you remind us the date of the next one coming up?
- [27:02]
Nana
Yeah. So it's going to be Saturday, August 23, in Manhattan. I mean, all the details are at every style show on Instagram in our bio. But, yeah, we're. We're excited to take it to levels we've never seen before with this conference.
- [27:16]
Les
Okay, what does that mean?
- [27:17]
Nana
Okay, so it's so funny because I kind of like to also call it a festival, because I'm like, there's so many activations there. Like, let's say you're someone who, although I truly feel like our panelists are some of the most dynamic people ever, but let's say you're like, oh, I don't want to sit down the whole time. Right, Great. We have a marketplace. Go and shop, find some new, cool black businesses, sample some things out, do some products. We're going to have some fun games there, right? Like, if you want to, you know, get some beauty products, you can do that. We're going to have some embroidery on site too, as well. Like, like, we're working. Get some tooth gems. Right? We're going to have a VIP happy hour. You can just get some sips and drinks. Like, there's photo booth activate. Like, there's so much there that if you don't want to sit and hear from the amazing panelists to, you know, better yourself, you can still do so many other things, right? You can hang out with so many other people. You can enjoy the music, enjoy the festival. So it's really an experience. Like, it really, truly is an experience. Experience of a summit that it's like one of those things you have to come to know. Like I always say, like, the people who get it get it. Like, the girls who get it get it for sure.
- [28:29]
Nana Adjeman
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- [33:09]
Les
You talked a little bit about the evolution, particularly for you on the business side of things. Even with Sip and Slayer, how it started off as a brunch, now like thousands of attendees, which is amazing. How you've done things like brought in a production team. From a business standpoint, what has expansion looked like for you in terms of as the leader of this, how have you had to expand to be able to bring it to these new heights?
- [33:33]
Nana
Yeah, for sure. I had to really expand my pitching and skills, I think for so long I thought, you know what, there's no money in events because I'm getting told no. For three to four years, I'm getting told we have nothing. We have nothing and we have nothing. You know, and not even thankfully. But unfortunately, due to the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement, we finally started to be seen. Right? Because it was, it wasn't forever. It was a trend. We started to be seen by some brands and great. Like we started getting our first ever partnerships and I'm like, oh, amazing. Right now we can have two backdrops, not just one. Yay. Like so small and minute. But those are really, the big things I was thinking about at the time.
- [34:15]
Les
Though, that was 100% a big win.
- [34:17]
Nana
100%. So in 2021, I'm like, great. We can have two backdrops, right? We can have two DJs, right? We can have a DJ period. We don't have to do my Spotify playlist anymore, Child, which was, like, so funny, but that was one of the times that we were in. And so I think it started slowly sometimes. I think you hear this all the time. It takes one. Yes. And I'm telling y', all. I'm telling y', all, I had over hundreds of no's. Hundreds of no's. So, you know, when we got our first $500, I said, great, thank you. Like, this meant the world to me, right? And it turned from 500 to great. Now we're getting. You know, I'm just talking about back in the day. Now we got five hundred to a thousand. Oh, my God. Amazing. The following year, oh, my gosh, someone gave us $3,000. This is insane. And so it just starts so small, but it's getting that one. And then from there, we were able to really, you know, invest in a designer who helped us really create our deck, right? And took it to the next level with our design deck. Great. That looks so much better. I can't tell you how many pitch meetings I've had. And they're like, this is the cleanest deck we've ever seen before. They're like, whoa. The numbers are laid out so beautifully. The spreadsheet is amazing. You have a page that's personal, like, your whole deck. One of the things I actually didn't know was, like, your whole pitch deck should be personalized for that specific brand. I know this is incredibly time consuming because we're pitching. I know for us, we're pitching to, like, 50 plus companies. Take your time. Take your time. Personalize every single page in that deck. Because I'm telling you, it's so easy to copy, paste, upload the deck. They can tell, right? Like, so many of us are pitching to all these brands. So I think it was taking that. You know what I mean? Like, you asked about investments or different steps that I took to expand the company. The easiest one is personalizing each of my decks, literally. You can't tell you how important it is for them to open the deck. And the first pages have their name. Yeah, just have their name. Who are some people at their company that could speak on your panel? What have they struggle with this year? How can you come in and support, you know, and take their businesses to higher levels. What does that look like? Right. Go in there, put some of those ideas in there. It doesn't have to be insane, but just three pages for them, that means so much. Like, wow, it looks like to them you took months to put this together. Right? Right. But maybe only took you three, four hours. And so do that for those 50 companies. And I'm telling you, each one is going to give you some. It's going to. They're going to be something. It might not be the highest tier package you're looking at, but it's going to be something. It could be an alart moment. You never know. We'll take those two. But just having their investment. Right. Or even them saying, hey, we'll give product donation. We would love to attend. That could lead to something bigger in the following following year. Right. So I always say, like, it's those small tweaks that have the biggest impact.
- [37:06]
Les
Once again, that's such good advice. I can't overstate the importance of a strong pitch strategy and pitch skill. Even as somebody who receives a lot of pitches.
- [37:16]
Nana
Right.
- [37:17]
Les
Like, even for the podcast, we receive more pitches than we're able to take and, and have everybody on the show. And those times when someone is pitching and it is just all about them, or like, like, this is my book that I'm writing and I need to promote it and all of these things, that's great. But when I get a pitch from somebody who is like, I recently listened to this episode. This is what resonated with me. Here are three ideas of things that would be great for your audience, and here's how I can speak to them. Those pitches are like, yeah, I, I want to do that. I want to have that conversation because this person can do something that can help the audience. And so taking that time, like you're saying, to really understand who it is you're pitching and how can this be as enticing as possible and how can the partnership makes sense is such good advice.
- [37:59]
Nana
Yeah. Because even like when we were talking, I'm like, oh, my gosh, this is so sweet. You know what I mean? I think someone who's familiar with the event too, as well. I love, and don't get me wrong, all I do is cold pitch. But if you have relationships, use those relationships right? Like, speak to those people and be your most authentic self. Like, don't be afraid. I've slid in so many brands, DMS because I truly feel like DMing is the best, best avenue towards building a relationship. Let them see who you are. Right. Because you're pitching to a person, not a computer. Right. So I think them seeing, like, oh, that's so cute. Like, they go to the same yoga studio I go to. You know what I mean? Like, oh, I am kind of open to reading their pitch. It's those little commonalities that I think make a big difference. So even if you might be, you know, using Hunter IO and not hearing back, you're like, gosh, but I got their emails. I haven't heard back. It's like, send them a DM that might provoke them to look into you. Now that they see, like, you're a real person, you know, you're looking for a lot more than, you know, some money in your pocket to support something else. You actually, you see them, you recognize them, you love what they're doing.
- [39:01]
Les
Yeah, that relationship building piece is super important. Do you have any other advice for people who are maybe looking to strengthen the skill of relationship building in that way?
- [39:10]
Nana
Ooh, that's such, such, such a good one. I remember in college when I was, you know, looking to build relationships and really break into, like, fashion media, I used to offer to take people out and buy them, like, coffee or tea. It's so nice when people offer to pay for things. Like, it's not a lot taking someone out for a bagel and tea. Well, child, this was a few years ago. So now, like, with the economy, like, ooh, I don't even know that could rank up to 30. But, you know, it's like 10 bucks, right? Just like a coffee or tea or something together. And so I think it's like, I don't always have to offer something up. I think it allows people to see a sweet spot in you, and I think that's always nice. Doesn't need to be a full lunch. Like I said, just like, hey, would love to treat you to a good coffee. You know, I saw your post on this and it really touched my heart. I always go in with, like, boosting people's ego. They love it. You mentioned that too. Just saying something nice or recognizing something about that person. People love that. So I say those are my two tips. And also following up, I think we take things no matter what level you are, I think some of us can take things so personally, but it's like, they probably just haven't seen it. Just keep trying.
- [40:24]
Les
Could be a mess. Like mine.
- [40:25]
Nana
Exactly. I'm so sorry. Like, they probably even seen it, like, could, you know, maybe can, you know, one of their friends and be like, hey, like, heads up. Like, I did message your friend, like, I love her work so much. Like, I think she's so cool. Can you just let her know, like, I DM'd her, you know, so it's like, don't be embarrassed, you know, don't think you're too high or mighty to follow up. I follow up so much, I don't care. Right? I know people are so busy. No matter where you are in your life, I still understand that. So always give three follow ups. That's a right. Always give three. If this is someone you're really, really passionate about, try again next year, you know, try again in a few months. Just give them time. You never know what people are dealing with.
- [41:06]
Les
Yeah, that's such a good point. And also like relationship building, I think, is often like long game, right? It takes a while and it takes often touch points of like running into people and seeing them around. I think you and I met when I went to Sip and Slay in la.
- [41:20]
Nana
Yeah, maybe two or three years ago. That was like one of my favorite sips.
- [41:25]
Les
That was a great event.
- [41:26]
Nana
I was talking to Mo about it because I was like, it was beautiful. Why was that in like every single speaker state the entire time? Like, it was. Yeah, it was such a vibe.
- [41:34]
Les
It was a great event.
- [41:34]
Nana
It was such a vibe. Ah, I love la. I want to make my way back there one day.
- [41:39]
Les
It was beautiful.
- [41:40]
Nana
It was beautiful and it was like true community.
- [41:43]
Les
Everyone was so nice. Every, everybody.
- [41:45]
Nana
And you know what's so funny? I think the narrative is like, no one in LA likes people. Like, everyone's very like self centered. Like, you know what I mean? Like, like the general narrative in la.
- [41:54]
Les
Yeah.
- [41:54]
Nana
But it was so funny because everyone said like, they were like, I can't believe I'm in LA right now. People were sharing opportunities, they were networking, they were hiring on the job, they were setting up lunches. Like, so many people went to dinner right after that event or stayed out longer. Like, I met some of my favorites at that event. And so, yeah, like Sip and Slay really is so funny because I'm like, we say it, but it's like, no, like you actually do experience that relationship building, right? That organic relationship building. And Sip and Slay is filled with people you've probably been trying to DM for years that you couldn't get that opportunity to reach out to them and finally meet them. Maybe your girl Crush you've been DMing, right? Maybe your future girlfriend. I don't know like, there's so many. Or future partner, et cetera. Like, there's so many amazing opportunities that can come out of it, no matter what level you're in, in your career, in your life.
- [42:42]
Les
Yeah. Even. And, like, don't even underestimate the power of just saying hi.
- [42:46]
Nana
Yeah.
- [42:46]
Les
Just being like, hi, thanks for having me.
- [42:48]
Nana
Hi.
- [42:48]
Les
I love. Thank you for putting this together.
- [42:49]
Nana
Yes, yes. And I met you. You know what I mean? So I was like, yeah, there's so many. There's so much beauty and magic that comes out of, like, going out on your own. Right. Even if you don't know anyone and meeting new people.
- [43:02]
Les
Exactly. And that's where that authenticity community comes from when it's those spaces that are fostered, where it's like, you can say hello to anybody and you can build authentic connection from there.
- [43:14]
Nana
Exactly. Exactly.
- [43:16]
Les
What are you most looking forward to with the next sip and slay coming.
- [43:19]
Nana Adjeman
Up in a few weeks?
- [43:20]
Nana
Oh, wow. Oh, okay. So one thing I'm really, really excited about is we're really honing in on doing some, like, fun events, the week of Sip and slay. So no pressure, but if you are, like, a VIP ticket holder, we're doing, like, something really, really cute. We're something, like, on a boat.
- [43:38]
Les
Ooh.
- [43:38]
Nana
That's all I'm gonna share. So there's some really exciting, exciting sighting things coming and then. Oh, just the venue itself is breathtaking. Like, I think just being on, like, basically right in front of the water is really gorgeous too, as well. My. Listen, I know my attendees love a good natural lighting. There's so much natural lighting in the space. Like, you're gonna have a content moment in every single corner. And I'm excited for the speakers that we can't fully share yet, but there's some really amazing people that I think are gonna come on this stage and really blow people away.
- [44:15]
Les
You guys always have the best speakers. Like, the lineups are always so good.
- [44:19]
Nana
Thank you. I'm excited. I'm. I'm really, really excited. And I'm just praying everything works out because it might be one of my favorite sip and slays yet. And that says a lot. Cause Ghana was lit and LA was a vibe, so it might be one of my favorites. Okay.
- [44:34]
Les
I'm gonna check in with you after and see and be like, okay. How did you feel?
- [44:38]
Nana
Yes, yes. I'll be like, ah. Actually, psych. Kidding. No, no, it'll be amazing.
- [44:43]
Les
Yes.
- [44:43]
Nana
We're manifesting it now.
- [44:45]
Les
Absolutely. So I wanna come back to some of the things that you had kind of touched on earlier and we were talking more just kind of like general entrepreneurship. Couple of things. One, I would love to talk about what pouring into you looks like in this season where you are very busy. You have a growing business, you have a growing team. When you have those moments, moments to take care of you, what does that look like?
- [45:03]
Nana
Yeah. So I recently started like this hashtag, nana does wellness and I've really challenged myself. I know a lot of people saw like the cabbage soup cleanse like I was posting about.
- [45:15]
Les
I remember that.
- [45:16]
Nana
Yes. And it really for me was like cleansing out my body. Right. And I think when my body feels cleansed, my mind feels a lot freer. I'm allowing new ideas into as well. So I've really been focused on my wellness journey. It's not been easy because we are busy. So like I haven't worked out in two weeks, which I feel. I feel like I'm having an out of body experience. I'm like, who am I? This is not me. Oh my God. My arms aren't like what I wanted to. I don't feel good. I think it's okay. So I think the most important part is the bounce back. So I text my trainer, I'm like, hey, hey, hey. I know I've been ghost, but let's reconnect, right? And so that's what I'm excited about this season. Like, I'm really excited to prioritize my health. My doctor was like, listen, baby girl, you're not in your early 20s anymore, right? Like, less meat, more fish. Like, it's just those small things. But remembering to put your health first in entrepreneurship and business is never first thought, right? Like we're like I said, like, we're barely sleeping. If I'm barely sleeping, I'm having noodles really quick. I'm ordering something like, I just deleted Uber Eats.
- [46:21]
Les
I need to get like you because listen, no, no, no. I'm on that app way too much.
- [46:26]
Nana
Because we have such limited time, right? Like time equals so much, right? So it's like great. If I don't have the time, I have to trade it, right? And what do I have to trade it for? I just quickly order on my app, right? And so I'm making these sacrifices because I really, really want to get my mental in the right place to be able to grow and be strong for my business and for myself. Forget my business. If the business is not here tomorrow, it's just me and I need to make sure mentally, physically, everything is okay. And it's Strong in life for me, that's so important. Right. Because we live in such a scary world and you have to be so protective of yourself and your mental space. And so yeah, I've been really, really pushing a lot of wellness lately. Like a lot than I ever thought for myself. And this journey just started a year ago. Like I said, I'm not perfect. Like I had a donut yesterday, right? Like I was like, hey, I am cramping. I deserve a dang donut right now. And so I would say that's kind of like how I'm focusing on Nana. Like that's Nana's season as wellness season.
- [47:29]
Les
So important. And it also es and flows. Like I've been doing wellness for 15 years and I still have.
- [47:37]
Nana
You serious? Wait, no. We saw each other at a workout class at P. Yes, we did.
- [47:42]
Les
I mean, P is always hard.
- [47:44]
Nana
What's her name?
- [47:45]
Les
Coba.
- [47:45]
Nana
Yeah.
- [47:46]
Les
Yes, yes.
- [47:47]
Nana
They're coming to sip and slay. I'm excited for that.
- [47:49]
Les
Sorry, I was like, oh yes, yes, yes, yes. But it's one of those things where it's like we always are on different points in our wellness journey and sometimes we have seasons where we're really on it and sometimes, you know, we have seasons where wellness means something else and it's like we always come back to it.
- [48:04]
Nana
I love that because I'm like, it's what's going to keep us grounded at the end of the day. I think having some foundation is really important too as well. And I think wellness allows me boundaries too. It's like, hey, no more staying up till 3am I'm watching you. You know, we need those seven hours minimum of rest to be able to be productive that next month, that next year, that next two years. Because small things, large impact. What did I say they do?
- [48:30]
Les
I. I had to have one of those come to Jesus moments with myself yesterday because I was on vacation in Europe last week and I came back and I was very jet lagged and I didn't give myself time to adjust. I just jumped straigh. And I was here in the studio looking crazy because I was so sleep deprived. And I was like, oh, the edits are gonna need to be deep to make this make sense. And I then last night I was like, I'm going to bed early. Yeah, I'm.
- [48:55]
Nana Adjeman
I ha.
- [48:56]
Les
If I'm, you know, recording multiple episodes in a day, I have to have sleep in order to be able to show up and actually do this thing and.
- [49:03]
Nana
Exactly.
- [49:04]
Nana Adjeman
We're all learning.
- [49:05]
Nana
Yeah, listen, we gotta go harder on ourselves. Sometimes, like we have to, to set those boundaries on ourselves because it's like, if we don't, who will? Yeah, right. Listen, we can't have these bags out here, baby, okay? Only Chanel bags, no eye bags.
- [49:19]
Les
We gotta have the rest. Yes, we gotta have the rest. Nana, thank you so much for joining me.
- [49:24]
Nana
Thank you for having me. This really felt like a moment of sisterhood. It was so nice. Like I don't have a sister, but it was nice to just like it just fill and it just flow and feel free and having this conversation. It did.
- [49:35]
Les
I love that so much.
- [49:36]
Nana
It's an honor to be here and thank much so you, you so, so much for thinking of me. Like you said, your inbox is full, so it truly, truly is an honor to be on this couch.
- [49:44]
Les
Absolutely. I'm so happy to have you. I'm so glad that we were able to make this episode happen. I'm so excited for Sip and Slice. We'll make sure we have all the info in the show Notes. If you're listening when this episode comes out, there's a few weeks to get everything ready. But thank you again for joining me.
- [49:57]
Nana
Thank you, girl. Thank you.
- [50:06]
Les
Thank you for tuning in.
- [50:07]
Nana Adjeman
To this week's episode of she's so Lucky. If you're ready to create your own luck, hit that subscribe button wherever you get your podcasts or on YouTube so you don't miss an episode and head to the Show Notes for resources, links and discount codes. And if you are really feeling lucky, we would appreciate your rating and your review. It really helps us be able to improve the show, to get great guests and to understand understand what you want to hear more of. Thank you for tuning in and I'll see you next week.
- [50:41]
Victoria Garrick Brown
I used to care so much about portraying a perfect life and acting like everything was okay when really things were far from it. I was secretly struggling with my mental health and wondering if other people were too. That's why I created RealPod. Hi, I'm Victoria Garrick Brown and every Wednesday I host the types of conversations that most of us only have in therapy. RealPod brings you the heart to heart moments we all need to be having and will leave you feeling comforted no matter where you're at in life. So leave the filters at the door because it's time to get real. Tune into Real Pod wherever you get your podcasts.
- [51:18]
Les
Please note that this episode may contain.
- [51:20]
Nana Adjeman
Paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services.
- [51:24]
Les
Individuals on the show may have a.
- [51:26]
Nana Adjeman
Direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.