← The Journey with Morgan DeBaun
The Journey with Morgan DeBaun
NEVER-BEFORE-HEARD Chapter From My Book (Out April 1)
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This episode is a special preview from my upcoming book, Rewrite Your Rules, dropping April 1st. I’m reading a raw, honest excerpt from Chapter Nine: “Be the Rough Draft: A Better Relationship With Fear.” In it, I share what...
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First of all, thank you guys so much for your pre orders. It means the world pre orders are important because they basically signal to the marketplace. All the bookstores, all of the retailers, they get all this data in advance and so they know basically how much should they stock up on this book. Like, is this going to be a book that sells? And basically success begets success, right? Like the more people see the book, the more people will buy it. So preorders mean everything to me and I really appreciate all of you all who've already sent in your screenshots and stuff. I love being tagged in it. It literally makes my day. So thank you so much for your pre orders. And if you have a pre ordered, you can go anywhere you buy books, Amazon, Barnes and Nobles and go ahead and get it in because yeah, it's really, really helpful. I've tried to manage my expectations on being a New York Times bestseller because the publisher tells me that it's very difficult to do. I and it's not a linear experience. However, you know your girl is ambitious. So anyways, here we go. Let's read a little bit of the book together. This is in chapter nine. This chapter is called Be the Rough Draft. A Better Relationship with Fear Stretching in the Face of Fear after three years in business, I was finishing integrating our first acquisition of an entertainment site called Shadow and Act. We were moving into our second office. The team was expanding and the energy when you walked into the lobby every day was electric. Blavity Inc. Was well on its way to transitioning from a small brand founded by a team of young black kids to a real competitor in the digital media space. We were three weeks out from our second Afro Tech conference when I finished closing the acquisition of a travel and lifestyle company called Travel Noir. The company, led by a fiercely ambitious and visionary founder, Zim Flores, had become a beacon of diaspora travel culture. Travel Noir had hundreds of thousands of followers on Instagram and millions of comments from a niche engaged audience. But like many pioneering brands, it had also encountered its share of growth challenges. The company was having operational setbacks from scaling and was looking for a larger entity that could handle the ebbs and flows of a the seasonal travel world and establishes cash flow. My mind was buzzing with energy and anticipation as I entered the final stages of negotiation and diligence on the deal. We were about to take a bold leap of faith. It was not normal for a business less than five years old to attempt an acquisition, let alone two, in 18 months. Yet I knew that this acquisition could be transformational for Our company I allowing us to broaden our audience and deepen our impact. TravelNoir wasn't just an Instagram account and a tour operator. It was a movement that inspired people of color to explore the world and share their unique experiences. We worked hard to close the deal and envision a new chapter for the brand. What I didn't anticipate, however, was the labyrinth of operational issues that came with it. After the contract had been signed, the once enticing opportunity quickly transformed into a multifaceted challenge. There were surprises in our post acquisition integration, unanticipated costs and execution risk of managing tours overseas that threatened to derail our grand vision of a profitable, impact driven media company. Where were these unexpected new resources going to come from? My ambition had led me to acquire a unique business. But as the reality of these unforeseen complexities set in, a shadow of fear crept over me. Fear of failure. Fear of disappointing my employees. Fear of embarrassing our company and Zim and letting down our customers. In the face of these fears, I had a choice to make. Succumb to the pressure and retreat to the safety of convention. Arise to the occasion and prove that our unique approach could weather any storm. I chose, of course, the latter. I chose to lean into the uncertainty and to view each challenge as an opportunity to learn, grow and innovate. I chose to lead by example, showing my team that we could adapt and thrive in the face of adversity. And I knew that there was no way I was facing my fears alone. So I turned to my most reliable team members to form an internal war room that strategized, faced each problem, and adapted our plans in real time. We met twice a week to tackle each issue head on, brainstorming, problem solving, and systemically knocking out each surprise that came our way. But this wasn't just an effort on behalf of my immediate circle. I had to lean on a broader network, too. When unexpected costs threatened to strain our existing operations, I rallied our investors and raised an additional $300,000 in less than six weeks. This influx of capital ensured that the operational surprise presented by acquiring Savannah didn't pull us all under. And it was in this crucible of doubt and determination that I forged a deeper understanding of what it meant to truly break the mold. It's not about avoiding the unknown. It's about embracing it with open arms. It's about having the courage to take risks. It's about having the humility to learn from mistakes. And it's about the resilience to keep pushing forward, no matter what obstacles lie in my path? Okay, what do you listen utilizing? It's giving author, it's giving book. It's giving rewrite your rules. So I talk about so many different things in this book, but that was just a sneak peek of one of the stories that I share. I tried to be really honest in this book. The good, the bad, the ugly. Things that I wish I had known, things that I wish I had done differently. And then also just the frameworks that I developed as a result of going through the fire of like really building this company at scale. I think this book is helpful for anyone. It's not just for entrepreneurs. I tried to make sure that this book was something that was relevant. Whether you were a mom thinking about transitioning back to work or you are a full time employee and you're thinking about maybe I should build my side hustle and maybe I should be a full time entrepreneur or maybe I shouldn't. Maybe I just want more income and I want to keep my day job. Like whatever your it is, this is a framework to help you work through what you want to do. The most successful people in this country are people who are rule breakers and rule makers. They're not people who are rule followers. It's just not actually how people get to where they want to go in this life. We were trained by society to be rule followers. We were trained to follow the steps and do the things and work hard and that eventually it will be our turn. But I am here to tell you, you do not have to wait your turn. You do not have to do all these things people are telling you you have to do. What you do have to do, however, is be clear about your why and be clear about what you want. And this book is designed to help you figure out what that clarity looks like for you. So pick it, buy it. Leave me a review and I love you so much. Thank you for listening. Till next time.