From Self-Doubt to CEO Moves: Cardi B’s Real Blueprint for Winning

Summary

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The Latest with Loren LoRosa

Episode: From Self-Doubt to CEO Moves: Cardi B’s Real Blueprint for Winning

Date: April 1, 2026
Host: Loren LaRosa (The Black Effect Podcast Network / iHeartPodcasts)
Featured:

• Clips from Cardi B’s interview with Emma Grede (Aspire with Emma Grede)
• Lauren's commentary and personal reflections

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Episode Overview

In this episode, Loren LaRosa explores the evolution of Cardi B—from her self-funded grind to becoming a business mogul with multiple brand partnerships. Loren breaks down Cardi B’s candid discussion with entrepreneur Emma Grede, focusing on self-investment, overcoming industry skepticism, learning from business mistakes, and setting boundaries—especially within family and team dynamics. Loren complements Cardi’s story by reflecting on her own journey and the broader lessons applicable for listeners striving for growth, accountability, and CEO-level decision-making.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Personal Growth and Accountability (03:02–09:05)

• Loren opens by sharing a personal story of growth, emphasizing accountability and staying a lifelong student.
• She encourages finding mentors and remaining open to learning, challenging herself—and listeners—to be easy students, not just eager ones.
• Loren highlights the importance of self-reflection, especially for first-generation trailblazers breaking ground in their families and communities.

"A lot of times people don’t talk about what they learn about themselves negatively, in a way that it could be a blockage for your blessing… The best of us know when we are the problem, and the even better of us know, 'Okay, let me fix it'." — Loren LaRosa (06:24)

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Cardi B’s Early Grind: Investing in Herself (13:16–18:07)

• Loren recounts Cardi B’s early days: hustling from club to club, funding her music and fashion from her own earnings.
• Cardi B’s transition from reality TV to rap superstar was deliberate and self-made: she heavily invested her own money before labels believed in her.

“I was investing in my business, music career… Every single dollar that I made every single night, hosting these clubs, promoting t-shirts, promoting other people’s business to my music career.” — Cardi B (16:46)

• Loren relates to Cardi, emphasizing how both women poured resources into their dreams and how that resonates with so many listeners.

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Overcoming Industry Doubt & Embracing Self-Belief (18:07–22:04)

• Cardi B opens up about the skepticism she faced transitioning from reality TV to music; labels doubted her seriousness because of her background.
• Rather than wait for validation, Cardi doubled down on self-investment.

"Some people think that when you start off in a reality show and when you’re really funny like me, it’s really hard to convince people that you’re being serious… So you know what? Fine, I don't need your money. I just invest it in myself." — Cardi B (20:44, 21:04)

• Emma Grede prompts Cardi on being underestimated; Cardi reflects that her second album shifted perceptions toward her talent and focus.

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Major Brand Moves & Business Lessons (23:34–28:49)

• Loren details Cardi’s business evolution:
  • Brand deals with Fashion Nova, Revolve, Mugler, and others.
  • Launch of her own lines: Grow Good (hair care), Whip Shots (alcohol), and continual expansion into fashion, TV, and more.
• Cardi candidly admits to business errors (including expensive mistakes in taxes and overspending due to lack of oversight):

“I was like, why am I spending a million dollars on transportation a year? … Sometimes you don’t even be having talks with your accountant every week, you just be like ‘oh, whatever’…” — Cardi B (28:01)

• Cardi’s turnaround: she now closely monitors her finances, sets tighter boundaries, and isn’t afraid to fire people taking advantage.

"And I’m not feeling bad for people anymore… You gotta go. You gotta get fired, baby." — Cardi B (28:40)

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The Importance of Watching Your Own Money (28:49–32:11)

• Loren stresses the significance of monitoring every aspect of your business—even with a trusted team.
• She references recent concerts and Cardi’s brand integration (e.g., Mugler perfume sponsorship), showing how savvy business moves are often behind-the-scenes.
• Cardi’s intentional strategy: learning from bad deals, making adjustments, and being honest about the learning curve that is entrepreneurship and fame.

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Setting Boundaries With Family & Team (36:22–37:26)

• Cardi discusses the emotional and financial toll of being the “go-to” family member and how she's learned to say “no” for her own well-being.

“I feel like I already set boundaries with my family already… Just say no. And now I feel like my family knows how much or on you could ask me or what type of situation you could ask me. But… we getting too comfortable and you overcharging me? You gotta go. You ain’t got no mercy on me, b****. Like, you gotta go now.” — Cardi B (36:46)

• Loren underscores that boundaries aren’t just about money—they’re about time, energy, and keeping a sustainable life and business. She likens unchecked family demands to a “bad business partner—anyone else, you’d cut it off.”

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On growth and self-awareness:
  “I want to always make sure that I'm giving off to people what I want them to… receive from someone.” — Loren LaRosa (06:24)

• On self-investment:
  “It was never managers, it was never a label that cut me a check… Everything I had to invest in me.” — Cardi B (16:46)

• On pushing through doubt:
  “Some people think… it’s really hard to convince people that you’re being serious… So you know what, fine, I don’t need your money. I just invest it in myself.” — Cardi B (20:44)

• On learning from money mistakes:
  “If I could learn something new every time about taxes… money comes and goes so fast.” — Cardi B (27:36)
  “I'm not feeling bad for people anymore… you gotta go.” — Cardi B (28:40)

• On family boundaries:
  “Just say no… even some people that I employ, sometimes I become really cool with, or I really like them. And it’s like, you know what? We gettin’ too comfortable and you overcharging me. You gotta go.” — Cardi B (36:46)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Personal growth, accountability & seeking mentorship: 03:02–09:05
• Cardi B invests in herself—reflection on early grind: 13:16–18:07
• Industry skepticism, Cardi’s self-belief: 18:07–22:04
• Becoming a business mogul, brand deals, and business lessons: 23:34–28:49
• Learning to watch your money & correct mistakes: 28:49–32:11
• Setting and enforcing boundaries with family and employees: 36:22–37:26

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Takeaway Lessons

• Self-growth requires accountability: Both Loren and Cardi emphasize continuously learning from mistakes and being open to mentorship.
• Betting on yourself is a must: Cardi’s journey shows that self-investment, especially before external validation, is crucial.
• Success doesn’t eliminate problems—it transforms them: Learning financial literacy and setting boundaries are ongoing tasks, even at the highest levels.
• Protect your peace—personally and professionally: Saying “no” and remaining vigilant about all business and personal expenditures is a recurring theme for sustainability.

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For listeners navigating their own grind—whether in music, business, or life—this episode is both a playbook and a pep talk, steeped in honesty, hard-earned wisdom, and the unapologetic energy that Cardi B embodies.

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Transcript

[Lauren LaRosa]

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[Lauren LaRosa]

Let's get to it.

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[Lauren LaRosa (Ad segments)]

Hey, y'.

[Lauren LaRosa]

All, what's up? It's Lauren LaRosa. And this is the latest with Lauren LaRosa. This is your daily dig on all things pop culture, entertainment news, and all of the conversations that shake the room, baby. And y' all know how we have to start, but if you are new here, my new low ride is new to the community. We start with behind the scenes of the grind and a little check back on the grinding. Today I am feeling growth. And when I say I am feeling growth, I don't mean in the sense of like, you know, a new accomplishment, like physically in like life, career. I don't mean like, you know, how people talk about growth and change and it being uncomfortable. I mean, today, the way that I handled a certain situation, I don't know, it just I was, afterward I walked away and I was like, I'm proud of you, Lauren, but I'm very proud of you because you a month or two ago wouldn't have been able to handle that situation the same way. Now it's not all the way perfect. Okay, there's still. I'm trying to get better with my accountabilities actor. I really am trying to get better with accountability. I feel like, you know, one of the things that I know I always want to do is remain a student and always stay a student. But I feel like in order to remain in and be a student, you have to have mentors and coaches and not even, even if they're not like coaches or mentors directly, but you have to have people on your team, people around you who are smarter than you or smarter than you at sight something better than you as something who actually want to be around you, to teach you and, and to, you know, and not just teach you just any old thing. Like people who actually care about your growth and your well being. And one of the things that I realized about myself in my adult life is that, you know, although I have a ton of amazing people around me, I don't know, I just have begin to really wonder like how many things have I closed myself off too? Because I'm not accountable in certain situations and I'm just wanting and eager to be educated and taught. But like, am I an easy student? We always talk about the teacher and how they relate information. I've talked to you guys here on the podcast just about, you know, just like, experiences that I've had with, like, trying to figure out mentors in the space that I'm in and, you know, shoot, just how it doesn't always go. You guys saw me on the Breakfast Club actually having a conversation. This was almost two years ago now. Having a conversation with Carrie Champion. Hey, Carrie. Shout out to her. She's also on the Black Effect podcast network and having a conversation just about how sometimes interactions with other women in the space that I'm in, other black women in the space that I'm in, especially older black women in the space ace, haven't been the best. And like, I'm not really one to like, you know, it's like, as nice as I am, as social butterfly as I am, like, I'm really like, either I'm. I'm like super down loyal or cordial for the sake of or like, I just don't fool with it at all. And one of the things that I've learned in this new season of my life is that I want to always

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[Lauren LaRosa]

I'm giving off to people what I want them to like, like what I would expect to receive from someone. I also want to be giving that off. And I feel like the way that God works, that that's how it is. It's like you give what you want to take, or you. Or you take what you want to give. So I've been having some conversations with myself just about accountability also, too. I just feel like when you get the moment, when you get the platform, it's like it's go time. It's time to take it. But I, I think a lot of times people talk about receiving these moments, garnering success, reaching these different plateaus, especially being the first in your family to reach, you know, even if it's not like a certain level of financial success, but just like, you know, the rooms that you're walking in, to be the first to do that and to be navigating that. A lot of times people don't talk about what they learn about themselves negatively in a way that it could be blockage for. For your blessing for what you got coming. And I've always been very, very in tune and self aware, even in time. Like, I'm so self aware, I know when I'm not admitting and I know and I purposely don't admit it in times and with certain things. And I'm like, all right, as I feel older now and as the Platform grows. And just, you know, not even about the platform, but just the. The blessings I want to see in my life because of where I want to take things to. There's a huge level of accountability that I'm going to have. I have a mentor. Her name is Ms. Lori Hayes. And she always used to say to us, warning comes before destruction. And one of the things that I love to remember is that because a lot of times, you know, when you're not operating at your full potential, you know, when you are in your own way, you know, when you are, you know, when you're the problem. A lot of times the best of us know when we are the problem, and the even better of us know, okay, let me fix it. Let me get out of my own way. So I've been trying to do a lot better at that. And today I handled, you know, the critique in a situation in a way that I felt like was way different than what I would normally done, and I was proud of myself. So today, behind the scenes of the grind, I'm feeling that growth in that area, but I'm feeling proud of myself for it. Small look, small win. Okay, I'll take it. Okay. When. When you a mousey girl like me. Okay. And. And, and the. The fence is real fast and real slick. You take what you can get. So I'll take it. Not perfect, but growing behind the scenes of the grind. Now let's get on into the latest.

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[Lauren LaRosa]

So I told you guys that we were going to be talking about a huge celebrity who, you know, has grown right before our eyes, literally, and continues to. She is a music artist, she is an actress, she is a business mogul, a mother, and she is known to a lot of people by the saying, oh, she is Cardi B. So Cardi B sat down with Emma Greedy. Emma Greedy is the brand strategist and brains behind so many brands, including Skims, which is the very profitable business owned by Kim Kardashian. Now, Emma Greedy has a podcast called Aspire with Emma Greedy, and on this episode, she sits down with Cardi B. And they talk about a ton of different things. The gist of Emma Greedy's podcast podcast is it's like pop culture, but it's business strategy, marketing, brand growth, brand partnership, and money within pop culture. So she's having a conversation about Cardi and, you know, just Cardi starting from nothing with no co sign, figuring it out in real time. Cardi investing her own money into herself, navigating brand deals, bad, sound good. And just Cardi coming into herself in a way that was very much like what I talked about when we just checked in behind the scenes of the grind, like, realizing what needed to be done, doing it, getting out of her own way. And she. There are so many places that, you know, Cardi B goes in this interview now for me to hear her talk just through the brand and business side of the journey, Cardi B. Is very like, I'm so, like, I. I feel like, like. And again, me and Cardi, you're not like the best of friends or anything like that, but Cardi's now manager, and I would call her creative director too. Patience Foster and I have, like, we've known each other for a very long time. We're from. We're both from Wilmington, Delaware. Grew, I would say grew up together. But I met patients later in life. I met patients in high school, but I've known her since and kind of, you know, we were on a grind together just trying to figure this out. And not even always together in a sense of like, right there next to each other, but just at the same time trying to figure it out. And hearing Cardi talk about some of these things, like investing in herself and, you know, all of those moments, it's so crazy to see, because I remember it. I remember literally, like, Cardi's, like, first tour, I guess you would call it, not even, like, a real tour, but when Cardi first dropped music and she was going from club to club and she was traveling state to state, and she was putting her own money in. And I remember when Cardi was supposed to premiere on Love and Hip Hop, and, you know, between the time she was supposed to actually air on the show and the time she promoted it, her star grew so much that there were rumors that Cardi had to go back and renegotiate with Mona Scott Young. I actually asked Damona Scott Young about that when she came on the Breakfast Club. So Emma Greedy and Cardi sit down in LA and are having this very candid conversation, because Cardi just launched her hair brand, Grow Good. And her hair brand is something that we've also watched her do for a long time over the years. Take care of her own hair, figure out her own hair, treat her own hair under the wigs that she wears. And to start it off, they talk about Cardi and her decision to invest in herself in a real way.

[Cardi B]

So I was investing in my business, music career. I was investing in my studio time. I was investing in my own clothes. It was never managers. It was never a label that cut me a check. Like, it's like, oh, here, if you want to get into fashion, here's a check for you. And you could invest in fashion and go to fashion shows and everything. Everything I had to invest in me. It was never. Like, I had a manager, and he believed in me, and he invested so much money, he was doing the work. But I was investing every single dollar that I. I made every single night, hosting these clubs, promoting T shirts, promoting other people's business to my music career.

[Lauren LaRosa]

And it paid off. Oh, what was so crazy? Like I told you guys, like, I remember this era of Cardi. I think what's even crazier is, like, so. So seeing her all them years back, right? All those years, that was before I even moved to la, to be honest with y'. All, I think. So I moved back to LA in 2016. So the era that Cardi is talking about, yeah, it's like 2015, 2016, when everything first started kind of moving for herself. So Bodak Yellow came out in 2017 around. So before Cardi B Had Bodak Yellow, she had dropped a mixtape. So I Remember forever. Forever was in 2016, and that was the song that Cardi B had made around her moment for love and hip hop.

[Cardi B]

My girl had beef with me. She gonna have beef with me forever, okay?

[Lauren LaRosa]

And I was such a. A big moment from love and hip hop New York. But then Bodak Yellow dropped a year later off of Gangsta Music Volume 2, which was a mixtape that Cardi B had. I remember the videos. I remember the photo shoots. Like, I literally remember so much of this, like, of this time and just them figuring it out using everything they can, every resource they can, whatever they figure out. And the reason I was saying, like, it's so crazy to see is because it's like, you see Cardi now. Like, we. We've been to Cardi B's concert. I talked about it here on the podcast. You go check out those previous episodes. But being in this phase of my life, I feel like. Like I'm listening to Cardi's story and I'm like, I thought I fully understood the investment part of it and what she's talking about, but I feel like this season of my life is the season that Cardi's talking about. In that clip that we just into, I've always been investing in myself and trying to, like, figure out those things and, like, putting money back into myself. And I don't know where you guys are low riders, but for me right now, it's like, all of my money going into things that, like, equal bigger things for me. So whether it's, like, experiences that are going to be great because I'm trying to lean into partnerships that also will garner more experiences or, you know, making sure, you know, where I'm filming a podcast is straight. But money into that. Photo shoots, merch. Like, get your [e-mail] all of that stuff. I was watching this, and I'm like, oh, yes, I feel you. And I think that's why with Cardi, there are so many people that relate to her and just kind of lock in with her, because all of it and all of her experience that she shares very vulnerably is so relatable. So relatable. Now she talks about a time period where. And it's around this 2016, 2017 time where Cardi was trying to go from reality TV into music. And, you know, fun fact, Cardi, she wanted to do music, right? She was actually hesitant about doing love and hip hop because she was worried about the box that it will put her in and how it would shape her career. After the show. So she. She knew even back then, but she was able to work around that. But she tells them o' greedy in this interview how she wasn't able to work around it because people believed in her. It's because she believed in herself. Labels didn't even want to sign her.

[Cardi B]

Some people think that when you start off in a reality show and when you're really funny like me, it's really hard to convince people that you're being serious. It's like, yeah, yeah, you want to do music. And it's like, no, I really want to do music. Like, I went to so many different labels and they was just like,

[Lauren LaRosa (Ad segments)]

oh,

[Cardi B]

this person tried to. This person, a reality show tried to do music. It didn't work out. So I'm not really sure we want to see. We want to see what it looked like after the TV show airs out. And we want to see how does that go for you? And it's like, you know what, Fine, I don't need your money. I just invest it on myself.

[Emma Greedy]

Yeah, I'll just do it myself.

[Cardi B]

I just do it on myself. Like, even, like the money that I was getting for love and hip hop, I was investing it all in my music. And like, sometimes I really. I wanted to buy a chain, I wanted to buy a nice Chanel bag. I wanted that. But it's like this first. Like this first. And I was so committed. And it happened for me.

[Emma Greedy]

I mean, it just shows a lot of focus and a lot of self belief for you at that point in your career to decide, like, that's what I'm gonna do. I guess what you're describing is that you were massively underestimated. Do you still feel like you're underestimated?

[Cardi B]

I feel like I'm. I'm underestimated, but I feel like the second album changed a lot of. A lot of that.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Yeah, that was a time period. And I remember when Cardi first got signed. And the reason why I remember is because this was like the turning point where a lot of artists wanted to make it seem like they didn't have any major labels behind them. And I remember Cardi started doing these, like, big stages, big shows, these big award shows. So Cardi performed because I was at TMZ during the time period. So granted, when the tide started to change for Cardi and, like, people started to look at her as not just a viral Instagram sensation, but she was on television. Which is crazy that the tide started to change around that time because as I told you guys, like, knowing Some of the behind scenes. I know that it was very intentional that Cardi didn't want to get caught in that reality star box. I remember when she wanted to make it clear that fashion was her thing. And she did the COVID of Fashion Bomb Daily, the digital cover, some years ago as well too. It was like her first fashion look, like major one anyway. And she was just very intentional from the beginning. Right. I used to try and pitch her at tmz, like to run into her on our tour. Just different things. I remember me and Patience used to like, we were always trying to figure out sometime for her to just run into my tour, even without them knowing.

[Lauren LaRosa (Ad segments)]

Because I was like, if we just

[Lauren LaRosa]

do it, then I can. And she's funny, which she will be. I can go in and just pitch it and make it work. But it was tough because. And I didn't know because I wasn't fully in a newsroom at the time. But once I got in the newsroom and got really close to Van, I remember Van telling me, like, he was also from the inside trying to pitch Cardi B as well too. And they didn't really understand it yet. But when the Kai started changing for her, honestly, was when she got on television, in my opinion, at least from my standpoint, where I was like, just media news. I feel like being on that platform gave up, gave people a reason to talk about her outside of just social media. Because this was early days when people that were on social media, it was hard for them to be looked at as celebrities. Like, I also remember it was Cardi B, Logan Paul and Jake Paul. We used to pitch these three in our newsroom at tmz or the newsroom, not ours, I'm not there anymore, but the newsroom at TMZ all the time. And I remember Harvey used to be so mad, like, they are not celebrities, they are online influencers. And when we. Even when we would talk about stories that originated from social media, he'd be like, don't say you got it from social media. Because social media was just looked at as this. This thing that was just the Internet. To anyone who was like old school newsman or whatever, you didn't take a lot coming off of social media serious. And then the tide just changed. And Cardi was a big part of that because she was so vocal on social media, so tapped in on social media, but she was also on television and causing big waves over there. So in the midst of all of this, so the music is dropping Cardi B. Then does the MTV Video Music Awards in 2017, she performed at Capri Show. This was a huge deal. And I remember this performance because she performed, and then later on she did I like it at the. At the 2018American Music Awards, the AMA. I remember these performances because I'm like, yo, these are such big stages. Like, I'm so happy for her. She getting major looks now. Like, how is she able to get on these big stages?

[Lauren LaRosa (Ad segments)]

Because there's a lot of artists who

[Lauren LaRosa]

are also making waves and talented but can't get on these big stages.

[Lauren LaRosa (Ad segments)]

And I remember being told, like, oh,

[Lauren LaRosa]

she signed to Atlantic, but she didn't want to, like, announce it at one point. And then I remember when she started having some success with the label, it became a part of the conversation, and I think a part of that was too. Like I said in the beginning, this was the turning tide of when people really wanted to be independent from a label. I mean, and to be fair, Cardi has always been one that has been running and doing a lot of her own groundwork, like an independent artist. But I know there was that element to it too. But to see all of this in real time and to hear her talk back on it, like spending the money she was spending for herself and just her early know how to do that and where she got into now, right? With different deals that she's been able to leverage. Cardi B. Has done deals with Fashion Nova, and I'm just gonna name a few because I know I miss them. Fashion Nova was a big deal. It sold out so fast. It was one of Fashion Nova's biggest celebrity brand partnerships. Patience Foster was also at the hem of it with Cardi B. In that as well, too. Like, you know, creatively directing, managing, and leading a lot of that partnership. She just recently did a revolve deal. So they're going to do things across fashion and all. All faucets and all assets. And she talks a bit about that in this interview. She now has her Grow Good Hair brand. Cardi has whip shots, which is wine and spirits. She's done television things. She is all over the game, like, all over it in major ways. One of the things that I thought that was so, you know, honest, but also I was glad she said it because a lot of people, it's like when you. When things finally start moving for you, you. You just ripping and running so fast and you just trying to make the money. It's the same that sometimes the business falls through. And Cardi talks a lot about, you know, just making sure that you know what your Business looks like and how she was. You know, she did some bad deals, and she had to learn from it.

[Cardi B]

I'm taxes. It's like, oh, my gosh, if I could learn something new every time about taxes. Like, it's like, that's what I. That's what I want to, like, learn. And then, like, ooh, money comes and goes so fast.

[Emma Greedy]

It goes so fast. Well, listen, I wanted to ask you about that, because I think you revealed last year you were spending, like, $3 million a month or something like that on your outgoings, on keeping cardi b and the family going. Was that true?

[Cardi B]

Yes. Like, it's like, so many. It's just. Well, not. Not 3 million. It was like, a year that I was like, why am I spending a million dollars on transportation a year? Like, driving transportation?

[Lauren LaRosa]

Not.

[Cardi B]

Not planes or nothing. Like, just driving transportation. And that's just because it's like sometimes, like, you don't even be having talks with your accountant every. Every week. You just be like, oh, whatever. Like, it's like, I could see what I got going on in my. But there's just so many little accounts that you have that it's like, I'm not always keeping up with it. Keep up with every single account that you have.

[Emma Greedy]

Are you doing that now?

[Lauren LaRosa]

Yes. Yes.

[Cardi B]

And I'm not feeling bad for people anymore. Like, it's like, hey, listen, you are taking advantage too much. You gotta go. You gotta get fired, baby.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Like I said, there's a lot of things that people try to make nuance in life, especially, like, in success in business. Like, I think people look at anybody that's successful, it automatically assume that, like, you just figure it out. Well, like, you automatically have it figured out, or you, you know, it was. It was passed down from you, or most of the time, it's like, who do they have around them? Like, people are trying to figure out, like, who you have around you. But regardless of all of that, regardless if it's being passed down to family members, you know, that financial education or business savvy, regardless if it's because of the partners you have around you. One of the things that I've learned, and I'm learning still is, like, you have to have your hands at everything. Monitor the people, monitor their process, their progress, and also monitor your money, because people don't spend and hold on to money like you do because they're not working for it. That has been my biggest learning lesson of, like, no, I want to watch everything. Like, I want to know who's being paid for what? How we being paid? Why is this person getting a percentage of this? They weren't involved. Like, there are so many people that get in this business and business goes bad for them. Not because the business wasn't there, but because the, the what Cardi is talking about, like the turnaround and the evolution from I did bad business, I did a bad deal, I learned from it. The warning that came before the destruction, right? People don't, People don't evolve from that. They don't learn from that. Oh, no, baby. I mean, I'm watching people like, you know, Cardi when it comes to business. Shoot. When I was at her concert just Saturday at the Prudential Center, I was just paying attention, like I always do to everything, being nosy. And I saw her spray perfume on her stove and I text, you know, somebody from her team and I'm like, is Cardi about to drop a century? And they were like, no, that's Mugler. That's their moment in the show. They have a sponsorship with Cardi. And I'm like, oh, okay. And I feel like that's one thing that isn't really talked about a lot is the fact that Mugler, she has a brand partnership with Mugler, which is we. Cardi talks about Mugler so much in her music, so it only makes sense, but it's how she's able to pull off a lot of the three eye tricks that we're seeing on the, on that stage because it costs money. And she's talked about the label needing to put up more money. I'm sorry. She talked about Live Nation, who was the touring company meaning to put up more money next year. And just, you know, in the beginning of all of this, how she had to go and find and figure out a lot of the money because of everything she wanted to do. And I'm sure that that was one of the things that they figured out. Like, she has been very smart about taking what she learned and applying it in a very, in a very good way. And I think, you know, the time that Cardi took off music, people look at it like an absence. But to me it sounds like she was revving up. It sounds like she was looking around, she was getting herself together mentally because, you know, she was going through a divorce, that whole situation. But she was also trying to figure out, like where her priorities lie, what is important, what's not important, where does she want to spend her time? What story does she want to tell? Who? And looking around, who am I going to do it with? Who are the team members who are the brands. And that little bit of time, or lack thereof, can take you from 0 to 100 or literally nothing.

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[Lauren LaRosa (Ad segments)]

Hey y', all, what's up? It's Lauren LaRosa. Okay, let's talk curls for a second because you already know if you have curly or coily hair, Moisture is not optional, it's essential. Dryness is one of the biggest challenges for curly hair, and most products they clock out after wash day. The new Ultra Moisture Collection was literally designed with our hair in mind. Curls, coils, all of it powered by Botano oil and Jamaican Black castor oil. Which means the science is actually doing the work. Clinically proven to help retain moisture for up to five days. Five whole days. The shampoo gently cleanses without stripping. The mask deeply, conditions and helps reduce breakage. The leave in adds a lightweight hydration with hyaluronic acid. And the curl cream defines without crunch. No sulfates, no parabens, no silicones, no mineral oils. Just nourishment without the compromise. Because here's the thing. Your hair deserves products that actually understand it. Moisture that starts at the root and keeps going. Well past Sunday. That's the Ultra Moisture Collection from Cantu Explore their full line built for every curl pattern, every hair routine available now at Walmart, Target, and Amazon. Go get it. March is a month where we stop hitting reset and start making moves that actually count. This is when resolutions either fade or turn into real results. That's why I'm partnering up with Shopify to help all of our small business owners out there making them happen. If you're ready to bet on yourself this year, Shopify makes that first step so simple. Already have a business. Shopify can handle it all. That's why I moved my store over there. Whether you're selling just a few products or a full catalog, Shopify Manages everything and grows with your business. 1 Login, access to everything that matters, thousands of site templates. You don't need to be a designer, and your site still feels like it's completely yours. Like, it is amazing. I designed my site probably in about an hour. And I'm not a girl that does like all the coding and all the things. I just know what I like. They even have Shopify Sidekick now. This is AI that actually works. It helps you with marketing, forecasting, and all of the business tools that you'll need. And now they'll even help you sell directly through ChatGPT and social media, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, you name it. Starting a business is hard, but trust me, it is worth it. March is your momentum month, and Shopify will help you turn ideas into growth without losing speed. It's time for you to start to invest in your business, not someone else's for a change. Head on over to shopify.com ben and see what it feels like to be the one in control of your future.

[Care for the Culture Spokesperson]

Yes, it's me again.

[Lauren LaRosa (Ad segments)]

We prepped.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Oh, wow.

[Care for the Culture Spokesperson]

Oh, wow. Oh, wow. It's the time for empowerment. And I've got a message for you. You gotta think about sexual health no matter what, when, or with who. Yeah, yeah.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Pride to.

[Care for the Culture Spokesperson]

To all you lovers out there, ain't no judgment. This is your cue. It's time to talk about pre special prophylaxis, a part of HIV prevention. Talk to a healthcare provider and visit carefortheculture.com to learn more.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Now, one of the last things I want to bring into this, because y' all know I talk a lot about family on the podcast and just, you know, learning this new space of being able to show up for everybody but also show up for myself. Cardi talked about just the, you know, the tax that there is of being successful in your family and being the person that someone can rely on and how financially that takes a toll too. I already.

[Cardi B]

I feel like I already set boundaries with my family already. Those boundaries I already said, like, it's

[Emma Greedy]

like, how'd you do that?

[Cardi B]

Just, it's like I just got so tired of it and it's just like, just say no. Just say no. And now I feel like my family knows, like, how much or on you could ask me or what type of situation you could ask me. But it's like, even some people that I just employ that are not my family, like, sometimes, like people that I employ, sometimes I become really cool with or I really like them. And it's like, you Know what? We getting too comfortable and you overcharging me. You gotta go. You gotta go. You ain't got no mercy on me, bitch. Like, it's like, you gotta go now.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Let me tell y', all. Cardi has a really big family that she talks about all the time, from her mom, her dad, her sister Hennessy, all of her. A lot of her cousins. She doesn't post them as much now, but when Cardi used to do videos on time on Instagram, she would always be posting her cousins. There were videos. She would post them having parties at their houses and, you know, just all the food and Spanish music and, you know, so there are a lot of people there she also has talked a lot about. I remember when the pandemic hit, Cardi was talking, and then once eggs went up in price, she was talking about how she grocery shops for a lot of people in her family and how expensive everything is. And some things are like, you know, you can't control the price of groceries, right? But learning how to say no and learning how to look at every dollar you spend, whether it's going to a family member, a business, an investment into yourself, something you shouldn't be buying, shopping, whatever it is, looking at every dollar that you put out as something that you're taking away from a moment, you could be investing more in yourself and making sure it's something that it's not even about it being worth it, but it's something that isn't putting you in a deficit. And sometimes the deficits don't even look like you not having the money. Because with a person like a Cardi B or Emma, greedy like, I'm sure there's more where that came from. That's what we're all working to. That's what I'm working to. That's why we're watching these interviews. But if you want to keep it like that, where there's more to, you know, to come from, like, you have to understand what that is. And I thought that Emma putting it into the conversation of it being called family Pats, I was like, okay, that's a good way to look at it, because that makes it a business thing. Because you're never going to let someone in business just keep taking, taking, taking, taking, taking, and never returning, you would cut it off. You would stop doing business with that person. Your return wouldn't be good. And not that anyone that you help in your family or people you love, that always has to be a return. But you guys know what I mean? Like, you wouldn't allow yourself to be taken advantage of. And. And that's just one of the things that you're, like, learning or that I'm learning. And it's not even about money sometimes. It's about the guilt that we talked about on a previous episode as well. Go back and take a listen to that. I talked to you guys about, you know, the guilt of just not being able to spend time with everybody all the time. But sometimes, you know, depending on where you are in your life, your time is your money too. And you got to be a little stingy with it. Just for a little bit. Just. That's the investment. Just for a little bit until you can give it all back out. This has been another episode of the Latest with Lauren LaRosa. I am Lauren LaRosa. I tell you guys, every single episode of My Low Riders, y' all could be anywhere with any old body talking about a lot of the things, but y' all should just be right here with me every single episode. And I appreciate you guys for that.

[Wheezy]

This is Weezy. WTF from Decisions, decisions, ladies. Let's talk about taking control of our sexual health. That's grown woman energy. You may think HIV affects someone else somewhere else, but the truth is it's impacting our community. And some of us are being hit harder than others. Black women make up just 13% of the women in the US yet account for nearly half of new HIV diagnoses amongst women. Taking care of ourselves is community care. Know your options, ask questions, and protect your peace and your body that's using your power. Sponsored by Care for the Culture from

[Cantu Advertiser]

Gilead Sciences, Cantu heard you loud and clear with their new Ultra moisture collection. Powered by Botano oil and Jamaican Black castor oil, this new lineup collection is clinically proven to deliver non stop moisture for up to five days. Five whole days. The shampoo gently cleanses without stripping and the leave in and stylers keep curls soft, defined and nourished long after wash day. Plus, it's free of sulfates, parabens, silicones and mineral oils. If you if your curls have been craving real moisture, this is it. So if your hair's curls have been thirsty, go ahead and try the new Cantu Ultra moisture collection. Your curls will thank you. Available now at Walmart.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Wasn't that delicious? So good. Your bill, ladies. I got it. No, I got it. Seriously, I insist. I insisted first. Don't be silly. You don't be silly. People with the Wells Fargo active casual credit card prefer to pay because they earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases.

[Lauren LaRosa (Ad segments)]

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[Lauren LaRosa]

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[Lauren LaRosa]

Guaranteed Human.