In this segment, the Atlanta Small Business Network had the pleasure of being on-location at the 2019 MogulCon with the event’s creator, Dr. Felicia Phillips.
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT:
Karen C.: Welcome to ASBN. This is Karen Coons, and I’m here at the 2019 MogulCon. I am with the lady of the day herself.
Felicia P.: Oh, my goodness. Pressure.
Karen C.: Yes. Dr. Felicia Phillips is sitting here with me. She is the founder, the manager, the producer, the operations … everything. The marketer.
Felicia P.: Yes, that’s right. The dishwasher.
Karen C.: Exactly. Right? For MogulCon. We’ve been here all day interviewing female entrepreneurs, and some males as well that have contributed to the conversation.
Felicia P.: That’s right. And they have.
Karen C.: They have definitely, for sure. We’ve collected so much information. I spoke myself here, right?
Felicia P.: Yes, you did. A phenomenal job.
Karen C.: Thank you. Thank you.
Felicia P.: I heard you in there giving them all the tips on Google and what to do.
Karen C.: Yes. Yes. Thinking like a publisher.
Felicia P.: Thinking like a publisher.
Karen C.: Definitely.
Felicia P.: I love it.
Karen C.: For sure. We want to thank you so much. You’ve been a great partner to ASBN.
Felicia P.: Oh, thank you.
Karen C.: It’s great to have you around the network, and we can’t wait for many years to come-
Felicia P.: I love working with you all. You all been great for me, as well. This platform is needed. We need it here.
Karen C.: Thank you.
Felicia P.: Yes.
Karen C.: Well, we believe so, too. But definitely working together, we can make a difference-
Felicia P.: We are making a difference.
Karen C.: … for entrepreneurs.
Felicia P.: Yes.
Karen C.: Female entrepreneurs.
Felicia P.: Yes.
Karen C.: You know?
Felicia P.: And I thank you for always providing a platform, because the work that we do is very important. Getting the knowledge and the education out makes a difference, even if it’s a few entrepreneurs at a time.
Karen C.: So true.
Felicia P.: Right? We just have to keep doing it.
Karen C.: It’s very true. And we are.
Felicia P.: We are.
Karen C.: We can do it for years to come. So, let’s dive into MogulCon. Let’s find a little about-
Felicia P.: All right. Let’s get to it.
Karen C.: … the why, and the when.
Felicia P.: All right.
Karen C.: When did MogulCon start?
Felicia P.: Oh my gosh. I was literally driving down I-75 South in my car, and I was thinking … I had been doing luncheons, and workshops, and I had a vision of doing something better. I kept saying, “What names are associated with bigger, or better, or the best in the industry?” I’m going through these names and ‘Mogul’ jumps out at me. I think, “Oh, Mogul Conference? Nope. MogulCon.” I go, “Oh, I really liked that.”
Felicia P.: I called my business partner. I call Renee and I said, “Renee, what do you think about this name?” She said, “Oh, that’s hot.” I said, “I know, but what does it stand for? What am I doing?” And she says, “What you do every day. Every day, you’re empowering small businesses. Not just by pumping them up and giving the mindset, but by giving them real tools.” And I said, “Okay, that’s what it is. That’s what we’re going to act on.”
Felicia P.: Because we’re building a community of moguls. Moguls meaning how you start doesn’t determine how you finish, right? You have to show up and do the work. Being in this environment exposes them to what they do not know. Now, it is our job to give them the tools, the resources, the relationships that they need to take that business to the next level.
Karen C.: Nice. Great. Tell us … let’s dive down a little bit more into MogulCon.
Felicia P.: Okay.
Karen C.: Who should attend this?
Felicia P.: I will say this. If you notice in the crowd, we have people from every industry represented. But we also have some individuals who have careers. They’re 9 to 5 employees, but they’re thinking about what is their next. MogulCon can do several things, because I’d like to think that we have different tracks going on here.
Felicia P.: For the startup, it really helps to them to identify what entrepreneurship looks like, what the level of commitment is going to be. Because that’s the one thing that even our advanced entrepreneurs miss in the beginning. If they’re an advanced entrepreneur … like yesterday, we had our business round tables. That gave them the opportunity to pitch their businesses to corporations and government agencies that are right here in Atlanta. Some of them were national companies like Delta Air Lines, and Papa John’s, who are doing things all over the world. They got a chance to really find out the opportunities that are available to them through the supplier diversity portals and programs that these companies offer. And even more just learning how to do business with them.
Karen C.: Definitely. Well, aside from MogulCon, you have a couple other very successful ventures as well. A coaching business, as well.
Felicia P.: Yes.
Karen C.: Tell us about the U.S. Business Women’s Network. I know we’ve talked about it a little bit.
Felicia P.: Yes, we did.
Karen C.: We can link back to that episode when you were first launching. So, tell us the progression since then, and what the membership can expect.
Felicia P.: The U.S. Business Women’s Network was founded on three principles, and that is coaching, mentorship, and resources. Because those are the things that are really going to help women get to the next level. This is a national organization, so we have chapters all across the U.S. The reason I started it is because when I think about when I started my business in 1990, I wish I had the resources, the community of people that will be there to help me, or that I could ask questions. This is what we do in the U.S. Business Women’s Network.
Felicia P.: But more than that, we’re preparing them for the success that they want. You have to be prepared when you think about whether you say, “I want to make $2 million a year or $10 million a year.” Right? You’ve got to prepare for it. In the U.S. Business Women’s Network, we offer mentorship and coaching through our Black Belt Academy program. This year, we’re graduating our first 12 out of the program. Actually, it’s a little more than that. I think it’s 14.
Karen C.: I met a couple. Yeah. Today, here.
Felicia P.: Yes, yes. Yesterday, we had them on the stage and I had them share: why did they join? What’s happened since they’ve been in the program? And it is phenomenal. They’re getting contracts. I think we had one that has gotten into several Macy’s. They’re building and growing their businesses. Now, is there a sacrifice that comes with that? Absolutely. They’re given time. They’re given money. But the return of and this investment is so much greater. What I love about what we’re doing is that we’re showing people that the narrative is a lot different, I think, and you and I’ve talked about this.
Felicia P.: Sometimes the media likes to create the narrative around women of color, and who we are, and what we represent. But at MogulCon … and this is not just about women of color. It’s about women, period. What I understand is I’m an African American woman, and so when we see each other doing things, we want to gravitate to that. But this message is for anybody. Anybody who wants it. And you and I have talked about that. But what’s so powerful is when I see them graduating to that next level. I know that what we’re teaching is really helping, not just to inspire them, but to for them to become doers. We can talk a lot. We can say what we want. But the real is when we actually do the work. At MogulCon, it gives them the opportunity to do the work.
Karen C.: Definitely. Well, I can see your pride for that cohort of 12 people graduating. That’s amazing.
Felicia P.: Yes, I’m excited about that.
Karen C.: And the women I have talked to that are graduating, they are so excited as well.
Felicia P.: Yes.
Karen C.: And they are positive, looking forward to that future. They looked confident and armed with the information and tools they may need.
Felicia P.: Absolutely.The other thing that I’ll share with you, Karen, is that we have a pay it forward model. When they graduate, they don’t get to just walk away. They have to pay it forward. They have to come back to the new students that are part of the program, they have to help them. This year, we’re taking a step further. So, the ones that have graduated, or even our advanced businesses, we’re doing our Encore 360. What that is is that we’ve partnered with a lot of Fortune 50, 100, 500 corporations who are going to lend their executives their expertise to our cohorts.
Felicia P.: They’re going to be able to say, “I’ve worked with MARTA or Delta Air Lines.” Or whoever that company might be. And it’s not just about what we teach them, but what we let them experience. We’re going to be taking them on site to these companies, so they can get the full experience. I think that in today’s time, we have to show small businesses not only do they need to create their own culture, but they need to create their own customer experience.
Karen C.: Very smart. For next year … what can they expect for next year?
Felicia P.: Oh, man. Yes.
Karen C.: I’m sure … you’ve told me about some plans that are already coming together for next year.
Felicia P.: Already. We’re going to be at the Whitley Hotel that was formerly the Ritz-Carlton of Buckhead. I’m excited about that. Why? Because I’m always asking them to stretch, and grow, and do things. I want them to have that five star experience, and that’s what you find at the Whitley.
Felicia P.: We are looking for the best of the best going into 2020. Our dates for next year are November 5th through the 7th. We’ll be right back here in Atlanta, Georgia. We want anyone who is lacking in clarity, who’s looking for those resources, relationships. Because we offer one-on-one coaching here on site. We offer opportunities for capital. If you’re looking to expand your company. We want people to know that this is a place that they can come and get that fourth quarter strategy in place, so that when they go into the new year, they are ready.
Karen C.: Right.
Felicia P.: Yes.
Karen C.: For anyone who wants to partner with you, how do they find information about that?
Felicia P.: Yes. Actually, they can go right to the site, mogulcon.com. Once they go to the site, they can send a message from the site letting us know, or they can email the team at mogulcon.com. We’re always looking for dynamic partnerships. We don’t profess to know everything. That’s where good partners come in.
Karen C.: Very true. Very true.
Felicia P.: We know a lot, but not everything.
Karen C.: Exactly. Yeah. That’s why we rely on business strategists and entrepreneurs. Just wonderful people, such as yourself, to contribute to our network.
Felicia P.: And I appreciate that, too.
Karen C.: Perfect. Aside from MogulCon, where can our viewers find you? U.S. Business Women’s Network, your mentorship programs-
Felicia P.: I’m going to give them one landing spot.
Karen C.: Okay, great.
Felicia P.: Okay. They can go to FeliciaPhillips.com, and that’s Phillips with two L’s. Go there. Everything is there. The U.S. Business Women’s Network is there. Everything about MogulCon, the Black Belt Business Academy … it’s all in one spot. I look forward to meeting some of your viewers, learning about what their needs are, and how we can help them.
Karen C.: Great. And if our viewers have questions for you-
Felicia P.: Simple. They can email me through the website.
Karen C.: Perfect.
Felicia P.: It’s no problem.
Karen C.: Great. Sounds good. Okay. Well, thank you so much-
Felicia P.: Thank you.
Karen C.: … for joining us again.
Felicia P.: I appreciate you.
Karen C.: It’s always a pleasure speaking with you, Felicia.
Felicia P.: Yes! And thank you for educating our moguls today. We really appreciate you.
Karen C.: Of course. Anytime.
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