S****y Idea Time: a celebration of bold business experiments

In this solo episode, I share the story about how my brand evolved as a small business owner. The thing about branding is...you can plan, prep, and create all the components, but ultimately it's up to your customers to decide what your brand means to them.   

Toshie is the owner and lead artist at wigcraft.vegas, where she makes large-scale foam wigs. She's currently working through the trials of being a small business owner as this hobby takes on a life of its own. While she has confidence in her “wigcrafting” and creative abilities, she is less comfortable with being an “entrepreneur.” Through it all, she can't shake the urge to create. She is living in a high-contrast world and constantly contributing to new culture. If it is strange, she will probably be into it. In this episode, Toshie shares her thoughts on art, magic, and the challenges of entrepreneurship. Top takeaways: 1️⃣ Following your passion can be self-serving and also be in service of others. 2️⃣ Being visible & creating a brand can feel selfish and highlight identity stuff. That's normal. 3️⃣ Leave some room in your business plans for magic. 4️⃣ Give yourself permission to enjoy the ride.   Episode details and video can be found at: https://shittyideatime.com/    Connect with Toshie at: https://wigcraft.vegas/ https://www.instagram.com/wigcraft.vegas/    For support & info about starting and growing your small business, join the Shitty Idea Time Business Collective (formerly The Small Business Incubator) or find me on Instagram @shittyideatime

In this solo episode I talk about the 4 things my favorite brands all have in common and how you can put it into practice in your own business.   Top takeaways: 1️⃣  Be unapologetically different. 2️⃣  Give people something to belong to by making the world a better place. 3️⃣  Infuse your brand values into every piece of your business. 4️⃣  Get comfortable getting visible.   My favorite brands:

Before becoming a coach, Nicole B-Z spent over a decade in the music industry. She started a recording studio and record label in Australia, managed bands, and learned about business practices and the needs of creative leaders. Since then, she has become a serial entrepreneur with a passion for helping other small business owners. In this episode, Nicole looks back on the times she failed but still struck gold. She also talks about her creative process and the steps that she takes when faced with a challenging project. Tune in for some advice on marketing and research. Episode details and video can be found at: https://shittyideatime.com/57    Connect with Nicole at: https://nicolebz.com/ Mobile number: +1 (720) 704-4865 https://twitter.com/thebzchannel https://www.instagram.com/thebzchannel/ https://www.facebook.com/thebzchannel/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/nbzcoaching/ https://discord.com/invite/sZ9Ye3Fefy

Tracey Warren's firm belief that community is the key to success in life and business has led her to become the founder and CEO of InSpark Coworking and the driving force behind the “Ignite Your Champions'' movement. She's also an author and a motivational speaker with a penchant for content creation and supporting women in business.  In this episode, Tracey shares her thoughts on community building, the power of manifesting, and learning from failure. She also talks about how her coworking space came to be, and we envision a prom-like networking event for entrepreneurs. Episode details and video can be found at: http://shittyideatime.com/58 Connect with Tracey at: https://igniteyourchampions.com/ https://www.facebook.com/thetraceywarren https://www.instagram.com/igniteyourchampions/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/thetraceywarren/   For support & info about starting and growing your small business, join the Shitty Idea Time Business Collective (formerly The Small Business Incubator) or find me on Instagram @shittyideatime

Nazia Siddiqui has a career in finance but a passion for fashion design so she founded Transcend, a Seattle-based women's fashion brand focused on art and sustainability. With Transcend, she combines hand-embroidered textiles from South Asia with timeless silhouettes to bring unique, thoughtful and beautiful pieces that women want to wear again and again. In the future, she hopes to scale her business by working with a broad number of artisan groups and communities across the globe.   In this episode, she introduces her startup and explains why she decided to focus on hand embroidery and watercolor prints. She also shares her thoughts on sustainability and ethics in relation to her business.   Episode details and video can be found at: http://shittyideatime.com/56   Connect with Nazia at: https://weartranscend.com/ https://www.facebook.com/weartranscend https://instagram.com/weartranscend https://twitter.com/weartranscend

In this solo episode I talk about how getting clear on your core values makes building a team SO much easier! If you're a solopreneur or small business owner who's starting to add members to your team, this one is for you! Top takeaways: 1️⃣  When you don't have the energy to live up to your values, it's time to get help. 2️⃣  Choosing team members who are on the same page values-wise has been really beneficial. 3️⃣  Knowing how I want to show up for my team has allowed me to see when I'm not being the leader I want to be. It helps me grow. Be sure to SUBSCRIBE ON YOUTUBE to watch future solo episodes LIVE!   

Eli started his career in the nonprofit sector focusing on supporting families experiencing houselessness and economic hardship. Eli also worked in domestic violence intervention. After several years in this field Eli decided to shift gears back to his passion for cars. Eli went back to school to get a degree in Automotive Science and became a Certified Mechanic. After several years of hard work and rejection as a queer person working in a highly misogynistic and patriarchal industry Eli decided to open his own repair shop, Repair Revolution. Repair Revolution disrupts the automotive repair industry as an unapologetic feminist and LGBTQ+ owned and operated business in Seattle since 2012. Repair Revolution is a community driven business with a social justice heart that aims to educate and empower customers. This business has also created an opportunity for woman and LGBTQ+ mechanics to have a safe place to work that honors their identity. Eli has also served on several nonprofit Board of Directors and advisory boards and enjoys volunteering to support small business and queer community whenever possible. Top takeaways: 1️⃣ Cars are a critical (& often overlooked) component of social justice. 2️⃣ Telling your story is a way to show other people what's possible. 3️⃣ As a mission- driven business, you'll probably need set some uncomfortable boundaries. 4️⃣ If you're goal is to create change, your values should guide every piece of your business.   Episode details and video can be found at: http://shittyideatime.com/54    Connect with Eli Allison at: https://autorepairrevolution.com/ 

In this LIVE solo episode I talk about how getting clear on your core values makes selling feel way less awkward! If you've struggled feeling natural and confident while selling, this one is for you! Top takeaways: 1️⃣ Selling is so much more than a sales call script or the copy on your product page. 2️⃣ If you're out of alignment with your own values, you'll feel awkward. If you feel awkward, your people will feel awkward. 3️⃣ As a business owner, you set the tone for your sales process. If you value humor, make it humorous. If you value integrity, have integrity. If you value impact, make that core to the selling process. Be sure to SUBSCRIBE ON YOUTUBE to watch future solo episodes LIVE!   

Gracia Sotomayor seemed to have it all—a promising career, her own house, and a relationship. But when she found herself unhappy despite having all these things, she left her job, made her way across Europe with the help of friends and strangers, and found power and growth through artistic cycling. She is currently using artistic cycling in her home country of Peru and throughout South America as a tool to empower and inspire people through social organization.    In this episode, we talk about traveling, happiness, and female empowerment. Gracia looks back on her literal journey to find herself, sharing the challenges that she had to overcome and the lessons that she has learned. She also presents her business plan to bring artistic cycling and unicycling to the world, especially in Latin communities.   Episode details and video can be found at: http://shittyideatime.com/52    Connect with Gracia Sotomayor at: https://www.instagram.com/iam.gracia.artisticcycling/ https://web.facebook.com/gracia.sotomayor

In this LIVE solo episode I talk about how getting clear on your core values helps you connect with your audience! If you've been over-thinking your messaging, this one is for you! Top takeaways: 1️⃣  Like attracts like. If you want to attract customers or clients that are the right fit, you have to know what you're bringing to the table first. 2️⃣  It's not what you say it's how you say it. The same thing can be said 100 different ways and land differently with 100 different people. Make sure your tone fits with your values. 3️⃣. Being clear about your values helps your weed out the wrong clients or customers. It helps both you and them understand if it's a "hell yes" or "hell no." Be sure to SUBSCRIBE ON YOUTUBE to watch future solo episodes LIVE!   

In this LIVE solo episode I talk about how getting clear on your core values helps you make quicker, more effective decisions in business! If you're an over-thinker or recovering perfectionist, this one is for you! Be sure to SUBSCRIBE ON YOUTUBE to watch future solo episodes LIVE!   

Amber Hawley is a licensed marriage and family therapist who works with high performing/entrepreneurial couples and individuals helping them have more fulfilling relationships without sacrificing their businesses. She is the owner of a group therapy practice in Silicon Valley, wife, mom of three kids, avid coffee drinker, host of the CouplesFix and My Biz Bestie podcasts. Amber originally worked in the tech industry but her love for people led her to pursue a career where meaningful relationships are at the center of everything she does. In this episode we talk about accountability, hiring, & road trips.  

Martinus Evans is a marathon runner, author, run coach, and award-winning speaker who helps plus-size individuals be active without the pressure of weight loss. He is also the host of the 300 Pounds and Running Podcast and the Long Run with Martinus and Latoya Podcast on the 300 Pounds and Running Podcast Network available on all podcast platforms. Martinus is also the founder of the Slow AF Run Club. In this episode Martinus shares how he went from selling suits to creating a vibrant community of runners of all sizes and abilities. We talk about the importance of motivation, mission, and celebration in both fitness and business.  

Toni Chowdhury a business coach who helps creative and spiritual women find and attract their dream clients using a step-by-step process so that they can go from feeling frustrated to being fully booked, which helps them finally find the time to do what they really love. In this episode Toni shares her journey of starting from scratch as a factory worker when she immigrated to Canada, teaching people how to make curry, running a photography business and now coaching. She talks about the value of gaining many different experiences and how starting is the most important step. Then we build a business together so you can see how it all works in practice.  TO ENTER TO WIN A COPY OF TONI'S BOOK, SEND ME A DM ON INSTAGRAM HERE: http://instagram.com/shittyideatime   

In this LIVE solo episode I share my top April fools marketing pranks, and why having a laugh with your audience is critical in the "know, like, trust" process! Cheers to you, to you big ideas, and to pushing the marketing limits! Be sure to FOLLOW ON INSTAGRAM to watch future solo episodes LIVE!   

Sarah Schneider is a Good Girl dismantler, an executive coach, leadership trainer, and CEO of the leadership coaching firm Sarah Schneider & Co.. For over 18 years, Sarah has been having candid conversations with leaders at all levels, supporting the professional, business, and personal development of those leaders, and effectively building and leading teams. Sarah works predominately with women leaders to dismantle the cultural Good Girl conditioning so that they can do what they know to do and lead on their terms. Sarah is a Professional Certified Coach, holds an MBA, and navigated a decade in the male-dominated IT space. In this episode we talk through the process of letting go of old stories, reinventing new habits, and asking for help. Then we build a business together so you can see how it all works in practice. 

Trading the groundbreaking world of a natural hair influencer with nearly 18 million YouTube views for the high-power world of a business coach, Nik Scott teaches women entrepreneurs proven personal brand strategies to help them increase sales for their business. When she's not working with big brands like Disney, Canon, Unilever or Google on strategic marketing campaigns, Nik helps politicians, non-profit leaders, corporate executives, coaches and consultants become authorities in their fields. In this episode we talk through the process of creating a personal brand, and then we build a brand together so you can see how it all works in practice.   

In this solo episode I share a story about backpacking the Grand Canyon in the dark and my journey to get there. This trip was the culmination of many smaller steps and years of work. It's tempting to compare your journey with others, and ask "Why am I not there yet?!?" But progression is your friend. Honor the process.  

Kristine Schwartz is a business coach, consultant & public speaker. She activates female, impact-driven brands to confidently build their strategic roadmaps and marketing plans in ways that are uniquely aligned to their greater purpose. In this episode we talk about brand messaging, knowing your audience, & popcorn. We then create a brand messaging strategy from scratch so that you can see how it all works in practice.   

Samantha Irwin's deep desire is to help business owners kill it when it comes to creating a fabulous customer experience. Way more than just “customer service”. It includes staff training and creating culture. Not only is it super fun stuff, it's the most efficient, cost effective, and rewarding way to build a business! In this episode we talk about customer experience vs. customer service, and the #1 marketing mistake companies make. We then go on a rant about telling women to "smile more" and build a tech company for your listening pleasure.  

In this episode I share about how my relationship with coloring books as a kid shows up in my business today. As an entrepreneur, it's easy to get lost in the chaos. By creating restrictions, or lines to color within, you can rein in the chaos and create true freedom.  

Tierra Bonds is the CEO of Take Charge Consulting and offers credit repair, business credit and business consulting. She has helped hundreds of people reach their credit goals and now is on a mission to reduce the wealth gap by providing credit and entrepreneurship education to 100,000 young professionals any by assisting in the launch of 100 businesses. In this episode Tierra shares her credit story and why closing the wealth gap is important to both sides of her business: credit consulting and business consulting.  

A passionate ally, communicator, and fashionista, Maggie's on a mission to transform how women see themselves at work. She creates space to empower other women and helps reduce global fashion waste by challenging others to shop secondhand first. Clients work with Maggie on everything from wardrobe to resume, with a focus on high-impact low-barrier resources. In this episode we talk about style, sustainability & creating your own rules. Then we have an experiment on air for your listening pleasure.  

In this episode I tell the story of how one rowdy Vegas experiment turned into one of the greatest business lessons of all time. I also talk about Lunchables and willpower to help you understand why systems and automation are key in giving you your time and energy back.  

Google's #1 Entrepreneur Coach, Bri Seeley, helps entrepreneurs create long-term, sustainable and scalable success… on their terms! Bri distills her 14-years of real world experience into digestible, tangible tools to help entrepreneurs thrive and profit. Bri is a 2020 Stevie Award winner for both Coach and Woman of the Year, a member of the Forbes Coaches Council, and author of the best-selling Permission to Leap. In this episode we talk about crop tops, community building, and what it means to be an unapologetic entrepreneur. Then we have an experiment on air for your listening pleasure.   

This is my 4th or 5th year sharing my resolution story and giving this glorious rant...I'm thrilled it's now in podcast form! Dream big and then double it! There is real power in doing something new and big. If you've ever knocked new years resolutions as silly, doomed to fail, or idealistic, grab a cup of coffee and buckle up.  

Diane is the founder and CEO of Diane Lam Co. Diane is a Queenmaker and business systems and ops expert. She builds self-sustaining empires for ambitious 6-figure online service providers. In this episode we talk about systems creation, the pitfalls of bootstrapping and making bold choices. Then we have an experiment on air for your listening pleasure.   

Aliko Weste is a culmination of so many things through his identity and through his work. Aliko was born Alika, to a French Jewish mother and Caribbean father. He is a trans, Blaxk, Jew who is dedicating his life to bringing the earth into 5D consciousness. Aliko does this through many avenues. Along with his branding, website, photography and videography business (portfolio linked below), Aliko is also the founder and CEO of U Productions, and Expansion Festival. Expansion festival is an annual festival dedicated to Music, arts, and education through self expression and consciousness. This year it was held online and consisted of 32 workshops over a period of two months. Throughout the year (when it's not covid) with the help of Shoshana Glickman and his incredible team, Aliko produces many smaller events around similar topics, bringing people together in order to manifest the future we desire. In this episode we talk about what it means to be an embodied business owner and healing the wounds of capitalism & white supremacy. We talk about how small business could be a part of creating cultural change and then have an experiment on air for your listening pleasure.   

OMG guys! I get to talk to my partner!!! Ross Dexter & I talk about faking it til you make it and how to build true expertise. Ross and I usually have these conversations over morning coffee, but we're coming at you tomorrow on air! We share the unpopular opinion that faking it til you make it is THE WORST! It's a terrible idea, y'all. BIO: Ross Dexter DAT MKin LAT ATC CSCS (

In this solo episode I share an unpopular opinion: simple is NOT always better. When it comes to business, simple can be boring! We talk about all of the places simple can be great, and all of the places where a little drama goes a long way! You'll leave this episode with 3 ways to instantly reframe your marketing.  

Cori Myka co-owner of Orca Swim School and creator of the Foundations of Change learning method. For over 20 years Cori has been taking adult non-swimmers from fearful beginning to realizing their wildest dreams. Her unique teaching is so highly regarded because it is based on training and healing the mind so you can learn physical steps. Taking swimming beyond the pool and into life. Based in Seattle, WA Cori has been training students and teachers locally and across the US as well as in the UK and Singapore. In this episode we talk about fear, mindset and pivots. Listen in on her story of opening a swim school and teaching people to overcome fear online.   

Olamide Michelle is a licensed attorney and business strategist based in Atlanta, GA. She recently left her corporate career and started two new businesses! She loves the dynamics of entrepreneurship and is excited to help digital bosses navigate their way towards success. By infusing her background in communications, intellectual property law, and business management, she is able to provide entrepreneurs with a unique experience by helping them both build and also protect their growing brands. Additionally, Olamide Michelle is the creator of The Boho Business Guide Podcast and runs a new coaching community for service-based entrepreneurs, The Digital Boss Club. You can learn more by visiting thebohobusinessguide.com! In this episode we talk about copyrights, writing a book & marketing strategy. Then, we play a game of small biz "would you rather?" and have a live business experiment for your listening pleasure.  

Best selling author, international speaker, and success and leadership coach, Gina Fresquez, is an advocate for gender equity and an inclusive environment where people thrive, be their best self, do their best work, and are empowered to lead from every chair. Gina teaches EQ and growth mindset strategies as well as supports organizations in learning how to support their female employees to move beyond their limitations and plan for greater success. She accomplishes this through workshops, speaking, private coaching, masterminds, and retreats. In this episode we talk about impostor syndrome, entrepreneurship & being a lefty. Then, we play a game of small biz "would you rather?" and have a live business experiment for your listening pleasure.  

Rashida Gaye is a Penn State Graduate with a degree in Hotel, Restaurant, & Institutional Management. She is originally from Philadelphia, PA but has lived in different cities along the east coast and moved to the great state of Washington 6 years ago with her family from Atlanta. She has been happily married for 15 years to Pa Gaye and has two children. Her son Essa is 10 and her daughter Amina is 7. She has over 12 years of customer service and sales experience where she has sold over $2 million dollars in products. She just purchased an insurance agency in April and has also been a mindset, financial and business coach for the last 5 years. She loves helping her insurance clients protect their assets and achieve financial security. In her coaching business, she has also helped women all over the world sell over $4 million dollars in new business. Her interests include traveling, coaching, helping her clients as well as empowering women to achieve their life, business and financial goals. In this episode we talk about creating a fulfilling life you love, gratitude and moving through limiting beliefs!  

Since he was a child John Odden has been fascinated with improving his health, fitness and athleticism. He was a tall, skinny, awkward kid growing up who always lacked confidence, especially in the gym. So after begging his parents to get some home equipment for some time, he got his first set of plastic-covered cement weights from Target at age 12. He's since gone on to become #1 World Ranked in the Scottish Highland Games and is a kettlebell Beast Tamer and all around strongman. He's the owner of Empowered Strength and Sanctuary of Strength in Bend OR. In this episode we talk about how being a generalist can serve your business and how lifting heavy things can make you a better entrepreneur.  

In this episode I offer 50 free or cheap marketing ideas. These ideas were first written for a blog post that you can find right here. Before jumping into any marketing idea, I like to ask the following questions: At what scale am I trying to attract customers/clients? (locally, regionally, nationally or globally) What is the value of my product or service? What is my yearly marketing budget? How do I enjoy interacting with people?  

Chrystal Robinson is your friendly, slightly corky brand designer. She has an intense passion for business and entrepreneurship and helps her clients design and implement creative solutions for their businesses. She does this through brand identity & web design as well as business coaching for a select few.  As an entrepreneur, she's hungry for success. As a self-taught designer, she has more than established herself as a branding expert. The journey is not EASY, but she's here as a listening ear to help you strategize and solve your business problems through branding. In this episode we talk about marketing, gurus & self care. Then, we play a game of small biz "would you rather?" and have a live business experiment for your listening pleasure.  

Attorney Yasmine Salem Hamdan is a business & brand protection lawyer based in Dallas, TX. She supports online educators & entrepreneurs across the country, helping them to protect their powerful brands, avoid expensive legal problems, & to create peace of mind & confidence in their businesses. Yasmine also the founder of Coaches & Company, a new startup focused on creating solution-based legal resources for online business owners. In this episode we talk about trademarks, contracts and hot sauce. Then, we play a game of small biz "would you rather?"  

In this solo episode, I share a story leading up to the "shitty" marketing decision that completely changed my business. Here are the 4 key takeaways: Get clear on who you're serving and why. Talk about your customer's problem in 3 distinct layers. Be clear with your message. Experiment. Chase the spark of your "shitty" ideas. Be fucking weird.  

Cindy Liu of Liucy's Digital has 10 years experience in digital marketing and loves helping people grow their business through building connections. She enjoys creating content and lives by the motto "promote good shit, get good results." In this episode we talk about email marketing, internal monologues and the great outdoors. Then, we play a game of small biz "would you rather?"  

Moji Igun is the founder of Blue Daisi Consulting which offers zero waste and sustainability consulting services for small businesses. She offers services that help business owners develop strategies to reduce waste and implement sustainable practices. In this episode we talk about sustainability, sorting trash and creating a career you love!  

Ean Price Murphy founded Moxie Bookkeeping & Coaching Inc in 2003 to work with businesses deeply engaged with their work but frequently not comfortable with the numbers. Moxie's core promise is to make your financial information accessible and actionable, even if you don't think of yourself as good with bookkeeping. In this episode we talk about bookkeeping, biodiesel & badassery. Then, we play a game of small biz "would you rather?"  

Coonoor is Founder & CEO of MIndhatch, a creative consultancy specializing in Design Thinking, Organizational Improv™, and Diversity & Inclusion. In this episode, we talk about pageants, cinnamon rolls, Mr. T, innovation and corporate culture.  

Taylor is a Colorado attorney. She loves small business owners, A LOT. That's why she got into this niche and started her practice. Helping business owners really understand the legal side of running a business just feels really good. Helping business owners legally protect their businesses and their brands feels even better. In this episode, we talk about hairless cats, Frida Kahlo & legally setting up a website. Then, we play an epic game of 'Would you rather?'  

Janita Court is the founder of My Woolly Mammoth and a self-taught paper florist selling on Etsy for the past 9 years. She hosts a monthly membership community teaching people from all over the world how to make realistic looking flowers from crepe paper. In this episode we talk about time management and how to make sure your art stays fun!  

Mikaila Ulmer is a social entrepreneur, bee ambassador, author, educator and student. She's the founder and CEO Me & the Bees Lemonade and of The Healthy Hive Foundation. She's an investment winner on ABC's hit TV show Shark Tank, Time Magazine's Teen Entrepreneur of the Year and one of Scholastic Magazine's Eight Coolest Kids. In this episode she shares what it means to Bee Fearless and Dream Like a Kid.  If you pre-order Mikaila's book, let me know and send one to a teen entrepreneur in the WIT program!   

I was born in Flint, MI and excelled through high school; graduating Valedictorian. I went on to earn my Bachelor and Master's degrees in Accounting from Michigan State University. Starting my career at the prestigious EY Detroit office, I continued my career in auditing at various Fortune 500 companies. While working in internal audit, I started Viking CPA Group in March of 2014. In November 2014, I relocated to Atlanta, GA and in March 2017, I took a huge leap of faith and went full time with my own accounting firm, where I service small to mid-size business owners; assisting them with their tax, accounting, and consulting needs. In addition to growing my firm, I also served as an Adjunct Professor at Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, GA. I pride myself on being a value add to my clients and forming relationships…being the CPA with personality!   In this episode, we talk about bowling, travel and accounting. Then, we play an epic game of 'Would you rather?'  

When Start Up Heart Up Founder, Kae Gruner, became an intellectual property lawyer, she noticed that friends and acquaintances started sliding into her DM's to ask questions about their business ideas. She organized the key information and simplified the process so that everyday entrepreneurs could take the reigns to validate their business ideas and build a business from scratch on their own time and at their own pace through fill-in-the-blank business planning workbooks. And just like that, Start Up Heart Up was born with the mission to bring entrepreneurship to all through DIY tools, education, & empowerment.   In this episode, we talk about patents, baton twirling and big ideas. Then, we play an epic game of 'Would you rather?'  

Cari Twitchell is the Chief Word Nerd of Custom Content Solutions, a copywriting agency that helps business owners find their voice, connect with their ideal audience and get hotter leads. She's the President of MnSearch.org, as well as the creator of the Connection Copywriting Method and the online writing course, Write That SiteⓇ.   In this episode, we talk about content marketing, storytelling and cartoons. Then, we play an epic game of 'Would you rather?'  

This podcast episode is a shitty brainstorm to help demonstrate that there's no right way to fight racism, I used to be afraid of doing this work “wrong,” but learned (thanks to many black educators and teachers) that doing something is better than doing nothing.   If you want a list of real, practical anti-racist actions you can take, check out the following "Anti-Racist Starter Pack" by Brea Baker: https://parade.com/1046031/breabaker/anti-racist-tv-movies-documentaries-ted-talks-books/?fbclid=IwAR2UoHcNmhGQA9V-59Ng1efHnpzDYUp-uPlwRYns6ArybBZDpW6Lt-nxsVs   In this episode, I offer 50 shitty actions you could take right now to address your own racism and the racism around you. Many of them are silly an impractical, but maybe by being silly and impractical, you'll learn that there are millions of different ways to contribute to solving the problem, and that doing SOMETHING is better than doing nothing. Here's the list if you'd rather read ahead.   Full details at www.shittyideatime.com/11   Look at a photo of any black man for 5 minutes. Compile 100 photos of black men and see their uniqueness. Only attend events where black people are represented. Consume podcasts with black hosts (here's a list to get you started). Do a blind contour drawing of George Floyd. Teach art from a non-white perspective.  Go for a walk in a neighborhood where you're a minority. Read lyrics of black music. Eat at black-owned restaurants. Examine the clothes you wear...do they help or harm? Read books only written by people who don't look like you. Go to a speed dating event blindfolded. Walk down the street with a black friend. Use your stage time at a story slam, poetry slam or open mic to spread awareness of racism. By marijuana from black-owned businesses (here's a list). By beer from black-owned breweries (here's a list). Sit on your stoop and smoke a blunt...and realize how much privilege you have when nobody says shit. Get a car wrap of Black Lives Matter messaging. Learn how to cook soul food. And pay a black person to teach you. Use your inheritance to invest in black communities. Look at black art. Spend a day watching battle rap...and look up every reference you don't understand. Build a fake jail cell in your house. Sit in it for a while and realize what a waste of time it is for the millions of black men sitting in jail for no good reason. Look at a skeleton and picture bodies & people with different skin color.  Think of the last really kind thing someone did for you and then pass it on to a black person. Reach out to your black friends daily and do something kind...they are probably exhausted and could use a break. Whatever you think you know about black history, look deeper. Freewrite about British accents compared to whatever you think black people sound like. Read black poetry. Look at what the last black man killed by police was doing and then go do that thing and think about your privilege. Go take a seat on the floor in the beauty aisle.  Invest in black-owned companies (see fact #33 here). Take a walk by a prison or juvenile detention facility. Compliment a black person a day...and NOT about their hair. Create a family tree and examine inherited wealth. For an entire day, imagine your kids were black. Call your local police department and ask what their process is for reviewing police brutality. Next time you're in a Zoom meeting, suggest others also call their local police department. Put a note on your desk to remind yourself to elevate the voices of the black people you work with. Offer to let black people vent. Write anti-racism pep talks on your bathroom mirror. Wear a piece of jewelry to remind you that racism exists. Drink your morning coffee out of a coffee mug with an anti-racism reminder (I like this one) Make a list of your personal heroes? Who's on the list? Who's not? When making purchases, ask who designed/manufactured/produced the product. Write out your ideal response to stupid racist bullshit (See the pyramid of white supremacy in a Facebook search). Look at your past month of content? Are you elevating black voices? I fucked up here. Will be fixing it. Write a letter to your own ancestors to educate them or call them out. Support black businesses. Support black businesses. Support black businesses. For a list of black women-owned business, look here. Whatever your strengths are, use them to take a stand against racism. For the Rachel Rodgers video, click here. If you're a business owner, I would also highly recommend checking out her Town Hall.