Professional Troublemaker with Luvvie Ajayi Jones Luvvie Ajayi Jones

Luvvie explores the inspiring journey of Morgan DeBaun, the visionary founder and CEO of Blavity Inc., as she discusses building a media empire for black millennials. Morgan shares her path from Silicon Valley to establishing a diverse and mission-driven company, highlighting the challenges of fundraising, overcoming skepticism, and the importance of resilience and innovation. Offering valuable insights on leadership, team building, and navigating entrepreneurship, Morgan's story is a powerful testament to ambition, community, and staying true to one's vision.

More about Morgan:
Morgan DeBaun is a serial entrepreneur and the founder, CEO, and Chairman of Blavity Inc. Under her leadership, Blavity Inc. has become a market leader, reaching over 100 million readers per month with its brands including Blavity, 21Ninety, AfroTech, Travel Noire, Home & Texture, and Shadow & Act. Her achievements have earned her accolades such as ADCOLOR’s Innovative Award, Forbes 30 Under 30, and recognition among America’s Top 50 Women in Tech.

Luvvie sits down with colleague and dear friend, Tiffany 'The Budgetnista' Aliche, as she shares her journey from teacher to becoming a leading figure in financial education. Tiffany discusses how the loss of her husband changed her, personally and professionally, and how 2023 was also her worst year of business. It all forced her to re-evaluate everything in her life, including how she learned to accept help and how she restructured her company post-loss. The conversation highlights her innovative strategies for financial success, the importance of personal boundaries, and the evolution of her leadership style, emphasizing the importance of relinquishing control and trusting her team, vulnerability, transparency, and community impact.

Dr. Joy Harden Bradford, a licensed psychologist, speaker, author, media personality, and host of the award-winning podcast 'Therapy for Black Girls,' joins the conversation to share practical strategies on maintaining mental health while navigating the pressures of managing a business. The discussion sheds light on the underlying reasons for why we keep busy, the importance of setting boundaries, and the need to learn the skill of asking for help. Luvvie and Dr. Joy delve into triggers and trauma, self-compassion, and giving oneself (and others) grace in running a purpose-driven life.

More about Dr. Joy:
Dr. Joy Harden Bradford is a Licensed Psychologist and the host of the wildly popular, award-winning mental health podcast Therapy for Black Girls. Her work focuses on making mental health topics more relevant and accessible for Black women, and she delights in using pop culture to illustrate psychological concepts.

In this episode, Luvvie sets the scene for her journey to rebuilding. She dives deep into The Fallout post-Crumbling, and reveals the full truth about the aftermath of the chaos. She reveals the gaps she's had to fill, the holes she's had to fix, and the implications of all the mess to her personal and entrepreneurial life, including the erosion of her trust, the dark days she's had to sit through, and what kept her going. In navigating through her toughest business year, she emphasizes the importance of finding one's courage, the role of faith, and the love and support from one's village.

Luvvie looks back and expresses gratitude for the heartwarming feedback she's received for this season of Professional Troublemaker. Listeners are also invited to visit askluvvie.com and to drop their business-related questions, so that Luvvie may answer them in a future episode. Stay tuned for a sneak peek of the next episode, where Luvvie hints at the amazing insights that will be dropped by a renowned guest.

In this episode, Luvvie is joined by Sally Thornton, HR Consultant and the Founder of Forshay, to give her insider perspective as 'team gardener' on the dysfunction, blind spots, and the necessary overhaul of Awe Luv Media. Luvvie and Sally explore the complexities of leadership, the importance of truth-telling in business, and managing team dynamics through turbulent transitions. They share insights on the significance of financial management, the challenges of scaling, maintaining productivity amidst internal conflicts, and the journey of rebuilding a more intentional and focused company. Sally emphasizes the importance of aligning work with energy and passion, and shares practical tips on team building for solopreneurs and small business owners.

More About Sally:

Sally is the CEO & Founder of Forshay, a firm that takes a holistic lens on how hard work can accomplished more easily, as it’s essential to have both the right players on the team, and the culture and organizational structure that enables people to do their best work. Forshay does this in two ways – with a modern approach to executive recruiting, and by supporting overworked teams with interim experts in the People/HR and Marketing domains -- all grounded with inclusion, diversity, equity and belonging. Sally has done two TEDx talks and has been featured in numerous media including Wall Street Journal, BBC, and Harvard Business Review, aside from her regular lectures at Stanford and UC Berkeley.