In this mini episode, Morgan DeBaun, CEO of Blavity Inc., takes us behind the scenes of the launch of their new home and decor media brand, "Home and Texture." Morgan shares how she and her team identified a gap in the market for a media brand that focused on the intersection of culture and home design, and how they went about bringing this vision to life. Morgan shares the challenges and triumphs of building a new brand from the ground up, including the process of defining the brand's...

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a franchise owner? Is it possible to have complete entrepreneurial independence and the ability to make an impact on your local community?   If so, you’ll want to hear my conversation with Kareem Edwards. Kareem got his start at Lehman Brothers, Kraft, and Google — and then went on to open his first Chick-fil-A restaurant in Chicago. In this episode, we discuss how Kareem learned the Chick-fil-A culture (yes, this means working part-time...

Are you intimidated by the thought of government contracting? Not sure where to start? On this week’s episode of the WorkSmart podcast, I sit down with Denise Burgess, President and CEO of Burgess Services, a construction management firm based in Denver, Colorado. Burgess has served on the Board of Directors of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce since 2010 and will become the first African-American Board Chair of the Chamber in September 2017. She’s also on the list of the Top 25 Most...

Shondra Washington is an emerging fund manager, investment banker and co-founder of TBC capital, an education-first advisory and consulting firm focused on fractional CFO’s business development and strategy services for venture-backed companies and small business owners. She is now the CEO of Black@. With her experience in finance and advising startup founders on their fundraising strategy, Shondra joins the WorkSmart podcast to share her wisdom and tips for other entrepreneurs. Working...

One of the most important things about working smart is learning how to automate and delegate to increase your efficiency. In this week’s episode of the WorkSmart podcast, Morgan shares her favorite go-to tools to grow her companies, automate her processes and save hours on big projects. From Asana to Lucidchart, these tools are crucial to maximizing your time and helping your business run more smoothly.   We’re also launching a WorkSmart 10-day challenge for listeners. The goal is to help...

Today, I have a fun announcement…WorkSmart+ is officially open! ✨ https://www.worksmartadvisor.com/launch ✨ The doors are open for you to join my new membership network that offers you my signature process to scale your business revenue…on repeat. WorkSmart is for CEOs, small business owners, & solopreneurs that are ready to escape the grind, delegate, & unlock new levels of revenue and freedom. Here’s a sneak peek of what you get when you join:  Access to an inclusive...

In this episode, I sit down with serial entrepreneur Touré Roberts to learn more on finding balance in life and business. Pastor Touré shares his story as an entrepreneur in tech and how he transitioned to a congregation founder and community builder. His tips for rebalancing your mindset through the ups and downs are crucial for anyone working to prevent burnout. Roberts shares a treasure trove of wisdom built over the years—from how to embrace failure (“Failure is loaded with power for...

In this series, Morgan interviews top entrepreneurs in her new city, Nashville, to learn about their business journey, chat about the growing community of entrepreneurs in Nashville, and what advice they have for listeners thinking about leaping into entrepreneurship. For this episode, Morgan sits down with Jasmine Sweet, lifestyle blogger, iHeartRadio project manager, tech marketer and Nashville resident. “Nashville is a city that has so many black professionals with degrees and talents...

Welcome to our new series: At Home in Nashville In this series, Morgan sits down with a few top entrepreneurs in her new city, Nashville, to learn about their business journey, chat about the growing community of entrepreneurs in Nashville, and what advice they have for listeners thinking about taking the leap into entrepreneurship. In this episode, Morgan sits down with Joshua Mundy, tech CEO, co-founder, non-profit leader, and Native  Nashvillian to talk about his different business...

Welcome to our new series: At Home in Nashville In this series, Morgan sits down with a few top entrepreneurs in her new city, Nashville, to learn about their business journey, chat about the growing community of entrepreneurs in Nashville, and what advice they have for listeners thinking about taking the leap into entrepreneurship.  In this episode, Morgan sits down with Tomiko Harvey, founder & editor of ‘Passports and Grub” a luxury lifestyle publication for Black women, Vice...

Lucinda Duncalfe, serial tech founder, CEO, and non-profit board member, is an expert when it comes to founding companies, navigating the executive search process, and coaching other executives. With more than 20 years of experience in the tech world, she brings insight into the progress made thus far—and the progress still to go to improve diversity in company leadership. In this episode of the WorkSmart podcast, we dive deep into the topic of executive search firms and why you need them in...

We have an announcement! We're launching CEO Spring Break - a first-of-its-kind retreat this April in Nashville, Tennessee. Listen to this quick episode to hear about the event, who it's for, and how you can get involved.  Make sure to join the waitlist https://www.ceospringbreak.com/ to find out as soon as registration opens and tickets go on sale!

In this week’s episode of the WorkSmart podcast, Morgan covers everything you need to know about getting media coverage for your business in the new year. Pitching your company is key to building your brand—but the secret is pitching well.  To start, you need to make your goals for gaining media coverage clear and intentional. Why do you want the press?  From there, you can start crafting pitches for the publications, creators, podcasts and more that you have in mind—but that’s just the...

In this episode, Morgan sits down with Grammy-winning artist, songwriter, and angel investor, NE-YO. Morgan and NE-YO have a beyond the music conversation about the realities of the music industry, what his day-to-day team looks like, his investment strategy, and he shares his advice as a veteran in the industry for artists and creatives who want to build lasting careers.  Click here to follow NE-YO: https://www.instagram.com/neyo/?hl=en  Click here to follow the WorkSmart Podcast:...

In this episode, Morgan sits down with her friend and 2019 WorkSmart alum Ernest B. James to discuss the creator economy and monetizing content. EJ opens up about the lessons he learned in the program and how he’s grown and transformed his business over the past two years. As the Founder and Chief Management Officer of Noire Management, a full-service multicultural digital influencer, talent, marketing, and communications agency, EJ has grown his agency well beyond the talent management...

In this week’s episode, we’re joined by WorkSmart alum and professional ghostwriter, Nakia J.S. Thomas. In 2014, Nakia founded a small writing company that organically transformed and grew into what’s now a six-figure full-service creative agency. Today, as the founder and CEO of Few Editorial & Creative Suite, she and her team partner with high-profile entrepreneurs, executives, influencers, and small-to-large businesses and organizations across the country, providing brand development...

In this series, Morgan sits down with small business owners and WorkSmart alumni to explore how they have scaled their businesses, grown their teams, and adjusted their business models to achieve new levels of success.  Andrea Pitter, Designer and Founder of Pantora Inc. joins us this week to share more about her entrepreneurial journey. Andrea is a force and inspiration in an industry that often lacks inclusivity and representation for the independent Black design entrepreneur. She launched...

We're kicking off a multi-part Entrepreneur Series, highlighting WorkSmarters and their business journeys from hiring a team to scaling their revenue. Over the coming weeks, you'll get to listen in on conversations between Morgan service- and product-based entrepreneurs. They'll talk about their business models, their team structure, and why they joined the WorkSmart Program. You'll also hear Morgan coach them in real-time through their current business challenges. These episodes are...

Have you ever wondered what it's like to build a media company in the modern age? Or perhaps what the future of content creation will look like? In today's episode of WorkSmart, Morgan chats with Carly Zakin and Danielle Weisberg, co-founders and co-CEOs of theSkimm.  They share how they grew The Skimm to one of the most influential media platforms for this generation of women, and how they thought about branding, scale, and mission at every stage of growing their business. Click here for...

Get a Behind-the-Scenes look into Morgan's WorkSmart Advising Program. Find out why she launched a coaching program, how she built the program, and how you can, too. After years of receiving requests for one-on-one coaching by other entrepreneurs and small business owners, Morgan decided to create WorkSmart to provide coaching to multiple business owners in a cohort setting. Since then, she has advised over 40 business owners on how to successfully scale and grow their businesses. Tune into...

In this episode, Morgan deep dives into the topic of angel investing, which has gained more and more interest over the past years. As a passionate angel investor herself, Morgan explains what angel investing is, how to find an angel for your business, and how you should prepare before seeking and approaching angel investors. From pitch decks to elevator pitches and competitive analyses, Morgan explores it all. Do you have to have connections to get access to angel investors or are there...

This week’s episode is a lesson on financial planning. Whether you’re still working your 9-5 while building your business or you’ve made the leap to full-time entrepreneur, getting clear on your cash flow and making a financial plan are imperative for success and growth. Grab your notebook and pen and dive into this episode. Also, download the free financial planning template and start building your money grail. To download the FREE financial planning template click here:...

In this special episode, Morgan shares her advice on how to run effective meetings - whether you have a small team or a big distributed team across the country. We all know the importance of using our time effectively and meetings are no different. How much time is really necessary for an executive meeting? How do I - as the leader - start, run, and end meetings? What about an agenda? Listen in to get the steps to optimize your future meetings.  As a bonus, get a behind-the-scenes look into...

In this episode, Morgan sits down with the duo behind the Earn Your Leisure brand, the number one business podcast in the world. Rashad Bilal and Troy Millings didn’t start their careers with a mission to teach financial literacy, but that’s what they’ve accomplished through a podcast that’s gone viral and global. Rashad, a financial advisor, and Troy, a financial educator, knew there had to be a way to teach money besides delving into the dryness of a Roth IRA versus 401(k). So the pair...