Watch4thehook Business & Entrepreneur Podcast: A Small Business Podcast for Small Business Owners
We will give you an in-depth look at what really goes on for small business entrepreneurs. You all will get to peek behind the curtains of the business world with Micheal and Tatiana Parker, the CO-Owners of WATCH4THEHOOK apparel brand. We will give you an unfiltered perspective to what really goes on in their day to day lives as business entrepreneurs. Tha Hook is any unforeseen circumstance that is hindering you from achieving the greatness you SEEK in LIFE. We hope to inspire entrepreneurs to fight for their dreams. We won't hide any real truths from our listeners and...
Wed, April 16, 2025
Budgeting Your Finances Will Help You As a Business Owner
*****Download Our Latest Episodes on Apple, Spotify, or Iheart Podcast Platforms***** Creating a budget for your business may not be as bad of a thing as you thought it was. A budget is a basic way to keep track of the money you are getting and the money you are spending as a business owner. Your monthly, or reoccurring business expenses are something you can use a budget to help keep track of. A decent starting point to creating a budget is to help designate your needs vs, your wants. We had to come up with production budgets, advertising budgets, etc. Tune in and learn how developing good budgeting habits can help you as a business owner. #budgeting #finanacing #needs #wants #expenses #advertising #production #money #tracking
Wed, April 09, 2025
Understanding the Value of Assets and the Disfunction of Liabilities
***** Download and Follow the Best Small Business Podcast Podcast Today***** Assets add value to your company and can increase the company's value and equity. Liabilities can decrease your company's value and equity. We have talked before about making yourself look better on paper and a great way to do that is to acquire assets, and help keeping your negative liabilities at a minimum. Keeping a good credit health can be a positive way to keep an eye on your assets and keeping an eye on revolving debt that can contribute to the liabilities associated with the company. Tune in to this latest episode and lets dive into assets and liabilities together!!!! #assets #liability #goodcredit #badcredit #businesscredit #addedvalue #generationalasset #aquisition #gettingbetter
Wed, April 02, 2025
Health of Business and the Business of Health in the 1st Quarter of 2025
***** Follow the Best Small Business Podcast on Planet on Your Favorite Podcast Players Today***** We are now about to enter the 2nd quarter of 2025 and we are looking into the health of small businesses through the 1st quarter of 2025. SURPRISE, plenty of small businesses are struggling due to a multitude of reasons. There has big a cut on access to capital, product inflation, job loss, and a economic slowdown. U.S. policy right now is at the forefront of concerns for small business owners. Tune in and see if your business is in good health going into quarter number 2 in 2025. #businesshealth #businessmindset #accesstocapital #profit #policy #tarriffs #economy #economicslowdown #2ndqtr #customerconcerns #businessowner #
Wed, March 26, 2025
The Legacy I Leave Will Be Greater Than Me Part 2
*****Follow the Best Small Business Podcast Today on All Major Platforms***** Legacy is more about leaving something in people, more than leaving something for people. That is such a profound statement. We have often talked about how it is something in business owners that is not in most people. Our time on this planet will be encompassed by a dash (-) when it is all said and done, but you can be discussed by others well after your time is done. It is up to you on how you will be discussed. Me and my wife want to be talked about by our great-grandchildren like we we the best thing since sliced bread. lol Tune into this episode if you feel like you are willing to be discussed after your - is done. #legacy #genrationalwealth #bulidingalegacy #foundation #helpingothers #sucession #life #glory #assets #story #family #actions#community #friends
Wed, March 19, 2025
Do for Self in 2025 Might Be the New Version of Fending for Yourself
***** Download the Best Small Business Podcast Today on Your Favorite Podcast Player***** Right now this country is bracing for massive job layoffs in the Government Sector. Some layoffs have already happened, and many more are projected. What will happen with these people who now find themselves unemployed? Are they supposed to just find new jobs next week? Are they supposed to just seek unemployment benefits that may not be available? Maybe they will start that business they always dreamed of having. Either way, there is this new "Do For Self" term that is being tossed around like it is a hot potato and no one is really explaining what it means or how it really helps those dealing with those Hooks right now. Tune in and see if you are understanding how others will be able to Do For Self, or are we just Fending For Ourselves in 2025. #fendforyourself #doforself #accesstocapital #businesstips #startingabusiness #unemployment #benefits #dreamersvsdoers #makingaway #resilency #movingon Shop Now for Unique Black Owned Statement Based Apparel
Wed, March 12, 2025
The Knowledge You Gain As You Grow in Business Will Help You Learn What to Ignore
***** Help This Small Business Podcast Grow By Following It On Your Favorite Podcast Player***** The term knowledge is power stands the test of time for a reason. This philosophy can be used in everyday business life as well. The knowledge you gain as you grow in business should be a great attribute to help you stay away from the unnecessary mistakes if possible. Understanding your strengths and weaknesses, as well as what makes your brand your brand are invaluable. Prioritizing your time, and planning accordingly can help you grow as a business owner. There will always be fads, the can't miss things, and all that jazz to distract you. #knowledge #distractions #philosophy #businessgrowth #strengths #weaknesses #diversity #leadership #socialjustice #belonging #community #professionaldeveopment #equity #inclusion
Wed, March 05, 2025
Personal Branding Can Help Define Your Brand
*****Subscribe and Download the best Small Business Podcast Today***** Personal branding can help you to communicate who you are, what you value, and how you express those values. A personal brand can help you understand yourself better and possibly feel more confident. A personal brand that reflects your values can help you connect with others on a more profound level. A personal brand can help you attract opportunities that align with your values and goals. Lots of small businesses were built off the personal branding of the owner or owners themselves. Listen to this episode to see if your personal branding is something you may need to develop or tweak. #personalbrand #branding #marketing #image #imageconsulting #brandvalues #confidence #branddevelopment #brandeverything #uniquevalue #authenticity #skills
Wed, February 26, 2025
The Misconception That it is Less Risky to Start a Business Than in Years Past
*****Subscribe, Follow, and Download the BEST Small Business Podcast Today***** Over the past few decades, entrepreneurship has transformed from a risky and outlier career choice to a mainstream, highly aspirational pursuit. With the creation of the internet and the capabilities of creating an ecommerce business has only amplified the avenues to entrepreneurship. But please don't get it twisted there is still plenty of risk in starting a business in 2025. There is just a level of acceptable risk to be accepted by all parties involved. Tune in to hear how we discuss is there a misconception about the risk of starting a business. #acceptablerisk #businessowner #ecommerce #smallbusinessowner #riskybusiness #entrpreneurship #beinginbusiness
Wed, February 19, 2025
The Importance of Mentorship and Learning from Others' Mistakes aka Hooks
*****Download and Follow Us Today***** Mentorship and learning from others' mistakes are crucial for personal, professional, and business growth. Mentors can guide individuals through challenges and provide valuable insights, while learning from others' mistakes help avoid similar pitfalls and fosters resilience. Mentors can open doors to new opportunities and connections, expanding mentees' professional and business networks. Observing and analyzing the mistakes of others can provide valuable insights and broaden one's understanding of different situations and approaches. Tune into this episode to see how being a mentor or finding a mentor can be a great asset to your business. #mentorship #networking #mistakes #learning #business #expanding #understanding #pitfalls
Wed, February 12, 2025
How Business Owners Are Dealing with All the Fees Associated with Their Business
*****Download and Follow the Most Honest Small Business Podcast on Apple, Spotify, or Iheart Platforms Today***** Small businesses are primarily dealing with rising fees in a number of ways. They are carefully reviewing costs, implementing cost-cutting measures, adjusting pricing strategically, diversifying their supply chains, and focusing on customer retention to mitigate the impact of inflation and maintain probability. This often involves being transparent with customers about price increases while trying to maintain quality and value in their products or services. Tune in to this episode as well deep dive into these aspects that we have been dealing with since 2020.
Wed, February 05, 2025
How the Removal of Diversity Equity and Inclusion Initiatives Will Negatively Affect Small Minority Businesses
*****Please Hit the Follow Button For Our Podcast On Your Favorite Podcast Player ***** Removing DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) initiatives from small businesses can negatively affect its ability to attract and retain top talent, damage its reputation, limit access to diverse customer bases, hinder innovation, and potentially lead to legal issues, ultimately impacting the company's overall growth and profitability. Tune into this latest episode to hear how DEI initiatives really helped small businesses flourish. #diversity #equity #inclusion #inclusionmatters #bipoc #inclusivity #belonging #antiracism #professionaldevelopment #womeninbusiness
Wed, January 29, 2025
How to Gauge Social Events as Being a Content Creator
*****Download the Best Small Business Podcast Today on Apple, Spotify, or Iheart Platforms***** To gauge social events as a content creator, you may have to focus on understanding your target audience, utilizing event hashtags, actively engaging with attendees on social media before, during, and after the event. You can also leverage influencer partnerships, and analyze key metrics like reach, engagement, and mentions to assess the overall impact of the event as well. Tune in to this episode to see are you gauging social events correctly as a business owner. #contentcreator #socialevents #engagement #blog #socialmedia #keymetrics #hashtags #audience #attendees #partnerships
Wed, January 22, 2025
There are Dreamers and Then There are Doers in the Business World
*****Are Simple Call to Action is Just Follow this Podcast on Apple, Spotify, and Iheart Platforms***** In the business world, the dynamic between "dreamers" and "doers" is crucial for innovation and success. While both are essential, they represent different approaches and skillsets that complement each other. Dreamers are visionaries, often characterized by their creativity, optimism, and ability to imagine possibilities beyond the current state. Doers, on the other hand, are practical, action-orientated individuals who focus on execution and implementation. Tune into this episode to see how dreamers become doers in the business world. #businessowner #doers #dreamers #success #inbusiness #lookingforward #implementation #execution #creativety #skillsets #approach #calltoaction #imagination
Wed, January 15, 2025
Being Impulsive Can Negatively Impact Your Business
*****Subscribe and Follow the Best Small Business Podcast on Apple, Spotify, or Iheart Podcast Platforms***** Being impulsive in business can negatively impact your business operations by leading to hasty decisions that might result in financial losses, damaged relationships with clients or partners. Impulsiveness can lead to poor strategic planning, decreased employee morale, and a lack of credibility due to inconsistent actions, all stemming from a failure to adequately consider consequences before acting. Tune into the latest episode of the Watch4thehook Business & Entrepreneur Podcast to see are you an impulsive business owner. #business #motivation #businessowner #money #smallbusiness #marketing #success #entrepreneurship #believe #branding #positivevibes #startup #goals
Wed, January 08, 2025
The American Dream Can Turn into a Nightmare Due to Bad Credit
***** Subscribe to the Best Small Business Podcast Today on Apple and Spotify***** The "American Dream" typically represents homeownership, financial stability, and upward mobility, can easily transform into a nightmare for individuals with bad credit. Bad credit significantly restricts their ability to access necessary loans for key aspects like buying a house, starting a business, or even securing a decent rental rate. A poor credit score can prevent someone from qualifying for a mortgage, forcing them to rent or live in substandard housing, which can hinder stability and limit potential wealth accumulation. Tune into this episode to see if you are looking to try and live the American dream or are you being forced into an American nightmare. #business #creditscore #Americandream #goodcredit #badcredit #creditreport #creditscore #entreprenuership #goodcreditpractices #predatorylending #creditcardscams #creditcards
Wed, January 01, 2025
Making the Necessary Adjustments in Business
*****Happy 2025 from the Wacth4TheHook Business & Entrepreneur Podcast***** We hope everyone has a great 2025. 2024 was quite the year for us personally and in business as well. Some good highs and some tough lows as well, but we can't complain one way or the other. In this episode we are talking about making the necessary adjustments in business and in life for 2025. We are hoping that you all can take away view points from years past to help you all make some great decisions for 2025. #businessmindset #businesstips #2025 #newyearnewbusiness #startinganewbusiness #businessgrowth #entrepreneur #marketing #success #smallbusinesssuccess #entrepreneurlife #newlife2025
Wed, December 25, 2024
Navigating Uncertainties as a Business Owner
*****End 2024 on a Great Note by Subscribing and Following the Best Small Business Podcast on Apple or Spotify***** We want to thank 2024 for being a year of understanding, learning, and reflection. As a small business we have had to continue that this a business of love that grows as we grow as a company and as a culture. We keep learning that the business landscape changes daily and we have to adapt on the run it seems at times. We also reflect on where we started, where we are now, and where we hope to go in the future. 2025 already has some business owners worried and we understand those feelings. Those who are wondering if they will start their business soon, there are no guarantees of success but you will never know if you don't try. Tune in to this episode and see where your thoughts are about being or becoming a business owner in 2025. #becomingabusinessowner #smallbusinessowner #blackpodcastersassociation #blackpodcaster #apparelbusinessowner #smallapparelbusiness #businessesin2025 #forcastingbusinessfor2025 #economyin2025 #eonomicstatusfor2025
Wed, December 18, 2024
The Willingness to Collaborate with Others
***** Subscribe to the Best Small Business Podcast on the planet NOW!!!***** We come with a great feelin of collaboration because of our inter with @Ermias Hagos of The Black Experience Podcast (YouTube). We are appreciative of him reaching out and inquiring if we would be willing to sit down and have a meet and greet session. Then we went on to realize all the great things we all have in common and then to put it on wax as they say lol. The main thing to take from this episode is to be specific in what you are looking from in a potential collaborator and what everyone can possibly gain from the collaboration. Whether it is more views, more customers, better sales, etc., just be willing to understand what you are looking for. Click the link and tune in..... #collabs #workingwithothers #likeminded #collaborations #HookingUp #talkingaboutthings #networking
Wed, December 11, 2024
The Difference Between Small Business Loans and Small Business Grants
***** Subscribe to One of the Best Business Podcasts Today on Apple or Spotify Platforms***** A small business loan is money that can be borrowed from a prospective lender that will have to be paid back with interest. While a small business grant can be free money awarded to a small business that does not have to be paid back. The key from those last two sentences is that a loan requires repayment, whereas a grant does not. There a key points about a small business loan and grants: Application process: Loan applications usually focus on creditworthiness and the ability to repay. We have talked about in an earlier episode about fixing your personal credit first. We continue to preach that after you become 18 your credit score number means more to you than your SS#. Eligibility Criteria: Both loans and grants may have certain criteria eligibility requirements based on certain business factors such as: size of the business, industry, location of the business, and financial health of the business. Sometimes grant eligibility can be more restrictive. Just be aware of the financial stipulations can also can be associated with getting a loan or a grant. Tune in to this episode to see if your business can benefit from some financial stimulation. #businessloan #businessgrant #financiallender #loan #grant #repayment #gift #freemoney #flexibility #applicationprocess #moneyawarded
Wed, December 04, 2024
Are You Paying With Cash or Card
*****Subscribe to our Podcast on Apple or Spotify Platforms Today***** There are a number of ways a small business can accept payment from customers. Merchant services are various financial services for businesses to accept and process electronic payment transactions. It sounds simple, but that includes everything from hardware used for card payments to the virtual gateways that secure online transactions. As always, nothing in life is free either. The average credit card processing fee, which will be taken out of the merchant's (the business) sales revenue. This fee may range from about 1.5% to 3.5%. Merchants can negotiate their card processing fees, and they are not set in stone. October of 2024, we had been noticing some "new" and "unexplained" charges coming from our business bank account for awhile. M&T Parker LLC has has a portable payment operating system from Clover. There had always been a standard monthly fee with a percentage fee of a certain percent on the amount of a processed purchase amount. We mainly used it for pop up events and in person purchases as well for our loyal customers. Long story short, we have not parted ways with Fiserv (the parent company) and Clover because of the unexplained charges and other not so cool customer service business transactions. Tune in to see if your small business is being service fees to death as well. #smallbusinessowner #merchantservices #acceptablepayment #onlinetransactions #creditcard #creditcardpayments #banktransactions #monthlyfees #percentagefees #processingfees #electronicpayments #financialservices
Wed, November 27, 2024
The Celebrities are Moving the Small Business Owners Out of the Small Business Market
******Please Subscribe to Our Podcast on Apple or Spotify Podcast Platforms***** Over the years we see how celebrities are expanding their brands in multiple ways. It used to be a way of thinking to "let the little guy have this one". They basically were meaning not to go after every dollar, but how times have changed. The world of celebrity can be measured from the White House to the out house. Celebrities are casting a bigger net in the sea and they are now catching small businesses in them as well. They have so many advantages that many small businesses don't have. If they come into contact with a small business that contact could literally sink a small business. We want to let small business owners to keep on fighting and see what may happen when celebrities reach down to become business owners. #smallbusinessowners #celebrity #celebritybusinessowners #smallbusiness #markerting #advertising #influencer #applepodcast #spotifypodcast #podcastshow #podcasters #blackpodcaster #blackpodcasterassociation #businesspodcast #itunespodcast #podcastinglife #podcastinghost
Wed, November 20, 2024
We Tried to Warn You Part 2
*****Subscribe today to the Watch4thehook Business & Entrepreneur Podcast***** For our small business owners, take time right now to mark down your expenses as we go into 2025. It is always harder to argue facts than fiction or opinions. Write down what your day to day, month to month, or year to year expenses are for your business. This will help you to see how the current economic status is affecting you and your business. They say, "money makes the world go around". It is actually the movement and the exchange of monetary sources that makes the world go around. That is why there were 2 economic stimulus packages passed by the U.S. Congress during the height of the global Covid-19 pandemic. People were not getting out spending money, or exchanging monetary sources. The economy is paced by the population spending their hard earned dollars with businesses off all calibers. The issue is for the upcoming United States Presidential Administration, how will they make the following business concerns better of worse for small businesses. Access to capital Business taxation Tariffs on imported goods Tariffs on exported goods Business loan qualifications #election2024 #yourvote #votingimpactsbusiness #smallbusiness #politicsimpactsbusiness #podcastinterview #franchise #podcastseries #spotifypodcast #applepodcast #inspiration #motivation #podcastlife #entrepreneur #womeninbusiness #podcastlove
Wed, November 13, 2024
We Tried to Warn You Part 1
*****Subscribe today to the Watch4thehook Business & Entrepreneur Podcast***** We acknowledge to some the world looks a lot different right now, and to some the world looks a lot clearer. Small business owners, we feel your uncertainty and The Hooks may keep coming our way. This episode may take a more political stance than most, but we have to realize politics plays a role in just about every aspect of our everyday lives. Politics can regulate who your business can bank with or receive access to capital from. Politics can dictate your tax rate or how taxes can impact your business. Politics can impact whom you could hire to help work for your company. We would love for you all to tune into this episode and hopefully be exposed to a way of thinking about politics differently.... #election2024 #yourvote #votingimpactsbusiness #smallbusiness #politicsimpactsbusiness #podcastinterview #franchise #podcastseries #spotifypodcast #applepodcast #inspiration #motivation #podcastlife #entrepreneur #womeninbusiness #podcastlove
Wed, November 06, 2024
Lots of Followers, Low Social Media Engagement, and Why Should I Pay You
****** Subscribe to the Watch4theHook Business & Entrepreneur Podcast Today (Apple/Spotify)***** This is a deeper dive into our topic from Episode 125: Is Your Influence Worth Your Price. We are really trying to prepare business owners and potential business owners how to study and analyze social media stats. Also, it may be best to understand that influencers are not professional paid advertisers or advertising agencies. Some maybe able to "sell" themselves, but that doesn't mean they can sell anything. Have you ever noticed when an influencer is promoting a prominent product, there is always a massive paid adverting campaign behind it? They are just the paid talent in that commercial, they are not the master mind or engine behind that paid advertising campaign. The big issue comes when they are paid to be that master mind on social media for a specific product and they don't know how to be that for a particular company. Then as a company your return on investment (ROI) will probably be a negative impact. Listen in to this episode to better understand if paying a social media influencer the right move for your company. #socialmediainfluencer #paidadvertising #advertisingagency #paidadvertisingcampaign #influencer #numberoffollwrers #numberofsubscribers #likes #subscribers #shares #post #repost
Wed, October 30, 2024
Is Your Influence Worth Your Price
***** Follow our New IG page at Watch4thehookbusinesspage***** There are so many "influencers" out there, and they will market and promote them as the one thing your business is missing to take it to the next level. You can go and research their social media following to see what type of attention they are garnering out there too. You can check out how many followers they have, how many likes their post get and all that. In the mist of during your research you should be able to see if their influence is worth the price. You can pay attention if someone has 500,000 thousand followers on a social media platform but are getting 500 likes on their post, their interaction with their audience is very low. We have been taught that you look for a 10% average of interaction from followers on that person's post. Yes we know, I thought I was going to kill them with one mentality applies. There will be some misses when it comes to social media and we know that. But just tune into this episode to see if their influence is actually worth the price they maybe charging your business. #influencers #socialmedia #socialmediamarketing #followers #likes #subscribers #activelisteners #businesspodcast #entrepreneurpodcast #youtubepodcast #spotifypodcast #podcastlife #podcasthost #podcaster #blackpodcastersassociation
Wed, October 23, 2024
Be Strong Enough to Ask for Opinions, Not All Critiques are Hating
***** Check Out Our YouTube Page, @Watch4thehookbrand***** We are deep diving more into the psyche of business owners in this episode. Lots of times a business owner can misinterpret a comment or feedback as hating or a negative response. Sometimes, solicited advice because you asked for an opinion can come in varies shapes forms and fashions. We talked about in our previous episode, you cannot do it all alone. Your network can determine your net worth is a frequently used statement right now. You have to be open to opinions, critiques, and criticisms. To think you know it all as a business owner can be a grave mistake. This way of thinking can lead you back to our episode of is your business thriving, surviving, or dying. We constantly talk about checking your ego at the door to help your business in positive ways. This is the perfect episode for open minded business owners, and those closed-minded ones nee to tune in too!!!!! #businesspodcast #openmindedness #thinkingaboutthingsdifferently #businessowners #watch4thehook #businesslife #businessmindset #businesstips #blackbusinessowner #blackpodcasterassociation #creativesondisplay #influencer #lifestylepodcast
Wed, October 16, 2024
You Can Not Do It All
***** Please Follow our new Instagram business page, Watch4thehookBusinessPage***** As small business owners we sometimes try, or even have to be the whole damn show. You have to be the event originator, organizer, promoter, advertiser, marketer, attendee, etc. It can be overwhelming and can take you down a rabbit hole to nowhere. We constantly talk about checking your ego at the door as a business owner, and that maybe hard for some of us to do. Teamwork makes the dream work, but if you are wanting all the accolades that comes with the success, are you willing to accept the blame if it is not as successful as you dream it to be. We know it is hard to keep that same energy as a business owner but sometimes you may have to get "help" from others. That "help" may give you the energy boots your business needs. You will have hits and misses, but you have to be able to deal with the misses as they come along. Tap in and hear if you are a business owner who is looking for real feedback about their business. #businesstips #newepisodes #blackpodcast #blackpodcastassociation #podcasthost #explorepage #podcastshow #itunespodcast #eventplanning #popupevents #smallbusinessmarketing #youtuber #smallyoutuber #spotifypodcast #applepodcast #podcastinglife
Wed, October 09, 2024
They Hacked and Stole Our Instagram Page (WatchFourTheHook)
*****Please Go Follow Our New Instagram Business Page, Watch4TheHookBusinessPage***** We were hit with a hard Hook to swallow a few weeks ago. Some low-down ass persons or entity secured the access to our original IG page, Watchfourthehook. Our access was disabled and to our knowledge they deleted our entire page. We had that page for over 4 years and had so many memories tied to that page. I always talk to Tatiana about being able to capture those "lightning in the bottle" moments on that page. Those moments were content created from scratch like our Hook Up Session interviews. My goodness just thinking about losing those and i am ready to chicken choke a MF. All those late nights of thinking, plotting, planning etc. gone without much of a trace. No real reason why to evil steal our page, we are not some big company or major money producer. That was years of hard work taken away in a whim just because someone thought it was a thing to do on that day. If you want to know my true feelings, and all the curse words I felt like using in this episode. rzmfunhrtizs is the profile that stole ours by the way!!!!! #socialmedia #profilehacked #profilestolen #instagram #facebook #youtube #followers #subscribers #likes #shares #post #socialmediamarketing #paidadvertising #socialmediapresence
Wed, October 02, 2024
Is This a Businesship (A Mixture of a Friendship and a Business Relationship)
***** Our Call to Action this week is please leave us a review on the Apple Podcast Platform***** There are lots of business owners who have other friends who are also business owners. Parts of the friendship is supporting each other in their business ventures and vice versa. But at what time does the friendship turn into a businesship? This is where the one friend business owner only deals with the other friend when it comes to business issues only. Where did the friendship go? How did it get this way, or did they see they could more out of you on the business end and not be a friend at all anymore? They are only counting on you to help, but are they going to start counting you in on things? We have talked numerous times about checking your ego at the door as a business owner. You as a business owner should always be in learning mode. The way you see a 9 maybe a customer or friends 6. If you can understand how they see that 6, you can possibly grow as a business owner. Sometimes your friends can help your business and possibly give you all a evenly distributed businesship. All you have to do is tune in to this episode and see are you in a mutual businesship... #businesship #partnership #friendship #businesspartners #businessgoals #entrepreneurs #smallbusinessowners #applepodcast #spotifypodcast #youtubepodcast #deezerpodcast #pandora #amazonpodcast
Wed, September 25, 2024
How Many Calls to Action Do You Have
***** Download 1 Episode and Become Part of Our Podcast Community***** We have learned over the years that being a business owner, you may ask request from your customers. Those are called Calls to Actions aka CTAs. The first line in the blog is a CTA, and we hope you do it for us too. lol Our CTA in writing is a clear and direct message that will elicit the response we are hoping from our customer or audience. A CTA can also be a marketing tool to get the consumer to take in what you may be asking or requesting from them. CTAs can be conversation starters, attention grabbers, motivational in nature, and etc. There also can be the overuse of CTAs in one setting. Download, subscribe, like, share, love, etc. all at once can turn your customers or consumers off. Sometimes when it comes to CTAs, less may get you more. Tune in to this episode and see if you or someone you know has too many calls to actions. #calltoactions #CTAs #download #subscribe #like #love #read #access #achievement #marketing #listento #podcasting #business #leads #assets
Wed, September 18, 2024
How Your Profession Can Fund Your Small Business Dreams
*****Download 1 Episode and Become a Part of Our Podcasting Community***** A lot of business owners are still working a 9 to 5 job to fund their entrepreneurial dreams. This is termed as bootstrapping. A form of self-funding that helps you leverage your own financial resources to support your business dreams. This is the infamous Bank of Parker we have referred to so many times over. Our reality maybe a nightmare to other business owners who may not be able to leverage their income to help keep their business thriving, surviving, or dying. There is even a flipside to this situation where your 9 to 5 increases in some form or fashion where it begins to take away the time you have allotted for your small business ventures. You may have gotten a promotion, work schedule change, etc. Whatever it is, it is now demanding more of your time and your business my start to suffer from it. Tune in to this episode to see how your profession can fund your small business dreams. #businessfunding #moneymanagment #smallbusinessdreams #entrepreneurialmindset #womeninbusiness #smallbusiness #shopsmall #smallbusinesssupport #businessstartup #blackownedbusiness #localbusiness #businesspodcast
Wed, September 11, 2024
Using the Right Lingo Can Help or Hurt Your Business
***** Download Just 1 Episode to Join Our Podcast Community Today***** In this episode we are talking about how lingo can help or hurt your business. What actually is lingo? Lingo is the language and speech, possibly the jargon, slang of a particular field, group, or individuals. An even deeper dive for lingo is a corruption of lingua, Latin for tongue. For us of African descent, over 2,000 languages are spoken in Africa. Over 80% are not written down, so what does that mean? The lingo translates across many of different people. We are talking about also how as a business owner how can you interpret feedback about your business. How your customers are speaking about their interactions with your business, whether good or bad. Do you as a businessowner understand what they are saying about your business? Your business practices? Your business concepts? Tune in to this episode to see is your business lingo helping or hurting your business. #lingo #messaging #businessmessaging #podcastlife #businesscoach #applepodcast #podcastmovement #podcastcommunity #podcastlove #businessmindset #businesstips #businessadvice #tuneinpodcast #businessstrategy #businessmindset #businesslanguage #lingo #buinesslingo
Wed, September 04, 2024
We Had the Meet Up, Now What? (Part 2)
*****Please Leave Us A 5* Review on Apple Podcast When You Get a Chance***** Have you ever been to a meet up, social or networking event and felt underwhelmed? We always talk about how time is the greatest commodity you have that you can never get back. You invest your time into certain events, and you felt like you got absolutely nothing from it. The networking wasn't networking for some reason. It could be a number of reasons why things didn't go as you had planned. The host could not have been friendly, drab environment, no grown-up cocktails, etc. The main issue is now you have met Individuals whom you thought had liked minded interest and you got absolutely nothing new from these encounters, Now What do you do? Tune in to this episode for Part 2. #netowking #meetup #socialgatherings #networkingevents #businessmeetings #popupshop #smallbusinessfunctions #podcastinglife #podcastermeetups #smallpodcasters
Wed, September 04, 2024
We Had the Meet Up, Now What? (Part 1)
*****Please Leave Us A 5* Review on Apple Podcast When You Get a Chance***** Have you ever been to a meet up, social or networking event and felt underwhelmed? We always talk about how time is the greatest commodity you have that you can never get back. You invest your time into certain events, and you felt like you got absolutely nothing from it. The networking wasn't networking for some reason. It could be a number of reasons why things didn't go as you had planned. The host could not have been friendly, drab environment, no grown-up cocktails, etc. The main issue is now you have met Individuals whom you thought had liked minded interest and you got absolutely nothing new from these encounters, Now What do you do? Tune in to this episode and next one (Part 2) to see what can come from this. #netowking #meetup #socialgatherings #networkingevents #businessmeetings #popupshop #smallbusinessfunctions #podcastinglife #podcastermeetups #smallpodcasters
Wed, August 28, 2024
A Business Competitor VS A Business Comparator
*****Click the Link and Join our Podcast Community Today***** This episode will take you a journey into the world of business competitor and a business comparator. A business competitor is an organization that offers similar or almost identical products or services as another business. A business comparator is possibly a group of businesses that are selected according to size, sector, geographic spread, or other criteria to be used as a basis of measurement. Basically, we are talking about how some businesses compare themselves to others and how they measure up or against other companies as well. In this episode we talk about how business owners can let their egos get the best of them when giving a real assessment of their business. We as business owners in the apparel business no we don't compare with larger scale smaller businesses. We know to compare ourselves to smaller, online ecommerce businesses that fit close to the same criteria we fall in. This episode we hope to inform business owners about seeing your business as a competitor or a comparator to other businesses. #businesspodcast #podcasting #podcastcommunity #motivation #businesstips #entrepreneurpodcast #inspirationpodcast #smallbusinessowner #businessconsulting #smallbusinesspodcast #womeninpodcasting #podcastinglife #podcastaddict
Wed, August 21, 2024
You Are in the Right Building, but in the Wrong Room (Delayed Not Denied Part 2)
*****Download An Episode or Two and Join Our Podcast Community***** The business landscape is always changing and for business owners that means you have to change as well. In that phase of adapting also comes a phase where understanding what you are trying to accomplish will come in handy too. Lots of times being aware of when to and when not to do certain things will be crucial to your business and how it runs day to day. Even when it comes to getting around the right crowd there will be so many challenges. You may be approached by any and every one with their pitch to help elevate your business to the next level, and that is a can of worms in itself. This goes to the adage of getting your foot in the door. That is just part of the battle right there. The most important part is once you are in the building, make sure you are in front of the right people. This is where you are in the right building, but in the wrong room comes from. Tune in and find out are you heading in the right direction. #businessmindset #businessventures #entrpreneurdreams #podcastcommunity #podcastaddict #podcastmovement #onlinebusiness #businessadvice #womeninbusiness #businessleadership #womenpodcasters #podcastinspiration
Wed, August 14, 2024
Is Your Business Surviving, Thriving, or Dying
***** Click The Link and Join Our Podcast Community***** Three things can be happening to your business. Your business can be thriving, surviving, or dying. This may seem drastic, but this is the situation that countless business owners face day in and day out. Life will still continue to throw you HOOKS, but you will be able to hopefully choose how you react to them. Those reactions can be based on how well your business is doing at that time. Revenue and profit margins are the two main indicators that can tell you if you are thriving in your business. You can go back to Episode 23: Flourish or Fold to rehash how we have discussed the topic of a flourishing business before. A for profit business that is surviving is making enough money to keep the bills paid and the doors open as they say. There is no margin for error, or the repercussions could be disastrous. These businesses need an influx of cash, and they need it very soon. A business that is dying, is doing just that. It is on its last cash reserves and their next business move may be to close and shut down their business. Tune in and find out if your business is thriving, surviving, or dying!!!!! #flourish #thrivingbusiness #dyingbusiness #surviving #thriving #money #cash #bills #businessmindset #profit #makingmoney #revenue #cashinflux
Wed, August 07, 2024
Identify the Problem (Be a Problem Solver)
***** Click the Download Button and Become Part of Our Podcast Community***** One of the craziest aspects of us becoming podcasters and business owners is we identified a problem or a gap per say. With us wanting to solve the problems we identified it gave us a true purpose for the journey we have embarked upon. We needed a us for us when there was not an us in our atmosphere at that time. The original concept presented to us for our podcast did not identify a problem for us at that time, but we talked and thought about things differently and the Watch4Thehook Business and Entrepreneur Podcast came into existence. The same can be said for the apparel side. We saw a gap in positive, message-based apparel. and we sought out to fill that gap. Have either of these journeys been easy? Hell no, but we have appreciated them, nevertheless. Tune in to this latest episode and see if you need to identify a problem that may just need solving. Let us know whose tuning in. You can email us at admin@watch4thehookcom. #businessconsulting #itunespodcast #blackpodcaster #entrepreneurpodcast #businesstips #buinessstrategy #smallbusinessowner #podcastsofinstagram #podcastshow #podcasthost #spotifypodcast #googlepodcast #motivationalpodcast #smallbusinesspodcast #podcastepisode #ecommercepodcast #podcastlove #podcastmotivation #businessadvisor #businessmindset
Wed, July 31, 2024
Overcoming the Hooks 2
*****Download 1 Episode and see what you have been missing***** Remember it is easy to not be doing this. Everyday above ground is a chance to be better than yesterday. I wrote that last statement to myself in Dallas, Tx earlier this year at a Hello Alice Small Business Summit. Those words came back to me on the post card sent to my house earlier this week. That was the kick in the ass I needed to get to finish this long ass Summer of 2024 up strong. I am fucking exhausted, I know my wife is too, but this work will not complete itself, so we keep pushing. No matter the Hooks, you have to overcome them. Whether it is one devastating Hook, or a 2-piece and a biscuit, get your ass UP!!!!!!!!!! No one will feel sorry for you, pity you, or even acknowledge what you are going through. You have to dig down deep, maybe deeper than before and figure it the fuck out... Tune into this episode to see how you can keep overcoming the Hooks. #businesspodcast #entrepreneurpodcast #motivation #businesstips #podcastinterview #podcastlove #applepodcast #spotifypodcast #podcastlife #podcastcommunity #podcasthost #blackpodcasters #blackpodcastersassociation #enterpreneur #businessowner #blackbusinessowner
Wed, July 24, 2024
Our Success on Securing a 6-Figure Commercial Property Loan
*****Download Our Podcast and Listen at Your Leisure***** We are taking you down the road of improving credit scores, sacrificing popping bottles in the club, and choosing to leave a legacy over balling out of control. Me and Tatiana were able to purchase our first commercial property in 2021, but the preparation started a couple of years before that. My wife will be the first one to tell you, that I ran from the legacy we are trying to leave together. We go through the steps of improving my credit score as step number one a few years ago. That initial step began with an idea and by 2021 the implementation had come to fruition. Like we always say, if it was easy, everyone would be doing it. I am leaving a lot out because we want you to tune in to our latest episode on how we secured our 6-figure commercial property loan. #propertyacqusition #commercialproperty #realestate #legacy #legacygreaterthanme #inheritance #bankloan #businesscredit #personalcredit #finacialliteracy #financialbanking #financialloans #makingmoney #businessowner #creditreport #experiancreditreport #creditkarma #revolvingdebt #DTI #debttoincomeratio
Wed, July 17, 2024
Taking a Break Can Be Bad for Business Part 2
***** Download our Podcast and Listen at Your Leisure***** This is a 2 Part Episode Due to Technical Difficulties. Please Download Both Episodes (108 and 109). We are finishing up our discussion on why taking a break can be bad for business. We are trying not to go down a rabbit hole that leads to nowhere, but that is what may happen if you take a break from your normal routine of conducting business. As one of my fellow podcasters @Natelogic says, " you have to see it through". The hard times will not last always, and as a business owner sometimes you need to have selective amnesia for the hard times. There are 3 things most businesses are doing: thriving, surviving, or dying. In this episode we also talk about the sacrifices that business owners sometimes have to make in order to protect their business. This shit is not easy by no means and lots of times your hard work will never be seen by the public eye. We always talk about you have to be a tad bit crazy to be a business owner, but you have to answer your calling in life. We really hope you all love our content and please keep tuning in. We appreciate you all and thank you all so much. #businesssavvy #thrivingbusiness #watch4thehookpodcast #survingbusiness #dyingbusiness #businessowner #onlinebusiness #ecommercebusiness #youtube #youtubepodcast #spotifypodcast #applepodcast #businessplan #businessplan
Wed, July 17, 2024
Taking a Break Can Be Bad For Business Part 1
***** Download our Podcast and Listen at Your Leisure***** This is a 2 Part Episode Due to Technical Difficulties. Please Download Both Episodes (108 and 109). The frustrations of being a business owner can make you make impulsive decisions. We are an online business, mostly, and sometimes business is slow. Thant doesn't mean we don't need to sell our apparel online any longer. Yet everyday many business owners decide to "take a break" form doing business and take some time off. Taking time off from your business can be detrimental to the success of your business. Lots of time, when business owners take time off from their business, they GO OUT OF BUSINESS. This episode we go into great detail of how taking a break from your business is bad for your business. #businessstrategy #businessplans #entrpreneurship #makinggoodbusinessdecisions #businesstips #onlinebusiness #stayininbusiness #businessloans #businessstartups #makingmoney #survingbusiness
Wed, July 10, 2024
Are You the Business Owner That Others are Looking For
*****Please Tell 1 Friend About Are Podcast***** One of the main things we talk about in being a business owner is checking your ego at the door. Sometimes your ego can have your perception of you as a business owner slightly inflated. Yes, we all strive to be the best we can be in life, but sometimes we need to learn to keep a positive ear open for others to be able to talk to us. If you are the one always doing the talking and you are never listening, that maybe a problem for you and your business. Listening to others and being able to take feedback from others can help you grow as a business owner and help your business in the long run. Knowledge is power and knowledge can be a great teacher for those who are willing to learn from the information they have received. Things can only be lessons in life if you actually learn something from them. Perserverance will still be one of your greatest attributes of being a business owner. As you grow in business hopefully it will help you grow business savvy, business mindset, or business practices. Tune into this episode and see if you are the business owner others are looking for. #businessowner #businesssavvy #blackbusinessowner #businesspractices #businessmindset #entrpreneurmindset #gainsandlosses #upsanddowns #businesstips #positivemindset #thinkingpositive #businessplan #businesscredit
Wed, July 03, 2024
They Not Like Us in the Business World
*****Please Tell 1 Friend About Our Podcast. We Really Appreciate Your Support***** There are lots of distractions going on in the world, but don't be distracted by how your business is going right now. We are now starting to clear up from the global pandemic known as Covid-19 and there were multiple billionaires made during that pandemic too. As many businesses folded, there were lots that flourished too. You maybe astounded that how the systems in place will benefit those who are granted access to those resources and tools. It sometimes feels like a never-ending process to how to make your business profitable and sustainable. Some access points and resources to capital could be denied to you because of the size of your business, your market reach, your profitability, etc. There three things that can happen to a business, it has survived, thrived, or died. Drop your ears in the earphones and tune into the latest episode right here... #businessloans #buisinessmindset #businessequity #businesspractice #revenue #revenustreams #accesstocapital #loans #capital #resources #capital #deniedcapital #businesstips #businesssavy
Wed, June 26, 2024
They Call it Organic Growth or Is it Really Social Media Bots
*****Please Tell Just 1 Friend About Our Podcast. We Really Appreciate the Support***** It is sometimes astounding when you see some of the number of "followers" some businesses and entities can have on social media nowadays. Hell, even some single person in the world can have 75 million followers, and you have to think that is a lot of people. Most of the time those examples just mentioned have marketing budgets and marketing teams behind them to help accomplish those goals. Everything is basically a popularity contest and how can you prove popularity on social media? Followers, subscribers, likes, and shares are what they use to give quantitative value to popularity and audience reach through their perspective platforms. The problem is that there are plenty of ways to "inflate" all these numbers on social media. Has anyone gotten this email or direct message? "I'll promote your podcast through social media pages like as ( Tw*******, Fa*******, Li******, or Go*****) and help you get more downloads and more subscribers in the iTu**** store. You will start to see results in your analytics. You will start to see results in your analytics almost instantly. From there your podcast/business will continue to grow and grow. I can do this for $500 USD monthly. Ready to start now?" This sounds too good to be true, but you sign up. For two months you see exponential growth and the first month after you have let it go, BAM back to reality. So, what did you really pay for? Tune in to this episode and see did you/them pay for the social media bots!!!! #algorithmbots #socialmediabots #socialmediamarketing #paidads #adsspin #followers #likes #subscribers #shares #repost #reshare #fakestats #views
Wed, June 19, 2024
We Call it Job Hopping They Call it Climbing the Corporate Ladder
*****Do us a favor and please tell 1 friend about our podcast. Thank you as always for your support. ***** If it doesn't make dollars, then it doesn't make cents. lol We all have bills to pay, money to be made, and goals to conquer in our lives. The one way those all happen is by earning the money you need as an employee or making the money you need as a business owner. I will us myself as an example and let everyone know, I am all about making as much money as I can to help provide for my family. So yes, I have not been at the same job for forever as some people may have thought. I average about 3 years with a company and thing I usually find greater pastures to explore. The old days of spending 20-30 years working for the same company are few and far between now. That is for a few reasons: corporate greed, the invention of the internet, and the change in the type of workers who are doing the jobs now. Loyalty has been replaced with hunger for adventure, thirst for more money, and the dissipation of not fearing the unknown. With African Americans still only being in corporate America about 60 years we have now gotten a better understanding about the "game" that is played around us. Why spend 10 years at a company with minimal increase in pay or status, when you can search for a better job (preferably while you have one). Once you find your better job, then you leave that old job behind you. It is ok to say I have worked for 3 different companies in the last 10 years. If you get questioned about it in an interview, your response is, " I found a better job or a better opportunity to support myself or my family". Don't feel bad either because other people call it climbing the corporate ladder but some of us may look at it a job hopping. Tune in to this episode to see if you are the one who is trying to climb the corporate ladder. #climbingthecorprateladder #jobhopping #jobhistory #workhistory #salary #wagescale #raises #401K #retirementfunds #corporatefilings #coporateamerica #jobsearching #jobtitles #qualifications #collegegraduate #collegedegrees
Wed, June 12, 2024
Entrepreneurs Need Ways to Destress from Being Business Owners
***** Please Leave Us a 5* Review on Your Favorite Podcast Player Platform***** Business owners need to be able to find stress relief techniques to help with their mental stability. There is the notion that you are a business owner 24/7 and 365 days a year, and that is all find and dandy until it is not. Business owners are still one thing at their core and that thing is human. We try to push through all the ups and downs, but all those events can take a toll on you and your business. You will have to find ways to help you destress as a business owner and we are discussing some of those methods in this episode. One of the first things that come to mind is doing something with your family and those closest to them. Family time and fun family activities are great ways to take your mind off of things. The feelings of joy and happiness can be a monumental stress relief for business owner. We also discuss quite a few other ways to help entrepreneurs destress themselves and keep their sanity as being business owners. Business owners tap in and see if we can help you all out!!!! #businessowners #destressing #stressrelief #businessstress #overload #takeabreak #struggle #pressure #pressurepoints #familyfun #detach
Wed, June 05, 2024
You Deserve the Same Standard Business Practices as Everyone Else
*****Please Leave Us A 5* Review on Your Favorite Podcast Player***** Business owners have a due diligence to perform standard business practices. The practices can be defined as practices that must be followed while working for an organization. We are using this to piggyback off of our episode of Using Other People's Money. Financial institutions or financial lenders have a standard way of conducting business and small business owners are entitled to be treated fairly and properly throughout the process of looking into borrowing money. The business practices we refer to are the methods, procedures, rules, or tactics that a company follows in pursuit in its objectives to provide information of what their lending process or processes include. It is imperative that especially minority small business owners like us demand we get the same treatment as those larger companies get from lenders. There should not be in hidden agendas, hidden rules, or pitfalls not made away to the potential borrower from the beginning of the lending process. We have been encountering some issues with our loan officer from our financial lender and we have demanded that we get the same treatment as other real estate investment customers. Tune in to this episode to see how we are holding them accountable to the standards of business set forth by the business areas they deal with on a daily basis. #fianciallending #businessloans #standardbusinesspractices #smallbusinessloans #predatorylending #businessminset #businesssavy #businessplan #businesstips #understandingbusiness
Wed, May 29, 2024
Using Other People's Money (OPM)
*****Please Leave Us A 5* Review on Your Favorite Podcast Player Platform***** How does a business survive? One of the main ways is constant and good financial stability. That financing can come from other people's money, or OPM. OPM is referring to borrowed capital that is used to increase the potential returns as well as the risks of a particular investment. This money must come from legal financial intuitions or registered entities to avoid legal ramifications. Business owners can use legal OPM to upgrade their business, take own investors, purchase items for their business, etc. Using OPM is not a fairly new concept, but it has had a lot of overhauls regulation wise in the past few decades. We are mainly here to discuss legal OPM use and how sometimes you can get more than you bargain for. We have been very upfront about our adventure into the real estate world and one of main hurdles was obtaining OPM. Our OPM we obtained from a financial lender took us over six months. We had already spent the previous 10 months we were working with another financial institution for them to ultimately tell us they were not able to do commercial lending at that time (talk about being strung along). Yet we are now in the demolition of our 12-unit apartment complex renovations almost 3 years after we officially purchased the property. That part in itself is almost a 31-year journey for me alone. We want you all to tune into this episode to really understand how you may be able to access OPM and the string that come along with that money as well. Great Fitting Spring/Summer T-Shirt: High-Quality and Comfortable - Watch4TheHook Apparel Website
Wed, May 22, 2024
The Legacy I Leave Will Be Greater Than Me
*****Please Leave Us A 5* Review on Your Favorite Podcast Player***** EPISODE 100---We have hit the century mark for our published episodes, and we want to thank each and every one of you for tuning in to us. This episode is a very special one for us because this is where we are giving our listeners insights into our past, ringside seats to our present lives, and a vision board to how we are trying to shape our future and our daughter's futures as well. The definition of the word "Legacy" is something that is passed on. Yet like most things, Legacy can take on many forms. A Legacy may be monetary or your assets, or like we discussed in earlier episodes about Generational Wealth compared to Generational Assets. In the year of 2024, we as African Americans are seeing increases in certain areas. but decreases in others. These conditions have come about mainly due to legacies that were established well before the time captured at this moment. Those legacies left influence, money, and power to control the factors, measures, and decisions that benefit them the most. In this episode we talk about how we are now dealing with Legacies that are now spanning multiple generations, connecting past, present, and future, relaying messages of hope, fight, determination, knowledge, and perseverance. Great Fitting Spring/Summer T-Shirt: High-Quality and Comfortable - Watch4TheHook Apparel Website
Wed, May 15, 2024
When the Algorithm is Not Being Productive
******Please Leave Us a 5* Rating on Your Favorite Podcast Player***** In the world of social media, the algorithm which is a set of instructions that is designed to accomplish a task can be one of your best assets. Hopefully the main task you want it to do is bring attention to your company, find you some new customers, and bring your old customers back again and again. The success of these algorithms that are specified to help your business grow are crucial and not to be taken lightly. Especially if you are paying for advertising and these algorithms are not properly synced to your target or projected customer audience. We already talked in our "You Have to Pay to Play" episode how you have to spend money to potentially make money. Then think about you spending money for said algorithms and they are "flawed" from inception. That could be potential time and money wasted that your company really needed and possibly not recoup a financial reward from either. Algorithms are mainly problem solvers. One of the biggest problems for small businesses is getting front of more people. Lots of people don't understand that an algorithm takes time to collect, analyze, and plot a strategy to achieve the goal the goal they were created for. Take this example, a company pays for 90 days of advertising with an advertising firm. The algorithm is created day 1. Days 1-30 the algorithm if collecting data. Days 31-60 the algorithm is now "tweaking" itself and trying to get "smarter". Days 61-90 the algorithm is now seeking and finding those potential customers your business surely needs. Tune in to this episode and listen to how you can deal when the algorithm is not being productive. Business Monetization Assessment Call: Monetize Your Podcast - Watch4TheHook Apparel Website Green T-Shirt w/ Island Vibe & Perfect Fit Features - Watch4TheHook Apparel Website #algorithm #paidadvertising #advertisingagency #money #smallbusinesses #businesstips #analyzingdata #targetcustomer #targetaudience
Wed, May 08, 2024
You Have to Pay to Play
*****Please Leave A 5* Review on Your Favorite Podcast Player***** In the world of being an online, ecommerce-based business owner we have learned that internet advertising is a way of life. The hard part is that we all have a price to pay to help advertise our business. It may cost you a little, or it may cost you a lot, but nevertheless it will cost you. Advertising on social media has become more expensive as the years have gone by. There has been a significant price hike since the pandemic as well. It may even look like some social media channels are pricing out some small businesses. Some of these advertising packages are way more than some of these businesses can budget, so then they have to figure out more economical ways of trying to get their business in front of the masses. This where we talk about you have to pay to play in the latest episode of the Watch4TheHook Business & Entrepreneur Podcast. Business Monetization Assessment Call: Monetize Your Podcast - Watch4TheHook Apparel Website Podcast Merchandise Sales: A Mini Course for Monetization - Watch4TheHook Apparel Website #advertisingbudget #posting #ecommerce #onlinesales #socialmedia
Wed, May 01, 2024
One Pandemic Spoiled a Bunch
*****Please Leave a 5* Review on Apple Podcast for us Please***** The world was forever changed in March of 2020 in more ways than three. The Global Pandemic known as Covid-19 made the world come to a standstill. While the world was on pause, the business world came to a screeching halt as well. While the corporate business world was figuring out how to keep going, even to the point lots of individuals found avenues to start some small businesses, and I use the term some loosely too. lol Hundreds of thousands of small businesses were created due to the pandemic. Whether they were legal or illegal is not for us to judge, but all these newly created businesses came with a price for many other small business owners. The United States government created the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) to help legitimate small businesses keep paying W2 based employees and keep their small business a float while it was being negatively impacted by the pandemic. What eventually happened was there ended up being a lot of "fake" businesses being created and also a lot of internet-based businesses were launched as well. We launched in the pandemic but had planned to launch in a normal world, but we know how that all turned out. Now that we are in the post pandemic world, and now the United States government is telling "most" small business owners, the bill is due. They have changed the tax laws in so many ways that it is almost a punishment to the legitimate small business owners. They have taking away a lot of the "help" that used to be available to certain small businesses, but just tune into this episode to hear how you are sticking it out is still an option for most of us. Podcast Merchandise Sales: A Mini Course for Monetization - Watch4TheHook Apparel Website #pandemic#taxlaws#PPPloan#employee#employer#explorepage#businesstips#businessloan
Wed, April 24, 2024
There is Culture and Then There is Community
***** Please Leave Us a 5*Review or a Comment on your Favorite Podcast Platform***** We as a people have always been a close nit community regardless to what some people may say. We as a culture are innovators, needle pushers, trend setters, etc. but we are not benefitting the most from the outstanding contributions we have made to society as a whole. Getting these two aspects to getting back closer in alignment is paramount to us as a people, surviving, and striving going forward. We launched Watch4TheHook Apparel Brand because we wanted to give something to our culture. We saw a need for some positive messaged based apparel for our people to have access to. Sometimes we see a trend or fad of negative messaged based apparel running rapid in our culture, and we are not a negative minded people. You cannot be as revolutionary as we are as a people and be having a negative spirit. We love the community aspect of what Watch4TheHook Business & Entrepreneur Podcast offers to our listeners. We started this podcast as a form of giving back to our community of small business owners. This podcast aims to uplift those who have stepped out on faith or bet on yourself to achieve the greatness you are seeking in life. Tune into this episode to hear about there is culture, then there is community. Podcast Merchandise Sales: A Mini Course for Monetization - Watch4TheHook Apparel Website #community #culture #ittakesavillage #comingtogether #trends #fads #reality #helpingoneanother
Wed, April 17, 2024
If We Have to Keep Explaining It, Then You Are Not Getting It
*****Please Leave A 5* Review on Apple Podcast or Whichever Podcast Platform You Are Using***** Confusion in your business or about your business can stifle the growth of your business. This can be dealing with your business logo, concept, implementation, or even how the customer interprets what your business actually is. Take us for instance, Watch4thehook as a brand plays up on the metaphorical use of the hook. But when we first started out in 2019, we played upon the physical hook from boxing. It was not until after being asked time and time again do we teach boxing that we realized our brand messaging was as clear as muddy water. This is where we started to realize if we have to keep explaining it over and over again, then our audience is not getting what we are presenting to them. We also have learned how to keep design concepts simple to help make sure our graphics can truly be understood by our customers and audience. We have already talked about how simple is not boring. We have noticed that simple of the simplest designs produced have been some of the most profitable. Also, it could be that lots of people gravitate to designs where they don't have to think or induce deep thoughts from them. The main thing we have taken from our five years of being in business is that your brand logo, designs, concepts, brand strategy, brand image has to be clear to others than just you and your business partners. Watch4thehook: A Black Owned Apparel Company and more Shop Now for Unique Black Owned Statement Based Apparel ( watch4thehook.com ) Podcast Merchandise Sales: A Mini Course for Monetization - Watch4TheHook Apparel Website #businessstrategy #designconcepts #translation #branding #implementation #explanations
Wed, April 10, 2024
Uncle Sam Keeps Moving the Goal Post
*****Please Leave Us A 5* Review on Apple Podcast or Spotify***** Just when you think you have things all figured out, the rules change, and no one told you about it. This can happen to business owners on a daily basis. You feel like you are about to do something great in your business and then it misses the mark again. It feels like they keep moving the goal post so to say. One of our latest frustrations comes from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) on what qualifies as qualified business income (QBI). QBI is the net amount of qualified items of income, gain, deduction, and loss from any qualified trade or business, including income from partnerships, S corporations, sole proprietorships, and certain trusts. So, what has us all in an uproar? M&T Parker LLC is a partnership with 0 W-2 wage paid employees. That means we cannot submit W-2s as a form of business tax deductions. So, for small businesses like us, we sometimes may have to rely on business deductions as a form of loss to help with tax write offs. QBI also deals with the amount of liquid cash you have put into your business as well. Example, if I put $10,000 cash into my business and I had $12,000 in deductions or losses, you can only file up to $10,000 in losses only because you only put in $10,000 cash into your business. They are basically limiting the amount of deductions and losses a business can file based on the cash they put into their business. Once again it is another way, they keep moving the goal post for small to medium business owners. Shop Now for Unique Black Owned Statement Based Apparel ( watch4thehook.com ) Podcast Merchandise Sales: A Mini Course for Monetization - Watch4TheHook Apparel Website #taxseason2024 #smallbusiness #taxdeductions #qailifiedbusinessincome #taxfiling #W2 #wages #income #taxableincome
Wed, April 03, 2024
Trying 2 B Outside the Box
****** Please do us a huge favor and leave us a 5* review on Apple Podcast****** Sometimes for business owners thinking outside the box is not the issue, being placed into one from the start is the major problem. This imaginary box can sometimes stifle a business's path for growth and success. We have struggled with the imaginary boxes ourselves, for instance, "oh y'all sell t-shirts." Well, we do, but that is not all we have ever sold, but we have learned to not let boxes fold in on us as well. Your business can be placed in a box by customers, observers, or other vendors as well. These boxes don't have to define your business, they can help you to work harder at making your business standout. One of our biggest ways to stay out of our box as being a "lifestyle" brand was to go through brand development. Dailing in a brand strategy, brand mission, and brand vision can help your brand to stand out. Your branding material such as business cards, promotional materials, etc. will play a part in standing out as well. These imaginary boxes placed on your business are another version of a Hook that you will have to deal with. These boxes are trying to deny you the greatness you are envisioning for your business. Please stay vigilant and know that your love and passion for your business will always be needed. https://watch4thehook.com/ https://watch4thehook.com/about/ https://watch4thehook.com/product/podcast-money-merch-potential-monetization-call/ #boxedin #businessstrategy #businessplan #businesspodcast
Wed, March 27, 2024
Where Does the Money Come From
****** Please Leave Us A 5* Review on Apple or Spotify Podcast."""""" Small and Medium sized businesses are the backbone of the American economy, yet we rarely get the financial help that large businesses get. I have seen stats were only between 13-30% of small businesses get financial backing from financial institutions or banks. Looks like the deck is stacked against those who are supposed to help keep this boat afloat. The Federal Reserve Bank's Small Business Credit Survey. a staggering 85% of small businesses are experiencing financial difficulties in 2021 alone. How can almost 9 out of 10 small businesses need financial support and probably won't get it from financial institutions. Lots of small businesses apply for business loans for a variety of reasons: inventory purchases, cash flow for everyday operations, payroll expenses, and even debt consolidation/refinancing. All those a vital to a business succeeding and thriving. Yet, this road maybe blocked due to the fact the financial institutions are not lending to certain businesses at that time. An even steeping step down is that only 7.2% of Total Loans are approved to Black or African Americans. Another fun fact is only 3.9% of Total Loan Dollars are also awarded to Blacks or African Americans. https://watch4thehook.com/product/podcast-money-merch-potential-monetization-call/ https://watch4thehook.com/product/culture-champ-grey-heavy-blend-hoodie-sweatshirt/ https://watch4thehook.com/product/short-sleeve-red-think-about-things-differently-crew-neck-t-shirt/ #moneymatters #businessloans #financialinstitutions #bigbanks #smallbanks #operationalfunds #funding #microloans #loaneligibility #loanapproval #SBAloan
Wed, March 20, 2024
How 2 Build Together (Personally & Business Wise)
*****4 our avid listeners please leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcast 4 Us******* This episode we are pulling back the veil even more and giving you all a front row seat of how a married couple can build together. We are going back as far as 2011 and bringing you all along for our journey to 2024. This journey will tell you about the sacrifices we have made individually and collectively as a married couple. We have had many personal challenges that have help us grow personally and professionally. The education my wife and I have obtained over the years has helped us to grow professionally. This episode we are hoping to show that building together personally can help you build together as business owners. Business Monetization Assessment Call: Monetize Your Podcast - Watch4TheHook Apparel Website Unisex Think About Things Differently Long Sleeve Black T-Shirt - Watch4TheHook Apparel Website Stay Stylish and Casual with Short Sleeve Red T-Shirt - Watch4TheHook Apparel Website #buidlingabusiness #businessprogess #teamtogetherness #marriedcouple #businesscouple #sacrafices #teamplanning
Wed, March 13, 2024
With Your Small Business A$$
****** If U Find Time in Your Schedule, Please Leave a 5* Review on Apple Podcast******* Small businesses face many disadvantages as compared with large businesses. As being a small business, we even see the different levels that fall under what being a small business really means. We have dome to find out there are two metrics used to reference small business sizes. The number of employees and average annual revenue. Speaking in general, the Small Business Association (SBA) defines a small business as an independent business with fewer than 500 employees. Now that average annual income metric for small businesses can vary by industry. That is some fenagling for your ass right there. You will come to find out most small businesses have 50 employees all the way down to 1 on average. Watch4TheHook has 2. lol We have realized that other small businesses may have more employees, more revenue, and all that etc. That still doesn't mean we should not be in business. It just means we have to be more resourceful, more strategic, more financially savvy to how we run our business. Has that always worked out in our favor, no but that is the acceptable risks we have chosen to accept as business owners. Honestly it gives us some swag with our small business asses. lol Tune in and hear exactly our attitudes towards being small business owners. Podcast Money Merch Potential Monetization Call - Watch4TheHook Apparel Website Men's Behind the Scenes White T-Shirt - Watch4TheHook Apparel Website #businessstrategy #smallbusinessassociation #smallbusiness #smallbusinessloan #smallbusinessmindset #businessplan #acceptablerisk #smallbusinessemployer #smallbusinessemployee
Wed, March 06, 2024
Properly File Your Business Taxes
One of the best ways to keep your business in good standing is to properly file all taxes associated with your business. Taxes are like Thanos, they are inevitable. Lol All jokes aside though, being behind on paying your business taxes can get you and your business some unwanted attention from a number of agencies. Our company’s actual name is M&T Parker LLC, and we do business as Watchforthehook. We have never filed business taxes as Watchforthehook ever. Rule number is to file the taxes under the name of company associated with the proper employee identification number (EIN) or taxpayer ID number with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Listen, we have seen lots of businesses who tried to deceive state and government agencies and ended up paying a hefty price for those deceptive practices. Business taxes are usually due before personal taxes are due, so keep that in mind too. Also understanding and filing the proper business deductions when filing business taxes is crucial as well. These deductions can lessen the money owed to the IRS or other agencies. The money generated or lost form your business will then have to be applied as earned income or net losses applied to the money you earned personally the previous tax year. Tune in this episode to understand why properly filing your business taxes are necessary. https://watch4thehook.com/product/podcast-money-merch-potential-monetization-call/ https://watch4thehook.com/product/black-form-fitting-t-shirt-polyester-cotton/ #taxes #filingtaxes #businesstaxes #personaltaxes #deductions #earnedincome #businessmindset #applepodcast #smallbusinesspodcast #smallbusiness #IRS #money #moneymaker #businesspractices #makingmoney #taxevasion #taxpenalty
Wed, February 28, 2024
Nurturing Your Business
Like many things in life, your business will need you to give it things to help it grow. Improving your business is a very helpful way of nurturing your business. Implementing systems, functional brainstorming, and thinking forward are some ways to positively help your business grow. Business owners always are looking for ways to help their business work better and more efficiently. We can remember the 2019 version of us, and we can think of a number of ways we have nurtured and put in sweat equity with Watch4TheHook. Communication is also a great way to help move your business along. Communicating with employees and customers are vital to a successful business. Also don't be afraid to fail. Most people believe failure is not an option, but we believe in surviving the Hooks. It is ok to try different things in your business in order to see what can actually work for it. Tune in this episode to see what other ways are out there to nurture your business. Podcast Money Merch Potential Monetization Call - Watch4TheHook Apparel Website Green T-Shirt w/ Island Vibe & Perfect Fit Features - Watch4TheHook Apparel Website Podcast Merchandise Sales: A Mini Course for Monetization - Watch4TheHook Apparel Website Unisex T-Shirt w/ Shoulder-to-Shoulder Taping - Watch4TheHook Apparel Website #nurturing #progress #implementation #improving #business #entrepreneur #helping #businesspodcast #businessmindset #entrepreneurpodcast #businessstrategy #onlinepodcast #smallbusinesspodcast #podcastaddict #podcastnetwork #inspirationpodcast #podcastlife
Wed, February 21, 2024
Owning What You Create
Owning your intellectual property (ip) is a great way to protect you and your business. It is hard to predict what will be the next big thing business wise, but as a business owner you have to do your due diligence to protect what you have created and brought to fruition. There are some ways legally you can protect your intellectual property from being stolen or infringed upon illegally. You can get your intellectual property protected by The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is the federal agency for granting U.S. patents and registering trademarks. Does it take time, yes it does, but anything worth having is worth putting forth the effort to have. You can also Copyright your intellectual property too. Copyright is a form of protection provided by the laws of the United States to the authors of “original works of authorship” that are fixed in a tangible medium of expression. An original work of authorship is a work that is independently created by a human author or authors, and possesses at least some minimal degree of creativity. You can do your research and see which form of protection is best for you and your country. In this episode we talk about the now three applied and accepted USPTO trademark Watch4theHook owns. We (me and Tatiana) filed all the paperwork and paid for it on our own. We have had questions and we know whom inside the USPTO to reach out to and get those questions answered. Tune in to this episode and find what you need to see if you need to protect your intellectual property. Podcast Money Merch Potential Monetization Call - Watch4TheHook Apparel Website https://watch4thehook.com/product/short-sleeve-red-think-about-things-differently-crew-neck-t-shirt/ https://watch4thehook.com/product/podcast-money-merch-podcast-monetization-online-course/ #protectingproperty #businesspodcast #entrepreneurpodcast #intellectualproperty #protectingwhatisyours #creativity #posession #research #USPTO #paperwork #ownership #owner #ip #copyright #infringement #theft
Wed, February 14, 2024
Access 2 Capital Denied
We hear a lot of times, there is plenty of money out there to help you start a business. The crazy thing is like we talked about in another episode, to get access to money, you have to meet the criteria. Some forms of grants for businesses requires that your business function to a certain standard. Those standards can now become barriers to small black owned businesses who already have limited resources, and ways to access capital. That access being denied could cripple a business and possible shutter it as well. The crazy thing about all this is, some of the greatest inventions in this world have come from black inventors. The caveat to all that is who has financially prospered from most of these inventions. There is a long history of people of color being denied access to capital and we still fight those inequalities today. Tune in to this episode to see how being denied access to capital can possibly turn your Amerikkkan dream into a nightmare. Podcast Money Merch Potential Monetization Call - Watch4TheHook Apparel Website Unisex T-Shirt w/ Shoulder-to-Shoulder Taping - Watch4TheHook Apparel Website Podcast Merchandise Sales: A Mini Course for Monetization - Watch4TheHook Apparel Website #businesspodcast #podcast #podcastaddict #itunespodcast #spotifypodcast #blackpodcast #blackpodcastersassociation #blackhistorymonth #blackpodcastmatter #Youtubepodcast #moneymindset #entrepreneurpodcast #marketingtips #businesstips #brandstrategy #iheartradiopodcast #newpodcastepisode #smallbusinesspodcast #blackownedbusiness
Wed, February 07, 2024
You Meet the Criteria
There are a number of ways to help you learn and grow as a business owner. If you are fortunate enough to have the opportunity to be involved with some business seminars, cohorts, master classes, then you can consider yourself to be fortunate. Your business being selected means you met their criteria to be asked to be a part of those events. You want to come in with an open mind and check your ego at the door. Remember even though you are looking for help, there are others who get paid off finding others to help. Whether you get anything from them, the boxes they check to show others, then they have met their criteria through you. Listen closely to see what all goes in to meeting the criteria. Podcast Money Merch Potential Monetization Call - Watch4TheHook Apparel Website Podcast Merchandise Sales: A Mini Course for Monetization - Watch4TheHook Apparel Website #criteria#podcasting#cohorts#seminar#masterclass#knowledge#businessmindset#enterpreneur#businesspodcast#educationalpodcast#podcastshow#motivationalpodcast#communitypodcast#podcastlove#podcastjunkie#mindset#onlinebusinesstips#leadership#itunespodcast#podcasterofinstagram
Wed, January 31, 2024
Fix Your Personal Credit First
How you look on paper will greatly affect how you look in real life. This is very true in the business world and the world of financial services or access to capital. Your credit score is a prediction of your credit behavior, and lenders lean heavily on that when it comes to lending out capital or funds. This why we have advised potential business owners to fix or better your personal credit scores first. Your credit history can include information like the number of accounts, total levels of debt, repayment history, and some other factors. Once you become a business owner, you will more than likely apply for some business credit. Your business credit application will include lots of information from your personal credit history. Tune in this episode to see why fixing your personal credit first can help you as a business owner in the long run. The Latest Range of Black-Owned Statement Apparel - Watch4TheHook Apparel Website Podcast Money Merch Potential Monetization Call - Watch4TheHook Apparel Website #podcasting #credit #creditreport #businesscredit #personalcredit #creditreport #businesspodcast #entrpreneurpodcast #businessmindset #businessportfolio #businesstips #
Wed, January 24, 2024
Working Longer 4 Someone Else
Who really wants to work from the ages of 15-70 for someone else? This is the message that the Congress of the United States of America is trying to feed its constituents. The fact that Social Security, which is a fund established for all documented American citizens has been exposed for not being what it is supposed to be won't help most of us in our latter years in life. These Congressmen are now willing to pass legislation where the legal retirement age will be moved up from 67 to 70 years of age. This is absolute lunacy to assume that American citizens want to work longer in life, than actually being forced to work longer in life. Tune to this episode to understand ludacris this whole concept sounds. Podcast Money Merch Potential Monetization Call - Watch4TheHook Apparel Website Unisex Think About Things Differently Long Sleeve Black T-Shirt - Watch4TheHook Apparel Website #podcasting#ecommerce#onlinesales#working#retirement#socialsecurity#laws#legislation#lies#propaganda#citizens#money#needs#requirements#living#necessity
Wed, January 17, 2024
Hustling Against Your Own Hustle
Every day I am hustling, every day I am hustling!!! Great motivational lingo, but does it come with a catch. You hear the term hustling used a lot when it comes to how some businesses run or operate. The flip side of that is now can your hustling be detrimental to your own hustle. This plays upon the adage of working smarter, not harder. We as business owners can sometimes over think, over analyze, and overload ourselves to the point it hurts our businesses. Just look at the definition of hustle. Hustle means doing what you have to obtain something. Oh man, just think about it. Doing what you have to, is a mouth full right there. Then the end goal is to obtain something. Sometimes us business owners can be hustling and forget what we are trying to obtain in the long run. Tune into this episode to hear if you or someone else is hustling against their own hustle. https://youtu.be/YHSiaFo2FRQ Black Heavy Blend Unisex Hoodie - Classic Fit & Front Pocket - Watch4TheHook Apparel Website Podcast Money Merch Potential Monetization Call - Watch4TheHook Apparel Website #podcast#podcasting#applepodcast#itunespodcast#iheartpodcast#podcastinglife#podcastcoaching#instagrampodcast#youtubepodcast#smallpodcaster#businesspodcast#entrpreneurpodcast#businessmindset#moneymatters#moneymakingpodcast
Wed, January 10, 2024
Watch4TheHook Brand Values
In this episode we are here to discuss the brand values we have established for the Watch4TheHook Apparel Brand. We were able to define our brand values by going through brand development not too long after we launch our brand. Brand development is a great informational gathering tool for any business. Here are the brand values of the Watch4TheHook Apparel Business: Partner With Minorities Provide High Quality Products Stimulate Self Education Instill Confidence Remain Subjective We felt these brand values best personified the true essence of the Watch4TheHook Apparel Brand as a whole. In this episode we expound on each one of our brand values and how they are intricate to the success of Watch4TheHook Brand as a whole. Podcast Money Merch Potential Monetization Call - Watch4TheHook Apparel Website Podcast Money Merch Podcast Monetization Online Course - Watch4TheHook Apparel Website Home - Watch4TheHook Apparel Website #podcasting#blackpodcaster#smallpodcaster#blackpodcasterassociation#podcastinglife#applepodcast#spotifypodcast#itunespodcast#iheartpodcast#businesspodcast#marketingpodcast#podcastnetwork#enterpreneurpodcast#smallbusinesspodcast#podcastseries#instapodcast#podcastaddict
Wed, January 03, 2024
Inspiration From the Losses
There is always a lesson to be learned from basically anything in life. Particularly in business there are ways to be inspired by unfavorable events. There have been plenty of businesses that have folded over the years, and other businesses who learned from their mistakes. Other companies have survived hardships (i.e. Covid) and are still thriving. This a prime example of taking inspirations from some losses. This is basically businesses adapting to Hooks and finding new ways to persevere. Tune in to this episode to hopefully get some inspirations from some other people's losses. https://watch4thehook.com/product/podcast-money-merch-podcast-monetization-online-course/ https://watch4thehook.com/product/podcast-money-merch-potential-monetization-call/ #podcastinglife#podcasting#podcaster#podcastmonetization#businesspodcast#entrepreneurpodcast#businessmindset#blackpodcaster#blackpodcastersassociation#smallpodcaster#educationpodcast#applepodcast#itunespodcast#spotifypodcast#onlineeccomerce#onlinemarketing#inspirationalpodcast#newspodcast#marketingpodcast
Wed, December 27, 2023
Bring On the Good News
**** This is the Last Episode for 2023*** In the business of sharing news, we would like to hear the Good News as well. Sometimes business owners can be the friends or confidants you can always come to with your problems. We would also request being those you bring the good news to as well. We love to be outlets to help others vent, express, or even dwell on issues about. We would love even more to celebrate, bask in the glow of good events as well. Sometimes those long calls of "dumping' all your feelings out can be draining to the person on the other end. Then a couple of days or even a shorter amount of time they see or hear about a glorious time had by all and they didn't get a call or invite about the good time had by all. Then when asked about it, oh I "forgot" about yawl. We and other strong friends are requesting not to be left out of the good news train for 2024 and beyond. We know 2023 has been a year to forget for some, and a year to love for others. However you feel about 2023, lets lean on each other together and uplift each other going forward. We want to thank you all from the bottom of hearts for tuning in and Hooking Up With Us. Podcast Money Merch Potential Monetization Call - Watch4TheHook Apparel Website Podcast Money Merch Podcast Monetization Online Course - Watch4TheHook Apparel Website #podcasting#newpodcast#googlepodcasts#itunespodcast#podcaster#podcastlove#podcastnetwork#blackpodcasters#podcasts#podcastinglife#podcastjunkie#musicpodcast#podcastshow#podcasthost#podcastcommunity#womenpodcasters#blackpodcastersassociation#businesspodcast#entrpreneurpodcast#podcastmindset#podcasterlife#podcastingbusinesschool#podcastergoals
Wed, December 20, 2023
The Black Case Scenario
America's History and Black America's History are two totally different histories and told in two totally different ways. My wife graduated from two different predominantly white institutions (PWI) and the way she was taught about how the world works was different from my historically black colleges and universities (HBCU) educational background. PWI's tell you how to prepare for how the world is now and going forward, HBCU's teach you about the past, present, and how to deal with what future maybe in your sights. America's History tells of a proud country founded by its great forefathers. Black America's History tells us of how far we have come, and how far we still have to go. See the difference already? There is something about the resilience of hard-working people, who have not been treated fairly, but still persevere to strive for better. In this episode we talk about some Black Case Scenarios that have happened and continue to happen to us as a people.
Wed, December 13, 2023
Our Business Wish List 4 2024
Expansion is the name of the game for 2024. Exploration is basically expanding your knowledge of the world that is unknown to you. We are claiming expansion as our visionary word of the year for 2024. The apparel brand will be launching an extension line in 2024, and we are so happy about that. This line will be to us, our 1st statement-based apparel brand/line. we have prided ourselves on being messaged based and now we are expanding into the statement-based apparel brand space. We know everyone has dreams and aspirations, but we are hoping in 2024 some serious podcasters take a leap of faith with us on our coaching platform and step out to produce their apparel for the world to see. Tune in to this latest episode of the Watch4TheHook Business & Entrepreneur Podcast to see what else we are looking forward to 4 2024. Podcast Money Merch Potential Monetization Call - Watch4TheHook Apparel Website Podcast Money Merch Podcast Monetization Online Course - Watch4TheHook Apparel Website #podcast #listening #entrepreneur #business #businesspodcast #entrepreneurpodcast #people #businesspodcast #podcastlife #podcastbusiness #applepodcast #youtubeshorts #blackpodcastersassociation #blackownedpodcast #smallpodcast #pivotpodcast #iamathletepodcast #podcastaddict #podcastfm #instagrampodcast #smallbusinessowner #marketingpodcast #onlinebusinesspodcast #watch4thehook #apparelbusinesspodcast #applepodcast #itunespodcast #inspirationalpodcast #marketingpodcast #podcastnetwork #podcastingtips #womenpodcast #podcastconsulting #podcastcoaching
Wed, December 06, 2023
The Little Engine That Got Screwed
Most of us read "The Little Engine That Could" while growing up. It is meant to be an inspirational tail that even the "smallest" of us have a chance to achieve something great. As inspiring as the story is, the real-life version is a much harder story to read. The little engine business wise has a much harder time getting things the bigger engine gets and probably at a discount too. The little engines are referred to as small businesses, if you had not already pieced it together. Tune to see how we talked about how sometimes the little engines get screwed over. Podcast Money Merch Podcast Monetization Online Course - Watch4TheHook Apparel Website Podcast Money Merch Potential Monetization Call - Watch4TheHook Apparel Website #podcastinglife #podcastmonetization #watch4thehook #businesspodcast #podcastaddict #smallbusinessowner #businesscoaching #mentorpodcasting #engines #branding #branddevelopment #moneymindset #markertingpodcast #expenses #profits #makingmoney #smallbusinesspodcast #entrepreneurpodcast #entrepreneurstretegy #inspiration #podcastnetwork #blackpodcastersassociation #podcastcoaching #coachingconsulting
Wed, November 29, 2023
They Built it, Now What?
This episode is about those content creators who will "build" your brand 4 you. There are certain content creators offering "packages" for a certain price to "build your brand" 4 you and then you can take over from there. As we always can say, " no one can love it more than you". How can you as a business owner think someone one besides you can know more about your band, than you? If someone else conceptualize, develops, and creates most of your business, then what exactly have you done? Have you done any customer discovery, understanding analytics, or design creation? How can you help your business flourish or prosper if you don't know a damn thing about it to begin with? We tackle these issues in this latest episode of the Watch4thehook Business & Entrepreneur Podcast. #podcast #blackpodcast #blackpodcastassociation #podcastinglife #businesspodcast #entrepreneurpodcast #podcastmovement #podcastcommunity #applepodcast #businesstips #entrepreneurmindset #businessstrategy #businessmindset #podcasteroninstagram #podcasthost
Wed, November 22, 2023
How Money Really Moves
We have talked about earlier how cash is still king, but do we really know how money really moves? Financial institutions can loan money to potential investors or customers with an attached annual percentage rate (apr). APR refers to the yearly interest generated by a sum that's charged to borrowers or paid to investors. This basically means they will get back more money than they lend out. They make a profit of loaning out the capital they have in reserve. This is how money moves. It moves 365 days a year, 7 days a week, and 24 hours a day. Most small businesses survive off of financial transactions, business grants, and business loans. All of that is possible because money is available in some form of fashion. Tune in to this episode to get a better understanding of how money really moves.
Wed, November 15, 2023
Culture Vulture
They say imitation is the biggest form of flattery, not if the imitation steals from the owners of the original. Especially when the perpetrators are not from the same culture. Throughout the years small business owners have been plagued upon by those who seem to take and profit from what they have implemented or created. Those vultures could care less about the harm they cause the businesses they prey upon and possibly put out of business. It is paramount that small business owners stay steadfast in protecting their businesses as best they can. Tune in to this episode and see how we discuss these Culture Vultures further.
Wed, November 08, 2023
Supporting A Small Black Business
We all we got, is more truth than most of us small black business owners want to admit. Supporting one another is something that we as a community have always done. Now that we have become more knowledgeable, we see once again the playing field is not level. Small black owned businesses are as American as apple pie, but we have always struggled to keep our businesses open and flourishing. We have always had to work against other cultures and sometimes work against our own as well. From Freedman's Bank to Black Wall Street, we as a people have always had to overcome unforeseen financial obstacles. What we have to continue to do is support our small black businesses. These businesses were once staples in our communities. Now as we have expanded beyond the neighborhoods our parents and grandparents lived in, most of those businesses no longer exist. We have lost those institutions, and we must now use these technological advancements to create and support new ones. Tune in to this episode to see why continuing to support small black businesses is still a great necessity for us as a people.
Wed, November 01, 2023
Overuse of Generational Wealth
******PSA**********This episode will go under the category of an Uncomfortable Conversation. In the new age world of catch phrases and attention grabbers, there may be none more polarizing right now than, "we are creating generational wealth" We ourselves are guilty of this as well, but we have come to think about things differently. Let's look at the phrase and break it down a little bit. What does generational means? Generational means relating to or characteristic of all the people born and living at about the same time. What does the word wealth actually mean? Wealth means an abundance of valuable possessions or money. Still with me? lol So, what does generational wealth mean? Generational wealth means to include all the assets-things like investments, real estate, cash and anything of financial value- that are passed down from one generation of a family to the next. So, is it clear as mud to you now? This popular catchphrase has gotten thrown around so much that it might be having some folks thinking they might be leaving behind less "generational wealth" than they actually think they are. We are now looking more towards using the term- generational assets. Tune in to this episode and see if you can relate to this way of thinking.
Wed, October 25, 2023
Simple Does Not Mean Boring
We can all overthink things at times. That can be human nature at its finest. We need to always remember some of the biggest ideas that shaped this planet were simple in nature. Some designs or concepts that were too complex can go right over the head of your targeted customers. Those hidden attributes or little tid bits you think will grab their attention, could go unnoticed. You then feel like you may have to go back to the drawing board. Once you regroup, you may have realized sometimes simple does not mean boring. Tune in to see if you have been over thinking somethings in your business.
Wed, October 18, 2023
What is Your Definition of a Design
They say, "beauty is in the eyes of the beholder", so would be the definition of a design. We, as owners of a clothing/apparel line, have come to understand that train of thought even more now. Some people's definition of a design could be an arrangement of letters or symbols aka text. Another could be some form of artwork aka a graphic design. Then there are combinations of text and graphics together. Each definition can be as different as the brain interpreting what they are seeing. What we have learned is that you have to tailor your designs to the customers you are trying to attract. Some of our best sellers have been text and graphic. Some of our most impactful have been just text only. Customer discovery and some research can help you determine what design aspects you may need to incorporate into your clothing line to help it flourish.
Wed, October 11, 2023
Are the Numbers a Lie
There is a ton of analytical data you can look at and decipher as a business owner. You can go from social media post impressions to your profit and lost statement. There are numbers everywhere for you to try to figure out what they mean business wise for you. The more social media channels you have, the more you can help influence those numbers hopefully in your good favor. Sometimes the more interactions may not lead to more profit for your business. This goes back to what we're talking about what is your perception of support. Support could be clicking a post, sharing a video, or etc. to your supporters. Listen and tune in to see if the numbers are lying to you about your business.
Wed, October 04, 2023
Be Intentional in Your Business
One way to help your business to succeed is to be deliberate in the choices you make. These decisions have good and bad consequences attached to them and should not be taken lightly. This where being intentional in your business comes into play. Don't treat your business like a dart board, just throwing things up there just to see what sticks. We constantly preach, do your research. We say that because we have always been intentional on doing our research to help our business. There are a number of distractions that come with being a business owner, but a great to stay focus on the business at hand is to be intentional about doing the very best you can for your business.
Wed, September 27, 2023
Recognizing the Mirage
Things may not be as they appear sometimes. You may have a clouded vison of how your business is moving along, compared to how it is actually moving. The old saying goes, "things may not be as they appear to be". You could actually make yourself believe that things are going well when they are not, as a coping mechanism. We talk about thinking about things differently all the time. The reasoning behind that is, you cannot become complacent with your business or your way of thinking in your business. The 2023 version of you and your business cannot be the same version from 2022 or further back. What worked for you in the past may not work for you today and you have to come to that reality. Remember in real life a mirage is a form of a hallucination. Tune in to this episode and see if you are having hallucinations about your business.
Wed, September 20, 2023
Monetize on the Movement
When "lightning" strikes you better be ready for it. The lightning in the business world we are referring to could be a movement that could bring an influx of prosperity to your business. The movement can be brought on by something you did, a worldly event, or something orchestrated by your own external business partners. Whatever the case might be, you want to be able to hopefully monetize on that movement as well. That monetary boost can save a business, steady a business, or take a business to new heights. Tune in to this episode to find out how you or your business can strategize on how to monetize on a movement.
Wed, September 13, 2023
Believing in Your Work
You will have to believe in yourself when no one else probably will. With you believing in yourself you have stepped out into the realm of being an entrepreneur. This belief in yourself and your work may not be easy to come by, and most will find it hard to do as well. You will have to dig deep into your persona and know what I am doing or trying to do is great. Self-doubt may creep into your thought process but that is normal, and relying on the perseverance that got you to this point in the first place will be key for you to keep putting out your best for the world to see. You are believing in the work or products you are producing will only help you gain confidence in your business. Tune in to this episode to see what believing in your work can do for you or your business,
Wed, September 06, 2023
Keeping That Same Energy
There are some sayings that can translate between the business world and the personal world. When a new business is started, the business owners are riding an emotional or even a financial high. That means their energy could be through the roof and then shit happens. What plenty of onlookers will be looking for is to see if they are keeping that same energy when things are not so well on the business end. Will they keep smiling, staying positive, keeping the faith so to speak. You could end up being viewed as an energy-giver or energy-taker. Some of the greatest business owners have been viewed as energy-givers. Tune in to understand how keeping that same energy can be effective for your business.
Wed, August 30, 2023
Expectations VS Expenditures
Most business owners have a certain expectation(s) for their business. We all think we have the greatest thing ever created and we want the world to think so as well. Then boom, reality hits. It takes and cost money to run a business. Your business has to bring in money to help offset the money going out to operate your business. This is where understanding of business credits and debits plays a pivotal role in your everyday business decisions. This is where the phrase, "champagne taste and beer money" comes to mind for me. Your business expectations are high dollar, high end, or even luxury but your accessible business dollars are not up to the standards your business plan had put into place. Tune in to this episode and see how your business expectations may outweigh your business expenditures.
Wed, August 23, 2023
The Art of Vending (3 Live Interviews)
In this episode, we were recording live from the Retail Therapy Pop Up Shop Event. It was held at the Hampton Inn Maumelle, Ar. We had the pleasure of interviewing three other local vendors and getting their insight of how vending can be an art. Interview #1: Kendria Parker Kendria is the owner and operator of Josephine's Perfect Affair. You can reach her at www.josephinesperfectaffair.com You can also find her at https://instagram.com/official_kendriad Kendria was the event organizer for the Retail Therapy Pop Up Shop Event. and she is also a Certified Business Coach. Interview #2: Allison Rasheed-Robinson Allison is the owner and operator of Addison Grace/ Luxe Scents~ By Ally. You can find her luxury candle collection at www.addisongrace.org . You can also find here at https://facebook.com/addisonsgracecandles and https://instagram.com/addisongracecandles . Interview #3: Brandy White Brandy is the owner and operator of Body Essentials and Beyond. You can find her products at https://bodyessentialsandbeyond.com You can also find her at https://instagram.com/bodyessentialsandbeyond
Wed, August 16, 2023
Fighting the Imposter Syndrome
Business owners may occasionally develop a feeling of an imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome can be a condition of feeling anxious and not experiencing success internally. This may happen in spite of being high performing in external, objective ways. Ultimately, you can feel like you don't belong in the business owner world. Developing imposter syndrome can have a business owner constantly second guessing themselves. Hell, even sometimes we second guessed ourselves for starting the Watch4TheHook apparel line. Then we remember that the Hook is universal. Tune in to see if the imposter syndrome is something you have battled with.
Wed, August 09, 2023
Your Perception of Support
There are many ways to support a business. You can be a paying customer, a social media influencer, a stranger who shares a post, a website viewer, you can even refer friends and family to said business. As a business owner, it is up to you how or what you perceive as ways that people can or are supporting your business. You can show your appreciation to those who have supported your business as well. The reciprocation from the business owner to the supporters of that business can help in getting them new customers or supporters for that business. Tune in to get a better understanding of how to perceive or even give support.
Wed, August 02, 2023
See the Problem
What is the problem? Where is the problem? Is there a problem you are trying to solve? As a business owner, these are questions that you may be confronted with more than once. Once you are able to see the problem you may be able to help solve the problem as well. Seeing the problem can hopefully help your business progress, and hopefully help you gain a better understanding of your business as a whole. A possible change of perspective on seeing the problem can possibly help your business in the end.
Wed, July 26, 2023
The Owner Sets the Pace
Pace can be defined as the rate of progress. Progress is one of the foundational blocks of building a successful business. The owner of the business will play a pivotal role in setting the pace for a building which in turn can weigh heavily on how it progresses. Whether you are a large business owner or a small business owner your pace setting skills will be on display for all to see. We can attest to how things like website development, product quality, and price setting can be pace setting factors for a business.
Wed, July 19, 2023
Leaping Without a Plan
Sometimes a business owner may be standing at the proverbial cliff and deciding what to do next. Your next move needs to be your best move. Most businesses have a business strategy or plan, but plans do go array. As a business owner making pivots and changing course can help save or even propel your business as well. The main thing we want you to remember is, having some type of plan is better than taking a huge leap with no plan at all.
Wed, July 12, 2023
Not Being in Competition with Everyone Else
It is ok to have a competitive attitude while being a business owner, but don't let your business success depend on your competition with others. Sometimes trying to "Keep up with the Jones's", can be detrimental to your business. Each business is unique, their business purpose is unique, etc. Developing a rivalry complex with business of similar capacity could have a business owner making drastic decisions that could negatively affect your business. The success of one business does not specifically depend on the lack of success of another business per say. Tune in and listen on how we deal with not being in competition with everyone else.
Wed, July 05, 2023
Entrepreneurial Battles
Launching a new business or business venture can be scary. Quitting is not an option. As a business owner you will have to battle for your business to thrive and succeed, minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day, week by week, and success by failure. Being a "successful boss" is not a linear movement. You will get hit with the HOOKS, and that is ok. That is just how being in business works, but how you respond will help your business survive and thrive. Check out the latest episode and see how we have dealt with our entrepreneurial battles.
Wed, June 28, 2023
What Is Your WHY Podcast Edition
Podcasting has allowed us to have a voice for those that may be less comfortable being verbally expressive. It has also given us a platform to showcase the good, bad, and ugliness involved with being small minority business owners. This is our Podcasting WHY. We want to use this platform to help other small minority businesses avoid some of the hurdles we have had to overcome or stumble over. With podcast money merch, we think we can save serious podcasters time, money, and heartache. Tune in to see how our new coaching venture could help you.
Wed, June 21, 2023
Batch Recordings
How much time do you really have available to record? This maybe a question posed to some podcasters. When your time or availability is in question you will have to make the best of what time you do have. This is where a strategy like doing batch recordings can help you out. Batch recordings is a process or recording multiple episodes of your podcast at a time, so you stack up weeks of episodes of your content in advance, instead of recording those episodes one at a time or one day at a time. This is a strategy we have used a few times ourselves. Tune in to see how we have incorporated this into our recording process. See if this episode can help you see if this strategy works for you.
Wed, June 14, 2023
Pushing Past Limitations
How far can you go? How far are you willing to go to be successful? Do you have limitations? Whether they are physical, mental, or even financial, we all have our limitations. Those who have been successful at achieving the greatness they are seeking in life, have had to push past some form of limitations on their journey in business. There is no easy road to success, but that does not mean you don't try to be a success. That is one of the main "WHY's" to this podcast, to help other business owners miss some of the bad spots on their road to success.
Wed, June 07, 2023
Social Proof
In our apparel brand world, having a satisfied customer wearing, talking, and posting your products is one of the best forms of social proof you can have. The term social proof is relatively new, and it has a few layers to it as well. Let's take for instance the number of followers you have, that is a form of social proof. We all love a high follower count on our social media platforms. Also, the number of likes you have is a form of social proof. Most people get a good sense of euphoria from seeing a good thumbs up. The great support from friends and family is also a good form of social proof. Great website traffic and customer conversion of those visitors is another great form of social proof as well. Paying customers is what help keeps a business in business. If you can get experts and celebrities aka notarized influencers, your social proof can grow exponentially. Tune in see how social proof can be very helpful to your business.
Wed, May 31, 2023
Developing Strategies
There have been many businesses that survived from the, "we just took a leap of faith" mentality. There are tens times as many that have failed from this same mentality as well. Those who fail to plan, often plan to fail is a real phrase in the business world. We say that to say, that thinking ahead in the business world can possibly keep you in business. Developing multiple business strategies can help streamline your business, make it more profitable, and maybe save it in the long run. There is no set formula in business, but you have to figure out what works for you. You will have to keep your business forward thinking to help stay ahead of the curb. Tune in to see what business strategies we have developed and look to develop going forward.
Wed, May 24, 2023
Professionalism Leads to Legitimacy
The more "professional" a company or service provider looks, the more legitimate the customer will believe they are. It's the little things that go a long way that help your customers know you are trustworthy with what they are trying to purchase from you. This "professional" look could cost you, as a business owner, more money upfront to get those things in place. For instance, having an easy-to-use website, great customer service, or even great quality products will help legitimize your business to your customer base. Tune in to see what things we implemented to help us look as professional as we could for our customers.
Wed, May 17, 2023
Reciprocation
Two is always more than one. Even if you are not part of the same business or service provider, lending a helping hand or a kind gesture goes a long way in business. You scratch my back; I scratch your back is one of the oldest forms of reciprocation. It can help certain businesses to survive if some of their customers or clients could broadcast to others how great of a job, they did for them. This reciprocation could be seen as free advertising for a company that may not be able to afford a healthy advertising budget. Word of mouth reciprocation can now be a social media story, post, shoutout, tweet, or video etc. The great thing is it won't cost them anything to reciprocate for those businesses or service providers a job well done. Tune in and see how a little bit of reciprocation can go a long way.
Wed, May 10, 2023
From Idea to Impementation
Everything once began with a thought. It takes a lot to get an idea out of your head and make it become a reality. It is a time consuming, painstaking process, that may not yield the result you or your business were looking for. Nevertheless, you have to move on and strive for better results. There are many steps needed to take something from an idea to something being implemented. Tune in to this episode and see how me have discovered and managed those steps to go from idea to implementation.
Wed, May 03, 2023
Customer Service is Key
Business owners or service providers must support their customers with what you are offering for them to purchase. This support is what you would call customer service. Customer service is what can help your customers have an easy, and enjoyable experience getting to know your brand. One aspect of great customer service is treating every customer with respect and dignity. Another aspect of customer service is being empathetic with your customers. Last but not least, being able to communicate clearly and precisely with your customers can help your brand's reputation grow positively in the right direction. Tune in to see other ways customer service is key to your business becoming successful.
Wed, April 26, 2023
Capital Opens Doors
Do not be fooled by misinformation. Cash is STILL KING. Capital can give business owners or prospective business owners access to opportunities otherwise unavailable to them. We have been asked this question multiple times, what bank or lender did you all get the money from to start your business? We got our money from the Bank of Parker, lol. We had saved away money over the years by sacrificing certain things to help us obtain said capital. Tune in to see how we talk about how having capital can open doors for your business or service you are trying to provide.
Wed, April 19, 2023
Give it Time
The expensive thing that you own in your life that you can't get back is your TIME. It is also the biggest asset you will need to give your business or service. Very seldom do businesses skyrocket to the top from the outset. They will need your effort, your love, your great thoughts, and your patience, which is your time. You as a business owner or service provider have to remember that this is a marathon and not a sprint. You have to be in this for the long haul. You will have to do something that may scare you to death, GIVE IT TIME.......
Wed, April 12, 2023
Skin N The Game
The more you do something, the better you should get at it. Well, you hope that is the case. More than likely you will do it better the second time around, than you did the first time around. That is called getting skin in the game as the saying goes. You are literally building your resume as a business owner, or a service provider. The more you build your resume, the more skin you have in game you are trying to win. Tune in to find out how we have developed our resume, aka our Skin N The Game.
Wed, April 05, 2023
Don't Let the Crickets Bother U
When you hear the crickets, don't get discouraged. Sometimes the quiet can be the loudest thing you hear. As a business owner or a creative you may be looking for that roar from the crowd per say. When that applause is not there or is very delayed you may question yourself. Honestly this is the norm for most business owners, so just consider yourself lucky enough to hear the crickets. You have to remember these feelings and use them as fuel to help you strive for that greatness you are seeking in life.
Wed, March 29, 2023
Risky Business
Business and life can go hand in hand at times. Risk is defined as the degree of probability of such loss. What could this loss be? For example, business owners care about profit loss (how much your business has spent and earned over a specific time). For profit businesses stay in business because they do what? They make enough money to stay in business. No matter what business you are in, you will have to take risks to survive. They are considered risks because no one knows the outcome of said decisions, so some form of risk has to be taken and accepted by the business owner(s). Listen in to see what forms of risk we have deemed acceptable on our end.
Wed, March 22, 2023
Understanding Premiumization
Premiumization may be a new term to some business owners, but its application has an old school process to it. It is all about great marketing skills and making your customers feel like they have the greatest product in the world. One factor of preimmunization is the fact that being a niche product can help you stand out. The little things can help make you or your product or service a big thing. By emphasizing things like great quality products and superior customer service, you can put your premiumization on the display for customers to see.
Wed, March 15, 2023
Fend 4 Yourself
There were times when we had to negotiate and fight for our right to be included in businesses and jobs. Now we own businesses that supply jobs. However, the mentality of there is only room for one of us at the table is still holding us back collectively as business owners. Now, we sit at many business tables, and we seem to still fight with each other. We have so many who are good at so many things, how can we not be doing so much better together. None of us should be out here fending 4 ourselves, by ourselves. One of us is good at this, one of us is good at that, and then someone else should be good at bringing us together to help us work better as a unit. You can keep trying to get it out of the mud, but we should be getting it out of each other.
Wed, March 08, 2023
Looking 4 Us Wearing Us
PSA. This episode maybe a little bit bias. lol...Scratch that: IT IS BIASED! In the era of a Social Justice Revolution, it sometimes looks like we are chanting "We are Black and proud", and we are draped in every designer but one of our own. Are we wrong to ask the question, what about Us wearing Us? We as a culture have so many designers who create bold, beautiful, and thought-provoking pieces who could use the exposure that some of us take for granted. Am I saying that they should help, you are absolutely correct!
Wed, March 01, 2023
Intentions Inspire Actions
Intentions can be a catalyst to inspire you to do something great in life. Everything was once a thought and then you can put some action behind those thoughts to achieve something you may not have envisioned before. We remember our original intentions with Watch4thehook, we wanted to let everyone know that we all will encounter Hooks in our lives. We then hope to inspire others to stand up to their Hooks and achieve the greatness they seek in life.
Wed, February 22, 2023
Creating with A Purpose
Often times we find ourselves trying to create for the latest trends. Those trends and waves may not align with your message or your statements. At some point you will have to decide to be intentional with your creatives, whether it's for the creation of a product or a marketing graphic. You must remember that you will definitely have to be comfortable with putting those creatives on display. But be willing to become enthralled with that creative process. While indulging in that creative process hopefully your purpose will be centerfold and you will put it on display.
Wed, February 15, 2023
Invest Time into Your Story
You may not think your story is worth telling, but that is not the case. Your story could be the key ingredient to your business thriving or suffering. No one can tell your story like you can, so go ahead tell your story, embrace your story. It is time for you to invest in your business by investing in your story. This investment may take you and your business to higher heights. Listen in to how we have come to embrace our story.
Wed, February 08, 2023
When They Ask 4 Money
You can be approached by other businesses or individuals who are in need of financial assistance for upcoming events they may have planned. This assistance can come in the form of a sponsorship or a donation. Sponsorships can be more of a marketing ploy, to help get your company's name out there. Donations are charitable in nature and the contributor is not expecting anything of value in return. Both of these actions will require you as a business owner to dig into your business account to shell out the funds for whichever one you decide to do (or not). We have actually done both with our business and we want to give you all some insight on why we chose to do what we did.
Wed, February 01, 2023
Everything Is Not 4 U
In business, hopefully you will learn everything being tried by others is not 4 U. U will have to be ok with letting some waves, trends or fads pass you by. These things will entice you to try to force things into your business that do not belong. You can't force a square peg into a circle hole. Great business decisions should come comfortably to you with minimum force needed to apply them. Listen here to find out what things we have found out that are not 4 us so far.
Wed, January 25, 2023
Paying 4 the Same SH*TTT!
Sometimes your presented things by a "mentor", and you are like cool we will go with this. The mentorship comes with a price or a fee that you GLADLY pay because you expect to receive lots of great mentoring with wonderful new information involved. After following this mentor's version of a blueprint, you are told about another possible avenue to learn more from someone else but there is what...ANOTHER FEE INVOLVED. Once again, you pay the fee to learn from someone else, and UNFORTUNATELY, they are telling you the same SH*TTTTTT as the last person. Now you are paying 4 the same SH*TT over and over and that is not cool. Listen to how we have devised plans to keep us from paying 4 the same SH*TT again.
Wed, January 18, 2023
When They Ask "YOU" to Remove "YOU"
There will come a time in business where there may be a request made of you or your company to do something you may not be comfortable with. Most business owners know the "DNA" of their company or business. In that "DNA" lies the heart of your why for your business. That is what makes your business, your business. You will know what your company means and stands for, and that integrity will mean more to you than anyone else. That integrity will help you to decide what lengths you are willing to go to help your business Flourish or Fold. Listen in to one of our interactions dealing with how we dealt with being asked to remove us from us.
Wed, January 11, 2023
Do Your Research
As a business owner the best business decision you can make, is an informed decision. You will be approached by a number of individuals or entities that say they can help scale or grow your business. At this point it is up you, the business owner or service provider to go do research on these individuals or entities to see if they are a good fit for you to get involved with. You can start gathering information with a stroke of a key on your keyboard. Listen in to see how we have gone about making informed decisions for Watch4TheHook.
Wed, January 04, 2023
The Dream Will Believe 4 U
The Dream will believe for you, but you have to believe in the Dream. Entrepreneural struggles are very real but that should not deter you from dreaming of something greater for yourself and your family. All you need is a very thought to fuel your fire to become an entrepreneur. Listen in to how we started with a particular dream in 2019 and hear how it has evolved going forward into 2023.
Wed, December 28, 2022
And Hang On
There are so many things that can go right in business and there is also the opportunity for the opposite to happen. That is where Tha Hook comes in at, but nevertheless Hang On. Your grip will get loose and Hang On. The ride will get bumpier and Hang On. Your outlook may get bleak and Hang On. Listen to this episode to see how we plan to Hang On to Watch4The Hook.
Wed, December 21, 2022
Don't Detract from My Business
In life not just in business, you do not want anyone to detract you from your visions or goals. You value your business and what you have done to get to where you are and there is no reason to let anyone dimmish the worth or value of your business or your life. It can be easy to let those negative opinions or actions deter you from your greatness you are seeking to achieve in life. Listen in and hear how we have dealt with some of the detractions we have encountered so far. We are SURE there will be more to COME!!!
Wed, December 14, 2022
Be Your Own Hype Person
The greatest thing you can do for your business is let the world know how GREAT your business is. Yes, say it with your chest too. There will be no greater HYPEMAN for your business than you. There is nothing wrong with showing your enthusiasm for something you have helped create. Say it Loud and say it PROUD, my business is the SH*T!!!! Come hear how we have been HYPING up Watch4TheHook since its inception.
Wed, December 07, 2022
Networking Across Multiple Platforms
There is an old adage that states, "your network affects your net worth". This has now been amplified with business owners being able to reach millions of people at a time. The internet provides multiple platforms for business owners to reach other business owners, current customers, and possibly future customers as well. Tune in to hear our we used an Instagram live to talk to another black, small business owner and utilize each other's network.
Wed, November 30, 2022
Flourish or Fold??????
Which will YOU choose, or which will choose YOU as you make that walk heading back to the drawing board. You will have to make hard decisions once you are back to the drawing board. In business you will have to get rid of things you once loved.
Wed, November 23, 2022
Delayed Not Denied
You can put in all the hard work, but that doesn't mean you will get your just do from it. In this latest episode we talk to you about being "Delayed Not Denied". You may not get the instant gratification for all the hard work you put in, but that doesn't mean you won't get rewarded in due time. This will test your resolve as a business owner.
Wed, November 16, 2022
What is Your Why?
Business owners will get asked this question often, what is your why? Why did you want to start a business? Why did you choose this type of business? Why put your family through this? Why didn't you give up? Why? Why? Why? Tune into the latest episode to hear our Whys.
Wed, November 09, 2022
When They Fake It To Get The Job
In a business relationship, there is a song and dance that is done to get your attention. Then there is a sort of courtship made to garner your trust that they can do for you what you need them to do. In business these actions come at a cost, and if they are not done correctly, they can cost your business even more. Listen in to some of those costly stories in this latest episode.
Wed, November 02, 2022
Uncomfortable Conversations
Why we have them, Why we can't avoid them, Why they help you... CAN YOU HANDLE THEM!!!! We are sharing one of ours in REAL TIME! Full transparency.
Wed, October 26, 2022
You Have to Have a Marketing Budget
LISTEN!! You won't get far without one. Tune in and hear how we used both organic and paid campaigns to grow our brand. We even give you some of our campaign numbers.
Fri, October 21, 2022
Pay The Cost to Be the Boss
So, you want to quit your 9-5 job? Now What? Listen to our perspective on jumping into the entrepreneurial world. The highs and the lows of taking that leap of faith.
Fri, October 14, 2022
Showing Your Creative Mind
Putting your creatives on display leaves you open and vulnerable to criticism whether it's good, bad, ugly or indifferent. Tune in to hear and confirm exactly why you should be putting your creatives on display.
Fri, October 07, 2022
Celebrate Your Victories
Big victory or Little Victory- size doesn't matter as long as it is a VICTORY. Listen in and hear snippets of what we considered victories. Then, go and determine yours!
Fri, September 30, 2022
Don't Let Them Hustle You
Brand's Weren't Built In A Day!!!! Learn how to SPOT out typical hustlers in this industry (based on our personal experiences) by tuning in. *Be prepared to take notes*
Fri, September 23, 2022
Social Media Platforms- How many are there REALLY!
Social media platforms are the new gateway to get to new customers. It is a numbers game and a people's business. Listen to how we hold ourselves accountable for managing our multiple social media platforms.
Fri, September 16, 2022
Build 4 The Future
Build for where you plan to go, not where you are at presently. Tune in for some info and examples of how we plan in advance and how you can TOO! Easily apply the techniques to your business plans or personal life plans.
Fri, September 09, 2022
Take the IN in WIN
INformation, INtroductioin, INsightfullness, INtuition, INfluence, IN-n-out, INsomnia.....when I make it, and I can yell ""MOMMA, I made it!!"...then I will sleep "IN".
Fri, September 02, 2022
In Business it is Ok to Make Mistakes
Mistakes do not have to be considered losses...a mistake can very well and should very well be considered a lesson. Some of the most valuable lessons learned have come by way of a loss.... tune in to hear some of our lessons learned and apply the strategies to things you may have faced.
Fri, August 26, 2022
Small Goals Don't Move People
On this journey of entrepreneurship, you will quickly find out (at least we did...) that just because a goal is BIG to you that doesn't make it relevant to others. People may respond "what does that have to do with me" or "how does that benefit me". You must learn to forge ahead. We have discussed some ways to recognize these attitudes and how to keep pushing forward with the resources accessible to you.
Fri, August 19, 2022
If You Are Not Helping Me Scale Up, Please Don't Pull Me Down
Scaling is a BIG THING. It takes time, energy, resources and more importantly- knowledge. We talk in this episode on exactly what is included in scaling, how to make scaling happen for your business, what you can do to jumpstart the scaling process and what not to do as far as partnering with agencies that may not be the best fit to help you scale your business.
Fri, August 12, 2022
Brand Everything
In this fast paced, technologically advanced society, it is a MUST to stand out and be easily recognizable. We tackle this topic in particular and how exactly to execute this flawlessly- Brand Everything. Come with us on this deep dive on how and why you should Brand Everything.
Fri, August 05, 2022
Being in Business with your Spouse
In this episode, we explore firsthand exactly what it looks, feels like and sounds like to work with your SPOUSE in a business venture!
Fri, July 29, 2022
Get Your Bag
Often times, we are posed with a question, or a statement is made "I like for my employees to work a position for 10 years".... Seriously!! Is it automatically presumed that we should be loyal to our current employers? We have to look at ourselves as CEOs of our own companies and we deserve to make the most money possible. This exact topic is explored, and we go in depth on the impacts that the statement has on you.
Fri, July 22, 2022
Sponsorship vs Influencer Marketing
Insider Tip Alert We explore in this episode the differences between a sponsorship for marketing purposes and an influencer for marketing. We discuss our choice for choosing a sponsorship and why it may suit you as well on your business ventures. We also provide an introduction to a prized amateur boxer who is 6-0 that we SPONSOR!
Fri, July 15, 2022
RESPECT MY DOLLAR!
Today's hot topic was focused on, as a small business owner, you can easily feel that your dollar is not valued the same. We give our honest, transparent perspective on some encounters where we have felt that exact same way. Check this episode out so that you can understand you're not alone and how we persevered.
Fri, July 08, 2022
Overcoming The Hook
Introducing the brand's co-creator and now podcast co-host- Tatiana Parker. She sits down and speaks candidly on how we overcame our very own "HOOK" and how you can too. She talks about the brands backstory- from her perspective, how bleak the times were looking and just how she started to define the "HOOK" on her very own.
Fri, July 01, 2022
Watch4thehook Introduction
In this podcast you will get the purpose, the vision, and the mission behind the apparel brand, WATCH4THEHOOK. This apparel brand was launched in April of 2020. You can shop our latest apparel at www.watch4thehook.com.
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