So Ambitious

Meet the man who made Mac & Cheese cool - Derrick Turton a.k.a. Chef Teach, went from managing music artists to becoming the culinary force behind the World Famous House of Mac in Miami. Renowned for his exceptional mac and cheese, Chef Teach's story is a testament to resilience, adaptation, and the pursuit of passion. In this episode, Derrick imparts invaluable lessons learned from the music industry that laid the groundwork for his triumphs in the culinary world. You’re going to learn the secret sauce behind House of Mac's branding success and Derrick’s key to mastering the art of cultivating and leveraging relationships. Derrick also gets vulnerable as he shares the poignant moment that sparked his renewed focus on legacy-building after the passing of his father and the biggest storms he had to weather to keep his employees and legacy alive through COVID. Get ready to uncover the roots of Derrick's fearlessness and relentlessness in entrepreneurship as he busts the biggest myths on entrepreneurship and imparts crucial wisdom on pursuing passion over chasing monetary gains. Tune in for an episode filled with entrepreneurial gems and the savory tales behind House of Mac's rise to culinary stardom.KEY POINTS (1:26) - Derrick Turton's transition from music mogul to culinary sensation, Chef Teach(3:24) - Derrick’s biggest lessons from managing artists that led to successfully running House of Mac (5:02) - How the passing of his father prompted Derrick’s renewed focus on building a legacy (7:20) - How Derrick created culture, community, and an empire from Mac & Cheese(11:46) - Where Derrick gets his fearlessness & relentlessness in entrepreneurship from (17:45) - The secret behind Derrick’s branding strategy & success (19:31) - Mastering the art of cultivating and leveraging relationships in entrepreneurship(21:36) - House of Mac’s evolution from food truck to restaurant empire(26:07) - How Derrick weathered the storm through COVID and kept his company afloat(33:52) - Derrick busts the biggest myth about entrepreneurship(35:35) - Derrick’s insights on the importance of pursuing passion over chasing monetary gainsQUOTABLES “Outside of the comfort zone is where the magic happens.” - Derrick Turton“Culture is different. It's not one size fits all.” - Derrick TurtonRESOURCES Derrick Turton IG | @bigteach718House of MacIG | @worldfamoushouseofmac[APPLICATIONS OPEN!] | Are you building a high growth business in tech healthcare, AI, media entertainment, or consumer goods and services? If so, we'd like to help you scale. Don't miss your chance to win $1 million, capital coaching, and access to an amazing community of diverse innovators! Apply for the 2024 Black Ambition Prize competition now Felecia HatcherIG | @feleciahatcherBlack AmbitionIG | @blackambitionprizeSo Ambitious is produced by EPYC Media

[APPLICATIONS OPEN!] | Are you building a high growth business in tech healthcare, AI, media entertainment, or consumer goods and services? If so, we'd like to help you scale. Don't miss your chance to win $1 million, capital coaching, and access to an amazing community of diverse innovators! Apply for the 2024 Black Ambition Prize competition now In this episode, Felecia Hatcher is joined by Necole Kane - a retired celeb blogger, media mogul, founder of My Happy Flo, and the queen of making pivots. From being the brains behind Necole Bitchie to crafting xoNecole, which she later sold to Will Packer Media, Necole spills the beans on navigating the rollercoaster of business & personal transformations. Necole’s journey is a masterclass in embracing change and turning your failures into fuel for success. She doesn't sugarcoat the challenges she faces at each turn, but rather, she shines a light on how to keep pushing forward when the world seems to revel in your missteps. From handling the naysayers to finding your deeper purpose in business, Nicole shares the gritty details of her story like never before on the So Ambitious podcast. Get ready for some real talk on dealing with the messy parts of entrepreneurship, public scrutiny, and facing failures head-on from someone who's not just weathered storms but turned them into opportunities for growth and resilience.KEY POINTS (2:33) - Necole’s interrupted moment: the day she quit her celebrity gossip blog (9:12) - How Necole navigated her very public pivots and the pressure of deciding “What’s Next?” (16:06) - Necole on selling her website xoNecole.com and seeing it exist without her (21:32) - The inspiration, mission, and vision of My Happy Flo (28:57) - Setting a new tone on how to care for Black women(31:11) - Necole on permitting herself to take a break from her brand (38:03) - Who is Necole Kane uninterrupted?QUOTABLES “You can't get to the top of the next mountain without coming down off of one.” - Necole Kane “When you ask God to use you, you can't choose how he uses you.” Necole Kane“Success looks differently to everybody on why they started it and what the ending is supposed to look like.” - Felecia Hatcher “Sometimes your purpose has to be way greater than your comfort zone.” - Necole KaneRESOURCESNecole Kane | My Happy FloIG | @hellonecole[APPLICATIONS OPEN!] | Are you building a high growth business in tech healthcare, AI, media entertainment, or consumer goods and services? If so, we'd like to help you scale. Don't miss your chance to win $1 million, capital coaching, and access to an amazing community of diverse innovators! Apply for the 2024 Black Ambition Prize competition now Felecia HatcherIG | @feleciahatcherBlack AmbitionIG | @blackambitionprizeSo Ambitious is produced by EPYC Media 

[APPLICATIONS OPEN!] | Are you building a high growth business in tech healthcare, AI, media entertainment, or consumer goods and services? If so, we'd like to help you scale. Don't miss your chance to win $1 million, capital coaching, and access to an amazing community of diverse innovators! Apply for the 2024 Black Ambition Prize competition now Imagine a world where Black and Hispanic innovators are provided with the resources, mentorship, and backing to thrive without any interruption. In just 3 years, Black Ambition Prize has not only invested in nearly 100 entrepreneurs but has also offered support to over 750 innovators. During this time, the initiative has also granted nearly $6 million to founders dedicated to reshaping the landscape of industries such as product development, healthcare, media, and web technology, influencing their trajectory, mindset, and performance.In this episode, we take a glimpse into the mind of Felecia Hatcher, visionary CEO of Black Ambition, as she sits down with Sherrell Dorsey, Founder of The Plug, to some exciting light on the impact and future of Black Ambition Prize as well as what to expect from the lineup of entrepreneurs and leaders for Season 2 of the So Ambitious Podcast. You will also uncover the intricacies of her transition from founder of Black Tech Week to CEO of Black Ambition Prize, steering the organization into an epoch of empowerment for Black and Latinx entrepreneurs and founders. Join in on the conversation and discover the ground-breaking path to uninterrupted Black Ambition that Felecia Hatcher is forging today. KEY POINTS (1:33) - Felecia’s journey to CEO of Black Ambition(4:20) - Celebrating 100 Black Ambition Prize winners & 750 entrepreneurs supported in 3 years(5:41) - New opportunities for HBCUs and the next cohort of the Black Ambition Prize(7:20) - What to expect in Season 2 of the So Ambitious PodcastQUOTABLES “Every entrepreneur is different as a result of the pandemic. And so there's new challenges, new opportunities that have sprouted up that we as an organization also have to make sure that we're supporting them at the highest level.” - Felecia Hatcher “We should be allowed to tell successful stories about Black and Brown people as well their most ambitious moments.” - Felecia Hatcher RESOURCESSherrell DorseyIG | @sherrell_dorsey[APPLICATIONS OPEN!] | Are you building a high growth business in tech healthcare, AI, media entertainment, or consumer goods and services? If so, we'd like to help you scale. Don't miss your chance to win $1 million, capital coaching, and access to an amazing community of diverse innovators! Apply for the 2024 Black Ambition Prize competition now Felecia HatcherIG | @feleciahatcherBlack AmbitionIG | @blackambitionprizeSo Ambitious is produced by EPYC Media 

Step into the dynamic world of Season 2 of the So Ambitious podcast, an electrifying exploration of stories driven by our community of Black Founders and Entrepreneurs. Founded by Pharrell Williams, Black Ambition has unleashed a wave of impact, propelling nearly 100 entrepreneurs with unique tales of tenacity and innovation. Launching on 26 February 2024, join us in Season 2 of the So Ambitious Podcast as we celebrate the audacity to dream and build. This new season promises an unfiltered dive into the minds of visionary founders, navigating challenges and seizing opportunities, all while crafting a legacy where ambition reigns supreme. Brace yourself for a rollercoaster of inspiration as we decode the secrets of success and amplify the voices of those who refuse to be interrupted on their journey to greatness. Season 2 of the So Ambitious Podcast launches 26 February, 2024 - we’ll see you there. RESOURCES:Black AmbitionIG | @blackambitionprizeSo Ambitious is produced by EPYC Media 

From a high school talent show that landed him in the presence of music industry vet Teddy Riley to becoming one of the most influential and successful music producers and businessmen of the 21st century. We close out our first season of the So Ambitious Podcast with an intimate conversation between Black Ambition’s CEO Felecia Hatcher and musician, producer, and serial entrepreneur, Pharrell Williams. https://pharrellwilliams.com/Sponsored by Heineken USA.

From selling beautifully crafted yarn bracelets as a pre-teen to becoming our 2022 $1M Black Ambition Grand Prize Winner, Camille Bell, shares her remarkable journey of betting on herself and persevering. "We're creating award-winning formulas that are personalized to different skin and lip tones so everyone can achieve the color they want," says Camille. The founder of cosmetics company Pound Cake sits down with Felecia in this episode to break down crowdfunding and turn lessons into launchpads. https://poundcakecosmetics.com/  Sponsored by Heineken USA.

From pushing furniture sales at a Miami design showroom to venturing out on her own to create a full-service interior design studio bringing in seven-figure projects. Eilyn Jimenez, Sire Design's founder and creative director is no stranger to rough starts. "Being ambitious, at least for me, represents not only what I can bring to the table for myself, but also what I can bring to the table for somebody else," says Eilyn. In the episode,  she talks to Felecia about staying authentic, cultivating trust and nurturing deep relationships when building a business from scratch. https://www.siredesign.com/  Sponsored by Heineken USA.

From pushing papers at a local Maryland radio station to apprenticing under Whoopi Goldberg's cannabis line, Mennlay Golokeh Aggrey is on a path to nurture a more inclusive cannabis industry with regenerative product. In this episode, Mennlay talks with Felecia about the benefits and science behind her product Xula Herbs, and her quest to promote hemp products that support comfort and relief during hormonal cycles. “I was immersed in this cannabis culture from, from seed to sale,” says Mennlay. “And that influenced how I saw myself, being close to this plant that I had been using for a very long time.” With 16+ years of inter-disciplinary cannabis experience, the two talk viable products, creative marketing efforts, and finding innovation in ancestral pathways. https://www.xula.us/Sponsored by Heineken USA.

From a shout-out by Beyonce to securing partnerships with Facebook and Louis Vuitton, Jeffrey LaBeija and Marcus LaBeija of the Royal House of LaBeija know the power of visibility in building a brand. In this episode, they talk with Felecia about the multimillion dollar business of ballroom. “Who we are as Black queer people isn't necessarily always celebrated,” says Marcus. “It's always associated with shame or guilt or remorse. In ballroom, it’s associated with a grand prize and cash.” These leaders from drag’s first house talk to Felecia about trademarks, mutually beneficial partnerships, and how entrepreneurship is inherent to being Black in America. https://www.royalhouseoflabeija.com Sponsored by Heineken USA.

From folding T-shirts at Abercrombie & Fitch to running Issa Rae’s record label, Benoni Tagoe has learned the value of both pursuing work that you love and uplifting others. “It feels great to see other people succeed based off of a dream and a vision that you had,” the head of business development for Hoorae Media and president of Raedio tells Felecia in episode 5. “And to see that your dream and vision help other people, that's the ultimate feeling. That's what it's really all about.” He talks to Felecia about Insecure’s impact on the music industry, the importance of reading contracts, and always putting artists first. https://hoorae.co Sponsored by Heineken USA.