From Podcast to LIVE: The Next Era of Women of Color

0:34 The big announcement show is coming right up. Stay tuned. Don't miss it. My name is Alicia Coleman coming to you live from Baltimore, Maryland. Today is Thursday, February 26th and welcome to the big announcement show. Now, to get things started on today's big announcement show, here's Leon Thomas with the Leon Thomas Group.

1:31 Hey everybody, good afternoon. I'm Leon Thomas with the Leon Thomas Group. To learn more about The Leon Thomas Group, you can visit theleonthomasgroup.com. We're your partner in all things, virtual podcasts, webcasts, web shows, live virtual events, training. We're here. We do it. There's a lot that we do, a lot that we want to do, and we provide opportunities for others to learn broadcasting.

2:20 and other related technologies. This is one of our shows that we really enjoy doing called The Big Announcement Show, where we bring someone on the show to help them make a big announcement. And today, we have Deneen L. Garrett as our guest. Hi, Deneen. How are you? Hi, Leon. I'm well. Right on. It's good to have you here on The Big announcement show. So, Daneen, tell us. Don't tell us the announcement yet. It's not time. I know you've been waiting. You've been posting on LinkedIn and everywhere saying, I got something for y'all to know. But I'm not telling you yet until today, right? But don't tell them, but tell them, tell everyone some things you've been doing, some things that you do that maybe would lead up to this announcement, but don't tell them yet. Go ahead, take a couple of minutes and tell us some things you've been working on.

3:21 Okay. So to tell you a little bit about myself. So I describe myself as a cultural alchemist. I shift shape culture through storytelling. So through writing, through speaking, through coaching, and through my podcast, which happens to be a 100 Best Women's Empowerment Podcast. And also I just launched something brand new that I'm working on that I'm very excited about. And that is the Dream Lifestyle Collective, which is a community, a sanctuary for Black women, 50 plus. So we are, our doors are open, you know, and we are welcoming women, Black women who are 50 and up to come in and join.

4:04 So wait a minute now. Let's go back one second here. Let's go back a second. You said your podcast is a top 100. Yeah. OK. That's true. That's true. It is a top 100. But it's closer to the top. It's like 19. Yes. But I know you're humble and didn't want to say. I can say that. Right. It's good for me to say. I can say that. This is, Denine hosts a Top 20 podcast, y'all. This is for real action when you get to the Top 20. So that is great. And Denine, what led you to do everything that you're doing now?

4:46 Yeah, so in corporate prior to retiring, I was in diversity and inclusion and talent development. And back in like 2016, one of my segments was LGBTQ+, and I was preparing some colleagues to do a panel in person. And so the next year I was thinking, I'm like, you know what, there's a certain demographic that's missing. And so I pitched a panel for LGBTQ plus women of color and allies. I moderated that panel for three years straight. It was a well attended panel, you know, folks were so excited for it. And so at the end of 2019, someone said, Hey, what's next?

5:30 And I said, a podcast. And so this is October 2019. Fast forward to 2020 before, you know, the world changed, but I still hadn't launched the podcast. And I realized this was a Thursday. I had a conversation with a coach. He was telling me, he's like, you know what, people need to hear, hear what you have to say. And he said to me that He and I could say the same thing, but it would, you know, it would resonate with certain people for me versus him type thing. Okay, cool. Hung out with him, got on a treadmill, was reading a book. The first time I ever read, first and last time I ever read anything by Brene Brown. And the first word that stood out to me was vulnerability. And it hit, it resonated.

6:16 I had a fear of being vulnerable and that's what kept me from launching a podcast. So the very next day, April 10, 2020, which was Good Friday, I Nike'd it and just did it. And I launched my podcast and this year we turned six. Wow. Right on. Congratulations to you. And I love the term. I just Nike'd it. Yes. And just, just did it. For everyone watching and listening, let that be something that resonates with you. If there's something you want to do, that something's been placed in your heart, God's placed something in your mind, you don't have to have everything right. Just do it. Just get going. So I hope anyone, someone watching and listening is thinking about doing their thing, whatever that is, that you go, you know what? Why not me? Why shouldn't I do it? Just do it.

7:13 So I'm really, really happy that you did that, Deneen. Now, folks, you're here for the big announcement. You're watching the big announcement show. I'm Leon Thomas with the Leon Thomas Group here with Deneen L. Garrett. Deneen has an announcement. It's coming up. Just wait. I know it's 1 o'clock on the East Coast. You're probably just finishing lunch. Look, it's Thursday afternoon. You're not doing any work anyway. Right. It's free Friday. Just be real. If you're on the West Coast, it's like 5 after 10. If you're watching from Alaska or Hawaii, put in the comment that you are watching from Alaska and Hawaii and tell us what time it is. But it's Thursday. So y'all stick around. Because Deneen has a really big announcement.

8:00 Deneen, before the show, we were talking with our producer, who's doing a great job in the background, always does for us. Leon Thomas Group, Oren Stewart. And we were talking a little bit about sports. And I asked this question. I mean, we don't have the tape to roll it. But the question I asked was, are you a Detroit Piston fan? And the answer was and is. The answer is, I'm a Detroit fan. So you are a Piston fan. I'm a fan of the city. So Pistons is a Detroit team. Yes. Tigers is a Detroit team. Yes.

8:42 Lions is a Detroit team. Yes. Red Wings. So yes, I'm going to ride for that. I'm going to rock those. However, all things Detroit. That's me. OK. All right. Right on. All things Detroit. I live in Baltimore. I am a Ravens fan. My wife is an Orioles fan. If we could afford season tickets, we would be at every Oriole game. Okay. But we're not here to talk about sports. We're just talking about each other a little bit. Tell us some things you like to do away from work, Denise. What do you like to do? Yeah. So travel is number one. And actually, if you can see my shirt, it's Live a Dream Lifestyle. which is a decision that I made in 2022. You know how you start the year and you choose a word for the year and mine happened to be live. And I saw this tweet and somebody said, and yes, it was still Twitter. Someone said, go beyond, you know, the dream cars, the dream houses and focus on the dream lifestyle. So I put it together.

9:42 And so for 2022, Live a Dream Lifestyle became how I lived. And now it's also part of my business is what I empower women of color to do is what I do through the podcast, is what I do through speaking, writing, all things is about empowering women to live a dream lifestyle. Different women, people in general, they have different ways of living their dream lifestyle. And for me, again, number one is travel. Number two would be like attending events, exhibitions, and then art. So for me to go travel to an art exhibition, I'm in heaven. And I do it all the time.

10:22 I travel a lot for art. OK, right on. Now, I also know that you're traveling for something big. Oh yeah. You have a big trip coming up where you've been, what do they call it? Media credentialed to a big event. Tell us about that. Yeah, absolutely. And you know what? So I posted about this. And everything for me is like a journey. That's why I say I'm a cultural alchemist and a storyteller because the way that my life has, you know, Come about is to tell a story to share with somebody a journey my journey. So we talked about the podcast, you know, I finally launched it after realizing that I had a fear being vulnerable and said, you know, forget all that and let's go ahead and move forward.

11:17 So I've attended this event. two different times, each time I was a corporate guest. And I said, you know what, when I come back, I'm coming back and I'm going to be on a stage or whatever. So not quite there yet. However, I am returning to the Women of Power Summit, and that's hosted by Black Enterprise, That is March 11 through 15, and I am attending as press. I have credentials as press, and yes, through my top 20 podcast. There you go. Right on. That is great. Congratulations to you. Thank you. That is great. And I also, typically for events like that, you're allowed to have someone else come with you, right?

12:03 As a photographer, videographer, or something, right? When you get to that level, that means people are recognizing your work. That is what that means. People are recognizing what you do and the impact that it has. And I'm glad you said that because I actually do have someone attending with me. I was able to bring an additional person as media support. And my media support, what I love about that is that she's part of the collective that I talked about. So she is actually she's the first member of the Dream Lifestyle Collective. And she and I have known each other for a number of years because we both worked for the same company. But Gia Warren, she is a she is meeting me there And she is you know, so we're gonna do some behind-the-scenes some BTS, you know, she's walking around with the with the phone And recording what's going on as I'm taking things in so that I can write about it later In Gia. Yes.

13:02 I'm gonna tell you a little bit more about Gia after the announcement You know our producer or is back there he had he had his finger on the keys he was like Yeah, he was he was ready he was ready But yeah, so folks we're almost at announcement time. Here's what we're gonna do, right? We're gonna show a short we're gonna take a short break and Show a piece that talks some about the Leon Thomas group and then when we come back from this short break Danine L Garrett will tell us the information she wants you to know.

13:46 She will tell us the big announcement. You're watching The Big Announcement Show. I'm Leon Thomas here with Daneen L. Garrett. We'll be right back. I'm Leon Thomas with the Leon Thomas Group. Podcasts, virtual events, webinars, streaming shows, and so much more. We want to be your partner in all things virtual.

14:32 Hey, welcome back to the Big Announcement Show. Again, Leon Thomas with the Leon Thomas Group. To learn more about us, go to our website. theleonthomasgroup.com here with Deneen L. Garrett. Deneen, we're 15 minutes into the show. Folks have been waiting for a couple of weeks, maybe three weeks or more. It is now time for, wait a minute, can I get a drum roll, please? Ooh, nice. You've been rehearsing that. That was good. It is now time for the big announcement. Denine, tell us the big announcement.

15:14 All right. So I kind of teased it when I said my podcast is turning six. What I did mention is that about a year or so ago, I prayed to level up in my podcast. And earlier in the year, when I announced about the Dream Lifestyle Collective, which is a collective, a community for Black women 50 and up, Leon responded. And he's like, I love what you're doing. I want to support you. I want to work with you. And so that collaboration, which I'm going to announce now, is starting next week, next Thursday, March 5th, 1 p.m. Eastern, here, wherever you are, however you're tapping in, a woman of color will be live. Yay! Every week live. Now that is huge. That is huge because we're live, we're being produced by the Leon Thomas group, and I am so excited to take things to the next level.

16:13 Right on. Congratulations and thank you for having the Leon Thomas Group as your partner on this. We're very, very happy to do that, happy for what you're doing, and just thrilled to death to be a part of this. And Daneen, tell us about, now, this is live every Thursday at 1 p.m. Eastern. Tell us about some of the guests you have coming on, the types of conversations we should expect to to see right here on the show. Tell us, give us a little, a little insider information. Yeah, absolutely. So the podcast itself has always been about empowering women of color, right? It initially was a platform for women of color to use their voices And then also morphed into empowering women of color to live dream lifestyles when I decided that that was my focus. And I wanted more women to live that way as well. I didn't want anyone to wait until they retired to say, oh, no, I want to start doing this, doing that. No, I wanted to promote for women to tap into what brings them joy and to do more of that.

17:16 So that's what it's been about. That's what the podcast has been about. My guests are women of color who talk about their various journeys, all different walks of life, PhDs, doctors, non-doctors, just regular people. If you're a woman of color, you're welcome on the show. With this new elevation, we're always going to center women of color. That is the center. Women of color, black women, that's the focus. That's the center. So I am having conversations and will have conversations with people who may not fit that demographic. But as long as you are centering women of color, black women, we can have a conversation.

17:58 You're welcome to be on the live. All right. That is that is great. And as I'm thinking now, Um, I could see some guests that, that may fit in certain industries, right. That are, that may be underserved by, by black women, that black women have to really work together to move up. I'm retired from the hospitality business. And I'll tell you when I went to hotel conferences, right. When I started, I saw very few black people at all. Right. Then I'd see, see a few, a few black people. But then Hilton Hotels hired a vice president of marketing who was a black lady.

18:44 Love it. And you talk about the pride that I felt in seeing her on the stage talking about her work. But then there was no one else for her to really connect with. There were no other or very few other black women there. Way back then, I started thinking, wouldn't it be great if Black women got together and did things and supported each other and helped each other make it, right? And man, this is so great. Daneen, this is good, good stuff. So now the show starts next Thursday at 1 p.m. Eastern. So wherever you're watching this, If you're watching live, you can watch live here. If you're watching the recording because you decided to work today instead of watch the show, why you would do that?

19:39 If you're a college student, ideally, This is for women over 50. But if you're a college student and you're in your 20s and you happen to see this, why did you go to class today? You knew about the announcement. I'm joking. Go to class. Go to class. Go to class. But, but here's the, here's the big thing. Wherever you're watching this, if you're watching on a recording on Thursday night, Friday morning, you can still watch it again Thursday night, Friday morning on the recording. Okay. So the show is going to be, now, Deneen, so let's see. You said in a couple weeks, you're going to be in Vegas. Oh, yeah. So does that mean you're doing the show from Vegas?

20:19 That is correct. So yes, I will be in Vegas for the second show. And my guest is actually my guest. She's in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. So I will be in Vegas. in having a conversation with someone who was in beautiful, sunny, hot, circle by water, St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. And that's who I'm having a conversation with. But yeah, I'll be in Vegas. And then the following week, Gia, who I mentioned, almost let it out early, Gia and I will have a conversation here and we'll kind of recap our experience at the Women of Color Summit. That is great. You talk about worldwide.

20:59 Oh, right. You're in Vegas. Your guest is in St. Thomas. The show's and somehow the tech is going to bring it all together and it's going to go all over the world. This is good stuff. Yeah. And you know what? And so you mentioned that. And absolutely, the podcast itself is global, has been global for a number of years. And the women of the Dream Lifestyle Collective is a global collective as well. I have members in London, Rome and then, of course, throughout the US and We're looking to expand that footprint. You're welcome. The collective itself is for Black women 50 and up. The podcast, the focus is for women of color in general. So it doesn't matter your age, but it's for women of color in general, especially Black women. And again, the collective, the Dream Lifestyle Collective is for 50 and up.

21:52 Right on. This is great. I think our producers ready to go. to display your website, right? So you can kind of direct our producer Orin through the, through the website and he'll bring it up on the screen here. So folks can take a look at, at the website. So here is the entry point. When you go to deninogarrett.com, this is what you'll see. You'll scroll down and just keep scrolling because then you get to the podcast and then you can click to get to the podcast from there. Keep going. Now, if you are interested in having me as a guest, there is an entry point to request me. And if you want to be a guest, there's an entry point to register as a guest. And then you'll be able to choose your Thursday at 1 p.m. Eastern to be on the show. And we'll move forward from there.

22:46 Also, go back up. and click over to Dream Lifestyle Collective. And that's where you'll learn a little bit more about the community for Black women 50 and up. So keep scrolling down. You get to read a little bit about who it's for, which I've shared. And then you click at the bottom, and it will actually take you to the platform that houses the community. And then you'll have an opportunity to join and join with other Black women 50 and up. Another reason that I started this collective, again, it was a natural progression from what I was already doing, but seeing so many Black women being displaced, being ousted, over 350,000 Black women last year alone, was another reason why I wanted to create this space because I want, as Leon talked about, I wanted a community for us.

23:41 I wanted that safe space for us to come and talk and learn and share and then grow together, building that legacy. This is outstanding. And you've emphasized that it's for the Dream Lifestyle Collective is for Black women over 50. And I'm thinking about my family. Yeah. Right. Now, I don't know how much we've talked about this. My family, we just live forever. I had an aunt who passed away two years ago at 105. That's beautiful. Another one passed away in October at 100. I have an uncle who's 102. And then we have the baby. She's only 90. OK. Right? She's only 90. But I will tell you, my aunt that was 105, she would have become a member of the Dream Lifestyle Club. OK. She would have done it. Yes, Aunt Marion would have been here because she believed that black people need to be together, period. She used to upset her when she would see our people fighting with each other verbally or physically. It would drive her nuts. She said, we need to come together and have some conversation, y'all. We need to support each other. I could just see her as a guest on your show. I'm going to contact one of my cousins to see if they will come on to even talk about her

25:13 legacy. I would love that. And where are we going to go to get started? Where are you going to go? You're going to go to thedeninelgarrett.com. That's right. And you're going to scroll down to register as a guest. Yeah. You're going to go right there and go as a guest. And you click the button, and then it goes on in. Right, right. You fill in some things. Yes. And then you get the announcement. There it is, Denine L. Garrett. That's that's what you do. So right on. So Deneen, we have about two minutes remaining in this big announcement show. Again, everyone, thanks for watching. I'm Leon Thomas with the Leon Thomas Group. That's Deneen L. Garrett. Deneen just made a big announcement that starting next Thursday at 1 p.m. Eastern, the Women of Color show goes live right here. Live. It's live. Like, you know, like Like we're doing it right now. We're live right now. We're live.

26:07 This is live action, folks. This is live. But if you missed the live, you can see the recorded. But then it won't be recorded. It'll be live, but not. You understand? Y'all know what I mean. Quit playing. This is a recording of the live. Recording of the live, yes. Recording of the live. We got it. So two minutes ago, Denine, tell us anything else that everyone needs to know. Yeah, you know what? Tap in. Really, that's what you need. Subscribe to the YouTube channel at Deneen L Garrett. And so that you don't miss, you don't forget, put it on your calendar so that you know to check in, tap in every Thursday at 1 p.m. Eastern. I'm excited about the conversations that are coming. If you already are, you know, you know of the podcast, you've listened to the podcast, you've watched the podcast, same type of energy, but a little bit more because it's live. So, you know, that brings a whole different energy. Tap in.

27:09 Tap in. Tap in. Tap in. Right on. Well, this is great. Denine, again, congratulations on all the success that you're having. And I look forward to just great, greater things happening, and particularly here with the show. And thank you for having the Leon Thomas Group as your partner on this. We look forward to working with you. And wow, this is great news. Thank you for sharing the big announcement, the big news on the big announcement show. Yes, yes. Right on. And everyone, thanks for watching the big announcement show. And again, Women of Color Live starts next Thursday at 1 p.m. Eastern right here. Wherever you're watching this, you're going to be able to see the show. I'm Leon Thomas. That's Daneen L. Garrett. Thanks for watching The Big Announcement Show. We'll see you next week.

28:06 Thanks for watching the Big Announcement Show. Remember, Deneen's new show, Women of Color Live, starts next Thursday, March 5th, at 1 p.m. Eastern. You can watch Women of Color Live on the same platforms you watched today's Big Announcement Show. Again, thanks for watching, and we'll see you next week.