Stop Treating Your Website Like A Business Card says Lenora Blackamore

A website can look perfect and still do nothing for your business. That’s the problem we dig into with Lenora Blackamore, CEO of Mecca Marketing Group Incorporated, a Black-owned marketing and web development firm with deep roots in digital technology going back to the 1990s. We talk about what separates a site that simply exists from an online presence that actually drives leads, sales, and long-term growth.

We get practical about the modern small business tech stack: why a CRM matters, how Go High Level can replace a pile of disconnected subscriptions, and where AI fits when you want speed without losing strategy. Lenora explains her real process, from one-on-one discovery and website audits to building a stronger foundation that can scale. We also get into content management, why “content is currency,” and how storing and organizing your assets saves you time and keeps your marketing consistent.

Then we widen the lens to community impact. We share thoughts on social media marketing, why it’s still powerful, and why kids under 15 or 16 shouldn’t be navigating that world unchecked. We talk mentorship, tech exposure in schools, and what it takes to keep our communities growing. Lenora also reflects on working at Johnson Publishing Company and what Ebony’s digital pivot teaches every entrepreneur about innovation and leadership.

If you’re building a Black-owned business, growing a brand, or trying to modernize your marketing systems, this one is for you. Subscribe, share this with a business owner who needs it, and leave a review so more people can find these stories.

Transcript

Cold Open And Welcome

SPEAKER_02 0:00

So we have been doing this podcast. Have you listened to any of our episodes? Yes, I have. Oh! We got a guest that's actually listened to the episodes, though.

SPEAKER_06 0:08

Yes, I have. You know, when I listened, remember we were at Polski and they were talking to you. I went right on. I was like, let me see what she What did you think about it? I thought it was very informative. Okay. And the issues that you guys were discussing, I could relate to them.

SPEAKER_02 0:26

Okay. I've now you were a guest. Look at that. Come on. That's a good lean in. That's a good lean in. Right? That's a good moment.

SPEAKER_00 0:36

That just might get added to the show.

SPEAKER_02 0:38

I think so. I think so, Delvin. We I think that was perfect. Um, let's do it.

SPEAKER_00 0:44

Welcome to Black Businesses Matter, a podcast about why black businesses matter and the benefits of collaborating and advocating for black businesses to drive impact. Each episode will cover legacy, hope, black joy, funding sources, cultural shifts, equality, and so much more. We will provide inspiration and action while spreading some joy to a thriving community of black business owners and leading thought leaders.

SPEAKER_02 1:12

My name is Larvetta L. Lofton Arnold, the founder of the L3 Agency and the host of Black Businesses Matter Podcast.

SPEAKER_00 1:20

Known as the brand maven, who transforms organizations with her storytelling prowess, meet Larvetta L. Lofton Arnold, host of Black Businesses Matter, a podcast about why black businesses matter and the benefits of collaborating and advocating for black businesses to drive impact.

Meet Lenora And Her Work

SPEAKER_02 1:39

When I tell you we are, y'all know who I am, right? Larvetta Lofton Arnold. And I am about to bring our next guest. And what's crazy is our next guest is also a fan and a listener. So I'm excited when people like they listen to the episodes and they see themselves wanting to be here. And that's what we want. And oh, by the way, she is a black business owner, and she's in marketing. So, you know, anytime I can bring my marketing sisters and brothers into the studio, y'all, you all are in for a treat. Lenora Blackamore. Did I say that right? Yes, you did. Is the CEO of Mecca Marketing Group Incorporated, bringing over 30 years of experience? We got to talk about that because she don't look like she can do that, but it's yeah, she don't. In the tech industry with a deep passion for web development and digital technology since the 90s. So she's been doing this before we started talking about. I know we're talking about tech, but this has been her lane for a long time. Since the 90s, she's built an impressive portfolio spanning the financial, marketing, and educational industries. Throughout her career, Lenora has developed innovative, high-performing websites and implemented digital marketing strategies that have driven exponential growth. In 2015, she founded Mecca Marketing Group Incorporated to empower businesses with a strong online presence, helping them stand out in competitive markets. Her mission is to craft marketing strategies that not only elevate brands, but also foster authentic connections with local communities, bringing their unique stories to life. Welcome to the show, Lenore.

SPEAKER_06 3:29

Thank you for helping me.

Growing Up Loving Computers

SPEAKER_02 3:31

Um, I don't think I've ever asked that question about if someone's listening, but the fact that you said yes and that you loved the storytelling. I love that. You also are a marketer, right? So I think for us, we love a good story, don't we? We just love a good story. Um and I think we love that we get to tell it too, right? That we're the practitioners to tell the story. Um, I think stories is innately how we're able to connect, like you and I and how we connected. You know, there's a story behind the way we connected. Um, but before we dive into your greatness and your brilliance, who was Lenora as a little girl?

SPEAKER_05 4:15

Ooh, that's good.

SPEAKER_06 4:17

Good question. Okay. So as a I I I in my LinkedIn, I used to tell that story, but I I thought it was too personal, so I I kind of What? I did. Why? It made it too long. You know, people want to get in and get out.

SPEAKER_02 4:34

They ain't trying to, yeah, but we like stories, so I don't need you to get in. I want you to tell us the whole story. Don't shorten our stories over here. This is our network. Okay. This art network.

SPEAKER_06 4:46

Well, as uh a young Lenore, I was always intrigued with technology. I when I got to, I'm gonna just fast forward, I went to Kinsey High School School. Okay. And then uh from there, my mother just sent me right up next door to Kennedy High School. Okay. So number one, I saw the difference. I I transferred in grammar school. I've been on the south side about all my life. Okay. And uh we I started at Henderson in grammar school. Okay, and um there was a huge difference when she made that transition for us, even though we hated it.

SPEAKER_03 5:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 5:26

Because that meant we had to get up earlier. Yeah. Everything was we were bust.

SPEAKER_03 5:31

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 5:32

And we dealt with some things that we wasn't ready for. But overall, the education piece was really good for uh for us.

SPEAKER_02 5:43

And so it's interesting. You have a very dynamic story to similar I was slept all the way to the north side, come from the south side, and had to get up very early and all the things, and very different, very different, right? The way they lived and the way we lived. But what I did find though, and I'm learning this later in life, is that but mindset similar, right? Yes, even though your mom should her mindset was similar to this is where you're going. You know what I mean? So understanding. So were you the nerd?

SPEAKER_05 6:16

I was the nerd. You were the nerd. I was the nerd.

SPEAKER_06 6:18

The cool nerd. I wasn't even the cool nerd. I don't think I was the cool nerd. Okay. I love, I love computers. We had computers in my school.

SPEAKER_05 6:29

Wow.

SPEAKER_06 6:30

And and that was like how do you have computers and you got 30 years of experience?

SPEAKER_02 6:34

Um, you know what I'm trying to, you know, I'm trying to figure it out. You started it. Okay. So you started at 13.

SPEAKER_06 6:41

I started learning computers about 14 years. So yeah. Yeah. My first my Apple. It was called the Apple Computer. It was. It was. It it just hoped opened a whole new game for me. Well, I was in the computer club. I was a computer geek, and we got these Apple computers, and it was like, a big old white. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 7:05

And I you had it in the white neighborhoods though. Absolutely. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I had to say that because they were not in no, they was not.

SPEAKER_06 7:15

Okay. They were not. They were not. Because when I go home to tell my friends in the neighborhood, they was like, what are you talking about?

SPEAKER_02 7:22

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 7:22

You know.

SPEAKER_02 7:23

But it's so funny because Steve Jobs being this very curious. Um, and I think he was, he's not autistic or dyslexic, he's something like the way he sees things is, you know, but he has a high Q level, which is why he built the Apple um computer. It's so interesting because I think for all of us that are unique and different, the Apple computers is our jam. Yeah, right?

SPEAKER_06 7:47

I love it. You know, I would never go back to that other.

SPEAKER_02 7:51

I know. I know. I know. I'm really talking to a nerd, y'all. Like I'm talking to a nerd, like I'm talking to a real nerd. Yes. That's like, yeah, uh Apple all day. Apple all day. That's the hashtag Apple Apple.

SPEAKER_06 8:04

All day. Even when I went to uh Ebony, I know we'll get there, but Johnson Publishing Company, okay, they they was they were using apples in their creative division. Yeah, that's what I was like, what you talking about, girl. You gonna get this PC. So they gave me two. I was like, look, I'll do the PC, but I need me uh an Apple too.

SPEAKER_02 8:28

So they I had two computers on my That's actually very unique. I mean, for you, and I say unique as a child, right? You knowing that commute computers was your jam, but then just carrying it all the way through because I think sometimes we switch off. I loved apples, but I couldn't we couldn't get them, right?

SPEAKER_06 8:47

Yeah, and and then they were just using them for designers, yes, just designers, but doing code it the the PC was a little better. I mean, it offered more um more softwares to help you code in. But and and that's on the Microsoft, if you understand uh coding, a lot of it was in the early nine uh 90s and early 2000s, late 90s, early 2000s, it was Microsoft that was pushing.NET, you know, all these uh uh PC-driven coding uh softwares and technologies. So in order to code uh in the in that space, you needed that PC because the Apple was just for designers. That that's how they marketed it. But once PHP came on the market, that was a whole new game for Apple.

Banking Career Meets Web Design

SPEAKER_02 9:46

It really was, it was, and I say this, you know. So I I love so we know that you were a nerd. Are you still a nerd? I think uh I'm a nerd. Okay, it's okay. Are you gonna be a cute nerd? You could be a cute nerd, because I think I'm a closet tech junkie. Okay, I'm a you know, like you call closet drinkers, yes, I'm a closet tech junkie. That's cute. Um because I don't think you see me as that, but at home, I love to figure out systems. Like I love to figure out it's not the computer, it's just the complexity and bringing it to life, is what I like. Okay. Um, and so like it's so funny. My friends will be like, oh, what system you on? And uh, we just found like a new system in our team, and I'm just gonna loving it, like, because I love that part of it. So I think it's maybe that's a software girl too, could be that. So tell me, based on where you are, how did you like how did you, you know, a lot of times what I hear is I started in this industry and then I went out on my own. Okay. Is that your story?

SPEAKER_06 11:01

Uh, pretty much so. Okay. Uh I just to tell you a little background about me. I went to school. I always loved fashion. Let me tell you. I love fashion. And I was uh We were just talking about that though. And I was uh executive assistant from one of the VPs at the time it was uh bank one.

SPEAKER_02 11:25

Okay, Chase, right? Yeah, Chase.

SPEAKER_06 11:27

Now it's Chase Bank, but at the time it was Bank One, and I was working for one of the execs, and he was making a lot of money. I'm we ain't gonna talk about that. But yeah, he was making a lot of money, and he was he asked me, he said, Lenore, what do you want to do? I was young, I was I think I was 22. Okay, you know, so I was I like to party at my house head, so house head nerd party fashion. I got it, I got it, Lenore. So he was like, What do you want to do with your life? And I was like, Hey, I'm happy working for you. And he was like, Hmm, that that cannot be enough for you. And I was like, You're right, you're right. Well, I love fashion. He said you work at a bank, they're not gonna pay for that. Like, I could be a fashion designer, a buyer for a boutique. And he's like, No, I think banking. And so I was like, you know what? I love he loved my PowerPoint presentations, right? I always gave it a career, creative spin. And so I was like, you know, I always wanted this, I always saw myself doing those big conferences uh and a big PowerPoint presentation. And so that's what I told him. And he was like, maybe you should go to school for that. And so that's how I ended up in school. But it you know, you just can't go to school to be a PowerPoint presentation person. So I ended up doing graphic arts. I went to school for graphic arts, and uh right when I was about to in my senior year, uh HTML came on the on the on the you know, yeah, came on the phone. Yeah, yeah. And I was like, Am I seeing? Yeah, came on the thing. I was like, oh, let me take this class. That's interesting. What you're talking about, and I took the class and I was intrigued. Oh, you know, I'm taking a class, I'm learning all I can about HTML and my weekly meeting with my brother. I tell him, I was like, oh, I'm taking this new HTML class, I'm really loving it. And he was like, really? He said, they need some help down there on the trading floor building web pages. Would you be interested? And I was like, Well, you know, I'm new to it. So I I I would rather get more experience before I move that way. But needless to say, I think he was pushing me out of it. Are you serious? But I I mean it was a good push. But at the time I wasn't, I was like, I don't happy where I'm at. You know what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_02 14:11

But um He saw something in you too. I guess so.

SPEAKER_06 14:14

Thank you.

SPEAKER_02 14:15

What does HTML stand for?

SPEAKER_06 14:17

It's hyper text uh markup language. Hyper text markup language.

SPEAKER_02 14:25

Oh see, I've never See, you are a real nerd. You are a real nerd because most people just say, I need that HTML, HTML file. And we don't even know what that is. We know what Adobe is, right? We know what J, you know, we know those. But we just say that, we just roll it off. And I am a firm believer of not using H uh acronyms because I find that when we get in meetings, like it go, people just uh and they don't really know what it is. You're right, you know, but we've used the same thing in that space and not knowing what and so I'm gonna dig a little bit deeper because I feel like people should know what is that HTML.

SPEAKER_06 15:05

Well, it's just a language that you code in that basically allows you to what put like make a ball go across the page. It brings the page to life. Kind of animation, yeah. Yeah, it brings it to life on your computer. Oh yeah, so you can now with technology, you can pretty much do whatever you want. Uh when it first came out, it was still limited, and then the colors weren't as vibrant, but as as you know, as technology grows, everything gets better. Yeah, because I can just tell you this, I don't want to jump, but I I was Photoshop was my thing. Yeah, everything was done in Photoshop, right? If I'm editing an image or I'm making a graphic, I use Photoshop. But now there's so many other apps out here that's doing it faster and better than Photoshop, right? And it's like, how do you move from something that you've been using for so long? But then now you have Canva, yeah, Canva AI, you just tell them what you want, and then it pops on the page better than you could have, but you could imagine.

SPEAKER_02 16:26

That's I mean, I'm so glad you just you jumped into technology without us, and I appreciate it because that's who you are. I I do think that you, but I also feel like we need to talk about like where we started, where we are. Like, I think we get to the space where we like, okay, AI, but let's AI wouldn't have existed without exactly, you know, with all of the HTML, HTML, Adobe, Photoshop, like it's it's realizing that, which, which is why we need people to understand, like, there's certain people that ushered us in, right? If they hadn't done it, we wouldn't be in these seats.

SPEAKER_05 17:09

Exactly.

CRMs, AI, And Go High Level

SPEAKER_02 17:09

You know, so I think just helping us understand with that. Um, I'm just gonna do a little popcorn. What's your favorite platform right now? Technology.

SPEAKER_06 17:20

I have been going hard with Go High level. It's a CREM.

SPEAKER_02 17:24

Yes, it is. We got one. We we use it, we use it as a well, we have a company that white-labeled it. Okay, but it's a CRM, it's the CR.

SPEAKER_06 17:34

It is a good, it is, and they just released some stuff that will blow your mind because I know uh me personally, Chat B uh GPT is my friend, right? Okay, I even named them. You do a lot of people do, yeah. I stopped using them. But you had but sometimes it they can send you down this rabbit hole, right? So you gotta know specifically, you know, ask those prompts. Those prompts gotta be specific so that you can get what you're looking for. Yeah, and so you get all this information and then you gotta well, you gotta still do the work and bring it into the CRM, right? Yeah, but they just launched something now where you can vibe right with AI and it do it in a little high level.

SPEAKER_02 18:22

Oh, I'm about to talk to my my rep about that.

SPEAKER_06 18:26

I I couldn't believe it.

SPEAKER_02 18:28

So you can talk to it.

SPEAKER_06 18:29

You if they call it vibe and AI.

SPEAKER_02 18:32

Oh, it's you vibing.

SPEAKER_06 18:34

So you just mean you vibing, and then it just builds out something. It gave you an image, but you don't like the image. So you tell it, or you you give them the image you wanted to replace it with. Hey, just replace the image, the hero image with the with this image I just uploaded. It does it. So it's no coding. So you're like, what? We ain't coding no more.

SPEAKER_02 18:58

And with is that in their premium? I mean, is that it what what level is that?

SPEAKER_06 19:02

That is a premium package.

SPEAKER_02 19:03

It is how much is that one?

SPEAKER_06 19:05

Uh, so you have to at least have the$97 a month package. Right. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 19:12

I think it's not and so the one we use, they have it. They've got a few features. We spent a little bit too much on it, but I I they why labeled it. I because I know plat I do know platforms and you know where it comes from. Yes. Um, but my biggest thing was high level. I worked in high level when it first came out and I hated it. Did you? Oh my gosh. Because it was wonky. It was, it didn't connect. It was to me, it was it didn't, yeah. I was like, where is the kind of it wasn't connecting, right? Um, but I do think that um the one we have now, like we've got the calendar link, we've got the surveys, we use, you know, you can email directly on there and about to work on the funnel. Yeah. So it has all of that inside of it. But I felt like with high level, you get so far and then they like, okay, you gotta, you gotta go up. You you know, with them, at least when I did it, they were like, okay, you did so much, then they yeah, they that's how they get their money. And so I wanted a platform where it's like this the only I don't yeah, this don't ask me for no more money in six months. Right. Let me stay here. So you kind of pay the highest, not the highest level, but you know what I mean.

SPEAKER_06 20:26

Yeah, I have the agency account, so there's no limits to what uh we have the eight, and it just it may yeah, it makes a big because then you get frustrated.

SPEAKER_02 20:35

Yes, because you like, but then if you take it away, then I'll be like, okay, I'm gonna give it back. Then y'all gonna lock me in. It's just all the things from that. So um, okay, so high level is your number one platform. Yes, it is. Um, okay, okay.

SPEAKER_06 20:49

But what I uh and let me tell you why. Because for small business owners, we have limited funds for CRM marketing stuff, right? Yes, this is and so what is happening now is everybody wants you to do a subscription to their to their app. And if you just think about it, you're spending two, maybe two, three hundred dollars a month on these different apps, right? Yeah, whereas uh Go high level really want to help the small business owner. So they said, well, hey, let us integrate all these things into this CRM. So you only have one place to pay, but you get everything that you need to build a really great back office because that back office, if it ain't right, that's true, you your business is not growing. That's true. It's a lot of, but it's a learning curve.

Website Audits And Strong Foundations

SPEAKER_02 21:50

It is a learning curve, but that's why you have geeks like me. I got geeks, I got the CEO. So if you like high level, the CEO can help. You in that area. Yes. Um, so tell me this. Knowing so today, like we've talked about tools, we've talked a little bit about some platforms. Um when it when a business comes to you looking to strengthen its online presence, what does your process typically look like from strategy to execution?

SPEAKER_06 22:22

So basically, I meet with them one-on-one because I know that every business is unique. Yep. Even if you sell in the same thing as the next business owner, yours, you bring something different than they have, right? So the first thing is that meeting, just to see where the where they are and where they're trying to go and what are their goals and how do they want to get there? Because I always say you can get there fast. Hey, you might not like that, but we and the quality might not be there. But if you take your time and build it out and really think about what's the next move for your target user, you'll be very happy with the results. And um, so that's one of the the first things we do. We have that discussion. Okay. Once I know where they are, then I bring them uh, I also look at what their websites.

SPEAKER_05 23:25

Okay.

SPEAKER_06 23:26

I do an audit of their websites to see where where they're lacking, yeah, what their strengths are, what what they are lacking, what they can improve on. And I present that to them as well. And then I tell them how I can help them. If they a lot of businesses, they think, oh, I just gotta get a website. I gotta have a website because that's what we've been taught. As a business owner, you need a website, right? That's your present. So a lot of people run to GoDaddy, not the no shade, no shade. Yeah, go daddy wigs, and they hurry up and get this website and it has nothing that they said they wanted. It's just a a page, it is like a business card. If you want to, if they want to do anything else with it, their limits. So um I help them to see that you have your foundation has to be great at the beginning. And you might have to spend a little money in the beginning to get where you're trying to go, but in the end, you're gonna be happy with your results.

SPEAKER_02 24:35

That's true.

SPEAKER_06 24:35

So I I'm a firm believer. I uh of I love the CRM HTML, but I I think people need a database because as you grow, you're gonna need applications, you're gonna uh you're gonna have to be able to integrate new applications in. And you don't want to, oh, I wanna, I want my hero to be my header to be fresh every month, a different header. But maybe I wanna, I don't want to lose the one that I get. But if you don't have a database, as soon as you take that down, it's gone. Unless you got it on your computer saved somewhere, you have to put it back up. So the database just allows you to store your content. So because I I believe that content shouldn't be dated, it can always be used.

SPEAKER_02 25:31

I agree. Yeah. Because I think content is currency. Yeah, yes. You know, it turns, and I mean you could do so much with it. I you know, just as a firm, we say all the time, we don't have a we don't have a content problem. Content is our jam. Right. It's just the execution of putting content out.

SPEAKER_06 25:46

How do you, yep, how do you put it out? And so one of the other things that I really help business owners with is how to manage that content. Because once you have so much content, it overwhelms you. That's true. And you're looking for an image or a video that you know you did, but it's in your phone and it don't have no tags to it. You don't know how, you know, you kind of know the you know the time period you did it in, but you can't find it. That's true. So one of the things that we do at Maca Marketing is we help you manage that data.

SPEAKER_02 26:22

That's good. That's actually good. So tell me this. And this is so true, right? Um what people need to look at is how do you approach or how do business owners, because I think it's that, how do they approach staying current and adaptable as new twos, platforms, and trends continue to change and emerge?

Staying Current With Tech Trends

SPEAKER_06 26:43

That's a good question. And I call it YouTube University. I mean, I I I I listen to podcasts like yours just to see what's going on uh out there. But I also are I uh I'm also um involved in different organizations and uh groups that like black black women tech, talk tech. So if you surround yourself with people that are in that industry, you get to know what they're doing, what works for them, what doesn't work for them. And so I like to uh surround myself with different organizations that help you keep abreast of what is going on and plus I you know I do go on YouTube to see what we start doing things.

SPEAKER_02 27:37

It's so funny. And I I I say this and I mean this. Every platform that I've ever liked, I'm always there before it's a trend. So I was on LinkedIn before people just started, I was on there running it. We we built a very solid, you know, business and you know, to me in a short amount of time. Uh and people were like, how did you get your? I said, because we were we were early adopters of it, right? Yes. Same with YouTube. I even told my team, I was like, I'm on LinkedIn. They had they started building a page for Instagram. I was like, I don't need though Instagram. I mean, it's cool for me, right? Right, but not. Then I was telling I we did a I did a full plan some years ago with trying to engage this client to do advertising on YouTube.

unknown 28:30

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 28:31

Oh, I want to use YouTube. I I want to spend money on Facebook. I said, I'm trying to tell you you you can really segment better on YouTube. I'm trying to tell you, right? You can literally like segment small videos. It's like I'm trying to put together a little computer. I mean, you can get that in zip code, like it's all the things you can't do. You could at the time you couldn't do Facebook. But you said, no, no, no, no. Now YouTube ads are way more expensive, right? So, but I realize though, we as consumers, um, as tech consumers, and as capitalists, we jump on the trends, right, after the fact. And so as business owners, even even um, have you heard of CTTV? I have that you a business could could run an ad on CTV, right? It's not, it's a it's not super, it's probably better, I think better than running some ads on Facebook, depending on what your business or service is. But CTTV right now isn't, but guess what? It's going to grow because these dreaming platforms are now moving ads into their ecosystem where we, you know, you gotta pay for it. But there's a lot of people that say, well, I'll keep some ads, right? I'll pay to have some ads, but I don't want all the ads. So we have to understand that it's hard to keep up, but I do think that um, what can I say? I think it's all about being adaptable to it all, right? You know, it's about all being it. So tell me this. How has your experience across industries influenced how you approach your work today?

SPEAKER_06 30:15

Well, right now I try to I've been in several industries working for small businesses. I've done health and wellness, education, higher ed. Uh, those are the things that I really try to um focus on. I would love some fashion clients. So if you're out there, I know that's right. Go on there and pick those up. I love it. I'm with you on that one. Yeah, so but um I for me, I kind of segment. I use the CRM to segment my industries, right? Okay, and so they don't get the same content for me because I'm trying to reach uh different industries. So they need different things. So I have to be um consistent on the content that I send to a higher ed versus an elementary school. So that's one of the things I'm just uh always uh trying to figure out uh uh the best way to communicate with um the different industries that I would like to be in.

SPEAKER_02 31:27

Which is important.

SPEAKER_06 31:28

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 31:28

Which is in which is very important.

SPEAKER_06 31:30

And I think like you mentioned YouTube and other things, like because I work uh with the educational sector and we do provide different types of content for elementary schools. They have promps, they have different events, they have poet day. So they use they always look into uh have someone come in and do a video of the kids that performed, or maybe just keeping the uh letting I think it's powerful to let the kids see themselves on camera, right? It makes them feel special. I agree. I did a um uh one of the schools I work for, they did a poet day for the fourth, fifth, and sixth graders. And they they these kids, they did a poetry slam. These kids, I was impressed with their poetry, and it was uh and to put that so we uh captured it on video and um and camera for them. So but for those kids to see that, and it actually they they saved up content for them so they can view it and use it for different things. That's all they were so happy. That's just what's so happy.

SPEAKER_02 32:52

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SPEAKER_00 33:03

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Tech Access For Kids In Schools

SPEAKER_02 33:22

Quick pause. If you're enjoying this conversation, take a second and subscribe to the Black Businesses Matter Podcast. It helps us keep telling these stories. Now let's continue. It's we did a program with Verizon some years ago with the school, I think it was Coreless, because they were the first high school to have a tech, the smart board technology some years and years ago. And so it was really cool. And we did a whole video on them using it and you know getting them exposed to new job opportunities, and it was really, really cool. I agree with you though. I feel like kids they need that, they do.

SPEAKER_06 34:03

Um and in our uh community, they don't see it as much. They don't they just go to school and they do what they're supposed to do. I agree. Try to be good. Yeah. They need, I mean, there's so many things out here for young uh kids, but they're not in our our our schools.

SPEAKER_02 34:24

And I and let me say this I was sharing this with my aunt this morning, and I was telling her, you know, about the curfew, and I was saying, I don't know if curbing the curfew is going to solve our problem. You know, this you know, for those of you all in Chicago, we have kids just running around being reckless. But I am a firm believer that if you find the parents, I think that's how you solve the problem, right? So once you get, if I get fined and I'm a parent, you're gonna sit right down. In fact, I'm gonna lock you in this house. That ain't a that ain't you know, that ain't great. Right. But I realize that it has an impact a family's bottom line on how they eat. And when you see that, that's what happens. But on the flip side, do the parents really care?

SPEAKER_06 35:14

I I don't know. I just think I do think that the parents should be fine. But sometimes the parent don't even know how to do that.

SPEAKER_02 35:23

Well, that's what this young man said. He said, because that parent could be an absentee parent, that parent could also not even care.

SPEAKER_06 35:32

Or they could be working. Or they could be working now.

SPEAKER_02 35:35

Yeah, and working multiple jobs, you know, to be able to do that. But I think so I was saying that we need more programs, right? Yes, I think. We need more programs for people, but I'm not I'm certain that, right, when we were coming up, you had basketball courts, you had track and field, you had all these things for us to do. So I I'm a firm believer, Lenora, even though we've work in this place of marketing, I think that we need to market camp campaigns to get people outside and using their hands from a playground standpoint.

SPEAKER_06 36:10

I I agree.

SPEAKER_02 36:11

You know what I mean? Like going down a sliding board, getting on a swing, because I think that there is here that win, that ability, it helps to a certain degree of adding adventure, but also protecting yourself from hurting yourself.

SPEAKER_06 36:28

Exactly. I got you.

SPEAKER_02 36:30

You know what I mean? So I think because they have been introduced to this. This is a downfall.

SPEAKER_06 36:37

It is that's social media.

SPEAKER_02 36:40

So, as a marketer, tell me about that. We've had some market, we had a communications firm and uh, and so we talked a little bit about that. I'm telling people, lean in because these are, you know, I think marketers. Um, you know, we're we're adjacent to technology because we're trying to get companies to level up. But what's your thoughts on social? Is social media dead?

SPEAKER_06 37:02

No, it's not dead, it's very much alike. And I love it. And I honestly don't think it's for the young people. Anybody under 15, 16 should not be on social media because it gives them a false sense of reality. They're looking at things from another person's perspective that's not theirs, and it's damaging them because they can do whatever they put their mind to. But if they putting their mind to this crap that they putting on social media, they don't they're gonna think that that's all there is.

SPEAKER_02 37:46

So it's so funny. I was telling somebody, remember, I used to think, I used to think it was people behind the TV. Back in the day, I said, it's people behind the TV. I know, and you know, I would, and so we had the big TVs, you know, it was big, big TV. So I wanted to look inside the people were in there, and we realized that the people were 100% um, you know, so but I feel like that was imagination. You were imagining that they were behind there, and I don't think we should ever imagination is I think is a superpower, yes. Um, and that we have, but I think that to your point with social media, I think it does somewhat minimize imagination.

SPEAKER_06 38:32

Yes, I think so too. And I also think that it almost put out the wrong message.

SPEAKER_05 38:41

It does.

SPEAKER_06 38:41

And then because you don't know the background of the person that's putting it out, it could also also be a lie. So you could be listening to something that's totally not true.

SPEAKER_03 38:54

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 38:55

And so I use social media, I'm I'm very limited in it. I want to see what my colleagues are doing. I'm congratulating them on their success and achievements, but and uh putting out content that I want them to know that we're doing, but that's about the limit of it. I used to uh post on my personal account a lot, but if you look at my personal account, you're like, dang, this girl ain't posted in a minute. Because it's, you know, I I just life be life. And then I don't want everybody to know what my life in the school is.

SPEAKER_02 39:30

But I also think you tell me this, Lenore, right? I think the practitioners of marketing, we're busy building that that moment, I don't know that we have, let me say this. I don't know that we want to give our moment to that because we're helping to advance other small businesses to get there.

SPEAKER_05 39:52

Exactly.

Shopify Versus Template Site Builders

SPEAKER_02 39:52

So I want to ask you this. What you said, Wix, what's your thoughts about? I just love to, I could talk about this all day. But what's your thoughts about Squarespace, Shopify?

SPEAKER_06 40:02

So I I'm a big Shopify type person, especially if they're moving a product. Yeah. Yes. I think that is the best, me too. The best platform you can be on. I agree. And the and one of the best keys about that is that Google has a relationship with Shopify. A lot of people don't know that. Oh, wow. But when you have a Shopify account, Google makes sure that your rankings are high, especially if you are uh if you are selling a good if you're moving product and they can see that you're moving the product, you get higher in the Google ranks and you ain't doing nothing. Just because they have that partnership.

SPEAKER_05 40:46

Wow.

SPEAKER_06 40:46

And so I tell people, because a lot of people say, because I do WordPress as well, they be like, what about WooCommerce? Uh no, if you it's if you're gonna move product, I'm a firm believer in Shopify is your number one. Yes, what about Squarespace? Squarespace, um I don't have a lot of knowledge on that one. I have a few clients that were on Squarespace, but at the end of the day, Shopify and WordPress gives you a database. So Wix, GoDaddy, all of them, uh Squarespace, they're just pages. Yeah. When I say a page, it's like PowerPoint.

SPEAKER_02 41:29

Yeah, that's what I say. They're PowerPoint templates. But you know what else I think that um I think that um Square Pace, now this is my I think that they have a good POS.

SPEAKER_05 41:38

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 41:38

I think them the integration of the POS, what you so like if you are brick and mortar or or have the brick and mortar portion, that POS talks to your web, to your database. But most people don't. They'll use, they'll just stick with the um POS because they started, they, oh gosh, I can't think of it. But they they bought one of the POS. So that's why it is. They bought one of the POS. I can't remember what. But I think that that's it. And I think people, you know, I think in this world of technology, we have AI. And what I think that people need to understand is you gotta be online.

SPEAKER_06 42:17

Yes, you do. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 42:18

Lenore can can help you get online, and then you need to track who you're who who's following you. Oh, right? Yes, you you I mean people I want to know, yes, okay, who was looking, who was lurking, right?

SPEAKER_06 42:36

Who was even lurking? You're right. I want to know who was on the side.

SPEAKER_02 42:43

Um okay, so let's talk about this. How have you seen clients or communities respond to the work you've done through marketing group? Like, how do you, you know, a lot of times I tell people, do you have how do your clients give you feedback? Are you Google reviews?

SPEAKER_06 43:01

Do they give you testimonies? They give me testimonies and they some of them give me Google reviews, and I've had a few that also went in on LinkedIn again. Yeah. Oh, that's easy. So I asked for one. Give me one of those.

Mentorship As A Community Strategy

SPEAKER_02 43:16

I agree. I agree. Give me some to put me, put, put me on them. Okay. Um looking back, what stands out to you as a meaningful or defining moment in your journey as a founder?

SPEAKER_06 43:38

Okay, so I worked. What is that? To prioritize right now because you might have a job, you have these classes, and you have other things that's going on in your life, right? And now you're learning how to juggle, learning how to think, and they were struggling. So a lot of uh a lot of of the new enrollees were they were dropping out because it was just too much for them to handle. Because I this is a different breed. I don't want to talk about them, but they can't we multitask. I had a child, I had I went to school, I worked, I had my own place, you know, I had bills, but they just don't know how to do that effectively. And uh they give up.

SPEAKER_03 44:53

Okay.

SPEAKER_06 44:54

And they're not critical thinkers, like, okay, how do I deal with this situation? I know I gotta be here. What do I need to do? So this program was set up to help them stop them from dropping out of uh out of uh college. Okay. And what they did was provide them with a mentor, somebody that was in their junior year and they been through some of the things that they had gone through. And they could help them work through that so that they don't have to drop out of a college. And it was a very effective program. And I was like, wow, if we can do that in the be even before they get to college. How about uh grammar school, uh of somebody in middle school helping a little one that's struggling with their their reading or their math? If the we have pro more programs of mentorship where we use kids that are doing well to help the ones that are not uh performing to their limit, their best, uh, that could be something powerful, right? So I I I've developed this whole presentation and I was like, we need more mentorship. Even like with my business, I can teach people how to code. I have great uh artists that do graphic work, they can teach them if that if those are the fields that they want to be in. I think it's just like you said, then these kids need something to do.

SPEAKER_05 46:31

They do.

SPEAKER_06 46:32

And and school has not developed with technology at all. It hasn't, it hasn't caught up either. It has not caught up, and so they're they at home and they they know how to drive a plane because they playing these games. They know, and they go to school and it's like you know, mono. So they are bored and they're looking for something. And I think if we put more programs, this is just my opinion, more programs about AI, what they could do with AI, or even if they just wanted to learn how to do drywalling or landscaping, if we had more programs that gave them that outlet that were at the school, I I want to learn about farming. And they have this farming program that they can go to after school. I think it'll eliminate a lot of that, what is it, that idle time where they're looking, you know. I don't think they right, and I don't think they really looking for trouble, but trouble finds them when that mind ain't right, size ain't working, trouble finds it. And you see, one, and it's always that one, like the one that was jumping over the cars.

Why Black Businesses Matter

SPEAKER_02 47:49

Come on. But I also so here's the thing, I was thinking about this earlier today. I think we do stuff for the likes. I think it wasn't necessarily oh, absolutely. I think it was just new that somebody was gonna record it, and you could be a fame, you could be famous. I mean, I could be crazy. No, I agree with you. I think it I think we want to be. I've always said that when we get to a space where we want to be, that we want to deliver you want to be famous, or somebody said you could want to be famous, or do you want to have a future, right? Because people who are famous oftentimes end up in some very like substance abuse, all the you know what I mean, they're famous, and that famous thing gets you in trouble, you know? So I think that that's a real thing. So why do black businesses matter?

SPEAKER_06 48:48

They the backbones of our community. If we don't have them, then we're we have to go other places to get things that we use every day. Yeah. So I I'm firm I'm a firm believer in black businesses, and I try to support them in any way I can. Yeah. And so um we need them. We need them. And honestly, I want to go here, but I don't know, something about the south side and the west side, the west side work together.

SPEAKER_02 49:21

They do, don't they? I agree, Lenore. I hate to say that. So we have to tell listeners, I think it has, but I think I do. My father's from the west side, my mother's from the west side. Um, they left and moved to the south side. So I've always say, but my parents don't go back to the west side. But let me tell you something. I was having this conversation with my dad, and he was like, but what people don't know is the west side get that money, honey. They get they ain't they ain't jumping over crumbs, they getting it. Yeah, they getting it. And it's a dip, it's just, I don't know what it is, Lenora. I don't, but I agree with you. I do think that there is, I think that's why you're seeing all this attention to the South Side. But I think let me tell you why I believe. Now, this is me, I'm no urban planner, but I'm gonna tell you this. When you go west, your number one place of area of destination is the United Center. When you come to the South Side, we don't have a real destination spot. Think about it. We do not. So there's no reason to go there to watch a game or go there to watch a show. We don't have that. So you're coming through, you know, on the West, you're coming through the city to go to United Center. Or you're coming, it's which is why I believe with this president, it's gonna be, it's gonna be big because we don't have a the closest thing we have is the White Sox, but the White Sox bars is just baseball. United Center has Blackhawks, the Bulls, shows, uh Frozen on Ice. I mean, you know what I mean? They have all the things. So that's what I have figured out. That remember they had the old stadium and then they built we had so they built that, they tore that down. So I think that there they were building an ecosystem well before we were. That that's just me as an urban planner. But that makes sense. You think I that's the because I just literally was like, what do you travel to West United Center? And then when you go there, what do you do? You go eat. So you're eating somewhere around there.

SPEAKER_06 51:34

And it's it's so funny that you say that because I know this girl that has a popcorn uh restaurant, I mean popcorn shop. And she was on the south side on 63rd, right off of Western. But she moved to the west side, and I couldn't understand it. I was like, why are you going west?

SPEAKER_02 51:54

And she told me she was like, I'm going where the money is. Friend of mine has a vintage, beautiful, love her store. She was right on 35th. She moved to the west side and is doing amazing. But I think that that's I think the west side drives that. Yeah.

Johnson Publishing And Digital Lessons

SPEAKER_06 52:13

And they support each other. They do, they they go, they shop locally, they do, they keep the money over there. They do. Whereas Southside, you get a little money, you want the other.

SPEAKER_02 52:24

But we don't have a destination. You're not gonna get people outside of even us. Yeah, you know what I mean? Yeah, you mentioned something early, and I want to say this to you because we want to build this empire. You worked for Ebony. I did. Um, and so I would love to just I believe that that was a staple. And what we're doing um as we're building is we're building the evolution of Ebony as a podcast. We have a mag um where agency JPC also had their whole advertising agency for their ads, so they would help them advertise. I do want to ask you that moment of working for the largest at the time, black publishing company, where advertisers were spending money and you look at it today. Like, what do you what's your what's your perspective today?

SPEAKER_06 53:17

The Johnson Publishing Company was a beast, I'm gonna say that. But they were not ready for technology. Yeah, and that was the downside of it. Yeah, that was the demise. Even though they had some powerful players in their office, a lot of the ideas that came through were not um they didn't innovate. They didn't innovate, they didn't. Because honestly, they should have been in the television industry before BET.

SPEAKER_01 53:54

Correct.

SPEAKER_06 53:55

So it was just they to me, I I love them. I enjoyed working there. That was one of my best jobs, honestly. And I hated to see that building uh that was one of the it was hard. It was very hard. It's still hard for me when I go downtown and see it because that was a beautiful building.

SPEAKER_05 54:20

Beautiful, building. Every floor, the decor.

SPEAKER_06 54:24

The decor, every floor had that beautiful view of Grant Park and the lake. And it's like they just chopped it up there.

SPEAKER_02 54:35

Yeah, yeah. But what can we learn from that as business owners? We have to Especially black.

SPEAKER_06 54:42

Honestly, we have to listen and we have to work together because that was one of the things to me. They just I thought that magazine was gonna last forever. Everybody, somebody was gonna buy that ebony jet magazine. I don't care. And I think what happened was they was on the behind it. Like you said earlier, most of the time we're behind the cult. And like when I came, I came in in two 2006. And their website was just a a banner, honestly. It just focused on the um what was the cover of the ebony magazine. They didn't give you nothing else. Just what who was gonna be on the cover of the ebony magazine? And they knew then that they needed to do something because we were in a time where everybody had a comp these phones, were now becoming computers, so you can get your the news at um at your fingertips, right? And they were generating magazines that were weekly and monthly. Then by the time the weekly and the monthly came out, yeah, it was old news. So they they was like, we gotta do something, we gotta do something. So uh we built this, uh, it was Ebony Jet. We put the two together, made it ebonyjet.com. And then we had freelance uh writers come in and get this information there, spin on what was going on in the news, entertainment, politics. Uh, and it was working. It was working, but still there was uh uh uh what hesitation into giving us the dollars we needed to make it bigger than what it was. And it wasn't until the the that sales team sold that site for the more than what the the ads for more than what they were getting for the magazine that they started really taking us seriously because they saw what it could do. And we took that mag that ma that website, Ebony Jet, they was getting 6,000 views a month. Just for people coming in, uh working on the um seeing what the um the cover was to a million views a day.

SPEAKER_02 57:21

Wow.

SPEAKER_06 57:22

A million views a day. And they had they knew then they had something special.

SPEAKER_02 57:28

And then what happened?

SPEAKER_06 57:30

Leadership. Leadership.

Joy, How To Connect, And Close

SPEAKER_02 57:33

That's that's it. Leadership, leadership, leadership. And that's how we I mean you think about it, toys are us. Like we take these businesses and adjacent with black, we have to understand that if your leadership is not right, this is this is what happens. So I say all that to say that's one of the things that I'm hoping to build here in Chicago, right? A space where we can be seen and valued for our creatures' creativity um with our mag, with our podcast. Um, you know, as this multimedia firm where, you know, we want to allow for people to come. We're looking to expand and look, you know, to allow for people to come and do their own podcasts, come in on their own. Um because I also believe that our stories have to be in museums and archive. Like we are powerful, you know. So this has been awesome, Lenora. This has been cute. Thank you. What brings you joy?

SPEAKER_06 58:31

Oh, I'm a Bible reader. Amen. Gotta have you have to be conscious of your spiritual needs, especially in this time we're living in with this person. Ugh, okay. We're not gonna talk about that, but yeah, but you do, yeah, yes. So bring some things that bring me joy is reading my Bible, also talking to other people about it, about the Bible. And my family, we love karaoke. Now I can't sing. Oh, you are karaoke queen. Okay, I can tell you, I cannot sing, but I love making some but karaoke for the people that don't sing, right?

SPEAKER_02 59:10

And I gotta get past that.

SPEAKER_06 59:11

Well, but you know what is happening? I know more and more people that can't sing is coming out, and I don't like it.

SPEAKER_02 59:18

I'm like, I don't want you to sing because that's why I don't want to stand up because I'm like, you really can't sing, and I don't want that. I don't want that. Lenore, this has been fantastic. I can talk to you all day because we can talk about marketing, we can talk about ways to amplify your brand. Um, we both know that social media is alive and well. Use it. Um, don't abuse it. Yes, right? Exactly. Don't abuse it. Hey guys, this has been amazing. Um, this season has given us so much joy in how technology and the intersection of telene technology and how we need to adapt as business owners and all the things that we need to do to build our business. Also, to her point, leadership. You gotta now ask yourself what's who are you as a leader and who's leading your effort at your firm? And so this is the evolution of entrepreneurship. It's one thing to be an entrepreneur, but how is that leadership looking like?

SPEAKER_03 1:00:23

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:24

Um, and understanding all the tools and understanding you need a nerd on your team. You need a Lenore, you need to have a nerd. Everything is not, you know, it's not all gonna be this, but you need somebody that's like, no, let me just figure this out, puzzle, yes, um, put that all together and help you with those complex systems. So thank you. I appreciate my listeners for watching. I hope you're loving this season. We got more and more and more in store for you this season. This is season 11. As you all know, I am the founder of the L3 Agency, and we just want to keep bringing great content where you can find ways to learn, to collaborate, to connect. Matter of fact, Lenora, what you got going on and how they can connect to you?

SPEAKER_06 1:01:07

Well, you can connect with me at MMG websites on social media, um, MMG websites. My website is mmgwebsites.com. And um what I got going on? A lot. But but currently I'm working with a um a senior healthcare company for seniors to just get their back office in order and upgrade their website. Awesome.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:38

Congratulations, awesome. Yeah. There you all have it. Thank you so much for rocking with us. Thank you for another episode of Black Businesses Matter. Please share this episode.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:50

See you next week. The L3 Agency has exciting updates and upgrades rolling out in 2026, and you're invited to stay in the know. Join their newly refreshed newsletter, The Unfolding Effect, and harness the power of storytelling to elevate your visibility. Visit www.thel3Agency.com to subscribe and stay connected.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:14

The Black Businesses Matter podcast is produced by the L3 Agency, a culturally sensitive influencer, marketing, and communications firm in Chicago, where relationships are our currency. Passion is our profit maker, and people are our bottom line. Follow us on Instagram at Black Businesses Matter.