“I definitely want to eradicate entrepreneurial poverty ” says Susanne Mariga

Black Businesses Matter

Black Businesses Matter
“I definitely want to eradicate entrepreneurial poverty ” says Susanne Mariga
Oct 20, 2025 Season 10 Episode 124
Larvetta Loftin

We would love to hear from you! Text "BBMFAM" to (312) 300-1300.

Guest Name: Susanne Mariga

Guest Business:  The Mariga Group

EPISODE SUMMARY 

In this episode of the Black Businesses Matter Podcast, we chat with Susanne Mariga, CPA, Fractional CFO, and CEO of The Mariga Group, a Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business firm named the 2021 Profit First Professional Firm of the Year.

Growing up surrounded by math and books, Susanne was inspired by her father, an accountant who introduced her to business early, allowing her to intern in the family firm at just 14. Though she began college at Ohio State University on the pre-med track, she soon discovered her true passion for accounting and shifted her focus.

As Susanne built her corporate career, she realized the demanding hours were keeping her from her family, inspiring her to launch her own accounting firm. She grew it into a thriving business that she eventually sold, positioning herself to retire at 46.

Today, Susanne helps 7- and 8-figure entrepreneurs master profitability and scale sustainably through The Mariga Group and her Profit First System. She is also the author of Profit First for Minority Business Enterprises, host of The Profit Talk Podcast, and has been featured in outlets such as Houston Business Journal and MBE Magazine.

In the conversation, Susanne shares how she turned financial strategy into freedom, her approach to building wealth for entrepreneurs of color, and the lessons she’s learned about aligning profit with purpose.

If you’re passionate about entrepreneurship, financial empowerment, and building a business that serves both your purpose and your peace, this episode is for you.

 IN THIS EPISODE, I TALK ABOUT…

  1. What was she like as a child? 
  2. How did The Mariga Group come to life, and what inspired you to focus on empowering minority business owners through financial literacy and strategic growth?
  3. As you built your business, how did you navigate the personal and professional pressures that come with leading and advising other entrepreneurs?
  4. How has your journey influenced the way you view risk, success, and failure in entrepreneurship?
  5. How have your past experiences shaped the way you now support other businesses through difficult transitions or financial uncertainty?
  6. BBM Brag Moment   
  7. What brings them joy? 
  8. Why do black businesses matter? 

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Connect with them

Connect with them on their website : 

https://susannemariga.com


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Episode Artwork “I definitely want to eradicate entrepreneurial poverty ” says Susanne Mariga 1:11:25 Episode Artwork “I tell my clients, T + F = A. Your thoughts lead to feelings, and your feelings lead to actions,” says Dr. Lakeba Williams 1:07:26 Episode Artwork “What’s different about LAB is we have taken into consideration not just data but stories from people,” says Jannice Newson 41:44 Episode Artwork “Nonprofits are the backbone of the community ” says Marc Alexander 1:07:33 Episode Artwork “Are you building yourself into a trap?” asks Rachel Bernier-Green 50:00 Episode Artwork “If there’s an impact that you want to make that out of yourself, know that you need community, ” says Jayla Head 1:06:51 Episode Artwork “Success is not done in a silo it’s done in community,” says Canetha Amour-Porter 59:36 Episode Artwork SPECIAL EPISODE: Evolution of Entrepreneurship 1:16:47 Episode Artwork “Journey to mastery is much more than a business it’s a calling, "says Elzie Flenard 59:53 Episode Artwork “Why don’t we dig into how trauma shows up in our businesses? ,"says Larvetta L. Loftin 46:46 Episode Artwork “Inclusive leadership is just good leadership. You cannot lead a team where you don’t recognize that you have a lot of differences,"says Dr. Carmen Bell-Ross 1:03:50 Episode Artwork All Butter’d Up mission is to give us practical ways to implement self-care in our daily lives, ”Says Lorè Enjoli 1:01:14 Episode Artwork “I just waited for my turn in regards to finding what that unique disruption would be into this industry into this market place,” Says Deida Massey 1:05:12 Episode Artwork “Come up with your exit strategy right now so we can put things in place ” says Sanja Noble 1:08:57 Episode Artwork “ Deals are not made unless you’re in front of somebody because people do business with people they know like, trust”, says Sarah Ware 1:08:36 Episode Artwork “I wake up and go to bed with ‘ how can I move the community forward?’,” Says James Parker 1:11:26 Episode Artwork “I don’t create things if I’m not passionate or in love with it” says Kudzai B. Mutasa 56:22 Episode Artwork “I like to demystify the law, I like to take complex issues and break it all down,” says Katrice Matthews 1:11:11 Episode Artwork “We’re not here to win each other over we’re just here to provide a perspective ” says Larvetta L. Loftin 43:44 Episode Artwork “ We don't measure ourselves by traditional standards why would we I’m not the traditional wine maker” Says Rick Nesbitt 1:01:07 Episode Artwork “You have to put goals out there for yourself ”says Melinda Herron 1:20:00 Episode Artwork We are not babysitters we are EDUCATORS” Says Tonia Evens and Tamera Fair 51:13 Episode Artwork “I didn’t know I could be me because I never saw me,” says Yvonne McNair 43:00 Episode Artwork “Soft skills are all the unsaid things that will dictate a company’s culture,” says Kevin Davenport 49:50 Episode Artwork Special Episode: The Evolution of Entrepreneurship 58:30