The Hidden Barriers Blocking Black Women Entrepreneurs

Black women entrepreneurs deserve more than inspiration — we deserve access, visibility, wealth, and real opportunities to thrive. In this powerful conversation, Shaheewa shares what it truly takes to build sustainable impact, advocate for Black businesses, and lead without losing yourself in the process.

From federal litigation to founding the Broward County Black Chamber of Commerce, Shaheewa opens up about leadership, economic empowerment, supplier diversity, access to capital, and why creating opportunities for Black entrepreneurs is community work that changes generations.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why access and visibility still remain major barriers for Black entrepreneurs
• The importance of advocacy, certifications, and supplier diversity for business growth
• How leadership and healing intersect in entrepreneurship
• What Black women need to know about building wealth and long-term sustainability
• The power of community, connections, and economic empowerment

👉 Follow the podcast and share it with a sister who needs this conversation. We’re on a mission to help Black women make it through the first five years in business — and thrive far beyond them.

#BlackWomenInBusiness #BlackEntrepreneurs #WomenInLeadership #BusinessGrowth #Entrepreneurship #BlackWealth #LeadershipDevelopment #WomenEntrepreneurs #SmallBusinessOwner #EconomicEmpowerment #SupplierDiversity #AccessToCapital #BusinessPodcast #EmpowerHER #BlackBusiness #VisibilityMatters #HealingAndLeadership #WomenWhoLead #CommunityBuilding #StartupJourney

Transcript

SPEAKER_04 0:09

So hey beautiful people and welcome back to the Empower Her Business Podcast. I'm your host, Lynette Cattrell, founder of Empower Her Bookkeeping and Advisory, where we guide women entrepreneurs from the energies of overwhelming avoidance to confidence and relief around their business finances. Because my belief is simple, not one more woman should lose her business simply because she's intimidated by the numbers. My approach is what I call compassionate accounting, meeting women where they are, removing shame from the conversation around money, and helping them build businesses that can actually be sustainable and grow. And this podcast is an extension of that mission. Here on the Empower Her Business Podcast, we have honest conversations about entrepreneurship, leadership, healing, visibility, wealth, and what it really takes to build a business without losing yourself in the process. So many Black entrepreneurs are talented, hardworking, visionaries, and deeply committed to their communities, yet still navigating barriers around access, opportunity, visibility, and so much more. So today's guest has dedicated a significant part of her life and leadership to changing that reality. I am honored to welcome Shahita Jarrett. Shahita serves as a general counsel and vice president of compliance for healthcare advisory organization. And she spent more than 17 years serving as a federal litigator with the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. But beyond her incredible legal and professional background, she is also the founder of the Broward County Black Chamber of Commerce, an organization created to advocate for Black businesses and help expand access, education, connection, and economic opportunity throughout our community. Under her leadership, the chamber has grown to over 430 members and continues doing powerful work around advocacy, access to capital, supplier diversity, certification, and economic empowerment. She also serves in leadership roles across multiple advisory boards and initiatives throughout Broward County, focused on small business development, racial equality, and community advancement. She Hewa, thank you so much for being here today. I'm really looking forward to this conversation.

SPEAKER_01 3:11

Same here, Lynette. Thank you for having me.

SPEAKER_04 3:14

Wonderful. So before all the leadership roles and accomplishments, who was young Shahiwa? What kind of girl were you?

SPEAKER_01 3:23

I was a pretty shy uh girl, actually. Um, just always very observant, kind of kept to myself. You know, always had friends, you know, um, social, but very reserved, I would say. Um, you know, growing up, I don't think children really were um encouraged to be very verbose or vocal, especially in public places. Um in school, I was very reserved with my family, however, I think I felt free to be me. So I was that little girl who always asked about the family history and uh, you know, what was going on, and my grandmother would always say, you know, when I was growing up, we we we never had a chance to ask those questions. Not publicly shy, um, just very observant, um, reserved to myself. Um, but then, you know, around my family, you know, you you're in a place of love and comfort. Uh free to be, you know, myself and ask those questions.

SPEAKER_04 4:20

Got you. So you got you got into all those family stories, right? You got the history of things.

SPEAKER_01 4:26

Yeah, I was just I for some reason I was just very curious, um, you know, about my grandmother's parents. I just wanted to know more about where we came from, who her mother was, who her father was. I I don't know. I just felt um because I was a grew up in such a loving family, close-knit family, you know, gathering at my grandmother's house on Sundays, spent a lot of time with my aunts. Um, you know, it just kind of had this curiosity. So I wanted to know more about the folks that I didn't get to know that, you know, had passed on before me. Uh so I did get the goods. I got the good stories on uh good, because I think, you know, that family history and your family, they they're the first to shape who you are, they're the first to pour into you, to um let you know whether you can do things or you can't do things, you know, to plant that seed. And so um they make up who you are. And it was important for me to know that and understand that.

SPEAKER_04 5:21

Wonderful, wonderful. I love that. So, what did you think at a young age? What did you think you would be when you grew up?

SPEAKER_01 5:29

It's funny that you say that. So I always got these little comments like, you know, you're so cute, are you so pretty and you should model and those types of things.

SPEAKER_03 5:37

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_01 5:37

And um, you know, I don't know at some age, you know, I want to say nine or ten, I just started thinking to myself, yeah, that could be cute, but you know, even at that age, I was thinking for longevity. And it's so funny. I think one day I just kind of realized, well, you know, look, while beauty will fade with time, you know, being smart, being knowledgeable, um, won't. And so you'll, you know, you'll have that longevity. And I also knew that um because of some of my life experiences, I wanted to, you know, make a difference, make an impact. I loved um helping, you know, helping, and I was a Girl Scout, you know, uh growing up as well. So, you know, I went to church. So I just I kind of had that service mind even younger, even if I didn't volunteer. Sometimes you got voluntole at church. So I think to me, I wanted my life and whatever career I had to have meaning. And so in my household, and for me, I felt that folks valued you know excellence. And so for me, it was like, well, I'll be a lawyer or a doctor. And um, for whatever reason, I settled on lawyer because I figured lawyers advocate for people, they speak up for those that um need help and don't have a voice. And for some reason at that age, um, that attracted me, you know.

SPEAKER_04 6:58

That attracted me. Remarkable, remarkable. Thank you for sharing that. So clearly you're you're very accomplished, but I imagine in your journey, it also required you to sacrifice something. So were there seasons where you um doubted yourself or you felt emotionally stressed?

SPEAKER_01 7:20

Well, I will say this because I grew up in the the church, so at a young age, for me, um having that belief, I felt like I had purpose to my life and that everybody had purpose. I think that's what going to church and having a belief in God did for me early on. Um, not to say I didn't question all those things when I got to college, just trying to figure out, you know, how the atrocities of what we've been through as um black people, uh and you know, asking God why. But, you know, very early on, I just understood that I had a purpose and that we were unique and we were special. Um, and so I figured, you know, I had, you know, that purpose as well. Um, so I think I just wanted to make sure that whatever I did kind of fell into that um service area, area of service and and helping folks. So um I don't know. I just feel like I knew early on, I think, like I said, by age 11, I knew what I wanted to do. And um at that age I said to myself, well, what do I have to do to get to be a lawyer? And it was like pretty much be active and get good grades. I didn't ask anybody, I didn't know any lawyers, but that's in my little 11-year-old mind. That's when I thought I got to get good grades and I have to get um, you know, be active, like, you know, be in clubs, have leadership positions. And so that's what I did. So I I really felt as I went along in life that it really was laid out for me and it was kind of easy, if you really want me to be honest. I did really well in school. Um, you know, in high school, I graduated with honors, top top 8% of my class. I just I just had a love for knowledge. I wanted to do well. Um, and I and I think I was grounded in that I understood that adulthood meant responsibilities. You know, I saw my folks working really hard to pay the mortgage and take care of my family. So I think for me, I was like, I'm gonna enjoy every stage. You know, I'm gonna get to be, I'm gonna get to be an adult someday, but I understood that meant that I'd have bills and other responsibilities that could weigh on me. So I really, I have to say, I enjoyed every stage. I enjoyed being a kid, I enjoyed being in high school, I went to all the things that my parents would allow me to go to. Very strict, they were very strict, but um I say I just uh it came very easy to me. Went to college, graduated with honors again, and then I am I will say uh I took the LSAT to get into law school, and I didn't get a high score, although I had really great grades. Um like I said, I graduated with honors, but obviously not everybody tests very well. And I was upset when I got my score. My mom could see upset. And um uh, but you know, she didn't travel the same road, so she didn't really quite understand what I was going through. And um, I just I told myself you have 30 minutes to be sad to think about what we're gonna do about it. Um, a lot of folks I know wouldn't were immediately applying to retake the test because you can get the average of how she scores or how many times you took it. And I said, I'm not gonna do that. I made a decision, I'm not gonna do it. I have great grades. Um at that time, you would have to submit a personal statement. I said, I'm gonna knock that out of the park. I had leadership positions in college. I said, This test means nothing, right? Um I know who I am. And so I applied and I got into every single law school that I applied to.

SPEAKER_04 10:51

Wow.

SPEAKER_01 10:52

Yeah, God was with me. I just felt like I was on the path, you know, I was supposed to be on. So I think my life philosophy is you're feeling if you're feeling a lot of friction, kind of been my experience in personal relationships. You feeling friction because you you personally believe something should click, you need to back off of it. Because that means that's not that's not the path you're supposed to take. And that has uh guided me. Um God has laid out a path. I pray from the open doors, help me understand your will so that I'm not gonna, you know, use my own will. I understand where I'm supposed to go. So I will say that it has been an easy path as far as getting to education, etc. Now, when you get into these positions, um, yeah, you're gonna be met with resistance.

SPEAKER_04 11:39

Right.

SPEAKER_01 11:40

Right.

SPEAKER_04 11:42

Well, that's so refreshing. I love hearing you you share how you um were present in the moment. You know, like most of us when we're growing up, I remember my kids. I can't wait till I get grown. I can't wait till I get an adult, which you saw you saw way back then. Okay, I don't need these skills and that stress, and yeah, I'm going to where I'm at now. So that is so interesting to hear that. That's wonderful. Then it's also sounded like you were very in tune with um what your journey was, you right? Where we're letting your steps be guided and um being in tune with feeling, okay, this feels right. So this is where I'm gonna go. And you had a great sense of confidence too. So yeah.

SPEAKER_01 12:28

I think just go kind of flows back to like I was saying when I was a younger, and I thank God for this, just being able to have um, you know, being an observer, being a researcher. So you're researching and being intentional about um what you're doing and laying it out, so you can tell I'm a planner, you can tell.

SPEAKER_04 12:46

Right, right, right. I've heard people say there are different ways to learn things. You can learn things from experiencing it yourself, but you can also learn from observing others. So a lot of times you can learn what not to do by seeing what the results or the experience that other people have. You don't always have to just go through it. I'm just gonna try it anyway, right?

SPEAKER_01 13:10

Yeah, no, absolutely not. I um I I always thought to myself, it's better to learn from others observing because you know, why go through the disappointments and the heartaches? And it's not gonna work out anyway. So, you know, you know, we all have limited time, so we want to make the best use of our time.

SPEAKER_04 13:28

That part right there, yes. So, Shahiwa, after years in the federal law and government, um, what made you realize that Broward County needed a black chamber of commerce, specifically focused on advocacy and economic empowerment?

SPEAKER_01 13:44

Heck of a question. So this was uh not on my radar at all. My my life goal was to once again become an attorney. Like most attorneys, we're like, we're gonna become judges. It's gonna be good. And I'll and I'll sail out into the sunset. Um you know, but I somewhere along the line, I like I said, I've always been very active in communities. So even growing up, like I was a candy striper in high school, I said I was in Girl Scouts. I went off to college and um, you know, I volunteered registering folks to vote. Um and that didn't leave me. Even in law school, you know, I did some things as well, um, raising funds for certain organizations, collecting donations, that type of thing. So once I graduated, I actually opened up my own small nonprofit focused on uh youth, young people.

unknown 14:35

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 14:35

Trying to help them get, we gave away college scholarships, we did mentor a mentoring program for many years because my observations um when I did an internship in the juvenile, um juvenile uh division in Broward County, um, I saw so many of our young people, you know, kind of going through that process. And I thought to myself, how do we how do we combat that? How do we reverse that? And it bothered, it bothered me deeply to see that. Um, because once again, that said to me that our communities were starved of opportunities and our kids weren't seeing that in front of them and readily available. Kind of fast forward that to me graduating from law school. Um, and just like I said, I started my own nonprofit. So I'm working with kids, having programs all over the county, and um at some time I get, at some point I get married. So I get married, but I'd already been involved in an organization that um was because I worked for the federal government, it had to be nonpartisan. Um, so we just did a lot of voter education, a lot of education on issues, um, so the populations could be, you know, educated on what they were voting on.

SPEAKER_03 15:44

Right.

SPEAKER_01 15:44

And I then put together a series of educational um um workshops, uh, 45 in total across the county of Broward, um, on the ACA. Um, and it took me to various parts of the county. Now we all know that there are blight blighted areas in the county, uh, but to see the depth and breadth, the light, the desperation, the lack of opportunity, um, just the rundown nature of some of the neighborhoods, you know, to see adult men riding on, you know, bicycles. And I'm thinking to myself, what are the kids seeing when they they walk out of their home? They're seeing that there's nothing, there's no opportunity for them. And that that bothered me. Um, that bothered me. And couple that with the fact that um that my husband um he got laid off from his job, which I knew he was, you know, corporate America, he's a very strong personality. So it's just he wasn't conforming to anybody's um you know program there. So I knew he wanted to be an entrepreneur and he approached me with that whole idea. And we had that discussion, and I saw him starting his company and the difficulties that he, you know, went through to get opportunity. Although he had many years of experience, um, he had the expertise, uh, and you know, was a great communicator, did presentations, but just was not given the opportunity. So I called the two and said to myself, um, you know, here we have our kids and adults, their parents and family members not having an opportunity, not having jobs, not having a chance to build businesses or have launch ideas that can um help them be productive and live with dignity and provide for their families. And here I am seeing the man I live with have a business and was able to bring some clients, but you want that success. So you need more clients and not being able to grow or being uh difficult simply because he was small and black. Um and so for me, I coupled the two and did some research and found that at the time 38% of black children in Broward County were living in poverty. And that hurt my heart, Lynette. It hurt my heart. And to me, once again, that spelled lack of opportunity, lack of job creation, lack of an outlet for us to be creative in the ways that we, you know, legally provide for ourselves. And I knew that we needed more than just a directory. We needed an organization that would be a liaison and an advocate with government entities to say, hey, we all spend our tax dollars. How are contracts being awarded? Is it with equity and fairness? We also needed to have an entity that did that with our corporations here. They had consumers that were diverse because Broward County is a third, a third, a third, a third black, a third Hispanic, and a third white. So you have a diverse consumer base. Uh-huh. How are you then spending your money with the folks that you contract with? And that to me, as I did my research, um, because I had no, no uh, you know, desire to do anything business coming out of college or law school. So let's be calm. But just kind of kind of was led this way. And in doing my research, it was like, well, that's a chamber. I can be an advocate. I can also educate folks with regard to how to get ready for these opportunities. Um, I can also fill the information gap so that our folks will understand all of the opportunities that are available to them. And we can also advocate to create a wider net, more opportunities so that we can truly um have our seat at the table and build that generational wealth. And that really was quite simply that was the impetus for me creating the chamber, seeing that blight and that lack of opportunity for our kids and seeing a black man who was more than capable struggle. I started to hear about other folks struggling, black businesses struggling, folks trying to take their contracts away. And I thought to myself, well, who's fighting with them? Who's standing by them? If you're a solopreneur, it's just you. Right. It's to walk away. I don't have time. I have to work on my other clients. I, you know, I don't want to get blackballed. There's a fear there. And I said, no, we have to have an organization that will fight. And that was the birth of the Brad County Black Chamber.

SPEAKER_04 20:06

Oh, wow, wow, that's amazing. I love that um you uh you were inspired by seeing a lack of and then you decided, you know what, there's a solution to this, right? And there's a fully well-rounded solution to this, right? And you decide to step up and put that in place. I really resonate with your story because it reminds me of my um motivation for starting this podcast, because as a black woman entrepreneur, I discovered that though black women are the fastest growing sector of new small businesses, only 3% of our businesses make it to five years and beyond, right? So that's 97% of our businesses that don't succeed. So when I was struggling to get my business going and realizing, okay, I've gone to all the free programs, but what they say is going to work for me is not working. That 97% statistic broke my heart. And I was like, so I'm not the only one feeling this. Yeah. So let me bring some real conversation and some real information so we know what this entrepreneurial journey is really about. Because it's not about what we see on social media, right? It's really a journey. So I can definitely resonate with um seeing an issue, having it touch your heart and saying, okay, I'm gonna just step up, figure this out, and provide a solution. So I thank you for that because you have created a very, what I call it's a community. I see the Black Chamber as a community that creates a very warm place. I feel so connected to the people when I go there, and it's just instantly you feel like we are so like minded, right? We need those spaces where we're talking to like minded people. So you've done an incredible job. Job incredible job. So thank you, thank you, thank you.

SPEAKER_01 22:04

Thank you, Lynette. That was that was the goal creating a place where we could come together, grow together, business together. Yes. In essence, it's in essence a family. And we're with over 560 members now. So we're growing. And I'm very, very proud of that.

SPEAKER_04 22:22

Beautiful, beautiful. So what is something, Shahiwa, that you wish more black entrepreneurs understood about the importance of certification, government contracting, and positioning themselves strategically.

SPEAKER_01 22:38

Well, let me say this. In coming across a lot of entrepreneurs, this is what I would say. You cannot underestimate preparation and research. When you start your business, you want it to be, you know, when people experience your business, uh, when they see how you put everything together, you want them to think, wow, this is excellence. Excellence personified. A lot of times, it's, you know, what I'm finding in asking entrepreneurs questions, it's kind of like, well, you know, I can cook, you know, people say I, you know, I got these great cookies or I got these great pies. So I figured, you know, why not start selling a church and now I have a business. Now, while you may bake very well and people may love the taste, you know, taking that from kind of a side hustle or a thing you do at church to a business is a completely different story. And so you have to understand what it means to be a business. You have to separate the backhouse, the administrative portion of what it means to run a business versus working in the business. That's where I find a lot of our entrepreneurs don't understand that there has to be a process on both sides in order for folks to experience your business in a positive light. Because if you have the best tasting pies, but it's hard to get to you, hard to order, my order's not coming in on time, it's not packaged properly. If I have something wrong, I can't get it back to you, um, then they haven't had a great experience. So they're not coming back, and your business is not going to survive. So that's why I say for folks who do the research to ensure that they truly understand what it means to run a business, business administratively, um, what it means, you know, and that means, you know, just to give an example, having a strategic plan for your business. So do that business canvas model, that one pager. Do that, you know, because if there are a hundred pie makers in your area, what are we really doing? Right. So, um how and then and if you think, hey, I can still, I got what it takes. I'm right, fine. Well, then how are you going to now we get to the next one besides a strategic plan, marketing plan? How are you now going to market your business as unique and special so it sets you apart from the 100 other pie makers that are out there? And that sometimes means um also diversifying, right? So it's not just the individual customer that's gonna come through. Um, and it's not just the, you know, say B2B, right? You find a company that every now and again may do a luncheon or a holiday celebration and you're able to provide for them, but it also means diversifying through government contracting as well. And so that's why we emphasize it so much for folks to see that full picture, the full spectrum of where your income can come from, where that revenue can flow through. So, so that's first, and I and I think if you're doing the research, you'll um and doing that strategic plan, it forces you to think about who your customer is going to be, where they are, you know, um, the opportunities that you have in the market and the gaps you have to fill, but also competition. So it helps refine what you're going to do and think about it at a different level. And then once you have those fundamentals in place, your strategic plan, your marketing plan, you know, where to find people, how to market to them, and then you've refined how folks experience your business from their very first contact with you, whether it be through social media or your website. Um you have proper response times, you have proper communication, you know, with your clients as they go through your customer journey with your business. So then it's like, where can I find more clients? How do I grow? And that's what we say to folks, once you have those fundamentals in place, you may be ready for government contracting because governments are the biggest spender in any ecosystem. Um, and so a lot of our folks don't understand that the government can be your client, whether it be um the county government or one of our 31 municipalities here in Broward County, that's a lot of opportunity, 31 municipalities, and then you cannot forget about some of the quasi-government um institutions here, like a Broward Health, right? Like a Broward College. And so I emphasize the certifications because that can bring you additional opportunities, I would say in two different ways. So, one, obviously the immediate way, you sign up to become a vendor. If they have certifications where you can um qualify for certain unbundled contracts or sheltered markets, then you definitely want to do that because that will allow you to only compete with small businesses, right? And not every business. Because given economies of scale, the big business will most likely beat you out every time, although they're not perfect. And I like to remind our folks of that. Don't talk about my small businesses when the big uh ones aren't perfect either. Yeah, everybody's had a bad experience at Walmart. So let's not act like you're always good.

SPEAKER_04 27:49

Exactly.

SPEAKER_01 27:51

So so I want folks to understand they have that direct experience with government and getting certified. And if you provide a specific product or service, then it's just a matter of um a request for proposal or even a request for a quote coming out and you being prepped to be able to respond that and having your templates ready to respond professionally. Um and then there's a secondary opportunity from that, and that's another reason why I push the certifications, um, because there are folks that are larger companies that want to work with subs and smaller businesses, and they look to these lists, these certification lists, because those companies have been vetted, right? They know that if you're on that list, someone has gone, you've submitted financial um statements, they know that you have um submitted your business tax receipts, they know that you're um, you know, licensed to the state if you need something on a state level, they know that you're registered with Sunbiz, you know, in Florida. So they know that you have, and even for some of these local certifications, there's a site visit. So they know that someone's actually been to your physical site and they know that you exist for a functioning business. Um and they also usually have time requirements, so they know that you've been in business for at least a year or more. So they scour those lists. And so we've had even for our own business, folks call us. Hey, we're going um to put in for RFP, um, a proposal for um something that's out with this particular entity. Can we add you to the team? And you negotiate your terms, you're added to the team. And if they win, you didn't even put in, you know, the RFP, you'll provide a specific service or product for them and you'll get paid. Um, so so that's why I emphasize those opportunities as well. And government buys pretty much everything. Everything, yes, yes.

SPEAKER_04 29:34

So you just broke down, I think, a masterclass on saying the foundation of your business, the things you should be considering when you're getting started in business. I have seen a lot of how to get started, um, different platforms and workshops. But what you just broke down was very key and very powerful. So I hope our audience will go back and listen to that again and just take notes on everything she cited and see how does your business stand up against the different elements that she listed for you. Because that was really a masterclass right there. And then the awareness that um government contracting can be a way you diversify, right? Diversify your clientele, and especially when we're talking about when you look at your business cycle, if you have slow periods in your business and you're like, how do I make money in here? That diversification can fill up that hole for you, right? Absolutely. And I also appreciate you explaining about the benefits of certification. Like when someone looks at you on a list of you've already been certified, they know that all this background work has already been done on you. They don't have to do it to get that certification. Someone has already done that. So that says that you have a lot of things already in place. You know what your financials are because you had to submit those, right? Exactly. You paid for your business license because you had to be licensed, right? To start your business. You have all your right numbers in your business bank account, and they went through your history and they vetted you. So that helps you too. So if you're thinking about, you know, I'm not prepared to be certified, find out what the process takes. Exactly. And then put those things in place, right? It's not gonna happen overnight. Right. Over time, when you look at the difference between starting now and where you can be the beginning of next year, right? You could be completely certified, but you have to get started. So very key, very key. I love that. So you work closely with the public and the private sector leadership. What changes have you seen in the conversations around racial equality, supplier diversification over the last couple of years?

SPEAKER_01 32:01

You know, Lynette, it has been uh a roller coaster, I will say. Uh, to start it off. Um because when I first started the the chamber, we were very focused, once again, like I said, on educating. So we did a lot of workshops. We had a whole get certified series. And we still do that. We do a doing business with series as well. But um, and we have now have a government contracting cohorts that we do to kind of really be hands-on and prepare folks for opportunities. Um, and we were fully focused on how do we expand those opportunities that we're preparing folks for. So, yeah, sheltering markets, unbundling contracts, which simply means if you have a $220 million contract, small bit a small business is not gonna get bonding to do that. So we advocate to break that down to a million, five million, nine million dollars so our folks can actually bid and win those contracts and have the capacity to compete to complete them. But we also advocated for disparity studies so that an entity that receives public dollars, so they're receiving dollars from brown people like me and you, um, they would then have to study how those public dollars were being spent. Are you taking money from everybody, including the brown people, and just redistributing those funds to people who don't look like us? Right? So you're building wealth outside of our communities because you're taking those tax dollars but spending it pretty much completely somewhere else. And um, so we we pushed for that. Um, and I will say the school board of Broward County um completed a disparity study, and therefore they were able to have a program in place where they could look at what's the black spend, what's the um women-owned business spend, et cetera, to see if it was commiserate, if there was a disparity, they were underspending given the presence of those types of businesses in their um on their vendor list, um and the folks that were um um bidding. So that's where we kind of started our advocacy, Lynette, to be honest, to say if you're looking and you care, then you'll track, right? There won't be a disparity. Um, and we are a minority, so there's never gonna be 100% spend, and that's not what we want, but we want there to be equity and fairness in the spending given our presence in the market. Since then, um as we know, um, there have been several laws that have been passed and there's been a lot of pushback. Florida has been in the news heavily um because of the priorities of our current governor in um ensuring that there are no programs that seek to rectify past and current disparities and discrimination. Um, even though our Supreme Court and past decisions have said yes, there is discrimination, um it's kind of like yeah, there's discrimination, but we're done with those programs. I mean, literally, that's kind of where we are. We acknowledge there's discrimination. We know what's going on, we know you guys aren't getting, but you know what? The program should have worked faster because right now we're not gonna enforce any of it. And that's really where we are. So you see it on a federal level with the 8A certification program, you see it um also on the federal level with the MBDA, pretty much all the employees sent home. So we no longer have a minority business development agency on the international level. Um, we still have a DBE, a disadvantaged business enterprise program on a federal level, and an AC DBE, which is the concessions designation. So if you want to work in an airport designation, um, we still have it, but that has been changed so that there can't be um a necessarily built-in racial preference. So we all know because there were laws on the books, right? Right um, discriminated against uh black folks from reading, getting certain jobs, getting certain contracts, but now it's been changed to say, well, no, we're not gonna assume that you have there are new rules, so you have to write a narrative and go through a whole process. So when that they're literally going through a recertification of the DBE and the ACDBE, which goes to some huge contracts. So think of like the construction department of transportation, like huge contracts.

SPEAKER_03 36:20

Right.

SPEAKER_01 36:21

Folks are gonna have to go through that all over again. Um, and once again, there's no preference for folks who have historically been disadvantaged. You have to kind of think of that. So um, as I understood in talking with um a full someone who administers, helps to administer the program locally, Georgia had 2,000 DBEs. Now they have 200. Oh Florida is currently going through that process with no real um support, obviously, once again out of Tallahassee because of the priorities of this administration and governor. But our county is going forward and they are reprocessing and recertifying the DBE. So if anybody is in Brought County and hears this, do it. If you're in the state of Florida, there are about five other um certification areas around the state. Think of the large metropolitan areas, our businesses need to be reaching out to them. They should be recertifying as well. So, you know, on a federal level, there's a push to get folks recertified and back on the list because there now is a mechanism when we had quite honestly, Lynnette, been in limbo for about a year or so. A statewide, there was a law that was just um, well, there was a law that was just signed, a bill that was just signed into law. Um, in essence, it's been dubbed the anti-DEI bill because it it impacts um employment at government agencies, it impacts government contracting, um, even holidays that cities can celebrate.

SPEAKER_03 37:56

Oh wow.

SPEAKER_01 37:57

Yeah. So um, you know, I'm not gonna say that this is an easy time. This is gonna be a time for us to really buckle down, read what the laws are, understand what can be legally done, because I'd be lying to you if I said there wasn't a backlash. For some reason, there's this misunderstanding as if black people have gotten a windfall of things falling from the sky. Right. We're all rich, we're living we're getting government money and we're splurging. And let me tell you, Lynette, that has never been the case. This has been open for almost, you know, nine years going on, 10 years, and I see our folks push through year after year, struggle. Some years, you know, you're doing well, some years not so much, but they work hard every single day to run their businesses, hire people in the community and provide jobs and provide for their families, send their kids off to school, um, you know, and give back and somehow manage to give something back. Yeah. So there's no uh big party going on over here. Right. Um but but I I'd be lying, like I said, we're we're we just had a meeting today, actually, at the chamber. I had a check-in call and we talked about some of the um the different ways that things are gonna have to get done um so that there's still opportunity for local businesses. But I'm telling our members, um, this is not a time to back away. This is not a time to be silent. This is not a time to take your foot off the gas. Despite what is happening, there is opportunity. You are still a business, you still provide a service or a product, and you know, where there's a need, where there's a gap, you can fill it. So push. And I'm seeing our businesses continue to push, and and some are still doing well. I was asking how people were doing as a check-in. So I will say, drop in the chat, how you doing? Um, how was Q1? Where's it going? And one of our attorneys was like, Woo, I never had a better quarter. Ah I'm saying other folks saying, looking for opportunities to grow, still some doors are getting open. We'll see. So my point is not that we ever do. Don't give up on you, don't give up on your business. This is a tough time, but it is temporary. We'll continue to push forward. And as a chamber, we're gonna be innovative in the ways that we continue to show up for our members. Not saying it's easy, but we're pushing forward.

SPEAKER_04 40:31

Right, right. I love that. Great information. I love that you shared some numbers there. That those Georgia numbers, that it went from 100% to 10%, right?

SPEAKER_01 40:42

God, down, yeah. And so what we're trying to do is push, you know, our area, because we have so many projects um because of our penny trans our penny our surtax, it's a penny surtax um that we passed in 2018. So there are a lot of um projects, not just on a county level, but a city level because they get to tap into those dollars. And if you are a county SBE or CBE or county business enterprises, you get to participate on those city projects too and bid and have a preference there. So we're pushing folks to continue to do that. So there's opportunity. So our folks are like, get recertified, get recertified. So we're getting that message out in the other areas across the state, um, because you know, a lot of our companies don't just do business in South Florida, they go out to Orlando or Tampa or Jacksonville. We're trying to kind of encourage those folks to start to, you know, do what Brown County is doing. Let's get that process going where you're recertifying so we don't look like Georgia.

SPEAKER_04 41:42

Right. Oh, wow. Yes. Very important, very important. So as you're sharing all this information, all I am thinking is wow, we need more businesses to be a part of the chamber.

SPEAKER_03 41:56

Right.

SPEAKER_04 41:57

We need more businesses to be aware of these things that are going on and to be impactful and making a difference. Um, so what would you say to businesses out there that are not part of any chamber, but they've been in business, let's say for five or more years, what would you say to that business owner why they should become more involved in the chamber?

SPEAKER_01 42:23

Well, I'd say, first of all, um, even though you may not be a formal member, you're getting the benefits of the chamber's existence because our advocacy covers everyone. So I'll give you a quick example. Um, one of our members was going after a license on a county level, and we found I found some problems with the program and the reasoning for which he was denied and brought that attention to it, county staff as well as our county commissioners. We are now going to get a new small business program for that license. They never had one. We're creating an entirely new category. So it's not just my chamber members who will benefit. Right. Anyone who is gonna be defined as a small business can now fall into this category and be able to grow their business through this new category. So you've already been benefiting. Why not pay into and invest in an organization that's gonna advocate for greater opportunities for you and other businesses in the ecosystem? Because quite frankly, when other businesses are doing well in the ecosystem, your businesses do well, um, do better as well. Because if they're doing well, they have more money to spend, they can do more B2B, they're hiring more than a bustling economy that every business can do well in. And that's what we have to start thinking about. Um, you know, how can we benefit everybody? And that's one way. Our advocacy at the chamber benefits everybody. So you should invest in our existence. Two, you know, don't go it alone. Um, being in business can be a very Especially as a solopreneur, which the vast majority of our businesses are like one person working the cash register and running back and making a pause and coming back and just changing that and doing another stuff.

SPEAKER_04 44:13

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 44:14

Yeah, let me get on this XL and get back, you know, doing everything. And so my thing is it can be tiring, it can it can beat you down. Um, so come be a part of a network and a family and folks that want to see you succeed. Um, as another example, we have our little mini referral groups, and we'll be starting one up in um Central Brower. We have one in Miramar, just kind of starting to meet up in Fort Lauderdale, gonna do one in Central. But in our Miramar one, there were maybe eight or nine people sitting around the table. We had over 25 referrals. 25 referrals. So this is real-time, you know, working with each other, referring business to each other. Right. And that's fueling folks' business. So then you're not alone. You also have a group of folks that understand what you're going through. And sometimes we start our meetings with just having some real conversation, being able to blow off steam. Because once again, being in business can be very isolating. So you gain a family and a referral network when you join the chamber, um, besides the advocacy. In addition to that, when you're just running around, you can't keep up with all the different trends and things you need to know, all the new opportunities, all the changes in law, um, you know, that type of thing. So you have the chamber here to do that for you with our educational and business development um programs. Like I said, we have a business basics program, we had a tax talks program, we have a government contracting cohort. Um, every year we do a market strategic marketing plan sessions as well as HR, which a lot of people forget when they're hiring people. We want to keep people out of trouble. We do that too. So there always there's always something educational you can learn so that you can become a better business owner so that your business is stronger. And and that's what we um like to say here. In addition to that, we go after funds so that we can provide one-on-one consultations in certain areas that our our members may need help so you can get that um fortification. We had a member recently reach out to me um that's been in business for 20 years, and she's like, I don't have a plan and I'm kind of lost right now. And I set her up with um one of the folks we work with, and now she has a strategic plan. She couldn't be happier. She's like, I know what to do now. Yeah, I know what to do. Um, she's like, I was just lost, I didn't really know where to start, and so now she has a plan. And so my point is we also um, you know, provide the workshops, but also can provide those one-on-ones so that once again you're becoming a better business owner, and um, so your business is is stronger. And then um, lastly, I'll say it's about the visibility as well. We like to highlight our members, so we're kind of like that um that other uh marketing arm, if you will. We do a business spotlight for you all. You and you're on a directory if you're a member, where folks can go to our directory online and look up a specific service um by industry or by city if they're looking for that. Um, and we also, um, when we're liaising with government agencies, we hand over our list and say, hey, what are you looking for? You know, what type of businesses are you looking to work for? And we we give our list to those agencies and they do reach out. Uh lastly, I'll say we also connect our members, talking about visibility with decision makers. So if you're really interested in that government contracting space, the director of procurement is not picking up the phone for ones.

SPEAKER_02 47:31

Right, right.

SPEAKER_01 47:32

City manager ain't picking up the phone, whatever. But when you're, you know, you you come through the chamber or we're having an event with that particular city, um, or you need to meet with a specific elected official, we set up those meetings for our members. So it's getting you that extra visibility to get um what you need to get done and get your goals met. That's important. Um, but mostly I think it goes back to um, Lynette, to what you said, it's creating that hub and that home for you to come to where you feel welcome and you can get your needs met and feel like you have other folks in there who can commiserate you, commiserate with you, um, and give you that extra extra inspiration, can partner with you on certain things if you need that. Um get the education and the connections that you need. That's what um we are as a chamber and why folks should should join.

SPEAKER_04 48:23

Awesome, that's beautiful. So it sounds like the chamber is a very powerful business partner that you didn't know you needed, right? There you go. So it was available, it's available and you need it, especially us solopreneurs, like you said, we're wearing all the hats, doing everything. There's not enough time in the day for us to fuck with everything or to fight for everything that we need, right? So the chamber is doing that fight, so it only makes sense to connect and to invest in the chamber. So beautiful, beautiful work. So tell us a little bit about any upcoming events you have going on for the chamber. I know you have some wonderful events. I've been to your events, enjoyed every single one I've ever been to. So, what's coming up next?

SPEAKER_01 49:11

Well, we have a few um events coming up. Um, you know, just trying to make sure we're keeping our folks abreast and aware of opportunities and broadening their scope. Um so we we have a doing business with hotels coming up. That's a virtual event on May 27th. Everything is on our website or on our event, right? Um, so you can learn how to do business with either the hotels directly, the GMs, or with the buyers and purchasers that work with the hotels. Um do that in conjunction with um a partner of ours where we get to go to their hotel conference for free in Miami. Um, we do a matchmaking session, so we want to prepare folks. So we have a doing business with hotels on May 27th coming up. After that, we're fully focused on this year allowing folks to understand that that the market outside of the United States is actually bigger than the market inside. So you may actually have a product or service that another country or folks in another country may want access to. So um, for years I've wanted to do a trade mission. This year I said, I don't care if I take five people. We are going, we are we're kicking it off and we're doing it, and we're gonna do it easy, easily and affordably. On June 18th and the 19th, we're going to embark on a trade mission to the Bahamas. It's English speaking, it's not far. And um I think it's a wonderful opportunity to learn how you can do business with other businesses in the Bahamas, B2B. We're gonna have meetings with government, so you'll learn how to do business with the government as well as in the private sector. So I think that will be a worthwhile trip. Once again, that's June 18th and the 19th. It'll be our first trade mission, not with just our chamber, but with chambers around the state to go to the Bahamas. Um, we uh also have on July 9th um a town hall, an election town hall, and a meet and greet. Um, once again, talking about connecting our folks to elected officials.

SPEAKER_03 51:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 51:05

And so on July 9th, you'll have an opportunity to meet your local elected officials. Um, we'll have a reception, but we'll also have a couple panel discussions on some of the laws that have changed that will have impacted our small businesses that passed just this session, um, which should end at the end of June, hopefully. And then lastly, we have our um business expo that we do every year during National Black Business Month in August. This year will be on August 20th. Uh, at the Lauder Hell Performing Arts Center will be there again. Great expo. We invite everybody out to come and partake of, you know, and support black businesses. We'll also um have a procurement panel. So it should be fun.

SPEAKER_04 51:46

Oh, wonderful! Some amazing, amazing events you have going on and coming up for the Black Chamber. That's awesome. So I hope you guys take notes. We'll also give you um in the show notes contact information so you can visit the website and go to the calendar and get all those great events. So, Shahiwa, what legacy do you hope that the Brower County Black Chamber leaves behind?

SPEAKER_01 52:14

That's a weighty question that folks ask about legacy. So I feel about I'm so young. I think at the end of the day, the goal and the legacy that we're trying to leave behind is to grow not only our businesses, but to develop, um, economically develop our communities so that they're stronger, they're economically viable, they're robust, and full of opportunity, not just for the folks who are here currently, but for our children. And there's so much abundance and opportunity and growth for us. And and it's not out of reach. We had our black wall streets, yeah, we can have them again, um, but it's so robust that even our children and our children's children will be able to continue to work in that economy, to build it up and to be the innovators and um uh business owners and leaders that we know they are. So it's it's really to leave that legacy of that strong foundation so that economic legacy, that cultural legacy, yeah, we'll live on from generation to generation.

SPEAKER_04 53:28

Got it. That's why I'm able to drive. Yes, yes, I can feel that energy coming from your heart when you were speaking about that. I could just see that vision. That's beautiful, yeah. To continue on after we're gone. Yes, we have built something so strong that it just keeps flourishing and growing and growing. Yes, yes, beautiful, beautiful. So as we wrap up, I appreciate all the great gems you dropped today for our audience. I hope they go back and replay this and take some notes and not just listen and not just take notes, but put things in action, right? Absolutely. So we're all about results, not just listening to it and feeling good, but what are you going to do after this? And I think the greatest way they can honor someone like you who's putting so much into, you know, pouring so much into the success of our businesses is to utilize all the resources you're making available, all the events you're pulling together because it it takes a lot to pull these events together, right? It's not a simple process. So all the people you're getting together, you're bringing to one place for us, we have to show up and make it worth the time, right? Worth the effort. So thank you so much for that. And as we close out, I always love to ask my guests three fun questions so we get to know the person behind what they're doing. So for you, my question is my first question is if you could spend the day with anyone from any time in history, oh wow, just hang out with them, go out to dinner, just have conversations. Who would you choose and why?

SPEAKER_01 55:18

Just one.

SPEAKER_04 55:19

Just one, just one.

SPEAKER_01 55:22

Just one. That's so hard. Um, but I'm gonna go with one of my favorites, although that's very hard because I I got a lot of people I admire. You can see on my wall. Yes, I love you. But um, I would say um Harriet Tubman, she was a bad mamma gender. For her to escape after all the things she had gone through and to come back time after after time again, yeah, in the belly of the beast. Yes, to say to her people, because I understand people are afraid, I get it, to say, you better move. I got this shotgun to your back. I'm going back, you are moving forward. We are gonna be free. The determination, the power, yes, the the shared guts, yes, and then to be a spy during you know, um, during the civil war, um, and then for her to still not stop, you know. She got married and had a house and you know, uh invited folks in there so folks would have a place to grow old in and be taken care of. She she, I mean, she just dedicated her life to service. I would love to have that patient. I mean, because the the times you're in, that the net, they were in, it was to beat them down and subdue them and to spirit stand up inside of her to say, no, I will not be subdued, and not only will I escape, but I will free others. Harried all day.

SPEAKER_04 56:57

I think that would be a very powerful conversation. Wonderful, wonderful. Okay, your next question. So, with all of this work you're doing for us and our physicists and the community and the dreams and the visions, what do you do for your self-care?

SPEAKER_01 57:18

You know, it's so funny. Um, over the years, I've said to myself, I had to make time because I found myself very frazzled at the end of um some years. And I said, Okay, I did something wrong. You know, you always said, Oh, I'm gonna, and I'm gonna pause and never got a chance to. So um this is what I do now. I I do uh strength training twice a week. I lift weights, um, and I hit a punching bag, manette. Oh, ooh. So my strength trainer is a former boxer. So we start every session with boxing. Uh-huh. I'm lifting weights, and I tell you that, I mean, the aside from just making you stronger, but it really, I feel good. I feel pumped, um, relieved after that. And that's been really good because you know, we're never um gonna, well, me in the line of work I do, I realize that I'm never going to get rid of the stress, right? Um, I have to manage it. And so I found that's been extremely um helpful. And then I work in days where I can um, you know, get a massage or something like that. And then I do make sure that when I go away, um, my family, they'll come. Uh, so we'll kind of make it a family thing. So we'll do kind of get the business out of the way and then we make sure we do something fun. Um, so for instance, I had to speak one time in in um in Orlando at a conference for our state elected officials. I did that, and then we went to Legoland. We went to busy with my son and everything. So, you know, just completely silly and fun. And um, so I figured I, you know, I we work those in throughout the year so that there really is a break the pressure and the madness.

SPEAKER_04 59:07

Right. I love that, love that, love that. Beautiful. And the final question for you, Shahiwa. What was your favorite childhood game?

SPEAKER_01 59:20

You know what's so funny? And every all my family knows it, which is hilarious. But um, I have a runner up, but I'm gonna tell you my favorite. Um, because we got this one first. For someone who ran away from business, I actually um minored in um finance as a backup, you know, because I knew I wanted to go to law, so I was like, in case, you know, um I'll do finance, but I wanted nothing to do with business, but Monopoly was my favorite game. Wow, crushing everybody, I'm crushing everybody as a kid. I'm crushing my parents, everybody. Anyone who plays hilarious.

SPEAKER_04 59:57

Amazing. Now, what's the runner up? I'm curious. Scrabble. We played Scrabble. Okay, nice. I love Scrabble too. All right, well, Shahiwa, thank you again for sharing your wisdom, your leadership, and your heart with us today. One of the things I appreciate most about this conversation is that it reminds us that building successful business is not only about strategy, it's also about access, advocacy, community, visibility, and creating environments where people truly have the opportunity to drive. I think so many women listening today will walk away feeling both seen and empowered by your perspective. So, to everyone listening, please, please take a moment to support the Brower County Black Chamber of Commerce, connect with Shahiwa, and continue supporting organizations that are actively creating pathways for Black businesses to grow and prosper. Again, we're gonna put all the connection details in the show notes so it's very easy for you to click and connect. Thank you for joining us here on the Empower Her Business Podcast. And as always, I wish you the very best of joy, help, and well. Until next time, be well. You've been listening to the Empower Her Business Podcast. And before you go, I want to thank you for being here. If this episode supported you, please pay it forward. You can do that by hitting the follow button, rating us five stars, leaving a comment, and sharing that with others. This is how we ensure the podcast reaches more sisters and businesses. Until next time, I wish you the very best of joy and health anyway.

unknown 1:02:04

Anyway.