Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Award-winning television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Akanundrum. The Black Virtual Mall broke new ground in online shopping and virtual experiences, reshaping the conventional understanding of e-commerce and virtual real estate. The mall includes a variety of kiosks, shops, and unique features such as a food court and movie theater. It is recognized as the first virtual commercial property development project globally, creating a new genre in the emerging metaverse landscape.
Support the show: https://www.steveharveyfm.com/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
Welcome to money making conversations.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
It's to show that she has the secrets of success
experience firsthand by marketing and Brandon expert Rashan McDonald. I
will know he's giving me advice on many occasions. And
in case you didn't notice, I'm not broke. You know
he'll be interviewing celebrity CEOs, entrepreneurs and industry decision make
because it's what he likes to do, it's what he
likes to share. Now it's time to hear from my man,
Rashan McDonald money making conversations.
Speaker 3 (00:28):
Here we go.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
Welcome back to money making conversation. My guess is our
Quincya sellaway. She established the first ever black virtual mall
and is taking e commerce to the next level. At Quincya,
the mall includes a according to her, and we'll talk
about that. It's a virtual mall, so while we online,
you can probably she's going to give out the location
on the web of the address, so you can Walley,
(00:52):
listen to the interview and then do some shopping at
the same time. A variety of Kiosks shops and unique
features such as a food court in movie theaters. Recognized
as the first virtual commercial property development that is online globally.
I remember this first broke. I mean she got interviewed
in for magazine and it was a forerunner of just
(01:13):
a forward thinking idea and concept. Aquincia is creating a
new genre in the emerging metaverse landscape to advanced women
and minority entrepreneurs. Please welcome to Money Making Conversation Masterclass,
Alquincia Cella Waine. How you doing a Quincio?
Speaker 4 (01:30):
I wonder if I'm so happy and honored to be
speaking with you, miss McDonald, Thank you for having me.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
Well, let's give a little background on our relationship I
was doing. I had a client. I was doing the
Porsche TV show and Porsche is based in Atlanta, Georgia
on Fox and it also syndicates on Fox Soul nationally
and as a half hour show. Really good. The host
is a very well liked hosts and a very popular show.
(01:56):
And you were the against the what I guess would
like the shark tank person sitting in there. They pitched
to you and you would tell them what was wrong
with their product or how they can advance their product
and giving them advice. Is am I saying that correctly?
Speaker 4 (02:14):
Yes, Yes, definitely and on pitching and pitching as well. Yes, definitely,
okay cool.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
Now, how did the people on the Porsche Talk show
find out about you?
Speaker 4 (02:25):
Porsche saw me. I was featured at the Mahogany Hallmark
Mahogany Moment event and I was on the panel as
one of the speakers for these small business strategies, and
in that moment I did something very different where I
gave all of the information on how to scale, how
(02:47):
to create a digital product and create a customer service team.
And I gave that in ninety seconds, and she was
very impressed by that.
Speaker 1 (02:59):
I present, I'm in person, does not just throw it
all over the Porsche. I'm prin so slow. Everybody tell
everybody in eighty seconds? What did you do?
Speaker 4 (03:09):
And I gave her, So would you like me to
tell you exactly?
Speaker 1 (03:13):
Absolutely?
Speaker 4 (03:14):
Okay, well fantastic. So here's if you're looking to create
a digital product, this is what I tell people. One,
if you can tell me five things that you need
to know that I would need to know to start
your business. If you could tell me five things I
need to avoid to start your business. And if you
could tell me five things that you wish you knew
when you started your business. You have fifteen chapters of
(03:36):
an e book. After that, you would simply add your
intro and your conclusion. Now from there you would go
over to PowerPoint, get some amazing images. If you don't
have any of your ownest and stock images, insert those
images and then narrate that. So one you have the
e book, and now that you've narrated, you have a
video course. From there, you extract that audio, say that
(03:57):
as an MP three and you have an audible. And
remember when I asked you, you know, what were the
five things that you wish you news. You take those
and you create a resource guide. So you put all
of them links to those websites and everything. Now, before
you do that, I would also suggest you go and
look for an affiliate link to see if they have that,
so you get your a couple of coins as well.
But you know, be a integrity, get the best in
(04:18):
class even if you can't get the affiliate link, and
then you have the resource guy. Now you would also
want to show some before and afters how to do
it and how to not do it. That would be
called a cheat cheep. And then you would take all
of that import that into uplinkly on Shopify, and now
you have a digital product. And if you want to
mock up so you can go to my ecovermaker dot com.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
Okay, now, now here's the thing. So many people want
to do what you're doing, and so many people have advice.
I do this show and I'm working off of experience.
So when people call me, I really don't get stomped
because I've been able to do a lot of things
(05:01):
in my life and make a lot of mistakes in
my life. I always tell people mistakes of valuable resources
to give people advice on because of the fact that
by making a mistake, you can tell people what not
to do. Now Here you are in your life, you
sitting around being creative a virtual mall. Now, how did
(05:23):
that concept come about? In what year did it come about?
Speaker 4 (05:29):
Well, I've been on Instagram since twenty twelve. In terms
of actually utilizing a platform to showcase black owned businesses,
I've done that in several different capacities, whether it was
just running free promotion sometimes every Friday, running the ten
Black you know here Uti Salonga to ten Black beauty
supply stores when we were running into racial tensions and
(05:52):
things like That's always done that, but during COVID, I
was already kind of in that digital space. I had
my app development company and I have to put on
an online virtual event. But I noticed that forty one
percent of black owned businesses posed in twenty twenty one,
so I put a pause in what I was initially
(06:13):
going to do. And I wanted to give a solution
for helping those brick and mortar mom and pop shops
that maybe didn't really know how to use social media.
So instead of trying to force them to learn, I
just leaned on what we knew about the malls and
created the digital mall so that I could just kind
of give them that traffic by housing everyone in one stop.
(06:35):
And I wanted to do it in a very new way.
Speaker 1 (06:39):
So one goes on, first of all, what is the
EOL address for your mall?
Speaker 4 (06:45):
That is the Black Virtual Mall. So I also use
the keywords in the title, the Black Virtual Mall. So
for anyone else if you're thinking about a new business name,
that's kind of a hack and landed me on the
first two pages of Google with no money at all,
because so as they search for it, I'm actually the thing.
Speaker 1 (07:04):
So anybody types in black Virtual you just pop up.
Speaker 4 (07:09):
Yep. If you go to Google, I can black Versual
maw I definitely come up.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
That's fantastic. But was this part of the thought process
when you named it, or you were just establishing a
brand that you knew that was necessary based on the
success that you had on Instagram And right now you
have over two hundred and nine thousand followers on Instagram,
so one has to say you are an influencer in
the entrepreneurial space as well as being a black influencer. Correct.
Speaker 4 (07:40):
Yeah, So the thought behind it, of course is intentional
and unapologetic, but the thought in terms of the name
was very strategic. It was a method that I had
come across on my own and realized, like you said,
those mistakes the last time. I realized that starting businesses sometimes,
you know, people forget the name of the business. Especially Listen,
(08:01):
my name is all Quincia, Okay, So I know what
it's like to have a complicated name that people often forget.
So if you name something, you know, really creative and complicated,
we're gonna forget.
Speaker 1 (08:12):
At Quincia and we're gonna forget that. Okay, Well I
would at Quinta. You know, you know I would now
when I was on the Porch Show with you, now
you had another name? Did you say you even use
that name too? Now what is the other name? Did
you cool with her using?
Speaker 4 (08:28):
Because I just have to go and be as complicated
as my mother was in nineteen seventy five. So my
moniker is at conundrum. It's a player on my sorority
letters AKA, but it's just a conundrum, right, all right.
So I never thought about I never thought about being
a person. That was just my personal name. I never
thought of it as a brand and law and behold
(08:50):
now I'm stuck with it. So you know, it's like,
did this woman give us the most complicated Quincia acronundrum
sellaway and she just went picked all three of the
hardest things ever. So that's that.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
The acnendrum is your middle name.
Speaker 4 (09:06):
No, it's just the name that I chold.
Speaker 1 (09:07):
You you need to go track your mom.
Speaker 4 (09:14):
You know she did name me after Algreen and Quincy Jones.
And if anyone's listening, I'm trying to get a paternity
test with us.
Speaker 5 (09:19):
You know.
Speaker 1 (09:22):
That's fantastic, you know, because because I remember just just
meeting you and the thing about it is that the
number one thing my big takeaway, you know, because I
want to break down what exactly is the mall and
how the experience is because I went to the mall
and virtually it is you see people walking around, it's
kind of almost like if it really is, like wow,
(09:42):
this is really cool because it really does create an
experience and then you just start clicking your way like
you're in the.
Speaker 4 (09:50):
Mall, correct, yes, sir, Yes, sir. And so it's very intuitive.
I wanted to, you know, lean into that less steel
where we feel like we're doing something more futuristic. But
what I didn't want to do is have all of
the burden issues or for people to adapt onto it.
(10:12):
So you don't need Ocula's headsets, you don't have to
create a character or an avtar. Everything is just right
there and you do couping and just go through the
actual visual experience of it.
Speaker 6 (10:26):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (10:26):
So the very intuitive in that regard and so brown.
And also it has a futuristic feel, it's still been
reality when you look inside of you know, it looks
like a traditional mall with the movie theater and the
food court and everything you used to Yes, sir, I laugh.
Speaker 1 (10:43):
Because it just sounds really cool, you know, because we
you know, we are a world of apps, you know,
which you're launching something where people are mobile friendly and
people are just inside world. Is like, you know, one
of the biggest sell days the world now is you know,
Cyber Monday, and then Black Friday, and then I think
(11:06):
a small business Saturday. All these days, all these days.
How do you, as a as an entrepreneur or the
Black Virtual Mall play into these important online dates and
how do you market yourself or tie yourself into it
to be an asset to the black businesses of the
black entrepreneurs who come onto your platform.
Speaker 4 (11:30):
Well, what I do is, of course as everyone else
do's traditionally, I utilize my email list, I utilize my page.
So the Black Virtual Mall page has about nearly fifteen
thousand followers, singers organic. I'm sorry, you broke up a
little bit of all of my marketing.
Speaker 1 (11:46):
You broke up a little bit. How many followers, how
many followers you said you you had.
Speaker 4 (11:51):
So the Black Virtual Mall has thirteen eight hundred followers,
and all of that was absolutely organic. So, of course
I utilize my online traffic, I utilize my email, I
utilize my app followers. So all of my marketing thus
far had been organic, and to be quite honest with you,
(12:12):
I wanted to make sure that when we launched this,
that my system was stable, that it could handle large
numbers of traffic before I put too many coins behind
it and have it disrupt and that be the worst
you know day. I used to work for Edible Arrangements,
and I know how it is to have your biggest
marketing day be your most failed day. It comes to
(12:34):
delivering and and and that's a really bad thing. So
it's always been a little fear of mine. But now
we know, I've pressure tested the system under duress, under
same day on boarding. Now I am ready to really
push the marketing. And also there's a new need for it.
Speaker 1 (12:51):
Well, right, we're talking about a conundrum, a quincia. What
should I say? What should I say?
Speaker 4 (13:00):
Acnundrum is fine?
Speaker 1 (13:02):
Okay, we're gonna We're gonna ride with DA because I
just love it. I just love you have all these
great names. Okay, now to be on the to be
the creator forbat like that, it was introduced and Forbes
magazine magazine jumped on it want an interview. Why did
they feel the need to interview you, and why did
they feel your idea was so innovative.
Speaker 4 (13:23):
Well, the person when she's a senior contributor, Miss Janis Gassam,
and she specializes in conversation under diversity, equity and inclusions. Okay,
And honestly she had actually interviewed me in twenty nineteen,
and to be a percent transparent, it is when I
actually did start to focus. I pivoted my page only
(13:45):
to business and only to offering advice that I had
been formally educated on in my experience for free. And
she contacted me, and at the time I was broke
and I said, wait forbes, I think you got the
wrong person. She said no, she said, I want to
write about you because I've been following you for years
and you give away so much information for free at
(14:08):
that time at no course, is no product or anything.
I just spent my time educating. And I remember I
wrote down in at when she interviewed me, I wrote
my fodge interview and I scratched that out and I
said my first and I made a commitment that I
was going to have something worthy of, you know, marketing wise,
for her and law and behold I did so I
was already on her radar.
Speaker 1 (14:27):
Wow, we were right back with more more Black Virtual
Moll information from Matt Quintia. You know Selawain. You know
it's going to be a lot of things happening here today.
Christmas is coming up, Thanksgiving coming up for Cyber Monday's
coming up here. More importantly, when I talked to her,
I just felt inspired to be able to bring on
(14:47):
the show because when you have a groundbreaking venture, which
I feel this is it, This is where you know
an individual. It's so many small businesses are trying to
have formats of footprints where they can go. Will you
not have a mall, a black virtual mall where you
can put your product. When we come back, we're going
to find out how you can get your product and
how she screens these products to make sure that she's
(15:11):
installing people in these formats, stores, these kiosks, if you
have some movies you want to run into movie theaters.
How all this works. When we come back with more
money Making Conversation master Class. The Black Virtual Mall, you
can google it.
Speaker 5 (15:31):
We'll be right back with more money Making Conversations Masterclass
with Rushawn McDonald. You are now tuned into the money
making Conversations Minute of Inspiration with Rashawn McDonald.
Speaker 7 (15:44):
This week, I sat down with award winning actor, best
selling author, and entrepreneur He'll Harper. He stopped by and
talked about how his thyreut cancer diagnosis led to his
role as a health and wellness ambassador, teaching everyday people
how to live healthier lives.
Speaker 8 (16:00):
We believe that a lot of the root cause of
cancer has to do with what we put on our skin.
Our skin is the largest organ on our body and
orps everything. Just as if you hate it, your ender, consistent,
your liver, your kidneys have to deal with it. And
they said, the reason why I will never be tested
because the same companies that make the lotions to contain
the aluminum, the petroleum, the parabis and the oils and
(16:20):
all these things. The same companies who make that are
also the same companies as a drug company, so they're
never going to do a long term study of the
effects of their product.
Speaker 7 (16:30):
If you want to listen to this full interview with
hell Harper, it's available on Money Making Conversations dot com.
Speaker 3 (16:37):
HBCUs represent Black Excellence.
Speaker 9 (16:39):
If you attend or are an alumnus of an HBCU,
we want.
Speaker 3 (16:43):
To hear about your story.
Speaker 9 (16:45):
The My HBCU Story Digital Library will allow current HBCU
students and alumni to share their stories. More information is
available at HBCU College day dot com.
Speaker 3 (16:56):
You can upload a photo.
Speaker 9 (16:57):
The photo can be recent or from when you would
in tended your HBCU. More information is available at HBCU
College day dot com.
Speaker 5 (17:07):
Welcome back to the Money Making Conversations Masterclass hosted by
Rashaan McDonald.
Speaker 1 (17:13):
Welcome back to Money Making Conversations Masterclass. Our quincl Slaway
is known for providing free, useful business advice to a
two hundred and nine thousand Instagram followers, aimed at advancing
women and minority entrepreneurs. The Black Virtual Mall, which is
why I brought on the show, broke new ground and
online shopping and virtual experiences, reshaping conventional understanding of e
(17:36):
commerce and virtual real estate. The mall includes a variety
of kioskies, shops and unique features such as a food
court and movie theater. When I say all that that's
a lot to take in visually, let's talk about how
does one because I'm sure we have some if any
let me just let me invite anybody who wants to
(17:57):
call if you want to call and speak to a
quin four zero four eight eight zero nine two five
five four zero four eight eight zero nine two five five.
Reason being, how does one get onto your platform at Quincia, Yes.
Speaker 4 (18:13):
Sir, so they can simply go to join the Black
Virtual Maall dot com is joined the Black Virtual Mall
dot com and submit an application. They must have a
website and a website presence. From there, we do screen
them for the industry they're in, and of course we
go and we overlook their reviews, We go to their
(18:33):
social media to see how their engagement is with their
customers and so forth, and so we're very selective. One
we limit how many users we have in the mall
to five hundred, and that's because we want to make
sure that our sellers get high visibility. A lot of
the larger platforms, that's the one thing that they do
(18:53):
have going for them as they're large, and for the sellers,
it means that you don't really get seen. We also
limit the industry so that we don't have oversaturation. So
if we do have the fifteen seems companies will limit
it to that and so it won't be over over laden.
And one of the things that really separates us is
that we're brand We're brand centric, not product centric. So
(19:16):
whereas a lot of people are asked, you know, where
did you get that from? Oh, Amazon, they can't remember
the individual seller. So on our platform, instead of you
just seeing one item, you see all of the branding
assets to that company on their storefront, and when you
click it, it directs you to their website, so that
transaction ends with that company. We don't involve ourselves in
(19:38):
any of their financial transactions, so there's no coll mingling
the funds, and they also benefit from that traffic, and
the customer knows exactly who they are, and again they
can just go to join the black virtualmall dot com.
Speaker 1 (19:51):
Okay, so how do you make money e Quentia, Well.
Speaker 4 (19:56):
We charge a flat fee for rent okay. So that's
a another thing that is very separate. So we don't
charge a commission or feed. So our rent is very,
very very doable. Our bookstore, music store, art store fifty
dollars a month. The Kiosk is one hundred, the stores
are one fifty and the premium stores are two hundred.
(20:16):
There's no contract, it's months to month. You can cancel
at any point in time, and regardless of how much
money you make, you make ten thousand dollars, we still
charge a flat feed for the rent.
Speaker 1 (20:27):
Wow, that sounds like it sounds reasonable. Devin. Now you're
doing Devin. We have a caller who's interested in the
Black Virtual Maw. Devin. How you doing, Welcome to Money
Making Conversation Masterclass. How you doing?
Speaker 6 (20:38):
Thank you? I'm doing very well. First of all, I
appreciate your show. We listen just about every week and
just want to come in you on the work that
you're doing. First of all. Second of all, I want
to say piece ingredients to you, coach ak and how
you doing? How you doing? I just wanted to give
(20:58):
you your flowers because I'm hearing you on the radio coming
throughout my entire household right now. We listen every week,
so I wanted to give you your flowers, say thank you,
and just shout you out on the radio. Because everybody
that's listening to this woman truly cares about the people
that she takes on his clients, truly cares about her people,
her culture, and goes above and beyond to make sure
(21:20):
that the people that she's working with gets the full value,
doesn't feel like they get cheated or anything of that nature.
And in this environment where people are trying to do business,
people have less money to spend and are really trying
to find ways to come up in the world. Whatever
the case may be, you can get sidetracked, you can
get scammed quite a bit. And she is definitely somebody
(21:43):
that is all about making sure that you get the
value out of working with her, to the point she
will not hang up that phone until she sure that
you got what you needed from her. So I just
wanted to give her her flowers on the radio, and
I wanted to ask a quick question, coach Aka for
the entrepreneurs out here, how can they thrive in this
type of environment where money is less than when the
(22:06):
you know, money was floating around during the pandemic. So
people have less discretionary dollars to spend, but entrepreneurs are
still starting businesses and looking to serve people. So how
can entrepreneurs make sure that they're thriving in a tough
economy like this?
Speaker 4 (22:22):
That's a great question. There's a few different tips, few
different strategies. One I would suggest that you focus in
on what need based services and products you have and
less on the luxury items, focused on what people absolutely need.
Then you also want to re message your products. So
(22:43):
for example, I know a young lady who sells a
luxury bar so or she did in twenty twenty one,
but her soap also has six different uses. It can
be a shampoo bar, washing powder for surfaces, it's good
on babies. So I told her to re message instead
of just pitching it as a look street bar. Let
people know, hey, it's six dollars, but there are six items,
(23:03):
six uses in this salt. So now they don't have
they don't have to negotiate between that and five other products.
And I would also say start to make sure that
you have a B to B product B two C
is you know, it's great, of course, but the consumers,
what times you're tough, they're going to pull back on money.
Where it's businesses, they're typically looking for a way to
make more money. So if you can also incorporate a
(23:25):
B to B service or products that will help you
as well. And definitely partnering with other people so that
you can leverage their audiences and then expand your product
life without having to do the R and D and investment.
Speaker 1 (23:39):
Wow, you know when you look at what you're trying
to do, are there certain because I mentioned, you know, uh,
Cyber Monday, I mentioned, you know, Black Friday, I mentioned
Small Business Saturday. Are those the three most important dates
for online shopping or there are some other dates out
there that you would like to discuss in ways that
you market your your black virtual them all to the
(24:01):
general mobile public and also on social media.
Speaker 4 (24:04):
Tell us Yeah, so no, Black Friday and Cyber Monday
are the key premier sales day. Last year generated a
record breaking two hundred and eleven billion dollars and this
year is on track to be much more than that.
They're thinking even a four point three increase. And although
it sounds counterintuitive to inflation, actually goes right hand in
(24:27):
hand with inflation because people are now scaling backs and
they need to save, and that need to save is
what's going to drive sales traffic on the highest discounted days,
which is Black Friday and Cyber Monday. But it's very
important to understand the shopping behavior. Black Friday are days
that people typically are with their family from the holidays,
so that's when they used to go in store, which
(24:49):
means those are the days that they typically buy things
like clothing that they have to try on Cyber Monday
are where they'll buy things that they usually will reserve
for online purchases. So also on nderstanding that behavior. But yes,
those are the two key holidays for the year.
Speaker 8 (25:04):
You do.
Speaker 1 (25:05):
But I know we have a few minutes left in
this interview. What type of when you go to the
food court, what type of food can one expect to
see or buy in your food court? And what type
of shops which one expect to see on your black
virtual mall.
Speaker 4 (25:21):
Okay, so now it's virtual, but the food is real.
So when you go to the court, click on everyone
asks that it's a food virtual, it's real. You will
click on it, it'll activate the DoorDash or Uber Eats
or whatever app that you already have in you and
it'll you'll just order it as you normally would. We're
just the interface for it. Now I would have to
(25:42):
give you I cannot leave it when I give you
your flowers you got. Miss McDonald called me at five
in the morning when I submitted my application, and he
lightly towed me out about two things. And I made
those changes immediately. And so one was the movie theater,
which it would link you to the content. Well, we've
changed that completely, refacing mister Donald and the links the
(26:04):
videos top up right there in thank you, And we
also added the bookstore. And if you will give me
the honor, I would like to name it after you.
And this will be the first segment on the Black
Virtual Maw that has someone's name i'd like to name
with the Rashade McDonald bookstore.
Speaker 1 (26:19):
I have no problem with that. Please make sure one
of my clients, Steven A. Smith's book is in that bookstore.
It's a book called Straight Shoot, the New York Times bestseller.
Speaker 4 (26:30):
In any other book you have, absolutely And one of
the things I'm also very proud of is that we
have a kid's Preneur floor. So if there's anyone who's
eighteen and under with a business, you can get on
the Kids Preneur floor for free. Your rent is free
to highlight our kids.
Speaker 1 (26:47):
As time inspire. Please give me your website address and
I definitely want to bring you back and let's discuss
how everything happened on you know, Cyber Monday, Black Friday
and Small Business Saturday. But more important, congratulations and keep winning.
Tell everybody how to reach out.
Speaker 3 (27:01):
To your mom.
Speaker 4 (27:03):
And that's go to join the Black Virtual Maall dot com.
Especially now the rental delinquencies are up two months in
a row. Forty percent small businesses are not able to
pay their rent So you need another platform, So you
go to join the Black Virtualmall dot com and we're
here to help.
Speaker 1 (27:20):
Thank you so much, Dat, and thank you and thank
you for listening, Beverly, Thank you for calling, Devin, Thank
you for calling. I appreciate everybody listening to Money Making
Conversation Masteric claves. More importantly, I appreciate you as guests
coming on my show and definitely you will be a
person that comes on a regularation because we need new
ways to sell our products to our community. Thank you
for coming on Money Making Conversation masically already, we'll see
(27:43):
you next week, Aboue.
Speaker 5 (27:48):
Thank you for joining us for this edition of Money
Making Conversations Masterclass. Money Making Conversations Masterclass with through Sean
McDonald is produced by thirty eight to fifteen Media Inc.
More information about thirty eight fifteen Media Inc. Is available
at thirty eight fifteen media dot com. And always remember
to lead with your gifts
Welcome to money making conversations.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
It's to show that she has the secrets of success
experience firsthand by marketing and Brandon expert Rashan McDonald. I
will know he's giving me advice on many occasions. And
in case you didn't notice, I'm not broke. You know
he'll be interviewing celebrity CEOs, entrepreneurs and industry decision make
because it's what he likes to do, it's what he
likes to share. Now it's time to hear from my man,
Rashan McDonald money making conversations.
Speaker 3 (00:28):
Here we go.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
Welcome back to money making conversation. My guess is our
Quincya sellaway. She established the first ever black virtual mall
and is taking e commerce to the next level. At Quincya,
the mall includes a according to her, and we'll talk
about that. It's a virtual mall, so while we online,
you can probably she's going to give out the location
on the web of the address, so you can Walley,
(00:52):
listen to the interview and then do some shopping at
the same time. A variety of Kiosks shops and unique
features such as a food court in movie theaters. Recognized
as the first virtual commercial property development that is online globally.
I remember this first broke. I mean she got interviewed
in for magazine and it was a forerunner of just
(01:13):
a forward thinking idea and concept. Aquincia is creating a
new genre in the emerging metaverse landscape to advanced women
and minority entrepreneurs. Please welcome to Money Making Conversation Masterclass,
Alquincia Cella Waine. How you doing a Quincio?
Speaker 4 (01:30):
I wonder if I'm so happy and honored to be
speaking with you, miss McDonald, Thank you for having me.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
Well, let's give a little background on our relationship I
was doing. I had a client. I was doing the
Porsche TV show and Porsche is based in Atlanta, Georgia
on Fox and it also syndicates on Fox Soul nationally
and as a half hour show. Really good. The host
is a very well liked hosts and a very popular show.
(01:56):
And you were the against the what I guess would
like the shark tank person sitting in there. They pitched
to you and you would tell them what was wrong
with their product or how they can advance their product
and giving them advice. Is am I saying that correctly?
Speaker 4 (02:14):
Yes, Yes, definitely and on pitching and pitching as well. Yes, definitely,
okay cool.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
Now, how did the people on the Porsche Talk show
find out about you?
Speaker 4 (02:25):
Porsche saw me. I was featured at the Mahogany Hallmark
Mahogany Moment event and I was on the panel as
one of the speakers for these small business strategies, and
in that moment I did something very different where I
gave all of the information on how to scale, how
(02:47):
to create a digital product and create a customer service team.
And I gave that in ninety seconds, and she was
very impressed by that.
Speaker 1 (02:59):
I present, I'm in person, does not just throw it
all over the Porsche. I'm prin so slow. Everybody tell
everybody in eighty seconds? What did you do?
Speaker 4 (03:09):
And I gave her, So would you like me to
tell you exactly?
Speaker 1 (03:13):
Absolutely?
Speaker 4 (03:14):
Okay, well fantastic. So here's if you're looking to create
a digital product, this is what I tell people. One,
if you can tell me five things that you need
to know that I would need to know to start
your business. If you could tell me five things I
need to avoid to start your business. And if you
could tell me five things that you wish you knew
when you started your business. You have fifteen chapters of
(03:36):
an e book. After that, you would simply add your
intro and your conclusion. Now from there you would go
over to PowerPoint, get some amazing images. If you don't
have any of your ownest and stock images, insert those
images and then narrate that. So one you have the
e book, and now that you've narrated, you have a
video course. From there, you extract that audio, say that
(03:57):
as an MP three and you have an audible. And
remember when I asked you, you know, what were the
five things that you wish you news. You take those
and you create a resource guide. So you put all
of them links to those websites and everything. Now, before
you do that, I would also suggest you go and
look for an affiliate link to see if they have that,
so you get your a couple of coins as well.
But you know, be a integrity, get the best in
(04:18):
class even if you can't get the affiliate link, and
then you have the resource guy. Now you would also
want to show some before and afters how to do
it and how to not do it. That would be
called a cheat cheep. And then you would take all
of that import that into uplinkly on Shopify, and now
you have a digital product. And if you want to
mock up so you can go to my ecovermaker dot com.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
Okay, now, now here's the thing. So many people want
to do what you're doing, and so many people have advice.
I do this show and I'm working off of experience.
So when people call me, I really don't get stomped
because I've been able to do a lot of things
(05:01):
in my life and make a lot of mistakes in
my life. I always tell people mistakes of valuable resources
to give people advice on because of the fact that
by making a mistake, you can tell people what not
to do. Now Here you are in your life, you
sitting around being creative a virtual mall. Now, how did
(05:23):
that concept come about? In what year did it come about?
Speaker 4 (05:29):
Well, I've been on Instagram since twenty twelve. In terms
of actually utilizing a platform to showcase black owned businesses,
I've done that in several different capacities, whether it was
just running free promotion sometimes every Friday, running the ten
Black you know here Uti Salonga to ten Black beauty
supply stores when we were running into racial tensions and
(05:52):
things like That's always done that, but during COVID, I
was already kind of in that digital space. I had
my app development company and I have to put on
an online virtual event. But I noticed that forty one
percent of black owned businesses posed in twenty twenty one,
so I put a pause in what I was initially
(06:13):
going to do. And I wanted to give a solution
for helping those brick and mortar mom and pop shops
that maybe didn't really know how to use social media.
So instead of trying to force them to learn, I
just leaned on what we knew about the malls and
created the digital mall so that I could just kind
of give them that traffic by housing everyone in one stop.
(06:35):
And I wanted to do it in a very new way.
Speaker 1 (06:39):
So one goes on, first of all, what is the
EOL address for your mall?
Speaker 4 (06:45):
That is the Black Virtual Mall. So I also use
the keywords in the title, the Black Virtual Mall. So
for anyone else if you're thinking about a new business name,
that's kind of a hack and landed me on the
first two pages of Google with no money at all,
because so as they search for it, I'm actually the thing.
Speaker 1 (07:04):
So anybody types in black Virtual you just pop up.
Speaker 4 (07:09):
Yep. If you go to Google, I can black Versual
maw I definitely come up.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
That's fantastic. But was this part of the thought process
when you named it, or you were just establishing a
brand that you knew that was necessary based on the
success that you had on Instagram And right now you
have over two hundred and nine thousand followers on Instagram,
so one has to say you are an influencer in
the entrepreneurial space as well as being a black influencer. Correct.
Speaker 4 (07:40):
Yeah, So the thought behind it, of course is intentional
and unapologetic, but the thought in terms of the name
was very strategic. It was a method that I had
come across on my own and realized, like you said,
those mistakes the last time. I realized that starting businesses sometimes,
you know, people forget the name of the business. Especially Listen,
(08:01):
my name is all Quincia, Okay, So I know what
it's like to have a complicated name that people often forget.
So if you name something, you know, really creative and complicated,
we're gonna forget.
Speaker 1 (08:12):
At Quincia and we're gonna forget that. Okay, Well I
would at Quinta. You know, you know I would now
when I was on the Porch Show with you, now
you had another name? Did you say you even use
that name too? Now what is the other name? Did
you cool with her using?
Speaker 4 (08:28):
Because I just have to go and be as complicated
as my mother was in nineteen seventy five. So my
moniker is at conundrum. It's a player on my sorority
letters AKA, but it's just a conundrum, right, all right.
So I never thought about I never thought about being
a person. That was just my personal name. I never
thought of it as a brand and law and behold
(08:50):
now I'm stuck with it. So you know, it's like,
did this woman give us the most complicated Quincia acronundrum
sellaway and she just went picked all three of the
hardest things ever. So that's that.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
The acnendrum is your middle name.
Speaker 4 (09:06):
No, it's just the name that I chold.
Speaker 1 (09:07):
You you need to go track your mom.
Speaker 4 (09:14):
You know she did name me after Algreen and Quincy Jones.
And if anyone's listening, I'm trying to get a paternity
test with us.
Speaker 5 (09:19):
You know.
Speaker 1 (09:22):
That's fantastic, you know, because because I remember just just
meeting you and the thing about it is that the
number one thing my big takeaway, you know, because I
want to break down what exactly is the mall and
how the experience is because I went to the mall
and virtually it is you see people walking around, it's
kind of almost like if it really is, like wow,
(09:42):
this is really cool because it really does create an
experience and then you just start clicking your way like
you're in the.
Speaker 4 (09:50):
Mall, correct, yes, sir, Yes, sir. And so it's very intuitive.
I wanted to, you know, lean into that less steel
where we feel like we're doing something more futuristic. But
what I didn't want to do is have all of
the burden issues or for people to adapt onto it.
(10:12):
So you don't need Ocula's headsets, you don't have to
create a character or an avtar. Everything is just right
there and you do couping and just go through the
actual visual experience of it.
Speaker 6 (10:26):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (10:26):
So the very intuitive in that regard and so brown.
And also it has a futuristic feel, it's still been
reality when you look inside of you know, it looks
like a traditional mall with the movie theater and the
food court and everything you used to Yes, sir, I laugh.
Speaker 1 (10:43):
Because it just sounds really cool, you know, because we
you know, we are a world of apps, you know,
which you're launching something where people are mobile friendly and
people are just inside world. Is like, you know, one
of the biggest sell days the world now is you know,
Cyber Monday, and then Black Friday, and then I think
(11:06):
a small business Saturday. All these days, all these days.
How do you, as a as an entrepreneur or the
Black Virtual Mall play into these important online dates and
how do you market yourself or tie yourself into it
to be an asset to the black businesses of the
black entrepreneurs who come onto your platform.
Speaker 4 (11:30):
Well, what I do is, of course as everyone else
do's traditionally, I utilize my email list, I utilize my page.
So the Black Virtual Mall page has about nearly fifteen
thousand followers, singers organic. I'm sorry, you broke up a
little bit of all of my marketing.
Speaker 1 (11:46):
You broke up a little bit. How many followers, how
many followers you said you you had.
Speaker 4 (11:51):
So the Black Virtual Mall has thirteen eight hundred followers,
and all of that was absolutely organic. So, of course
I utilize my online traffic, I utilize my email, I
utilize my app followers. So all of my marketing thus
far had been organic, and to be quite honest with you,
(12:12):
I wanted to make sure that when we launched this,
that my system was stable, that it could handle large
numbers of traffic before I put too many coins behind
it and have it disrupt and that be the worst
you know day. I used to work for Edible Arrangements,
and I know how it is to have your biggest
marketing day be your most failed day. It comes to
(12:34):
delivering and and and that's a really bad thing. So
it's always been a little fear of mine. But now
we know, I've pressure tested the system under duress, under
same day on boarding. Now I am ready to really
push the marketing. And also there's a new need for it.
Speaker 1 (12:51):
Well, right, we're talking about a conundrum, a quincia. What
should I say? What should I say?
Speaker 4 (13:00):
Acnundrum is fine?
Speaker 1 (13:02):
Okay, we're gonna We're gonna ride with DA because I
just love it. I just love you have all these
great names. Okay, now to be on the to be
the creator forbat like that, it was introduced and Forbes
magazine magazine jumped on it want an interview. Why did
they feel the need to interview you, and why did
they feel your idea was so innovative.
Speaker 4 (13:23):
Well, the person when she's a senior contributor, Miss Janis Gassam,
and she specializes in conversation under diversity, equity and inclusions. Okay,
And honestly she had actually interviewed me in twenty nineteen,
and to be a percent transparent, it is when I
actually did start to focus. I pivoted my page only
(13:45):
to business and only to offering advice that I had
been formally educated on in my experience for free. And
she contacted me, and at the time I was broke
and I said, wait forbes, I think you got the
wrong person. She said no, she said, I want to
write about you because I've been following you for years
and you give away so much information for free at
(14:08):
that time at no course, is no product or anything.
I just spent my time educating. And I remember I
wrote down in at when she interviewed me, I wrote
my fodge interview and I scratched that out and I
said my first and I made a commitment that I
was going to have something worthy of, you know, marketing wise,
for her and law and behold I did so I
was already on her radar.
Speaker 1 (14:27):
Wow, we were right back with more more Black Virtual
Moll information from Matt Quintia. You know Selawain. You know
it's going to be a lot of things happening here today.
Christmas is coming up, Thanksgiving coming up for Cyber Monday's
coming up here. More importantly, when I talked to her,
I just felt inspired to be able to bring on
(14:47):
the show because when you have a groundbreaking venture, which
I feel this is it, This is where you know
an individual. It's so many small businesses are trying to
have formats of footprints where they can go. Will you
not have a mall, a black virtual mall where you
can put your product. When we come back, we're going
to find out how you can get your product and
how she screens these products to make sure that she's
(15:11):
installing people in these formats, stores, these kiosks, if you
have some movies you want to run into movie theaters.
How all this works. When we come back with more
money Making Conversation master Class. The Black Virtual Mall, you
can google it.
Speaker 5 (15:31):
We'll be right back with more money Making Conversations Masterclass
with Rushawn McDonald. You are now tuned into the money
making Conversations Minute of Inspiration with Rashawn McDonald.
Speaker 7 (15:44):
This week, I sat down with award winning actor, best
selling author, and entrepreneur He'll Harper. He stopped by and
talked about how his thyreut cancer diagnosis led to his
role as a health and wellness ambassador, teaching everyday people
how to live healthier lives.
Speaker 8 (16:00):
We believe that a lot of the root cause of
cancer has to do with what we put on our skin.
Our skin is the largest organ on our body and
orps everything. Just as if you hate it, your ender, consistent,
your liver, your kidneys have to deal with it. And
they said, the reason why I will never be tested
because the same companies that make the lotions to contain
the aluminum, the petroleum, the parabis and the oils and
(16:20):
all these things. The same companies who make that are
also the same companies as a drug company, so they're
never going to do a long term study of the
effects of their product.
Speaker 7 (16:30):
If you want to listen to this full interview with
hell Harper, it's available on Money Making Conversations dot com.
Speaker 3 (16:37):
HBCUs represent Black Excellence.
Speaker 9 (16:39):
If you attend or are an alumnus of an HBCU,
we want.
Speaker 3 (16:43):
To hear about your story.
Speaker 9 (16:45):
The My HBCU Story Digital Library will allow current HBCU
students and alumni to share their stories. More information is
available at HBCU College day dot com.
Speaker 3 (16:56):
You can upload a photo.
Speaker 9 (16:57):
The photo can be recent or from when you would
in tended your HBCU. More information is available at HBCU
College day dot com.
Speaker 5 (17:07):
Welcome back to the Money Making Conversations Masterclass hosted by
Rashaan McDonald.
Speaker 1 (17:13):
Welcome back to Money Making Conversations Masterclass. Our quincl Slaway
is known for providing free, useful business advice to a
two hundred and nine thousand Instagram followers, aimed at advancing
women and minority entrepreneurs. The Black Virtual Mall, which is
why I brought on the show, broke new ground and
online shopping and virtual experiences, reshaping conventional understanding of e
(17:36):
commerce and virtual real estate. The mall includes a variety
of kioskies, shops and unique features such as a food
court and movie theater. When I say all that that's
a lot to take in visually, let's talk about how
does one because I'm sure we have some if any
let me just let me invite anybody who wants to
(17:57):
call if you want to call and speak to a
quin four zero four eight eight zero nine two five
five four zero four eight eight zero nine two five five.
Reason being, how does one get onto your platform at Quincia, Yes.
Speaker 4 (18:13):
Sir, so they can simply go to join the Black
Virtual Maall dot com is joined the Black Virtual Mall
dot com and submit an application. They must have a
website and a website presence. From there, we do screen
them for the industry they're in, and of course we
go and we overlook their reviews, We go to their
(18:33):
social media to see how their engagement is with their
customers and so forth, and so we're very selective. One
we limit how many users we have in the mall
to five hundred, and that's because we want to make
sure that our sellers get high visibility. A lot of
the larger platforms, that's the one thing that they do
(18:53):
have going for them as they're large, and for the sellers,
it means that you don't really get seen. We also
limit the industry so that we don't have oversaturation. So
if we do have the fifteen seems companies will limit
it to that and so it won't be over over laden.
And one of the things that really separates us is
that we're brand We're brand centric, not product centric. So
(19:16):
whereas a lot of people are asked, you know, where
did you get that from? Oh, Amazon, they can't remember
the individual seller. So on our platform, instead of you
just seeing one item, you see all of the branding
assets to that company on their storefront, and when you
click it, it directs you to their website, so that
transaction ends with that company. We don't involve ourselves in
(19:38):
any of their financial transactions, so there's no coll mingling
the funds, and they also benefit from that traffic, and
the customer knows exactly who they are, and again they
can just go to join the black virtualmall dot com.
Speaker 1 (19:51):
Okay, so how do you make money e Quentia, Well.
Speaker 4 (19:56):
We charge a flat fee for rent okay. So that's
a another thing that is very separate. So we don't
charge a commission or feed. So our rent is very,
very very doable. Our bookstore, music store, art store fifty
dollars a month. The Kiosk is one hundred, the stores
are one fifty and the premium stores are two hundred.
(20:16):
There's no contract, it's months to month. You can cancel
at any point in time, and regardless of how much
money you make, you make ten thousand dollars, we still
charge a flat feed for the rent.
Speaker 1 (20:27):
Wow, that sounds like it sounds reasonable. Devin. Now you're
doing Devin. We have a caller who's interested in the
Black Virtual Maw. Devin. How you doing, Welcome to Money
Making Conversation Masterclass. How you doing?
Speaker 6 (20:38):
Thank you? I'm doing very well. First of all, I
appreciate your show. We listen just about every week and
just want to come in you on the work that
you're doing. First of all. Second of all, I want
to say piece ingredients to you, coach ak and how
you doing? How you doing? I just wanted to give
(20:58):
you your flowers because I'm hearing you on the radio coming
throughout my entire household right now. We listen every week,
so I wanted to give you your flowers, say thank you,
and just shout you out on the radio. Because everybody
that's listening to this woman truly cares about the people
that she takes on his clients, truly cares about her people,
her culture, and goes above and beyond to make sure
(21:20):
that the people that she's working with gets the full value,
doesn't feel like they get cheated or anything of that nature.
And in this environment where people are trying to do business,
people have less money to spend and are really trying
to find ways to come up in the world. Whatever
the case may be, you can get sidetracked, you can
get scammed quite a bit. And she is definitely somebody
(21:43):
that is all about making sure that you get the
value out of working with her, to the point she
will not hang up that phone until she sure that
you got what you needed from her. So I just
wanted to give her her flowers on the radio, and
I wanted to ask a quick question, coach Aka for
the entrepreneurs out here, how can they thrive in this
type of environment where money is less than when the
(22:06):
you know, money was floating around during the pandemic. So
people have less discretionary dollars to spend, but entrepreneurs are
still starting businesses and looking to serve people. So how
can entrepreneurs make sure that they're thriving in a tough
economy like this?
Speaker 4 (22:22):
That's a great question. There's a few different tips, few
different strategies. One I would suggest that you focus in
on what need based services and products you have and
less on the luxury items, focused on what people absolutely need.
Then you also want to re message your products. So
(22:43):
for example, I know a young lady who sells a
luxury bar so or she did in twenty twenty one,
but her soap also has six different uses. It can
be a shampoo bar, washing powder for surfaces, it's good
on babies. So I told her to re message instead
of just pitching it as a look street bar. Let
people know, hey, it's six dollars, but there are six items,
(23:03):
six uses in this salt. So now they don't have
they don't have to negotiate between that and five other products.
And I would also say start to make sure that
you have a B to B product B two C
is you know, it's great, of course, but the consumers,
what times you're tough, they're going to pull back on money.
Where it's businesses, they're typically looking for a way to
make more money. So if you can also incorporate a
(23:25):
B to B service or products that will help you
as well. And definitely partnering with other people so that
you can leverage their audiences and then expand your product
life without having to do the R and D and investment.
Speaker 1 (23:39):
Wow, you know when you look at what you're trying
to do, are there certain because I mentioned, you know, uh,
Cyber Monday, I mentioned, you know, Black Friday, I mentioned
Small Business Saturday. Are those the three most important dates
for online shopping or there are some other dates out
there that you would like to discuss in ways that
you market your your black virtual them all to the
(24:01):
general mobile public and also on social media.
Speaker 4 (24:04):
Tell us Yeah, so no, Black Friday and Cyber Monday
are the key premier sales day. Last year generated a
record breaking two hundred and eleven billion dollars and this
year is on track to be much more than that.
They're thinking even a four point three increase. And although
it sounds counterintuitive to inflation, actually goes right hand in
(24:27):
hand with inflation because people are now scaling backs and
they need to save, and that need to save is
what's going to drive sales traffic on the highest discounted days,
which is Black Friday and Cyber Monday. But it's very
important to understand the shopping behavior. Black Friday are days
that people typically are with their family from the holidays,
so that's when they used to go in store, which
(24:49):
means those are the days that they typically buy things
like clothing that they have to try on Cyber Monday
are where they'll buy things that they usually will reserve
for online purchases. So also on nderstanding that behavior. But yes,
those are the two key holidays for the year.
Speaker 8 (25:04):
You do.
Speaker 1 (25:05):
But I know we have a few minutes left in
this interview. What type of when you go to the
food court, what type of food can one expect to
see or buy in your food court? And what type
of shops which one expect to see on your black
virtual mall.
Speaker 4 (25:21):
Okay, so now it's virtual, but the food is real.
So when you go to the court, click on everyone
asks that it's a food virtual, it's real. You will
click on it, it'll activate the DoorDash or Uber Eats
or whatever app that you already have in you and
it'll you'll just order it as you normally would. We're
just the interface for it. Now I would have to
(25:42):
give you I cannot leave it when I give you
your flowers you got. Miss McDonald called me at five
in the morning when I submitted my application, and he
lightly towed me out about two things. And I made
those changes immediately. And so one was the movie theater,
which it would link you to the content. Well, we've
changed that completely, refacing mister Donald and the links the
(26:04):
videos top up right there in thank you, And we
also added the bookstore. And if you will give me
the honor, I would like to name it after you.
And this will be the first segment on the Black
Virtual Maw that has someone's name i'd like to name
with the Rashade McDonald bookstore.
Speaker 1 (26:19):
I have no problem with that. Please make sure one
of my clients, Steven A. Smith's book is in that bookstore.
It's a book called Straight Shoot, the New York Times bestseller.
Speaker 4 (26:30):
In any other book you have, absolutely And one of
the things I'm also very proud of is that we
have a kid's Preneur floor. So if there's anyone who's
eighteen and under with a business, you can get on
the Kids Preneur floor for free. Your rent is free
to highlight our kids.
Speaker 1 (26:47):
As time inspire. Please give me your website address and
I definitely want to bring you back and let's discuss
how everything happened on you know, Cyber Monday, Black Friday
and Small Business Saturday. But more important, congratulations and keep winning.
Tell everybody how to reach out.
Speaker 3 (27:01):
To your mom.
Speaker 4 (27:03):
And that's go to join the Black Virtual Maall dot com.
Especially now the rental delinquencies are up two months in
a row. Forty percent small businesses are not able to
pay their rent So you need another platform, So you
go to join the Black Virtualmall dot com and we're
here to help.
Speaker 1 (27:20):
Thank you so much, Dat, and thank you and thank
you for listening, Beverly, Thank you for calling, Devin, Thank
you for calling. I appreciate everybody listening to Money Making
Conversation Masteric claves. More importantly, I appreciate you as guests
coming on my show and definitely you will be a
person that comes on a regularation because we need new
ways to sell our products to our community. Thank you
for coming on Money Making Conversation masically already, we'll see
(27:43):
you next week, Aboue.
Speaker 5 (27:48):
Thank you for joining us for this edition of Money
Making Conversations Masterclass. Money Making Conversations Masterclass with through Sean
McDonald is produced by thirty eight to fifteen Media Inc.
More information about thirty eight fifteen Media Inc. Is available
at thirty eight fifteen media dot com. And always remember
to lead with your gifts
The Steve Harvey Morning Show News
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
The Nikki Glaser Podcast
Every week comedian and infamous roaster Nikki Glaser provides a fun, fast-paced, and brutally honest look into current pop-culture and her own personal life.