Black Bridge Mindset

Sandy Daniels, Fashion Designer & Entrepreneur. CEO of Symphony Love: From Visions to Fashion Shows

• Black Bridge Mindset • Season 1 • Episode 3

Send us a text

Welcome to another exciting episode of the Black Bridge Mindset Podcast, where culture, entrepreneurship, and business fuels inspiration! 

🎙️ Today, we’re thrilled to host Sandy Daniels, the creative force behind Symphony Love, a bold and culturally inspired women’s fashion brand based in Chicago. Sandy shares her fascinating journey from childhood sketches to launching Symphony Love officially in 2023, overcoming self-doubt and harnessing the power of vision boards. 🌟 Follow along as Sandy talks about her unique designs, upcoming fashion shows, and her plans for life and business coaching. Whether you're building a business, breaking barriers, or seeking some serious inspo, you're in the right place! 🔥👗

Follow Symphony Love:

Email: info@symphonylove.com

Thank you for listening!

Follow our socials!

Contact us:

Hosts:

CJ:

Hello and welcome to the Black Bridge Mindset Podcast where culture, entrepreneurship, and business intersect to fuel inspiration. This podcast celebrates the power of diverse voices shaping the future of business. So whether you're building a business, breaking barriers, we're just looking for some serious inspiration here in the right place. The Black Bridge mindset where culture and entrepreneurship collide.

Ken:

All right. Good morning everybody. Welcome to the Black Bridge Mindset Podcast. On this Saturday morning. I am here with my two best friends, CJ and Mike. We are excited for today's guest. Let me see what's happening here. Festival season is starting to kick off in Atlanta. I lied the last time whenever I said we do not do St. Patrick's Day here in Atlanta, but I learned yesterday that there's actually a parade. I don't know who's going to be there, but there is a St. Patrick's Day parade. So it should be a good weekend. What's that?

Mike:

you going?

Ken:

No, I'm not going. It's downtown. I stick in my six block radius unless there's a reason for me to leave. But a funny story is, I saw a restaurant, on Instagram that looks really good. So whenever you guys visit, we'll have to go. But it's in, Sandy Spring and I was talking to somebody at work and I was like, looks like I had to go get on a plane and go to this restaurant. Now mind you, it's only six miles away, but still, dealing with Atlanta traffic and trying to get there and back. I was asking a whole lot. But, yeah. Excited about today's show. I'm gonna send it over to CJ next, to give us a little bit of update on what he's got going on.

CJ:

so before I do that, in Sandy Springs where we went to, to do the shoes,

Ken:

No, that was closer to the, Tennessee border. That was, at the Perimeter mall. So that was like, I don't know, 30 miles away. Yeah, that was further north.

CJ:

gone for some reason, But yeah, not much going on personally. I've just been. Doing the least amount of work I can. Like everywhere else now, storming, raining, doing all kinds of craziness. Just a nice day coming up. I don't know, probably earlier this, earlier in the week, I'll be do something.

Mike:

Nice. Yeah, you're still coming in and out a little bit.

CJ:

Alright, I'm gonna turn the gain up again.

Mike:

Okay.

CJ:

Is that, is that better?

Ken:

Yeah, and just sit closer to your mic, like you lean back in your chair,

CJ:

I'm literally right up on it. My guts almost touching the desk. I don't know what else to do.

Mike:

You're so crazy.

Ken:

Look, pretend you're at the bar, and you just, right there.

Mike:

Hey, Mr. Bartender, give me a drink.

CJ:

right.

Mike:

Hey, I love me son. Rihanna. Don't come after her. But anyway, while CJ's, doing that my week has actually been pretty good. And as everyone knows, we've recorded two shows, so that's been awesome. And they've been going great. We're working, we're recording our third show today on, it's not St. Patty's Day, I guess that's on Monday. But we are dressed in green and everybody's gonna be outside acting crazy today in Chicago. Preparing for that and I'm sure, our guest who's also here in Chicago today, I'm sure she's ready for it too. We'll talk to her about that. Here in a little bit, but I'm pretty excited for our guests. It's pretty random how we met. We were, at a real estate meetup and you know me, I'm just going around talking to everybody, saying hello, and she told me that, she told me about her business and everything, and it's just around the time that we were planning and getting all this together. So I'm really excited to talk to her about that. So yeah, so nothing crazy for me this week. Just gonna enjoy the weekend, avoid the madness and, yeah. And the weather. It's supposed to be like 70 something today, I think. Almost 80. It's gonna be crazy.

CJ:

I thought you were doing a trolley ride today.

Mike:

Okay, CJ, I was gonna leave that out for the people I was gonna, let me do my business.

CJ:

You can't tell me one thing and then say something different.

Mike:

and Yes, people, I am gonna, I am gonna go to the trolley. They actually started at 8:00 AM they're, and they're gonna be bouncing around. So once I get done, I think they did like kegs and eggs or something for breakfast. And then, I'm gonna meet them after this once we're done. We'll see what type of state they're in once I meet them. But yes, I,

CJ:

You might be the Minority Bridge in, in that group.

Mike:

You ain't lying. You ain't wrong. You ain't lying one. But yeah. But, yeah, let's get started.'cause it is eight 30 in the morning on a Saturday and we hop on a little bit early to do mic te mic checks and all that fun stuff. So we've had our coffee. I think we're awake. The sun is slowly coming out. We had a storm last night, so it's not the brightest yet, but, hopefully we'll get there. But, yeah, as I mentioned, I am super excited to introduce, our guest today. I want everyone to meet Sandy, the creative force behind Symphony Love, a woman owned fashion brand dedicated to self-love, empowerment, and inclusivity based in Illinois Symphony Love blends bold statement making designs with cultural influences from Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. Each piece is crafted to leave a lasting impression, whether you're heading to brunch or a gala. With a focus on confidence and individuality, the brand ensures every woman feels empowered in her own skin. Join Symphony Love for Unforgettable fashion show on April 27th, 2025 from two to 6:00 PM at Water Tower Place in Chicago, where style meets strength and self-expression. Without further ado, the brain and beauty behind the fashion. Sandy Daniels. What's up Sandy?

Sandy:

Everybody, thank you for having me. Thank you so much.

Ken:

to the show.

Mike:

Yeah. Welcome. And I was telling people, earlier, so we just met at a real estate meetup.'cause I do real estate on the side. And remind me, do you do real estate as well or were you there supporting your friend?

Sandy:

No, so I have a real estate company as well, and I own property, so I was there just to I, I want to acquire another, investment property. So I was there to just get, push myself back in it because I was saying the longest I'm gonna get, I'm gonna get some more property, I'm gonna really take this business more seriously and not be in the background. So let me go to just be inspired by other people and get some ideas going with that. But I do have a real estate business, so yeah.

Mike:

Awesome. I love that. Yeah. If, like someone told us the other day, no one's gonna do it for you. So you have to put yourself out there and do it yourself. And that's what it takes. And that's why I go to those well as well for this very same reasons. So tell us a little bit about yourself. So are you from Illinois? Born and

Sandy:

yes. So born and raised in Chicago, north side of Chicago. So I've been here my whole life. My family is Ghanaian, I haven't been back to Ghana in like over a decade. They're like looking for me, but, so I'm planning to go this year. But yeah, born and raised in Chicago. Been here my whole life.

Mike:

Nice. That's awesome. And just to go with that, so you're into real estate and you're into fashion. So tell us a little bit about how you started this business, what inspired you to get into this? Tell us a little bit about your journey to, from the beginning to how you got here now.

Sandy:

Okay, I have been designing my outfit since I was a kid. I just remember that when I was younger I always looked, so much more different than the other kids. I was taller. I I felt like I grew, I. Faster than everybody else around me. Like I was just, out of the norm, so everybody would see me and they're just like, you, just like a groan you. It feels like you've been here before. I always used to hear that. I used to style myself. I used to dress myself. I would get up and just outfit and, if I didn't like the outfit, I would just start sketching and just start drawing the kind of outfit that I wanted and how I wanted to look. And, people would laugh at me and be like, what are you over here drawing this for? You're not, you're not going to wear this. You're not going to, it's just not what are you doing? So one day I just put all my sketches together and before I know I knew it, I was working with Taylor's, I was working with other seamstresses. I was bringing my fashion to life. And so that was the first instance of me seeing something that I envisioned happening. So people would always come to me when I was a kid to style them. Oh, how does this look together? Or Can you gimme pointers? Can you gimme ideas? And it went from there. Like I was always the one that was like, Sandy, just come in here real quick and look at this for me. Or I was drawing out sketches for people to get styles done. That was before I even knew how to sew. I just probably learned how to ham. And my mom was a seamstress as well. She sewed and I would watch her and I think I got that from her as well. And, so I've always been fascinated with, fashion. And then as I grew, I remember like even my prom dress, I drew, I designed my prom dress myself, and I almost didn't even go to prom because, I had at that time, some personal things happen. Like I had lost my parents and a lot of things w was happening at that time and I was really down. But I found that, like fashion and just drawing and being creative is where I was able to get my outlet from and really turn some things that was going downhill in my life into an uphill for me. So I've been doing this unofficially for over a decade, like close to 20, if not 20, since I was a preteen. And then I just recently incorporated it in, 2023. It's been like a dream that I've been putting off. Oh, you'll do it, you'll do it eventually, you'll do it next year. No, just wait. And then I told myself in 2023, I am doing this. I'm going in, I'm just going to do what I've always been doing just officially and I'm going to, put this brand out there. Especially I felt like in Chicago, we really don't have a brand or a fashion house like I, am envisioning and it's like we have that in New York or we have people that started off in Chicago, but then they move off to other capitals that they feel are fashion capitals. So we don't really have anything here stamped in Chicago for fashion. So I wanted to make sure that, I branded that and we would have our own something in Chicago that is made here, bred here and successful here and not having to move anywhere else.

CJ:

Okay. First of all, that is awesome. The fact that this has been something within you since a kid is crazy. I'm curious, I get you had this inner desire to create your own fashion, I'm sure, but where'd the artistic side come from? Was it just, oh, you, it sounds like you literally have been here before to just see something at that, at a young age and just start drawing.

Sandy:

Yeah. It's I don't know. I always say that it's a gift directly from God because it's, it is so strange how it came about. I used to start off. With, just weird stick figures and drawings that weren't perfect. And so people always be like, what is this supposed to be in? I don't see, they didn't see the vision, they didn't see what I saw. And I remember, in middle school, I was in a art class. It was like a mandatory art class, and I used to think that I could skate through that class. I'm like, I'm not gonna really put anything into it. It's art. But my art teacher was so hard on me and she would specifically pick on me and she'd say, I know you can do more than this. I would draw like a stick figure or something. She's no, like I know you can turn this into three DI know you could put more into this. And I, at that time, didn't even know I had this in me. I'm like, how would she know that I knew how to draw or how would she, but she would push me. And I'm telling you, I became an artist through that class. And so that translated into enhancing my drawings for my fashions. That enhanced me putting more thought and feeling behind, my drawings and even envisioning, because there were some times I would draw styles and I'm combining fabrics that, people would think doesn't even match. They don't even go together. And in my drawings, like I'm putting 3D things, like I love everybody who sees me, especially a lot of my fashions. I'll have something outlandish, like I'll probably have a big bow somewhere, or I have something just outlandish to really elevate the style. And people used to make so much fun of me, what in the world is this? Like you have a bow where, and then so when the outfit is created and I wear it and they're like, oh my goodness. Where did this come from? And so that's a lot of the surprise factor. What I bring into, my designs is that I make sure that I am, I'm putting anything that I envision, there's no limitations on my designs, because I'm finding now that when you don't put any limitations on styles, I'm seeing so many different styles now. People using metal, people using all different things, just seeing where their creation leads them to. So I'm like, this is what I've always felt since I was a child. But people will try to deter you and tell you to stay on a normal path and think normally, but you have to think outside of the box and you really have to push yourself. And I felt like that gift was created when my teacher pushed me, combined with kind of what I was already doing, as a child. And just seeing and learning. I, my mom again was a seamstress. By the time I was growing up, she didn't sew as much, but it's something that I recall and remember her sitting at her sewing machine and like doing little hemmings, fixing little patches. She didn't really go into fashion design, but I know that she was as talented where she could have, but she decided on another path.

CJ:

It sounds like you would be a, perfect contestant for Project Runway. Ever thought about that?

Sandy:

I hear that all the time. You're speaking to into existence. I receive it. I receive it.

CJ:

Just the fact that you, not only do you have the vision, but you also have the skill to, to bring that vision to life through sketches and you can, summing you are the ultimate contestant.

Sandy:

Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you very much. I would love to represent Chicago. I, any time that I can represent us and represent as well, I always try to take the opportunity, especially when I go into a lot of these meetings, like I go into a lot of networking events and once I say I do fashion design, it's like a shock to everyone. You do fashion design and you're here in Chicago, it's oh, okay, and it's a talking point because they're not used to hearing that. They're used to, oh, where did you come from New York? Are you coming from Miami? Are you coming from like somewhere else? So definitely that is on the books for me to elevate the brand as much as possible and make it a household name and stamp, for Chicago.

CJ:

I'm sorry I. Something just came to mind and I've had, people in the past ask me, I don't know why, but, they're curious. You have this vision, you said you basically took what Mike likes to call and Perfect action to, incorporate your business, make an LSC, and actually bring your thoughts to, to fruition. What steps did you take, one, to prepare to get your LLC and what was the actual process?

Sandy:

Okay, this is, there's so many, there's so many layers to this because initially I thought when I finally boosted myself up to do it, I thought, oh, you just file and then you have an LLC. But there's, so there's. It's not complicated, but it's complicated in a sense that the most complicated part is getting yourself ready. Could have filed any time, I could have filed a decade ago, but my mindset wasn't where it needed to be. I kept putting things off. I kept convincing myself that, everybody does this. What's gonna make me different? I kept talking myself out of it before really even putting myself and getting myself into the business. So I had to get my mindset right and it took year, 2023, the beginning of the year, I, told myself like, I need a shift. I just need something to change here. And so I went to a vision board. It was like a vision board networking event. That was the first time ever I had made a vision board in my entire life in 2023. And so when I went to that, networking event, that really put in me like, you're gonna do everything that you have on this vision board. This is going to be what pushes you. You have to do it. This is what you're gonna put up and you're gonna look at and you're going to check off the things that you put on here that you want to accomplish. So one of the things I had on there was my fashion. Like I had my fashion probably took up half the board and my business, before, and I had money and other things on there. But what I had was a whole bunch of fashion pieces and fashion pieces that spoke to me. And so that is part of what helped me get into the mindset of you, this is your destiny. This is what you wanna do. You can't keep putting it off because it doesn't matter if you put it off. Five minutes, five years, a decade is still going to come back up and it's going to remind you that this is the path that you need to be on. I keep, I kept convincing myself, I'm, I'm comfortable with what I'm doing now. I'm okay and what I'm doing, the pain is okay. It's not that bad. I have a roof over my head. I'm grateful for what I have. But it's okay to be grateful and want more for yourself. It's o okay to be grateful for what you have and push yourself to do more. And so I knew that, I was comfortable, but I wasn't where I wanted to be, where my passion lied. And once I got my mindset right, forming the LLC was so easy for me, forming the LLC, getting the professional email, getting our virtual office together. Getting, and the thing about it is I'm like, I'm Christian. So a lot of what I do is based on faith. Even when I don't see it is based on faith. Me knowing that like God will provide no matter what, it doesn't matter. So the minute I was ready and I started the steps, everything fell into place. Like everything that I was worried about that I said, I'm leaving it up to God, like things like money, how much this costs, I'm gonna have to worry about yearly filings. I'm gonna have to worry about this. That, that it was like, don't worry about any of this. This is what you wanna do. It's done. And so once you put yourself in that mindset, it's amazing how everything falls into place. Before I knew it, I. That wanted to help me.

Mike:

Isn't.

Sandy:

different opportunities that came. They were like, oh, I wanna help you. I don't wanna be in the forefront, but here's the money, here's the capital for it. Oh, I have some fabrics here. Oh, I have a machine. I know we could get this. I have a discount. Like, all of these opportunities were, I don't wanna say, came outta nowhere because they were there. It was just waiting for me to be ready, so a lot of things. Correct. Correct. So a lot of things we psych ourselves out. I need this, I need a list of things before I could start it. For years, that's what I was doing. I kept, you know what's so funny? I kept saying for years, oh, I can't open this business because I need, what did I say I need? I needed something so random, oh, I need to worry about trademarking. Oh, I need to worry about this before I, and it's no, that comes after or through the process. I. Or, oh, I can't open this because I need to, have access to manufacturing. I need like a, I need to print my own, fabrics. I need to print exclusive fabrics that nobody has and nobody can get. And it's like I kept convincing myself of all these things I needed before I needed to, I could start. Then it's no, you don't need any of this stuff. Just start and then it will come to you. The ideas will come to you, the resources will come to you. And so a lot of, I know you didn't ask this, but a lot of the beginning of the process of even after I started the business was a lot of detractors and mental things that will try to block you. Oh, you need this, and they'll try to set you off course. So Oh yeah, you set the business up, but you need to come this way and figure out, get somebody to print fabrics for you. And it's like you're wasting all this time, you waste a month trying to get somebody to print fabrics for you when. You don't even need that. You are like, why am I doing this? Let me just buy fabrics. Let me just make what we can make with those fabrics. And then they're exclusive pieces. When they're done. And then eventually when you get to where you're going, you then can have an in-house printer. You then can have in-house exclusive pieces and fabric to you, but start something first so you can get to where you're going, and then you could worry about those little details later.

Mike:

I love all of that in.

Ken:

You mentioned, earlier about, people telling you to stay in your own lane, you're not gonna be able to do this. Can you tell us a little about your support system, both as you started and even now, and how that's, assisting you in continuing with the success of your business?

Sandy:

Thank you so much for that question, because that is a big one. Sometimes, and I don't wanna say I didn't have any, but sometimes you won't have a lot or many people in your support system. And I'm just being honest, especially when you are tackling something like a business, that's when you really know who, it's meant to share that dream with you and who is meant to share and bask in that dream with you. Because sometimes people will be like, oh, okay, you could do it. And they're just saying it, but they don't really believe it, so when you go to them and you need help and support and really emotional support, they're like, oh, okay, you got it. You got it. But you won't really, and that's why I'm saying business sometimes opens your mind up and it has to open your circle. That's why recently I've been joining a lot of networking business, networking events because I. It's not, it's nothing against your family, it's nothing against your friends. But unless they are on that journey of being an entrepreneur as well, they're not going to get it. So when you're calling them and telling them, all these things like, oh, this happened, I had this opportunity. They're happy for you, but they can't really, give you too much advice if you have a bad day or if you make a bad investment or anything like that. They can't really do much, but, give you a few words. But they don't really, they're not in the business to know the intricate details, and they're not, and they're not even interested. And it's not even that, it's offensive or you should be offended. It's just not their calling. It's not their thing that they do. So if you're telling them, like sometimes I want to discuss business things, just strictly business, and just. Entrepreneurship. And then you call some friends and they're not called to do that, so they're over here look, we wanna talk about TV shows. Do you see what's happening with the government? Do you see what's happening? And you're like, my mind frame. I don't even wanna think about that right now. I'm trying to think about ways in which we can enhance and do better regardless of these obstacles. And you guys wanna kind of stick in that. And it's not until you become an entrepreneur or you put yourself in that mind frame that you realize. There are truly different circles for different reasons. Not that I can't hang with them for brunch, not that I can't hang with them, for family events and different things, but when it comes to certain issues and things pointed directly towards business and my businesses and all that, I just know that I can't always include them. And so what I would say is my silent partner who you know, does not like to be in the mix at all, they're like, look, I'm in the background completely. But they were such a huge support system for me. And honestly, when I told them my vision, they were the one, they were the only ones that did my, they're like, you can do it. I've already been telling you could do this. Which they were, when you're not in that mind frame and you're not ready to receive it, you really don't hear. You're like, okay, thank you. But they're like, I've been telling you this for years. They're like, I've been telling you this since I've met you, and that's why I saw something in you and that's why I connected with you, and then I am behind you full force. And so they were a huge support system for me. My, friend, cousin, everybody's our cousin, but really we're friends. I would say she's also another one that's very supportive as well, and I find it's funny, I find that a lot of my support, or circle of support is not even in Chicago. They're in other states, so I can't even meet up with them, their brain or different things like that. They're in other places. They're either out the country, out the state, or something like that. So she was very supportive as well. You can do this, let me know. But again, some people will say, let me know if I can help. And they can't really help. Not that it's something that you should be offended by, but again, if they're not called to do it, they won't understand it. They won't understand the type of help you need. They won't really know what to say. All they'll, they will do is they'll be in the background. If you do need something specific from them and you can express specifically what you need, then they'll make themselves available. But other than that, they can't really, pick your brain or get you, to relieve any stress that you have. Especially business is not easy at all. There are times when you will just need somebody to talk to, and at times that, that circle is not meant for that, they won't understand.

Mike:

Yeah, hearing you talk about all of this makes me think of the, if you've heard of the phrase, your network is your net worth. That phrase, and It's the people that you have, I. In your network when it comes to business, helps you with your net worth, just like you said, if you go to a certain group of friends, yeah, these friends, I love them. I want to hang out with them, but these are my friends when I need to decompress, when I need to just enjoy life and have a good time. But when I'm working on my business, my net is a little bit different because it's gonna help me grow and increase my net worth. So I think that's, that's, you hearing you talk about that reminded me of that phrase. But one of the things I wanted to go back to is you mentioned, when you were younger, people would, come to you while you were creating your designs or you were, doing your sketches and everything and say what are you doing? And all this negative energy. Can you compare when you received negative energy back then versus when you received negative energy? Now, because I'm assuming everyone in business, right? No matter if it's at the beginning or if you're doing really well, there's always gonna be that one hater out there that's oh, you think you're so great, or you think you're whatever. But I'm assuming the way that you handled negative comments back then versus how you negative, handle negative comments now is different. Can you speak on that for people who may be looking to build their business and they're hearing that you can't do it, or what are you doing?

Sandy:

Definitely, and thank you for that question. Honestly, when I was a kid, and it wasn't until most recently or as an adult that I, I learned that a lot of this has an effect. But as a kid, a lot of that does stick and it does. Really all of that is the reason why there's usually a delay in life. Whatever that delay is, you look back at something from the past and what probably someone has said or done that sticks and that can contribute to the delay. So as a child, when they would say that, it would do something to me like I was still prescription and I would still draw, but I stopped a lot. I quit a lot. Or I did not perfect my craft. There is a huge gap where I just stopped drawing and I couldn't even explain to myself why I stopped drawing and I felt like something was missing in my life, but I didn't even correlate it to, it's because you stopped sketching. It's because you stopped being creative. I let that whole, other people are doing it. What's gonna be different with you? That whole mentality really eat away at my beliefs for myself as a child growing up, and I'll say even in, like teenage years high school, that whole block, I just remember myself if that whole time I was not as creative until my art teacher was like, you, what are you doing? And she didn't even know me. This was the first year I've taken her course. She doesn't know me from. Previous years. And so she could say, last year you were so good. What happened this year? This was the first time I'm taking her course. And for her to say, I know you have it in you to give me better than this, that triggered something in me.'cause I'm like, I can't do better than this. What is stopping me from it? So a lot of things when I was younger, it did stick because again, I was growing and becoming who I am. So as I'm growing, I don't know, like it's kinda like a baby who's born and they are just accepting anything that's given to them. You don't really know, so you're learning through that process. So as a lot of this was sticking, I'm taking it in and I'm letting it stick because I don't know who I am. But as I'm forming my identity and as I form my identity growing up and becoming confident in who I am, becoming confident in my skills and the gift that I have. Now it's like when I hear negativity, I channel that into positivity. I accept constructive criticism, I reflect on it. What could I have done better? And then I don't let it fester, or I don't let it like stay and think about it for a long time. Like I put it down, I look at it, what I could have done better, what I could learn from this. And then I quickly just move on from it. I don't let it just sink in and into I did something wrong. Because once that stays, it'll turn into something else. It'll channel into something else. So I make sure I address, everything head on, and I make sure that I'm still confident in who I am. If it's something that I absolutely agree with and I'm confident in it, and I trust in it, I accept the feedback. But thank you for that. But I don't, I know that I don't have to utilize everything that I hear. I know that I don't have to. Accept everything. Take what it is that you take, what you can get from what you hear, what feedback, all of that. But create your own interpretation. And that's what I had to learn with life. Take the gems that you need and make it into your own thing. Don't try to follow what someone else is doing because somebody else's formula may work for them and may be a total disaster for you. You have to do what feels right to you. And that's the one thing that I said ha has been very helpful for me, is doing what feels right, going with my intuition on things and really being mindful that, when I hear negativity now, it's almost like it's not even negativity to me. Now that's at the point where I am now in life where when I hear something that even sounds like shade. I'm just like, okay, thank you. And I'm just like, oh, I'll move on. I don't,

Ken:

Yeah.

Sandy:

I pray over it and I move on. It doesn't. I don't, it doesn't affect me anymore because I know that if you, if you sit on it and you let it affect you, you are gonna be going back downhill. Back downhill,

Ken:

can we, I want to segue into the fashion, we were talking earlier about your website and it's beautiful. The bold, bright colors, the different styles that you have. Can you just talk about, first did you have any fashion icons? And then secondly, talk about what your creative process is as you're, creating the different types of fashion that you're offering to your, clientele.

Mike:

Yeah. And let's say your company name a few times too. Symphony Love.

Ken:

Oh, yeah. Symphony love.

Mike:

love.

Sandy:

Love. It's like the, perfect blend of harmonies, which I, when I look at our fashions, that's what I think, and that's why that name came to me because we are unconventional, we blend different colors, we blend different cultures, different cuts, and I'm a tall woman, so I just remember that. That's part of the reason why I had to design a lot of my fashions as a kid because I was taught, I had a stature that didn't match anybody around me. So that's why I have the option for custom fits. Yeah. So that's why I have the option for custom fits because I wanted, everybody to feel like they could have a piece that speaks to them. Not go to a website and say, oh, this is gonna be too short on me when it arrives, or it's gonna be too long, or it's not gonna fit right. So giving that, that option and a lot of my influence, I will say, comes from my Ghanaian culture. It comes from different cultures, just seeing how, like the movement of different fabrics, seeing how different pieces can look on individuals, pieces that are beyond like what we think about. And so influences that I've said is a lot of really Ghanaian culture. I do Versace. I do remember my first designer, anything that I bought was Versace glasses. They were prescription glasses. I'm not a big designer girl, but they were prescription glasses. And it just so happened that they were the only ones like I went to, I went away for college. And so that was the only place that sold glasses. They had versa. And I was like, oh, okay. This is the cheapest one. I'll go ahead and buy it. So I wasn't ever a brand girl to really keep track of the different brands. And I wanted to make sure that I didn't see anything where I'm mimicking. So a lot of the things came from emotion. And what, and it's funny, some of the dreams I would, some of the fascists, I would dream it, like some of the outfits I wore, I would dream that I wore that outfit. And it'd be like, you are walking around with a huge stash or something big, this is not, or a lot of feathers, this is not going to, but then I would wake up drawing it out and I'm like. Let me, humor myself and let me get this made and see how this will look. And it's so funny. I'm getting it made and they're laughing at me like, what is this? I remember one, one of my, my very close friends, she, so she's this is crazy. This is like 10 pounds of feathers. This is, you have all of this going on. I don't even know how this is going to end up looking, but I trust your vision. I'm gonna do it. And then after the complete, she's I completely see what you were saying. I see it. And so a lot of that comes from really not looking and seeing at anybody's scenes because that'll influence you. And then you have pieces that look like everyone else's. But really, pieces that speak to me, like pieces that I would wanna wear, is what I'm making pieces that if I went to brunch, I. I'm an extra person, what I would wear, pieces that if I went, to a party or if I went to a gala, what I would wanna wear, how I would want to look, and just going from there, if I see something that I'm inspired by, I really speak to what about it that I like and what I don't like, and elevate the look. And then sometimes if the look doesn't work for me, I just scratch the whole thing and then I start from the beginning. So really my inspiration comes from just my vision of things, my vision of how I feel like confident women want to look. Like confident individuals, if they're walking into a boardroom, if they're closing a deal, if they're going to a business brunch, if they're hanging out with their girls. Like, That level of confidence is really where it comes from. Walking into a room and unintentionally all the attention, and you're just being you and you steal all the attention. That favor that you have over you. That's really the inspiration behind the fashions is just coming in with unspeakable favor, unspeakable confidence, and commanding attention of the room without even trying, because there's some people that, and I always, when I was younger, I would go to certain events and I would just, I just first of all, I'm the type of person that in my college years, they're like, oh, let's go to the club. Let's go to the club. And I'm just sitting there looking and just. Observing. Like, why am I here? Why? And then here comes the one girl that comes in that is just all wants all the attention, but it's aggressively seeking the attention. Like by what they wear, how they're acting, just aggressively seeking some type of attention. And here I am just in there minding my, just sitting there minding my business. And you are the person that you attract the attention just by not just by being. So that is the concept of what I wanted for Symphony love is confidence that speaks to everyone without you even having to lift the finger. Your fashion is speaking out for you, your fashion. And what you're wearing is saying what you wanna say. It's setting the tone. The other day I was going to another networking event and, I called my Uber and so I go in the Uber and he's you look like you're on your way to, to, what'd he say? He said, you look like you're on your way to either, talk to a crowd or do something like you, you command attention. He said, are you the, are you, the one doing the event here? I was. I just had one of our pieces on. I just walked in. I didn't say anything, I was walk, I was a little bit like, I did my meditations and everything, but I was a little bit like nervous about some things that I was working on. So I wrote everything down. I was this is already done. I don't need to be wor worried about this. Let me just focus on what I have today. So I made sure that didn't register in my disposition, and I'm just like, let me just go, let me get this done. It's gonna be a positive day. And he immediately was you look like somebody important. I. He said that to me and I'm like, of course I'm somebody important. We all are. We have to receive that and claim that and walk in that. But it was how he immediately saw and said, and something spoke to the him. And that's what I was thinking about with Symphony Love music, that like a note, a musical note that hits people before they even hear the song, before they even hear the music.

CJ:

Speaking for myself. And I may mention to this before you came online, got onto your website last night, doing a little research, and I'm not, I can't really describe it and do it justice, but there's one piece as I'm scrolling it is so fire to me. I sent it to a friend of mine and the colors, there's one, I think it's like you, it's called a kimono. You have, you're sitting on some, sitting on a couch, a black couch. It's got like teal and hot pink. That outfit, you don't even have to say anything. That drew my attention and I'm immediately sending it to a friend of mine that I know is in the fashion industry, you need to get this,

Sandy:

Thank you. Thank you so

CJ:

that piece is incredible.

Sandy:

Thank you. Yeah, that's our, that's what Symphony love is really about. That's what the inspiration comes from. I feel like so many people are just scared of. Colors now and cuts. Everything is just, oh, let's be safe. Let's be safe, but we're not safe over as symphony love. And you know what's so funny? Sometimes we'll get requests, and the more outlandish the better. There's no request that's too big, people will go give a design and then it's, so sometimes when you, because I've gone through that where I have a vision and then you go and you are talking about it with a, another designer. You're, a seamstress or Taylor and they're just like, this is not gonna work out. It's so defeating to hear this is not gonna work out. You haven't even done it. How can you tell me it's not gonna work out? So the more outlandish the style, the better. And there's no limitations to fashion. If you want to mix rhinestones and feathers and if you wanna use silk and all of that, even if you wanna use polyester, you can elevate polyester, it's all in the vision that you have and the look like the overall look, which story you're trying to tell with that piece. So when we get requests that come in and they seem to them, they're like, I know this is extra, but I'm like, have you met me extra? Listen, you speaking, you're speaking to the queen of extra, so it's not a problem at all. So that's what we love when we get to tap into our, like our designer style, like our creativity. That is what I enjoy doing the most, and and then no limitations. So that's the African piece. There a lot. We have so many different cultures on like Asian culture, so many different, because we don't wanna limit ourselves, and we don't want to put like a block on what we can do. So we love that we are able to work with different cuts, different fabrics. Different people, that we get different customers all to make different, pieces and we cater to that, and these are elevated pieces. Pieces that once they're out. They're those fabrics. Some of them are so specialized that they're pieces that it's good to get earlier when they're available. Because once they're gone, it's no guarantee. We may still have the same style, but in another print. And that's what we love because we know that, some people, especially when I, and I learned this when I was in college, some people hate walking around in the same piece that somebody else has. I remember when we were in college, we all used to shop from this one mall. And so people would be so surprised when I would show up and I would have a whole different outfit on, and like four of them are wearing the same dress that they got from the mall. And it's girl, where did you get this outfit from? Tell us where you got it from, because. We're all going over to the mall to Forever 21 and it's I don't, I make my own pieces, I create my own look. And besides, I would not go into a store and really get pieces that speak to me and fit me the way I wanted to fit, which is why Symphony Love was birthed out of that. So a lot of that comes from knowing people want, indivi individuality. They want to have something that speaks to them. They wanna have something that's exclusive to them and is not around on 150 people, so I love that we offer that option as well.

Mike:

Yeah, I want to go back, you spoke on confidence and I was looking at your website and you have custom Couture on there as well. So obviously you've grown into your confidence. You have that confidence. What if someone comes in and they say, Hey, I want a custom piece. How do you, I'm assuming they, they may have the confidence to, if they're coming in and asking for a custom piece, they may have the confidence, but what if you suggest something and they're like, Ooh, I'm not sure. Do you ever have to like, build up people's confidence to, to wear one of your pieces, or do you customize it based on their confidence level at that moment?

Sandy:

I do sometimes have to build up their confidence and it's not even build up because it's confidence that they have within themselves. Sometimes you just need to tap into that and then it comes out. So I'm the kind of person, like I'll, I had a recently had a client. That she is so shy that she couldn't even verbalize really what she wanted, but I get in there and I'm like joking with her and I'm like, figuring who she is. And she's like laughing and breaking that wall. And then through that, she's like telling me, I could do a shoulder where I could do this. I don't mind this. So little by little she's telling me, things that she likes or she can do, or what her limitations are. And I'm like, I feel like this will look amazing on you. Why don't you just try this piece that we have? And if it works, we could tweak this. And then, so seeing how open-minded you do wanna respect the person and the individual and make sure that, what they want or what they're requesting speaks to them. But sometimes if they come and they really have a blank canvas and they're really shy, you have to really, it's like an artist. Putting paint to, or putting a drawing to paper. You have to get those components to make the piece. So in this situation, she didn't, she's I don't really know what I want. I just know that I need this for, and I'm, and so I'm like, girl, what do you like, wearing? And they're just like, why? And then they're showing me some the stuff. I'm like, if we were to give you this or cut this here, how would you feel about it? I've never worn anything like that. And this would be new for you. You could step out, you could try something new. It doesn't work for you. We'll know where to go from there, and so then, I'm like, what color is in? Originally, I wanna say she wanted gray. She either wanted gray or like navy or something, a dark color. And so then I'm like, it's getting warmer, let's give you a pop of color, let's just put some color in there. So it really just brighten everything up. And sometimes, even if you do a simple style and the colors is pop, the style is, that's the style. You really don't need to even do much because the fabric and the color speaks for itself. You don't have to, it doesn't clash, so why don't we do that? And so when you introduce little aspects of symphony love, and you mix it with who they are, and it comes together, it comes, it turns out so beautifully. So you do have to meet in the middle in some things. Sometimes, we have to. Get 80% and give'em 20. Sometimes they get their 80%, we get 20. It just depends if the person comes in and they already, have that personality. Like one of our clients that came in, they already had, PO that there, they were already, they knew what they wanted. They had their picture, but when they bring a picture, we talked about certain things that we could tweak because again, we try not to take styles or do anything like that unless it's like a direct, request and they wanna direct a specific look for something. Other than that we do offer and put in our ideas and then we come to a middle ground of the new look that they want and then we perfect that.

Mike:

I love it. That's symphony love. And as I mentioned earlier, you got something big coming up. You wanna tell us about it?

Sandy:

Nice. We have a fashion show coming up. April 27th, we're doing the last evening, which is for evening wear. And this will be at Water Tower Place at Fashion Bar in Chicago. The tickets are on Eventbrite. I think I sent you the link, Mike. And, anybody wants to come support, but we'll be showcasing our fashions. We have, it will be anywhere from 12 to 16 pieces and yeah, we're excited. And then it's so funny because since then we have already booked two other shows that we're working on. We're final. We're still finalizing the dates. Thank you. We're still finalizing the dates. I know that one is in May. I'm waiting for the official date for that. I can update you once I have that. And then we have another one. So the one in May is the spring one. We have another one in October, and then I'm in talks for one in November. So

Mike:

Nice. Congratulations and re refresh my memory. Is this your first fashion show that you're doing?

Sandy:

Yes. This is our first ever fashion show.

Mike:

I love it. Yeah. We'll definitely provide the details on our, on all of our socials and on this podcast as well. And if for anyone who's listening to it in the future, this is Sunday, April 27th, 2025 from two to six. So don't be listening to this on 2027 and show up. Thank you. You about to go to a fashion show, but we'll post a link and, everything else so people could buy tickets and come check you out.

Sandy:

Thank you so much. Thank.

Ken:

Can you talk a little bit more about the process that you're currently going through to prepare for the fashion shows? Since this is your first one, my assumption is that, you're there, there's probably things that you're doing that you have not done before. So if you can talk about that.

Sandy:

Yes. Thank you so much. One thing that I had to realize is that I can't do everything myself. I do need some help. So originally, that was one thing I will say I was trying to do in the beginning of, or even before that kind of held me back because I'm like, a lot of people aren't supportive. This is something I'm gonna have to keep secretive. This is gonna be something that I'm gonna have to do myself, and do each part myself. So with this show I have, I am outsourcing, so I have hired three designers, which I have never done. I've never had a, like a huge staff. This is a big thing for me. I usually draw the design myself. I execute it myself. I, I am, doing the behind the scenes planning and everything myself. So this is the first time I'm like, get help, allocate different roles so that you can really take time to do what you need to do. And so it was a big process for me to mentally let, not let go of, but hand my baby over to other people to hold for a bit, and trust that, trust their skill and their mindset that they, what they can also bring to the table. I have three designers. I have an apprentice as well that's gonna be helping us help us get some of our fabrics that we need. Some of the different tools, there are different looks that I wanna showcase, based on season. So some of the looks are upcoming looks, we wanna look ahead, we kind of wanna show a glimpse of it so we could give a sample of it, but it's going to be later on in the year. So I wanna get those done as well. I want to get pieces that we're currently going to run on there as well. The main thing I will say in preparation is helping, getting, outsourcing, getting people that, will be more hands on, trusting and giving them tasks and not, I've never been a micromanager, but just trusting that they'll take care of it and everything will work out so that we're working with models, trying to recruit models. And the thing with Symphony Love is we're all, all size inclusive. A lot of the models that we have are like certain smaller sample sizes. We are looking for a wider range of models just so that we can showcase the different, looks with our pieces, the different di demographics that can wear our pieces because it is, again, we do cater to any woman who is confident. It doesn't matter if your, you're studies two or 22, if you're confident you could wear our pieces. You are bold, we are talking to you, we're speaking to you. So we wanna make sure that we have those models that can cater to what I envision. So we're working on that. The fabric is a huge thing because there's been a little bit of a delay with all of our shipping and everything that's going on, but we're getting creative with how we're getting the fabric. It's just being open-minded to what we gotta do and then having a backup plan in case we're not able to get what we have our eye on. But just again, being creative, opening our minds to different possibilities, not, like even not being, I will say again, restricted not being one sided with our thoughts. If something doesn't work out, that doesn't mean the whole thing is done. It just means you have to improvise. You just have to look for another way. So in, in my journey now and moving forward, I've realized that, just see the positive in things. If something's not working out, take a moment, take some time. Just look at it from a positive view, look at ways that you can enhance or do something different, and then just move forward from it. Don't harp on it too long. So really, this is it. It's a great opportunity. It's the first time ever, I'm excited and so I'm learning, the process. I'm pretty sure other things will come up as we're moving forward, but, we'll deal with it as, as it comes along.

Mike:

Look at you. I love it. That's awesome. 2023, you took that step and here you are

Sandy:

Yes.

Mike:

killing

Sandy:

it's so funny because I made the vision board beginning of the year. I didn't incorporate until, towards the end of the year. So it took that much time for my mentality to get to where it needed for me to really fine tune it and get it to where it needed to be, to to finally step out on faith. So that's what I would tell any, future business owner, any potential business owner, any person that's just envisioning, just doing things on their own. You just have to have, the faith, the size of a mustard seed, it doesn't take that much, and just get it done. Don't even think about it. Now I'm thinking like, you should have just done it. You shouldn't have even thought about it. You would already be. In business for over a decade now. Just imagine all the things that we talk ourselves out of doing. So just get it done. Don't worry about the money, don't worry about where the resources will come from. Don't worry about, who, where the helpers will come from. Just write down what you want. It's in the Bible. Write down what you want. Make it plain. Don't use any fancy language, don't use any big words. Write down what you want. And the hardest part is figuring out what you want. That people don't realize that the hardest part is figuring out what you want, and so once you get that done, then everything will follow. Just you have to move. If you're not moving, God doesn't know that you're ready to get it done. So he's waiting on you and you think you're waiting on him. He's waiting on you. So you have to really move. And then you'll see how everything falls into place. But yeah. Symphony love. I have a lot of things coming up, so we'll talk about that as they come along too, because I will be getting into life coaching and business coaching soon. And that's something that's big for me. I've been working on it. That, that's also a passion of mine. So yes,

Mike:

Yeah, I would definitely love to hear more about that as you get that, as you start building on that and getting that together, definitely keep in touch and let us know how that's going.

Sandy:

I.

Mike:

All right. We're coming up on time, so there's a couple of things that we like to do at the end of the show. But first, like you, you've dropped a lot of, I hate using that term, like nuggets and gold nuggets, but you've dropped a lot of knowledge on us. You've, we need to rebrand our own type of thing. Should we say she dropped some Onyx? What, what can we use? She what? She dropped some gems. Yeah. We'll figure it out. That one still isn't rolling off my tongue yet, but with that said, we really appreciate you coming onto the show, sharing, everything about how you got started and, building your confidence and taking imperfect action and your network is your net worth. Like all of these things, you could definitely, see that you've, you had a shift in mindset and it's gotten you from where you were to where you are now and one of the common threads that we always say, it's just that when people take action, things happen. It doesn't have to be perfect. That's exactly what we did here at Black Bridge Mindset. We had no idea how to set any of this up in the beginning. We was like, Hey, let's do a podcast. Okay, what are we gonna do a podcast on? And then we narrowed it down. And like you said, figuring out exactly what you wanna do is the hard part. Everything else is just black and white, right? You need to buy equipment. Go online, buy equipment. You need a website for this. Go the website. So yeah, so I really appreciate all of that. Moving forward, Ken is gonna do, we have a section where we do like lightning round questions, and Ken is gonna ask you a couple of questions. And actually I'll let him take over. But before we do that, I'm the soundboard, I'm the sound man. We don't got the budget for a sound thing yet, so

Sandy:

It.

Mike:

light round question.

Ken:

All right. Lightning round. These are random questions. And so I'm just gonna kick right off. So what are, where's your favorite place to travel?

Sandy:

Ooh, okay. I don't travel a lot. That's one thing that I put on. This year's, this year, I made not only a vision board, I made a vision book. So in my book I said I was going to travel more. I have on there Ghana, of course, I told you they're looking for me. I have on there Bali, I have on there, Thailand, and I believe I have green. And there's one more place. I have it all on my phone. But, I would say my favorite place to travel is Ghana just because that's the one place that I've been to more than once. It's just I haven't been there recently. And then recently, I went to New York. My first time ever going to New York. And I actually really like New York. You know how people talk. A whole bunch of junk about people's places. And you go there and you're just like, New York is New York. I guess'cause we're, from Chicago, you just fit in anywhere, I feel. But I felt like that with other places that I went to that they were just like, like I remember when I went to Florida, they were just like, be careful. Down south is so different. And I went down there and I fit right in with them. So it just, it was like second nature. But I like New York too.

Ken:

Fantastic. You had mentioned, just, in our last segment, that you're gonna start doing life coaching, and business coaching as well as a real estate company and symphony love. Tell us how you are able to balance that. Like how do you relax? How do you just take a step back, take a breath, and refocus.

Sandy:

Thank you for that question. I have, I this year started a gratitude journal, so I already love to journal. But the gratitude journal I get, that's my moment to me. So I'm able to sit at my table, in my kitchen, make a cup of tea, and I have my journal with me. I'll have a good book next to me. I'll have my laptop if I'm doing work, but I'll take a moment to. Pose all of that and just journal, drink my tea, and really write down what I'm grateful for. And through that, I have a moment to myself to really assess the different things that I'm doing, the different things I want to do. And in that, as I'm thinking, God, I'm also asking him for the direction and just the room and the capacity to do all of the things that I wanna do. That's sometimes what I feel a lot of people forget to do. They ask for all these things, but they don't, they forget to ask, help me to maintain the things that I want. Help me to be able to take this load, especially if these are the things that I wanna do, and then help me to drop off or for things to fall off. That is not a part of my vision. There's a lot of people that, they'll immediately quit their W2 job and it's you may not have instantaneously needed to drop it. It'll drop off on its own when it needs to work it until you need to, and then still do your dream on the side. And then eventually, as your dream is elevating, the other job will naturally fall off naturally. So it'll all work. You won't have to force it. So that's one thing that I do is just, I sit to myself. I pray a lot. I meditate a lot. I just write down what I'm feeling and I leave it in God's hands.

Ken:

Awesome. Who has had the most influence on your life?

Sandy:

My mom, and she passed away. She passed away, a few months to me graduating from high school, going into college. But there's so many things that I just hear her, I just know what she would say, or I hear certain term terms that she would use that I'm just like, it gives me the umph that I need, even on days that I'm just feeling a certain way. I sit to myself and I just hear her and I'm just like, I just gotta get up and I gotta do it. And so she, she was one of my biggest support systems and, she was, she had just a hilarious way of saying things and putting things in into perspective. And I always hear that I'm so much like her. So I just feel as I'm moving forward in life and I'm accomplishing all the things I wanna do, I know that there are things that she would've wanted from me that is like the biggest influence over everything that I do.

Ken:

Last one. And that is, do you have a favorite book or podcast that you'd like to share with our listeners?

Sandy:

Ooh. A favorite book. Okay. Okay. My favorite book is The Book of Psalms. I love that book and it's, when I was a kid, my mom introduced it to me, like a different memory verses that she had me to recite before I would go to bed, pinpoint their straight from Psalms. And a book that I used to love and I still love, but I didn't love the movie too much. The movie kind of messed it up for me is The Giver. And it's a book that I wanna see I read in, in high school. I love that book. That's one of my favorite books. And then now a book that I'm reading that is really great, I should have brought it, is, let me look at my phone so I don't get the author wrong, but I started reading it and I read it and I'm rereading it. It's actually two. It is.

Mike:

Yeah, if it's nearby, you are more than welcome to grab it. We can cut this

Sandy:

I wanna go grab it so bad and show you the cover that I have because apparently there is different versions. It's two. So it's the Power of A Awareness by Neville. It has, it's the one with the red band at the bottom. It's like a two in one. So it is the power of awareness, but it includes his other book, also in the back of the book, and it's the one with the red van. And then, think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill. Yeah, I listened to that. I watched it and then I actually bought the physical book and I'm rereading it. So those are the two.

Mike:

have that as well. That is a good book.

Ken:

A good book. It is. Okay. And lastly, can you tell our listeners how to get in touch with you?

Sandy:

Yeah. Our Instagram, yeah, Instagram, Twitter, X. Now we're on TikTok is all at Symphony Love. We couldn't get the symphony love on its own. Hopefully that person gives it to us. But for now it's Symphony love with the underscore under it. So that's all of our social media platforms. I am working on my, my life coaching, platform. So that will be available soon. But for now, they could follow us at Symphony Love,

Mike:

But to be clear, your website though is just symphony love.com.

Sandy:

correct? Symphony love.com. Yes.

Mike:

Perfect. Yeah, we'll have all of

Sandy:

the website too.

Mike:

What'd you say?

Sandy:

We're revamping the website too. Nobody, it's so funny. Nobody knows this. I, okay. I don't know if this part is gonna be in, but I hired somebody to do the website and they didn't do the website. They, completely fell off and didn't do the website. So I had to do the website myself. I'm not an expert. When I went to go to our site to see all that they had done, because we paid them, they said they were. Logging in from their app. They weren't even on a web browser to do it, so they were making updates from their app. So that's why the page was looking wonky. I had to go in there and basically do every, delete everything they did and do everything from scratch. And I'm not a web designer, so I have outsourced. I'm getting somebody to go in there and help us with. Perfect. It more so

Mike:

Listen, if you would not have said anything, I would not have done any

Ken:

Never have known.

Mike:

I don't know if it looks different on the phone or whatever, but I pull it up on my laptop and it looks great. I think you did a great job. And that's a true testament, right? Like people are like, oh, I don't know how to do it. Just do it.

Sandy:

Just do it. Yeah, just do it. Sometimes you not an expert at something, but sometimes you'll be the more of an expert than the people that are the experts that you hire. You just have to, again, just start it off and it'll, come together.

Mike:

Nice. Okay. We've kept you for some, quite some time and, there's this one thing that we're asking all of our guests to do at the end of the show, and they're giggling because I made this up on a whim one day and we're gonna go with it. It's called, and people told me we need to work on the name, but it's okay. We're gonna go with it. It's called the Wakanda Peace Pause. It's something we're gonna do at the end of every show, and it's something that we're just gonna, take a screen grab and post online with all of our guests. All right, so if you're ready, this is what the W Wakanda peace pause is. I'm gonna count to three. And you're just gonna go like this. I'm gonna try to, and you smile,

Sandy:

Okay.

Mike:

and then you're just gonna pause for a few seconds because it's a video. So I'm gonna need you, everybody to stand still so I can take a screen, grab a bit later and post it and use it. All right?

Sandy:

Alright, let get myself ready,

Mike:

people who are listening that?

Sandy:

Let me get myself ready,

Mike:

Okay, so for the people who are listening, on Apple or Spotify, they're not gonna see it. But for the people who are gonna see us on YouTube, they'll see it. And who knows, maybe, we'll, maybe we'll have a clip or something on socials, but if you're ready on the count of three, we're gonna do the Wakanda peace, pause and don't forget to smile, Ken. All right. And 1, 2, 3. Done. Perfect. All right, that wraps up our episode three. We'd like to thank everybody for listening to the Black Women

CJ:

Yes. Thank you very much for your time.

Mike:

out to Sandy Daniels

Sandy:

all so

Mike:

Symphony Love. Please go check her out on her websites and all of her socials. And also don't forget that Sunday, April 27th, 2025 at 2:00 PM she is doing a fashion show, the very first one at Water Tower Place here in Chicago, Illinois. So once again, thank you so much, Sandy. We, like I said, we met on a whim at a real estate meetup, and here we are. So I'm definitely gonna hop on, get my tickets since I'm local, the other two are out of town. But we'll come check you out and, and share the love.

Sandy:

Thank you so much, Mike. CJ. Thank you. Thank you for having me on.

Mike:

Thank you.

People on this episode