The Build Black Show
BUILD BLACK
Raw, unfiltered conversations about wealth, ownership, and building empires that last.
By The Numbers
This Show Is For
The forgotten ones.
The ones who were never supposed to make it.
Episodes
Now Live
Should You STOP Calling Your Business Black-Owned? | The John Hope Bryant Debate
Should Black entrepreneurs stop calling their businesses "Black-owned"? John Hope Bryant has sparked debate by arguing that leading with the Black-owned label can potentially limit a company's market—and that entrepreneurs should build businesses designed to serve everybody. The 3 Amigos—Coach Swan Simpson, Cretelia Harris and Robin White—debate the other side: Can identifying as Black-owned actually be a competitive advantage, create brand loyalty and strengthen Black economic empowerment? Can you proudly identify as a Black-owned business while still building a company for everyone? Let's talk it out and find a solution.
AI IS COMING FOR YOUR JOB — HIDE THE WOMEN & CHILDREN!!
IS AI REALLY COMING FOR YOUR JOB? —or could it actually help you create your own economy? On Episode 26 of The Build Black Show, Coach Swan Simpson, Cretelia Harris and Robin White—the “3 Amigos”—sit down for a no-holds-barred conversation about artificial intelligence, the future of work, entrepreneurship and what happens when technology begins doing work humans once thought only humans could do. The headlines say AI will eliminate jobs. Companies are automating. Entire industries are changing. But we're asking a different question: What happens if instead of running from AI, everyday people learn how to MASTER it? We discuss how entrepreneurs, professionals and aspiring business owners can use AI to increase productivity, develop new skills, launch businesses, create content, sell services and build new income opportunities. The future may not belong simply to people who know how to work. It may belong to people who know how to work with AI. This isn't a conversation about humans versus machines. It's about adapting, learning and using powerful technology to create opportunities that didn't exist before. Welcome to the new economy.
Doctor's Orders: Vaccines, Wellness & Building a Health Brand
With more than 20 years of clinical experience, Dr. May brings a physician's perspective to some of today's most important health conversations while also showing what it looks like to take knowledge beyond the exam room and turn it into books, media, products, and a growing wellness brand. We discuss vaccines and making informed health decisions, preventive health, nutrition and plant-based eating, the connection between lifestyle and long-term wellness, and why credible medical information matters in an era of conflicting health advice. But this conversation goes beyond medicine. Dr. May shares her entrepreneurial journey as the creator of Physician In The Kitchen®, her experience becoming a bestselling author, and how she transformed her medical and culinary expertise into an expanding business and media platform.
They Can Take Your Business: Legal Red Flags Every Entrepreneur Should Know
Could someone legally take control of the business you've spent years building? Attorney Scherrie L. Prince joins The Build Black Show for an eye-opening conversation about the overlooked legal red flags that can leave entrepreneurs vulnerable. Many business owners focus on customers, sales, marketing and growth — while assuming that forming an LLC or filing a few documents means their company is protected. But your business structure, ownership agreements, contracts, partnerships, intellectual property and even the way you operate your company can have serious consequences when something goes wrong. Scherrie breaks down business structure and operational mistakes entrepreneurs often don't discover until there's a dispute, ownership challenge, financial problem, or threat to the company itself. We explore business structures, LLCs, ownership, partnerships, operating agreements, contracts, intellectual property, asset protection and the legal foundations every entrepreneur should understand when building a company. Because building the business is only half the battle — you also have to protect what you built.
The Podcast Doctor: How to Turn a Podcast Into a Business
How do you turn a podcast into a business and make money on YouTube? Phil Byrd, Orlando's "Podcast Doctor," joins The Build Black Show to share how entrepreneurs can turn podcast ideas into real shows, build an audience, monetize content, and use podcasting to grow their businesses. Phil also opens up about his journey with Stage 5 kidney failure, resilience, purpose, and his search for a living kidney donor. A conversation about building something that lasts, staying mission-driven through adversity, and why your platform can become one of your most powerful business assets.
When Life Starts Lifing, How To Pivot AF!
What does it take to keep building when life forces you to become a different version of yourself? On this episode of The Build Black Show, we sit down with Dora Chambers, international speaker, transformational coach, business advisor, entrepreneur, and a powerful voice for personal and professional transformation. Dora has built a career helping people move beyond limitations, recognize their potential, and turn life experience into purpose. Her journey has also placed her alongside major entrepreneurial brands, including work connected to Kandi Burruss' Kandi Koated/Bedroom Kandi ecosystem, service with Woman Who CAN, and a featured appearance on the Tubi series Sister Vibes. Dora shares lessons about reinvention, resilience, leadership, entrepreneurship, overcoming adversity, personal growth, and building something that creates impact beyond you. If you're an entrepreneur, business owner, professional, or simply standing at a crossroads wondering what your next chapter looks like, this episode is a reminder that your setbacks don't have to be the end of your story—they can become part of your blueprint.
The Power of Franchising: A Proven Path to Black Owned Start-Up Success & Business Growth
Starting a business doesn't always mean starting from zero. Jon Smith Subs CEO Robert Cvetkovski and franchisee Daniel Nunn join The Build Black Show to break down how franchising can create a powerful pathway to start-up success, entrepreneurship, business ownership, and sustainable growth. Robert explains why he wants to create more franchise ownership opportunities for Black entrepreneurs, while Daniel shares the franchisee side of the journey—what it's like to build a business with an established brand, proven systems, training, and support already behind you. We get into the real advantages of franchising, what aspiring owners need to know before investing, how franchise businesses grow, and why buying into the right system can eliminate some of the trial and error that comes with traditional entrepreneurship.
How Jennine Labuzan's Geneaology Research Helped A Federal Judge Say YES To Her Suing The U.S. Government!
Your family tree may tell you more than where you came from. It could tell you what your family once owned. Historical researcher Jennine Labuzan joins The Build Black Show for a deep dive into genealogy, ancestral land, federal land patents and the records Black families may have never been taught to search. Jennine's own genealogy research led her to an extraordinary discovery involving her third-great-grandfather, Charles A. Labuzan, and property tied to an 1840 federal land patent. Her search eventually grew into a legal battle involving land in Mississippi and a federal Quiet Title Act lawsuit against the United States. Recently featured on #RolandMartinUnfiltered, Jennine explains what she found, how she found it, and why she believes Black Americans should begin digging deeper into their own genealogy and property records.
Investing While Black | Breaking the Barriers to Wealth
You do not need to be wealthy to start investing — but investing can become one of the tools that helps you build wealth. Jose "Dre" Martin of Edward Jones joins Coach Swan Simpson for a powerful conversation about investing, financial confidence, and planning for the future. They discuss why people often avoid investing, how to move beyond the fear of not knowing enough, and why building wealth takes more than simply earning a good income. For educational purposes only.
Comedian Rodney Perry: When Jokes Pay the Bills—and Saves Your Life!
Comedy may look like laughter from the audience, but behind every joke is a business, a sacrifice, and sometimes an entire family depending on the next opportunity. In this episode of The Build Black Show, veteran comedian, actor, writer, and producer Rodney Perry sits down with the crew for an honest conversation about building a lasting career in comedy—and using laughter to create a life. Rodney shares how telling jokes helped pay for his children's education, support his family, and finance the lifestyle he worked decades to build. He breaks down the business of comedy, the difference between being funny and being a professional, and what comedians must understand about longevity, relationships, preparation, and getting paid. Known for appearances on Def Comedy Jam, ComicView, Who's Got Jokes?, BET's The Mo'Nique Show, Bounce TV's Off the Chain, and Tyler Perry's Madea's Big Happy Family, Rodney has built a multifaceted career across stand-up, television, film, writing, producing, and mentoring. But the conversation takes a deeper turn when Rodney opens up about the serious health scare that became his wake-up call. After suffering a near-fatal stroke in 2016, he was forced to slow down, examine his health, and reconsider what success truly means. This episode is funny, transparent, and packed with lessons for comedians, creators, entertainers, entrepreneurs, and anyone attempting to turn their gift into a sustainable business.
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