Confident You NETWORK with Marion Swingler

THE ART OF NAVIGATING DREAMS: Kalia Bell on Melding Family, Career, and Legacy with Life-Changing Leadership and Entrepreneurship

April 27, 2024 • Marion Swingler • Episode 34

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When the worlds of family and career collide, the result can be unexpected and inspiring. That's what Kalia Bell, CEO and manager of the Bell brand, brings to our table, sharing her exceptional journey from corporate leadership to managing her husband Kevin Bell's career in sports history. Her insights into the intricacies of blending love, life, and work shine through our conversation, as we peer into her role in ensuring Kevin's gifts reach the audience they deserve. This isn't just another tale of professional management—it's a heart-to-heart on steering a loved one's dreams to fruition and the accountability it demands.

It's all about transformation in this episode, with Kalia recounting her personal awakening from the shadows of mental health challenges to a beacon of leadership. The Bell duo's ventures, The Lunchroom and The Flower Shop, become a focal point, highlighting their dedication to honoring unsung heroes. My own story intertwines, revealing how the power of spoken words lifted me from depression's clutches, and we discuss the continuous learning curve that shapes us both as individuals and as managers. Trust me; this is a chapter of life and leadership you won't want to miss.

Let's not forget, growth isn't a solo journey. As Kalia navigates her multiple roles—mother, wife, entrepreneur—she shares how her endeavors, including Perfect Imperfections and the Bell brand apparel, are not just businesses but stories woven of culture, resilience, and originality. We also underscore the importance of mentorship, community, and laughter, as Kalia recounts joining the Morning Meetup and how it transformed her approach to entrepreneurship. On a serious note, we wrap up by shedding light on the crucial topic of domestic violence support resources, extending a lifeline to those in need. Join us for this revealing episode that goes beyond the surface, exploring the essence of what it truly means to grow, lead, and support in today's world.

For more details on The Bell Brand and Merch:
 www.thebellbrand.net

CONTACT Kalia Bell
Kaliabell@themrsbrand.com

PODCAST: Perfect Imperfections with Kalia Bell
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FOLLOW on Instagram and TikTok:
 @perfectedimperfections8645  

Son Karter reads on YOUTUBE: 
Karter's Kronicles
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HUSBAND Kevin Bell
FOLLOW on IG:  @Kevbell_kb on IG

SUPPORT: The Dunn Foundation
https://www.thedunnfoundation.com/

Thank you for being with us, Confident You Fam. Together, we grow stronger. 💖

CHAPTERS:
0:00 - Introduction to Family Branding
1:22 - Meet Brand Manager Kaila Bell
10:32 - Brand Management Responsibilities
12:05 - Kev's Role in Brand Strategy
15:24 - Kaila's Current Projects
16:55 - Assessing Brand Potential
19:03 - Handling Brand Rejection
25:31 - Compassionate Design Sponsorship
27:28 - Gratitude for Viewers
28:20 - Reflecting on Brand Management
28:30 - Diverse Brand Management Portfolio
33:52 - Realizing Brand Management Passion
37:21 - Developing Brand Management Skills
40:25 - Future of Bell Brand Management
42:23 - Starting Your Brand Management Journey
45:38 - Foundations of Strong Branding
48:35 - Leveraging Pre-Existing Relationships
51:27 - Connecting with Kaila Bell Online
54:50 - Final Branding Insights
57:13 - Support for Domestic Violence Victims
_________________________________________________________________
FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HELP
Call for more information on domestic abuse or to get help for yourself/someone you love. 
Bethany House
1-888-80HELPS  
1-888-804-3577

The National Domestic Violence Hotline 
1-800-799- SAFE
1-800-799-7233 
__________________________________________________________________
Follow C

Speaker 1:

Hey there, marian Swingler of Confident you Podcast. How you doing Confident you. I am excited tonight to have someone here to reveal an aspect of being in business that people really don't approach or discuss or reveal how things are done this way. Have you ever, ever, as have you ever seen someone in your family and you're like, oh my goodness, you do that so well? You are a master. You should be known globally for that thing that you do. That's so special that it's only you can do it the way that you're doing it. It the way that you're doing it, everyone would so appreciate. People would actually pay to see you do this, the way that you do this. But you really don't have a mindset, an open vision, thought of how you could help them get out there. How can I help them get out there? How can I help them get out there? How can I help them be seen and be known for that amazing thing that they do?

Speaker 1:

Listen, this episode we're talking to management behind the brand. Listen, someone needs to be accountable. Help hold you accountable for that gift that you have to make sure you're getting it out there, getting it in front of people, so that those people that are here to be able to appreciate the things that you do, will be able to find you and see you, listen. That person to do that for you is a manager. We have here none other than the one and only amazing manager herself. How are you gorgeous?

Speaker 2:

amazing.

Speaker 1:

I love that introduction listen, I believe in giving honor where honor is due giving people their flowers. It's amazing. I'm excited for everyone to hear your story, to hear how you are management behind the brand. I just think it's going to be interesting. Why don't you go ahead and tell people what brand this is?

Speaker 2:

So my name is Kalia Bell and I am the manager and CEO behind the brand, of the Bell brand. However, I actually manage my husband, who is Kevin Bell, so I'm really excited. This is a new endeavor and a new adventure for us, and I'm just grateful that God even placed us in this space right now. So I I'm I'm really excited, I'm excited.

Speaker 1:

That's. I'm excited because it's something for you to see, something special in someone, but it's totally different for you to go. Listen, I'm gonna help you walk this thing out. I believe that this is valuable, that you're valuable and your value is important to some, to other people, and I want to make sure that you have the opportunity to share that with them. So how do you what? Managing your husband? Listen, we're going to get into that later. Your husband, listen, we're going to get into that later. We're going to get into that later. Listen, tune into the after party for the real digs on the relationship component of this managing your husband.

Speaker 1:

Okay, make sure you tune into the after party, but right now, what we're going to talk about is that management behind the brand. Now, you are that management behind the brand. Who are you? How did you determine this is worth managing, this is worth taking the time to invest?

Speaker 2:

So my husband, he was a big time basketball player in New York City, in Harlem, new York. So we're originally from Harlem, new York, we live in Maryland now and he was a big-time citywide basketball player, known really across the country in his high school and college days. And my husband has such a passion for sports but it's not, you know, like you know a lot of sports fanatics, but it's just something about, you know, my husband, where his knowledge, his knowledge, like he's a historian. And when I say historian, you will have older people slapping him in the middle of the street like, hey, did you see that game? So you have older guys tapping in and when I say older guys I mean my dad's age and you know older, even down to like the younger guys like my son's age, my son's friend's age, you know, tapping in and asking him about the game and who does he think? And it just always was intriguing to me because I'm like everybody comes to you, like everyone comes to you, you have something, something there. There's something special about your love for sports.

Speaker 2:

You know, outside of just yelling at the TV all the time, I'm like, listen, this could make us some money, this could really. Let's make some money behind this, and I say that honestly because we used to have, when we lived in New York City. We would always have people over at the house. When I say all the time, people would just come over again, of all ages. Or I had people, young and old, would come over to watch the games with him and it was just. It's just. You can just see how people respond to him when it comes to sports and everything. So I'm like you have a voice that people want to hear and we need to get you out there. And it was an easy transition because, as a wife, you know I manage the home anyway. So I'm like I'm just going to manage you. I'm just going to manage you. I didn't really ask. I didn't really ask.

Speaker 1:

I didn't really ask, it just went that way. So what experience in your past do you have with managing someone?

Speaker 2:

So I was a team leader at my current silent investor and so that I was a leader of a team, so I was, you know, managing my associates and things like that. So I have the management aspect from a corporation, you know, knowing how to lead, knowing how to coach, knowing how to hold people accountable. You know that. And now so just transferring that from you know, the corporate to now having to do that for my own business Again, it's just an easy transition because I do it on my day-to-day basis. So now I'm just taking the things that I learned in leadership there and I'm just applying it to lead, to assist in his career.

Speaker 1:

To assist in his career. To assist in his career, so just the management of everything. I would think that, since managing in corporate would be totally different from managing in Totally, what is that totally different Like? What do you think it looked like in a corporation and what is it looking like now for you to be one on one managing someone?

Speaker 2:

So the biggest thing is, especially when you are going into business by yourself, the biggest thing is having worked under someone. I'm, you know I'm, they're responsible for me, so to speak. You know, so I am answering to someone, so now I am the answer to someone, so you know that. That is that's where the difference, that's where the difference is, where I have full control, you know well, not full control, because I still he's still my client, you know, even though that's my husband, I essentially work for him. So I don't have full control or as much control as I would like to have, but you know it's still. It's more of me, more you know me having to do an answer for within myself than having to answer to someone else. So, removing being having someone else responsible, removing having to work for someone else and having to be my business, my like, you know me now being the corporate, me now being the real boss and things like that. So that's the biggest thing. Like I am, I am the answer and I'm not answering to anyone else.

Speaker 1:

Hmm, I am the answer. I am not answering to anyone. So how did? Were you always a leader, like as a child? Could you see where this may have blossomed in you to be that type of boss?

Speaker 2:

So I'm going to be completely honest who I am today is not who I was this time last year. So the answer to that is no. This is really a one year, I would say within a one year journey. My story kind of starts with me overcoming depression, anxiety and low self-esteem. So that's actually how I got into this taking the time to really fully know who I am, knowing who I am, and God started just implanting all of the gifts that were there but I did not see as gifts. Well, I took for granted, um, and God just kind of put everything together and it's a funny story how it became that I was going to be his manager. Um, I want to save that for the after party.

Speaker 1:

Sure, that story I definitely. How you became his manager is something that, because I think that goes with the relationship of him being your husband and your client. Yes, so how you became his manager is definitely something I want to delve into. I just being a manager, what would you say are the most important things that you're responsible for as a manager, just as labeling yourself manager.

Speaker 2:

Holding him accountable. You know, I think that I think anytime you're in any leadership position, it's extremely important to hold your team, your client, accountable, making sure that you know I can only go so far, as far as you want to go. You know, like my job as your manager is not to. You know, pull the buggy. You know you need to be driving it and I'm just assisting you where you need to go as you're driving it. So I need to hold you accountable. So if you said that you're going to do something at a certain time, my expectation is that it will be done at that time. So that's one of the biggest things for me is to make sure that I am holding him accountable.

Speaker 1:

Okay that you're holding him accountable. Now, there are things that you're holding him accountable for. How do you, as a manager, set up those things? You're saying that a year, this is just a year for you in this position, in this role, acting in this capacity. What is it that you're setting up? What is it that you had to do to make sure there are things to set up for him to be accountable for?

Speaker 2:

So well, first let me just say what he does. My husband is. I'm helping him build his brand, which is he has two brands that he's working on. He has the Lunchroom, which is a weekly live programming that he does every week, monday, wednesday and Friday at 1230 pm Eastern Standard Time on his social media, where he pretty much has like a panel and they just discuss sports. So you know, I don't want to say just sports, because men come on and they have different conversations with family and things like that, but it's the element of how we used to be in the lunchroom. You know we're 90s babies, so you know the lunchroom used to be our place to everything Socialize with your friends. You know the Martin show that came on last night. Did you see the game, did you? You know, did you listen to the new album? So those kinds of elements we want to bring back. So that's what he's doing Lunchtime, instagram, 1230 PM Eastern Standard Time. What's that site? It's called the Lunchroom. The Lunchroom, yes, the Lunchroom. Kev Bell on his instagram page yes, so we could put that in the comments. I'll make sure that I'll give you that information so we can add that to the comments. Yes, um, but he also wants.

Speaker 2:

He's also building a platform called the flower shop and that is pretty much where he will be sitting down with um or not just athletes, actors or rappers, people that you know they're always your greats have a great, and those greats that your great have may not be so well known, but they're still great in their own way. So, like my husband is considered a great that not everyone may know, but a lot of people in the basketball world knows the name kevin bell from when he played basketball. When I say a lot of people, it's like we can go to literally branchville, south carolina, which we were in one time and somebody saw him, and branchville you can't even find branchville, south Carolina on the map. So for someone to see him and know who he was, it just you know like. So we're starting a program where we're kind of giving those people flowers because those are the forgotten heroes. You know they did great in their lane. They may not have necessarily made it to the pinnacle of the NBA or, you know, big movie screens, but they did good for where they came from.

Speaker 2:

So I'm assisting him with building his platform, building that community around. You know, men that just want to share love and give love. So that's pretty much what he's doing. So holding him accountable is making sure that we are marketing, making sure that we're posting when we're supposed to post, making sure that he's getting to the lunchroom on time, making sure that we're reading. You know, because as a client, you know, as we're building our business, I want to make sure that he is working on himself as well. So making sure that he's reading and watching podcasts and, you know, walking and things like that. So those are some of the things that I make sure that he is doing and associated with what we're building.

Speaker 1:

And then for you, what are you making sure you're doing? And then maybe give us just a few of the books that you found to be very helpful for you with management so I have not.

Speaker 2:

I'm gonna be honest, I have not read any books yet while managing um, management in terms of this capacity because, like I said, this is still new, I'm still learning a lot, um, but I am managing, so I am doing the job. But, um books that I have read, more so for mindset, um, so, like outwitting the devil by napoleon hill, changed my life. Um, um, the alchemist uh, we just recently read that that changed my life. So, you know, reading books that are that changed my life. So you know, reading books that are that's expanding my mindset, that's keeping me not trapped in what maybe I see, but understanding that there is something greater within me and I have the gift and I can do it and I can do all things Because, again, you know, I am a young girl from Harlem, new York City.

Speaker 2:

So to think that I'm going to manage a multimillionaire and his brand, I need to make sure that I know that I can, you know, and I know that I can. So I need to keep feeding myself that you can, you can, you can in the Bible. So those are the books that the Bible definitely. So those are some of the books that that um helped me you said something very, uh, profound.

Speaker 1:

You said I need to know that I can. I need to make sure that my mindset is such that I know that I can it. How do you? What have you recognized are things that make you feel or think that you can't, and then what are you doing to combat those things?

Speaker 2:

So again, you know, I've told myself that I couldn't my entire adult life. So me overcoming depression and overcoming anxiety and low self-esteem, you know I'm constantly feeding myself. So anytime I call it the inner me, that is the old me, those old thoughts, anytime they try to rear their ugly head, I'm huge, huge, huge on words. Words have power. There's life and death in the power of your tongue. So anytime a thought comes to mind, I make sure that I don't verbalize it, you know. So I don't state anything that I may be thinking it could be negative. So I speak the opposite.

Speaker 2:

So if a thought comes to my mind like you can't, like you don't have I don't have a college degree I have some college, you know, I've worked at one company for so many years. So anytime those thoughts like what do you think that you're going to do, I remind myself that greater is me, that greater is he that is within me, that I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me. So I feed that into. I constantly affirm myself constantly. Constantly I'm affirming myself to remind myself that you can do all things. There is nothing that cannot be done. If God called you to it, he will give you everything that you need, every resource, every person, anything that you need, you will have it. So I constantly remind myself of that.

Speaker 1:

Okay. So while you're constantly reminding yourself of that and let's say you have then set up the plan of this, thought comes to my mind. I'm not going to speak it. I'm going to say the opposite, in victory through Jesus Christ. What happens when the answer is no, it's not what you expected. How do you approach? What's your mindset with dealing with that?

Speaker 2:

All things work together for God's good. Come on here. So there is no, so a no is okay. Okay, god, that wasn't what was supposed to happen, so I'm just going to wait until what's supposed to happen is going to happen.

Speaker 2:

So I always pray give me the strength to endure whatever season or whatever this is going to bring on, because you know storms will come Storms, this we know for sure. So I have to. You know, I'm constantly praying and saying God, help me stand the rain, right, OK. So give me the strength to stand the rain. When you tell me no, even if I want to hear a yes, give me the strength to know that you are there. And then there are times where I feel doubtful. So I have to ask for forgiveness because I know that, no matter what it may look like all things, it doesn't say some, it doesn't say a few, it says all things, meaning every single thing will work together for God's good. So I just ask God to give me the strength until I see his good, because I know it's going to come. So that is exactly how I endure and I speak that I say it.

Speaker 1:

How important is it that you speak and say it? Because I noticed that you said, listen, I think something, but I don't allow myself to verbalize it. And then you just said but then I verbalize the opposite thing. The thing that will that, that, that expectation of good that we should have as children of the most high. How important is that to you? The speech.

Speaker 2:

So the scripture said that there's life and death in the tongue, not in the throat, that there's life and death in the tongue, not in the thought. So because there's life and death in the tongue, I use my tongue to always give life, not my thoughts. So anytime a thought may come in, I use my tongue to kill that thought. So it's extremely important to speak it. It's extremely important so that your voice, especially if you're going through something, the praise confuses the enemy, so that praise comes from your mouth, and it's so important. Words are powerful. I really did not understand how powerful words were and words are powerful.

Speaker 1:

Where did that change come from? That the words are powerful for you?

Speaker 2:

This last year, I really, you know, I went through a healing journey. I went through a moment of suicide ideation last year, which you know, like I said, I suffered with depression and anxiety a big chunk of my adult life and last year was one of the best summers, but it was just, for some reason, I was going in a really dark place and I cried out to God because the idea of me even wanting to leave my family just really woke me up in that moment, like OK, what is happening? You know, I'm trying everything my way. I'm trying to do everything the way that I want to do it. What do I need to do?

Speaker 2:

So God said I need you to heal mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually and financially. And um, but he said I need you to do that, but I want you to. You're trying to do everything at the same time, which is causing so much commotion and and just a mess. I need you to first focus on your physical, cause. That was the biggest thing for me focus on your physical. But in the focusing on your physical, it needs a conversation that God had with me. So, as I'm talking, this is how God is speaking to me.

Speaker 2:

And he said I need you to focus on your physical, but I need you to start with saying what you can do. So I need you to start by speaking that you can get to your goal, because so that's where it really started, from the physical. So I started stating that I will lose weight. I can lose weight. You know, god can do all things. And then I thought it was in weight, which was a miracle in itself, um, and then I just was like, okay, this is real, this is real, this is real. Your words have power. So I just stuck with that and it's real.

Speaker 1:

That is very real. It's, uh, amazing to me that your journey began with the physical. Yeah, but the physical connected to the spiritual, the physical connected to the emotional, the physical connected to the mental. You're focused on the physical but at the same time, you're bringing everything into its mission to be able to move forward with that physical.

Speaker 2:

Subtly. Also it wasn't like you know, the mindset and everything. God placed me in a wonderful place, weight loss community. At the time I had a virtual trainer and he was huge on mindset. He was huge.

Speaker 2:

His thing was if you don't think you can, if you don't like, it's not going to happen, like it doesn't matter, I don't care what gym, it's not going to happen. So he I you know I give him a lot of credit in assisting and really waking me up to just believe in, like, before you step foot in the gym you have to know and understand that you can and you will get to your goal. And so it was. It wasn't like I was trying to do everything I want at one time, it was just the way that God had did everything. I was on this physical journey. I joined the community by the again, by the grace of God. It was nobody but God and he had this kind of mindset thing going and it, just like you said, it just encompassed everything the physical, the spiritual, the emotional, and it was just the physical was the main thing.

Speaker 1:

I appreciate if you like, share, subscribe, give it a thumbs up, hit that notification bell and follow us on Instagram and Facebook at Marion Swingler. Thank you so much. So let's return back to our recently, presently, recently, presently. If you're not watching this live, then it's our now Broadcast. Yes, what's Bell Listen? Ceo of the Bell brand. I just want people to know that you're managing more than just your husband. I'm just saying I just want to go ahead and get into it, because managing your husband is not the only thing you do. So let the people know how do you? What are you managing? What else in your household are you managing?

Speaker 2:

So you know, I host a podcast called Perfect Imperfections with Kalia Bell and there I share the tips, the tools and the mindset that I've used as I've from depression, anxiety and low self-esteem. So I use that platform to share my story, share my truth, my lessons, my losses, and this is all in real time. So it could be something that happened on a Monday and I wake up the next day like, let me record this episode and I'm just evolving through there telling my story and speaking my truth. But we're also building an apparel brand which we are selling, merchandise the Bell brand, and this is actually one of our shirts that we got that we're dropping on Black Friday, and it says never bet against the culture. It has a quote on the back um, from robert smith, which is the black um billionaire, and it says you are enough to be who you want to be and to create what you want to create. Um, so my husband's shirt is. But we have two quotes um. His shirt says some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen by Michael Jordan.

Speaker 2:

So we wanted to have apparel that kind of just spread love. When you wear our clothes, you're making a statement. You're making a statement of resilience, You're making a statement of authentic, You're making a statement of originality. You know, the Never Bet Against the Culture is kind of like our play on. We root for everybody Black. You know, we are the culture, we are the seasoning to everything. You know our music, our sports, the way we dress, like just everything we bring the flavor. So we wanted to honor that and we want to remind our people of just that. We are amazing, beautiful, magical people and we want to share that story through our apparel.

Speaker 1:

Amazing, beautiful, magical people want to share that through our apparel. Amazing, beautiful, magical people want to share that through our apparel. You also talked about your podcast, but I'm telling you there is something a little bit smaller in your household that you manage.

Speaker 2:

Oh, my son, yes, yeah. So my son, carter Chronicles, he is now, he is the true CEO of the Bell brand and that just goes to show, you know, again, we tell the story of how I heal and healed our household and just what it does to our children when we become whole individuals. Because his mind is I want to do this, I'm going to do this. You, you know he is tapping into his creativity. So, carter Chronicles, we are kind of just building that space, because originally he would read, um, books on YouTube, um, where, um, he would tell you know, read children's stories. But now he wants to go into, of course, gaming.

Speaker 1:

Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait so you're not saying okay, so I misunderstood. You said he would read books on youtube. I in my mind, I just need you to know what I heard. What I heard was he would play youtube, where they had his own platform where he read a book to others. Yes, how old did he start?

Speaker 2:

He's like so he's 10 now, so I think he might have been what like 8? So he might have been like 7 or 8. Yeah, because he always loves. So my son is a bookworm and he loves to read and so you know we read and he also has a personality. Carter is a very main character and we were just trying to figure out what we were going to do with him, because he's also a sports fanatic.

Speaker 2:

So he wanted to have a sports channel and it wasn't, you know. So we started with just reading books. I was like, why don't you just read the children's books? So he enjoyed it. So he had a little YouTube channel. Well, not little, we don't do anything little at the Bell Brand. Come on here. Okay. So he had a YouTube channel. Words have power, words have power. So he had a YouTube channel and on that channel he would read some children's books. He had a YouTube channel and on that channel he would read some children's books. But now we're just now we're figuring out how to build that channel, but we are also in the process of creating a book. We're still working on that book, so we haven't really finalized that, but I'm excited. I'm excited for that because, again, this is him, his creativity and us working together. So we're building his YouTube platform and we're working on his book.

Speaker 1:

Okay. So it took a true manager to look at the client and say I know this is what you want to do, but I know something you're already perfected in. Let's go with that thing while we set up the other things, and so that way we can hit the floor today with this thing you already know how to do while you're perfecting the other things to do. What made you know that reading books? Was it because I honestly haven't heard of kids online reading books as a thing like that's not a conversation piece around the entrepreneurs that I talk with, even in the things that they discuss about their kids. What made you know this is going to be easy peasy. That is a manager Perfected. This is going to be easy peasy for you. How did you?

Speaker 2:

know that this is gonna be easy peasy for you. How did you know that? So I mean, because, again, I got that main character and when he, he wants to eventually go into acting. So when you read books you have to. You have characters and you know inflections and things like that. So it was just kind of like a start, um, to go into speaking in different characters and things like that. And it was just something where you know, again, he enjoyed reading and I said you know, you connect really well with the camera, so let's start there. You know, let's start there. And he was like okay, and we have about three episodes. We weren't consistent, unfortunately, but we are definitely, like I said, unfortunately, um, but we are definitely, like I said, coming back and where we are building his, his platform, and I'm excited about that can I add something?

Speaker 1:

sure, always I don't. I'm listen, I'm the idea queen. I just want to say, since you're saying he acts and that he knows how to bring that, dramatize it so that it's an interesting story, why won't he act sometimes? Just drop special scenes where he acts something out well, I mean, we definitely want to.

Speaker 2:

We are discussing him like how to perform, putting him into like the performance, because he wants to. He was asking about going to a performing arts middle school, so we are looking to see how. So I think that that would be a really good idea that I will, um, you know, definitely ask him. You know, let's create some stuff. But I did. I did state to him that he should create his own, you know, like kind of play or theater-esque kind of thing. So that is definitely something that we could definitely look into.

Speaker 1:

I appreciate it, see, but now I'm doing the manager thing, so I'm going to put my hat on. I'm doing the manager thing with you. Listen, son, I apologize that I'm all in your Kool-Aid, but I'm telling you, I know the flavor. Listen, the plays. Like we were just discussing something he can do now, something he can do later those books he already loves.

Speaker 1:

Those books he already knows. He's already literally with his voice, acting them out. That would be an amazing thing to see him actually just take on a character and just just put those clips. And I know you know how to do it. I know you know how to do it. My God, what skills have you picked up as a manager that you did not have before? Cause it's totally different. Now it's it's the actors. Guild is turned upside down. Now you know, with how things are done. Um, social media has made it so that even youtube it's made it so that. Listen, I have a network. I have two podcasts running now and discussing another one. It's just now. Things are in our hands. What have you placed in your hands to move your clients, your clients, forward?

Speaker 2:

So I mean, I think, anything where it's like the editing and you know, like that piece of you know content creation and stuff you know, so like just kind of learning the tricks of the trade and like anything of that. You know that is not my ministry. However, you know, like I said, if God called you to it, he will get you through it. So, creating content, you know I've been working on that and, um, definitely the editing, I've been working on that and yeah, so that's the biggest thing, like just being the creator of the editing. However, as soon as we have the resources, I'm definitely going to get somebody else to do it but guess what?

Speaker 1:

because you've done it yourself, you can now tell them I want this, I want, I want this, I want this Now. Is there anything else you think that would look good? Show me that. But I'm definitely telling you, this is the baseline, this is the minimum.

Speaker 2:

That was one of the biggest things for me when it came to that. That was one of the biggest things that I'm taking away from my silent investor as I'm building our business is to know all pieces of your business. Don't think that something is too small for you to know. I would always say to my team I don't want one person to be the most knowledgeable person, because anything can happen. So I want to know every aspect. I want to learn the finances, I want to learn the editing, I want to learn the marketing. I want to learn you know, even the manufacturing, like I want to learn all of that so that you know God forbid, anything happens.

Speaker 2:

I will know as well as as we continue to grow and I would still be able to say, hey, what's different over there? That's not, you know, like I would still have an eye on certain things. So I'm good with us. I'm you know as frustrating and it can be, and difficult it can be, to manage all of, to juggle all of that. These are the things where I say, you know, I pull on my faith and I ask God for the strength because now I'm looking at it as a positive, like I said, the more information. That, I know, is better for my business, you know. So this is the learning I'm building my brand so that when I do get somebody else to do it, I would know exactly what that somebody else is doing. Yeah, so I'm good with it.

Speaker 1:

Okay, okay. So you are managing your husband, managing your son and you have a podcast. What does the Bell brand management you as management? What does that look like in the future? What are your future plans?

Speaker 2:

So my future plan is actually to have a management company, the Mrs Brand. So my desire is to be able to be like the hub for other managers. I want to build like a network of managers where they are able to have their own clients. And you know, I'm looking to be all global, not just, you know, the United States, but globally and specifically within our community, because you know we are we're the biggest consumers.

Speaker 2:

However, when it comes to, you know they market towards us, but when it comes to us getting what is due for us, you know we're often overlooked and, and you know, we get the crumbs. So I'm looking to build a brand that is again uplifting, and well, not a brand, but a management company that we uplift and we are putting back within our community and making sure that we're getting what is owed to us, making sure that you know we have people that represent us, because you can't get what I need if you don't really know what I mean. You know what I mean. So having more of us in that space, that's what I want and I want to have it, like I said, globally. I want to have us in the continent of Africa, I want to have us in Jamaica. I want to have us in all over, all over. That is my desire to have a management company that we help build future managers.

Speaker 1:

All right In your quest, endeavor, journey to that big management company. Let's go back to small beginnings. Let's say I have a child and I am that mom that's going. How do I help them? Where would you say I should start to help my child? To be able to groom them to be a client, meaning responsible, accountable and serious about what they're doing, and to be able to understand being in the public eye whenever they're in that arena understand being in the public eye whenever they're in that arena.

Speaker 2:

So first thing I would tell anyone is to definitely find a mentor or community or something that is going to help guide you through that process.

Speaker 2:

So for me, you know, the morning meetup, which is the community that we are a part of, has been pretty much that I'm able to go and get coaching, I'm able to live coaching, I'm able to get information that is needed that I can now take back home to do, just like you said, the information that I can feed to my son or to my husband. So that, really honestly, I think that that is the answer Having a mentor, having a coach, having someone in that space that is able to answer those questions for you, to kind of give you some direction, because when you think of, you know, the entertainment industry, so to speak, it definitely is vultures out there, you know, and it can be again, like I said especially to us, it can, you know, be disrespectful in some kind of way. So having people that have already walked in those doors or walk, you know, been in those rooms, and having a community of like-minded people, it definitely helps and makes it easier to make sure that I'm hitting every place. You know, because I think that when you think of entrepreneurs and you think of building businesses or even management, sometimes you miss things like mindset.

Speaker 2:

You miss the big of the inner work. Everyone wants to just get to the bag and just chase the paper. So having a place that reminds you to constantly do that inner work and you get a lot of answers when you do the inner work, you know. So having some space like that, that really I would. I would suggest anyone to find a mentor, a coach or community that can help you in, in walk with you while you're, you know, building, there you go.

Speaker 1:

A community coach, mentor, to help walk you while you're building, which means you have a strong foundation. Yes, to have that strong foundation to build up, you need that strong foundation. How did you come to put those components together? Because you didn't come to MMU the morning meetup, that mastermind group, without the idea of what it is you were doing.

Speaker 2:

Well, honestly, the management. That's why I said that the management was not the beginning. That was not in the beginning, it wasn't. That's why I said it's a funny story. So you got to come to the after parties to hear the funny story. Funny story so you got to come to the after parties to hear the funny story.

Speaker 2:

But, um, you know, when I joined morning meetup, it was I was in a space of just God had put this vision on me that I've never. You know, he started me at the journey where it is always important to write out what you're feeling, the desires of your heart. You know, um, it's important to write out what you're feeling, the desires of your heart. You know, it's important to write those out on paper. And then God had me do another step in asking me why I could not attain those things. So I was supposed to write out, I wrote out what I wanted in my life, and then I had to write out why I could not. And when you write out why you cannot, there's really no reason why you can't obtain some of the things that, no matter how big and huge these things are, you can obtain it if you, you know, set a plan to it. So then I just started praying, asking God, like, well, how do I even get? Like? I don't even know how to get here, you know, because the thing that he was putting in my mind was just like what, who? Me, no, you know. And that's how I entered the doors of the morning meetup.

Speaker 2:

You know, god placed that community in my life and it just started expanding. And it's, you know, god is constantly asking what more? What you know, what can you do? You know, like, I'm a big God and you're my child, so you have these big gifts and what can you like? That's it. That's all you want to do. All you want to do is take your family on a vacation. That's all you want to do. You don't want to be able to pay for another family's vacation, you know, like those kind of things.

Speaker 2:

And the morning meetup helped, like I said, open my mind to not only is it possible, not only am I seeing people that look like me doing these things, but now you're giving me the lessons and you're teaching me how to obtain it. You know, it's one thing to know that it's possible, but it's a whole nother thing to know how to get there. So that morning meetup. I started with just wanting to figure out okay, what am I doing? How do I get what God has placed in my spirit? And that's that's how the morning meetup started. So I was just like a kid, like, okay, what am I going to do? I'm here, lord.

Speaker 1:

I'm going to go. Yes, so it, it, it. I can say I want to know what. This is the same for you, the friends that you had before you joined a community of entrepreneurs striving to build and grow as you were, as you are, you have the same friends before, or what is? What are the caliber of friends you have now?

Speaker 2:

So I've always been extremely blessed in the friend, um, in the friend realm. You know, god has always. God has, and I always say that. You know, I say I have 99 problems, but a friend ain't one, and um, so I've always been blessed in that. Now I, you know, obviously, as I grew um, you know it's funny because I say that now that I really understand how God works and what he does, I understand that I had to walk through this journey first. So I had to walk through this journey first. So I had to go through these doors. I had to go through MMU, I had to learn about LLCs and EINs and building businesses and marketing and how simple it is. And I've been telling my friends and they're just like, okay, all right, you know they're just pushing me on, but now they're like hey, kalia, do you like this logo? Hey, kay, do you like this? You know, this is my business name, and things like that. So now my friends are starting to, you know get on with me.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, so they call me, for I'm the reasonable friend. So if somebody is ready to hide a body, they call me before they even do something. So God placed me in the right spot, yeah.

Speaker 1:

Yes, I love it. Okay, olivia Pope, out here in these streets, like seriously, honestly, that is managing at its highest level. All right, so you said it, we got to get to this story, so we're going to go ahead and have to exit stage left and get to this after party. I am excited to hear this story about this beginning. I'm excited to hear about how our healing healed our household. The funny story the healed the.

Speaker 2:

How the the okay, I became his manager, but the our healing healed our household.

Speaker 1:

Yes, I yeah. And then the husband client yeah, no, we're not gonna skip past that all right everybody, please come and join us in the after party, but before we get out of here, listen, miss branton, and and and after after party you going to find out why she's Mrs Brand. Mrs Brand, I would really appreciate if you would share with the confident you family how they can have an opportunity to glean from you to work with you. The floor is yours.

Speaker 2:

So you can reach me at my website, which well you can reach me on my website. Which well you can reach me on my email, which is my personal email. It is my full name, kalia bell k-a-l-i-a at bell b-e-l-l at themrsbrandcom. And you can also follow me on instagram and tiktok, which is my perfected imperfections. Again, that's my perfected imperfections on Instagram and TikTok. I share inspirational messages there, so make sure that you follow and tap in and you can listen to my podcast, which is Perfect Imperfections with Kalia Bell, and there I share with you the tips, the tools and the mindset that I've used as I've healed from depression, anxiety and low self-esteem in real time, so make sure that you tap in.

Speaker 2:

Oh, my website. So we are dropping on Black Friday, which is November 24th 2023. Check us out at wwwthebellbrandnet, where you can get some merch. Never bet against the culture. We have some wonderful, wonderful, amazing things coming, so please make sure that you check us out again, wwwthebellbrandnet. That is where we boldly encourage our community to live legendary, and that's where you can check me out at oh my goodness.

Speaker 1:

And that's where you can check me out at. Oh my goodness. And that's where you can check me out at. Listen, mama, you're doing a lot of things. For this to have been a year, Ma'am, for this to have been a year, You're telling me you in a year You're doing a podcast. Your son is reading books online. Your husband is now doing his podcast on sports and relationships. Just all things Black men. Yes, and you can take that coin it all things Black men, that sounds amazing, yes, amazing.

Speaker 1:

And on top of that you got merch coming out on the Friday for us, oh, yeah. Give yourself some applause.

Speaker 1:

That is amazing that you were able to get that growth in a year. Awesome, awesome, awesome, awesome. My God, redeeming the time is the best way I can say that you have. You're redeeming the time, the time that you felt was stole from you in those those areas and times and spaces of life where you were not healed. So I am looking forward to getting into that in the after party.

Speaker 1:

Everybody, give me just a moment. Thank you, kalia, for being here. Actually, I appreciate you. Just stay right. There're going to get straight to the after party after this. Let me just tell everybody thank you so much for joining us yet again. Listen, in every episode there are nuggets, there are things that you could get that will help you. You know what? Actually, I didn't ask my last question when she at. Kalia. Kalia, before you get out of here, can you give the confident you audience family some tips on managing the management behind the brand? How do you keep everything straight for you? How do you deal with everything? You said some very profound things. If you could just add one more thing for them, I'd appreciate it, and I'm sure they will.

Speaker 2:

So I don't want to be the church kid, but I have to say and I speak from experience, I don't speak from just saying things that sounds trendy but prayer, that is my answer to everything, and I know, you know, that a lot of people may not, you know, feel like that is, ah, that's a common answer, but I, that is my answer, that is my go-to. You know, I open my heart up to God and I constantly speak to him and I go to him for answers. I go to him to make sure that those are doors that I should be opening.

Speaker 2:

So my tip is to have that prayer life. Make sure that you are taking time to talk to God and make sure that you're taking time to be silent and be still, constantly, constantly moving, constantly doing as entrepreneurs and as business people. Then, constantly doing as entrepreneurs and as business people, I understand that that is the thing, that is the cool thing, but you have to be still. You have to be still and know so. Prayer and being still are extremely important. So those are my tips Make sure that you're talking to God and make sure that you're sitting still so that he can answer your conversation, so that he can answer the conversation.

Speaker 1:

Yes, ma'am, make sure that you're talking to God, wait a minute. But on top of that, make sure you're sitting still.

Speaker 2:

So you can hear the answer.

Speaker 1:

Oh, you can hear the answer. My goodness, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you for coming to pour into the confident you family. Oh my goodness, oh my goodness. All right guys, for real, this time I am almost done. One more thing If you are or you know someone who is suffering at the hands of domestic violence, please contact Bethany House at 1-888-80-HELPS, that's 4-3-5-7-7, or the National Domestic Violence Hotline, 1-800-799-safe, that's 7-2-3-3. Why? Because I want you to be safe. My desire is that if there is anyone suffering at the hands of domestic violence and they're under the sound of my voice, or there's someone who knows someone, that they know that there is somewhere safe, that they can go, that they can call, that they can get a plan, that they can talk with someone, that they can talk with someone, that they could reach out and at least start that process of getting out. Thank you, y'all. Have a good night. I am headed to the after party.