The Steve Harvey Morning Show

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Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Nandi Edouard.
🔎 Interview Summary
In this episode, Nandi Edouard, founder of The Simple View Academy, discusses her mission to reimagine education by blending academics with entrepreneurship and financial literacy for middle and high school students in metro Atlanta.
Her charter school focuses on:
Project-based learning
Teaching students how to start and run businesses
Building confidence, identity, and economic mobility
The conversation centers on education innovation, entrepreneurship, and community-driven impact.
🎯 Purpose of the Interview 1. Highlight Educational Innovation
Showcase a new model of schooling focused on real-world skills
Demonstrate how entrepreneurship can be integrated into education
2. Promote Financial Literacy Early
Address the gap in teaching young people about money and wealth creation
3. Inspire Community Support
Emphasize the importance of funding, partnerships, and local engagement in charter schools
4. Encourage Purpose-Driven Leadership
Present Nandi as an example of a young leader creating systemic change
💡 Key Takeaways 1. Entrepreneurship Is a Path to Economic Mobility
The school teaches students how to: Build businesses
Understand funding, costs, and profit

Students turn ideas into real ventures (13 student-run businesses in year one)
👉 Lesson: Entrepreneurship education empowers long-term financial independence
2. Education Must Evolve Beyond Traditional Models
The academy uses project-based learning and real-world application
Success is measured by: Collaboration
Planning
Execution—not just test scores

👉 Lesson: Skills and application matter as much as academics
3. Financial Literacy Should Start Early
Nandi calls it “irresponsible” that kids aren’t taught about money sooner [
👉 Lesson: Early exposure to money management is critical
4. Building a School Requires Community First
Key steps: Listen to community needs
Build trust (through programs like summer camps)
Secure funding and partnerships
👉 Lesson: Community buy-in is foundational for impact

5. Charter Schools Face Resource Constraints
Receive ~33% less funding than traditional public schools
Must rely on: Grants
Donations
Partnerships

👉 Lesson: Innovation often requires resourcefulness
6. Exposure + Mentorship = Opportunity
Students engage with: Business leaders
Organizations like 100 Black Men

Helps them identify career paths and refine goals
👉 Lesson: You can’t aspire to what you don’t see
7. Academic + Entrepreneurial Growth Is Possible
Early results: 20–30% improvement in math and reading within 6 months

👉 Lesson: Nontraditional models can still produce strong academic outcomes
8. Leadership Requires Resilience and Support
Nandi faced skepticism (age, experience)
Relies on: Family
Faith
Community support

👉 Lesson: Vision + persistence overcomes doubt
🧠 Notable Quotes On entrepreneurship and wealth
“Entrepreneurship is a way to economic mobility… how we create for ourselves and our communities.”
On education gaps
“I think it’s irresponsible that we do not teach young people about their money from early.”
On building a school
“Listen to your community… what does your community want from a school?”
On student development
“Helping them figure out what that thing is and putting a plan behind it.”
On real-world learning
“They took their idea… all the way to market.”
On purpose and motivation
“These young people need a space to flourish… I just have this fire to prove people wrong.”
On defining success
“Students knowing who they are, where they’re going, and how they’re going to get there.”
🧾 Bottom Line
This interview presents a forward-thinking model for education and economic empowerment:
Combine academics + entrepreneurship
Teach financial literacy early
Build systems rooted in community needs
Focus on identity, purpose, and execution
👉 Nandi Edouard’s work positions education as a launchpad for ownership, not just employment.
#SHMS #BEST #STRAW
Support the show: https://www.steveharveyfm.com/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning!
Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Marsha Evans.
A licensed mental health therapist, founder of Willow Tree Counseling & Educational Center, and creator of the FELT Experience and Marsha Listens wellness platform. The conversation centers on emotional health, nervous system education, sound therapy, community healing, and her evolution as a therapist and entrepreneur. Marsha shares her personal journey from being a competitive athlete to becoming a calming force for high‑functioning individuals dealing with burnout, stress, and emotional disconnection.
She explains the origins of her signature FELT Experience, a wellness model designed to help people reconnect with themselves through somatic movement, sound healing, intentional rest, and community. She also highlights the challenges and breakthroughs in mental health—particularly within the Black community—and reflects on 16+ years of therapeutic practice.
Purpose of the Interview
The interview aims to:
1. Introduce Marsha Evans’ holistic mental health approach
Rushion invites Marsha to explain how she blends psychology, somatics, and sound‑based healing to help people process stress differently.
2. Explain the FELT Experience and its healing framework
Marsha details her signature F.E.L.T. model—Free, Expand, Listen, Transform—and why embodied emotional experience is key to healing.
3. Share her personal journey
She discusses how sports, music, and modalities like breathwork and yoga helped her turn stress into purpose.
4. Encourage new perspectives on mental health in the Black community
She and Rushion address the stigma, evolution, and growing acceptance of mental health support.
5. Showcase community‑centered healing
Marsha emphasizes connection, shared experiences, and intentional spaces that allow vulnerability and transformation.
Key Takeaways 1. Healing Requires Intentionality
Marsha explains that activities like massage or yoga can be therapeutic—but only when approached with intentionality, presence, and consent to release emotional tension.
2. The Body Holds Stories (“The body keeps the score”)
She emphasizes that the body stores emotional experiences, and modalities like breathwork, sound healing, and somatic movement help release what the mind can’t articulate.
3. The FELT Framework
The FELT Experience moves participants through:
F – Free: Permission to just be (coloring, resting, arriving without expectations)
E – Expand: Allowing the body to open and receive
L – Listen: To one’s own body, movement, and emotional cues
T – Transform: The hardest phase—moving from chaos to peace
4. Safe Community Spaces Accelerate Healing
Marsha’s events often result in participants forming friendships, emotional breakthroughs, and even planning outings together—an indicator of her program’s power.
5. People Are Conditioned to Avoid Emotions
Growing up, she was taught to hide emotions in competitive sports—especially tears as a sign of weakness. Her therapeutic mission now is to help others unlearn similar conditioning.
6. Cultural Shifts Around Mental Health
Marsha highlights major strides in the Black community, especially post‑COVID, as more people (including athletes) publicly acknowledge mental health struggles.
7. Therapy Isn’t Just Talking
She incorporates nonverbal tools like:
Play therapy
Sand tray therapy
Sound healing
Somatic movement
Yoga
These help clients who can’t articulate their emotions—especially those conditioned to suppress them.
8. Human Connection Still Matters—even in an AI World
Marsha is open to exploring AI in mental health but insists that physical presence, touch, and human empathy are irreplaceable.
Notable Quotes (from the transcript) On her calming presence
“I think laughter is good for the soul… just being able to find peace has been really big for me… It’s just a God‑given talent.”
On coping mechanisms
“As long as I had some type of music or some form of therapy… I could navigate any stressful environment.”
On cooking as therapy (reflecting Rushion’s habits)
“You’re creating new neural pathways… recalibrating your nervous system.”
On intentional healing
“Yoga and massages can be therapeutic, but you have to be intentional.”
On the purpose of the FELT Experience
“In order to release whatever your body is experiencing, you have to have a felt experience.”
On the challenge of transformation
“We are used to chaos… but we’re not used to healed environments.”
On the evolution of her practice
“I wanted to understand the whole person… and help them change the dial on their dashboard to fit their calling.”
On mental health in the Black community
“People perceive admission as a flaw… but healing is about understanding your story.”
On creating safe spaces
“By creating a space of safety and healing… people get to live the life they desired and not a life from survival.”
#SHMS #BEST #STRAW
Support the show: https://www.steveharveyfm.com/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning!
Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Jennifer Ledwith.
She is the founder of Scholar Ready, whose mission is to help students excel in standardized testing and scholarship applications.
🔑 Key Themes & Highlights
The Inspiration Behind Scholar Ready
Ledwith founded Scholar Ready after realizing many students struggled with scholarships due to weak essay-writing skills.
She personally secured scholarships to fund her college education, graduating with minimal student debt.

The Importance of Standardized Test Preparation
Scholar Ready helps students prepare for PSAT, SAT, and ACT exams to unlock scholarship opportunities.
Ledwith emphasized that test scores are crucial for college admissions and financial aid.

Overcoming Barriers to Higher Education
Many students fear essay writing and test-taking, limiting their scholarship potential.
Ledwith’s program provides personalized tutoring to build confidence and improve scores.

Scholarship Application Strategies
Students must research scholarship providers and tailor their essays accordingly.
She advises applicants to highlight unique qualities beyond grades and test scores.

Encouraging Persistence & Resilience
Ledwith stresses that rejection is part of the scholarship process and should not discourage students.
She encourages students to apply widely and refine their applications based on feedback.

📘 About Jennifer Ledwith
Jennifer Ledwith is an education entrepreneur dedicated to helping students succeed in college admissions and scholarship applications. Through Scholar Ready, she provides tutoring and workshops to improve test scores and essay-writing skills, ensuring students have the financial resources to pursue higher education.
#BEST
#STRAW
#SHMS
Support the show: https://www.steveharveyfm.com/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning!
Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Monica Cornitcher.
Entrepreneurial journey, the inspiration behind Medase Cocktails, and the realities of launching, funding, and scaling a premium nonalcoholic spirits brand in a highly competitive market.
Purpose of the Conversation
The purpose of the episode is to:
Educate aspiring entrepreneurs on how to build a differentiated consumer brand
Demonstrate the importance of storytelling, market clarity, and operational discipline
Highlight the growth of the nonalcoholic / zero‑proof beverage movement
Inspire founders—especially founders of color—to own their niche, seek capital strategically, and scale intentionally.
Key Takeaways 1. Business Built from Personal Need and Purpose
Medase Cocktails was co‑founded by Monica and her lifelong friend during her friend’s battle with breast cancer, a time when alcohol was no longer an option—but celebration still mattered.
The brand was created to allow people to celebrate authentically without alcohol
It carries emotional depth rooted in friendship, gratitude, and loss
Monica continues the mission after her co‑founder passed away in 2024
Lesson: Purpose-driven businesses create deeper emotional connection and long-term brand equity.
2. Differentiation Is Everything
Monica deliberately rejected the “sparkling water with flavor” model common in nonalcoholic drinks.
Her differentiators include:
Authentic cocktail taste (Old Fashioned, Margarita, Moscow Mule)
Organic juices, not artificial flavors
Bold packaging that stands out on shelves
Drinks designed to smell, taste, and feel like real cocktails
Lesson: Competing on authenticity—not cost—is how you carve out market share in crowded spaces.
3. Brand Names and Stories Matter
The name “Medase” means “thank you” and reflects gratitude, friendship, and emotional support.
Monica emphasizes:
Every flavor name, color, and product decision has a story
A strong brand narrative creates curiosity, loyalty, and investor interest
Lesson: People invest in brands they feel—emotionally, not just intellectually.
4. Venture Capital Is Not Just About Numbers
While financials matter, Monica stresses that VCs also invest in founders and stories.
What helped her secure venture capital:
A compelling personal story
Relevant founder skill sets (M&A, law, operations)
Clear understanding of the market opportunity
Lesson: Early-stage funding often depends on who you are and why you’re building, not just revenue.
5. Research, Planning, and Discipline Before Launch
Unlike many food startups, Medase did not begin in a kitchen.
They:
Conducted a feasibility study
Built a formal business plan
Worked with a Black female food scientist
Set strict personal funding limits before seeking capital
Lesson: Preparation reduces risk and builds long-term sustainability.
6. Scaling Requires Operational Maturity
As sales increased—especially on Amazon—Monica emphasized the need to move from “hustle mode” to operational excellence.
Key scaling principles:
Understand unit economics
Track ROI for events and activations
Adjust pricing as volume increases
Build strategy across marketing, operations, and distribution
Lesson: Hustle starts the business; operations grow it.
7. Niche First, Expansion Later
Medase does not try to be “everything to everyone.”
Core customers include:
People seeking a break from alcohol
Health-conscious consumers
Black men looking for alcohol replacements
Consumers wanting cocktail taste without hangovers
Lesson: Strong niches create loyal advocates who fuel organic growth.
8. Smart Distribution Strategy
Rather than rushing into retail, Monica prioritized direct-to-consumer channels:
Amazon (top-performing channel)
Brand website
TikTok Shop
Only after 6–7 months of traction did retail expansion become viable.
Lesson: Control your margins and demand before entering expensive retail environments.
Memorable Quotes
“I wanted an authentic cocktail without compromise.”
“Everything we do has a story behind it.”
“Sometimes it’s not about the financials—it’s about the founder and the story.”
“Don’t be everything to everybody. Find your market and stick with your market.”
“Hustle starts the business, but operations give you scale.”
“If it tastes too much like alcohol and you gave me a one-star review—thank you. That means I did my job.”
Overall Message
This episode is a real-world entrepreneurial blueprint showing how clarity of vision, emotional authenticity, disciplined planning, and niche focus can turn a personal idea into a scalable national brand.
Monica Cornitcher exemplifies the modern founder:
visionary, data-aware, emotionally intelligent, and unapologetically authentic.
#SHMS #BEST #STRAW
Support the show: https://www.steveharveyfm.com/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning!
Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Dr. Bisa Lewis.
🎯 Purpose of the Interview
To spotlight the challenges and opportunities within the teaching profession, especially post-COVID, and to empower educators to leverage their skills for financial growth beyond the classroom. Dr. Besa shares her journey, insights, and strategies for educators to supplement their income while maintaining their passion for teaching.
🗝️ Key Takeaways 1. Educators Are Undervalued Yet Essential
Teachers are underpaid and often disrespected despite their critical role in shaping future generations.
COVID briefly highlighted their importance, but systemic undervaluation persists.
2. Mental Wellness and Structure Matter
Dr. Bisa emphasizes morning meditation, prayer, and silence to manage stress and set the tone for her day.
She avoids early meetings and uses Mondays and Fridays for planning and reflection.
3. Education Credentials Open Doors
Dr. Bisa holds four degrees and explains that credentials often determine access to influential spaces.
Degrees help gain respect and credibility, especially in leadership and public speaking roles.
4. The Paid Method for Educators
Dr. Besa developed the PAID Method to help educators monetize their skills:
P – Prospects: Who will pay for your skills?
A – Allies: Who can support your journey?
I – Information: What do you need to know?
D – Dollars: How much can you earn?
5. Teachers Can Earn Beyond the Classroom
Through coaching, curriculum development, speaking engagements, and grant writing.
Dr. Bisa’s curriculum is used in 30 states, showcasing how educators can scale their expertise.
6. AI and Education
AI should be embraced, not feared.
It won’t replace teachers but will transform education by shifting focus from theory to practice.
Educators must adapt and use technology to enhance learning and remain competitive.
7. Cultural and Economic Empowerment
Dr. Bisa advocates for Black educators and communities to overcome systemic barriers by embracing innovation.
She warns against fear-based resistance to technology and encourages strategic adoption.
💬 Notable Quotes
“It’s time to stop reading other people’s success stories and start living your own.” – Rushion McDonald
“Sometimes those papers just help you get in the room.” – Dr. Bisa
“Stop being afraid, stop being oppressed, and make sure that whatever comes out, you figure out how you can use it.” – Dr. Bisa
“Guide learning. That is what we should do.” – Dr. Bisa
“Consistency is what people gain trust in.” – Rushion McDonald
🌐 Resources Mentioned
Website: DrBisa.com
Podcast: The Paid Educator Podcast
Social Media: Consistent handles across platforms under “DrBisa”
#SHMS #STRAW #BEST
Support the show: https://www.steveharveyfm.com/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.