We’re halfway through Black Business Month, and the stories being shared are nothing short of powerful. ✨

This week, I’m spotlighting several entrepreneurs who are courageously sharing their money stories — the pivots, the lessons, and the breakthroughs that come with building revenue-generating businesses.

• Latoya Dixon Smith, One Union StudiosHow listening to her customers’ real needs reshaped her creative studio — and why she’s exploring the legacy of passing her business down through generations.

  
  

• Felicia GopaulA financial expert reminding us that women will control $30 trillion in assets within the next decade — and why it’s critical to build systems that bring peace, confidence, and predictable cash flow.

  
  

• Patrice Chappelle, MelanBrand SkinBuilding a skincare line with her son and learning the hard truth: sales don’t always equal cash flow. Her lesson on managing costs, shipping, and packaging is one every founder needs.

  
  

• Ponchtita Lanoue, PONCH CosmeticsOn resilience, turning over “every rock,” and solving the bigger problem of why Black women’s beauty products still only take up 2% of shelf space.

  
  

• Kayla Life, RebrandLand AiRaising the alarm on AI in the nonprofit world — and the hidden vulnerabilities that come with speed and efficiency without proper safeguards.

  
  

Every story shared is another piece of wisdom, another reminder that entrepreneurship isn’t linear — it’s about adapting, innovating, and finding the model that works for you.

This series is about truth-telling, legacy, and building with intention.

👉🏾 Check out all the spotlights on our blog: blazegroup.io/blog

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Resources to Support You:

→ Subscribe to the Weekly Newsletter: Get Legacy Notes, podcast drops, blogs, and tools straight to your inbox. blazegroup.io/newsletter

→ Finance Education for Entrepreneurs: Master your cash flow, build resilient revenue, and grow sustainably. blazegroup.io/entrepreneurs

→ Finance Education for Entrepreneur Support Organizations: Equip your entrepreneurs with the tools they need to thrive. blazegroup.io/enterprise

→ Finance Education for Colleges & Fintech Innovators: Empower the next generation of economic leaders. blazegroup.io/fintech

→ Book a 1:1 Strategy Session: Need tailored support for your next business breakthrough? Let’s work together. blazegroup.io/session

→ Sponsor an Episode: Want your mission featured on Blaze Group Radio? We partner with aligned brands and orgs. blazegroup.io/sponsor

In this episode of Blaze Group Radio, we’re pulling back the curtain on a powerful yet under-discussed loan product for business owners: Accounts Receivables Financing.

If you’ve ever sent an invoice with a future payment date — whether for a consulting retainer, wholesale order, or service contract — you’re sitting on an asset that can be leveraged for early cash. Accounts Receivables Financing lets you get paid now while your customer still pays later.

I break down:

• What Accounts Receivables Financing is and how it works.
• Real-life examples (like Bill.com, Stripe, and QuickBooks) that make the process seamless.
• Why this solution is a healthy alternative to chasing grants or giving away equity.
• How financial innovators can build and offer this solution to the communities they serve.

This episode isn’t just for founders — it’s also for fintech builders and capital providers looking to create credit products that actually work for our communities.

📌 Key takeaway: We don’t have to wait for permission to design (or use) financial tools that meet our actual needs. The solutions already exist — and we can make sure they are in all of our hands.

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Resources to Support You:

→ Subscribe to the Weekly Newsletter: Get Legacy Notes, podcast drops, blogs, and tools straight to your inbox. blazegroup.io/newsletter

→ Finance Education for Entrepreneurs: Master your cash flow, build resilient revenue, and grow sustainably. blazegroup.io/entrepreneurs

→ Finance Education for Entrepreneur Support Organizations: Equip your entrepreneurs with the tools they need to thrive. blazegroup.io/enterprise

→ Finance Education for Colleges & Fintech Innovators: Empower the next generation of economic leaders. blazegroup.io/fintech

→ Book a 1:1 Strategy Session: Need tailored support for your next business breakthrough? Let’s work together. blazegroup.io/session

→ Sponsor an Episode: Want your mission featured on Blaze Group Radio? We partner with aligned brands and orgs. blazegroup.io/sponsor

In this week’s episode of Blaze Group Radio, we’re celebrating Black Business Month with our Tell Your (Money) Story series.

I share my own story — growing up in a community where we sold World’s Finest Chocolate in elementary school to raise money for big field trips. Whether it was Williamsburg, VA or Washington, D.C., we knew the key to success: give ourselves time.

That’s the difference between what we experienced then and what we often face today — urgency and scarcity manufactured by industrialized finance. Whether it’s quick crowdfunding pushes or pressure-filled loan cycles, the race against the clock can create more risk than reward.

There’s greater safety in pacing ourselves. And there’s power in sharing our stories so others can see different ways forward.

This month, I’ve been highlighting incredible money stories from across our community — and I want to hear yours.

💬 Submit Your Story
Visit blazegroup.io/blog and open any article in the Tell Your (Money) Story series. At the end, you’ll find the link to share your own journey.

Let’s take the time to learn from one another, to see ourselves in each other’s paths, and to keep building what’s ours. 🌿

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Resources to Support You:

→ Subscribe to the Weekly Newsletter: Get Legacy Notes, podcast drops, blogs, and tools straight to your inbox. blazegroup.io/newsletter

→ Finance Education for Entrepreneurs: Master your cash flow, build resilient revenue, and grow sustainably. blazegroup.io/entrepreneurs

→ Finance Education for Entrepreneur Support Organizations: Equip your entrepreneurs with the tools they need to thrive. blazegroup.io/enterprise

→ Finance Education for Colleges & Fintech Innovators: Empower the next generation of economic leaders. blazegroup.io/fintech

→ Book a 1:1 Strategy Session: Need tailored support for your next business breakthrough? Let’s work together. blazegroup.io/session

→ Sponsor an Episode: Want your mission featured on Blaze Group Radio? We partner with aligned brands and orgs. blazegroup.io/sponsor

Today’s episode is a short but powerful look into a capital-raising strategy you might be overlooking: round-up contributions.

Casey explores how entrepreneurs and finance innovators can unlock everyday dollars from their own communities — not through large checks or flashy fundraisers, but by rounding up spare change from daily transactions.

This regenerative strategy aligns with how people already spend and invites supporters into a sustainable loop of ownership, economic mobility, and mutual investment. When used intentionally, it becomes a powerful model for circulating capital within our communities — not just through them.If you're building for your people, let your people build with you. 🤎

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Resources to Support You:

→ Subscribe to the Weekly Newsletter: Get Legacy Notes, podcast drops, blogs, and tools straight to your inbox. blazegroup.io/newsletter

→ Finance Education for Entrepreneurs: Master your cash flow, build resilient revenue, and grow sustainably. blazegroup.io/entrepreneurs

→ Finance Education for Entrepreneur Support Organizations: Equip your entrepreneurs with the tools they need to thrive. blazegroup.io/enterprise

→ Finance Education for Colleges & Fintech Innovators: Empower the next generation of economic leaders. blazegroup.io/fintech

→ Book a 1:1 Strategy Session: Need tailored support for your next business breakthrough? Let’s work together. blazegroup.io/session

→ Sponsor an Episode: Want your mission featured on Blaze Group Radio? We partner with aligned brands and orgs. blazegroup.io/sponsor

In today’s episode, Casey breaks down why financial technology (fintech) is important for entrepreneurs and funders alike.

Whether you’re building a startup or building community funds, this episode will help you understand how fintech is creating new paths for financial freedom, flexibility, and inclusion.

Casey shares real-world examples like Flex, which lets renters split payments based on their pay cycles, and SoLo Funds, a peer-to-peer lending platform where users set their own terms and lean on community capital. These innovations aren’t just convenient — they’re reshaping how money moves through historically excluded communities.

If you’re serious about shifting power and expanding access, tune in.

Resources Mentioned:

• ​Flex
• ​SoLo Funds

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Resources to Support You:

→ Subscribe to the Weekly Newsletter: Get Legacy Notes, podcast drops, blogs, and tools straight to your inbox. blazegroup.io/newsletter

→ Finance Education for Entrepreneurs: Master your cash flow, build resilient revenue, and grow sustainably. blazegroup.io/entrepreneurs

→ Finance Education for Entrepreneur Support Organizations: Equip your entrepreneurs with the tools they need to thrive. blazegroup.io/enterprise

→ Finance Education for Colleges & Fintech Innovators: Empower the next generation of economic leaders. blazegroup.io/fintech

→ Book a 1:1 Strategy Session: Need tailored support for your next business breakthrough? Let’s work together. blazegroup.io/session

→ Sponsor an Episode: Want your mission featured on Blaze Group Radio? We partner with aligned brands and orgs. blazegroup.io/sponsor

We're headed to the 2025 ESSENCE Festival, and we want to see you there!

Essence Festival in New Orleans is held every Fourth of July weekend. This year’s dates are Thursday, July 3 to Sunday, July 6, 2025. Daytime programming at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center is completely free and open to the public — no ticket required. You’ll also find tons of sponsor activations, brand lounges, and pop-up experiences throughout downtown New Orleans. BLAZE GROUP will hit the stages of the New Voices Village and the SOKO MRKT to share important insights and strategy related to entrepreneurial finance and fundraising.

See you next week!

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Resources to Support You:

→ Subscribe to the Weekly Newsletter: Get Legacy Notes, podcast drops, blogs, and tools straight to your inbox. ⁠blazegroup.io/newsletter⁠

→ Finance Education for Entrepreneurs: Master your cash flow, build resilient revenue, and grow sustainably. ⁠blazegroup.io/entrepreneurs⁠

→ Finance Education for Entrepreneur Support Organizations: Equip your entrepreneurs with the tools they need to thrive. ⁠blazegroup.io/enterprise⁠

→ Finance Education for Colleges & Fintech Innovators: Empower the next generation of economic leaders. ⁠blazegroup.io/fintech⁠

→ Book a 1:1 Strategy Session: Need tailored support for your next business breakthrough? Let’s work together. ⁠blazegroup.io/session⁠

→ Sponsor an Episode: Want your mission featured on Blaze Group Radio? We partner with aligned brands and orgs. ⁠blazegroup.io/sponsor⁠

Sales aren’t the full story. In this episode, Casey walks you through 4 clear signs that your business model may be broken — or simply overdue for a strategic upgrade.

If you're making money but not keeping it, constantly stressed about cash, or stuck in a business that can’t run without you — this one’s for you.

What You’ll Learn:

• How low profit margins quietly erode sustainability
• What cash burn tells you about your business model
• Why founder-reliance limits growth (and how to fix it)
• How to reconnect your offer to real customer value

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Resources to Support You:

→ Subscribe to the Weekly Newsletter: Get Legacy Notes, podcast drops, blogs, and tools straight to your inbox. blazegroup.io/newsletter

→ Finance Education for Entrepreneurs: Master your cash flow, build resilient revenue, and grow sustainably. blazegroup.io/entrepreneurs

→ Finance Education for Entrepreneur Support Organizations: Equip your entrepreneurs with the tools they need to thrive. blazegroup.io/enterprise

→ Finance Education for Colleges & Fintech Innovators: Empower the next generation of economic leaders. blazegroup.io/fintech

→ Book a 1:1 Strategy Session: Need tailored support for your next business breakthrough? Let’s work together. blazegroup.io/session

→ Sponsor an Episode: Want your mission featured on Blaze Group Radio? We partner with aligned brands and orgs. blazegroup.io/sponsor

This week, I’m helping the Blaze Community understand what cash burn actually is — and how to manage it like a pro.

We cover:

• What “burn rate” means (and how to track it)

• The difference between gross and net burn

• Why your cash runway determines your survival window

• How to reduce your burn without killing your growth

• The one metric every founder needs to know: Minimum Cash Position

If you’re not tracking these numbers, you’re building blind.

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Resources to Support You:

→ Subscribe to the Weekly Newsletter: Get Legacy Notes, podcast drops, blogs, and tools straight to your inbox. blazegroup.io/newsletter

→ Finance Education for Entrepreneurs: Master your cash flow, build resilient revenue, and grow sustainably. blazegroup.io/entrepreneurs

→ Finance Education for Entrepreneur Support Organizations: Equip your entrepreneurs with the tools they need to thrive. blazegroup.io/enterprise

→ Finance Education for Colleges & Fintech Innovators: Empower the next generation of economic leaders. blazegroup.io/fintech

→ Book a 1:1 Strategy Session: Need tailored support for your next business breakthrough? Let’s work together. blazegroup.io/session

→ Sponsor an Episode: Want your mission featured on Blaze Group Radio? We partner with aligned brands and orgs. blazegroup.io/sponsor