Now & Center: Entrepreneurial Voices from the Margin

The Intersection of Education & Entertainment, Stage Fright, and Juneteenth Music Festival with Erica Wright, Founder, Community Rooted

May 31, 2022 Karen Bartlett Episode 6
Now & Center: Entrepreneurial Voices from the Margin
The Intersection of Education & Entertainment, Stage Fright, and Juneteenth Music Festival with Erica Wright, Founder, Community Rooted
Show Notes Transcript

Episode Description:  

In this episode, Karen talks with Erica Wright, Founder of Community Rooted, about the empowerment of owning her own company and the freedom of not being in predominantly white spaces.  They dive into the intersection of education and entertainment, and how it can be used to create social impact, as well as the realities of stage fright and imposter syndrome.  Connect with the Juneteenth Music Festival in Denver, CO.

Links:

Schedule an Exploratory Call with Karen: https://calendly.com/karenbartlett/30min

Learn more about Kite + Dart Group:  www.kiteanddartgroup.com

Register for an upcoming event:  https://www.eventbrite.com/o/the-kite-dart-group-16435043586

Learn more about Community Rooted:  communityrooted.com

Connect with Erica:  erica@communityrooted.com

Learn more about the Juneteenth Music Festival:  https://www.juneteenthmusicfestival.com/

Connect with Carin Huebner at Public Good Media:  publicgood.media

Original music credit goes to DJ Ishe:  https://soundcloud.com/ishe

00:00.00

kitedart

Yeah, woo, well hello everybody and welcome to this episode of now and center I have with me today someone I'm super super excited to have on with me her name is Erica Wright she's the founder of a business called community rooted.


00:00.00

Erica Wright

A little countdown three.


00:19.33

kitedart

And I met Erika Kaha it I think it was probably sometime last summer perhaps um during a workshop and I know that I'm pretty sure that you got to the workshop through saya which is. Just ah, an amazing human as well. And so as soon as we started talking. It was just like ok this makes perfect sense. Um, and and I just have always enjoyed any of our conversations I love the work that you're doing um so I'm super excited to just showcase you and what you're doing with the world. So. Erika. Thank you for being here. Yeah, this is gonna be so fun. So the first thing I'd love to just have you do because part of this is talking about business is to have you share with the world about community rooted I know there's also a lot of sort of overlap.


00:51.34

Erica Wright

Thank you Karen thank you for having me.


01:01.32

Erica Wright

Resume.


01:10.39

kitedart

With your business and some of the other work you do so you can share whatever you like um with us about that.


01:13.76

Erica Wright

Yeah, so at the heart of it. Community rooted. It's a public relations agency that's focused on amplifying social impact work through storytelling and creative content that means a lot of different things for different people. So it's kind of um. Just work in the consulting space communication realm for a lot of nonprofits in the area or for-profit businesses who are doing social impact work. So for me that means the juneteenth music festival here in Denver it means the holering group which is a blackowned real estate development company. Um, as well as my friend malika who owns a consulting company in the child welfare space.


01:56.85

kitedart

I Love that I love that um I really appreciate and even you know there's some different issue areas there and some of there's some overlap but I just really appreciate just how focused on contribution and community. You really are with the work that you do So thank you for that.


02:13.36

Erica Wright

Um, yes, it's It's fun.


02:16.82

kitedart

Yeah, so do you want to? I'm curious if you'd like to share with the world since you've got a platform here if you'd like to share. Maybe even a little more of the specifics of the kinds of things that you do for your clients.


02:28.44

Erica Wright

Yeah, so my background is definitely in community engagement work I studied communications with the background in public relations and I only chose that because I wanted to work with nonprofits like I knew that from the start at the essence I think I've always just really appreciated like. Strong brand messaging like when a message is short and clear so when a nonprofit literally exists to help somebody else like how can you not support that. Um so I just knew that my passion would be like locked in no matter what as long as I stayed in like that nonprofit space the older that I got. The more I realized hey it's not just nonprofits doing really strong impactful community engagement work. So I think I just decided to branch off a little bit start my own platform from which I could really be collaborating with multiple people. Um. And I made that big transition into just doing communityrooted. Ah who let's see it definitely started in the beginning of the pandemic I was already volunteering with the juneteth music festival for a few years but there in a pandemic the festival of course couldn't happen in person. We had to pivot to a virtual celebration and with everything that was going on ah with the the black lives matter movement and honestly just being in a pandemic 2 pandemics at once. Um I just realized this space of. Being able to use social media as a way to really educate our community and I wanted to start working with more brands to really have them utilize social media as like a revolutionary tool for change. So that's why I created community rooted.


04:09.18

kitedart

I love that nice nice I love that so appreciate the revolution right? Like yeah I know right? Oh my gosh. It's literally how like a five years ago this is not what I would have thought I'd be doing but that's literally why I'm here. It's like.


04:15.45

Erica Wright

Burn it all day.


04:24.90

Erica Wright

Yeah.


04:28.29

kitedart

Because Education was not the place that a revolution was happening at all I was sort of hoping to be part of that.


04:31.76

Erica Wright

Um, yeah, wo that was I don't know if I would have actually made the big shift to freelance work though if I wasn't working at a higher ed institution right? before like during the pandemic I was working at the University Of Denver and I don't know I just. Just felt like a hypocrite in a lot of ways and I was just like I'm tired of being in these predominantly white institutions like most of the places that I have worked have been predominantly white and I literally just wanted to like stop that in 2020 I was like no I am making this personal change for myself. So.


05:04.65

kitedart

Um I Love that good for you Good for you. That's so so nice. Um, it's yeah I'm with you on that and I so appreciate just the community that I get to work with and that it does not look.


05:18.40

Erica Wright

E.


05:23.57

kitedart

I mean I've worked in different places where it wasn't predominantly white and since I've been back in Denver that's been the deal. So holy got that? yeah yeah yeah yeah I mean I grew up in predominantly white spaces. So it just.


05:32.52

Erica Wright

Denver's a hard place to to not do that. Yeah, um.


05:40.48

kitedart

You know it's what it was for a long time until I moved to California and then it was like oh this is really cool c knows and like why did I move back like I there's things I love about Denver but then I'm also like oh like missed it anyway. Um.


05:46.88

Erica Wright

Boom. Yeah I also grew up in predominantly well like weird military nate my dad was in the navy so like born in Florida before even remember being able to travel moved to Spain. So I lived in Spain up until I was like.


05:57.75

kitedart

M.


06:09.20

Erica Wright

7 definitely a predominantly white space. Ah then we moved to Charleston South Carolina lived there for 3 years moved to italy so I was in italy for 3 years other predominantly white space and it wasn't until I moved back to Georgia I was like oh like.


06:11.50

kitedart

Um, yeah.


06:27.69

Erica Wright

Lincolnton Georgia where my dad grew up and I was like okay like this is different. This is cool I love the diversity of it because honestly living in military bases though like Dod schools. They're pretty diverse. There's a lot of people from different backgrounds at least the friend groups that I surrounded myself with um, but moving.


06:39.57

kitedart

I.


06:46.23

Erica Wright

Back to the Us that was probably like I don't know that was weird. That was my biggest culture shock That's a whole other story but moving back to the us after my dad retired from the military is the biggest culture shock I've probably ever experienced. Um.


06:59.30

kitedart

Wow Yeah, which is interesting um just given the diverse places that you've lived. That's that's just really interesting. But yeah, um.


07:09.31

Erica Wright

Yeah, well like I mean it's it's yes, I'm gonna talk about this of course like you grow up knowing like racism and all these things are a thing like you read about it slightly in books like not really um. And so like feel like I knew about it but I just hadn't lived it because I didn't live so much of my life in the Us growing up So like when I was finally here and I saw like oh all the white kids are still sitting on this side of the cafeteria and all the black kids are on this side and as a mixed kid I'm like where the hell am I supposed to go like this is weird like that's culture shock to me.


07:26.59

kitedart

And.


07:39.31

kitedart

Um, yeah, yeah, yeah, interesting yeah makes perfect sense makes perfect sense. Okay, so there's I'm like.


07:43.67

Erica Wright

And never seen that so drastically before.


07:54.00

Erica Wright

M.


07:58.70

kitedart

We could totally dive into this and we could talk about this for the horrors the time and supposedly this is about business. So but um I think what I'd love to ask you to share a little bit about right is that I know with um with the community engagement work that you do right? and and the difference that you're really trying to make.


08:02.50

Erica Wright

Evening.


08:16.93

kitedart

In the world right? is that um you really like to look at the intersection of entertainment and education. So would you mind just sharing with us um a little bit about that.


08:21.81

Erica Wright

Um, yeah, so like 1 of my biggest passion projects is definitely the juneteenth music festival. Um, it was through an episode of blackish. Ah that I learned about juneteenth like I had not.


08:33.55

kitedart

Um, and have.


08:41.20

Erica Wright

I didn't know what the June I didn't know what the holiday was I had heard it in reference before but never really understood it. Um, so as soon as I watched that episode I called my dad and I was just like yo like why didn't you ever tell me about juneteenth like fourth of July is not our independence day and he's like oh I didn't know and that.


08:58.41

kitedart

May.


08:58.56

Erica Wright

Case for so many people in Georgia like in the bogo vault south this is just not something that they teach you so to move out here to a state that was so white and then they had this whole festival I'm like how can I not be a part of it. Um. I think that's where I really started to like more clearly define like realize like oh it's because it's the education and the entertainment like that combination of both creates like it's impactful like it's social impact work if you can perfect that balance of keeping people entertained enough while also educating them like. Ah, something that you learn and hire at too like it's something you learn in the entertainment world but being in a space where you're trying to mend the 2 together I think takes a lot of strategy which is where it's really helpful to have like an outsider looking in.


09:42.56

kitedart

Very cool I love that I love that I've really, um, it just has me thinking about um I've been I've been reading some Adrian Marie Brown lately and the whole idea of like pleasure activism and how. Um, how important it is for us to um to have pleasure to to celebrate to you know those kinds of things and that that it just as you were talking about it I was just kind of.


10:17.91

Erica Wright

And then.


10:18.44

kitedart

Reflecting on that a little bit and and I really appreciate how? um because it's like education and entertainment and then but it's It's also activism in my mind right? And so um I think that.


10:27.10

Erica Wright

Um, but I somehow have managed to make it somewhat of a business model for myself. So it's perfect.


10:36.30

kitedart

I Love it. I think it's brilliant I think it's brilliant I Absolutely love that and and it's funny because well this kind of starts to mesh into I think one of the things that I know you felt like has been one of the biggest challenges in starting a business. So if you don't mind can do you share with us what you feel has been the biggest challenge for you and I feel like there's some overlap in this whole idea of the model.


11:00.31

Erica Wright

Yeah, um I have definitely been doing a lot of projects through community rooted whether it's through the hauling group or juneteen music Festival and um and others I just haven't launched my own community rooted Brand Publicly in a way. Um. Like a lot of like smaller circles and my friends or like coworkers like know about it. But I Honestly think it's partly due to a fear of being overwhelmed with the amount of work that might come and also a bigger factor in it is stage fright like. I have stage fry I've always had it I don't know why sometimes I chose to go into the public relations field when it's public facing but that's just what I also love doing So. It's kind of this constant state of fear sometimes which yeah maybe it's adrenaline that I get out of it I don't know.


11:48.17

kitedart

Yeah. Ah, you're in adrenaline Jonkie Okay I didn't know that about you just kidding. Um, so and I and I do want to have you know we were gonna we were gonna have a little coaching a mini coaching session around this but before that like I just.


11:54.47

Erica Wright

For me.


12:10.50

kitedart

Um, and maybe this is part of it right? but but I get what you're saying in terms of like not launching it and I'd also just really like remind you that even though.


12:18.54

Erica Wright

Who.


12:27.86

kitedart

The role you play in this work right? There's the community rooted work that you're doing for these organizations and then there's other work right? that is has to do more with the programming and and that kind of thing but that it's.


12:33.73

Erica Wright

Um, right.


12:43.64

kitedart

And and maybe you'll have clients where you don't do both of those pieces right? It's just the community rooted part but like you're really doing it right? You're really doing it and to your point there's I get the being overwhelmed in terms of um, being able to handle the load like if you go public with this like.


12:45.20

Erica Wright

We will.


13:03.20

kitedart

You may all of a sudden um end up going public I'm going to say in quote quote quotation marks there right? like but that that you could get so much work and and scaling is another whole conversation and like you're really doing it already in that stage right? I think.


13:07.51

Erica Wright

Um.


13:13.79

Erica Wright

Right.


13:21.43

kitedart

Makes sense but like the people that you're doing this work for love you and they love the work that you're doing for them and I just really appreciate how naturally like I know you made the choice to leave higher Ed and go into this but it's.. It's also like you didn't even need to launch in a way because it was so natural how it happened if that makes sense.


13:43.75

Erica Wright

Yeah's so yeah, no I explain it to people as like it's just been organic like it's been an an organic growth. It's also the type of when it comes to like social media I still believe in organic like social media strategy is just stay true to the essence of. What you're doing and the growth will come and I feel like that's just like what's been happening like from 1 from juneteenth that grew to my connection to the hollering group through Norman Harris through my work volunteering with nine health. Few years ago like that grew to my work with my friend malika who I met on the young professionals board. So I'm comfortable with organic growth that has taken place because I also feel like it's just steering me in the direction of people who I should be working with it's people who I'm meeting in the community that are doing the work. Versus it being something that somebody can just Google and find me just doesn't feel I don't feel less connected to that. Sometimes.


14:38.54

kitedart

Yeah, yeah, and I love that I mean and and we've worked together right? So so you know where I come from in that and and I think that that organic nature of it. Um, it is the best way to go. It's where you get that alignment right? and and then we've talked before about how um.


14:44.67

Erica Wright

Movement.


14:52.58

Erica Wright

Okay.


14:58.50

kitedart

You know one of the the biggest predicators of conversion is alignment to commitments right to values and we call them source commitments around here. You know that language. But for other folks, right? It's similar to values. It's it's the difference. We're committed to creating in the world and that's what you it's.


15:11.16

Erica Wright

Um, yeah.


15:16.18

kitedart

That's what you've done so naturally and so organically and that is the best way to grow and so even this idea of needing a launch is like you don't really even need it right? It's just happening and through all of this community work that you're doing. You know you you will continue to be meeting other people. Who who will be the right people for you to work with and will bring new New Jobs new projects.


15:39.12

Erica Wright

Yeah, and I've also like through the work that I've done with you I've definitely also realized that like what I want to launch is more of a specific like 1 ne-time service or like a product of some sort when I do launch just because I don't want to take on the extra work of.


15:52.27

kitedart

And.


15:57.87

Erica Wright

Like I rather just stick to like here's the strategy like I'll work with the program manager to like get it done because I think with that organicite growth also started like a whole bunch of little cs that I'm like oh now they're growing and I have to tend to them like I didn't get somebody else to help tend to them first and that's where I'm making sure like I pause before i.


16:02.36

kitedart

Um, yeah.


16:17.36

kitedart

Yeah, yeah I love that and well and it goes back to one of those conversations that we've had too about how um you know women in particular um people of color.


16:17.70

Erica Wright

Take that jump.


16:34.20

kitedart

Have been. We've been conditioned right to be all about our labor right? The use of our bodies is what people have wanted from us and it's not very valued right? and I think that a lot of.


16:40.54

Erica Wright

Both.


16:51.33

kitedart

A lot of times. It's super easy for us and I'll speak for myself I'll you know speak in I statements that this has been true for me is that if I'm not being productive if if my labor is not involved that I feel like I'm not doing anything right? But that.


17:06.53

Erica Wright

Here.


17:11.24

kitedart

Being the one who comes in and does the strategy being the one who write you're you're sharing what you know with people and that that is highly highly highly valuable. We just haven't been conditioned to believe that that's what's valuable right? So I do really really appreciate that that.


17:23.16

Erica Wright

Right? um.


17:29.90

kitedart

That you're that you're being very intentional about looking at how you can do that? Um, because I think that's a huge gift and then you can choose to be the one who's taking those actions when you want you know? for example with Juneteenth great. But that that's not what you need to do for all your clients.


17:44.89

Erica Wright

Right? I don't have the time like if I could I would but I just don't have the time for that and I think at the end of the day too like you know, like the reason that I made the jump to wanting to do freelance work was like I want to build wealth for myself and my own family and I know that.


17:48.30

kitedart

Yeah, right? um.


18:04.83

Erica Wright

And I knew that like staying in the nonprofit space like unfortunately it just doesn't pay well like I was living I live in a very expensive city and I'm like if I don't have a platform that I can really like get some profit off of my own that's mine like I don't know where I'm going staying in Denver.


18:09.14

kitedart

Yeah.


18:20.92

kitedart

Yeah, yeah, so true hallelujah to that right? and it's so funny because I'm like kind of in the anti-capitalist and yet I'm a business coaching consultant and I also like to make money. So um.


18:25.73

Erica Wright

Um, now.


18:33.61

Erica Wright

Yeah.


18:38.66

kitedart

And we deserve it. We deserve it right? You deserve it I deserve it. We do.


18:39.58

Erica Wright

Yes, and more people need to be I feel like there's so many so many people have such great ideas and they could be entrepreneurs and it's again like that jump just like having to take that jump to actually just do it like.


18:46.74

kitedart

Um, yeah, yeah.


18:55.18

kitedart

Yeah, just do it totally totally? Yeah, so and and and you did right? and I know that that's been like 1 of the scariest things is that you did and there's still another sort of um.


18:55.77

Erica Wright

Just do it like I know Nike's got a great slogan just do it. Okay.


19:13.20

kitedart

Phase to that right or another piece to where you want to go with that right? and so and you're still, you're still working that out and um I think that you know we we did talk about this recently right? that that.


19:16.60

Erica Wright

Yeah.


19:30.20

kitedart

Once you get through juneteenth this year right like that's just getting started ramping up right that you've got a lot of ideas and plans and right it's just a matter of having the space to do it and then you know I think the other thing I'd say about that which again we've talked about it. It leads into that whole conversation of scaling.


19:47.98

Erica Wright

Here.


19:49.77

kitedart

And how to do that. Also in an intentional way that is really true to you and who you are and what you're doing with community rooted. So um.


19:58.27

Erica Wright

Yeah, and I think I've also been in a space lately where I'm realizing. It's not just my work that scaled it's the work of the businesses that I'm working with so I've had to you know recently I've had to take a step back to being like.


20:07.42

kitedart

Um, yeah.


20:13.51

Erica Wright

Is this really something that I need to scale in community rooted or is this something that they need to be scaling in XYZ um it's been mainly the other way around so being able to just like stop and be like oh I actually don't need a.


20:18.94

kitedart

Um, yeah.


20:26.82

Erica Wright

That doesn't need to be somebody that I have on a community rooted team that needs to be a program manager for Hol Orin or that needs to be a program entertainment manager for juneteenth. Um, so I feel like in a way it's it's not just growing my own business. It's growing these other businesses.


20:44.93

kitedart

Yeah.


20:45.60

Erica Wright

Along with me because strategic communications has to align with a business plan like if there's not a business plan and clear objectives within it like 1 am I communicating I don't know what you're doing so I usually base my messaging strategies and programs around a business plan and.


20:56.29

kitedart

Yeah.


21:03.55

Erica Wright

They're effective. So of course we both grow.


21:04.40

kitedart

Yeah, yeah, I love that I love that and and I think the other thing that I pull out of what you just said there too. Um is how important boundaries are right and I think that it is so common in the first few years of a business. For people to let the scope of what they're doing creep out right? and it's there's a lot of like saying yes to things either because you know we feel uncomfortable saying no because we feel like you know we have to say yes to keep a client happy because we are.


21:25.96

Erica Wright

Me b.


21:42.10

kitedart

Afraid of of outsourcing because that means that's money out of our pocket right? like I think there's a lot of things that go into it and I think that the sooner we can learn to have boundaries and really stick to the work that we're really great at and that we really love it really gives us more opportunity to have a bigger impact. Um, to make a bigger difference and and and that it's okay to have those boundaries. It's okay to tell a client. No. Um, otherwise I think that we can get into a space of either just being really unhappy or burned out or you know what have you and.


22:08.43

Erica Wright

And.


22:20.80

kitedart

And that's not conducive to staying in business for very long. Yeah, um so let me ask this here.


22:21.46

Erica Wright

Right? mm.


22:35.71

kitedart

The the we were gonna have the coaching conversation around stage frights in a very public field right? and so we talked about it a little bit sort of from a business standpoint is there more that you want to say about that.


22:41.24

Erica Wright

But you.


22:52.64

kitedart

Particular issue. Yeah yeah, the stage fright being you know? ah.


22:52.69

Erica Wright

Stage right? or just that sweaty.


23:01.41

kitedart

Hey.


23:02.15

Erica Wright

But oh yeah, it's I don't know um I think I am someone I Just I don't mind it When. It's a very clear message that I know what I'm communicating I don't like it in the entertainment sense of like hosting something in that way like publicly like I don't think I've ever just liked feeling like I have to put on an act for something.


23:35.36

kitedart

Okay, yeah.


23:38.40

Erica Wright

So I feel like sometimes when you're in that moderator role or facilitator role or like public facing role of an event or program instead of the behind the scenes work of organizing it feel like there's certain things you can't say and I'm not want to bit my tongue. So sometimes I just like I just.


23:52.99

kitedart

And.


23:58.80

Erica Wright

Purposely take myself away from that situation to like have somebody else in that public speaking role because if my mouth doesn't say it. My face says it and I sometimes I'm a little scared of what might come out of my mouth.


24:09.64

kitedart

Got it some super curious like are there. Do you have any examples of like maybe where you were in a public space and you felt like you couldn't say something or you were concerned like I'm kind of.


24:26.55

Erica Wright

um yeah um I think they've been said and it's always been in like smaller group settings. That's just what my comfort level is in terms of public speaking and like a small group or 1 on one I'm just way more comfortable with that than like a large crowd.


24:27.30

kitedart

Because I feel like honestly saying those things is like freakin' Sam like they need to be set up.


24:46.40

Erica Wright

So I think there's two sides of it. There's like yes I'm scared of what might come out of my mouth but there's still that like just pure stage fright status like I get right before it. Um.


24:53.71

kitedart

Any.


24:59.56

Erica Wright

Remember in theater even in high school and I took theater class like I wanted to be doing all the behind the scenes backdrop stuff I didn't want to be the one like onstage I'll help with makeup and costumes like I've always just been more comfortable with the behind the scenes work That's what also like really drew me to public relations like I remember at 1 point my professor saying like good public relations goes unnoticed and I'm like down that's me noticed in the back.


25:26.66

kitedart

Um, if yeah, yeah, well and I mean I think that there's a couple pieces to that right? 1 is part of what you said earlier is that you as you. Go more public with community rooted right? and and actually put it out there more um in it, you still really are you're just doing it in a very organic way and again. So I just want to always like acknowledge and have you acknowledge what you are actually doing um and.


25:45.11

Erica Wright

Um.


25:59.40

kitedart

For this next part of things right? It sounds like you really do want to focus more on the strategy and some of the behind the scenes. Um, but I but I also think that it's really important to be out there in the way that works for us.


26:03.80

Erica Wright

And it.


26:17.63

kitedart

Okay, so for example, um, I'll use myself as an example, right? at kite and dart. Ah Nate always did um these these workshops right? Free workshops as a. As a way to to get the work out there and to meet new people and that kind of thing and me coming from the education side was like oh my gosh workshops are a perfect thing for me because um, it's it's kind of like teaching right? like it's it that makes perfect sense.


26:46.39

Erica Wright

1


26:49.98

kitedart

And what I found over time was that ah I'm like a highly sensitive person. So for me being in a big group I can do it and and I I don't I don't know that I really have that much stage stage right anymore I mean like if you put me on a stage in front of 1000 people I probably would be terrified.


27:08.19

Erica Wright

Even.


27:09.96

kitedart

But like doing workshops like I'm pretty comfortable with that. But it's also not my favorite way of interacting with people because it's really draining like I'm just I take in all that energy and so it's just kind of draining for me I like it but I also make him talk more than me because it's just.


27:28.67

Erica Wright

Yeah, um.


27:29.52

kitedart

A lot for me but doing the podcast I get to have a 1 on 1 conversation and that's one of my favorite things to do is 1 on 1 or small group like you're saying so I think that in in the education world right? We've been told.


27:34.30

Erica Wright

True. Oh.


27:45.58

kitedart

What we're supposed to do how we're supposed to do it What constitutes mastery and whenever we're not good enough. We're just told we have to work harder but in business I would really encourage you to rather than thinking about how you might have to change yourself look for what are the things that you can change externally to make it work for you.


27:52.33

Erica Wright

E.


28:04.95

kitedart

Right? So you're here today on a podcast with me. It's the 2 of us having a conversation. Maybe there was some nerves ahead of time but is this scary I'm kind of scary I know but now but you know so it's just I know I'm so.


28:08.98

Erica Wright

Right? no.


28:19.93

Erica Wright

Terrifying? yeah.


28:22.69

kitedart

But it's so it's just like you know, thinking about what are the ways that you can still sort of be out there in the world but doing it in a way that works for you I don't know if that gave you any thoughts ideas we've had this conversation before but.


28:30.88

Erica Wright

Right.


28:36.37

Erica Wright

Yeah, we've had this conversation I Definitely once I get to that place of somewhat more comfort or honestly probably just after juneteenth more time in my life.


28:47.84

kitedart

Yeah, yeah.


28:50.34

Erica Wright

Definitely want to launch interviews through community rooted I feel like through the work that I'm doing I'm meeting so many different change makers and different spaces and industries that um I definitely want to like capture some of these conversations and getting to know these people so. That's something that I see coming down the line. Um. Interviews because I just feel like yeah those one-on-one conversations like I am someone who's always been very curious. So I ask a lot of questions so in that way I feel like I'm a pretty good interviewer. Um, so I just need ah I just need to bite the bullet and do it honestly I know.


29:26.12

kitedart

Right.


29:28.52

Erica Wright

With more practice will come more comfort with for things like stage fright but it's still scary.


29:32.88

kitedart

Yeah, now it's I think that's fair I Think that's fair and you know to me it is just a matter of tapping into what it is. You're already great at and doing it in a way that makes it less scary right? like I still every time I'm getting ready to record a session of now and center I get little butterflies too. You know.


29:44.33

Erica Wright

Oh.


29:52.77

kitedart

And as soon as I start the conversation as soon as I'm on the call with fabulous people like you I'm like this is freaking fun I like this you know so.


30:01.14

Erica Wright

It's so funny too because I feel like I help so many other people get to a point of comfort so they can do it whether it's a live stream I'm hosting whether it's a webinar that I'm helping somebody with whether it's like the Youtube series and I was doing with my friend malika like.


30:05.41

kitedart

Yeah.


30:17.00

Erica Wright

They were ah so many people are so nervous. So I'm like oh you're going to be fine like don't worry about it. You got this and then when it comes to me I'm like I can't I'm sorry.


30:25.29

kitedart

You just need your own cheerleader there who's like you've got this, you're good right? That's all you need? yeah yeah I love it. Um, okay, anything else about that because I have 1 other thing I want to ask you about that I'm so excited.


30:29.62

Erica Wright

Um, oh I'll get there I will I will.


30:42.37

kitedart

Not I don't know about excited so curious to hear what you have to say but um, anything else.


30:44.39

Erica Wright

Wrong. Ah, no, but I definitely want to plug in more of my work with juneteenth and the holler and group I definitely want anyone listening to be involved. We have the juneteenth music festival coming up June seventeenth through Nineteenth this year here in Denver. So definitely be on the lookout and follow.


30:58.72

kitedart

Awesome.


31:08.46

Erica Wright

Ah, the June Teath music festival on Facebook and Ig and for anyone listening to this in Northeast Denver I ask that you really pay attention to what's happening at the park hill golf course and get involved with our reimagined project. There. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity to create life impacting assets and resources for a marginalized community so please pay attention.


31:29.98

kitedart

I Love that? Yes, yes, Yes, yes, um, okay, so this is this is just another topic and and we don't need to dive too deep into it but I am just curious um to have you would you share a little bit with us. About how being you know, having some different identities that are parts of historically excluded communities How that's impacted you as a business owner.


32:00.41

Erica Wright

Yeah, So I think for me at least there has always been some level of like imposter syndrome and like being a business owner because I've. Due to the lack of representation when you just don't see somebody else doing what you want to do that. Looks like you so part of you just thinks you can't do it. Um, thankfully I've always been just like if somebody tells me I can't do something like it makes me even want to do it even more. That's just been my attitude. So. Like out of my family I'm the first one that I'm aware of to like start a business like ever. Um, so that's been interesting in trying to explain it to my parents ah like what I'm doing when they're like what you started your own business like who do you work for I'm like I work for myself like I'm working with these other people and they just like don't get it because just. That's not even a luxury they were able to have um and exploring something like that for themselves. So I think just helping pave the way for other people who are interested in exploring being Entrepreneurs. Um. Minority Backgrounds I Think that's really what's motivating me to want to launch community rooted even though like I I feel you and what we were saying earlier like the organic growth I Almost don't need it but a part of me feels like with the activism piece I Really like need to do it to show other people like hey you know me and I was able to do this.


33:24.78

kitedart

I.


33:30.68

Erica Wright

Um, like it's funny. But even with like my curly hair remember I made the transition from straight haired to curly hair and like so many other girlfriends in my life and family friends like they started wearing their hair curly too asking like hey what products and stuff are you using? So like representation representation matters in like so many ways that um. Especially in this entrepreneur space I Want to see more women of color doing this work.


33:53.20

kitedart

Yeah, yeah, yeah I Totally I total fear you That's why I I'm I have this podcast um and and I yeah I think it's It's such a good point and I think it's interesting to kind of.


34:01.16

Erica Wright

Um.


34:11.51

kitedart

Bring this full circle to the most challenging part of starting the business has been sort of taking that big leap and being really public with it. Um, and then there's also the stage right? part of it of like literally like a being in front of people.


34:25.92

Erica Wright

Um, yeah.


34:30.11

kitedart

It feels to me like all of that is right like that's all kind of the same thing and it does have to do with that I mean I feel like to me I I like to name imposter syndrome as internalized oppression right? and that it really.


34:33.61

Erica Wright

Of 1


34:42.61

Erica Wright

O.


34:47.00

kitedart

I Feel like it comes from the space of always being told you're you're wrong, You're not what's right? You're less than you don't belong right? You brought that up earlier and me. Yeah, yeah.


34:56.60

Erica Wright

Are like nobody does that it's like okay well maybe I'm the nobody. Yeah.


35:04.23

kitedart

Nobody who looks like you does that you know and and so after a lifetime of that being the messages that we get. It's like of course we have imposter syndrome. Of course it's scary. Um, and.


35:14.94

Erica Wright

Um, but let me tell you and 2020 so many things were scary. Um I was even at the time before I left eu I was actually in the master of social justice and ethics program at ilif school of theology. Um.


35:32.92

kitedart

Aha.


35:34.20

Erica Wright

Well so I don't know if I ever gave you details of my time at eyeliff. But I'm not a very religious person so being in a very religious space in these social Justice and ethics classes like some of the most fascinating few months of like my education at least um, but there was this girl.


35:36.29

kitedart

No.


35:51.94

Erica Wright

Who we each had to do our intros and like share and when it came to her she shared like her tattoo. It was like do it with she had like do it with or she didn't show us but she had like do it with fear tattooed on her somewhere and.


36:02.31

kitedart

Um, ah.


36:05.87

Erica Wright

That tattoo and that conversation with her has stuck with me to this day and I feel like even to our conversation now like sometimes in life. There are things that you are meant to do like you are destined to do and that feels really scary like when you're like in it but you just got to do it with fear like you got to take a little courage and.


36:24.87

kitedart

Yeah I love that I love that so true. So true I I feel like for me right? and again I don't want to get into Jargon but source commitments. Um, which is to me a little bigger a little deeper than values is like.


36:25.10

Erica Wright

Do it with fear take the jump.


36:43.81

kitedart

That's the thing that gives me personally access to do it. Just do it with fear right? is that like I'm committed to creating a different world than the one that I grew up in and if I'm scared if I'm uncomfortable like oh well, you know.


36:46.98

Erica Wright

Over.


36:58.72

Erica Wright

Change Uncomfortable. So.


37:02.51

kitedart

Yeah I'm super uncomfortable with the way it is right now. So like Okay so what's a little more discomfort but in the service of something something better something different. You know? So yeah I Really like that. Okay.


37:05.66

Erica Wright

Yeah, yeah.


37:13.49

Erica Wright

Are you.


37:18.17

kitedart

1 last super quick thing I always like to end off with having people share. Will you tell me what entrepreneurial activism means to you Erica.


37:27.39

Erica Wright

Who What does entrepreneur activism mean to me for me since the business that I Grew is more in a consulting space for other businesses I think a big part of it is amplifying the voice of others. And helping them do it with fear because I know I'm not the only one that feels it I've seen it hands on like how others are feeling it too because social impact work means you're trying to create some change in this world and it's really uncomfortable sometimes but it's got to be done.


37:59.55

kitedart

Yeah I love that. Thank you I thank you for just being committed to that being dedicated to that because it makes it's a huge comfort to me knowing you're out there doing what you're doing right? So I really appreciate it. Ah, any. Let's see you already talked about Juneteenth. You want to share your website. We'll put it in the links for the show. But if you want to share your website with folks. Um, and then we'll wrap up.


38:20.40

Erica Wright

Yeah, um. Yeah, my website http://iscommunityrooted.com you can email me at erica@communityroed.com if you have any questions and yeah. On my website I kind of just hyperlink everyone that I'm working I'm working with. So If you're interested to know more about any of the businesses that I mentioned you can find more information there.


38:47.31

kitedart

Fabulous. Well Erica thank you so much for being with us today I really appreciate you I appreciate your work and I will look forward to checking out some of the juneteenth stuff myself. Yeah.


38:56.21

Erica Wright

Thank you Thanks for having me.