Funding & Launching Your Dream with Circle and Collective Giving

If you can identify a problem that people in your community have and are willing to pay for, you are on trD-Richack for starting a successful business. Use money that is closer to home by investing your own funds or seeking help from friends and family before reaching for outside investors.   “The first funding you should have and the best funding you can have is your own money. Because if you haven't put your own money in, you don't really believe in it,” shares Linsey Mills. Linsey is an author, entrepreneur and consultant whose goal is to give back to his community. Today, Linsey joins host D-Rich to talk about funding and launching your dream business. Later, they are joined by Joy B. Webb, the Collective Giving Evangelist, to talk about giving circles and the power of the collective.    Another really great way to fund your dream business is to seek help from the community through a giving circle. Giving circles bypass all the usual bureaucracy of philanthropy and allow typically unrestricted funds to be given directly to the person in need. Getting involved in these circles helps you keep your pulse on what the needs of the community actually are. When people come together and give as a collective, they can achieve incredible things for their communities without requiring any outside investments.    Black and brown people have always been strongly committed to their communities. We see philanthropy every week in church, so even if you do not think of yourself as a philanthropist, you likely are one. If you do not put in your own money at the start, investors won’t think you are serious or truly believe in your business. In order to fund your dreams, you will first need help from the community and your immediate circle of family and friends prior to finding investors.    Quotes • “An entrepreneur sees opportunity in their mind long before others see opportunity with their eyes.” (12:25-12:31 | Linsey)  • “Most of the businesses that have been really successful have found opportunities in a need or a problem that people have had. And they are willing to pay whatever amount there is for it in order to have that problem solved. And if you can build a business around that, I think that's very important.” (13:48-14:07 | Linsey) • “If we lose some dollars, or we lose some of these hours, it is not going to affect our lifestyle, we're looking for a return on the money rather than a return of the money.” (17:47-17:55 | Linsey) • “The first funding you should have and the best funding you can have is your own money. Because if you haven't put your own money in, you don't really believe in it.” (19:19-19:28 | Linsey)  • “I don't consider myself a fundraiser. I consider myself a friend raiser.” (35:10-35:15 | Joy) • “A giving circle actually is almost a disruptor of philanthropy and just gets down to the core of the why, and lets people actually get the funds.” (42:17-42:25 | Joy) • “What I can do as an individual is great, but what I can do with the collective is just amazing, powerful, life changing, legacy building, and all of that stuff.” (42:27-47:36 | Joy)   Links Connect with Linsey Mills: Website: https://callinzgroup.com/about Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simplyoutrageous/ Book: Your Business Venture: The Prep. The Pitch. The Funding. - https://yourbizventure.com/   Connect with Joy B. Webb: Website: https://joybwebb.com/about-joy/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joy-webb/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JoyBWebbTheCollectiveGivingEvangelistATLGAFacebook About Southern Soul Thursdays - @SoulThursdays   Witty, thought-provoking, and uplifting, Southern Soul Livestream - Podshow is the program that you’ll invite friends over to watch every week, where you’ll learn about fascinating speakers and get to share in exciting experiences. Tune in each Thursday at 8 pm eastern at SoulThursdays.com to connect with guests from across the generations and to laugh with our "cast of characters," hosts who are as charming as they are talented!   Support Community Exploratory Journalism  Buy us  A Coffee!  Shop Southern Soul Official Merchandise  Buy  Official Merchandise Purchase Official Show Companion  SSL Companion & Journal   Register for Live Episode - “It’s a Whole Vibe!”  Click here to register.    Connect with us Website: www.SoulThursdays.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/soulthursdays/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soulthursdays/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/soulthursdays Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@soulthursdays