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Hey, I'm Jon.
And I'm Becky.
And this is the We Are For Good podcast.
Nonprofits are faced with more challenges to accomplish their missions and the growing pressure to do more, raise more and be more for the causes that improve our world.
We're here to learn with you from some of the best in the industry, bringing the most innovative ideas, inspirational stories, all to create an Impact Uprising.
So welcome to the good community, where Nonprofit Professionals, philanthropist, world changers and rabid fans who are striving to bring a little more goodness into the world.
So let's get started. Becky, what's happening?
Favorite human alert. And actually someone we've met in real life and our children have played with Can we talk about that for a second?
They also talk about when we saw her in real life. She didn't have the title. She has a kitchenette where she is a doctor, Jenny. She knows the house right? And an author. I know I'm having impostor syndrome with our friend now.
That's so sweet. Yes.
Well, I mean, you know, we'd love following your journey. And I think the way we met I will definitely thread it through at some point in today's episode. But if you don't know, Jenny, like, you just need to find her online because I remember we definitely met on Instagram kind of after an event. And I just think getting a snapshot into her world will give you a lens into a different world. She lives in Kenya with her family, where she started this incredible organization called Imani collective, and it's part like artists and goods. It's part like entrepreneurship and female empowerment and just all that kind of coming under one roof. But here's the thing, she has her banner in the ground around ethical impact, like everything that she does, from sourcing goods to delivering goods to creating the goods. It's all about threading, ethical impact and every part of that journey. And so her story is inspiring. She her humility is always incredible, because her journey is so winding you know, and so I love talking shop with her and just kind of the winding path of her work. But she has a new book coming out. And we're just like, so pumped about this book, she's sharing her story through let it be wild, which releases in May, it's all about stepping into the unknown and finding a home, which is so Jenny, just in a nutshell. So it is our honor to have you officially on the show Jenny Nuccio, get in this house. So good to see you.
I am so excited to be here. And I actually when I first met you guys, it was I was watching a podcast, I was actually teaching because I'm a professor and I was teaching off of one of your podcasts on YouTube. And that's when I saw the banner behind y'all because I think that's when you were interviewing Dana or something.
Yeah, the banner, like literally behind Jon Still, if you log on and actually look at the video of our conversation
kind banner that we call the little banner that could now it's just like this little banner that's connected us from around the world. But I mean, it really is such a lens to like this beautiful company that you've created that centers, the artists and that lifts the women that are part of this beautiful collective. And so I mean, I can't wait to hear all of the things. But first, tell us about your story. I mean, give us some context for those new to you about growing up and kind of what led you into this incredible journey that you've been on? Yeah,
so for all of you who are just hearing my name for the first time, hi, it's so great to see you or I'm not seeing you but meet you. Please reach out that I wanted the things that I love so much is social. I love email, I love all the things I send a million voice notes because I truly want to be available accessible to individuals and just encourage you guys who are on the journey as well. But I started Imani collective now over 10 Will will be 10 years and may and so been working and living in Kenya for 12 years. And my kids are born here. And it's just a delight to do be on this journey. I grew up in Texas. So I grew up in San Antonio and found my way to Kenya just through really I just I think again through connections and just part read the book part of my story. I'm just like, how did I end up in Kenya is always a wild again a wild story of just kind of serendipitous kind of innocence, and I thought I would actually never never go back. That's a big part of my journey of stepping into Kenya and seeing all the DIS Verity seeing going into a village in the being in a five star hotel at night and being really frustrated with why am I here? And why am I needed and what's going on here, seeing the hurt that was happening within nonprofits, and also not being done well, and not listening to communities and again, assuming the needs of communities and just coming in and hurting versus rather than truly helping or empowering. And so, at that time, in that age, I didn't realize that I was processing all of that until I continued to travel back and traveled to many other countries as well, and experienced a lot of these same emotions. So I think that's throughout my journey, asking, Okay, how can we be different? How can we be better instead of being challenging or being discussed? And maybe, or being seeing that and not understanding what like not putting myself in the picture, but putting myself in the picture with solutions, but getting those solutions from the community themselves. And so I know that we've talked about this before, I think we're I just I coin on saying like radically listening because I truly believe that's important to anything and everything we do have, how are we listening with, again, the purest intent. And sometimes that's going to be that when we are truly listening, it might not be things we want to hear, because we have these grand or ideas that we want to create, especially within the nonprofit space and, and going in, and we want to help and we come in with those purest intentions, but at the same time, that's not exactly what the community needs. And we need to be willing to, to hear that feedback and walk alongside and build something together. And so for me and Imani collective, that's been my journey has been building, we started as a training program. And it organically grew into a global social enterprise, and a home decor brand and a kid's brand and this beautiful thing that I have no idea, really, I mean, a lot of hard work and tears. But my my intention from the beginning was just to create opportunities to create something that they asked for, and to be able to just walk with them and build it with them. And then we got to do that together. So that's kind of in a nutshell, where we're at. And so started with 16 women, and we now have over 170 artisans and staff in Kenya. And we're serving customers all over the world. And I like how you started out of like the ethical impact side, that's a really big part of my journey as well is not just creating dignified work, right, creating beautiful work and creating these holistic programs. You know, we have food program childcare, all these things, the supplemental programs and trainings that we offer artisans, but also looking at the ripple of what our organization is involved in. And that that means when we're buying our supplies and who we're partnering with when we're going and buying wool and going up in meeting the shears who shear the sheep all the way to the customer, right and how our packaging, our company went 100% plastic free last year in our packaging, and yes, it's like a big, it's you know, so we do a lot of these different environmental and different pillar things that might not be on the forefront of of who we are. But we're always trying to challenge our system in the back of how can we be better
what you've built in Imani, Jenny is just so beautiful, and I think a lot of people miss what's underneath it because honestly, anytime you need to buy a baby gift or you need to buy a housewarming gift, like this is the Bougie you know, Restoration Hardware what elm you know, West Elm type of product and so, you know, it's beautiful, but what's beneath it is so much more beautiful and I am dying to ask you this. How's Fatima doing? Because the tumors name was on the back of our first this Yeah, I actually think like this is part of the storytelling is you don't just get the product. You see the name of the human who made it. And the first time we even we're connected to Jenny, we get this email and she's like, Oh, I see you're using our banner and we're like, oh, we're a puddle on the floor because we can't believe her emailing us at midnight and telling this and oh for tumor wrote this, and it's inspired so much and she's like, Oh, I'm about to go see her in the shop. So I'm gonna go tell her Hi. So hospitals are doing
amazing. She's one of our original probably in the future. Yeah, one of the oh geez have been with us since 2015. Has three kiddos and just Yeah, doing amazing I think it's beautiful for me to just again, they all have their unique stories, but when you when you're within our community and you feel our culture, you can feel the family that surrounds our surrounds our workshops. So I think for her to be able to be a part of that as well as just so dynamic and to just be able to come in and see our women be joyful and so for two minutes, just you know, one of those who is a foundation of Imani that's why the oh geez are really the ones who like pulled me off the ground when I wanted to quit and put Mine was around during that time. So those I owe a lot to them, you know, if believing this, like large vision that I'm many, many times I wanted to give up on it. And so yeah, she's she's one of those one of those. And we're about to change all of our tags and things like that coming up where, in the next couple of months, all of our products will now come with the artisans headshot and a QR code to leave clothes to lead to their story. So we're trying to get you guys a little bit closer to their stories, it's been these are the things that I was saying off the mic, we're doing lots of restructuring and reorganizing and all this stuff so that you get the best customer experience, but also that their stories and their transformation, all of that is being shared more effectively as well. And so there's been a lot of fun, marketing things, were changing a lot of our products coming up. So we'll become I feel you saying you're manifesting the West Elm, we will become even closer to them, because we're changing a lot of a lot of things to serve you guys better, as well. So
well, I remember we had Vic Harrison, one of the cofounders of charity water on the podcast. And she said, Oh, I have that that I got from Crate and Barrel. And I'm like the little banner that could is truly everywhere. So well, I just I thank you for this beautiful community that you've built. I commend your ability to to weave story into this social enterprise because it makes it human. But I want to talk about this like entrepreneurial journey that you've been on. And you've shared with us that you started your social impact business on your own. And you developed organically asking questions as you were like walking through the doors. And I love this quote that you said that I did not come in with the strategy or really know what I was doing. And that journey was really isolating and lonely because no one was sharing their trade secrets. Talk to us about that entrepreneurial journey and how you're disrupting that isolation.
Hmm, like gets me emotional. I have been so blessed over the last two years to have a lot of people finally say yes and listen and mentors. In the field, I would say when the first eight years were very, yes, lonely and isolating. I still believe that these trade secrets or whatnot, people hold tight to that. The other day, I mean, this is a perfect example. The other day I reached out to a friend of mine who runs an amazing cooperative, I won't say were amazing, cooperative, and does amazing organic dyes and all these things. I was like hey, can I fly my team like to my team members over and they can learn the process of organic dyeing because we want to change some of our dyeing process. And she was like, Absolutely not like we won't teach you. And I was actually really shocked because it was a you know, a friend, a good friend. So I was like, Okay, I guess we're just gonna have to learn ourselves start from square one, like we always have, you know, but I wouldn't say that's true for everything that we've done. Right. But I will say I think that's where I truly believe in collaboration I truly believe in coming together. I ran a conscious collab weekend, this past February in North Carolina. And it was amazing to have about 16 women came together, that have global social enterprises all around the world, and to just all at different levels, but to encourage one another to share trade secrets, right to give each other connections, because I truly believe we we don't necessarily live in a small world, the world is is still big, but we live in a very connected world if we allow ourselves to be connected. And I think when we choose to hold on, then the universe in the world is going to give that right back to us. It's not going to give us that. So I have found that the more that I've given, the more ideas and more collaboration, the more connections I've given. I've received that back tenfold. And I've seen that in my journey. And I think that's what we need to we need to realize that too, when we come into relationships as well, like, not, what are we going to I mean, I think this is a good just even donor one on one, like when we go into a relationship, not what am I trying to get out of them, right? It's like, No, I want to build an authentic relationship. And I want to give all of me to them. And I mean, that starts something that is credible and authentic. And then we'll get that back. And it might not be tomorrow might not be in the next year. But when I look at my past decade, I can see connections I made back in 2016, that now have come to some fruition or some connection and that's six years, you know, down the line. And I think we as just humans need to be better in our consistency and our obedience and our, you know, authenticity of what we're doing and realize that it's a little bit longer road and that's hard to hear, because I'm still in it too. And it's still a road but we have to be patient with ourselves, right? It's all about the progress. It's not about perfection. It's about taking that one step in front of the other and being really really patient with yourself. It's gonna be messy. Even if it's really excellent, it's still gonna be messy in the backend, like there's still going to be things going on. And I think we just have to be patient
yes to all of this, can I just say, as like founders sitting across from you talking shop today, like, I'm glad we're in a moment in time that it's really safe, I feel safe to talk about how messy that process can be, you know, and that there is so much power in just showing up generously, showing up with an abundance mindset. And we're already feeling the surrounds of that, when you consistently show up like that, eventually, it does come back, you know, in multiple ways beyond what you can even imagine. So I just, I feel that we're sitting in the gratitude of lunch and 400 episodes, you know, and just like the gratitude of that moment, is so true. So I want to give you space, because I mean, what you built with Imani and the women that power, this is just so moving, I want you to give us a peek below the surface, because you go to the website, and it is the most beautiful website. The products are so bound to change it. Oh, no, it's so good. It's gonna be more it's gonna be more beautiful. I totally. So I want to know, below the surface, like how What does ethical impact look like below the surface? You know? Because I know you spent a lot of time talking about this, you research this you talk to other founders? What does it really look like? And how does it play out so we can have the right questions and to think through? Are we showing up ethically and all the things that we're doing?
Because I mean, this might rub people a little bit the wrong way because I think ethical is again in all areas of your life. So I think we can't expect so this is really hard in the the fairtrade roll the social enterprise world because we can say okay, we're, we say we're helping marginalized women, right? That might be on our website, we're gonna just throw that out there. But how are you actually like, how are you doing that? How are you partner? And if you're partnering with a nonprofit, that's fine, like your your business or partnering in the nonprofit profit a cooperative, but if you're only giving say, like, what what does that partnership look like, right? And then do you know how they're treating the women within that potentially cooperative? Like, have you done the due diligence and asked like, a, you know, a list, I'm not saying you have to do that with every partner. But this these is how deep ethical is to me of like, actually understanding the systems and what you're involved in? And what, even in an in a fiscal sense, like, what your money is going towards, as well. So I have people all the time who, again, are saying yes, I'm doing good. I'm partnering, I partner with maybe it's hundreds of cooperatives. But are they receiving consistent pay? Like do you actually know their living standards? Is your fair trade, which might be fair trade on paper, actually going to last them for X amount of months? Maybe only one month? Like what is it their family situation? So I want people to ask all the questions I want you to know, also on an environmental standpoint, on the materials you're using, I want you to know like how that's being processed. And what's happening there. Like a lot of people ask why we're not Fairtrade certified? And there's a long answer to that. But the short answer is fair trade is a transaction. It's a one time thing. I'm giving money for a trade. That's it. I'm not asking any other questions. Ethical is to me 10 steps higher than that, because I'm caring about the whole person, I want to make sure that they're, they're going home with their bellies full at night. But it's not just one night because I only did one Fairtrade, but it's a consistent partnership, because they're getting that over and over again. Ethical is about generational change. Like it is not just about what what's, you know, what's happening just today and tomorrow, right? And so this is where, when I'm looking at, how is your impact? Right impacts we've talked about this before, it can be bad or good. And we have to understand that as well, that we want our impact, obviously, to be good. But how but in order for it to be good, we also need to be asking the right ethical questions for that, because we can, that can definitely, you know, it can alter, I have people who do really great things in the United States and employ amazing people. But they still buy from very interesting places to source some of their things. So that the you can
say in child sweatshops. So
exactly. And they're okay with that I sit down, and I've have really good friends who are like, you'll just always be more ethical to me, it's okay, I care more about the profit here. And I'm like, Okay, that's great. Like, that's, that's how you want to run your business. That's fine. And you can say that you're doing great impact here. But you also have to realize there's other doors that you're choosing to ignore. And so when, and again, as a business and a social enterprise, when we're a hybrid. So we run both as a business and a nonprofit. And so our Amany collective our product is a business and our goal is by 2027, that business will be profitable enough then to donate into our nonprofit where our nonprofit doesn't necessarily have to raise $1. To me, that is a fully circular economy model that is the sustainable model that I have been working towards and have been tried, you know, and so that's that's all the restructuring of that. things that I'm talking about, because it's a lot of work to do that, and your bottom line is always going to be more, it's always going to be more when you're trying to be ethical and you, you have to realize it's a longer game. So if you are in the social enterprise business, and there's, you know, you are constantly looking at your bottom line, yeah, it's, it's harder, and I'm, I'm here for it, and I get it, but we don't do good. Because it's easy, we do good, because it's right. And we have to start challenging that. And so we have to start stop just ignoring one side and then getting credit for the other, and then sleeping well at night, because that's not going to there's people across the world that are still suffering, because that one decision you chose chose to make. Now, you might not be seeing that. And that's, you know, that's the reality of it. But I want people to be challenged in that. And I want I want it to rub a little differently. You know,
I this sounds too benign. And I don't mean it to be because I think it's such a weighty expression. But thank you for caring for people who source their business in this way for people to go to the depths of, you know, this understanding and the sourcing. Thank you for that it has a deep impact, not just on the bottom line, but it has a deep impact on people. And I also just think this entire conversation around ethical impact is really having me think about this question I want to pose to the community, which is how are you telling the story of your impact? And I think we've been raised to think that when we tell the story of our impact, we're hitting all those typical KPIs. You know, we're talking about the dollars raise we're talking about, the number of people served it, but there are so much deeper stories within your nonprofit, I just think about talking about the environmental impact of what you're talking, you're talking about the socio economic impact of your organization. There are so many tenants here. I know delorey, Gandhi has come on and talk deeply about how do we bring our impact story up and reimagine it. And I honestly think this is going to be a magnet to other funders, to people who want to be your consumers or buy your products. And I just think Imani is one of the gold standards in this. So I want to talk to you about how nonprofits can and especially founders can apply what you've learned, you know, we have listeners that have started their own nonprofits, that new programs, you know, and tried to start their own movements, what advice would you give them, that you've kind of learned along the way? And feel free to give us any of those fail forward moments because we all learn from them to love to hear your thoughts?
Yeah, I think the first thing is to go back to listening. Because again, I teach within a social work department, and I work with a lot of students who are building nonprofits, and they want to get back to their community so much, and they have amazing ideas. And then I've asked them, have you asked like, have, again, have you just asked, like, is that what they want? So I think, first, I will always tell people to start with listening. That's also just a lean startup principle of building any type of business, you can correlate that like you need to listen to your customer, right and what they want. It's the same thing when we're building nonprofits and services, we need to listen to them. Um, the other thing is, I think we need to not worry so much about okay, this is gonna sound like, really, I don't know, people are gonna be like, really, how can I not worry about this. But I truly think we need to not worry so much about the budget, I think the true people who we need to worry more about your value alignment. So go find the people who are going to align, align with that don't go find millionaires find people who are going to align with your values, and that budget will be fulfilled, if you're just going after people with deep pockets. Like that's not going to be consistent long term partnerships. The reason that Imani Collective is here today is, believe it or not, we do we have not ever received a large grant, we've received some small family foundations just in the last year, but it's because we have about five major donors who just really care about us. And we have a lot of other donors as well. But like some major families that have just seen us and loved us over the last decade, and believe in what we're trying to what we're trying to accomplish. And those relationships are authentic, and they're real, and our families gather and break bread, you know, like those type of relationships. It's not. And I knew those people before I even knew they had that type of capacity of giving. Right. So I think it's the value alignment that is so important and just tell beautiful stories. One thing that we my nonprofit team, what we're focusing on this year is not to do one ask, we will only ask on our GivingTuesday campaign because we love our joy room and we're going to encourage people and give during the joy room, but it did not ask this year and this is a little obviously counter intuitive, but I have asked so much in the last 10 years that and people have Given and that's been beautiful, but I was like, this is the year that we just need to, like hunker down and tell beautiful stories. And I'm changing our impact report at the end of the year, it's not really going to have any, like, just we do a lot of reporting at the end of the year, but I'm actually going to separate our reports, and I'm just gonna do a magazine of transformation. And just there's share stories of how we've touched people, from people in Kenya to people, our customers to. And so we're going to share stories from all over the world. That's not just our artisan, but yes, is our customer or people who've heard our story or anything like that, because that is, you know, what you're saying that's where people are going to connect to the human part of what you're doing? And so I'd say, Yes, start asking, really find that value alignment and just tell stories of what you're doing. Because I think, especially I know when you're in it, that a lot of our stories feel mundane, because we're in it, we're in it, and it just seems normal. But guess what, they're actually like, really amazing stories. Someone told me the other day, they're like, why don't you share this story with me? And I was like, I don't know, this happens to me every day. And they're like, This is amazing. And I'm like, Oh, yes. To me, it seems like the 100th time this has happened to me. Yeah. But I'm like, No, this is really amazing. And we need it, let's not be afraid of repeating ourselves, because that just also builds a very credible brand. Because you're, you're obviously doing the same thing over and over again, and seeing the same transformation, which is should be a great thing. So yeah, just tell stories to
I mean, that tells you every reason why we are good friends with you, Jenny Nuccio. I love I love how you center values. I think there's a reason we talked about that a ton on the podcast, because it really does matter. And the depth that you kind of can explore that in just how we show up, I think takes it to a totally different level. So I'm really jazzed because your book is, like, we're so excited about your book. It's called Let it be wild. And we get to see the first chapter in advance, which was really exciting. I felt really like secretive to get this PDF in advance. Right. But I mean, it starts with story. And I think the whole thing is a story. But I think you know, it starts in this hut. And one of your first interactions that led led the seeds to starting Imani. So why don't you take us back? And then tell us a little bit about what inspires you to write it too?
Yeah, so yeah, it's actually starts in a hut Intercon. So Turkana is our third location, and it's a very different location. So that the first story the opening story is happened in 2020, actually, right before the pandemic before all of that was happening. But it's one of my favorite memories of even in all of the memories. I mean, I have a lot of crazy memories living in the village here in Mombasa. But going up to Turkana and experiencing that just harshness of reality, I've seen it before. But northern Kenya is a very different feel than on the coast. So I live on the south east coast. That's where most of our operations is we have two locations down here. But we also have a location now in northern Kenya for the last three years. We have 18 women up there that do beautiful basket weaving, but it's just harsh. It's a it's a it's a world of famine and drought, it was a region that was like, excommunicated from from all of Kenya really. So they don't even speak Swahili they speak to econo it's just almost as if you you're leaving and going to another country. And so I really wanted to start out with that. And then and then I then from there, I have kind of flashback and go through my whole really story in chronological order of getting from even from when I was in fifth grade, making t shirt pillows with my grandma and starting like didn't, you know, realizing, oh, maybe I'm an entrepreneur, I don't know, just funny little stories throughout my life, but my hope for the book is really, you know, for people to see themselves in those stories. You know, I tell stories about being a little bit crazy and wild on spring break trips, and what that you know, the aha moments that we have in college and those in those times. And so, I just hope that it's so relatable that people realize, okay, like I to what is my let it be wild story. I don't want people to get intimidated by the story. And I don't think it's presented in that way, by any means. Because I don't want people to be like, oh, I need to sell everything and move across the world. What I want people to realize is, what is there to realize they have power from within them, and they can make an impact right where they are, even if they're in all different seasons. And if that means Yeah, you're just, you know, just had a newborn baby and your season is to be amazing mom at that time. Like that's your impact right there on that baby. Or, you know, I have a friend one of my friends has read this book so far because I wanted to see her reaction to it. And it gave me goosebumps after she read it because she called me and said you know what? i She's a teacher by trade. She always thought she would live overseas. She's in Houston. And she said, You know what, I have been working with the refugee community in Houston and I just filed I literally 40 It hours later after reading but filed for a nonprofit to start ESL training classes with all of the refugee communities that were being resettled within Houston. And so she's already been doing that. And that's where it's just like, I want people to see what is your talent that's within you and going out and doing that. And the desire to write the book was actually a little bit of it was an escape for me when I first started writing. Because when I started writing the book, it was when I saw you guys, in 2021, I was on the road with all my kids in the RV. You guys saw it, you know, it was amazing. It was wild. And I there was a lot of other personal things going on. But also I was finishing my doctoral dissertation at that time and writing that. And it was a very high intense stress time across the board. And so I wanted to be reminded of my why, like, Why did I start this? Why, why are we going through all of this. And so I would just write to remind myself and to gather peace. And so this story wasn't there was no, I guess that's Jenny esque. There was no strategy, this book, just like there's no strategy of the Leilani. In the beginning, it was just a write lots of stories. And then I shelved it, and about October of 2021. And then last year, and the beginning of last year is like, Okay, I think I'm ready to pick it up. Last year, my word was realign. And I spent a lot of time on the wheel throwing pottery, I spent a lot of time painting, I did a lot of creative stuff, kind of slowed down more, and started to put it together in a beautiful way and fill in the gaps. And it was really healing for me to see the whole story together. And my hope is that people get encouraged and inspired by it.
I'm inspired just by the overview, like I, I'm so proud of you. And I remember that time period. And I think everyone can relate to just being in the season of chaos or in grind. And in as a writer, there's just something very healing and restorative to me to like, sit down with my thoughts, and process out loud with words. And I and I love the title so much because you did let it be wild and when you allowed it to just grow organically. I think it's a beautiful theme of your life. I think it's a beautiful theme of Imani and I really hope everybody will check it out. We're gonna drop a link in the show notes to the book, it's coming out in late May, we want you to grab your copies. And we want you to remember to embrace just letting it be wild and it's okay and it doesn't have to be perfect. We just have to keep moving forward. So, Jenny, you know how much we love story on this podcast. And I can imagine you have had many powerful moments of philanthropy passed through your doors that Imani but I wonder if there's one that kind of just stands out doesn't even have to be at Imani it could be growing up. But a moment of philanthropy that's really changed and stayed with you.
I tell this story in the book, too. It's called the chapter is called radical generosity. Raising money is daunting, right? We know that and it's exhausting at times. And sometimes you just feel you do feel inauthentic at times when you're like man, I just need more connections or building or whatever that might be. It was early in 2015 pre kids. And we were I was reached out through email. I never met this woman before she emailed me and she said, Hey, I hear you're in Kenya and I have some projects that I'm supporting in Nairobi. So we're in Mombasa, Nairobi, it's about eight hours apart. Would you be willing to go up there and help build a school. And at that time, my husband and I like we would just we rode night buses, my tattoos. We didn't own a car. We were like, yeah, now now we are a little bit more bougie in our in our we're like we've done our time we've done our time. But um, you know, my husband works with. He started an organization that helps boys get off the street. He does drug rehabilitation, mentorship, and we sponsor 17 boys in school, and I have a lot of sons at my house. So that's a whole nother side of what we do. So we're like, yeah, this would be great. We can have the boys like put them on a bus go up there help build the school because to build the school you have to like, you know, it's not just seemed like you're having a hand mix all the semen and whatnot. But I was like really concerned because I was like, Oh my gosh, this woman is like is Is she just sending money somewhere and she like, doesn't know, I thought I was gonna show up to Nairobi, you know, like one of those stories. I was like, Oh my gosh, like, there's gonna be nothing there and like, she's just this woman in the United States sending tons of money to this organization. But we're like, okay, we can do it. And at this time, she was like, I'll sponsor everybody else sponsor the boys to like get on the bus. You guys get on bus to go. So we put together a budget and like we try to be as lean as possible. This was probably at this time. am the most money I've ever asked for, which isn't a lot. It was like $4,000. Now he asked me, you know, but at that time, I was like, Oh my gosh, I'm asking a complete stranger. Yes, I'm asking you river $4,000, you know, to, like, send us up there. And I knew she had already sent like, $10,000 to this organization, I was like, This is gonna be a bus. I was so worried. She didn't even ask anything, send us the money. And I was like, Who is this woman? Okay, and but again, I was still worried. But we show up. And they had everything ready for us. These, these people could not talk more highly of this woman who is now a deep friend, like sincere friend of ours. And then I found out she had been pouring into this organization for over 20 years that they call her show show, which means grandma, and I just had I think, for me, it was the first time that I saw like, really pure, like radical generosity, we like no questions asked, like, I have these means I'm going to help support you. And it made me realize there are people out there like there are because at this time, I, you know, I just had never seen that type of giving. And I never seen that type of just like pure giving. And so I would say that's still to this day, like my entry point into understanding that there are people out there that just have that, again, that wants its value aligned, that want to help and support and give and see things, you know, come to fruition. And still to this day, we went and visited the school last year and it's thriving, it has sent a hundreds of hundreds of kids. It's located in Kibera, which is the largest East African slum. So it's a small school. But these kids like wouldn't have had the opportunity to have any education. So to see them and now to see the after school programs they've built just because she said yes and built. And then our boys came up and built that building is really cool. It was cool to be a part of that. So
show show, we got to meet you know, show,
you know,
show show every The world needs more show shows
unbelievable story. And I just I mean, just love the way that y'all show up in this world. I feel like that was one of the first things I remember messaging on LinkedIn, Instagram, once we met, I was like, just the way I'll show up in the world is just really cool. You know, and I just think it thank you flows through you and all of your work. And so you know, this kind of I'm grieving this moment of our podcast, this means we're wrapping up, but what's the one good thing you would leave with our community today, I know you're such a thought leader in this space with something you'd impart on our community today.
Find your people. I think my my, my favorite part about my book is that I get to brag on my husband, who is this quiet soul, and he is a powerhouse of a man. And so I get to share some of his story like obviously with his permission, but because he's just so quiet, so I'm like, buddies, it I would not be able to do what I do, or Imani wouldn't be where it is today without the support I have from my husband. And so I would say who is that? Who's your who's your support system, who's your nearfield who's the energy that like, again, lights you up when you're down and you know, allows your energy to be to be lifted? Find those people because we're, it's a long journey, and we're still in it. And if you're trying to do it alone, and I end be isolated, it's gonna be it's probably going to end pretty quickly. So find those people and read the book and listen and read all about my husband because he's amazing,
Shawn, right. Yeah, yes. Keep rocking it.
Well, I just have loved this conversation so much and I want to make sure that people know how to connect with you. How can they go shopping and Imani come on Mother's Day is coming up. Go get your mama's something made by a whole bunch of other Mama's and tell us where they can get the book. So tell us all the places you hang out online.
All you need to go know is Imani collective.com We are rebranding back to Imani kids which is exciting. Because Imani collective now has a lot of different brands that we have under under arrest but if you go to money collective.com It'll take you to an amazing landing page that then you can click on Imani kids and you can buy all the things in May when our book comes out it'll be on all those platforms that you can buy and we also have we'll have a let it be wild collection that we're launching with that so some of my favorite sees Yeah, yes.
You're like the Oprah social enterprise world with your favorite things. Excellent.
My favorite things. There will be a coffee we have a coffee label coming out.
Oh my gosh. Taste tester over here.
all the things so Imani collective. And when we do have we will be putting out our tour schedule. So I will be on the road for two months. And all those details will be coming out and hopefully we're in a city near you. And you can come visit us. Oklahoma City
is open wireless ready for you my friend.
We got great local bookstores too. So Jenny hardest full thank you for coming to this house today. It's just been such a great conversation. I just love the work that you're doing. I adore you.
Thank you.
Hey friends, thanks so much for being here. Did you know we Create a landing page for each podcast episode with helpful links, freebies and even shareable graphics. Be sure to check it out at the link in this episode's description. You probably hear it in our voices but we love connecting you with the most innovative people to help you achieve more for your mission than ever before. We'd love for you to join our good community. It's free and you can think of it as the after party to each podcast episode. You can sign up today at we are for good.com backslash Hello. One more thing If you loved what you heard today, would you mind leaving us a podcast rating and review? It means the world to us and your support helps more people find our community. Thanks, friends. I'm our producer Julie confer and our theme song is Sunray by Remy Borsboom
Hey friends, we're so excited to announce the launch of fundraising is funny. A new podcast launching in the we're for good podcast network with our good friends Glenn Westar and T clay buck. Every week, you can join them to share laughs and cringe worthy case studies. As we unpack the most ridiculous and positively shocking situations that happen within our sector. We believe in the power of generosity to change the world. And something tells us you do too. At the root of each of these stories is a serious ethical question, a system or structure or person that allowed it to happen, or an outdated practice just ripe for disruption. Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, or come find them at fundraising as funny.com We can't wait to see you there.
